#i feel like I need to read the novel to get a better aspect

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

hi! I'm not sure if your taking requests or not, if your not please ignore this, but could you please write a self aware dazai, or any characters you'd like, learning that the reader has similar trauma as dazai, just some small aspects are different? thank you for your time!!

Hello! Hope, you like this. You are welcome.

When they learned, that you have similar trauma

Self-Aware! Dazai Osamu x GN!Reader

(Slight Self-aware! Oda Sakunosuke x GN!Reader)

Warning: Yandere, OOC, BSD characters stalks Reader, slight spoilers for "Dazai Osamu and dark era", mentions of death, few years ago Reader wasn't in the best place in their lives, English is my second language.

🪢🦀 It happened after you installed BSD Mayoi app and BSD gang gain access to the rest of your phone.

🪢🦀 Now they can hear your talking not only when you are using their app, reading manga/Light Novel or watching anime. Now they can hear you in your everyday life.

🪢🦀 Of course, they are looking after you for your own good. When they finally get to your world, they need to know who they should punish for wronging you.

🪢🦀 This cashier, who was rude to you and tried to scam you? Fitzgerald will destroy him financially.

🪢🦀 The terrible entitled parents in the park, who try to take away your phone and give to their children? Fukuzawa and Yosano will make them apologies.

🪢🦀 Entitled brats that ruined your notebooks? Elise and Q will show them, that you shouldn't be messed up with.

🪢🦀 Creepy old man that made you uncomfortable? Hirotsu and Melville will taught him some respect.

🪢🦀 But, until they find a way to your world, they only can send you some messages to lift your spirit up.

🪢🦀 Ango recently add another menu called "Message for you" to the game that allows them to leave you messages without adding presents. It's not that they were stingy, no. It happened because Gift Box won't allow them to send long messages. Moreover, they can send only one message per day. So, a new menu allows them to send more messages to you.

🪢🦀 You, for the most part, seem to be a cheerful person.

🪢🦀 So, when one day BSD gang felt that you are grieving, they were worried.

🪢🦀 They wanted to help you. But, the only thing they can do is sent another message to you.

🪢🦀 Dazai asked to be the one, who sent the message.

___________________________________

A familiar notification from "Message for You" popped up before your eyes. You mindlessly open it. It was a message from Dazai.

"[Y/N], dear, I hope you are doing well. If you are not... Well, do you want to talk about it? Dazai Osamu"

Little chibi Dazai was standing under the message text, looking at you. You stay silent for a moment. Then you start talking.

"I guess I can talk about it. Yes, you can't hear me, but, at least, I will talk this out. Today is the anniversary of my dear friend's death."

And you talked.

You talked about what happened few years ago. About feeling out of place. About feeling empty. About trying to find anything that can make you feel whole. About uncertainty in the future. About pressure from your family. About you failing in classes.

You talked about meeting your friend. About them been the best person in your life. About them helping you more than anyone at that period of time. They just were there. They didn't force you to speak about your feelings. Not only that, but they didn't shame you about your grades.

They were your anchor. Because of them, you were able to feel better. Life became good again.

And then they died.

You were crying, you can't manage to tell, how exactly they died. But you manage to say, that your friend died in a hospital. And that they managed to tell you something important. That you are good enough, that you shouldn't try to prove your worth to others. That your happiness matters.

Through sobs, you managed to whisper:

"If you think about it, Dazai, we are kinda the same. Both of us were lost, both of us were saved by a kind person, you by Oda, I by my friend, and both of us lost them. Thanks for listening. But, I think, I will go now."

You closed the app.

You didn't notice that Dazai sprite has tears in his eyes.

_____________________________________

🪢🦀 For a moment, everyone was quiet. They were sad after learning about your past.

🪢🦀 Yosano, who already felt bad for hating you before, felt even worse.

🪢🦀 Some of the characters cried. They thought that it's unfair, that someone like you suffered through such traumatic experience.

🪢🦀 All characters were concerned about you. You didn't deserve to experience this pain. They will start working harder. They will reach your world.

🪢🦀 But Dazai has the strongest reaction.

🪢🦀 Dazai was paralyzed. He feels tears running down his cheeks. You two were the same. But, you did something, that Dazai can never do for you. You brought Oda back.

🪢🦀 Dazai looked at the Infirmary door. Oda was standing there, leaning on the wall. Oda also looked concerned and sad.

🪢🦀🍛 Few days ago, you got Oda's card from scout. And Oda, like Shibusawa a few months prior, appears in ADA's office. He was dizzy and lost, but, according to Yosano, he was fine mentally and physically and just needs some rest. Soon he will manage to walk around.

🪢🦀🍛 Dazai was ready to work 24/7 just to reach your world. Oda manage to stop Dazai, before he tried to threaten to shoot Ango, Katai and Fyodor if they didn't find a way to your world immediately.

🪢🦀 Dazai want to hold you in his arms. Dazai want to protect you. Dazai want to take your pain away. Dazai will do anything he can to be with you. You will be happy and safe. He will let you cry on his shoulder.

🍛 Oda want to console you. Oda want to be near you. He isn't planning to replace your friend, but he wants to become as important to you as them. When Oda recovers, he will do his best to help others with finding a way to you.

🪢🦀🍛 Both Oda and Dazai will send you encouraging messages. They will try to make you smile.

🪢🦀🍛 You may not see each other eye to eye, but you are important to them. And they want to keep you safe.

#bungou stray dogs au #self-awareau #self-awarebsd #bsd #bsd x gender neutral reader #bungou stray dogs #gender neutral reader #bsd anime #yandere #Self-Aware Dazai Osamu #Self-Aware Oda Sakunosuke #dazai osamu x reader #oda sakunosuke #Dazai Osamu #oda sakunosuke x reader #bsd x reader

[xxhispieceofheavenxx]

When you start dating Remus, everything is a dream. He takes you on nice dates, constantly dotes on you, helps you with homework… Everything feels like a dream except the sex; sex with Remus always feels… not enough. It's not because he doesn't make you orgasm, he is the best boyfriend you've had in that aspect. He's sweet, gentle and extremely giving, but it never feels enough. It always feels like Remus is holding back, and no matter how many times you ask him if he enjoyed himself, he always gives you the same smile that doesn't reach his eyes "Of course I did, love. Didn't you?" And obviously, you did; because you climaxed, you got your cuddles, and you love Remus. So why does it never feel as it should?

All comes to a stop when you haven't had sex in a couple of weeks, and while you're making out in your dorm, you stop Remus and hit him with the "we need to talk". Que Remus-panic-mode, where he lets you speak as his mind is racing, thinking that you're breaking up with him. But instead, you open up about how you feel he doesn't enjoy sex with you and how you want to know if you're doing something wrong and what can you change to make everything better and…

He stops your rambling, and with sad eyes, he tells you that there is nothing you've done wrong, that it's his fault and that he is sorry. So you make him explain because you've asked him enough times already, so he comes out clean. It's not anything you've done; it's something he hasn't done. He hasn't been able to fully let go and enjoy himself, thinking that he was going to scare you or worse, hurt you; because he has this thing, his lycanthropy, his "wolfie tendencies", that make him not so gentle in bed and he has been stopping himself from claiming you like he wants to because, as he said, he is scared of hurting you or driving you away. So you reassure him that you love him with all your heart, that you want him to be happy during sex and that you want to explore his needs as much as he explores yours.

And after your heart-to-heart is game one. You start trying kinks and everything he likes out; ropes? Hell yeah, we can do ropes. Ice? Why not? Your sex life improves drastically; now when you're together, it feels like a dream. He is a lot less gentle, he bites and scratches, and he loves when you do it to him too. He loves marking your body, your neck, your thighs, everywhere. It isn't just missionary anymore, you work your way through a multitude of positions.

Remus still gets scared from time to time that you're going to get tired of his roughness, that you're going to want the sweet, gentle Remus from the beginning. But all his worries flow out the window when you look at him, eyes glossed over, lips swollen and a fucked out look on your face. He knows that you enjoy sex with him as much as he enjoys sex with you; and you get the sweet, gentle, loving Remus after, when he is wiping the sweat off your forehead or giving you a bath. He realises he doesn't have to be afraid, that he can be himself around you because you're going to love him no matter what.

Hey!! Thank you for all the notes on my few last Remus posts, I'm so glad you guys liked them! I'm still writing Possessive!Sirius because it keeps getting longer and longer, and I'm not trying to write a novel. I've rewritten it about three times but sometimes that's how it is. In the meantime, I thought you guys would enjoy this Remus dabble. I still haven't given up on my Sirius one-shot so don't worry! Hope you enjoyed reading it <3

#notsfw.sel #remus lupin #remus #remus x reader #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin smut #remus lupin x reader smut #remus x reader smut #marauders #marauders smut #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin x reader fluff #remus x reader fluff #marauders fluff

[fireflysummers]

Final Thoughts on GO S2

I'm probably gonna pull back on discussing S2, at least publicly, after this. I did actually like a lot of the season, but it's triggering some of my religious trauma and also the fandom is already stressing me out. So here, let's have some final thoughts.

First and foremost: I am not a Gaiman simp. I've read a decent amount of his work: comics, short stories, essays, and novels. Aside from Good Omens, I've liked Coraline and The Graveyard Book the best by far, whereas American Gods just. Did Not Connect with me, even though it's should have, given the stuff I tend to enjoy.

However. Regardless of whether I like a given work (or even like how he adapted it, a la parts of The Sandman TV series), he is a veteran writer who has proven that he does, actually, know how to write a story with consistent characters.

Beyond that, I do actually believe that he's trying to do right by Pratchett, and loves and respects the story and characters they created together. He's generally shown up as an ally to a variety of social causes, and directly and respectfully responds to fans on Tumblr. While no saint, I feel that there is cause to give the benefit of the doubt that things will resolve satisfyingly in S3, and that there is Intention about some of the things in S2.

This, of course, does not absolve it of being "bad," but even here I think we need to articulate better the different types of "bad" that people are reacting to. There seems to roughly be three camps here: 1) People who thought it was "bad" because of how it ended, with the breakup and a lot of unresolved plot threads; 2) People who thought it was "bad" because it struggled on a technical level with its set, lighting, directorial choices, editing, etc; 3) People who thought it was "bad" because they felt the characterization was significantly off and that the internal logic of the series had been violated.

With regards to Point One, the only solution is to Wait and See. Judgement should be reserved until the story is properly finished--easier said than done, especially considering the current media landscape, and the number of series or franchises that fail to live up to their promises.

Point Two isn't something I understand well enough to contribute meaningfully, except that I suspect the pandemic affected this aspect the most and am willing to give it a bit more mercy. That aside, I for the most part I don't find it bad so much as not as good as S1. Except for the parts with epilepsy warnings, surely there could've been a better way to do that.

Point Three... that's the stumbling block for me, and I find it interesting that most of the folks who struggle with this point in particular are long time fans of the book.

I trust that instinct.

There are two different directions to go from here. The first is the assumption that these problems are a result of ego, carelessness, or lack of skill from the showrunners/writers/director. It's cynical but not unjustified. The second is the belief that the breaks in lore or characterization were intentional, building towards a much grander conspiracy. Of course, even in this case I don't think it forgives the lack of signposting that would indicate that this is a choice rather than an accident. It just makes it feel clumsy and poorly constructed, a major risk on a show that hasn't had its third season confirmed.*

However, regardless, it still feels salvageable. I've enjoyed reading a lot of meta on all this, and I've pulled some things from others (particularly That Theory by @ariaste), but I don't really want to put forth a single, defined theory myself. Instead, here's some questions I've got, why those questions are important (to me, at least). Actual theorizing comes after, and anybody who snidely mentions Sherlock in the comments or tags is going to get auto-blocked. Like seriously, I'm aware that some stuff is a stretch, but it's fun??? To theorize????? And I'm here for me and my peace of mind rather than trying to argue a point.

*I have some suspicions here, particularly with Gaiman stating that the decision from Amazon would come much faster than The Sandman's second season (which was four months). I don't know enough though to say if that's actually significant.

Questions

Who the fuck is telling this story?

This is the most important piece, in my opinion. There's this assumption when reading books (or research papers, newspapers, etc...) that the narrator who is writing the words is a non-presence, Neutral and objective. That's not the case, and an important part of literature critique is figuring out who the narrator is, and what their goals are. Oftentimes, the narrator and the author are the same person, but with Pratchett's work, particularly on Good Omens and Discworld, the Narrator was its own unique character.

This is why people struggle adapting Discworld to live action--that medium requires a Reason for having a Narrator, and especially in the age of method acting that's often considered immersion-breaking. Good Omens worked so well because they not only kept the Narrator, but they made Her God.

This added some really interesting new dimensions, such as the scene where Crowley speaks to God about his fall and the destruction of humanity. He doesn't receive an answer, but we're watching from God's perspective, so we as the audience know that She's listening.

Another advantage of making God the Narrator is that it justifies all the goofy little asides we get into the lives of minor characters (i.e. Leslie the Mailman), without losing focus. It helps the world feel like it’s full of people, rather than characters and plot contrivances, and the theme that individual people and their choices are important. The Narrator is such a central character of Good Omens that without it, the story struggles to stay focused.

It also highlights a key difference in the writing styles of the two authors. Pratchett’s work tends to introduce four or five totally unique plot threads that feel completely disjointed until the last act (if not even later), when it turns into a Chekhov’s Firing Squad. Plot twists around secret identities and backstabbing and schemes are relatively rare, as the omniscient Narrator doesn’t lie about the intentions of people or their actions.

Gaiman’s writing is typically not like that, to my knowledge. He buries characters in misdirection and hints, and you never know the true identity or motives until all the chips are down. It’s a perfectly valid way to approach storytelling, but it makes it jarring to see it in S2. The lack of a Narrator is a huge reason why S2 doesn’t feel like Good Omens to some folks.

My gut feeling is that the decision to shift from the original Narrator was highly intentional. It helps to obscure the thoughts and intentions of people, and it also muddles the insights that we’re supposed to take away. (I would have loved hearing God monologue about what’s going on in Jim’s head. I think it’d do a lot to make him seem less.... obnoxiously stupid.)

More than that, it brings up a reasonable potential plot point of: Where did God go? Why isn’t She present in the story? Even in her early appearance in the Job flashback, she doesn’t sound like the narrator for last season. After the first part of her speech (which Gabriel later quotes), her tone turns casual and condescending, which might line up with her being a bit of an asshole, it doesn’t line up with the whole “dealer of a mysterious card game who is always smiling”).

Also, I don’t think it’s safe to assume that nobody is telling the story either. Just because they’re not making their presence known doesn’t mean they aren’t there, and in a story like Good Omens, that’s concerning.

Wait, where's Satan?

Another person I saw while scrolling the tags pointed out that Satan is nowhere to be seen this season. He's really only mentioned in reference to a bet God made in Job, but then Crowley is the one on the ground causing mischief. There's no Hail Satan among demons (like Hastur and Ligur did at the start of S1).

That's might be because the writers didn't want us to think it was important (a la Hastur), but that feels off. Given that Satan speaks directly through the radio to Crowley in S1, complimenting him on his work, it's safe to say that he was at least aware of and involved in the goings-on in Hell. The fact that he wasn't even an worry for Beelzebub in abandoning their post? Feels weird.

(Also if you know where that post is, I'll happy credit + link)

What is Maggie?

Look, I love cute lesbians in love as much as the next queer, but I don't like Maggie. I don’t think she’s a person. Contextually, she’s a plot device, but I agree with That Essay that she might be an actual Plot Device.

Her characterization is simple and relatively shallow—a bit of an airhead, ray of sunshine that’s supposed to remind you of Aziraphale. When she describes her past to Nina, it’s almost robotic (also, her story implies it was Mr. Fell who first rented to her ancestor, not Mr. Fell’s great-grandfather like Nina implied). Her emotions are over-dramatic and seem to be turned on and off at random (scenes with her crying to Aziraphale about her woes had my “manipulator” senses going off for some reason).

When asked about a song, she not only IDs the song, its singer, and its year, but how and on what it was distributed. (Honestly thought this would’ve been something interesting, because she’s been pretty ditzy so far, it’d be interesting if she had like... an insane memory for music history.) And then she’s the one that sets Aziraphale on his little investigation by giving him the transformed records, while also planting the seed about her love troubles with Nina. Later, her advice to Crowley is... not awful, but feels insincere and a bit too forward, given her own self-proclaimed lack of relationship experience.

I don’t know what she is (a demon, hastur with amnesia in disguise, a literal plot device inserted by the current storyteller, etc...), but there’s something not right with her.

(Also the joke of “who listens to records anymore, it’s so old fashioned” just doesn’t land, lots of people buy records, and I’m saying this as somebody who has worked at a record store before.)

What's going on with Aziraphale?

There’s something Off about Aziraphale, and it’s not his choices at the end of the season. That makes total sense if you read him as somebody with severe religious trauma getting dragged back into the abusive system because other people need him and he’s been promised the ability to change things.

But I do think something is happening to his memory. Nearly all the flashbacks are from Aziraphale’s point of view and retelling, which means that they’re less reliable than God’s version of events in the previous season. Many of them don’t make logistical sense (post-church scene in 1941), depict Crowley as meaner or more sinister than we know he is, or frame events... weirdly. The scene with him trying food for the first time feels Really Bad, especially when the series has previously established that he’s a) prim and proper and b) his interest in food is one of the beautiful things that connect him to humanity, not some kind of gluttonous sin. Also he turns down alcohol.

Their meet-cute at the  start of the universe also doesn’t line up with their reactions to each other in Eden, or the fact that knowing each other Before has never come up or been hinted at anywhere ever. I don’t know what’s causing this to happen, only that Aziraphale repeatedly looks pensive when coming out of flashbacks, and Crowley is never there afterwards to corroborate said memories.

His actions also seem pretty inconsistent with what we know of him—i.e. I refuse to believe he would ever mistreat his books, even if they’re just old encyclopedias. Also, he feels a bit too...forceful in trying to get Nina and Maggie to fall in love? I mean, he didn’t exert that much direct influence on even Warlock, when he was actively hoping that the boy would turn out angelic rather than neutral.

I don’t think this removes his agency in that last decision, so much as explains how he was in such a vulnerable place at all. He still needs to apologize and fix things, because he messed up, and even if he hadn’t he still seriously hurt Crowley.

What's going on with Crowley?

There’s something Off about Crowley. The most obvious thing, of course, is his memories. At multiple points in the present day, characters state that they remember him or have met him before, only to be met with confusion. This is especially concerning given that he has a nigh photographic memory for faces (something mentioned in the book when he immediately IDs Mary Loquacious, 11 years after a 30 second conversation).

Overall, he seems to be better known by other supernatural entities this season, in ways that often tie him back to his angelic identity (i.e. saying they fought together in the war, Aziraphale stating he knew the angel he used to be, etc...). This doesn’t feel right, because S1 we see that Hell is largely apathetic towards his schemes, and definitely does not defer to him at any point in any capacity.

Then there’s the issue of his power level. It’s always been speculated that Crowley was a powerful angel prior to falling, when he mentions in S1 his involvement with star making, his seemingly unique ability to freeze time, and creating a pocket universe for Adam before the confrontation with Satan. He also has a tendency of breathing life into inanimate objects, like his plants or car. He also has the regular demonic skillset: miracles that can adjust physical appearance; the ability to change inanimate objects (like paintball guns into real guns); the ability to manifest clothing and similar items; and summon hellfire to his fingertips. This, plus the way he monologues to God with a degree of familiarity rather than reverence seems to indicate that he was Somebody Powerful and Important Before.

But in S2, his skills are significantly expanded upon. The miracle he and Aziraphale summon sets off alarms in heaven and hell, and it’s powerful enough to mask Gabriel from the Archangels. He summons a miniature sun to rain fire on Job, which is way bigger and flashier than anything we’ve seen him summon in S1. (If he needs fire, he alters the course of a dropping bomb, without creating one himself.)

Yet he’s able to cloak his presence so well he goes wholly unnoticed in heaven, or in front of heavenly agents on earth (i.e. the Job flashback). Muriel can’t clock him as a demon, or even as another supernatural being, despite their auras usually being pretty significant, such Aziraphale immediately sensing the archangels when they arrive.  He’s able to interfere with files that Muriel claimed required clearance (although I feel like that might just be a snark about Obeying Without Thinking? I would really need a Narrator to know.)

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I don’t have any real issues with his characterization in the present day parts of S2, but there’s something weird happening with Crowley.

Where's all the people?

I really like a lot of the new characters, but how were there only like, 2.5 new humans named in the present day? Flashbacks don’t count bc the humans are all dead and can’t affect the story.

As much as I like Nina, she and Maggie don’t drive the story beyond being an occasional and awkwardly inserted plot contrivance? Both are actively robbed of their agency at several points, forced into situations that they could not have avoided or escaped. I’m not really sure what growth they’re expected to experience other than deciding not to date each other after everything. I literally can’t tell you anything about Nina other than that she remembers her regular’s orders, runs a coffee shop, and has a textbook abusive partner we never see. The only meaningful interactions they have are between those two, or in conversation with Aziraphale and Crowley.

Compare that to S1, where Anathema gets hit by Aziraphale and Crowley, but her primary relationships are with Newt, Adam, and Agnes Nutter (I think that counts as a relationship). We know that she’s got a wealthy family back in Puerto Rico, and that she was literally raised to save the world, and that she isn’t happy under all that pressure. Newt on the other hand is connected to not just Anathema, but Shadwell and Madame Tracy. He never even directly interacts with Aziraphale and Crowley. We know about his hobbies, his struggle to hold down a job, and his almost supernatural ability to destroy any electronics he touches. I don’t necessarily like how their relationship came together, but they were both very, very well fleshed out characters with unique backstories and goals. They weren’t just... waiting around to give Aziraphale and Crowley a new questline.

And while there’s no requirement to include a large cast of human characters that are exerting influence over the story, the lack of it is another aspect that makes this season feel not like Good Omens.

Also, it's just. Really weird to me that the events of S1 aren't really referenced at all? Like, Adam isn't mentioned, nor is Warlock. I don't expect them to keep track of the humans they met on the airfield for 20 minutes, but none of it is ever specifically referenced as far as I can tell, beyond Crowley threatening Gabriel. Like, I get that it's been a few years, but the pair caused a big enough disturbance that you'd expect some kind of ripples in their supernatural communities.

Promised by the Narrative (Obvious Chekhov's guns that I will be legitimately upset over if they do not go off)

A sincere apology from Aziraphale to Crowley that doesn't come with the expectation that Crowley will come back to him, but because he deserves an apology, even if the choices Aziraphale made were done with good intentions. Aziraphale does not expect forgiveness, and is shocked when Crowley grants it without hesitation.

A clear declaration of love from Aziraphale, which can't be rationalized away by either of them.

An "I'm Sorry" dance between Aziraphale and Crowley, but with greater sincerity and gravity. The most important piece is that they end up dancing together, which signifies a mutual apology and dedication to come together.

Since kissing is on the table, I expect an actual joyful, mutual kiss between these two assholes.

A shared cottage in South Downs.

Predictions/Theories (just some fun thoughts I've had)

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he didn't make himself not the antichrist, but accidentally crowned his human dad the King of Hell. Nobody knows this, because Adam doesn't have a good measure for "normal" supernatural situations, and Mr. Young because he's so "normal" that he explains away all the magical bullshit that's started going down.

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he erased Satan altogether. However, this left a vacuum in both power and reality. The defection of both Gabriel and Beelzebub only widens that crack. In an attempt to Fix things, reality is warping the story. Crowley has become leagues more powerful between S1 and S2, as the narrative is trying to force him into the role of his previous boss. Aziraphale is unknowingly being pulled into a similar version on the Other Side, perhaps to replace Gabriel or perhaps to replace God herself, who has been fairly absent in all this. The alterations to their memories or past have come about to keep the narrative running smoothly.

When the Metatron asks Nina whether anybody has ever asked for death, he was actually referring to Death, the sole remaining rider of the apocalypse.

If Maggie is indeed a Plot Device, it would be a fascinating exploration of Free Will to see her become aware of this (cue existential crisis), and then fall in love with Nina on her own terms, rather than because she was written that way.

Hastur will be back. Somehow.

The reason why S2 focuses so much on the supernatural characters is because S3 will be about how the events in S1 have changed the political landscape of heaven and hell. Angels are questioning their roles, demons are yearning for something more. It's scaring upper administration, and then the two most reliable folks in employment run away to alpha centauri. Recruiting Aziraphale and getting him back in line prevents him from becoming a martyr, control the range of his influence. The series reasserts its theme of choice and agency by highlighting that Aziraphale and Crowley aren't that special, they've just had the chance to live and grow, and that the others have free will too, if they want it.

The reason why they wanted to separate Aziraphale and Crowley, is not to get Aziraphale on his own, but to get Crowley on his own. He literally stopped time and made a pocket universe in front of Satan last season. He's powerful and dangerous and somebody wants to see that reigned in.

Wishlist (stuff I desperately want to see)

Crowley getting an audience with God and an opportunity to ask his questions, only to refuse to do so because he's found his own Answers and he no longer needs hers

Aziraphale and Crowley growing more into their book incarnations. Aziraphale becomes confident in his sense of morality, which he developed the hard way through millennia on earth besides humanity. He slowly learns what it means to be loved, unconditionally, but also is better at asserting and maintaining his boundaries. Crowley, still anxious and unwinding, works through his fear of abandonment, providing him opportunities to be kind and gentle and nurturing--all traits that he's aggressively hid since being a demon.

Hand holding. I know that Gaiman was referring to Ineffable Bureaucracy, but I still feel like we'd benefit from meaningful hand holding, especially since that got cut from the adaptation of the book.

Shifted focus away from the supernatural shenanigans, and back onto the humans that actually drive the story.

Cameos from S1 characters (if not a more substantial appearance).

The Four Other Riders of the Apocalypse.

Cursed Thoughts (why I shouldn't be allowed a social platform)

Ineffable Bureaucracy turns up in season 3 because Beelzebub got Gabriel pregnant somehow.

#good omens #good omens spoilers #good omens season 2 #good omens s2 #good omens meta #good omens 2 spoilers #good omens 2 theory #good omens 2 analysis #long post #text

[babiebom]

What Kind of ~dere the bachelorette's would be

A/N:it's the girl's turn<3333 it took me 5ever to finish this for some reason. I'm only writing it now because i'm watching doctor who and need 2 different kinds of stimulation and i have no snacks tbh(doctor who started buffering so now im watching the little mermaid Im not trying to give play by play of me writing this but Im so hyped rn and its 2 in the morning)

TW: maybe some spoilers, maybe some cursing, idk yet nothing that bad! There is some brief mention of childhood trauma and abuse on Penny's part but nothing graphic.

Genre: Headcanons

WC: about 10 bullet points per person

Abigail

Hiyakasudere

Penny

Described as light-hearted and flirtatious, often mischievous and playful on the outside and constantly teases their loved one as a sign of affection.

Would playfully bully you to try and make her crush on you not obvious

Makes it painfully obvious to everyone but you

"This sunset is cool but you know whats cooler?" "What?" "My sword collection"

Probably smacks you when laughing

Smacks you when you do something funny

Laughs extra loud

"Lmao I'll fight you idiot"

You two probably get in trouble to playing around in serious situations

Invites you to the mines with her

Or to the woods past the wizards tower

You two probably get into trouble together and think its funny that you were attacked by slimes

Does make fun of you even when you get together

"Ew you have a crush on me that's so embarrassing"

Undere

described as a "yes-man" to their loved one no matter what the consequences are their devotion doesn't allow them to betray their loved one easily and is an extension of the Goudere characterization.

OR

Leah

A Kekkondere

Which is described as some who believes in love at first sight and wants to get married right away. They have a deep desire to remain close to the person they meet for better or worse and this can sometimes evolve into them becoming a yandere type

So I could not choose which she fit more so I will try to fit everything within 20

I feel like due to her being a more submissive type in my mind that she would 100 percent be a yes man

Especially with a woman like Pam as her mother.

She has probably learned that disagreeing with her led to consequences that she does not enjoy.

So due to her childhood trauma she is more likely to just agree with whatever you say

And even if you try and get her to actually say her own opinion I don't think she fully grows out of it but it develops into a more shes a yes man because she feels safe.

Does not matter what will happen to her you are her main priority now so it is whatever you say goes because this is her fairy tale ending

On the other hand I think she is on par with us fanfic girlies on how delusional she is

Spends time constantly reading romance novels and imagining herself as the female love interest or heroine

So when she meets you and is immediately attracted to you

It turns into oh yeah this is love at first sight

This is meant to be because look at how i feel

This is like in the books I read

And she wants to get married very quickly

Brings it up maybe once at the beginning of your relationship

If you dont agree she doesnt say anything again

Just tries to manipulate you into marrying her quickly by doing wifey things

She will put it on you and make you wanna marry her

Will have you forever and ever just don't try to leave because she will enter yandere territory

Deredere(explained on Emily's part because I did hers first)

Honesty I thought none of these fit her thoroughly

Shes too....normal I guess?

At least to fit these categories

She's literally just an artsy girl i don't know

Like shes a creative but not delusional like Elliott so yandere is out of the question

Especially because her last relationship moved at a pace she disliked and was going to restrict her and what she wanted to do

So obviously shes not going to be the type of partner to hold you back in any aspect

But shes not going to let you run over her

Shes just a stable adult

Love that for her tbh

Could never be me where can I learn to become a Leah?

Emily

Deredere

Described as someone who is energetic, kind, and caring and while they show their affection to their loved one they can still hold normal relationships with others.

The sanest one here

Would not let herself get swept up in romance to the point of where its her whole life

There are other things she has to worry about

Like her sister, the wellbeing of all of her friends, being the chilliest woman on the planet

Emily tingz

Is the least likely to do something deranged because she knows that your relationship is stable and she doesn't need to do anything special

Because you love her for her and she loves you for you

Like yeah shes a weird(affectionate) person in general

But I also think she's the oldest out of the bachelorettes(hcs maybe?)

So she does have a clear head most of the time.

Amd she has probably been around and knows that she doesn't have to be crazy because trust is a good thing and luckily she has trust in you

Was probably insane in her younger years and its why shes chill now

Tbh overall a green flag

Maru

Hajidere

Haley

Described as someone shy and nervous around their crush and can socialize with anyone who is not them. Usually blushes or gets flustered at them making the first move

Gives me vibes like she will become super clumsy in front of you

And 100 times more socially awkward

Will stutter and trip over her words

Or drop things

Is the definition if the shy anime girl tbh

"O-oh Farmer! D-did you s-see that?"

I cringed writing that pls

Like it isn't very apparent in the game she just gives me these vibes

Especially because she does sort of go on about her sciencey stuff but i think that's just her being a nerd

I feel like she would be fine before she has a crush

But the second she realizes her feelings it becomes a problem

Obviously you notice but I think you would be too nice to say anything

Unless you're an Abigail type then ofcourse you say something

Becomes dumber the longer you are in her space because you're so attractive and now she cannot breathe

Mayadere

described as someone who is usually the antagonist who switches sides after falling in love with the main character. Usually first appears hostile or intimidating but a change of heart allows them to reveal their true feelings later on

Mostly this because I think she's a butch

But then she becomes cute after getting to know the farmer

Honestly I did not really like her and wanted to fight her up until I actually started gaining hearts with her

So I feel like this fits totally because like

She was the antagonist of my story at least

And she became cute and lovable the second she started feeling feelings

Like with one of her heart events

You literally take pictures with animals

She gets mud in her hair and doesn't even complain like

How she got me on her side Idk

Would probably be the type of girl to be like

Oh farmers here? And then very loudly say things like

"Oh yeah i could TOTALLY grow a few crops no big deal AT ALL"

"Did they hear it? You think they want me to move in yet? Do you think they're in love with me yet? Of course they are i'm Haley duh."

Not quite tsundere because she wouldn't do the whole "its not like I like you" thing

She would make it clear that she likes you but that she's the prize and not you

Sometimes is still hostile before she remembers she can let down her walls.

Its a journey to get her to say what shes actually thinking about certain things but you get there!

#stardew valley #sdv #stardew #x reader #sdv headcanons #stardew headcanon #stardew valley headcanons #stardew valley x reader #sdv bachelorettes #stardew bachelorettes #stardew valley bachelorettes #sdv abigail #stardew abigail #stardew valley abigail #sdv penny #stardew penny #stardew valley penny #sdv haley #stardew haley #stardew valley haley #sdv emily #stardew emily #stardew valley emily #sdv leah #stardew leah #stardew valley leah #sdv maru #stardew maru #stardew valley maru #headcanon

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Ryo’s Gun & Jane Austen

It’s hard to see, but in the OP Ryo’s gun (and it is Ryo’s gun, I made the mistake in a previous post of thinking it was Kazuki’s, whoops! But I have noted that correction in a reblog, so definitely check that out - I’ll link it below) has a quote on it from, what Google is telling me, is Jane Austen. The quote is:

I want nothing but death.

Those were her last words. 

Seeing those last words on Ryo’s gun in the OP with the current situation and the Episode 11 preview and everything - it can certainly seem scary. 

But, I’m going to focus a bit on Jane Austen as a writer, what her styles and themes are, and what that might mean for Buddy Daddies or how it might be reflected in Buddy Daddies. Since Kazuki’s VA did mention that we should think about what message the director is sending in this last act.

So, let’s take a look. I think the main two ways that Jane Austen’s style and themes can be seen in Buddy Daddies, is how her writing was considered realism and with a lot of emphasis being placed on “the everyday” that was accompanied by comedy:

Text: Jane Austen's (1775–1817) distinctive literary style relies on a combination of parody, burlesque, irony, free indirect speech and a degree of realism. She uses parody and burlesque for comic effect and to critique the portrayal of women in 18th-century sentimental and Gothic novels. Austen extends her critique by highlighting social hypocrisy through irony; she often creates an ironic tone through free indirect speech in which the thoughts and words of the characters mix with the voice of the narrator. The degree to which critics believe Austen's characters have psychological depth informs their views regarding her realism. While some scholars argue that Austen falls into a tradition of realism because of her finely executed portrayal of individual characters and her emphasis on "the everyday", others contend that her characters lack a depth of feeling compared with earlier works, and that this, combined with Austen's polemical tone, places her outside the realist tradition.

(From the Wikipedia Article on her style, which will be linked to below).

We see aspects of this with Buddy Daddies. In Episode 4 we have a critique being made about the ridiculous levels of paperwork and prep work that needs to go into sending a kid to daycare.

While we get depictions of everyday aspects like Kazuki cleaning or Rei and Miri playing games together. 

Another aspect of Jane Austen’s writing style is about character’s growing to become “better” and more moral versions of themselves.

Text:  Her plots are fundamentally about education; her heroines come to see themselves and their conduct more clearly, and become better, more moral people. While Austen steers clear of the formal moralizing common in early-19th-century literature, morality—characterized by manners, duty to society and religious seriousness—is a central theme of her works. Throughout her novels, serious reading is associated with intellectual and moral development.

We see that happening in Buddy Daddies as well, through scenes like Rei’s thoughts on how he just mindlessly killed in the past:

Or with the discussion and prevalence on change:

There are other elements and themes to her writing as well, like the focus on women, of course. But I don’t think we can really speak on that aspect too much until the series is said and done. 

Of course, the quote is likely also there due to Ryo’s curiosity with death, final words, and the reason for why humans exist. But, I would like to think that this quote wasn’t picked solely for that reason either.

Also, I’m not super well versed in Jane Austen stuff (I know some of my moots are though! Though I don’t know how versed they might be with Buddy Daddies), but if anyone who is more versed with her as a person and her works wants to chime in or add to this (or correct me on anything I may have gotten wrong!) please feel free to do so in a reblog, comment or even in the tags. I always love to see what others write or contribute to the conversation! <3

#Buddy Daddies #BD #Jane Austen #KazuRei #Kazuki Kurusu #Rei Suwa #Ryo Ogino #BD spoilers #Buddy Daddies spoilers #long post #image heavy post #meta post #analysis #themes

[animehouse-moe]

You Should Read The Ephemeral Scenes Of Setsuna's Journey

Isekai light novels get a bad rap, and rightfully so. A lot are complete drivel that is strung together by overpowered characters that appeal to a power fantasy and very little else. Finding good isekai series is quite the challenge. Thankfully, The Ephemeral Scenes Of Setsuna's Journey promises to be a proper good isekai, and one that I think people should be picking up.

Yes, I'm terrible for not having posted about either of these volumes as I've read them. I've just been a little pre-occupied with mulling them over and really savoring the process of reading them. As a side note though, this post will only talk about the first volume in loose terms, completely avoiding any talk of the second volume.

Anyways, what's Setsuna about? To answer sort of cryptically, it's about a boy finding his place in a wide world where he can surround himself with family as well as experiences he could have never had before.

Setsuna was terminally ill in his original world. He wasn't alone or living a crappy life by any means, as his family was incredibly caring and loving, but being restricted to a bed for the majority of life is a soul crushing experience. So, imagine how you would feel if you were summoned as a hero to a land of magic and ability beyond belief, but were still crippled by that same illness. Only here, you have no family, you have no one that wants to care for you and ensure you live as good a life as possible.

Or so you thought. As a year passes and Setsuna is nearly "released" from his duties as a hero, a previous hero appears before the sickly young man, offering a promise, 'take my life'. In the most literal sense, the former hero swaps his soul with Setsuna's to give the young man a new lease on life in a new world, and our story begins from here.

It's such a great and emotional beginning to Setsuna's story. We see him hit rock bottom, saved by someone that comes to be an older brother to the young man in hindsight, giving Setsuna a push on the back and saying, "go out there and live.". It's very very strong sentiment, and it's what we see through the entirety of the first volume.

It's all about Setsuna making connections in the world, finding a family, finding people that care about him and will take him in and give him direction in life. A grandfather that carefully watches over his much too strong grandson for how naive he is. The father that struggles with his life decisions and if what he's doing is right for his family. Or maybe another father figure that brings Setsuna out into the real world, alongside a brother that's just a bit difficult to get along with. Maybe even the den mother that gives Setsuna a warm home and the push he needs to leave his home town.

The idea of a found family, and its importance in the development and direction of Setsuna's new life is just felt so strongly in every interaction, it's wonderful. Setsuna was originally bound to the confines of a bed in a hospital room. He hardly has an idea of how to live in the outside world, let alone on his own and in an entirely new world. The slower steps that the young man takes just really help you grasp the idea that Setsuna is groping around in the dark with the help of others to find his purpose and goal in this new life.

And while the story almost always frames it as Setsuna being helped by those around him, it's impossible to not understand that Setsuna leaves a lasting effect on those that come to favor him, and I think that's incredibly great. The idea that only one of the two strangers in an interaction will walk away better for it is silly. These are two individuals at two important places in their lives, it is not one lecturing the other, but the pair engaging with each other. Setsuna learns, but he also teaches.

There's just so many aspects like this that really sell just how great the character development is in the story. Even better is that it's just one facet of it. There is, in a fact, a greater story to be told in several areas, and the first volume is great at illustrating that scope and scale without detracting from the small community with which Setsuna begins his new life.

Similarly, all the little extraneous bits. The magic system is solid and complex, placing heavy focus on individuality and purpose. The guild system aims for chemistry alongside capability, and ties a strong political thread into it as a whole. Warriors and adventurers are shown to be strong and able, rivaling and evening outpacing Setsuna thanks to experience and knowledge. And so on and so forth.

The only thing I can think to complain of is that, much like a lot of other great isekai writers, they feel rushed to get somewhere. So many don't have confidence in the words they weave to form entire worlds that they end up leaving potential on the table. Not that it's something terrible and should be complained about, but just that even in a story as good as this, the author so clearly has more they could have given, maybe even wanted to give, but were limited due to uncertainty, time constraints, or something else.

At the end of the day, isekai is unrightfully a genre, and will force series like Setsuna into being classified as an isekai. But I think anybody that reads will immediately understand the differences. Like every other great isekai series out there, Setsuna uses the concept as a theme to set the stage for the exploration of a story that can use that theme to its fullest potential. And I think that's great, and that people should be reading this series so that we can see more like it.

Oh, and also, there's a beautiful 2 volume manga adaptation of the LN if you want to test the waters.

#the ephemeral scenes of setsunas journey #the ephemeral scenes of setsuna's journey #setsuna no yuukei #isekai manga #isekai light novel #isekai #light novel review #light novel recommendation #light novel #manga review #manga reccs #manga recommendation #anime and manga

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/738716716223365120/so-i-probably-got-this-completely-wrong-because-i

I’ve read some good litfic “retellings” that were so loose and reinterpretive I’m not sure I would’ve known they were retellings of X if they weren’t labeled that way or the characters weren’t named certain things, but they engaged with the original work *thematically* in a way that was still really thoughtful and added things to the conversation about it, and got me thinking about the original work in a new way. To me, the issue is more when people kind of miss the thematic meat of that original story rather than if they recreate every plot beat or character arc exactly. The question I think a lot of fic writers fail to ask is “why THIS retelling specifically, and why in THIS other fandom?”

And I’ve honestly seen more slavishly faithful in a plot/character way “retellings” that fall into that, than more reinterpretive ones. Ones that follow it more loosely, to me, are usually written by people who have thought a lot about why they should put this element in there and not this other one, etc. (A lot of mainstream media “retellings” also do this; for instance, Clueless recreates a lot of stuff from Emma that works for its 90s setting or its set of characters, but skips some other stuff that doesn’t, like the whole Miss Bates storyline, or by making the Frank Churchill equivalent gay rather than in a secret engagement. And I think it works a lot better in recreating the “spirit” of that novel than when I’ve seen other “modern” Austen retellings try desperately to make some of the more dated aspects of her stories work in a modern society that just doesn’t have the same hangups about women who aren’t married by X age being sad pitiful old maids, about any amount of premarital sex dooming not just a woman but her entire family, etc.) I’m sure there are others that aren’t like that, but that’s what I’ve seen. Like at the very least, it’s a good sign to me where a fic writer is willing to invent OCs for certain characters from the story being “retold” where none of the canon characters in their chosen fandom fit into that role, rather than try to shove everyone into one of those molds no matter how much it doesn’t work.

But in general I think it’s those kinds of retellings, that are just recreating some other story but with their blorbos from this other show or video game or whatever, that puzzle me. I often wonder also why THIS story with THIS fandom because it often seems to be with relationships where something about them that is pretty fundamental to their appeal is not possible with this story framing. For instance, I’m in a fandom now where my OTP is one where *in canon* a lot of how their relationship grows is through conversations and debates, and there’s someone right now writing a retelling of the fairy tale The Wild Swans with them, where they meet after one of them has already taken the vow of silence from the original fairytale. So that’s already fundamentally changing a key part of the bond between those characters. Why would you write THIS fairytale with THIS fandom? Maybe that person will answer it eventually, but so far it seems to be more about “writing this fairytale with my blorbos” than anything else.

I mean, I get why… someone is currently Obsessed with that story and they’re also Obsessed with this fandom/character/ship/etc. so it’s the classic fandom thing of Two Things I Like Together! But along with being tired with stuff that’s just Two Things without having any other reason to be…. Idk, a lot of it just feels like it’s another form of ATG, where it’s less about really engaging with these characters as they were written and more about fitting them into a preexisting mold by any means necessary.

AUs of any kind, including retellings of any story, need to work with the characters as they are, and not just feel like they could be written fundamentally the same about any fandom with just the character names changed.

Tbh, there’s a long enough tradition of this with “original works” where they do retellings of classic stories, that you can look there for examples of how to keep the essence of the original story while also having it fit the ones from the fandom you’re writing it for. We just got out of a season of the year where half the shows on TV do riffs on a Charles Dickens novella from over 150 years ago. Look at how Christmas Carol specials (the good ones, anyway) are written and how they still fit within the original show and also riff on the original work in a recognizable, thematically meaningful or funny (or both) way, and that will give you guidance on how to do retellings in your fanfic that don’t feel superfluous.

--

[barmadumet]

Ahsoka Episode 5 Spoilers Below!

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Okay, I’m going to do something I never do, and I don’t think ever have done – I’m going to do the “take” thing – put my opinion online. I don’t like to do this, because I feel like there is ALWAYS someone opposed, and I just don’t want any bad energy revolving around my beloved escape from reality.

For the last twenty-two hours, I have been profusely hitting the ❤️­s on other posts, jumping up and down and hugging people, and basically just doing the equivalent of shouting, “ANAKIN!!!” but I’ve yet to really try to discuss Episode 5, because, quite frankly, it’s just been too freaking emotional for me! I have all these feelings that I don’t know how to sort out, and I've honestly felt like I could burst into tears at any given moment, all day long. I went through this with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and I remember I felt literally insane for a WHILE. Perhaps, I should’ve written something like this back then – writing is my outlet, after all.

So, here we go. . . I don’t have many followers, and I know many people won’t read this, but I just need to get it out!

A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend, Wibz asked me, “What kind of story do you like? What kind of fic do you like to read?” I replied sappy, mushy, hurt/comfort, of course. I told her I like dialogue – dealing with emotional ups and downs - HEALING. I told her I liked fix-its and time travel, and I specifically said I like seeing into ‘what could’ve been’ scenarios, and I mentioned by name the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” And the thing I really love about that movie is the ability to visit the past. I like stories that take us back – and not just as a flashback, but a present character being able to look at their past and reflect. You probably know where this is going by now, but the way we finally got our long-awaited Clone Wars ‘flashback’ couldn’t have been more perfect in my opinion.

And the thing that has made me the most emotional through all of this was simply seeing that first battle in live action. I will admit, upon viewing the first two episodes of Ahsoka, I felt the show might’ve been better presented in Rebels animation. Well, I can now, happily admit I was wrong.

We saw the brutal beginnings of the Clone Wars at the Battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, and we see the heart-breaking conclusion and the end of the war in Revenge of the Sith. My personal opinion is that we have been very fortunate to get a great show about the time in between, however; being short, animated (directed at a younger audience) episodes, there are emotional aspects that are rushed through and not fully explored. If you’ve read my insanely long fix-it fic, then you know that it carries through these Clone Wars episodes that I love so very much, BUT in writing it my own way, I was able to put in all the drama I wanted to see – the breakdowns, the tears, a deeper look into the trauma of fighting in a war. And yes, there have been some amazing Star Wars novels that do this, but again, seeing it in live action. . . seeing just how young Ahsoka really was, seeing her mourn the injured and deceased clones. Having her and Anakin address the fragility of life and getting to hear that conversation about it. . . Now the viewing audience has a grasp on just how bleak this time period was. I didn’t know how bad I needed to see this – a human turned Togruta actor conveying those destroyed expressions and defeated body language. The impact was more than I expected, and it wouldn’t have been the same in animation.

The other super tear-jerky part for me was the theme of ‘Live or Die’ ‘Fight or Die’ . . .I can’t let myself get into too much detail about this, but if you know me, and you know my story, then you know. Great. I’m crying again 🤷🏻‍♀️ This was just such a powerful message for ANYONE struggling in any aspect of their life, and it sincerely helped me to rise another day, and will be a continued reminder, probably for a while.

You all know how much I love Anakin (and Obi-Wan), and so much of the hype is revolved around his character right now, but this personal journey we find Ahsoka on is truly beautiful to me. I was honestly uneasy about the way Ahsoka was portrayed, thus far, in our other series. She didn’t feel like Ahsoka to me. I accepted and understood that her character had been through much in her short life, and that much time had passed since we last saw her and she would've evolved, but overall, I honestly (😬) didn’t much enjoy what we got of her in live action. I kept my expectations for this show at the minimum. I try not to predict what might happen in canon Star Wars, because I never want to set myself up for disappointment. I strive to go in with an open mind and a clear head and just enjoy the show. But I’ll admit, I was hopeful for Ahsoka’s character development in this. . . and so far, I find myself satisfied. It has now been acknowledged how severely Anakin’s turn impacted her – that was a necessity in my opinion, because of course it did. And it’s still unfathomable to me, but I feel like we got to witness her getting her closure with Anakin 😭 At the end of episode 5, I was finally getting the Ahsoka vibes I was longing for. And let’s not ignore just how ’Ahsoka’ she was in the past scenes with Anakin! I was in awe of how her different animated fighting stances over the years translated into live action. It was her! And this is probably a great time to also mention: that was Anakin, too! In the beginning, we saw him on that World Between Worlds walkway training Ahsoka – the orchestrated footwork, the lack of aggression . . . It felt like the Anakin we see in the lightsaber kata training video Ahsoka watches in Rebels! We have not seen this in live action! We have not seen Anakin as a Master to an apprentice! 🥹 And again, I didn’t know how bad I needed that. Later, when we are taken back onto that WBW walkway, we see him fighting like we’ve seen in Revenge of the Sith. It’s Vader! And he’s so pissed and intends to kill! I won’t spend too much time gushing the way most already have – the Sith eyes, the flawless ROTS attire we already loved given back to us, and the Clone Wars look brought to life. . . the hair 😍 Just seeing him, Hayden Anakin, fight in a Clone Wars battle in live action! So strong and mighty 💪🏻 with such determination and sensitivity. . . with just the right amount of cockiness 😉 He’s perfection. And I think this is noncontroversial opinion everyone would agree with lol.  

And maybe you do or don’t agree with this part, but I feel Anakin’s appearance was 💯 open to interpretation, and I think that’s GREAT. This character means so much to so many people, and there is never a way to satisfy everyone when it comes to storytelling. Everyone had/has different opinions of how this should’ve been handled. Was Anakin a Force ghost? Was the entire encounter all in Ahsoka’s head? Was Anakin something else entirely? Was he Vader? Maybe you have an answer to this question and you are certain in your theory – that’s awesome. I think that’s the way it should be. We get to “make things the way we want them to be” WITH CANON! 👏🏻 I am not yet certain of what my own theory is. I’ve watched it four times, and I am still processing it all. One thing for sure, I’m glad the WBW was involved. Again, if you know of my preferred way to ‘fix-it’ then you know what that means to me 🥰

I think I’m done 🫣 I just needed to release these feelings! And I feel we are so blessed. I still can’t believe this really happened. And I am so thankful to get to share in the joy with all of you 💖 Okay! I think I’m ready to talk now if y’all want to talk! 🤭

#ahsoka spoilers #a barma take? #that hasn't been done in the history of tumblr #hope you aren't insulted #this is basically a review I guess? #ANAKIN! #FEELINGS! #AHHH! #I love the feelings

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Phullo it is I again!

I am very glad that you actually responded and given me an actual advice since I was worried about the question I sent you.

Though besides that I have another question for you (hoorayyy)!

So, about the reading books earlier- I’m fortunately a bookworm too! It’s just that I notice I prefer reading the genre science fiction/psychological horror more than… anything else!

And while the books I am currently reading, ‘Flowers For Algernon’ and ‘I’m Thinking Of Ending Things’ (these books are seriously so wonderfully made they make want to tear my walls), DO have romantic aspects of it- it’s not really the main plot of the story..

‘Flowers For Algernon’ has amazing storytelling and is very unique- though I’m not sure if you’ve read it before but, it’s actually just the main character taking notes. Hence why there was a lot misspellings which honestly makes it a great touch if you know the context behind it.

On the other hand, ‘I’m Thinking Of Ending Things’ too shares the same uniqueness as the other, possibly even more unique if I must say so myself. Though I REALLY don’t want to make my story similar to them since I want to make it more heart warming than fucked up..

Which is why I feel like I have the need to borrow or buy at least one romantic book because, I lack of it. I mean I accidentally borrowed it one time but it was kind of disappointing.

I don’t know if its a good idea and if I should do it or not since does it really matter of the genre, or just the writing?

Still, if you have any good books that are in the romance genre. Feel free to recommend some to me!

-lots of love, from another bookworm

welcome back! happy to hear you're a bookworm as well <3 im writing those titles down since i read a criminal lack of sci-fi despite loving it

i actually don't have any straight up romance recs - i don't actively search it out (outside of fanfic), so any romance i read just comes with whatever book i've picked up. just straight up romance bores me, unless its a fic with a pairing i actively like. and even then, i need to take breaks from it unless the romance is interspersed with an actual plot. im not a romantically-geared person! i dont have single Main Plot Is Romance book on my shelves!

but imo its really just the quality of writing that helps. ive never been in a romance, im the child of two different divorces, and yet ive been told that i write romance fairly well. go fuckin figure lmao.

so actually my advice on romance is to just like. wow idk what i do is pick apart the romances i see on tv / in writing. what makes them good together, how do they act around each other, what are their love languages, what's their dynamic, what traditional romance things do they partake in, what dont they partake in, do they have anything nontraditional, do they work and why do / they dont they - does that make their relationship more interesting or is it flat. are they a good match.

you don't have to have every answer, but ive found that at least understanding their characters / dynamics, and having them interact in a way that suits them will help your romance feel natural. dont conform to tropes or tradition, that will just make the relationship flat and unrealistic. and you can always sprinkle in little things that you like / would like, which will help ground the romance and get you into the groove

tldr with romance, i think it's better to observe real life (whether that's paying attention to couples or reading reddit threads) & analyze in-love or in-a-relationship characters instead of just reading romance novels. bc honestly, and from what i can tell, they can tend to be over the top or cookie cutter

just realized you did not explicitly ask for romance advice! Oopsie! i got a little carried away here....

#another thing i like to do is analyze bad fictional relationships / ones i dont like #both bc it gives me a concise argument / explanation if someone gets on me about it #and bc it helps me understand what makes good romances Good #bc bad relationships make me sit there and ask 'well. what went wrong here? why dont they work? why do i hate this? whats Missing?' #and filling in those gaps teaches me what Does work. what will go Right. why i Love it. what Is there. #sometimes the answer is simply bad writing & after taking a deeper look #i can conclude they they Are good for each other - the show/book just shoved them together with no reason other than #'need romance' or 'boy meet girl' or 'love at first sight' #i mean there are some romances that i look at it and im like 'wow! this should not be happening!' #but i Like it because its interesting enough! a good example is aline & the darkling from the grishaverse #such a fucking unhealthy relationship. really well written. fascinating. hot as hell. important for the story/characters. #i wanted to rip them apart but also glue them together to see how horrible the train crash would be!!!! #absolutely unprompted #so i mean... i think i can rec books that Have good romances in them? but thats not the focus by any means #lemme know... i know im less helpful this time around but i hope im helping a little! #feel free to ask as many questions as you like - ill do my best with all of them

[amysubmits]

You mentioned that when you brought up the D/s relationship to your husband, you sent him articles about it. Do you remember where you found those articles? My husband and I have been married 14 years, and together 19. We had a very limited sex life in the past due to sexual trauma I had from my previous relationship. I always had very bad feelings towards sex and viewed it as something that just hurt and the sooner it’s over the better and you just have to get him off to be done.

It wasn’t until I started reading erotica novels about BDSM that I even changed my view on sex and had my first orgasm…3 years after being married (5 years after I first had sex). Now I have a much healthier relationship with sex and I can have multiple orgasms, multiple ways.

My husband is very Alpha and amazing at making sure I’m taken care of and he prioritizes me and my safety. We’ve always sort of had that D/s dynamic. But I really want to go deeper into it. He’s open to discussing it. I just don’t know where to start other than the stereotypical stuff you see everywhere. I almost wish we had someone that could guide us and I don’t know how to bring it up to him that he needs a much better understanding of it just from having no familiarity of how in depth the dynamic is. The thing I’m mostly drawn to is the psychological aspect of it and when the Dom knows what the sub needs and demands it, regardless if the sub is aware what he’s doing. Thank you for all your posts and putting everything out there for people wanting to expand from a long term vanilla relationship to a new D/s relationship!

Hi there!

I'm so sorry that you've had the traumatic sexual experiences that have made it harder for you to find your way with your sexuality - but it's so cool that you've managed to do so now! Mine was a bit different from yours it sounds like, but it took me a while to figure out my sexuality due to trauma as well.

As far as what I shared with CD when I was first sharing the concept with him...

I came across the idea of domestic discipline (aka DD) before we knew about 'regular' D/s. It took a while before I realized that DD is basically a form of D/s. There's often a lot more D/s content out there than there is DD, so being limited to just knowing to search for DD made it especially tough. But anyway, the articles that I found early on where all on DD sites. There was some DD site that had a forum that was most of what I used as a reference from what I recall, and that site has since shut down. It was already really inactive by the time I was finding it like 10 years ago. But another that I can recall looks like it's still up. That is

I also recall a blog that was called A Shrew Tamed but I can't seem to find that. I think it may have been a Wordpress or blogspot blog?

That's what I recall starting with, anyway. While I gained a lot of info from those sources, I remember feeling frustrated that I couldn't find anything that was "spot on" for what I wanted. There are plenty of non-sexist DD people out there, but DD does bring in the sexist people more than regular D/s does, so there's a lot of sexism that can get mixed into most of the content I was finding early on... and that was always really offputting to me, but at the time it was the closest I could find to what I wanted. So I'd just share stuff with Cd but then point out the parts that I disagreed with or whatever. And he sometimes had additional parts that he disagreed with. So we had to kinda patch together our own path using some ideas from others but then crafting the rest based on our own ethics and needs and so on. Which I thought was kind of 'wrong' at the time, but I'm so glad we did that rather than feeling like we had to copy some guidelines from someone else that weren't right for us.

It took a ton of talking to get started, and that was pretty uncomfortable for me at the time as my communication skills were pretty bad and I had a lot of shame wrapped up in all of this so it was hard to talk about. But, to do D/s safely, I really had to get to a place where I could talk about it pretty in depth and openly so in hindsight, I'm glad that we did push ourselves to do all that talking. It was needed. Some of what we had to explore in depth were what both of us were wanting to feel about different aspects of D/s, what things we thought would give us those feelings and what things we thought would definitely NOT give us those feelings. And then once we started, we talked about what we were doing all the time in the beginning. CD wanted to know how everything he did felt to me, and we tried to keep adjusting if anything didn't feel good or right.

It's great that you know that a big part of what you're looking for is for your partner to know your needs and to prioritize them. Most likely, making it possible for him to know your needs in different situations will require you to share your needs with him a lot for a long time so that he can learn the patterns of what you need. And I know that sucks because a lot of times when we want someone to know our needs, part of what feels good is them 'just knowing' without us asking or telling, but realistically, our partners can usually only learn our needs in extreme detail like that, if a lot of communication happens early on.

It sometimes feels like CD 'reads my mind' and 'just knows' things - but that's almost always because at some point in the past, we openly discussed that need in some way or another. It also helps that he is very observant of my behavior and reactions to things, so he notices if I have a positive or negative reaction to something that happens or is said, and he tries to catalog that for future use. But that alone wouldn't be enough for him to know my needs most of the time.

I wish I had some specific article to point you to that would be exactly what you want, but I don't know of one. I do know that there's lots of great content here on tumblr that you could maybe use to send to your partner with commentary about what sounds good about it and what doesn't sound so good about it, the way I did with those early articles years go. I have a tag on my blog #vanilla to D/s that I use to tag any content I write or reblog that I think would be of interest to people transitioning from vanilla to D/s. @cherishedproperty has some of the best d/s content on tumblr in my opinion. Off the top of my head, I believe @tinybitsubby and @cybister015 are two more blogs you can follow for vanilla to D/s experience. And there are lots of others that are just good D/s examples even if they aren't vanilla to D/s. I tag most reblogs with #other writers if you want to browse that to see other blogs I've reblogged from and check out their content.

Hope this helps! If you have any additional questions come up feel free to reach out again. Best of luck to you guys. :)

#asks #d/s #24/7 d/s #vanilla to d/s

[dukeofankh]

The discourse about whether romance novel fans are porn addicts is dumb and hilarious. Like, are the books deeply pandering escapist fantasies that usually veer into deeply horny fuck scenes? Yes. Are they PORN though? Oh, absolutely also yes.

The issue isn't whether it's porn. It's that porn addiction isn't real, and getting mad at women for reading porn makes even less sense than being mad at men for watching it, considering at this point the people aren't even real so it's not even like there's a risk of exploitation.

Does it make someone an addict to consistently read books that make them feel good? No. Might not be the most challenging or enriching thing ever, but who gives a shit. People don't have an obligatory quota of deep existential thought that they're shirking by reading thinly veiled Reylo fanfic. Reading words isn't something you can be addicted to. That's not what addiction means. Just straight up. Even when it's compulsive or self-soothing behaviour, that's still not the same as an addiction and you need to stop acting like your youth pastor and/or favourite sex-negative tumblrista knows better than a field full of people with PHDs in neurochemistry, who consistently maintain both the conclusion that the only aspect of porn consumption that is bad for you is the shame some people feel for consuming it, and also that since people can develop compulsive relationships to anything including eating hair, laser focusing on that happening with porn specifically is pretty clearly just a basicass moral panic.

If I could watch movies about a cool awesome guy that everyone thinks is the coolest, and all the dudes are like "oh no here comes the coolest dude ever, I lose and you win" and the girls are all like "but you only have one penis and me and my gorgeous frenemy each have several holes how are we going to figure this out?"...I...would? And I do? Its not hypothetical. I am a dude. That's what a lot of media aimed at dudes has, historically, been. Wish fulfillment. Ladies should also get wish fulfillment.

Like, is it cringe to see people geeking out about their porn in public? Yeah. I don't tend to do that, personally. I think that since people tend to see women's desire in a toothless and objectified way, there's a tendency for some people to overlook how broadcasting it can put people off in public spaces. But that's more of an issue of social media cramming everyone into the same space and destroying the barriers between niche hobby spaces and adult spaces and people's public news feeds. The women reading the porn is fine. The women liking the porn is fine. The women talking to other women about how they like the porn is fine. Something annoying you or disgusting you is fine, but then that's kind of all that can or should be said. There isn't a step two. There isn't a step where you should shame and smear people until they never annoy or disgust you.

At this point society's morals are pretty broadly varied. Theres only a few things left you can call someone that are received with the scorn and shame you meant them with in any consistent way. And that's why everyone spends all of their time calling people they don't like either pedophiles or addicts. It's getting tiring.

#me writing stuff #booktok #puritanism #tw: sex mention

[peachymilkandcream]

Break Me Slowly Levi NSFW Alphabet

A/N: Felt like doing one of these for him so why not ^^

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) To avoid completely unnecessary discomfort he does the bare minimum. He mostly cares about himself and his comfort. He demands after sex cuddles from her though.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s) On him he likes his arms and hands. They're toned with lots of veins. He also likes the strength and power in them. In Evelyn, he hates it because he feels shallow but his favourite part of her would be her breasts, the softness is just everything to him.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) I think it's pretty obvious his favourite would be inside, however he would love to just cover her in it as another way of marking her.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) This was kind of mentioned in part 8 of the story but he has a picture of Evelyn from her files which he took not long after she enlisted and used to help keep the lonely nights at bay.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?) Levi has no experience, he was determined to save himself for her however he has a very general idea of what he's doing simply because of growing up in the Underground as well as he would read some of the smutty novels Evelyn would read.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) He likes the mating press the best (shocker) because not only is it harder for her to struggle but he can also go deeper which feels the best for him.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) This one goes without saying, he is definitely not. Unless Evelyn had a complete change then the chances are next to zero.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) Levi has never cared too much about it but he does keep it trimmed just for cleanliness sake.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect) Same with goofy, unless there was a complete change in Evelyn he would be focused more on making her submit than being romantic.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) Levi had to find moments either in the bathroom or even in his office to masturbate since he and Evelyn used to sleep in the same bed since they both have trouble sleeping. His favourite method was using her picture which picturing her in sexy lingerie.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) Breeding kink, lingerie (although she won't wear it yet ;)) somnophilia, bondage, katoptronophilia (<- note I will 100% make a smutshot of any of these kinks just drop in my asks and say the word)

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) Bedroom obviously, but he would be willing to also do so in his office or the bath

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) Since Evelyn has never tried to turn him on, the thought of her kissing his ears/neck always has at least

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) Anything involving sharing her or making him be submissive

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) He's never received head but he has a huge fantasy of wanting that to happen, to see her looking up at him with her mouth on his dick is a huge turn on. But he doesn't mind giving it to see her squirm.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) It depends on her behaviour, bratty behaviour is fast and rough. It gets her moaning and submitting enough at least. However slow and deep feels the best for him.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) He prefers taking his time to enjoy himself but will dick her down wherever the need arrises.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) So long as nothing could potential involve her getting seriously hurt he's willing to try whatever it takes to get her to submit to him.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) He's been getting better at lasting longer, but he stills climaxes way too quickly for his liking. However he's up for another round fairly quickly after.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) No never, only he can pleasure her.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) It again depends on the mood and her behaviour. If he wants to make a point that she's needy for him he'll tease her until she begs. But usually he doesn't too much since in his eyes it's a waste of time.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) Levi is not a moaner but he's a heavy breather. Hot and heavy breaths in her ear all day, and he's not ashamed to be loud about it either. In his mind he wants her to know her body is pleasing him which is her role.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) He fantasizes about having sex with her in his office and leaving the door unlocked so anyone, especially Erwin can see. He wants to just rub it into Erwin's face especially that he got what he wanted.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) 6 1/2 inches, average thickness with a few veins but a large one on the back.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) He would spend all day in bed with her if he could. He's been deprived of her and of sex for so long he can't get enough.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) He always stays awake longer than her because he wants to make sure she won't try and run away when he's asleep.

#attack on titan #break me slowly #levi ackerman #levi aot #levi x oc #levi x reader #shingeki no kyojin #yandere levi #yandere levi ackerman #yandere levi x reader

[enruiinas]

I’m still on my Law novel feels BS, so I thought I’d sit down and sort through a few of my favorite lines/things I feel are most integral to my understanding of Law as a character (and therefore my portrayal of him).

Long, rambly post with many feels and spoilers from the Law novel ahead. Like, direct quotes from the entire thing so… read at your own risk if you haven’t read it.

♡ “And if White Lead Disease had never existed, maybe my parents, my sister Lami and I would be running a hospital by now. For a moment, the scene I imagine dazzles me. Oh yes, what happiness that would be. But at the same time, I know that I will never be able to find this lost world. I must no longer lean toward the past, but move toward the future.”

There is a part of Law that has always and will always think of the “what if”s and how things might have gone differently in every aspect of his life. He wonders what it would have been like if his family survived and he’d had a normal childhood. He wonders what would have happened if Cora-san had lived, what might have happened if he’d given his missive to any other marine besides Vergo, and if it would have been better if Cora had never met him. These are a few of the darker places he goes when he’s left to his own devices or there’s no one around to keep his thoughts from spiraling. It’s stated again and again throughout the novel how seriously Law takes his duty as the leader of the squad, captain of the crew, how much it means to him that people follow and learn from him, etc. Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi need him as a leader role in their lives in pursuit of their own meaning and ambitions- but he NEEDS to be needed in a leader capacity just as much. Knowing people depend on him and need him to keep moving forward gives him the means to keep those “what if” thoughts at arms’ length. Yes, it’s nice to envision the might have beens, but he knows it would be entirely too easy to lose himself in them if he didn’t have a reason to push through and keep moving forward.

Along those same lines…

♡ “I can’t lose, I don’t have the right.”

He’s put himself in the position to lead them- as much for their sake as his. Now he’s committed and this is what he reminds himself when things get hard or they’re facing difficult obstacles. He’s been saved by the kindness of people and handed his life back twice - first in Cora-san’s sacrifice to find a cure and free him, and again after Wolf finds him in the cave following his extraction of the White Lead Disease from his body. Does he sometimes still experience survivor guilt after everything he’s been through? Absolutely. But he’s been given his life and knows he can’t disgrace his late benefactor by letting it go to waste. He has to live make sure his death meant something by living to the fullest extent he can.

♡ “I thought I had nothing more to hope for from anyone, the way Cora acted towards me prompted me to give them a second chance to people and to believe in the human again.”

♡ “Aah… the more I think about it, the more I tell myself that in fact, this world is not that bad.”

These two quotes come up early in Law’s stay with Wolf and pretty quickly following his savior’s death. In the few short months they had together, Cora-san managed to instill such powerful ideas and hopes in a kid that was hellbent on burning the world down.

Law absolutely knows that the world is far from perfect. He’s seen horrible things and was for a very long time a hurt little boy very much afraid of the pain and misery “bad adults” could inflict on children. He was afraid of their disapproval and their resentment. But Corazon taught him to love again and to open up to seeing the good in people again.

This was one of the things where the depth the novel provided really took me by surprise. Prior to reading it, I liked to think about the similarities between Law and Robin and how the latter had come to see good in people again but Law hadn’t quite made it there yet. But that’s not true at all. I didn’t realize how big of an affect the 3 years on Swallow Island and the company of his friends really impacted him.

This fell apart a little as I was writing it because this post is getting pretty long on my phone (I’ll probably edit this part later), but my takeaway from this part is for all his stoic demeanor, Law does see and value the kindness in people and is motivated by hope and good things. The novel even states that his goals when he sets out include:

♡ “Enemies to beat, countries to save, an immense sea on which to travel with his crew…”

For a kid so determined on insisting he’s “not a good person”, umm. Yes, he is. And I think everyone who really knows him would refute that claim of his.

♡ I didn’t save the exact quote, but it’s important to me to note that Law really enjoyed the three years on Swallow Island. He cherished the time spent with Wolf and the OG3, loved their meals together, loved their little makeshift family. He loved the people of Pleasure Town and the work he did in the clinic, and a part of him knows it would have been easier to stay there than you’d think before he learns to pursue his goals and the concept of “true freedom”. (This was another ‘wow’ moment for me because I’d always leaned into unresolved angst and inner turmoil. Prior to the novel I would have said -did say, even, in plotting with @clownquixote- that Law would never want to go back to North Blue because too much bad happened there. But I can absolutely see him looking forward to going back and seeing Wolf again someday now, even if it’s not to stay.)

Lastly, two random lines I don’t have to elaborate upon a lot but that are super important:

♡ “I suddenly have the impression of seizing this ‘joy of the doctor’ that my parents looked for more than anything in the world, they who taught me everything.”

Combined with Law’s insistence to Wolf that he would only ever use his DF to be the best doctor he could be, he takes his profession as a doctor very seriously. It is essential to who he is, even more so than being a pirate or the Captain of the Heart pirates.

♡ “It’s not that I have a heart of stone, but I don’t want my feelings to be a brake on my progress.” // ♡ “Then I turn around so that none of those in the room can see how silly happiness makes me look.”

Law does feel things. I would even venture to say he feels things A LOT and more deeply than most- good or bad. He just knows how to take all of those feelings and convert them into what he needs to keep moving forward and being the other thing he loves being: a leader to those who needed one. And also, he is a dork and will hide happiness just as much as he would hide his tears.

—-

Oops I had to edit to add this: despite all the progress I didn’t know he made and the insight he gained on Swallow Island, I have strong thoughts on what the things he saw unfold at Marineford and time alone on Punk Hazard did to him. I rambled last night that he needs people around him to keep him from spiraling and NOT having them around for a while certainly resulted in steps backwards in many aspects. Maybe he’s lost sight of the good things again temporarily besides his own crew but no, I don’t think the part of him that sees the good in people/the world (or wants to) is gone.

Click here to return to the headcanon masterlist on Carrd.

#♡ // musings ; #♡ // headcanons ; #law novel spoilers #tw: long post #this got out of hand but I really loved the novel and I have A LOT of feels okay #just important things to keep in mind for my thoughts on/portrayal of Mr. Scary I’m Not a Good Person Surgeon of Death #can try to sum this up in context/spoiler-free brief highlights if anyone wants to know but hasn’t read

[fanastraea]

Analyzing VegasPete as a Writer, Pt 1: Vegas

Warning: This is very long. Last count in Word was 1600 words and it's definitely longer now. I don't know if this will interest anyone or not but I had to get it out of my own head so I might as well share.

As a writer I like to study my favorite stories to understand how they work, and how I can use that to make my own writing stronger. I can’t stop thinking about Vegas and Pete because they work so well for me. I’m currently working on creating characters for two projects so this has been on my mind a lot.

So the usual introductions, disclaimers. This is character analysis from a writer’s point of view, and with a specific approach. I don’t claim that this is the approach that was used by the original novel writers or tv series writers to create and develop the characters. I use an approach extremely common now in western, English-language fiction, especially genre fiction. Because I do it to help me as a writer, and accuracy isn't the most important thing in that process.

If you've read or watched writing advice you're probably familiar with the idea of a False Belief or Lie, and a character's Fear. After studying a lot of advice and doing a lot of my own writing, I have particular way of understanding these aspects of characters, along with Wants and Needs, that helps me as a writer. So that's what I"m looking at here!

Just to be clear, these things can often be interpreted in well developed, psychologically realistic characters no matter how the writers approached it. I’m also not saying that makes this universal, there’s no such thing, this is just one tool for analysis.

And, one last thing. This is all subjective. I’m bringing my own point of view and experiences to this. There are usually different ways to express similar things. Different ways to break things down. So if this doesn’t feel right to you, that’s cool. I'm basing this on the English translation so there might also nuances that don't match the original intention. If there is anything here that isn't quite right because of language issues I'm sorry for that.

Okay? Let’s get to the fun stuff. Creating characters with a False Belief, a Fear, and Want and Need, and why Vegas and Pete are such fascinating characters to analyze in this way.

First, some definitions.

False Belief

A False Belief is a lie a character believes about themselves and/or the world. This comes from something that happened in their past, or many things that happened in their past, or things they were told about themselves. They come to believe this as the absolute truth.

The false belief is harmful. It’s the thing that will hold them back from a positive character arc. It’s what makes them fail to overcome a lot of obstacles along the way.

The conflict in their story is what forces them to deal with this false belief. 

Fear

The character’s backstory and false belief creates a particular fear. This fear motivates them, it drives them to act in certain ways. Their fear and how they cope with it is why they fail to overcome obstacles.

Want

What the character wants during the story also comes from their false belief and their fear. They want something they believe will prevent what they fear from happening, even though it won’t. What they want is probably bad for them, actually.

Need

What the character actually needs is what will help them overcome their fear and false belief. It is what will give them a better life or make them a better person. It doesn’t have to make them perfect, or a hero, or have huge success. It’s something that, if a character earns it and gets it in the end, the reader will feel satisfied.  Want and Need are often in conflict with each other.

Usually, if a character doesn't overcome their fear and false belief, they don't get what they need.

How does this apply to VegasPete? What can we learn from how they're written?

Vegas

I’m going to start with Vegas because he says many of these things explicitly to Pete, which makes it a lot easier. Still, this is subjective so you might disagree on how I phrased this, or how I broke it down, any of it really, that’s fine!

False Belief

I define Vegas’s False Belief is “I will always fail to take care of the people (and pets) I love.”

You might think, isn’t his False Belief that he will always fail to beat Kinn/The main family? Or that he will never have his father’s approval? And that’s fair. I thought a lot about that. But I think those things are the result of his False Belief and his Fear, not the root of them. In looking at his full character arc, I felt that it was ultimately his lack of trust in himself to take care of others that held him back. I'll explain in some of the other sections, but this False Belief actually keeps him tied emotionally to his father, who doesn't need to be taken care of.

The choice to tell the story about the hedgehogs dying is important. We know that he's been reprimanded for failing in his mafia responsibilities. But the hedgehog story is older. It's backstory. If we're using this particular approach to create a character, we want an event that creates the False Belief in the first place. It stands in for the many events that probably also happened, the other people Vegas lost, that led to such a strong belief.

It's important that the False Belief is FALSE. It is a lie. It's like depression brain telling you you're worthless. It's like anxiety brain telling you terrible things will happen if you go outside. So it's important that the audience or reader understands that it's false. So the pet is a hedgehog, which only lives a few years so of COURSE they're going to die! It has nothing to do with how well Vegas has cared for them.

we see glimpses of the truth that Vegas is actually good at taking care of others. Once he decides to do it, he's diligent and gentle about bandaging Pete's wounds. He takes a lot of time to make Pete food that he likes. He takes pride in it. Early on, he's the one who's going to take Macau to get his head wound taken care of.

The False Belief is contrary to the Truth. In this case, that Vegas is (or can be) good at taking care of others. It's a core part of him that has been damaged through trauma.

The False Belief hurts so much because we see what the character can be when they can let go of it.

Fear

Vegas is afraid that everyone he loves will leave him. (“Everyone I love will leave me” can also be a False Belief but I think here it's best expressed as Vegas's Fear).

People always have more than one fear. But in creating a character, we're talking about the fear that is deepest, the kind that will drive someone to do almost anything to avoid facing it. Vegas’s story is very strong in my opinion because in the end, it’s easy to see how everything he does can be traced back to this fear.

How does this fear come from Vegas's False Belief? If he believes he will always fail to take care of the people (or pets) he loves, then he will always be losing them, whether that means someone leaves him or dies as a result of Vegas's failure.

This is where Vegas’s need for his father’s love and approval and his need to beat Kinn and the main family come in. These are how he copes with his fear. He is terrified that his father, one of the maybe two people he actually loves (until Pete), will leave him (either literally or emotionally). He is motivated to do anything to keep his father from leaving, which is what ultimately drives him to want to beat Kinn and the main family. Because this is the price his father has placed on his approval and love. He has some other coping mechanisms as well that stem from his false belief and fear, and this is part of what starts to make a character unique. False Beliefs and Fears can be pretty generic before all these other layers are added.

For example, not only do we not see Vegas develop any meaningful relationships, he goes out of his way to actively hurt people he doesn't love. Acceptable targets that the mafia life gives him. This could feel very freeing in the moment because it releases him from the responsibility to take care of that person at all.

There should be multiple times a character is given the chance to overcome their fear, and they fail. They're not ready. One of the big moments for Vegas in his relationship with Pete is when he is willing to let him go from the cuffs, but he still begs Pete to promise not to leave him. It is a slight step forward, but his demands aren't fair. There's no reason Pete can trust Vegas yet. (Pete similarly has a moment of failure here while also doing the right thing, i love it when shit's complicated). It's partly because Vegas is NOT ready to overcome his fear that Pete needs to leave, which causes what Vegas fears to happen. It's all so beautifully tragic.

Want

Vegas wants his father’s love and approval. It is something that is unattainable. He never had it because his father was incapable of giving it to him in any way that is good for Vegas. In the end, he will never achieve it because his father is dead.

It's really great when what the character wants is

what they think will make them feel safe from their fear AND

does not challenge their false belief. It’s definitely the case with Vegas. I think it makes for a cohesive character.

As a writer, it helps to identify this because it will keep a character active in a story. Withholding this thing the character wants from them can help drive them to act. We see this 100% in Vegas. All of his schemes, all his actions (until Pete) are motivated by Vegas trying to get what he wants: his father’s approval. And it all goes back to how he copes with his Fear. The story keeps preventing Vegas from getting what he wants and so he keeps acting in ways that are absolutely TERRIBLE for him and fantastic for the story.

Some of his schemes weren’t approved by his father, but they were attempts to beat the main family and that was entirely motivated by trying to earn his father’s love and approval. (As a writer, this reminds me that sometimes what people do isn’t a logical A to B step, people are complicated. The obvious thing to do for a character who wants to win their parent’s approval is for them to obey their parent in everything. There are other things going on with Vegas that lead him to take more initiative and that makes him more interesting).

Going back to the False Belief, Vegas can want his father's love without challenging his false belief. Vegas's father doesn't need to be taken care of. This makes it feel safer than wanting love from anyone else.

Need

What Vegas actually needs isn’t his father’s love. It’s Pete’s love, because Pete loves Vegas for Vegas. Vegas doesn’t have to jump through hoops to earn it. It’s freely given. Narratively, Vegas earns Pete’s love just by accepting it (though there's nothing simple about that acceptance).

It feels satisfying and earned to readers when a character gets what they need by overcoming their False Belief and their Fear, and often by giving up the thing they wanted. In the end, Vegas thinks he has nothing.  His false belief, that he will fail to take care of people he loves, is compounded by the fact that now, he has nothing to offer, no power, no protection. He has nothing but himself. If he can’t take care of Pete, Pete will leave, just like everyone else he loves (possibly even through death).

And when he turns around to face Pete, when he starts to accept that he, himself, is enough, he is overcoming his Fear and his False Belief. (He is, in turn, Pete’s need as well and that’s what makes this especially good food for the audience).

He believes that he will always fail to take care of people he loves and now he has none of his crutches like power or authority. His own fate is in the hands of the person he holds responsible for making his life a misery in the first place. How could he take care of anyone else?

Remember when I said that Gun feels safe because he's not someone Vegas has to take care of? Well that person he thought he didn't have to take care of has just, actually, died because of his failure to win this battle. It's all proof to him that his False Belief is true! But here is Pete, asking to be taken care of. That only Vegas can take care of him the way he needs.

That's why Pete asking to be taken care of finally breaks through to Vegas.

Vegas is confronting all of that and facing his deepest fear to accept Pete's love here. The brilliance of the writing is that this makes us want to root for him because we understand how hard that is even if we don’t share the same fears.

This is why the climax of Vegas’s story is this scene with Pete, not a confrontation with his father. This is why Vegas doesn’t need to be the one who kills his father, in a narrative sense. His big moment to decide whether he will succeed in overcoming his Fear is whether he will accept Pete’s love and trust that Pete won’t leave him. And finally, he accepts the risk that he might lose Pete someday because what he gets (PETE’S LOVE) is worth it.

This simple act kills the old Vegas, allowing him to be reborn as someone who has learned this particular lesson, a common trope in heroic arcs.

So that's it for Vegas (for now). If anyone reads this far, thank you lol. If people like this I'll continue with Pete. Otherwise it will stay locked away in my story journal for eternity.

#VegasPete #kinnporsche meta #character analysis #i'm so scared to post this #vegas kornwit theerapanyakun #pete phongsakorn #i'm obsessed with their character arcs #and how well they work with their romance plot #VegasPete romance is the strongest writing in the whole series #you can't convince me otherwise #kinnporsche the series

[cairoscene]

fic writer meme

thanks em @uhuraisgay and lore @megafaunatic for the tag <3

How many works do you have on Ao3?

between my accounts, a nice tame 18 total

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

217,330 lol

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i definitely write for fewer fandoms than i'm in, so in the past it was mxtx danmei novels and now it's batman (current obsessions pending fic...)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

what else is there? (mdzs)

2. you'll know, you'll fall (tgcf)

3. send to all (batfam)

4. one word from you (mdzs)

5. to recollect and long for (mdzs)

the wangxian monopoly....

5. Do you respond to comments?

not anymore :( i used to respond to every comment i got, but it ended up being too much stress. so i read and appreciate every comment i get, but i only really respond if someone asks me a question or needs clarification on something

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i don't really write unadulterated angst and i'm a lover of a happy ending, so i guess it would be bring the ashes to me......... my fic which famously has no ending at all...........and in fact leaves xie lian in a Pretty Bad Place.......... oops

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

probably you'll know, you'll fall, which i briefly reread not too long ago and. well. to those who continue to enjoy it, i treasure you. i will say i tied up every possible loose end in that fic including?? giving xl a job at sqx's hotel management firm????? let's just say i would do it differently now

8. Do you get hate on fics?

honestly no, never, just the occasional rude comment. i delete and move on

9. Do you write smut?

with varying degrees of success, yes. i like to think i've gotten better over time. writing porn is an aspect of craft that really fascinates and interests me, figuring out what i like to read vs what i like to write, balancing titillation with characterization and finding where the two lean in and kiss. half of my private bookmarks are random fics where the sex scenes just worked for me and i must squirrel it away to study under a microscope to figure out Why

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?

not really, and i don't tend to read them, either. i think they're really hard to pull off successfully and generally my brain isn't on board with reconciling irreconcilable world-building aspects just for the fun of it

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think so? there was definitely...... a trend of let's call it Unattributed Inspiration in the mxtx fandoms, where any fic or tweeted idea or headcanon that got passed around would inevitably show up in the tag without attributing it to the originator. i remember reading a fic and enjoying it and then suddenly being like Wait...... why is this familiar? and discovering it was very clearly inspired by one of mine lol. i wouldn't call it plagiarism bc let's just all calm down, but it isn't a phenomenon i've encountered outside mostly mdzs fandom, let's put it that way

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!!!!!! mostly russian and mandarin. i feel like being asked if someone can translate my fic (or podfic it) is the highest possible praise and i'm always very flattered

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i was going to say no at first but then i remembered that @bluecrystalrainingdaggers helped me write a charity fic back when i wasn't really feeling wangxian but needed to fulfill on the charity raffle we ran. she basically gave me the outline and i wrote it and i would never have survived without her

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

i am a fickle creature, so i don't have one. i have ships i return to over the years when i crave a specific dynamic, like kirk/spock and wolfstar and damen/laurent. in general my ships fulfill a specific need i'm looking for, hualian for the comfort and care, ghostbat for sustainable toxic soulmates, [redacted] for the angst and misunderstandings, vashwood for the doomed clowns etc etc etc

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

bring the ashes to me. sorry

16. What are your writing strengths?

i think i can write a good sex scene

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

plot :( dialogue :(((( sitting down to write at all :(((((((((

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?

i feel like i don't have strong opinions on this front. it seldom bothers me but when it's done well it's a really great element

19. First fandom you wrote for?

on ao3, mdzs. on fanfiction.net the musketeers (2014) and that wizard one

20. Favorite fic you have written?

i'm really very fond of lover be good to me. it's one of my least accessible fics on account of the rarepair but i had a lot of fun writing it and i think the final product is pretty satisfying. i feel like i was able to say and explore everything about the ship i wanted to, which is really fulfilling

tagging @englishsub @vinelark @eggmacguffin @90kon @yuebings @floofyfluff @deadchannelradio and anyone else who wants to do it

#ask meme

[taminoarticles]

— Tamino for ODDA Magazine, No. 23 / Fall/Winter 2022-23 / Spring 2023 (x)

TAMINO

"When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object," says Milan Kundera in his masterpiece, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," Tamino's favorite novel. And it is that the music of this young Belgian-Egyptian singer cannot come from anywhere other than a heart that harbors feelings as pure as longing or melancholy. At 25 years old, Tamino has turned into a musical reference due to his complex themes and his deep and emotional voice that became known for the acclaimed song "Habibi," instant success in 2018. His first album, "Amir," was not long in coming to confirm his undoubted talent, capable of conquering even musicians like Colin Greenwood, a member of Radiohead and Tamino's frequent collaborator. Now, after taking a break from all this whirlwind of emotions, he returns to the spotlight determined to move us with "Sahar," his sophomore album, released at the end of September 2022, that shows us a more vitalistic and tender side of the singer, who takes us by the hand to guide us through the boulevard of broken hearts. Could there be a better company?

In conversation with JUAN MARTÍ SERRANO Photographer JAIME CABRERA HUIDOBRO Fashion Editor ADRIAN BERNAL Casting Director CHOUAÏB ARIF Edited by EMMELEIA DALIWAN and ALBERTO CALABRESE Dog MOZAR

JUAN MARTI SERRANO. Hello Tamino, it is a pleasure to meet you! I'd like to talk a little about your past. You started in the music industry at a very young age, when you were only 14 years old, creating your own music band. Now, at 25, when you look back, how do you remember those years?

TAMINO. When I was 14, I started out playing in bands very locally in Belgium so I wouldn't call it "the music industry yet," we were performing but not making any money. That period of my life taught me a lot about band dynamics and sound checks, some stuff you have to learn. At 17, I went to study in Amsterdam and I started performing just by myself. Suddenly, when I created my first song in 2017, stuff started happening, I was 19-20 years old. Those years were quite crazy, a rollercoaster, a lot happened in a short amount of time. I was never home, touring all the time...

J.M.S. What was more fun, those old days or just now?

T. I couldn't say. There are aspects of it now that are more fun and there are aspects of before that are also more fun. The weird thing is that I've always taken this very seriously, in that sense nothing has really changed. If I would play in a small cafe show when I was 17 in Amsterdam I would take it as seriously as I am taking the show now. I don’t allow myself to go crazy like drinking the night before or whatever. I'm quite boring in that sense, I'm very dedicated to the shows and what I’m doing, I always want quality. I guess the scale is the only thing that has changed.

"I'm an introvert so that's where I get my energy, when I'm alone, I recharge my batteries." - Tamino

J.M.S. What lessons have you learned during all these years?

T. That I don’t really like traveling! [laughs.] I mean, I love being in other places, I love meeting new people and cultures but I don't like traveling itself. I know some people like flying, but I really hate it, I hate all the waiting around it. At the same time, when you are on tour with the same people all the time, sometimes in close spaces, I concluded, "Yes, I’m an introvert." I need time for myself, I need to read, to have space. That's the main thing that I have learned.

J.M.S. Have you ever thought about a life not linked to music? Have you ever contemplated a future detached from your role as a singer?

T. First, I really loved acting and directing. I was always making these little theater plays and forcing my little brother to participate in them. That was actually my first passion, I really, really loved it. I took it very seriously as well even though I was fucking eight years old or whatever. I acted until I was 15 or 16 along with the music but music eventually took over. The funny thing is that now my brother is an actor and a director. That was basically the only other aspiration I ever had.

J.M.S. Have you ever thought of revisiting your acting passion?

T. If I do anything with it I would really need to take it as seriously as music. It couldn't be a part-time thing, it would require a lot of my time and effort. I should just be able to give it my everything.

J.M.S. You consider yourself a composer before a musician. I would like to know what inspires you the most when creating your sound and your lyrics.

T. I really don’t know! [laughs] I think that’s the beauty of songwriting, you simply don’t know where it comes from. If I think about books or other music, yes. I can tell you about several people that inspire me the most. I really love reading a lot because it’s sort of this in-depth perspective of someone else’s life or whatever which is super inspiring for me. Something about reading a book makes me want to write a song as well. But the biggest thing of course is just living. The main thing behind my songwriting has always been finding a sort of inner world, also to work through things. I don't want to call it therapy because it is an art form and not every song must be autobiographical, it is just a place where I can let my emotions be and refine them in a way.

J.M.S. Now I am very curious to know what your favorite book is...

T. I really love "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera.

J.M.S. And tell me, when it comes to composing the narrative of your music, I would like to know if they are based on your own experiences or on the experiences of others. Do you find more inspiration in your life or in the lives of others?

T. I guess it's always a combination. You go through life experiencing whatever comes across your path but you are also an observer. It is always a little bit of both. I have to say that when something impactful happens to me there is of course an inner tension that wants to get out of me. That's the most natural state of being when wanting to create something. If that isn't there, life can be sometimes very still or dynamic, then it’s more a craftsmanship thing. I couldn't say if one stage is better than the other. I don't necessarily think that the best song comes from this struggle and tense state of being or maybe of the observer state of being. Both influence each other, it's like a dance.

J.M.S. Don't you think that many times writing music forces you to constantly immerse yourself in your memories and experiences as if it were an eternal and exhausting spiral of introspection?

T. It's the other way around [laughs.] It's not being a musician that makes me think about all those things all the time; it is just the fact that I always think about those things that probably made me into a musician. That it's just how I am and how I've always been. There is this beautiful song called "I Watched The Film The Song Remains The Same" by Sun Kil Moon. In this song, the singer thinks about his childhood and compares his friends to himself and how he always was drawn to the melancholic aspects of things and how things never leave him. He once had a fight at school and how that event is going to haunt him forever. I really relate to that emotion, to that song. That's probably the main reason why I make stuff.

J.M.S. Being a melancholic and nostalgic person but at the same time young and sensitive, have you ever stopped to think about what the hell you really know about life?

T. Of course! [laughs.] When you are a bit younger you think you know everything, you think you are invincible but of course, that grows out of you quickly normally when you grow into adulthood. I don't think being a songwriter is about knowing things, it’s more about exploring them and accepting the fact that you don’t know anything and you are just figuring it all out. I think that figures out all-out aspects of it that people relate to in a way because at the end if you look at songs from whatever era, you find similar things. Human experiences are not very different from each other.

J.M.S. Are you hoping to figure things out?

T. Yeah! You are always trying to figure things out I guess.

J.M.S. Your single "Habibi" made you reach fame back in 2018, a song that was highly applauded by the public and critics. How do you feel when you listen to that song? Do you still recognize yourself in those lyrics?

T. I recognize the boy who wrote it at the time. I was 18 so I have a lot of love for that younger self. It was a very courageous song to release especially at that age. I'm super happy that I did that at the end. It is still a song that I love performing. The beautiful thing about songs is that they evolve with you. When I'm singing it now,the feeling I get from the  song is different. There are so many memories attached to the song that come back and give me a similar feeling as it did back then, but the song changes a bit with you. It keeps on surprising me.

J.M.S. The same year [2018] you released your first album, "Amir." How do you remember the moment of releasing that first great work?

T. I was definitely nervous but at the same time, I was feeling like I had made something you really believe in and you are fully behind it. You feel that whatever happens to this, whatever opinions it can receive, this is what you wanted to make so it doesn't really matter. Well, it matters but at the same time it doesn't [laughs.] Let’s say hypothetically if I would have made an album that I wasn't proud of and I would release it feeling that it wasn't what I wanted to do, the bad opinions would have made me feel broken because I would be thinking "I knew it wasn’t good!" If I really like the work and someone doesn't like it it’s fine, I'm still going to like it. The curse of writing albums is that the moment you finish it a couple of months later you totally like hearing all the flaws and it’s very motivational because it drives you to start writing again and to try to make a follow-up with fewer flaws [laughs.]

"Right now I'm super focused on music, I really want to make a third album. I want to write a lot of songs in the next few months even though I know that's going to be super busy." - Tamino

J.M.S. But the reception of your album was really great!

T. I know [laughs.] But I can hear all the things I could have done better or just differently. One work drives the other.

J.M.S. In one of her songs, Spanish singer, Rosalia, mentions that fame is a bad lover. Nowadays, being famous entails enduring an intrusion into private life and overexposure to social media. How has your experience with fame been after gaining attention through your songs?

T. Fame is a very subjective term. In some sorts of bubbles, you can be famous, but in others, people don’t know you at all. Before social media, if you were famous, you were really famous. But now it’s like a big group of people know you but then a bigger group of people have never heard anything about you, so I wouldn't be able to call myself “famous.” I have experienced aspects of fame when I’m performing, because a lot of people who know my music have come together and maybe want to meet me in person after the show. And it can be overwhelming because suddenly there are a lot of people who have heard your music and want to express their love. But if I’m just walking on the street there are not enough people who really know me, rather it would be annoying. I feel really happy with my level of fame or whatever you want to call it, because it is really spread or very concentrated when I’m performing. Otherwise, I have a very normal life.

J.M.S. Look, I think if you have your own Wikipedia page, you're famous!

T. Oh, man! Then a lot of people can be considered famous! [laughs]

J.M.S. Singer, Lykke Li, declared that “sadness is a blessing.” Do you think that for artists it is totally true when it comes to finding inspiration?

T. Definitely. I've found many emotions inspirational. I guess sadness and joy are quite connected, they can’t be without each other. You can only be joyful because you know what sadness is like. The same thing goes for sadness. I like the yin-yang of that. That's basically everything. Everything comes down to that.

J.M.S. You say that you don’t like to explain your own songs, you prefer that everyone interprets them. So if we go by that idea there is not just one Tamino, but many versions of you for every person who listens to your songs, right?

T. Yes! I think people do that anyway. Life happens inside our consciousness so everyone has their own perspective. There are many versions of you because in everybody's mind you are somehow a bit different. There would never be one singular vision of a person.

J.M.S. This makes me think a bit about the mystery and how overexposed artists are today because of social media. You have managed to stay out of all that madness and remain very enigmatic. Do you think it’s important for an artist to be somehow untouchable and unreachable?

T. I do like some mystery [laughs.] In the first place as a fan of other artists I like it when they are not too revealing because I don’t want to know everything about them, I just want to experience their work. At the same time, I read for example a biography about Leonard Cohen because I was interested in his life. I do like some mystery and I think it is important for people to be able to experience the work as pure as possible.

J.M.S. After having listened to “Sahar,” I am left with the feeling that one of the main themes is loneliness. I would like to ask you, do you usually feel lonely or do you consider yourself a solitary person? Or otherwise, have you learned how to embrace loneliness and be comfortable with it?

T. Rather a solitary person than lonely. I don’t really feel lonely because I have really good friends. Loneliness is more about a state of being that you can feel from time to time and when you feel it you can dwell in it or call a friend and hang out. I do that when I feel lonely but I'm also very ok with being alone because it’s the only way I'm able to create. I’m an introvert so that’s where I get my energy, when I'm alone, I recharge my batteries.

J.M.S. One of my favorite songs on the album, “The Longing,” talks about letting go. Do you think you are someone who holds on to people or even memories or is it easy for you to let go?

T. I'm still figuring that out. I don’t know yet if I’m a super sentimental person who is very nostalgic and dwells in the past or someone who is quite always moving forward. Maybe I’m someone in between.

J.M.S. In “Sahar” through songs like “The First Disciple,” you talk about love and desire. At 25 years old, do you think our generation correctly understands what love is about?

T. I wouldn't be able to say what love is about, I don’t even know. That's a difficult question to answer. There is something about the whole dating app era that is a bit weird but at the same time, I have a lot of friends who found love, even myself. I would never say that we are a lost generation, we are very capable of love, finding it, and maintaining it. It just takes some work.

J.M.S. In both records, “Sahar” and “Amir,” you can perceive that the great influence of bands like Radiohead is prominent. Actually, a component of the band participated in a single of your first album, “Indigo Night.” I would like to know your personal and musical connection with the band led by Thom Yorke.

T. Colin Greenwood, the bassist of Radiohead, was the one who played with us in that song, then we started touring together a bit, and then I asked him to play again in the new album so he plays in seven songs! We spent a lot of time in the studio and we already did a big concert in Istanbul in June. He is super.

“I guess sadness and joy are quite connected, they can’t be without each other. You can only be joyful because you know what sadness is like. The same thing goes for sadness.” - Tamino

J.M.S. Ok, we spoke about music, your “personality” as an artist… Tell us more about who Tamino is.

T. Well I can tell you that my favorite movie is “Phantom Thread.”

J.M.S. That movie in which the fashion designer lets himself be poisoned by his girlfriend in a kind of psycho-emotional game?

T. Yes! Love that movie! When I was a kid my favorite movies were “The Lord of the Rings” and they still sort of are.

J.M.S. Love “Lord of the Rings”, so homoerotic!

T. Which character makes you think those movies are homoerotic?

J.M.S. Most of them. All those sweaty and dirty men sleeping together in those dark and mysterious forests with voyeuristic trees with eyes spying on them...

T. Maybe I should rewatch them!

J.M.S. And Frodo and Sam, of course! Something between them was going on!

T. Oh yes! I can understand that!

J.M.S. And favorite musician?

T. So many! Anouar Brahem’s “Blue Maqams” has really inspired me for this album. The typical ones I have mentioned so many times like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, Fairuz... I think when I really like something I always go back to it, that’s probably something that is very present in my personality. I have loyalty to those kinds of things. I rarely have anything like this new thing that I’m super into. I like a lot of things but I don’t love a lot of things. If I love something, it is with me forever in a way. There are a couple of books and movies that I would always go back to and I probably always talk about.

J.M.S. Any TV shows?

T. “Better Call Saul!” Just brilliant!

J.M.S. Let's talk about fashion, an industry that has been seduced by you since we all got to discover your music. Some houses such as Missoni included you in their advertising campaign and many others requested your presence in their shows. What is the meaning of fashion for Tamino and how do you go through your style?

T. I like just wearing clothes that make me feel I would say “I like myself,” but it depends on the day. Sometimes I like to wear a suit, sometimes I like to wear a t-shirt. What I'm wearing needs to make me feel aligned with the mood I'm in because then I feel that my interactions with people are better. I think that wearing what makes you feel comfortable that day makes you more connected to yourself.

J.M.S. Do you pay attention to the clothes you wear?

T. I definitely pay attention to what I wear. I love well-made clothes and good fabrics and designs. I really appreciate the quality. There are some brands that I'm really into like Yohji Yamamoto.

J.M.S. Would you like to participate actively and frequently in the world of fashion?

T. It’s funny because it was never an ambition when I was younger. It was something that just happened. It’s super cool but I’m very sober in fashion. It’s not like I’ve ever had a deep desire to make it in fashion, if something comes along and feels right like I really want to do it, then for sure!

J.M.S. Now that you have a well-grounded career in music and the support of specialized critics and your fans, what is the next step for Tamino?

T. First, we have the tour coming so I hope I will be able to enjoy it more this time, to be more at the moment. Right now I’m super focused on music, I really want to make a third album. I want to write a lot of songs in the next few months even though I know that’s going to be super busy. I want to spend some time in New York or anywhere else that can feel inspired. It’s time for something new.

Grooming by BASTIEN ZORZETTO using REDKEN Set Designer PIERGIO GEREMIA Retoucher ALBERTO MARO Fashion Assistant MARTIN BARRÉ Special Thanks to JAOVEN RICOEUR, CLAUDIA MATE, ANDREW SMITH and EMMA BOESCH at VIRGIN RECORDS

#tamino #tamino amir #odda magazine #article #interview #english #2022 #with photoshoot #original text #eyestrain #<- just in case #finally got this :) #i caved and spent real money on it