Thoughts on Part 5: Chapter 57 - Normalizing the Sensational in Fantasy
~O’ezimoni vusyela, o’thomi-ezimoni temya,~
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I threw a sensational detail into Chapter 57: in preparation for the Qabarat Matrhonhood’s Newyear’s Eve mirthtide/ball, Lady Vaeol our narrator loans Demante, her guest and former rival, a nipplecap. Within our readers’ context, this detail is bound to capture attention, because within our real-world colloquial culture, nipplecaps (or pasties) are associated with strippers. Many heterosexual males may find this detail exciting. Many females may find this detail demeaning or threatening, since this practice associates with sexual commoditization and subjugation. Yet within the story’s creative worldbuilding context, Lady Vaeol merely gives it passing mention before continuing with the more important details of her daylog’s narrative. Within her social value system, it is none of those things mentioned above but a completely normal, non-sensational practice. For those of us who love fantasy, we are inherently attracted to the sensationalism of things, powers, and creatures that don’t exist in our real world - dragons, magic, lightsabers! I personally am attacted to the concept of a psychically talented, antenna-growing alien species ruled by a matriarchy, who dwell on a jungle-infested tropical planet with giant trees, dinosaur-like megafauna, and talking monkeys and bugs. We, both as world-builders and readers, seek something wonderfully exotic, different from our real-life experience. I have come to realize that includes more than just the big, dramatic things like dragons and vampires. It also includes the little things that define a culture and values different from our own. Yet the fantasy culture defines them separately from us, without taking our values into account, and ideally within an internally cohesive social context. In contrast, if this were erotica, we would lean into the sensationalism by building out much more graphic exposition. Yet we don’t. So why bother with this small detail at all, especially since it is so rapidly dropped? Because the detail creates a window into the Lashunta’s social value system. Among Lashunta, females going about their everyday lives topless is pretty much as normal as human males going topless at the beach on a hot summer day, and frankly attracts about the same degree of attention. As a matriarchy, the ruling females have no vested interest in promoting social values requiring self-shame, but rather self-entitlement. So why wouldn't they go topless if it were convenient or advantageous? Note there are also defined situations where Lashunta females don’t go topless, namely: active military service, hunting, and while riding their Shotalashu steeds. Similarly, Lady Vaeol elects to not go topless to the Matronhood’s mirthtide, but instead wears her gold-wrought halterdishes as a sumptuary convention displaying her status as an outrider-knight. Along with these, wealthy females (and maybe also males. Why not?) may wear a jeweled nipplecap as a show of conspicuous consumption (and thus Vaeol’s favor to Demante). There are also other jewelry practices. Lady Vaeol wears a gold bindi on her brow, signifying her graduation from a college of the psychic arts. Along with the above-mentioned halterdishes, outriders also wear ornamental, openwork vambraces and greaves as signs of their rank on formal occasions (yes, it has evolved from armor; no, it has no protective value whatsoever). Matrons may wear a crown (which is not the same as a queen’s crown). Rings, bracelets, necklaces all may be collected, worn, and shown, both for their conspicuous status and symbolic meanings. The Lashunta of the city of Candares in the far east pierce their ears (making it a specific cultural token), and many mothers pierce their navels as a sign they have successfully borne a child. In the end, I’d like to invite readers to imagine being a tourist, either to this fantasy world or another of your preference (I actually did this all the way back in Part 1 of _A Castrovel Adventure_). As such, I hope we would all make the effort to understand the world, much like an exchange student, and learn to respect its values from its inhabitants perspective
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I threw a sensational detail into Chapter 57: in preparation for the Qabarat Matrhonhood’s Newyear’s Eve mirthtide/ball, Lady Vaeol our narrator loans Demante, her guest and former rival, a nipplecap. Within our readers’ context, this detail is bound to capture attention, because within our real-world colloquial culture, nipplecaps (or pasties) are associated with strippers. Many heterosexual males may find this detail exciting. Many females may find this detail demeaning or threatening, since this practice associates with sexual commoditization and subjugation. Yet within the story’s creative worldbuilding context, Lady Vaeol merely gives it passing mention before continuing with the more important details of her daylog’s narrative. Within her social value system, it is none of those things mentioned above but a completely normal, non-sensational practice. For those of us who love fantasy, we are inherently attracted to the sensationalism of things, powers, and creatures that don’t exist in our real world - dragons, magic, lightsabers! I personally am attacted to the concept of a psychically talented, antenna-growing alien species ruled by a matriarchy, who dwell on a jungle-infested tropical planet with giant trees, dinosaur-like megafauna, and talking monkeys and bugs. We, both as world-builders and readers, seek something wonderfully exotic, different from our real-life experience. I have come to realize that includes more than just the big, dramatic things like dragons and vampires. It also includes the little things that define a culture and values different from our own. Yet the fantasy culture defines them separately from us, without taking our values into account, and ideally within an internally cohesive social context. In contrast, if this were erotica, we would lean into the sensationalism by building out much more graphic exposition. Yet we don’t. So why bother with this small detail at all, especially since it is so rapidly dropped? Because the detail creates a window into the Lashunta’s social value system. Among Lashunta, females going about their everyday lives topless is pretty much as normal as human males going topless at the beach on a hot summer day, and frankly attracts about the same degree of attention. As a matriarchy, the ruling females have no vested interest in promoting social values requiring self-shame, but rather self-entitlement. So why wouldn't they go topless if it were convenient or advantageous? Note there are also defined situations where Lashunta females don’t go topless, namely: active military service, hunting, and while riding their Shotalashu steeds. Similarly, Lady Vaeol elects to not go topless to the Matronhood’s mirthtide, but instead wears her gold-wrought halterdishes as a sumptuary convention displaying her status as an outrider-knight. Along with these, wealthy females (and maybe also males. Why not?) may wear a jeweled nipplecap as a show of conspicuous consumption (and thus Vaeol’s favor to Demante). There are also other jewelry practices. Lady Vaeol wears a gold bindi on her brow, signifying her graduation from a college of the psychic arts. Along with the above-mentioned halterdishes, outriders also wear ornamental, openwork vambraces and greaves as signs of their rank on formal occasions (yes, it has evolved from armor; no, it has no protective value whatsoever). Matrons may wear a crown (which is not the same as a queen’s crown). Rings, bracelets, necklaces all may be collected, worn, and shown, both for their conspicuous status and symbolic meanings. The Lashunta of the city of Candares in the far east pierce their ears (making it a specific cultural token), and many mothers pierce their navels as a sign they have successfully borne a child. In the end, I’d like to invite readers to imagine being a tourist, either to this fantasy world or another of your preference (I actually did this all the way back in Part 1 of _A Castrovel Adventure_). As such, I hope we would all make the effort to understand the world, much like an exchange student, and learn to respect its values from its inhabitants perspective
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