#And the rest are the remnants

[silverior968]

"The average person has two tormented souls" is a statistical error. Tormented souls Anton, who has 1 billion and two tormented souls, is an outlier and should not have been counted

[serpentface]

i know u havent posted about them for a while but did archen gunsmithing get nerfed too? seems like those lil guys have taken nothing but Ls in this current iteration

Yeah it got semi-nerfed but not COMPLETELY nerfed.

Where it's at now is more like they have independently developed gunpowder much earlier and have some explosive devices, but not firearms.

The single biggest threat to archin is vulnerability to much larger predators- a single archin's death doesn't ultimately harm a unit or colony consciousness, but a singular archin IS substantially more important to a colony's survival than a singular non-sapient ant, so devising anti-predatory techniques that limit casualties (rather than the ant-typical strategy of SWARM BITE STING) would be likely. In addition to very advanced and fortified nest building strategies, this is accomplished in domestication of much larger animals for above-ground protection (probably deriving from earlier symbiotic relationships), then possibly experimentation with poisons (especially in that certain natural substances can give off toxic fumes when burnt). A formula for gunpowder could have been discovered in that context (fumes from burnt saltpeter might have already been used as a repellent).

They are very involved in managing land at large scales (and lighting/spreading fires for controlled burns is very hard when you are a collective of inch long bugs), so it would have first been used to start and spread fires. Then used for killing very large animals for food (probably first in the form of strategic fires, then as bombs). Then more refined/more explosive forms could be used in Ant Warfare to produce incendiary devices (mainly to bust open fortified nests or kill en-masse with fire). So like their gunpowder weaponry is closer to dynamite than anything else.

Them having Gun's was kind of a vestigial remnant of them formerly being 2ft tall anthropomorphic bees and like, it would just be an absolutely colossal stretch with their current morphology (as pheromone-based 'hive consciousness' inch-long but otherwise normal ants) for them to develop or see any need for anything resembling a firearm. The way I translated it to their new design was more like "how can I keep the ant guns" rather than "what would sapient ants use as weaponry against larger animals and what natural (or at least Believable) stages of development would bring this about", and I try to use the latter approach as much as possible.

I honestly don't see this as a downgrade though like 'ants with guns' has a wackiness factor I guess but taking the sapient ant collective premise more seriously is a lot more interesting to me.

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

Something rubbed against his leg beneath the table. Jon saw red eyes staring up at him. “Hungry again?” he asked. There was still half a honeyed chicken in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear off a leg, then had a better idea. He knifed the bird whole and let the carcass slide to the floor between his legs. Ghost ripped into it in savage silence. His brothers and sisters had not been permitted to bring their wolves to the banquet, but there were more curs than Jon could count at this end of the hall, and no one had said a word about his pup. He told himself he was fortunate in that too. His eyes stung. Jon rubbed at them savagely, cursing the smoke. He swallowed another gulp of wine and watched his direwolf devour the chicken. Dogs moved between the tables, trailing after the serving girls. One of them, a black mongrel bitch with long yellow eyes, caught a scent of the chicken. She stopped and edged under the bench to get a share. Jon watched the confrontation. The bitch growled low in her throat and moved closer. Ghost looked up, silent, and fixed the dog with those hot red eyes. The bitch snapped an angry challenge. She was three times the size of the direwolf pup. Ghost did not move. He stood over his prize and opened his mouth, baring his fangs. The bitch tensed, barked again, then thought better of this fight. She turned and slunk away, with one last defiant snap to save her pride. Ghost went back to his meal. Jon grinned and reached under the table to ruffle the shaggy white fur. The direwolf looked up at him, nipped gently at his hand, then went back to eating.

Jon I, AGOT

It's interesting that GRRM would dedicate several paragraphs to a seemingly unimportant exchange between a boy, his wolf, and an unfriendly third party. But there's just something about this passage that has continued to nag at me for years since I first read it because, considering how heavy handed GRRM was with the foreshadowing in AGOT, this feels important.

Jon is sitting at table full of squires - aka would be knights. We don't really know who they are or what families they belong to, but it's safe to assume that they come from a certain level of privilege; this is considering the fact that it cannot be financially easy to be a squire. And these boys already have a slew of tales detailing all their previous knightly exploits regarding "battle and bedding and the hunt" which suggests that they have some capital. So you have boys who will soon be men. And they will, presumably, become men of some power.

These lads eat their fill of the chicken until only half remains, which Jon then gives to Ghost. The direwolf's name is not so important here but what he represents is. Throughout the series, we're told that Ghost is reminiscent of the weirwood trees (because of his red eyes and white fur). He's stated to be of and from the Old Gods and since he's a personification of the weirwoods, he might as well be one of them. It's almost as if Jon is presenting whatever is left on the table to the Old Gods (Ghost). He lets them devour his offerings while he silently watches. And the motif of watching is so interesting here because it's kind of like Jon takes on a stewardship role - to watch over land/people/etc. He oversees Ghost eating the chicken, so he's overseeing whatever has been given to the Old Gods. This is not new imagery to his arc. As a brother of the Night's Watch and eventually its leader, we have several instances where he leads people to adopting the Old Gods in some fashion. In ADWD, several recruits swear their vows to the Old Gods while he watches on as their Lord Commander. The Old Gods are also primarily of the North and we're told that Jon has more of the north in him than his brothers; interesting that this also includes Bran. So perhaps whatever is being offered to the Old Gods relates to the North.

We must also note that Jon initially thinks to give only a small portion, a leg, before pivoting and providing the entire thing. It feels to me a bit like the process of carving up a kingdom or something similar. The lords (represented by the squires) take what they want and leave aside what they don't; or perhaps they have eaten to their fill and can take no more. Then when his time comes, Jon first considers a small piece of land/group of people before eventually absorbing all of whatever is left behind. The concept of carving up a kingdom rings harder considering that we have several callbacks to the ideals of kingship in this chapter. Robert, Jaime, Tyrion, and even Mance though we don't know it yet, all play into this. And then there's the aspect of Jon letting the chicken slip between his legs which evokes birth/fatherhood, a very curious choice when GRRM could've just had Jon place the chicken on the floor. So land/people are carved up and Jon then uses whatever is left to birth his own type of kingdom. And this kingdom is one for the Old Gods.

This also touches on something that has been quite prevalent throughout Jon's arc. It's the concept of accepting the "others" or "those left over" who live apart from the accepted social norms. Arya (a tomboy), Sam (a gender non-confirming boy), the Night's Watch (criminals, extra sons, and men who have no future left or place to go), and even the wildlings are all examples of this. And Jon takes on a leadership/paternal role to every single one of them. He looks after them as a leader would/should. Sometimes, in the case of Arya and the wildlings, he's equated to a king. He's a steward/shepherd/king. There's messianic undertones to this:

Come unto me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).

If you're familiar with Judeo-Christian tradition, you'll know that Jesus is often personified as one who spent the majority his time among the outcasts. The idea is that he came to save them too and that anew kingdom (or new earth depending on your translation) would spring up after the end of the world where he would forever rule as king; which presents the idea of a final king after the earthly ones are done away with. Now GRRM isn't so heavy handed with Christian allusions as other authors out there, but he does have a Catholic background and Jon is so overtly a Jesus figure. And in Revelation, Jesus is king and god at the very end....

One last thing: the mention of the mongrel who challenges Jon has always been rather interesting but confusing to me. A mongrel doesn't really relate to one specific type of dog. But it's interesting that Jon notes several roaming about where he is. They follow the serving girls who carry the food to be offered. Mongrels are used to describe antagonist/villainous groups in ASOIAF. Sometimes, they're used to describe slavers in Essos. But what's interesting is that most of the time, they're used to describe Euron's Ironborn especially in Victorian's POV. So I don't think the mongrel who challenges Ghost is a supernatural threat of death (i.e., the Others) but rather a human one. They represent those who are called to the scene once the lords have finished playing their games. It almost feels like a feast for (carrion) crows....

But it doesn't really matter because this mongrel isn't much of a challenge for Ghost. Though the mongrel is much larger, the direwolf is able to fend her off very effortlessly. Given that "mongrel" is used to describe Ironborn raiders, could this exchange between Ghost and the mongrel point to reavers or sea raiders who rise and fail challenge Jon kingdom? There is a historical King Jon Stark who did this....

When sea raiders landed in the east, Jon drove them out and built a castle, the Wolf's Den, at the mouth of the White Knife, so as to be able to defend the mouth of the river.[1][2] His son, Rickard, followed him on the throne and annexed the Neck to the north.

ref.

So this might shed some light not only on Jon's already published arc, but also on what we can expect in the future. We have some foreshadowing through Jon's ADWD dream that he will not only rise with the dawn (thereby live through the Long Night), but will be in a position to lead people (wildings in that chapter) to a new peace after a hard fought war. Also remember that the wildlings, rather enthusiastically, swear oaths to him as if swearing oaths to their king. In this instance, the supernatural (a dream of the war for the dawn) is followed by the natural/human. So perhaps this particular passage (and Jon's dream) can be used to predict that Jon comes out on top, and quite effortlessly too, as a leader. And he becomes a leader who rules by association with the Old Gods; or rules a kingdom for them.

To end, I think it's of note that this passage immediately precedes Jon's conversation with Benjen where he voices his desire to go out on his own - the hero's call to action. This is the adventure that's going to kickstart his growth as a man, warrior and most importantly, a leader. So it looks like before we even began, GRRM telegraphed how it would all end in just three short paragraphs.

[talk-danmei-to-me]

12 sleeps till Yuwu vol 5♡

[spittyfishy]

2A Naeishi, if that's alright?

This is another one I’m not fully sure I interpreted the ship name right but fingers crossed

[mishy-mashy]

Shinomori is cute. Here's a post.

He is so baby-faced. He hasn't changed at all since he was 22, to when he died of "old age" at 40

(Old age? With a face like that? 40 years old?? Gimme that kind of youth and hotness Shinomori-)

He has tiny eyebrows. Like a puppy's (rottweiler's, for example). So cute and tiny and fuffy

He naturally frowns. Look at him and his mouth and his lil nose

He has a thing about keeping his arms near his chest. He sits with his arms crossed, introduces himself with his hands over his torso, and even walks with his arms crossed toward Midoriya

He has such clear skin for someone who lived the rest of his life in a forest??? Why do Hikage and Yoichi have such nice skin despite living in terrible environments? (forest and vault + abandoned streets respectively)

Is easily scared

They knew their Quirks could be used, but Shinomori got scared of it when it happened. Even though he gave Midoriya his support and access to his Quirk beforehand. Depending on the translation; "it startled me", "you scared me", "it surprised me"

I'm not going to hold running from AFO against him because he knew he was running for his life. Who wouldn't run for their life when it's in danger? Shinomori was being chased by the strongest person in the country (and likely the world)

His sense of self-preservation is probably heightened by the nature of his Quirk to keep him out of danger too. Which makes him all the more sensitive and jumpy to danger and anything that startles him, especially when he has no warning

He's actually extremely tall, but is so socially inept and jumpy it's adorable. He's taller than Bruce.

Bruce is as tall as a vault door that the 2m AFO used.

(Meanwhile Kudo is down there-)

He has such a bad sense of humor that it's cute (his puns off Danger Sense)

It's also adorable how Shinomori just doesn't understand social conventions sometimes. He lived in a forest, so it made sense, but also— Midoriya shows up in the void to the vestige platform for the first time. He has no mouth, no clothes—and Shinomori's first idea is to stand in front of him menacingly and go: "I shall explain. I am Shinomori Hikage." SIRRRR

This.

His Ability is basically like glorified anxiety. What if something is coming to hurt him? If something can hurt him? What if that tree falls while he's under it? And the ideas come so hard they hurt (although yes, it does detect ill intent and that's what sets it off)

He talks weirdly. Formal? Old-fashioned? Listening to him speak Japanese compared to others, it just sounds a bit different. (Translated subs don't show it very well, it's the voice itself methinks)

"This too, is destiny." *about Midoriya having OFA*

Kinda wise or sage-y. He did spend his life in solitude in the forests so he definitely spent a lot of time with his own thoughts. Maybe he found the meaning of life in a centipede or something one day

For someone so cute, he is also such. A fine. Specimen???

Look at those back muscles, dang.

LOOK AT HIS CALVES AND ARMS DANG.

[tblsomedoodles]

I'm au hopping lol

Just a teen Grif introducing an almost-teen Simmons to Star Trek : )

I should work on this au some more, it's a lot of fun. but i'm only about 3 chapters from finishing the knife!simmons fic so i think i'll finish that one first.

[introspectivememories]

do you ever think about how marco is one of the last people who knows how close shanks and buggy once were? do you think he ever looks at shanks and instinctively searches for buggy? i bet you marco looks at shanks surrounded by his crew and still thinks that shanks looks lonely. because back then, you could never find one without the other. if you insulted shanks, you insulted buggy and vice versa. they were attached at the hip. if you got one of them alone, you better savor it because in the next five minutes, the other one would come find them. like in my heart i know every time marco sees shanks these days all he thinks is where's the rest of you?

[sushisketching]

what the guoshi did not expect, however, was for gu mang to raid chonghua and stab general mo xi

[darlingcloudie-9]

Woe; my girl Kumonoue in obligatory beach wear cause where i am its the SUMMER BABY THE SUMMMEERRRRR 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥 (little comic ft. Yui and Noue after the cut)

[melanodis]

screw it, i'll post these too

[corrodedcoughin]

Eddie, in the middle of whatever conversation or silence is happening when a thunderstorm starts: I have displeased the gods, may they have mercy on us all

[tj-crochets]

I’m still going to get started on the cuttlefish this weekend, but my scrap fabric is getting ridiculous again so it’s scrap management time!

I meant to try a square-in-square block but I cut the first pieces wrong so now I’m doing a simpler patchwork lol

[temporary-tats]

Don’t mind me just crying over the Bumbleby confession again <3

[talk-danmei-to-me]

Ranking my Autumn of Danmei: Results

A.k.a Another poll where my answers are completely different

Tumblr Ranking

1. Svsss/Scum Villain Self Saving System

2. Qjj/Ballad of Sword and Wine

3. Yuwu/Remnants of Filth

4. Bing an Ben/Case File Compendium

5. To Rule in a Turbulent World

My Ranking

1. Yuwu/Remnants of Filth

2. Qjj/Ballad of Sword and Wine

3. Bing an Ben/Case File Compendium

4. To Rule in a Turbulent World

5. Svsss/Scum Villain Self Saving System

Fangirling beneath the read more

1. Yuwu/Remnants of Filth

This will have come as no surprise to my followers. I adore Meatbun’s style of storytelling and vol 5 was SO GOOD! Ximang deserve the world and vol 5 was delivering. Yuwu also has some of the best dedication to angst I’ve experienced in a danmei.

2. Qjj/Ballad of Sword and Wine

I read the first vol straight off the back of 4 volumes of Yuwu and I think the book hangover coloured my view of it. After vol 5 of Yuwu I had more craving for military Danmei and omg did vol 2 deliver! Obsessed with Cezhou and the level of courtly politicking and intrigue is way up there with early game of thrones. Y’know when game of thrones was good. Also kind of Captive Prince vibes. I can see this one climbing significantly with each volume that releasing because it’s just so my jam!

3. Bing an Ben/Case File Compendium

Meatbun at her most unhinged and I am here for it! Literally for fans of bl as a genre there’s something so nostalgic about it. It’s channelling every toxic yaoi scanlation I’ve read. So good. He Yu and Xie Qingcheng are your new favourite straight men.

4. To Rule in a Turbulent World

I got so into this when I first started, it’s offering a bit of courtly drama and the protagonist is hilarious. Outrageous to give us that level of smut in chapter 3 as well. And we have another farm arc in danmei… one might start to suspect farming is a trope 😉 where I’m up to has got a little bit too wholesome though, but the writing style has me preordering every Fei Tian Ye Xiang book Seven Seas has licensed.

5. Svsss/Scum Villain Self Saving System

Full disclosure I dropped it 3/4 of the way through vol 1 but I’ve included it because of the amount of suggestions/reccs for it I’ve had since becoming a danmei blog.

The fandom makes me want to like this so much because it feels huge compared to series I’m actually ride or die for. Personally, I just don’t find it funny and I struggle with the transmigration/system aspects of it. It just makes the world feel fake (because it is) and investing is really hard. Luo Binghe was the only thing I vibed with.

I think part of the problem is that I branched out into other danmei instead of finishing all of mxtx’s works and mxtx just isn’t my favourite.

That’s not a slight on mxtx by the way, obviously she’s significant in the western danmei boom and getting the series I am insanely invested in licensed and I had a good time whilst reading tgcf and mdzs.

But for me I think it’s like how I first got into bl through Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (for others it was probably Junjou Romantica the analogy still works). Like I have a lot of love for it, but I wouldn’t class it as my favourite bl although the yaoi hands and pointy chins are 👌

Anyways, back to svsss and danmei… I’m in two minds now whether I should read or skip Misvil OR if reading Misvil will allow me to power through to complete svsss by conning me into reading transmigration since it’s supposed to be quite gritty.

[secretsimpleness]

Storytime, when I started a second playthrough it was mainly because I craved sudoku. Female Ryder (custom), Scott Ryder / Mass Effect Andromeda (c) Bioware