#folklore meta series

[dandelionjack]

female faeries of frightful aspect that haunt lonely roads in the welsh wilderness

gwilliam sure does sound like gwyllion, doesn’t it? roger ap gwilliam, “ap” means “son of”. as in born-of-the-gwyllion. the (metaphorical) son of the gloomy hag that leads travellers astray and utters strange cries. old ruby was the gwyllion so she inadvertently created the minister of war, her “son”, through her powers of manifestation

[fuckyeahaudiodrama]

🪸 JULY LISTENS 🪸

(ft. some lovely coral for those of us caught up on The Magnus Protocol😌)

this month, i’ve been working through some of the stuff that’s been languishing on my listen list for approximately a million years as well as revisiting some old favorites. here’s what i enjoyed most in my earholes:

G.O.B.L.I.N.S — (pilot, crowdfunding now!) for fans of Stellar Firma, the Meredith brothers have reunited with some other familiar voices to spin a story about an overly ambitious human office worker who gets dragged through the veil into the fae realm by a pair of chaotic goblins. the show is scripted but it’s marked by the same sense of humor that has characterized the Meredith’s other improvised works. 8 episodes projected if it funds.

Larkspur Underground — (11 eps, complete?) a fictional exposé about the sole survivor of a serial killer’s disturbing abduction and grooming. i was giddy to discover this one as an ardent fan of Showtime’s Dexter. it’s gory and glorious, and if you’re keen you might spot some clues; if not, the final episode is going to shock you. creator wants to make more, but it’s been a few years so who knows.

I Found A Wormhole — (5 eps, complete) a short yet existentially harrowing series. exactly what it says on the tin. mind the content warnings on the final episode but by the time you get there you’ll definitely know what’s coming tbh.

The Grotto — (10 eps, ongoing) a pull-no-punches exploration of messy grief with a supernatural twist. season two is here! this series has an absolutely killer soundtrack and immersive sound design. it has such a unique vibe. you’ll definitely like it if you like WOE.BEGONE.

Dear Bastard! — (16 eps, complete?) an epistolary comedy about a bunch of squabbling neighbors. i like to use this show as a palate cleanser when i’ve been listening to a lot of gruesome horror, because it’s just so light and fun.

Deviant — (10 eps, complete) a space pirate dramedy! i stumbled across this purely by accident and did a little binge. i love an absolute mess of a protagonist, so this was right up my alley. it’s a little abrasive at times but overall i enjoyed the narrative and it wrapped up nicely.

Murphy — (6 eps, s2 in production) a folkloric monster-of-the-week mystery with very charming characters. the first season is complete and although it is short, the episodes are long and make great use of their runtime. pleased to see their recent crowdfunder has been successful so there will be more!

Ghost Wax — (45+ eps, hiatus) a horror anthology facilitated by a “reclaimer” who can extract the final statements of the dead. this is similar to How i Died but the lore feels much more fantastically intricate. i don’t want to spoil too much of the meta plot but there’s a LOT going on, and i’m looking forward to s2.

Fulmar’s Folly — (12 eps, ongoing?) people on reddit love this series so i decided to give it a spin. fans of zombie survival like We’re Alive are most likely to eat this up. it can be a little overwrought at times, but the constant tension feels genuine in context. episodes are quite long but the length feels satisfying and necessary.

Nowhere, On Air — (46 eps, ongoing) another spooky small town radio show about a girl in a world she doesn’t belong to. this is one of my favorite genres of AD. fans of WTNV, King Falls AM, Tiny Terrors, and other shows of that ilk will probably enjoy this. it leans a little more surreal and introspective than comedic. IMHO, the host also just has a lovely voice. the meta plot is currently really hitting its stride.

All In My Head — (19 eps, ???) night terrors turn out to be something much more sinister. so intriguing, i was devastated to realize it may have been abandoned. i’m not going to completely give up hope for a final season though!

Zoinks! — (11 eps, complete?) a darkly comedic homage to scooby doo and other childrens detective fiction. i loved the way the narrative approached the subject of child neglect, while still maintaining a thread of silliness that saved it from complete bleakness. s2 has been mentioned but it’s projected release date has come and gone without a word, so it may or may not happen.

Trice Forgotten — (10 eps, ???) an aspiring cartographer gets accidentally mixed up with some pirates. i relistened to this series in honor of its anniversary and was just blown away by the sound design all over again. the setting is made so rich and alive by the effort put in by the production staff! and the character dynamics are so intricate and gorgeous. i am especially a fan of the tension between alestes and gammon. beautiful first season with SO much left to explore, i really hope to see this come back for a s2 someday.

[armageddon-generation]

The One Who Waits Should’ve Been the God of Fiction, not Sutekh

Sutekh was wasted as Series 14’s Big Bad & had no thematic connection to the rest of the stories. He was only there for fan-service. I realize this is partly Big Cope on my part, trying to rationalize the bad writing decisions this series, but it would’ve made way, way more sense thematically for the One Who Waits to be the God of Fiction, from the Land of Fiction.

The Land of Fiction is a pocket dimension the Second Doctor visits in The Mind Robber. Created by the Gods of Ragnarok, in it all the fictional lands and characters ever created exist and evolve, powered by the belief of our universe. It’s perfect for the themes RTD is exploring with series 14.

The God of Fiction latches onto the TARDIS at the edge of the universe during Wild Blue Yonder. The TARDIS as the ultimate narrative machine, the centre of so many twists and stories and myths, all the central plot-developments of this universe. Meta-commentary on the Doctor having slowly become the ‘main character’ of the universe. Of course a parasite that feeds on fiction would attach to him!

Now all s14’s fantasy elements- Goblins, a Bogeyman powered by storytelling, the folklore Fairy Circle, Boom tapping into faith & the afterlife, Rogue’s Bridgerton-fanfic romance & cosplay, all tie into the series arc. Narrative purpose for the experimentalism and scattershot tones, as the God of Fiction forces the TARDIS to new narrative extremes to feed itself.

(Also, 73 Yards- where Ruby is trapped in a nightmare world fuelled by dream-logic that she applies the structure and rules of traditional narrative to, latching onto a villain she has to defeat in order to make sense of the inexplicable- now becomes a microcosm of the whole season.)

People were initially worried RTD might re-use his original plan for Rose with Ruby- i.e. the Doctor manipulating her life to create his perfect companion. It’s a bad idea, but what if it was an external force? Like what Missy did with Clara, turned up to eleven.

The God of Fiction chose Ruby, the foundling, as 15’s perfect companion. The God is the one who shrouded Ruby’s regular human Mum in a Dickensian cloak, and the reason Ruby’s attempts to find a perfectly normal woman failed. They’re dressing her simple story up as a mysterious fairytale. The ‘we create legends out of ordinary people’ idea is baked into the spine of the season.

(This also lampshades 15 & Ruby being BFFs from the start. Skipping over/fast-forwarding through vital Doctor-companion milestones is explicitly because the God of Fiction has seen it all before & wants to get to the good stuff.)

Mrs Flood, with her fourth-wall breaking winks to camera, would be the God of Fiction’s servant in this version.

All the mystery boxes without satisfying answers this season- Susan Twist, the snow, the changing memory- were overtly placed by the God to keep 15 & Ruby on the hook. This way we can talk about the show’s overreliance on the Mystery Box structure, and the nuances of subverting expectations. The God knows they’re in a TV show! They acknowledge baiting 15 & the audience with Susan as shallow key-jangling.

By defeating the God of Fiction at the end of the season, through the genuine, human connection they’ve forged travelling together irrespective of mystery boxes or plot-twists or destiny, Ruby is freed from the constraints of the Narrative, and finally allowed to reunite with her Mum.

15 leaving Ruby would also make way more sense here; Mr. ‘I bring disaster, Kate’, ‘Maybe I’m the bad luck’ just got told his best friend’s life had been manipulated by a God because of him, and the foundation of their relationship was itself orchestrated, choreographed, puppeteered from the outset. He leaves Ruby to finally let her live a real life.

[dreadfutures]

Fan Work Friday Funday

Rules: If you’re tagged, MAKE A NEW POST to showcase ONE fanartist and/or fanfic for any fandom you recommend (with links). Then tag someone to give their recs next! Don’t forget to reblog the rec you were tagged in, and include these rules! :) If you have more than one person to highlight, consider spreading it out!

Bonus: Choose works by people you aren’t super tight with, or choose older works that maybe haven’t gotten some love in a while. :)

This summer I think I'm going to highlight my favorite writers and artists who delve into either the wider world of Thedas than just the Ferelden/Orlais we see in the games, and the writers who I believe capture Solas the best.

Today: some of the latter.

WRITER: @theharellan | @queenaeducan (AO3)

I discovered Tas's works via her Solas RP page, The Harellan, which also contains her masterful Solas meta.

Here's one of my favorite Solas think pieces: Solas Has Friends, and Some He Holds Loyalty to Before You. Oh and another: Protagonist Bias in the Red Lyrium Future

But I encourage you to check out the rest of the writing on @theharellan because in the past, Tas has answered many thought-provoking questions about Solas, both in and out of character. And man, Tas just has Solas's voice down both in RP and in writing.

Tas has written some of my favorite character studies. For example:

Fic: Remembering Well

Victory at Adamant came with a cost, and Solas does not want Varric to spend his first night in a world without Hawke in it without a friend.

This fic shows a beautiful reflection of Solas and his relationship with grief, and with the new world he's in--and his companions. It's really touching, and I remember reading it in the excellent fanzine Solamancy and being just gut-punched by it. Really beautiful prose, and firmly centered in Solas's head.

Fic: Tales of Fen'Harel

There are always two sides to every legend. A series of original legends about Fen'Harel.

Tas, in addition to thinking about Solas's worldview and conveying it clearly and thoughtfully, writes like a true storyteller. I love the legends and customs she's come up with for the elvhen over the years, and this small collection of legends demonstrates the skill she has weaving the canon lore with original headcanoned folklore.

Fic: Homecoming

Charter attends a Tevinter party, hoping to deny the Dread Wolf another ancient Elvhen artefact.

Tas is one of the first people I personally interacted with to really passionately encourage gen fic. She wrote me this fic in particular as part of an exchange, and I really treasure it. Now, it's a Charter & Lace Harding and Charter & Agents of Fen'Harel fic, sure -- but it's really, really good. And at the heart of it, the story Tas tells speaks to the true man beneath the mantle of Fen'Harel. This fic made me cry, and it still does.

And with that, I encourage you to check out the rest of Tas's works <3 They've written a lot over the years and have a trove to sift through, and I hope that as we experience more of DA4, it'll inspire more to come.

I tag forward, to recommend fics about Thedas at large or about Solas (if you're up for it - otherwise, any fics or fanart recs will be appreciated <3 )

@rosella-writes | @fadedsweater | @queenaeducan | @shift-shaping | @knightdawn

[lunamond]

In light of my recent post about Acotar, I wanted to gush some about my favourite Beauty and Beast and Ballad of Tam Lin (and a sprinkle of Bluebeard) YA retelling.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge ❤️

This is mostly going to be a gush fest and recommendation for anyone who was also excited by the idea of meshing Beauty and the Beast with Tam Lin and ended up utterly disappointed with Acotar.

Some very mild spoilers (mostly Worldbuilding)

Cruel Beauty is a fun and easy read: YA Fantasy Romance with plenty of popular tropes and archetypes, like the arranged marriage, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, etc

This book still manages to engage in such interesting ways with the original tales it's based on.

Instead of stealing the aesthetic of the Og fairytales and other folklore and mythology like in Acotar.

Any defining fae feature of Sjm's characters is immediately removed in the very beginning of Acotar (the lieing, the iron, etc), turning the characters in what amounts to hot magic people. Even their supposed long lifespans barely impact their behaviour or culture.

Cruel Beauty continuously builts on its roots, making them an intrinsic part of its narrative.

In Acotar outside of the very shallow narrative skeleton of the Beauty and the Beast tale, you could strip away the faerie and folklore elements, and you're left with the same story. The only changes you might need to make are to find a new name for Tamlin (while not that serious, I considered it quite offensive when I first read this series as a teenager that Sjm would take that name and then turn that character into an abuser).

In Cruel Beauty, however, both the defining elements of the Beauty and the Beast story and the Tam Lin story are crucial to the development and resolution of its plot.

The Beast of the story is cursed, as are the inhabitants of his castle. Nyx, our Beauty character, is offered in exchange for a mistake her father made. As she is unknowingly about to break the curse, the Beast lets her go back, but when she returns, it's too late to break the curse.

This is when the story morphes into the Ballad of Tam Lin, and Nyx has to win her lover back from the Faerie Queen in much the same manner as Janet did in the ballad, even saving him from a very similar fate.

The Bluebeard elements, which to me always seemed more like references than an actual retelling, are still really apparent and well integrated.

The representation of the fae is also great in this book. This is especially remarkable due to the fact that the actual words fae or faerie are never used once.

Instead, they are referred to as the Kindly Ones.

However, they are clearly trickster folk who make bargains with unwitting humans that always end up going wrong in cruel ways. They are fair, never directly lie, and always keep their end of the agreement. They place a lot of importance on names, are otherworldly, eerie, etc.

Basically, they actually seem Other, instead of talking and acting like frat bros from the 21st century.

This book differs from a lot of other Fae Fantasy, however, in the way it mixes Greco-Roman Myths with more Celtic Germanic Folklore. It creates a really fun interplay between these cultures, both in-world as well as on a meta level.

First of all, there are some other (in my opinion, more mediocre books) that do throw a lot of mythologies together. CB sets itself apart with the fact that it does so with a lot more purpose than others do.

In many people's minds, different cultures and mythos tend to be viewed as very separate. However, just looking at the Greek and Roman myths, it's already pretty clear that every time cultures clashed, so would their myths and stories.

This is a well studied phenomenon. The romans especially were well known to basically mash up their deities and myths with those of every new culture they interacted with.

And CB uses this brilliantly. The story is set in an alternate timeline, in which, after the fall of Rome, a kingdom known as Arcadia was created by former Roman generals/nobility. This mirrors actual history, during which many early medieval kingdoms would seek their legitimacy in their connections to the Roman Empire (see the Holy Roman Empire aka Germany).

But in CB, the fantastical elements are meshed up in this as well. This allows Rosamund Hodge to create an interesting interplay between the Greco-Roman Mythology imported by the elite in Arcadia and the more Celtic/Germanic Folklore elements native to the land and its population.

So, yeah. Go read Cruel Beauty, please.

[bleachbleachbleach]

Helloooo love your meta posts esp wrt to language so much!! It really has elevated my appreciation for the series by A LOT lol so thank you!

I have a question regarding ch 98 that's been bugging me incessantly: in the official translatjon renji says "all i do is bark at the moon", however in fan translations (and anime) renji is seen to be referring to a star. I am unable to find the raws anywhere to ascertain the finality of this conundrum so I was wondering if you could clarify what exactly is the 'object' renji is referring to here and lend us your thoughts?

Thank you for reading! I started this reread because I knew that the potential to really revel in this kind of stuff was already there, but I am really enjoying jumping into it full-on and wondering about and learning about a lot of extremely random things as I go. I'm really enjoying it!

[Bleach 098]

The Short Version

In the Japanese, Renji says, 星に向かって吠えるばっか ― which could be translated as "I’m just barking at the stars." 

The word he uses is 星 (hoshi), star, not moon. My guess is that the Viz chose "moon" because it’s more idiomatic in English to howl at the moon, and the phrase conveys that sense of lone wolf yearning/misdirection--particularly given that he’s talking about Rukia, and Rukia already has some moon imagery associated with her.

The catch is, the concept of "howling at the moon" also exists in Japanese; for example, there’s a famous modern poet named Hagiwara Sakutarou who wrote a collection titled 月に吠える、or, well, "Howling at the Moon." (You’ll notice the same verb, but 月 (tsuki/moon) instead of 星 (hoshi/star). But that's not what Renji says. I’d argue that it’s worth considering the idea that Renji was making a choice in not using that idiom! 

The Very Long Version

Stars and Moons and Monkeys and Tigers and Snakes and Dogs and-- oh my!

Tomes have been written about celestial symbolism, in Bleach and otherwise. I’m not a big celestial symbolism person, because they’re such BIG symbols I feel like sometimes they can feel very locked in, if that makes sense? Like X = moon and moon = Y and therefore X = Y. And while I love an extended metaphor, my preference is for very unstable, borderline sloppy referents. Which isn’t to say that celestial symbolism can’t be unstable and sloppy, too, and that’s what I really like about this whole Renji section. Renji is the KING of "imagistically, there is a lot going on here, my man."

As far as folklore is concerned, reaching for the moon might call to mind the story of the monkey reaching for the moon’s reflection:

The branch the monkey’s hanging from breaks and he falls into the water. His folly lies in failing to distinguish between what is real and what is illusion.

One one hand, this is fitting for Renji, our resident howler monkey. I don’t know how much baboon we’ve actually seen at this point, but we’ll see Zabimaru’s nue form very shortly. But of course Zabimaru isn’t just a monkey—he also has the head of a snake. And we have this dog imagery, coming from both Renji’s affiliation with Inuzuri and other body parts in some versions of the nue. And later we’ll have TIGER in the mix, too!!

There’s SO much going on. If Renji were a Project Runway creation, Tim Gunn would probably invite his creator edit—maybe choose one motif, one metaphor, one guy who will scan well on the runway.

But Renji exists in excess, he IS all those things, both in terms of his chimerical zanpakutou spirit and in terms of everything we’ve seen of him thus far: tearing through Ishida and Ichigo; herding butterflies with Rikichi; stunting with Rukia in jail; delivering Rukia to prison; getting stunted on by Aizen in a supply closet; being friends with Hinamori; tearing through Ichigo a second time; and now, finally, giving it all up and begging Ichigo: Just save her.

Bone Metaphors

The reader hasn’t seen it yet, but Renji knows what form Zabimaru’s bankai takes. In addition to all those animals and their potential allegories, we also have bone. In Renji's earlier line, there’s an idiom that I wish were preserved:

In the Viz, he says, "I’ll always be a stray dog." In the Japanese, his line is 「骨の髄まで野良犬根性が染み付いてやがるんだ.」Which could be translated as "I am, indelibly, a stray dog to the marrow of my bones /contemptuously." Or, more succinctly:

"I’m a stray dog to the bone."

I love this line because it’s reaching toward Renji’s challenge to Byakuya, insinuating still more layers to Renji’s multitudes.

Different Flavors of Disgust

Still thinking about Renji’s second act in this arc, I am also interested in his subsequent line. He says 厭になるぜ (iya ni naruze), or, in the Viz, "It makes me sick." But I was curious about the kanji 厭 (iya), because it’s more commonly written 嫌 (iya), which can be used as a negative interjection, or, pronounced differently, as the same word you’d use if you hated snails, or homework, or something―嫌い (kirai). Using the kanji 厭 is a less common spelling, though the meaning is similar. So I was like, well, what is the difference? According to this article, the kanji Renji uses is a lot more common in Chinese. If 嫌 is an expression of digust or hatred, 厭 suggests that you’ve specifically gotten tired of something (and are now disgusted with it). It’s the kanji you’d use to create the word for a pessimistic worldview, 厭世観 (enseikan). That is all to say, Renji has become sick and tired of it, and he’s about to change tack.

Failing Poetry 101

Coming back around to the original line, I really like Renji’s "I’m just barking at the stars" specifically because it doesn’t really reference any existing idiom, as might howling at the moon. "Barking at the moon" is an interesting middle ground, in that "barking" definitely feels more dog-like and howling more wolf-like; barking is less majestic, which fits with Renji’s description being derogatory of himself. Renji is not a poet in his use of loaded idioms but in his negation of them. And if Rukia can be described by moon imagery, she too contains multitudes and I think it's well within her power to be the stars, too.

Kira, as Renji’s most poetic friend, probably rolls partway into his grave whenever Renji says stuff like this, because it breaks poetic form. But I think he’s probably also kind of envious that Renji thinks this stuff up, because it’s fresh, new, off-kilter imagery, it is its own kind of poetry, and let's be real, the moon imagery market is fairly saturated. *frames moon with giant rebar hole in body*

So I’d say, "howling at the moon" conjures a certain kind of poetry, steeped in all the macro-folkloric meanings of the moon and dogs/wolves. "Barking at the moon" is kind of half-half. "Barking at the stars" is not a pre-existing idiom (or poem, or expected language), and conjures a completely different referent(s), the immediate of which is, of course, the volume’s own poem. Renji is out here Renji-ing it.

[Bleach Vol. 11 poem]

[bluedalahorse]

Notes on Sara’s initiation costumes

I am allowing myself a few comments of meta before before I begin my Substantial Adulting Task Of The Day.

How we see a character at the beginning of a season and at the end of a season is so indicative of their arc. Costuming plays a role in this, and this morning I’m particularly interested in how it plays out with Sara.

In episode 2.1 of Young Royals, the Manor House girls initiate Sara into their circle. This initiation ceremony includes various costume items, all of which evoke with different archetypes and provide foreshadowing for the group’s eventual split. The girls cover Sara’s face with a witch mask, and have her wear an apron painted with a garishly bright and headless naked body, including prominent pillow breasts. For a portion of the initiation, Sara wears a princess’s tiara—something that is taken back by Fredrika, who anxiously explains about it being a family heirloom.

As we saw with Wilhelm’s initiation, and with initiations of this sort in real life, there is often a stage of the process that involves degradation or humiliation of the initiate before they are fully integrated into the community. The Manor House girls decide to degrade Sara with the breast-apron and the witch mask. Let’s unpack these symbols a little more. The nakedness of the apron speaks to with the idea of being exposed and vulnerable, but also—in this case—has connotations of sexuality and sexual awakening. It’s hard not to think of the way people cut teenage girls and adult women down by slut-shaming them. As for the witch, witches are folkloric outsiders. People of all genders in modern times have reclaimed the label of witch and found the empowering aspects of non-conformity, the same way Sara sometimes tries to empower herself by saying “I don’t need to fit in anyway” especially early on in the series. At the same time, we can’t ignore the way that historical accusations of witchcraft and witch trials have been used to push women out of their communities—especially older women, and women who were experiencing mental illness and neurodivergence. There’s a difference between claiming the role of the witch for oneself, and having it slapped on you as you’re forced out of the place you call home.

What about the tiara? The tiara of course invokes the archetype of the princess, and more broadly the idea of royal women. By joining Manor House, Sara has gotten a chance to “try on” royal status, but she doesn’t get to keep it. Fredrika taking the tiara back shows how quickly the can girls take back their welcoming of Sara, and how conscious they all are of Sara’s outsider status even when she’s passing her initiation with flying colors. (Lighting the banner on fire? Iconic.) I love how layered the symbolism of the tiara is, and how organically it fits into the Hillerska universe. It makes total literal sense that these landed rich kids would bring a family heirloom like that to school, use it for their teenage antics instead of like going to the drug store for bachelorette party supplies or whatever, and then get nervous about breaking it or getting it dirty during aforementioned teenage antics. And yet, the fact that this item has a history in Fredrika’s family shows that there’s a real system of power and wealth and lineage beyond the tiara—a system that works against girls like Sara.

Note that the tiara appears again in 2.5, when the girls are doing their TikTok video. The camera is panning across the dormitory wall when the voice on the video says “Who’s going to be the first to get married?” The camera lingers for a moment on a Polaroid of Sara during her initiation, where she’s wearing the breast-apron and the tiara together. This combination of power (tiara) and reproductive biology (apron) are a glaring reminder that the monarchy’s historic power has relied upon bloodlines to keep it going, and that they’ve used dynastic marriages to secure and maintain those bloodlines. This raises the question: does Sara reinforce that historical pattern with her gender in a way that Simon can’t, or disrupt it with her social class the same way her brother does? The camera cuts away from the photograph and over to the Manor House girls, who push Fredrika forward and she mimes showing off an engagement ring.

(Tangent: I keep wondering if Fredrika’s going to end up in a somewhat significant heterosexual relationship next season. I don’t see it taking over the plot but I can see it being used to develop themes.)

Let’s move ahead to the girls’ falling out and where Sara ends the season. Felice is upset with Sara in a fairly nuanced way; we know what she feels most betrayed by is Sara being in love with August when August did horrible crimes and Sara knew about it. Felice is trying to grapple with the complexity of Sara—she’s seen a side to her that she didn’t know about before and couldn’t have easily predicted. I think it’s fair to say that even if Felice is furious with Sara and feels deceived, she’s still seeing Sara as a human being. She’s just seeing a human being she doesn’t want to be friends with anymore.

Stella and Fredrika, meanwhile, don’t see Sara—they only see the initiation costume. Sara, the witch, is disloyal to Hillerska conformity and should be cast out. Sara, the blatantly naked girl, went and slept with a boy she shouldn’t have. I think it’s worth pointing out that while, yes, August did crimes and Sara knew that, Fredrika and Stella don’t know this part of the story. From their perspective, they are attacking Sara for… *checks notes*… hooking up with a guy that Felice dated last semester and never really cared about?  They’re mad with Sara for being so “naive” as to be “manipulated” by the school’s notorious player (even though Sara did a fair amount of initiating in the relationship and August was infinitely less harassment-inclined toward the other Hillerska girls in season 2?) While, in life, sometimes slut-shaming is really obvious, there are other times where it’s covered up by flimsy excuses. “I’m sex-positive, I just think in this case she should have…” Stella and Fredrika are not making the case for justice or accountability. Again, they don’t know what this has done to Sara’s relationships with Simon and Felice. They’re enjoying the opportunity to tear Sara down and reinforce the values of their insular, elitist community.

This is precisely what makes Stella and Fredrika so interesting to me. Until they clear the air about whatever’s going on between them (we know Stella has unrequited romantic love, but Fredrika’s romantic feelings are unconfirmed, and it’s clear they haven’t had a real conversation about it) they are inclined to lash out at authenticity in others. Their joking about the sex tape and surrogate mothers in 1.6 kinda happens along the same lines. Sara has the authenticity of the witch archetype and allows herself to be emotionally naked/vulnerable in that moment, holding true to her heart even when it’s weaponized against her. This is why her parting line to Stella and Fredrika, about how at least she can be honest about her own feelings, is so satisfying to me. YMMV, of course. But I think it says a lot about who Sara is and what she’s willing to own, even if she takes a while to process a deeply messy situation and let go of what she loves.

(This is also why Maddie can’t be present in the scene. Maddie is chaotically authentic and only follows Hillerska’s rules when she wants to. She’d be chiming in like, ok yeah he’s evil trash but he at least went down on you right?)

To wrap up, I want to address Sara’s final look of the series. The word that comes to mind when I think of her final outfit is “dislocated.” Sara’s left her riding pants behind on the dorm room bed—a symbol of breaking with her friends, and specifically the way they’ve weaponized their wealth against her. As she leaves Hillerska’s grounds with her rolling suitcase, she’s wearing her skirt and blouse, but not her blazer and tie. She’s still somewhat attached to the school, but not in the way where she’s wearing their logo anymore. She also wears her purple shirt, reminding us of Simon’s infamous purple clothing accents, and I think we’re supposed to see this as her thoughts being partially with her brother and the home she grew up in. While Sara begins the season in caught up in a jumble of archetypes, she ends the season in a different kind of liminal space: between two worlds, but not really anchored in either of them. This makes me wonder where Sara will end up in season 3 physically. We’ve all assumed she is going back to Linda, but it may be that she tries something really unexpected, like moving in with her dad or trying to make it on her own now that she’s eighteen. Both of those things make me worry for her.

Sara’s future home is another issue entirely, so I’ll bring this back around to character arcs. There’s themes going on in season 2 about how people can get pigeonholed into certain fairy tale archetypes, and a lot those themes get reinforced through costuming choices. At the end of the season, we’re being asked to see Sara as a person—her sparkle and flaws all as once, just as she is.

BONUS COSTUMING NOTE: did you notice that Sara is predominantly dressed in white during the Valentines ball scene, while Felice is predominantly dressed in black? Please note that this is the episode where August begins scheming again and in the episodes that follow we see him lurking around the chess board in the common room and talking to the other third years about how to win chess and stuff. My point is, FELICE AND SARA ARE THE CHESS QUEENS THIS SEASON. I THINK IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON PURPOSE. I love the way this show makes me think!

[syrena-del-mar]

BL Meta Masterlist

Hello! If you've landed on my page, it's likely that you came across one of my various BL metas that I've posted. I watch way too many for my own good and I try to write as much as I can when a show captivates me (though half of them become half-finished drafts rotting away). The actual number of meta that I have written in the last year, since La Pluie aired, has increased so much that I've have started to lose track of what I've written. So I'm compiling them all onto this list, which will be regularly updated with the new posts that I write.

Be My Favorite

Embracing the Waters of Uncertainty

Exploring Enclosures and Privacy in 'Be My Favorite'

Folklore of Flowers: Wisterias in 'Be My Favorite' Episode 6

Kawi's Journey with Self-Worth and Pisaeng's Reassurance

Dead Friend Forever

An Ode to Older Siblings: New in Dead Friend Forever, Episode 9

Celestial Pleasures: Miscellaneous Thoughts on PheeJin's NC Scenes

Dead Friend Forever is More Than Just A 90s Slasher Film Imitation

Echoes of Guilt: Exploring the Thin Line Between Tee's Redemption and Salvation in Dead Friend Forever, Episode 11

Examining the Use of Movie Posters in Dead Friend Forever, Episode 8

On Non's Medications: Lorazepam

On Non's Medications, Part 2: Quetiapine Fumarate

Selfish Desires and the Class War: Dead Friend Forever, Episode 10

The Nine Circles of Hell: Dead Friend Forever, Episode 7

KinnPorsche

Interlocking Narratives: Exploring the Chains of Kim and Chay

La Pluie

A Jungian Perspective on La Pluie

Balancing Self-Absorption and Love in La Pluie

La Pluie: A Tale of Tender Hearts

La Pluie meets Nora Roberts

The Depths of Inner Turmoil: Exploring Isolation, Connection, and Vulnerability in La Pluie Ep. 10

Third-Child Syndrome: Birth Order Theory in La Pluie

Last Twilight

Blind Spots of Motherhood: Last Twilight, Episode 10

Moonlight Chicken

Alan, the Textbook 'Nice Guy'

In Support of Uncle Jim

My Stand In

Navigating the Conflict in My Stand In: Surrender and Softening in Love *NEW*

Only Friends

Boston, the Machiavellian Prince?

Notes of Desire: Sand's Possible Soundtrack

Threads of Boston's Intimacy: Crochet, Cotton and Connections

Very Rarely Do Men Know How to Be Altogether Wicked or Altogether Good

Step by Step

Carnation Flowers: Motherhood, Weddings and Juxtaposition of Sexualities

"Foliage, Flowers, and Feelings, Oh My!" in Step By Step Ep. 8.

The Birth Order Theory: The Only Child in Step By Step

Shorter Dive on Birth Order in Step by Step

Twins

Volleying Hearts: Navigating Love and Insecurities in Twins the Series, Ep. 10

Miscellaneous Metas

Revisiting Houses of Thai BL: Dead Friend Forever and Deep Night

[notbecauseofvictories]

Books of 2022

In 2022, I read fewer books overall (143, down from last year’s ridiculous 303) but I did manage to cut down on my romance novel reading---a respectable 52% instead of last year’s 78%. The consequence of this is that I did actually read more good books this year, books I could talk about with other people and inspired feelings and thoughts that rattled around my head afterwards. Plus some actual nonfiction!

Going through all of them, what I liked about them, why they made such an impression, would take a while---plus I’ve already talked about most of these in my books tag. So I’m just going to invite everyone to ask about anything that catches their eye!

BEST FICTION (IN THE ORDER I READ THEM) ** indicates a particular favorite

The House of Small Shadows, Adam Nevill

**The Cipher, Kathe Koja

Eartheater, Dolores Reyes

Hadriana in All My Dreams, René Depestre

**Tender is the Flesh, Agustina Bazterrica 

You've Lost a Lot of Blood, Eric LaRocca

The Beautiful Ones, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

Girl A, Abigail Dean

This Might Hurt, Stephanie Wrobel

**Burning Girls and Other Stories, Veronica Schanoes

Eva Ibbotson’s A Countess Below Stairs, A Company of Swans, & Magic Flutes

Deerskin, Robin McKinley

BEST NONFICTION

An Iliad, Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare

**Capitalist Realism, Mark Fisher

Urban Folklore in the Paperwork Empire, Alan Dundes & Carl R. Pagter

**Fun Home, Alison Bechdel

**Men, Women & Chainsaws, Carol J. Clover

[romance novels and most disliked books under the cut---I did give these a bit of an explanation, because being asked about romance novels makes me itchy. We shall never speak of these again.]

ROMANCE NOVEL READING

Vivienne Lorret (How to Forget a Duke, Ten Kisses to Scandal, The Rogue to Ruin, When a Marquess Loves a Woman, How to Steal a Scoundrel's Hear) Admittedly, nothing particularly unique about these---however, they are more traditional romance and a pretty decent attempt at actual regency-style manners, so I enjoyed myself reading them.

Olivia Atwater (Half a Soul, Ten Thousand Stitches, Longshadow) I actually sincerely loved these! Supernatural historical romance from a solid writer. Plus, the series has angrier, more class-conscious sensibilities than all the romance novels I've read---and is less hypocritical about it too, since the characters are largely not nobility, and there's no marrying dukes involved.

Alice Coldwater (His Forsaken Bride, An Ill-Made Match, The Unlovely Bride, Wed By Proxy) So admittedly, I don’t recommend reading all four of these together---it becomes increasingly clear that Coldwater can only write one and a half heroines, and both of them are excessively weepy. Nevertheless, I took a total leap of faith on this (historical fantasy romance isn't typically my genre) and was rewarded by a lot of delightful pining, some court politics, and the 1.5 heroines she can write are fun to follow around.

C.L. Wilson (The Winter King, The Sea King) If last year was about reading every romance novel about dukes I could find, this year was about finding all the fantasy romance novels. (Shout out to Stephanie Garber who also helped feed this inexplicable urge!) Anyway, this series was fun, similar to the above in that it’s fake fantasy politics and some romance, and that’s a combination that works for me.

MOST DISLIKED BOOKS

Redshirts, John Scalzi I have never despised a book quite like this one! I still can't tell if it's the smirkingly obvious Star Trek meta of it all, or the hat on a hat that is the last chapter/coda 1. I did like coda 3, but only because it felt like the only quietly, emotionally sincere part of the whole stupid book.

High Times in the Low Parliament, Kelly Robinson Novellas must be tricky to write---I’ve read a fistful or so, and find them to be wildly variable in quality and effectiveness. That said....the author’s attempt to resolve entrenched political problems via dance made me roll my eyes so hard I strained a muscle. It ruined what might have otherwise been a fun time, since I did like the narrator's charmingly disaffected perspective

Always Be My Duchess, Amalie Howard Emotional honesty and vulnerability has no place in romance novels. I read historical romance specifically so people won’t talk about their feelings, and the fact that romancelandia keeps shoehorning therapy-speak into my regency may in fact be my villain origin story. However, even worse than that is this book’s use of “totally” and "patriarchy" in a completely ahistorical way, betraying a nauseating disinterest in the time period being written about. Worse than even that: the total fucking coward's move it is to write a Pretty Woman fic but then have the heroine be a virgin and not a sex worker at all. God knows we can't be interesting.

Death, Laura Thelassa This one is my own fault. I did think "hey isn't that the romance series with the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse? I read one of those a long time ago; I should give it another shot." (I promise, I regretted it instantly.) However, it is another excellent entry in the long list of cowardly books that refuse to actually lean into enemies to lovers as a trope. Also, if you have undying protagonists? they should kill each other more.

[zehecatl]

happy steam sale to all, here’s a 'little’ rec list for (primarily) indie games that, in my opinion, isn’t as popular as they deserve to be!

Ghostwire: Tokyo -60% the only triple a game you’ll see on this list, and my own all time personal favourite. if you like anime, japanese history and folklore, and bromance, you will very likely love this game. it also lets you explore Tokyo and pet the dogs! and cats! literally perfect game!!

Iconoclasts -70% i have been shilling this game, at every major steam sale, for pretty much four-five years. before Ghostwire, it was my all time favourite video game. it was in development, by one person, for around eight years. it is still, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous pieces of pixel art in the whole damn medium. just. please check it out i beg

Angels of Death -40% rpgmaker game that absolutely excels at being a character driven story. it also got an anime adaptation? which i’ve actually never seen?? but if you grew up playing horror rpgmaker games, please do yourself a favour, and check this out. and if you didn’t- check it out anyway! it’s not super scary or anything, with a more psychological horror focus

Owlboy -65% tiny owl boy does his very best and will worm his way into your heart and then crush it because life is maybe a bit too cruel to him. also you can fly! did i mention you can fly??

Pony Island + The Hex -80% did you adore Inscryption? did you like the meta element? then oh boy, should you check out Daniel Mullins’ two former games! they’re good! probably has the same vibe as Inscryption! could not tell you i still have not played that thing! but these are both very good, and absolutely worth every cent

Underhero -70% it’s a bit rough around the edges, but man, this game has so much love put into it, and i think it deserves way more love than it got

My Friend Pedro -75% the action is definitely the high point here, but i have a personal soft spot for the lil’ bit of lore we do get. like, there is something there, and i want to dig my fingers in. also wacky banana is funny

Sayonara Wild Hearts -40% queer girls on motorcycles? in my rhythm game?? it’s more likely than you think!! (also, if you suck at rhythm games: me too, this is still worth picking up)

MO:Astray -50% the fact that seemingly no one on tumblr has played this... despite the fact that it feels like it’d be a right shoe in... criminal. there is a little CREACHUR! LOOK AT IT. IT IS A SLIME!!

The Messenger -75% i legit thought this game was way more popular than it, apparently, is, which i think just speaks volume of my opinion on it. it’s genuinely right up there with Shovel Knight as iconic retro throwbacks- plus! the devs are making THE most gorgeous indie rpgs, apparently set in the same universe. so that is another reason to check it out

This Strange Realm of Mine -90% an extremely weird little game that will likely not be for everyone, or even most people, but that i really liked. considering the price, i don’t really think there’s much to lose on buying this little gem

Darkside Detective -70% funny point & click game with very shipable protagonists! there’s also a ‘second season’ that i have not played (yet), but is very likely absolutely worth getting

Haiku, the Robot -33% it is, rather obviously, not as good as Hollow Knight, but if you’re suffering from ‘waiting for Silksong’, perhaps this little gem will tide you over

Transiruby -30% another small metroidvania! has really pretty pixel art, and is just a fun little time

Flynn, Son of Crimson -50% not what it was promised, but it’s a fun platformer with gorgeous pixel art, and a dog. it’s a good time, and isn’t that what we all want :]

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows -70% a cute horror game, with excellent enemy designs, and a whole town to explore. also the story is so good. i am still absolutely enamoured with this title. this is, technically, the 2nd in a series, but you can play the games standalone, and while i’m sure the 1st is just as good, i’ve only played this one. because priorities (also keep in mind!! that this is a horror game!!! i’d recommend looking up some trigger warnings, because, uh. horror game!)

A Short Hike -35% just an extremely cozy and fun little game. exploring every inch of this island was just such a good time, i still think extremely fondly of this title

Webbed -30% i am gently laying an hand on the shoulder of every bug enthusiastic on this website. you play as a spider. who is trying to get back her boyfriend from a bird. and there’s a really fun swinging mechanic. do you really need anything more?

Garden Story -60% i am once again shocked this game isn’t more popular. what do you mean a cozy adventure game with community restoration, foraging, and some fun combat with a grape protagonist isn’t one of the biggest sellers in cozy gaming spheres. there’s a frog. you can put on different hats. what else do you want!!

Donut County -70% funny little game about making holes and being a chaotic racoon. i have an extremely soft spot for the characters in this, i could not explain it <3

also Oxenfree is not on sale, but it’s cheap, and the sequel is dropping very soon! and you should absolutely check it out! because it’s really REALLY good!!

[prairiedust]

one thousand days of destiel, or cas: fuckerupper of endings

Idk why I’m crawling out from under my woodpile to write this, except that it occurred to me that in three years I’ve not rewatched a single episode of Supernatural and have at least two dozen tags yet blacklisted on tumblr, and that I am still not okay about this stupid show.

I never tried to tie up the folklore/author themes I’d been geeking out about through the last seasons, neither as the show was ending nor afterwards. I’ve been simmering now for over a thousand days. I could not even write a complete sentence about spn for all this time, and so I just left that pot on the back burner and did other things. Finished my Master’s degree. Started a new job. Saw my oldest child graduate from high school and move off to college, and helped my younger child move on to sixth grade. Watched some other shows, got a new blorbo, saw some movies, started painting again, picked up a couple of new hobbies as I am wont to do.  

Today is the 5th of November, 2023. (ETA i sat on this for a bit.)

November 5th, 2020, was exactly one thousand and ninety-five days ago.

I see gifs from the show from time to time and I think to myself, wow, that scene/episode/series is completely irrelevant to my life now. I am fine and normal about everything. But if it really was, if I really was, it would not hurt so much to see the gifs and the lyric posts and the amvs when they aren’t caught in my tag filters. So maybe it’s time to get some things out of my head and onto paper.

I genuinely, nearsightedly, naively thought that since Dabb et al had been the ones writing the whole folk v author themes, and thus posing as someone we could count as being on “our side,” the folk-side of the postmodern audience, they’d honor that conceit, even to the very last shot. 

They did not.

And yet… they absolutely did.

Which hurts and is fucked up, but also it’s fine. It’s fine.

In the end, the only “folk hero” (by which I mean the only force in the spn universe capable of warping the threads of the story with any permanence) was Castiel. When Castiel left the story (of his own volition, if you can find a comfortable layer of this meta pie for that concept to rest in,) the writers reverted to God Mode. Because Castiel had been their freedom, their mouthpiece, their avenue for improvisation, and so at the end of the series…

well, we got You changed me/I love you

   •

and then we got “Cas helped.”

So much has been written about that pivot point, but genuinely I don’t give a rat’s ass about rewrites, producers, the cutting room floor, or COVID. It exhausts me, and I’m not beholden to writing about spn for grades or notes or any kind of other bullshit that would oblige me to do research.

I feel like… we got what we got.

So let’s criticize some media.

The Paradox: 

Cas imploded— went from flexing the narrative from within to being narrated by a force from without. And I couldn’t bear to wrap my head around that for a long time. It seemed that this “twist” was beyond cruel. That’s what he got. Vanished and nerfed. For saying ily. That was what happened when he was finally in focus, fully revealed. He lost. He was relegated, along with Jack, to become heaven’s Two Men and a Truck.

It was a trick, the whole “Chuck is a writer” plotline. The Author regained control of the character that had previously been acting independently. Very Pirandellesque, very frustrating, ultimately even tragic.

So, yes, thematically and critically, having Castiel give up his Agency for Characterhood– giving up his ability to create plot for a role as a character in a plot— was ‘literary’ brilliance. It cemented his status as a grand fucker-upper of the show in a way that any show writer “authoring” a requited destiel ending would not and could not have done. Even Jack, I believe, had been “manipulated” into god-hood from within the narrative. Jack was Dabb’s grand metaphor, he was a product of Author. Castiel was… well, he was a chaos engine from the moment he walked through those barn doors. 

To seal the metaphor, the writers ended up living that truth.

I really don’t know if I’m being cogent about this. I’ve been struggling to turn this idea into words for, like, ONE THOUSAND DAYS.

The folk-vs-Author themes becoming A Thing in The Supernatural Show was like a chemical reaction: once the ions had bonded, the resultant compound could not be separated back into the different materials. What on that screen was Author, what was “author,” ie show writer, and what was text-experiencer-as-author? Where did the Sam-as-magician arc go, what were we supposed to do with the semi-metatextual moments that Mary had, having been brought back into the narrative by Amara, not Chuck? Everything got so out of control. Add in a smidgen of secret-sauce-TPTB possibly superseding the author/Author, and what you get is that ridiculous mess of a final two episodes.

It’s not about the rusty trombone or the butt hole pleasures. It’s about love. And kids.

Thank you, hon. It really is. (The above line was left in this doc by my spouse. It is a quote from The 40-Year-Old Virgin. I’ll allow it.)

Anyway. It was hard to see past the sound and the fury of it all. 

*****

I was feeling nostalgic several months ago and took a swim in my old meta tags; I found a gem from season…10? Idk and idc, but it was from “The Things We Left Behind.” 

I compared Claire to Sleeping Beauty (a tale that got a lot of use in later seasons) and wrote: “I tend to think that Castiel’s entire arc is about desperate and unintentionally misguided attempts to Change The Ending of whatever story he’s shown up in” and reading that again really kind of sucker-punched me.

‘We’re making it up as we go’ was the crux of Cas’ existence. Remember that half-related story in Baby wherein Cas got himself hitched to the Djinn queen? Remember when Jack died and the Empty came to claim him in Heaven and Cas made that terrible bargain? The last-minute attempt to gank Lucifer that actually got him killed and sent to The Empty?

Time and time again, Castiel’s go-to for “changing the narrative,” for advancing his plot, is self-sacrifice. In Chuck’s house against the archangel. The Leviathan disaster. Saying ‘yes’ to Lucifer. The Bargain for Jack in Heaven. And those times it worked out. Not without great pain for both the other characters and for the viewers, but he always came back. 

And with each return, his motivation became clearer. (Picture your favorite screencap of Dean here.)

Cas’ love grew, crystalized, and then disappeared, like frost on the windowpane of a house on fire.

If they had continued the CasDean storyline, it would have ultimately been The Author IRL writing/creating/manifesting/materializing ‘destiel.’ And so by putting a torch to all of that architecture, they essentially gave everything to us. Unspoilt. Fingerprints wiped. Serial numbers scratched away. Jailbroken. Whatever floats your boat. 

The confession was both affirmation and abnegation. Symbolically, The AuthorTM had washed his hands of it, but with destiel out of the picture, The Author also got his ending.

This is why “Cas helped” felt like a ‘fuck you.’ If Cas was out of the narrative, why did he come back as one of Heaven’s real estate developers? It did not fit. 

And yet. It did. Because Chuck won. Chuck, or everything that an Author represents in television land– TPTB, showrunner legacies, multiple producers, a chaotic and treacherous and politically messy writer’s room, multiple incompatible or unresolvable MOs and visions— all that ends up being packaged and presented as a single unerring vision.

So I have to admit, although I don’t have to do it with any ion of grace, that in the end it was pretty fucking smart.

Destiel is ours. Destiel is the folk ending. The Author never got to touch it, never so much as breathed on it, was so far divorced from the concept that the absence thereof going forward hit us like a truck full of bricks.

Yes, it hurts that Dean was just left on the floor until the credits rolled, that there were no final words, no ensuing acknowledgement. 

I’ll go so far outside the Text as to address the ‘Dean can’t reciprocate’ direction from one of the scripts:

If Dean had made a single move onscreen. Uttered a word. In Despair or either of the other two episodes.

Destiel would have been claimed by The Author. 

Anyway. I’ve been collecting posts now and again under the tag ‘the endless folklore of supernatural.’ For three years, the fandom has continued to loot, to ransack, to graffiti, to create and re-create, to burn, to mix, and to distill. 

There’s all kinds of things in that tag, it’s sort of a kitchen sink of everything that I thought was even tangentially relevant to folk-Destiel and the postmodern experience of creating text as a reader/viewer etc. 

We turned a literary story based on an urban folktale back into folklore. 

And so it goes.

I doubt I will do much more analysis of this show, even if it comes back, and I unfortunately can’t touch The Winchesters. But I can’t say I never will. I just thought three years, one thousand days, was a pretty good place to leave a marker on the trail.

—

Epilogue: About The Winchesters:

I did not finish watching The Winchesters because of something wildly, randomly, but highly personally triggering that was built into one of the episodes; however I am very sorry that it was canceled or possibly ironically lost to the WGA-SAGAFTRA strike of 2023.

“What is the maddest thing a man can do? Let himself die.” That’s the clue that leads Castiel to his hidden grace in a copy of The Man of LaMancha in 10.18 ‘The Book of the Damned,’ written by one Robbie Thompson.

I noticed from the get-go that Thompson gave Carlos the last name Cervantez. He was nodding to the self-immolation of the last cadre of writers of Supernatural and stating clearly that he was holding a pen, not a match.

Want some very fun and amusing and wildly pertinent facts about the Don Quixote books?

The narrative conceit of Don Quixote IN THE FIRST PLACE LOL is that Cervantes claims to have found a manuscript by a historian named Cide Hamete Benegeli and Cervantes thought the story was pretty neat, if a little rough; Cervantes retells the story for us from what he’d read by that author, distilling the “original” into the book we experience as Don Quixote the Man of La Mancha.

The final words of Cervantes’ Part One are “perhaps another will sing with a better pick.”

Later, someone publishing under the pseudonym Alonso Fernandez de Avellaneda wrote their own part two, feeling that the original author was taking too long to get their ass in gear (or judging by their own preface they felt that Cervantes had not even done the original story justice in the first place. Which is A Mood.)

So when someone actually did have the audacity to run off with his characters and commit word crimes with them, Cervantes absolutely obliterated the dude in his own Part Two. 

Thompson left Spn after season eleven. But, lest someone think this is a commentary about fan fic, he also wrote the episode Fan Fiction. So anyway all the Cervantez-Cervantes business was certainly something.

[the-complete-history-of-gotham]

new employee of WE here, why are some of my coworkers talking about watching "Demon Bat" conspiracy videos? Is that a thing that happened because I'm checking the records and... Commissioner Gordon himself has made an entire series on this!?

oh yeah, early days Batman was thought to be some sort of meta or creature or something mostly because no one could catch more than a glimpse or even upload photos without them disappearing forever.

so a lot of people started thinking like “oh he MUST be a demon”

it was mostly a convergence of different cultures and Gotham’s folklore that the whole demon thing happened.

some people were convinced he was cursed by a bat demon? To be honest that is the other guy, (who is the patron of a bat demon lol) so I understand the confusion.

so the story goes that he hadTo take a deal to become strong enough to fight for the cities people and safety of Gotham because he’s a tortured soul.

Though that kinda evolved and changed when he joined the justice league and confirmed for the first time ever he was actually human and not cursed or something.

so back on topic, jimmy our man since he had no better ideas just started believing he was a demon as well, it was only about 5 years in when Robin came along that he finally let go of the demon idea. Because he’s very obviously a father to a young child, and just a guy and not a demon.

so while incredibly outdated there is a lot of information on Batman from the early days being a demon, not to mention the league of assassin’s? Who are also kinda doing a demon thing and have beef with Batman for some reason and all of his kin.

There’s a wonderful excerpt in the “complete history of Batman” from jimmy himself where he explains why both he and most of Gotham thought he was a bat demon lol.

“So I was there, a mugger on the ground pummeled; and he was just about ready to take off. I yelled at him to stop and well he didn’t, but he turned around, his face was unsettling as you couldn’t tell what was going on in the dark of night; his eyes though, white and vivid. I felt a visceral sense of fear. Like- I was prey and he was predator, he disappeared shortly after that, and that was my first experience with him. You understand why I thought we all thought he was some kind of demon” -Jim Gordon in the complete history of Batman: chapter 2 page 28

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Fishes, Water, & Dreams: A rant and Intro to Jungian Concepts and Maybe the show doing all this on purpose?

intro to part 2 on Jung concepts inspiring the show's narrative.

I initially dove deep into Freud's influence on The Bear Season 3, especially since Richie frequently uses Freudian terms throughout the season. But as I mentioned in my last post, Richie is also into Jungian concepts.

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung? Two influential figures in psychology. Freud is known for his theories on the unconscious mind (as known as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were two leading figures in psychology. Freud is known for his theories on the unconscious mind (which is the parts of ourselves, thoughts, memories, and feelings we aren't aware of). Freud was mainly focused on repressed desires, sexuality, and how they influence behavior. Carl Jung, once a mentee of Freud, eventually broke away and developed his own theories, like the collective unconscious and the significance of archetypes and symbols.

Now, I’m not a Freudian or Jungian scholar, but I’m fascinated by how film explores the human mind by using different mediums to enter our subconscious. Over the years, I've encountered Jung's concepts here and there, and Here are a few of my favorite Jungian ideas and quick definition:

Collective Unconscious: The collective unconscious is a shared part of the human mind that holds universal symbols, memories, and experiences inherited from our ancestors.

Dominant and Inferior Functions: The dominant function is how we naturally interact with the world—it feels more comfortable to us. The inferior function is a weaker part of us that we usually avoid. It lies in our unconscious. Integrating it can lead us to wholeness. Think of the MBTI Test, a test of personality type based on Jung's work. You'll see reddit posts about Richie being an ESFP or ESFJ. So it's definitely talked about amongst fans.

Symbolism: Jung believed symbols represent deeper, unconscious meanings beyond what is on the surface. They appear in dreams, the arts, and folklore. Symbols connect us to the collective unconscious and help us understand hidden aspects of ourselves and the world. AKA the meta you see here that talks about the clothes the characters wear, the symbol of knives—forks—are all Freud and Jung's concepts.

Dreams: According to Jung, dreams are messages from the unconscious mind. They use symbols and images to reveal hidden thoughts and feelings to reach wholeness

Synchronicity: When two events seem connected, even though there’s no clear cause linking them, a meaningful coincidence.

Speaking of synchronicity, I found some myself! I was obsessed with exploring Freud’s concepts in Season 3 and wanted to write more about symbolism. But then, I discovered that some of the symbolism in the show is something Jung really delved into, so I stopped at trains. And guess what? I learned this week that Richie was initially supposed to be reading Jung. I'll use this synchronicity as a message from my unconscious that I must write this series and put it out there.

Anyway- the creators have to study Freud and Jung, right? How would they guide viewers through such intense emotional journeys if not by tapping into our subconscious?

I know sometimes sydcarmies- including me are tired of the subconscious components of the show. Maybe just impatient? However, the characters haven't fully developed yet they haven't integrated the parts of themselves to reach wholeness- revealing what it all means could be revealing the ending. It is a slow burn! They're taking the characters on deep emotional journeys, similar to the audience.

I know some think we may be delusional in thinking that the table scene symbolizes sex or that the knives and boxes represent Sydney and Carmy's sexual tension. But aren't there just too many symbolism or synchronicities for the show not to be intentionally doing this?

This is more of an organized rant on Jung concepts. The next part will explore how the dominant and inferior functions manifest in the characters.

[hxhhasmysoul]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "hxhhasmysoul "?

10? No order because I'm copying them from the tabs I opened from my ao3 bookmarks. Read the tags, especially for the M and E ratings, some are a lot.

Blue Waters by TwilaStar

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19319146/chapters/45953566

Creepy and dystopian killugon fic. Rating: T

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Paper Ties by sub_divided

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21944593

Kalluto character study by a hxh meta queen. Rating: T

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Separation Anxiety – Put your lips on my scars and teach me to love by yuujispinkhair

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47217538/chapters/118970731

A beautiful and romantic canon divergence sukuita fic where Sukuna is very not self-aware and will need to deal with the consequences of that. Rating E

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What Remains by SkinLizard

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40101741/chapters/100434132

A heart wrenching what if Gon and Killua didn't meet as kids killugon fic. Rating: M

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Ten Years and a Day by EvilPeaches

https://archiveofourown.org/series/2263070

A deeply tragic and disturbing Sukuna wins sukuita fic. Rating E

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The Sea Torn Hearts by fireolin

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15027605/chapters/34837349

A beautiful killugon AU with magic and sea creatures. Rating E

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Baby you're Violent (Sukuita) by Snakespell

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3691219

A deeply tragic sukuita AU where Sukuna is a god and Yuuji is a human he owns. Rating E

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Enshrined by Cogni_Diss

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3699397

A funny but also kinda heavy sukuita Heian AU where Yuuji becomes a living kami. Rating M

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Tease by litrallymadlad

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20130361/chapters/47689972

A funny and melancholic killugon college AU but where Gon is a porn star and Killua is weird. Rating obviously E

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Double-Edged Crown by cyberflamingo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31183748/chapters/77068712

An endearing and well plotted royalty AU where Gon is a prince and Killua pretends to be a girl. Rating T

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Into the Wood by SchrodingersCat_DoA

https://archiveofourown.org/works/51919369

A disturbing and very folklore sukuita AU. Rating E

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Iseka- I can't believe this shit by Roxie23

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49461457/chapters/124827850

A hilarious isekai sukuita AU where manga Sukuna switches places with a Sukuna from our reality who is an MMA fighter. Rating M

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A Feint Vow by runboyrun

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30720605/chapters/75815450

One of the maybe 5 itafushi fics I liked while reading through that tag, and the only one I loved. A royalty AU that tickles my anthropological preferences. Rating E

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Greed Academy by Senket

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45186988

A hilarious and sweet killugon actor AU, rating G

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Werewolf in Swaldani by jyuanka

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41233044/chapters/103373088

A LeorioXCheadle werewolf AU. Phenomenal worldbuilding and language. Rating M

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Picturesque by Im_only_mildly_ashamed

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11819289/chapters/26668110

Beautiful and so so painful runion-ish killugon fic. Rating M

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Ephemeral by AvaCelt

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14415150/chapters/33293805

Amazing murder boat fic, if Togashi never ends hxh, you have Ava. Rating M

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Dance of the Butterfly by ChumbalieWumbus

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43841041/chapters/110232949

Heavy, obsessive Meiji sukuita AU, deep in my rotten heart I'm praying for it to get a continuation. Rating E

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Bound Together by Cogni_Diss

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3313354

A sukuita canon divergence which starts with Yuuji being trapped in with Sukuna in Sukuna's inner domain for a year. Rating M

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I have surely forgotten some. Also my taste is so all over the place. It's from cutesy fluff to hard and quite disturbing porn.

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Re: the other question, I'm very bad at coming up with account names. And this name represents the deep victimisation I felt at the time and still feel to this day, HxH traumatised me to the extent that I joined a fandom for the first time in my life.

[loominggaia]

What is the meta reason for fae being unable to lie

1 ) Many fae have this trait in classic folklore, and I wanted to incorporate it into my world.

2 ) It's a nice debuff for species that might otherwise be too powerful.

3 ) It streamlines a lot of scenarios in the series. A fae character can just step up and say "yeah this is true, I was there" and it prevents a lot of convoluted bullcrap from happening.

4 ) It's a fun restriction to play around with.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[pastel-junkyard]

Bonaparta's other books?

I was watching episode 56 to help with my Nina meta (which is almost done) when I noticed just how many books Lipsky has on his shelves. All supposedly the works of Bonaparta.

Posts by Erich-Springer on other background details inspired me to look closer, as I haven't seen anyone else do it here, at least not on Tumblr.

Here are some images.

(Had to put it on ×0.25 speed to get this one.)

I don't speak Czech, but I did find a website that allowed me to search a word in multiple dictionaries without having to type it over and over. Link below in case you want to try:

Some of the titles repeat and have a different pen-name attached to it. Also, the versions vary in thickness, to the point where I wonder how the publishers have been bulking up such short stories (if the ones we know are anything to go by).

In no particular order, the ones I've found are:

Rukaviče Bohu (Glove of God) - Emil Šebe/Jakub Faroubek

Rukaviče = glove | Bohu = God, of God (same root as Bůh in Bůh Miru/The God of Peace)

The phrase Glove of God reminds me of a stop-motion film by beloved Czech director Jiři Trnka called The Hand (Ruka). In it, a large disembodied hand demands an artist to only make sculptures in its image -- its generally accepted to be an allegory for the Soviet government censorship of art. (Wonder if it's a reference?)

Datel Tomaś (Woodpecker Tomaś) - Emil Šebe

Datel = woodpecker

Tomaś was one of the names mentioned in The God of Peace and was quoted by Johan in the 511 tape.

Loupežnik a Tři Žaby (The Bandit and the Three Frogs) - Emil Šebe

Loupežnik = bandit, robber, highwayman

How very... prophetic, provided Bonaparta wrote it before the break-in.

This may explain why, in Nina's initial flashbacks upon seeing the sign, the three frogs each said, "Hey, welcome home." They may be a folklore motif in this version of Czechia.

Babička a Osamélý Pes (The Grandmother and the Lonely Dog) - Klaus Poppe

Maybe it's more like "Grandma" than "Grandmother".

The only dogs I recall in the series are 1) the one being kicked by its owner who was then beaten up by Reinhardt Dinger in Griesheim, and 2) Ludwig, the labrador/golden retriever that was getting on people's nerves in Rühenheim.

Nestasný Netopýr (The Unhappy Bat) - Emil Šebe

Nestasný = unhappy, unfortunate

Netopýr can also be vampire apparently? Bat is the meaning that came up more though.

Billy doesn't seem all that unhappy

Oblibený Netvor (Favourite Monster) - Jakub Faroubek/Klaus Poppe

Netvor = monster, beast, behemoth

I'm not exactly sure what this could mean.

There are others that I'm not as sure on:

Pan Král(?) a Tři Poddani - Emil Šebe/Klaus Poppe

Something like "Sir King/Prince and the Three Subordinates/Thralls". Not sure on the second word but it looks like it begins with K.

Ponozky, které chvéta letat - ???

"Socks which hurried away"?

Ponozka is a sock, ponozky is pair of socks.

Chlapec z Velkýma Ušima - Klaus Poppe

"The Boy with Big Ears"

Chlap seems to be slang for a young man, whippersnapper, lad.

The big ears thing does make me think of the surveillance state again.

So yeah, that's what I've got so far. If you can make out anything I missed, please share :-)

Edit: thank you to mzencute for helping with the last example - changed chlapuc to chlapec