#volume 9 farmer boy

[birder-of-remnant]

Not sure if I'm sharing this because of my love for Oscar or for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers.

identity decay

[peipurr]

sometimes I love to think of how the Generalfeldmarschalls are just .... human. beneath their military personality and after all the atrocities they may have done. and no, this isn't me justifying the n4zi's horrendous crimes, but sometimes I just think that people who wrote books abt them need to see that side of them too, like okay their military was great but c'mon, let's not forget about their interesting personality!

and some of the facts I often think are:

that my precious baby Model was a member of literary society during his youth excelled in Greek, Latin, and History (and some also say in Poetry — I wonder if he ever wrote a poem).

Von Leeb loved to collect stamps!!! and very fond of his family's chronicles.

There is a story in the Keitel Family that Wilhelm almost went to tears when he gave up his hope to become a farmer in order to stay in the military to support his family.

Von Reichenau was fond of German literature and classical music. He brought to the battlefield in the Polish campaign a small volume of a selection of German poetry.

Von Rundstedt loved detective thriller books but was shy to show it. He regularly read the novel in an open drawer which could be quickly closed whenever anyone came in to see him.

Rommel and Schörner's rivalry. David Irving wrote: "One of Schoerner’s frequent pranks was to plant silver cutlery from the mess in the pockets of guests at formal banquets and watch their embarrassment when the spoons and forks fell out. Rommel, when it happened to him, was not amused. Their rivalry persisted to the end. It was generally friendly, and once, after Schoerner had made a name for ruthlessness bordering on brutality in the Crimea ... Rommel solicitously took him aside and candidly urged him to try a different method."

Von Bock seemed to be very fond of boys —not in the negative way. In Sudetenland, he once "took his twelve-year-old son, dressed in a sailor suit, along in his car "to impress on his son the beauty and exhilaration that lie in soldiering."". In 1940, he sent a postcard to the same son, Dinnies von der Osten. Also, one of Fedi's last wishes to von Manstein was that he should take care of the 16 year old Dinnies after his death, which Erli did until his capitulation. Not that it matters, but Dinnies was not his biological son. It was his second wife's son from her previous marriage. I think it shows how much Fedi cared for the boy. Then, his diary entry on 8/9/39: " ... I was able to present the first Iron Cross of this war to a Private First Class of the 94th Regiment who acted bravely at Graudenz. The young man beamed; too beautiful these lads!". He's just ... adores his troops (and youngest stepson) so much :')

Wolfram von Richthofen always found studying language to be painful. His foreign language grades were either a borderline pass or an “unsatisfactory.” And "he was a somewhat indulgent father. When he returned home during the war years, Jutta would relate some minor misbehavior of the boys and ask that Wolfram, as their father, discipline them. Wolfram’s reply was usually something on the lines of “boys will be boys” and “they’re good kids—let’s give them a break.”". Then, Wolfram once described the Luftwaffe as “the army’s whore”.

Von Manstein's writing is something else. Even if he did lie about the breakout order in Stalingrad, I still enjoyed his memoirs, to be honest. His words are beautiful, the way he tells a story and the allusions — I got the impression that he was a highly educated person by reading Lost Victories.

Also, von Küchler and Busch's rivalry (which was bitter, unlike the Rommel-Schörner's one), which unfortunately I couldn't remember which book explained that and couldn't find it yet :(

Sources:

Hitler's Generals - Edited by Correlli Barnett

Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb: Tagebuchaufzeichnungen und Lagebeurteilungen aus zwei Weltkriegen

The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel: Chief of the German High Command, 1938-1945 - Edited by Walter Görlitz

Same as 1

Lost Victories by Erich von Manstein

The Trail of The Fox by David Irving

Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock: The War Diary, 1939-1945 || Manstein: Hitler's Greatest General by Melvin Mungo || World War: The Three Vons (Time Magazine, August 18th, 1941

Wolfram von Richthofen Master of The German Air War by James Corum || Stopped at Stalingrad: the Luftwaffe and Hitler's Defeat in The East, 1942-1943 by Prof. Joel Hayward

[danicruel]

Where the grass grows tall (18+)

Jess McCready x Lupe García fic

Alternate Universe - Cowboys Falling in Love

Summary: Lupe Garcia arrives at the McCready farm to do a job - shoe the horses ahead of the Moose Jaw rodeo and maybe stick around as a farm hand if she's lucky. But when she meets the farmer's daughter, Jess, she quickly realizes she's not only in it for the money.

(Or: Lupe Garcia falls in love with the dirty, feral farm boy Jess McCready.)

(Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Lupe arrives to the McCready farm in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan sweaty as all hell.

The leather upholstered steering wheel of her growling 1995 Ford F-150 is hot under her calloused hands, and both her thin cotton t-shirt and undershirt are clinging to her back. Her dark, chin-length curls are tousled around her face from the earlier highway winds, and she’s trying to get some air flow behind her by sitting forward in the driver’s seat.

“Fuck me,” she mutters under her breath.

It’s mid July, and the truck’s air conditioning has decided to die on the hottest week of summer so far. She’s driven from her little rental apartment in a town called Drinkwater, 30 kilometers southeast of the city, with both of the two-door’s windows cranked all the way down to no relief.

She’s also stressed, so that may be contributing to the sweat dripping from her hairline.

And Lupe knows she shouldn’t complain about today’s high of 29°C, but she hasn’t spent a summer in her home state of Texas for years now. Instead, she’s spent the past few years roaming the Canadian prairies, working as a travelling farrier in the springs and summers for rodeo season and then as a farm hand in the falls and winters when there wasn’t as much shoeing work. She’s built something of a reputation for herself across the prairie provinces, and that’s how Mr. McCready heard of her. Based off the phone call she had with him last week, it sounds like he wants Lupe to work both roles for him.

Today’s her first day, and with McCready being such a well-known name in the rodeo scene, Lupe is determined to prove herself. She could use some steady work and a place to settle for a while. Being on the road has started to wear on her.

She turns down the volume of her ‘50’s Country Hits’ CD as she rolls up the long, gravel driveway, passing several sprawling pastures on her way. When she reaches a fork in the driveway, she slows the truck to a crawl to take in her surroundings.

To the right, there’s a pale-yellow farmhouse with tall double-hung windows and a big, wrap-around porch to the right. A wall of sunflowers sway against the side of the house, and the fenced off garden at the front is teeming with growing produce. Upon closer inspection, Lupe notices there’s a younger man sitting on the porch stairs, hunched over, smoking a cigarette.

From under the brim of his cowboy hat, he gives her a nod.

“You the farrier my dad’s expecting?” he calls out.

“I am – Lupe García,” she hollers back.

“Nice to meet ya, García! I’m Matt. Dad’s in the horse barn,” he points across the driveway.

She raises two fingers on her steering wheel at him. “Thanks, Matt!”

The barn looks straight out of a picture book, complete with red wood, white framing, and two big sliding doors at the front of it. The doors are open, but the inside is too shadowed to see anything from the driveway. Further in the distance, on the far side of the barn, there’s a fenced-off outdoor arena, outfitted with a holding pen and chute.

Another smaller barn off to the left looks to be where the cattle are housed.

Straight out of the early 1900s, Lupe thinks. It's charming.

She parks her truck twenty feet back from the barn’s doors, leaning to grab her ball cap from the passenger seat before she hops out. Outside, the air is sweet with the smell of alfalfa and grass, and the gravel crunches under her chunky, lace-up leather boots. It feels cooler now that she’s not baking in her oven of a truck, and she pulls her shirt away from her skin with a sigh. Stretching her arms over her head briefly, she shakes out her hair before pulling her ball cap snug onto her head.

“García, is it?” a voice calls from inside the barn.

“Hey there!” she calls back, striding toward it.

She’s got her favourite pair of Wrangler jeans on, held up with a black leather belt and her chunky 1994 roping champion belt buckle. In her plain white t-shirt, she suddenly feels underdressed when she spots who must be Mr. McCready dressed in starched jeans and an ironed long sleeve button-up. He’s leaned up against the outside of one of the horse stalls, looking straight out of an 80s Wrangler advertisement with his crisply shaped straw cowboy hat.

He’s also wearing a wide, toothy grin on his face.

“Mr. McCready, I assume?” Lupe approaches him with her right hand out. “Lupe García.”

“Please, call me, Tom,” he says, grabbing her hand for a firm handshake.

Tom McCready is a tall man, at least 6’3 in his boots and hat. He’s lean and a little weathered looking, like most of the older generation farmers are, and there’s a warm friendliness to his tanned face as he regards her.

“Welcome to the McCready farm, Lupe,” he says, gesturing around him.

The barn is even bigger looking on the inside.

There are five stalls and one tack room on both sides of the red brick alley way, and the rich smell of leather lingers in the air. Directly over their heads is what looks to be a loft, accessible by a wooden staircase over to the right, and at the opposite end of the barn is two more sliding doors to match the ones Lupe just walked through. They’re open as well, and from here, she can see somebody riding a horse in the outdoor arena.

“It’s a beautiful place you have, sir,” Lupe says.

“Thank you. It’s been in the family for generations,” he sighs. “Why don’t I show you around?”

“Yeah, please.”

They head further into the barn, passing many empty stalls on their way.

Both tack room doors are open, and from the brief glance Lupe gets as they walk past, they look stocked. She counts eight western saddles, at least a dozen colourful saddle pads sitting on a rack, and upwards of twenty bridles hanging on the walls.

And that’s only what’s visible.

“Most of the horses are turned out today,” Tom says. “You would have driven past the big field they’re grazing in on your way here – you can see it from the highway. The broncs are in another field further out.”

Lupe makes a noise of acknowledgement, wondering to herself how many horses are on the property total, if 10 are just the ones that stay in the stable.

“A few of the horses belong to folks boarding or training with us, but most of ‘em are ours,” he explains. “All of my kids are still so dedicated to it … I suppose they don’t know anything different. They were born and raised in the industry, but it still makes an old man proud.”

“How many you have?” Lupe asks.

“Six – five sons, one daughter. In that order, too.” he says, smiling fondly. “The oldest is 33, married with babies of his own, and the youngest is 25, still living and working here with me.”

Tom McCready is guiding them in the direction of the outdoor arena, and Lupe’s watching the horse and rider circle around the pen at a jog. It’s a long-legged sorrel paint horse, muscled and built out. She’s pretty sure she can make out long blonde hair on the rider, bouncing to the rhythm of the horse’s stride.

“You got a family, Lupe?”

Lupe nods, immediately thinking of her own younger siblings, who she left behind in Texas five years ago when she had been 22. They’ve been able to stay in touch through email, but she’s made a point of being inaccessible to her parents, on the odd chance they did want to reach out.

“They’re in Texas, actually. I moved up here a few years ago and haven’t really looked back. Something about the prairies agrees with me, I guess. But it’s just me here, sir.”

Tom nods thoughtfully.

Now that Lupe isn’t stuck in her stuffy truck, the sun feels pleasant on her bare arms and the back of her neck. The light breeze and shade from the cover of maple trees – in combination with Tom McCready’s warm, pleasant nature – has put her at ease, and she can feel her heart slowing to its regular pace.

As they get closer, Lupe can see that it’s a woman on the horse, wearing dark-wash blue jeans and a white ribbed undershirt identical to the one she has on underneath her own t-shirt. She’s got on a pair of yellow leather work gloves, and Lupe thinks they look almost comically large at the end of her long, lean arms. But then her eyes travel up those arms, and she finds her gaze hesitating at the swell of well-used biceps and triceps, and then further up to tanned, broad shoulders. Lupe also observes the soft way she uses her hands to steer the horse, and how she sits deep enough in the saddle that really only her hair jostles to the rhythm of the horse’s trot.

“Jess, come say hi!” Tom calls out.

The rider – Jess – glances back over her shoulder then, before turning her horse to face them with a small adjustment of her wrist. She’s holding the reins in her left hand, and she brings her right hand up to shade her face and squint across to where they’re standing.

Lupe adjusts her hat on her head.

Jess trots toward them on the prettiest paint horse Lupe’s ever seen. Soft in the eyes, ears pricked forward with curiosity, their coat is a rich, dark red colour with white patches that look like they’ve just been scrubbed clean. Jess rides with a loose rein, and their heads hangs softly.

Then the details of Jess become clearer, and Lupe finds herself blushing.

Jess has a strikingly angular face, with a wicked sharp jawline and high cheekbones that appear to be in the early stages of a sunburn. The bridge of her nose is narrow, and she’s squinting in the afternoon sun, so that her thin, light eyebrows cast a shadow on her eyes below. From this distance, Lupe thinks they’re probably blue or green based off their lightness.

Then Lupe makes the mistake of looking down at Jess’s mouth – deep pink with pouty lips that are pulled up into a smirk – and her stomach drops between her knees.

Standing there with one boot raised up on the bottom slat of the fence, Lupe suddenly realizes it’s been a long time since she’s felt this kind of electric tension in the air – the kind that prickles along her neck and threatens to produce a shiver. Perhaps, she’s just been so focused on securing work and making ends meet that she’s regressed to some teenage-boy level of touch starvation, she thinks.

But despite her roiling feelings, she forces an easy smile on her face when Jess stops at the fence.

“Jess, this is Lupe García – our new farrier and, potentially, farm hand if she feels like sticking around for a while,” Mr. McCready says, turning to Lupe with a wink.

Lupe chuckles, like she’s not at all flustered by the way it feels to have Jess’s eyes – definitely blue – flit over her, up and down. They jump back up to her face, and the two share what feels like too intense of eye contact for a first meeting. Jess’s lips part, like she’s about to say something, and Lupe’s eyes flick down to them just in time to watch her lick them.

“And Lupe, this is my daughter Jess.”

Daughter.

Oh, fuck.

Note: Hiiiii, thank you so much for reading! This fic is on AO3, and I will hopefully be updating regularly, so please subscribe to get updates on it if that’s your thing. I will try to update it on tumblr, but I likely won’t be posting full chapters again. Love youuu, byeeee 💗💗💗

Link to AO3

[mask131]

Mieruko-chan Ghosts analysis: Masterpost

General considerations and posts:

The theme of miscommunication: here

About the ghosts distorted faces: here

Volume 1

Chapter 1 (the bus station ghost, the bathroom ghost, the bed ghost)

Chapter 2 (the “Morning” ghost, the locker ghost)

Chapters 3 and 4 (the molesting ghost, the waiting line)

Chapter 4 (the cardboard box ghost, Touno’s cats, Gozuka’s ghosts)

Chapter 5 (the chatting ghost, the jealous ghost, the admirer ghosts)

Chapters 6, 7 and 8 (the “itchy” ghost, the bath ghost, the tiny old men, the big old man)

Chapter 9 (the cashier ghost, the garbage ghost, the horse ghost, the SPOILER ghost)

Extra

Volume 2

Chapters 10 and 11 (The cannibal ghost, the haunted building ghosts, the shrine-maidens, the fox-god)

Chapters 12, 13 and 14 (The storage room ghost, the deceased husband, the waiting line 2, the running ghost)

Chapter 14 (The barrel ghost, the shrine maidens 2)

Chapter 15 (The clothing store ghost, the ghost hunter)

Chapter 16 (The baby ghost, the car crash victim, the vending machine ghost, Zen’s cats 2)

Extra

Volume 3

Chapters 17, 18 and 19 (The toilet ghost, the fake haunted house ghost, the running ghost)

Chapter 20 (the little boy ghost, the shrine maidens 3)

Chapters 22 and 23 (Zen’s mother, Zen’s cats true form, and the kami spirits)

Extra

Volume 4

Chapters 24 and 25 (the farmer’s ghost, the theater ghost and the two-headed ghost)

Chapters 26 and 27 (Romm’s little old man, the forest ghosts, the shrine maidens 4)

Chapter 28 (the other waiting line, with its devourer and attendant)

Extra

Volume 5

[Soon to come]

[bookio]

Hell's Paradise vol 1 (2018) by Yuji Kaku

Picked this manga up randomly and got pleasantly surprised! A white haired young ninja is to be executed after killing a lot of guards. But he has an ability where his skin becomes very tough to break, making him impossible to kill.

Instead he is sent to a mysterious island for a chance to be set free and rejoin his wife. Ahh i love his wife. She's so kind and hates violence. The plan is for them to run away together from the Ninja society because they hate violence and hurting people, they just wanna live a normal life like be farmers or something.

Anyway, this island is suppose to hold the elixir of immortality. Many insane prisoners are sent there to find the king a bottle so they'll be granted freedom from their past deeds. Every prisoner is assigned a guardian, a samurai executioner that has to bring back the prisoner's head in case of failure.

Our white haired man has a female samurai (everyone else is male), and she's insanely cool imo. She's cold but shares the same ideology of not wanting to kill BUT does it too for survival. Same reason to fit into a society they've been brought up in. They team along as they face the other prisoners who also have various unique abilities.

Omg, I have to mention. There's a tall handsome executioner with an eyepatch who got much screentime but as soon as they reached the island he died in the most ungraceful way. It's so funny and ironic i having trouble dealing with my sadness ahaaha. Nooo, i miss him honestly! Dammit!

I want to continue this series! 5/5 stars

- - - - -

My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi

I'm gonna write very quickly about each volume very selfishly, to remember and confirm to myself that i read them! So spoilers as usual!

Vol 9 — The training camp gets attacked by villains with the intention of recruiting the angry Bakugo to their team.

Vol 10 — The class fail to protect Bakugo, and he gets kidnapped. The teacher heroes join their students to look for him.

Vol 11 — Despite being weak, All Might feel pressured to save everyone and fights the biggest villain of all - All for One. The fight get so intense that it leads him to lose his powers, but Bakugo gets saved! All Might finds out that the villain guy with hands over his body, is the grandchild of All Might's deceased master. He was left at an orphanage for safety. Deku learn he was not the first choice to inherit All Mights powers, but another boy named Mirio (?). Due to the high rise of villains, the students now has to live as the school. They design each individual room, i love it.

Vol 12 — Class training vs other hero schools as examination test to get Hero ID card. The characters get new updated costumes.

Vol 13 — Deku and Bakugo have an emotional moment of frustration, as they fight about their childhood rivalry and shared loss of their idol All Might (he didn't die but he lost his powers, so he just their regular teacher now). Bakugo feels guilty. Poor baby. 😭

Vol 14 — The villains are fighting over who's gonna be the main boss now when All For One is in jail. A guy in plague mask claims the position.

Vol 15 — Deku joins Mirio (Lemillion?) as interns at All Might's side-kick Nighteye. He's an office man who can see like 30 min into the future or something. They accidentally bump into plague mask villain and learn he has daughter named Eri, who seem to be abused.

Vol 16 — Raid to save the daughter. Plague mask is using her blood to make bullets, that in contact with others enhance their ability to crazy amount. In this volume we get exciting Red Riot lore finally ♥️♥️

Vol 18 — Office man dead, i'm very upset. Girl is saved. By having her on his back, she enhanced Deku's power to extreme so the plague mask could be defeated and arrested. However the villain with hands over his body caught up to the police car and killed plague mask personally to reclaim boss title.

My library didn't have volume 17 and 20 in for the moment, so I'll just carry on. Haven't been so invested in a manga for so long, i ordered some merch! 5/5 stars

[pandorasimbox]

Willow Creek Schoolhouse

Foundry Cove, Willow Creek, 1868

Click images to enlarge.

1. Exterior | 2. Boys’ stairwell | 3 & 4. Boys’ schoolroom | 5. Schoolmaster’s Office | 6. Girls’ cloakroom | 7 & 8. Girls’ schoolroom | 9. Music corner

A Very Brief History of Willow Creek Schoolhouse

Built at the turn of the 19th century and refurbished in 1866, Willow Creek’s Schoolhouse has served the children of the area’s planters and farmers for over sixty years. Under its eaves the children of land-owners and their servants learn and play together freely, and for a long time that was as radical as things got around Willow Creek. 

The school has been stewarded by a local Pastor since its original construction and was latterly attended to by the late Reverend Grayson Ward. The school faced closure in 1860 when Reverend Ward fell ill and this, along with the shortages created by the ensuing Civil War, kept the school’s bell silent and its doors locked for a further six years. In the intervening period, the building and its contents fell into disrepair and with all the losses of the war, things certainly looked bleak for the school’s future.

There was hope on the horizon though - in the months following the culmination of the war, a contingent of the concerned in the Willow Creek community sprung into action, convening to offer their own services and whatever coin they could muster in order to refurbish their school. With considerable effort on the part of the townspeople, the Schoolhouse reopened a year later in 1866. Now built across two floors with a separate classroom for boys and girls each, the schoolhouse was made complete with a fresh lick of paint, carefully hand-hewn desks, dozens of the latest educational volumes, and a brand new Schoolmaster.

Since its refurbishment, the Schoolhouse has been led by Willow Creek’s Minister James Thibodeaux and his wife, Marie Anne Thibodeaux. Master Thibodeaux holds responsibility for the schooling for the town’s sons, and has charged his wife with oversight of its daughters. This arrangement greatly pleased their mothers - Mrs Thibodeaux was well-known to have been a socialite in Paris prior to her marriage and was thus sure to make the ultimate tutor in proper poise and refinement.

As in many areas across America, misogynist attitudes prevail in Willow Creek and this had long limited the education of women there. Mrs Thibodeaux was therefore expected to keep her students to a strict curriculum of lessons in manners and deportment, the arts, music, singing and sewing skills. Although the girls were expected to be made literate enough to read the Bible, it had long been decided that anything further than this was simply unnecessary.

Unlike her society contemporaries in Willow Creek, Marie Anne had received a thorough education growing up as a child in her Orléanist father’s household in Paris. She disdained her new neighbour’s sensibilities around a women’s education, but was nevertheless too sensible of the local mood to think them open to debating the matter. And so, within weeks of assuming her new post, Marie Anne set about using her wit and considerable social influence as a Minister’s wife to effect change. She hosted every mother in Willow Creek at her home, and appealed to their fears about their daughter’s marriage prospects in a society now dealing with an excess of debutantes. Well, in the era of telegraph and the new postal service, their daughters surely must be taught penmanship in order to be of proper use to prospective husbands? The mothers left afternoon tea on a mission to make the same case to their husbands. Begrudgingly, the men relented to their wives’ pleas, and since then all of Marie Anne’s students leave her classroom knowing how to read and write in perfect cursive English, as well as how to sew a pretty sampler.

Regular classes take place between 9am and 2pm, but from time to time nearby residents report seeing candles lit in its windows all through the night.

—

(n.b. I am always open to criticism. Please drop by my ask box if you ever have feedback on the accuracy or sensitivity of any of my brief histories or character shorts.)

[inexpensiveprogress]

Stack Dwellers

Below is an artical by the Earl of Cranbrook for the Shell Magazine ‘Land’, in volume 12, 1962. It was illustrated with drawing by John Nash and photos by Geoffrey Kinns. The ‘Land’ booklets were large and colourful, illustrated by famous artists and designed by the typographer John Lewis. 

I remember an old man in my Village telling me when I was young that the inhabitants of a neighbouring village were ‘that backward they call meece meezen’. Outside that backward parish, when a late threshed stack in Suffolk was overrun with mice, it was said to be ‘full of everlasting meece’ in fact, for those who don’t use combines today, it still may be, if it is not full of rats. In my experience you don’t find many mice in a stack that is full of rats or many rats in a mouse-infested one. 

It may be because the rats eat young mice or that the two species are mutually antipathetic. Be that as it may, the mice you find in stacks are not ‘country mice’ but ‘town mice’, not field mice but ordinary house mice which live on and with man almost throughout the world. I say ‘almost’ because there are places which man has reached but which the house mouse has not. House mice cannot live in competition with field mice in the open or field mice in competition with house mice in habitations. When the island of St Kilda was evacuated, there were house mice living in the crofts and field mice in the open. But, deprived of man on whose stores of grain, food, etc. they lived, the house mice disappeared when the human inhabitants left and are now extinct.

The field mice are still there. Another island off the west coast of Scotland, evacuated some 20 years before St Kilda, had no field mice, only house mice. Though deprived of the support of men, there was no competition from field mice; so the house mice were able to colonize the whole island and came back into the deserted crofts when these were reoccupied by a party of visiting naturalists many years later. House mice, therefore, can travel from place to place only with man and his goods. I know an isolated croft on the west coast of Scotland approachable only by rowing boat: there is no pier, the mail boat has to lie off and a sack of coal and other stores are tumbled into a rowing boat to be taken ashore. No house mouse could hide itself in that little load, and the local field mice come into that croft to eat the cheese in the larder. In townships with a pier, when a large boat with ample accommodation for mice can lie alongside overnight, you find house mice in the houses. 

As most of us know to our shame when we have left a stack too long, the mouse population can build up to enormous numbers. It has, of course, unlimited food and shelter from its enemies: nature does the rest. In these slum conditions the female mice seem to lose all sense of decency. Normally, mice have fairly strong ‘territorial instincts’, each male defending his own territory and each female her own nest. But, in the overcrowded conditions which exist at the bottom of a stack, one finds communal nests with litters of every age from naked new born babies to three-quarter grown fullyhaired adolescents. Mice kept in captivity, with unlimited food and in a high tier of intercommunicating nest boxes with runs, seem to develop a sort of hierarchical ‘peckorder’. At the top of the tier are found the most successful, one to each nest box, fighting to preserve their own territory against interlopers from below. Half way down are the middle classes, slightly overcrowded but, in their turn, resisting climbers from the grossly overcrowded slum at the bottom. There, two, three and even more females have to share the same box. 

Curiously enough, if the inhabitants of the uppermost nest boxes are removed, there are a few days of fighting and a new peck-order develops: after the revolution a new race of aristocrats ensconces itself in comfortable exclusiveness in the place of the old. It is some years since I saw a mouse-infested stack but my recollection is that, as the sheaves were thrown onto the platform of the drum, one found a very similar picture. Half way down, the Erst mice appeared and an occasional individual nest; it wasn’t until one got towards the bottom of the stack that one found mice in scores or hundreds and communal nests. Another mouse which is not uncommon in stacks, especially stacks of cocksfoot or other grasses harvested for seed, is the harvest mouse. Very small, with bodies about two-thirds the size of a man’s little finger and with long tails, these mice vary very much in colour from a bright foxy red to a reddish brown. In my part of the world. they are often called ‘red rannies’ ‘Ranny’ is a shrew but they are like the long-nosed shrews only in size. 

Their noses are, in fact, shorter and rounder than those of house mice and field mice. Conventionally animals of cornfields, the same picture of harvest mice climbing on stalks of wheat is reproduced in nature book after nature book. In fact they seem to be much more animals of the water side, living as much in rough overgrown meadows and grassy scrub by streams as on arable land. 'l‘heir nests are found at the base of reeds in fen ditches and I have known them in young plantations and far out on salt marshes. Harvest mice are often said to be much less common than they used to be indeed, this has been said for generations, and the sail reaper, binder and combine have all been blamed in turn. In fact each in turn has, I suspect, been indirectly responsible for this statement. The man with a scythe saw more harvest mouse nests than the man on the reaper, the man who tied the sheaves behind more than the man on the binder and I certainly haven‘t seen a harvest mouse in a stack since I had a combine. I can, though, usually catch one in a rough grassy poplar plantation by the river ifI want to. A harvest mouse quickly becomes tame if kept in captivity and makes an entrancing pet. 

It is the only British animal that uses its tail as an extra hand, Curling it round a twig or corn stalk as it climbs about. It is rats, though, which remind one of the halcyon days when the dogs lay panting, too exhausted to do more than snap at the last rats which ran from the stack bottom as it was turned over, and one looked ruel‘ully at one’s palms, blistered by the sharp edges ofa thatching spick pulled from the roof at the beginning of the day. Overcrowding amongst rats has the same effect as amongst mice communal nests and the like but rats are less ‘territorial’ than mice. It is said that you can put your hand into a sackful of rats, huddled peacefully together, without getting bitten but I have never got beyond the point of thinking it might be an interesting experiment to try. Rats are comparative new-comers to this country, first reaching Europe from the East in the middle ages. Certainly the Romans had no word for ‘rat’ though they had one for ‘mouse’: the scientific name ‘Rattus’ is an artificial latinized form of the French ‘Rat’. Be that as it may, however and whenever they came, rats are an unmitigated pest. Inere isn’t much excuse, though, today for being overrun with rats. It was an uphill struggle all the way with traps, dogs, ferrets, nux vomica and extract of squills. With the new poison Warfarin, it’s a different story. It is often said that rye, producing bread corn from the poorest soils, is the greatest gift of God to man. 

Warfarin and myxomatosis are close rivals. I have said that these stack dwellers have shelter from their enemies, but weasels come pretty often into stacks and breed there amidst an abundance of food on the hoof. In most parts of England indeed on the continent of Europe too many countrymen maintain that there are two sorts of weasel, the ordinary weasel and the ‘mouse hunt’. The latter is said to be smaller than the ordinary weasel and to be the one which is most frequently found in stacks. In fact, weasels are one of those animals in which the males are always much larger than the females: an average male is about a foot from nose to tail tip, an average female 8 9 inches. I have had a number of ‘mouse hunts’ sent to me as a locally known disbeliever in the existence of two species of weasel. With one exception, they have all been females, the exception being a normal male weasel 12 inches long. I never allow weasels to be killed, so have never examined one from a stack. But, from the fact that nests of young weasels are not uncommon in stacks, would expect that most stack dwelling weasels are females. In any case, weasels or mouse hunts, I would sooner have a stackful of weasels than a stackful of mice and rats: with owls and kestrels they are the best friends a farmer or forester can have, killing large numbers of rats, mice and voles _ and any rat killer is a good friend to a game preserver. I must confess that I sometimes regret my combine and am sorry for the boys of tomorrow who will never run after rats as they come from a stack or have the opportunity of studying the habits of the common, but none-the-less interesting. animals which infest it.

[travelfoodgallery]

Best customary USA dishes: Top 10 must-attempt American nourishments

1. Crusty fruit-filled treat

The idiom is "American as crusty fruit-filled treat" for an explanation: this sweet treat is a public foundation. Disregard anyone who will attempt to disclose to you walnut or key lime is better, since they are lying. The straightforward blend of sugar, rich baked good and tart cut apples creates a sweet so unprecedented individuals have dedicated their whole lives to idealizing it. For an especially superb model, attempt the crusty fruit-filled treat with included green chilies at the Pie-O-Neer, in Pie Town, New Mexico. Telephone ahead and Kathy Knapp, oneself announced "Pie Lady of Pie Town", will spare you a cut.

for update information please follow the link https://fastfoodmenuprice.co.uk/

2. The Hamburger

Each and every American will have an alternate thought regarding where to locate the best cheeseburger in the nation, going from cheap food on the West Coast (In-N-Out Burger) to top notch food in New York (The Spotted Pig). In any case, just one spot is perceived by the Library of Congress similar to the origination of burgers:

New Haven, Connecticut. It was 1900 and the foundation was Louis' Lunch, run by one Louis Lassen. Today his incredible grandson, Jeff Lassen, guides the boat, which actually serves burgers produced using five-meat mix and cooked in exceptionally old cast iron flame broil.

3. Mollusk Chowder

It is essentially illicit to visit Boston without attempting New England shellfish chowder. The fragrant soup is sold all over the place, and it looks ghastly, being white and knotty. However, one taste is everything necessary to begin to look all starry eyed at. Whoever chose to blend the quahog shellfish in with delicate potatoes, salted pork, substantial cream and spices is an all out virtuoso. There are numerous approaches to eat it, yet you should go full scale and get a bread bowl at the Atlantic Fish Co., where the culinary experts cut out a depression in a new boule, pour in the radiant juice, at that point set the top back on. Consumable dinnerware.

4. Bagel and Lox

Attempting to limit New York down to a solitary agent cooking is a waste of time. A Nathan's sausage? Pastrami from Katz's? An awful cup of cafe espresso? How about we offer appreciation to the city's solid Jewish populace and go with bagels and lox, an end of the week staple on numerous Manhattan tables. Logical examinations have been directed attempting to work out why the New York bagel rules over all others; legend credits it to the water. Whatever the reason, head to Russ and Daughters on the Lower East Side and disclose to them you need a choice of smoked fish, cream cheeses and, in case you're feeling streak, caviar.

5. Thicker style Pizza

Pizza in Chicago looks and tastes changed. The dish is profound, as the name recommends, which means the outside ascents high and takes into consideration a course gagging volume of cheddar and pureed tomatoes. Obviously, they consider it a "pie". It isn't for the carefree and should just be endeavored while wearing dull garments or a huge napkin. For an especially true supper, pair the pie with sweet pop. You may get a kick out of the chance to do this at an Uno Pizzeria, which professes to have developed the Italian American half breed dish in 1943.

6. Drop Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

A roll in America implies, basically, a flaky scone frequently made with grease and buttermilk. In spots, for example, Montana, where individuals consume energy taking a shot at horse farms, scones are had at breakfast covered in a thick white sauce that is studded with pieces of hotdog. It surely gets you up toward the beginning of the day. For a great wind, attempt a melodic rendition in Austin, Texas, where Biscuits and Groovy offers shifts with names like "the Aretha Franklin" (maple bacon, colby jack cheddar).

7. Texas Barbecue

Australians may get a kick out of the chance to stir up a barbie toward the end of the week, however Texans live and pass on by the training. Mesquite smoked meats and softening rubs are regular fixations, and it isn't exceptional to go to football match-ups and discover individuals have carried whole ranges to the parking areas that are worth as much as five or even 10,000 dollars – a distraction called "closely following". For superb brisket, head to the Dallas Farmers Market, remain in line for somewhat, at that point discover a seat at Pecan Lodge. Likewise great are the pork joins, pulled pork, hamburger ribs and collard greens.

8. Hominy Grits

Southern food appears to exist in its own universe, and a whole rundown could be composed simply zeroing in on things like chicken and waffles (truly, you read that effectively). So maybe it's a smart thought to simply go with one of the nuts and bolts: hominy corn meal, which is basically corn processed into a harsh powder and afterward bubbled up with margarine or bacon oil. It sounds harsh yet it's really radiant. For evidence, attempt Blossom Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, which offers Geechie Boy corn meal with shrimp and andouille frankfurter. Pair it with brussels grows and improved ice tea.

9. Tacos

Los Angeles is a city with a taqueria on each traffic intersection, essentially. With so numerous Spanish-speakers it's conceivable to discover anything from oily nachos on Venice Beach to stunning Michoacan-style goat stews. For a decent sampler, overlook the chain stuff and attempt El Huarache Azteca, a small, straightforward restaurant in the area of Highland Park, where menus run the full array from fajitas to mole verde and "flautas" – singed fresh taquitos loaded down with chicken. (Guacamole is an easy decision.) Keep at the top of the priority list that Mexican food and Tex-Mex are two altogether different things.

10. Thanksgiving

So "thanksgiving" isn't in fact a food, yet it's such an incredible date on the American culinary schedule (the fourth Thursday of every November), that it should be recognized. Authoritatively, the occasion is about loved ones, yet everyone knows it's truly about turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, green bean meal and grumbles. While the plans, as most things on this rundown, appear to be uniquely crafted to give you a cardiovascular failure or diabetes, they're all heavenly, and taken together make one of the most silly and charming galas you would actually join in. Numerous cafés offer a menu, for the most extraordinary choice is consistently a companion's home, regardless of whether they consume the winged animal.

[anne-lister-adventures]

Wednesday, 5 March 1840

..

9 40/’’

Dubowka a little Gorod – Good Station House, but too late to stop now – Slumbering and asleep till roused by a stoppage about, before, 5 as I felt by my watch, for our wax light too long – 

The lantern a pother for fixing a light in – The light had jolted out – Put my head out to ask if it was the Station – Nobody answered – All flat, and snow, no House – But soon the plunging of the horses in water and the noise of the men, and the bracking of ice shewed that our Station was on the bursting ice of the Volga – Luckily A-[Ann] was not apparently aware of danger – The servants Kibitka (always following) had avoided the badplace and were on glace ferme 20 or 30 yards to the right and ahead of us – They said our man did not know the road but their man did know of this place – No danger because plenty of thickness of ice beneath! – I doubt this – We were luckily sufficiently near to the right bank to be not over deep water – One of the horses sunk almost overhead – I think his feet were on the ground – Luckily the ice on which the carriage rested did not give way so as to let the water get inside – Gross came to us and advised our not getting out as he had got up to the knees in water – 

We took their horses and were at last after 10 minutes or more skewed round on to fine ice, and pursued our way without further désagrément to Pitschouga good Station House and, at a little distance, the village and neat little white church steep ravine-pitch again down upon our Volga – I desired we might not go на волга (Na Volga, on the Volga) again in the right, but nothing against it, supposing they could see their way, in the day time – 

Alight at Tzarizine at 9 35/’’ – 3 good neat white churches in a line on the height above the Volga – Largeish Gastinoi Dvor and square full of Drovni and people and hay and stuff  (Drovni is I suppose plural and only employed in the plural vide Heard’s Grammar p.[page] 66 at the top сани one of the larger sledges and Drovi the smaller sledges) one or 2 goodish looking largeish houses (offices or inhabited by Government Employés) and all the rest log or board houses – Largeish shabbyish looking villagy town – 

View of Tsaritsyn (today’s Volgograd) before 1917.

28 v.[versts] to Sarepta ∴[therefore] stop to breakfast – A little room to ourselves more than we had at the large good Station House (private house – No Eagle – Not belonging to Government) at Ust Salah vide p.[page] 56 – But still our Station House here (Tzariztine) is not a very spruce looking place – No Semovar – Glad of our own – ‘What, said A-[Ann], a fortified Town and no Semovar!’ 

Off at 11 20/’’, and in going down the steep ravine to the Volga, pass (right) part of a thick Pierre de Taille (calcarious sandstone?) low wall, cracked and probably partly let down by the washing over the water – A small remain of the old fortress or fortification – No appearance of fortifications nor need for them now – all along, on, the Volga, apparently about midway the river – The effect of the sun on the snow in many places, was singularly beautiful – It looked like fine white glistening spun glass, or mother of pearl – 

Nothing seen of Sarepta from the river except 2 or 3 common cottages and a few trees – Could not believe we were so near the place – No church dome or clocher – No picturesque line of houses stretching along the higher ground – Drove up steepish pitch (but the ravine less deep and picturesque than on the opposite bank) and soon in the neat, little comfortable, well built, partly stone, partly board, town of Sarepta – Our comfortable Auberge in a large square into which several little streets open – The very neat clean church is on the opposite side the square – Its small clocher with one little bell rising too little from the centre of the ridged roof to be seen at any great distance – 

Alight at 1 55/’’ having entered the Town under a Schlagbaum barrier a relic as our Cicerone afterwards told us of the cholera-time – This terrible scourge did not come here and many families came and staid here during the time and ∴[therefore] the barriers were put up to keep people away who had not permission to come – Dissatisfied at paying 15/- a day (as at Saratoff) came myself about rooms – Only 3 for us – The girl said 1/- per day each but did not know – The master said 5/- a day! for the 3 – Took them and soon settled and comfortable – Taking the best room for ourselves and leaving the 2 others for the servants – Both rooms good – One of them nearly if not quite as large as ours but looking to the courtyard full of people and cattle and Drovnis &c. like a fair – 

Sarepta in 1810 (Image source).

A civil respectable looking man a tradesman here offered or consented to go about with us – And he came to us out at 2 55/’’ direct to the church after we had been in the church (door open) – Beautifully neat and clean – Benches some with backs some without – Table covered with a black cloth and chair for the clergyman – No appearance of pulpit – An oblong quadrangular room – Organ and loft at one end, and a little corresponding gallery at the other the boarded floor clean enough to eat off – 2 of the largest and best buildings in the Town, and near the church the House of the Brothers, and the Town-house burnt down and only 2 stories of the blueish green coloured, irregular shaped stone, plastered-over walls standing – Want help and money from the head of the Maravian Community at …. near Erfurth in Germany before they can rebuild these houses – People not rich here but live very well – Have no taxes to pay – Are free of everything – 

The 2 singular looking goat-sheep-like white animals we had seen in a little wattled off court, are 2 Caucasian wild goats that were taken here last winter having come so far in search of something to eat – The animals have a very singular head – The male has 2 fluted sharp pointed rather spiral horns about 12 in.[inches] + ? long – The female none – But the face of each is broad with large fat chops and broad fleshed muzzle – Like a broad flabby sheep’s face – The countenance very grave and striking – The animals about the size of a fine 4 or 5 months old calf – 

Our friend took us 1st to to a nice woman, 2 years since from Magdebourg, head of 36 sisters, who knit, and wind silk, (a few mulberry trees and silk-worms here) and work little things which are sent to Moscow Kazan Saratoff Astrakhan so that little to be seen here – A-[Ann] bought a little knitted waist for an infant = 5/- the nicest thing she shewed us was a brown cloth worsted-worked table cover 45/- probably would be quite as cheap at Moscow &c. as here – 

Saw over the house – Sufficiently good and comfortable – Good comfortable kitchen large raised square of boilers perhaps 6 large iron boilers (of 18 or 20 galleries?) in 2 rows, heated by fires underneath like our set-pots – Dine at 12 – Sup at 6 – Large room upstairs where the lady reads family prayers night and morning – Some of the silk a good red or crimson colour – They dye it themselves – There were some girls at the end of this long pile of building knitting – 

Then across the court and past the back of the church to a stocking weaver, a very civil man – Only him and a boy there for some time when our 2 more men came – Perhaps 1/2 dozen stocking looms in the room – All woollen socks or women’s cotton stockings the latter much too small and short in the leg for any but those who garter below the knee and did not wear natural or cork calves – Asked for nightcaps – A-[Ann] bought 1 for Captain Sutherland white with red horizontal stripes 2/20 and I a black with ditto ditto 2/50 both cotton – 

Here we staid perhaps near an hour I asking a multiplicity of questions Gross with us en qualité de Dragoman Allemand – My own German is not yet beyond a few words of speaking and about twice as many of understanding – Herschen a little round grain, like a large mustered seed – Gross has sought in vain for it in the dictionary – Knows not what to call it in English – When the chaff or outside of the grain is taken off, and the little largeish-pin-head-sized yellowish boule de farine is left, it is then used to make Kasha – Vide Káwa, Gruau Cuit, Mille-Feuille (herbe) a mass = 48 to 50 Russian lbs.[pounds] and Herschen per mass sells for 1/- per mass                    

Wheat = 1/80 .. ..                                                                  

Rye = 1/10 to 1/20                                                                

Oats or barley = 1/- to 1/10                          

the rotation of crops in Herschen

Wheat

Rye

Oats or Barley

And the land is left to rest 4 or 5

and then the same rotation as above – The Germans use their manure but the Russians let the river wash it away because they are too idle to put it on the land – And as the land will produce the 4 crops as above after 4 or 5 years rest, and there is plenty of land to allow of this system; there is no absolute need of a better system – In very good years 10 mass yield 123 mass or 123/10 = 12 3/10 say at most 12 1/2 to 13 fold -  In middling years _____________ 40 to 50 mass = 4 or 5 fold - In very bad years _______ will not yield itself again = sometimes nothing – The best cows, from Odessa                                                                          

1 good, the best, from 120/- to 150/-

1 ditto of this country (hereabouts) 40/- to 50/-      

good fresh butter per lb.[pound] -/50 to -/60

Beef - -/14

Mutton .. -/14

Bacon .. -/15

Cheese made by a German farmer near Saratoff -/50 to -/60 per lb.[pound]

New milk per Stoff = 1 English quart? -/5

Cream .. ..          ______________ -/50

The baths which nobody knew anything about at Saratoff or Ust Salah (or Tzaritzine, nothing to be learnt there at the Station House) are 7 v.[versts] from here on the road to Tzarizine and one v.[verst] from the high road – Our Cicerone did not know of them having any name – Never heard them called d’Ecatherine vide Dictionary of Geography vol.[volume] 2 article Saratoff p.[page] 187 ‘Eaux Minerales d’Ecatherine, qui se trouvent près de Tzaritzine’ – But our Magdebourg lady said they were called Gesundt Brun (health spring) and that several people still go there in the summer – There is one house there – A great many people used to go there formerly – When I 1st mentioned baths our Cicerone immediately said they were in the Cavcase – Stavropol – Pettigorsk – These and the Bains de Boue in the Crimea seem to be all the baths of any present name in Russia – On inquiring for the great Salt Lake, and if there was a road from here to it (Lake Ilton) 300 v.[versts] from here – 

Calmucks here – 50 Kibitkas – 50 families – A priest Gillon (Ghillon) and more of these people (pagans) 60 or 70 v.[versts] from here – The great encampment about 100 v.[versts] from Astrakhan, North East – Had best go to it from A-[Astrakhan] the Calmucks pay no taxes except to their own Prince – The Kibitkas just out of the Town here – Nearer to the river, northwards – All near together – 

We went into 2 of them – A man and his wife and daughter and little boy in one, and a couple of women in the other – But each had a little wood (board) door painted green beside the felt curtain that hung over the little entrance thro’ which we crept – About 3 ft.[feet] high by 2 ft.[feet]? wide – Literally a ground floor – The man was lying on his bed opposite the door – The little fire in the centre, the smoke escaping thro’ the circular opening of perhaps 2 ft.[feet] diameter – All the tents those of the lower order and apparently of the same size about 5 yards or something more? diameter – Would take down in 1/2 hour – Good strong felt – 1st I ever saw – The mainstay of the tent seems to be the diamond trellis about 3 ft.[feet] high – Of sticks about an inch in diameter – That forms as it were the skirting board, and to which all the rafter-sticks (thick and not more than 1 1/2 in.[inch] diameter) are tied – And tied likewise to a hoop at the top which forms the chimney –

All the sticks of the trellis I am not certain that there were any uprights the people in dirty Shubes women too the latter only distinguishable by their gold ear-rings and long black in 2 long tresses reaching down to the hip, and the top 1/2 in a sort of case, or like dark dirty cotton velvet long narrow bag – A little queer something or the hair itself towards the bottom made a little thin round queue, with a few thin longer-than-the-rest hairs finishing the whole in a point – The faces of the people resembling all the types I have seen of the Mongoli – Small dark rather sunk eyes highish cheekbones and rather tapering chins – smoke brown complexions – Good white teeth – 

Portrait of woman from Kalmykia. (c. 1810)  Reference: CLARKE, Edward Daniel. Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa by Edward Daniel Clarke LL.D. Part the First. Russia Tatary and Turkey, London, Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1810. (Image Source)

I thought the people dirty as they were, so much less ugly than I expected, that I asked our Cicerone to tell one the women I thought her handsome – She grinned her satisfaction – The urchin of a boy (Æt [aetatis] 4 to 6) was sitting over the fire with his face bloated and smoke red and his eyes almost buried, but said to be quite well – 

From the Kibitkas (Yourtes?) to the cattle shed – A long, good, wattled, straw-thatched shed, full of Calmuch sheep, some dark brown some white, with a Tail the whole breadth of the 2 buttocks (whole breadth of the seat) and about 6 in.[inches] long a soft, squeezable, moveable, cushiony mass of fat – The sheep as large as a large South down – A tallish, large, well made large thick nosed sheep – These are the sheep which furnish the families Shubes which when really black (not dyed like ours) are very excellent things – The wool is rather of a hairy nature – The animals are thus kept up and fed on hay from the Steppes (looked nice and fresh coloured, but coarseish) during the severe cold – They all looked healthy – 

It began to snow a little before we went to the Kibitkas – (Yourtes) – Then passed the good houses of the Horloger часы Clock-maker with neat little garden before it – And the Coppersmith’s close upon the street – All the houses tidy – Then to the Bread-baker’s – Bought some nice little ring-cakes, and another sort of spiced slice hard of little cake with almonds in it – He had no white bread left – The clock and watchmaker here gains a very good living – The Coppersmith, the Baker, the everybody – Plenty of work – 400 inhabitants – It seems they do not farm – The Russians grow the corn of which we got samples yesterday – But some of the families make butter ∴[therefore] they keep cows – And everybody seems to have a sort of farm courtyard as in general in Russia –

A Kalmyk, or as Anne calls it, Calmuck encampment.

Came in at 5 3/4 – Dinner ordered at 5 – Sat down to it at 6 20/’’ – Very good dinner and enjoyed it – Good cinnamoned soup with white tender chicken in it – pigeons? cut in 2 and nicely done (baked?) they passed for game with A-[Ann] and good potatoes cut into 2 and browned and in the dish with the birds – And a salad very pretty and good dressed – With vinegar and sugar Red and white cabbage cut into very fine shreds and well mixed 1/2 and 1/2 – Think of this for a pretty salad for home – And an excellent little dish of rice browned and cinnamoned over – And preserved plums and apples on our little dish to eat with the birds of which we had 3 ate 2 and put one away in our casserole – No tea – 

Fine day but cold wind – Snowing a little between 4 and 5 p.m. and George said snowing this evening

Br[ou]ght ov[e]r fr[om] p.[page] 56  .           .                            266 1/2 + 26      

Volga a.m. 12 38/’’ to 3 10/’’ Sanodnoy to Dubowka (Gorod)           24            

D[itt]o .. .. 4 to 6 33/60 D-[Dubowka] to Pitschouga                          20 1/2  

Br[eak]f[a]st [ditt]o .. .. 6 57/’’ to 9 35/’’ P-[Pitschouga] to Tzarizine (Gorod)       28 1/2      

D[itt]o .. ... 11 20/’’ to 1 55/’’ p.m. T-[Tzarizine] to Sarepta                28

                                                                                                     367 1/2

                                                                                                          26

                                                                                                      393 1/2

[symbols in left margin of the page:]         +

[in the margin of the page:]            Plunge in the Volga

[in the margin of the page:]             Tzarizine. Sani and Drovni

[in the margin of the page:]            vide p.[page] 56

[in the margin of the page:]            Sarepta

[in the margin of the page:]            Rooms. Dinner for ourselves (2) 3/50

[in the margin of the page:]            Caucasian wild goats

[in the margin of the page:]            Sarepta

[in the margin of the page:]            Rotation of crops

[in the margin of the page:]            Russian too idle to manure their land

[in the margin of the page:]            Baths near Sarepta

[in the margin of the page:]            Calmucks

[in the margin of the page:]            Calmuck sheep

[in the margin of the page:]            Salad

[in the margin of the page:]            Reaumur 12 3/4º now at 9 35/’’ on our dinner table

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0032  SH:7/ML/E/24/0033  SH:7/ML/E/24/0034

[cultho]

Dororo Epilogue/Post-ending Standalone episode

*WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!!*

So I watched the ending and I had a lot of feelings about it, and I came up with a few ideas for a standalone post-episode to explore some concepts I would like to see from the show. Fyi, the pronouns I use for Dororo vary by situation, with a preference for he/him (my headcanon is Dororo is pretty genderfluid!).

About a year after Hyakkimaru went to find himself, aka end of the series (but before the timeskip where Dororo’s hair is long), the episode opens with opens with Hyakkimaru, feeling more at peace with himself, returning to the village Dororo was developing via dad's Harry Potter level of inheritance.

Dororo, who now basically rules this village despite being a literal 9 year old, hears word from his fellow villagers that a wandering stranger with a sword was spotted helping one of the rice farmers because their horse got caught in a ditch (or anything else of that nature). Of course, Dororo immediately comes running, and barrels straight into Hyakkimaru for the sibling reunion hug we deserve.

Then Dororo punches Hyakki on the arm and gives him a hard time for leaving for a whole year without even a ‘goodbye,’ asks 'So what made you decide to come back after a whole year, huh, punk?’

In response, Hyakki pulls out a small, worn, pouch and Dororo says 'woah - Mio’s rice seeds? I thought you would’ve planted them by now already.’

With a little smile, Hyakki goes 'I thought about doing that, but then I remembered you were close with her too, so you have as much of a right to these seeds… so I decided to wait until we could plant them together.’ 

The rest follows as one expects it to -  Dororo teases him for becoming an even bigger softie, and they set off back to the village to grab some farm tools who Hyakki the place, as the camera pans up until the brilliant blue sky fills the frame. That chapter of their lives ends the same way it began, with Hyakkimaru and Dororo - the latter chatting up a storm while the former quietly appreciates - side by side, wandering where they must. 

Then the camera pans back down, and where before there was bare paddy, the field is now golden and thriving (same as it was in the show's ending). After a half decade timeskip, Dororo is 15-16 to Hyakki’s 21-22, and the rest of the episode follows them dealing with a demon terrorizing their village, who turns out to be Daigo’s butthurt evil spirit. I don’t have a specific plot, but here are concepts that I’d love to see explored.

First, Grown up badass Dororo running her town, being like her own Alexander Hamilton, except not only does this Alexander Hamilton know finances, how to run a sovereign state, how to outsmart any opponent, rouse even the most downtrodden souls to action with just a few words, she also kicks major butt from training with her big bro. Shoutout to that one post that inspired the idea that her dad's Big Boy genes kicked in during puberty so she’s actually like... as tall as Hyakki. Maybe even an inch taller. She says to anyone who asks that her bro can 'die mad about it’ but they both know that he’s just happy she grew up big and strong. 

She totally runs the town and everyone adores/massively respects her; her city takes in the refugees, the poor, the women and children, the diseased, etc, because, in her words, screw samurai and screw their wars. They absorbed Daigo’a old land after offering food, shelter, and jobs to the survivors, thus their town became a pretty respectably sized settlement.

Now, the key to all this - since they don't want to rely on samurai for their power - is the money, right? So Dororo’s power is her knowledge of the treasures secret location (and all the other badass things about her, but I digress). Imagine at some point a small gang of newer villaghers got the bright idea to try and stalk her during one of her mysterious night trips out (she calls them a way to satisfy her wanderlust, but they’re a cover for her sailing to the treasure's location to grab some cash), and they only get as far as spying her enter the docks before their plan goes to heck when they get accosted by Dororo's more loyal villagers who saw them sneaking. ‘Oh sh*t,’ they’re thinking, Dororo sauntering over to them, ‘Oh sh*t, shes got a big sword, oh man oh sh*t this is the end for me - '

But Dororo’s been there before, at the end of her rope and desperate for any edge to survive, she understands how these guys think, and if there’s one thing she’s stubborn to death about it’s that she does NOT run her town like the samurai. Instead, she talks them out of their misdoing and helps them find an honest living, Tales of Ba Sing Se Uncle Iroh style, (except with more volume and verbal threats).

Another concept with Dororo is when Dororo dresses to look like a guy when he and Hyakki take a couple horses and venture into a nearby city (for whatever plot reason), similar to how he did when he was a lot younger.

It’s not fully a secret, but only the older residents of her city know about Dororo’s 'crossdressing' habit, and are accepting of it.

Dororo mentions that while he’s in no way ashamed of presenting female, it often feels more freeing to present male, especially when they're out adventuring - less questions and stares from strangers, etc. Dororo also just likes presenting as male! This way, he identifies with both genders at different times. (It goes without saying Hyakki does his best to use the right pronouns, he never had a strict concept of gender - re: Jukai is the best mom, so it never struck him as odd.)

As for the actual villain of the episode, when she first hears of the Jerk Dad Demon attacking the farms on the outskirts of the village, she only thinks ‘it's just another demon, time to gather the crew and kill this thing-’

It doesn’t go so easily, as the demon’s exceptional strength proves to draw out the confrontation, and it even ends up escaping the first time.

The first to figure it out was Hyakki - he’s most familiar with Daigo’s wrath and the foul creature reeks of the old man. However, everything happened so fast and he sort of… neglected to inform Dororo. When she does find out, they have a short confrontation about it in classic Bickering Siblings Style. It’s understandable that she’s slightly miffed the demonic incarnation of his own awful dad, yes that one, is who they’re fighting and he didn’t bother letting her know.

Hyakki, who, even after a decade of having his voice back, isn't that great at communication/vocalizing his more complex thoughts and working through conflicts with words and thus often comes off as awkward or silently stoic: 'You were busy... and I thought you figured by yourself already?’

Things escalate when the other villagers overhear, and they almost start a riot; angry shouts accusing him of being the reason the demon attacks their settlement from the all the tired men and women, haggard from fending off attacks of not only the demon but also rival bandits and clans who want to take advantage of the city’s time of hardship. Of course, Dororo gets everyone back in lineright before the crowd got to deciding to sacrifice Hyakkimaru, reminding them to focus on the real enemy instead of turning on eachother - but the situation was incredibly bleak. With everyone on edge partially, it was easy to use Hyakki as a scapegoat due to his pacifist tendencies and his stoic nature coming across as almost cowardice.

He taught Dororo how to fight and that's pretty much all the fighting he's done since he came back to plant Mio’s rice, he’s reluctant to pick up the blade again. But the moment a demon shows up he runs off on his own, risking life and limb to confront it head on. Combined with his character’s less than stellar communication skills, it frustrates Dororo in the 'he leaves for a year and doesnt even text me when he's going’ kinda way’ - she's frustrated when he continually refuses to understand that they're family, and at the end of they day theyre kind of all the other has left. So he needs to get it together better and tell her when he’s about to go off and do reckless nonsense. His behavior also presents an interesting dichotomy as Hyakki also struggles with trying to be emotionally detached (lose worldly desires, etc.) and pacifist in the face of attacks from both demon and humans, so he needs to reconcile fighting with the others against attacking clans and risking a redescent into the demon like madness of his teenage years or standing by non violent means of supporting his comrades while facing expectations that he should do more. He wants to atone for his past sins badly and help those who are still living best he can - but how? 

(And also make friends other than literally just Dororo.)

Dororo's arc is about her struggles to do the right thing as a leader - it is a lot, to run a whole city. Recent events have caused more deaths amidst her city than ever before, and moral questions about what to do with captured enemy survivors feed doubt into her mind if one day she’ll turn out as bad as the samurai, and how to continue on after having led people in battles that resulted in their deaths.

P.s. I also entertained the idea of Hyakki’s journey to find himself taking much longer, and so the first time Dororo sees him again ever since he got his eyes back is when she's 20, there's rain pouring from the dark sky as her men are carrying lamps around, accounting for the dead and defeated in a latest skirmish with a small rival band that was trying to access her city the non-peaceful way.

At first her men bring her hyakkimaru, thinking he was with the enemy (he happened to be in the wrong place, wrong time. He simply heard of a group heading to a big place that sounded an awful lot like somewhere he would find Dororo - and followed them).

And from the business end of her sword he's on his knees looking up when she goes 'nah. I know him. This bastard's got hell to answer for, but he's not our enemy.’

Events are more or less the same from there, but filled with way more tension and drama here since Hyakki basically dropped off the face of the earth for 10 ish years and Do’s mad about that because, again, he didn't even say 'bye'. So much has changed, but what hasn't changed is Dororo’s anikki's inability to grasp that if one day he went off without telling her and then died, she would have literally no idea where/when/how that was, she would never know if he was alive or dead, and the idea of living in that limbo would terrify anyone. The story being about them learning to come together again, only at the end do they plant Mio’s rice field together.

I ended up trying to flesh the first idea out more because Do & Hyakki’s relationship is all about the things that don't need to be said; that these two will always be there for the other without needing to be asked. The backbone of their relationship was built up as one that didn’t need explicit affirmation because it was already so ingrained to their characters it would be a disservice to them and a waste of time to contrive an entire plot trying to create unnecessary drama between them.

But then again... drama = satisfying character growth, so perhaps it could go either way! Let me know what you think! 

Thank you for reading all this way :) I also posted second part to this of other thoughts I had while pondering why I felt the need to write a standalone epilogue.

Bonus: these gems I had in the rough draft that unfortunately had to get cut:

“But it’s harder to kill bc jerk dad demon is a jerk”

“Dororo's like 'u mean to tell me ur punk bitch biological male progenitor's demonized soul is attacking our fields??? “

“they take down the big bad dad dude daigo”

“Dororo: - pshffyeahh, ur pissy pissfaced pissbaby dad”

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: Vol. 5 "True Colors"

This is a re-posting from October 4th, 2018 in an effort to get all my recaps fully on tumblr. Thanks!

Guess who’s back, back again

Clyde is back, tell a friend

How long will my focus and work ethic last? Who knows, but with Volume 6 on the horizon and a fantastic new poster out, I’m feeling like it’s time to dive back into RWBY Recaps. Never too late to guiltily dust off an old project, right?

Right.

We’re back in Volume 5. Yes, I did a bit of Volume 1—extreme illusions of grandeur and productivity there—but we should really round out 5 before 6 comes knocking on the 27th. I’ve got almost a month. Let’s see how well I do, starting with “True Colors.”

We open on an image of Qrow and Ozpin together, notably Ozpin given the prim posture and ever-present coffee mug. Qrow makes the comment that things “aren’t looking good” and really? No shit, bird boy. We’ve gone from “Oh no, Ruby is having trouble becoming a leader!” to “Oh no… Weiss is trying to overcome a racist upbringing…?” and are now firmly in the territory of “OH NO a bunch of our faves are dead and Ozpin is forced to possess a child??” Things haven’t looked good for a while.

Ozpin is ever the optimist though. He points out that yeah, things are bad, but they could also be worse. “Humanity is a resilient force” he says, which oddly enough, sounds a lot like the kind of thing someone not a part of Humanity would say. Jury’s still out on whether Oz was the lowly farmer unfairly cursed by the gods, or a god himself justly punished for some sort of hubris… or something else entirely. It just strikes me as significant that he often distances himself from others in not just actions but speech as well. Could be a glimpse into his true nature, aka someone literally not human. Could also just be the result of spending thousands of years reincarnating while everyone else around you suffers and dies. That’ll make anyone feel subhuman…

Qrow challenges Oz’s happy-go-lucky attitude, reminding us that a huge number of pro huntsmen have been murdered and Salem couldn’t have achieved that on her own. She’s had help—and plenty of it. But Ozpin stands firm that it “doesn’t take a great number of people to cause harm” and there are “far more people in this world willing to prevent it.”

Enter our protagonist.

Subtle!

Ruby is adorable, as always, hesitantly approaching the two of them and awkwardly accepting the invitation to chat. It’s a striking difference in how she acts when it’s just her and Qrow, which is expected. Ozpin remains a much more distant authority figure and now he’s inhabiting the body of a boy her own age. I’d be a little unsure about how to act around him too.

Ruby finally asks what we’ve been worried about since the beginning of this Volume: if Cinder defeated Oz then does that mean Salem now has the Beacon relic? Luckily, no. Oz says he made finding the Beacon relic “a bit more challenging than at the other schools.” So Ruby asks the second question that’s been on our minds…

Ozpin: “No, my cane is not a relic.”

Ruby: “I have no more questions :)”

Okay now wait. I'm calling bullshit lol. That cane is 100% a relic. I mean could I be wrong? Absolutely. But it’s way more fun to be confident so I’m calling Ozpin out on this. For a number of reasons:

1. He’s absolutely the kind of guy to do what no one else expects. “The cane is so obvious!” Yeah, which means everyone will be looking for the relic elsewhere, hidden away like the Haven relic. Who the hell would have it out in the open? Ozpin. He would. Expect the unexpected.

2. He’s alsothe kind of guy who might lie to someone about it. Ozpin has been playing this game a long time and he’s not above a few smiles and carefully placed words if he thinks it’ll keep things on track. The Haven relic is the one currently in danger—no reason to announce the Beacon relic’s location and shift the team’s focus just because a former student asks him for the truth. It’s too dangerous and Ozpin is very adept at, as he says, playing things close to the chest. And I don’t blame him. That’s how you keep humanity alive.

3. The scene doesn’t show us Qrow at all who is a lot less adept at lying, to say nothing of the fact that—if he knows about the relic—he wouldn’t feel good lying specifically to Ruby.

4. Ozpin’s previous comment about how this relic is a “bit more challenging” seems significant. That is, why ONLY make the Beacon relic so difficult to find? All the relics are important so why not give them all the same precautions? Well, the answer is simple if your precaution is something you can only do for one of them: keep the relic with you.

5. Qrow, arguably Ozpin’s closest friend (husband-friend), was entrusted with getting the cane back to him and it’s used as the introduction between Oscar and Qrow. Seems like a pretty damn important object.

6. We’ve seen this cane fend off crazy powerful attacks and it never takes any damage. Granted, all the weapons in RWBY are pretty hearty, but Ozpin’s cane seems particularly indestructible. Almost like there’s something similar to magic surrounding it.

7. We’ve still got those gears. That cane transforms into something…

8. The fact that Ozpin immediately homes in on Ruby’s question, quickly counters it, and then tells her to leave (go gather the others). He’s in charge of the conversation here.

9. The fact that the scene suddenly turns light-hearted and humorous. We’re meant to shrug this moment off and not think too hard about it. Well, too late now.

Granted, Oz has a good explanation here. He states firmly that the cane is indeed precious, though only to him, and that it still “has a few tricks up its sleeve.” Nothing he says counters what we already know, yet it doesn’t reveal any of his cane’s secrets either. We’re still in the dark. So until we’re not I remain suspicious about his claim that it’s totally definitely absolutely not a relic.

(The headmaster doth protest too much.)  

(Edit Feb. 2019: I was so wrong, folks!!) 

But we’re moving on. Qrow gets a call from Lionheart asking them to meet up with him to discuss potentially going on the offensive against the bandits. Ruby is ecstatic and runs off. Ozpin? Not so much. He and Qrow both comment on how strange it is that Lionheart has suddenly changed his tune and the addition of some creepy music all but beats us over the head with, “It’s a trap!!” This time when Qrow says that things aren’t looking good Ozpin’s only response is, “I know.” So much for the pep talk.

We cut to Lionheart himself, having just finished up that call, and as we pull back who should we find but Raven. She makes blunt what we already know, “I never expected that you would be the one with the guts to betray Oz” while we get a nice crane shot so that we can see Raven circling him, standing while he’s seated—a predator stalking prey.

Though of course it’s not actually courage driving their actions here. It’s cowardice. At least Lionheart is willing to admit it. He says straight out that he’s terrified of Salem and doesn’t think anyone can beat her, so why not join the winning side? Raven, meanwhile, is still firmly in denial. “I’m not scared,” she says. “I’m smart.” Please, girl. You’ve spent your whole life running and you don’t know how to stop now. “Man up,” Raven continues (god that’s a terrible phrase). “You did what you needed to do to survive. There’s no shame in that,” which is where we see the divide between their morals and everyone else surrounding Team RWBY. They’re scared, but they fight despite their fear because they know it’s necessary to help both others and themselves. Raven is only out for herself and her selfish actions hurt family (Qrow), children (Yang), friends (her tribe), and allies (Ozpin) in the process.

“Who are you trying to convince?” Lionheart asks her. It's great seeing a villain who knows exactly where the line is even as they can’t help but cross it. RIP the complex ones.

We move back to Menagerie where Ilia and the others are still leading the attack on Blake’s family. Kali if BAMF here, snatching up a tray as both defense and weapon when her gun runs out of ammo. We get to see her clocking Yuma before we catch up with Blake and Ilia—and I enjoy the contrast in colors between these two scenes, from full blown battle (cold) to friends-turned-enemies (warm):

Ilia spouts the same arguments as Raven: she doesn’t have a choice about her actions. Violence is the only way to survive. Despite the rhetoric Blake is willing to let her go, but Ilia has other plans. The fight, while not spectacular, does showcase the clear parallels between them—both in their arguments and the use of long/short range weaponry. When asked why she doesn’t leave Blake responds that she runs away too much. Beyond the obvious theme from our title—everyone showing their “True Colors��—the focus of this episode is quite obviously who’s willing to fight for others and who’s only out for themselves; who’s able to distinguish between when a literal fight is necessary and when another avenue can be taken. We see time and time again that Team RWBY is leagues ahead of others in terms of that kind of maturity.

From a world building perspective I appreciate Ilia’s use of her camouflaging skills. It’s rare that we see the Faunus actually using their animal abilities (beyond Sun swinging around on his tail) and that’s definitely a useful one in battle… though it's undermined somewhat by having a weapon that lights up with electricity. Gotta think that one through…

And then Blake sETS THE HOUSE ON FIRE? Damn, girl! This isn’t even a real battle—at least not between the two of them. Ilia says two seconds later that Blake isn’t taking this seriously, neither of them truly wants to kill the other, so is burning down your house really the best option here? I always knew Blake was secretly the most dramatic of the bunch.

(That’s a lie. I'm sorry. The most dramatic is clearly Weiss, but she’d be proud of Blake’s ridiculously over-the-top strategy here, I’m sure.)

Blake manages to pin Ilia and keeps trying to talk her down. It works. Sort of. Ilia starts to cry as she admits that she doesn’t know what else to do, but at that moment Ghira comes crashing through the wall with another fight at his heels. (This family is rich enough that they don't care about the property damage.) And then we get this,

This is a sharp reminder that though Blake and Ilia might be fighting more with words than fists, the same can’t be said for her parents. They are, notably, in very real danger. The fight picks back up with Ilia clearly torn now between her loyalties. She defends herself though when Sun joins the fray, pausing only when Blake begs the two of them to stop. However, their fighting has already cracked the pillar holding up the second story and Ilia gets caught underneath. Surprisingly, she’s saved by Ghira (which tells us more about his character than all his bickering with Sun ever could) and there’s a nifty bit of teamwork used to get him out—Sun’s copies hold up the balcony; Blake uses her weapon to pull her dad to safety. The brother (Fennec) who tries to attack him from behind is justifiably crushed under the rubble.

Kali is safe and joins the gang. The fight is basically over, but Corsac attacks out of pure grief and rage, allowing Ilia to stun him from behind. Now I’ve got a lot of feelings about Ilia, most of which boil down to just plain not liking her. I already explained in depth my issues with her being the (so far) sole queer character on the show and this is now compounded with her supposed “redemption.” There are problems inherent in making the (again, only) queer character an antagonist, but there are more problems in making them an antagonist and then refusing to stand by that. Rooster Teeth had her as a complex villain and then the moment she was revealed to have feelings for Blake it’s, “Never mind! She’s good now!” in the span of half an episode.

And how does this redemption occur? Ilia attacks Blake and goes after Blake’s parents. She continues to attack them after being given numerous chances to walk away. She turns on her allies… only after the fight is won. If Ilia were a different kind of character her stunning Corsac could have easily been seen as a survival strategy rather than a true change of heart. They’re now outnumbered four to two, so—like Lionheart—why not quickly join the winning side? I honestly wish Ilia was out to double cross Blake if only because that would be consistent with her loyalties up until now. It would make sense.

In the grand scheme of things though these are minor points. What strikes me as far more significant is 1. that Ilia and her allies could have killed Kali and Ghira. I admit that she wasn’t fighting Blake full out, but the purpose of this attack was to assassinate her parents and the fight did lead to at least one death. That’s not just something you bounce back from. Maybe I’m an asshole, but I couldn’t wave that away as a “bad decision” like Blake does. They could have died. And 2. the most important of all, we’ve yet to see any true change in her thinking or ideology! Ilia joins the gang because she lost and she's left standing around awkwardly with Blake—the girl she’s in love with. Would Ilia have second-guessed her actions if they'd succeeded in their mission? I doubt it. In the aftermath of failure she's contrite, but Ilia was pretty damn adamant about killing humans---and the Belladonnas---just a few minutes ago. If her redemption is based on circumstance and her one-sided crush… that’s not a redemption I can get behind.

But it’s what we’re rushed into. Blake gives a rousing speech about how no, they can’t just use humans as a scapegoat for this attack. They can’t allow figureheads like Adam to speak for them. She says that they’re all “looking for simple answers to a very complex problem” and that despite it not being what they want to hear, she doesn’t know how to just “make hate go away.” That’s a huge development from the girl who went to Mountain Glenn and said passionately that she was going to change the world, but without any concrete ideas as to how to do that. Now Blake can admit her own ignorance and knows at the very least what not to do. They’re not going to change the world through violence like this—they won’t change it for the better, anyway.  

I’m with her through all that, up until Blake agrees to take Ilia to Haven. The guard yells out, “You’re just going to forgive her? After all she’s done?” and Blake says only, “Yes.” You know what that is? It’s a simple answer to a very complex problem. It’s painted as admirable on her part—Ghira says she’s learned the lesson of how powerful forgiveness can be—but I think this is RWBY’s fairy-tale simplicity shining through and it doesn’t fit with the heavy material we've been tackling the last few volumes. There’s a big difference between forgiving someone and making sure that they face consequences for their actions. There’s a difference between forgiving them and thinking practically about whether you can or should trust them with your safety and the safety of others. Hell, forgiveness usually takes more than five minutes and often times doesn’t happen at all! Ilia has done none of the work to justify Blake’s forgiveness and though having forgiveness handed to you might read as a beautiful ideal, it doesn’t work well in the gritty, complicated, racially loaded storyline that Rooster Teeth keeps trying to pull off. It feels cheap in the face of all that Blake suffered through this volume, especially when they turn Ilia’s actions into a literal joke. She stabbed Sun? No big deal! He pinched her and now they’re even! How much of a joke would this be if Ghira had suddenly collapsed from his own wound? Or Kali hadn't casually rejoining them entirely unharmed? Maybe I’m more bitter than I thought, but Ilia’s redemption feels like an unintended smack in the face.

The townspeople buy into the happy picture though and we get a chorus of them agreeing to join Blake in the fight to defend Haven. Plans are made to arm, train, and transport the people of Menagerie in two weeks time. Getting civilians into fighting shape that quickly might be a challenge, but at least Blake knows a ship captain who owes her a favor.

And that’s where we end this episode—forging a path for the future. Stay tuned for the next episode “The More the Merrier” as we count down to the Volume 6 premiere!

Other Details of Note

In that opening shot we have what looks like a pretty generic print on the wall—who doesn’t like sunsets?—except that it also shows a crescent moon without the broken pieces. Artist’s interpretation? Time before the moon’s demise? Animator’s forgetting about it while drawing the random painting that viewers are only going to see for about two seconds? You decide!

I really appreciate that Ozpin praises Ruby for being the first to realize the potential implications of the Beacon relic. She’s praised for her skill with Crescent Rose and for being one of the youngest to attend Beacon, but it’s rare that people comment on Ruby’s intellect. She’s smart as hell with one of the more strategic minds of the group—that’s partly why she makes such a good leader. It’s good to see someone, particularly her headmaster, acknowledging that.

After Qrow gets the call from Lionheart he immediately reaches for his flask… despite still having a steaming drink beside him. Apparently working with this guy was tough even before they knew he was loyal to Salem.  

Edit Feb. 2019: Lionheart says that “I’ve done things Ozpin will never forgive” and that’s one hell of a loaded line after hearing Ozpin’s thoughts on Lionheart in Volume 6.

“Sorry, Dad” Blake says right before she burns down their library. Somehow I don't think 'sorry' cuts it in this situation...

[amaranthine-inscriptions]

11/11/11 Tag Game

I was tagged by @thewordreaper, @aslanwrites, @graceomeallain, and @elizabethsyson to do this! All questions and answers will be beneath the cut! Sorry for taking so long! <3

Tagging: @metaphors-and-melodrama, @mvcreates, @isanyonetoknow, @whywritewhenyoucansleep, @kaatiba, @rainy-rose, @radley-writes, @nectareouswrites, and anyone else who would like to join! :D

My Questions:

1. Explain the title of your WIP. 

2. Based on the title of your WIP, what category or genre do you think it fits into?

3. Which character did you like most?

4. Which character did you like least?

5. Summarize your WIP in one written sentence or a one minute speech.

6. Is your WIP a one-shot or do you have sequels/prequels planned?

7. Which character do you relate to the most?

8. Which character is least like you?

9. Are there any lessons/morals in your WIP?

10. Besides your main WIP, how many other ideas do you have floating around? Tell me about them!

11. Where do you find your inspiration?

@thewordreaper‘s questions!

1. What colours do you associate with your WIP? The Vennadore Volumes (Already Introduced and In Progress) - Blues, Greens, and Purples in general. Just depends on what volume we are speaking about. Blues and greens for the first volume for sure because of the the whole pirate thing. :) The Aeonian Chronicles (coming soon) - Black, White, and Gold. It captures the aesthetic of the gods I have in my head and they play a huge part in this upcoming series.  Untitled Series Name (Coming Soon) - Soft Pink and Navy Blue. This is solely based on another dream I had. Just like the one above except WAY different. 

2. Summarise the beginning of your WIP in three to five words I’ll be answering this for the WIP that I’ve actually started writing for lmao: Farmer’s daughter living provincial life. 

3. What character do you like writing about the most ? Adelaide... OR Octavia. I haven’t gotten the hang of writing Eponia or any of her companions just yet. I’ve had Adelaide and Octavia for a WHILE which is why it’s easier and why I enjoy them a lot more. 

4. Did your plot ever make any major deviations from what you originally planned ? Well... I did have a completely different idea for where I wanted to go with Eponia’s story, but she decided she didn’t like that and took a life of her own and ran in a completely different direction, which is why I’m re-plotting her story. (Thank god I haven’t written too many scenes that would pertain to the previous plot idea)

5. Do you listen to music while writing? If you do, what kind? I DO. I listen to anything honestly. Right now I’m listening to my playlist titled “Got the runs?” and it’s full of energetic music that would help with cardio. And it hypes me up to write more. ^__^

6. Favourite animals of your main characters ! .... I don’t have any pets or animals planned out D: They’ll probably will be written in but I’m just so focused on making sure that the characters get to where I want them. And then maybe fluff it up a bit and include some animal companions or familiars. 

7. What was the inspiration behind your current WIP? For the Vennadore Volumes, I did HELLA world building because it was originally for text-based roleplay for friends and other members of a dying community. And one of my friends said that I should make it into a series and include the storylines that happen within this world that I created. That’s when I was inspired to start on this WIP. And start with a story that hasn’t been RPed out yet. And then start with separate stories that all tie in together somehow. 

8. Which author would you compare your writing style to? Uhhhhhh.... I’m not exactly sure and I’m afraid to answer this question cos I’m not sure what my style is like compared to a published author. 👀👀👀 Cos I am but a worm. 

9. Is there a new form of writing that you plan on attempting in the future? I’m not sure if there are new forms??? If there are, please tell me cos I really enjoy learning new things <3

10. What instruments do your main characters play/ play want to play ? If singing counts, then Finnick can sing and his voice is like an angel’s and might be the reason why Eponia likes him A LOT. (And cos he’s unusually attractive for a pirate lol) 11. Are there any of your characters you would love to meet IRL? ISOLAH. I love my gay baby and happy that she’s got such a supportive wife. <3 The other’s could probably get fucked lol (I love them all but I just love the captain of the Temptress)

†††

@aslanwrites‘s questions!

1. What are some influences for your WIP? For world building: definitely Tolkien and GRRM. Kinda a mash of the two with my own twist to it all. Which is why Vennadore is so massive. But for writing, I’m not sure.  2. Is there a writer or someone you would like to collab with? Or maybe even do a crossover with? Not off the top of my head, no. But I’m pretty solitary when it comes to writing. And I’m terrified of sharing my ideas with another person if I do have to collab with them. 

But I really do enjoy Libba Bray since I’ve read her Gemma Doyle trilogy at least five times, so I wouldn’t mind collabing with her.  3. What are some facts about the world you’ve created that you’d like to share but can’t seem to quite fit into the story yet? Lore stories about the races of Vennadore. Mostly because I haven’t gotten there yet. I don’t know if there aren’t any facts I haven’t shared on my world page.

4. What are you most excited about sharing with your WIP? Anything Adelaide related. She’s my baby and I can’t wait to write more on her story. 

5. What are your OCs favorite genres of music? Eponia: Either something soft with a soprano voice or an energetic dance instrumental Finnick and Isolah: Sea Shanties Solandis: Anything with piano or harpsichord Alarik: Unsure. He’s very difficult to place. But if it were modern: metal for sure. He’s a very angry person.  6. How good is your main character at cooking? Not very well since she refused to pay attention to any lessons in becoming a better lady that her step-mother forced her to go through.  7. What kind of comics would your OCs like? Cos I don’t know much about comics, I wouldn’t know what they would like. 

8. What inspired you to write your WIP? “For the Vennadore Volumes, I did HELLA world building because it was originally for text-based roleplay for friends and other members of a dying community. And one of my friends said that I should make it into a series and include the storylines that happen within this world that I created. That’s when I was inspired to start on this WIP. And start with a story that hasn’t been RPed out yet. And then start with separate stories that all tie in together somehow. ” Same answer from a previous question, but I love it any way c:  9. What other stories do you have in mind? OH BOY. I have a lot of ideas.. This is what I have listed in my notepad so far:

Hide and Seek (Supernatural) Characters: Jensen Hyde and Amelia Siek (OTP)

Supernova (Sci-Fi? Fantasy?) Characters: Caelestis

The Above (Post-apocalyptic) Characters: suspicious gays

Aeonian Chronicles (fantasy; it's about time) Characters: A golden goddess and her high priestess (otp)

Allure at Eventide, Beneath a Starless Sky, Below the Sun, Dreams, Painted Skies, and [character name] (fantasy) Characters: English lovers that started off as friends then enemies then to lovers. Man conveys his feelings all wrong and thinks the woman knows what he means.

10. Oh no! Your main character has been kidnapped! Who goes to find them? Who says “let it be”? Who forms a search party? And what does your main character do in this event? Finnick would go find Eponia cos REASONS. Alarik says “let it be”. Isolah and Solandis would probs get the crew together and form a search party while Solandis informs Ep’s family that she has been kidnapped but they are going to find her. Eponia is like “Uggggh, not again.” and makes plans to escape and go back to her original “captors” or her family back home if given the chance. 

11. What is your favorite kind of ice cream? MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP. 

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@graceomeallain‘s questions!

1. What’s the age gap between your oldest and youngest OC? If you count the upcoming addition to the Alilart family (Emric and Lysandra’s baby c:), 0 years to 60s (I haven’t decided because they’re a minor character. Like hella minor.)

2. If your MC was dropped in a high school setting, which clique would they fit in with? Eponia wouldn’t fit in anywhere, so she would be considered the outsider. So the outsider clique. Or the new-kid club. But she tries to be nice to everyone, despite her attitude problem. 

3. Which of your OCs is the funniest? Mmmmm... No one has told a joke yet and none of them are keen to tell me. So I’m going to say Alarik because he’s pretty crude. So I would imagine his jokes would just as bad, but somehow funny???

4. Who’s an early riser, and who sleeps in? The early riser would be Isolah. She is the captain of course. Eponia however despises waking up, she loves sleep too much. 

5. Which draft of your WIP are you on? Planning/First Draft :)

6. How many main characters do you have in your WIP? Depends on which volume but the first one has six. c: 

7. Which of your OCs is the best looking? FINNICK. Hot damn. 

8. What do your OCs do at Christmas? If nothing, why not? They share stories of their lives before becoming pirates, maybe make little gifts out of things they find laying around the ship. 

9. Do your OCs have any piercings? Not that I know of, but I am their mother and I’m sure they’re scared of telling me that they went and got a piercing at their best friend’s house. (So maybe lol)

10. What are their favourite foods and why? I honestly haven’t thought about their favourite foods D:

11. If your WIP has any couples, which is your favourite? It’s between Finnick and Eponia (an eventual couple), and Isolah and Solandis <3

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@elizabethsyson‘s questions! Round 1!

1. what’s a trope you hate? I feel like I don’t know enough about tropes to know which one I would hate. 

2. what’s a trope you love? I feel like I don’t know enough about tropes to know which one I would love. 

3. what’s your main character’s aesthetic? Eponia’s is hard to place. I would think her colour would be between light purple and a dark pink. Lots of books. Sleeping in. And that’s what I have so far. 

4. describe your wip using only verbs Oh dayum. This is hard.... Fighting, Loving, Escaping, Conspiring, Worshiping and maybe some other verbs as the volumes grow. 

5. how significantly does time feature in your plot? There’s a whole different time system for Vennadore that somewhat resembles our own, and also has it’s own history that could repeat itself. And to show how time progresses, it is shown and explained (hopefully well by me lmao). 

6. how many settings does your wip have? So far in the first volume, three. Home, Markets, Ship. And since Vennadore is massive, there is LOADS more to come. 

7. do your characters travel during the plot? Yes, most of them are on a ship. What are they doing on the ship.... That I cannot tell. 

8. which of your characters is most likely to die young? ... How young? Cos I could say Alarik or Isolah; they’re in their 20s and 30s respectively.

9. which of your characters trust vs. mistrust authority? Alarik? Since he is a criminal. And is now a slave under the captain and crew of the Temptress. 

10. what’s one theme of your wip? The first volume covers the MC discovering herself while in this strange, new place. 

11. would your story be better portrayed in animation or live action? Live action. 

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@elizabethsyson‘s questions! Round 2!

1. what’s a story you read as a child that sticks with you? The fourth harry potter book. That was my favourite growing up. :)

2. what’s your approach to diversity in your writing? I kinda just.... put it in there. I don’t know how else to put it lol

3. what’s your favourite online resource for writers? Since I’m obsessed with having a great name, the fantasy name generator site is amazing. <3

4. what programme do you write in? A journal ^^; But if I type it up, I use google docs cos word slows my computer down wayyyy too much. 

5. how do you backup your writing? I normally write in journals, but if I type it up in google docs, I normally would store it in my portable hard drive :)

6. do you print your stuff once you’ve finished it? Not right now since I share a house with other people (besides my partner) who need to print things off and printer paper isn’t exactly the cheapest thing in the world right now. 

7. do you post entire wips, chapters, just snippets, or nothing? Maybe a line or two since I’m on my first draft and everything is kinda a mush of clay. 

8. tag some writers whose wips you follow on tumblr and tell me why you follow them :c I feel bad cos I don’t really follow any specific WIPs. I do try to share others’ work to make sure my followers get to see that person’s hard work. I just feel too spazztic and out of focus to find WIPs. I just want to share others’ work ^^; 

9. favourite medium for sharing your stuff? Word of mouth? I don’t really have any thing to share my work on like wattpad or ao3 and I’m not sure which would be best since Venn could contain some adult themes and I want to make sure that it wouldn’t be removed because it violated rules. 

10. do you create art of any kind? talk about it a little I’m terrible at art, but I do have a sketch pad because I enjoy doodling a little. I just don’t do it too often because I feel like I can’t compare to the amazing artists out there. 

11. what’s your favourite non-writing/reading/story-related hobby? Singing or practicing an instrument (I have a clarinet, keyboard, guitar, and ukulele)

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@elizabethsyson‘s questions! Round 3! 

1. What’s the first book you remember reading? Do you know about the Mary-Kate and Ashley mystery books???? I remember those. And Goosebumps. Hell yeah. 

2. Have you ever invented a language for a piece of writing? YES. It’s the Untouchable Language or the mother-tongue of the Rah’al people. I only have some specific words but that’s it so far. 

3. Describe your approach to worldbuilding. When I was building Vennadore, I looked up questions to answer when building a fantasy world, that got me started. General stuff like population and different sections of the world. Then delved into specifics like races and their customs. 

4. Do you write in multiple genres? Which? Fantasy, Fiction, and maybe Sci-fi.

5. What type of villain do you most hate? A villain that gives you no reason to hate them. I feel like there needs to be a reason to hate them. Like how I hate Joffrey in GoT (cos he’s a punk). 

6. Do you prefer to type or write longhand or something else? I prefer to write longhand, otherwise I wouldn’t know what I was trying to say when I revisit my journal. 

7. How do you motivate yourself? I put on some hype music and do a little dance while I write. It helps since I spend a lot of time just sitting there thinking. 

8. Opinion on nanowrimo? I’ve never tried, and I’m honestly terrified cos I feel like I wouldn’t make the goal I would set for myself. But I’m happy that it works well for other writers. 

9. Top 3 songs on your writing playlist? I don’t really have a writing playlist, just whichever playlist I decide to write to whether it’s “Mood,” “Got the Runs,” or “Chill.” 

10. How do you come up with your characters’ appearances? I search for face claims eternally on pinterest until something screams at me that has that character’s vibe. 

11. Do you write your scenes chronologically? Never. My thoughts are way too scattered to make them do the chronological thing. 

[aardvark-123]

Gensokyo Festival day 9: Monster

~Author’s Note~

There are monsters and then there are monsters. Sometimes the monsters look just like you and me. Sometimes the monsters are Touhou fans who don’t have any respect for the world or the characters. And sometimes, very rarely, the people of Gensokyo fight back.

~This One Might be a Bit Creepy, so Read With Caution~

My name is Gary de Sade. Reducing women to blubbering wrecks is my hobby, and my goal is to accomplish this feat seven times in one week. For posterity's sake, I have decided to write a chronicle of my travels in Gensokyo, the diversions I sought therein and the women whose days I ruined.

If you have some kind of moral objection to my pastimes, all I can suggest is that you learn to cope. I care little for the comfort of other people, women least of all. Do not expect me to give up my pleasure for some pitiful notion of "kindness" or "decency".

Monday

I decided to start small with my first endeavour. I snuck into the house of Marisa Kirisame and earned her trust by polishing her shoes, whereupon she allowed me to borrow her alchemical supplies. With those not-altogether-unimpressive resources behind me I was able to brew a bucket's worth of powerful adhesive, more than enough to immobilise one of the locals.

I was not willing to ruin the rapport I had with Marisa just then, so I took the glue out into the forest and poured it out onto the path. Sooner or later, a traveller was bound to walk into my trap.

"I don't believe this." Yuuka prodded the pool of glue with her umbrella. A long, sticky strand clung to the metal tip as she raised it. "Who would be stupid enough to spill sticky stuff in the middle of the road and not tell anybody?"

"I don't know," said Wriggle, with a shrug. "Someone's probably messing around."

Yuuka looked up and down the compacted forest track, but she could see nothing suspicious. "Well, somebody needs to clean it up. And in the absence of anybody else, it looks like 'somebody' is the two of us. Can you run home and fetch me a bar of soap?"

"Okay!" Wriggle turned on her heel and sprinted down the path. About halfway to the Garden of the Sun, she remembered that she could travel much faster in the air.

Yuuka sat down beside the path and winced as a sharp stone pricked her. Something was rustling in the undergrowth behind her, but she paid it no heed. It was probably just a fox or something.

Tuesday

I must admit that I have underestimated the inhabitants of this realm. Apparently a simple glue trap is not enough for my purposes. To add insult to injury, the green-haired woman did not notice the thumb-tack I placed beneath her bottom. If such pain tolerance is the norm in here, it does not bode well for my plans.

Today's little escapade will involve a trip to the Human Village. I intend to slip into the book-rental shop and set light to the contents, driving the shop girl to despair. I can hardly wait to watch her bawl her eyes out.

A bell dinged as the door to Suzunaan swung open. Kosuzu looked up from the monthly manga serial she'd propped against the ledgers and smiled. "Hello, there! Welcome to Suzunaan!"

"Do you have any books on farming?" The newcomer spoke with single-minded urgency. He was tall and unhealthily pale, but Kosuzu wasn't about to let that get to her.

"Of, course, sir! We have plenty!" declared Kosuzu. "What crops are you thinking of growing? I can sell you some paper as well, in case you want to take notes-"

"Rice," said the newcomer firmly. "I'm going to farm a bunch of rices. So run along to the basement and fetch me the book, would you?"

"...It's right here." Kosuzu bent down and pulled out a thick volume from the bookshelf on her right. She laid it down on the counter with a heavy thump. "This is the complete guide to every known variety of rice! All the farmers swear by it!"

"Shit," the newcomer muttered.

Kosuzu's jaw dropped. "What?!" "I said 'this is it'! The perfect book for me! Thank you!" the stranger ground out. "I suppose I'd better settle up. Let me just get me card-wallet... Oh, whoops, a lit match came out of my pocket!"

The match fizzled out with a puff of smoke as it hit the floor.

The stranger began to sweat. "Um..."

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" screamed Kosuzu. She vaulted over the counter, grabbed the stranger by she shoulders and wrestled him out onto the street. "You idiot! Don't you know this is a bookshop?! Don't ever darken my doorstep again!"

Wednesday

I am not pleased with myself. One match is such an unreliable vector to commit arson it is no wonder I failed, and the only one crying was me. Those dirt roads are harder than they look. On the plus side, Marisa made a vegetable stir-fry for breakfast today, and it was delicious. Not as delicious as a helpless woman's tears, but still.

Today I am going to attempt a different tactic. I have heard of a pink sparrow living somewhere in Gensokyo, knowing only fear of a stronger youkai having her for dinner. I wish not to see her devoured, but playing on those fears surely could not hurt...

Mystia had a thumping headache. Rocking out until well past midnight could have that effect, she knew, but it still hurt. Her throat was parched, too. There was nothing else for it; she was going to have to open her eyes and start doing things.

The warm afternoon sun burned Mystia's retinas, but as she grew accustomed to the light she realised she was standing up. She had never been able to sleep on her feet before.

Mystia yawned and stretched out her arms. She felt a pull on her wrists, then something snapped behind her. She whipped around in alarm and found herself face-to-face with a tall wooden pole.

"Well, I never..." Mystia noticed the torn pieces of rope trailing from her wrists. "Is someone having a laugh?! Who tied me up?!" She noticed a shaggy-haired silhouette skulking behind a tree and ran over to it. "Did you tie me to that big stick?!"

The stranger's jaw dropped. He gasped the righteous gasp of an innocent man defending himself from the most craven, outrageous lie. "My dear lady, in the sun goddess's name, you must believe me! I am an innocent, harmless traveler who would never tie anyone up! I did nothing to you!"

"Really?" Mystia tilted her head to one side. "If you say you're innocent, prove it, wolf-boy! Take me on!"

"You want me to take you on?" The stranger gulped. "With those spell-card thingies you people keep talking about? Ah, well, you see..."

"Take... on... me! Take on me! Take... me... on! Take on me! I'll... be... gone! I don't know the rest OF the words!!!" Mystia squeaked, following the tune with partial accuracy.

The stranger took the opportunity to make a wise decision. He scarpered.

Thursday

Up until yesterday afternoon, I had been under the impression that only upper-echelon youkai possessed such superhuman strength. If all youkai are that strong, my choice of victims will be severely limited. I wonder whether the glue trap I attempted on Monday would have worked even if a youkai stepped in it. Would she simply have strode across it without difficulty?

There are humans in this land as well, however, and surely not all of them can be as fierce as that book-lender. My target today is to be a weak, prissy, helpless little maid who has spent all her life working in great houses. The intel Marisa gave me as I plied her with sake last night could be the key to my success...

"Hey, you!"

Sakuya's body language did not show any surprise. She turned on her heel and looked the stranger in the eye. "Can I help you?"

The pale man smiled wickedly. "You wear pads!"

"I... What?!"

"You heard!" the stranger smiled smugly.

"I don't understand! What is...? Why...?" Sakuya cleared her throat. "What do you mean by 'pads'?"

"Padding," the stranger clarified, "in your bra. Because you're embarrassed by your diminutive mammaries!"

"...Listen. I wear a chemise, not a bra. And you have no right to approach me, a complete stranger, and try to strike up a conversation about my body!"

The stranger folded his arms. "Chemise or not, you still wear pads. You see, Sakuya, I know what lies deep inside your heart. When you look into your mirror, you can't bear what you see. A woman as flat as a panca-"

Cold steel pressed against the stranger's neck. He clammed up in an instant.

"Sir, you've gone too far," hissed Sakuya. Her face was right by the stranger's ear. He could feel her unexpectedly warm breath. "The mistress doesn't like intruders or weirdoes, and neither do I. Incidentally, I can't remember a single day when I haven't been satisfied with my body. Give me one reason not to kill you."

"Um, y-you might get sent to prison? For murder?" the stranger whimpered.

Sakuya pondered that for a few moments. Nobody in the Human Village would be in any hurry to arrest her, she knew, but did she want even more blood on her hands after giving Flandre a bath?

"Would you like me to escort you from the building?" offered Sakuya.

The stranger sagged with relief. "Oh, could you?! I-I'd love that! Please do! Escort away!"

"As you wish." Sakuya loosened her grip a little and began frogmarching him down the hall.

Friday

I am beginning to lose hope. Why do none of these women know how to lose gracefully? By rights, more than a dozen should have shed tears of despair by this point, but instead they fight me and humiliate me at every turn. I deserve better than to be a chew toy.

There is one plan I have yet to try. Marisa has taken good care of me this past week, even believing my cover story when Meiling pushed me through the letter box yesterday afternoon, but she is still a woman, and her tears are mine. Tonight, while she slumbers, I shall clap her in irons and-

"Hey!"

Gary shut his diary with a snap. "Who?! What?! I-I wasn't plotting anything, I swear!"

"Sakuya told me everything, Gary," said Marisa severely. Her hat fell off as she stepped through the narrow door to the spare room.

"Then she came and told me," said Reimu, catching Marisa's hat. "What were you thinking, breaking into the mansion while not being a witch?!"

"There's a perfectly reasonable explanation!" cried Gary. "Which is as follows! You see, I have a psychological disorder known as Mansion Invader Syndrome-"

"Hey, what's this?" Marisa grabbed the diary and started flicking through it.

"No! D-don't!" yelped Gary. "You don't want to see what's in there! Please!"

Marisa ignored him. Her expression grew more and more horrified with every page she read.

"What's he written in there?" Reimu took a glance over Marisa's shoulder. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my gods... You vile, twisted monster!"

Gary exploded. "Come on, give me a break! I didn't ask to be like this! I just love it when women cry! All I've ever done is treat you and all your friends as my playthings! What's wrong with that?!"

Reimu chucked a yin-yang orb at him. His body was never found, although Rumia was reported to have spent the afternoon sleeping off a huge meal.

[asfaltics]

unindations

  ane n inon un           1

—

enable unable   unénable enúnable   unúnable           2

at last, however, being ununable

unc. unca, unco           3

—

unck uncked ununcked           4

uncome uncomes come

uncomes           5

—

unda undula           6

inúndula uníndula uníndulata inúndulata           7

inundate unindate           8

vast mazy, unindating flood liable to unindation, and cut sometimes the unindation is so sudden the Unindation; or by unindation from           8a-e

indelible undelable unindelable           9

—

undern           10

undone undones           11

undex           12

—

undern days undones done quyk erthe among undure as lie is made

undure           13 unjure           14

—

unscape on the wish

nunscape anunscape ununskup           15

únsula únsular unwater           16

—

unwatered           17 unthing

unthis unthat unthis that thut thing

unsome unwhat

—

unsum unsong           18

eene verkorting von perhaps unsong is the name of the new art. unsong there were very few

undersome unsion unsions           19

unstruct unward

unhere unwhere

unward unwards           20

unword unwords these           21 unders

—

ununder   únununder unúnunder           22

un o n inen an           23

un  

sources and asides

1 "la ordenación silábica," ex Enrique de Vedia, El Arte de Leer Buenos Aires, 1905) : 31 as for an en in on un, numerous instances in grammars, shorthand and phonographic texts, and in Alexander Melville Bell, his Letters and sounds: an intr. to English reading, on an entirely new plan (London, 1855) : 77 2 ˈɛnable (initial emphasis, short "e") at last, however, being ununable from "Analyse de Bayle" in The Monthly Review (December 1756), and from James Lynd his The First Book of Etymology 1853 and — enénable — from Francis O. J. Smith his The Secret Corresponding Vocabulary 1845 3 unknown, strange, foreign Wright, English Dialect Dictionary previously encountered 4 ex Latin, lock, locked 5 an ulcerous swelling; unarrived (as of yet) uncomes come here, before 1999 6 Latin, wave. Ian Hamilton Finlay, UNDA (1987) undula, diminutive of unda 7 Bertholdia inundulata Rawlins (species of butterfly) * (Field Museum, Zoological Collections) 8 forms of unindate — typographical errors all — 8a vast mazy, unindating flood from A. Sanderson ("daughter of the late Robert Stephenson, Esq., Captain of the Northumberland Regiment of Militia"), "On the absence of friendship," in her Poems, on various subjects (North Shields, 1819) : 33 8b liable to unindation, and cut from T. Fraser, "Some Notes on Military Engineering Incidents, in the War of 1877-8," in Professional Papers of the Corps of Royal Engineers (Occasional Papers, v. 4, 1880; London, 1881) : 69-70 8c sometimes the unindation is so sudden, from "Hollanders' Care for their Cattle," The Farmers' Review (May 10, 1893) : 293 8d "The Unindation; or, Peace and Pardon," title of an illustration listed in an auction sales catalogue, The Anderson Galleries (1917) : 30 8e "by unindation by the Feather, but" in Thomas R. Jones, comp., "California, A Half-Century Back" in The Grizzly Bear (November 1915) : 2 9 his undelable due ex Walter Scott, his Anne of Geierstein (1829; an 1868 printing) here 10 O.E. undern, third hour, nine in the morning; morning; also, the forenoon; the period between noon and sunset; the evening. (in OE, ME, dialect.) undern days and, obs., OE ca 1225, "not hidden, open" (all OED) 11 "dones" and "undones," John Ruskin's discussion of, in letter of 1872 included in Arrows of the Chase (1880) : 208 — "...they will find it well, throughout life, never to trouble themselves about what they ought not to do, but about what they ought to do..." and "...the Undones are now the greatest Family in England, (thank this blessed Parliament...) I know no honest Man but is a Kin to the Undones; no Trade but is undone, no City but is undone; none but the knavish Committee-Men, Parliament-Men, Excise-Men, and their Vermin, the Soldiers, thrive in these days; they get, and grow rich, whosoever looses..." ex The Parliament Arraigned, Convicted; Wants nothing but Execution... Written in the Year of Wonders, being the Eighth Year of the Lords and Commons dissembled at Westminster; by Tom Tyranno-Mastix; alias, Mercurius Melancholicus... Printed for the Public View of all His Majesty's faithful Subjects; and are to be sold at the old Sign of You may go Look (1648) : 23 12 undexical index, pointing unwhere; and und ex und 1895, and elsewhere. to unsay, to make unknown 13 undure : unhard, i.e., soft, crumbled "quyk erth" ex Palladius on husbandrie (Barton Lodge, ed., 1879) to impart artificial flavours, ca. 1420 14 from Latin iniūria (“injustice; wrong; offense”), from in- (“not”) + iūs, iūris (“right, law”) unjure, what, to de-legalize? to un-law something? unright it? 15 to be anunscape is to be in a fidgety, uneasy state... Lit., it means "on the wish," i.e., very eager or desirous about a thing; cf. Dan önske, to wish. ex C. Clough Robinson, A Glossary of Words Pertaining to the Dialect of Mid-Yorkshire; with others peculiar to Lower Nidderdale... (London, 1876) : 93. 16 sular water, waters, of waters, to waters ex J. Dyneley Prince, "Tatar Materials in Old Russian," in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society (1919) unwater : to free a mine of water, to drain of water, to carry off water from OED that reports the word to have appeared as a mistranslation in a1300 E.E. Psalter — and watres outran, and scaldand and unwatred... 17 unwatered : not so watered OED, see water, vb. 9 to produce a moiré or wavy lustrous finish on (silk or other textile fabrics) by sprinkling them with water and passing them through a calendar. 1708 No two pieces were ever water'd alike OED the term came up (25 October 2018) in Jennifer Roberts her talk on "The Moiré Effect: Robert Rauschenberg, Print, and Interference" 18 unsum, an OCR misread here and there, among them a passage in what appears (from imperfect scan) to be "Aanmerkingen op de Javaansche spraakkunst" in Tijdschrift voor Nederlands Indië 6 (Batavia, 1844) : 22 unsong : Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964 *) on opera soprano Mary Garden (1874-1967 *), in The Merry-go-round (1918) : 115 (there's a Gertrude Stein connection to Garden and Van Vechten) unsong there were very few ex B. C. De Lissa, "British North Borneo" in Proceedings of the Geographical Society of Australasia (1884) here 19 unsion an OCR misread for unction that I would pass over in silence (or delete entirely), save that it occurs in Joseph Bellamy, his True Religion Delineated; Or, Experimental Religion, Distinguished from Formality on the one hand, and Enthusiasm on the other, set in a Scriptural and Rational Light, in Two Discourses. With a preface by Mr. [Jonathan] Edwards (Second Edition, London, 1788) : 73 why? a detour into experimental reading led to experimental preaching and religion, and — for the latter — a brief intersection with experimental science. a long-ago asfaltics post — comfortlesse, swimming notions — provides a hint of (and entrance point to) some diversions on experimental religion and experimental reading. 20 unwards most frequently found as OCR misread for "upwards" 21 unwordy, a dialect form of unworthy (Wright, English Dialect Dictionary; unword, obs., rare, to make speechless (OED) 22 ...the un—un—under, no, the un—under—un—no... ex "Harry’s Secret." Two Scenes. Four Characters: One Boy and Three Girls. in Robert St. John Corbet, his Uncle Grumpy : And Other plays for juvenile actors and actresses (London, 1880) : 26 23 un on in en on is several-wheres, including Bastiaan Cramer, his De geheel vernieuwde en verbeterde Trap der jeugd... Spel-Lees-Schrift en Taal-Kunst... (1804; 1862) :5

—

method — initially, extrapolate from existing forms, to others; without euphony, nothing; no attempt at completion; started with sound, in fact... but got waylaid (by sourcings); sound remains.

among sources or, more often, looks to see if a particular form existed, were — the OED, the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia, and — most importantly — Joseph Wright his English Dialect Dictionary Volume VI. T-Z (1905), where the prefixed un doesn't always mean "back" or to "undo" a thing or action.

—

...a bad linguist, tangling my words at will. — Jessica J. Lee, turning, a swimming memoir (2017) : 212

—

all tagged un all tagged excess  

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 3/9/22

SEAN: We’re hitting March proper now, so watch out for winds.

ASH: Sound advice.

SEAN: We start with Airship, which has print releases for Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter 4 and Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs 5.

For early digital, they debut Survival in Another World with My Mistress! (Goshujin-sama to Yuku Isekai Survival!). A young man wakes up in a dark forest, finds he can gain resources via a video game menu only he can access, and ends up being protected by a dark elf who says he’s her property. Oof.

We also see the 3rd and final volume of The NPCs in this Village Sim Game Must Be Real!.

Cross Infinite World has another light novel debut with Reflection of Another World (Yugami no Kuni Monogatari). A girl is pulled through a magic mirror into a fantasy world where her plain jane looks are admired and the handsome man she meets is seen as abhorrent.

Dark Horse has a 10th deluxe hardcover for Berserk.

ASH: Glad to see these being released so regularly.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us Do You Like Big Girls? 3, Parallel Paradise 9, and Sundome!! Milky Way 3.

J-Novel Club has a light novel debut with Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home! (Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu: Boukenchuu no Kasei Fugyou Uketamawarimasu!). We’ve got another Japanese OL who finds herself teleported to a fantasy world. 4 years later, she’s a ‘housekeeping mage’ – and a top adventurer! But can she find romance?

And they also have Dragon Daddy Diaries: A Girl Grows to Greatness 3, Goodbye Otherworld, See You Tomorrow 2 and Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 2.

Kodansha, in print, gives us Grand Blue Dreaming 15 and When Will Ayumu Make His Move? 4.

ASH: I’ve fallen far behind on the former, but I’m more interested in starting the latter.

SEAN: Kodansha didn’t announce March digital releases till this week, so I missed being able to tell you about two titles already out: Having an Idol-Loving Boyfriend Is the Best! (Otatomo ga Kareshi ni Nattara Saikou Kamo Shirenai) is the first. This shoujo series from Palcy is about a girl who loves to fangirl about idols with her best male friend. Then… said friend confesses to her! The author also did Yen Press’s School of Horns.

They’ve also got, already out, Twilight Out of Focus (Tasogare Outfocus), a BL title from Honey Milk about two roommates who have rules not to fall for each other or get in the way of each other’s dalliances… but can that hold up?

MICHELLE: This one looks like it could be good.

SEAN: Kodansha’s first digital debut next week is Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms (Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsuujinai), a Weekly Shonen Magazine series about a monk-in-training who can’t have a relationship with anyone… but that’s not stopping the school’s top girl from trying!

They also have Apple Children of Aeon (Sennen Mannen Ringo no Ko), a josei title from Itan which may be of most interest to the Manga Bookshelf crew. A man who marries an apple farmer and moves to her town sees a mysterious apple one day that changes his life. This has won awards.

ANNA: I’m curious about this for sure.

ASH: Yup! Same.

SEAN: Also digital next week: Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 8, Ace of the Diamond 36, Guilty 9, Lightning and Romance 2, My Darling, the Company President 4, Peach Boy Riverside 10, Police in a Pod 10, and Vampire Dormitory 8.

MICHELLE: I really, really need to get caught up with Ace of the Diamond.

SEAN: Seven Seas has two debuts. The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (Housekishou Richard-Shi no Nazo Kantei), a josei title from Comic Zero-Sum, a mystery series based on a just-licensed novel that got an anime recently. A college student rescues a man who turns out to be a jeweler. Adventures ensue.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one!

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: I’ve heard great things; I’m excited to read it.

SEAN: The other debut is The Girl in the Arcade (Gesen no Kanojo), a Shonen Ace Plus series about a nebbish guy who works at an arcade and the hot girl who needs his help to beat one of the games… and also asks him out?

We also see Drugstore in Another World: The Slow Life of a Cheat Pharmacist 4, The Kingdoms of Ruin 4, and Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn 15.

SuBLime has Black or White 2, but more importantly they have Dick Fight Island 2!

ASH: The first volume of Dick Fight Island was absolutely ridiculous, but in a good way, actually?

SEAN: Viz Media has Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2, Fly Me to the Moon 10, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End 3, Kirby Manga Mania 4, MAO 4, and Pokémon Journeys 2. That’s a weird tie-ins to normal manga ratio.

Yen On has King of the Labyrinth 3.

Lastly, Yen Press debuts New York, New York, a BL manga from Hana to Yume back in the pre-Fruits Basket days when it was a lot darker and gayer. A police officer keeps the fact that he’s gay very well hidden… but when he falls in love with a man with a troubled past, will he be able to keep things at arm’s length? This is an omnibus of the first two volumes.

MICHELLE: Looking forward to this, as well! A good week.

ANNA: I’m intrigued.

ASH: I’ve got my eyes out for this one, for sure.

SEAN: And Yen Press has Delicious in Dungeon 10, Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods 9, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 4: The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed 3, and Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 0 (the volume number is deliberate).

ASH: Huzzah, more Delicious in Dungeon! And more Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, even if I still have a backlog.

SEAN: There’s actually quite a variety there. What are you interested in?

By: Sean Gaffney

[love-takes-work]

Keep Beach City Weird! Outline & Review

The Keep Beach City Weird! book is a little paperback full of Ronaldo's revelations. It's about what you'd expect, with the nuggets of truth that we may not recognize as truth until after the fact!

This volume is a keeper for any Steven Universe fan, but not much about it will be a surprise for anyone who's paid close attention to the show. It's fun, as usual, to watch Ronaldo loudly congratulate himself for uncovering THE TRUTH (you can "hear" his voice throughout, of course), and a bunch of the references are great fun to anyone who knows what he's referring to even if the context isn't spelled out.

Fans will also be treated to some new artwork! The picture of Ronaldo imagining himself in the hand of the Temple Fusion's animated form as a trusted sidekick is particularly interesting.

And since Ronaldo is one of those broken clocks that's right twice a day, fans who know his schtick can't help but wonder what conveniently hidden bits are actually Ronaldo straight-up telling us the future.

The book opens with an intro from Ronaldo Fryman, who declares himself as the weirdest thing in Beach City. (The Gems are a close second, he says.) He shares his frustration over not having been able to sell his book to mainstream publishers (which has led him to self-publish it), and warns you that ads for the family fry shop will be interspersed with the content because his dad helped fund it.

He then goes right into a "Monsters" section (decorated with art of him in his horror movie outfit and Peedee in a version of the Snerson costume).

The list includes Centipeetle, a Giant Bird, the Worm Monster, the Puffer Fish, "Giant Women from the Sea," the Watermelon Stevens, the Fusion Experiments, the Great North monsters, and the Crab Monster.

Most of these are not creatures he should have seen, and he shouldn't have pictures, but whatever, I digress. Ronaldo theorizes that the Centipeetles could be humans bitten by a radioactive centipede or centipedes bitten by a radioactive human. He discusses the story of William Dewey being saved by a giant woman whose image bears a resemblance to the Crystal Gems' temple, and then concludes, "Probably no connection." He mentions having seen Sugilite wreck the beach gym.

He brings up reports of the horrible Fusion Experiments and concludes they are zombies. He suggests the Great North monsters are a function of global warming and praises his own bravery in filming the Crab Monster for a documentary. And he also brings up his debunked "Sneeple" theory, which has been swapped for the Rock People theory. Those dang Rock People who want to kidnap Earth and bring it to the Mud Galaxy.

Ronaldo then goes into weirdness from space, detailing the Red Eye ("Vampire Spaceship"), the Rock People Space Program (based on Pearl's failed ship from "Space Race") the Plug Robonoids (which he thinks are an attempt to play space pinball), the Hand Ship (which he knew exactly what that was), the shirt that hit him in the head from "Shirt Club," and crop circles (like in "Joy Ride").

And then Ronaldo covers "Local Weirdness," starting with a double page about the Crystal Gems and then moving on to outline the Cat Fingers incident (with speculation on what causes "Cat Finger Fever"), the Frybo incident (was it all Ronaldo's fault for exploring tuber-based witchcraft?), the Oldest Man in the World incident (from "So Many Birthdays"), Lion sightings, Lars's fire breath, Guacola, and . . . Onion.

Next, Ronaldo gives you a tour of all the Weird Places, beginning with Funland Arcade (with a handy guide of moves you can use if you play "Teens of Rage"!), and taking you around to Race Mountain, the Abandoned Warehouse, Brooding Hill (with an included guide of things to brood about), the many-holed cliff (which he calls a Gnome City), and the Lighthouse.

And then, the "Times It Got Really Weird" section details the flowers from Rose's moss in "Lars and the Cool Kids" (did you know they were produced by cloud seeding?), the mountain of duplicated G.U.Y.S. from "Onion Trade," the disappearing ocean from "Mirror Gem" and "Ocean Gem," the blackout incident from "Political Power," Peridot's interrupting broadcast, the Great Diamond Authority, and Cluster Quakes.

And he closes everything with a "Weirdilogue" and encourages you to keep your own town weird.

Some gems:

"Like most bad stories, this one started at a farmer's market."

"I guess that's the danger of genetically engineered food: It might punch you in the face."

"Beach Citywalk Fries. We promise to NEVER bring out that Frybo costume again."

"What's scarier than a beach ball? Well, I guess a lot of things. . . ."

Ronaldo discussing an experience that was either food poisoning or accidentally eating deep-fried wood.

The Zombie Apocalypse Flow Chart which always leads to "Lock myself in lighthouse and prepare to watch the world I know crumble before me."

Ronaldo pointing out that the shirt that hit him in the head from an extraterrestrial source should be a size extra large next time, not youth medium.

"They have a cool home base in an ancient magical temple. My base is a lighthouse that I'm not legally allowed to occupy."

After an entire paragraph outlining how gross Guacola is, Ronaldo heartily encourages you to pick up a can of it while visiting Beach City.

"[M]y favorite – Teens of Rage. Probably because I am a teen who is full of rage at a world that doesn't know how to pronounce 'manga.'"

"Race Mountain, AKA the Devil's Backbone, AKA the Devil's Laundry Chute, AKA the Devil's Poorly Planned Highway, AKA Old Man Carwreck's Road, AKA Municipal Maintenance Route 64!!!!"

"I took a picture of it, which Lars really did not want published. Check it out."

Ronaldo speculates that maybe the moon has its own moon.

And here are the things I found notable for fans!

1. The book is dedicated "For Jane, My Ohimesama." I sure hope they're on speaking terms again after what happened in "Restaurant Wars."

2. Ronaldo gives the Crystal Gems his own names, referring to them as Square Head, Princess Nose, and Purple Girl.

3. When covering the fire breath incident from "Joking Victim," Ronaldo refers to Lars as "Local sarcasm dispenser Lars Barriga." This was the first place where Lars's last name was dropped.

4. The page about Onion's weirdness details an interaction that did not happen in the show but explains one that did: The ketchup packets that he famously ran over with his scooter in "Onion Trade" were begged from Ronaldo one day. Onion offered a photo of Ronaldo in third grade in exchange. (???)

5. Funland was apparently established over a century ago under the name Frederick Ulysses Neptune's Land of Mechanical Oddities and Entertainment. The entry also mentions that it contained a future-telling robot, a reference to "Future Boy Zoltron."

6. An apparent contradiction: Ronaldo, while discussing the video game Teens of Rage, identifies with the game because he is a teen who has rage. This would make him at the oldest nineteen if he is a teen. But in the section on the Lighthouse, he refers to the Beach City Explorer Club he had in his childhood with Lars, and claims that "fifteen years later" they had an incident there with the Lighthouse Gem. If it was fifteen years later but he's no older than nineteen, that happened when he was four, and that's impossible; he was far older than four in the flashback scene with Lars.

7. In a note to cover his butt from the Labor Department, Ronaldo suggests his brother is just a really short eighteen-year-old to distract from the fact that the family business is most likely exploiting him in child labor.

8. In his bit about "Teens of Rage," Ronaldo tells you about special moves for his favorite character, Gary Sunglasses. I think this is a contradiction to the episode "Arcade Mania" because while Steven is trying to teach Garnet how to play the game, he narrates that he thinks she's "a Joe Rock kinda gal," and the same character is pictured on the choosing screen.

9. Ronaldo refers to Stevonnie as "the mysterious Racer S." while discussing the greatest race he ever saw at Race Mountain. Not sure where he got "S." from, especially since he appears to have been in attendance at Stevonnie's first appearance at the rave in "Alone Together" and presumably witnessed their unfusion.

10. Other wrestlers besides those shown in the wrestling episodes are introduced in a promo flyer. We now have After School Champion Assistant Principal Gene McCormick, Culinary Tag Team Champions Baste Face and the Iron Saucier, Women's Caped Crusader Champion Tina "Ten Fingers" Gonzales, X-Treme League Champion Presented by Guacola The Ocean Town Kid, Interdimensional Champion of the Multiverse Glossy Wayne, and Old Timey Senior League Tag Team Champions Sarsparilla Frank and the Colonial Terror.

11. When talking about how to brood properly, Ronaldo refers to his hair as his "frylocks." Ha.

12. The lighthouse was apparently constructed two hundred years ago to keep people away from Beach City, not to help the ships be guided in. This might be one of the true things in the book. Who knows?

13. In "explaining" Peridot's broadcast that happened during "Cry For Help," Ronaldo comments that Peridot called herself Peridot, but that it is actually pronounced "Peridot." (It isn't discussed exactly what he means here, but he's surely making reference to the fact that the more common pronunciation of "peridot" does not have the T pronounced, even though the show uses the version where the T IS pronounced.)

14. Ronaldo, while explaining the Great Diamond Authority to us, assigns the Diamonds' underlings into a strict hierarchical society made up of the classes Chalk, Slate & Granite, Rock Candy, and Clods.

15. Ronaldo terms the earthquakes from the beginning of Season 3 to be "Cluster Quakes" because they came in clusters. Fans will know that they actually did come from a giant mutant Gem Fusion buried in the Earth which is called the Cluster.

The book has some new art that isn't just screencaps from the show, and it's a fun ride. I recommend it, and it's cheap!

[SU Book and Comic Reviews]