#tarballfeatherparade

[lothli]

Hello.

I don't particularly post anymore, mostly because I've felt less motivated to as of late. I've always had friction with the posting process; the formatting, the polishing, the tagging. Writing has mostly been a thing I've done consistently privately, so this is just a return to form, mostly.

But I have the Limitless paper, at least. And I am proud of it. So I've returned to put it out on my blog.

Happy reading.

[lothli]

Progress On... Something

So I haven't posted anything lately. Unfortunately, this is due to scope creep on my next project. Here's a taste of what's to come:

...It's way too high-level and way too dry for fandom consumption yet, but this is my next... fan-work? Theoretical physics paper? It's a...

Phenomenological Model of the Limitless as a Regularized Hydrodynamic Manifold

....Yeah, that's a lot. I honestly have no idea how I'm going to make this into a suitable Blog Post for Tumblr, but I want to smooth out the rigor of my model first. There's a few bumps left, but I'm fairly certain about the raw meat of my model now.

To break down the title for those who are not in STEM:

Phenomenological Model: A model built on observation, not based from bottom-up fundamentals. I watched Satoru Gojo do his Limitless and I made a model out of it.

of the Limitless. The Cursed Technique.

Regularized: It's controlled infinity. Actual infinity in unchecked models lead to breakage.

Hydrodynamic: It's about "fluid." Space fluid. Space water.

Manifold: It takes place in regular space. The space part of space fluid.

The below is still an active work in progress:

This is what I have so far for the unified field equation. It needs some more work, of course. There's some constants I kind of just threw around to make the model work that I need to define properly. But if you're curious about why I chose hydrodynamics as the model of my field, here it is.

I do want to get back to the rest of my work, of course, but writing something like this demands it to be finished before I move on. Coming back to papers like this after a break is a headache.

Sorry for the delays on my more... normal works. I hope there are people who can appreciate this kind of rigorous model for a fictional magic system out there.

Thanks for reading.

[lothli]

Progress On That One Limitless Fluid Paper

Hello again.

The paper's nearly done. The one that I struggle to describe in blog-friendly terms, mostly because it's not exactly a blog-friendly paper.

It is the Phenomenological Model of the Limitless as a Regularized Hydrodynamic Manifold.

...Limitless Fluid Paper works fine for now.

Well, yes, it is nearly done. It is around 30 pages long, it probably requires an undergraduate degree in physics to understand, and it is also a character piece about a grieving niece formalizing her uncle as a form of memorial.

....Surprise! This is a writer's blog, and I'm still going to write fiction, even in a paper like this. Besides, it would be all too dry if the author of the paper was just... generic academic physicist voice.

There she is, putting her name on my work. My little Gojo creature. The girl with the Limitless and no Six Eyes.

Now, the paper is practically done. The only work left is honestly me figuring out how to post this in a way that is readable to like... I'm aiming for something that's understandable to STEM Bachelor's holders... with the basics available for everyone. The paper itself is a bit... too far for that? But that's fine. I'll figure out the bridge somehow.

I'll throw out a few more fun(?) things. Sneak peaks.

These are our major symbols. If you're formally trained, you might get the general shape of what I'm doing from this alone. At least... hopefully... all the important symbols should be here.

And there it is. Lime Green.

We must have Lime Green, after all. A theoretical physics paper that doesn't use its model to predict is a worthless physics paper. And I'm not going to be boring and naming it "Technique δ" for being the fourth offensive Limitless technique. It has to be Lime Green, dammit.

And here, a linguistic fun fact. It will be important later.

That's all from me this time. It's difficult for me to tell what people find interesting about this project from the outside to include in these sneak peeks. More equations? I'm not sure about the level of understanding most readers have on fluid dynamics, so I'm not sure if my personal usage Navier-Stokes equation would garner interest, even if it is famous (to me, at least).

For those who do know of it, we beat the shit out of it to simplify it down to the Stokes equation and then rip out the mobility limit to actually use. Because no, the full thing is not worth the bother, and hopefully I justified it properly enough.

Thanks for reading about my weird project.

[lothli]

An Ending

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

And so, my History is written. The only step left is to take it up to the Earl's Yew on a foggy Numa day and see if the Hours will accept it.

Perhaps they will. Perhaps they will not. It is not something for me to decide.

I expected to have more to say, but at the end, I'm left with nothing much. I am partial to the "Death of the Author" style of media consumption; and with my work completed, it is no longer in my hands. It is in yours, dear reader, to contemplate and interpret as you wish.

Of course, I can shed insight, but that should not hold any considerably extra weight.

If you have come with me on this journey until the end, then I thank you, for the last time, for reading An Unmaking. Truly.

[lothli]

On Heroes, Mary Sues, and the Nature of Struggle

Before I post my fanfiction, I'd like to begin by posting some thoughts on the nature of My Hero Academia, as I assume that the majority of my current follower base has little knowledge of the series. It is quite different from my previous spheres of canon.

Now, the core thematic question of My Hero Academia is ultimately: "What does it mean to be a hero?"

The answer that the canon series provides is there from the very beginning: "Plus Ultra," the spirit and willpower to break through your limits to save.

Now, that's all well and good. I don't disagree with this answer. But that brings up a question: "Can you be a hero without struggle?"

"Plus Ultra" is Latin for "Go Beyond." It implies a limit to surpass, a struggle. Is a hero a hero without this sense of striving and sacrifice?

Let's look at a canon example, Mirio Togata during the Shie Hassakai raid. Spoilers for this event under the Read More.

One of the plot devices of this arc are the Quirk-destroying bullets. Destroying one's Quirk, or superpower, essentially renders them permanently powerless. Their introduction earlier in the arc essentially serves as a Chekov's Gun: Someone is losing their Quirk and their superheroic identity.

And so, in canon, Mirio puts up a heroic fight against the main villain of the arc, Overhaul, before being trapped by his subordinate. The subordinate fires one of the Quirk-destroying bullets at Eri, a child that Mirio feels he has personally let down in the past and is fiercely fighting to protect. And so, Mirio takes the bullet for Eri, condemning his own heroic potential and making the ultimate sacrifice. He then continues to fight, Quirkless, against Overhaul, proving that the Plus Ultra heroic spirit burns within him.

That is My Hero Academia's definition of a true hero.

I posit this question: Would Mirio still be a hero if he did not have to make this sacrifice? He would. He is still fighting and striving to save an innocent girl. But he would be less heroic, in some sense.

This is due to the narrative of struggle. A hero who does not struggle, does not sacrifice, is no hero at all.

Let's now pivot to the Mary Sue. This is a rather problematic archetype to name and use, due to the ties it has to sexism and the general public understanding that it is okay to shit on teenaged girls, who are the most likely to produce a Mary Sue in their writings.

But it is a useful shorthand for the idea I am presenting, so we must unravel some of the metanarrative baggage surrounding the term and confront the core idea: A character that is effortlessly powerful to the point that they warp the narrative around them.

I ask the question: "Can a Mary Sue be a hero?"

Being a Mary Sue precludes struggle. It is why it is considered a negative trope, after all. They reduce narrative weight and stakes. There is no question, only the solution.

But there is a tension there, no? A Mary Sue that wishes to be a hero, but her fundamental nature means she cannot struggle.

It all comes back to another question asked by My Hero Academia.

"Can anyone be a hero?"

Canon approaches this from a typical, underdog perspective. Can Quirkless Midoriya prove he is a hero? The definition of a hero, ultimately, aligns with his perspective.

Now, what about our Mary Sue, from the other side of the spectrum? Can someone who wields effortless, omnipotent power be a hero?

That, I feel, is a question worth exploring.

[lothli]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

An ending approaches.

One more chapter.

One epilogue.

Apologies for the delay.

Thank you, as always, for reading An Unmaking.

[lothli]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

"Satis Es" is Latin for "You are enough."

It is the opposite of "Plus Ultra," or "Go Beyond."

Thus, we begin our journey once more. A journey about heroes, a journey about striving, a journey about snubbed endings and the feeling of not being enough.

This will be a story about an ordinary gal and the world she does not fit in.

More notes here: On Heroes, Mary Sues, and the Nature of Struggle

Chapters 1 and 2 cover the Entrance Exam and USJ Incident.

Thank you for your time.

[lothli]

On Comments

I recently saw this post by @blue-lagoon-farmer, so big thanks to him and the anon asker.

I found one point relevant to my own works about comments and feedback. I'm someone who can appreciate any comment on my works, positive or negative, as long as they've genuinely put in the effort to engage at all. I've already updated my Ao3 bio, but since that doesn't feel like a place that actually gets seen, I felt it would be prudent to place the update here, in case anyone was curious or worried about commenting.

Feel free to leave pretty much any kind of comment on my work. Minor critique (spelling, grammar), major critique (themes, character inconsistency, plot holes), and constructive criticism are all welcome. Pretty much everything with substance I'll allow. The only things I won't particularly care for are substance-less comments (bot comments, AI accusations, and troll comments). If you're engaging with my work on any level, feel free to leave a comment, positive or negative.

And that's basically it. No matter your thoughts, if you have any at all, I'd welcome them.

I'll probably have some actual writing out today or tomorrow. Hopefully. Thank you for your time.