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controld3vil · 2 months

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atreides and bene gesserit

pairing(s): dune 2 cast x actor!reader (platonic), austin butler x actor!reader

synopsis: requested by this ask!

⤷ alt: as clueless as you were about your sister's role, it brought you much surprise and joy to see her on the same carpet as you.

notes: reader uses fem pronouns as she's playing a role as a bene gesserit. reader is also described as wearing a sleeveless jumpsuit. and i really enjoyed lea seydoux's performance and hope to see more of it !! this is also COMPLETELY separate from the first two posts ive made since the readers r playing different characters yeah?

When Denise Villeneuve asked you about the role of Lady Margot Fenring, you were genuinely shocked about his decision. You appreciated his works but have never gotten close to any of his sets before. You have worked with directors who've admired Villeneuve for his imaginative mind. And now, you witnessed his creativity in person for the first time.

The role was small and not as significant as the other main leads. Regardless, your character was just as enigmatic and complex as any other in the Dune franchise. Even though your time was short, it was a fun experience to learn and observe from. You weren't able to meet the entire cast after production, but with the NYC premiere, you were able to link up again.

You heard your name being called out. "Hello! How are you?" The well-known comedian and presenter by the name of Amelia Dimonberg was now beside you. In her jet-black corset dress, her style is chic and elegant. She hands you a microphone with the film's title plastered on it. "You look beautiful!"

"Thank you!" you sweetly recuperate, diverting your shoulders to the sight, cutely. You give a little pose before complimenting her own outfit. "You as well!"

"Do you have a memorable day on set that sticks out to you?" Amelia questions, subtly leaning toward your direction. And now you noticed her detailed eye makeup which enhances her outfit altogether.

"Well- I've had, like, only a few days," You let out a quick sigh. Truly it was nothing to be embarrassed about but you could not help but feel shy about it.

"Mmhmm! So all of them?"

"Yeah, all of them!" With ease, your shyness turns into giddy laughter as all you remember from your times on set. Recalling those tiny moments brought a small smile to your face. "Every day counted for me and that was enough."

"Oh absolutely!" Amelia chides, nodding in agreement. She quickly then moves onto the next question, "How long do you think you could last in the actual desert?"

"Oo that's a tough question," Lifting your fingers to rest on your chin as you try to contemplate an answer. "Ideally no- I feel like I could never recover from the heat."

"Yes yes, the heat's very intense,"

"Yeah- no I don't think I'd ever leave my house for that-" You shake your head nonchalantly, acknowledging how most of your scenes already were indoors. You could imagine how you would do in the desert of Abu Dhabi. It makes you appreciate the cast and crew even more for their effort to make filming more comforting and tolerable.

"Where would be your dream location to hang out? I'm assuming your home then since you prefer to say inside?" The blonde interviewer quickly catches on, eyebrows raising intrigued by your response.

Instead, you hummed bashfully, "Actually I think an oasis would be nice." The camera catches onto Amelia's face, fully fixated on you. "Which fits perfectly if I were to live in the desert actually!"

"Mm yeah, smart choice!" She responds more cheerily. "You can maybe go for a swim, you know-"

"Right right," You give her an playful look, "And you don't have to go thirsty!"'

"Absolutely, the best of both worlds," Amelia chirps, doing the same expression. "So this film centers a lot around dreams. Do you have vivid dreams of yourself?"

"Yes! I've uh- I've had many dreams of myself. I mean, this one, for example-" You turn to the camera, waving with the most adorable smile on your face. "'I'm living my dream right now!"

"You're living your dream right now!"

In another section of the premiere, you were walking down the carpet for press interviews and photography. The set where the premiere was taking place was gorgeously made in the shades of black and orange, the perfect theme of the film. The entire venue was outdoors, allowing you to feel the cold air and be more at ease in the crowded space. There were more paparazzi than you had expected, and you suddenly became aware that you were alone. Without any friend or acquaintance to accompany by, you searched aimlessly for a familiar face.

Then there was a holler. And then multiple more came after, it made you confused really. Your head swerves to the sound of the person you so try to look for and immediately you're struck in awe.

"Anya?!" In an instant, you're seen running towards your sister in the far back of the premiere wall. People were reluctantly used to fast-paced relocations around the carpet. Therefore most did not mind your hasty stumbles through the crowd. It was almost comical how apparent your demeanor changed when you heard her, in fact, videos and pictures caught all of it.

"Hi!" She beams in her white dress robe. Her makeup was glowing, making her skin seem angelic, and sheer without impurities. Her outfit covers her like a nun, covering her head and body in almost transparent cloth. Yet it flows around her so elegantly, almost like she was an angel from the stars. She squeezes your figure firmly, only after releasing to gush about your appearance.

You adored a beige sleeveless jumpsuit. The color is complimented with tiny designs of sparkle. Its seams captured your figure perfectly, as you also wore a gold chain and bulky rings. From the lighting, it looks as though your outfit is shining. And to be completely honest, you prefer comfort over the judging looks of fashion critics. Therefore you wanted to wear something that you could still move comfortably in. Thus you were able to run over to your sister with ease.

Through the other lens and camera, they could pick up some of her words after. "You look so gorgeous! How are you here?!" Anya's expression changes into a perplexed one as she gets a hold of your shoulders, shaking them back and forth.

"I was invited obviously, "You said, mimicking her voice while holding onto her arms on yours. "You didn't tell me you were a part of Dune!" Viewers from afar could tell you were pushing an act, reacting as though you were petrified about how Anya managed to be here in the first place.

"I didn't know you were either!" She giggled, closing in on your right ear. Your sister whispers to you slowly, trying to withdraw from the camera and recordings. "Villeneuve had mentioned something but honestly I just thought it was a joke."

It was your turn to guff. Your mouth opens wide flabbergasted, looking sarcastically offended. "Why would you think he's joking?!"

Anya scoffs lightly, wanting to go further with the joke. "I don't know- I just didn't take his word seriously,"

"Why? Because you didn't think I'd make it into the film?" You accused, eyes widening with a hand over your heart. "You're so cruel."

"So cruel," She smirks up at you, then moves back to be by your side. You see her face forward the flashing cameras, as you do the same. "Come! Let's take some pictures!"

"Your outfit looks beautiful by the way!" Anya Taylor muses, eyeing down at the fine details on your jumpsuit. "It's very... you!"

You give her a nod, before flattening some of the creases, "I thought this color was so exquisite, so I thought it would be perfect for the premiere." You lift your head to look at your sister, before realizing behind her, the upcoming stars of the film were getting ready to take cast photos. "Oh Anya- I think you should go!"

Your sister turns and then gazes back at you with a soft smile. "You should come with me!"

The thunder of cameramen and journalist blurred your focus for a moment. "Are you sure-"

Again the sound of your name is hurdled but this time from someone you haven't seen in a long time. Jessica Ferguson, who too wears a black body suit with veils and bold makeup. She waves her hand almost too eagerly to have you come closer alongside your sister. "Come, join us!"

Videos were filmed of the people gesturing to the cast of Dune in a line. Little by little, the row of people is filled and organized to be in the center of the camera's focus. Some actors had to move spots, due to lack of space or better color semblance on the other side of the row. You stood next to Jessica and Florence Pugh was beside your right, as you tried to stand closer for the picture.

Anya Taylor was on the opposite side, with Austin Butler and beside him, Timothee Chalamet. A noticeable clip taken all over was when the French actor went to greet the English actress, warmly, clasping her hand with both hands as a proper salute as on-screen siblings.

You did not mind the lack of attention. You were happy for Anya for achieving a great role. One with a welcoming cast and crew. It was then your eyes scanned down the row, from Zendaya to Stellan Skarsgard. Then to Austin, whom you've been familiar with since day one. Only him to find your gaze seconds later. You give a little nod and smile before averting your direction to Anya who is already staring at you with gleaming eyes.

You were going back and forth with Jessica and Florence on your travels for a while. From plans reception to favorite desserts, all you three wanted to talk about was food. Paparazzi caught onto your banter quickly and snapped a few photos. You even went out of your way to do silly poses. Followed by Jessica and Florence, then did the same, sticking their tongues out in a rock star kind of fashion. You throw out piece signs, giving a dramatic frown as another flash happens.

Catch-ups were definitely refreshing and fun. Thus why you nearly jump when Austin appeared behind you.

"Oh my gosh, hey!" You stuttered, giving him a quick hug to calm your nerves. "You scared me!"

"Sorry sorry! I just wanted to surprise you!" He leans his head slightly, allowing better eye contact. You felt a few taps on your shoulder and noticed Jessica and Florence scurrying away, with their thumbs up, all goofy and excited.

Your eyes make it back to his. "I would've said hi back at the cast photo, but you were so far away," Shrugging you dismiss your failure as a mild missed opportunity.

But Austin shakes his head in an averted manner. "No- Don't worry about it." You could already sense interviewers and others with microphones closing on you two. You were out in the open, and it's bound to happen. "I wanted to- you know, say hi to you in a less chaotic place."

"I tried looking for you but there's just so many people," You give your costar an exhausted look. It was then a keen young man approached the pair of you. It was the People magazine, as you became aware of the logo alongside their camera and microphone.

"Hey, would you two mind a short interview for People's magazine?"

Truly, this was what premieres were about. The cast and crew meet with fans to show what they have worked so hard for. You brought you no better satisfaction than to praise everyone's efforts. The interviewer then proceeded to have a quick introduction of you and Austin beside you. You both had separate microphones in each hand. Once the video started rolling, you peered at the camera and gave the audience a grin.

"So how are you guys doing? Met all of your lovely cast members yet?"

"Oh absolutely," You emphasized every syllable, nodding. Austin only glances at you in amusement. "It's crazy how many people are here I was so overwhelmed!"

"Yeah, it was pretty crowded," The male actor adds, lowering his microphone slightly.

"Hopefully it will die down!" The interviewer beams. "So what was it like getting to know each other in this film? How was the first day on set like?"

"Oh, well it went very smoothly," You start, staring up at Austin in approval. "Even though my time was short on set, I feel like we had a pretty good rhythm starting out."

"I was about to say! The scenes with Feyd and Lady Margot were really something!"

"Why thank you, we appreciate it," Austin nervously laughs, scratching his ear.

The interviewer takes the lead to discuss your preparation for the role and how it was working with Villeneuve. As new characters, you and Austin both talked about your views on both of your characters. Both are very different yet mysterious to the viewers. Additionally, you two were introduced in a similar scene of the pit fight. The People's Magazine interviewer was compelled to compliment Austin on his opening scene. You knew he had practiced the choreographed fights vigorously. And of which you were lucky to witness on the days that you were present.

"It was completely freeing and different than what I was used to doing," Austin probes, leaning toward your direction. "Were you there for the pit fight?"

"I think I was," You turn, similarly. "I remember watching from afar and thinking wow." Immediately you could sense him eagerly looking down at you with a sly smile. "He was- Austin did amazing with the fight choreography, I was impressed!"

"Was this the first time seeing him in full costume too?"

"Oh yes!" You bonked your hand on your forehead, "He was and I just- couldn't believe it was him!"

Suddenly Austin jumps in, "She was startled when I first came up to her in full costume."

"You came out of nowhere, by the way!" You rebutted, giving him a side glance.

"I didn't mean to," As he tries to reassure his actions, "I wanted to give a good first impression!" It was humorous how playful you two were together despite having dissimilar filming schedules. Though most of your scenes involved Butler, your friendship only became more apparent weeks after working together. It was off and on for months at a time due to being busy in other countries simultaneously.

Eventually, you were able to link up again weeks before the premiere. After waiting a long time to meet up, you almost felt relieved that you hadn't seen your costar in a while.

"And Austin, how was filming with her?! From a character's standpoint, what kind of dynamic do you see playing out?" The People's Magazine interviewer perks up, having the camera transition from his face to Austin's.

"Well I'd say, she's great. You know I've got to meet a lot of amazing people in this film. And," He says your name sincerely, "She's- she's one of those people. I can't say much for Lady Margot and Feyd's relationship- you know there's a lot of that's still not uncovered. We don't really know what's happening but kind of have an idea of something. And to have such a great actress like her, it makes everything feel authentic and- feel the tension." It felt as if you were in a daze, eyes completely focused on his words with such admiration and grace. Before you knew it, you were smiling as if you had won the best possible prize in the world. His compliments to you meant more than you had anticipated really.

Unbeknownst to you, the cameraman had caught your lovestruck expression before directing attention back to the interviewer. "And how about you, Miss Margot?"

"I'd say it's the same," Now looking at the interviewer, only momentarily back at your costar. "Austin's- he's great at all the stunts and acting like a scary dude. Every scene with him was fun to do. Like he's all serious in character but once they yell cut! he's so nice and funny!" Your bubbly laugh breaks as you can feel your face growing hot.

"Well I appreciate you liking my humor," Austin pokes fun at you, fanning a little air towards you.

You mutter a soft thank you! before continuing, "And he's dedicated you know? I remember one scene, a little spoiler, where Feyd is about to be tested by Lady Margot, and I just couldn't do it! I couldn't keep a straight face!"

"Really?!"

"She just kept breaking, I don't know why," The actor shrugs, his attention closely drawn to you. "We had a few takes on a few days."

"We did! We did!" You gave a big frown, "You just have a really distracting face."

"Do I?" Austin asks, between the lines of teasing and coolly.

By the time, other premieres had occurred, people were still focused on your interactions with Austin Butler. Your chemistry on and off screen on the carpet was hilarious. And with how polarizing your characters were, it made many clips of your shared encounters gain attention.

A few short videos were recorded after the People Magazine interview of you and Austin, bashfully talking behind the stage. The two of you went back and forth whispering in each other's ears about what was unknown to the viewer. Through a bird's eye view, the video also catches you hugging your arms before zooming in on Austin's placing an arm around your figure.

Another clip that had been reposted many times was when you both took duo pictures together. As you comfortably shift your weight on one leg, as you turn to have your side face the flashing paparazzi. Whilst the Elvis actor stands beside you at a pleasant distance, doing the same pose to the other side. There was one instance where you lifted your head to make eye contact with your eyes instantly brightening. As Austin's smile widened, only to blow air in your face.

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wholoveseggs · 5 months

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Hey

How do u write so good smut

Can u share some tips...

~♡~ Smut writing tips ~♡~

Have an idea of what you want to happen during the intimate parts – positions, of course, but also:

~♡~ Foreplay ~♡~ How rough or how soft ~♡~ If your characters are talking during it or if they're not much for dirty talk ~♡~ Do they have any kinks? ~♡~ Is it their first time, or is it routine? ~♡~ Is this an actual act of love, or is it something else? ~♡~ And most importantly, what does your character want to get out of this scene?

Ask yourself what this moment means to them. Why now, why then, why with that person?

Always keep track of where everyone's body parts are and what they are doing, like hands, mouths, legs, etc. You want the scene to be very vivid and realistic, and the best way to do that is to be as descriptive as possible.

The goal is to make the reader feel as though they're right there, experiencing what's happening along with your characters. Describe the sights, sounds, scents, tastes, and sensations, as well as any actions. Make sure your dialogue isn't too cheesy or corny and try not to use clichés. On top of all that, throw in what they are feeling emotionally from time to time.

Remember to use this stuff only when it seems fitting; not everything should be overly detailed, and not everything has to be said in one single paragraph. Try to make the pacing flow naturally and have the scenes come together seamlessly. Avoid using the same phrases over and over, but also don't go crazy with the thesaurus.

My process usually starts with a single moment or idea. For example, in Je t'aime, Je t'adore, I had an idea of Elijah all wet and sexy on the beach, and then I created a whole story around it.

Know your weaknesses in your writing; I tend to ramble on a bit too much, so I make sure always to edit down my work. I have pages and pages of what I call 'scraps' – just random smut that I cut out. Sometimes, less is more.

If you're not into romance then don't force yourself to write it. Write something that makes you happy, if you like rough, kinky stuff then write it, and if you like to write something cute and sweet then go ahead, just enjoy the experience. One last thing, write what you enjoy, write the things you like to do, see, feel and read yourself. If it makes you happy, your readers will be happy too.

Here is a great smut thesaurus by @prurientpuddlejumper for finding just the right word to capture the image in your mind: Smut Thesaurus

♡♡ Thank you for listening to me and my ramblings. I hope it was of some help! ♡♡

#smut writing #smut #fantiction #fan fiction #fanfic #writing #writers on tumblr #creative writing #Smut thesaurus #writing resources #writing romance #writing reference #writing tips #writing advice #writing tools #writer tips #writing help #lissa responds #writeblr

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everyone-with-a-para · 21 days

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Hi! I have several questions, if that's okay.

I very recently found out about daydreaming community, and, honestly, was in awe, because all my life I thought I was that one weird autistic child with really big imagination and finding this community was like a blessing, because I don't feel that alone now. But, surfing a in this part of the internet left me a little bit confused and the fact that english is my second language does not help.

So, first question. I somewhat lost the line between immersive daydreamings and MaDD. I am sure that all of my daydreamings are immersive, because all of my life I was daydreaming to the point of every single moment of free time. But I don't understand when immersive daydreamings end and MaDD begins. As far as I understood, people with MaDD have difficult time leaving their daydreams, because of one reason or another and use them as coping mechanisms. At which point immersive daydreamings become MaDD? What is the line? What are, let's say, particular qualities of it? If that's okay for you and isn't hard, can you explain it in detail with examples? I try to understand myself, and while I find in myself a lot of stuff, I don't want to invade the MaDD community as (somewhat) healthy person.

Second, is having DID is a requirement for any of this? Is this still okay to be in the community and not have DID?

Third, maybe not a question, but clarification, as far as I understood, "para" in daydream community means someone (character, your version of self, yourself and so on) you have connection with. Again, character, yourself or version of yourself, in which I am sure. Am I correct in it? Can people you know in real life, if you are religious, God(s), spirits and others, different kins of alterhumanity and fictional characters from other media also consider as "para"? Are there any other labels like this?

Thank you, if you will have time to answer this. It way be a lot, I am just excited to find some niche that I was having all my life actually is (somewhat) common experience and I am not alone in it. I hope you will have a great rest of the week.

Hi welcome! I remember the relief I felt when I first found this community too. MaDD can feel like such an isolating thing if you don't know others experience the same

This got a little long so answers to your questions are under the cut

1. Immersive daydreaming is defined as intense and developed daydreams that feel more vivid than regular passive daydreaming. It's often used as a coping mechanism and often started in childhood, but those are not defining features

Inherently, all maladaptive daydreaming is immersive. It becomes defined as maladaptive when it negatively impacts your daily life. This is widely up to your own interpretation, if you feel like it makes life (whether that's external activities or internal feelings) more difficult for you, as MaDD is not yet a diagnosable disorder

Personally, some ways it negatively impacts, or has impacted me in the past: emotions feeling more real for people in my head than anything in my real life, embarrassment/anxiety of letting my daydreams show on my face in front of people, paranoia regarding mind readers despite knowing they don't exist, injuring myself from acting out daydream scenes, forgetting to eat/drink/take care of basic hygiene in favour of daydreaming or just losing track of time, dissociation, derealisation/depersonalisation, second hand distress from my paras

Anything like that and more can be counted as your daydreams being maladaptive. The coiner of the term, Dr Eli Somer, has actually made a list of proposed diagnostic criteria, should MaDD ever get to be in the DSM. You can find that here

2. DID/OSDD and MaDD have significant overlap/comorbidity and MaDD has been proposed as a dissociative disorder itself (for a research paper about this see here) but one is in no way required for the other

I'm not a system, but I am very vocally supportive of them because my best friend(s) is, that and the comobidity is why you might see a little system content on my blog

3. Para is a term used by the immersive and maladaptive daydreaming communities to describe any character within a daydream. Anyone/thing that exists in real life or as a spiritual concept can't be considered a para unless they are directly part of your daydreams

There are other terms such as parame (a para you daydream from the POV of), paraself (a version of yourself in a daydream), veritbond (a para that feels more independent and has a deeper connection and meaning to you), and paracosm (a world in which a daydream takes place). A comprehensive list of all ID/MaDD terms can be found here

I hope this answers your questions in a clear/helpful way. You're always welcome to ask more!

#madd #maladaptive daydreaming #immersive daydreaming #ask #anon #quill speaks #madd info

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arcielee · 6 months

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Interview With a Writer

Thank you so much @inthedayswhenlandswerefew for always being willing to take time out of your day and allow me the chance to fangirl over another brilliantly written story. I don't think I can even properly express how grateful I am to relive this literary trauma you have blessed our eyeballs with. Just... thank you. 🦀

This is the 20th installment of Interview With a Writer! You are welcome to read over the other talented souls on Tumblr and ao3 who shared their brilliant writing! 🧡

Dividers are by @saradika-graphics 🧡

Name: inthedayswhenlandswerefew

Story: When The World Is Crashing Down

Paring: Aegon Targaryen x Reader

Warnings: Language, warfare, violence, serious injury, alcoholism/addiction, references to sexual content (18+), be mindful of chapter warnings!

Where did the idea for When The World Is Crashing Down come from?

For a long time (since last spring, at least), I’ve had kind of a vague inspiration for a story that would take place between Rook’s Rest and the end of the war, essentially chronicling all the destruction that the Greens endure and how Aegon would cope with it. I had a sense that there could be a deeply honorable, romantic story somewhere in the midst of all the large-scale horror.

Then—around the time I was finishing Comet Donati at the end of the summer—one day I had a vivid scene pop into my mind, and true to my usual writing modus operandi, it was at the end of the story: a woman who is just emotionally demolished, crossing a field as sparse snowflakes begin falling to meet her supposed rescuer, Cregan Stark. He thinks it’s this wonderful reunion, while she feels like it’s the end of the world. Once I saw that scene, I knew I’d have to write this series immediately. It just possessed me!

For the first month I was working on WTWICD, I listened almost exclusively to Fall Out Boy’s second album, From Under The Cork Tree. The songs are absolutely riddled with anxiety, self-loathing, violence, desolation, pride, lust, and defiance in the face of defeat. That album helped shape the general tone of the series and, of course, gave it its title as well.

You have notoriously stated before that the vivid scene for inspires an entire story. What are your next steps? What were the pivotal moments that had to happen in WTWICD?

So once that first scene occurs to me, I know I have a week or two of really powerful momentum in terms of figuring out the major arc of the story, so I take advantage of that and get right to work making a chapter list and brief character notes. I knew that the series was a bit like a circle in that it would start the same way it ended: ashes would be falling instead of snow, Aemond would be taking her captive instead of Cregan, and Angel would be mistaken for a Green instead of being wrongly assumed to be a Black. I also knew that I wanted WTWICD to (generally) follow the same canon events as Fire & Blood, so I matched each chapter to the actual events from the war, and then had another bullet point beneath with a description of what would be happening with Angel, Aegon, and the other characters that are the heart of this story.

In those first few weeks, I’ll hear a lot of random snippets of dialogue that I swiftly jot down in my Word Doc under the heading of whichever chapter I feel it will likely end up in. One of the very first quotes for this series was Aegon’s greeting to Angel in Chapter 1: “Hello angel, welcome to the end of the world.” These quotes help flesh out the story and transform requisite general events, like Angel meeting Aegon when he is near death after Rook’s Rest, into specific scenes. And then for any necessary detail that I don’t have an instinctive answer for, I start researching.

For example, here’s how I determined that Angel was a Celtigar. I did some Fire & Blood research to see which Westerosi families were allied with the Blacks vs. the Greens. I knew I needed a family that started out on the Blacks’ side and stayed there, and also wasn’t already decimated by the time Rook’s Rest happened, so that narrowed it down somewhat. I had felt that the vibes of the fic were oceanic, yet bleak—grey mist, rocky cliffs, rough waves—so I was leaning towards Angel being from the Crownlands. I stumbled upon the Celtigar family (having never heard of them before to my recollection) and was so excited! Firstly, I loved that Angel would be Valyrian, though not in an obvious way; the Celtigars, after being shunned by the Targaryens and Velaryons, intermarried with non-Valyrian houses until their features weren’t so distinct. Secondly, the crab metaphor was perfect. I had already known that the theme of perpetual resurrection—rebirth/reinvention that is repeated, though not necessarily leaving the person better off—would be present in this story, and crabs molting was symbolic of that. (Also, I’m from Maryland originally, so I appreciate crabs more than your average person, haha.)

Then for Angel’s faux family (Thorne), I knew I needed a Crownlands house that was loyal to the Greens throughout the war, which narrowed the options down considerably. I wanted a Crownlands house because I thought Angel, as a very academically smart person, would be savvy enough to know that another Crownlands family would share her accent/appearance/general knowledge more than someone from the Reach or the Riverlands, thus making her lies less likely to be detected. I also loved that Thorne (as in rose thorns) could be a subtle nod to a previous series of mine that was a Wars of the Roses AU: Now I’m Covered In You.

Tell me about your Aegon interpretation. Why is he the way he is in When The World Is Crashing Down?

Aegon is someone who has already gone through a number of transformations before Angel ever meets him. He is an innocent child, an unloved and mistreated adolescent, a man who succumbs to his worst vices, and then an aspiring hero who is trying his absolute hardest to live up to being king after his coronation. When he is wounded so horrible and painfully at Rook's Rest, Aegon is at the point where he's just ready for his suffering to be over. He got a brief taste of greatness and then was knocked back down to being useless and in agony all over again; he's accepted that his story is over.

Angel saves Aegon’s life literally, but she also gives him an opportunity to be honorable in a way that he hasn’t fully been able to before. She never knew him before his maiming, so she has no memories of his drunkenness, whoring, or any other sins. She is kind and gentle, and she sees Aegon as someone desirable and brave, particularly when she gives him (unintentionally) the opportunity to be her rescuer: from the brothel, from Cregan Stark, and from the world itself. Once they’ve met, Aegon is motivated by Angel—and the future they hope to have together—to be the greatest version of himself yet: someone who can both give and accept love in its purest form.

It is Aegon's love for Angel that compels him to fight to stay alive even under the most dire circumstances and when hope seems irrational. He's not doing it for himself; he's doing it for her.

What about Aemond? How is his relationship with Aegon?

Oh Aemond. The duality of man. Throughout this series, we see evidence that Aemond has all sorts of negative feelings towards Aegon. He feels that Aegon is physically weak, intellectually unimpressive, morally corrupted, and just generally unworthy of being king. However, at the same time, Aemond loves Aegon and is entirely loyal to him. Aemond borrows the crown when Aegon is unable to rule, but he never tries to take it. Aemond will flirt with and proposition Angel, but he never tries to get her to actually leave Aegon. And each time Aegon is wounded, we see that Aemond not only cares for him physically, but tries to uplift his spirits and carry out his wishes. We see Aemond hunting for a healer and then helping to clean Aegon’s wounds at Rook’s Rest. We also see him comforting Angel and stopping her from treating Aegon’s bleeding, shattered legs on Dragonstone (which is what Aegon begs for him to do in High Valyrian). Finally, we see Aemond’s repeated denial that Aegon might not survive the war. Daeron, Larys, and Autumn are all pragmatic enough to discuss it, but Aemond isn’t. His love for Aegon is too great.

Aemond’s interest in Angel is 50% ego-driven. He knows that she prefers Aegon to him, but if he can win her affection, he scores a figurative victory over his elder brother and gets to feel worthy/superior. This impulse (which isn’t necessarily something Aemond is consciously aware of) only intensifies once he learns that Angel is a Celtigar and therefore of Valyrian ancestry. But that means that his obsession with her is also 50% inspired by her intellect, skill, courage, and dedication to Aegon, all things that Aemond highly values. Angel never has any romantic feelings for Aemond, although he does increasingly become a source of strength, guidance, and comfort for her as Aegon’s health deteriorates. But he is definitely a little in love with her, even if that emotion is in large part merely a manifestation of his own inferiority complex.

What characters in your story that you enjoy writing?

Aemond “There are other Targaryens” Targaryen was definitely my favorite character to write in this series. He is a menace!! But a menace who is also loyal, clever, vulnerable, capable, flawed, and—it must be said—very, very nice to look at.

I really enjoyed writing Daeron too, who I envision as similar to who Aegon would have grown up to be had he not been beaten down by so much emotional and physical trauma. Daeron’s a ray of sunshine who is also an unrepentant war criminal, energetic and arrogant and a diehard warrior for his family. He jokes around with Aegon, but strategizes (or at least attempts to) with Aemond, recognizing the role that each brother plays in the family.

Finally, I loved Autumn! She was essential to Angel’s survival—street smart instead of book smart, experienced instead of sheltered and naïve—and while Autumn’s arc is tragic in some ways, she gets one of the happiest endings in the series.

Was Angel ever relieved of her guilt of what she did for Aegon?

Oh no, Angel felt horribly guilty for betraying Aegon, and I don't think she gets over that in her lifetime.

Aegon is definitely aware of Aemond’s interest in Angel, but isn’t especially concerned about it. He’s used to Aemond coveting the things he’s been given and feels that the Aemond-Angel dynamic is just the latest iteration of that lifelong pattern. Aegon relies upon Aemond both emotionally and physically—all the Greens do, as he and Vhagar are the muscle behind their war effort—and ultimately trusts him to do the right thing. Aegon doesn’t suspect that Angel would ever consent to being more than tentative allies with Aemond; it’s not even on his radar.

She acted impulsively in a moment of great emotional turmoil and misdirected desperation to help the Greens win the war and, in my mind, Aemond bears the responsibility of manipulating her into making that decision. (Even ghost Aemond alludes to regretting how he handled that situation in Chapter 12!) But Angel personally feels that she was disloyal to the love of her life, and wasted time that she should rightfully have spent with Aegon doing something that would have hurt him instead.

And she never gets to confess to Aegon, so she never gets the absolution of his forgiveness (which he undoubtedly would have given, under the circumstances).

What inspired Angel?

I love writing “readers” from all sorts of backgrounds and perspectives; we’re all unique people, and “readers” should be too!

Angel is the archetypal poor little rich girl. She has material comforts, but is ultimately ill-suited and dissatisfied with life as a noblewoman. She floats around aimlessly with nothing to look forward to (except her eventual marriage to a stranger, of course) until her brother Everett is nearly killed in a fire when she’s fifteen years old. Healing gives Angel a hobby, a purpose, and a sense of agency (indeed, the power to save or end lives) in a world where she has vanishingly little control over her own fate.

At the beginning of the series, Angel has a profound fear of sexual intimacy. I think this is something that would have been very real to women in a situation like hers, but isn’t often spoken or written about. She doesn’t have much knowledge of how sex works, and what she does know is pretty discouraging: women who are resigned, at best, or tortured at worst, with blood stains on sheets, death or disfigurement in childbirth, and being physically completely at the mercy of an older, larger man who you didn’t choose for yourself. It’s the stuff of nightmares! I once stumbled upon a Reddit threat of people sharing stories of their 90-year-old grandmas not knowing what an orgasm is, and it just completely broke my heart. I wanted to give voice to all the girls and women throughout history who have been robbed of agency over their own bodies and pleasure in sex.

Angel’s journey is a circle: she begins fearful, then becomes intrigued as her feelings for Aegon grow and she realizes she trusts him. (I think it’s significant that the two men Angel loves most, Aegon and Everett, are both disabled and therefore physically not as threatening to her.) She gets to experience informed, enthusiastic consent and pleasure, and then that joy is slowly taken from her as Aegon grows weaker.

And at the end of the story, Angel is back to where she started: forced to give herself to a man she didn’t choose—and he can have her whenever, however, and wherever he wants her—and without expectations of pleasure, only pain and resignation.

Do you feel Angel and Aegon complement one another?

Angel compliments Aegon because she is both clever and resilient enough to heal his body, but also provides him with opportunities to be a hero and prove his worth, not to her but to himself. She needs him to save her from danger, she looks to him for reassurance when she is fearful, and she relies upon him to be king when the war is over and therefore ensure their happy future together. She is, to Aegon, the perfect balance of strength and weakness.

What Angel gains from the relationship is someone who she actually admires and desires, but also someone who values her for who she really is. Aegon likes Angel regardless of who her family is and what her political affiliations might once have been; he does not care about heirs, bloodlines, prestige, obedience, or power. With Aegon, Angel knows that her own desires and feelings will always be first and foremost. That’s a rare thing to find in a Westerosi marriage.

Was there any contentment with her marriage to Cregan Stark?

I don’t feel that Angel ever found anything like happiness in the North. Several readers commented that they believed she was only existing with Cregan for the rest of her earthly days, not truly living, and I think that’s accurate. Cregan Stark never questions the narrative that he saved her from the immoral, violent, rapist Usurper, and in Winterfell Angel would have had to hear—from servants, from guards, from her husband, from her children once they were old enough to know the story—comments about how horrible Aegon was an how honorable Cregan was for ensuring his defeat and “rescuing” Angel. So her loss (and the fact that it’s this indescribably heavy secret she has to carry around with her) is a wound that is ripped open again and again and again. She can never develop a sense of fondness for Cregan, because she can never forget his hatred for and his role in killing the man she loved. She can never truly get joy from her children because they are just like Cregan: large, loud, rugged, dark-haired wolf pups who repeat the fictions they’ve always been told were truths. It’s a very hollow, soulless existence for Angel.

But of course the bright side is that because she remains alive and has some influence over Cregan’s political decisions: Angel is able to protect Jaehaera, Autumn, and other Greens after their faction’s defeat. She is also able to share the true legacy of the Greens with Jaehaera once Aegon’s daughter is older. Jaehaera otherwise wouldn’t really understand their true motivations, personalities, or gifts, nor the love they shared for each other; she was a child when most of the Greens died, and Autumn would not have felt comfortable sharing what little she knew at risk of endangering her ability to stay at court with Jaehaera. We can assume that Angel was eventually reunited with Aegon (and her other lost loved ones) in the afterlife, and so there is some happiness in the long run.

Angel definitely showed some magic in her Valyrian blood: we saw her dreams with Aemond, Helaena, and Daeron, but when Aegon told her, “If there’s anything interesting on the other side, I’ll find a way to let you know," was this what you were referring to at the end with, "…dreams that you never want to wake up from."

Yes! That is exactly what I was referencing, and I was thrilled that so many readers picked up on it. 🥰 It’s the closest we get to a “happily ever after” in this fic.

Celtigars are the black sheep of the Westerosi Valyrians. They’re glorified pirates as opposed to royalty or well-regarded merchants, and they aren’t nearly as magical at Targaryens or Velaryons. In the ASOIAF canon, there are no references to a Celtigar ever riding a dragon or joining the Targaryen bloodline. Angel was never going to be a dragonrider (she hates them!). But Angel does have some very subtle magical abilities that show up occasionally, and the dreams are one of them. After the events of WTWICD, for the rest of Angel’s life she is really only a shell of herself (not me making crab puns!), but dreams of Aegon give her comfort and remind her of the promise that she will see the people she loves again one day.

In Angel’s dreams, the ghosts appear in settings that they were attached to in life. Helaena was in the gardens with her insects, Aemond was in the rookery hard at work writing his letters, and Daeron (the closest thing this family has to a sunshine personality) was on a warm summer beach with Tessarion, exactly like he was the first day he ever met Angel. I feel that when Aegon appeared to Angel in her dreams, he was probably on Dragonstone, invoking memories of those idyllic first few months they got to spend alone together before Aemond started showing up (uninvited) and the battle with Baela and Moondancer.

In addition to the dreams, I think that Angel has some very slight clairvoyance. Even in the early chapters—and even as his burns are healing—she was always filled with this heavy dread regarding Aegon’s long-term health, and the threat of organ failure after repeated trauma is something that crosses her mind over and over again. She even mentions it to her brother Everett in Chapter 6. Part of her, I believe, always knew on some level that he wasn’t going to live to see a peaceful world.

Out of all your "Readers" so far, which one do you feel you relate to the most?

Out of all my readers, I think I personally relate the most to Appletini from North to the Future.

Our situations are different in a lot of ways (sadly, scruffy Juneau fisherman/rockstar Aegon is not real nor in love with me), but I think we share a) an innate fixation on responsibility and aversion to risk, and b) a sense that there is something more out there that we are always wrestling with. Do we take the leap, or do we stay where we are? Are we worthy of more? Are we doomed to relive the curses of prior generations? That sounds a little dark, probably, but I don’t mean for it to. Appletini gets a happy ending, after all!

Do you wish to share any possible new story that might be coming up?

At this point I have no comment whatsoever and nothing to announce. But I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! 🎅🎄🎁😏

#iwaw #interview with a writer #bts #of their brilliant stories #writing community #writers of tumblr #when the world is crashing down

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em-dash-press · 1 year

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How to Write Metaphors

Making your story stand out to readers requires vivid descriptions. You have to weave senses and emotions into scenes, which might mean using a few well-placed metaphors.

Here are a few tips to help you understand why metaphors exist, their purposes, and how to write them more effectively

What Is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes one idea more clear by associating or explaining it with other object or idea.

When someone does something sweet or thoughtful, their friend might say, “Aren’t you a peach!” They’re not saying that person is a literal peach. They’re complimenting their kindness by comparing it to a super sweet fruit. It creates a more vivid picture and can be more flattering than saying, “That was so nice of you.”

Metaphors also lend a more conversational tone. You wouldn’t find metaphors in professional documentation because it’s supposed to be authoritative and serious. Metaphors make a conversation less serious by making lighthearted or silly comparisons.

How to Write Metaphors

Anyone can write or create metaphors by keeping these three tips in mind.

1. For Visual Help: The Extended Metaphor

Extended metaphors last longer than a single sentence or phrase. They often appear when someone is trying to make their anxiety clear to someone else or raise the tension in a story.

Example: “You will never do that again,” she roared, swiping at him until there was enough space for her to leap on her prey. The woman isn’t literally a predator animal like a panther or bear, but the metaphor makes her anger seem stronger or more powerful by rooting it in an animalistic sense of survival.

2. For Humor: The Mixed Metaphor

You can also write a mixed metaphor to lighten a situation or wield your sense of humor in a story. They take readers by surprise, which might be exactly what a scene calls for.

Example: “This isn’t going to be easy,” Anthony said. “You know what they say,” Irvin replied, “when the rubber meets the road, we have to bite a bullet.” Anthony laughed. “That’s literally not what anyone says.” “Whatever—you know what I mean.”

3. For Practice: The Dead Metaphor

Writers consider any overused metaphor a dead metaphor. The idea is to avoid using them because creating something new is more interesting. It’s also a sign that you’re a more skilled writer.

Examples: When the ghost appeared, Amy’s face turned snow white. “Stop repeating yourself,” he said. “You’re a broken record.” Xander would rather kick the bucket than take Friday’s exams.

Why Are Metaphors Important?

Why use metaphors at all? I’d guess you’re already unknowingly putting them in your stories, but let’s talk about a few reasons why many writers use them on purpose.

Metaphors Engage the Senses

If someone says talking with their boss is like voluntarily bashing their head into a wall, you can feel the pain in your head and the groaning urger to do anything other than that. It’s more descriptive than saying someone hates talking to their boss, so it’s more engaging.

Remember, metaphors aren’t the only way to write with your primary senses. You shouldn’t rely on metaphors to do all of your descriptions. However, they’re helpful when you want to switch up your narrative style occasionally.

Metaphors Replace Similies

It’s easy to confuse similies and metaphors, but they’re two very different narrative tools that can make your stories better. Describing things in numerous ways demonstrates your expert control of your craft.

Similies compare two things using “like” or “as.” Metaphors claim something as another thing without those words.

Examples: Simile: When I kissed her, her heart beat as loud as a drum. Metaphor: When I kissed her, the drumbeat of her heart filled my ears. Simile: The kids act like crazed animals once family game night gets competitive. Metaphor: Our house turns into a zoo when family game night gets competitive. Simile: His presence in my life is like a light in the darkness. Metaphor: He’s a light in the dark.

Practice Using Metaphors

Anyone can write using metaphors and make their stories more engaging or descriptive. Sometimes you might also write a metaphor that your readers don’t understand.

That’s okay. It happens all the time.

The point is for your metaphors to make sense to you and serve a descriptive purpose in a sentence or scene. Avoid the overused ones and you’ll become an expert in no time.

#writing metaphors #metaphors #writing tips #writing advice #similies #writeblr #writers of tumblr

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nixoon-again · 2 months

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Do you have any advice with brainstorming ideas? I have been struggling recently and really look up to your story’s :DDD How do u develop concepts or characters ?? I am okay with getting an idea I just don’t know how to make it fly

i just think about it a lil hard and then my brain keeps exploding until the voices force me to write it tbh 😔🔥 /lh

Hzbsgsgsg but like im very bad at giving writing advice (or any advice in general) because i usually don't follow any rules??? but here are somethings that i do to develop an idea and how to centre a story around it:

note down the central idea, at this step try to write everything you know happens in it not minding how it's written. just something that will help you remember what hour idea is later in your notes maybe. for example, the note i wrote down for the forces fic was literally just

"sonic and tails both get taken to death egg during forces but sonic doesn't know"

if you have any vivid scenes in mind that may happen later in the story or anywhere in a non-sequential order, note them as crudely as you want. try and capture the scene with the bare minimum, it could be just a set of dialogue or a two line explanation of what is happening in the scene here's another example of how i do that lmao

"I'm only here to pick you up because amy asked" "you wound me" + dramatic sigh and then they go home

now that we have established some base, here's the actual singular writing advice i do follow: establish who your characters are, what do they want and how can you stop them from getting to their goal. this really helps building plots and being evil to critters in general. for example, suppose we have an idea like "tails is injured and he has to find sonic to deliver vital news before everyone almost dies" the goal here is getting to sonic? oh well maybe there's an avalanche and now he's stuck under the snow, too bad 👎 (add as many hindrances as you want, it's free real estate)

im bad at giving advice

now that we have the setting, the characters, the problems and some scenes to bounce around with, tome for connecting everything (worst part) i usually figure this out by starting to write a rough outline that i can change overtime if i figure something out that works better, try and do some research how other writers (fanfic and general) connect their stories by reading their works

afterwards make a finalized outline that tells you what happens in each chapter, this is also mostly changeable if you can't fit all of the ideas you wrote down in the same chapter and need to make things longer. happens to me always hzbzgzgzv

outline acquired, now here's the boss fight: actually writing 😔

im bad at giving advice

#i hope this helped if it didnt please ignore my ramblings sorry hzhzhshshshsb #i actually genuinely dont know about how to make a character fly tho i have no process for that 😭😭#asks

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erazonpo3 · 27 days

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I'm a little late to the #webcomicday party but I still thought it'd be fun to break down my process a little bit using the latest Way Out chapter as an example!

So I have a rough outline for the whole comic but I don't go into too much detail planning each story arc until I'm about to get stuck into it. The rough outline is for jotting down ideas as they come along, acting as a skeleton for what will eventually happen, while the more detailed arc outlines are for plotting and pacing the story beats.

Planning each chapter out like this means that each one feels like its own mini-story, and more importantly, stays on track and achieves something to further the story or character progression. You'll notice that the chapter notes are still pretty barebones, which leaves me room to fine tune the smaller beats within the script.

Then, it's scripting time! I'll only have a script for the chapter I'm working on and a script for the next chapter, so as I'm currently working on Chapter 66 I have a script for chapter 66 & 67 but not 68. This is ideal for me in keeping the story flexible, allowing me to take a chapter in a bit of a different direction without feeling tied to a whole arc's worth of scripts that I'll need to rework otherwise.

Around 20 panels is the sweet spot for a chapter of Way Out; there are some with fewer and some with more, but shooting for that number makes me think about whether a scene ought to be extended or cut down in order to meet that goal. If I only plan out 18 panels then I can probably squeeze something extra in, while if I plan out 23 panels, I have a look and see if there isn't anything that can't be condensed.

The scripts themselves are pretty sparse, mostly just dialogue with basic action notes that I highlight as I finish. I'm usually pretty good with visualising things in my mind so the notes are more of a reminder to self about angles & expressions more than anything- if this were a collaborative project I'd probably put more effort into making it descriptive, but it's not.

I've never been one for thumbnailing, which is bad comic practice, I know. But once I have my script I just want to get stuck straight into drawing and don't like slowing down to jot down what is already pretty vivid in my head when I can just. draw the thing.

(a large part of why I started my first webcomic in the vertical format is because you don't need to consider variety in panelling and page flow, which is something thumbnails are very important for).

And so the sketching begins! My sketches are rarely pretty with little focus on anatomy and shape and more focus on blocking and size. I use Procreate to draw the panels and its resizing tool has a tendency to obliterate the quality, which I can sharpen in small amounts but it saves a lot of pain if I plan it all out in the ugly stage.

In some ways I often prefer the sketches to the clean lineart, but that's mostly the stylistic scratchy-ness of it that I have to do away with in favour of clean lines. I'm not always super proud of the art in the end but not every panel needs to be a masterpiece and it's all practice. I think a quantity over quality approach is kind of necessary if you want to make a comic and not lose your mind.

I sharpen up and clean any spots up as I go, but once they're all done I glue all the panels together on my desktop so that I can adjust the spacing between them, then I cut them back up again into smaller slices for posting! And that's the whole chapter process!

I also have a quick (and by quick I mean 4 minute) rough timelapse of chapter 65's coloured panel I can post, if anyone would be interested in seeing that, but it'll probably need to be its own post bc it'll crash this one.

#webcomic day #way out #webcomicday

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greetingfromthedead · 4 months

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To find you in the endless chaos of this planet, of this universe, was nothing short of a miracle. Two souls intertwined to thoroughly, no force could untangle that bond. Nothing could erase you from his being. In your eyes he sees the poems Rem used to read, in your embrace he feels at home, in your voice he hears a thousand unsung lullabies. You're a million dawns all at once, painting his world in vivid colors. You have been, every day, even in the darkest, most hopeless of days, nestled in his heart.

I've seen a lot of people rant about the different versions of the character of Trigun and what is and isn't canon and how every iteration "ruins" something. And I've seen this slander the most when it comes to Tristamp Vash or just Vash in general. But here's the thing, I think they are all valid versions of him and they are all canon, they are simply different stages of him.

Welcome to my Ted talk on why I think every version of Vash makes perfect sense!

In my head the different versions of him evolve like this:

Pre-canon Vash before starting to lose his marbles

Tristamp Vash

Trigun '98 Vash (+ Badlands Rumble I guess)

Trimax Vash

And I think (hope) we will see this evolution through the later seasons of Trigun Stampede so I put the following into the context of if Tristamp explores the change in Vash.

Let's start with Tristamp Vash:

From the very first scene we see him in, it is clear that this man does not have all his ducks in a row. He has started to lose his mind and my guess is that most of it comes from the fact that he has realized that Kni has set his plans into motion, he has to act or everything he has tried to protect so far will go up in flames. But this takes a huge toll on him and shakes his very ideals, he is simply in denial about it. He puts on a mask and pretends everything is great, but he is shaken and he is angry.

People say that Tristamp Vash isn't angry, but how could you say that if so often when he has his gun pulled at someone truly evil and dangerous, he looks like he will fucking shoot them (EG Mine is probably the easiest example of that). I feel like the idea of "for the greater good" is sneaking into his head, but killing anyone is so opposite to what he believes in that it again tears at him.

He goes on this journey with Wolfwood and he knows that Wolfwood is there to babysit him, yet their ideals rub off on one another. They start very radical, especially WW, they both think they know when to pull the trigger. By the end Wolfwood gets softer in his views and Vash starts to see WW's POV too, enforcing the "sacrifice for the greater good" idea. The motif of WW and Vash changing each other is a core theme in every iteration of Trigun, but I put it here since it makes the most sense.

By the end of Tristamp S1 we have the July incident, it's something we haven't seen first hand in any other iteration of Trigun, it has always already happened so ofc this version of Vash is different, he only now goes through the incredible trauma of that event and he has his brain scrambled by Knives as a bonus.

This brings me to Trigun '98 Vash:

This man barely has any ducks left and they are scattered to the wind. The placement or Eriks is a bit difficult considering where it happens for the other versions, but I believe that when we get to Tristamp S2 we will pick up with Eriks who has lost most of his memories due to Knives meddling in them and also his brain trying to protect him from the trauma of July.

The Vash that comes after Eriks is goofy and childlike, I believe he has gone quite mad, but still forces a mask onto himself, in conflict not only with his fragmented mind, but also his moralities. If S1 Vash says he can't help himself, his body reacts before he can to protect others, then '98 Vash does it knowingly. He takes the full abuse of gunfire knowing full well what he is getting himself into.

I think he finds freedom and relief in letting the craziness out a bit, the way he plays with children and interacts with the bad guys, he embraces the madness, but not enough to show his true self because he doesn't even fully know what that is.

Trimax Vash is quite similar to '98 Vash, but goes through another big development (Warning: some spoilers for Tirimax, duh):

It is very gradual the change from one version to another here, but the biggest difference happens when he regains the knowledge of what happened in July and Kni's return. It will probably be a Creature Vash moment where his Plant powers go berserk again, unlocking even more of his latent abilities he is not aware of and doesn't know how to control. So far he has been very human, since the beginning he has had this idea of himself being useless as a Plant, he has been under the impression that he doesn't have any powers and that he only has human needs (food, water, sleep). But his gunmanship alone won't be enough to stop Kni, he has to embrace his Plant side, he has to learn to control it. And once he starts getting the hang of it, he is able to save even more people than he would have before.

Trimax Vash, especially towards the end is a lot more confident, he has a better understanding of his morality and he has added tools to fulfill it. He still is a pacifist, he actively chooses to be good, he always has, but the motivation and doubt surrounding it has shifted a bit over time

The version of Vash that we have at the very end of Trimax in a way circles back to the Vash before July and Wolfwood, an earlier, slightly more sincere version of Vash without loosing the lessons learned from the past. The mask he has worn for so long falls away and he can feel genuine happiness because he is no longer driven by guilt, he has atoned in his mind.

Pre-canon Vash:

We know very little about Vash's past. Sure, we see a little bit of his childhood on the ship with Rem and Kni, we see glimpses of him with the crew on Home and we saw the incident where he activated his Angel Arm for the first time and lost his left arm due to it. But after that it's a whole lot of nothing. He is a very tragic character since basically day one, from a very young age he has been thought to pretend to be human in front of those who don't know his nature. A mask has been forced onto that 1 year old child. Not to mention the Great Fall and the guilt from that's pushing him forward and remaining his central force for the next 150 years.

I think after he became a drifter he learned to be even more human, he perfected his mask and lived as a human because leaving out the interactions with the Plants who needed his help, he only knew the human ways, his sisters were in a tank, their true nature locked away in a higher dimension anyway, the only other being like him on the whole planet is Kni and he hasn't seen him since he declared that in 100 years he will eradicate humanity, the very thing Vash loved so much.

Drifter Vash is probably the sanest version of him, confined to a routine of constantly moving on. But I also think that's the most naive and innocent version of him. In July WW comments that Vash freezes up as soon as a human is put in front of him and I think that's quite a defining characteristic of him in this period. A very stubborn outlook to life where he feels the need to save everybody and he would sacrifice himself for that rather than pick up arms to even get himself out of a sticky situation. He only shoots to save others, but not himself because he thinks he is expendable.

He lives in denial for the next 100 or so years following losing his arm with the same mindset of feeling like he needs to save everybody he can, even making promises he can't keep (like in the case of Rollo). When the Plant robberies start and probably even before that Vash realizes that Kni's plan has been set into motion and it will probably only make his guilt worse, knowing that he will have to go after Kni and save him too, otherwise his beloved humanity will pay the price for his inaction. And that's the start of his mental downfall leading into Tristamp S1. And perhaps there are other attributing factors...

This concludes my speech on the topic. I love this character and the intricacies of it and while everybody has a right to their own opinion, this is my understanding of it and I do truly hope that Trigun Stampede will continue exploring Vash's character and how trauma changes a person.

Feel free to expand on these ideas! I'm happy to discuss all of this in the notes or in my inbox :)

My fic Tempest Wind takes place before the events of Tristamp and this long, yet brief character analysis might help people understand the character arc of Vash in my story.

Tempest Wind is a 18+ Vash x F!Reader fic with some spice, some gore, a bit of action and a lot of fluff, for added flavor there's a sprinkle of angst too ofc.

Until I have finished the whole story, feel free to indulge in the published DEMO chapters:

Perfect Morning - domestic fluff, intimacy, mild smuttiness, shy Vash

Festivities - delusional bliss on an unfamiliar planet with weird traditions, ice skating and sweet Vash

Burn - basically smuttiness with little actual plot

Keep an eye out for a new demo chapter coming withing the next two weeks. It's gonna be Vash trying to seduce the reader before they get together!

#writing #humanoid typhoon #plant boi #trigun #trigun stampede #tristamp #vash the stampede #fanfiction #trigun maximum #trigun 98 #trigun manga

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focusfixated · 6 months

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which fics do you keep open? i'd love to get some new reading material!

so this ask is in reference to a post i reblogged a while ago about how a good story can really alter your brain rhythm, and how when i try to write, i usually keep a couple of tabs open of a few specific fics that have a writing style i really admire to kind of help keep me on track.

there's obviously tons of fics i love for a multitude of reasons, but these are fics by people whose style i admire specifically, writers who have a knack for precision, ease, and simplicity in their storytelling (all things i struggle with, me and my run-on sentences).

i keep fics like the following open to remind me of what it's possible to achieve, and to get myself in a rhythm that otherwise doesn't come naturally to me.

miss you like a home by @hallo-catfish | matthias & maxime

the dialogue is lively and sparkling, the narrative is rich and thoughtfully introspective. full of deceptively simple images that sit unassumingly in the narrative, but powerfully elicit intimate, subtle, joyful, and painful emotions.

why this fic: a reminder of what imagery can achieve

it's the beginning of a new age by @yeats-infection | good omens

there’s a weighty, beautiful power behind these words, chosen carefully to their greatest effect. the author's sense of place, history, and scene-setting details that locate the story within a particular time and landscape is incomparable.

why this fic: the power of place

the theatre of fear by alivamae | our flag means death

a unique and memorable writer. the scenes are so pacy, and one thing trips into the next in a way that feels very impulse-driven and uncareful, and allows characters to just expose themselves without an excess of consideration. the writing is free and funny and irreverent and full of incredibly visual images and textures.

why this fic: remembering to keep writing free

a renaissance, another day by @tiny-steve | the goldfinch

pretty much in my mind the perfect story. literary in a way that is not overwrought. structurally tight. a sharply-observed, brilliantly-constructed bit of storytelling. uses excellent environmental details to tell us so much about characters in a powerfully pared-down way.

why this fic: less is more is everything

the wave at morning by @emungere | hannibal

a collection of scenes full of raw intensity. plays powerfully with sexual desire and compelling, psychological dynamics. the author hits emotional notes with such accuracy and economy, leaving all this imaginative breathing room around the scenes, which is what makes them so stimulating.

why this fic: a how-to for explicit writing

will as it moves towards deed by yeats | history boys

truly an exercise in simplicity and precision. the dialogue is sparse, but with an emotional punch behind it, and the characters have an expanded life that is suggested rather than told. a brilliant example of showing time passing, using the movement of other people around a centre point, montaging moments of passivity leading to action.

why this fic: simplicity in action

what if birds aren't singing, they're screaming by @drawsaurus | rocketman

a vivid sense of place, this author is brilliant at creating strong, visual landscapes on which exceptionally emotional scenes play out. there's a tangible realness to the setting, which allows the motif-driven jigsaw puzzle-pieces of the story to sit artfully on top. things continue on in the background while bright snapshots come to the front to get our attention.

why this fic: using snapshots to tell a story

#writing #fic recs #asks

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dailylesliec · 6 months

Text

[TRANSLATION] Art and Piece Issue 16 - Stanley Kwan about Leslie Cheung

“Seeing Leslie with my own eyes made me realise there really are some guys in this world who are truly beautiful.”

BORN ELEGANT AND FLAMBOYANT TO THE END

Stanley Kwan - Director of "Rouge"

I am Stanley Kwan. I directed the film “Rouge, " where Gor- gor and Mui Jeh (Anita) starred. I really miss having these old friends around - just watching their movies or listening to their music brings all the memories back. Leslie and Anita both had their Unique Elegance and were a perfect match for Rouge. I saw Leslie’s most beautiful side, and at the same time bore witness to the trembling of his two hands.

I first worked with Gor-gor in “Nomad” directed by Patrick Tam. I was the assistant director. Seeing Leslie with my own eyes made me realise there really are some guys in this world who are truly beautiful. I was initially not attached to “Rouge” - Golden Harvest had initially set Terry Tong as the director and even the cast had been finalised, with the actors being Anita, Adam Cheng, Andy Lau and Cherie Chung. But the script took too much time, and Director Tong had other projects to attend to. Excluding Anita, the whole cast left one by one as well, and I took over the film. I thought long and hard about who could play Master Twelve. At the time Ekin Cheng was just starting out. After seeing him work with Lawrence Ng, I wondered if I should cast Lawrence for the role. Ah Mui saw me struggling and suggested, “What if I tell Mr Ho (TN: the film producer & founder of Golden Harvest) that I’ll do a movie for Cinema City in exchange for Leslie doing this film?”

Leslie was very creative. As an example, he and Anita were really close, so in a scene where they were smoking opium, he put his hand on her chest. He knew she wouldn’t object or say anything, and she too thought that was what the scene needed. I could feel the tacit understanding between the two of them - it was easy to see working on “Rouge”, and I found that they didn’t even need to discuss much. In 2001, I began work on a film titled “Scenery Against the Light”. Both Leslie and Anita expressed their interest in the story and contents of the film, but I’ve never been efficient in working on scripts. By 2002 when I reached out to both of them again, they both had their own issues even before the script was ready. I was shocked.

I usually saw Leslie on occasions where a few of us were doing a gathering at his house or an event arranged by Florence, but we’d always talk. We had a lot in common to talk about, not necessarily deeply personal things like family, but we talked a lot about our personal feelings and thoughts about living, including our careers: Leslie also “suffered” a lot to get to where he was in his career. The first time I found out about his hands trembling was at a dinner gathering too. Originally, “Lust, Caution” was going to be directed by Edward Yang instead of Ang Lee. He thought Leslie was really suitable for the role, so I arranged a dinner gathering for him in late 2002.

The dinner was very casual and we kept talking even after the meal had ended. Leslie tucked his hands under his thighs. His whole body was trembling. He was paying attention, but his attentiveness... it was almost like he was in a trance. After Director Yang left, I asked Leslie why he was so nervous. Leslie said he wasn’t scared of Edward Yang, but I still saw his shaking hands. He never explained why.

That incident is nowhere near my most unforgettable memory of Leslie though. The most vivid picture in my mind is the scene in “Rouge” where he turns around and smiles after walking up the stairs. When I watched the playback, a voice behind me suddenly asked, “Really pretty, right?” Before I turned around, I could already tell it was Leslie’s voice. It really was very pretty - that elegant, playful feeling was really something else. He was brilliant.

His brilliance remains unchanged even throughout these 20 years. Be it Leslie or Anita, fans are still willing to see them as friends. I, too, don’t think they’re that far from us. It’s just like they went abroad to study, to live, to spend their days. When the 4K restored version of “Rouge” was broadcast in cinemas earlier, I went to go watch it again. It really feels like I didn’t film the movie thirty-something years ago. It’s like I was still filming last week.

Translated by me (@dailylesliec on Twitter/Tumblr), do not repost without credit. If you like this translation, consider following me or buying me a Ko-fi. For the formatted PDF version of this article, click here.

#leslie cheung #dailylesliec translations #art and piece issue 16 #張國榮 #rouge 1987 #rouge #胭脂扣 #art and piece

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