The Quadrants Explained: All You (N)Ever Wanted to Know About Troll Romance

If you have ever heard of the webcomic, Homestuck, then you have probably also heard of the trolls. 

NO, not these trolls

These trolls:

The trolls not only look drastically different from humans, but also live in a very different culture.  There are overarching similarities between human and troll culture but this post is focusing on the differences so I'm not going to get into that.

One of the most confusing differences between human and troll culture is the trollian understanding of relationships.  To humans we really only care about romantic relationships (yeah, platonic relationships are super important too but bare with me).  To the trolls, there are two different types of romance: red romance and black romance.  Within these two types of romance, there are four different relationships.  These four relationships are called the quadrants and are symbolized as the four playing card suits.

The first quadrant, the red (aka flushed) heart, is the quadrant that we humans understand most.  When a troll has "red" feelings for another it means that that troll would like to date that person.  A red relationship is called a "matespritship" and one's partner would be called their "matesprit."  Within a matespritship, the two trolls would act like any other human couple and could potentially reproduce.

The second quadrant is the pale diamond.  When a troll has "pale" feelings for another, it means that that troll would very much like to help that person through their problems, calm them down, and be their friend (although trolls do not actually understand the human ideal of "friendship").  A pale relationship is called a moiraillegience and one's partner would be called their "palemate" or their "moirail."  The pale quadrant is very close to the human understanding of platonic friendship but the relationship is much stronger and deeper than any human friendship.

The third quadrant is the black (aka caliginous) spade.  When a troll harbors "black" feelings towards another, it means that that troll has a strong hatred for that person.  The relationship, called a kismesissitude, can only be considered a real relationship when both parties exhibit the same hatred for the other.  One's partner in a kismesisstude is called their "kismesis".   This type of relationship is similar to human rivalry but is felt much deeper as in a kismesisstude, reproduction is not uncommon.

The last quadrant is the ashen club.  If there are two trolls who are in a harmful relationship (usually red or black), a third party may harbor "gray" feelings in which they would want to step in and mediate the relationship and give each party advice on how to continue into a less harmful relationship.  This relationship between the three parties is called "auspiticism."  The third party that steps in is called an "auspistice."

In troll philoshy, each quadrant must be filled in order for a troll to live a healthy and happy life.

The relationships can lead to break-ups just like human relationships but in troll culture, trolls may find that their feelings for each other shift from one quadrant to another.  This is called vacillation.  For example, a troll might enter into a kismesisstude with another troll.

One party might start to have red feelings for their kismesis.  Their kismesisstude would eventually vacillate into a matespritship.  As one troll vacillates, their partner would normally follow just to keep the balance. Here's a gif of it:

So yeah, I think that about does it for troll romance. I always find it fun to try and apply troll romance to my own relationships.  Are your quadrants filled?

-René

Cosplay Line-up Change (AGAIN 0:)

I did say that my cosplay plans would probably change again and guess what? They did.  BIG surprise there, am I right?

Sigh. So most things have stayed the same - thank god - but my lineup for Anime Boston has changed a bit as of a small argument my cosplay buddy and I had. 

The argument was over our planned cosplay group for Saturday which is the day we spend at least 10 hours at the convention.  We had originally planned to go as Clear and Usagi that day as we both really liked the cosplays and were really well received at Another Anime Convention last October.

But recently I have had some mixed feelings.  Sure the cosplays are great and I do love how many compliments we received but I realized that 4/13, the great Homestuck holiday, is the week after Anime Boston.  So of course I wanted to switch gears and do our Kurloz and Mituna cosplays on Saturday instead of Clear and Usagi.  Kurloz and Mituna were just as well received as Clear and Usagi so I thought that it wouldn't be hard to change our original plan.  

But I was wrong.  It turns out that my cosplay buddy really didn't like their Mituna cosplay.  They said that it just wasn't good enough.  I kept trying to get them to change their mind about it but they wouldn't budge.  It was starting to look like our group was going to have separate.

Finally we reached a compromise.  I told them that I would help remake their Mituna cosplay so that they would feel better about it and reached a compromise about Saturday.  From 8:00 AM-2:00 PM we would cosplay Clear and Usagi.  Then we would go back to the hotel, and change into Kurloz and Mituna and then go back to the convention for another 5 hours. We found that this plan works really well (in theory) as we don't have to wake up at 6:00 AM to start painting ourselves gray.  Instead we can wake up at a leisurely 7:00 AM and worry about the gray make-up later.  

I can't wait for Anime Boston but we still have a lot of work to do before then!

-René

Welcome to Welcome to Night Vale: Your New Favorite Podcast

Welcome to Night Vale is a rather unusual podcast.  It is done in the form of a local radio show set in the lovecraftian town of Night Vale.  The podcast is a product of Common Place books and is written by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor.  The show is narrated by Cecil Baldwin who shares his first name with the show's main character, radio show host Cecil Gershwin Palmer.  

As described in the first episode, called "Pilot", Night Vale is "a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious light pass overhead as we all pretend to sleep."  The town supposedly sits somewhere in the United States and is neighbored by their rival town of Desert Bluffs.  The people who live in Night Vale aren't exactly unusual.  Most of them lead relatively average lives while dealing with the town's strange situations. Angels, who are all named Erika, frequently visit the town to help out even though it is against the law in Night Vale to acknowledge the existence of angels. There is an underground city comprised of miniature people that is located in the pin retrieval area of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.  Megan Wallaby, the daughter of Herschel and Tak Wallaby, was born as an adult man's hand.  Her parents are very proud of her.  The Night Vale Public Library is full of municipally approved books for the citizens to enjoy, but citizens are warned to be careful of the bloodthirsty librarians and the faceless specter who haunts the biography section.  I could go on and on about the mysterious occurrences of Night Vale but I don't want to spoil too much.

One of the most interesting things about Night Vale is the sense of mystery it instill in its listeners.  Not only are the situations mysterious but also the characters.  We listeners don't even know what Cecil Palmer, the main character, looks like.  He has no canonical design and the only description we have ever gotten is that "he is wearing a tie.  He is not tall or short, not thin or fat."  That's it. That's all we know.  But this actually adds appeal to the podcast as the listener's own imagination can take over.  Here are few fan illustrations of Cecil:

Being able to create one's own personal version of Cecil allows the listener to become more personal with the podcast's story and its characters.  

Another interesting aspect about Welcome to Night Vale is its representation of the LGBTQIA+ community.  Cecil Baldwin has expressed in an essay about playing queer characters that Cecil Palmer's character is handled the best overall.  Baldwin expressed that other gay characters he had played in past theatrical shows were portrayed as the sassy, stylish stereotype and were mostly put in the show for laughs.  Whereas Cecil Palmer's sexuality is definitely not the central point of his character.  The listener does hear about Cecil's crush on the gorgeous scientist, Carlos, quite a bit but it's nothing more than what a straight man or woman would say about their own crush.  Palmer has no coming out moment. Rather, he just starts talking about his feelings for Carlos as if it were a normality (which it should be).  The citizens of Night Vale do not show overwhelming approval for Cecil's sexuality nor do they disapprove of it.  Cecil and Carlos are portrayed as any other couple.  They go on normal dates, eventually buy a condo together, and face real challenges that any other couple would have to face such as miscommunications.  Neither Cecil nor Carlos are completely enveloped in their relationship and both are able to express their own wants and interests outside of the relationship. Carlos is very dedicated to his scientific research of Night Vale just as Cecil is very devoted to his job as radio host.  Cecil and Carlos's relationship is portrayed as the most normal thing in Night Vale.  

So yeah, if you like to mix the normal with the weird than Welcome to Night Vale is the podcast for you.  And if you want to start listening then I would start now because you have got a lot of catching up to do!

-René

4 Ways I Manage Stress

There has been a lot of things going on for me in the past couple weeks.  Grades just closed last week so of course there were about 5 million finals, tests, quizzes, and projects due.  I was trying to work out doing both the spring musical and the drama guild's show for competition.  It was getting especially stressful when my father kept telling me to narrow down my college choices and I hadn't even started to look.  It was hell.  I had no time to do anything so i kept staying up too late and not eating well enough.  So on top of everything, I got sick.  Like really sick.  Like 100+ degree fevers.  I was out of school for a week.  It was literal hell.  So in light of all this, I decided to make a post about how I manage all this stress.

1. Netflix

Netflix is the best.  Whenever I get stressed out I love to take a step back, relax, and watch a couple episodes of some of my favorite shows (provided I have the time).  I always find myself watching Portlandia or Doctor Who as a get away from normal life.  I really like watching comedic and science fiction-y shows.  I love to laugh.  Laughing is a great way to relax and let go so shows like Portlandia are great to watch.  Sci-fi shows are also great to watch as they let you escape your own problems and worry about other nonexistent problems.  Doctor Who is perfect for a sci-fi get away because there are just SO many interesting episodes.  

2. Naps

I feel like I might have said this before but I really like naps.  Sleeping is so nice and it is probably my favorite thing to do when I get stressed out.  Whenever I finally finish part of an assignment I just lay down for a solid 15 minutes and then I try to get up and tackle the next part.  It's pretty awesome and super relaxing.

3.  Tea 

Whenever I get stressed, I basically replace coffee with tea.  It's a lot more calming and I've found that it helps me focus a lot better.  Coffee is a great energy booster, but sometimes I just need to chill so I can actually focus on what I'm doing.  I always like to have a mug of tea nearby while I work on essays.

4.  Music

Music is a big help for me when I'm trying to relax.  I use music for a lot of things.  I use it to regain my energy after being around people for too long.  I use it to help me fall asleep.  I use it to help me focus better.  I use it for inspiration.  My favorite album to listen to for all of these reasons is Homestuck Volume 8 (pictured above).  It just has a lot of really interesting and relaxing songs.  It's great to listen to when writing creative stories.

So there you have it, I guess.  That's how I relax and de-stress myself.  All of these really help me get through the stress so I figured that maybe whoever reads this blog could use some of these methods too.

- René

How to Manage your Convention Spending Habits

My two favorite rooms at a convention? The Dealer's Center and the Artist's Alley.  Why? BECAUSE YOU CAN BUY REALLY COOL STUFF!

There is always so much you can buy at any anime convention.  There are actual companies selling merchandise and along with local artists selling their own works.  You can probably buy anything at a convention.  

You want a wall clock that lights up and looks like Harley Quinn?  Yep, you can get that at a convention.  

You want a body pillow of Benedict Cumberbatch? I've seen several!

You want a phone charm that looks like a tentacle?  I've already bought three in different colors.

You want a beer stein that says "DeanXCastiel OTP Forever"? Only at a con!

But the problem is that all that stuff costs money.  Like a lot of money.  The light up clocks are priced around $70. Body pillows usually go for at least $30.  The tiny handcrafted phone charms are like $6 a piece.  And you don't even want to know how expensive the beer stein is. Separately, they seem pretty reasonable.  But how could you go to a convention and only buy one thing?

Limiting your purchases at a convention is probably one of the hardest things you can do (especially if you're one of those impulse buyers that buy into every raffle they see).  But unless you want to end up broke at the end of the weekend, you HAVE to do it.  There's a lot of money already being spent on your costume and your ticket into the convention (not to mention possible gas and hotel fees) so you really need to try not to go over budget when buying souvenirs. 

Here's a few helpful steps on how to not overspend at a convention:

1.  Make a list of your desired souvenirs before hand.  This means GET THERE EARLY!

When I first enter a con, the first thing I look for is the Dealer's Center.  There's always SO much stuff in there that you might end up getting lost or not even noticing a vendor's booth!  I like to walk around and just look at everything to see what's there.  I never buy something on the first day (unless its a limited edition/rare item).  There are bound to be vendors with the same merchandise so it's good to make notes on which one's have the lower prices and where they are located.  The Artist's Alley is the next place you want to hit and make sure to really look at everything since every piece there will be different.

2.  Plan out your expenses and only take the money you need for that day.  

Now that you have a bit of an idea of what you want to buy, you can prepare a plan for yourself.  Figure out which items you want the most and which items are the most pricey.  The items that are more pricey should be left until Sunday when many artists hold sales and it is easier to haggle with the dealers (note: do NOT haggle with artists).  If you think an item will run out by Sunday, buy it on Saturday.  Try to divide up your desired souvenirs between the remaining days of the convention and then add up the cost of the souvenirs for those days.  Only take the money necessary for those days and those items.  

3. Set your souvenir money aside from your food/gas money.  (Or: Acquire a very nice, rich friend who will buy you food)

There have been way too many times where I've accidentally used my food money on an impulse purchase.  I like to use separate wallets to hold my souvenir money and food money so I can't "accidentally" use the food money to buy an extra souvenir.  

And there you go! If you follow those steps, you should definitely be able to manage your spending habits!

-René

Future Cosplay Plans

So I made a post called "Cosplay List" a while back and like most cosplay plans, it has changed. Drastically. Okay, maybe not too drastically.  A few things have stayed the same but most things have changed.  I've thought a bit more on stuff and I talked about it with my cosplay buddy.  We decided to completely scrap Trip in favor of the alternate, Asahi.  We also decided to scrap Cecil/Cecilia for QCK in favor of one of our favorite cosplays which we haven't done in awhile (I'll show them later).  Anyways in addition to scrapping a few, my opinion on a few changed.  Let's get into it, shall we?

Queen City Kamikaze - Ivan Braginski or Russia (Hetalia)

So this cutie is actually the personification of Russia.  He was actually one of my first cosplays and definitely one of my favorites.  Ivan has one of my favorite personality types: cute yet scary.  He's intimidating yet really sweet, when he's not in one of his moods that is.  I've had Ivan's cosplay for about 3 years and it is always well received.  I totally own his character and it is so fun to talk in a Russian accent for like 6+ hours without stopping.  Although I am a little let down that I won't be Cecilia but I haven't been Russia in awhile and I am really excited to cosplay him again.

Anime Boston :

Friday - Asahi Azumane

So this big nerd is definitely still on the list.  I got his uniform for Christmas and let me tell you, it is SO comfy.  I just need his wig and I'll be all set.  I'm really excited to be Asahi because he is a lot like me.  He's super shy and unsure of himself but he is actually really good at what he does.  Asahi gets nervous a lot when in front of others so if I start to panic a bit because the con is too crazy, I'll still be able to be in character. Haha... 

Saturday - Clear 

Since it was so well-received at AAC,I decided that I will cosplay him again at this year's AB.  I'm really excited to cosplay him again.  I love his character and I had sooo much fun being him.  However, I do plan to make a few slight changes. I might not wear the gloves this time (they were too hard to text with ;-;).  With the gas mask, I want to tint the lenses a bit so it will be harder to see into.  I don't know how I'll do it but I'll figure something out.

Sunday - Shima Renzou

So yep.  Shima is still on the list.  Although I do love Shima, I'm a little unsure of how I'll be at his character since he is a lot more outgoing than me but I'll just have to try I guess.  Anyway, I got his wig and his weapon for Christmas.  I am hoping to get his uniform for my birthday and then I'll be all set.  I really don't know how to feel about him right now but I am cosplaying him in a group so I can't really back out now.  Sigh, it'll probably be really good and I will probably love it but I honestly am kinda stressing out over him.  Oh well, it'll be fine...

Yep, so that's my updated plan for QCK and AB.  I doubt that it will change but who knows? It probably will.  Oh, the joys of cosplay.

-Rene

A bit of an explanation...

Most (if not all) of my readers are from a creative writing class at the high school we attend and I'm that everyone has noticed that I end each of my posts with "-Rene".  I remember that this was confusing to a couple people in the class as I do not usually go by the name "Rene".  In fact, I've never actually gone by the name "Rene".  It's kind of a hard thing to explain but here goes nothing...

Gender is something that most people of today's society view as being very black and white (or blue and pink, if you want).  You're either a boy or a girl.  Most people believe that what a person looks like or what kind of genitals they might have determines their gender. 

But, that really isn't it.  Gender is more of a fluid concept.  It really isn't just black and white.  A lot of people don't realize that there is all this gray area in between.  There are people who were designated female at birth who now identify as being a boy and people who were designated male at birth who now identify as being a girl.  There are people who identify as neither boy nor girl nor any other gender.  There are people who identify as both boy and girl.  There are people who identify as being a mix of the two binary genders.  There are people who identify as many genders.  There are people who identify as different genders based on how they feel.  Are you following this okay? uh... I'm not good at explaining things so let's have the Genderbread Person help:

I identify as androgynous (it says it's an expression in the picture but just roll with it).  I believe that there are both masculine and feminine aspects of who I am.  I identify as androgynous because I found it physically and mentally harmful to myself to identify as either boy or girl.  

I only recently started identifying as androgynous because I honestly didn't know that it was a real thing I could identify as.  I found out about it over the summer one day when I was casually scrolling through the posts on my dashboard.  I came across a post that really went in depth about gender identity.  I found it amazing and started researching each gender it outlined.  It took awhile until I found androgyny and I was so happy when I did.  The hard part is actually taking this identity and making it into an expression of who I am.

Pronouns and name changing are two ways to express one's gender (other than appearance) and they are two things that I struggle with.  I don't exactly find it damaging to be called "she" and "Margeaux", it's just that I don't like it.  It's just not me.  Personally, I would rather people use they/them pronouns when referring to me and I would really rather people called me by my middle name, "Rene."  Most of my friends at my high school have already gotten into the habit of calling me by my first name and it's sort of a hard thing to break.  It's also kind of awkward to just slap it on people like "Hey, I know we've known each other for like 3 years now but could you call me 'Rene' from now on? kthxbye."

I haven't really told anyone about this, except a teacher and a few best friends.  It's pretty hard to come out to my parents when I constantly hear stuff like "if you were a boy, I don't know how I'd live."  I'm afraid that they won't understand and won't except me.  Fortunately, my parents aren't too conservative, especially when it comes to appearances.  They allow me to buy "boy" clothes and get my hair cut short, so it sort of works out in a way.

Today was a pretty big step for me.  I don't really know how many people I've just come out to but I'm pretty glad I got it off my chest.  Maybe I'll talk more on this subject some day...

-Rene