Inuvember Day #21: Kikyo Ships, What Should Have Happened Edition.

I’m really obsessed with the idea of worldbuilding that refuses to clarify its relationship to reality

When we read books we instinctively try to categorize books based on the kind of book they are, oh this is fantasy, post-apocalyptic, etc. and we try to find out things and clarify what kind of world it is and whether or not the things in it are make believe and how make believe they are.

So what if I...Messed with that process?

For instance. A book is set in Ohio. We mention the names of cities in Ohio and pieces of Ohio’s history and famous landmarks in Ohio and it’s incredibly well researched, even down to the names of museums in Cincinnati or something. We’re talking very firmly established in the facts of a place. It’s kind of an eerie book and in some ways the setting seems weird or cloudy or dreamy but it seems grounded in just the amount of facts that are in it about the setting.

There are little factoids dropped here and there. At first very boring ones. Something that happened at an Ohio water treatment plant in 1995. What it takes to serve on a jury in Ohio. Ohio laws about spraying pesticides on corn. Facts about corn itself. Probably one of those cutesy little facts about weird local laws.

They start to get...stranger. The little bits of worldbuilding. Did you know that Ohio has had more nuclear power plant accidents than any other state? In this small town in Ohio, you used to need a license to perform an exorcism! This charming small town’s mayor is a ghost. In Ohio, it is legal for doctors to draw more of your blood than they need to sell to third parties. There are no Dollar Tree’s in Ohio. (Have you ever seen a Dollar Tree in Ohio? Are you sure?)

At some point the reader catches onto something that is clearly not right. Maybe the book states at some point that Indiana is to the east of Ohio instead of the west. This is clearly a mistake, and they move on.

Some things about the everyday realities of the setting seem peculiar. There seem to be quite a bit of packs of wild dogs about, and mold seems to grow a lot quicker. Grass is described very strangely—a shade of green that isn’t very characteristic of grass. There seem to be a lot of cults, and there are a lot of empty lots in town enclosed with razor wire for no apparent reason. Sometimes a character’s hands grow suddenly cold, and they panic and hasten inside. Frostbite? Is it the climate? Why does the author write that way?

At some point, though, it becomes clear that the author is fictionalizing a bit. It may certainly be the case that nuclear accidents have occurred in Ohio more than any other state, but the tale of how deer from that area glow in low light is probably made up. And though that famous televangelist existed and it seems plausible enough that he owned tigers, like some kind of janky drug dealer would purchase, it seems implausible that he regularly fed people to them.

As the story continues, more and more facts seem a little off, though. The spatial relationship of Ohio to its surrounding states, and the shape that Ohio is (it’s described at one point as having a panhandle, and as bordering East Tennessee) seems to make less and less sense. The wild dogs are massive, and have smoldering eyes like hellhounds. One nuclear disaster apparently wiped out a full sixth of Ohio’s population. The deer, plagued with cancer from the radiation, have turned carnivores. The wild horses run under a red sky—the sky is always described as red. The original capital of Ohio is lost, its stones dashed down in the war that made its citizens turn to cannibalism. The invasive plants of Ohio can pry open windows, and once choked a woman in her sleep. The people of Ohio dream more frequently of birds of prey gouging out their eyes than people in any other state. There are plagues of rats in Ohio that sometimes devastate towns. In Ohio, unexplained disappearances are rarely investigated. There are eagles in Ohio—their wings blot out the sun. Ohio briefly seceded from the Union in 1922, and there are those that still believe in the Free People’s Empire of Ohio. Ohio shares a border with Arizona. Ohio has a coastline on the edge of a dark and perpetually cold sea.

It becomes abundantly clear that this is not Ohio. It is something else, named Ohio and superficially wearing Ohio as a skin, but it is not Ohio. And looking back, it is hard to tell when it stopped being Ohio. When it stopped being just quirky Americana and an eerie mood and started being...this. Small details were off early on, but these were not noticed, because they seemed so normal. The sky was always described as red, but that was because it was supposed to be sunset...right?

The governor of Ohio has been struck down. All bow before the God-Emperor of Ohio. The black wolves of Hell await those who will not bow with their teeth.

Shepard stealing her LI’s clothes?! YES PLEASE.

Bonus: Garrus not being quite as thrilled about it. Wanna tell us again how much turians hate the cold? 

Yuuri Moving to St. Petersburg

Eggs, Coffee, Bread, Butter by LittleLostStar | T | Yuuri/Victor | 2k

Yuuri has a small adventure at a grocery store in St. Petersburg and everything is just adorable.

~ “Yuuri, did you go grocery shopping?” “Yes, why? …What did I do?” Victor cocks his head, eyes crinkling, and just like that Yuuri realizes that he might not actually have the upper hand in this situation. “What were you trying to do?” he asks innocently, which just makes Yuuri even more furious.

Five Time Yuuri Katsuki Freaked Out About Living with Viktor Nikiforov (and the One Time It Was Viktor’s Turn) by Ame (Ulan) | T | Yuuri/Victor | 7k WIP

Viktor could not help his wide smile. Life with Yuuri in Saint Petersburg was off to a great start. He was happy; he was excited. He had never felt anything more wonderful and overwhelming and amazing in his life.Which probably meant that Yuuri was off somewhere, feeling the same, and freaking out.

leave-taking by winchilsea | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

Moving to St. Petersburg was Yuuri’s idea. Viktor wanted to stay in Hasetsu.

Next Level by ghostystarr | G | Yuuri/Victor | 3k

In which Yuuri and Victor settle into their new life in St. Petersburg

Safety Hazards in St. Petersburg by lucycamui | E | Yuuri/Victor | 3k

In which Yuuri moves in with Victor in St. Petersburg and Victor discovers just how distracting living with him can be.

Alternatively titled, How Many Ways Can Victor Hurt Himself? or Idiots in Love

This Curious Condition Called Love by xtwilightzx (blackidyll) | T | Yuuri/Victor | 16k

The bite of pancake is delightfully buttery, with a tang from the cheese curds. Yuuri isn’t sure what his expression is like, but Victor’s smile brightens, and his phone goes up.

“Say syrniki!”

That photo’s going to end up on Instagram in less than a minute. Yuuri ducks, and when Victor whips his phone to follow, Yuuri grabs Victor’s elbow and drags him over so they’re both caught in the shot. Victor laughs, a long line of warmth mashed up against Yuuri’s side. He tucks his arm around Yuuri’s waist and raises his phone again.

Victor uses variations of the same caption every time: Reexploring St. Petersburg with #katsukiyuuri #oneplateatatime

“You’re ridiculous,” Yuuri whispers, after the camera goes off.

Victor smiles. “Ridiculous, but yours.”

(Yuuri has done the transcontinental uprooting of his life twice before and it’s never easy, but this time there are photos plastered all over Victor’s social media, explorations into Russian cuisine, shenanigans with the Russian figure skating national team, calls and messages from friends and family, and Victor, always.

Victor, on the other hand, mostly copes by watching Yuuri adapt to life in St. Petersburg).

Safe Space by preciousbunnynoiz | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

Yuuri is moving in and Victor is thrilled but Victor is also noticing something is a little different about Yuuri and he isn’t sure what

(Basically these two love each other so much it’s ridiculous and wonderful)

Go for the kanzashi!

Here you go @dreaming-of-the-midnight-sun

I can’t stop imagining him being such sweetheart. ♥

I’ll think another with Inukimi for later.

Failure

I practically flunked my exams. I failed my dad my teachers and my fucking self. I barely had 50% on one of my exams. And I thought I was going to medical school. Fat chance smh. Idk if Im going to even pass my easiest choice. 4 fucking years of my life wasted. And on what? Studying the last minute ,ao3, movies and what not. I always thought I could be anything I wanted to, but lets face it ,Im a stupid piece of shit. Like a lot of people I was a great student in my middle school. And this thought of false brilliance I carried for 4 fucking years until this week. Im just a ordinary , mediocer dumbass. And do you know what the best part is? I didnt study and cried my ass off all year just to flunk , no I knew in the back of my head that i didnt start studying in time. But I didnt even bother because I aint in touch with reality. No, im just a empty meathy flesh.All my friends are getting in their colleges and Im the only one who failed,whos going to waste her life. Im sorry for this long retarded post but Im just a loser and a chump who isnt good for anything

libfem vs. radfem solutions

many have said it before me and probably better than me but i just feel the need to shout into the void:

my problem with liberal feminism is that it tries to solve the branches of the problem instead of addressing the root of the problem.

problem: gender is constrictive and enforces oppressive societal roles

libfem solution: make more genders so that people feel more comfortable when gendered stereotypes don’t fit them

radfem solution: understand that gender doesn’t define who you are and how you can express yourself /and/ eliminate the concept of gender completely (keeping in mind the importance of biological sex because women and men are medically different and need different treatment or present different symptoms for the same conditions, etc.)

problem: sex industry is harmful to society and more importantly it’s abusive to women in the industry

libfem solution: “ethical” porn

radfem solution: get rid of porn and ban prostitution NOT to criminalize workers but to protect them (and put in place other safety nets so that they can still make money and live) /and/ understand the social harm that comes from filming and making money of off rape. (we can all agree that consent through coercion is not consent, right? begging or guilting someone into saying yes is not consent so why is ‘paying’ (bribing) someone with money any different?)  

problem: beauty standards are damaging and make us insecure

libfem solution: expand beauty standards to be more inclusive

radfem solution: understand that beauty isn’t a measure of your value /and/ accept that physical appearrance doesn’t matter. no matter how inclusive beauty ideals are there will always be someone that doesn’t meet the criteria (i’m not trying to downplay insecurity, it hurts believe me i know. but if you consistently strive to be 'beautiful’ there will always be something to nitpick and find wrong with yourself. 'you don’t need to be beautiful’ is my new mantra to try and fight that)

all of this is an oversimplification of a lot of difficult and complicated issues but i hope if you’re reading this you consider a radfem’s perspective. also i do NOT speak for everyone lol. feel free to discuss politely in the notes

I didn’t know I needed this, maybe you do too 💕💕

a freshly married, still in his wedding shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway his forearms yuuri katsuki-nikiforov, sweeping his kimono clad husband off his feet to carry him over the proverbial threshold to the smitten squeal of said husband’s surprised laughter and a very warm, very loving “wow, yuuri, amazing!”