Sometimes I Take it Too Far
I’m pretty sure y’all don’t understand the level of Escus trash that I am. I legit took this Art History course JUST for the section on ancient Roman art and architecture to make sure a scene in my fic was as close to historically accurate as possible. I was genuinely unsatisfied by the info I was finding online, and the lack of availability of scholarly journals without paying money that I don’t have so... I took a fucking course instead. The state of MA is currently funding my fannishness. I mean it satisfies graduation requirements and stuff, I’m not a total moron, but the chapter we’re currently working on is the ONLY ONE I really care about. Excepting the small sections on ancient Celtic art, which are FASCINATING, y’all. I learned all about torcs! And it really put Esca’s storyline into perspective for me, in a “prince of his people to Roman slave” sense that I didn’t fully grasp from the movie, which is way more focused on Marcus, LBR.
We’re talking about a canon that is not in and of itself particularly historically accurate. Like... the basis of the whole thing is totally flawed. The Ninth Legion wasn’t lost in ancient Britain, and most likely wasn’t lost even in a physical sense, but in a records-keeping one. If it was lost in a physical sense it would have been much, much further north. Like, Scandinavia.
So considering that the canon I’m working from basically throws historical accuracy out the window from the first, the fact that I care enough to take a course to learn about ancient Roman building techniques for a fic in a fandom that died two years ago is basically insanity.
You guys I’m probably never even going to finish the fic. It’s like 8,000 words and maybe halfway finished on paper, 3/4 finished in my head, and it’s gonna take probably 3 or 4 great writing nights with a bottle of good Sauv Blanc apiece for me to get it all out into a document.
IN THE MEAN TIME I ACTUALLY HAVE TO FINISH THE FUCKING ART HISTORY COURSE. Bullshitting stuff about the Byzantine Empire like I GAF.