(no subject)

[tigerpoet]

The Ware Wolf Shop has a two item limit per month, even if you have enough Chroma for more. How does anyone decide what to buy?

I know I want one orb to get one of my books that Caster asked for, and I know I want to have another orb for some of my coworkers' works... But how am I meant to choose just one? Even if I can get more later, I find it hard to say whether Kyouka's works are a higher priority than Dazai's or Chuuya's or Yosano's or Kunikida's or - well, I could go on. And that's just limiting myself to buying the orbs and limiting what I could summon to books.

I could use advice? Or opinions about Japanese literature, if you have those.

Comments

[scarsnstripes]

It's still so strange that so many people in my world are writers in your own...

I can imagine Kunikida as a writer, at least. He's always writing in his notebook.

[tigerpoet]

I kind of want to start throwing out names and seeing if you recognize them.

Your Kunikida keeps a diary too?

[scarsnstripes]

Well, I recognize all of those names at least.

I don't know if he'd call it a diary, but a notebook? He used it with his ability, but he also wrote schedules and his ideals in it.

[tigerpoet]

I've heard a few other names from Yosano-sensei and Dazai. Are your Kyouka and Kouyou really women? Not that I doubt Dazai, but that's a big change.

[scarsnstripes]

Ah, yes! Kyouka-chan and I room together back home, at the Agency dorms. We're good friends.

She's only 14, but she's really amazing on the job!

Kouyou-san... I don't really know her that well. She's part of the Mafia.

[And very, very attached to Kyouka, to the point of trying to eliminate Atsushi for his role in convincing her to leave the Mafia. Whoops.]

[accurately]

If you're dealing with items of equal value, perhaps consider a non-bias method of selection. Or simply reward it by merit within this world.

[tigerpoet]

How can you sort literature by merit without bias? Their value is inherently subjective.

[accurately]

Rather than the quality of their works, judge their merit in actions after arrival here in Lunatia. If they've done impressively, they'll be rewarded for their hard work in whatever it is you value.

[tigerpoet]

None of them are here.

un: shenqingqiu

[peerlesscucumber]

This one could not offer opinions on the particular literature you reference, but when it comes to the idea of what one chooses to buy, or summon in this case... books with meaning to you would be a place to begin. Sharing those, be they of your own authoring or of another's, gives them a priority based on your personal assessment. I don't believe that any body of works by any number of people could be satisfactorily arranged in an order of priority by outside criteria.

[tigerpoet]

You're right, but. The problem with choosing which of my friends' books are most meaningful to me is that it feels like ranking my friends, and I can't do that? It's hard to separate the author from the work, and now that I know the authors...

[peerlesscucumber]

Your regard for them is for them. How a work has impacted you is personal in a way that is certainly difficult to separate from the author, yet that work ceased to be only of and from them the moment you read it, this one would say. Words have a way of gaining their own life once they're away from the one who first penned them.

[ that or people end up transmigrating to your novel but fuck it he's not here to talk about that today! or about meeting authors in their works! it turns out, it can be messy as hell! ]

If it becomes too much of a burden on your heart, then choose works from those who aren't here. Even if it's less true to the things which have influenced your heart and mind.

[tigerpoet]

[transmigration is a bitch]

None of my friends are here, so that doesn't narrow it down much.

What's impacted my heart... I might be able to decide that.

text;

[liberaltus]

I suppose there must be some sort of regulation when it comes to these items especially given their potential for abuse.

A good way of choosing them, I find, is based on what needs I might have as opposed to what my wants are. Some are more useful to me than others even though having one of each would be quite nice.

text;

[tigerpoet]

I don't really need anything. I've always lived fairly frugally, even before interdimensional stores were involved.

text;

[liberaltus]

So what would compel you to buy something from the store, if you don't mind the question?

text;

[tigerpoet]

One is to fulfill a friend's request to read some of my works. The other... Partially it's because I want to recommend their writing to everyone I know, and partially it's because none of my friends from home are here. Having something of theirs would be a little less lonely, I think?

[dereban]

If you're indecisive about choosing a book and have no real preference, RNG is always your best friend.

[tigerpoet]

I could pick up a set of dice. Since it would be a lot of coin flips.

[dereban]

That's true. At that rate you'd probably wind up with a coin toss gauntlet.

[tigerpoet]

I'm not sure I even have many coins around, since Chroma doesn't use them...

( text )

[nihonkoku]

Hello again. I too would suggest RNG. It's quite difficult to choose from among so many excellent authors.

[tigerpoet]

Would it be inappropriate for you to pick a favorite, even if you could?

[nihonkoku]

I do privately have some books I read more than others, but I would never publicly choose a favorite. You're right that it would be inappropriate.

[tigerpoet]

[Like a teacher asked about his favorite students, Atushi thinks.]

Thank you for watching over all of us faithfully. [Well, almost all of them, but Atsushi chooses not examine what Japan's relationship to authors like Kobayashi Takiji must have been like.] Knowing writers, I can't imagine we made it very easy for you.

Dazai alone could have given you a migraine.

[...it's not like Dazai would disagree, depending on what mood you asked him in.]