#just a reference post for all the art inside the book!

[layzeal]

All Illustrations for SevenSeas' Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Volume 1

Cover: Jin Fang

B/W Illustrations: Marina Privalova

Bonus Color Illustration: moo

[vol.1] [vol.2] [vol.3] [vol.4] [vol.5]

#i'll be posting one volume a day <3 #just a reference post for all the art inside the book! #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #gdc #魔道祖师 #modao #lace speaks

[lackadaisycats]

I’m so sorry if you’ve already answered this somewhere, but how do you design your characters?

I’ve been trying to make an OC from the prohibition era and it turns out there’s basically nothing to work with for men’s outfits, so I’m curious how you made this many that look unique and fitting to the characters

There is so much to work with, though! You will tend to find more of a focus on variety in women's fashion, but there is still quite a lot of menswear to ogle too. I suppose it's just a matter of searching out ideas and inspiration in the rights corners. Here are a few suggestions:

Old Clothing Catalogues -

Collections from Sears-Roebuck and other popular clothing retailers are pretty easy to find compiled into relatively inexpensive books, or just floating online.

A fair bit of it is in the public domain now.

--Here's an entire 1922 catalogue of stuff to flip through.

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Contemporary Artwork -

Some phenomenal illustrators were working in this field amidst the "Golden Age of Illustration" and featured prominently on the covers of magazines and on the ads inside. There was a lot of emphasis on fashion.

Collier's and The Saturday Evening Post are a couple of the more prominent and easily searchable resources. The costuming on the cover art always has a lot of personality.

There's Rockwell, of course, and it's almost impossible to go wrong with J. C. Leyendecker. He's probably best known for his Arrow Collar ad art, but even his sock ads are like…

There were numerous other amazing and influential illustrators working at the time too. Here's a list of some of them. Here's a bonus Henry Raleigh featuring some of his fabulously-dressed people.

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Blogs and Articles -

There are so many of them! If you want historical accuracy, be wary of write-ups pulling all of their references from film and television. There's nothing wrong with using those for inspiration if you aren't too concerned with historicity, but there are some pretty comprehensive and well-researched things out there with more of an eye on actual fashion history too:

--Gentleman's Gazette - What Men Really Wore in the 1920s

--The Fashionisto - 1920s Men's Fashion

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Digital Collections -

There are numerous digital historic image collections stemming from universities, museums, libraries, and the government that are free to peruse too.

--The Metropolitan Museum has a searchable catalog of exhibits that includes fashion and photos

--Here's some things from the New York Public Library

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Photos at Large -

If you aren't sure where to start, image searching for any of Hollywood's early celebrities will typically turn up a bevy of production stills and promotional photography featuring a variety of fashions. Here's a random Getty images search for Harold Lloyd. A lot of standard 3 piece suits, but a lot of stuff with added character too.

Photography was generally quite accessible by the 1920s, though, and you can find a lot of authentic photos of people from all walks of life, out in the wild wearing all sorts of clothes.

This is by no means the limit to the resources available, but hopefully it'll provide some leaping-off points for designing looks for your characters!

[syneilesis]

[fic] Coffee Break

Coffee Break

Love and Deepspace | Xavier (Shen Xinghui) x Main-Character!Reader | G | 1.2k words ao3 link

You buy Xavier a new coffee machine.

A/N: I am so in love with this man. Day 2 of the closed beta test and here I am writing fic lmao. God, I love Shen Xinghui so much. This fic is inspired by his Shimmering Sunlight story. Some spoilers about the main storyline and character-exclusive stories, though nothing too significant. Though I frequently refer to his CN name in my other posts, in this fic I use his EN version -- Xavier.

The box is light in your hands, but the salesperson assured you that weight does not equate to quality. Price, too—because although the Hunters Association is generous with their pay, you don't want to raise flags by taking missions incessantly. Tara's nose for intrigue, of course, is well-known among your circles.

It would be all the worse if Xavier gets in on the gossip too. (You'd have to thank the stars for the man's indifference to workplace drama—and to most in general. Xavier may be airheaded at times but when he's focused on something he is monstrously focused on it. It's impressive, and—well—cute.)

The recommended beans are secured inside your messenger bag. You don't call Xavier this time to give him a heads up. He had, a few days ago, granted you the privilege to enter his home whenever you like, his hand tracing the book spines on the shelf, all the while saying it. He wasn't looking at you, but his tone remained light, playful even, that it prompted you to tease him by pointing out that if he merely wanted an efficient alarm clock, he could just buy one of those state-of-the-art ones sold in major stores. That's when Xavier whirled around to look at you, mirth in his eyes but with a secretive, scheming tilt on his lips.

“I'm coming in,” you announce, regardless, by the door, pushing it in with one hand, and Xavier's voice floats across the hall.

“You're really taking advantage of this, huh.”

“Well, a wise man once said that one must seize every opportunity given their way.”

Xavier emerges from a room in all his cardigan-and-sweatpantsed glory, hair mussed enough to indicate that he's just risen from his bed.

“Good morning!” you chirp.

He glances at the clock—two in the afternoon—and eyes the box in your hands. The caution—and curiosity—is obvious in the lilt of his question. “What's that?”

“For you.”

He takes the proffered item and inspects like it'll explode at any moment. You sigh and retrieve it again, and he follows you when you make your way to the kitchen.

“I already have a coffee machine,” he says, confused, as you begin to clean the gift.

“And it brews bitter coffee.” You spare a glance at him to find that he's watching you. You tap the lid of the machine. “This is a more recent and an undeniably better model.”

“I don't recall asking you to buy one for me.”

“That's because you didn't.” There's a pause where you deliberate telling him your next sentence and facing him directly as you say it. You go for it, in the end. “It's a gift. This is a gift from me to you.”

It doesn't register to him at first—it's as if he's waiting for an explanation that requires the mention of Captain Jenna's orders. But after a blink and a shuffle, it clicks, his eyes widening and he's fully awake all of a sudden.

And when he responds, it seems urgent: “What's the occasion?”

You shake your head. “Nothing—or rather, it's the occasion for drinking good coffee.” The coffee beans make their appearance. “Go sit on the sofa or something while I work this thing out.”

Xavier chuckles. “What—now you're ordering me in my own home?”

“And making you good coffee!”

“You're a guest—even I know that it's rude to have the guest make food or drinks for the owner of the house.”

“It's fine! And besides, I'd like to test this out as soon as possible. Refund and exchange policy only lasts for seven days from the date of purchase. I'd want to know if this works just fine.”

Xavier attempts to protest a little more, but you hold firm. Once he trudges back to the living room, you concentrate on the coffee. The salesperson seemed trustworthy enough when pitching the product, and you really can't forget the time Xavier served you a cup of bitter coffee. Not even three sugar cubes could salvage that unholy concoction.

When it's done, the heavenly aroma wafting along your nose, you test a sip from your own mug. It's a success. Placing the mugs on a tray, you head to where Xavier is.

He's reading a book. Though 'reading' seems to be a stretch because his head bobs twice, his eyelids drooping, the edge of a nap threatening his posture.

“Xavier,” you call him, and his head snaps back to attention. You bite your lip to stave off a laugh. Sitting next to him on the sofa, you put the tray on the table and hand him his own cup. “Try this one.”

A sniff and a tentative sip. And then he hums in approval, now drinking it normally. You smile around the rim of your mug, your eyes falling on his book.

“This is good,” he comments, wearing a smile of his own when he turns to you. “Did you use another kind of coffee beans?”

“Yep. The salesman recommended me another one, and it was the right decision. By the way, why are you reading an instruction manual on building a claw machine?”

“It's nothing,” he says, swiping the item away. There's another book on the table—a collection of short stories—and he snatches that up instead. You recognize the title.

“Oh! I've read that before.”

“Is it good? I haven't read it yet.”

“Yes. I particularly loved the titular story. The suspense buildup was done skillfully and the payoff was perfect.”

“I see, then I look forward to starting it.”

Surprisingly, Xavier begins reading it then and there, occasionally sipping his coffee and turning the page. You, beside him, are minding your own cup, thoughts drifting here and there. Your next mission. New strategies in battle. Your next appointment with Dr. Zayne.

It's when a weight has plopped down your shoulder that you jolt out of your musings: Xavier falling asleep on your shoulder, mug empty, the coffee residues pooling at the bottom, book opened in the chapter of your favorite story.

“Xavier?” you murmur, careful not to startle him if he's truly asleep.

He doesn't stir—only burrows further into the crevice between your neck and shoulder, the puffs of his breath close and warm against your skin.

It would've been cruel to push him away, not when he looks comfortable. And besides, you're afforded an opportunity to study him—so you let him as he is.

From your angle, staring down at his sleeping face, you note of his eyelashes, long and thick and seemingly soft, slightly curved upwards, hovering over his smooth cheeks. They frame the blueness of his eyes very well. They make him even prettier under daylight. You're reminded of the time you and he strolled under the blooming peach blossoms, the pink backdrop highlighting the radiance of his presence, statuesque. He as sublime art itself, rivaling that of Rafayel's paintings—or better yet, surpassing them. And when he smiles—

Unbidden, heat crawls across your cheeks and settles there. Oh no. Oh, no no no.

Oh dear, this won't do.

You swallow, and turn away. Against your neck, Xavier sleeps on, unaware of your unfurling realizations. By the window, a familiar bird perches, twittering under the afternoon sun, a small but melodious background song.

#love and deepspace #love and deepspace fic #love and deepspace shen xinghui #love and deepspace xavier #fic #my fic #shen xinghui #shen xinghui my beloved #i'm obsessed with this man #this won't be the only fic i'll write for him and for this game

[daftpatience]

overcomplicated analysis of kim kitsuragi’s notebook because im autistic!

i was reading thru the footnotes of his wiki page because i am a completely normal human being and i had some thoughts that led me to buying some stationery and drawing some headcanons today so i wanna INFODUMP!

the name mnemotechnique caught my attention immediately. one of my favourite brands of notebook has a similar name - maruman mnemosyne - i can only assume that this is a reference to the brand name. (coincidentally this supports my fountain pen headcanon as these books are some of my favourite paper to use fountain pens on!!) btw! mnemosyne is the goddess of memory, and mnemotechnique is the french word for mnemonics; the practice of making things easier to remember via patterns!

this reference is supported by the ring binding on the item icon in game, and the fact that it’s one of the more affordable ~nice~ notebook brands out there.

it looks like a bit more is going on in the game artwork though. it’s somewhat bigger than A6 compared to that pen, even in the overworld model. (lets just blame the fact that its *slightly* bigger on that no one actually need bother with that level of detail. a book much bigger than a6 in a breast pocket is just too heavy. it’d pull on his jacket too much), and there’s that weird metal thing on the top. i’m imagining the art people were trying to get it to match harry’s ledger. we could assume kim’s notebook has a binder clip accessory?

the inside of the cover is yellow, which is very similar to mnemosyne’s traditionally yellow endpapers, which further cements the mnemosyne reference:

the official merchandise is a book that is similar to a moleskine or a leuchtturm journal, the blue cover matches the overworld model. im inclined to think this is simply because of ease of manufacturing these styles of book, it’s even a more default A5 size instead of the smaller A6 it should be.

my little tiny thesis to gather all of these facts in a satisfying manner to me is as such: he has a ring bound notebook, real world equivalent being the mnemosyne, but with a jacket similar to a hobonichi:

this covers the extra details like the two pen clips and the possibility of tucking away some accessories like the binder clip. on top of that it makes a lot of sense, considering a notebook cover is strong, protects a notebook that can easily be filled up and swapped out, and also has little pockets inside which of course are very handy. he’d like that.

sorry for the long post i just am having an autismbrained day and i love stationery so much. my blorbo has my favourite notebook and im making you all know it

#i think knowing all these things is just fun and cool #if u want a kim book u can mix and match whatever details are most important to you hehe #disco elysium #i got a different insert just in case the wires dont fit but i do have a mnemosyne because i already loved them #LISTEN it just makes me giddy to have ANYTHING in common with my blorbo #including notebook preference #kim pen headcanon

[dduane]

I've just acquired some partly mismatched old paperback copies of your Middle Kingdoms books and I have to say, having already become familiar with how you see the characters, it's absolutely wild looking at how these cover images depict them. That said, I'm looking forward to reading them and seeing what the fuss is about.

(snicker) Yeah. The first two would be, uh, diagnostic.

...Now, let's be realistic. A new author's very first book cover will only rarely have any kind of serious money spent on it, unless different conditions have been explicitly specified in your contract. (For example, if your book was sold at auction for some significant sum.) And that's just the way it goes. The first time out, you and your work represent a gamble. The publisher's not sure when (if ever) they're going to recoup their investment in you, and so they limit their expenditure accordingly by hiring in new or low-cost artistic talent for your cover, or reusing generic material that they've already got filed away in-house.

And even so, despite having been warned, I can remember how the breath went out of me when I opened up my mailbox and found the envelope holding my very first cover proof inside. I opened the envelope, and found that first image, and it was—

Let's just say "Not exactly what I'd been hoping for," and move on.

The second one, the cover for the Methuen British edition—which was the one I finally framed and hung up—seriously seemed like something of an improvement. And yet imagine my bemusement when I discovered that it was apparently one of those recycled-in-house covers, also used on something of Andrew J. Offutt's. (Which at least made some kind of sense, because if Horny-Helmet Guy there was supposed to be Herewiss, then I'm not at all sure who that Nekkid Broad is supposed to be. And whose blood is that? And who are all those dead people? And, and—! ....But then publishers’ art directors often make artists do things that may make little sense in the context of the book.)

(sigh) (laughter) Never mind. I later heard many tales of people pressing the book with the first cover on it into other people's hands and saying "Just ignore the cover and read this." ...So it all worked out, mostly. :)

ETA: I really have to link to this Daily Kos post of 2011 by Lisa Evans, which I hadn't seen until today, and which—while being incredibly complimentary about Fire—also mentions the Dell SF paperback prominently for cover-bizarreness right alongside the old Ballantine covers for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. That’s some exalted company there. …There’s also passing mention of the Susan Shay Collins art for Fire on the Bluejay Books trade paperback edition, usually affectionately referred to around here as "the Blazing Saddles cover." That was one of the two that @anavar-immela was referring to at the top of the post. The third was the 1993 Tor hc/pb cover by Romas Kukalis.

...Anyway. In the meantime, for the books' newest iteration, we've gone to abstract/non-character-image covers. Because frankly, I don't think this bunch would be able to handle the style above at all well...

#Middle Kingdoms #Middle Kingdoms meta #cover art

[copperbadge]

I had a very successful and entertaining day today, as you guys can probably tell from the posts I made. There's a few more queued posts of stuff I didn't get to post in-situ, so enjoy that!

Some anecdotes I did not post about from today:

-- I can't remember the last time I queued for a museum. Mostly because if it's not one of "my" museums, like the Field or the Art Institute where I know the best ways in, I'm attending on a weekday deliberately so that I am not amongst the crowds. The line to get into the British Museum was a full block long, but to be fair it only took me ten minutes from opening to get inside. I was mostly amused by the people who a) didn't understand how museum entry works or b) didn't understand how to stand in a line without also blocking foot traffic on the rest of the sidewalk.

-- Almost got in a fight with someone, a definite first for me in a museum. I got salty with a guy who touched a sculpture when he knew he shouldn't, and he got up in my face, and I think genuinely the fact that I knew what the sculpture was called and he didn't confused him so badly he backed down. So if you're looking to defuse a situation via confusion, the phrase "Hey, don't fucking touch the Lamassu and we won't have a problem" worked for me.

-- The British Museum is great but among other issues (looted objects, weird relics of museum-specific imperialism, etc) it does suffer from poor display design in places. I'm okay with that, I kind of like old museums that are a little fucked up, even as I acknowledge that old fucked-up museums also have old fucked-up messaging. They appear to be trying on that front, but they could use a display placard overhaul. At one point I found an object in a case that appeared to be a carved human leg bone, and while I'm not a Bone Specialist there was also absolutely no placard about the bone at all. (I looked it up in the collection later using other objects in the case as reference, and it's just noted as "bone".)

-- I did have a great time overall; I saw most of the museum and then had a fancy meal, as documented. I was especially pleased to get to sample their coronation chicken since I collect tastings of coronation chicken, and I think they either used molasses in it or the bread had some, and either way it's grist for my mill as I start to develop The Chicken Salad War. After lunch I went on the hunt for a few last things, but I could feel myself getting tired and Becoming Unmedicated so I decided to leave a little early, which was the right choice, and gave me a little time to do some exploring.

-- @neil-gaiman did a post a while ago about stuff to see in London which I saved, and while I mostly planned my own journey, I did stop at Atlantis Books on his recommendation, which was well worth it. The woman working the till left me alone until I was ready to buy my book, then praised my choice (always a good move) and made a few minutes' small talk about my visit from America while she was ringing me up. Also I have never seen such a variety of Tarot decks for sale in my life. It was extremely impressive given the entire shop is roughly the size of my bedroom in Chicago.

All in all an excellent day out in London. Tomorrow I'm traveling to meet up with a friend, so probably fewer photos, but day after tomorrow I'm bound for Amsterdam so expect Rijksmuseum photos! I did not get into the Vermeer exhibit sadly, but I still want to see the museum and I'm on a quest for freshly made stroopwaffels and authentic gjetost, so I'm excited for the journey. I thought this trip might be one small anxiety after another -- would I be okay on the plane, would I get on the right trains, etc -- but I'm feeling more confident now, and I think between my early-bird tendencies and the ADHD meds I kicked the jet lag pretty quickly. I'm off to bed in a few, because tomorrow is an early day, so I guess we'll find out then how much I really kicked it....

#sam travels #the cheese tour #british museum

[prince-kallisto]

An official introduction to my TWST “Yuu” OC: Viktor (*´∀`)♪ He’s a 42 year old man who was accidentally hit by the black carriage instead of the “real” Yuu. Now stuck in Twisted Wonderland, he makes do by working as NRC’s janitor and general handyman. He lives in Ramshackle Dorm and is assigned as Grim’s caretaker. Ramshackle is even less of a dorm now since no one’s the prefect haha, but Grim was allowed to take some limited classes under strict supervision of the teachers. Viktor is fairly indifferent to being in a new world because working for survival remains the same- and so do the stingy employers! (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾

Although Viktor seems stand-offish at first, he’s a friendly person who likes listening to people and giving advice when they need it. The troubled kids at NRC reminds him a lot of himself in his youth and he helps them out a lot- which make the sudden Overblots even stranger…However, he isn’t afraid to put his foot down, which he unfortunately has to do a lot at NRC. Crowley’s threats of withholding food, money, or the dorm don’t work on him at all. Whether by eating free leftovers from the cafeteria, haggling over prices with Sam, or just sleeping in Main Street or in front of Crowley’s office…Viktor can become quite the annoying enemy when necessary haha.

Can you guess who he’s (loosely) twisted from? -v-

Cinderella! \(//∇//)\ His color palette is meant to be a mixture of Cinderella’s and Grim’s lol. For months he wasn’t based off anyone, but I recently thought of this and it clicked perfectly in my head. He works, works, and works, but has his own wishes and dreams kept deep inside his heart. That, and I think it’s funny. Surprisingly though, he gets along really well with Trein.

With this in mind, he has a blessing cast upon him- although he doesn’t know it yet. Whenever the clock strikes twelve, any magic cast on him (minus the blessing itself), no matter how powerful, will break. For example, if Riddle casted “Off with Your Head” on him, the collar would magically disappear by midnight. Malleus having the ability to stop time is scary though ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡

I was racking my brain to think of how I could fit a glass slipper reference. His initial job title in his world was vaguely a handyman or tradesman, but then I thought about it some more- a glazier! A tradesman that works with installing glass like windows and mirrors. Not only did it have a slight glass reference and give him the physical work I imagined, I think the mirror connection is fun 👀 (even my OC isn’t immune to my theories 🔫)

He is very much a “homebody” type person, with his interest in flower arranging and baking (bread specifically). He also likes collecting silly and unique knickknacks- but has a growing collection of bottle caps and shiny trinkets from Crowley haha.

I think some parts of the main story would change with him as the MC since he’s street smart, extremely stubborn, and is willing to put his life on the line to protect the students. What immediately comes to mind is Book 3. Viktor vs the Leech twins would be so chaotically violent haha. Maybe I’ll make separate posts detailing how I think each book would go down with him as MC

He’s my first OC I’ve ever made for a fandom…I feel a little embarrassed but the TWST fandom makes a lot of OCs so I feel better about it -v- I have a lot more I want to say and talk about character relationships, his origin story to NRC, and how Viktor affects the main story… but I’ll be saving it for future posts and art \(//∇//)\ I hope the more I draw him, the more I can improve!

#poor guy got animefied and disneyfied. tragic #I am cringe but I am free #twst oc #oc #my oc #twst #my art #twisted wonderland oc #KallistoPost

[mactiir]

So you want to learn to swordfight.

The most common question I see in historical fencing forums and on social media is "how do you get into HEMA?"

If you're like "what's HEMA?" -- that's Historical European Martial Arts -- it's the study and recreation of historical martial arts through weapons manuals written at the time! Many people take a scholarly approach to it -- focused on reading and recreating martial systems -- but many take a sport approach, because martial techniques are designed to be used martially! This means we're fencing -- swordfighting! Think Olympic fencing with bigger swords and slightly different rules, and more colorful gear. In this post, I will be more focused on how to get into the sporty, competition-focused side of the hobby.

Historical Fencing is a martial art! This is a really common confusion from folks who are more familiar with more well-known sword-loving communities. It's not LARPING (though I love a good LARP) -- we aren't playing characters or scenarios, and we don't dress up (usually-- rapier fencers love poofy pants, lol). It's not stage combat or SCA (although there's some community overlap)-- most of us are less interested in recreating periods or aesthetics from history than we are in learning to fence, and compete, with our weapons of choice. Although LARPing, SCA, and stage combat are all cousin hobbies to WMA, the closest analogue to Historical Fencing as a hobby is... Modern Fencing! Kendo and blade-focused Eastern Martial arts, like Kenjutsu, are also much more like historical fencing than SCA is.

Whether you're considering starting longsword fencing because your favorite author uses it as a reference, rapier fencing because it's the coolest weapon in your favorite video game, or just because you think it'd be sick as hell (it is), here's a (noncomprehensive) FAQ for becoming your very own sword lesbian/broadsword bisexual/greatsword gay/spear queer.

I don't know if there are any classes near me, where do I look?

The best place to start is the Hema Alliance Club Finder. You can use it to look up classes and sparring groups in your immediate geographic area.

2. The Club closest to me doesn't offer the weapon I'm interested in. Should I still go?

Yes. Most clubs are "longsword" clubs, but it’s really rare to find a historical fencer that exclusively fences a single system or weapon. Even if nobody at the club fences the system you're interested in, you can 1) probably talk them into it and 2)fencing not-your-weapon will still make you better at your-weapon. My club is a "longsword" club, but we have fencers who regularly do saber, rapier, rapier and dagger, messer, messer and buckler, side sword and buckler, katana, broadsword, spear, and even montante (greatsword). Just ask!

3) The nearest club is too far away. Can I learn just by studying manuals online?

Yes and no. I don’t recommend doing lots of solo practice without having attended a class. It's a good way to engrain bad habits, as well as avoid fencing altogether ("i cant spar yet, my form isn't perfect/ive learned bad habits" or worse, "i don’t need to spar, i know all the manuals inside and out"). This is a really important point: LEARNING TO MOVE A SPECIFIC WEAPON IS LESS THAN 30% OF FENCING, and you will be moving through guards and forms like a pro with only a few months of intentional practice. Your cut form can be picture-perfect and you will still get wrecked in a bout if you don't have experience. Most of fencing is understanding timing, distance, your psychology and your opponent's, and knowing from experience which positions you can get to from what other positions. You can only learn to fence by... fencing. Now, if your thing is studying arms manuals and replicating them picture-perfect, which some people are into, more power to you! But it won't be winning you any tournaments, and I am writing this assuming you want to do the sporty/swordfighty side of things.

4) wait, there are books on swordfighting?

Yes. Check Wiktenauer. Most of them are free. My club does Joachim Meyer; Fiore and Lichtenauer are also fairly common for longsword.

5) I really can't get to classes, though. Am I just out of luck?

Is there an Olympic fencing group nearby? How about lightsaber fencing? No, seriously. Kendo? Boxing? All of these things train the exact skills that are difficult to learn in HEMA fencing -- distance, timing, reaction speed, fight psychology. Some of the best beginners I've ever sparred came from lightsaber, or kendo. If there is no group nearby at all, pick up a copy of Meyer's art of combat and a 12-inch length of steel pipe (it's the same weight as a longsword) to learn how to move the sword (do NOT hit people with this, oh my god), go to kendo for a few months, and you'll be in decent shape for WMA sparring when you can get to a group.

The reason HEMA is fun is because of the community! Even if it's a really intense commute, try to make it to class at least once or twice. You will enjoy it more, you will learn more, and you will fence better. Don't just do it all on your own! Most of the people in these groups have fallen into the common mistakes so YOU don't have to. Utilize them!

6) What do I do if there are no people to spar with nearby?

Why don't you start a group? Purpleheart armory sells foam swords for like $50 each. Get some friends, get everybody a mask and a boffer and get to it! This is how HEMA as a hobby started -- people messing around with foam trainers and a copy of a 16th century arms manual.

6.5) I'm sparring outside of a club -- should we use synthetics, wood, or steel?

Dude, just use foam until you can get a complete steel kit. Keep in mind: synthetics can be as dangerous as steel, wood is MORE dangerous than steel, and steel requires full safety kit for full speed sparring. Don't break your fingers because you wanted to look cool. These things HURT, and can cause serious injury unless used with intention.

7) should I buy a sword?

If you're with a HEMA school, they will have their own cadence for buying gear, and the sword is usually the last thing you get. You should only buy a federschwert (training sword) once you know your style and sword preference. If you're not following a club cadence or planning to attend a tournament, Do Not buy a steel weapon. A full steel spar kit costs like $800 dollars, and without a full safety kit all you have is a $300 wall ornament nobody can use.

And don't buy a blunt, please. Beginners love blunts because they look like "real swords". They also break bones. Federschwerts are standard in the community and nobody is going to think you’re cool for showing up with a weapon designed to snap someone's humerus in half. If you're that twisted about it, Sigi forge sells schiltless feders that look like "real" swords (a feder is a real sword, but I digress).

8) what safety gear should I buy?

Every club and tournament has its own recommendations. Look at the Mid-Continental HEMA Open rules for a very standard list of gear reqs for a reputable tournament. Generally, in this order, it's:

-mask (don't point a sword at anyone without one of these on)

-chest plastron (for preventing unfortunate accidents that might send shards through the lungs)

-gorget (rigid or semi-rigid)

-hardshell gloves (don't do lacrosse gloves or other soft gloves for longsword, you'll break your fingers)

-puncture-resistant jacket

-forearms/elbows

-shins/knees

-back of head protector (concussions bad)

-pants/skirt

-sword

I probably missed something but these are the most common questions-- fellow HEMAists or interested parties, lmk if I missed anything! Happy fencing!

#Historical Fencing #Hema #Historical European martial arts #Longsword #Two hander #Western martial arts #Longsword fencing #Fencing #Rapier #Rapier fencing #Sword and buckler #Swordfighting #Real swordfighting #messer

[neversetyoufree]

Ok gang, so while I've talked a lot on here about VnC's recurring Vanitas painting allusion, I don't think I've ever actually talked in detail about my favorite example of that reference, so it's time to do the thing.

I am obsessed with the cover of the first volume, and I think you should be too. It's the perfect introduction of Vanitas as a man doomed to death, executed entirely through symbolism.

To start off, for those of you unfamiliar, a brief introduction to the concept of Vanitas art: Vanitas paintings are artistic reminders of the inevitability of death and the futility of all earthly pleasures. A Vanitas can technically be any form of art, but still life paintings are the most common variant by far.

Vanitas still life paintings were most commonly done in 16th and 17th century Europe. They use specific symbolism to evoke the images of death, the ever-ticking clock of time, and the transience/inevitable decay of the fine things in life. They often place images of the decadent and luxurious next to the rotten and dead in order to remind the viewer that death is always there waiting, no matter what pleasures you may have. This was, of course, a deeply Christian art movement. 16th and 17th century protestants were very invested in reminding themselves and others that pleasure (and even life itself) was futile and transient in the eyes of death and god.

I promise I'm going to relate this art history lesson back to Vnc soon.

The most common symbols in Vanitas paintings include, among others, books, maps, and instruments (symbols of worldly knowledge); jewelry and gold (symbols of wealth and power); bones, especially skulls (symbols of death); fruits and flowers (luxuries subject to quick decay); and clocks, hourglasses, and burning candles (symbols of the passage of time).

Fun fact: Mochijun once did a Gangan Joker cover featuring Vanitas and Jeanne hooking up in front of a Vanitas still life.

If you think about it, the presence of the still life there kind of turns this cover into a Vanitas painting in its own right, but that's a deep dive for another day. In the meantime, let's look again at the volume 1 cover:

The frame that Vanitas is sitting in here is covered in images from Vanitas paintings. In particular, it very heavily features bones and flowers, which are two of the most common Vanitas symbols. Bones are the very direct reminders of death, especially skulls, and flowers are something beautiful and pleasant that decays quickly.

The frame also includes a crown (luxury and wealth made meaningless by the presence of death),

butterflies (living things that are beautiful but incredibly fragile and brief),

and what I'm fairly sure are pomegranates (fruit as another example of luxury subject to decay).

Plus, though you can't see it on the front cover itself, the exact same frame is replicated for volume 1's inner cover illustration, and guess what's on the bottom under Vanitas's leg.

It's an hourglass! The symbol of time's eternal running out, and one that is very deeply tied to Vanitas as a character.

Beyond the fact that these images are commonly found in Vanitas paintings, almost all of them have further significance and meaning. The traditional uses of the flowers featured are very relevant, pomegranates have the Persephone myth, butterflies have their own established symbolism in vnc, and the way that crown is bolted onto the center skull is also important. However, each of those could be a meta post in their own right, and this post is already long enough, so for now I'm going to focus on the simple fact that these are Vanitas images.

Because the thing is, the inclusion of Vanitas painting imagery in this cover is really just what sets the groundwork for my favorite part of it. By introducing the idea of Vanitas paintings via these images, then putting Vanitas the character inside a picture frame, Mochijun suggests that Vani himself *is* a piece of Vanitas art.

Every volume cover features a version of this frame motif, but volume 1 is the only one in which the featured character is within the frame in this way. Vanitas is perched on it and almost entirely contained, as though he's coming from within it, and the background suggests much the same thing. With the stark white of everything outside of the frame, it doesn't look like an empty frame that you can see through to the other side of (the way Noé looks on the volume 3 cover). It looks like volume 1's Vani has climbed out of a painting.

Thus, with the symbols decorating the frame putting Vanitas paintings in our minds and Vani himself held within the frame, he becomes a piece of Vanitas art, and that fits the story perfectly. Vanitas the man is a walking, talking Vanitas. A human reminder of death. And that's why he's called that.

I've talked before about how I suspect other vampires called Luna "Vanitas" because they served as a living, breathing reminder of futility and death for crimson vamps, and Vanitas took his name from them. So on an in-universe level, it makes sense for Vanitas to be called that because he has taken on the role of "death symbol to crimson vamps." But even more interestingly than that, on a more metal level, his whole life is eventually going to become a reminder of death and futility for those close to him.

The story of Vnc is the story of Noé and Vanitas's relationship. It's Noé's memoir of their time together and his case study of Vanitas as a man. They've only grown closer and more important to each other as the story has progressed, and I doubt that's going to change. Vanitas is a great source of joy and color in Noé's life.

Vanitas is also going to die at the end of the story. From the very first chapter, we have known that Vanitas's end is coming and that all of that joy and closeness is going to do nothing to stop his demise. And that is the futility of Earthly passion in the face of the inevitable creep of death. That is the reminder that no amount of joy or pleasure can avert the end of all things. That is the setup for a powerful reminder for Noé and the others at the end of the story. Death comes for us all and will render your pleasures moot, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Furthermore, Vani's inevitable end won't just serve as a Vanitas, a reminder of death, for the characters of Vnc. It also serves the same function for the audience. In fact, I'd argue that since Vnc is the case study of Vanitas (the character), and the character is a living (for now) Vanitas, Vnc itself functions as a piece of Vanitas art. It's Vanitases all the way down.

Vani's oncoming death at the end of the story carries the exact same lesson for the audience that it does the other characters he meets, and that's what makes Vnc a piece of Vanitas art. As a story, it's exciting and it's sexy. The art is a feast for the eyes, the settings lush and almost every character beautiful. And yet, the cold, painful reality of death waits inescapably at the end. What is that if not the manga equivalent of a painting of stunning finery with a skeletal hand lurking in the background?

And of course, it's not like Mochijun is a 17th century protestant. I don't think she's trying to teach her readers a lesson about the meaninglessness and vanity of earthly pursuits so that we'll devote ourselves to god. However, I've always read Vnc as a tragedy, and futility is a fundamental mechanic of many tragedies. All the pleasures Vani has experienced will be inevitably erased by death. All his relationships will be forever marked by one-sidedness and grief. And that's because his story is tragic, and no matter how much he heals from his traumas, he cannot take himself off the path toward death.

But it's not like every character in Vnc is sitting within the frames on their covers. And though Noé and the others will be marked by tragedy in the sense that they will suffer Vanitas's death, not every individual character arc in Vnc must necessarily be tragic.

This is the case study of one instance that encapsulates the ideas of a Vanitas. It is the story of Noé experiencing Vani the man and reacting to his death. It doesn't mean that futility and death are the only lessons that Noé learns through that experience. And though the central theme is bleak and heavy, the manga itself is about the beauty and pleasure experienced on the way to death as much as it is about the death itself.

The love and joy and sensuality is all tangled up with the death in Vnc, and neither can be extracted from the other. It is beautiful and fun and it is a piece of Vanitas art, and none of that is contradictory. You cannot have one without the other, and that means that death can never be escaped.

So on the cover of volume 1, Vanitas the man becomes a living piece of Vanitas art, sitting within a frame that is covered in Vanitas art, within a manga that is in itself a piece of Vanitas art. And that's why it's my favorite illustration from this series.

#and that's also why vanitas the man is going to die #well not the only reason. but one of many #not change or die symbolically. but actually literally irreversibly die #and I. for one. am looking forward to it #vnc #vanitas no carte #the case study of vanitas #english major hours #vanitas #vanitas my beloved #ID in alt text #this is one of those posts where I just kinda went into a fugue state for a while and came back to 1400 words #and now I am. So Tired

[elbiotipo]

The Biopunks (EARLY DRAFT, DON'T PUBLISH)

The sound of the bioalarm clock woke Marcos up. It was time to go to the bioclub. Marcos was a biopunk, which meant he had a cool tattoo that could read and modify genomes, but instead of having like cool superpowers he just made like fruit and weird flowers because superheroes are an imperialist fantasy and I don’t want to write about them.

Marcos washed his teeth with the biotoothpaste and ate biofruit he biomodded himself with his biotattoo on the local bioforge. He read the bionews in his biosmartphone and then went away. He went to the biotoilet which recycled his poop into more bioinfraestructure because that's how it is in the future. Marcos lived in a barrio made of container boxes because the world was fucked up because of The War and it was all the Argentine goverment could give him. He put on his Official AFA Argentine National Football Team jersey and went away.

Marco turned on his Yamaha™ Old School motorcycle. You should keep in mind that it’s weird that it uses gas because it’s The Future and nothing uses gas anymore because there was an Oil Crisis that created an Neo-Inca Civilization I'm not talking about here. But Marcos is relatable so he goes everywhere in motorcycle.

Buenos Aires was a cool city. It was very much buenosairean, with old buildings in the uhhh porteño style, and new buildings that looked like DNA and molecules and all that stuff I should be studying instead of writing this. The city was green with plants and everything was shiny… Except for the places that were fucked up by bioweapons and war that nobody should go into, so pretty much like today.

Helicopters that were ripped off Neon Genesis Evangelion or perhaps Half Life 2 flew over the city. They were part of the Genendarmería, the Argentine Genetic Police, which were asshole cops just like the gendarmería but with talking dogs. Their mission was to provide dramatic tension and show that behind all the wonders of technology this is a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by The War.

“Hmm, che the fact I live in a post-apocalyptic world is kind of a bajón” Marcos thought in Argentinean. He was Argentine by the way.

Marcos arrived at the Mariposa Tecnicolor bioclub. It was like a huge tree with buildings stuck on it, or a building with trees growing out of it, I don’t know. It was cool, but it had Seen Better Days.

Marina opened the door. She was reading a book. She was always reading a book. Paper books are a hipster thing in The Future but don't tell her.

"Olá, Marcos." she said in Brazilian (she's from Brazil)

Marcos smiled.

"What are you reading, Marina?" "Oh I'm reading Borges." Borges is an Argentine author. "Wouldn't you say this tree is kind of like a Borges story?" Marina said an awkward literary reference. "I sure would!" Marcos answered happily, because she was her crush. "In fact, it reminds me to a Julio Cortázar story!" Marcos said another awkward reference. "I like literary references!" Marina said. They also liked each other, because books. They didn't say it, because Sexual Tension.

They entered the tree. Inside there was a messy laboratory that I would describe in more detail but since I'm lazy think about it like some sort of art school classroom mixed with a cheap university biolaboratory all made in wood. In The Future, biological laboratories are biological, but not in the gross usual biopunk way, they are made of wood and look like trees, because trees are the best laboratories and can make drugs, you should know this if you're learned plant physiology.

Marcos friends were there. They were drinking mate, because this is set in Argentina. They were six in total, because Friends.

Then, a cyborg dolphin spoke:

#I don't remember writing this #soft biopunk shitposting #cosas mias

[skubean]

just wanted to let you know your post does shows up in the tags, congrats on the blog opening!!🎉🎉 also. since you specifically mentioned Bettel, how about some headcanons of what he would like to do for a first date?👀

thank you anon, much love!! and i'm glad i'm showing up T.T <3 also, thank you for the request!!! aaaaa i'm so happy and this is a really good idea :o hope you liked it and lmk what you think!

first date with gavis bettel! with gender neutral reader (hcs)

warnings: gender neutral reader, fluff with some crack, slight cursing, probably just two people being silly, mentions of reader having long/hair that can be tied.

bettel strikes me as the type of guy who would act all cool but is secretly panicking on the inside when he hears you agreeing to go on a date with him. *you don't tell him but you could practically see the gears in his head turning*

he's been secretly pining for you for weeks and finally mustered up the courage to ask you out.

he's either 1) planned everything + back up plans in case plan a goes astray, or 2) decides to stick with one idea and lets fate decide what happens afterwards.

i lied, he's definitely #2.

overheard you telling your friends that you haven't been to a theme park for years, so he decides "theme park date it is!" *booked tickets as soon as he got home*

when the day finally came, bettel would have his hair done (slickback probably, like the valentine art holy shit) and would personally come and pick you up, because he's a gentleman like that.

silly but he definitely is the type that would be so cautious while driving that everytime you pass a speed bump, he would mutter small sorry(s) and try to go as slow as he could, so that you wouldn't be surprised by the sudden bump.

oh, he would also not tell you where your date would be until you saw the huge ass ferris wheel and literally flashed the brightest smile he had ever seen. (he tisker-ed)

(more under the cut!)

i imagine bettel to be really gentle with you at first because he doesn't wanna come off as rude or like pushy but gradually gets more used to being around you that his silly banters and stupid jokes come out naturally, just the way you've always liked.

some rides were fun and not too scary for the both of you, so you both got a little competitive to see who could handle the most rides.

obviously, it doesn't end well when the both of you go on a drop tower ride (reference) and the moment it plunges from a height, the both of you scream at the top of your lungs (i think bettel might've passed out midway but we'll act like it didn't happen).

roller coaster rides are both fun and scary for you that you unconsciously ended up gripping his hands as the ride starts swaying around. his heart started beating faster but his protective instinct also went crazy and decided that he would act all cool and not scream on the rides (he still did).

if you're not a fan of high rides, he'd bring you to go on rides that were less chaotic and more chilling, like the teacups or try vr!

you both had so much fun that you didn't notice the sky getting darker, signaling that it was nearing night. you could feel your heart panging at the thought of the fun day ending already.

"here, come on. i wanted to show you this", bettel would say as he puts your hand in his and brings you to the big ferris wheel the both of you saw by the entrance.

he's the type to go in first, so that he could hold your hand when you get in and have you seated in front of him.

once you both reached the top, bettel points towards the outside and you could see the whole entire park all in display. you were practically glowing in front of him and bettel swears he fell more in love with you.

while you were so focused on the view, you hear bettel clear his throat before he shifts himself so he's sitting next to you and is pushing your hair aside so as to tie it (because he noticed how you kept pushing it since you were sweating earlier).

you both pretty much sit in silence for the whole ride until you clapped your hands. "ah okay! i can't take this anymore!", you said and looked at bettel as you tell him you've liked him for so long and that you could literally pass out right now from happiness (all while your face burns from embarrassment)

bettel laughs and touches his forehead to yours before whispering, "damn, i was gonna be the first to say it but you beat me to it. can i....can i kiss you?". you nod as he leans in closer.

he's sweet, soft and tastes like apples. the both of you a blushing mess when the worker opens the door, signaling that it's time to get out.

long story short, he's glad he decided to bring you to the theme park because he saw so many sides of you he's never seen, not to mention how soft your lips were to him that he just, could not stop thinking abt them.

the date might have been cliché, but bettel made sure not to end the date without officially asking if he could be yours. not if you could be his, but for him to be yours.

once you got back home, you finally noticed how terrible he tied your hair, with it leaning to one side more, and just strands of hair everywhere. but you appreciate the effort.

"you're silly. thank you for the horrible hairstyle <3" bettel is probably kicking the sheets, giggling at your text rn.

a/n: okay phew! sorry, this ended up being slightly longer than i expected skskkssk i decided to write a theme park based first date bcs i imagine bettel to be someone who prefers fun dates like this compared to like dinner dates idk SHAHHSAKSH anyways, sorry for any errors and hope you liked this ! <3 beanz.

#i love bettel so much he's just so adorable #also his forehead in the valentine art goddamn #gavis bettel #gavis bettel x reader #holotempus x reader #holostars x reader #holotempus #holostars

[the-burd-lord]

Lil fanart/ redesign of Sea Bonnies from the Fazbear Frights book Friendly Face.

Made this art a while ago, and posted it to my insta. Decided to post to here. Especially since my main drawing hand is goin kaput. Also just finished reading Felix the Shark, which I recommend that people check out. Even if they've never read any other of the Fazbear Frights series. The last story in that collection kinda jumps the shark with its premise *badum tis*.

But since I can't make any new art, have these old lil creature designs instead.

The basic premise for the story is that the MC's brother got Sea Bonnies, sea monkeys that are engineered to look like Bonnie, as pets. MC gets super creeped out by them, and he even hears them talking, but they mostly just call him a wuss for being scared of them. Which I find super hilarious.

Anyways, he's had enough and stupidly flushes them down the toilet. Later he starts getting horrible stomach cramps and starts hearing them in his head. He finds out he swallowed one and now they're multiplying and eating him from the inside out.

The interesting thing, and what makes it spookier in my opinion, is that he goes to see a physician about it. They give him a cat scan and find irregularities with it, but when he tells the doctors about the Sea Bonnies they dismiss him. Thinking that he's trying to pull some elaborate prank.

After that it's this slow burn as they continue to eat him out from the inside, and replace his organs in the process. He makes a last ditch attempt to see a doctor in his worsened condition but fails miserably.

There's more to the story, but again I recommend y'all check it out for yourselves! I highly recommend it as a piece of body horror.

Anyway onto the redesign. This one got a a graphic novel of it so there are actually cannon designs of the critters.

I think they're fine designs, although it is a bit disappointing that they kept leaning more towards rabbit or krill. Especially when sea monkeys have such a distinct look to them that would've made them super uncanny and alien if they leaned more into it.

Although credit where credit is due, it's super hard to combine a rabbit with a sea monkey.

For my design I originally leaned more towards krill, since sea monkeys are a modified version of krill. Also wanted to stick with it being biologically accurate.

I felt like the design was still lacking, and honestly I wanted to lean more towards what I was really interested in: plankton!

There are so many different kinds of plankton that all have unique features and shapes. There are also many different variations of zooplankton, plankton that cannot produce their own food, to base it after.

Still stuck to the sea monkey design, with the feathery feet they use to swim and bulbous head. Added feelers to the front to act as rabbit ears, and later something that would act as an extra mouth or protective "hairs" for their head to look like a bowtie.

Also didn't go too biological with it since in the book they just reproduce asexually. Which is so interesting in plankton, especially when it comes to cell growth.

Oh, fun fact! Did you know that plankton also refer to planktonic organisms, creatures that cannot produce their own movement. These include most phytoplankton (plankton that produce their own food through photosynthesis), but they also include jellyfish and some stages of squids! Ironically most zooplankton are able to produce their own movement, and would thus be considered nektonic organisms.

These organisms include anything that is able to move on its own, i.e. anything that can swim. There are a few different variations of undersea movement but those are the basics.

It should be said that I really like plankton.

As if it wasn't already obvious.

I need to stop and post this before I go on another plankton rant. Or start taking about Foo Fighters from JJBA.

#fnaf #digital sketch #sketch #fnaf fanart #sketch dump #creature #creature design #fazbear frights #sea bonnies #sea creatures #sea life #sea monkeys #plankton #digital art #fanart digital

[diminuel]

You got any advice for getting out of a art block? (feeling like the Greek guy trying to push boulders up hill)

I often feel that way too...!

I think the reasons I get art blocked are: 1) I've drawn so much due to an inescapable rush of motivation and then get burnt out, 2) I have to draw under pressure instead of for pleasure and there still lives a petulant gremlin child inside of me who stomps her feet and says "no, I don't wanna if I have to!" or 3) I haven't drawn in a while and the pressure is rising to make something "good" which means I'm not allowed to draw something "bad" and since "bad" is all I can do when I'm rusty and stressed and overly critical, I block myself further.

What I think usually works is distraction or "drawing for the sake of drawing". For distraction I let art be for the time being and turn to writing fanfic or maybe I'll let creativity rest completely for a while to recharge while I "consume" (be it fic, shows, books, youtube videos etc).

Drawing for the sake of drawing is when I usually just look for a reference and copy it. Screenshot redraws to help me me practice or what's also very fun is to go on pinterest and browse fashion posts and redraw it as a character (helps with poses and delights me when I get to put some of my faves in funny little outfits).

I think the point is that I don't have to think much, just draw? I don't have to tell a story with the art, I just have to make art. That tends to help me remember that I can draw. At least somewhat. I still routinely tend to forget how anatomy works and everything looks weird if I don't have a good reference *lol* But I often post it anyway, wonky anatomy and all.

#mangyraccooon #Diminuel replies

[alchemistoftheend]

Thrown Away (Case #0092302)

Pre-Statement

Statement of Kieran Woodward, regarding items recovered from the refuse of 93 Lancaster Road, Walthamstow.

Original statement given February 23, 2009.

Date of Event(s): August 8, 2008

Statement

Woodward works as a garbage collector, whose crew is comprised of David Atayah, Matthew Wilkinson, and Alan Parfitt

100s of assorted doll heads in a bag

The heads were battered, like they’ve been dragged through rough concrete

Few months later, at the start of spring there’s another weird bag

Inside was long strips of paper, with the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, written on it in Latin and slightly singed around the edges

The third bag, 2 weeks later, was filled with thousands of teeth🤮

“It almost felt like a ritual”🤨

The elderly could who answered the door wasn’t aware of what was in their trash

Alan got worse, more irritable and short-tempered

was fired after falling asleep behind the wheel and was replaced by Guy Wardman

On August 8, 2008, 2:09 am Woodward got a text from Alan that read “Found him”

Woodward went back to 93 Lancaster Road

There was a fourth bag, tied off with a dark green bow

Inside was polystyrene packing peanuts, and bronze or copper that had been carved into an anatomical heart, with “Alan Parfitt etched into it with “machine-like precision”

It was cold, like it just came out of a freezer

That was the last sign of Alan

He asked a friend to dispose it in a medical waste incinerator

Post-Statement/Thoughts

There’s been no more strange bags

Alan was reported as missing by his brother, Micheal on August 20, 2008

The teeth bag case was managed by Officers Suresh and Altman

The third bag contained 2780 of the same tooth, all it different states of decay

Do doll heads, Latin, and teeth

The Lord’s Prayer goes like this

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

Forever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer was a way for Jesus’ disciples to express their reverence towards Christ, their worship and devotion to the divine

It’s also in Latin

In ep 4, I marked this quote “Latin fell out of favour as a language for academic texts in the 18th Century. Since then it has only really used for religious texts”

Ep 4 also reference King Solomon so more religious references

This book was also singed along its edges

This is the second instance where some kind of Latin text was burnt, ep 4 being the prior

I guess teeth would be associated with The Flesh

For the dolls and Latin idk

Just looked at the Fear Wiki

If I had to guess all the fires associated with the Latin could be The Desolation and the uncanniness of the doll heads could be The Stranger?

#rusty quill #the magnus archives #magnus institute #tma podcast #tma shitpost #jonathan sims #jurgen leitner

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

hey) I'm reading a bukowski (aka harry's favourite poet is I remember correctly?) poetry collection right now and I was wondering if we as a fandom knew that because I wasn't here when the album came out so I might have missed people talking about it? so I saw he has a poem called bluebird (which is already 🤔), but then I read it and and omg he's talking about a "bluebird" living inside him and him not letting this "bluebird" out because it would ruin his career!!! (I don't have the book at hand right now sorry you should read it yourself probably my memory is shit) harry would definitely connect to it, wouldn't he, see his situation with glass closet in it and maybe that's what he's referencing when talking about a bluebird?

hey babe!! yeah we have been dabbling in bukowski, or at least i have (esp in my only angel post, a song that features bukowski writing at the beginning). i know for sure that not nearly every reference has been unearthed. i don't think it's possible to get them all tbh. i'm not an avid poetry reader, but i have to admit i like bukowski's poetry from time to time. this one, bluebird, was brought to my attention after harry's house! you can read a post here but it's just us screaming into the void jhsgfd. but now that you've sent this to me and i'm bored at work i figured i'd dive a little deeper.

There's a bluebird in my heart that Wants to get out but I'm too tough for him I say, stay in there, I'm not going To let anybody see you There's a bluebird in my heart that Wants to get out But I pour whiskey on him and inhale Cigarette smoke And the whores and the bartenders And the grocery clerks never know that He's in there

'bluebird', unclear as to what that means to the poet. but it's soft <> tough. ～"somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly," from the wizard of oz / "if i was a bluebird, i would fly to you," daylight. strong associations with the queer identity // a desire to fly away: sott, if i could fly, matilda, etc.

this paragraph is so hs1 to me. drinking, smoking, getting high, having sex, anything to think about what's truly inside of you. then i can't help but think about fine line's "we'll get the drinks in, so i get to thinking of her" where it's the other way around.

the bluebird is also real to bukowski, he's undeniably inside of him, he doesn't try to disprove that. he just hides him by keeping up a different persona, by having a hardened outer shell. // harry and his image

'i'm too tough for him' implies that it's his own choice to keep his bluebird hidden

There's a bluebird in my heart that Wants to get out but I'm too tough for him I say, Stay down, do you want to mess Me up? You want to screw up the Works? You want to blow my book sales in Europe? There's a bluebird in my heart that

the implication that if you show your true inner self, you don't sell as well. what secret about you could possibly fuck over your career? - brings the hiding of the bluebird in a new light, since this is an external motivation to change who you are

～"what if i'm down, what if i'm out? what if i'm someone you won't talk about?", falling

～"put a price on emotion, i'm looking for something to buy. you've got my devotion, but man i can hate you sometimes," fine line

～"i'm not going to get lost, i'm not going to go broke, staying cool," mfasr

Wants to get out But I'm too clever, I only let him out At night sometimes when everybody's asleep I say, I know that you're there So don't be sad Then I put him back But he's singing a little In there, I haven't quite let him die And we sleep together like that With our secret pact And it's nice enough to make a man Weep, but I don't weep, do You?

this reminds me of harry saying he feels most beautiful when he's asleep.

～"just stop your crying, it's a sign of the times"

it just fits so much of harry's art, where he pretends to be someone he's not and tries to come to terms with how people see him or how he sees himself. bukowski spent a lot of his career struggling with who he was, and same goes for harry. even though he's clearly in a more accepting era, he still battles with that split in his life - public and private.

i also think the poem's ending can be seen in a more positive light, as the poet taking control of his life and his privacy. he determines what others see of him. in this layered poem, where the poet makes it seem like he's acting of his own volition by keeping his bluebird tucked away from view, but actually lets it be known that he kind of has to, the issue of one's identity in the industry is prodded at. i think for harry, in a life where he has very little control anyway, his decision to put a giant lock on his private life is about the only one he could make. he probably could still have a personal instagram or twitter acc if he wanted to, showing non-descriptive holiday pics or whatever. he chooses not to, and this is only in recent years that he's begun to be more and more secretive. because maybe it's either all or nothing to him. either the cage is shut or the bluebird flies free

#bluebird #kind anon #lyric analysis #not really but oh well #bukowski #daylight #harry's image #thank you anon! #much appreciate the chance to use my brain once in a while

[oddygaul]

Piranesi

I write this post under the watchful Gaze of the Statue of the Gorilla in the Fifth Northern Hall. May his Strength and Resolution give me courage!

art by upongoblinhill - link to prints

I can’t remember the last time I finished a book this quickly. Piranesi’s biggest strength, I think, is in its writing and pacing. The world and setup are compelling enough on their own, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the transportative nature of the prose that refused to let me go.

It’s easy for me to imagine a version of this story written from another, more common angle: perhaps seeing the proceedings from Raphael’s point of view as she slowly unravels the mystery, or having us follow someone who has only recently entered and is still exploring the House, or even just following Piranesi’s journey from a detached perspective that treats his worldview more dispassionately. That we instead get a window right into the inner thoughts of someone who’s been inside the House for years is what makes this story tick. From little flourishes, like the capitalization and proper noun-ifying of seemingly insignificant details, to full-on religious practices, like Piranesi’s divining of the hidden messages that nearby birds give him via landing on different statues, we get insight into the House not only as it is, but the House as it is perceived. Because we get to see everything through the lens of Piranesi’s obsessive care and attention to detail, it becomes easier both to become immersed in the house as a fictional setting, and to start believing diegetically in the beneficence and grace he characterizes it with.

It also feels (as Clarke clearly intended since she references it multiple times) like getting a peek into the head of an outsider artist. The same day I started this book, I actually walked by a museum with an entire section dedicated to Henry Darger. I then immediately made the connection reading Piranesi’s categorical, dizzying knowledge of all the House’s statues and their (invented) inherent meanings - this incredibly niche, almost absurd knowledge, from an outsider perspective - to a body of work like Darger’s. I was stoked to see the idea of outsider art / academics brought up in Matthew’s notes later.

—

From a conceptual perspective, it was also very cool reading about a crackpot cult leader whose off-the-wall beliefs were actually right. I don’t spend a ton of time reading / listening to stories about cult leaders, serial killers, or conspiracy theorists (it bums me out), but one element of those stories that always fascinates are the ridiculous ideas they manage to convince their followers to believe. In those contexts, it’s bleak, because no matter how much they spark the imagination, I know they’re just snares and falsehoods used as means to an end - so it was satisfying to read the excerpts from Arne-Sayles’ theories, which surely sound like nonsense to everyone in-universe, from the perspective of someone that’s living proof that all of those ravings are unambiguously true.

And we only saw one of the dozens of worlds!

—

One of Piranesi’s most prominent themes is examining what aspects of our past selves we carry with us as we grow and mature. The story focuses clearly on this with Matthew Rose Sorenson’s / Piranesi’s huge personality changes, obviously, but there was a lot of nuance to it I liked. One of my favorite bits was how drastically different Piranesi’s temperament was compared to what we know of Matthew’s. It’s difficult to truly compare, of course, because most of what we learn of him is through unreliable narrators Ketterley and Arne-Sayles - how much does someone calling you arrogant really mean if they themselves are the height of arrogance? Still, by most accounts Matthew Rose Sorenson was haughty and self-important, while Piranesi approaches the world with kindness, understanding, and optimism.

Is this simply what Matthew’s mind would be if freed from all the baggage and minutiae brought about from a clout-chasing academic life, and getting a fresh start enabled him to become this more empathetic self? Is the House itself truly a font of knowledge and peace, whose benign influence, if allowed in, can soften even the most calcified personality? Was it just random chance that Piranesi developed the way he did after his mental break? All seem like equally viable possibilities. 

The things we see Piranesi carry on from his past life as Matthew are scattershot. There’s the obvious ones, like his love of journaling, or the scientific curiosity that drives him to chart out and record the things around him. A trait I found curious, though, was the strong belief in animism he seems to have developed in the House. We see from reading Matthew’s old journals that he’s done plenty of research into Arne-Sayles’ work, including his theories regarding the power of ancient man and their ability to communicate with the world around them. However, despite not believing in it at the time, the idea clearly stuck subconsciously and resurfaced, as Piranesi has a real gift for communing with the World of the House, from the tides to the birds. Who could say if these abilities are still possible in the regular world, but in the House, at least, it seems that this communication is possible, and Piranesi has become quite skilled in it.

Meanwhile, despite not being trapped in the House and ostensibly being able to retain his faculties, we watch the Other try again and again at his inane rituals, thinking of increasingly far-fetched adjustments to his experiments with no results to show for it. In this way, despite not ‘losing his mind’, as he says Sorenson and James Ritter have, he is stuck in his ways to the point of self-defeat - it is his lack of reinvention and self-growth that is his biggest weakness. Our protagonist, on the other hand, despite having seemingly lost everything from two separate lives by the end of the book, is able to make his way back to the ‘real’ world as something more than the sum of his parts. Rather than either extreme of falling back into routine or totally forgetting what used to be important to him, he’s able to forge the best parts of his past selves together into something new, and continue moving forward yet again.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

#will's media thoughts / virtual brain repository #books #piranesi