#50 generically pretty young men

[elfiepike]

kamen rider ex-aid: we decided it was time to put out a BL, hope you enjoy!!

[katerinaaqu]

So how old is Odysseus exactly?

A small Odysseus age analysis based on a description in the Iliad

Many make speculations of his age, me included. Interestingly we have several hints in both art and the scripts but is hard to pinpoint. In general Odysseus is considered old or one of the oldest generations among the poems.

In art he is always depicted bearded which is something only men in maturity have in ancient greek art (somewhere between the late 20s early 30s) and his beard is full indicating that he is at least in his 30s. Most art of his, ranges from the events of the Trojan war till his journey and the murder of the suitors. In all cases we see him having a full beard. So it is pretty hard to determine his age but we know he was at least 30 in the war making him at his final 40s or early 50s when he comes back home depending on interpretation.

In the Iliad in the 23rd rhapsody/book we have an interesting description by Antilochus

"And this one (Odysseus) is of an earlier/previous generation of earlier men; we call him "omogeronda" (early-old man, green old age); yet he is really hard to be competed against in speed (lit: his feet are troublesome to compete) by the Achaeans, except from Achilles"

For starters he clearly states that he is "one generation older" (προτέρης γενεής) but he also calls him with the interesting word "ωμογέρων" which means "raw old man" literally aka "not ripe old age". The word has two possible interpretations; one that he is a "green old man" aka he just began to grow older or to pass to old age and two "a vigorous and lively old man" 😉

Now it could be a tender nickname that they call him "old" but I think the first interpretation fits better to the description. So we know that Odysseus was already mature man when he entered the war (bearded=somewhere in his early 30s and above) and he spent 10 years in the war. We know that he is "one generation older".

The age of marriage differs in ancient greece (for example in 5th century BC Athens, 300 years after Homer's time and almost 1000 years after the time Trojan war took place, the age of marriage for men ideally was 30 years old when they had served their dues although it is unclear how often it was being done this way) but we are to expect that a man in his middle 20s was expected to have at least considered marriage if not already have a spouse and kids. So if Odysseus is "one generation older" on average he is around 20 years older than younger individuals (anywhere between 15-20 years could be closer) such as Diomedes or Antilochus here or Aias. Nestor who was considered an old man was in his 60s. He was still active on the field just not the same way as characters like Odysseus were.

Given the characterization "ωμογέρων" in the Odyssey and the description of him being a generation older than many young heroes I should calculate Odysseus is in the same age group as people like Agamemnon, making him older than other characters like Patroclus who was also generally older (closer to his early or even middle 30s if we assume that Achilles who was repeatedly said to be very young he was in his middle to final 20s during the war). That would make Odysseus a middle aged man and therefore closer in his 40s at the final year of the Trojan war.

My rough estimation is that he is in his early or mid-40s when this conversation takes place. He is middle-aged and yet he is vigorous, sportive and fast (so much so that only Achilles is said to be easily competing against him while most achaeans have hard time to), he is also strong given the many times his strength in spear, sword or bow were praised but at the same time he is obviously past the age of youth. That would make him in his early 50s at least when he arrives in Ithaca.

But what do you guys think? Agree or disagree let me know to the comments below! ^_^

[akilahia]

Thinking about IHNMAIMS in pretty much all of its forms.

Specifically Ted and Ellen. Obviously in the Game their relationship is very different from the short story/comic/radio drama, with Ted being in love with Ellen(although it’s evident it’s because she is the only woman left alive). In the game he shows devotion to her, he is willing to push past his usual methods of flirtation and find other ways to get what he needs.

But in the other adaptions his feelings towards Ellen are mixed. I think his unique backstory with being so dependent on women to live a happier and more lavish life style, significantly effect how he views Ellen beyond AM’s tampering

Throughout the short story Ted constantly thinks ill of Ellen. Even though prior to being placed in this hell, she had only had sex twice before. But she is the last woman alive on earth. The video game(while following a different plot line(still one that is extremely tragic and literally made me cry)) expresses that even before Ellen’s assualr she had little to no interest in sex. She would never have had sex with the four men if it weren’t for

1. AM

2. Being the Last women alive

3. AM’s deliberate tampering

In a world where characters like Benny have been so permanently physically marked as a form of torture by AM, something like sex, is not as extreme in comparison(at least from Ted’s perspective). However to be the last woman alive, with minimal interest in sex, to be tampered with in such a way, is such a horrific form of torture.

I’m going to shift a way from this for a second to talk about Ted’s backstory for the video game. I understand that the videogame makes changes in terms of backstory for some of the characters(like Benny), so we can’t claim Ted’s backstory for the game is even remotely close to whatever it might have been for the short story. However, I still think can provide interesting context to his behavior towards Ellen.

Starting off, he really isn’t the cool rich guy that he played himself off to be when life was still normal. He never came from money, he was poor and he was forced to work and couldn’t go to school. However he was good looking which is resulted in older woman being attracted to him. And when he was NINETEEN, one older woman gave him her husband’s money and offered him the chance to travel and live in luxury.

Now this probably isn’t important, or was even taken into consideration by the game makers, but I was curious as to what the possible age gap between this older woman and Ted could be. The were together for 5 years, then she died

She died specifically of an aneurysm, which according to Google typically happens between the ages of 30 to 60. There is all this stuff with the Cold War and ww3 and I was going to try to do all this math with it but it’s too late for that and not relevant to the point I’m trying to make. But I’m just going to do some simple mental math and estimate that it might have been late 60’s or early 70’s when the older woman and Ted first got into a relationship. As I’m assuming everything went to shit in 1995 since that’s when the game came out, and 25 years had passed after he met the woman. Also this makes sense as Ted’s grandfather sold the farm due to the Great Depression, since most people married and had kids young, I’m going to be generous and say grandpa was 30 in 1929, and Ted’s mother or father was 9, then 10-12 years later Ted was born. Then 19 years later it would be about the 60’s or 70’s.

I am going to presume that the older woman had been married to her husband for at least 15 years. So it might have been 50’s at the earliest possibility. And the average age people married at then was when they were in their 20’s. So when she met Ted she was AT THE EARLIEST 35. Making her at least 16 years older than Ted when the first got together. But also worth noting that they do specifically mention older. So if we look on the higher side of the typical ages for aneurisms she could have been 55 when they first met(as the 5 years would pass making her 60) so she could have been 36 years older than him.

This seriously isn’t relevant to the actual point I’m trying to make with Ellen and Ted but I got sucked in. I guess I just wanted to highlight that Ted did not have the power in this relationship, he was young and poor, while she was old and rich, and I can imagine how that kind of relationship would impact him.

The next thing I want to note is the use of the word ‘lover’.

Though it can be used in a strictly romantic non intimate sense, I think it is used in the sexual way here.

Especially with the provided context of two different definitions of the word ‘lover’ both highlighting it’s connotations with sexual relationships

Furthermore, Ted’s relationship with the older woman is essentially just a sugar baby relationship. She is letting him experience things he never could have without her money. She teaches him how to act as a socialite and gets him used to the high life.

In connection to the sexual elements above, there was a video I wanted to link here but I can’t find it anywhere anymore. It was a YouTube video with a bunch of sugar babies discussing their experiences. And one woman confides that you really won’t make much money if you are in a platonic or non intimate romantic relationship with your sugar parent. If you want to make money and live richly, you have to preform sexual favors.

Now it’s hard to say if this was the only relationship with an older woman that Ted had been in. But regardless of whether it was one woman or a billion, using his body in order to get something that he wants has become an important asset to Ted; As seen in the castle with the maid and the witch. His love for Ellen(in the video game) helps him break past this fatal flaw of his, despite AM’s obvious temptations to make him fail.

Even if this stuff was in anyone’s minds when they wrote Ted’s backstory but I think it’s extremely important to note, especially as we return to my main point.

As stated before, Ted views Ellen negatively due to her promiscuity, despite the desire(felt really gross typing this word in this context) being placed in her as a form of torture by AM. She also is a woman, and Ted’s life has been spent around using and being used by women, so definitely lots of conflicting stuff there. Additionally Ted’s experiences with sexual relations are shown to be based in being transactional.

When he agrees with Ellen to go to the caves to get the food, she rewards him by being intimate with him to show her gratitude. Ted sees it as her ‘using him.’ (From the Radio Drama, I was going to post the clip but I could only post one video in a tumblr post apparently)

In the comic, after this encounter he questions her motivations. What she got out of it, once again thinking transactionally. But her response

“Does there have to be a reason”

Really gets to me. Especially after looking at all this intertextual context. Thinking about video game Ted’s backstory with book Ted’s thoughts and behaviors, he is shown to always think there is some kind of catch. No one is doing something without getting something in return, especially if that thing is kindness.

Ted is so intensely paranoid(as seen in all versions). I think by pairing up the backstory for the game with the short story/comic/radio drama it’s evident to see how heavily affected he is by it.

He thinks he has been tormented less by AM, making him paranoid of the others, contributing towards his behavior towards Ellen. Yet despite everything from the past and all of AM’s tampering, he still finds comfort with Ellen. Her unfaltering kindness manages to reach him even when he dismisses it as a farce. She doesn’t hate him or the others for how they’ve treated her, she still wants to help them. He still cares for her and the others. But he is filled with so much fear. He even apologizes to her.

I feel like at that point in the Radio drama marks a shift. Ted has made a realization about AM and it’s a lot for him, but Ellen is there for him. It’s a genuinely sincere act of kindness from her where she doesn’t ask or expect anything in return. They have some kind of connection. Once again blending the different versions, I think that this moment between them comes together in the end when they kill the other victims together. They don’t speak to each other, they just do it quickly and he kills her. And here he doesn’t refer to her by any degrading names. In the comic he holds her. Like how in the radio drama she held him.

Overall I just wanted to point out how well all these versions really mix to provide so much more behind each character. The backstories for the video game allow the reader to understand book Ted’s actions and relationships from a new angle.

The is was super duper major mess of a ramble. It’s now 3 am and I have a migraine, so I’m done for tonight. I might clean this up another time or make another post about Video game Ted with context to his backstory since I didn’t include the events from the video game in here.

Once again these are just my thoughts and beliefs on how I think the video game backstory for Ted provides interesting context for Book Ted. I know that both stories play out differently and both Ted’s act differently so please don’t get angry if you disagree with the message of stuff I said

mini sequel post about video game Ted

[sarahreesbrennan]

Now that Interview with the Vampire ep 5 has aired I was stunned and delighted as expected. One thing I haven’t seen discussed before is that Armand saves Daniel from Louis the first time. But why? Louis was going to kill him. They say it’s because Louis was partial to him, but a) Armand brainwashed Louis to think that and b) Armand certainly knew Louis was more than fond of Claudia, and, well…

Still we know from what Armand says and also the general fact Armand is a creeper (said with love) that he was listening to a lot of that interview, and we know how the interview went.

Young Daniel: you have a coffin!

Louis: I’m a vampire. I know this must be scary…

Young Daniel: Didn’t ask just assumed we’d bang in the coffin! Show me your fangs pretty boy! I’ll be Team Claudia for 50 years and team cocaine for at least another decade. Your loved ones are dead right? You should turn me into a vampire! I’ll be your vampire dad and your daughter!

Louis: …

Louis: … wow this got weird and upsetting.

Armand, creeping outside the door, running in and bowling over a corpse and a hatstand: Daniel! Daniel! I’m a freak! I was rejected for being strange and unsettling by LESTAT DE LIONCOURT! Coach put me IN!

Surely certified freak Daniel Molloy, who went on to argue he loved life three times with Armand when we’ve seen men freeze on a single ‘Rest,’ was saved as rainy day boyfriend material.

[hitodama3]

Killer Peter Facts and Theories

Facts: Peter has a daughter that was taken away by someone who stated it was the only way both of you can live. He saved 7.6 billion won for her.

Theory: I think that Lee Yuna is his granddaughter.

Facts: Peter trained at least Eight Legged Man's generation of orphans.

Theory: This might be one of the reasons why so many of the killers worship Peter.

Facts: Gabriel calls Peter his son not just Disciple.

Theory: This may be why Raphael has an inferior complex against Peter.

Facts: Pre Rejuvenated Peter does not have the white streak in his hair Rejuvenated Peter does.

Theory: I have heard people wondering if the white streaks means that Peter's youth is time limited. Which I think is an interesting idea and I've been keeping an eye on it but from what I can gather it is currently not growing it's just inconsistently drawn.

Facts: Raphael considers Gabriel his father, but does not see the first set of disciples as people and purely tools.

Theory: I think Raphael doesn't see his set of disciples as people either.

Facts: Peter constantly cares for his companions and doesn't wish to see them sad and kids flock to him naturally, and seems to really enjoy spending time with them.

Theory: If Peter wasn't a killer would have been an AMAZING family man.

Fact and Theory: Peter is confirmed 67, Glory was made 60 years ago so he was enlisted at 7, Raphael seemed to join when Peter was in his 20-30s, and killed Gabriel when Peter was in his late 40-50s as Peter had a full head of gray hair at the time. So most likely Raphael is in his late 30s early 40s at the time of this manhwa.

Fact and Theory: Peter compliments both genders pretty consistently through the webtoon. So I think he is either canonically bi or comfortable enough with himself to admire men without fear.

Confusion: I don't think it was metaphorically because Alipede used it to confirm that Peter was young, young enough to barely be an adult appearing to be in his early 20s, that even briefly he was able to SEE Peter during their fight when he was born blind. Why???? Did whatever rejuvenated Peter allows him to heal others????

[sunthyme]

Ah... welcome to another instalment of my headcanons. I lowkey lied again but I think my prefect will be the last of the headcanons to come out. Tyty for all the love, as always, and now...

🪶The NRC Staff🪶

Trying to find characters I hadn't already twisted for my student ocs to make my staff ones was such a pain 😭😭😭 but here they are!!

🐦‍⬛Dire Crowley🐦‍⬛

(he/it) - Bisexual

The most USELESS HEADMASTER EVER!!! God, I know his SSR card looks great but I won't pull for it istg this bitch. We could have had Sam or Crewel but nooooo...

- I wanted him to look a bit older but since we don't know his age, I didn't push it too much. No spoilers for book 7 but I assume he's probably fae or smth idk.

- You'll notice I honestly didn't change much about the staff in general but I do like most of their design already. Kept his sclera dark cause it looked cool and made the gold eyes pop.

- He talks in a weird mix of old language that literally no one uses, like hella old-fashioned, and poorly used teen lingo. He's trying... A for effort, ig.

- His house and office are super cluttered with a ton of stuff he's found throughout the years but knows exactly where things are. His memory's actually incredibly good, he's just lazy. He likes to collect teaspoons.

- Later in the story, when he starts kinda view the prefect as his kid of sorts, it starts dropping off little trinkets at Ramshackle. Various things from old photos to books with old annotations to pretty rocks. He just wants the prefect to make the dorm 'more homey'.

- I'll get into this more with my prefect design but when Crowley attended NRC (in my headcanon idk if he actually did), he was a Ramshackle student. As such, my MC is using his old uniform as he didn't have any extra ones.

- He really likes cats but they just fcuking hate him. Lucius hisses everything he see Crowley. This is why he cries himself to sleep.

Enough of my dead-beat dad, onto the good dad!

🐕Divus Crewel🐕

(he/they) Transmasc - Panasexual

The good father-figure!! I love Crewel. Also, ignore me misspelling his name in the big one, I thought it had two 'l's...

- He is my Mexican father. Idk they give like simultaneously abuelita and Mexican mom vibes and I am so here for it. (Apparently also Jewish grandma vibes according to @thearchiveofalexandria but I wouldn't know lol).

- I also think he'd be older, like late 40s/early 50s but because of those anti-ageing Mexican genes, they look like 30. (Literally, my mom gets mistaken for being that young, she's in her 50s) Gave him some gray hair at the back but don't be fooled, that's just from putting up with Crowley's bullshit. The shit that goes down in-game for sure results in a couple grey hairs for poor Crewel.

- Is the father figure I never knew I needed, well, my prefect anyway. I know my MC would go to him for anything ranging from 'Crowley's threatening to cut off my water supply!' to 'Can you help me make a Halloween costume?' and his ass always helps. Stan Papa Crewel.

Oh god, this next one was HELL ON EARTH I hate drawing masculine men...

🏈Ashton Vargas🏈

(he/him) - Heterosexual

God, I hate Vargas' og design. The worst part is it does it's job, I couldn't find much to change. Also, didn't even know he had a first name lmaooo.

- I gave him more of a beard because it looked so fcuking bad without it ong 😭😭😭 I hated this... that's pretty much all I did.

- That being said, I do think Vargas wants the best for his students. Wait. Dad-bod Vargas. Guys, I just had an epiphany.

- He's got a wife, kids in like elementary school, and like two dogs idk. I feel like he's older thirties. He's giving total family man and likes to cheer on his students like they're his kids too.

- I feel like he's got mad ADHD and it's one of the reasons he became a gym teacher, just to be constantly moving and doing stuff.

My opinion of Vargas has increased while writing this. Onto my funky uncle...

🏷️Sam Cecil🏷️

(he/they/it) Genderqueer - Asexual Aromantic

I LOVE SAM!!📢📢

- They're like mid-twenties, I don't know if they went to college but if they did, they were a business major. I gave him a last name too, idk the fact that he didn't have one made me mad. Cecil cause Dr. Facilier had a daughter named Cecilia apparently.

- I tossed in a couple more piercings and I love the idea that he has tattoos too.

- He's like the fun uncle that occasionally sponsor your weird ideas. Wanna make cookies at 3am? His store's still open. Need some Nerf guns? He's got 'em. If he says it's in stock, he will literally have anything. Don't ask, he won't answer you anyway.

- Also has crazy good like and low-key knows the future but typically drops hints in a joking manner. He's also very good at communing with the dead, sales for sessions are discounted in October.

- Incredibly rich. Probably canon given his store branches and the crazy shit he has in his shop but I felt the need to reaffirm it.

- Also supplies Ramshackle with snacks and groceries. My MC works at its shop part time in return but I firmly believe that it'd refuse to let the MC starve.

Now for the gramps,

📚Mozus Trein📚

(he/him) Transmasc - Heterosexual

- Trans old man, idk. He is to me. Also, he's both the history and literature teacher.

- Also changed pretty much nothing lol, he's just an old trans man whose sick of Crowley's bullshit (you'll notice a running theme).

- All the grandpa memes and stereotypes are so true for him. His drinks tea every afternoon, plays chess with Crewel (that's canon btw), and squints whenever you try to show him something, especially on a phone.

- He uses a flip phone mobile-y but his house has a rotary one. His daughters keep telling him to replace it but he refuses, saying modern one are too complicated. His daughters also went to Royal Blade as he originally worked there before recently transferring to NRC.

- Hates pumpkin-flavoured anything so doesn't care much for fall. Winter is his favourite season though as he loves sitting with Lucius by the window on snowy days and reading. Very academiacore, gramps.

- He totally advocated for NRC to allow students to use preferred names.

Onto the ocs!!

🪐Mèng yáo Yuan🪐

(she/they/it) Agender - Biromantic Demisexual

- First up is Mèng yáo, twisted from the Horned King from The Black Cauldron. Never seen it personally but @thearchiveofalexandria has and recommended I use its villain.

- She's Chinese and a fae of sorts so she's likely quite old, though she looks in her twenties.

- She's the astrology and philosophy teacher because I thought it would make for a good course since it's mentioned in passing in Book 4.

- She's also skilled in potionology and she and Crewel test out potions for Crewel to teach in class. She is intrigued by the concept of immortality but it's more of a passive study for her.

- She's really bad at getting jokes, though she tries. She's generally not too familiar with modern human concepts but does her best to learn.

Finally,

💎Kore Gorgon💎

(she/her) - Sapphic

- Kore is based on Madame Medusa from The Rescuers, which, fair warning, I ALSO haven't seen. I really needed villains though lol. I read the wiki page and prayed tbh.

- She's around her mid-fifties and is the Math and Physics teacher. She works to integrate known magical physics with standard math and physics and teaches such.

- Her wife is named Crystal (based on an inspo character for Madame Medusa) and they're Kyra's adoptive parents. This is a small nod to Madame Medusa having two pet crocodiles. Kyra kept her parent's names as a sort of way to remember them but likes her adoptive moms a lot too.

- Kore's name is a reference to another name for Persephone and is associated with not only 'the maiden' with the underworld as well.

- She loves shiny things and adores being dressed to the nines all the time. She has a small collect of pretty rocks and tends to decorate her classroom with various trinkets.

- She and Crewel get along super well as their personalities are rather similar. (Fun fact: Madame Medusa not only was heavily inspired by Cruella De Vil, but also served as an origin for Ursula's design.)

- She has bipolar disorder and does her best to work around it, sometimes having pre-recorded lectures if she's not able to be in person.

I'll be sharing my designs for some side and family characters tomorrow so stay tuned! Love y'all!🩷🩷🩷

[chuckeroo777]

Dungeon Meshi Volume 5 Part 2

Continuing from chapter 33!

This seems out of continuity. Why is Falin an adult, but ambrosia is still incomplete? Regardless, a blessed image.

Did you know Marcille is 50 years old? Somehow, this information makes me more confused as to her relative age.

I don't know how to feel about the fact that they can express emotions like that. Also, why so sexy? Mimicry isn't exactly their MO.

I mean, if fish-men were a gray area despite being fish, than surely a plant is fine. That's not even close.

I love how the male dryads are feminine and the female dryads are masculine, purely so Kui could put silly man faces on the fruit.

See? Laios has standards. He (almost) draws the line at eating babies.

Depending on the spear, it can be a makeshift chopper. Or just grab a halberd and split the difference.

Gotta love how the moment Marcille acquiesces to semi-cannibalism, she discovers her new favorite dungeon food.

Technically it works. Those two are young adults, and you two... are not.

An important image.

Daw, it's the same spell Marcille showed her back in the day.

I know I've said I head-canon Laios as aroace, but I would find it really funny if he was aroace, but really had a thing for ears for some reason. He even mentioned elf ears when backpedaling with Zon.

She's beauty, she's grace, she will punch you in the face.

Look Marcille, if you had met Asivia, you'd probably agree.

Don't worry, it's cool. You can just draw as much power as you want, and nothing lives there to yell at you. Probably.

You know you're in some shit when the boss comes with a dark souls style title card.

Don't worry, he'll always be with you in spirit.

An important panel.

As seen in that one Izutsumi extra, Senshi's greatest fear is getting crushed by a pickling weight.

What are they doing? Their best.

Clearly, if you use a different weight, it won't work.

Which of these idiots came up with "Big Ears". Also, you can tell Laios respects him the most since he settles for just a lil' poke.

Hm... I noticed one in the grave yard but didn't think much of it. But here is another winged lion statue with horns. Eh, I'm sure it's nothing.

You know how it is. You get called cute once, and suddenly it's your favorite outfit.

Wait, it took them a whole week to catch up with the Touden party?

I was going to complain more, but this is actually pretty interesting.

One day, you too could generate the gametes to make an idiot like Laios.

Look on the bright side! With all your practical experience, you could write the new definitive guide!

Just imagine how many frog suits you could buy with that sort of money.

And another volume is complete! See you guys next time for volume 6!

(Also, I apologize for making an inaccurate joke in my chapter 0 post. Izutsumi arrives in chapter 40, not 42. I hope you can forgive this error.)

[laguezze]

PAC: Characteristics of your FS

This is for or all the people with intention to marry or have a long term relationship. Next up will be a soulmate characteristic PAC. I decided to split it in two to get more details!

Now onto the PAC!

Here are the piles!

Pile 1

Pile 2

Pile 3

Pile 4

Ready? Let's go!

Pile 1

This person is a rebel. Might be a bit hypocritical about it. Like they might come from money but decide to live out their best broke musician dreams while still living in their rich dad's apartment that he bought for them. That's just one case example, take it as it resonates.

This person loves to keep appearances, they love to be in control of how people perceive them. I'm seeing they want to be taken seriously.

Long, messy, brown, curly hair. Middle part is possible.

North America, Australia, Oceania, Hawaii, UK.

Dainty eyes?, Blue eyes, light eyes.

Not too defined features but also not ugly. Might be what people call "medium ugly" for some of you. Nothing too shocking about their features.

Musician, plays guitar, indie music taste, 420 friendly? Nirvana (the band), big social life, plaid shirts, leather jackets, bad boy persona, baddie aesthetic, motorbike, cigarette, old school lover, 70s aesthetic and fashion.

Pile 2

This person is very much hypocritical, they don't know what they want in life. Very much lost with their career and family life. You might help guide them.

They definitely have unconventional dreams like opening up a tea shop, or flower shop. Which is fine, but I'm seeing they want to do that for the wrong reasons. Very easily manipulated person, it'll be frustrating for you to see. But they'll get better with your help probably.

Probably from any capitalist country. Take that as you will.

Light eyes or medium eyes but not dark. Downturned eyes.

Short hair, pixie cut, wolf cut.

Wears bandanas, baggy clothes, long skirts, hippie style, boho aesthetic, activist. Necklaces and bracelets, lots of jewelery in general.

(sorry it's a bit short, your person wasn't too specific with the looks but rather with the personality)

Pile 3

You guys got yourselves a romantic, old school, kinda person. They probably listen to music from the 50s and 60s and jazz, lots of jazz. Might love to take things slow and smooth. Doesn't like running late to things and is always calm and early. Very collected person, never a hair out of place. Always is composed. They might have been different before they met you. They probably were chaotic and funny before they met you but something happened that made them this sophisticated, chic person. You might need to bring the fun in them back, I'm hearing. Might be a judgy individual.

Latinx, Hispanic, Southern Europe, North America (East Coast)

Brown eyes, very deep set eyes, intense gaze

Short hair, very short for men, curly hair, either Brown or dirty blonde.

Long eyelashes, very pretty features. Either small nose or large nose, no in between; defined face, high cheekbones.

Medium height, slightly muscular.

60s, 50s music and fashion, coffee and tea lover, might be a cook or love to do it, kitchen lover, architecture fanatic, probably loves house decor and renovation, secretive, mysterious, romantic, candle collector.

Pile 4

(idk i swear this is not Hozier themed, there's just something about him present here)

"imagine being loved by me"

This persoooon omg. So pure hearted. Truly has the best intentions at heart. They literally are sunshine personified. They radiate light, like their smile lights up a room and they always look clean and cheerful. The type of person everyone likes. No one ever dares say anything negative about them and if they do, it's because of jealousy.

They might have a lot of pretty privilege that makes this effect happen. Like if this person was a 6/10 (conventional attractiveness scale) their personality wouldn't be as appreciated. But because they're so beautiful inside and out, it shines through. I'm getting they realize this privilege and it rubs them the wrong way sometimes but they won't fight against it because it's helping them with their goals.

North America, Sweden, Finland, etc, Northern Europe and UK.

Blonde hair, short hair, curly hair, honey hair.

blue eyes, light eyes, almond shaped eyes

Bunny pretty (that one TikTok trend ifykyk), slim, short, cherubin look (if you don't know what that is, think cupid angel type of beauty), white clothes, flowy dresses, short eyelashes, defined jawline, big smile, straight teeth, bunny teeth, cardigans.

Hope it resonates for all of you!!! 💕

[ollieoliveoboelo22]

Benjamin Tallmadge is a Pretty Boy

Because I have nothing better to do with my time, I have tracked down as many quotes mentioning Tallmadge's appearance. These come from months of research, and I know I definitely missed a few. I'm not trying to start another TURN sexy man war, I just have to share these because some of them are funny.

"Tallmadge is one of the most attractive and dashing figures of our revolutionary history… A sketch of him by Colonel Trumbull, shows, under the plumed helmet of the Dragoon, a high-bred sensitive face, clear-eyed, confident and gallant.” -The History of the Town of Litchfield, Connecticut by Alain Campbell White. Page 86

"The picturesque figure of Col. Tallmadge directs attention to him in particular. Henry Ward Beecher wrote of him: ‘How well do we remember the stately gait of the venerable Colonel of Revolutionary memory!’… Col. L. W. Wessells has also left us a boy's impression of him: ‘When a small boy, I have often seen him on horseback, a remarkably handsome figure and splendid horseman.’” White, Pages 135-136

“When Lyman Beecher came to Litchfield in March, 1810, he was entertained by the leading members of the parish. ‘Colonel Tallmadge has just arrived from [Washington],’ Beecher wrote to his wife, ‘to spend a few days. I was invited to take tea with him, and had an agreeable evening. He is over six feet in height, and large in proportion; in countenance and bearing resembling Washington. He is polite and acquainted with men, and his wife and daughters are pious and accomplished.’” -Benjamin Tallmadge by Charles Swain Hall. Page 262

" Col. William Smith Livingston possessed great physical strength, and with Col. Benjamin Tallmadge, had the reputation of being the handsomest man in the Revolutionary Army. They were second cousins” - The Talmadge, Tallmadge, and Talmage genealogy. Page 88

"His person was rather above the ordinary stature, well proportioned, dignified and commanding. His step even in last years was firm and elastic, his body erect, and his whole carriage possessed a military dignity, in which was combined the model of both the soldier and the gentleman.” - Sermon on Tallmadge's funeral. Found in Memoir of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge edited by Henry Phelps Johnston. Page 145

“Tallmadge a bold and dashing officer, would run what today would be called a department of military intelligence. Tallmadge, according to one of his soldiers, ‘was a large, strong, and powerful man and rode a large bay horse which he took from the British. He was a brave officer, and there was no flinch in him. He was a man of few words, but decided and energetic, and what he was to the purpose.’” - George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas Allen. Pages 50-52

“He [Tallmadge] was over six feet in height, and large in proportion; in countenance and bearing resembling Washington, with whom he was a favorite.” - The autobiography of Lyman Beecher. Page 148

“In 1810 the spirit of '76 was not seriously dimin ished, and many of the principal actors in the stirring scenes of the Revolutionary struggle were still alive. Colonel Tallmadge, one of the most dashing and able cavalry officers of the army." - A biography of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Page 35

“A young, handsome officer, attired in a dashing dragoon’s uniform, renowned for his combat exploits, Tallmadge was highly popular with the young women of Patriot disposition.” - General Washington's Commando by Richard Welch

“Tallmadge’s interests in women extended far beyond the issue of their education. Affable, good-looking and flirtatious, he had a keen eye for female beauty, and was attractive to and attracted by many young women, whose names, or descriptions, appear frequently in his letters.” ^ I don't have page numbers for these two because kindle is weird

“Benjamin Tallmadge, a gallant young major whose curls always seemed to be escaping beneath his sharp dragoon helmet, was still rather green, but his keenest of mind was apparent to everyone who met him.” - George Washington’s Secret Six, by Brian Kilmeade. Page 35.

In addition, are several novels and historical fiction that include Tallmadge and also call him pretty. I'm only going to put one here, but there are a few.

“Benjamin Tallmadge. A youth of seventeen years, six feet one inch in height, strong and well built.… His face was attractive” - Brinton Eliot: From Yale to Yorktown by James Farmer. Page 16.

And here are the links to Internet Archive

https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofl1920whit/page/86/mode/1up

https://archive.org/details/benjamintallmadg0000char/page/262/mode/2up?q=six

https://archive.org/details/talmadgetallmadg00intalm/page/88/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/memoirofcolonelb027409mbp/page/n239/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/georgewashington00alle_0/page/50/mode/1up

https://archive.org/details/johnharvardlibra0000barb/page/148/mode/1up?q=Tallmadge

https://archive.org/details/biographyofrevhe00beecuoft/page/35/mode/1up

[southeastasianists]

There was a time when Prabowo Subianto's name would have spooked most Indonesians.

But now young voters appear to be charmed by the defence minister's slick makeover. The fiery ex-special forces commander dogged by allegations of human rights abuses and disappearances has become a cute grandfather made for memes.

"He is much older, but he is able to embrace my generation," says a 25-year-old supporter of his, Albert Joshua.

Now 72, Mr Prabowo is running to succeed the popular Joko Widodo when the world's third-largest democracy votes on 14 February. He is promising more of the stability and economic development Mr Widodo, or Jokowi as he is better known, pushed during his decade in power.

So far the polls put Mr Prabowo ahead of his younger rivals, Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan. Both men are in their 50s and have experience running key Indonesian provinces as governors. Job security, infrastructure and a bigger diplomatic role for Indonesia dominate their campaigns.

Mr Prabowo's running mate is Mr Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. It's a choice that many see as a tacit blessing by the president, who is yet to endorse anyone, including his own party's candidate, Mr Pranowo.

But a Prabowo presidency is also alarming to many, who say he has never been held accountable for the alleged abduction and killing of pro-democracy student activists decades ago.

A young voter, who did not wish to be named, says she is "terrified" he will win: "If he could be an accomplice of silencing voices then he will be silencing those voices now if he gets elected."

"Cuteness" hardly makes an eligible leader, she says. "If that's how you think a leader should be, then you should elect kittens."

Indonesia's cat-loving 'gemoy squad'

Cats are also a part of Mr Prabowo's social media campaign. His brown and white stray, Bobby, has his own well-curated Instagram account that describes him as a "patriot".

Then there are the TikTok videos of Mr Prabowo doing his signature move - an awkward shuffle across the stage - or shooting hearts at the audience. The gushing response has dubbed him "gemoy", a moniker for all things cuddly and adorable. His young supporters call themselves the "gemoy squad".

Social media has been the cornerstone of his outreach. Millennials and Gen Z make up more than half of Indonesia's 205 million eligible voters - they also account for many of the 167 million Indonesians who use social media.

Mr Prabowo's official Facebook and affiliated accounts spent $144,000 in advertising over the past three months, according to Meta's data. That's almost double Mr Pranowo's spend, and triple that of Mr Baswedan.

"I rarely see Prabowo's real picture anymore," said Yoes C Kenawas, a research fellow at Atma Jaya University.

Instead the internet, drawing rooms and streets are filled with posters of Mr Prabowo as a chubby cartoon character. This new "avatar... is all over Indonesia", Mr Kenawas says. "That's how they're softening his image. And so far, it's pretty successful."

A spokesperson for Mr Prabowo's campaign said they were just trying to attract young people through a "fun" campaign: "Politics can be conveyed through different methods... that's not a bad thing," Dedek Prayudi told the BBC.

Gen Z voter Rahayu Sartika Dewi says she is drawn to Mr Prabowo's plans to develop the renewable energy and farming sectors. She calls the campaign "very cute, fun and approachable... not too heavy like in previous years".

Mr Prabowo ran for president, and lost, in 2014 and 2019. But this campaign has been remarkably different.

"The logic is that Prabowo's losses were, at least in part, because his strongman image and firebrand style alienated parts of the electorate," says Dr Eve Warburton, director of the Australia National University's Indonesia Institute.

Mr Prabowo is also targeting a generation that has no memory of the time when he rose to the peak of his power. That happened during the dictatorship of General Suharto, who was forced from office in 1998. His 32-year reign, which many Indonesians credit with modernising the country, was also a time of brutal repression and bloodshed.

Twenty-five years on, young voters say they would rather judge Mr Prabowo on how he tackles unemployment and cost of living. He has promised to create 19 million new jobs over the next five years.

"I know activists are still speaking out... but we have to move on," Mr Joshua says.

Mr Prabowo's campaign has denied the allegations, although he was dismissed from the military for his alleged role in the activists' disappearance. In 2014 he told Al Jazeera that he had ordered their kidnapping but had only done so on the orders of superiors.

In recent months videos have been showing up of people in tears, expressing their sympathy for him, claiming he had been "victimised by his opponents". They often feature young people, and some election watchers doubt if these are genuine supporters.

Ms Dewi says his presidential nomination is "proof" that he has shaken off the allegations.

An extraordinary comeback

Mr Prabowo was born into a wealthy political family, the son of a renowned economist who served in the Indonesian cabinet.

He followed his father who left the country in 1957 under a cloud of controversy, and spent a decade of his childhood in exile in Europe.

After returning home, he joined the army and quickly moved up the ranks to become the captain of Indonesia's elite special forces, the Kopassus.

By then he had already been accused of human rights violations in restive East Timor, where he had served as a member of the unit. His exact role in the military operations in East Timor that claimed hundreds of lives has never been proven and he denies the allegations. But the murky blot on his career has stayed.

He married one of Suharto's daughters and remained in the dictator's inner circle. As Suharto's reign crumbled in the late 1990s, the Kopassus was accused of kidnapping more than 20 student activists who opposed the regime. At least a dozen of them are still missing and feared dead. Those who survived have alleged torture.

Mr Prabowo was discharged from the military, went into self-imposed exile in Jordan, made it onto a blacklist in Australia and was banned from travelling to the United States.

But he made a comeback in 2019, when Mr Widodo appointed him as his defence minister, turning the rivals into allies. The surprise move followed a bitter election win - Mr Prabowo blamed his loss on cheating - and violent protests that left eight people dead.

"How can we expect justice if the perpetrator becomes the president?" asks Suciwati, the widow of a prominent human rights lawyer. Munir Said Thalib spent much of his life investigating the 1998 disappearances. He was assassinated in 2004 on a flight. The pilot was found guilty, but Suciwati does not believe that is the full story.

Prabowo's presidency "would be an extraordinary defeat for us, the families of victims, and human rights activists", she says.

Mr Widodo's support has helped restore Mr Prabowo's image, some say. Social media is "not enough", Mr Kenawas adds, and "how the state machineries have supported his campaign... should not be underestimated".

Many point to his running mate and Mr Widodo's son, Mr Gibran. A constitutional court, where Mr Widodo's brother-in-law serves as chief justice, controversially cleared the way for the 36-year-old to run for vice-president - Indonesian law requires him to be older.

What also worries many is a return of the "old Prabowo", known for his hot temper and volatile personality.

Dr Warburton says some of his recent public appearances had hints of that.

"No-one knows how Prabowo will govern," she says. "He may be a very hands-off president most interested in the prestige and pomp of office; but most who know him well emphasise his unpredictable personality. And that's never good for governance."

[dailymothanon]

I felt like blue was a swaggy color yesterday 👍 so I doodled with it 😼 can you believe? Men in love? That’s so cool, shoutout to them. Did I make one of Maine’s bracelets a centipede? Yes. Why? I thought it’d be pretty cool. (rants in read more)

Shorts weather goes crazy, it’s been 50-60° up here lately and lord it’s so hot, but summer is usually 70-90°+ and I hope it stays 70

I think. Alaska’s favorite color would be blue. I have reasons.

For one, a lot of his state symbols are blue, and I’ve always associated ptarmigans with a soft light bluish greenish cuz my elementary school was fantastic and lovely and the school’s color was that and their mascot is the ptarmigan, it’s a native school

Second, he likes space… which has a lot of blue usually, I’m not really sure tho

Third, if he’s a whale expert he probably really likes sea creatures, not to mention having more coast than the whole lower 48 combined and surrounded by three seas and two oceans; plus, moose are known to actually love to swim so much so that orcas are one of their predators

I looked at a ton of native beading and kuspuks and a very very common color was blue and purple, I’m assuming it’s cuz it contrasts with the usually fur made clothing (I think Maine has gifted Alaska with really nice beads before, hopefully as a bonus they were not plastic, thatd be pretty cool)

lastly, blue isn’t really known to be an overwhelming color? I’m not too sure, but it’s usually known as a calm color, I think Alaska would appreciate that

Which kinda blues would he prefer?? i aint too sure. i havent thought that far yet, but who says he cant like many blues

Another Alaska hc is that Alaska used to be bad with alcohol. I read Russians introduced natives to hard liquor to gain advantages over them, in leading to generational trauma.

Alaska was probably introduced to it when he was young and he figured drinking was the only thing making his suffering by their hands a little more bearable each drop he took. And maybe throughout his lawless territory era it was still pretty bad and eventually during mushing (i imagine he took up a mushing mailing job cuz it kept him away from people the most) he got pretty injured cuz of it and he then realized then that if he continued like that he may accidentally get one of his dogs hurt and that scared him. He wasn't really bad towards anyone when he drank tho, just very shut down i imagine. But now i think he can handle drinking well, but tries to make sure of what and how much he drinks (my excuse for this is that Alaska has strict drinking laws, its illegal to even get drunk in a bar, but i think thats for the better. The roads are dangerous enough as is) as per the awa'uq massacre, awa'uq means "to become numb" and i think that would be how Alaska would describe what it was like for him during those times

[squadrah]

So you had two asks about La Squadra being toddlers, but what about them being old/older men? Maybe in their 40-50's or as senile old people. And my mind ain't exactly wondering there, but what do you think they'd be like as dilfs?

I managed to find an old post where I was asked what they would be like as old man: here it is! You also reminded me that I had once written about them as parents in general, and I could have sworn I published it, but I ended up finding it at last in my drafts, so I'll make sure to queue it after publishing this ask!

That just leaves the question at the end, ehe... I will try to do these from the perspective of a young adult, probably a friend of their child(ren), while they themselves are in their forties and fifties.

Risotto: His sheer size and deep voice are already enough to set the butterflies aflutter, so the way he wears sleeveless shirts and dirty overalls at home is almost too much. He is best observed in the garage where he enjoys quietly working with power tools, and nobody can look at his work table without imagining him sweeping off the clutter to make room for them instead...

Formaggio: He ages so gracefully he looks like he could still be in his thirties, but the way he cracks open a cold one while giving clever responses and showing at least basic knowledge of just about any topic introduced hints at decades of experience in a variety of areas. Whenever he playfully manhandles his spouse in the kitchen, guests cannot help but chug their own cold beverages in vain.

Prosciutto: Never seen without his signature dress shirts and crisp trousers, and when he's around, the temperature always drops enough that all unnecessarily noise and frolic dies down. Most agree they would not want to live with him as their father, the bar is just too high in that respect, but nobody would mind him in a hotel chair with a bourbon in his hand and ordering them to get to work...

Pesci: At first he seems nothing special, especially because he's not much respected by his children, but as soon as he easily lifts something that he ought to struggle with at his size, and tells you how much he think it weighs by touch, the magic begins, and those who have gone on fishing trips with him on the weekend and watched him reel in that big bass are now smitten for life.

Ghiaccio: Whenever you meet him, he's either preparing to go for a run or has just returned from it all sweaty and glistening, and no real decrease of stamina to show for it. Going to the gym with him is a rite of passage; he will explain every machine and challenge you to various feats of endurance. Spotting is obligatory, and many hit the showers afterwards in greater frustration than they began.

Melone: That one anon ask of "your dad looks gnc af" sums him up perfectly, he is so impeccably and unabashedly A Look and An Icon that all his various issues are easily buried in a tidal wave of gender envy and lust. His children are so confident and well-educated when it comes to sex that their friends can only imagine what a wealth of experience could be gained from the fountain head.

Illuso: He always lets his luscious long hair down at home, physically and metaphorically, and exudes such minor soap opera antagonist vibes that his heckling his children and spouse come off as almost entertaining, a good example of how much people forgive to a pretty face and a nice tall figure. He's not above teasing his guests either, and you will either hate him for it or want to kiss him.

Sorbet: He's not conventionally attractive and seems to love his plants more than his children, but he has a certain Addams Family aesthetic about him that carries his dry wit and odd ways perfectly, especially when he's trimming his bonsai or is outside gardening in the shade in special gloves and up to his neck in dirt. You are welcome to indulge his obscure opera obsession, but watch out.

Gelato: That one extremely friendly dad that claps you on the shoulder and shoves a drink into your hand as soon as (and even before) you hit drinking age, and is always two seconds away from hugging you and kissing you on both cheeks in a fit of camaraderie and general mirth. Watching him grill sausages and cook in a big outdoor cauldron permanently changes your brain chemistry.

[writingquestionsanswered]

I have an idea for a prequel of the current book I’m writing. my current book is an urban fantasy that is set in modern times (not specified). the prequel would be written from the point of view of one of my mentor characters when he was younger, however as this war only occurred about 50-70 years ago, i fear i will have to specify the expected age for this mentor, whose appearance and mental age generally don’t fit. how do i combat this?

Hmm... I'm not entirely sure I understand your question.

Are you saying that your character has a younger appearance/mental age and undisclosed biological age in the first book, but involvement in a past war is important to his back story--which will be the subject of the prequel--and so you're worried about outing his actual age and that it won't make sense with the age he appears to be in book one?

If that's the case, I think maybe you need to be more honest about this character's age in book one. First off, do try to remember that age really is just a number... how a person appears and behaves is only marginally dictated by their biological age. Take these actors for example:

Wilford Brimley and Paul Rudd are both 50 in the above photos. Don Ameche and Sam Neill are both 76 in the above photos. Changing attitudes toward age, better healthcare, and personal differences illustrate a pretty drastic difference between these two sets of men who are the same ages. So, even if your character has an older biological age, don't think that means they can't still be young-looking, fit, and fun. But you do have to be honest about it, and there are lots of opportunities for illustrating that this character seems much younger than they actually are.

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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[denimbex1986]

'Six BAFTA nominations, universal critical acclaim, and not a dry eye in the house: Andrew Haigh’s ghostly gay romance All of Us Strangers is already the must-watch queer film of the year.

Based loosely on 1987 novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada, All of Us Strangers follows Fleabag star Andrew Scott as a depressed and isolated queer writer in his forties, who is still reeling from the death of his parents three decades earlier.

In one week, his world changes: not only does he spark up a deep and beautiful romance with younger neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), but he returns to his childhood home and reunites with his parents – despite them being dead.

Across weeks, he gets to have the vital, moving conversations with the apparitions of mum (Claire Foy) and dad (Jamie Bell) that he was too young to have when they passed, as his romance with Harry blossoms.

Though Yamada’s original novel features a straight protagonist, Andrew Haigh recently explained to PinkNews why he, as a gay man, couldn’t have told his version of the story without centring the queer experience.

“What I’ve always been interested in doing, and especially with this [film], is talking about queerness in relationship to family, and how complicated it can be in relationship to family,” he shared, “especially if you grew up in a generation of the ’80s and into the early ’90s, where it was very different than it is now – thank God.”

A turning point in All of Us Strangers comes when Adam comes out to his parents, who are stuck in the deeply homophobic Thatcher era, and their response is initially less than approving.

“Back then, it was a pretty rough time for a lot of kids growing up and growing into their sexuality. I felt like that adds so much to the story,” the Looking and Weekend creator shared.

“[Adam’s] not lonely because he’s gay. But being gay and coming from that time has made him feel separate in the world to some degree. It’s almost like the world has made him feel lonely.”

As part of the discourse surrounding the film, Paul Mescal has been forced to explain why it was OK for him, as a straight actor, to portray a gay character, arguing that it depends who is in the driving seat of the film.

Haigh has now explained that gay actor Andrew Scott was always going to take the lead role in the film over Paul Mescal, because the story needed to focus on a particular generation of gay men.

“It always had to be from Adam’s perspective,” the 50-year-old director explained.

“I’m the same age or a little bit older than Andrew Scott’s character. That was the generation that I wanted to talk about.”

The contrast between Adam and Harry is an exploration of how gay men of certain ages live their lives differently, even though they are all profoundly affected by the same trauma that can come with growing up queer.

“In many ways, [Harry] is slightly more liberated in the world, and hasn’t been burdened by some of the things that [Adam] has been burdened by. He releases some freedom in Andrew Scott’s character, which I think is really interesting,” Haigh shared.

“Once you’ve seen the film, you realise there’s also a sorrow and a sadness inherent in [Mescal’s] character too.”

Though it’s emotional, All of Us Strangers also highlights the beauty that comes with being able to live as your true self around those you love the most. In opening himself up to his parents, Adam is able to heal the wounds of their complicated relationship.

“I think it’s amazing how often we aren’t our true selves to people, even if people are still alive,” Haigh reflected.

“You still probably don’t have those difficult conversations that you need to have. I understand why we don’t have those difficult conversations; I think there’s a world inside [all] of us that is tormented and a little bit broken, that we’re trying to deal with almost every day of our lives.”

Haigh hopes the film will show that there is an alternative reality out there for those who don’t feel able to be themselves.

“I think the film for me was to say: ‘You know what, it’s OK. I get that you will feel like that, and there is a way out of that. You can find love and intimacy and be known and be understood.”

Rightfully so, All of Us Strangers is pulling in an impressive slate of award nominations – including a BAFTA nomination for Best British Film. It may have been shockingly snubbed by the Oscars, but Haigh is more assured to see the film resonating with so many queer people worldwide.

“It’s always quite surprising to me when something with queer content actually manages to break through and get talked about,” he admitted.

“Now I’m alright with it not being some big mainstream billion dollar because clearly, that’s never going to happen, and there will still be lots of people out there that won’t go and see this film because of the content, or what they think is the content.

“That’s a shame, because I feel like this is a film for everybody,” he added.

“But it’s amazing that it has been taken under the wing by a lot of people and I love that.”'

[sayitaliano]

Ti posso chiedere di raccontare/spiegare questa parte del monologo di Teresa Mannino sulla linguistica? Spero che ci sarà un video tagliato del suo monologo qui ma intanto sono sicura di non aver capito tutto

Ciao! Più che altro non ho idea di cosa sia successo perché sono andata a dormire praticamente dopo Russell Crowe lol Cerco di farmi un'idea su Raiplay (x) e poi vedo cosa dirti.

Provo a farti un riassunto, poi mi dici se c'è qualcosa su cui devo soffermarmi di più, se ti serve?

To start with, after a few jokes, she says that mentally we are stuck into the 5th century bc. In fact, as a philosopher back then, men (mankind) believe that everything that exists is for them. She then compares the word uomo (man) with donna (woman): in Italian "uomo" can be used both for mankind and male/masculine gender. So she asks "why man? (perché uomo?), we could say human kind or human animal" and states we're animals as well. We also have our DNA for the 70% similar to bananas and for the 98% to monkeys and primates in general (other jokes in between).

(I think this is the point of your question but anyway let me know) As humans, since we speak languages to communicate (while other animals/plants have other methods), we feel superior. And she basically says: "that's the same feeling that we Sicilian people have when someone from the North (Milan/Piedmont...) comes to Sicily, we speak to them in Sicilian and if that person doesn't understand we think that they're stupid: but it's not so, this person speaks another language. So we keep repeating the same sentence in Sicilian hoping the northerner will understand suddenly". She adds a sample sentence in Sicilian (don't ask me to write it cause I have no clue I speak another language as she said but it could be something like "cuccu cammini co' e arance 'n terra" BUT IDK what I did for sure I wrote it wrong) and says: "Even if we translated this sentence, it has no meaning anyway" and then asks Giletti (tv host, from Biella, Piedmont) to translate it (he asks for help to someone near him). She explains that sentence: "cu ccu" are two words that have different meaning just to confuse everyone better, and they mean "with whom" (con chi) and asks Giletti to repeat to help him learn Sicilian. The sentence translated sounds like "Con chi cammini con le arance che stanno per terra?" (with whom you walk with the oranges that are on the ground?). And indeed generally has no meaning but for Palermitani (people from Palermo), it means "with whom you walk with oranges that are fallen cause are rotten" -> who do you hang out with, rotten oranges = bad people? So she adds "It's pretty complex to get and one can understand it only if they have done a thesis on Camilleri (famous Sicillian author/writer who created Il Commissario Montalbano), but even with this background, we say that that person from the North is stupid".

She goes back speaking about the other ways of communication that plants and animals use and focuses on baboons that in order to cheer each other, they squeeze each other's... masculine genitals. "They acquire all the infos they need through that 'it's young' 'they will collaborate' (adds more fun stuff)". Then speaks about ants (formiche tagliafoglie= cutleaves?), and adds they're the smarter of all: "they pick up seeds as we used to do and have huge nests in which they cultivate mushrooms. They have been farming for 50 millions of years and didn't ruin anything we've been farming for 10.000 and have destroyed our planet. They were here when there were dinosaurs and survived the meteorite". So she says "Let's copy them, how does their society works? They're basically all female with a "mother queen" and a bunch of males. The "mother queen" decides the gender of the new borns and it's basically all females, except for a male or so every year for continuing the specie and nothing else." She adds a bunch of fun notes on this, how useful it is for them when it comes to exes and how happy male ants may be. "On the contrary, human animals prefer power ON other humans, men, women, childeren, nature... I like power too, but power OF laughing, making people laugh, dressing how I want, dancing on the street even if I embarass my daughter..." and ends by saying something like "if some stories/situations are still present maybe it's not time to ignore them and move on".

:)

[neartheeasternfence]

The Yakuza Prince

Impressions; Chapter 55

Since there are three or more intermittent panels in which Doumeki is wide-eyed, he looks appreciably astonished to hear that Yashiro is impotent. He tries not to divulge the privacy of Yashiro that he knows, even though he is virtually ‘sharing’ Yashiro with Inami. But Inami must have caught it on. I like the way Doumeki described that Yashiro’s body cannot be helped (lustful) (ch.50, vol.8). He does not attribute Yashiro’s ‘lustfulness’ to a matter of personality. More precisely, I like the prudence of this author in these details. Doumeki would have thought that Yashiro’s body needed constant care for its ‘lustfulness,’ and he has taken on that task, and done it. And then he might well have realized that he did not want any other man to do it.

Inami also offers some business information. The two almost have reached the same view that Kai may have had something to do with the Niki kidnapping. And that about Okuyama, it appears he has been reclusive recently.

Hirata had temporarily occupied the position of a deuteragonist during his conflict, and from now on, it seems Tsunakawa will be so. He is an intriguing type of yakuza in this work. Yashiro, Nanahara, Sugimoto, Hirata, Doumeki, and probably even Misumi drifted into the yakuza world as outcasts with nowhere else to go, and then, they formed a pseudo-family there. But for Tsunakawa, it is the family business. He was born into a declining family as a scion. The baby grew up and undertook both obligations imposed on him and promised privileges without being daunt. Young Tsunakawa was an irreverent yakuza prince, radiating a glistening ambition to rebuild the small kingdom he was to inherit.

10 years later, he still “has forced himself” from the corresponding need (ch.37, vol.7), and the Sakura Family has many enemies. At the same time, he appears to be a pretty good family man. Since the Family has survived through a system of hereditary succession, it is likely that their patriarch, the clan leader for generations too, has managed to balance the family business and family life. At a very young age, Niki understood the significance of Doumeki’s missing small finger (ch.37). It is natural for her that men who serve Papa would attend to her as well. Do not know what kind of life she will choose for herself after she grows up, yet for now she has accepted the fate of the yakuza little princess. It was Tsunakawa himself who cut Kai’s left eye. Then it looked like Kai lost his left small finger and was excommunicated from the Family. When Okuyama-gumi became independent, he must have settled there. Indeed, Okuyama seemed to be calm, or “a man who does not know what he is thinking (ch.49, vol.8).”

Doumeki bowing to Tsunakawa, replying, “I understood,” it feels like all the more ‘manly.’ It would be partly because his neck looks thicker, but also because it can be figured readily that he is in control of his swirling emotions for Yashiro under the equable attitude he shows to his superiors. The car on the next page would be parked near the gate of the Tsunakawa house. Doumeki has the media in his hand, putting a pained expression on his face. Then he drives to Yashiro’s high-rise condo.

Four years ago, when Yashiro took a cigarette out, it was one of Doumeki’s functions to light it (ch.15, vol.3 or a line drawing end of vol.3). Yashiro neither asks, “Are you back?” nor “Why do you take it away?” He might have been surprised, otherwise centers on this moment. He must feel reluctant to let go of what their reunion and the ensuing concerted action have brought.

Yashiro and Domeki seem to be getting closer emotionally, not only physically. Concomitantly, Doumeki has been in a dilemma between his loyalty to the Sakura Family and his private emotions toward the former boss. On the other hand, Yashiro’s trauma has never been unresolved. That is why he has needed Inami for the last four years.

What Yashiro had undergone was too relentless to overcome as if nothing untoward had occurred. It should be impossible to do such. By all means, however, I do hope his severe psychological load due to the profound devastation to his fundamental sense of safety, security, and faith in others -- his anxiety and fear of his existence -- will lessen, and he will be able to deal with them more moderately. Expect how further the work explores it...