#But nevertheless curious

[schrodingersinteraction]

So I've been catching up on High Class Homos...

and was reminded of a particular plot point/character appearance choice that doesn't make the most sense to me, especially in the vaguely historical/fantasy setting of the story. (For context, I'm coming at this as someone who knows a lot about historical costuming, but by no means on a professional or even academic level, this is mostly just stuff I've absorbed over the years engaging with it as a hobby. I know that this series is not intended to be 100% historically accurate, and by no means take this as a serious critique of the work as a whole. I had just been texting my sibling about this yet again and realized I had a lot of thoughts about it)

So. The part that caught my attention was this

Spoiler Alert from this point forward.

This is Odette. She works as a maid in the castle and we care about her cause she and a princess in said castle are a couple of Useless Lesbians™. But a part of her backstory is that she hasn't always been a maid, no, she used to live in fairly remote village where she foraged and communed with the animals and all that jazz. And when she was romping about the woods, she looked like this.

Long, flowing, luscious locks that apparently were never put up or braided? As someone with about this length hair, probably longer, I can tell you that you do not necessarily want it down and in your way, *especially* outside where it can act as a net to catch various leaves, twigs, branches, bugs, etc.

And apparently no one at the castle thought of braiding it either when she goes to work in the kitchen, because part of her backstory is that she *had to cut her hair* (this connection to her past life and all that, I can understand the metaphorical authorial intent) in order to work safely in the kitchen.

Now, this has been a thing in history. Working class people, often young girls, have had to crop their hair pretty short in order to do certain work and keep themselves safe, among other reasons. However, if it was for work, this work took place factories, right at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, in order to not have their hair caught in fast-moving, definitely not OSHA compliant machinery.

The general understanding I have of this world is it's pre-Industrial Revolution, with a touch of fantasy to have things such as magically assisted gender transitions (which I genuinely love). Obviously there's a lot of various anachronisms here that I'm willing to suspend my disbelief about! This, however, not so much. And I was trying to figure out why and as far as I can tell it's because it's so central to her character arc/backstory, and there's a lot of other explanations that could've led to the same result - she used to have long hair, and now she has short hair. (It could be a personal choice to indicate her change of environment, part of her overall character arc as she plays around with presentation and becoming more comfortable with her queerness, she prefers how it feels, there's a lot of options) But the implication that long hair would be so much of hindrance in pre-Industrial kitchen is not really a thing.

Long hair is not that much harder to take care of and keep clean and out of the way. If anything, I'd argue it's easier with the level of technology they are implied to have access to. It can be braided and pinned up and fully covered by a headscarf, brushed out every day to minimize tangles/dirt/grease, all of this keeping it clean without necessarily needing to wash it every day. (Access to running/clean water and enough of it to wash regularly was very much a luxury for a lot of history and I got the vibe it was here too?) And I know this both from various historical sources (people have had long hair in a lot of different jobs at a lot of different points in time), and from personal experience!

There's a lot more specific anachronisms I could get into, but this was the main one that stuck out to me. Overall I have a lot of fun reading the series, I'm also just a wee history nerd and I don't always know when that will completely take over.

[sprunkimortality]

hey clocca, what do ya think of this? *shows them a digital clock to see if they get annoyed like, the stereotype of older people preferring the simple looks of old clocks rather than all this young people stuff* it tells time WITHOUT pointing to a number~

[The entity leans closer, observing the digital clock. Despite having no expressive face, it nevertheless appeared curious, the sands in its body flowing slowly.]

???: "FASCINATING..."

[Its clock hands twitched in intrigue.]

???: "TECHNOLOGY HAS COME FAR. I AM...PROUD OF YOU MORTALS."

[oacest]

Nov 2011

even the most brutal and scathing of reviews still end with "there would be no Liam without Noel, and no Noel without Liam" are you kidding me

[anjumstar]

Why Katsuki reads as queer coded.

Long before I shipped bkdk, Katsuki read as a queer character to me. Not meaning that Hori was assigning a sexual orientation to him but that he has qualities that parallel or make sense within the common narrative of the (western, I'm reading this through a western lens) queer experience. Here's why:

Disclaimer that this isn't to say that these traits make someone queer or that Katsuki is being intentionally written as queer, it's just reading Katsuki through a queer theory lens 👍

1. Perfectionism

Katsuki, if nothing else, is an incredibly hard worker. It's clear that in middle school, he worked to be at the top of his class. While he's a naturally intelligent and talented guy--as we see with his early skills in both sports and kanji in flashbacks--it's implied that he works for it. He doesn't have to work as hard as Izuku does, but it seems as though he works harder than, say, Todoroki does. I interpret this due to the way he berates his friends for underachieving in class. He knows that he's inherently smart, but he also knows that he achieves what he does via hard work, and so--as with Izuku in the flashbacks--he doesn't understand why his peers don't achieve the same.

Perfectionism is a classic queer-coded trait because it's a shield. If I'm otherwise perfect, no one can hate me for the thing that makes me different. It's a queer impulse to try and disguise "negative" traits with armor in the form of positive traits. You see this in people who are bullied becoming the class clown, for example, using comedy as their armor. If a queer person is afraid of not being loved for who they are, there's an impulse to be valued for what they can offer. This can manifest in overachieving and overcompensating so that they are never looked at with scrutiny, so that they can never be found out.

Katsuki makes himself scrupulous. He has an interest in maxing out every merit-based skill that he can so that he is no longer able to be scrutinized. He even takes advantage of popularity despite not liking people, as it's social capital and makes him more untouchable. He doesn't ever want anyone to look deeper than the skills that he offers. And when this strategy is interrupted, we see--

2. Anger

Anger comes from fear of vulnerability. In the context of the queer experience, this can easily be a reflex to keep people at a distance, as the perfectionism does, and a manifestation of repression. For Katsuki, it's both.

I don't think I need to put much explanation into how anger distances Katsuki from others. People's first impression is to fear him and then either avoid him or follow behind him. This collapses somewhat at UA, where people don't fear him, but it keeps him from forming bonds with people on any other basis than mutual respect. There's not a lot of intimacy like we see in, say, the early Todoroki + Iida + Izuku dynamics.

There's an argument to be made that Katsuki's explosive personality is a nature/nurture mix from his mother. That he's mirroring her behavior and that's basically it. No repression or fear involved. But we don't see enough of his parents/childhood to really spell that out. What we do get a good view of is his early desires from Izuku.

In those aforementioned flashback scenes, we see Katsuki not simply being confused when Izuku is unable to juggle a soccer ball, skip stones, or read kanji--Katsuki is upset by it. He's having strong feelings that he doesn't understand (not necessarily romantic! They're young!) and he covers them with anger. This continues through to middle school, when Katsuki is angry that Izuku is applying to UA, angry when they're paired against each other in the first partner exercise and Izuku has some success, when they're paired together for the final exam. These are BIG feelings and what for?

At first, Katsuki wanted Izuku to be on his same level, in the flashback scenes, and he was let down when Izuku wasn't. Then, after the river scene, Katsuki switches, and wants Izuku to be pushed down, to prove his own superiority in the face of Izuku's inherent goodness. This pairs his need to be perfect with an inability to face his admiration for Izuku. When he begins to see enviable qualities in Izuku, he represses those positive impressions. Whether or not you're reading bnha through a bkdk lens, there is repression here. Katsuki doesn't want to feel that there is something desirable about Izuku, that there's something he could be given by Izuku. That feels unsafe to his sense of self, and hence: anger. Anger, which is a trait also found in--

3. Masculinity

Masculinity is different culture to culture, and I'm not cultured enough to unpack the differences between western and JP representations of masculinity, so we're just gonna cast a wide net here.

Katsuki's parents are fashion designers, yet Katsuki pursues the absolute most violent career path that exists. And yes, this is because being a hero is the best (meaning very public to a young child with the trappings of fame and valor), and because his quirk is compatible with it, but that's not where the story ends.

All Might is Katsuki's role model. And yet, the persona Katsuki takes up is nothing like All Might's. As stated earlier, Katsuki is smart. He's smart enough to recognize that All Might is kind, friendly, generous, and likeable and that those are inextricable parts of his brand. And yet, Katsuki goes out of his way to instead be cold, mean, and unapproachable.

Again, wide net, but these are masculine traits. They keep a person closed off and inaccessible. They make it impossible to get close enough to really see a person. This is the same kind of shield that the perfectionism provides: armor against intimacy and scrutiny.

And, of course, the thing that a man can never be is weak. Weak is feminine. For a man, weakness is queer.

Katsuki's greatest fear seems to be being found out as weak. We begin to see him unpacking this, as he begins to admit to himself that Izuku is stronger than him, but, of course, we also see just how much work goes into him unpacking it. It only comes from honest self-reflection about himself, his bad defense mechanisms, and his relationship with Izuku. With introspection, he fears weakness less.

In conclusion

Queer theory is about heteronormativity and what it means when a person deviates from the norm into queerness. Katsuki's story in bnha is very much one of a character having many layers of armor to make him free from scrutiny, and slowly peeling those off to reveal his imperfections. This is the queer arc of a character being closeted, to a character coming out. Again, it's not to say that Katsuki is literally in the coming out process, it's to say that his narrative arc is a very queer arc, and it always felt that way to me. And, of course, as a bkdk, I see both those original closeting moments and the coming out moments as pretty much all being linked to fundamental interactions with Izuku.

Tbh, this theory is still a little half-baked. I don't know enough about queer theory, and I'm lacking a bit of cultural knowledge to give Katsuki the full breakdown. But before I had a single bnha ship, it was my impression that Katsuki was gay coded, and I've had these thoughts rattling around in my brain for over three years and I finally wanted to get them out (after a previous attempt that tumblr ate, rip). Maybe later on I'll do an analysis about who I think that Deku's experience is all about compulsory heterosexuality, hehe. Thanks for reading!

[ladysunbite]

How would Lady Orianna react if one of her children from the orphanage wanted to escape? Would it be possible?

[ warning! the following is a strong hc-based brew ]

More than anything she would be puzzled. With a few centuries of studying human behavior Orianna still has certain blind spots, one of them being, ironically, how the other races treat their young, and what they young ones are able to comprehend at certain ages. Among other things I hc that vampiric children grow to be adults very quickly and require no prolonged years of nurturing or learning empathy by strong example. Practically, apart from "do not kill your kin", "respect the territorial boundaries" and "unseen elder is the highest authority in any case that require judgment" they are given very little boundaries at the beginning of their life and learn by stepping upon every rake and stone there is, until their personality forms in one way or another. At least that's mun's humble opinion, based on Regis' insights in 'Baptism by Fire'.

As for the blood drinking, the cultured vampiress is confused why a child may be horrified by the exchange - for do not humans pay the taxes for land and protection and such? Do they not make vows and surrender their life to kings and queens, thusly forging a bond? Blood is not only a leisurely pleasure for her, but is such a bond, a promise of loyalty, a ritual of entering her little self-formed tribe. However, if she senses that a child is harrowed by the experience, she never repeats it. Ruthless as she is, Orianna abhors cruelty for cruelty sake, or as a cheap method to bend one's will. If a child tried to escape, she would not pursue them, for they are not necessary for her survival. As for the tales such one might spread, the mistress of Mandragora is well-guarded by her wealth, position, and no clear ties with the orphanage. Who would believe a wide-eyed tale of a nameless child, thrown against a noblewoman, whose house even Her Enlightened Ladyship visits under a flippant guise of a masquerade mask? Surely, their mind must be clouded by a recent tragedy and a long time of wandering through dusty roads. A house full of children that live like princes and princesses, doing no hard labour, indulging in the best education, run by a vampiress? Tscha. For while Orianna understands that the mental development is different, she is still in the dark why a child would desire to escape a comfortable establishment, with both physical and mental succour available and with no hard labour - a few peasant children can boast such fate - in addition to the company of their peers. Orianna views children as vessels with a wonderous spark and drive for creating. Her semi-immortal kin are not lashed by time and therefore rarely inspired to achieve anything in the area of arts within such a short flick of time, as humans are naturally prone to. She is especially encouraging if the interest is connected with performance and decorative arts, such as poetry, music, drawing and sculpture - anything she can tickle her hedonistic fangs with and later use at Mandragora. However, some children willingly stay with her as servants, an ability to keep her secrets is cherished no less than a quick way with a quill. Many keep in touch with her after they leave the orphanage and establish themselves even outside the merry Duchy. One of the notorious examples is Francis Bedlam, who helps with her urges to obtain rare objects of art, often available only through underworld markets. It's the other children the runaway should worry about. The children of La Compassion do not forgive betrayal, and anyone who would desire to run into the night with tales brimming upon their mouth, tales that might harm their lady, threaten their precious, sought-for safety, are traitors, vow-breakers, anathema. This is another effect of Orianna's upbringing, she is yet unaware of. The children tend to see her as godlike, the fairy-godmother, the only protector they have or will ever have. Coupled with her vampiric teaching that "tribe is important, you must not kill your own kin", it breeds dark fruits. They will protect their own with desperate ferocity, even if they have no claws or fangs.

[dateamonster]

ok ok so on the subject of that last poll

reference points for any newcomers

moreau / lucy / dr crescher / scabigail

oc tag / art tag

[servicereward]

i know askgreg says he's got a girlfriend but what are the odds that she hasn't broken up with him yet?

[todayisafridaynight]

GLAD STREAM WENT SMOOTHLY THIS TIME had so much fun!!

BUT NOOOOOOO SOME OF YOUR FRAMING AND ANGLES REMINDED ME... We finished Hero recently so we rewatched Hero SP and watched the "sequel"… Hero SP is still my favorite thing to come out of it by far TBH but I was happy to see Nakai's character back in the latter [he's got this starting-to-grey beard, so Obviously I Was Thinking About Arakawa Aging In The Years Ichi Was Gone, and also he's smiling almost every second he's on-screen so I was :] ].

At the same time, because Takita's a Sympathetic Antagonist Who Went To Prison Returning In A Sequel… it put the fear of God in me with regard to Jo coming back because [spoilers </3] Takita's only in it for two-and-a-half scenes and he has cancer… I would say One Fear but again I have MANY FEARS when it comes to Jo and honestly MOST OF THEM are about not getting a satisfactory resolution [if there has to be one], like Aoki. I'd already made my peace with him not coming back at all in 2019 [2018 if I'm counting RGGJo]… pleeease don't do him dirty that's my emotional support shitty old bitch 😭😭😭

Extremely specific worries aside here are Nakai's dogs Kurumi and Pairan as promised :] Kurumi means walnut... if you even care...

STREAM WORKING MEANS I DIDNT HAVE TO PICK UP ICE FISHING YIPPEE !!!!!!!!

ABOUT JO THO AND HIS INEVITABLE-RETURN-BUT-UNCERTAIN FATE.... we can only wait... rgg wont let me in their basement anymore i cant leak secrets as to what could happen to him- at the very least i hope the rgg team understands people like satisfactory, Non Bullshit endings to character arcs.... so here's to hoping he gets that if possible :] if not uhhhh hope he gets the least cringe exit from the series :]]

BUT NAKAI'S DOGS HELLOOOOO THEY'RE BABIES I LOVE THEM HIIII !!!!!!! THEIR NAMES ARE SO CUTE PAIRAN AND CHESTNUT..... im ashamed to admit i already knew 'kurumi' meant chestnut.... as krillin's name from dragon ball derives from 'kuri'.... that doesnt make the name any less cute it makes them better TO ME (❁´▽`❁)

[revvnant]

do you guys ever think about the mci.

[joce0506]

Need the storyline behind this fr

Art by atie1225 (A – B – C – D)

Posted with Permission (reprint/edit and/or commercial use prohibited)

[vitiateoriginator]

Klaus learned how to open a door 😭 it's only the bathroom door that he's confident in opening. But it's only a matter of time before he realizes he can open all the doors in the apartment the same way

[batshit-auspol]

I really enjoy this blog so much. Gimme your most favorite batshit auspolitics moment from the 2000s to 2010s. please. i am morbidly curious.

2007: The APEC conference, where all global leaders converge in one city to pretend like they're doing things, is to be held in Sydney, Australia. With the war on terror in full swing, security is at a maximum, and large swathes of the city are placed behind a giant multi-layered steel fence to keep the world leaders far away from the unwashed masses.

Attempting to ward off trouble, organisers of the conference hold a meeting with notorious political comedy prank group "The Chaser", to tell them they are, under absolutely no circumstances getting anywhere near any world leaders, and to not even bother trying.

"The whole perimeter is secure," security forces told them sternly. "The only thing getting through that fence is a motorcade."

24 hours later The Chaser were on their way towards the fence with a motorcade.

Now a few things should have tipped off security guards that this fake Canadian motorcade was not a the real deal. Number one: Canada wasn't at the conference, number two: no country has actually had security running alongside cars since the 60s, and three: most security guards don't carry video cameras with them or passes that read "this is fake".

Nevertheless the ruse was more successful than anyone had anticipated, and The Chaser team were happily waved into the most secure area on planet earth by police, who informed the incognito comedians that "the road is yours."

Reaching the outside of George Bush's hotel, the pranksters now began to worry that they were never going to be stopped by police and decided to get out of the car and walk back to the fence.

While dressed as Osama Bin Laden.

At this point all hell broke loose. Snipers were locked on. Confused police scrambled, and immediately arrested the whole group, only breathing a sigh of relief when they saw the words "Chaser" on the fake security passes.

Bizarrely the police opted to give a full escort to the guy dressed in a suit, and allowed the other man cosplaying as the world's most wanted terrorist to just casually walk out on his own before booking him at the perimeter.

The Chaser team said that while being put in a cell overnight wasn't fun, they were less stressed after police started visiting to ask for photos and signatures.

The prank group were later hauled before the courts and threatened with a massive fine, but the case was eventually dropped after they successfully argued that it's not technically breaking-in if the cops happily wave you into a high security zone.

Needless to say they have changed that law for future APECs.

Making light of the situation, the prank group also returned to the site a few days later dressed as carboard cars, to see just how flimsy a disguise could get past police.

This time at least, they were not let in.

[somnoir]

Prodigal son beyond time - Part 1

Ra's Al Ghul had a son. No, it's not Dusan we spoke of right now. Ra's Al Ghul's first born child was a peculiar boy that was forged by the Lazarus Pits—or so what he says.

Talia has never met her brother.

Her brother, it has been years since she's found out about him yet her father never gives them a name—he thinks them unworthy of it. Even if he was not present, her brother continues to be the favorite, to be the child their father praised most. His absence is a glaring hole in her father's heart (though she is not sure if he has one).

It is no secret amongst the league that Ra's nameless son was unofficially the heir, even when Damian was born.

Talia has doubted her brother's distance many times, and yet she finds evidence of him over and over again.

Her father writes letters, strange ones that vary in language, dialect, grammar, writing styles. She did not mean to read one when she was young, but she couldn't help herself when she had seen it.

My dearest, son of mine,

It has been an age since last I beheld your presence. I find it most disquieting that you have not seen fit to visit, though I am not ignorant of how poorly time aligns itself with your affairs. Yet still, I dare to hope that you might bestow upon me a portion of your time, if but briefly.

Your siblings have inquired after you once more. Yet I am acutely aware that it would be unwise to bind you to this mortal realm for too great a span. Their hearts, tender and unfortified, lack the endurance I possess to weather the long absences your path necessitates. Nevertheless, I am not blind to the hope you carry—to one day stand before them, whether that moment lies near or far in the veiled expanse of time.

She could not finish the lengthy letter before the letter vanished from her hand, a burst of green and strange liquid slipping from her fingers. Talia had been startled, too young, assuming that this was Lazarus water that has stolen her father's letter.

And she found her father looming behind her, his expression stern get there was amusement in his eyes.

"Your brother is a curious person." Her father hummed, "He's powerful."

"We are not... Allowed to meet him?"

"Not yet. Until you steel your hearts." Ra's nodded, "Your brother does not stay in one place for long. But he is soft hearted and loyal to the family. You give him reason to stay and he will stay."

His hand, firm and guidind, pressed against her shoulder in a tight grip. "And I will not let any of you weaken him."

On that day, Talia realized that her father truly did love her brother. In his own strange way.

The next time she reads a letter, Damian was but a babe of one, cradled in her arms as a letter written on green paper rested in her father's hand. It was open, the wax seal carefully sliced from the envelope.

"Father."

"Talia." He replied nonchalantly, eyes flicking to Damian, his eyes softening momentarily as a longing look slipped to the letter.

Talia's heart tightened, resentful that her father was beginning to see his favorite child on her own son. She could not allow that...

"Your brother has written to me. It has been... Almost a year... Since the last." Ra's hummed, turning to Talia, then Damian, before flicking yet another letter to her. It startled her.

"From your brother." Ra's sighed, "I made the mistake of writing about Damian and now he wishes to meet you first. Not Nyssa, not Dusan—you."

"My brother?" Talia hesitantly accepted the letter. "I do not even know his name..."

Ra's clicked his tongue, "He signed it in his name. You will know from that letter." He paused, glancing back at her. "You have yet to prove yourself worthy, Talia, but... Damian's birth will surely being your brother back home."

Talia's heart palpitated in her chest.

The prospect of her baby, her son, her child—the mere thought that her baby would be the thing that successfully brings her brother home was... Outstanding.

"Read it in your own time... After that, seek me out."

Talia does not know... What to particularly do...

But she takes Damian, watches as her father leaves, and hurries along to her own quarters.

Talia tucks her son into the crib, narrowing her eyes at the nursemaids that were hired to nurture her son. She dismissed them immediately, watching as they silently leave the room. It is only when silence reigns does she takes a seat on her bed as Damian slumbers in his crib.

(Her hands tremble as the letter rested in her hands. It was light, not heavy, her her hands tremble as if she could not handle the weight.)

She takes in a deep breath, takes a dagger and carefully slices it away from envelope. It's intricately made.

The letter is written in the same green paper that her father received.

The letter read as thus:

My Dearest Talia, It would seem that I am now to be regarded as your brother, for Ra's has deemed me his son. Admittedly, this turn of events is of my own doing, as I endeared myself to him centuries past and found solace in his companionship, coming to view him as a father in truth. Yet you, his daughter by blood, remain a stranger to me, as do Nyssa and Dusan. How peculiar it is that Father should act in such a manner, withholding such introductions with his customary inscrutability.

She takes in a deep breath, awes by her brother's penmaniship... And then suddenly the writing style changes. Morphing from the olden age, the formality of a noble, to...

Anyways! Since you're my sister, I don't think I have to keep writing to you the same way Ra's does. It feels awkward to me, y'know?

She was not expecting that change but...

I've always wanted to meet you all. But my duties to my realm are hard. I can't freelt leave. It's especially worse since my world's time doesn't correlate to yours.

You might find the change of writing styles weird, but in all honesty, I'm from the 21st century. It's just that time never did agree with me. Had to comply with the old man on writing like that since he likes it. Weird, right?

But anyways! I heard you had a son! Congrats by the way. I'd like to meet him too, actually. Aside from that, I heard from Ra's you don't know my name.

Well, he's decided to call my Danyal as it's the Arabic version of my original name "Daniel". Though I often go by my nickname Danny. But it has been a delight to write to you, Talia. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet you and your son in the future.

Since you have my name now, you can write me letters too! It'll find me eventually.

Your brother,

Danny

Her brother's name was Danyal... Her brother went by Danny.

Talia blinked.

Her strange brother was a being that traversed through time, a person who was born in the 21st century... Her brother could be somewhere in the world in that moment and in another time the next.

She pressed the letter to her lips, unable to hold back her smile.

She had quite the silly brother...

And amongst her siblings, Talia was the first to know her brother's name. That bit about being able to write letters to him made her finally understand why her father was so possessive of a name.

(In the Infinite realms, High King Phantom received a letter from his estranged younger sister. He really didn't mean to find family in the Demon's head, but he found it anyways.)

Part 2 | Masterlist

[kingdomkome]

coming to terms with the fact that the best version of any myth i like is the one that lives in my head and i should stop looking for it in any other place