Indi's Journal

Dad reminded me (via homework assignment...) that I keep talking about the Conflux (and related topics) in my journals, and I'm talking to lots of folks not-from-around-here, and I should probably try and explain that at some point. So that's what this post is about!

( This got way longer than I expected ^.^; )

I know it's been AGES but I'm actually not going to do a whole "I'm back" post because I feel like it'd take forever to get it all out and make it harder to post about other stuff. Let's just say some time were harder than I expected, some times were still really fun, and it's all mixed up in a jumble that is hard to sort out that mostly makes me wish I'd been better about posting, during all that time.

So instead of trying to do that and overwhelming myself, I'mma post about what I'm upto and into right now, and apparently that is Digimon. My new thing the past few weeks is that, I've been watching the show and playing the annoying-but-addictive mobile game, and and then I bought some plushies and the actual virtual pet (mine glows in the dark!) and there's also a proper video game that I'm going to play as soon as my alphas let me (I have to beat another one first before I start something new)

Along with that, I've been thinking a bit about why I've gotten so into it lately, and came up wit some interesting stuff that Dad said I should share as a homework assignment. I realized it's not (just) the basic stuff like cute/cool character designs, and how it does a really good job with its huge cast, and how it's been on kinda as long as I can remember so it feels comfy to watch. It's actually weirdly relatable in some surprising ways.

One thing that really jumped out at me is the whole Digivolution thing. So yeah, you have cute little monsters who get bigger (and generally a little or a lot less cute) to fight other monsters. But unlike some other settings, it's not just a 'grow up and get stronger and stay that way' thing; generally after doing what they need to do in a Champion form, they go back into Rookie (cute critter) form because they're hungry and exhausted, and need some time and care before they can feel good again, much less digivolve.

That already feels a little bit relateable, and it gets more so when you think about the 'higher levels' of the whole thing. There's an Ultimate form (note: not actually 'ultimate' because that's how it goes in these things) for even stronger and more important fights, but when they're done being ultimate, the digimon end up going all the way back to the little blobby 'baby' form, where they're even less strong and capable, and they're just like that for a while until they can get back to their basically-default Rookie form.

Add to that the look of the different forms, the soft and cuddly Rookie forms that I think are cutest, and the increasingly monstery and... extra Champion and Ultimate forms that do not look comfortable to just exist in. (Sometimes you hear one of the trainer kids saying "Wow, whatevermon, that new form is so cool!" and I end up wondering whta the 'mon really thinks about that; I'd much rather be a cool little dinosaur than a weird knight with a dinosaur-shaped helmet!) There's also kinda a side-note in there that the different forms are treated as different identities to some extent (for instance, they always go by the name of the current form) but they're still the same person when they digivolve up and down.

All that put together reminds me a LOT of the times when I have to exert more effort to be, for lack of a better term, 'grown up' and do things that might be hard for me. I can do it, but it's not my default 'form', and definitely not how I want to be with just hanging around with my buddies. And I definitely always need to recuperate after doing it, and there's some stuff that, after doing it, I need even more time to just get back to my baseline. So, seeing all that in cool anime form feels kinda good and validating, and I'm glad there's just a ridiculous amount of more Digimon stuff to watch!

Witchmark is an awesome fantasy novel that I devouered over a summer-camp weekend last year. I definitely want to repeat the spoiler warning for this one in particular, as it has a lot of big plot revelations that I wanted to explain to give a proper summary. All that is still hidden in the cut tags; you can safely read the visible parts here and just find out about general setup and my reactions to the novel and themes.

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Witchmark is a fantasy romance novel by C. L. Polk, published in 2018. It's set in a world that's reminiscent of early 20th-century England and narrated by Miles Singer, a doctor with magical healing abilities who is caught up in multiple conspiracies as he seeks to uncover a murder alongside a handsome stranger. The book has a twisty and exciting plot, fascinating world-building, memorable characters, and a very satisfying conclusion.

The story is told in first person, meaning a lot of the world-building is discovered only along the way when it becomes relevant to the main character's current situation. I enjoy this kind of structure, and it's handled well here; it makes the world feel lived in and avoids long expository digressions. However, since many setting details are revealed only in the midst of what's already a very complicated plot, it makes the novel hard to summarize clearly without giving some information up front, so I will front-load a bit of it here.

Magic exists in this world, but in the country of Aeland, where the story is set, it's believed to be a dangerous gift. Everyone believes that "witches" are inevitably driven insane by their abilities, and so whenever someone's magic gift is proven, they are committed to "witches' asylums" in remote towns. In banishing such mysticism, Aeland is doing its best to be a modern country, with a cosmopolitan capital, Kingston, and marvels like lighting and automobiles powered by the new invention of the "aether network".

( Spoilers spoilers spoilers... )

Agency in general is a clear and well-developed theme in the book. It pervades the setting itself, being a world of class differences and specific manners, and it's also Miles' main concern. He left his family so he could retain his own agency rather than be bound to a Storm-Singer, and the risk of losing that agency is clear as he limits nearly all his personal interactions, rarely trusting anyone lest they find something to use as leverage over him. In the end though, forming a true connection with Tristan actually helps Miles find even more agency, dramatically changing his life and his world.

I can't overstate how much I enjoyed this book, it contained so many things that I enjoy; not just gay romance and clever magical systems, but also fascinating world-building, a gripping plot, and a truly progressive outlook. I am eager to see what happens next in this world, and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it releases next year.