Back where the sea meets the ground

[sovay]

I spent most of my day baking honeycakes with my mother, but I also spent a portion of my day discussing fanfiction on the internet, and I am therefore delighted to report that my niece has reached the stage of investment in How to Train Your Dragon where she has declared that she and Hiccup have taken each other's last names. Her parents have gently put it to her that first grade may be a little early for marriage, but she is adamant. It is unclear as yet if she is also married to Astrid, but she has firm opinions about the kind of dragon she rides. I should start figuring out now what dragon-related thing I can give her for her birthday. She is not quite reading at a level where I could just deluge her with books, although I am told she enjoys having books read to her that she can't yet read herself. Recently she asked my mother if a children's fantasy was real and my mother answered that the people are a story, but the ways they feel are real. I like that wording very much. I remember few self-inserts from my own childhood, but I famously put myself into the Chronicles of Prydain as the daughter of Arawn and Achren, the princess of the underworld, fostered with the triple goddess in the Marshes of Morva. My self-esteem was a lot healthier then. That said, I had a day of not feeling terrible about the aesthetics of my physical embodiment, so spatch took a picture.

Comments

[cmcmck]

The aesthetics of one's physical embodiment matter and this is a lovely pic! :o)

[sovay]

The aesthetics of one's physical embodiment matter and this is a lovely pic!

Thank you!

[mrissa]

What fascinates me about your self-insert is that it's a very different cultural place in the story than my own self-inserts. I can definitely see the appeal, but I can also see the shape of "where I go is in the north, with trees" that I have that I knew was not universal but had not experienced directly in other people's specifics before.

[asakiyume]

So where did you place yourself, or did you just imagine a place northern and wooded?

[mrissa]

A lot of books already have a north! The ones that didn't, I made do.

[asakiyume]

smart--and creative--solution!

[sovay]

What fascinates me about your self-insert is that it's a very different cultural place in the story than my own self-inserts.

That makes sense to me; I think that everyone places themselves differently in a story, if they do it at all. Even the other childhood self-insert I can remember was not at all like the one for Prydain.

[asakiyume]

First grade might be slightly young--but probably not, for your niece--for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin. The protagonist in that makes friends with, and is accompanied for the rest of the adventure by, a dragon. The story weaves in folktales that people tell, represented in the book in a different font, and there are illustrations by the author. I loved it (reading it as an adult, but my nieces-in-law--which is to say, the daughters of my brother's sister's brother) read it/were read it at an appropriate age and loved it. If she likes it, there are two more books in the series.

You look beautiful in the photo!

Also, you were so cool to place yourself in that manner into the Prydain chronicles. When I was reading them, I hadn't yet intuited the power (and emotional truth) of choosing such an ambiguous lineage on the D&D alignment scale. I took the most crippling straight-edge characters and wanted to be them (but in my own gender)--so, a female Adaon or a female Gwydion. (This abruptly ended in adolescence.)

[sovay]

First grade might be slightly young--but probably not, for your niece--for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin.

I love that book and have been troubled by the fact that I can't find my copy when the two sequels are sitting right here on my shelf! I also want to try her on Laurence Yep's Dragon of the Lost Sea (1982) and sequels, although I would need to sound out her tolerance for passages of weird horror and eventual war. Unsurprisingly, she has been much more sensitive to upsetting content in her books and movies this year.

When I was reading them, I hadn't yet intuited the power (and emotional truth) of choosing such an ambiguous lineage on the D&D alignment scale.

The liminality kicked in early.

I took the most crippling straight-edge characters and wanted to be them (but in my own gender)--so, a female Adaon or a female Gwydion. (This abruptly ended in adolescence.)

I don't think that's limited at all. Did you change identifications when you reached adolescence, or did you stop imagining yourself as people in extant stories?

You look beautiful in the photo!

Thank you!

[choco_frosh]

There's always Dragonbreath?

[rmc28]

Danny Dragonbreath is definitely worth trying (and there's ten more books if niece likes the first one ...)

[sovay]

(and there's ten more books if niece likes the first one ...)

That is more than the last time I checked!

[sovay]

There's always Dragonbreath?

It's on the list! And it is full of pictures. Thank for the nudge.

[umanothing]

Suggestion: dragon puppet?
Also, you and Sir Fabulous look lovely!

[sovay]

Suggestion: dragon puppet?

spatch and I are definitely leaning in the direction of dragon object rather than visual art. She has a sort of beanie-plushie dragon already. I hadn't thought of a puppet!

Also, you and Sir Fabulous look lovely!

Thank you!

[sartorias]

What a lovely picture--your smile, the shirt, the pretty piece of furniture behind. All a real pleasure to rest the eyes on.

[sovay]

What a lovely picture--your smile, the shirt, the pretty piece of furniture behind. All a real pleasure to rest the eyes on.

Thank you!

[minoanmiss]

*agrees delightedly*

[sovay]

*agrees delightedly*

*hugs*

[muccamukk]

Yeah, my niece is there with yours. I think she's writing comic scripts for different endings of the movies she doesn't like, and her brother's drawing them for her. I should start figuring out what things she might like for the holidays.

That's a lovely picture. I always enjoy your face.

[sovay]

Yeah, my niece is there with yours. I think she's writing comic scripts for different endings of the movies she doesn't like, and her brother's drawing them for her.

That is excellent. Do you know what any of her fix-its are?

I should start figuring out what things she might like for the holidays.

If you come up with any dragon-related strokes of genius, let me know! (I could really use a dealer's room at a convention right now.)

That's a lovely picture. I always enjoy your face.

Thank you.

[muccamukk]

Something about the one where the dragons ended up back on their world, and the humans stayed on earth. She was very angry about that. I'll have to ask Bro for the details.

Some of the digital cons have dealers rooms, but it's not really the same.

[sovay]

Something about the one where the dragons ended up back on their world, and the humans stayed on earth. She was very angry about that.

I can see that. I make very few exceptions myself for stories where the magic goes away.

Some of the digital cons have dealers rooms, but it's not really the same.

I haven't even been to a digital con! I can't spend that much time on Zoom.

[muccamukk]

Yeah I did WisCon which was on youtube and discord, but I'm going to give any ones that are largely zoom a pass. I'm vaguely thinking of looking to see if the dealer's room is just posted on its own tho.

[gaudior]

the people are a story, but the ways they feel are real.

That is very well-phrased, thank you! I may steal it.

[sovay]

That is very well-phrased, thank you! I may steal it.

I think my mother would be delighted if you did!

[davidgillon]

Looking good!

There were dragons in quite a few BBC children's programmes when I was a kid, Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, and The Clangers (that one had the Soup Dragon). The first two did have books to go with them, but a quick google tells me that if I want Noggin the Nog books - the ones I definitely remember reading - then you're looking at £60 for a complete boxed set, which is clearly targeting the nostalgia market, not the kid market. Ivor the Engine seems to have had a more recent run of reprints for actual kids, but availability in the US is likely problematical (and the dragons in both Ivor and Noggin were occasional guest stars rather than series regulars). Apparently The Clangers had a 2016 revival that did get a US release, but rather than Michael Palin narrating, they substituted William Shatner - what were they thinking!

[sovay]

Looking good!

Thank you!

Apparently The Clangers had a 2016 revival that did get a US release, but rather than Michael Palin narrating, they substituted William Shatner - what were they thinking!

Whaaaaaaaat. (I never acclimated to George Carlin replacing Ringo Starr for Shining Time Station, either.)

[teenybuffalo]

That's a good likeness.

The Kids These Days seem strong on the dragon front, which I enjoy.

[sovay]

That's a good likeness.

Thank you.

The Kids These Days seem strong on the dragon front, which I enjoy.

Agreed. I was a dragon-oriented child myself and I approve.

[gwynnega]

Recently she asked my mother if a children's fantasy was real and my mother answered that the people are a story, but the ways they feel are real.

I like that she asked, and I love your mother's reply.

That is a lovely photo!

[sovay]

I like that she asked, and I love your mother's reply.

Me, too.

That is a lovely photo!

Thank you!

[ethelmay]

She's probably a little old for The Dragon in the Clock Box (and I haven't seen it in years, so don't know how it holds up), but it was a school reading assignment years after I first read it as a picture book, so who knows. (I am still furious at the teacher for her interpretation of the ending.)

[sovay]

She's probably a little old for The Dragon in the Clock Box (and I haven't seen it in years, so don't know how it holds up), but it was a school reading assignment years after I first read it as a picture book, so who knows. (I am still furious at the teacher for her interpretation of the ending.)

I haven't thought of that book for years! I have no idea how it holds up, either, but she is still enjoying picture books, so I will see if I can find out. (What did your teacher do to the ending?)

[ethelmay]

Genre problems. She was convinced the whole point of the story was what a big imagination Joshua had, that it had to be a realistic story and not a fantasy.

Of course it is a realistic story as well. Part of what I remember really enjoying was the sense of Joshua as the youngest child, sitting under the table or something with at least two older siblings coming and going. That felt very familiar to me as a youngest.

[sovay]

She was convinced the whole point of the story was what a big imagination Joshua had, that it had to be a realistic story and not a fantasy.

Okay, even my distant and corroded memories suggest that's a misreading.

Part of what I remember really enjoying was the sense of Joshua as the youngest child, sitting under the table or something with at least two older siblings coming and going. That felt very familiar to me as a youngest.

The people are a story; the ways they feel are real.

[rinue]

I would be interested in your honeycakes recipe, if you're interested in sharing. (No pressure if it's too personal or too much of a hassle to write down.)

I've been reading Dealing With Dragons to an eight-year-old who has been thrilled every time dragon society challenges the idea of fixed gender or gender-based roles. It felt very sensible back when I was a kid, so I'm relieved it's held up.

[sovay]

(No pressure if it's too personal or too much of a hassle to write down.)

It's more like I am not in the same physical location as the recipe at the minute, but I can send it to you when that changes.

I've been reading Dealing With Dragons to an eight-year-old who has been thrilled every time dragon society challenges the idea of fixed gender or gender-based roles.

Yay! It was a hit with my ten-year-old godchild when I sent it to them earlier this year.

It felt very sensible back when I was a kid, so I'm relieved it's held up.

I did not learn Latin because of that book, but it is the reason I learned to make cherries jubilee.

[alexxkay]

Your mother is wise. As Alan Moore points out, the idea of a thing is a *real* idea.

I am glad you are sometimes able to perceive your loveliness :-)

[sovay]

Your mother is wise.

She's good with children and she's good with stories. There are many ways in which I lucked out in the people who raised me.

I am glad you are sometimes able to perceive your loveliness

I have been able to before, but I have difficulty believing now that it still exists. Thank you.

[selkie]

I would attempt to pass along Noel’s animatronic fuzzy dragon but I would be sliced to pieces in my sleep, as we still hear it secretly roaring from their room occasionally. (It is a good toy for a kid with aphantasia, I think. It looks the tiniest bit bovine but then, so do I, and I am critical adorable mass.)

I particularly like that you can see the actual hue of your eyes in this picture; they tend to photograph lighter and less emphatic than they are.

[sovay]

I would attempt to pass along Noel’s animatronic fuzzy dragon but I would be sliced to pieces in my sleep, as we still hear it secretly roaring from their room occasionally.

I would never come between a child and a dragon! That way lies flambé. (I love that they still have it, too.)

I particularly like that you can see the actual hue of your eyes in this picture; they tend to photograph lighter and less emphatic than they are.

I continue to be happy to serve as a reference work.

[radiantfracture]

the people are a story, but the ways they feel are real.

That's a lovely way to hold onto the value of identifying with a story.

I famously put myself into the Chronicles of Prydain as the daughter of Arawn and Achren, the princess of the underworld, fostered with the triple goddess in the Marshes of Morva.

Well, that's magnificent.

[sovay]

That's a lovely way to hold onto the value of identifying with a story.

I have been having the fun of telling my mother how many people on the internet appreciate what she says.

Well, that's magnificent.

Thank you.