#fract thoughts

[fractoluminescence]

I finally started Dungeon Meshi (if you see posts from me claiming I haven't, they were queued)

Is it me or the instructions on how to eat a slime sounds like how you would go about eating snails

...Ngl, that kinda makes sense now that i think about it lol

[fractoluminescence]

I keep getting the urge to start a blog or something that just analyzes awesome fics, but I also don't want to risk bringing attention to fics from people that weren't the target audience, since they wouldn't have explicitly looked for them, yunno? I could ask the authors, but I'm mostly on AO3 and too many wouldn't see the comment by the time I lose interest... I'm even more on the fence about it since so many authors, even ones that have a lot of experience, might not be be comfortable with their works being dissected and possibly criticizes in certain aspects. It'd all be in good fun, I'm not fond of dunking on works in the first place and tend to focus on the strength of a work, but if I want it to be usable as a learning resource of sorts I can't completely gloss over the downsides of fics either. I also risk spoiling a lot of the plot and stuff, and I know I don't follow the advice of watching a movie before listening to someone comment on it in a lot of cases, so I would assume a lot of people would do the same for this...

Hhh, I dunno. I love dissecting fics so much. But if it's gonna come with negative effects for other people, I don't know if it's worth it. The last thing I want is risk damaging the very thing I am trying to celebrate...

I could take suggestions for people's own fics, because that way I'd be sure the author would agree to the whole thing, but I struggle to keep up with things like this, since I tend to write long posts on a whim. I worry that the suggestions would just pile up and most of them would never get looked at by me at all...

There's also the issue of fics that are prime examples of what not to do. The only person who can decide that a story wasn't worth writing is its author imo, but that doesn't stop some fics from being paragons of massive flaws that could be used as studies for other people to avoid the particular issues they display. But again, I'm not very comfortable with the ethics of that. Some of the authors for these fics could be young, or insecure, or have a relationship to their writing that is very personal, and certain types of flaws could send a lot of hate their way. But referencing a fic without naming it or describing it enough that people can look it up can make the criticism so vague at times that it no longer serves the purpose it was written out for.

I just. I've been thinking about this for months, and all I can come up with is that if I ever do really start trying to help advise fic writers in their journey to improve their craft, I might have to vaguely refer to things I have witnessed at most without ever giving concrete examples. But it might work, who knows. Or I could use my own writing, but there are only so many flaws and successes I can demonstrate with the writing of a single person.

Man, I dunno. Would love to have second opinions about this, if anyone has any

[fractoluminescence]

To pick up on our earlier conversation: Why do you think the Gotei don't have more infrastructure in the Living World? Is it some kind of company policy? Does it seem gauche, because they're supposed to be ~transient ghosts? Did it not occur to them? Are they concerned the Seireitei will lose its cultural capital if it allows for ghost flight out into the Living World suburbs? ARE there exceptions (other than Urahara's)? I would love to hear your thoughts/HCs! :)

Sorry for the answering delay! I'm too lazy to look for the post again, so hopefully I won't be repeating myself too much lol

[SPOILER WARNING FOR TYBW (MANGA)]

It seems unlikely to me that the Soul Society would have anyone stationed in the World of the Living in the long term. That, or they haven't updated their outposts in ages, because if there is anywhere they should be settling, it'd be in areas with lots of Hollows. We know Karakura is one of these areas, and has likely been so for a while since there were Quincies in the area (since they are a fairly traditional family from what we see in the Anything But the Rain flashback, I'd assume they wouldn't be moving all the time, but I may be wrong). We don't know exactly where the Visored and co. were right after they left, nor when Kisuke set up shop in Karakura, so that's a pretty vague lead as well.

All in all, my personal headcanon is that too many Soul Reapers would start deserting if allowed to stay in the World of the Living for too long, since Soul Society's government is shitty, the culture seemingly (at least to me) somewhat dead(1) at the present time and you can't leave the Gotei without dying, being locked up or retiring (which we don't know the conditions for. I'd assume one would have to live to an old age, and either start having trouble fighting or be given another position that is more discreet but still makes you work, so that they can continue exploiting you while appointing someone new, getting more overall labour).

[(1) Dead as in, it isn't very dynamic, with traditions being either strict or forgotten. Any cultural elements that new Soul Reapers could bring in from the Rukongai are, in my head, crushed before they are able to spread or become popular because of the influence of the nobles that control Seireitei, effectively cutting people off from their culture/traditions, but not necessarily allowing them to connect with the culture of nobles since I doubt the latter frequent former Rukongai citizens outside of their jobs.]

I doubt it didn't occur to them - then again, they have such trouble being flexible and accepting new ideas that it's possible that they had the idea a long time ago but never put it in practice. It's easier to control a population if you stop them from seeing how nice other places are, so maybe the Gotei would have wanted to have more outposts for a long time but Central 46 blocked them from ever enacting that.

Not exactly an exception like Urahara, but I'm thinking of London from Burn the Witch when it comes to Seireitei having some kind of contact with the Living World. It's stated that they know each other, but it seems to be mostly through rumours (one of the characters stated that they heard that over in the East dragons get killed indiscriminately or something of the kind, which to me is about Soul Society not trusting stuff they don't understand, hinting at an existence but very vague connection between the two beyond just a coincidence in the name).

My first theory is that maybe dragons and Hollows used to be spread out evenly but then the presence of one destroyed the other and they ended up becoming more common in different regions (as in, either dragons kill Hollows or Hollows kill dragons, and thus where there are dragons Hollows are rarer and vice versa), and that while the Eastern and Western branches of Soul Society worked together at first, they eventually got distance due to not working in the same region of the world.

My second theory is that perhaps instead people always had higher spiritual pressure around Japan for some reason, and so Hollows always gathered there, while dragons were native to Europe, and that at some point in History both branches of Soul Society heard of each other and planned on teaming up, but then eventually drifted apart for some reason - perhaps, again, because of physical distance, or maybe due to some disagreement.

My third theory is that dragons were only able to thrive due to an absence of Hollows. Since Quincy speak German culture-wise, perhaps there were a lot in Europe before all the conflicts with Soul Society and that they took out Hollows so much that dragons were able to thrive and eventually either the dragons overpowered the Hollows on their own, or there are maybe still many Quincy there that take out the Hollows but were too far from all the conflicts to be wiped out by Soul Society (after all, we know they missed a family of Quincy or two in their extermination, so(2)).

My last theory is that perhaps Reverse London used to be an afterlife of some kind, and that Soul Society and them either had a disagreement or separated in some way - perhaps one became closer to the Living World and the other further, and that led to the two becoming two completely different dimensions with nothing to do with each other. One would thus have become a 'complete' afterlife, while the other would have drifted into a place for the Living to gather, or is perhaps some kind of limbo. It would explain the name 'Western Branch of Soul Society', since they would indeed be one half of Soul Society that just took a different path from the Eastern one.

[(2) I actually expect there to be quite the number of Quincy families left, not only in the Living World, but also in Soul Society. I don't know how Soul Society could possibly have tracked down Quincy that didn't want to get involved in the conflict (I assume there were many - fighting common Hollows isn't really as risky as fighting Soul Reapers after all, and Yhwach isn't exactly a kind leader one would generally want to follow), nor why Quincy wouldn't go to Soul Society when they die. Perhaps the ones who went to Soul Society then got recruited to Yhwach's army, but I don't see how that would work exactly, and I still stand by many of them probably not wanting to get involved in the conflict. So it would make sense for there to be Quincy hanging out in Soul Society somewhere trying not to get noticed so Soul Reapers are not sent to take them down.]

Anyway, these are my thoughts. I hope you'll find them interesting :)

[fractoluminescence]

Did I describe who I am? Or who I wanted to be?

Who I was, surely

I've worked so hard to get here

Surely

This is me, right? Surely

[fractoluminescence]

So, a narc high is an ego state people with npd can have. It can be triggered by compliments, attention, etc. it’s essentially… ego euphoria, as I understand it? The best you could possibly feel about yourself.

a narc crash is the opposite. The absolute worst you can get. It’s a horrible thing to try to inflict on someone, obviously.

Ohh I see! That explanation was very clear, thank you. I’m not 100% sure what’s more messed up - that there is anyone at all that attempts to cause that state on purpose, or that seeing the attitude some people have towards other people’s egos means I’m not even surprised that it’s a thing people do :/

[fractoluminescence]

I understand that some may prefer the game as harder, but I wish people would start talking about how supposedly 'easy' some games are like it's a flaw. Some of us like easier gameplay… (This isn't directed towards people who prefer harder games, that's very valid, just venting my personal frustration about how so many people talk about 'easier' games as a whole.) I play No Man's Sky, and a lot of players complain about the lack of challenge in combat, but like…I don't want harder combat…That might actually chase me away from the game… And I wish players who are unhappy with the difficulty would at least acknowledge that, but many don't, and it's kinda frustrating tbh

(I also hear that a lot among Subnautica players, but then you have a bunch of us who find the game terrifying and would likely be completely incapable of playing it if it was any harder - I already struggle as is…)

Look. If a game is too easy for you, then instead of calling it a flaw, consider that difficulty maybe wasn't the game's point in the first place? That maybe this game just...wasn't for you? You can talk about what you don't like in a game without making it sound like stuff is a fact-based opinion instead of a mere preference. Like, that just gets on my nerves

[fractoluminescence]

I'm thinking, perhaps I sort of. Pants my brainstorming? Like, I'm sorry, but this comes off as actual writing, except it's not, it's my characterization brainstorming (excerpt of my notes below). Like, what

How do I breath life into you? There’s something tragic about you, despite all the joy you had in life. I want your story to be one of joy after pain, and then a harsh death to be mended. A cycle that repeats, in a way. After pain, the healing balm. The embrace of something better.

It is of a simplicity that Shinji simply does not have. Everything with him is so complicated. Love and hate, pain and pleasure, good and bad outcomes. All in nuance. All in perspective. All ambivalent and contradictory. In contrast, you stand still, like a weed being softly pushed and pulled by the wind, delicate wings being carried by the currents. You’re not all in sharp edges and every movement you make does not hurt.

If you are a corpse resting peacefully in its casket, all your mistakes and pains and worries forgotten as the people you loved reminisce quietly, Shinji is the undead, the corpse still standing despite the pain and rot. He knows this. And I think you know this about yourself too. And it’s time that the two of you part ways—and it’ll be done your way. It’s the ultimate hommage he can give you.

So many images. I write this stuff out because without writing I can't think clearly, but I guess maybe a part of me just can't grasp stories without the associated structure and imagery? Without them, any writing I attempt to do doesn't just come off as stale, it just. Doesn't do anything at all. Nothing happens without my images. They carry my entire writing on their shoulders tbh. But it can take such a long while for them to take shape, so I brainstorm

Like is that just me

[fractoluminescence]

Bless (metaphorical) Sky: cotl for having children as the only player model. There's no picking girl or boy at the beginning of the game, and yet people don't notice. You still run into weirdos who question why you wear pigtails if you're not a girl once in a while, but more often yet do you run into little people with pigtails and a pink cape and bunny slippers and a large mustache that covers half their face. And you don't wonder what their gender is, they're just. There. Peaceful. Moisturized. Happy.