. . . . . entries for 17.10.07 . . . . .
One who has played Final Fantasy is aware that essentially everything in the game is an allusion of some kind, or a function of fantasy so basic that it cannot seem original. (Nevertheless, the games are totally freakin' sweet.) Usually the kid playing through them for the first time - say, me, in middle school - hasn't the foggiest idea what most of them mean, but they are there.
So: Lucretia. I am reading Livy, and I see the name. Lucretia is the most virtuous of any noblewoman in early Rome. The evilest son of the evil ruler is so amazed by her beauty and work ethic that he wants her all for himself - in so doing, of course, he will destroy her. He rides out to her home in a provincial town and threatens to frame her for adultery with a slave and kill her unless she submits to him, so she does.
She calls her husband and father and tells them what happened, begging them to have revenge on the prince. They agree that she is free of guilt, since her heart and mind never sinned: nevertheless, she kills herself then and there.
Afterwards, Brutus (who is not actually a brute) picks up the bloody knife and declares he will purge Rome of the Tarquinii. (The Tarquinii are rat bastards, and we already like Brutus for pretending to be an idiot so he won't be deprived of his rights. Go Brutus!)
I tell you - if someone were to play through Final Fantasy VII and actually follow all the apparently allusory threads, they'd receive a fantastic education in mythology. Kind of like Neil Gaiman, only more work-intensive, since the allusions tend to be more isolated and less explained within the "text."
come home?
.:people:.
{ting}
she looks like the real thing
{mari}
out and about
[kelsey]
THIS IS AMERICA
{yianni}
stop being depressed
{alisa}
other
[shannon]
close and far
{frank}
islands where no islands should go
[cassie]
eating knowledge
{colin}
my dm
[emily]
shoulder to the wheel
[brian]
nostalgic for fantasy
[nicole]
industry insider
{elle}
angry enviro
[matt]
never heard of miyazaki
[pirate dan]
are you reading this?
[olga]
distracted
[messiah dan]
messiah/believer
{max}
approach focus
[natalie]
wait a minute
[susan]
solitude
{greg}
manbeargreg
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.:skin:.
turtles! turtles! by araglas
(heavily modified by yours truly)