#babbling moth

because a bookish character talking about how much they love ~general books, like in general~ always comes across as weird and insincere to me, and i think that's part of why i've struggled to connect with this character.

kind of a problem, since she's the narrator.

i think it's hard to sell passion and SpIn-levels of devotion without at least a little info-dumping. and it's hard to convey the books she loves are the lens through which she experiences the world when the only way she ever references them is by name-dropping tropes and archetypes.

for it to be effective, i want to have an internally consistent thing she can reference -- not just random unconnected comments she makes. themes and character development and the big twist that happened in book 6 and who's shipping what, because that feels like a more authentic way to talk about a franchise you enjoy. you know?

pop quiz: there is a a older lady in a court-intrigue sort of story. she has been seen conspiring with blatently scheming/evil guys. her character design is full of crimson and black and she is often symbolically linked with roses.

early on in the story she appears in front of the protagonist saying Actually,, she isn't gonna kick up a fuss about that whole power and inheritance situation. live and let live! im not like those obnoxious guys who were just mean to you im cool actually :)

as one might expect when one hasn't played regularly in years, my endurance was (to use a technical term) shit. we're talking losing the embouchure after like a line of playing. not ideal.

tbh you forget instruments require like, muscle memory but also straight-up muscle until u get all out of shape. (like, why does playing with good posture make my shoulder/arm ache?? have i spent the last few years doing literally nothing that involves raising my elbow for an extended period of time??????)

good news: i know how to sand and restain wood! mostly! plus we have some pretty red-orange gel stain from a previous project.

just sitting here with my headphones like, this is neither hot nor bi