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frostfires-blog · 2 months ago

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Hello, TGCF lover! I found you from your post of 4 Famoys Tales & 4 Calamities. Do you mind if I send you MXTX Ask Game? Oh yeah, have you read SVSSS, too?

Now, because you love Naruto, Gintama, and Attack On Titan (your top 3 anime from your profile), can I ask your opinions on these ships : Naruto/Sasuke & Hashirama/Madara , Levi/Erwin & Eren/Armin, and Gintoki/Takasugi & Gintoki/Hijikata? Sorry, if you don't ship them, I don't mean anything negative, just want to know your thoughts on them because I love your writings....🤩💐

Oh, do you also ship Ochako/Toga (from BNHA) or Gojo/Geto (from JJK)? Why (if you ship them or not ship them)?

Hey! Apologies for the delay... Thanks for sending me an ask!🪷 Sure, I don't mind at all. In fact, I'd love an excuse to talk about MXTX's works!💫 I have read SVSSS too, but I haven't watched the donghua past the first 2 episodes—since I really couldn't stand the art style/3D CGI. I have very complicated thoughts about SVSSS though, which is why I don't talk about it much here—even though I read SVSSS fics all the time.

Before I start sharing my thoughts on the ships listed, I'd like to clarify that this is solely my opinion, and I have no intention of insulting anyone for their preferences. Although I'd like to think that I have broad, flexible tastes when it comes to ships—I am actually quite finicky. Oftentimes I'll ship one pairing but not another, despite their comparable dynamics and tropes.

❉ Naruto/Sasuke

Naruto was my very first anime, and at the time I had absolutely no concept of BL and M/M pairings since I was new to fandom, fanfiction, and shipping culture in general. So at the time I naturally mostly gravitated towards the canonical and M/F pairings in the show. Retrospectively, I can definitely see why people ship them since they have so much development and symbolism supporting them. However, somehow I still can't bring myself to say I outright ship them since I never got into the pairing as I was watching the series. If I had to describe it more coherently, then I'd say that I feel like that ship has sailed for me—and I can no longer really see them as anything other than a platonic duo. If I were to watch the show for the first time right now, I'd definitely ship them—which is why I greatly respect the pairing. They are one of my favourite anime duos, though. I don't know if that made any sense. Sorry if I came across as hypocritical.

❉ Hashirama/Madara

Everything I said about Naruto and Sasuke applies here too—albeit to a lesser extent since I'm not the biggest fan of Madara and Hashirama individually as characters. I don't dislike them, but there are so many characters in the series I like more.

❉ Levi/Erwin

To be honest, I don't ship them. Is it because I fangirl over Levi? Probably. Is it because I disliked Erwin's character until relatively recently? Also probably.

❉ Eren/Armin

As an EreMika shipper, I don't ship Eren and Armin together. People will criticise me for this, but I've grown to detest Armin since the middle of Season 4. I wasn't always an avid supporter of EreMika, but they've really grown on me. Even so, I never perceived Eren and Armin's dynamic as anything more than platonic.

❉ Gintoki/Takasugi

I do ship Gintoki and Takasugi together! GinTaka/TakaGin is probably my second favourite ship for Gintoki. They narrowly missed the cut-off for my top 30 favourite ships post-series. I only started shipping them towards the end of Gintama and have grown to like them even more after the final movie... That cherry blossom boat scene was everything! I wish we could've gotten more of them in the series—since I've always enjoyed their interactions, even before I shipped them. Although they initially appear to be diametrically opposed due to their conflicting ideologies—nevertheless, I firmly believe they embody the birds-of-a-feather trope well. In addition to having similar demeanours, they are both haunted by the guilt of losing their sensei. For a long time after the Joui War, Gintoki was the object of Takasugi's hatred—but he was also the life force Takasugi relied on to continue existing. However, it is later revealed that Takasugi was merely projecting his self-hatred onto Gintoki. Although their dynamic has undergone a significant transformation over time—resulting in a relationship that is both complex and robust—they have both played an integral part in each other's lives. On a less serious note, Gintoki is such a shippable character lol. I fear in my mind, he has a thing for smokers.

❉ Gintoki/Hijikata

Although I have a much stronger preference for GinTsu and GinTaka, I also like GinHiji. Their antics are always hilarious to see unfold, and their banter is enjoyable. Like GinTsu and GinTaka, their great chemistry stems from their numerous similarities as well as their differences. Although GinHiji receives a fair amount of growth during the series, I believe that, overall, GinTaka has greater development while GinTsu has a stronger basis founded on their similar backstories and matching symbolism.

❉ Toga/Ochako

I don't mind Toga/Ochako, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I ship it either. Initially, I didn't quite understand why people shipped them until I watched EP158. I understand the hype now but am not invested enough in either character for me to ship it. For me to ship a pairing—aside from their dynamic and development—I need to have an interest in both characters individually. Any support I show towards the ship will always be motivated by my desire to eliminate Uraraka as a potential love interest for Izuku—which is why I can't commit to saying I ship it with pure intentions. That being said, I still think they have more compelling development than IzuOcha/UraDeku.

❉ Satoru/Suguru

A lot of people have a lot to say about me not shipping these two when I like FushiIta/ItaFushi and Shiguang (from Link Click), especially given the multiple parallels between these ships. As for why I don't ship them, I really don't know. I respect the ship and see where people are coming from, given the abundance of symbolism and tropes associated with them. However, I still can't quite commit to shipping them. If I had to come up with a justification, I'd probably blame the series' structure, as watching JJK 0 before the Hidden Inventory Arc made me more reluctant to become attached to them as a pairing. I find it difficult to become invested in a pairing that I know is doomed before I've had an opportunity to form an attachment—so far, only two ships have broken this mould for me. It's somewhat hypocritical of me, I'll admit, because virtually any M/M ship in a shounen anime is practically guaranteed to remain non-canon. Nevertheless, they are among my favourite platonic duos in the series, as I really enjoy their chemistry with one another—specifically during the Hidden Inventory Arc. In my opinion, Fushiguro and Itadori prevailed because they were honest and communicated with one another—which was something Gojo and Geto failed to do, and that ultimately caused their downfall.

I hope I didn't miss anything. Also, I tend to write with less formality in asks than in my analysis posts. I know you said that you liked my writing style, so I hope my more relaxed tone here wasn't disappointing. I'd also like to reiterate that these were merely my opinions, and I had no intention of offending anyone.😅

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paradoxcase · 1 year ago

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Chapter 29 of Harrow the Ninth

Not quite understanding this - does she mean "when I ask you for a favor to repay me for helping you remove Gideon", implying that building her a new arm did not count as that favor?

I wonder if Mercy is able to see whatever she did with her anatomy powers

I love how this book 100% has the classic only-one-bed plot point in it, with the added element of the room being full of pictures of attractive naked people, and also coming after the sex-scene-but-it's-about-arm-amputation scene, but the two characters are Harrow and Ianthe and not Harrow and Gideon. I am legit not sure if I am intended to be shipping this or not

I can see how "get in before anyone else can" applies, but I don't think Harrow did a lot of bridge-burning back in Canaan House? Except where Cytherea was concerned I guess, but arguably she didn't burn that bridge fast enough, or thoroughly enough. But I guess this means that Ianthe has some plans that she wants to use Harrow for, I guess probably the stuff she was promising Harrow in the prologue

Everyone already told me this ahead of time, but I'm glad it's actually established in the book at this point and isn't just something I should have been able to pick up on my own before now

Right, so, this was basically what I was thinking back in the arm scene, the only issue Harrow has is John, but I guess rather than convince John to let her get away with it, they decided to do this instead. At this point when I was reading, I thought that I bet Harrow was going to hate whatever plan Ianthe and Augustine came up with, and I have read Chapter 30 at this point, and so I can say that I was correct about that

If they could get away with just three Lyctors to take down Number Seven, they already had three Lyctors before the Lyctor trial started. I thought the whole issue was that three wasn't enough?

Also, now that I think about it, I think this second assassination attempt has to fail. In the prologue, Harrow said that "five sets of eyes" closed before the fight with Number Seven, and John doesn't fight the Resurrection Beasts himself, so that has to be the five Lyctors, so that means Gideon the First is still around at that point

I can see why Corona would have wanted to be with Ianthe at all times, since Ianthe was the one making it seem like she was actually a necromancer and things might have been bad for her if people found out she wasn't. On the other hand, I do pity her for having to be with Ianthe at all times

I initially took this as her being legitimately touch-averse, but based on longing flinch I guess this was meant to be read a different way

I think Ianthe is lying too, possibly she would like to have done whatever Harrow did, but didn't want to wind up with Harrow's limitations

Unfortunate callback. Did Magus and Abigail's anniversary make it into Harrow's remembered chronology? We didn't get a scene about it, but maybe it was just more or less like it was in reality for her, except without anyone dying. I guess Protesilaus was probably more talkative, since he wasn't dead

I read this and was like, yeah, you're going to call this trope out, and then you're just going to fucking do it anyway, right? But then the book proceeded to not just do it anyway, aside from one comment by Augustine that's likely not what he really thought anyway. Credit where credit is due

Huh, Naberius had time to learn to be a great duelist, and also had time to become great at embroidery? Those are both very time-consuming things

This is just such a funny image, of Harrow wearing some kind of see-through black "dress" that is from the description more like a toga, with the also see-through white robe over it, and with a giant sword strapped to her back. Presumably she also isn't any less gremlin-like in this scene

I love all the different ways these books come up with to say that Ianthe has no coloration

Ha! Only caught that on the second read-through

Ok, so Mercy has some secret, and Augustine thinks that John should know about it, but she doesn't want that

The best I can figure out about this is that Apate is a Greek goddess who is the personification of deceit, but Dios is Latin and her Latin name is Fraus, and also Apate isn't capitalized here. The only Romance word I can find that's similar is "apatir", but Wiktionary only lists that for Middle French (and the meaning doesn't seem apt). Initially, I thought "minor" was being used to mean "younger", as in, addressing Mercy as his younger sister, but I see from further context that this was just meant to be the regular English word "minor"

#the locked tomb #harrow the ninth

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diasporatheblog · 7 years ago

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Ohhh that last ask had me wondering if they (Cine, Castulian and Iskendi) had a custom of special outfits for weddings like we do with wedding dresses and all! also if its not too much to ask I'm also wondering about clothing in general for all of them? Like what kind of things and colors are common for them to wear and stuff like that! (sorry if it doesn't make much sense I'm not too sure how to word it and also sorry this is so long lol)

Seriously, worldbuilding questions are never too much of an ask. I’m a huge lore nerd for basically everything I’ve ever been into, and getting an excuse to think about the minutiae of our own world is like the Best Thing™, so don’t ever hesitate to ask me/us this kind of stuff.

I’ll cover these one by one again, starting with the general manners of dress and then moving on to the specific occasional customs that go with weddings and such.

The Cine:

The Cine are, as you all know by now, typically a northern people. This isn’t to say that all of them live in fantasy Norway or Greenland or whatever, but the region they’re from does average much colder than the Mediterranean-like climate of Tarracina and the surrounding areas. Because it’s hard to cultivate plants in the Cine homeland (one of several reasons the culture raids), there aren’t a lot of textile fabrics available, except what they happen to be able to steal. So a lot of Cine clothing is fashioned from animal products like fur, wool, skins, and leather, as well as what basic plant matter they can get.

They are also a seafaring people, and so for the most part, heavy metal armor and such is a no-go, meaning that even when dressed for battle they usually stick to the same materials, even if the design and function is otherwise entirely different. Clan Maghnus had enough raiding success, and was in general located in a region warm enough, that this was supplemented by other material like hemp and linen. So on any given Cine from the PC’s clan, clothing is likely to be a mix of those elements. Designs favor trousers, tunics, short cloaks or vests for warmth (rather than long cloaks that might get tangled in rigging), and so on. Footwear is usually boots, and very often someone’s shoes are the most carefully-made article on their person. Cine boots have to keep water out, be sturdy enough for battle or serious hiking, not slip on a wet deck, but also be warm enough for snow. It’s a lot, and one of the most acceptable uses of magic is shoring up the properties of clothing items like that.

In the warmer seasons, Cine tend to forego sleeves first, and some will switch to longer tunics that hit the knee without the need for breeches. On land in warmer months/climes, variations on the theme can include shorter shoes with winingas (leg wraps to keep pant legs out of the way) and the occasional dress. The practicality of all this does not preclude some ornamentation, and Cine jewelry is a wide selection of raided items in metals that can’t be melted down for better use (such as gold, which is much too soft), and more natively carved bone, antler or obsidian articles. The Cine favor decorating their hair and beards over most other kinds of ornamentation, but cuffs, earrings, necklaces and bangles are not uncommon either. A nice set of embossed or worked leather armor is also a common symbol of status, especially given the culture’s emphasis on the value of battle and those who participate in it.

Cosmetics are by and large unheard of, with the exception of woad, which is sometimes painted on the body and face in various patterns. Some of the patterns have specific meanings and are worn at specific times, but others are just decorative and accord with the preferences of the individual. Roise’s woad patterns, for example, are a personal touch and don’t have anything to do with her position as Chief, though if she goes into battle, the patterns change to indicate her standing in the clan. The Cine tend to wear their hair long, or their beards in the case of those who want to/can grow those. This is not at all a rule, and exceptions exist untroubled.

There aren’t any particular types of clothing reserved for weddings; pretty much everyone is expected to wear their best, whatever that best may be. This means some people show up in a nice linen tunic and some people in their fanciest armor—it’s really the individual’s choice. White is the color of Cine death shrouds, so no one wears primarily white to a wedding. Traditionally, both of the couple getting married will wear green, as it’s the color associated by the Cine with life rather than death. One item, like a sash or something, is plenty, and since vivid dyes are hard to come by, the item is often an heirloom. There are some other ceremonies that demand more formal attire, such as the annual coming-of-age day. The young people participating do wear white, as the day represents the symbolic death of one self and rebirth of another. (Sometimes this has a lot of meaning, as coming-of-age day is when one declares one’s gender and intended profession, sometimes against all expectations and patterns in one’s life thus far.)

Castulia:

Castulians typically wear fewer layers of clothing than the Cine do, because the main part of the Empire is quite warm. It’s a very large empire, though, and so at its more remote corners, styles of dress show strong influence from conquered populations, and those on the northern border do tend towards thicker garments. But by and large, the fabrics involved are linen, cotton, and for the more upper-class, silk or satin as well. Most common are long tunics, varying from knee to ankle length, with shawls, capes, or light cloaks worn in various arrangements over the shoulders and body. Dye is available, but rather expensive, as are magical alternatives to natural dye. This is often graded by color, with purple being the most expensive and thus something of a status symbol. The military favors red (for perhaps obvious reasons), and the priesthoods wear mostly white or grey by rank, but with accented accessories or smaller pieces (belts, sashes, wraps, headscarves, and so on) in colors appropriate to their deity. Most Sages wear all and only white, however.

As far as other touches go, metal jewelry (with or without precious stones) is quite common in Castulia. The designs vary widely, and a lot of influence from the former nations that make up the Empire can be seen in regional variants. There’s definitely some stylistic divergence by gender, but the greater differences are those across classes and professions. Soldiers like Sangarinus typically don’t wear much if anything like that, and depending on the trade, tradespeople also have to be selective, but those in the civic and mercantile professions tend to prefer at least one or two pieces at a time. It is vanishingly-rare to see a Castulian pierced anywhere but the ears, and though they will often make artistic use of dyes on the body (think henna), permanent tattooing is also very uncommon.

Like with accessories, cosmetics range across class and occupation, but it’s not unusual to see eyeliners or lipstains, and those in more aesthetically particular professions may also elect for shadows or powders. Lighter touches are preferred so as not to melt off in the heat of a Castulian summer. While eyeliner is fairly ubiquitous across genders, the rest tends to show up much more frequently on the feminine (or, e.g., actors and artists).

Castulians differentiate more between formal attire and the rest than the Cine do. Some garments (such as togas) are considered occasional in the same way a three-piece suit is. And even when formality is not garment specific, the quality of fabric or ornateness of embroidery will often mark a tunic, dress, or whatever off as being for fancier occasions. Castulians getting married will wear either a dress, a toga, or the formal version of the military uniform, if they are soldiers. There are no specific wedding colors, as the same general rule about dyes and things applies, and most people honestly just choose whatever color is their favorite, or sometimes whichever is associated with their family heraldry.

The military has uniforms: formal, informal, and full battle gear. The most commonly seen on Castulian streets is the informal, which is usually a red tunic with half-length sleeves, optionally a layer of padding, a long shirt of scale or chain mail, and then usually a leather chestplate, though sometimes these are metal in the case of heavier infantry. Belts, bracers, and the like accompany this, along with either boots or in some months knee-high sandals, and ocrea (greaves). There are also helmets, but these are rarely worn outside the context of battle or patrol. Officers additionally have special types of cloak, the color and stitching identifying their rank. Depending on where the soldier is stationed, breeches or leggings may serve as an additional layer of warmth, and tunics may be modified to have longer sleeves. Uniforms for the cavalry are heavier, and for the navy are lighter, often lacking the scale or chain in favor of additional padding or simply leather.

The Iskendi:

The life of an Iskendi is lived either primarily on board a ship, or occasionally in small, mobile settlements on islands. They tend to favor clothing in bright colors, the material mostly being what they can steal from Castulia, or manufacture from their limited horticulture. Access to magical means of color alteration is much easier, however, as they’re fewer in number but with a very high proportion of mages in the population, so dyes are seldom necessary. If the Iskendi wear armor at all, it is also stolen, so scavenged and piecemeal bits of Castulian uniforms are not uncommon to see.

Captains tend to be associated with particular colors; for example, Meryem wore a lot of red and gold. Her crew followed suit, and in this way they are recognizable as belonging to a single unit. There is of course variation; not all of Baltasar’s garments are purple or blue, but there’s nevertheless a clear theme, and it distinguishes one group from another quite easily. The Iskendi are also more likely than either the Cine or Castulians to forego certain articles in everyday situations: shoes, for example. Typical Iskendi style is for looser, more draping garments as one moves up the hierarchy. While any captain certainly knows how to rig a sail, it’s part of the status of being captain that they don’t usually have to, so while ordinary crew often tie down sleeves and such while they go about their work, officers typically don’t. The quality of clothing follows a sharp gradation with status, one emphasized by the fact that most everyone is wearing the same color, as the other differences are then more obvious to the eye.

The Iskendi favor jewelry both as ornamentation and for the practical purpose of being able to barter or gamble with it amongst each other. Multiple piercings are the norm, especially around the face: ears, eyebrows, noses, lips, and the like. They also decorate hair and beards like the Cine do, but usually with gold or silver rather than bone or antler.

Given the tight quarters and need for efficiency, there aren’t really any formalwear standards to speak of. Iskendi sailors and settlers alike wear what they have, and keep it in good condition whenever possible, as it’s often hard to say when they’ll be able to replace it. Cosmetics, like finer fabrics, are a luxury item, but quite popular aesthetically. Iskendi also frequently get tattoos, usually centering around some theme of personal significance or particularly-important autobiographical events. Some designs are even shared amongst families, a way of keeping the most important pieces of their history alive.

#ask #worldbuilding #clothes #here have an essay

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