Witherydithery - Blog Posts

(i know i still haven't responded to the last ask i sent you shhh i wanted to draw something and then art block eviscerated me)

Happy about a year anniversary of A Little Game of Cat and Mouse perpetually haunting me! If I may: What is one bit of knowledge about our contemporary world that would interest/flabbergast the regency crew the most? Every time I get really into a new song I imagine the crew being exposed to modern music

Hello Witherydithery!! I am so incredibly sorry for responding so incredibly late to your question. I must check my ask box more frequently- my sincerest apologies.

And aaa I am so happy you think of the goofballs when listening to tunes! I am sorry for haunting you, though! 

And also, oh geez, I think *most* aspects of our current era would be very surprising to someone currently living at the tail end of the Regency Era. Our society has advanced so much in the ways of technology, civil rights, and culture that our world may be somewhat unrecognisable to them! Everything from our dress, the way we speak to one another, our standard of living, and the way our world is so interconnected would take quite a bit of time to get used to! Also, I am no proper historian, so I am probably off in many ways (feel free to correct me!)- but here are some of my thoughts, which go on for far too long. Which is why they are under the cut!

I think the whole crew would be very impressed by how quickly we can travel between one place and another! For context that relates to A Little Game of Cat and Mouse- by car, it takes only 40 minutes to get from Old College, Edinburgh to the Whittingehame Estate- a trip that is roughly 24.3 miles (39.10 km). Since stage coaches averaged around 7 miles (11.26 km) per hour, it would roughly take 3 and a half hours to get there if the roads and conditions were alright! This is also not mentioning that we can fly now? Crazy! Sometimes I can't even believe it, and the airplane has been around for 122 years!

I also believe our modern day clothes would be very shocking to all of them! Our summer wear in particular would be very scandalous! Even in the 1930s it was considered inappropriate to wear shorts in Britain outside of certain outdoor and athletic activities! Also, not to mention how our clothes have significantly less gender regulations than we used to have! I grew up watching period flicks with my mom and a common joke between us was that we would have hated having to always wear dresses- opulent or otherwise. Also, the wigs- ew. I think the Regency era person would believe us to be rather socially liberated! Though they will probably be surprised and disappointed that the wealth gap is still very significant between the economic classes. Also, as I headcanon a great amount of the regency cast to be Scottish (The first location of the institute being in Edinburgh must have been intentional!) Some of them may be discouraged that Scotland is still not independent from the United Kingdom. 

The ease of access to information would also of course be mind boggling! The fact that we can ask the internet a question and get millions of hundreds of answers within a second is astounding. I think perhaps the Regency era person would be pleasantly surprised by our literacy rate and yet also be disappointed with how gullible we can be! The global average literacy rate is 86.81% yet our modern world has a disturbing growing anti-science sentiment. Wild! 

Individually speaking, Jonah’s Harem The characters from the Regency era would also each probably be interested in different aspects of our modern world. So, barring other major historical events and technological advancements that would probably be shocking to them all- here are some thoughts about the individual characters:

Everytime I re-read how I wrote Robert Smirke (fictional) I feel really bad for Robert Smirke (actual famous English architect Robert Smirke not to be confused for the famous English painter Robert Smirke that lived in the same time period.) I am so sorry Sir Smirke, you would have been very impressed by the use of concrete and iron frames in skyscrapers. I wonder what he would have thought about brutalism and deconstructivism?

My version of Barnabas Bennett, as a tailor, would be very interested in the evolution of our fashion today. Our clothes today are so incredibly different and much more casual! I believe he may be embarrassed by the sight of people basically walking around in the regency era version of underclothes. How scandalous! On the more silly side, if Barnabas was somehow introduced to gacha games- he would go into debt for rolling for too many cute outfits. This is how the Lukas family can still win I guess. Additionally, as Barnabas is not exactly a member of the gentry and is very careful with his words, I believe he would also be surprised by how casual we are when we speak to one another. There are certainly less social rules and regulations than there were in the early 19th century, so it would probably throw him off center when confronted with the fact the average person can, like, tweet insults to public figures with little to no push back. Maybe he’d be into it?

Mordechai Lukas would certainly be into it! As my version of him is not very interested in following social decorum, he would be very entertained by our modern interactions and public drama. I strangely think he would enjoy reality tv specifically when it relates to romantic courting. More specifically- I think Love Island would fascinate him in a very not normal way. He would also very much enjoy the option to work remotely- it’s all the man ever wanted. Mordechai would also probably be the most accepting of wearing modern day clothes. 

I have not got quite a good grasp on Albrecht von Closen’s and Jonathan Fanshawe’s characters yet- so I cannot make a good prediction for them. But Fanshawe would probably be very pleased at the development in medicine! You go king- vaccinations are now commonplace.

We do know that canon TMA Jonah Magnus is very well adapted to the modern era! I can only imagine how ecstatic he was when security cameras and IP tracking became commonplace. We also know that he has a fondness for scheduling, which most likely means he enjoys Microsoft Excel. But if my version of 1818 Jonah Magnus was suddenly brought to our contemporary world - barring ancient fear gods - this man would be obsessed with Wikipedia. There’s so much information! For free! It’s incredible! You can click on the citations and be brought to primary sources and research journals! He also would probably be interested in the potential of finding dirt on people through social media, background checks, and public records. I don't believe 1818 Jonah is currently at a stage where he would be entirely comfortable with blackmail- but I think he would just be really fascinated in the potential of learning about the secrets of people so easily without eldritch eyeball power. If Jon had a social media (the man most likely does not, outside of maybe potentially posting one picture of The Admiral) Jonah would stalk the hell out of it. And then feel guilty about it maybe. 

With the knowledge of learning that gay marriage is now legal in the UK, Jonah would immediately begin scheming to formally court and marry Jon so he can fully utilize his companionship and power, and for no other reason, he swears to God. He would probably not get very far, though, as he is still an incredibly repressed person when it comes to expressing genuine affection. Jonah would then fully throttle Mordechai Lukas when Mordechai beats him to it and actually begins courting Jon in earnest. Jon, in turn- would be very confused and concerned.

Also! Music! As the options for music genres and composers were rather limited in the regency era- I imagine that the sheer amount of musical styles would be very compelling to them! Ballads and orchestral pieces would probably be the most familiar and comforting, but I do wonder if Jonah would have a fondness for jazz? Strangely, I think Barnabas would be the most open to different types of tunes! Though I suspect that the crew may be scandalized by how our lyrics today can be very forward or explicit at times. One struggle I had while writing Jonah’s POV was how to describe modern-day sounds like tape-recorder white noise and Nokia ringtones. I settled on describing chiptune ringtones as somewhat similar to bagpipes- but even then chiptune sounds are so alien to what we hear in nature! So I am very curious as to what they might think of the variety of instruments we have nowadays! I wonder how someone in the early 19th century would describe heavy metal or synthwave?

Thank you so much for sending in this ask!! It was very enjoyable to ponder on their thoughts of our modern era! Also, I very much understand art block! I am still trying to fight through my art and writer's block myself! Together we shall prevail! 

Thanks once again Witherydithery! You are so hip and cool, and I think of your art all the time because,,, your really cool jonahjon pieces are a widget on my mobile homescreen.

In A Little Game of Cat and Mouse it's mentioned that Alicia has an unseen twin, Theodosia. May I ask if you have any idea of her character? I'm just very fond of Jonah's sisters.

Hi!! Thank you so much for showing interest in the littlest guy, Theodosia! I have many thoughts about her, which I probably will not be able to expand much upon in the main fic. So here are some of them!

Theodosia is the younger and more quiet twin sister of Alicia (or at least she appears to be quiet in comparison to her sister, which isnt a very difficult task to accomplish).

If Alicia is similar to Jonah in her relentless pursuit of asking questions and her cavalier attitude towards not letting mysteries remain unbothered- Theodosia is much like Jonah in the way they are both schemers. Most of the mischief Theodosia and Alicia get up to at the Magnus Estate is plotted by Theo. One of the more recent plots of dumping a bucket of water on their governess from a door frame was rigged by Theo, and the twins' victim was lured into the trap by Alicia. These plans often lead to Alicia taking the brunt of the blame for their pranks as Theo always arranges her to be the one in the center of the action. Alicia does not mind, however, because she enjoys having the credit that Theodosia is all too willing to give her.

Another reason as to why Theo is not often placed with the worst of the punishment from their pranks is because Theodosia is a rather sickly child. The reason why she was unable to attend the opening of the institute is because she was incapacitated with a fever and left to the staff of the house to take care of. Alicia wanted to stay with Theodosia instead of going to what she correctly assumed was to be a very boring party, but Theodosia made her go with the promises of ghosts and immortal beings attending the opening so Alicia wouldn't feel guilty- and of course so Theodosia could hear about the drama of the event, and about the very unlikely chance Alicia would run into a supernatural being.

If Alicia and Theodosia weren't limited by the gender roles of the time, I believe they would have made a fantastic lawyer and doctor, respectively.

Thank you so much for being fond of Jonah's sisters!! And for asking about them! 💛

AAAAAAAAAH OH MY GOSH!!!!

I'm loosing my marbles!! My marbles are all over the floor! Thank you, so, so much for bringing these silly fellas to life!! You have illustrated them all so charmingly!

Jon's character design is so incredibly cool and stylish! I love how you did his braid!! And the scars around the eyes! He's so brooding, just wow!

And jonah!!! He's so dapper and charming but you are so right in saying that he's worse! A hidden menace! His eyes are so bright and well rendered. His thought bubbles are so endearing what a guy, what a friend !

I'm so overjoyed you drew Alicia! She looks exactly as I imagined her oh my gosh! Jon and his collection of A-spec (and mordechai) friends totally not suitors are so delightful! I especially adore your Mordechai he is so no thoughts head empty he brings me such joy!

THE MAYOR

Just Wow!!! Thank you so much for bringing them to life! When I saw this I was so incredibly happy oh my gosh!!!

Fanart of "A Little Game of Cat and Mouse" by @paptato

I can't stop re-reading this fic and therefore had to make art for it. Someday I might make a nice illustration for it, but for now, it's all silly.

Also, I had to come up with character designs for this and while I'm not super happy with them, they sure do exist! Regency hair is difficult to draw. Many thanks to Jon for having terribly unfashionable hair.

Random thoughts about the art below ↓

(I can fix him) 

This man will come up with ways to manipulate Jon into having self-esteem.

(Fourth wheel)

Jon is collecting aro and ace-spec people like Pokemon and I respect that. Mordechai is also there, being a little weirdo.

(Wii Music) 

I genuinely love Mordechai in this. He’s just vibing. Jon, I know you hate the Lukas family on principle but can you make an exception? I respect his dedication to having a chill time even while other people are going through serious events. 

(Alicia)

Flora is my favourite of the Magnus family, but Alicia is a close second.

!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I love them so much your honor! I am pinching their cheeks like a grandmother! I saw this while waiting in line in a store and had to contain my delight to a socially acceptable level! Im such a fan!

I love the way you rendered both Jon and Mordechai! Jon's scars are drawn beautifully and I love how you illustrated his hair!! Also! Mordechai is so tall and lovely! He certainly would listen to the wii theme on loop if he had access to such technology! These sirs are so wonderful i-

A Little Game of Cat and Mouse by @paptato is a comedy