#I promise the perspective /doesn’t/ make more sense with the rest of the artworks. I found cool pose refs and thought: why not

[sableeira]

Do you care for a cigarette?

[sitp-recs]

(Perfect artwork for Modern Love, by @cambiodipolvere)

Today is the day of one of my favorite people! And I totally resent @tackytigerfic and Starry for almost sharing the same birthday, god the STRESS 😂 Tacky is my first and closest fandom friend. We clicked together so fast and easy that sometimes it feels like I’ve known her all my life, like we’re two dog moms living in the same neighborhood who happen to read fic in their free time. Despite our conflicting time zones and crazy schedules we manage to chat every other day, tagging and sending each other all kinds of stuff, coming together to cry scream about a brilliant fic we’ve just read or shaking our heads in embarrassment at every other unnecessary bullshit post. Tacky’s bright and wise energy uplifts my spirit even on my moody days, and makes me grateful for her friendship and for this fandom life. Okay so this got long and I had to put the rest under the cut:

It’s such a lovely and precious thing, to have someone with whom you can share every single thought that crosses your mind, your scariest, most embarrassing, petty or disturbing idea, without fear of being shamed or judged by it. I trust Tacky with all my heart to hear me out, share a joke or a piece of advice, even on the (rare) occasions when we don’t get the same perspective - that doesn’t happen often when it comes to Drarry, as we are taste twins!

Tacky my darling, you’re such a good person, and such an incredible friend. Thank you for introducing me to this lovely community, for being my safe haven and your unique self, with so many qualities I admire and feel inspired by: kind, witty, earnest, wise, and so very human. I love your humour and empathy, and your chill yet no-nonsense personality; I love your talent and how articulated you are; I love your passion for Drarry, and how you let this emotion inform the way you navigate the fandom and create for it. And god, but you’ve been creating some of the most beautiful content I’ve seen in these recent years! I’m permanently in awe of your ability to write Drarry in any shape, format or length, transforming even the most ordinary moment into an extraordinary and meaningful piece of character or relationship development. You know how you mentioned yesterday that some authors change the way you feel about a ship in a deep, definitive way? Well, you are that author for me. Your works made me fall in love with M-rated contemplative romance, and also allowed me to fall in love with Harry in a way I never thought it was possible before.

Some people - myself included - got to know you through the fun and intriguing A Lick and a Promise, others through the atmospheric and sensitive Modern Love, others through your contemplative and heartbreaking short form. Each story has its merits and purpose, and all of them share a Tacky trademark: the heartkick factor! Your talent has no limits and goes across different genres and tropes, that you explore with a bold twist full of personality and heart. And even more impressive is your consistency at always raising the bar - every new fic of yours becomes an instant fave and makes me think “wow I thought Tacky couldn’t get better yet here we are”. Seeing how your writing evolves as you find your narrative voice is a beautiful and humbling experience, I feel so lucky!

I’m really grateful for being active in the fandom at this moment in time, because that allows me to read and engage with your brilliant work, and to have you as a dear friend. I can’t wait to see what comes out of your beautiful brain next. It was an impossible job choosing a single fic to rec today, so I decided to do a belated Tacky reclist! Naturally these are my personal and biased must-reads, and I urge everyone to go check these beauties right now. Feel free to include your own favorites too, and don’t forget to leave them some appreciation.

Happy happy birthday my darling Tacky! This fandom life wouldn’t be the same without you. I hope you have the amazing day you deserve!

Between the Power Lines (2020, M, 3.2k)

The road trip fic you didn’t know you needed. I got utterly immersed in the heartbreaking quietness of this, feeling like a witness to an ordinary yet poignant love story. Such tender intimacy, such character development, such lovely American aesthetics with barely any dialogue. This is, IMO, the fic that reveals Tacky’s triumph in storytelling.

Even the Night (2020, M, 3.4k)

This fic has a surreal atmosphere, those Midsummer vibes unbelievably sexy and intoxicating linked to the sensorial experience of fumbling together in the night. Masterclass in tension building, a silky and languid dream-like affair.

Aim for my Heart (2021, M, 3.4k) - Harry/Draco/Ron

One of the most sensitive and stunning portraits I’ve ever seen of a poly/triad relationship, this fic packs so much character and longing! It’s a privilege to watch Ron and Draco’s tentative dynamics through the smitten eyes of the one person that loves them like no one else: Harry.

The Long Fall (2021, M, 3.6k)

I can’t even write about this tender domesticity without getting a lump in my throat. Best opening scene I’ve read in years, and a refreshing way to approach both mpreg and parenthood, painfully honest and lovely. This became an immediate comfort read for me, and it’s probably one of the fics I revisit the most.

Mortal Frame (2021, M, 6.6k)

This thrilling, fast-paced spy story left me breathless since the first paragraph, gods what an immersive ride! I’m so here for Drarry on the run, sharp and urgent with danger but mellowed by the silent trust and tender intimacy only Tacky can master. Major bonus points for the brilliant take on the Horcrux hunt plot line!

Last Offices (2020, M, 6.7k)

Oh, this fic 💔 I tend to avoid MCD but there’s something so deeply fascinating about body washing rituals that I caught myself mesmerized by this. I just couldn’t put it down, so emotionally compromised I felt. There’s a sort of strange comfort in the heartbreak of doing one last act of service out of devotion to someone. This fic inspired so many difficult but lovely feelings in me, and one of them was hope. Only Tacky could possibly achieve that!

Our Little Life (2020, M, 7.2k)

Inventive and singular, this story hit me straight on the solar plexus and left me speechless as I saw the (clever, magical and bittersweet) plot unravel. Such a fabulous take on alternate universes and all the angst potential behind it. Come and bask in the yearning melancholia of a short yet intricate and perfectly executed plot.

And One to Play (2019, E, 21k)

What a fun and delightful fic, I can’t have enough of pining Harry losing all sense of propriety when faced with a hot, competent and pragmatic Draco. This has fab dynamics, unhinged protectiveness, even more unhinged attraction between two idiots who can’t keep their hands off each other. A must-read for any Auror partners fan!

A Lick and a Promise (2019, E, 55k)

Hot, BAMF Professors carefully balancing a fuck buddies situation while solving a Hogwarts mystery, do we need anything else? I certainly do not. This fic is so fun and intriguing and immersive, with amazing supportive cast and a delicious get together feat secret shagging and oblivious pining. Love it!

Modern Love (2020, E, 61k)

My favorite read of 2020, this fic is a love letter to Drarry and will always hold a piece of my soul. Sensitive, wistful, tenderly aching and so very romantic, this is a Muggle Draco triumph with a superb Harry, exquisite slow burn and a side of suds comfort. I promise it will be impossible to listen to Bowie again without thinking of this love story.

Bonus: five stunning drabbles!

Something in the Way (2021, T, 119 words)

“Up,” he said, and Draco, sick with love, raised his arms above his head and allowed Potter to slide the jumper on him, big hands stroking it flat over Draco’s stomach until they both shivered.

Stir-Up Sunday (2020, M, 300 words)

“I want you always,” he said, tugging again on the fine curling length of it. “Is it okay to say that?”

Whalebone Arch (2021, M, 722 words)

“Are you still not talking to me?” Draco steered Harry towards the crisps. “Do I have to suck you off in the loo to cheer you up?”

Semiplume (2021, T, 923 words)

“Did you know,” Harry murmured, and he put his arms around Draco, fearless. “I’d be your mate. If you needed a mate, I mean.”

Relic Radiation (2021, M, 927 words)

“You’ll kill me,” Harry said, and Draco turned his face towards the darkened sky, lunar pale, his profile some stupid unearthly thing—a flaring blazar, a supernova—in the light from the kitchen window.

[nevertheless-moving]

Suicidal Misunderstanding XIV

Part I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Part XI - - - - Part XII - - - - Part XIII

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

Plo Koon woke to find himself chained in a dark room.

Somewhere behind him he could hear steady dripping; it was uncertain if that was deliberate or not.

He strained to discern anything in the dim light, but the walls of his prison refused to form into anything recognizable.

Cautiously, the trapped Master cast his senses out, only to find them reflected back at odd angles. He decided to wait before attempting to push any further past what his captor wished him to see.

Time passed strangely, but sooner than expected there was the sound of a pressurized airlock opening and, distantly, a raging ocean.

The airlock cycled through its rotation and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped out of the amorphous shadows looking...decidedly worse for the wear. 

Plo ached at the sight. His normally carefully maintained beard was a scraggly mess. His robes hung tattered and bloodied. Of particular concern was how dry he looked, skin cracked and bleeding for want of water. The figure standing before him with a dead-eyed glare resembled less an accomplished Jedi Master and more the wretched husk of one. 

“Who are you?”  Obi-Wan's shade hissed. The chains around the Kel Dooran tightened. 

Well, however he might view himself and others...at least he’s willing to fight to defend what remains? At the bare minimum he’s not acting intentionally self destructive...

“Good Morning, Obi-Wan. I am a Jedi Master and your friend. I have been attempting to reach you through your rather impressive shielding. I must say, you’ve done a remarkable job confining me in this mental construct, its been sometime since anyone has managed to get the best of me in this arena.”

Obi-Wan snorted. “Don’t try and flatter me, you barely fought back. You could easily have forced your way anywhere, but for some reason you let me corral you, presumably to try and gain my trust. Now answer my question. Your presence is very much light so I doubt you’re Sidious or...Vader. I could be wrong obviously, but i can’t see either of themselves putting this much effort into that sort of mask...just tell me who you are, and why you’re with them.”

“I am Master Plo Koon, a High Council Member, and I am not unknown to you” he elaborated without hesitation. “I am glad that you can identify that I am a light force user. Can you not sense familiarity within my force presence, even so far within your domain?”

Obi-Wan reared back and the dripping noise in the corner stopped.

“It’s a trick. We might be in my head but that doesn’t mean I’m surrendering any of my thoughts to you,” Obi-Wan snarled. “I felt Plo Koon’s death, he was one of the first...and even if he somehow survived he would never work with the Sith to invade my mind. Never.”

“Obi-Wan. Listen to me. Please. I am not dead. I am not working with the Sith. I was brought in to reach you because no other method was working. You are in the healing halls at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” Plo spoke calmly, but implacably, “We believe you have either experienced a uniquely detailed vision, or a run in with a dark-sider. Whatever has happened, I can feel the lingering impression of unsafety. But here and now, you are not in any immediate physical danger. There must be something I can do to convince you of your present physical location.”

“A uniquely detailed vision, huh? ha!” Obi-Wan replied, gesturing wildly. “Ha! You expect me to believe that what, the last four years of my life were a detailed prophecy? Why?”

“You...believe you have lived years beyond the rest of us. I take it the- what you remember has been dangerous enough to warrant maintaining abnormally tight control over your mental walls, precluding simply reaching out to ascertain the truth yourself.”

“Clearly my control wasn’t enough if you’re in here.” Obi-Wan muttered.

“I do apologize for the intrusion, but we’ve already used every other tool at our disposal to reach you. I repeat, is there anything that can be done to convince you that you are, from your perspective, ‘in the past’. You are a High Council member with a grandpadawan. It’s been two years since the start of the clone wars. You recently finished an extended clean up of the Mon Cala sector after your victory.”

Obi-Wan stared at him curiously. “If I set a test and you fail, will you agree to dispense with the pretenses?”

Plo-Koon hesitated. “Perhaps I’m making this deal in bad faith, as I am know I am Plo-Koon, and that everything I have said is the truth... but I swear that if you somehow prove that neither of those things are true and I am secretly working for a sith lord, I will...reveal that.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “Best I’m going to get, I suppose.”

The chains holding Plo-Koon loosened. Before he could respond, there was a hurtling rising sensation that he struggled not to fight against. After a disorienting moment, he found himself in his own body, feeling vaguely seasick. Obi-Wan blinked awake, apparently unfazed by the precautionary bonds holding him in place. Master Aerdo’s gaze flicked between them intensely. Plo-Koon held up a clawed hand to forestall any interruption while the two gained their bearings.

Obi-Wan spoke first:

“Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation”

“...What?” Koon replied, honestly confused.

“Cihynglo was a renowned Kashykian Jedi, her mediations are, well i suppose were considered a quintessential example of High Republic cosmic poetry.”

“I’m familiar with Cihynglo- my master used to speak of her fondly.” Plo Koon said slowly. “Though I can’t say I’m familiar with her Fourth Mediation.”

“Hmm. Yes, well her poetry in the last few decades of her life got increasingly, well, esoteric. While most of her work was widely translated and distributed, she requested that those who wished to read her fourth Meditations do so in person, so as to experience without dilution the full calligraphy and artwork that accompanied her words. She only ever produced two copies. Any guesses where they were kept?”

Obi-Wan’s voice started out in the steady tones of a born lecturer, only to grow bitter towards the end.

“Is one in the temple?” Master Koon asked.

“Yes, one was held in the Master’s wing of the temple archives. The other was housed in a place of honor in The White Forest’s Great Tree of Knowledge. Considering both libraries were reduced to ash in the first month of the Empire, it is quite impossible, even for the Emperor, to find a copy.” 

His vague attempt at a smirk quickly fell flat. 

“I was privileged enough to be granted time to begin reading it once, but, alas, an emergency situation in the intergalactic war you created meant that I had to run off mid-sonnet. Bring me that book, let me hold it, read it, and I will believe that I somehow unlocked the secret of time-travel while overdosing on Spice.” 

Obi-Wan paused, catching his breath. “In the next fifteen minutes, please. Any more than that and you might try tracking down the few surviving Wookie scholars.” Koon flipped open his comm. “Master Nu, I have an urgent request.”

“Nu here, go on,” came the response.

“This may sound strange, but it is crucial that Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation be brought to the healing halls, room seven. Within the next 15 minutes.”

“You do understand you’re talking about a physical book, not a flimsi-stack or a holocron. It’s not meant to leave a climate-controlled room.”

“I promise you, I would not ask if it weren’t life or death. Please Jocasta, I’ll explain later.”

“I’ll be there in 10. It had better be one durned good explanation.”

Obi-Wan looked bemused. ”You’re setting yourself up for failure.”

“I am glad you were able to come up with a test you found meaningful. Remember, you have friends here, regardless of whether you experienced subjective time travel or an incredibly detailed vision.”

They waited a little longer. Obi-Wan critically examined Master Aerdo.

“I’m a Senior Soul Healer” they offered at the non-verbal prompting.

“How interesting.” Obi-Wan remarked dryly.

They sat in awkward silence for another minute. 

They were all equally trained in suppressing fidgets, coughs, or other nervous tics, which made the wait that slightest bit more unbearable, each second nearly imperceptible from the one before.

Eventually the sound of heavy boots moving at speed approached.

Master Nu strode in, gently cradling a great burden. The book gleamed large and vital in the light of its stasis wrap. Her eyes widened at they took in Obi-Wan, still cuffed to the bed. 

“Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation, as asked for. I trust you have an excellent explanation for how a book of poetry is a matter of life or death.”

“I’m hoping that it will convince our friend Master Kenobi that I am who I claim to be and we are where I claim we are.” Koon gently pulled the book from her grasp and reverently placed it on Obi-Wan’s lap. Obi-Wan stared at it uncomprehendingly.

“Obi-Wan, I’m going to uncuff you now. I trust that you will use your freedom to examine our ‘proof.’ We will physically intercede if you make any attempts at self harm.”

Master Nu gasped. “Then the temple rumors...I don’t understand.”

Obi Wan picked up the book as if he was afraid it might bite him. With an irritated snort, he opened brusquely to the middle, and began carelessly flipping ahead.

Master Nu started forward, offended, but Plo Koon held her back. “Please Master Nu, patience-”

Finally Obi-Wan seemed to reach the page he was looking for and stopped. “..And still the rain fell like blood of the womb” he murmured. “That...I tried to think of how the line ended but I...”

Everyone watched as the book shook in Obi-Wan's grasp. He turned the page, gasping slightly and murmuring as he read. “This is...a little gross, but oddly touching. I certainly would not have come up with it myself...but its so clearly...” They watched his react, eyes darting wildly and brow furrowing in confusion.

Several pages later he dropped the book abruptly.

“This is impossible,” he gasped.

Nu darted forward, carefully snatching it from his lap, "I am endeavoring to practice tolerance, but how is destroying an irreplaceable piece of literature supposed to help anyone?!” she snapped

“I admit I wondered that myself, but when I imagined what harm the Sith could do with some of the archive’s more practical works, I understood your decision to torch the collection” Obi-Wan responded dreamily. “I suppose the more beautific works would likely have been destroyed anyway...”

“Torch the archives? I would never.”

“But you did,” Obi-Wan insisted feverishly. “I found your message when we searching for survivors. There were so many bodies piled at the archive door that I was almost hopeful that they had managed to...but I suppose they held out just long enough for you to complete your task.”

Nu backed away slowly. “That sounds like quite the disturbing vision, Master Kenobi.”

“It wasn’t just a vision, it was my life. It-visions don’t last years!” he said, finally growing hysterical. “I remember everything! That gods-awful mission to Cato Nemodia! Getting takeout food with Anakin! The smell of burning flesh in the creche! Singing to Luke! The last year of the war! All of you! You crying after Dooku’s death,” he added gesturing wildly at the archivist. “It was so awkward! You were embarrassed! You told me that for some stupid reason you had ‘held out hope’ it was all an insane uncover mission, that he wasn’t really- Three years alone in the desert! I remember three years of living on fucking Tatooine, how could that possibly be a vision!”

“I...hadn’t told anyone that,” Nu whispered with a hint of alarm. She glanced at Plo Koon, daring him to comment. “I know its very much unlikely at this point, and by any measure, he’s taken things too far, but he’s gone on such long shadow missions in the past...” she looked away.

“Oh, Jocasta...” Plo sighed.

“Master Kenobi. I cannot explain how you came to have such detailed knowledge of the future,” Aerdo said, drawing focus back to the bewildered Obi-Wan, who had shifted into a defensive crouch on the bed. “But I do know one reasonably sure fire way to establish that this, us, is the present. Open yourself up to the force, please, just let yourself listen to what it has to say.

“I...want to, of course I want to believe- but the idea that I’m here- it’s, if you’re real than you can’t possibly understand, its too good to be true.” Obi-Wan responded brokenly.

“I know things have been clouded of late, but, if nothing else trust in the force to not lie to you.” Plo-Koon urged. “If you keep closing yourself off like this, how can you possibly learn if things are better than you think”

Obi-Wan collapsed from his crouch, knees folding underneath.

“If I am...even if I am in the past... Sideous might be watching...i didn’t- i don’t know the extent of his gaze- even if...” he trailed off.

“If it makes you feel safer, you are of course free to again raise your shields to whatever extent you feel necessary once you have verified your reality.” Aerdo replied smoothly.

Obi-Wan looked warily at the three Jedi in the room.“I...” he started, trying to articulate the swelling hope and fear only to find himself at a loss for words.

Aerdo shot him a reassuring smile, “If you don’t feel ready right now, that’s perfectly understandable. We’re very happy you’re willing to reach out as much as you have already. Would you like to pause this discussion for now so we can find you something to eat? I believe a simple broth is a customary first post-bacta meal, but if you have any special requests I’ll do what I can.”

Obi-Wan let out a deep breath, dropping his head into his hands. “I- I need to know, don’t I?” he mumbled. “Force help me...you win.” He took one last, searching look at the faces of his fellow Jedi before closing his eyes and surrendering himself to the force.

He opened a small hole in his mental barricades and tentatively allowed his thoughts to drip out. Tentatively, he trickled over the bank of Plo Koon’s being (expecting a frigid burn) only to find a warm and heartbreakingly familiar pool of tempered kindness. 

He ran, slightly faster now, over the other Jedi presences in the room. Having finished his course without encountering any dark undertow, he ebbed back. There was an indistinct impression of something heavy giving way.

Obi-Wan’s Shields Fell Like A Dam Beneath a Tidal Wave -

[helenarlett-rex]

Time for an annoyed author to make a little rant...

So I have a certain client who keeps commissioning me to write stories for them. A lot of the stories are not what I would normally write. This client has a highly specific fetish and I’m not very good at it. Not saying it’s a bad fetish or anything, just that it’s outside my realm of experience so I don’t know what I’m actually doing. (I was literally born without the ability to experience the particular thing theses stories center around. Picture asking a blind man to describe color... That’s not what’s going on here because I’m obviously not blind, but it’s a fair analogy of what I’m being asked to do.) But I value anyone who is willing to hire me and pays me well, and the client is a very nice and understanding person, so I don’t want to say anything bad about them. But there is one thing that kind of bugs me. And it’s the fact that this client wants the stories I write for them to remain private. That’s fine and all. They are paying for the work so they are entitled to have it kept private if that is what they want. But they are literally the only person I’ve written for who ask for this. Everyone else I’ve written commissions for love having their stories posted on my eka’s gallery. And that’s really great for my advertising too. Because then other people can read it and be like, wow, I can get a story like this commissioned? And it brings in more business for me. Just like when you see artwork from someone and you like how it looks so then you want to commission that person to make artwork for you as well. But with written story commissions I feel like having the ability to publicly post those stories is even more important than it is with artwork. Because, yeah, they can read any of my non-commission stories and see what my work is like, but with the commissions it also allows others to see my ability to write from instructions instead of just writing whatever I want to write. It shows my ability to work with characters that aren’t my own and stories and situations that aren’t my usual style. (I don’t know... Maybe that is the same with art, but either way I feel like it’s still important for people to see that.)

Still... the client comes first so if they don’t want that work shown to anyone, then I won’t do it. But it’s still annoying, especially when 90% of my commissions tend to come from that one client. Every time I make a post saying, hey, commissions are open, I generally only end up with like, one commission (if I’m lucky) that I can actually post publicly and the rest of the slots all end up going to that one person who wants them private. I’m really worried about the kind of image that is giving other perspective buyers. There are all these people on this website I use who follow me, so they all see it every time I make a post about commissions being open, and then they will maybe see one commission following that at most. Sometimes they don’t see any commissions follow such posts. And I’m really worried about how that must look... Do people see that and start to think that the reason I don’t post any commissions after opening up commissions is because no one will commission me? Do they start to think that maybe no one will commission me because I’m not good at working with commissions? Everyone seems to love my work, but maybe they see my lack of posted commissions and think that I’m no good at finishing stories that I’m not personally interested in writing. Or maybe I’m a pain in the ass to work with and so no one who had commissioned me in the past will ever commission me again... Meanwhile I’m sitting over here like, I really am taking in a lot of commissions, I promise... It’s just that every time I open up for them this one person buys up all the slots right away and won’t let me show anything I write for them...

This is really annoying. Especially when I work really hard to produce quality work for this person even when I’m having to write about something I can’t physically experience myself. Like, seriously... The rest of y’all have five senses. I was only born with four. But I’ve still been able to take the one I don’t have and turn it into something (that I’m told at least is) sexy. That feels like quite an accomplishment to me and wouldn’t it be great if I could share that so other potential buyers could see what I can do? Instead I have a whole folder full of stories that I’ve spent days and weeks crafting that no one will ever see outside of that one person.

And you know what I’ve noticed... I’ve noticed that every time I open up commissions I get less and less inquiries about it. I never have to worry about not being able to make money because that one person is always there to buy up any untaken slots, but less people in general ask about commissioning me. I’ve reached the point where I never have to turn anyone down because all the slots are full. And that seems like a bad thing... That tells me the lack of proven work from commissions really is starting to have a negative affect other people’s opinion when it comes to hiring me. I mean, I’m grateful for this client always being there to pay me for personal stories every time I’m in need of some quick cash... But what if one day that happens and for whatever reason that client isn’t there anymore? What if I’m in a bind and I open up commissions to help pay for some immediate expense and no one is willing to hire me because, “Every time she opens up commissions she never gets any. Her work is really good so if people won’t hire her there must be some kind of serious problem with working with her.”

I just delivered a commission to this client yesterday and it was one I was extra proud of. The client asked for a female character to interact with his OC in the story and gave me no details about what he wanted for the character other than the species. So I was left to create a character all on my own. And I really liked this character I created. I also really liked a certain scenario that I wrote with the character. I’m sitting there thinking, Oh god... I may be Ace but this is fucking hot... I liked it so much that I was like, I’ve got to find a way to post this.

So I asked my client if I could post it if I swapped his character out for a different character and changed the ending and a lot of other things (Because the ending I originally wrote that had me so turned on ended up being something my client didn’t want and I had to write something else.) So basically I wanted to write a totally different story, the story I actually wanted to write, about this character I created, which would have been very different from the one I delivered to the client. I asked him if he would be okay with that, since I would end up copying and pasting the text from that one scene to make it... And he says he guesses he’s okay with that, but I would also have to change the species of the girl in the story because, and I quote, “Peeps will know it's me. I've com'd that exact scenario recently like 12x”

First of all, I’m like, what...? You’ve commissioned 12 different people for twelve different versions of the same story...? Wow, umm... okay... Whatever floats your boat... But then it dawns on me that I’m wanting to write a story about a character I created and own, and just used in your commission because you didn’t give me any details for the female part, and you’re telling me I have to change her species if I want to write it... First of all... this is my character... You just borrowed her... and secondly... nothing about the scenario I wrote and want to share even works if she is a different species...

So honestly, I’m understandably upset... First I’m losing business in the long run because this client won’t allow me to share their commissions... something literally everyone else does... And now I’m being told that I can’t even used my own character in a particular scenario because I’ve already used it once for them. As far as I know, no one can own a scenario... a situation... That would be like Bozo the Clown telling the Three Stooges they can’t hit anyone in the face with a pie because he owns that. Or me telling everyone they have to get around in wheelchairs now because I wrote about a character walking so I own walking now and I’m not willing to share it. It doesn’t work like that... And to tell me that I can’t use my own character in said scenario... This client has requested other characters of mine in stories as well... Next am I going to be told I can’t use Molly the Mouse in any more of my Miss Smalls stories because they have requested her in two of their commissions before?

I’m wondering if I should just change my commission policies and refuse to offer private stories anymore. But at the same time, I do kind of rely on the money I make from this client a bit more than I would like to, and I’m worried that if I stop offering that, and he stops commissioning me, that I won’t be able to get by on commissions anymore. Like the damage is already done... I just don’t know what to do...

[baconpal]

talkin bout fuckig manga

hey it’s me, haven’t had internet for over a week and i’ve been sick and uni and blah blah blah time for a rant about manga

this time its about  "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru", tl;dr, good manga read it idk

lots of bullshit below the cut

Before anything I say gets too confusing or I go off on an insane tangent, just know my recommendation is that you read "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru". It's not very easy to find online since it has an official English release (which my recommendation extends far enough to suggest I might pick up in the future, just to have it, but I am very stingy), but there's an alright torrent of all the volumes on your local anime torrenting website, and is at the very least worth the trouble of reading as such. There is also an anime that gets better as it goes, but the manga is my primary recommendation. Beyond this point I'm not gonna give much regard to what I write, so get ready for anything, read the manga and see if you agree with me, or don't and see if I care:

BOUT THE ANIME: The SoreMachi anime is one of those rare comedy anime you find where the animation and overall production is just really extra the entire time. Hopefully you know what I mean because I won't really be able to explain it any other way, it's simply one of those shows where the jokes are decent and it's a fun time for the most part. Unfortunately, the anime makes a couple of critical missteps that kept me from getting far into it when I first tried watching it about a year ago, and in retrospect seem even less reasonable.

Starting with the good, as an adaptation it does a good job with most chapters it covers, it properly sources where each chapter comes from incase you intend to read the manga and skip around to catch up, and the anime adapts some sections to have additional jokes that fit very naturally in to the story. It also covers up some of those problems only manga can have like having a concert segment without any actual music involved, until they invent mp3-paper it's just something we'll have to live with. Translation work was pretty good (I watched the [WhyNot] release for those who care), which is extra important for something as difficult to translate as jokes from another language. The set of episodes they chose to end on was very good, and was expanded to be a lot more impactful in the anime. If it wasn't for the last episode being as strong as it was I may have given up on finding the manga when I saw it wasn't super easy to read online.

As for what the anime fails in, some episodes feature some really blatant over-acting that doesn't really help make characters believable, and there's this obnoxious gag that continues the whole where through where most scenes have a few seconds long line from what is essentially a forced mascot character, which usually mean nothing and only serve to harm the pacing of many episodes (there isn't even any sort of equivalent bit in the manga so I really don't know why they did it, most of the anime original jokes are pretty good so I just really don't get it). The biggest issue the anime faces is that the source material is about 140 chapters, while the anime is only able to cover 24 chapters. This comes with a LOT of problems, the first being what I'd call the "required reading". SoreMachi is not a 1-note simple comedy where you can skip to any chapter and be completely okay; There are many small but meaningful subplots lying beneath, and characters have a fair bit of development throughout. What this means for the anime is that the first 3-4 episodes are just the first few chapters of the manga, which are a bit rough and not as good as the majority of the work, which is true of a lot of comics (god fuck I promise there will be more than a first chapter of my comic I promise it'll get better fuck). In terms of the anime by itself, I'd say episode 1 is decent, 2 is middling, and by 3/4 their still taking a while to introduce members of the cast, and I didn't immediately want to finish it. I put the show down for a long time until my internet started dying and I wanted to watch something fun. Slapping it back on at episode 5 I immediately had a great time and watched the rest of the show pretty soon after. While I understand the reasoning behind doing this, the anime does not pay off this structure, as beyond the first few episodes, the chapters start being presented out of release order and out of chronological order, kind of destroying any consistent throughline. This decision in and of itself isn't the worst, since the comic isn't always chronological, and the volume ordering is a bit different from the release ordering, but the inconsistency makes the first few episodes feel lessened without reason. The other large failure that comes with only animating about 1/7th of the entire work is that many themes and concepts that are core to the manga are not represented in the anime well at all. One of the biggest is the rare but unnerving supernatural chapters, of which only one is animated, and not a particularly good one. In order to talk about these themes I'll have to transition into talking about the manga itself, since they aren't part of the anime.

DA MANGA: So one last recommendation that you read the manga, the whole damn thing. Cus we're gettin into themes and character moments that take a long time to pay off, and obviously is all part of my interpretations, so if that stuff means anything to you don't let me ruin it for ya.

The title of the manga is, in essence, the entire manga's "punchline" in that every chapter could meaningfully end with simply the text "And yet the town still turns..." (My translation of the title, fuck "And yet, the town revolves" or "But the town moves"); by this I mean most chapters end in an anti-climax where a mystery is left unsolved, or a mystery is solved and undercut by the realization that life simply keeps on going without much change. This is used to essentially force your eyes open to all possibilities when reading, as the main character spends her time acting like a detective, and these mysteries end up as either misunderstandings, secrets, riddles, and sometimes something out of the ordinary happens that makes you unable to pin anything down firmly. Similarly, these endings aren't always read-and-forget scenarios. Several chapters come back in the form of a continued joke, a continued mystery, or contribute to some greater purpose later. Readers are properly rewarded for keeping everything they can in mind, while also tormenting such people with loose ends.

I enjoy Hotori as a protagonist due to her character being defined not in flaws and strengths, but in mindedness. Hotori seems like a simple "haha she's dumb" character to start, but consistently throughout she proves that her strengths are in memory, observation, and deduction, while lacking in some more common sense and abilities. Her brain works in strange ways that some people may or may not understand, such as her need to think through even the most trivial fictional scenarios, which I relate to deeply.

The art and paneling throughout are wonderful. Ishiguro Masakazu is one of those artists who draws very simple characters, but knows how to use details and depth to breath so much life into the artwork. He also clearly uses the occasional supernatural happenings as an excuse to draw what he loved, as all sorts of artistic depictions of the supernatural come out that simply look satisfying. These parts obviously meant a lot to him since he's been working on a primarily mystery-action manga that has a lot more of that stuff in it. (Also, as hindsight is 20/20, if you've read any of his new work you'll notice that the main character of it is eerily similar to a character who shows up very late in SoreMachi that the author obviously fell in love with, cus she just keeps coming back and even ends up with a really unsettling end to her character arc despite only being introduced as a component in a harmless mystery. Feel free to call me out for the same shit 30 years from now when I'll probably do the same shit)

I'd like to get into some of the major themes of this work, as a lot of them hit very close to my mind (which I guess is true of any theme you recognize for yourself, you wouldn't really "get it" if it didn't mean something to you...).

The simplest theme, again, comes from the title. The main character, Hotori, expresses a desire that the town she lives in continues going on, unchanged forever. This is obviously a fear of change, which ya know, same, but also an exploration of what it means to fear change. Hotori actively tries to keep businesses from closing down, keep friends from leaving, and keep relationships from changing, while simultaneously making all sorts of new relationships and solving mysteries. Hotori even comes to realize that simply learning the truth about something changes the world through your own perspective, and that such changes can't be undone. In spite of this, Hotori mostly gets her wish, any time she fears that a large change will impact the town, its resolved about the same as any other issue. Whether its a message that even time can't keep you from your loved ones and that change isn't worth fearing, or a concession that large changes to the setting would be a bad idea in terms of humor, I can't really decide. This theme reaches it's conclusion in what is one in a series of "ending" kinda chapters at the end of the series. Hotori is faced with a supernatural ethical situation, save her town from destruction at the cost of her existence, or live through the disaster, knowing her town and the people in it will forever be changed. While the actual result is that nobody disappears and nothing is lost, and the event may have simply been a strange dream, Hotori confidently decides that sparing the people in her town from a life altering event is worth giving up her memories with them. A kind of bold spit-in-the-face to the idea that change is okay, where we find that Hotori didn't fear change for herself, but rather for the people around her.

There's another major idea in this manga, which takes a very long time to pay off, and completes its arc at the very very very actual end of the series, the idea of "leading someone to be something". A character that rides that line between main and side character, Shizuka, is a writer of detective novels, who feels the best person to judge her works would be a version of herself without the bias of being the author. She tries to achieve this by leading Hotori to be interested in detective works (including her own) and generally be just like her, starting from a young age. The end result is a young girl dead set on being a detective herself (or at least another novelist), while Shizuka keeps her identity as an author secret. She then uses Hotori as a scapegoat for herself, attempting to see how she would solve various mysteries and use that as inspiration, and this is depicted as though Shizuka were some sort of villain, which she may feel like she is. The end result of it all, though, is that Hotori was likely already a detective-minded person, and that even if Shizuka pushed her down that path, it was Hotori's decision to continue down it, and the very end of the manga is a scene revealing that Hotori figured out Shizuka's secret at some point, and even still respected Shizuka and aspired to reach her, and the two accept each other for who they are. I enjoy this ending a lot, since as an artist I've worried that some of my love or aspirations for and from other artists came with an ulterior motive of wanting a better community for art to exist in, but people are people and will make their own decisions, and some day everyone may be able to become equals in a truly meaningful sense, where everyone is inspired by and guiding each other together.

So that probably didn't mean shit to nobody and I didn't even really talk about anything in the comic like most of the main characters or any of the shit goin on but ya know fuck you go read it, and thanks for reading this.

[episcotablenerd]

Jonah and Distraction

When we think about the Book of Jonah, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

I bet you I can guess what it was?

Be chance is it something along the lines of that book from the Bible where the guy is eaten by a fish. I would bet that a significant portion of the readers here thought of that first, even those who have done academic studies of the various Biblical texts would still have this image of the fish coming up and ingesting Jonah, holding him in his stomach for 3 days, and then just as easily ejecting him as soon as Jonah has learned his lesson.

Now, a more difficult question. Why is it that we focus so closely on this portion of the story? The fish only truly exists in a handful of verses within the text, yet it is an incredible take away from this book. Let’s dig into this.

Firstly, what is the greater message of the book? Is it possible that the message may not be as great or grand as we might want to see?

The Book of Jonah is an interesting one, and one that does require you to really look beyond the words in the text themselves. You must really dig into the text and see the book itself to understand why the choices which were made were executed in these ways. When I say this I mean that we should read this book not only NOT as a historical text, but also not only as a short story. Instead, when we look at the book as a satire, a sort of parody of the books of the prophets, then we can really understand so much more about the book itself. What do I mean by Satire and Parody? Merriam-Webster tells us that Satire is “a literary word holding up human vices and follies to ridicule and scorn���, and that Parody is “a literary … work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule”. A key aspect of parody and satire is that there must be then something to have been parodied, meaning this book must be looked at in light of other Prophetic books.

Many scholars have taken this possibility of reading the Book of Jonah as Satire and ran with it. When we look at the book in this light, we can interpret everything and everyone within the text as a prop, a textual device which will further the narrative. Looking just at the first chapter of the book, this would allow us to appreciate the audacity of the events which befall Jonah. From his call from God to preach not only to individuals who are NOT from the “chosen people” but to those who are viewed as Israel’s distinct enemies to his time spent in the fish, we can get so much more out of the book when we don’t try to understand all of this quite as literally. So, when we look at these outrageous events, we can see in parallel the more reasonable events of the other Biblical Prophets. For example, we see in Jonah how ridiculous it is that when he finally reaches the people he was called to in Nineveh it is that the people all let go of their old ways and turn to God, going so far as to enact a city-wide fast and have even the animals of the town were made to have sackcloths upon their head to show their despair in having displeased God. This is a God who before that time they didn’t believe in or have faith in. While prophets such as Joel, Amos, and David among others would have been happy to have a handful of people leave their old ways in honor of God, Jonah barely does anything to make this happen.

So, turning back to the issue of the fish, let’s try to understand what the author might have been intending with this outlandish notion. All signs point to this element being just that, a narrative element along the same lines of the sailor’s piety and the Lord’s reaction to Jonah’s attempt to escape his calling. The fish was the perfect piece of audacity to separate Jonah off from the rest of the world while he reevaluated his reaction to God.

We can see the fish in one respect as an outrageous extreme of the many ways prophets of the Bible were set apart from the rest of society. There is a history of prophet’s taking time to be alone and commune with their God as they go on in their missions, that Jonah get’s this time in the belly of a fish is along the same lines of  this, but to the level of an entire city changing their ways.

As humans, we can be distracted by these narrative elements, especially when we are looking at a source which we are used to reading in a more serious manner. When we let go of that realism and allow the text to be what it really is, then we can look beyond the distraction to see the meaning and purpose.

Our level of distraction can be seen in much of the artwork which exists on the subject. A simple google image search of the words “book of Jonah” brings up dozens of examples of word art in front of seascapes and ocean scenes as well as images of whales even though no current translation I am aware of calls the beast anything aside from a fish. The same is true for searches of just the name and word “Jonah” in a google image search. Images of a fish or whale also come up in view when you specifically search the words “Jonah Nineveh”. Though art does indeed come up which depicts Jonah as a man preaching to the people of Nineveh, holding his arms up to gather the people’s attention, it is in no way as prominent as the images of the fish.

The following are some examples of artistic renderings of this particular scene which are available to view in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

First, there are two sculptures from Asia Minor, carved sometime between 280-290 CE which have been called Jonah Swallowed and Jonah Cast-up. Here we can see that the artist doesn’t view the animal as a fish or a whale, but as a creature. This is an amalgamation of fish, serpent, pig, and even dog. There is no natural way for Jonah to have survived being inside of that creature for the whole three days but you can see the artists faith in God because he indeed does and goes on to be cast out in the second sculpture. Neither Jonah nor the “fish” are active participants in the sculpture, with both being surprisingly stagnant. It is not as though they were caught in the moment, but as though no other moment existed. All that mattered to the artist was depicting the event and action itself. We can’t know exactly what the artist was intending, but with something as fantastical as this then I can imagine that this could be their way of making sense of the extreme occurrence.

Next there is a tin-glazed earthenware plate from the late 1500s CE which depicts Jonah on the ground beside the ocean with yet another fantastical beast-like fish in the water. This time, we also get the image of God in the upper edge, in theory they are calling out to Jonah in order to have him follow through on the promise that had been made within the whale. None of the people in this work are extreme, even God looks just like a man, but yet again the fish is something completely not of this world. Again, you can see the artist doing their best to make sense out of something non-sensical.

Do we know whether or not the artists of these pieces read this book of the Bible as literal or satire? No, we don’t. But we can affect how we read the book, and we can explore what the future might have for this book, and we can help lead others to read the book through the lens of satire and parody. We can bring new perspectives to these texts and we can develop new understandings.

-If you want to explore this idea of exploring the Book of Jonah as satire, take a look at some of these sources which helped develop my own understanding.

The Comic Art of the Book of Jonah by Judson Mather, from Volume 65. Number 3, of Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Swallowing Jonah: The Eclipse of Parody by Arnold J Band, from Volume 10. Number 2, of the Prooftexts Journal.

All three images are taken directly from the Cleveland Museum of Art website for non-commercial use.Contact the Museum directly to order a digital copy for publication if you want to use the images for anything else.

-If you ever get a chance to stop by the Cleveland Museum of Art, all exhibits are of no cost to the public save for special traveling exhibits. The two sculpture pieces can be found in area 104 Late Antiquity, and the plate can be found in 114 Late Modern Renaissance.

Full Citations:

Plate Depicting Jonah. C.1500s. Tin-glazed Earthenware. The Cleveland Museum of Art. www.clevelandart.org

Mather, Judson. “The Comic Art of the Book of Jonah.” Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Vol. 65, No. 3. Penn State University Press. Fall 1982. Pp.280-291. 28 April 2017

Band, Arnold J. “Swallowing Jonah: The Eclipse of Parody.” Prooftexts. Vol. 10, No. 2. Indiana University Press. May 1990. Pp.177-195. 28 April 2017.

Jonah Swallowed and Jonah Cast Up. c.280-290. Marble Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art. www.clevelandart.org