#sai shonagon

[thepeacockangel]

Sai Shonagon Invented The Listical In The Late 10th Century

Hateful Things

One is in a hurry to leave, but one's visitor keeps chattering away. If it is someone of no importance, one can get rid of him by saying, "You must tell me all about it next time"; but, should it be the sort of visitor whose presence commands one's best behaviour, the situation is hateful indeed.

One finds that a hair has got caught in the stone on which one is rubbing one's inkstick, or again that gravel is lodged in the inkstick, making a nasty, grating sound.

Someone has suddenly fallen ill and one summons the exorcist. Since he is not at home, one has to send messengers to look for him. After one has had a long fretful wait, the exorcist finally arrives, and with a sigh of relief one asks him to start his incantations. But perhaps he has been exorcizing too many evil spirits recently; for hardly has he installed himself and begun praying when his voice becomes drowsy. Oh, how hateful

! A man who has nothing in particular to recommend him discusses all sorts of subjects at random as though he knew every thing.

An elderly person warms the palms of his hands over a brazier and stretches out the wrinkles. No young man would dream of behaving in such a fashion; old people can really be quite shamless. I have seen some dreary old creatures actually resting their feet on the brazier and rubbing them against the edge while they speak. These are the kind of people who in visiting someone's house first use their fans to wipe away the dust from the mat and, when they finally sit on it, cannot stay still but are forever spreading out the front of their hunting costume or even tucking it up under their knees. One might suppose that such behaviour was restricted to people of humble station; but I have observed it in quite well-bred people, including a Senior Secretary of the Fifth Rank in the Ministry of Ceremonial and a former Governor of Suruga.

I hate the sight of men in their cups who shout, poke their fingers in their mouths, stroke their beards, and pass on the wine to their neighbours with great cries of "Have some more! Drink up!" They tremble, shake their heads, twist their faces, and gesticulate like children who are singing, "We're off to see the Governor." I have seen really well-bred people behave like this and I find it most distasteful.

To envy others and to complain about one's own lot; to speak badly about people; to be inquisitive about the most trivial matters and to resent and abuse people for not telling one, or. if one does manage to worm out some facts, to inform everyone in the most detailed fashion as if one had known all from the beginning - oh, how hateful!

One is just about to be told some interesting piece of news when a baby starts crying.

A flight of crows circle about with loud caws.

An admirer has come on a clandestine visit, but a dog catches sight of him and starts barking. One feels like killing the beast.

One has been foolish enough to invite a man to spend the night in an unsuitable place - and then he starts snoring. A gentleman has visited one secretly. Though he is wearing a tall, lacquered hat, he nevertheless wants no one to see him. He is so flurried, in fact, that upon leaving he bangs into some thing with his hat. Most hateful

I It is annoying too when he lifts up the lyo blind that hangs at the entrance of the room, then lets it fall with a great rattle. If it is a head-blind, things are still worse, for being more solid it makes a terrible noise when it is dropped. There is no excuse for such carelessness. Even a head-blind does not make any noise if one lifts it up gently on entering and leaving the room; the same applies to sliding-doors. If one's movements are rough, even a paper door will bend and resonate when opened; but, if one lifts the door a little while pushing it, there need be no sound.

One has gone to bed and is about to doze off when a mosquito appears, announcing himself in a reedy voice. One can actually feel the wind made by his wings and, slight though it is, one finds it hateful in the extreme.

A carriage passes with a nasty, creaking noise. Annoying to think that the passengers may not even be aware of this! If I am travelling in someone's carriage and I hear it creaking, I dislike not only the noise but also the owner of the carriage.

[barbiebabalon]

The Artist Consulting The Earliest Known Listicles

[dailyfatefigures]

Sei Shonagon - 1/7 Scale by Phat Company

[heian-suggestions]

Get an uneasy feeling from tiles

[quinnyundertow]

The Cult Leader’s Quarry

TW: NSFW 18+ , canon typical violence, murder, stalking, self-harm

CHAPTER 3 NOOSE DRAWS TIGHTER

Your home is embarrassingly sparse. The furniture is clearly secondhand from some local goodwill or flea market. The items are all mismatched and of varying levels of quality but it’s obvious the current owner cares for everything. This is what they call house poor. You spend so much on rent that the rest of your aspects of life suffer. He expected nothing more from a pathetic monkey.

The late afternoon sun paints the room in this orange glow as Suguru Geto crosses your living area. He walks in an oddly ethereal style, his robes moving almost imperceptibly. He pauses to pick up some gaudy decorative items off your side tables. He peers at them briefly before moving to the small bookcase you own. It’s mainly filled with manga trash and fantasy drivel. Though a few authors catch his eye towards the bottom, Murasaki Shikoku, Sei Shonagon, Leo Tolstoy, Fukumi Shimura, Sun Tzu, Osamu Dazai. So you’re not as stupid as he thought. For a monkey that is. He plucks out the book Colors of a Mother by Fukumi Shimura. It's an unpretentious book with nothing on the blue cover but the title and author. Turning it over in his hands he studies it for a moment. He hadn’t seen any sign you had a child. What a strange reading choice. Without another thought he pockets the book in his robes.

He’s wasting time, who cares that the monkey can read the classics. Refocusing, he takes a small black device no bigger than a pencil’s eraser. Due to his naturally tall form he doesn’t need a step stool to simply apply the tiny camera to the kitchen’s smoke detector in a way that looks inconspicuous. If Satoru wanted to destroy his curses, Suguru would just have to utilize technology rather than sorcery. There’s this voice screaming in the back of his head that he’s wasting time away from his true objective of eradicating all non-sorcerers. Nothing that voice says now matters. He has isolated himself so completely from other adults these last two years. That something about you has him coming back for more. He will devour and disassemble you; but tonight just doesn’t feel right. Not now, he can’t wait for that moment really. But he needs something more from you first. He’s not sure yet what that thing is.

Continuing his tour of your home, he notes your bedroom is surprisingly childish. You have stuffed animals strewn around the room, a thick fluffy comforter and hanging string lights. He can’t help the tiny smile that creeps on his face at the idea of the corporate woman he’s seen sleeping here at night. Speaking of corporate women, you should be home any minute now. He quickly places a camera in your bedroom before entering the messiest room in the house so far, the bathroom. You had been in a rush this morning. A makeup bag lay on your sink. Taking up your perfume he sprays a little in the air just to get a whiff. A shiver runs through him as he takes the scent in. He decides he wants to play a game with you. He picks up your toothbrush and sets it down in the opposite way you had it before. Would you notice? There’s a wall vent in the bathroom the perfect height for a voyeur's camera. He easily pops off the cover to set his camera inside when he can’t help but freeze. There’s already a camera inside the vent. It’s an older clunkier model that can’t stream but it can certainly be programmed to run at certain hours and record during them.

He feels his blood thrumming loud in his ears. Who has been spying on you? You’re his quarry, his target, his prey. Who was infringing on his territory? He barely hears your key in the front door lock before he applies his camera into a different area and leaves the older model for now. He slats the vent home and flicks off the bathroom light as you enter the main room. You’re all sighs as you shuffle around the kitchen and dining room. He’s sure you’ll have to pee soon and slips into your tub shower and stands behind the curtain.

The fact that you could find him here. Or that he could jump out and be on top of you at any second has him feeling a new type of elation he never had before. All his nerve endings are on fire as the bathroom light flicks on. The navy shower curtains is dark enough to obscure his figure. You give another long sigh and the intimate noises that follow give him an instant boner. You’re peeing while thinking you're alone. He isn’t even able to enjoy the full experience as he’s instantly is reminded of the other camera in the vent. He needs to take care of that. The idea that someone else is taking advantage of your private moments, the ones meant only for him, is going to drive him mad.

There’s the sound of your clothes hitting the floor and Suguru has an anticipatory knot his throat. One of your dainty hands reaches blindly into the shower and turns the water on. The cold water blasts his clothes but he barely feels it beneath his racing pulse. If you see him here it’s game over for you. He will either have to kill you or force you into a state where you are unable to tell anyone.

His breathing is picking up but the sound of the shower is masking it. When you step past the shower’s billowing curtain he’s going to grab you by the shoulders and slam you into the shower wall. He’ll let the freezing water spray you down. Your skin will erupt into goosebumps while your nipples harden painfully. You’ll be so terrified-

There’s a noise as you leave the bathroom. You must have forgotten something in your bedroom. Despite the fantasy's allure he exits the bath quickly. He isn’t ready for this new game to end yet.

He’s creeping to the bathroom exit when he sees a pair of your used panties at the top of your dirty clothes pile. He doesn’t even hesitate a moment before he swiftly pockets them. Geto is out of your apartment and riding the elevator to the first floor before you even return to the bathroom.

The longer he walks down the streets the more his mind works itself up into a frenzy. His consciousness is in turmoil. Why hasn’t he killed you yet? Is he getting weak? Is his resolve really that shaky? He pauses at a crosswalk on his journey to the train station. A monkey approaches him from the sidewalk. Her hips are swaying and hair is meticulously styled, “Hey handsome, looking-“ her spiel is interrupted by screams as the curse he let loose melts away her features until she’s no more than a mummified husk. He continues walking when the crosswalk indicates he’s safe to and ignores all the hysterical bystanders who just saw that monkey spontaneously combust.

So he isn’t weak, he didn’t feel anything when he murdered that woman. If anything he feels relief that one more monkey will no longer be on this planet. So you are his problem. Oddly enough that irritates him more. He pulls out the soft pink panties he had stolen off your floor. He holds them tightly in his fist as his jaw works in annoyance. He’s going to throw them into the next trash bin he passes. The entire walk home, bin after bin goes by and his grip on your cloth only tightens.

He’s doing mental gymnastics in order to justify not throwing them away. They were his reward; his trophy for his troubles. No one needed to know where it was from. He was the master of his own universe; he could do what he wished.

When he finally arrives home and locks the office door behind him his grip loosens. His fingers are slightly cramped from the extended vice grip they were held in. Little crescent moons dot the palm of his hand from his nails pressure. In a way he felt like a giddy teen once again doing something forbidden. He and Satoru had stolen panties before as a dare. This somehow felt far more satisfying.

Opening his hands he spread the cloth to view the whole article. It was cute, soft, and slightly stained at the crotch. Did someone turn you on today or were you naturally this wet? He couldn’t help but shiver as he lifted the garment to his face. He presses the softness to his cheek and inhales deeply the musky scent of you. His eyes roll back in his head as he continues to breathe you into him. He can’t wait to spread your thighs and get it from the source. Looking at the slightly damp crotch he tentatively licks, and then sucks at the fabric. There’s not enough there to taste your essence but the fact that your pussy dripped on this spot for hours today is enough to drive him wild.

He’s slipping open his robes. He doesn’t need to totally remove them to pull out his rock hard member. His tip is a furious scarlet with pearls of precum drooling from it. He’s rougher with himself than he normally would be. Your panties are pressed to his face so he can smell you all around him. He milks himself harshly and unforgivingly. He’s jerking himself to a fucking monkey. Ensuring he doesn’t enjoy the process as much as he could, he squeezes himself in a way that he will likely show bruises tomorrow. At the moment of his climax he releases his twitching cock. Slumping against the door he whimpers as he ruins his own orgasm. His hips are bucking in want, wishing for that gentle attention found in the afterglow. As long as he’s lusting over this damn monkey he doesn't intend to allow himself any real relief.

~~

It’s Thursday evening and you have been absolutely swamped at work this week. Your boss is genuinely a nice guy but when he’s getting reamed out by the higher powers, you and Zoe end up having to help with whatever unreasonable request is handed down. Instead of leaving around six both of you had pulled a late one tonight only leaving after ten PM.

The two of you sat in a smaller mom and pop restaurant, the tables on the floor are surrounded by cushions for seating. A half eaten massive bowl of ramen sits in front of you, along with an almost complete third beer. You are somewhat decent at holding your alcohol but tonight it’s hitting a little harder than normal and you are basking in that feeling.

Your attention is jerked up when Zoe slams her second beer down looking satisfied. Unlike you, Zoe cannot hold her alcohol at all and is generally reduced to a good natured giggly drunk by the evening’s end.

You're pushing around some noodles before putting them in your mouth with a lament, “What’s the buddhist version of hell.”

Zoe cackles, “We’re probably already in it. Look around you, ain’t it swell.” Suddenly a pair of chopsticks are pointing directly at your face just an inch away from your nose. Guessing you are thinking about your encounter with that monk earlier this week she continues, “You need to let that shit go. Didn’t you go past his temple when you saw him the second time? If anything, you're the stalker at this point.” Zoe eyes closed, is nodding to herself now as if someone else has made a really good point in the conversation.”

You pout heavily picking up a fishcake experimentally before putting it back into your bowl. “I wasn’t thinking about him and I didn’t call him a stalker..”

There’s a shuffling beside your booth as the third and final party member stumbles back from the restroom. He’s a lanky guy, his legs go on forever as he awkwardly sits back beside Zoe. “Let’s not use our chopsticks to point at others.” He chides lightly, tapping her arm.

Staring at her arm still stretched across the table Zoe reluctantly puts it down with a frown. “Y/N needed a scolding because she thinks she's got beef with a Buddhist Monk.”

You wave your hands quickly in embarrassment gesturing for Zoe to shut up. Unfortunately, all that did was grab your bosses interest even more. You quickly try to dissuade that interest. “I’m overreacting, really. I just ran into this monk two times and each time he just stared down like I spit on Buddha.”

Your boss tilts his head. He tends to take things seriously and apparently this would be no different. He raises a pale hand with bitten down fingernails; to rub the side of his hooked nose. “A Monk? Are they one of those culty types out of that former time association building?”

You gape up at him, which gains you an awkward but pleased smile in return, “Higuruma, how did you know that?”

He laughs under his breath so the motion is there but not the noise, “I make it my business to know what’s going on around here. I haven’t felt inclined to go to a service myself as it’s all mumbo jumbo hogwash but I’ve heard a man in monk's robes runs the place and has a decent following so far. His followers proclaim he can perform healing miracles.”

Zoe’s listening attentively despite being totally smashed and leaning against the wall for support, “Eugh, gross. Y/n, maybe walk on the opposite side of the street from now on.”

You nod at Zoe’s comment, “I have been and that seems to have worked.”

Your boss Higuruma Hiromi tilts his head to the side while watching you, “Did he say something to harass you?”

Your face is totally flushed with humiliation at this point. You are clearly overreacting and Higuruma’s kindness is just slamming that point home, “No he hasn’t said a word to me, please don’t concern yourself.”

Your boss waves for the check while mulling everything over, “You're not exactly one for theatrics. Let me know if something changes, we had better head out now if we want to make the last trains home.”

Unlike most corporate drinking, it didn’t feel forced at all when you were both invited out by Higuruma. He was unassuming and sincere, kept his private life to himself and never overstepped work boundaries like so many other men did in the workplace.

Exiting out into the cool air you watched pretty little puffs waft by from your exhales. The sidewalk was surprisingly busy considering the hour. Ahead of you Zoe gives a bit of a stagger causing you to giggle as Higuruma shakes his head in an affectionate manner before putting his arm through hers to give her balance. You can’t help but smile lightly at their backs. They would make a cute couple.. then again you didn’t even know if Higuruma was single.

It was at that point a chill went up your spine. Goosebumps rippled down your limbs and you reflexively pulled your arms to you and rubbed yourself to keep warm. You felt this undercurrent of unease, a creeping anxiety, like a predator was stalking you from the bushes. You keep walking with your group but you couldn’t help looking over your shoulder trying to see what gave you that ominous feeling. You aren’t the tallest person in the world but you figure a man in monk's robes would stick out like a sore thumb…..a man in monks robes? Why would you assume it was that monk again? You are really being weird about this whole thing. There was absolutely no one behind you that was paying you any mind. You need to stop drinking if this is how it affects your anxiety.

You turn to catch up with your group and when you do dark blue and gold catch your eye across the street. On the opposite side of the road walks the man who has been haunting your thoughts lately. The way he strolls down the sidewalk is as if he has nothing else in the world to do. Not only is he on the wrong side of the street but he’s still behind you by a block or so and isn’t even looking your way. Yet the goosebumps remain.

You turn and rush forward, bumping interesting others in order to catch up with your small group. Once within talking distance you realize there’s nothing for you to say. The man is simply existing and you’re freaking out. He’s probably on his way back to his temple which is on the way to the station. The level of panic you feel thrumming through your veins is uncalled for. You decide to stay closer to your group, feigning being unaffected, as you try with all your might not to look over your shoulder anymore to see if he’s still there.

“That’s the place right?” Higuruma nods, talking over his shoulder to you. You finally allow yourself to turn but instead of stopping at the temple’s building you're looking further back trying to find that man again walking along the sidewalk. Your gaze goes from person to person with no luck. He’s no longer on the sidewalk and you overreacted again. The guy in question probably entered his “workplace”. Higuruma watches you, puzzled as you look further behind the place for a moment and then give him your assent.

“Yeah.. that’s the place he was standing outside of when his cocksure buddy spilled my coffee and then asked me out to replace it.”

Zoe gave a fit of giggles at that, “Some men have no tact. Is it safe to assume you said no?”

You can’t help but blush at her correct assumption, “Kind of? I think. I don’t know, I ran like hell when I saw that Monk standing there all pissy.” Your group is crossing the street at an intersection close to the subway system. You can’t help but feel relief as the building fades from sight.

Zoe is leaning against Higuruma who is trying to keep a straight face as he holds her up under her arm. He fails when her next words are, “Maybe he just needs to get laid. God knows you do y/n.”

Your older boss chokes and has a minor coughing fit at the topic change, “Allllright Zoe, you’ve lost your talking privileges.” You’re scanning all three of your train passes as you head down a long group of stairs.

Zoe decides to ignore the memo and continues, “I am not judging, I need to get laid too. That’s why we’re going clubbing tomorrow evening. You can come too but you gotta loosen up a little guruma.”

His face is bright red and he looks like he's regretting everything that brought him to this point in his life. “I’ll go ahead and pass on that one Miss Zoe. I'm a little old for clubbing..also not really sure that’s appropriate as I’m your superior..”

The station is bustling with people trying to get home before the last train at midnight. There’s that loud overhead beeping letting you know the train you need is about to leave the station and the three of you race into the car and into a row of sideways seats. You couldn’t help but enjoy Zoe giving your boss the third degree. You had thought he was attractive and tried to hit on him for a while after being hired, to no avail. The man took his job as a defense attorney way too seriously for a woman to distract him.

The banter is natural and amusing as the two bicker lightly over things that don’t matter. You find yourself laughing lightly, just letting the booze marinate in you as the train leaves the station and moves towards your home. You are the second to last stop while Zoe is two before you. “Are you even able to get home safely Zoe?”

Your friend nods before flexing her arm, “You dare doubt me?” she gives a shit eating grin as Higuruma eyes her skeptically.

“I think I’ll walk Miss Zoe home. Just to be sure.” He mutters. If it was anyone other than Higuruma Hiromi you would never allow your girlfriend to be walked home by a man alone. But this man had an ironclad code of conduct and was one of those rare people you felt you could trust with your life. He sees the absolute worst of humanity every day. Trying to defend the innocent in cases that are labeled unwinnable. Sometimes his code of ethics is all he can rely on at the end of the day.

Nodding you let your body be gently jostled by the train car.’You aren’t exactly excited to be going home yourself. In fact, everyday this week you seem to dread it a little more. It had gotten to the point where you practically begged the complex's maintenance group to change your locks yesterday.

Little things had been around everyday this week. Your toothbrush, placed opposite of how you normally left it. Your makeup bag left unzipped with the smell of your perfume in the air. Those two were odd but could be explained as thoughtlessness.

Then came the harder things to explain. When collecting your dirty laundry to take to the communal washroom your dirty panties were nowhere to be found. You scoured the whole apartment trying to prove to yourself that you had just accidently left them in an odd spot to no avail. The straw that broke the camel's back was when you woke yesterday morning. One of your kitchen chairs had been pulled into your bedroom while you slept and was left for you to find facing your bed.

Once your heart was out of your throat and you could breath without hyperventilating you called the maintenance crew to get a fresh lock. That way if the landlord had lied about changing the locks before you moved in and/or had lost a spare key. It would be handled. While it isn’t a big change, you 're happy with the fact that you took initiative and got it done.

The train ride is short as you doze in your seat. Something about the warmth of the train car and the close proximity of friends gave you this sense of invulnerability. When the overhead announcer pages Zoe’s stop you look over to see Higuruma struggling with Zoe’s dead weight. You laugh at his face as the two leave the train. The doors close after a moment and the steady rhythm once again picks up. Your eyes are falling shut a little longer every time you blink. That is until an eerily familiar voice emanates from the seat directly in front of you, “Are you trying to be victimized?”

Chapter 2 —————————————Chapter 4

Taglist: @divinedolliebun

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[loycspotting]

7. Ewan McGregor Movie Review: The Pillow Book (1996)

Genre: Erotic/Romance

Rating: Un-Rated

Director: Peter Greenaway

Starring: Vivian Wu, Yoshi Oida, Ewan McGregor

Synopsis: "The Pillow Book" is an erotic film about a woman, Nagiko, who has a fetish for men writing on her body. What started as an innocent tradition of her father writing on her for her birthday, evolved into an obsession with finding the perfect calligrapher / lover. Nagiko also aspires to be a writer like her namesake, Sei Shonagon, the author of The Pillow Book. After she is rejected by a book publisher who sexually assaulted her father she instead decides to walk the path of revenge.

Ewan Review: Ewan McGregor plays the character Jerome, a bisexual English translator. He is chosen by Nagiko to help with her revenge unbeknownst to him. He is completely nude several times in the film, has a female and male love interest, and sex scenes with both of them. He has an English accent for the movie and has a couple lines in French and Japanese. Another fun fact: you might notice that he's pretty slender in this role and that's because he was in the process of losing weight for his role in "Trainspotting".

Screentime Percentage: Ewan is on screen for a grand total of 28/127 minutes making his SP 22%.

To Ewan or not to Ewan: Is this movie worth watching for Ewan content alone? Yes! Did I mention the nudity? Is it worth watching in general? I say yes. I know this movie won't be for everyone. It's a weird story, highly erotic, and has slow pacing. Still, I enjoy it and wouldn't dissuade someone from watching.

Where to Watch: "The Pillow Book" is currently available to rent through YouTube.

Movie Warnings: There are some things that happen in the movie that you might want to be aware of before committing to watching it. Nudity nudity and more nudity! Women and men are naked and yes that includes seeing their genitals. There are a LOT of penises in this movie. There's blackmail via sexual assault as well as a suicide scene, skin cutting, blood, and defiling of a dead body.

Conclusion: The Pillow Book" is a beautiful work of art. Though it is a weird story, it's also interesting and captures your attention. Though it's highly erotic, the eroticism adds value to the story and isn't there just for shock. And while the pacing may be slow, it allows the viewer to absorb information and appreciate the visual storytelling. I encourage you to open your mind and give it a chance. Like Nagiko, you just might learn something new about yourself.

[thewater]

in one of my courses, i have been assigned a few sections from The Pillow Book, a pre-modern japanese book. It was written by Sei Shonagon, and I cannot believe how across 1000 years, humanity hasn't changed.

I am reading a section called: Hateful Things. And she just lists things that piss her off. For example

old people being gross

men being drunk and rowdy

sneaky links not being sneaky when they leave

babies crying when youre about to get interesting news

people talking badly about other people (like girl thats you)

but also a section called: Pleasing Things. Which is where she writes things that she enjoys

"Acquiring the second volume of a tale whose first volume one has enjoyed. But often it is a disappointment" LIKE 1000 YEARS AGO WOMEN WERE STILL BEING LET DOWN BY SEQUELS.

having an upsetting dream, just for a dream interpreter to say its nothing important

being in a big group talk, but the main (hot) guy talking is only looking at you

being told a sick relative is healed

getting new stationery

winning a card game

watching a self-confident man wait to be praised by oneself, especially if he's pretending not to care

something bad happens to someone you don't like

ordering a comb, it arrives, and its pretty

something good happens to someone you love

She's just,, so human?? and like, of course she was human, but she wrote this book in approximately 990CE, like that's CRAZY long ago, and all of her experiences are so transferable?

like? people from history really were people too, huh

[kachikirby]

Mostly Extensive List of my Comfort Characters

Friends told me to embrace the potential cringe and create a list of characters from media I like that I consider my comfort characters. I'm going to put all of them under a cut since there might be a lot.

If this makes me cringe, then I am cringe, but I am at least free.

Also I will say a lot of my OCs are my comfort characters, but this is for characters that aren't my OCs. Italiced characters are like some of my personal favorite characters.

Kirby series

Kirby

Meta Knight

King Dedede

Bandee

Fate series

Theyber/Yamato Takeru

Iori Miyamoto

Arthur Pendragon

Brynhildr

Sigurd

Voyager

Murasaki Shikabu

Sengo Muramasa

Charlemagne

Asclepius

Sei Shonagon

Cu Chulliann

Okita Souji

Hijikata Toshizo

Waver Velvet

SD Gundam franchise

Knight Gundam

Musha Gundam

Musha Noomaru/Onmitsu Gundam

Musha Victory Gundam

Kouki Gundam

Musha Godmaru

Bushimaru

Kokuryu Gundam

King Gundam II

Mystery Knight Neo Gundam

Selenis Knight Luna Gundam

Devil Dragon Blade Zero Gundam

Knight Unicorn Gundam

Vassal Duke Strike Freedom Gundam

Valkyrie Gundam Hazel

Gundam series (not SD)

Amuro Ray

Bellri Zenam

Asemu Asuno/Captain Ash

Zeheart Gallet

Cagalli Yula Athla

Rey Za Burrel

Suletta Mercury

Elan Ceres 4

Fumina Hoshino

Domon Kasshu

Bleach

Uryu Ishida

Ichigo Kurosaki

Rukia Kuchiki

Orihime Inoue

Renji Abarai

Yachiru Kusajishi

Yoruichi Shihoin

Bambietta Basterbine

Askin Nakk Le Var

Vanillaware Games

Gwendolyn

Oswald

Momohime

Keitaro Miura

Natsuno Minami

Alain

Scarlett

Virginia

Auch

Blue Archive

Pretty much everyone in C & C (Especially Asuna Ichinose)

Aris Tendou

Aru Rikuhachima

Koharu Shimoe

Hifumi Ajitani

Kayoko Onikata

Tsurugi Kenzaki

Azur Lane

Enterprise

New Jersey

Essex

Bataan

Hammann

Leander

Unicorn

Z23

Amagi

Kinu

Shimakaze

Gargantia on the Verduous Planet

Ledo

Chamber

The King of Fighters

Leona Heidern

Ash Crimson

Terry Bogard

Rock Howard

Fire Emblem series

Eirika

Lyon

Chrom

Robin

Henry

Sumia

Corrin

Kaze

Disgaea series

Valvatorez

Killia

The World Ends with You

Shiki Misaki

Neku Sakuraba

Mashin Hero Wataru

Wataru Ikusabe

Kurama

God Eater series

Ciel Alençon

Gilbert McLane

Persona series

Shinjiro Aragaki

Naoto Shirogane

Yusuke Kitagawa

Macross series

Alto Saotome

Ranka Lee

Freyja Wion

Back Arrow

Back Arrow

Shu Bi

Zanki Zero

Zen Kuroda

Yuna Mashiro

Others (Series that only have like one character)

Ryogi Shiki (Kara no Kyokai)

Samus Aran (Metroid)

Erica Fontaine (Sakura Wars)

Takuto Tsunashi (Star Driver)

Yuudias Velgear (Yu Gi Oh! Go Rush)

Switch (Sket Dance)

Violet Evergarden

Black Jack/Kuro Hazama (Black Jack)

Reiji Moritsugu (Linebarrels of Iron)

Mami Tomoe (Madoka Magia)

Kitaro (Gegege no Kitaro)

Rosalina (Mario)

Mothra

Slime (Dragon Quest)

Strider Hiryu (Strider)

[ac-liveblogs]

Just as a reminder, FGO always seems to be planning for roughly two years ahead of what's released. This time would account for seeing who/what is popular, writing the storyline and designing servants for certain future events. And since summer is about selling you your fave servants in swimsuits, hey'll take into consideration which characters are popular in 2021 when planning for summer 2023.

You can see this trend in previous summers:

Lostbelts 2 and 3 release in mid-late 2018 -> Yu-Mei Ren and Brynhildr get swimsuits in Summer 2020.

Ooku and Lostbelts 4 and 5.1 are dropped in 2019, 5.2 early 2020. LB5.1 is received very well. -> Summer 2021 features Kama, Caenis and an Atlantis heavy cast: Charlotte Corday, Achilles, Mandricardo. Sei Shonagon, from Valentines 2020, also drops.

Summer 2022 features Ibuki Douji, Proto!Merlin and Erice, all of whom debuted in some form of FGO two years prior.

Why is this important?

Well, Summer 2023 is extremely Lostbelt 6 heavy. And guess what was stupidly, ridiculously, overwhelmingly well-received and exceptionally popular in 2021, skyrocketing to be considered one of the, if not hands-down the, best FGO story chapter of all time?

Yeah. It was Lostbelt 6, Avalon le Fae.

If you thought for a single second the next summer event to be planned after LB6 dropped wasn't going to cash in on that insane popularity, I legitimately don't know what to say. You don't have to like it. You really, really don't. But there was absolutely never going to be any other outcome here.

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #323: Sei Shonagon (Berserker)

ngl it’s a little embarrassing to still have summer servants to build when the event’s already over, but tbh the party don’t stop until Sei Shonagon says so! with her new Berserker class, Sei is even less likely to listen to anyone else, but she’s still suspiciously close to her original form- she’s still a Bard, but this time she’s graduating from the college of Swords to shoot lasers out of a giant hammer. speaking of, her fighter side upgraded to Totem Warrior Barbarian this time to grab a skateboard and get some serious zerker strength.

check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

next up: molay oh oh, we come molay!

Ancestry & Background

Sei’s still a Human, though we’re dropping her mark in favor of just making her a variant human. that means she gets +1 Strength and Charisma, as well as proficiency in Acrobatics for cool skateboard tricks, and the Crusher feat to give her another point in Strength and to power up her hammer time. now you can knock a creature up to one size larger 5 feet away once a turn, and if you score a critical hit on a creature while dealing bludgeoning damage you give everyone advantage to hit them for a round.

we’re also slightly changing your background for more of a punk feel. I know we normally don’t do this, but you’re definitely not paying regular dues to anyone atm, so instead we’ll make you an Urchin variant, giving you Sleight of Hand and Performance proficiency for extra-skilled graffiti. though tbh the main reason I wanted this background was to pick up the urchin’s feature, City Secrets, halving the travel speed between any two parts of a city for the most liver-crushing bar crawls blackbeard’s ever seen!

Ability Scores

Sei’s still just as much a force of nature as before, so her highest score should still be Charisma. that being said, madness enhancement really helps your lift, so Strength should be second highest.  Dexterity is next to keep you from wiping out. that means our Constitution is a little lower than I’d like, so Blackbeard might outdrink you yet. of course, Intelligence is low, and Wisdom is lowest. I’m pretty sure I’ve said this every berserker, but madness enhancement is one hell of a drug.

Class Levels

1. Barbarian 1: normally I’d get the bard levels done first since Sei was already an artist, but we kind of need the barbarian’s extra HP and AC to survive the first few levels in a bikini. thankfully, barbarians come fully equipped with Unarmored Defense to add your constitution to your armor class, and you can even use a shield and keep your AC up! (if you can skate on a shield, can you use a skateboard as a shield? scientists demand answers.)

you can also Rage as a bonus action, both to give yourself resistance to incoming physical damage, get advantage on strength checks and saves, and you deal extra damage with melee strength-based weapons, as long as you don’t wear heavy armor. rage lasts a minute (or until you run out of stuff to hit), and you won’t be able to cast or concentrate on spells for the duration. right now, that’s not a problem.

one last thing, you now have proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Athletics and Perception checks. maybe now you can beat blackbeard in a drinking contest.

2. Barbarian 2: second level barbarians go a little wild thanks to their Reckless Attacks. you get advantage on all your attacks for a turn, at the cost of everyone else getting advantage on their attacks against you for the rest of the round. in turn, you get a Danger Sense, giving you advantage on dexterity saves you can see coming. having a skateboard is kind of like having haste. or it will be eventually. for now, being able to skate around fireballs is nice.

3. Barbarian 3: at third level we finally get our barbarian subclass! I’ll be honest this was a difficult choice. at first I thought about going with a zealot or beast barbarian to get some of Sei’s supposed psychological effects from her NP, but she doesn’t have a god backing her, nor does she bite people. (as far as I know. tbh I wouldn’t be surprised.) in the end, I saved all the mental mumbojumbo for the bard, and we’re going with Totem Warrior for some berserk powerplays and more skateboard.

at the start, all totem warriors are Spirit Seekers, letting you cast Beast Sense and Speak with Animals as rituals. it’s nice, but most people don’t use rituals that often thanks to the time constraints. the big draw this level is your Totem Spirit, an animal that gives you special powers when you rage. the most popular pick is of course the bear since it gives you resistance to all damage, but Sei’s not super tough! instead, we’re grabbing the Eagle totem to give everyone disadvantage on opportunity attacks and the ability to dash as a bonus action each turn while raging.

you’ve also been camping enough to get some Primal Knowledge, giving you proficiency with Survival checks.

4. Barbarian 4: use your first Ability Score Improvement to bump up your Constitution to improve your AC and your HP. it’s a retroactive boost, so you get four extra points of HP now!

5. Bard 1: okay, we’ve got some baseline not dying set up, let’s get artistic. bouncing over to bard nets you proficiency with Arcana, since you have to get your hammer from the servantverse, and that means you have to know what the servantverse is. you also learn Bardic Inspiration, giving you the ability to give a d6 to an ally as a bonus action. they can then use it to add a d6 to an attack, check, or saving throw made in the next in-game minute. or more likely they’ll forget about it almost immediately. kind of disappointing, but we have a much more fun way to use inspiration later. for now; Spells!

you cast these using your charisma, first off, and you can cast cantrips like Friends (Sei can power her way through a minute of conversation pretty easy) and Prestidigitation (you can use it to “soil” things, so that might count as putting paint on stuff), but for higher tier stuff you’ll need spell slots. right now your spells are Color Spray (blindness isn’t really Sei’s thing, but spraying paint in someone’s eyes will keep them from seeing), Bane (the psychological things her NP is supposed to do), Longstrider (more skating! MORE!) and Heroism to buff up the party with memories of all the summer fun they had together.

6. Bard 2: second level bards are Jacks of All Trades, adding half your proficiency bonus to checks you wouldn’t normally add it to. you’re pretty flexible, all things considered. you also learn a Song of Rest to add to your party’s healing over short rests. if they ever use their healing on short rests.

you can also use Silent Image to tag walls for up to 10 minutes in up to a 15’ cube of space. you can even move it if you really want to, but paint doesn’t usually do that.

7. Bard 3: at third level we get our bardic college, and as a Swords bard you can cast spells through your weapons, so a hammer laser is looking pretty possible. less importantly, you get a Fighting Style, either Dueling for +2 to one-handed attacks, or Two-weapon to add your strength or dexterity to your off-hand attack damage. neither one matters to a girl wielding a giant hammer, so it’s up to you!

the real benefit this level is your new Blade Flourishes. whenever you attack, you can add 10’ of movement to your walking speed that turn, and you can spend one inspiration die per turn on a hit to add a flourish to your attack. all three options deal the inspiration die in extra damage, but a defensive flourish also adds it to your AC, a slashing flourish lets you spin around and hit everyone near you, and a mobile flourish lets you knock a creature back even further than you already could and spend your reaction to follow them.

you also get Expertise in two skills for double proficiency, so boost your Performance and Acrobatics to go full Jet Set Radio on someone’s walls. or Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, if you’re hip.

also, you can Enhance Ability now for advantage on one kind of ability check- Strength also doubles your carrying capacity, while Dexterity prevents you from getting hurt if you wipe out, and Constitution gives you some temporary HP instead to cushion the fall.

8. Bard 4: use your next ASI to bump up your Strength for harder hammer slammers. it’s not complicated, but neither is a big hammer.

slightly more complicated are your new spells- Minor Illusion is a free can of spray paint- it only fills a 5’ cube, but it’s concentration free! that’s nice, since if you want to stay one step ahead of the city guards you might be concentrating on something like Kinetic Jaunt instead. it increases your speed by another 10’, prevents any opportunity attacks, and you can move through people without slowing down- perfect for weaving your way through a crowded room!

9. Bard 5: the fifth level is always huge for bards, since your inspiration grows to a d8, and your Font of Inspiration means you recharge uses on short rests instead of long ones!

you can also learn third level spells like Fast Friends, forcing a wisdom save on a nearby creature that if they fail they’re charmed and have to do what you way. you’re not the kind to abuse this sort of thing, usually just dragging people on sidequests and such, but if you did try to make someone do something bad or dangerous, they’d get another chance at that wisdom save.

10. Bard 6: sixth level bards get some kind of countercharm thing? but who cares we’ve got an Extra Attack now! that’s a second attack every attack action!

you can also Bestow Curses on people now, mostly to give your NP a more personalized feel. if the target fails their wisdom save, they can be cursed in any number of ways (reflavoured to fit overwhelming emotions, of course). with this, you can waste their turns, make them take extra damage, or do all sorts of fun stuff as long as the DM thinks a third level spell slot is worth what you’re asking for.

11. Bard 7: seventh level bards get fourth level spells like Freedom of Movement! this makes you or another creature immune to difficult terrain and effects that slow, restrain, or paralyze you. you can also escape from any non-magical restraints using only five feet of movement! being underwater also won’t slow you down any, which is the closest we get to a swim speed this build.

12. Bard 8: us your last bardic ASI to bump up your Charisma for stronger spells and more flourishes. speaking of spells, you tend to sow Confusion wherever you go, and now you have a spell that does just that. every creature in a 10’ radius of the spell needs to make a wisdom save or they’re confused for up to a minute, making their behavior a little random. they have a 10% chance to walk in a random direction, a 50% chance to do nothing, a 20% chance to hit anyone around them, or a 20% chance to act as normal. your rebellious attitudes are even affecting the enemies now! they don’t want to do what the DM tells them!

13. Bard 9: ninth level bards have a bigger song of rest, but they also get fifth level spells. Synaptic Static is the closest translation you can get of your NP, only missing out on being single-target. you blast a 20’ radius sphere, forcing an intelligence save on everything inside. f they fail, they take psychic damage, and have muddled thoughts for 1 minute or until they make another save, taking a penalty to all attacks, checks, and concentration saves. it’s hard to think when you’ve got every “song of the summer” playing in your skull at once.

14. Bard 10: tenth level bards can use a d10 for their inspiration and flourishes, plus they have another round of Expertise doubling up their Survival and Sleight of Hand checks. you can use a walkie talkie to send Messages to nearby allies, but the last and best magic we’re getting are some Magical Secrets, spells from any class- if we have the slots to cast it, it’s ours for the taking.

first up we’re grabbing Creation for our biggest and best tagging system yet. with this, you can spend a minute to create your own spray cans- you can make a lot of dyes out of berries, and we don’t need these cans to last too long, so you can now run around with real cans of spray paint that last a full day and tag whatever you want. or if your DM is a stickler and requires metal cans, they’ll last an hour. (you could technically just make the paint right on the wall, but then you’re limited to only a 5’ space unless your DM’s cool and accepts the argument that it can be rolled up into a 5’ cube.)

you can also use this to make literally whatever you want, but we’re here for paint.

oh right, we’re also here because of one other magical secret! sometimes, making a character after the story’s out helps you figure out what you want to do with them. sometimes you think you know what you want to do with them already, and then they go off on a random sidequest and whack-a-mole a monster back to its home dimension, and now you have to mess around with your build again just to shove Banishing Smite in there and give them a way to do that!

so yeah. spend your bonus action to cast, hit somebody, deal a bunch of force damage, and then send them back to their homeworld with no save if they’re below 50 HP. no minute grace period for you to drop concentration and send them back, just. gone. if they’re from the plane you’re on, they just disappear for up to a minute or until you lose concentration. still, if you want a Hippoponotamus out of your hair, it’s hard to find a better way to do it.

15. Barbarian 5: it’s been a while, huh? you don’t get another Extra Attack this level, but you do get some Fast Movement for even more movement speed. we haven’t even begun to shred! and yeah, we waited until level 10 to get extra attack instead of just sticking in barbarian one level because otherwise we’d have a dead level in the bard class with just… countercharm to fill it. ugh. if you want extra attack early feel free to move this back to before the bard levels.

16. Barbarian 6: sixth level totem warriors gain an Aspect of the Beast, granting you a boon that works outside of your rage as well. the bear aspect for even more lifting is tempting, but we’re grabbing the Elk aspect instead for faster travel times. gotta keep ahead of the columbuses somehow.

17. Barbarian 7: seventh level barbarians have a Feral Instinct, giving you advantage on initiative rolls, and you can ignore being surprised if you rage! also, as part of raging you can use an Instinctive Pounce to move up to half your speed. skateboards.

18. Barbarian 8: use your last ASI to bump up your Constitution again for more HP and AC. not dying is the best part of D&D! okay maybe not, but it lets you get to the best part of D&D!

19. Barbarian 9: ninth level barbarians get a Brutal Critical- whenever you crit with a melee weapon, you can add an extra die to the damage! never underestimate the power of an extra d10.

20. Barbarian 10: our final level of barbarian comes with another Primal Knowledge, giving you proficiency in Nature, now that you know the truth of Steggy’s origins.

you’re also a Spirit Walker, letting you cast Commune with Nature as a ritual to learn about the area around you, instantly giving you facts about water in the area, the makeup of the plants and animals around, extraplanar forces, and of course buildings, all within a 3 mile radius. it doesn’t really work in towns, but you’ve already got quadrupled travel speed in there, so you can wander a bit.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

you are one speedy zerker, with a walking speed that’s usually as fast as most people’s dash, ways to avoid opportunity attacks, and huge boons to your initiative rolls, it’s very rare that you’re ever in a position you don’t want to be in. on a similar note, your ridiculously quick travel times in cities are also nice, if not a big enough deal to warrant their own section.

if I had known how powerful Banishing Smite can be I’d have put it in a lot more builds. whittle someone down and launch them back to their home plane, no saves required. that would be powerful on anyone, but you have advantage on demand, making it even more ridiculous. even if you’re not fighting extraplanar threats that often, the extra damage and ability to knock someone out of the fight for ten rounds is very nice.

combining your crusher feat with your flourishes lets you shove people around pretty easily, with no saves allowed to stop you. being able to shove someone up to 20’ away while attacking is really fun, especially with your speed making it almost impossible for them to close that gap on their turn.

Cons:

your armor class is just plain bad for a frontline fighter, so you’ll be relying on your mobility more than most barbarians to keep yourself healthy. even rage can’t carry you all the time, after all. an AC of fourteen, plus reckless attacks, make most enemies more likely to hit you than not.

you’re also not great on defense against most spells. the advantage on dexterity saves is nice, but you still only have a +1 to that save, and a -1 to wisdom saves means you’re going to be falling for your own illusions a lot. make sure you don’t paint any tunnel into walls this summer.

casting and rage never mix well, especially in this case. you’d probably want your rage up for most of the fight against something you’re trying to banish, but then you have to spend your bonus action to end your rage early if you want to smite them, opening you up for a lot of damage while you wait a turn before finishing them off. most berserkers aren’t great at defense, but these three issues really put a dent in yours.

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

Besides Arjuna who do you think is the best Archer?

-anujra (mirror dimension arjuna)

Ok stupidness aside I think arash is 100% up there as a viable contender. The arrow he shot literally traveled for days before landing and also ended a war with no bloodshed so he’s at least worth being considered l.

While rama isn’t given an archer class in fate bc of (insert lore) and for my own sanity I don’t really want to include every other guy who could class as an archer I feel like not including a god known for his sheer skill in archery would be remiss. In all honesty, he would probably be better than arjuna if he was allowed to be an archer.

Durga is one of those ones where her being classed as an archer isn’t really my first pick for her but also saying she wouldn’t be at least as good as/better in archery than arjuna would also be kind of ridiculous, so I’d also say she’s a possible choice? That being said, most of her more notable stories where she defeats enemies typically involve some kind of spear so if you wanted to say she was more focused on that I wouldn’t disagree either.

If Artemis was more artemisy she would easily be up there as she was a goddess of hunting known for her skill with the bow, but fgo doesn’t really focus on that as much with orion having more of the archery skill. I actually read something the other day that suggested her fgo version was conflated more with Selene which tbh did track with me given her situation

If altera was more atilla like she COULD be a contender bc the Huns were known for their skill in mounted archery but as it is she hasn’t really shown anything to indicate that’s something she’s good at. I don’t really count the candy cane sheep thing.

Tametomo is also decently strong, I think sinking a ship with a bow is a pretty cool feat. I wouldn’t really put it on the same level as arjuna’s own skills (looking at you FATE GRAND ORDER) but he definitely was talented and powerful

Bhima and karna were also both very good archers! I don’t know if they were on the level of arjuna but they both could easily class as one and dominate some of the other archers. Ashwatthama was also very good but by his own admission in the Mahabharata he didn’t think he was on the same level as arjuna.

Kama would be another one who would be very good at archery, although her ability is less ‘martial prowess’ and more ‘does it a lot as it’s her job’ so that may effect things

None of this matters tho bc sei shonagon clears 😤😤😤

[michiyo-japan]

本日は夏至とのこと。

東京はあいにくの雨ですが、そんな夏をテーマにした作品をご紹介。

「良い酔い猫〜夏は夜」

本作は清少納言が枕草子に綴った夏の情景の美しさをテーマに描いた作品です。

「夏は夜。月のころはさらなり、闇もなほ、ほたるの多く飛びちがひたる。また、ただ一つ二つなど、ほのかにうち光りて行くもをかし。雨など降るもをかし。」

口語訳にしますと、「夏は夜の時間が良いよね。月が出ている様子は言うまでもないけど、夜闇の中でいっぱい蛍が飛び交う様子って素敵だと思う。でも一、二匹の蛍がほんのり光って飛んでいくのも雰囲気あるよね。ちょっとお湿りがあるのも味わいがあるなぁって思うよ」と言った感じでしょうか。

本作では蛍を金箔の光輪で表現し、夜の雨を記号的に表してます。そうした夏の夜の情景に、私達人間の代わりに一匹の猫が酔いしれている様を描いたものです。

今夜は雨も収まる様子。まさにこの夏の夜の情景が現れるかと期待しつつのご紹介でした。本作は来月の展示会に出品予定です。ご興味ある方はぜひご覧いただけますと幸いです。

ーーー

「ミチヨ スクラッチ絵画展 〜神話伝承 古今東西〜」

7月17日(水)〜23日(火)※最終日午後5時閉場

京都大丸店 アートサロンESPACE KYOTO

Today is the summer solstice.

Unfortunately it is raining in Tokyo, but here is my work on such a summer theme.

'Good Drunk Cat - Summer is the Night'

This work is about the beauty of summer scenes as described by Sei Shonagon in The Pillow Book.

'Summer is night. The moon is bright and the darkness is almost over, and many fireflies are flying in the sky. And it is tasteful to see only one or two, glinting faintly as they go. It is also tasteful when it rains."

The colloquial translation is: "In summer, night time is good. It goes without saying that the moon is out, but I think it's wonderful to see so many fireflies flying around in the darkness of the night. But the sight of one or two fireflies glowing slightly as they fly by is also very atmospheric. I think it's also tasteful to have a little dampness in the air.

In this work, the fireflies are represented by a halo of gold leaf, symbolically representing the rain at night. The work depicts a cat being intoxicated by such a summer night scene on behalf of us humans.

Tonight the rain seems to be subsiding. I was hoping that this summer night scene would appear. This work will be on display at the exhibition next month. We hope you will be interested in seeing it.

———

Michiyo Scratch Painting Exhibition - Mythological ＆Lore, Everywhen and Everywhere.

Wed 17 - Tue 23 July *Close at 5pm on the last day.

Kyoto Daimaru Art Salon ESPACE KYOTO

[laikaflash]

👻 What is your wildest headcanon?

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

Wildest headcanon: Ares played both sides, or at least he isn't above doing so. It's not entirely canon, but he kinda sorta appears in Sophitia's Edge Master mode ending, after she destroys Soul Edge. Exhibit A:

Transcript: The ray of light grew small, so did her sword, armor & shield. So small now they fit in the palm of her hand.

Transcript: Magically the light shaped to form the gods of Athena, Ares, Nike and all who protected her. Feeling the presence of a holy power, she fell to one knee and lowered her head.

Sure, it's a safe guess that Fygul Cestemus wasn't even an idea in the devs' heads at this point, but it's a bit jarring to see after Astraroth's backstory. For that reason, I would've said to take it with a grain of salt had I not checked the wiki and read this bit from SC6's library:

In 1583, Palgaea first answered the prayers of the cult after witnessing Sophitia's battle against Soul Edge. Sophitia had received power from the blessings of the Olympian gods, of which Ares (known to the cult as Palgaea) was one. Seeing the sword's power, Palgaea tasked his cult with obtaining the cursed sword.

HE WAS THERE ALL ALONG.

I strongly suspect he helped Sophitia as a means to an end. That is to say, enough for her to get to Soul Edge so he could call dibs on it. And then it's Fygul Cestemus' job to get the sword. It's not an airtight scheme so much as a "Let's see what happens when..." meant to end in bloodshed.

Favorite fic? It's hard to decide! "The Harlot and Her Son" has always been a labor of love (as are all my fics after it), though it's also my first longfic and I'm sure it shows in places. It turned out more elaborate than I'd initially planned, but I think it's coming along for the better. "Her Firstborn" was one of my favorites to write, as was "Snow Flower" most recently. I'm definitely a sucker for filling in gaps in canon material—and characters put through the emotional wringer.

Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

"Come Full Circle" by Zwei Shonagon. (Kilik/Xianghua. One-shot set in a bittersweet future after SC5).

[kaibutsushidousha]

Does Sei having the body of a high schooler have anything in particular to say about her characterization? Or is it simply as stated in her materials profile, that she's just insecure about being "too old for the job" but is otherwise mentally the same Sei Shonagon that lived through Teishi's death?

It's mainly to sell the zoomer party girl aesthetics. Why she chooses this visual identity is because of her need to be visibly having fun at all times. No deep secrets in this one.

[kimyoonmiauthor]

CS Lewis's writing book "On Writing (and Writers): A Miscellany of Advice and Opinions"

I confess I have to wait for the book to come to me since my library is slow...

But apparently, writers can't shut up about their craft. lol (This is a joke only writers will know).

CS Lewis, as a writer, beyond being known for The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe and being the extroverted half of Tolkien (which is a writing history joke...) the Shonagon to Tolkien's Murasaki, if you will... was also particularly well known for writing a TON on theology and generally on writing.

Before I opened the sample to the book, I thought he would be one of those hardlined structuralists. Ya know. This formula, ABCD==hardwon success, and if you don't apply this formula, you're a LOSER. And if you didn't win, well, you applied the formula wrong.

But his writing reads more in the other camp, which surprised me since he was writing in the 1950's. He doesn't harp on conflict or a formula. He harps on... *gasp* Technique. I know.

He does have a bit about chasing after novelty being a bad thing, which is anti-modernist very quietly and inline with Lajos Egri, but with more authority because he does know where it comes from by the 1950's and Freud has happened.

The Paradox of Originality No man who values originality will ever be original. But try to tell the truth as you see it, try to do any bit of work as well as it can be done for the work's sake, and what men call originality will come unsought. "Membership," The Weight of Glory

His main principles are laid out: Plain simple language, be direct as possible, and put clarity first.

He also pushes against the 19th century romantics by stating,

Poetry often communicates emotions not directly, but by creating imaginatively the grounds for those emotions. It therefore communicates something more than emotion; only by means of that something more does it communicate emotion at all.

He harps quite a bit on stop telling us what to feel and make the reader feel it. Rather than a tell and show dichotomy, it's a "Direct description by metaphor and simile, by secretly evoking powerful associations, by offering the right stimuli to our nerves (in the right degree and the right order)... Let me taste for myself, and you'll have no need to tell me how I should react to the flavor." (p 15)

He does have a habit (so far) of mentioning only male authors, which is a terrible habit of all white male authors writing writing manuals of this sort and giving out advice (Jim Cobbett, David Hume) particularly from this time period, but he is at least egalitarian in thinking that girls and women could be authors too and writing equally the same sort of advice to little boys as he did to little girls. So he didn't change the tone or the type of advice given nor dash their dreams.

And yes, I do know there are bits of controversy over how he wrote the women in his Narnia story/girls. I'm not taking away from that and sometimes his horribleness elsewhere, but for writing in the 1950's, some credit should be given that he did not think men and women were unequal in writing books to a personal truth.

Is it sad that I'm glimmeringly hopeful that when I get the rest of the book that he won't end up flipping to an unrelenting cad like Freytag which was then ignored? But there it is, I'm kinda, a tad bit hopeful this turns out to be the case.

I might have to wait for the section on Christian writing and see what he says. TT

[fablecore]

Hi Irini! I've been wanting to improve my writing lately, so I thought I might ask for some advice from my favorite writer! Do you have any tips on pacing? And although I have a vague idea of the kinds of characters I want to write, I'm struggling to find the things that might motivate them... do you have any advice on that? Also - I want to develop my writing style, so I was hoping for some recs for authors/works that inspire you. I hope that isn't too much! I'd really appreciate any advice.

hi dear anon 🌸☕️🎍 here are two posts i love about characters/plot/romance & making characters want things.

a very very brief list of my influences (i should put a disclaimer here saying i haven't touched some of these in a while but either they were formative to me or i simply enjoyed them and i think you would too):

piranesi by susanna clarke, a gentleman in moscow by amor towles, the literature and history podcast, the manga of irie aki, wong kar-wai films, hbo’s succession, poetry (basho, mary oliver, mahmoud darwish, pablo neruda), anne carson, the pillow book by sei shonagon, beowolf translated by maria dahvana headley, the circle of magic series, richard hugo's essay "the triggering town", the webcomic kill 6 billion demons, thomas flight’s film analysis on youtube, nanette by hannah gadsby, maxfield parrish, yoshida hiroshi, matias bergera, princess arete, obligatory ghibli/fullmetal alchemist mention, the video game final fantasy x

as for pacing... i have no thoughts (because i'm no good at it and i've given up caring) so i'll channel my inner nabokov. he'd probably say something like "tell the story at the pace at which it wants to be told." don't overthink it, probably... (<- the hesitance of someone who is unsure whether to call this advice or just wishful thinking)