#eric was 100% responsible

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

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[yeoldenews]

A Guide to Historically Accurate Regency-Era Names

I recently received a message from a historical romance writer asking if I knew any good resources for finding historically accurate Regency-era names for their characters.

Not knowing any off the top of my head, I dug around online a bit and found there really isn’t much out there. The vast majority of search results were Buzzfeed-style listicles which range from accurate-adjacent to really, really, really bad.

I did find a few blog posts with fairly decent name lists, but noticed that even these have very little indication as to each name’s relative popularity as those statistical breakdowns really don't exist.

I began writing up a response with this information, but then I (being a research addict who was currently snowed in after a blizzard) thought hey - if there aren’t any good resources out there why not make one myself?

As I lacked any compiled data to work from, I had to do my own data wrangling on this project. Due to this fact, I limited the scope to what I thought would be the most useful for writers who focus on this era, namely - people of a marriageable age living in the wealthiest areas of London.

So with this in mind - I went through period records and compiled the names of 25,000 couples who were married in the City of Westminster (which includes Mayfair, St. James and Hyde Park) between 1804 to 1821.

So let’s see what all that data tells us…

To begin - I think it’s hard for us in the modern world with our wide and varied abundance of first names to conceive of just how POPULAR popular names of the past were.

If you were to take a modern sample of 25-year-old (born in 1998) American women, the most common name would be Emily with 1.35% of the total population. If you were to add the next four most popular names (Hannah, Samantha, Sarah and Ashley) these top five names would bring you to 5.5% of the total population. (source: Social Security Administration)

If you were to do the same survey in Regency London - the most common name would be Mary with 19.2% of the population. Add the next four most popular names (Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah and Jane) and with just 5 names you would have covered 62% of all women.

To hit 62% of the population in the modern survey it would take the top 400 names.

The top five Regency men’s names (John, William, Thomas, James and George) have nearly identical statistics as the women’s names.

I struggled for the better part of a week with how to present my findings, as a big list in alphabetical order really fails to get across the popularity factor and also isn’t the most tumblr-compatible format. And then my YouTube homepage recommended a random video of someone ranking all the books they’d read last year - and so I present…

The Regency Name Popularity Tier List

The Tiers

S+ - 10% of the population or greater. There is no modern equivalent to this level of popularity. 52% of the population had one of these 7 names.

S - 2-10%. There is still no modern equivalent to this level of popularity. Names in this percentage range in the past have included Mary and William in the 1880s and Jennifer in the late 1970s (topped out at 4%).

A - 1-2%. The top five modern names usually fall in this range. Kids with these names would probably include their last initial in class to avoid confusion. (1998 examples: Emily, Sarah, Ashley, Michael, Christopher, Brandon.)

B - .3-1%. Very common names. Would fall in the top 50 modern names. You would most likely know at least 1 person with these names. (1998 examples: Jessica, Megan, Allison, Justin, Ryan, Eric)

C - .17-.3%. Common names. Would fall in the modern top 100. You would probably know someone with these names, or at least know of them. (1998 examples: Chloe, Grace, Vanessa, Sean, Spencer, Seth)

D - .06-.17%. Less common names. In the modern top 250. You may not personally know someone with these names, but you’re aware of them. (1998 examples: Faith, Cassidy, Summer, Griffin, Dustin, Colby)

E - .02-.06%. Uncommon names. You’re aware these are names, but they are not common. Unusual enough they may be remarked upon. (1998 examples: Calista, Skye, Precious, Fabian, Justice, Lorenzo)

F - .01-.02%. Rare names. You may have heard of these names, but you probably don’t know anyone with one. Extremely unusual, and would likely be remarked upon. (1998 examples: Emerald, Lourdes, Serenity, Dario, Tavian, Adonis)

G - Very rare names. There are only a handful of people with these names in the entire country. You’ve never met anyone with this name.

H - Virtually non-existent. Names that theoretically could have existed in the Regency period (their original source pre-dates the early 19th century) but I found fewer than five (and often no) period examples of them being used in Regency England. (Example names taken from romance novels and online Regency name lists.)

Just to once again reinforce how POPULAR popular names were before we get to the tier lists - statistically, in a ballroom of 100 people in Regency London: 80 would have names from tiers S+/S. An additional 15 people would have names from tiers A/B and C. 4 of the remaining 5 would have names from D/E. Only one would have a name from below tier E.

Women's Names

S+ Mary, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah      

S - Jane, Mary Ann+, Hannah, Susannah, Margaret, Catherine, Martha, Charlotte, Maria

A - Frances, Harriet, Sophia, Eleanor, Rebecca

B - Alice, Amelia, Bridget~, Caroline, Eliza, Esther, Isabella, Louisa, Lucy, Lydia, Phoebe, Rachel, Susan

C - Ellen, Fanny*, Grace, Henrietta, Hester, Jemima, Matilda, Priscilla

D - Abigail, Agnes, Amy, Augusta, Barbara, Betsy*, Betty*, Cecilia, Christiana, Clarissa, Deborah, Diana, Dinah, Dorothy, Emily, Emma, Georgiana, Helen, Janet^, Joanna, Johanna, Judith, Julia, Kezia, Kitty*, Letitia, Nancy*, Ruth, Winifred>

E - Arabella, Celia, Charity, Clara, Cordelia, Dorcas, Eve, Georgina, Honor, Honora, Jennet^, Jessie*^, Joan, Joyce, Juliana, Juliet, Lavinia, Leah, Margery, Marian, Marianne, Marie, Mercy, Miriam, Naomi, Patience, Penelope, Philadelphia, Phillis, Prudence, Rhoda, Rosanna, Rose, Rosetta, Rosina, Sabina, Selina, Sylvia, Theodosia, Theresa

F - (selected) Alicia, Bethia, Euphemia, Frederica, Helena, Leonora, Mariana, Millicent, Mirah, Olivia, Philippa, Rosamund, Sybella, Tabitha, Temperance, Theophila, Thomasin, Tryphena, Ursula, Virtue, Wilhelmina

G - (selected) Adelaide, Alethia, Angelina, Cassandra, Cherry, Constance, Delilah, Dorinda, Drusilla, Eva, Happy, Jessica, Josephine, Laura, Minerva, Octavia, Parthenia, Theodora, Violet, Zipporah

H - Alberta, Alexandra, Amber, Ashley, Calliope, Calpurnia, Chloe, Cressida, Cynthia, Daisy, Daphne, Elaine, Eloise, Estella, Lilian, Lilias, Francesca, Gabriella, Genevieve, Gwendoline, Hermione, Hyacinth, Inez, Iris, Kathleen, Madeline, Maude, Melody, Portia, Seabright, Seraphina, Sienna, Verity

Men's Names

S+ John, William, Thomas

S - James, George, Joseph, Richard, Robert, Charles, Henry, Edward, Samuel

A - Benjamin, (Mother’s/Grandmother’s maiden name used as first name)#

B - Alexander^, Andrew, Daniel, David>, Edmund, Francis, Frederick, Isaac, Matthew, Michael, Patrick~, Peter, Philip, Stephen, Timothy

C - Abraham, Anthony, Christopher, Hugh>, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Walter

D - Adam, Arthur, Bartholomew, Cornelius, Dennis, Evan>, Jacob, Job, Josiah, Joshua, Lawrence, Lewis, Luke, Mark, Martin, Moses, Nicholas, Owen>, Paul, Ralph, Simon

E - Aaron, Alfred, Allen, Ambrose, Amos, Archibald, Augustin, Augustus, Barnard, Barney, Bernard, Bryan, Caleb, Christian, Clement, Colin, Duncan^, Ebenezer, Edwin, Emanuel, Felix, Gabriel, Gerard, Gilbert, Giles, Griffith, Harry*, Herbert, Humphrey, Israel, Jabez, Jesse, Joel, Jonas, Lancelot, Matthias, Maurice, Miles, Oliver, Rees, Reuben, Roger, Rowland, Solomon, Theophilus, Valentine, Zachariah

F - (selected) Abel, Barnabus, Benedict, Connor, Elijah, Ernest, Gideon, Godfrey, Gregory, Hector, Horace, Horatio, Isaiah, Jasper, Levi, Marmaduke, Noah, Percival, Shadrach, Vincent

G - (selected) Albion, Darius, Christmas, Cleophas, Enoch, Ethelbert, Gavin, Griffin, Hercules, Hugo, Innocent, Justin, Maximilian, Methuselah, Peregrine, Phineas, Roland, Sebastian, Sylvester, Theodore, Titus, Zephaniah

H - Albinus, Americus, Cassian, Dominic, Eric, Milo, Rollo, Trevor, Tristan, Waldo, Xavier

# Men were sometimes given a family surname (most often their mother's or grandmother's maiden name) as their first name - the most famous example of this being Fitzwilliam Darcy. If you were to combine all surname-based first names as a single 'name' this is where the practice would rank.

*Rank as a given name, not a nickname

+If you count Mary Ann as a separate name from Mary - Mary would remain in S+ even without the Mary Anns included

~Primarily used by people of Irish descent

^Primarily used by people of Scottish descent

>Primarily used by people of Welsh descent

I was going to continue on and write about why Regency-era first names were so uniform, discuss historically accurate surnames, nicknames, and include a little guide to finding 'unique' names that are still historically accurate - but this post is already very, very long, so that will have to wait for a later date.

If anyone has any questions/comments/clarifications in the meantime feel free to message me.

Methodology notes: All data is from marriage records covering six parishes in the City of Westminster between 1804 and 1821. The total sample size was 50,950 individuals.

I chose marriage records rather than births/baptisms as I wanted to focus on individuals who were adults during the Regency era rather than newborns. I think many people make the mistake when researching historical names by using baby name data for the year their story takes place rather than 20 to 30 years prior, and I wanted to avoid that. If you are writing a story that takes place in 1930 you don’t want to research the top names for 1930, you need to be looking at 1910 or earlier if you are naming adult characters.

I combined (for my own sanity) names that are pronounced identically but have minor spelling differences: i.e. the data for Catherine also includes Catharines and Katherines, Susannah includes Susannas, Phoebe includes Phebes, etc.

The compound 'Mother's/Grandmother's maiden name used as first name' designation is an educated guesstimate based on what I recognized as known surnames, as I do not hate myself enough to go through 25,000+ individuals and confirm their mother's maiden names. So if the tally includes any individuals who just happened to be named Fitzroy/Hastings/Townsend/etc. because their parents liked the sound of it and not due to any familial relations - my bad.

I did a small comparative survey of 5,000 individuals in several rural communities in Rutland and Staffordshire (chosen because they had the cleanest data I could find and I was lazy) to see if there were any significant differences between urban and rural naming practices and found the results to be very similar. The most noticeable difference I observed was that the S+ tier names were even MORE popular in rural areas than in London. In Rutland between 1810 and 1820 Elizabeths comprised 21.4% of all brides vs. 15.3% in the London survey. All other S+ names also saw increases of between 1% and 6%. I also observed that the rural communities I surveyed saw a small, but noticeable and fairly consistent, increase in the use of names with Biblical origins.

Sources of the records I used for my survey: 

Ancestry.com. England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988 [database on-line].

Ancestry.com. Westminster, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935 [database on-line].

[builtbybrokenbells]

Melodic Memories | JTK

In a tattered old box shoved deep down in the corner of an overfilled closet, a lifetimes worth of memories lie dormant at the bottom waiting to be rediscovered.

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: TBD

Warnings: SMUT 18+, drinking, swearing, smoking, breakups, high school relationships, unrequited love, sorry if I miss any!

DISCLAIMER: I do not know Greta Van Fleet or any of the members personally. This is all fiction and I will never claim otherwise. I attempt to keep all of my work 100% original, so please do not steal or take credit for my writing. As of right now, I aim to get chapters out on weekends, but it is not guaranteed as I do have a full time job and other responsibilities to attend to. Please be patient and kind to me. Do not mind any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, as I am the sole writer/editor for my blog and do miss things sometimes.

The Prelude

Prologue: Then

Track 1: Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones

Track 2: Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

Track 3: I Need You - Lynyrd Skynyrd | pt. 2

Track 4: The Air That I Breathe - The Hollies

The Interlude

Track 5: If You Gotta Go, Go Now - Bob Dylan

Track 6: Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers

Track 7: Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits

Track 8: We’ve Got Tonight - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Epilogue: Now

The Outro

TAGLIST: if you would like to be added to the Melodic Memories taglist, please feel free to send me an ask, pm me, or respond on this or one of the above chapters. i promise i will see it, and if i happen to miss you, don’t be scared to ask again!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I am incredibly grateful for all of the support, likes, reblogs and kind comments I receive from all of you. I would be nothing without your support, and I do take the time to read and appreciate every reply and message, even if I don’t respond. Thank you so much for all you do, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy this story as much as I do 🫶🏻

all things melodic memories:

playlist: apple music | spotify

moodboard:

[steviebbboi]

STEVIEBBBOI MAIN MASTERLIST

Last Updated: 10/15/24

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[thehorizonlinex]

Close to the Wind

A series of snippets of Eric’s life, as seen by Grimsby

Author’s Note: My first-ever Tumblr fic (ah! please be nice!) so open to suggestions, requests, and feedback. I watched The Little Mermaid (2023) and fell in love with Jonah Hauer-King’s portrayal of Prince Eric, the layers of backstory added to his character, and of course, his stunning chemistry with Halle Bailey as Ariel!

This is my take on what Eric’s life might have been like - before and after he met Ariel. I loved Grimsby as a character, especially his relationship with Eric, so there are some ideas of what it might have been like for the two of them together during Eric’s childhood. I’ve only seen the movie once in theaters, so some of the quotes are loosely based on my memory and might not be 100% in accordance with the script. Thanks for reading, and if you like it, please feel free to comment or reblog :)

Warnings: Mentions of parental death, fluff, young Eric being a little shit

Tags: @ohkarasm​ @nimerdo​ @namufication​ @chey-cheygl​ @snk25blr​ @snk25blr​

Twenty-One Years Prior

Grimsby tried his best to make his way through the crowd, pushing past the careening necks and excited whispers.

A baby!

One of the ships found him next to a whole lot of debris.

Bundled up in a chest, just floatin’ on the water, I heard. 

Could it be an omen?

How’d he get there in the first place?

What about that shipwreck the other night?

He finally squeezed past the first row, members of the royal court who’d arrived at the palace to see the infant child creating a buzz throughout the islands. The guards had been able to create a wide space between the royals and the court, allowing Grimsby to finally catch his breath as he approached the thrones at the front of the room.

“Sir Grimsby! There you are.”

“Your Highness,” Grimsby bowed to the king, both his sovereign and his employer - and an old friend. He turned to the regal woman on his right, dressed in a pale blue gown and seated in an intricate golden throne. “My Queen.”

Both nodded in response. The king gestured to the infant rocking in the queen’s arms, cooing lightly as he stared up at her.

“The baby,” the king said, his voice resolute. “Will stay here.”

He was afraid that this might happen.

The child had been found a few nights prior, swaddled in a chest that floated nearly right up to one of their merchant ships. At first, the sailors onboard had assumed he was dead - his eyes were closed and there was no way a baby could have survived the storms that had wrecked the oceans for nearly a week.

And yet, he had survived, immediately rushed to the royal palace and brought to the infirmary, where he was given round-the-clock care.

It’s a miracle he survived, the doctors had said, just as alarmed as everyone else who’d gotten wind of the curious baby from the sea. Survived without a scratch.

“Are you sure you want to decide so soon, your majesty? Perhaps the baby belongs to some of the neighboring islands, or from the coast.”

The royal couple had struggled with having children - one had been lost in the womb early on, and there hadn’t been much luck since. But he couldn’t imagine this child - this washed-up orphan of a child - becoming the heir to the throne. 

Would the people even accept him?

“We’ve looked, and we’ve asked the other lands. No one seems to know where the child is from.”

The king quieted for a second.

“And the ship that wrecked the other day - there were no survivors. We’ve sent crews to search high and low, and nothing.”

“A tragedy for certain,” the queen murmured, lightly stroking the top of the baby’s head, fingers playing with his dark curls. “But we can help turn his life into something meaningful.”

Grimsby nodded again with a sigh. He knew exactly how much both of them yearned for a child, a son, and perhaps chance was finally on their side.

He just didn’t care for children, personally.

“Have you picked out a name?”

The queen smiled widely at the infant, causing the child to giggle, his eyes twinkling in the palace light, as blue as the waves that had saved his life.

“Eric.”

~~~~~~~~~

Twelve Years Later - Eric, Age 12

“Eric!”

“Eric!”

“Prince Eric!”

Grimsby leaned to his side, his hand pressing against his ribcage as he slowed his breathing. 

He was growing too old for this, the continuous chasing around the palace, running after a twelve-year-old boy who seemed to be getting taller and faster and more of a nuisance each day.

Grimsby couldn’t imagine himself behaving this way at that age - even when he was younger than ten, he’d known to not cause such a ruckus. And he hadn’t been into royalty, didn’t have the expectations of a future king on his shoulders.

Eric, on the other hand, never seemed to get the memo.

“Are you alright, Sir Grimsby?”

Grimsby looked down at the boy as he skipped over to him. Eric’s height rose to his chest now, mischievous eyes peeking past a messy mop of brown curls.

“There isn’t supposed to be running in the palace, Eric.”

“Who said anything about running? We’re chasing!”

Grimsby huffed, the ache in his side still lingering. “You’re old enough to know they’re the same. I know you have access to a thesaurus.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be running if you just stopped chasing me.”

Eric squinted as he watched his majordomo leaning over to his side in pain. “And, if that side hurts, you should bend the other way so it stretches.”

Grimsby huffed again as he followed Eric’s instructions, immediately feeling relief in his side. Once the ache subsided, he straightened back up, his hands crossing over his chest.

“I was chasing you because you’ve left your study a mess, Eric.”

The boy lifted a hand to scratch his head, crooking it to one side.

“A mess?”

“A mess. Things everywhere! Books all over the place, seashells from the beach strewn all over your shelves. And that globe - did you steal that from your father’s study?”

The prince snickered.

“I didn’t steal it Grimsby. Mother said I could have the globe to help with my studies. And all of father’s old charts.”

He flashed his dimples once, causing Grimsby to mentally groan. The boy had grown into a cheeky young thing, as charming as he was reckless, his charisma as abundant as his energy.

“What studies could you possibly need them for?”

“I’m teaching myself,” Eric said confidently. “I’m teaching myself how to sail. Even if mother won’t let me yet. So by the time I do go on the water, I can navigate just using the stars.”

He placed his hands on his hips in a defiant stance.

“And I’m collecting the seashells. I’ve been reading about them in some of the old books from the royal library. Some of them aren’t native to here, you know. The ocean carries them to us for us to find.”

“I’m glad you’re finding your artifacts so educational, Eric,” Grimsby sighed. “But if you leave your study a mess, Lashanna won’t allow it. You know better than to keep them around like that.”

The prince’s eyes, normally a crystal blue, began to darken.

“I’m not throwing them away!”

“You don’t have to throw them away. But you do need to keep them organized.”

Eric rolled his eyes again. 

“Says who?”

“Says me. And until you grow old enough to be king, you’ll listen to me.”

Eric let out a huff of frustration. 

“When I’m king, Grimsby, I’ll see to it that you get fired.”

The man laughed aloud. “I’ve been with your family for decades, my young prince. You won’t be getting rid of me that fast.”

“I can do whatever I want! Eric means eternal ruler, you told me yourself, Grimsby.”

Grimsby shook his head, turning on his heels to head back towards the palace. Better to stop the conversation now before Eric’s temperament got the better of him, he hoped.

He turned once more to look at the boy, the childish expression on his face contrasting his ever-growing stature. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if the king and queen had made the right decision, bringing this boy into the fold, setting him to be the future ruler of their islands. 

Eric was intelligent, compassionate, curious - but reckless, uncontrollable at times, with a mind of his own.

And Grimsby couldn’t help but pray that eventually, he’d grow up.

Six Years Later -  Eric, Age 18

“Well, doesn’t the prince look dashing!”

Grimsby turned to face Lashanna, who’d crept up behind him to watch as Eric stood deathly still at the other end of the room. The prince grimaced as the royal tailors fussed over his new jacket, using him as a human pin cushion of sorts.

“Looks just like his parents,” Grimsby joked, causing the woman to swat at his shoulder.

“Big night for the prince, eh?”

“You wouldn’t think so, talking to him.”

“Hmm?”

Grimsby sighed, placing his hand on the pillar next to him. 

“All he can talk about is going out to sea, tomorrow morning. You wouldn’t even know it was his eighteenth birthday today, if the queen hadn’t made a rule forbidding him from sailing until then.”

“What about the party?”

“What about the party?”

Lashanna frowned. “Don’t tell me I have the staff running around for Eric to not show up to his own birthday party tonight.”

“He’ll show up. The queen will make sure of it. He just won’t be happy with all the fuss, you know he never is.”

Lashanna remained quiet briefly, watching as Eric’s gaze focused out the large glass window to his right, looking over the ocean waves.

“Do you think she regrets it at all?”

It’d been a question Grimsby had wondered himself, many times, and even more so after the king’s sudden passing the year prior. The baby in the chest had become a source of joy for the queen and for the people of the islands. He’d grown into a strong, bright young man, grounded by his values and the desire to lead his people.

And yet, it seemed as if Eric never saw his role the same as his mother, rigidly determined to do things differently. He’d grown even more passionate about voyaging and opening the country to faraway neighbors since his father died, frustrated at the lack of support his ideas received from his mother and the court. He’d vented at Grimsby more than a handful of times, but usually locked himself in his study, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of treasures and tokens other sailors brought back for him.

It’d been manageable, for a while. But now he was eighteen, allowed to voyage the seas himself for the first time, and taking matters into his own hands.

“She loves him,” Grimsby replied. “And that’s what matters.”

He straightened as the tailors finished up with Eric, taking his jacket to have the final touches added before the night’s festivities. 

“Well, aren’t you going to be a sight tonight,” Lashanna smiled at the prince, reaching out to brush a stray curl from his forehead.

“Do you know what time we leave tomorrow, Grimsby?”

“Nine o’clock, Sire.”

“Any chance we could leave earlier? I’d love to see the sunrise on the water.”

Lashanna chuckled. “You’ll see plenty of sunrises over the next few weeks, young prince. And you’ll want to get some rest after your big party tonight.”

“There will be girls there, Eric,” Grimsby reminded him.

“So?”

“You’ll be expected to make conversation with them, dance with them.”

Eric scoffed.

“To find a wife, you mean?”

“Well, if all-“

“Wouldn’t my father say I’m too young to be finding a bride?”

Grimsby let out a deep sigh. “Your father wouldn’t want you to be reckless. But you are his heir, and you’re eighteen now. In a few years you will be old enough to assume the throne per our kingdom’s laws.”

“I’m not interested in finding a wife, Grimsby. Not when there’s so much out there to see. Did you know, one of the other islands just opened a large port? Large enough to completely change their economy. We’re being left behind here, and the rest of the world is moving on.”

“Eric-“

“And besides, don’t you think it wouldn’t be fair to my future wife if I was out on the seas all the time? A shoddy husband I’d make, I figure.”

As if he’d be allowed to voyage as the king. 

“Just dance with a few, Eric. They might surprise you, there’s plenty of ladies from different kingdoms coming. Consider that your bridging between cultures and lands.”

The idea seemed to please the young man somewhat, though his face showed no hint of a smile.

“If you dance with five of the young ladies tonight, I’m sure Grimsby could convince the queen to allow you to sail before sunrise,” Lashanna offered, causing Grimsby to shoot her an annoyed glance.

“Really?” Eric’s eyes lit up again.

Grimsby shook his head. It might be the only way.

“Alright, Eric. I’ll talk to your mother.”

The bounce in the prince’s step returned as he hurried towards the passageway. 

“I’ll get to packing now. Thank you, Grimsby!”

Grimsby turned to Lashanna once Eric was out of sight.

“You needed a compromise, no?” she smiled. “And besides, you’ll need to start getting ready yourself.”

“I’ve still got a few hours before the party.”

Lashanna’ grin grew wider. 

“I meant for your voyage tomorrow. Enjoy the sunrise, Mister Grimsby.”

~~~~~~~~~

Three Years Later - Eric, 21 Years Old 

“Eric! Eric!”

Grimsby ignored the ache in his legs as he ran through the palace halls, headed directly to the wing containing the prince’s bedroom.

The news had arrived while he was helping the queen’s secretary draft a letter to the neighboring kingdoms, desperate for any news or sign of her beloved son. 

Found him washed up ashore! 

Barely breathing!

But he’s alive! 

Grimsby could hardly believe it himself; that Eric’s life would have once again been spared by the sea, fortunate enough to arrive right on their doorstep. He could have sworn, watching the flames engulf the ship that night and Eric falling backwards as it listed in the water, that the prince was lost to the waves. 

It’d been the first time Grimsby had nearly cried, the presence of the rest of the crew in the rowboats the only thing stopping his tears.

Their last interaction had been an argument, another fight about Eric’s role as a leader, his incessant need to voyage and travel and explore for the sake of the islands. Their conversation had rung in Grimsby’s ears all night, the man unable to get any sleep once they safely reached shore.

“Eric!” He burst open the door to the prince’s bedroom, causing Max, seated at the foot of the bed, to bark loudly.

“Shhh, Max,” Eric muttered with a groan, his eyes looking at Grimsby tiredly. “It’s just Grims.”

“Thank the heavens,” Grimsby rushed over to his side, clutching one of Eric’s hands in his own. “I thought you were lost-”

“A girl saved me.”

Grimsby raised a brow, his eyes moving to the bandaged wound on Eric’s head.

“Pardon?”

“A girl, Grimsby,” Eric repeated slowly, his voice betraying his body’s exhaustion. His eyes fluttered open and close. “She saved me.”

“You’ve had a long day,” Grimsby said. “You should get some sleep.”

Surely the doctors would have informed him if Eric had sustained any major head injuries, not just a scratch?

“She sang to me, Grimsby. The most beautiful melody I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m sure she did, Sire.”

Eric’s eyes opened suddenly, the piercing blue gaze making direct contact with Grimsby’s own. 

“Find her for me, Grimsby.”

“Eric-“

“Please. She saved my life. I owe her my life.”

Eric closed his eyes once more, his tiredness quickly lulling him back to sleep.

A mystery girl who’d saved the prince from certain death in the ocean? How hard could it be?

He closed the bedroom door behind him as he walked towards in the direction of the infirmary. 

The doctors had some explaining to do.

~~~~~~~~~

“We could take a carriage tomorrow, if you’d like.”

Grimsby stopped as he heard the familiar voice coming out of the prince’s study, warm lantern light peeking out of a door left just ajar.

He was surprised to see the two of them in the light, diligently peering over maps and charts across Eric’s belongings. He’d hardly expected Eric to even get to know the new arrival at the palace, the girl who’d been found in the waves just as he had.

Perhaps that connected them, in a way.

But he’d distinctly recognized the disappointment in Eric’s face once the prince realized she wasn’t the mystery girl, the one who’d saved her and sang to him on the beach. How could she be, when she had no voice of her own?

Grimsby coughed quietly, causing the two of them to look up at him. Eric’s face was beaming, a look he hadn’t seen in the young prince since the night of the shipwreck, dancing with the crew.

“Oh, Grimsby! We’ll need a carriage for tomorrow.”

Grimsby nodded politely, hoping not to cause any distress to the red-haired girl staring wide-eyed at him.

“Of course, Sire. If I might have a quiet word?””

Eric looked back at the girl with a smile, nodding slowly as if in a daze. “Yes, of course.”

When they were out in the hall and out of earshot, Grimsby decided to broach the subject. Part of him wanted to not bring it up at all - the fantasy girl they were spending all of their resources chasing, and yet, Eric had been insistent. He still remembered the desperation in the prince’s eyes, begging him to find her.

“Sire, all of the carriages are being used tomorrow to look for the girl.”

A wave of realization seemed to pass through the prince, as if he’d been woken from a dream. “Oh, yes! The girl. Yes, we need to find her.”

“And may I remind you,” Grimsby continued. “That the queen insists that you stay inside at the palace until you’re feeling better.”

“I feel fine, Grimsby!” Eric grinned, his familiar dimples flashes. “I’ve never felt better.”

Grimsby looked at the prince carefully. In the study, he could have sworn the young man’s face had been glowing in the light, the golden hues reflecting off his skin. And yet, he was still beaming in the hall, a joyous grin he couldn’t hide even if he wanted to. 

Perhaps the silent girl was the distraction he needed, someone to make him happy for at least a little while.

“Yes, yes, I can see that,” Grimsby acknowledged, scanning Eric’s blue eyes once again. They were as blue as the waves.

“Well, I’m sure we could spare just one carriage. But you do need to go to sleep, Eric. The doctors said you still need plenty of rest.”

“I know. I got distracted all day in there.” He smiled. “She likes looking at my collections.”

“Hmm?”

“The girl,” Eric gestured back towards the study. “I’ll tell her she can stay in and keep looking, if she wants.”

“Ah, yes. Well, if you trust her with it all.”

Eric quickly slipped back to say goodnight to the red-haired girl, and as he’d assumed, she decided to stay back. He climbed up the stairs in the direction of his bedroom with Grimsby, the man’s arms clasped behind his back. 

“I trust her,” the prince said, a sheepish grin on his face. “It’s funny, really. You know that fossilized sea stone that’s been on my shelves since I was eighteen? From my first voyage?”

“Ah, yes.” Grimsby distinctly remembered Eric’s accomplished expression on that first voyage, as he traded some of their island cane for a few treasured items at the market.

“She threw it onto the ground,” Eric explained, chuckling to himself. “And it shattered all over the floor, but there was a beautiful gemstone inside, this vibrant rock that had been hidden for years. I’d never known it even existed.”

“I wonder where she must have learned to do that,” Grimsby commented.

“Me too. It’s not in any of my books. She’s strange, isn’t she? But in the best way.”

Grimsby kept watching the prince as they walked through the passageways, the young man seemingly lost in thought.

They stopped outside his bedroom door, Eric ruffling through his locks with his fingers. 

“Goodnight, Grimsby.”

“Goodnight, Eric. I promise we’ll continue to search for the girl in the morning.”

Eric frowned slightly as he made sense of the words.

“Right. The girl. Yes, thank you, Grimsby. Let me know what you find.”

“Of course, Sire.”

~~~~~~~~~

In any other time, Grimsby likely would have made a fuss over the mess that Eric had made in the main passageways of the palace, lake water dripping from his clothes onto the floor.

The queen had nearly slipped in a small puddle, and again, in any other time, Grimsby would have said something.

But he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips as he saw the two pairs of soaking-wet feet hiding behind a wall, so by the time he finally approached Eric and the silent girl, any thought of scolding the prince had long vanished.

“We went out onto the lake, and well, we ended up in it,” Eric chuckled sheepishly at him, as if that somehow served as an excuse.

“Well, it seems you two had fun,” Grimsby remarked, the gleam in Eric’s eyes not going unnoticed. “I imagine you’re tired, and we should let you get some sleep.”

The red-haired girl smiled gratefully at both of them, a dazzling grin on her face that Eric seemed to melt into.

“Yes, goodnight,” the prince said, as the girl smiled again before ascending the stairs.

Suddenly, she turned, taking the hat off her head - where had they even gotten such an item? - and placing it gently atop Eric’s. She flashed another grin at the prince again before walking up.

“Goodnight…Ariel.”

She turned again once more, her smile reflected in her warm brown eyes. Grimsby watched as Eric’s gaze followed her up the staircase until she disappeared from sight.

“Sire,” Grimsby said, finally breaking the silence. “About the carriages…unfortunately, they weren’t able to find the girl.”

Eric stayed silent for a moment, though Grimsby could see his shoulders tense slightly. “Oh.”

“Should we resume the search?”

Eric turned to face Grimsby, a mix of emotions on his face. The man had known the prince since he was a baby - he knew exactly what Eric was feeling, even if the young man couldn’t verbalize it.

“Grimsby…I feel...a little…”

“If I may, Sire, from one old man. Don’t let what should be get in the way of what is.”

Eric nodded. 

“Goodnight, Sire.”

“Goodnight, Grimsby.”

He turned towards the passageway, hoping to find Lashanna to help take care of the mess in the halls before the queen woke up in the morning.

“Wait, Grimsby!”

“Yes, Sire?”

“Her name…her name is Ariel.”

Grimsby nodded. He’d gathered as such, though he couldn’t imagine how young Eric had figured that particular one out.

“And how did you come across that, Sire?”

Eric laughed to himself, his hand touching the top of his hat as if it contained a cherished memory.

“It’s a long story. I’ll have to tell you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Eric.”

“Goodnight, Grimsby. And thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Grimsby! Grimsby!”

Eric rushed over, a frantic look in his eyes inconsistent with the celebratory atmosphere they were surrounded by.

Grimsby glanced over at Vanessa, the mystery girl, the woman in purple who’d arrived at the palace on Eric’s arm early that morning. She was busy entertaining members of the court, waxing poetic about what it was like to save the prince from drowning, a story that seemed more like fantasy with each passing minute, or so he believed.

“Grimsby, have you seen Ariel?”

He furrowed his brow, looking back at the prince. It was like Eric had completely reversed overnight, the feelings he felt for Ariel replaced by an enchanting trance for the newly-found mystery girl. 

It didn’t sit right with Grimsby. Something had felt off all day, even if the queen and the rest of the court thought nothing of it.

Of course, Eric had desperately wanted to find the girl for days, pleading with Grimsby to find her - and yet, he had assumed, perhaps foolishly, to think the mystery girl was no more than a passing thought, now. He had sensed something in the air between Eric and Ariel the night before, something stronger than the mystery girl, now gone like the tide.

And as far as he was concerned, there didn’t seem to be a true connection between Eric and Vanessa. 

He couldn’t explain it.

“According to the servants, she left this morning.”

“Left?”

“Can you blame her, Eric?” Grimsby finally said, exasperated. “I don’t understand, this isn’t like you.”

“I…I know,” Eric muttered. “I’m not sure I understand myself.”

“I don’t think it would be fair for Ariel to stay, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes,” Eric said, his voice sounding deflated. Grimsby noticed a glassy haze in his eyes, as if sleepwalking or under a spell. “Yes, that wouldn’t be fair.”

“You’re old enough to make your own decisions, Eric. And to learn to accept the consequences.”

“Yes. Yes, yes, you’re right, Grimsby.”

“Eric!” 

The two of them turned to see the queen gesturing towards her son.

“Go,” Grimsby said, his heart sinking slightly in his chest. He knew what the queen would be giving him - he’d had one of the palace servants polish it earlier that day at her request.

But it was Eric’s decision now.

“Grims-”

“Go, Eric.”

~~~~~~~~~

The walk back to the palace was eerily silent, the crashing waves the only sounds filling the air.

Grimsby glanced over at the prince, dripping from head-to-toe, his clothing torn to shreds and clinging to his wet skin. The queen and the rest of the staff were several feet ahead of them, the two men bringing up the rear back to land.

Back to safety.

“Eric-”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Grimsby.”

“She was real, Eric.”

The prince stayed silent for a few seconds before stopping mid-step. He lowered himself to the ground, balancing himself against a large rock as Grimsby took a seat next to him.

Eric’s gaze stayed focused on the horizon, watching the colors of the sunset reflect off the ocean intently, as if Ariel might reappear if he looked hard enough.

“I’ve been a fool, Grimsby.”

“No, no. What you felt for her was very real, your mother was right about that. You would be a fool to deny the connection you felt between you two.”

Eric sighed, taking a small pebble from next to him and throwing it into the ocean.

“She really saw me, Grimsby. Like no one ever has. Not to mention that she’d been the one to save my life in the first place.”

“I understand.”

His heart ached for the prince - just as the oceans had spared his life, they’d also torn Ariel away from him, their two homes at odds with each other forever. Eric had always been stubborn - but now, he seemed completely deflated.

“I loved her, Grimsby,” Eric murmured under his breath. “I do love her.”

He stared out into the ocean one more time, before standing back up, reaching a hand out to help Grimsby onto his feet.

Grimsby noticed the tears welling in the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall.

“And now she’s gone.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Eric! Eric!”

Grimsby clutched his side, a cramp near his ribcage causing him to wince.

Certainly, he was getting too old for this.

“Grimsby!” He heard Eric’s familiar laugh as the prince opened his bedroom door, allowing him to enter.

Eric was already dressed for the big day, his curls neat and clothes pressed. “You’re going to kill yourself one day, old man, chasing after me.”

“I’ve done it for twenty-one years already, Sire, I’m sure I’ll last at least a few more.”

“Did you need something? The wedding’s supposed to begin in less than an hour.”

Grimsby nodded, reaching into the hidden pocket of his jacket as he took out a compass, slightly worn from age, though the mother-of-pearl and gold fixtures still shone brilliantly in the light.

He straightened up as he placed the compass in Eric’s hands, the prince’s blue eyes looking curiously at him.

“This,” he said. “This was your father’s. Many years ago. I thought it would serve useful on your voyage with Ariel.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find anything larger, but I imagined you two have already been showered enough by the court.”

“Grimsby, it’s perfect,” Eric’s eyes shone brilliantly. “Than-”

“Oh, no need to thank me,” he replied quickly, hoping to clear his throat of anything too sentimental. “It was your father’s, after all-”

His breath was knocked out of him as Eric pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank you, Grimsby.”

“Sire-” the corners of his eyes began to prick.

“For leading me to Ariel.” 

“I-”

“And for believing in me.”

Grimsby patted the prince’s back as the tears in his eyes finally spilled over.

The boy - the child on the waves - had finally grown up, into a man that Grimsby couldn’t have even pictured. He imagined he had Ariel to thank for that, the silent red-headed girl who’d shone a brilliant light into the prince’s life, helped secure his destiny, allowed him to find his place in the world.

“Always, Eric.”

[yakuzacanons]

how would ichigang make it up to their s/o if they accidentally hurt their feelings? could be after an argument or careless joke or comment, etc - feel like Joongi is so straightforward/blunt he would deffo get in trouble with his s/o at times

Yessss a little angst this evening, also sorry for such a late reply! Also you're so right about our Joonie lol he would totally do that.

Ichiban Kasuga

It's 100% an accident, actually. Ichiban actively tries to avoid arguments so it's more likely that he just said something randomly that didn't come off the right way.

Apologizes fervently. Even if you're not that upset or it's not a big deal, he's going to apologize. He'll probably overdo it too, bless his big dumb head.

He doesn't really ever try to make things up to people by doing things for them or buying them favors but beyond an apology, he'd probably offer to do something you want to do right then and there.

Tianyou Zhao

With Zhao, it's a 50/50 chance that it happens due to a joke that didn't come across well or from an argument. He's definitely more of a spitfire than the rest of the group.

He's more of a charmer so he'll try to cheer you up by distracting you. More inclined to try to get you to smile or laugh than to just immediatelly apologize.

Of course, eventually he'll give you a sincere apology once the tension subsides. Yes, he will offer to make you some food to make it up to you.

Joon-Gi Han

Most of the time, his blunt way of speaking and tone of voice is what hurts other people's feelings. The man doesn't even realize he's offended someone until long after the fact sometimes.

With that in mind, his apologies are kind of blunt too. He's very straightforward and never flowery with his language. Don't mistake that honesty for a lack of sincereity though, he really does feel bad.

There's not much he does to try to make up for it, mostly because he doesn't really know what people want. If you have feedback for him, he'd love to hear it though and he'll try to act better in the future.

Eric Tomizawa

He's one of the more hardheaded and stubborn guys in the group so he's more likely to upset you during an argument. He immediately regrets it though.

He's like Ichiban in that he wants to apologize immediately, but the difference is that he won't just start verbalizing his every thought. Sometimes this comes off as insincere, but truthfully he's just ashamed of his behavior and doesn't want to say anything to make it worse.

It'll take him a little time to gather his thoughts but his apologies are very thought out and sincere. He can be good with his words when he's put thought behind them. Might even bring flowers too.

Yu Nanba

One of the more sensitive of the group and somewhat likely to pick up on the fact that you're upset before you even tell him. He's also the guy the rest of the group goes to for advice if they've upset someone, for some reason.

Honestly, he'll outright ask you if he's said or done something to upset or hurt you. Being honest with him in response is the best way to work through this, as Nanba is the kind of person to want to work through it and be better afterwards.

He can't always afford to buy you favors to make up for his behavior but he is so honest and kind about it that it almost hurts in a good way.

Adachi Koichi

Shares the same trait as Ichiban in that he just sometimes says something dumb on accident and it winds up hurting someone's feelings. He just doesn't always think before he talks and Nanba usually ends up being the one to tell him that he shouldn't have said that.

The least eloquent of the group so he's pretty awkward when he apologizes to someone. He doesn't word vomit like Ichiban does, though.

Nothing solves hurt feelings better than a big hug, at least according to Adachi. Which is exactly what is going to happen as soon as he's done apologizing.

Saeko Mukoda

Similar to Joon-Gi in that her bluntness can catch people off guard. Unlike Joon-Gi, she is somewhat more aware of it but she doesn't always realize it.

She is much better at realizing after the fact she's hurt someone's feelings and will go out of her to properly apologize.

Her one weird tick is that she's a little too formal. She'll pull you aside for a private conversation or even set up a time and place to meet for her to talk about it with you.

Seonhee

She and Joon-Gi really do take turns sharing a braincell sometimes. Most of the time if she accidentally upsets someone, it's for the exact same reasons as Joon-Gi which is ironic given that she's usually the one giving him crap for upsetting someone.

Seonhee won't ask if you're upset, she'll just say "I've upset you." like it's a scientific fact. Chances are, she can exactly pinpoint what she said that upset you too. Her precision is insane sometimes.

As always, our Seonhee is absolutely no fluff and no nonsense. Her apologies are straightforward as they come, with a promise to do better.

[summertrynnacope]

CW: Nazism, TribeTwelve, swear words, (vent??)

Spoilers for EMH, Canyouseethewords blog, TribeTwelve and Sebastian's Journal.

Hi, it's me again. No shit. So. It's been like a month since the whole drama unfolded and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I know things have quieted down lately, and like many others, I wish we could all move on and forget this ever happened. However, I can't simply recover from it, mainly because I feel the posts about me continue to spread on this platform, radiating the negativity and false info about me to this day. This drama has been devouring me for a long time now, and I've decided to make another post. I gotta admit I haven't been 100% honest in my previous post, it was more of my attempt to back off, cry over it and avoid this drama. But I'm not doing that again. I'm done pretending and I'm tired of being nice and tolerating others when they're completely misguided. I'm fucking angry. That's why I decided to make one more post about this and I have so many things to say. This is not another apology post, think of it as a vent post and recap explanation of everything where I'll be brutally honest.

Also, if anyone of you is a Nazi supporter, get the fuck out. I do not welcome you here.

First of all, I do not understand why my efforts have been ignored. I did everything that was asked of me. I acknowledged my so-called ''mistakes'', I owned up to them, deleted the posts, apologized, explained my intentions, and you decide to just fucking ignore it?? What do you want from me then, huh? I'm not the ignorant here, you are fucking ignorants. Made me realize I actually haven't done anything wrong. Made me wonder if I should've even deleted those posts, I put a lot of effort into them, and some people actually liked them. It's not my fault some of you are sensitive and brainwashed by censorship culture and you can't accept or understand a canon-accurate depiction of characters. You think I've been sweeping something under the rug? No. In fact, it's the opposite. You've been sweeping this whole shit under the rug by dismissing me as a Nazi supporter, just because I drew something that was considered canon for so many years. I've done nothing wrong, I've been honest about my art the entire time. I draw what I enjoy and what is accurate to the lore. I love history and the Slenderverse, and I draw canon-accurate content, yet you get mad over it. It's so ridiculous. If this post can't open your fucking eyes, I don't know what else will, and frankly I don't care anymore. I'm done with this shit. I've acted like the adult I am, and took responsibility. However I'm not going to point any fingers or dismiss anyone specifically, because I am not like this.

And to everyone: If you don't like something, just ignore it. But if it really seems problematic and malicious, why not contact the person directly and talk it out, or find ways to know their true intentions instead of making hundreds of hate-posts about them like some pissy children. This is such a toxic behavior.

About the whole Nazi stuff:

Don't get me wrong. Nazism is a sensitive topic, I understand that. But I think being offended by it right now, in the 21st century, is just so ridiculous to me. I understand it can get very annoying tho. They talk about WW2 and the Austrian painter on TV non-stop. But being offended by some art? Like, are you serious. Do you realize Nazi shit has been in so many fanfiction, stories and literature for so many years, and you have no reason to get offended by it? The Nazi concept has been used in so many media, whether just for a joke or a serious plot point. South Park, Family Guy, Indiana Jones, Marvel Universe, X-Men, The Boys, and God knows what else.. Would you get offended by a fanart of cute little fat boy Eric Cartman? Of course not. But I can easily say: ''He's a Nazi! You drew a cute fanart of him! You're a Nazi supporter!'' That's you. That's how you sound. Do you see how ridiculous that is? There are thousands of people shipping him with Kyle Broflovski, oh but he's a Jew, and they hate each other in the show. Yet there are artists who make ship art of them. Does anyone complain? At the end of the day, they're just fictional characters, and I rather ignore it even if it kinda annoys me. Btw, South Park is just an example of this issue, I'm not targeting anyone or anything specifically here.

The Brandit post:

I really need to go back and add something to that post of HABIT saying ''LET'S FUCK AND PISS OFF OUR ANCESTORS.'' which creeped Firebrand out (honest reaction). That quote seemed really harsh, I know. Was it bad humor? Yeah.. But do I regret drawing this? At this point, I must say no. I did not stutter. As I said, I will be brutally honest from now on. Do you think HABIT wouldn't say that? Do you think he wouldn't say something sexual to a Jewish person, or frankly to anyone really? Yes, he would!! It's in his nature, he's fucked up. Are we trynna ignore the fucking scene of HABIT pulling the jerk off gesture at Noah?? Did we all not see the same thing?? He is like this. He makes fun of him while adding Christmas decorated borders on a letter for him. He's aware Noah is Jewish, yet he pulls a sexual gesture at him. Don't try to deny this one.

About the symbols... From what I've just said, I drew the little symbols there next to them (Star of David and Hakenkreuz) because I wanted people to see and realize the fact that these two guys are a Jew and a (former) Nazi, which people have been sweeping under the rug, not me. Also, if anyone remembers the post I made, I believe I wrote ''I should have put Christmas borders there as well/jk.'' under it or something like that. I removed it later on because people didn't seem to get it. It was obviously a reference to Severance. Everything I draw is a fucking reference. That being said, this post was made for awareness, not romanticization, and I do not ship them, neither romantically nor platonically, I just really like drawing them together, because of their iconic trope, canon interactions, mutual respect and shared spite for Slenderman, and the fact that HABIT helped Noah many times. That's it. Also, I wouldn't ship HABIT with anyone romantically. That is just wrong in so many levels.

Canyouseethewords blog and Sebastian's Journal:

If you didn't grasp the point of the Josef Mengele post either, go read Canyouseethewords blog here on Tumblr. It's part of the EMH lore. Basically, this blog belonged to Evan's girlfriend Stephanie, but HABIT takes over the blog later on and makes various posts about infamous real serial killers, such as Ed Gein, Jack the Ripper, and even the Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele. Whether HABIT wanted to imply that he's possessed those various people, that part of lore remains silent. At some point, I believed he's possessed those various people, so I wanted to to draw one of them, and I chose to draw Josef simply because I liked the idea of the connection with him and The Event from T12. That's it. And if that weren't the case that he's possessed any of those people, which would be rather a big relief, he's still possessed a different Nazi character in T12, which has been retconned. A character that no one really seems to know of, which is understandable. I get that some people don't want to analyze and support T12 anymore after what Adam did. In all honesty, I think sometimes it's best to separate the creator from the creation. I hate Adam, but I love T12. Anyway, in the story of Sebastian's Journal is a guy named Sergeant Heine who is (or was supposed to be) possessed by HABIT at some point. It implies to Severance where HABIT said he's been working with a group of Nazis on a particular project, including Sebastian. However, that connection has been retconned.

The HABIT/Nazi lore shit, people keep complaining and pissing about for no reason:

Listen, it was part of the lore for so many years that it's difficult to simply ignore it now. As someone who's been part of the Slenderverse fandom for years, going back, I just cannot think of it as a non-canon at this point. And I've already said the point of HABIT's character, and you all should know this by now. However I'll clarify it again anyways. The point is that he's an abomination of all the horrific actions humanity has committed, including atrocities of Nazism. He's done so many bad shit, as if eating a baby on screen wasn't enough, yet, of all the things he's done, people get mad over him being a former Nazi?? Like are you kidding me.. It's so ridiculous and hypocritical.

However... When I think about it, maybe HABIT was never even a Nazi, I mean- Working with them is one thing. He probably doesn't even give a single fuck about some ideology bullshit. He likely participated in the Nazi party purely for the sake of killing people. He wouldn't care less if his victims were Jews, Romani, or anyone else, he simply enjoys killing people for the sake of torture. Heck, he doesn't even remember the name of the party he was in. In Severance, he stuttered when trying to say ''Nazis'', which, in my opinion, was funny as hell. But that one is just an idea of his character.

Anyway. Even if HABIT wasn't a former Nazi at all, would it change anything? Absolutely not. He would still be the same horrible piece of shit he is. And sorry not sorry, but he was never meant to be a likable character. As a well-written antagonist, yes. But as a person? Hell no, so far from it. There is literally no reason for people to get mad over him being a former Nazi, and if you are, it's hypocritical of you, considering everything else he's done.

I must say one more thing, and it's the only thing I'm truly sorry for is that I didn't put content warnings and explanations on those posts. I made people angry unnecessarily for my impulsive actions.

I think that's all. Perhaps I've learned something by the end of the day, and I hope that at least some of you who are reading this, have learned something as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this (if you have), I appreciate it so much. See you on the flipside.

[nitewrighter]

Do you have any headcanons about d.va's relationships with her fellow MEKA pilots? Tbh your hcs are way more fun and well put together than actual blizzard canon.

Oh gosh I posted a bunch of Meka Squad headcanons back in the day... and I've got DvaMon headcanons here and here but if we're talking specifically about *D.Va's* relationships to the squad...

>While initially the whole squad was kind of artificially propped up as celebrities as part of propaganda for the MEKA program to drum up funding and international support, it soon became clear that D.Va's level of popularity with the crowd vs. the rest of the team's popularity was very much an Eric Clapton vs. The Yardbirds situation, and the Meka program was forced to lean into that more and more, putting more and more pressure on D.Va.

>There were several reasons for D.Va becoming the most popular member, and they're not all 100% good. D.Va gained a prominent following not only for her prodigy level video game skill, but also for her looks and age. Frankly, she was popular for a lot of the same creepy reasons she's popular with the Overwatch fandom as a whole. She was also seen as "less of a bitch" than D.Mon.

>Out of all of them, Casino is probably the one who comes close to D.Va in terms of fandom, and that's due to significant efforts on his end. It's partially selfish self-promotion, but a lot of it is also taking the focus off of D.Va because he's older and feels responsible for her as a teammate.

>In that regard the whole team has a kind of protective sense toward D.Va even as they're kind of forced to step back from her to let her take the spotlight. D.Va herself feels largely guilty because like, even if she's the all-rounder flying ace of the team, she still needs her team and it's really hard not to feel like an asshole when people are only ever asking about you. It's also hard not to look like an asshole when you're saying, "it's a group effort" when you were basically carrying the team at the bottom of the fourth quarter.

This picture says so much to me.

[damnfandomproblems]

IRT 4978 and all ensuing drama:

I want to start off by saying, I would never directly accuse anybody of faking, even if I have doubts, I'd rather err on the side of caution.

However, you can't pretend that there isn't a HUGE influx of people who are just play-acting for attention to jump on a trendy bandwagon.

That's not to say I think 100% of them are lying intentionally, I think a good portion are just being mislead as to what DID even is, and are too eager for community, connection (and yes, attention too) to second guess anyone. Loads of tiktoks provide instructions for "discovering" or "programming" new alters, and what they're describing is basically just the process of. Coming up with OCs? Like, if you're just thinking real hard about your blorbos that is NOT the same as having dissociative identity disorder.

I could see how it could be fun and interesting as a creative exercise, and a method of self-exploration, to associate certain facets of yourself with different characters. BUT!! THAT IS NOT! WHAT DID IS!! And it is NOT the same as living with a debilitating mental disorder as a result of trauma! You can play with your OCs in your head, but by god you have to come up with a different term for it, instead of using an actual medical descriptor. And it doesn't give you permission to throw tantrums when people won't give you special treatment for a disorder you don't have.

I am normally the FIRST person to say "hey, just let people have fun!" But this is NOT "harmless fun!" You lot talk so much about respecting self diagnosis, but what about someone who may actually have the condition, trying to do more research, but all they can find are thousands of teenage rpers who just want to show you their cool new OCs, Alastor the Radio Demon With Vitiligo and Eric Cartman But Like A Different Version Where He's Nicer.

If you want to play dolls inside your mind just install the Sims.

Posting as a response to a previous problem.

[leejynz]

the boyz - younger or older preference | fluff!

*note this is all fictional and just based off of my opinion of the boyz*

sangyeon | younger

he’s been stuck with 10 younger brothers so he’s definitely used to being the older one

definitely would tease and make fun of his s/o

wants to take bigger responsibilities (man of the house sort of vibe)

big spooning and driving the kids to school

jacob | same age/younger

tbh he prolly doesnt mind age *kevin doesn’t use honorifics for him*

definitely extremely caring to his s/o and will treat you like his queen

he’d take care of you and sleep w/u when you have a cold so both of u can be sick together

will teach you how to play guitar and pat your head when you make mistakes

younghoon | older

even though he’s hyungline, he secretly wants his s/o to be older than him

wants his s/o to comfort him when he cries

teases his noona and gets yelled at for but he enjoys it

younghoon can be shy so having an older s/o can be his perfect half

hyunjae | older

some might disagree but hyunjae would love calling his s/o ‘noona’ all the time

likes to joke around his s/o by calling her full name just to make her angry

sneaky and mischievous and jokes around with his s/o and loves to catch her off guard

wants his s/o taking care of him especially on trips and vacations (putting sunscreen, cooking, setting up plans)

juyeon | same age

i can’t see older or younger idk why?? juyeon definitely wants his s/o to have lots of similarities with him and similar opinions

been together with three other 98liners so he wants his s/o to be his best friend too

he wants to take care of his s/o and be taken cared of at the same time

love at first sight typa vibe.. gets even more attracted if his s/o has more things in common

kevin | same age/younger

at first i thought older but kevin is also on the younger side. like juyeon, he wants his s/o to be his best friend and lover at the same time

would carry you at any random time (with those big ass arm muscles)

panics and starts high pitch screaming whenever his s/o makes mistakes/accidents

calls his s/o cute when she looses in arm wrestles and tries to come up with excuses

chanhee | younger

i’m lowkey contemplating myself on this one but tbh i’ve noticed new gets rlly energetic with the members especially the maknae line

new would find his s/o cute if she was like innocent but immature at the same time

pranks his s/o at a serious situation just to see her reaction after

starts laughing when his s/o cries during a movie but hugs her and comforts her after

changmin | older

changmin def wants his s/o to be more calm and collected (kinda) like his hyungline

loves to see his s/o loose in a bet and does aegyo for the punishment

likes to scare his s/o just like his hyungs and records the reactions

when he sees his “noona” cry but doesn’t know what to do so he lets her head lay on his chest

juhaknyeon | younger

most confident with this one; ngl i thought he was in the hyungline when i first saw tbz

wants to be the “older one” and would teach his s/o english and chinese words everyday

gets mad at his s/o whenever she’d skip meals or gets injured/hurt

during a fight with his s/o, he sees her cry and suddenly worries. puts her to sleep after.

sunwoo | older

no i will not be biasing him or eric bc they r the maknaes

sunwoo is def mature for his age but also a little kid sometimes. s/o def has to match his energy 100%

s/o will put portions of food in his mouth and ask him if her cooking skills are good

will continuously remind sunwoo his daily schedule every single morning

eric | older

eric wants somebody he can lean on to and someone he can learn from.

makes big accidents and pretends nothing happened in front of his s/o (she obvi knows)

whenever s/o starts yelling at him, eric starts joking around and keeps saying he’s sorry

tries to impress his noona with his dancing skills whenever she’s upset (and it works)

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Ian Anderson, born 10th August 1947 in Dunfermline. After attending primary school in Edinburgh, his family relocated to Blackpool in 1959. Following a traditional Grammar school education, he moved on to Art college to study fine art before deciding on an attempt at a musical career. He was influenced by his father’s big band and jazz records and the emergence of rock music, but was disenchanted with the “show biz” style of early American rock and roll stars like Elvis Presley. In 1963 with some school friends he formed his first band The Blades, a soul and blues outfit. In 1965 they regrouped into The John Evan Band with major lineup changes. They disband two years later when Anderson moved to Luton. In his new surroundings, Ian meets the drummer Clive Bunker and the guitarist Mick Abrahams and with Glenn Cornick, a bassist - of The John Evan Band-, Anderson creates the seed of the group that would become the legendary Jethro Tull. Still enjoying a lengthy if intermittent ongoing career, Jethro Tull has released 30 studio and live albums, selling more than 60 million copies since the band first performed at London’s famous Marquee club. After undertaking more than 3000 concerts in forty-something countries throughout four decades, Tull has played typically 100 concerts each year to longstanding, as well as new fans worldwide. Widely recognized as the man who introduced the flute to rock music, Ian Anderson remains the crowned exponent of the popular and rock genres of flute playing. So far, no pretender to the throne has stepped forward. Ian also plays ethnic flutes and whistles together with acoustic guitar and the mandolin bouzouki, balalaika, saxophone, harmonica, and a variety of whistles. I briefly met Ian on Skye in 1987 on my way back from Benbecula where he had an estate and ran a Fish farm, well 11 fish farms as my research has unearthed, he also employed over 400 people before selling it in the 90’s. Anderson recalled in an interview how he started as a flautist… “ once owned a 1960s Fender Stratocaster, which had previously belonged to Lemmy Kilminster before he found fame with Motorhead. But when it dawned on me I was never going to catch up with the growing band of hotshot British guitarists at that time – Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton – I traded it in for a Selma Goldfield student flute worth £30. I knew Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton didn’t play the flute, so I thought I would be in with a chance. A lot of people told me it was a ridiculous trade because the Strat was worth at least £150. But in fact it was a great buy because learning to play it was the start of Jethro Tull.” Anderson lives on a farm in the southwest of England where he has a recording studio and office. He has been married for 37 years to Shona who is also an active director of their music and other companies. They have two children. In 2006 and 2010, he was awarded Doctorates in Literature from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and the Abertay University of Dundee. He received the Ivor Award for International Achievement in Music. Ian admits he owns no fast car, never yet having taken a driving test, and has a wardrobe of singularly uninspiring and drab leisurewear varying from light grey to black in colour. He still keeps a couple of off-road competition motorcycles, and a saxophone which he promises never to play again.

Our birthday boy likes to play more intinate venues rather than grand halls, I noticed in the past he has played in religious buildings like cathedrals, he said in an interview ‘Playing in a cathedral gives you a sense of history, responsibility, and humility’ He seems a man after my own heart, while I am not a religious man I do get this same feeling when visiting these sites.. It's not about profits for Jethro Tull, again I have posted that he doesn't charge over the top prices for his tickets, and when he plays in historical places he gives back….The profits from the sales of tickets for my Christmas concert in Bristol Cathedral will go to the upkeep of these sacred buildings, and, perhaps, also in support of the musical liturgy of the church.

Ian admits that he is responsible for an enormous carbon footprint over the years —" I’m a climate sinner — but I’ve planted over 50,000 mixed deciduous trees on our farm. Its heavy clay isn’t not capable of producing arable crops. At best, it grows grass for grazing, but some margins aren’t suitable; so we’ve extended our ancient woodlands with many oak trees. They are an emblem of the Anderson-family clan, whose legend is “Stand sure”.

Jethro Tull are playing Bristol Cathedral on December 11th, tickets are £25-45 snd Salisbury Cathedral next day. These dates are sandwiched between a European tour.

The video features the song, Dun Ringill, from the group's 1979 album Stormwatch, it is an ode to the Iron Age-era fort of the same name. The fort, located on the coast of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, was occupied by the Clan Mackinnon for centuries.[1] The ruins of Castle Ringill, located near Loch Slapin, were located on Anderson's Scottish property, thus inspiring him to write the song. Anderson explained: " Dun Ringill" [is] about the ruins of an old hillside in the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland, where Nordic invaders would have landed to pillage and plunder and the local folk would have hidden the women and children and the sheep under fortifications.

It's a cool video, pity it was filmed at Dover rather than on Skye though!

[sophieinwonderland]

Oh, hey! It's been a while since I've dealt with anti-endos invading the endogenic tags!

Guess it's time to deal with this.

Off to a bad start right away.

I almost always only see "endos" as a pejorative used by anti-endos. It's rare that endogenic system refer to themselves as "endos." While I wouldn't say it's quite a slur, it's not

Okay, so right from the start, the sources they cite for the claim that endogenic systems are impossible under the Theory of Structural Dissociation are from DID-research... a blog by a doctoral student.

And these pages don't even say anywhere what @jananpa claims it does. Let's actually hear what the authors of the Theory of Structural Dissociation have said about the existence of other forms of plurality.

There you have it from two of the authors of The Haunted Self, the book that started the Theory of Structural Dissociation, that it's possible for other "self-conscious dissociative parts" to exist outside of trauma and dissociative disorders. (This is also consistent with how the ICD-11 states that you can have multiple "distinct personality states" without DID.)

At no point has the Theory of Structural Dissociation ever claimed that endogenic systems are impossible.

Stop lying.

Stop misrepresenting the theory of Structural Dissociation when even the authors don't support you.

Just noting that the source here is a Carrd which in turn doesn't provide sources for any of its claims.

This is probably where @jananpa got most of their misinformation since everything they say is taken straight from its talking points.

On this note, Jananpa mentioned wanting to major in psychology. If they go down this route, I sincerely hope that they learn how to tell if a source is trustworthy or not on their chosen career path, and to not just blindly believe every bigoted Carrd they come across.

This isn't actually an unfair assessment.

Well, aside from the repeated claim that endogenic plurality violates the Theory of Structural Dissociation, which we literally just proved was a lie. It is true that there isn't a "study" in the chapter.

All that this really shows is the opinions of Eric Yarbrough, who is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, in a book that was peer reviewed and published by the APA's publishing arm.

It's not a study. But it DOES show recognition and support in the psychiatric field by notable professionals.

Which is more than you can say of the anti-endo opinion that endogenic plurality isn't possible, because absolutely no psychiatrists will ever back you up on that claim, and it's disputed by both the creators of the Theory of Structural Dissociation and the World Health Organization.

Oh no! The sample size is six less than the rule of thumb for a minimum! The horror! 😲

But wait... did they... actually look at that source of theirs???

While the minimums have the largest margin of error, a 10% margin of error isn't really an issue in surveys that are just gathering general opinions like this. And this shows the 10% at 96 for population of larger than 5000. Basically only two off of what's listed here.

It's utterly ridiculous to say a sample size of almost 100 is even close to the equivalent of a sample size of 11.

I'm not going to comment on the Jung article itself since I haven't looked into this much. If anyone wants to add anything, they're welcome to. But obviously older works about plurality aren't using the word plural because the term itself is recent. They just describe instance of people experiencing multiple self-conscious agents sharing a body. Acting like someone not using the word plural is this great "gotcha" is silly.

What I will say on this is that yes, inner worlds can be consciously created in DID. There are guides out there on how to do it.

Actually, I don't think the leading theory is even that trauma causes you to "gain" an inner world (at least not directly), so much as retreating into fantasy worlds is a common trauma response and that action causes inner worlds to develop. Outside forces (trauma) result in an action (escapism) which leads to inner world development.

But the action does not require trauma.

Not everyone exposed to trauma develops complex inner worlds because not everyone responds to trauma with the same coping mechanisms.

You should also pick an armchair diagnosis and stick with it. Is his inner world SZPD or MADD? These are very different disorders.

Or better yet, don't do either. Not all daydreaming is maladaptive, and you shouldn't assume somebody has a disorder just because they have complex inner worlds. Immersive daydreaming is a common practice, and it's not maladaptive unless it interferes with daily life.

No.

Stop.

Literally all of this is wrong!

For starters, there's no evidence anywhere of the Tibetan Buddhist practice being closed, and the Dalai Lama has said that people of other religions can use Tibetan Buddhist meditations.

“Many Christians tell me they believe in Buddhist meditation, which can be learned by Christians. We teach right attitude. We teach meditation, which can be quite deep. These would be things that the West can take, and I think it is clear that Buddhists should practice certain Western methods, too.”

Moreover, the Tibetan Buddhist practice is not called Tulpamancy. "Tulpamancy" is a term associated solely with the Western practice.

And Tulpamancy is largely NOT a religious or spiritual practice. From Varieties of Tulpa Experiences:

76.5% of tulpamancers view their practice as psychological.

Both the above study and the one referenced in Jan Anpa's post are about the primarily psychological Western practice. As will be ALL research into tulpamancy. The Buddhist religious practices it shares an etymology with is completely irrelevant to this topic of studies into the disorder.

Tulpamancy is primarily seen as psychological plurality by most tulpamancers, and that's what these studies are about.

You're welcome to look into the above study further as it has a lot more information on tulpamancy. It's was written by Samuel Veissière, a psychiatry professor at McGill University in a book reviewed and published by the Oxford University Press.

Jananapa, if there's one thing that's clear from all of this, it's that despite being confident in your ignorance, you know absolutely nothing about systems, structural dissociation, plurality, tulpamancy or literally anything else discussed in your post.

Given your self-assured ignorance of systems, I wouldn't recommend people put any trust in your understanding of Autism or any of the other conditions you discuss on your blog.

If anyone wants to further educate themselves on endogenic systems, please see my Endogenic Syscourse Primer.

As always with these hate posts that end up being posted in pro-endo tags, it's only fair that I share my responses in anti-endo tags along with many other tags the initial post was made in.

If any anti-endos are bothered by this, please ask @jananpa to not post in our tags anymore. As long as anti-endos stay in their lane, I'll stay in mine. When anti-endos invade our spaces, my responses to those posts will continue to go straight to theirs. If we can't have safe spaces to exist, then you aren't allowed safe spaces to spread hate against us. (I will avoid DID/OSDD/traumagenic tags out of respect for non-anti-endos in those spaces. But you might want to ask that Jananpa stay out of those tags as well since I know you guys also tend to not care for singlets posting in those tags.)

[rensaries]

𓍼 ALL ABOUT KIM JUNGEUN

see jungeun's masterlist !

┃BASIC INFO

★﹐STAGE NAME : Jungeun ( 정은 ) ★﹐BIRTH NAME : Kim Jung-eun ( 김정은 ) ★﹐ENGLISH NAME : Sofia Kim ★﹐NICKNAMES : honey, jung, jungie, nct's princess ★﹐BIRTHDAY : January 17, 2002 ★﹐AGE : 22 ( int age ) , 23 ( kor age ) ★﹐ZODIAC SIGN : Capricorn ★﹐CHINESE ZODIAC : Horse ★﹐REPRESENTATIVE EMOTICON : 🐺 ★﹐HEIGHT : 165 cm (5'5") ★﹐BLOOD TYPE : A ★﹐BIRTHPLACE : Incheon, South Korea ★﹐NATIONALITY : Korean ★﹐LANGUAGES : korean (100%), chinese (100%), japanese (77%), english (42%), thai (29%) ★﹐GENDER : female ★﹐PRONOUNS : she/her ★﹐SEXUALITY : straight ★﹐RELATIONSHIP STATUS : dating ★﹐FAMILY MEMBERS : Kim Sang-Mi ( mother ) , Kim Bum-soo ( father ) , Kim Eui-jin ( younger brother ) , Kim Chae-rin ( younger sister )

★﹐PERSONALITY TYPE : ISFJ ( the defender )          ★﹐DESCRIPTION : a defender ( isfj ) is someone with the introverted, observant, feeling, and judging traits. these people tend to be warm and unassuming in their own steady way. they're efficient and responsible, giving careful attention to practical details in their daily lives. ★﹐HABITS : bouncing her knee, hugging onto her members, being in her members' personal space ★﹐HOBBIES/SKILLS : painting, organizing her phone, exploring nature, writing her own raps ★﹐LIKES : performing, jaemin, making tiktoks, decorating things ★﹐DISLIKES : snakes, being nervous before a performance, feeling lonely ★﹐FAVORITE FOODS : korean corn dogs, pancakes, bak kwa ★﹐CLOSE FRIENDS : ningning ( aespa ) , yeojin ( loona, loossemble ) , isa ( stayc ) , jake ( enhypen ) , eric ( the boyz )

┃TRIVIA

she has a dog named miso. she gave her the name miso because the first time she saw her she smiled (miso means smile in korean).

she was put on hiatus from the end of 2018 up until we boom promotions because of health issues, it was later revealed that their manager at the time was the real cause of her hiatus.

her and jaemin have been dating since early 2020, their relationship was kept private until saesaengs leaked it in early 2022.

after months of persuading her parents, she auditioned for sm in 2011 and ended up getting accepted at 10 years old.

she loves meeting rookie idols because it reminds her of her debut days, and she considers them her "children".

if she was an nctzen, her bias would be mark because he's hardworking and has a lot of charisma.

┃ETC.

★﹐FACE CLAIM : Yeju ( ICHILLIN' ) ★﹐VOICE CLAIM : Karina ( aespa ) ★﹐RAP CLAIM : Karina ( aespa ) ★﹐DANCE CLAIM : Chaewon ( LE SSERAFIM )

©️rensaries

[percheduphere]

Hey! At first, I want to say that really adore your essays. I found your blog shortly after I joined tumblr and it was a great beginning.

My question is not only about Loki. Few times you mentioned that queer subtext always existed in cinema. So I wanted to know more about it. Are there any common tricks which artists use? How can we know that it isn't just our imagination?

And if you could give some literature recommendations on this topic I'd be thrilled :)

Hi Anon! 

This is a really important question. I’m so glad you asked it, so I’ve bumped you to the front of my inbox queue.  

Superhell (Destiel). Superheaven (Aziracrow). Supertime (Lokius). It’s not an accident these types of tragic queer endings are a pattern in our TV media. Though of the three, Good Omens is the most likely to deliver a happy ending eventually, the resources I provide below contextualize why queer subtext and queer tragedy persists. I believe the paper on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a particularly important read as it sheds light on tragic queer tropes and utilization of queer subtext from the 1950s that persist to this day. 

I do need to clarify a few things: 

1.) I’m not a formal scholar. I don’t have a Master’s, let alone a PhD. I would love to continue my education, but I only just finished paying off my student loans. This is to say, most of what I’ve learned is from self-guided reading, watching documentaries, and talking to literary and cinematic professionals and members of the LGBTQAI+ community. 

2.) Subtext exists in all forms of art: literature, music, painting, sculptures, film, and so on. There is no 1-to-1 definition of what subtext could be because subtext, by its very definition, is the communicating of information and/or a feeling without communicating it directly. It’s also important to remember that we use subtext in everyday life without realizing it.  

3.) It’s necessary to share foundational resources in order to provide a greater contextual understanding in response to your question. The resources I'll be sharing, which will go from broad foundational to specifically queer subtext in cinema, are as follows: A.) Using JSTOR, B.) Linguistics & Subtext, C.) Film History, D.) Queer Subtext in Literature, Theater, and Film. 

USING JSTOR 

JSTOR is an incredible academic journal article resource. You can sign-up as a user and have access to up to 100 articles per month online for free! If you don’t feel comfortable creating an account, you can also visit your local library, who more likely than not have a JSTOR membership. 

When searching for articles, I recommend using these keywords: queer, homosexuality, subtext, literature, film, history. 

LINGUISTICS & SUBTEXT 

Pragmatics 

-- Jerome Bruner’s “Pragmatics of Language and Language of Pragmatics” (Available on JSTOR; Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press) 

-- Kristin Borjesson’s “The Semantics-Pragmatics Interface: The Role of Speak Intentions and Nature of Implicit Meaning Aspects” (Available on JSTOR; Published by Armand Colin) 

Iceberg Theory and Theory of Omission 

-- Silvia Ammary’s “Poe’s ‘Theory of Omission” and Hemingway’s ‘Unity Effect’” (Available on JSTOR; Published in the Edgar Allan Poe Review) 

-- Charles J. Nolan, Jr’s “‘Out of Season’: The Importance of Close Reading’” (Available on JSTOR; Published in the Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature) 

-- Paul Smith’s “Hemingway’s Early Manuscripts: The Theory and Practice of Omission” (Available on JSTOR; Published by Journal of Modern Literature) 

Implicature 

-- Catherine Abell’s “Pictorial Implicature” (An important read as it provides academic context on interpretation of the visual medium, which is connected to interpretation of film; Available on JSTOR; Published by The American Society for Aesthetics) 

-- Eric Swanson’s “Omissive Implicature” (Linguistic study on implied communication through omission) Available on JSTOR; Published by University of Arkansas Press) 

-- Jacques Moeshcler’s “On the Pragmatics of Logical Connectives” (Published in the book: “Aspects of Linguistic Variation) 

Exformation 

-- David Foster Wallace’s “Laughing with Kafka” (Yes, the same writer of the book, Infinite Jest! A quick 4-page read that explains exformation in literature using Kafka as an example; Available on JSTOR; Published in Log by Anyone Corporation) 

-- Stephen J. Burn’s “Reading the Multiple Drafts Novel” (23 pages; can be a slog to read, but it addresses the issues of “canon”; Available on JSTOR; Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press) 

FILM HISTORY 

Generally, I recommend looking up Hollywood History pre-code (Hays Code aka the Motion Picture Production Code from 1930-1967). Notice that the code’s abandonment was gradual in the 60s, which was when the U.S.’s sexual revolution occured. The MPAA Film Rating System went into effect in 1968.  

Sin if Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood by Mark A. Vieira 

Available in hard cover on Amazon (looks like there’s only 1 copy left); no digital version that I can find. You may be able to find this at your library. 

Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Rules the Movies by Mark A. Vieira 

Available on Kindle. Similar to Vieira’s first book but considered inferior.  

The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies by Vito Russo 

Published in the 1980s, a groundbreaking work and the first of its kind. It’s dated but still considered critical reading. 

Screening the Sexes: Homosexuality in the Movies by Parker Tyler 

Available in hardcover and paperback. This is also considered critical reading to be paired with Celluloid Closet. 

Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video by Raymond Murray 

Available in paperback on Amazon (1 copy left); likely to be in the library as well. 

QUEER SUBTEXT IN LITERATURE, THEATER, AND FILM 

Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans through Homoerotic Possibilities 

The first book of its kind, published in 2019. A must-read as contributing articles include analysis on Supernatural, Sherlock, and Merlin, among many others. I highly recommend reading the entire book, but it is expensive. You may be able to find this at your library.  

My recommended articles from this book: 

-- Joseph Brenann’s “Introduction: A History of Queerbaiting” is critical to understanding the Loki series specific place in queer fandom and media history. 

-- Monique Franklin’s “Queerbaiting, Queer Readings, and Heteronormative Viewing Practices” 

-- Guillaume Sirois’s “Hollywood Queerbaiting and the (In)Visibility of Same-Sex Desire

-- Christoferr Bagger’s “Multiversal Queerbaiting: Alan Scott, Alternate Universes, and Gay Characters in Superhero Comics” 

Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World 

About half the price of Queerbaiting and Fandom but significantly more broad in scope. 

My recommended articles from this book: 

-- Cornel Sandvoss’s The Death of the Reader? Literary Theory and the Study of Texts in Popular Culture 

-- Derek Johnson’s “Fantagonism: Factions, Institutions, Constitutive Hegemonies of Fandom” 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Reading of epic poem recommended) 

-- David L. Boyd’s “Sodomy, Misogyny, and Displacement: Occluding Queer Desire in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (available on JSTOR; from Arthuriana published by Scriptorium Press) 

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (Reading the novel recommended) 

-- Jeff Nunokawa’s “Homosexual Desire and the Effacement of the Self in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’” (available on JSTOR; Published by The Johns Hopkins University) 

-- Ed Cohen’s “Writing Gone Wilde: Homoerotic Desire in the Closet of Representation” (available on JSTOR; Published by Cambridge University Press) 

-- Sandra Mayer’s “‘A Complex Multiform Creature’: Ambiguity and Limitation Foreshadowed in the Early Critical Reception of Oscar Wilde” (available on JSTOR; Published in AAA: Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik) 

Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Reading the short story [“Three Players of a Summer Game” and stage play and watching the film adaptation highly recommended) 

-- Dean Shackelford’s “The Truth That Must Be Told: Gay Subjectivity, Homophobia, and Social History in “‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’”. (A must-read, in my opinion. You see a lot of patterns that continue in our subtextual queer stories to this day, concerning since Williams’s play was written in the early 1950s. Available on JSTOR; published in The Tennessee Williams Annual Review) 

I hope these resources are helpful and interesting to you! Happy reading! 

[mournin-glory]

lotf genderbend/country au dump (on personality)

raleigh/ralph- she's from very deep in the south, so much so that the other girls (despite the fact that they're all from the same state) have trouble understanding her. a little more opinionated and short tempered than her male counterpart. she still gets voted to be chief due to the conch, but she has a lot of problems with the hunters and the way they treat their animals. she was raised with hunters, and hunted for her own food in the past, but she was taught always to respect the animals and kill them as quickly as possible. shes 100 percent her daddy's little princess. at first, she looks up to the hunters (pageant girls) because she thinks they're pretty and she likes how fancy they are, but later she realizes how mean spirited they really are.

jolene/jack- the head of the pageant girls, she's obsessed with winning and being in charge. she wins pageants all the time, but despite that she's extremely insecure about her looks and will do anything to bring the other girls down. (the pageant girls have a very toxic friendship, they all view each other as competition) she was raised in a very religious household, and all her life she was taught that she needed men to protect her and she was useless as a woman. so, when she gets her first chance to live outside of that, she goes wild. when she hunts, she kills just to kill and does it in a violent way. she wants to hurt. and yes, she's named after the song.

susannah/simon- she's one of the pageant girls, but she's extremely shy and quiet and almost never wins. the other girls make fun of her because she passes out and has seizures frequently and call her suzie sundown behind her back.(sundown as in the sun goes down in her brain and she falls asleep) she doesn't understand why they don't like her, but she also doesn't make an effort to become close with them. she likes raleigh a lot because she's the first person to really acknowledge susannah and reach out to her. besides her fainting/seizures, she has a lot of mental problems. the pageant girls know this, and when she has a breakdown from the stress of the island, they make it worse for her. she eventually goes near completely insane, and raleigh makes it their responsibility to take care of her. (they don't do a good job)

peggy/piggy- a lot more insecure about her looks, especially because its constantly commented on at home. pretty much everyone hates her, except for raleigh. raleigh makes fun of her, but its more lighthearted, and if anyone else tries to insult peggy, she's defensive. especially because peggy is very smart. they understand that she's smarter than them and that she could help to get them off the island, but that doesn't stop anyone. they're very quick to insult her, especially ruby. (more on that later) they call her piggy because it sounds very close to her name, and they like to taunt her with the idea that they might kill her like a pig. her prized possession is a pair of earrings that her mother gave her before she died.

ruby/roger- she's an extremely jealous person. before they met peggy, ruby was very excluded within the pageant girls. they make fun of her looks, her family, and her race. she hates doing pageants and she doesn't ever win, but she's forced into it by her mother, who desperately wants her to be the perfect american daughter. the only reason that the pageant girls accepted her is because she's very naturally mean and quick with insults. she pretends not to know about her own culture around the other girls. the reason she targets peggy is not only because she thinks she's ugly, but because she became friends with raleigh. (raleigh is, to her, the perfect american girl). she loves hunting, but she tends to take it way too far. she also finds animals to take her anger out on. also, she wants peggy's earrings. a lot.

sally and edie/ sam and eric- very similar to their male counterparts, only differences are that they love gossip to an extreme amount and are always talking about someone, and that they get into petty fights with each other very often. the fights aren't bad and they don't last long, but they love to argue. they also like to braid their hair together, which means they're never not touching. the other girls refer to them together as 'sadie'

priscilla/percival- the sorriest little girl anyone's ever seen. she's very dramatic and cries very often, and it's over nearly everything. she's shocked when the other girls on the island don't entertain her meltdowns. most times, they just ignore her and she stops. susannah tries to comfort her, but that has a reverse effect and it just makes her cry harder.

side characters: the other pageant girls, are mary grace (maurice), harper (harold), betty (bill), starla (stanley), wilma (wilfred), wren (walter), rosemary (robert), and hope (henry). the little kids are julsie (johnny, no one could get her full name), pearl (phil), and the little girl with the montana shaped birthmark (they call her montana, except for hope)

[tinycupcakesstuff]

Unpacking Heated Rivalry and the OG Hockey Husbands

I can't unpack Heated Rivalry before covering Breakfast with Scot, who walked so the whole m/m hockey romance genre could run. The film based on the novel by the same name which explores intergenerational issues between queer adults parenting a queer child. The film ups the ante with making one of the queer adults a hockey player and the layers that come with being in the closet as a professional athlete.

The year was 2007 and we are introduced to Eric McNally, who retired sometime around 2002 (Ellen came out in 1997), so his career would have been 1990s-2002. He would have played junior hockey in the 80s. Heated Rivalry takes place covering the decade after Breakfast with Scot, 2008-2018.

For Eric, the context of AIDs epidemic, shifting social views on LGBT issues in general society let alone the sports/hockey world are very much his lived experience.

We meet Eric, now retired from hockey in his late 30s, in a long term committed relationship with his partner, Sam who is a sports lawyer (and was apparently Eric's lawyer). Eric is out to the important people in his life but not publicly because he works as an analyst for a Canadian sports network. He is living a double life, or at least his sexuality is somewhat of an "open secret" in hockey circles. One he takes great lengths to avoid drawing any attention to.

Eric is aware of how things have changed, but all of the societal progress and multitudes of public figures coming out post-Ellen hasn't necessarily changed anything for him. He is still very much under the microscope of the Toronto hockey media landscape, having become a sports caster in his retirement and hosting a Sportscenter-like hockey program on TV. Despite the fact that he is out to his assistant who relentlessly teases him for not being out at work. When Eric does finally come out at work, she confirms, "everyone already knew."

In daily life Eric seems to be comfortably out. Eric's comfortable balance of his homelife with Sam and hockey life explodes with arrival of Scot, Sam's brother's dead ex-girlfriends son, who they need to take custody of temporarily.

Scot is not the 11 year old boy Eric was expecting. He was bracing himself for a homophobic terror that would destroy their home and sell their electronics for booze. Instead they got Scot, who wears Pink Gardenia hand cream and a charm bracelet. Scot who turned down Eric's invitation to watch hockey because, he "only likes musicals."

Somehow, this was just as bad as what Eric was predicting and he starts having a harder time keeping his worlds separate. Eric attends Scot's parent teacher night with Sam, which the topic of discussion is how to manage Scot. All 3 adults have no clue. The teacher offers that he should watch TV to find more "traditional" role models. A microaggression that Eric bristles at.

Scot has no qualms being who he is, clearly his mother raised him in an affirming manner. He wears pink, glitter, make-up, and is 100% true to himself at all times. And interestingly, Scot faces little bullying and ridicule even though Eric is terrified of this. Scot is innocent and confused about homophobia, although at one point he admits to Eric that he thinks being gay means "no one likes you." To which Eric forcefully tells him, "It doesn't mean that." Which for a guy like Eric, with a pretty limited tool box in which to discuss feelings, is pretty big!

On Scot's first day with Eric and his partner, he outs Eric to a mall security guard.

Eric immediately responded above, stammering I'm not, I'm not, because he was caught off guard. I don't necessarily buy into that he is ashamed. I think Scot outing him AGAINST HIS WILL wasn't something he was prepared for and I do have a lot of sympathy for him stumbling through it. I'm not sure the film and the fandom are always very sympathetic to Eric.

Scot continues, "Him and Sam are married" and Eric's response is probably my favorite line in the film. He says, "We're not even...we're not even married."

For me, he is redeemed. He is not denying his relationship, he clarifies that they're not married, but doesn't deny that they're together. I think he did his best navigating a very nuanced public situation with an impressionable child as a gay public figure in the closet!

So what does all this have to do with Heated Rivalry?

So in the entire DECADE after we meet Eric still in the closet 5 years post retirement.....we get a fictional NHL player coming out publicly in the Game Changers universe!

Heated Rivalry covers, in excruciating detail, how difficult and painful it is navigating falling in love as a closeted NHL player. And when I say excruciating, I mean it is agony.

I don't know if it is a weird take because I am 7 years late to the Ilya/Shane party, but the angst was just so painful. I am in an emotional twist. Physical/psychic pain. Damn, their love was so hard. Damnnnnnn.

I have a Eric McNally origin story where I speculate about Eric's Heated Rivalry glory days which would have been roughly 1992-2002, and what he got up to while he was playing. I do NOT have him falling in love back then lol. But he did have a boyfriend or 2. He saves it all for Sam. It's certainly not on the level of Ilya and Shane, but I am sure he had someone to meet in hotels all across North America. The only other mm hockey romance that touches on that experience is the character Wade in Breaking the Rules.

Eric and Sam are the OG hockey husbands!!!!!

I am working on an Epic novel length Eric and Sam romance novel, full of smut a la Ilya/Shane.

This is just another part of my (and a few of my fandom comrades) ongoing effort to produce Breakfast with Scot propaganda to entice others to join our esteemed ranks which number in the DOZENS! We are dozens!

Breakfast with Scot has me in an absolute choke hold because we meet Eric and Sam as hockey husbands. They live the most stable, quaint life on the outskirts of Toronto in the cutest brownstone known to man. Their relationship is calm and safe, despite Eric being an absolute neurotic mess 100% of the time.

It's a deep well to draw from thematically. The character of Scot is an absolute delight. This is a queer family film, a hockey romance, it is everything! And the Toronto Maple Leafs allowed their logo to be in a queer film!

It's taking every shred of willpower NOT to abandon my WIPs and start working on the Game Changers x Breakfast with Scot crossover no one asked for...But I need a universe where Eric and Ilya and Shane can exist together...Soon, I hope.