"Second First to Being Born..."

[psalm_onethirtyone]

I've just finished rereading all of Westmark, hence the Torrens icon, and. um.

Bwahaha! Theo is such a dork. It was slightly ridiculous (and I am very guilty of saying it to him: "Theo, you're a dork!", whether I was reading by myself or at the gym, which got some looks), and very wonderful. Ahaha. You awful boy.

Something I thought was interesting is that when writing Westmarkfic and playing russet_goddess, I've always been really careful not to make any religious inferences, to the point where she (and queen_oracle) never say anything along the lines of 'for God's sake', 'for heaven's sake', but actually Theo says both those things, I believe, in Westmark (I don't think he says them in Kestrel or Beggar Queen, though); and likewise of course there's a lot of 'go to the devil', which doesn't necessarily mean anything, and go to hell, damn, &c. It's interesting, Westmark is sort of the inverse, issue-wise, from Fly by Night.

Because in Mandelion, religion is the main issue and class relations are almost incidental. Everyone knows where he or she goes and they don't make much of it. Mosca hasn't got any problem with being a penniless urchin; nobody ever expresses any particular dislike of Linden because he's Lady Tamarind's footman. In Westmark, the socio-political issues push almost everything else aside. Religion is incidental, instead.

And yet they're very similar books...! With the same kind of characters, even if Fly by Night is rather better written.

Anyway, Theo = dork. Dork dork dork.

Mickle is still cool, and Florian disturbs me a little more than he did the last few times I've read the trilogy. When I first read it I was totally in love with him, and now I feel slightly disenchanted, although he's still really wonderful. Is interesting. I like Connie more, for all he's awful, but--for the most part I find the incidentals better than the main characters (except Zara, who is my antagonistic passion). Red Cockade is the best. damn. character. Clarion is amazing. I'm still rather in love with Jellinek.

Also, my Luther is so OOC it's not even funny, and I like him better for it. >_> That's a bad thing, I'm pretty sure.

The scene where Keller is trying to get himself arrested is one of the best ones in the entire thing. Ehehe. ^___^ Gleeee.

Also also! They have Latin, or some semblance thereof, in Westmark, because in Westmark Theo mentions reading a book called De Rerum Justitiae or something like that, which translates to Of Just Things, roughly. Also a lot of the names are Latinate, like Justitia and Augusta.

I love Mr. Alexander's brain, even when I disagree with it. Ehee.

...On a side note, I want to write an AU where Zara gets taken alive by the Ankari, is massively tortured, and comes out alive when it's all over but slightly weird(er) in the head, and Florian has to deal with it. Somebody dissuade me.

Now I am going out for a drive before dinner. Manon, I will be on to-night hopefully by nine? Is my plan. Must still finish that stupid term paper.

Comments

[mhari.livejournal.com]

Florian is a strange and scary man. This is why I adore him. :D

Red Cockade wins at everything. <3

They do have heaven and hell, seemingly. What they don't have is a) deity as such, or b) any kind of organized religion, I don't think we even get passing mention of a church anywhere.

WRITE IT.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

That is very true. I'm only just realising. XD

Word. Remind me to see about shamelessly harrassing you into writing me something and/or playing her.

I knowww, it is so weird. No, there's nothing about churches. What the hell is going on with these people. XD It's a plot to confuse me and make me write Fly by Night crossovers. More of them.

STOP ENCOURAGING ME.

[mhari.livejournal.com]

Hee.

I can't! I already play Clarion! Make Nanni do it.

Clearly.

SHAN'T.

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

That's always the answer with you people, isn't it? Make Nanni do it. :P Just because I'm easy...

[mhari.livejournal.com]

*halo?*

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I'm on to you. You're really a fiend in the form of a young woman. It's a traditional form for fiends, of course.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

NAAAAAAAAAANIIIIIIIII.

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

Noooooooooo.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

Nope!

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

Noooooooooooo.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

It is HIGHLY unlikely!

Ask again in a few weeks. Right now I don't even have time for the re-reading I'd need to do.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

;__________;

Okay...! *sticksto* Take good care, then, and don't worry about it.

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

*cuddles* It's okay, I just procastionated pretty bad. I'm doing all right, just busy!

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Okay, still! *loves*

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

*defends slow-uptakedness*

Ohhh, that's not fair. XD Mostly because it's true. I'm going to bother Nanni.

Why else, naturally?

...I'M ALREADY PLOTTING HOW IT WOULD WORK. ARGH.

[bewareofitalics]

Have you read The Arkadians? Also Alexander, but with religious issues! And totally cracked-out Greek mythology. Um.

*dissuades! only the exact opposite, really. :D*

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I have, actually, read it. A long time ago.

XD

[bewareofitalics]

It's one of those books I reread all the time. :D

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Hee!

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

This is me, carefully refraining from enabling.

Yeah, Greece and Rome appear to have existed - what with the Latin references and Stock's constant mythology metaphors, but there's no orgnized religion, which is really interesting. Ah, Westmark, how comfortably bizarre you are.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, right.

That, too! I meant to mention that, since Stock is all Apollo this and Jove that. XD I love it.

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

It's so cute! They're such dorks. And Connie really is incredibly horrible. I mean. Really. Awful human being, is Connie.

...He would like me to add "but he's cute".

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I know, I know! Everyone is a dork. XD Yes. He's--he grows up so much, and he's kind of totally charismatic SCARY when he grows up.

Definitely, your majesty. ^__^

(Conrad is grousing in my head. Cute? There is nothing cute about a TOTAL IGNORANCE OF BUFF ORPHINGTONS.)

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

They are, it's awesome. He Is! He's like... terrifyingly attractive. Magnetic and you're all You, Sir, Are Disrupting My Class Loyalties! Desist at Once!

:D

(Connie says he just thinks that because he's not an attractive young woman. Attractive young women find mild naivete adorable!)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

I know! And then, you know, if you try to pull anything he's still magnetic but he's calling for the firing squad or the guards or whatever's appropriate, but he's not looking cute and helpless and naive any more, he's dangerous. It's terrifying.

<333!

(Conrad is horrified by the suggestion, and hopes that even attractive young women are disgusted by the idea of a boy who doesn't care about sheep.)

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

Yeeeees. Oh, Connie.

(Connie says that all depends on whether not the attractive young women care about sheep and how invested they are in the prospect of a romantic connection who shares their interests.)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

<33!

(Conrad says this is a stupid discussion and Connie would be less likely to start such stupid discussions if he settled down and did some good hard work with chickens and geese.)

[tiamatschild.livejournal.com]

(Connie would like to point out that he did not, in fact, start this discussion.)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

(Conrad does not deign to answer that.)

[little-lady-d.livejournal.com]

*tugs* ros wants to go looking for penguins with mickle. and maybe panda bears.

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Mickle is in California, but she won't mind coming home for him. She wants to see penguins too.

[tyriangalley.livejournal.com]

Keller says he'd like to see penguins, too. And possibly make bad jokes about penguins and/or newspapers.

(And thank you for reminding me, miss. I need to finish my reread, but have been attacked by school. ;__;)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Mickle wants to know how she got so popular all of a sudden.

(That sounds familiar. *loves*)

[tyriangalley.livejournal.com]

Keller is saying ridiculous things about Mickle being 'queen of his heart'. He's also bored, if you can't tell.

(*squishes and should be finishing essays*)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Mickle says of /course/ she can tell.

(*looooves and sends luck*)

[tyriangalley.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. *squishes Mickle too*

(&hearts! One more to go, is only 2 pages, so it's not too bad.)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

Mickle blows kisses. :D

(That's good! <33 What's it on?)

[tyriangalley.livejournal.com]

Eeee. :D

(Codification in the Roman Empire. Such fun. >_>)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

:D :D :D

(Ewwwww. XD)

[tyriangalley.livejournal.com]

(I know. Baaaah. *flops on*)

[rainbowjehan.livejournal.com]

(*snuggles*)