Why doesn't Card Captor Sakura have a ruro in it somewhere? 
Laconic: Not flexible enough.
Regular: I'm actually just as attached to the "Sakura" part of my handle as I am attached to "Rurouni". There's a place called
Sakura Square here in Denver, and it feels surreal to walk past it and see the さくら on the sign, since I feel like it's 'my' name. It's kinda strange, but I've learned to live with it, since Sakura Square such is a lovely place.
And, well, I liked the pun of "Card Captor Sakura" a lot.
>What is your favorite piece of fiction of all time?
>Preferred method of reading a book?
Laconic:
>
The Twelve Kingdoms.>Around the clock.
Regular:
>
The Twelve Kingdoms, by Fuyumi Ono, is probably my favourite book of the modern era, which I count as WWII on. It is everything I want in an epic work: high-flying battles, amazing character development, politics, regular life, history, and heroes and heroines to really look up to.
>However, I have a soft spot left for Leo Tolstoy's short stories, and if I had to pick one out of them to choose as a non-modern work... t'would be
The Death of Ivan Ilyich, an amazing little story everyone should read. I read it at 17 years old, and it really drummed in a sense of my own mortality that has never gone away since.
>As far as ancient works go, that goes to
The Odyssey. Big, sprawling epic with monsters and roguish, desperate hero Odysseus. Great stuff. And for the Medieval era,
The Canterbury Tales takes the cake (in part because I hate Shakespeare), but only because I never did finish
Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
>Fiction is not just written, though. Visual + animated would have to go to
Kara no Kyoukai-- even though it's a novel series, yes, I watched the movies and they were
spectacular. Ryougi is an amazing protagonist. Visual would also go to
Curse of the Golden Flower, for being a feast for the eyes on every level.
>On the whole, though, it goes to
The Twelve Kingdoms.
>I like to read every time, all the time. On the bus, walking down the street-- I think the only time I'm not reading is when I'm working or riding my bike. I'm very much an auditory learner, so I like to read aloud when I want to remember things. But I'm reading in some form pretty much all the time.
I dare you to try.
No, really. I'm not sure what'd happen.
Laconic: Nothing.
Regular: Administrator settings override even ban settings, iirc. So yeah, nothing would happen.
If you could go back in time and change one historical event, what would it be?
Laconic: Just one?
Regular: Hmm, I'm divided. I would love to sabotage the Reconquista and maintain Spain as a Caliphate, to make the religious wars of Europe ever so much more interesting. Or maybe make sure that Catalina of Aragon had had a living son after Mary, so that Henry VIII would have had no reason to try to divorce her and in so doing change England's religion from Catholicism-- that would have also changed the religious makeup of the world forever. I would also like to save Pyotr Stolypin from his assassination in 1911 so that Russia could have transitioned out of autocracy a little less bloodily, or make sure Rasputin had died in 1914 instead of going on to ruin everything. Or save Baghdad from that nasty Mongol invasion-- all that knowledge, gone! ;-; I would also like to see what would have happen if that horrible human being Hern?n Cort?s had died of some disease on the way to the Americas.
But if I had to pick one, I would go back in time with a tricked-out helicopter and fire on the Ni?a, Pinta, and Santa Mar?a as they left the Bay of Palos (so that they'd have a chance at swimming back to shore), and then yelling in Spanish at Fernando and Isabela, "THIS IS GOD'S PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR RELIGIOUS AND RACIAL INTOLERANCE! TO GO WEST IS NOT FOR YOU!" I know I'd then be butterflied out of existence, but it would be so awesome it wouldn't matter.
If you could live in any place in any period of history, where would it be?
Laconic: Earth.
Regular: Hmm, another good question. There's a part of me that wants to live in Tenochtitlan right before the Spanish conquest, though it means signing up for disease and rape and starvation and heartbreak and other unpleasant things. Or dying right before the conquest so I can avoid that. There is also Tudor England-- hardly the most wonderful time and place to live, but damn if the era isn't interesting! And the Repubblica di Venezia doesn't sound horrible, either.
Ultimately, though, it's a tie between Al-Andalus, Spain under the Caliphate, which had the most educated general population of the old world at the time (particularly after Baghdad had that run-in with the Mongols), as well as the most advanced medicine and society-- and the ancient Persian empire, under the Achaemenids. It was a brutal time, but we know so little about it that I would jump at the chance to go and experience it myself.
What's your favorite book(s)?
Laconic: All of them, except
Twilight.
Regular: Though my answer to Chaore stands, you did allow nonfiction answers. My favourite nonfiction is probably
Nicholas and Alexandra by the historian Robert K. Massie. It's fantastic personal history, ultimately a tragedy. So deliciously good. There is also
A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide and
The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, which are both very important books and are engaging in their own right, if you're into political science and contemporary history.
What's your favorite film(s)?
Laconic:
Indiana Jones and
Fiddler on the Roof.
Regular: The Indiana Jones series, as well as a bunch of other movies. I don't like romantic comedies much, preferring action and adventure and epic tales. So
Ben-Hur is on the list, for sure-- I love the structure of telling an arguably more important story in the background of our main character's story. And though it is also a musical,
Fiddler on the Roof is a huge favourite.
A guilty pleasure is Ernst Marischka's trilogy of Sissi films-- not because they're particularly historically accurate, but because Romy Schneider at 17 was the sexiest woman in the universe. I watched it when I was 17 and quickly developed an enormous yuri crush on her.
What's your favorite flower(s)?
Laconic: The white rose.
Regular: The white rose, of course. But there is also the red rose and the star lotus and the cherry blossom. I also like poinsettias. But it's always the white rose for me.
What do you think the greatest invention/innovation is, throughout history?
Laconic: Writing.
Regular: Writing, and more broadly language in general. Being able to transmit information changed our world. All other forms of communication and innovation are silenced or muffled without it. Nothing else comes close.
If history forgotten is doomed to repeat itself, what is one thing you would want everyone to remember, no matter what?
Laconic: Treat others the way you would want them to treat you.
Regular: Same as above, and also that belief makes the impossible possible.
Yoko Nakajima and Utena Tenjou get into a swordfight. Who wins?
Laconic: I do.
Regular: Is Utena using the Sword of Dios or her own sword? Swords in Utena are the mark of being manipulated by another power, so the autonomous one here is Yoko-- therefore, Yoko would trounce her easily. Plus, she has that hinman thing going on. Utena has the power of Ikuhara cutscenes and stock footage.
I finally updated Satori Maiden's Christmas Wish. Can we say it's no longer neglected forever? :<
Laconic: No.
Regular: How about "neglected most of the time"?
Why am I your favorite?
Laconic: Because we bros.
Regular: Because we are partners in crime for everything that is awesome-- watching anime, planning MotK pranks, things like that. :3
Why are you my favorite?
Laconic: Because I am the greatest.
Regular: Because I am the greatest.
What kind of dance do the two lovers do?
Laconic:
All of them!What is your favorite era in history, and how does it contrast with your least favorite era in history. More importantly, how many swords does each have on average?
Regular: Favourite era... to study, or to live in? I'll pick the latter, so that's Al-Andalus. My least favourite era of history was actually at the exact same time-- the Dark Ages of Europe, a time of ignorance and general horribleness. Ironically, the Dark Ages might have had more swords (even if they were all off in Jerusalem), but quantity does not equal quality-- I'll take a scimitar over a European broadsword any day.
What is your favorite anime that you've never watched?
Laconic: Ghost in the Shell.
Regular: Bofh has gushed to me about how amazing its music is, and I agree. I've just never seen it. ;__;
What is your opinion on repetitive motion rides?
Laconic: My opinion is that I hate you.
Regular: And I'm never going to let you force me on one of those again.
If me and Matsy got into a lightsaber fight, who would win in your opinion?
Laconic: Matsy.
Regular: Matsy, because I would be sabotaging you in the background and stealing your kidneys.
How much you bench, bro?
Laconic: 75 lb, at last count.
Regular: 75 lb, dunno what it is in kilos. The last time I checked, I was 15 years old, so take that as you will.
As someone who writes and draws, would you say any of the two is harder? And if so, how?
Laconic: Both are difficult.
Regular: Both are difficult in different ways. Art is more about learning technique and then once you've learned it, breaking the rules in the ways you see fit. Writing is much the same way. Since I do more of the former than the latter, I tend to think writing is harder. But make no mistake, advanced practice of either one is incredibly difficult. It's a bit faster with art, though, depending on your medium.
What got you into fiction writing?
Laconic: Reading.
Regular: So much reading! Essentially, the stories I write are the kind of stories I wish I had been able to read as a child, the kind of stories I'd like to read to myself and to others. And learning about history through fiction, oh man! Fiction taught me that not everything has to be factual in order to tell a true story.
How do you pick people to mine for research ideas? :3c
Laconic: Areas of interest.
Regular: In the context of Touhou, for example, when I want to write Suwako, I go to Nobu to hear him talk about Suwako. When I want to write Satori, I consult Matsuri. And so forth. I don't always agree with their interpretations (Gpop's take on Koishi is vastly different from my own, for example), but I have noticed a pattern in the Touhou community that people are absolutely devoted to a handful of characters and learn every last bit of fanon and canon about them, and then just absorb the fanon for the rest due to lack of interest. So consulting by area of interest or expertise is a good idea.
What literary genre or styles do you like best?
Laconic: Epic adventures.
Regular: I love travel and grand battles and huge overarching plotlines, so I am drawn to most epic tales, which is why I've most recently gotten into Dune. I like action and drama juxtaposed, I like sharp contrasts and Chekhov's guns everywhere. That tends to fit into the epic genre, mostly. Style-wise, I'm not sure what you mean, but I do like fast-paced stories that understand how meaningful silence and calm can be.
How do you choose to pass your free time?
Regular: Reading, writing, doing jigsaw puzzles, drawing, biking, exploring, photography, and hanging out with friends.
When you want to write, how do you go about it?
Regular: I force myself to write every day, even if I eke out just a little or I go back later and delete it. The point is to keep going. Reading a lot tends to help the inspiration come, as well. More specifically, I work with dissonance, so when I want to write a tragic death scene I put on something absurd like Britney Spears and when I write a happy scene I put on some tragic violin solos. It's a matter of finding what works.
?En qu? has estado ocupada las ultimas... semanas? Casi un mes.
Regular: He estado en la universidad, tomando un curso de escritura. Tambi?n he estado leyendo y explorando como loca, absorbiendo toda la informaci?n que puedo contener.
?Porqu? soy tu favorito?
Regular: Eres mi favorito porque tu tambi?n puedes apreciar que tan fascinante son las espadas.
?Donde estan las casas de nieve del a?o pasado?
Laconico: Las casas de nieve del a?o pasado est?n en mi refrigerador para protegerlos del verano.
?Porcentaje de masculinidad?
Regular: ?Porcentaje de masculinidad? Hmm... no me recuerdo del numero exacto, ?pero no es algo as? como 90%?
Do you regret this?
Laconic: Not in a million years.
Regular: Actually, to tell the truth, for the first few days after that went up I couldn't bear to look at it. It felt like I was being scolded by the Yama directly, and I did my best to hide my embarrassment. With the distance of months and years, I can finally see it for the sheer comedy it is. Poor Shiki.
How big is your harem now?
Laconic: Big enough that I had to install another wing to the main building for them all.
What've you been busy with lately?
Regular: Like I said to Zengar, I'm also taking a summer college course so I can graduate this upcoming fall semester, and also taking CLEP exams for credit (next exam is on drugs and addiction). And obsessive, almost excessive research on international finance-- but not the boring kind those poor suckers/economics majors take. I study the exploitation of the developing nations of the world by the industrialized countries. And this summer, I have also switched my political leanings from mildly progressive liberalism to taking a flying leap off the cliffs of anarchism. In the span of days. My mind is in tumult!
Based on a question for Purvis, I got the impression you have an interest in the royalty/leadership of a nation, right? Why's that, and where's it originate from?
Laconic: That is true.
Regular: Hmm, good question. I have no idea if I heard of it before, but I remember my first encounter with royalty and leaders quite well: the
Royal Diaries series, which I picked up after
Dear America and found to be a hell of a lot more interesting. Just
look at this, and tell me if you are truly surprised. That's where my main interest started, bent towards women in history from the start since they get ignored so very often. I take measures to avoid the whole 'great (wo)men'-focused history, but there is still no denying that some of these people (particularly Elizabeth I and the rest of the House of Tudor) had dynamic, compelling personalities that captivate me.
Have you forwarded any devious yaoi ideas to VIVI lately?
Laconic: HEY VIVI: MYOUREN x YOUKI.
Why am I your favorite?
Laconic: Because we bros.
Regular: For so long, too! You helped me out with my first fiction ideas and critiqued them extensively, even if I did end up scrapping them and recycling the most interesting parts into what is now White Rose. I've known you for too long to forget you now~
Do did the line drawing? It's good.
Laconic: Nope.
Regular: As a bonus:
[1] [2]. Aya is wonderful.
