#shayvaalski

update: while I was writing that he found an old piece of cheese on the floor somewhere

I'm not Heathen but this was definitely in my like, childhood versions of Norse myths, which themselves were in quite dated books. Perhaps it's come up in multiple iterations because everyone thinks of that area of the world as Very Cold, All Ice?

Perhaps. A quick glance at the Marvel mythos tells me that ice giants first appeared in the Marvelverse in the 40′s and reappeared in the 60′s, so it’s possible the mix-up could go back that far. I’m not sure how old your books are though.

But you might be onto something anyway, considering that Jotun are more like...personified forces of nature (and think of how the Scandinavian countries look!). But while the mythos sometimes makes it a point to distinguish those personifications, like with the fire giant Logi (not to be confused with Loki), many times they’re pretty vague.

Siobahn counts magpies in the tree

One is a sign of mischief Two a sign of mirth Three is a sign of a wedding, Four is a sign of a death Five is a sign of rain, Six is the sign of a baby born Seven is a child without a name.

Siobahn feeds chicks with fierce, cold glee

One is sorrow Two, shame Three you know Four, a sign of death Five is pain Six is laughter uncontrolled Seven is love you cannot hold.

Siobahn can hear the magpies sing

One, a wish Two, a kiss Three, a girl Four, a boy Five, heaven Six, hell Seven, the devil’s own self.

Siobahn kills magpies with a string

One is a sign of anger Two is what you’re worth Three a hanging Four a birth Five for silver Six for gold Seven for a truth never told.

Eight you live Nine you die

Siobahn breaks the bodies when they grow cold

It has taken me TWO YEARS to write a 50k original piece

how do u do this

I actually don’t really understand how anyone not does this. I mean, I know I’m a bit unusual when it comes to writing speed, but for me when I start writing it just... flows out? I go all hyperfocused and the story just comes, and if it doesn’t I might as well give up because I can’t force it out. Like, if you give me a whole day and a new thing to write I can churn out 5K raw content without that much trouble, I reckon. Of course, it’s first draft stuff so there’s still masses of editing to do, but it’s so much easier to edit and add to something that’s already there than to start from scratch.

Not gonna lie, I get kinda smug about my monster-writing. Otoh, whenever I get too smug all I gotta do is remember @saxifraga-x-urbium, who writes like 100K in two weeks and fucking publishes it, so. 

Oooh I love this meta a lot. I think a ton about the way and reasons Jim (and Siobhan) take on identity, and what it means when they do -- or don't.