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novlr · 2 months

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How do you best depict a language barrier? I have a character who doesn't understand much English and speaks even less, but most of the others don't understand a word of Japanese, which is what she speaks.

Communication is a cornerstone of any good characterisation. But for some characters there may be elements that block traditionally clear communication, and language barriers are just one example of that. Every interaction is filled with potential misunderstandings or revelations of clarity. Let’s explore how to bring language barriers to life in your writing, showing the struggles and triumphs that come with characters trying to connect across language and culture.

Understand the role of language in your story

Consider the cultural and geographical context of your characters.

Explore the historical ties or conflicts that might have led to the language differences.

Determine the significance of the language barrier to the plot—is it an obstacle, a source of conflict, or a way to deepen character relationships?

How can you use language to illustrate the power dynamics between characters?

What is the emotional impact of miscommunication on all your characters?

Why do you want to write about language barriers? If it’s just for the sake of a miscommunication trope, consider if there’s perhaps a better way for you to achieve the same aim.

Have you taken the time to understand the culture whose language you are trying to represent?

Characterisation through language

Incorporate a mix of languages or dialects to enrich the authenticity of the setting and the characters’ experiences.

Pay attention to the non-verbal communication cues that can transcend language barriers, such as body language and facial expressions.

Respectfully create characters with varying degrees of proficiency in the language they’re learning or interacting with.

Use language as a way to show a character’s adaptability, intelligence, or stubbornness.

Let characters’ reactions to the language barrier drive their development throughout the story.

Consider how language barriers may influence a character’s inner thoughts and how they perceive the world around them.

The mechanics of writing dialogue

Don’t overuse accents or continually spell them out. Use description to signal a character’s struggle instead of phonetically writing it.

Suggest broken language skills by using simple words, or incorrect grammar, but don’t resort to stereotypes.

If you choose to write an accent phonetically, don’t repeat this for every line of dialogue. Use it once as an example, and then use description to give the sense of it moving forward.

Balance readability with authenticity—make sure the dialogue is understandable to your audience in a way that is still respectful to your character.

Foster immersion through context rather than a direct translation of foreign words which often don’t hold the same meaning. Using vocabulary that characters and readers can deduce from context strengthens the narrative and characterisation.

Present the characters’ linguistic progression realistically, showing their learning curve and how it affects their interactions.

Non-verbal communication

Emphasise body language, facial expressions, and gestures to show communication without spoken language.

Use context clues and the characters’ surroundings to help convey meaning.

Explore how misunderstandings can arise from non-verbal miscommunications, but also show when non-verbal communication helps clarify things that can’t be conveyed verbally.

Consider the situational context that might enhance or impede non-verbal understanding among characters. For example, in high-tension scenes, even subtle gestures can carry heavy meaning.

Acknowledge cultural variations in body language and educate readers subtly through the narrative.

Describe the physical environment as it can also influence the way characters use non-verbal communication—proximity, personal space, and even the weather can all play roles.

The emotional impact of language barriers

Show how characters find innovative ways to express themselves and connect with others.

Describe the frustration, isolation, or desperation that characters may feel when they can’t communicate.

Use the language barrier to create poignant moments of miscommunication and resolution.

Show how shared experiences can forge bonds that transcend words and even serve as a foundation for trust.

Explore the characters’ emotional journeys as they navigate through their inability to communicate. This can lead to a deeper understanding of each other over time, despite the initial hurdles.

Consider the long-term effects of language barriers on relationships and character psyche, both positive and negative.

Research and authenticity

Study the languages you are writing about, including their structure and common phrases. If you’re writing a fantasy language, then research common language structures on which to base your characters’ experiences.

Understand the culture tied to the language to avoid stereotyping and to provide richer detail. For real languages, do research, for fictional languages, work on some deep worldbuilding for authenticity.

If possible, talk to speakers of the language you’re writing about, or speak to folks who have experienced a similar language barrier more generally.

Seek feedback from native speakers or cultural experts to ensure accurate representation and to honour the community’s linguistic nuances.

Be mindful of the socio-political influences on language and communication, presenting these complexities through your characters’ interactions either through worldbuilding, or researching real-world etymology.

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youthculture2b · 6 months

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The challenge of fitting in

Licco Kovac Haim

The effort to fit in is one of the most exhausting and present challenges in a young person's life. Historically, humans never were alone, always sorting themselves into communities, in different proportions, such as countries and cultures, but also subcultures, sports and extracurricular activities. Therefore, it should be natural for one to encounter similar others in everyday life and form a social bubble. However, there are numerous difficulties circulating said activity.

To start with, fitting in isn’t always about connecting with a community and finding your place in society. While it may be true belonging isn’t always a challenge, several people still struggle with it, and usually it mostly happens because they feel that never would others like their real selves, causing a need to adapt and change their personalities. According to a report released by the Australian Council for Educational Research, in 2018, almost a quarter of their students felt like an outsider among their peers.

In addition, more than a problem on the social aspect of life, most teenagers have an internal need of belonging, which if not accomplished, can lead to anxiety, depression and even social phobia. In 2021, the World Health Organization estimated one in seven teenagers (10-19 years old) is going through some kind of mental disorder, with depression and anxiety being the most common. Although it would be an exaggeration to address isolation and social distancing as the only cause of this data, it still is reportedly among the seven main reasons for it.

Furthermore, this is not a new problem that emerged with Generation Z and the pandemic, as some media sources are nowadays propagandizing, but rather has been around since the concept of youthness was accepted. The book “Juventude e sociedade: Trabalho, educação, cultura e participação”, Cynthia Andersen Sarti affirmed the foundation of Youth Culture are the new identities teenagers form once they put themselves out of their comfort zone and resignify themselves. However, in the same manuscript, she adds that this is not an easy activity, moreover isn’t pursued by every young person, increasing the isolating atmosphere which surrounds youthness. Subsequently, minor cultures such as Goths and Emos, to illustrate, were initially forged by outcasts who never were able to find a space in society, often suffering from bullying and social segregation, until those communities were created.

Consequently, these forced changes and issues surrounding identity on young people reflect on their personal lives, originating new problems in different contexts. The most acknowledged situation is among teenagers and their parents, a systematic generational conflict that affects almost every generation. When one is born, under common circumstances, they are already part of a social group: their family. Across the entirety of their infancy, parents, siblings and other relatives form their main social bubble, but also represents the biggest part of their identity. However, once a certain age is reached, there is a disconnection between the now teenager and their family, which is certainly natural, as it's a major part of individual development to grow out of the family nest and explore the world as your own being. However, this can cause strangeness and tense relationships among family members. Hence, not even being able to relate to their own family, the isolation felt by an individual is potentialized, increasing the amount of mental disturbances as well.

In conclusion, the challenge of fitting in is surrounding youthness since the acceptance of teen years as a stage of life, being part of the reason why so many subcultures were created, moreover resulting sometimes in new communities that can support and relate to each other. At the same time, when the isolation and inability to adapt socially is a reality, it also comes with negative effects such as the increase in mental disorders, feelings of uncomfortness at school and decrease of a healthy family environment.

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rebelbrat · 1 year

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@dragonskxn

Of all the places to get forcibly spat out in--

Nope! Nope nope nope! He sees the pathway leading up to the medieval-looking houses and he turns right back around to retreat to the woods. Where are they? 13th century France? It doesn’t look exactly like the French architecture of the medieval years, but he’s not taking his chances with the, ahem, provincial attitudes of people in this culture and this time period. Not his mixed species Jewish ass. Not today. Sure, he could probably take a whole medieval village by himself, but he’d much rather deal with the wildlife. Even a bear is more likely than a bigot to run away rather than seek conflict.

Not like he’s in any mood to fight, anyway. It’s that time of the year again, the time where he starts gaining weight as many members of the Galra species are accustomed to--a time when all he wants to do is drown in a puddle of angst about how hideous and deformed he thinks he is. Oh, he knows it should be the least of his worries right now, given that he and his friends, you know, just took the Castle of Lions for a joyride, got spat out into an entirely different universe, and watched the portal they accidentally dove through CLOSE ON THEM as soon as they landed here. But the only thing he can think of right now as he goes back to the castle is how his armor had to adjust to accommodate his belly and how his face looks so fat and undignified, especially with that ridiculous huge nose in the middle of it…

He gathers his cloak even more tightly around him and pulls the hood over his head for good measure.

He knows he should be scouting the forest. He should be looking around for herbs and berries, sniffing the air for game and a source of water. But he can do none of these things, trapped deeply in the shame that binds him as tight as he holds his cloak closed so that no one can see his body. He hasn’t even begun to entertain the truth that there’s nothing wrong with his appearance--he’s quite drool-worthy in fact, with his body still strong and sturdy and muscular and his facial features still well-proportioned and well-shaped. The most he has in his moments of peace is a calm rather than a panicked acknowledgement of the “fact” that he’s disgusting--and this isn’t even a moment of peace, it’s a moment of torment…

He grits his teeth as he retraces his steps through the woods through scent alone. He’s staying a good distance away from the well-worn path he found through it now; if even one superstitious nutjob takes his presence the wrong way, it could bring the entire mob to the castle sitting in the middle of the woods that’s obviously not from around here. Besides, it’s not like he wants anyone to to catch a glimpse of his shameful visage; if they saw a creature as horrible as he, he thinks, they would be ten times as likely to raise the alarm.

Stop thinking those thoughts, he tries to tell himself. Focus. You need to survive. Indeed, if there was anything that made him beautiful, it was his desire to help his friends, the lengths he would go to help and protect them. And here, going to such lengths meant the simple act of lowering his hood so that he can truly take stock of his surroundings. He’s nearing the castle, but he can still pick up plenty of useful information: as he travels the forest he opens his mouth to taste the air and smells three different kinds of deer, a kind of sheep, wild boar…Damn, they really are in some version of France, aren’t they? He leans a bit closer to the ground; he picks up the scent of squirrels scuttling around in the underbrush, as well as a fox that was hunting them. Around him, he notes the species of the trees and the plants--all species he recognizes from Earth, all found in France--apple, cherry, oak, and maple. Yep. Definitely France.

There’s one scent he doesn’t recognize as he sees the castle come into view, one that he follows even more intently than the others. It’s the scent of…a girl? A girl with blue hair? But there’s something different about this girl, who judging by her hair color is apparently from some anime version of France. He feels the same sort of dissonance when he smells Pidge’s scent, or the scent of his generals, or the scent of any other hybrid--they seem like they’re one thing, but they’re actually another. This girl seems like she’s human, but there’s an unmistakable “dragon” vibe to her smell--that, of course, a cat-dragon like him would recognize…

She turns around. The two of them lock eyes. Only a few seconds later does he realize she’s seen him with his hood off. He gasps and yanks the hood back over his face, the shame rushing back to him, pulling it so tight around his head that only the point of his nose is visible.

Did she see his face…?

#dragonskxn #thread 01. || dragonskxn #virtue's little bad boy. || IC

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jacquelinemerritt · 1 year

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Dragonball Z: Abridged Episode 9 Review

Originally posted August 17th, 2015

The difficulties of adaptation.

One of the most important decisions I made when preparing to review Dragonball Z: Abridged was to treat it the same as any other adaptation, because that’s essentially what it is. And like any adaptation, DBZA can be constrained by the limitations of its source material.

The difference between DBZA and most adaptations, of course, is that it uses and re-edits the animation of the original show, splicing together clips to fit their own narrative, rather than adapting a story from one medium into another. This is a pretty significant limitation, and it means that Team Four Star is required to follow each beat of the original story, with next to no freedom to stray off from that story.

Up until now, Team Four Star has made the most of this limitation, using clever editing and writing to add comedy to a very broad and often disjointed story. They also were able to manage pacing very well, thanks to the number of characters whose story needed to be told; they’d cut to a character, progress them as much as possible in a couple of minutes, and then cut away to the next character, progressing their story as much as possible.

It often didn’t work in their favor, and a lot of their writing only served to make the stories feel more disjointed, but it still gave them room to experiment. And then in episodes 7 and 8, they tightened the story, focusing in on one group of characters and letting their interaction be the source of most of the humor.

The content of episode 9 makes both of Team Four Star’s previous approaches impossible. Most of the characters are already dead, for one, and the only events that they can cut between is Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan facing the Saiyans, and Goku traveling down Snake Way to join the fight. Their solution is about as optimal as possible, as they choose to focus the story on the conflict on earth, while only giving us a brief look at Goku’s progress in the intro.

None of this is to say that episode 9 is bad, of course; it’s still streets ahead of some of the earlier episodes, and most of the jokes land really well. Gohan’s outburst, in which he descriptively defines the word “skullfuck,” is hilarious and well-earned, considering that Gohan just lost the closest thing he’ll ever have to a father.

Character wise, we get some great development for Vegeta, with his narcissism and impatience on fully display as he refuses to acknowledge Goku’s superior strength and kills Nappa for costing him immortality. Piccolo’s sacrifice is also handled quite well, as he realizes at the last second that he should’ve just moved Gohan out of the way, and then proceeds to scold Gohan for his failure to dodge as his dying breath.

Rating: 4/5

If you liked this review, please consider supporting me on Patreon.

Stray Observations

As bad of a joke as Princess Solid Snake was the first time around, I do appreciate that they keep her voice consistent.

#dragon ball z abridged #dragon ball z #team four star #dbza #film criticism #dbza ep09 #aug 17 2015 #hey jacqueline #where's the conclusion?#you wrote a pretty good review #where's the conclusion tho?#see it's shit like this that makes me want to just rewrite these #and while that does sound somewhat fun #it probably isn't the most creatively satisfying thing to do #just wished past me had bothered to finish the damn review!!!

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theminecraftbox · 2 years

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What do you think wouldve happened if, say, Sam actually took on board what Dream told him during Sam's prison days. What if he came to a genuine understanding, at least somewhat?

(Bonus: How would that of affected Sam and his actions and answers within the Eldritch AU?)

/dsmp /rp

Not for nothing, but the Daedalus arc did change Sam! He did take at least some of what Dream said to heart. We are still yet to see exactly how much he’s changed and in what ways, and which ways will last, but we can examine how he acted at the end of his stay versus at the beginning. He becomes more willing to cede points to Dream, his moral righteousness becomes far more loosely tethered. He’s grappling for any port in the storm.

I wouldn’t say he actually understands the gravity of what he did to Dream—of course not; even at the end he’s still saying things like, “it was your idea,” etc etc. It’s also worth pointing out that Dream’s goal WASN’T to make Sam understand. Rather, it was to make Sam give up the keys. There’s a reason Dream was pushing the “we-aren’t-so-different-you-and-I” pitch so hard, and it’s not because Dream sincerely believes it.

I think full understanding in that situation, in that amount of time, is genuinely beyond Sam. For Sam to really make the realization that his preoccupation with Dream is incredibly toxic and that the things he’s done to Dream and to other people to keep Dream secured weren’t worth it, he would need to have someone other than Dream (ie the focus and source of how twisted his worldview is) driving the point home.

But the combination of Dream’s chats, the Revengers’ treatment, and facing down his identity being stripped away as Warden, absolutely puts Sam in a mental state adequate for him to re-examine the crimes he committed against people other than Dream. It remains to be seen whether or not that will happen.

Okay, so how to treat the hypothetical in this situation? What’s “more” understanding from Sam look like? It’s really, really, really hard for me to imagine a world where Sam actively regrets what he did in the prison, for the reasons I’ve mentioned. Even if Sam reacts negatively to the idea of being ~like Dream~, it’s hard to picture him choosing to acknowledge the ways that he’s acted like a tyrant. Perhaps he’d be able to more directly decide that the torture and even some of the other abuses were wrong. But I honestly doubt it.

In Eldritch Confessions, there’s a huge sticking point, and that sticking point is that Sam is now side-by-side with Quackity, and on an even playing field with Dream. This both means that the conflict with Dream is now a fight for physical survival as well as psychological, and that Sam has an ally to encourage and bolster him. There’s a reason that Sam becomes bolder over the course of EC—it’s both because Quackity is there to build him up after his breakdown in the Daedalus arc, and because seeing Dream’s confidence shaken again reminds Sam of his convictions. This same thing would happen if Sam had been shaken further. Confined with Q and Dream, he’d quickly rebuild his old opinions and sense of identity.

#c!dream and c!sam #daedalus arc #au: eldritch confessions #prison trio

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sneaky-taffer · 1 year

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I do wonder if Orion and the Graven in general, might have been a bit, influenced by the Pagans. For example I do find it intersting that Orion wanted to do the ritual in the old Hammerite cathedral where, many, many years ago the incident with the Eye happened, that led to the destruction of the old Quarter. This makes me also wonder if Orion might have had perhaps some knowledge about the old gods.

I mean his half-brother and the barons before him did try to outlaw the old ghost and ultimately did, so, it makes sense to me that Orion knew at least a bit about the old gods and orders.

What is also interesting for me is how, once again there was this, unbalance between chaos and order, but this time it was perhaps a bit more blurred or happened faster. First you had the Watch in total control, and then the Graven, and each time it was very unbalanced.

oooooo good thing to wonder about. Aesthetically, I can definitely see that pagan inspiration, but that's really where the similarities end. The Graven arent really fully defined in the game, tbh, aside from opposing the Baron.

From that perspective, they do fit the role of being a faction pushing back against the industrialization of The City. That puts them in a similar mold as the Pagans v Hammerites, but it's still a very surface-level comparison.

After all, the Baron was trying to use magic to accomplish his goals? Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense lmao, but there we go. Orion is trying to utilize the exact same source of power, so rather than having a distinct difference in principles, it's more akin to warring gangs fighting over the same thing.

They both want the Primal and are fighting over it, and Orion is predominantly using politics to win people over to his side rather than using belief and religion. He's charismatic and attracts the people who are suffering under the rapid industrialization, but it's quite apparent that he is the Baron's brother in the end. They're really quite similar, willing to use their politics to sway people to their side of the war and pursue the same end-goal.

Orion may have had knowledge of the old gods (as many people in The City do), but I fail to really see him use this knowledge to his advantage. Whenever the Graven speak, they're specifically acknowledging Orion's charisma or his capacity to work miracles (using the Primal). It has less to do with appealing to the people's spirituality and more to do with running a long con to snatch power out from under his brother who's more or less trying to do the same thing.

I do see the conflict of chaos and order, but they're done in a surprisingly similar way. In both cases, the Watch are effectively bullying the City into submission, but likewise the Graven are bullying the City into pushing back.

While the concept of chaos versus order is definitely there, I feel it is more of a surface skin to cover the fact that ultimately, they're just two sides of the same coin. The Watch and the Graven are both just tools used by Orion and the Baron to pursue their political goals and power grab.

#thief

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littlesparklight · 2 years

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Since this keeps churning around in my head, I'm going to talk about Adonis, Aphrodite and Persephone a bit.

So, what we've got is: the incest elements of Adonis' background, and Aphrodite's involvement in his conception, is early (Panyassis, 5th century). Persephone and Aphrodite's conflict over Adonis is spelled out, in short or fuller, only in Apollodorus' Bibliotheke and one of Hyginus' Fabula, both of which are rather late. This doesn't mean it's a late development (Apollodorus in particular uses a lot of early sources), and Persephone as Adonis' caretaker is at least reasonably certainly referenced (in cult context, with the goddess as kourothrophos) by how children in Lokri were presented to the goddess in a basket or a box; this is again ~5th century.

Neither Apollodorus nor Hyginus actually bring up "love" as the reason for the dispute, but Aelian's On Animals when mentioning Adonis and the two goddesses definitely uses "love" in the sexual sense.

(As an aside; You can technically even avoid the whole incest-mess/Aphrodite's involvement in that by choosing Hesiod's apparent parents for him as Apollodorus mentions, which is Phoenix (son of Agenor) and Alphesiboia, or even the version Apollodorus mentions (and then ignores for his fuller account) where Adonis is the son of Kinyras and Metharme (daughter of Pygmalion).)

That romantic/sexual love is meant between Adonis and Aphrodite is definitely unanimous, both (especially!) cult-wise as well as myth-wise, but I feel like you have a lot more leeway myth-wise, if only because it's not spelled out, and "love" can be platonic/maternal, and wanting to keep the child you raised with you is... well, quite natural. Personally, I went with the platonic/maternal interpretation because I have lines and, when Adonis isn't even a god, apparently that line is "his (adoptive) mother ends up wanting to bang him when he's old enough". This is why I am even more baffled (uncomfortable lol) at retellings/mentions of this that have the conflict over Adonis be when he's young enough to still need raising and care, and subsequently have both Aphrodite and Persephone raise him AND then have both of these goddesses, who he would consider his mothers, then later come onto him?

Like. Why. The Aphrodite angle is one thing, and while "waiting until he's old enough" is kinda "eh" lol at least she isn't considered to have raised him usually!

The conflict and the following split of Adonis' time (both pre- and post-death) up above and below can be played with/explored in different ways. In Hyginus it's a half-year split, Adonis doesn't get to choose; in the Bibliotheke you have the year split in three-thirds, Adonis adds his portion to Aphrodite's. The thing is, in both of these cases we're clearly on a "Aphrodite = up above, Persephone = down below" even when Persephone herself is/would be up above for all or most, of the time that Adonis is! So, if you want to play with this in terms of personal interactions, maybe Adonis wants to get away from his mother (initially), maybe he's just so full of dick-feelings enarmoured of this beautiful goddess who's proclaimed she's interested in him that he doesn't think what this means for his time with his mother/parents. Or, you know, actually acknowledging Persephone's split time as well, Adonis could be giving his time to Aphrodite as a way to ALSO spend more time with his mother, up above, in the part of her life he has not gotten to know her in. I'm sure there's more ways you could take this as well, but these are the ones that comes to me most readily.

(There is the fact of "the third part of the year by himself" and the way it plays out/what Aphrodite and Persephone represents in this setup, I think it's pretty clear Adonis, if he hadn't given his part of the year to either goddess, was supposed to, well. Spend it by himself. Presumably in the mortal realm, and not in a way that means Aphrodite is allowed to seek him out, but neither Persephone, even if she technically should/could be capable of this.)

I also think it's just far more deeply interesting to lean into a platonic/maternal interpretation for Adonis & Persephone, especially because how this then ends up mirroring Demeter & Persephone's earlier situation! Except now it's Persephone who has to partially give up a child, standing now in her mother's place. You can do so much with that, in a way you just can't if you focus on a sexual/romantic interpretation or that their relationship changes into this.

Going with a platonic relationship and, thus, an unchanging adoptive family interpretation for Adonis & Persephone (and, in consequence, Hades as well) is a lot more interesting both in terms of Adonis himself, then Persephone & Hades. Adonis is, after all, mortal. A mortal who then grows up in the Underworld (belonging there as little as a mortal child growing up on Olympos would do!). On top of that, there are extremely few situations where a mortal child, demigod or not (but usually they have to be the child of at least one deity!) is actively raised by any god(s), and isn't that deeply interesting in itself?

You have Athena and Erichthonius, but he's clearly not raised on Olympos even if Athena does/might take an active part in his upbringing. There's also Karneios, a third/fourth (depending on if one considers Sarpedon a son of Zeus & Europa or not) son of Zeus and Europa, later than their first couple children. This boy was given to Apollo and Leto to raise! Where, we don't know, but the fact that he was given to these two is still noteworthy, I'd say.

Adonis situation, then, of being raised by Persephone (and Hades), in the divine (if chthonic), not mortal, realm is thus very rare. If you go with excluding all Orphic material, Hades and Persephone have no children - other than this mortal, adopted son of theirs. Even if you do include various Orphic materials to give them Melinoe, and/or Makaria (though I prefer to go with Makaria as Hades and Leuke's daughter, previous to Persephone coming into the picture) for example, Adonis is still in a pretty rarefied situation; still a mortal, adopted son, but on top of this Persephone (and presumably Hades) decided they were going to adopt this child and care for him, "despite" having their own, divine children. You can do a lot with both of these situations and all that implies character interaction/relationship-wise!

To wind back around to Adonis and Aphrodite and something that is not explored and only mentioned by both Hyginus (whose material is probably just a little older than Ovid's) and Ovid; "[...] exacted punishment for his mother's sake from Venus."

That is obviously not something that has a place in the cultic context of Aphrodite and Adonis' relationship. Story-wise however, actually acknowledging, whenever Adonis might find out about Aphrodite's involvement in his conception, that he might actually have an issue with it?

Interesting, fun, lots of drama potential!

Obviously Adonis doesn't have much recourse against a goddess, so what's actually meant by "exacting punishment/avenging his mother's passion" is up to anyone, but at the very least he could simply refuse to be with Aphrodite, for a rather low-key option.

Like, does he find out after his death/resurrection? Does he find out only many, many decades or centuries later, maybe even exactly because the circumstances of his birth has, somehow, become known in the mortal realm, and this is now a fun/intriguing story and he's the last one to know? Just imagine that! Maybe he forgives her - eventually, immediately - and you're back to the general romantic flow of Adonis returning to his divine lover every year. Maybe he doesn't, and does what little he can to hurt Aphrodite beyond what pain his death originally caused, by refusing her as I mentioned up above. Interesting potential either way, in a similar way to going with a plain platonic/maternal interpretation for Adonis & Persephone.

#greek mythology #adonis #persephone #aphrodite #greek myth thoughts

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watkinsayden81 · 2 months

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Navigating the Depths of Exploration: A Guide to Writing an Exploratory Essay

In the realm of academic writing, exploratory essays stand out as unique pieces that invite writers to delve into uncharted territories of thought and investigation. Unlike argumentative essays, where the writer takes a clear stance on a specific issue, or expository essays, where facts are presented in a straightforward manner, exploratory essays are more about the journey of discovery than arriving at a definitive conclusion. They encourage curiosity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to embrace ambiguity. So, let's embark on an expedition into the world of exploratory essay writing.

Understanding the Essence

At its core, an exploratory essay help is an inquiry into a topic or question that does not have a single, definitive answer. It's about exploring various perspectives, examining evidence, and reflecting on the complexity of the issue at hand. Rather than aiming to persuade or argue a point, the goal is to engage critically with the subject matter and invite readers to join in the exploration.

Choosing a Topic

Selecting the right topic is crucial for a successful exploratory essay. Look for subjects that are multifaceted, contentious, or not fully understood. It could be a current social issue, a scientific phenomenon, or a philosophical question. Keep in mind that the goal is not to prove a point but to explore different viewpoints and interpretations.

Conducting Research

Once you have chosen a topic, it's time to gather information. Cast a wide net and explore diverse sources—from academic journals and books to news articles and personal accounts. Pay attention to conflicting perspectives and unanswered questions. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and consider how different sources contribute to your understanding of the topic.

Structuring the Essay

While exploratory essays don't follow a strict structure, they typically include the following elements:

Introduction: Introduce the topic and provide some context. Explain why it's worth exploring and outline the scope of your investigation.

Body paragraphs: Present different viewpoints, arguments, or perspectives related to the topic. Provide evidence, examples, and analysis to support each point.

Reflection: Reflect on the insights gained from exploring the topic. Discuss any unanswered questions, unresolved issues, or areas for further research.

Conclusion: Summarize the main points of the essay and emphasize the importance of continued exploration. Avoid drawing firm conclusions or making definitive statements.

Embracing Uncertainty

One of the defining characteristics of exploratory essays is their tolerance for uncertainty. It's okay to grapple with unanswered questions or conflicting evidence. In fact, acknowledging ambiguity can lead to deeper insights and a more nuanced understanding of the topic. Embrace the journey of exploration, and don't be afraid to let curiosity be your guide.

Crafting Clear and Concise Prose

While exploratory essays encourage open-ended exploration, it's still important to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely. Use clear language, logical transitions, and well-structured paragraphs to guide readers through your exploration. Aim for clarity without sacrificing depth or complexity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, writing an exploratory essay is a rewarding intellectual endeavor that invites writers to embrace curiosity, critical thinking, and open-mindedness. By choosing a compelling topic, conducting thorough research, and crafting clear prose, you can embark on a journey of discovery that challenges assumptions, expands horizons, and fosters a deeper understanding of the world around us. So, dare to explore the unknown, and let your exploratory essay be a testament to the power of inquiry and discovery.

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azriel-edgemont · 6 months

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Convictions

Love As Thou Wilt

Fully just yoinked from Jacqueline Carey's Terre D'Ange books--the precept of the Messianic figure, Elua. The idea that all forms and expressions of love are equally valid; essentially boils down to "love is love" in modern, pithy parlance. Probably something he and Alastair found in a book in the library in their Eton days, when they were young and confronted with conflicting notions about what love means to yougn men in the early-middle of the 20th century. It was the reason that they called what they had "love", the reason that the heady fumblings of teenage boys turned into something romantic and meaningful that sound, in some form, be carried with them the rest of their lives. (Aggie has a tattoo, "amare quod vis", obtained in the mid-40s.) In modern times, distant from any thought or considration of romatnic love, Aggies employes it in a few different ways, expanding onthe idea of "love" to encompass more than just romantic love; passion, sensuality, materialism, love for things, for experiences, for pleasures. It all falls under that umbrella. It can also be taken to imply such sentiments as YKINMKATO ("Your kink is not my kink and that's okay"), or "don't yuck somebody's yums".

Touchstone: Phillip Mercotte, Aggie's godson

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Fairly self-explanatory. Unlike DeVry, who holds the pinion/belief that there is an objective, platonic ideal of beauty in art to which all artists should be striving, Aggie believes the opposite--that each individual has their own ideal of what beauty is, or means, and that all of these forms of beauty are valid (to them; not to him). When he is disappointed by an artist, then, it isn't a lack of "beauty" that tends to be the issue; someone else, after all, could and probably would find their work beautiful! Rather, what he hped to be a source of beauty for himself, specifically, lacks the desiredimpact. (It is still, however, a personal affront to be so let-down in this way, particularly if he had high hopes, and therefore unforutnatley they still must die for the failure. Even though their work could conceivably hold beauty for any number of others...being someone's beauty isn't quite enough.) This is also part o the reason Aggie continues to support and treasure Phillip's art--while there is very little objectively beautiful about it, what it represents to Aggie is where the beauty lies, and so he won't hear anyone (DeVry) speak against it.

Touchstone: Thomas, the Toreador Ghoul who painted Aggie's Embrace

Children Should be Shielded From Violence

Again, fairly self-explanatory. Aggie won't hurt kids; and while he certainly isn't opposed to grooming them from a young age to develop their skills and talents (the way he was most certainly groomed by DeVry, yikes) or even just to keep them close until childhood gives way to blossoming youth (gross and predatory, Aggie...), there is never an over or acknowledged sexual component to it while they are young. In terms of physical violence--he heard enough from Alastair, following the war, to know the impact violence can have on young and sheltered minds. There is also the angle of his relationship with Phillip--because he almost never sees Phillip again in person after he is Embraced, even though he ages and his maturing is clear in their letters, Aggie forever thinks of Phillip as that 6-year-old boy. Whatever paternal instincts he has towards his "son", that desire to protect him and keep him from harm is transferred to any young children he encounters. (That said--he doesn't particularly "like" kids, per se; doesn't go out of his way to be around them and barely knows how to conduct himself appropriately when in their presence. But, he will protect them from either seeing or experiencing violence when given the opportunity.

Touchstone: Shirley Temple

#my posts: words

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pathoksheba · 1 year

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Embracing Disagreement in Islam: Why Differences Shouldn't Divide Us.

Islam is a religion of unity and community, yet it is not uncommon for Muslims to hold differing opinions on various matters, be it religious or otherwise. While disagreements among believers can often lead to division and animosity, it is important to remember that disagreement in Islam should be viewed as an opportunity for difference, not division.

The Quran, the holy book of Islam, acknowledges the presence of differences among people, and emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge, reflecting on it, and using it to build a more just and harmonious society. "And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result" (4:59).

It is crucial to understand that disagreement in Islam is not a flaw or a source of conflict, but rather a natural part of the human experience. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself recognized the importance of diversity and encouraged his followers to embrace it. He said, "The differences of opinion among my community are a mercy" (Al-Tirmidhi 2165). This statement highlights the idea that even when there is disagreement, there is still a sense of mercy and compassion within the community.

The concept of Ijtihad, or independent reasoning, is another example of the importance of embracing diversity of thought in Islam. This principle allows individuals to draw their own conclusions and interpret Islamic teachings based on their own understanding and knowledge. It is important to note that while Ijtihad encourages independent thinking, it also requires an individual to seek guidance from the Quran, the Sunnah (teachings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), and the opinions of scholars.

Disagreement in Islam is not about being right or wrong, but about recognizing that every person is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs. When individuals come together to discuss their differences, they have the opportunity to learn from each other and grow as a community. It is important to approach these conversations with an open mind, a willingness to listen, and a desire to find common ground.

In conclusion, disagreement in Islam should not be seen as a division, but rather an opportunity for difference. It is a natural part of the human experience and can lead to greater understanding and growth within the community. As Muslims, we should strive to embrace diversity of thought, recognize the importance of seeking knowledge, and approach disagreements with compassion, respect, and a desire to find common ground.

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gurucave · 1 year

Text

Dating the other side

Cultural Clashes

When two individuals from different cultural backgrounds converge, they can unknowingly ignite a flame that has the potential to consume their relationship entirely. This inferno can take on many forms, fueled by an array of factors, such as opposing values, divergent beliefs, and conflicting customs and traditions. In my own life, I’ve encountered this phenomenon firsthand. Coming from the exotic and far-off land of Zambia, Thanksgiving was nothing more than a vague and mysterious concept to me. Its meaning and relevance were lost in translation, and I found myself feeling like a stranger in my own partner’s world. Though I made every effort to comprehend its history and customs, I was consumed by a sense of fraudulence, struggling to adjust to this strange and unfamiliar ritual. The anxiety it wrought was almost unbearable, yet I kept it all bottled up inside, hidden away from the world. It’s no easy task to slip into someone else’s shoes and see things from their perspective, especially when certain things seem so natural and ordinary to you. But each of us possesses our own personal truths, molded by our experiences, backgrounds, traditions, values, nationality, status, and education, among other factors. The more these qualities align with those of our partner, the smoother the road to melding together will be. But even with these similarities, the differences can still threaten to tear us apart if we’re not careful. The key is to recognize and respect each other’s personal truths, and to tread cautiously as we explore the uncharted terrain of cultural fusion. Another challenge that arises in these relationships is the effort required to truly understand your partner’s perspective. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of viewing things solely through the lens of our own experiences, failing to grasp the nuances and complexities of another’s worldview. Take my own situation, for instance. Growing up in Zambia, my views on politics and tradition were considered rather conservative by American standards, even though I would consider myself to be a liberal. This is because the blending of these two spheres in Zambia is vastly different from that of America, and likely different from other parts of the world as well. As a result, our personal truths on relationships are already at odds before we even begin to engage with one another. It’s crucial to acknowledge and respect these differences, rather than allowing them to become a point of contention. We must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and attempt to see things from another perspective, even if it means challenging our own beliefs and assumptions. Only then can we hope to bridge the divide and create a truly harmonious relationship, one that transcends the limitations of our individual cultural backgrounds.

Cultural Fusion: Navigating the Challenges and Rewards in a Relationship

Love and Understanding: Building Bonds Across Cultural Divides

The feeling of being misunderstood, of being an outsider in one’s own skin, is something that cuts deep. It’s a wound that never quite heals, a scar that constantly throbs with the pain of centuries of oppression and marginalization. For me, the narratives of Africa and the stereotypes of being Black have been a constant source of frustration and anger. The ignorance of those who see Africa as nothing more than a vast, untamed wilderness filled with wild animals and savage tribes is staggering. And yet, it persists, a stubborn stain on the fabric of our collective consciousness. But it’s not just the outside world that perpetuates these myths and stereotypes. It’s also the people closest to us, the ones we love and trust the most. Family and friends who may not fully understand or appreciate the complexities of our cultural identities can unwittingly reinforce harmful narratives, leaving us feeling isolated and alone. And yet, there is hope. For those who are willing to take the leap and enter into a relationship with someone from a different culture, the rewards can be immeasurable. Yes, it’s a daunting task, fraught with challenges and pitfalls. But it’s also an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to forge a bond that transcends the barriers of race and culture. The key, as with all relationships, is loyalty. Loyalty to one another, yes, but also to the shared goal of breaking down the barriers that divide us. It’s a noble pursuit, and one that requires patience, understanding, and an unshakeable commitment to one another. As I pen these words, I am reminded of the innumerable times that cultural misunderstandings have caused rifts in relationships. Perhaps you too have felt the sting of being on the receiving end of such misunderstandings, or maybe you are currently navigating the treacherous waters of a cross-cultural relationship. Whatever your situation, know that you are not alone. Drawing from my own experiences, I am compelled to offer some words of advice to those who are willing to listen. And so, I implore you to take heed of the following tips, for they may just be the key to unlocking a successful and fulfilling relationship with someone from another culture.

Navigating Intercultural Relationships: Tips for Building Strong Bonds

Tip number one: food. It is a universal truth that food is an integral part of every culture. It evokes memories of home, of childhood, of belonging. Sharing a meal with someone from another culture can be a truly enriching experience, one that can create a bond that transcends socioeconomic differences. However, it is important to approach this experience with an open mind and a respectful attitude. Do not make faces of disgust or disapproval, for that may be misconstrued as a slight against one’s culture. Instead, show grace and appreciation for the opportunity to break bread together.

Tip number two: learn and share. It is easy to fall into the trap of romanticizing love and ignoring the complexities of cultural differences. To truly connect with someone from another culture, it is essential to learn about and appreciate their interests and values. What is important to your partner? Their family back home, the politics of their country, the sports they enjoy, the nonprofits they support, the music they relish in private. By taking an interest in these things, you not only deepen your understanding of your partner’s culture but also strengthen your bond.

Tip number three: religion and spirituality. This can be a tricky subject to navigate, but it is one that cannot be ignored. Regardless of your personal beliefs, it is important to recognize the significance of religion and spirituality in many cultures. It provides a platform for individuals to share in something greater than themselves, aligning common goals and values. By acknowledging and respecting your partner’s beliefs, you create a space for understanding and loving one another in a way that transcends individual desires and fosters a sense of community.

The journey of cross-cultural relationships is not for the faint of heart. It is a treacherous path fraught with obstacles and hurdles that can trip up even the most seasoned traveler. But those who dare to venture forth with an open mind and a willingness to learn will find that the rewards are immeasurable. Breaking bread together is just the beginning. It is through sharing interests and respecting each other’s beliefs that true bonds are forged. Those who have experienced the joys and tribulations of cross-cultural relationships understand that it is the differences that make us stronger, not the similarities that make us complacent. So I ask you, dear reader, to share your thoughts and experiences with me. We all have a guru within us, waiting to impart wisdom and guidance to those who seek it. Let us embark on this journey together, for it is only through understanding and empathy that we can truly connect with one another, despite our differences.

#SoundCloud #dating #interracialdatingsite #datinglife #onlinedating #datingadvice #blackwomendatingwhitemen

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fozmeadows · 3 years

Text

race & culture in fandom

For the past decade, English language fanwriting culture post the days of LiveJournal and Strikethrough has been hugely shaped by a handful of megafandoms that exploded across AO3 and tumblr – I’m talking Supernatural, Teen Wolf, Dr Who, the MCU, Harry Potter, Star Wars, BBC Sherlock – which have all been overwhelmingly white. I don’t mean in terms of the fans themselves, although whiteness also figures prominently in said fandoms: I mean that the source materials themselves feature very few POC, and the ones who are there tended to be done dirty by the creators.

Periodically, this has led POC in fandom to point out, extremely reasonably, that even where non-white characters do get central roles in various media properties, they’re often overlooked by fandom at large, such that the popular focus stays primarily on the white characters. Sometimes this happened (it was argued) because the POC characters were secondary to begin with and as such attracted less fan devotion (although this has never stopped fandoms from picking a random white gremlin from the background cast and elevating them to the status of Fave); at other times, however, there has been a clear trend of sidelining POC leads in favour of white alternatives (as per Finn, Poe and Rose Tico being edged out in Star Wars shipping by Hux, Kylo and Rey). I mention this, not to demonize individuals whose preferred ships happen to involve white characters, but to point out the collective impact these trends can have on POC in fandom spaces: it’s not bad to ship what you ship, but that doesn’t mean there’s no utility in analysing what’s popular and why through a racial lens.

All this being so, it feels increasingly salient that fanwriting culture as exists right now developed under the influence and in the shadow of these white-dominated fandoms – specifically, the taboo against criticizing or critiquing fics for any reason. Certainly, there’s a hell of a lot of value to Don’t Like, Don’t Read as a general policy, especially when it comes to the darker, kinkier side of ficwriting, and whether the context is professional or recreational, offering someone direct, unsolicited feedback on their writing style is a dick move. But on the flipside, the anti-criticism culture in fanwriting has consistently worked against fans of colour who speak out about racist tropes, fan ignorance and hurtful portrayals of living cultures. Voicing anything negative about works created for free is seen as violating a core rule of ficwriting culture – but as that culture has been foundationally shaped by white fandoms, white characters and, overwhelmingly, white ideas about what’s allowed and what isn’t, we ought to consider that all critical contexts are not created equal.

Right now, the rise of C-drama (and K-drama, and J-drama) fandoms is seeing a surge of white creators – myself included – writing fics for fandoms in which no white people exist, and where the cultural context which informs the canon is different to western norms. Which isn’t to say that no popular fandoms focused on POC have existed before now – K-pop RPF and anime fandoms, for example, have been big for a while. But with the success of The Untamed, more western fans are investing in stories whose plots, references, characterization and settings are so fundamentally rooted in real Chinese history and living Chinese culture that it’s not really possible to write around it. And yet, inevitably, too many in fandom are trying to do just that, treating respect for Chinese culture or an attempt to understand it as optional extras – because surely, fandom shouldn’t feel like work. If you’re writing something for free, on your own time, for your own pleasure, why should anyone else get to demand that you research the subject matter first?

Because it matters, is the short answer. Because race and culture are not made-up things like lightsabers and werewolves that you can alter, mock or misunderstand without the risk of hurting or marginalizing actual real people – and because, quite frankly, we already know that fandom is capable of drawing lines in the sand where it chooses. When Brony culture first reared its head (hah), the online fandom for My Little Pony – which, like the other fandoms we’re discussing here, is overwhelmingly female – was initially welcoming. It felt like progress, that so many straight men could identify with such a feminine show; a potential sign that maybe, we were finally leaving the era of mainstream hypermasculine fandom bullshit behind, at least in this one arena. And then, in pretty much the blink of an eye, things got overwhelmingly bad. Artists drawing hardcorn porn didn’t tag their works as adult, leading to those images flooding the public search results for a children’s show. Women were edged out of their own spaces. Bronies got aggressive, posting harsh, ugly criticism of artists whose gijinka interpretations of the Mane Six as humans were deemed insufficiently fuckable.

The resulting fandom conflict was deeply unpleasant, but in the end, the verdict was laid down loud and clear: if you cannot comport yourself like a decent fucking person – if your base mode of engagement within a fandom is to coopt it from the original audience and declare it newly cool only because you’re into it now; if you do not, at the very least, attempt to understand and respect the original context so as to engage appropriately (in this case, by acknowledging that the media you’re consuming was foundational to many women who were there before you and is still consumed by minors, and tagging your goddamn porn) – then the rest of fandom will treat you like a social biohazard, and rightly so.

Here’s the thing, fellow white people: when it comes to C-drama fandoms and other non-white, non-western properties? We are the Bronies.

Not, I hasten to add, in terms of toxic fuckery – though if we don’t get our collective shit together, I’m not taking that darkest timeline off the table. What I mean is that, by virtue of the whiteminding which, both consciously and unconsciously, has shaped current fan culture, particularly in terms of ficwriting conventions, we’re collectively acting as though we’re the primary audience for narratives that weren’t actually made with us in mind, being hostile dicks to Chinese and Chinese diaspora fans when they take the time to point out what we’re getting wrong. We’re bristling because we’ve conceived of ficwriting as a place wherein No Criticism Occurs without questioning how this culture, while valuable in some respects, also serves to uphold, excuse and perpetuate microaggresions and other forms of racism, lashing out or falling back on passive aggression when POC, quite understandably, talk about how they’re sick and tired of our bullshit.

An analogy: one of the most helpful and important tags on AO3 is the one for homophobia, not just because it allows readers to brace for or opt out of reading content they might find distressing, but because it lets the reader know that the writer knows what homophobia is, and is employing it deliberately. When this concept is tagged, I – like many others – often feel more able to read about it than I do when it crops up in untagged works of commercial fiction, film or TV, because I don’t have to worry that the author thinks what they’re depicting is okay. I can say definitively, “yes, the author knows this is messed up, but has elected to tell a messed up story, a fact that will be obvious to anyone who reads this,” instead of worrying that someone will see a fucked up story blind and think “oh, I guess that’s fine.” The contextual framing matters, is the point – which is why it’s so jarring and unpleasant on those rare occasions when I do stumble on a fic whose author has legitimately mistaken homophobic microaggressions for cute banter. This is why, in a ficwriting culture that otherwise aggressively dislikes criticism, the request to tag for a certain thing – while still sometimes fraught – is generally permitted: it helps everyone to have a good time and to curate their fan experience appropriately.

But when white and/or western fans fail to educate ourselves about race, culture and the history of other countries and proceed to deploy that ignorance in our writing, we’re not tagging for racism as a thing we’ve explored deliberately; we’re just being ignorant at best and hateful at worst, which means fans of colour don’t know to avoid or brace for the content of those works until they get hit in the face with microaggresions and/or outright racism. Instead, the burden is placed on them to navigate a minefield not of their creation: which fans can be trusted to write respectfully? Who, if they make an error, will listen and apologise if the error is explained? Who, if lived experience, personal translations or cultural insights are shared, can be counted on to acknowledge those contributions rather than taking sole credit? Too often, fans of colour are being made to feel like guests in their own house, while white fans act like a tone-policing HOA.

Point being: fandom and ficwriting cultures as they currently exist badly need to confront the implicit acceptance of racism and cultural bias that underlies a lot of community rules about engagement and criticism, and that needs to start with white and western fans. We don’t want to be the new Bronies, guys. We need to do better.

#race #racism #c-drama #fandom #fan wank #fandom wank #microaggresions #culture #the untamed #bronies #whiteness #ficwriting #fanwriting #cultural bias #discourse

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heywriters · 3 years

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Hey! Do you have any tips for writing enemies to lovers? I’ve read a couple of books that include this concept and done research, but I am still struggling with cliche, internal conflict, and pacing. I did read your ask policy and search the blog, but if this is still something you’d rather not answer, no worries.

Hi! I promise I haven't been ignoring you, I just sometimes have to put asks on my mental backburner for a couple days before I know how to approach them.

Enemies-to-Lovers Trope

1. Cliche

This is a tried and true trope so you can't avoid repeat territory. When you do feel stifled by "this is what always happens with this trope, so what else can I do?" play with other factors in your story that could alter the scenario and make it unique. If the standard process is "X" what is there about your plot, characters, or setting that could change the standard? As long as the interactions and outcome feel authentic it will read well.

2. Internal Conflict

Start by acknowledging that your pairing already have strong feelings for each other, and may even be obsessed with each other. At first the conflict is just external---"I hate you." ~ "Good, I hate you too." As time passes the internal conflict will grow because they will both need to step back and analyze their own hearts. They may feel the other will never reciprocate, especially when the guilt of past mutual harm comes into play. They may even question their own morality for loving someone they believe should be despised, or whose negative traits they cannot bring themselves to accept. Of course, they can seek confidants to help them sort out these strange new feelings, but the advice from those sources may perplex them even more.

Whether your couple are equals with a rivalry (friendly or vicious), or are villain/hero opposites, will matter greatly. Reminder that Romeo & Juliet were socially considered enemies but saw each other as equals, but Benedict & Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing) were socially equals and saw each other as rivals. Therefore each pair has different inner conflicts. Meanwhile a pair like Batman & Catwoman or the couple from You've Got Mail who are definitely enemies but whose commonalities attract them to each other, will have more intense inner conflict to grapple with.

3. Pacing

This trope is inherently a slowburn. Again, depending on the obstacles to overcome, the needed amount of external and internal conflict will vary. In Pride & Prejudice a span of several months apart is required for the two characters to evolve individually and consider their feelings before the ascent to the story's climax picks up speed. In that time they deal with subplot and family drama before it all crashes together in the end. Much Ado About Nothing fills the time in between the beginning and the climax with comedy, trickery, and hijinks as a wedding of mutual friends is being prepared.

As with any great romance, either one decides to be open about their change of heart to the other, or a catharsis is needed to bring them together at once.

I feel it is very important to note too that changed feelings do not require a change in personality. Some couples may require changes in order to love the other, and some may simply see sides of each other they hadn't seen before. Different types of pacing and setup will be required for different types of character development.

---

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#writing #romance #writeblr #writing tips #writing advice #tropes #answer

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aelingalathyniusrailme · 3 years

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Power recognizes power

A little power training gwynriel fic that came from me writing “if you find me at the edge, we’ll jump together.” and I was like this sentence deserves to be the title of something. plus throw everything (and by everything I mean that one sentence in the book) that you know about lightsingers away I’m just using the cute name. and yk there may or may not be some smut at the end.

She was glowing.

She was glowing and Azriel did not mean she looked radiant or that she was overcome with joy, although she did and she was. Gwyneth Berdara was a living, breathing star. As if the spring equinox had come early this year.

Her skin lit up against the blackness of the sky and her hair burned bright with the ferocity of the hearth.

Gwyneth Berdara had stopped singing, the crowd was silent. All eyes were on her but she was looking at him, her light, a beacon to his darkness.

His shadows yearned to go to her, he yearned to go to her. Instead, they both stayed stagnant, watching, waiting.

Azriel was had had enough, he dissolved from view and reappeared on the stage. Startled, Gwyn, took a step back and he stayed right with her, matching her step for step.

He gently tucked a stray piece of lit-up auburn hair behind her here, whispering, “It appears you glow, my love.”

Gwyn, ultimately getting over her initial shock lightly pushed him on the shoulder, “Don’t do that.” She scowled.

Chuckling, he pressed his mouth to hers, in a soft, soothing kiss, forgetful of the audience behind them. As she relaxed beneath his touch, the glow became dimmer and dimmer until it ceased to be. Darkness returned and he stepped back. Gwyn took a breath and stilled. The nervous, passionate energy, that arouse when she sang, calmed for now.

Azriel turned to the crowd, “Due to the events that occurred here tonight, the performance will have to be cut short.” A soft boo drew his attention and immediately he isolated the noise. “Do you want to boo my mate again?” Azriel threatened coolly, his eyes narrowing.

Annoyed, she sighed and spoke to the crowd, “Oh ignore him, I truly am sorry for this interruption but I want to give nothing more than my best and right now I feel as if I can’t do that. the show will be rescheduled sometime next month, letters will be sent out with more information.”

He watched as the stunned and irritated faces slowly began disappearing. Some winnowing away, others taking the slightly more traditional door. Gwyn held her hand out to him. He took it, “So you’re a living lamp?”

“An astute observation.”

“Is there any way I can convince you to rest now and figure this out later?”

She sighed, “It has been an especially long night.”

Azriel stared at her in disbelief, “did you just agree that you should rest?”

“Oh close your mouth, you’ll swallow a fly.” He responded by grinning at her and winnowing them away to their shared home.

Taking off his shirt he yawned not realizing how tired he actually was. It was still strange to him, being able to sleep so freely, without the looming fear of the past and what he couldn’t control. He stopped, realizing Gwyn had not moved from the door.

Gently he asked, “Are you coming?”

She looked at him blankly, lost in thought for a moment before she responded, “Um-yeah-later.” He was unconvinced so she tried again. “I think I’m going to stay out here and make some tea, maybe read a book.”

Azriel gave her a knowing look but did not push, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Az.” He tenderly kissed her cheek and walked to their room, immediately passing out on the bed.

—————————————————–

Azriel awoke at dawn and turned, unsurprisingly, to find the left side of the bed cold and empty. He sighed as he got out of bed, pulling on a pair of pants, mumbling. “Gwyneth berdara, you are going to be the death of me.”

Knowing there was no way she would be in the house but believing he probably should, he checked regardless and when he determined that she was in fact not in the house, he closed his eyes. When he opened them once again he found himself at the house of wind.

He nodded in acknowledgment, “Clotho,”

Shadowsinger. “The one and only.”

Is there something you require? “Just looking for that mate of mine. Any chance she’s here”

You know she is, and you know precisely where to find her. Ask what you truly want to ask. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “How long has she been here?”

Since 11 pm. Exhaling, he muttered, “Why can’t that damn woman ever rest.”

Over excursion out of only stubborn will seems to be a similarity between the two of you. Azriel frowned slightly before smiling pleasantly, “It’s been a pleasure as always, thank you for your help.”

Clotho only nodded and Azriel began the stairs to the 7th floor.

It took a moment for him to find her, the shadowsinger was a trained spy, forced to observe and retain even the smallest of details, yet he couldn’t find a bubbly redhead in a room full of texts and stories.

Ah, no wonder he hadn’t seen her. Gwyn was surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of books. She was drowning in literature, her hair was tied loosely in a braid with quite a few pieces falling out, there were dark circles beneath her eyes, and she was sporting the slightly insane look that came from a lack of sleep.

“Gwyn.” Her head jerked up in surprise to see him.

“Oh Az, Ok Ok, I promise I will go to sleep soon I just need 5 more minutes. I’m so so so close. I think I’m going to skip training today. Ok how about 2 minutes. 10. No that’s more. 10 sets of 1 minute. I just need 10 sets of 1 minute. I’m fine how are you?”

“Gwyn, my love, you’re delirious.”

She brushed him off, “What no I’m fine. I’m fine. Did I already say that? I can’t remember.”

Logic was never the way to deal with her insane stubbornness, so he tried a different approach. He pushed down his worry for her, and curled his mouth into a smirk, “I bet,” She perked up like a dog about to be fed, “that you can’t summarize everything you learned last night into,” he checked the clock. “15 minutes.”

“I could do it in 10.”

“Prove it.”

“And when I win?”

“I leave you to research. But if you can’t you have to go to bed.”

“Time starts now.”

Gwyn took a deep breath and began. “First I looked into where light magic is supposed to originate: the day court. Their magic is described as warm and comforting. Every single text I read described the magic the same way, as a sort of yellowish-brown light, like the sun. But the magic that came from me was more of an icy blinding light, like the lights from the stars rather than the sun. Also, as far as I know, I don’t have family from the day court so I looked into the family I do have. My family from the autumn court. However, we know that autumn court magic is fire, and what manifested in me was light not heat. My grandmother was a nymph so I thought well what type of magic do nymphs have. And the answer was severely disappointing, with basic plant magic being the most a nymph was able to do. I was stumped for a few hours before I realized. I’m basing my research on what I believe to be true not what I know to be true. I was told that I am a quarter nymph and because that heritage would explain my non-high fae-like features I believed that, for there was no reason for me not to. But what if my nymph grandmother was not a nymph at all. I flipped through dozens of books on faeries that have similar features, light magic, and/or can live on land and water. For the most part, I could not find anything, but then out of the corner of my eye I found a small tome on the history of light magic, the majority being all things I’d seen a million times before on the day court, but a passage no more than a page long, referenced ‘the lightsinger.’ Now what is a Lightsinger, you may ask? Honestly, I had no idea what or who they were so I found every book and story I could on them. The lightsinger’s, instead of being a title for a way to manipulate magic, like shadowsingers or daemati, were a race. A long-lost fae race said to be able to bend and create light with their voices and song. It’s said that they died out due to a conflict with the shadowsingers but every so often there are sightings of unknown nymph-like creatures in you’ll never believe where. The autumn court. Now I would only have 25% of lightsinger blood but magic is a fickle thing and some sources believe that when bred with high fae blood the magic intensifies.” Gwyn exhaled.

Azriel grinned victoriously, “It’s been 20 minutes.”

“Goddamn it, I didn’t even get to the interactions between shadowsingers and lightsingers.”

Now he was intrigued. “Well if you want to continue I certainly won’t stop you.”

“No no,” she yawned, “I lost which means I will be going to bed. But I do want to alter our deal slightly.”

“Oh?”

“I sleep now, you train me tomorrow.” The set of her chin and the look in her eye were enough to assure him of how serious she was.

“You want a male who specializes in darkness to help you master your light?”

“Certain theories believe that the mother gifted the light and shadowsingers their gifts to balance each other out and to remain harmonious.” She reasoned. “So yes there is no one I would want more to teach me.”

“I will not take it easy on you.”

“Wouldn’t want you to.”

“Alright Berdara, we meet Sunday at dawn, do not be late.”

“I’ll be there.”

——————————————————————————————————–

Sunday arrived and Azriel watched as Gwyn came down to the training ring in her leathers, with a white ribbon tied in her hair.

“Good morning Gwyneth.”

“So formal.” He shot her a look. “Oh alright ok my turn. Good morning Azriel, shadowsinger, spymaster of the night court, mate of the most amazing female to grace this planet.”

“Training is serious.”

“Of course it is. Shall we begin?”

“I want you to light up the room.”

“What? is it not already lit?”

He smirked and let his shadows paint the room black. Azriel himself became smoke, nothing more than a voice in the darkness.

“Az, az come on this is not funny.”

“Good, because it’s not a joke.” His voice came from every direction and every way Gwyn turned she was surrounded by endless nothing. “You must learn to sing the song of light the way I learned the language of shadow.”

“Speaking in vague melodrama feels like it’s not going to be that effective.”

Gwyn tried to back up only to find what was once the training ring now bled together with the depth of the sky.

“Let the light speak to you. Coax it, nurture it. Burn through the darkness and find the light.”

“How am I supposed to do that.”

Gwyn thought of the way Nesta harnessed her silver fire, the way her eyes became the flame itself. She concentrated and searched deep within herself, searching and looking for the light she knew she possessed.

All she saw was a hallowed chamber.

“No.” The word echoed throughout the room. “Our magic is not like others, we do not create out of nothing, we manipulate what is already there.”

“How am I supposed to manipulate if I’m in a room with no light?” Gwyn huffed frustrated.

“Just because the shadows are masking it, does not mean it is not there.”

He was so damn infuriating. She tried calling the light to her, she flexed her hands, she even tried speaking to it, all to no avail.

“As you said, magic is fickle and our elements especially. Light and darkness do not want to be bound or controlled, let the light be a friend, a companion, let it want to help, let it want to be influenced by your will.”

But how the fuck was she supposed to do that.

“Think of the first time it came to your call.” He whispered ominously. “What were you thinking. What were you feeling? Power often manifests through emotion.”

Singing. She had been singing. Was it really so easy that all she had to do was sing?

Turns out it wasn’t.

For hours she sang hundreds of songs. From songs in the old fae language that she sang at the priestess services to ones she had written herself. Nothing worked. Azriel had let her have a singular break when she desperately needed to pee and even then he was skeptical.

He had left her to her own devices leaving his shadows to watch over her progress. When he returned he found Gwyn clutching her knees, rocking in the shadows. Her gaze was unfocused and she was humming to herself.

“You have officially broken me. I’m done.” She wanted nothing more than to sit in the library with her sisters and a book.

“No.”

Gwyn’s eyes snapped into focus, her breathing steadied, and she went predatorily still. “Excuse me.”

“You heard me. No.” Azriel laughed, a cold vicious laugh. “You asked me to train you. Gwyneth Berdara has never quit before and she certainly won’t start now.”

Gwyn was seething, but she remained quiet. “What?” He was toying with her. “A little darkness too much for you. Light up the room and we won’t have a problem.”

“Oh that’s right you can’t. 10 hours in and no light in sight. You’re pathetic.”

Her anger cleared her mind and in that moment of clarity a memory, buried deep within her, resurfaced as if it was resting, snoozing until its moment of need.

Gwyn was in her mother's lap, a black-haired girl sat across from her. Her voice pulled her attention. “My girls, Catrin,” She tickled her, resulting in a giggle from her lost sister, before she turned her head, “Gwyneth.” And also tickled her. Gwyn's small hands clutched at their mother, desperately trying to hold on. “My two beautiful daughters.” She sighed. “Your lives will be filled with so much darkness, darkness that you do not deserve. But I need you two to be strong, to stay with each other, and to find strength in the other.” ‘I don’t get it,” Gwyn whined.

“We are a part of a glorious and lost people, a people of light and song. But they fear us because they do not understand us.”

Gwyn and Catrin looked up at her, confused and innocent.

“It’s ok, you will. You know the song I sing to you every night before you go to sleep?” Gwyn and Catrin cheered, “Yeah.”

“I want you to sing it with me, and I don’t want you to ever forget it. Can you do that for me?”

Their voices came together in a melodic lullaby. It was captivating and cold, those who heard could not look away. The song demanded to be heard, to be sung.

The words came tumbling out of Gwyn, they twisted around her tongue and lips as if finally home. Lost but not forgotten. Lost but born anew. Through the shadow and darkness, her eyes found the light, it heard her call and from every direction it found her. She pulled the brilliance of the stars to her and let the light paint the dark white.

The shadows retreated to Azriel who stood just two feet in front of her. Their eyes locked and he smiled, “there she is.”

The light flowed and flowed, and the room lit up in a blaze of pearlescent radiance. Her pale skin lit and she had once again become one with the stars.

But while the call came from her, there was another that drew her light forward. His shadows and her light curiously answered the pull. Finding each other between Azriel and Gwyn. One did not dissolve into the other like it should but instead mingled, swirling around each other in an almost playful manner. They became one from two opposites that never should have met.

As they blended together she felt a pounding in her chest and a throbbing somewhere lower. Her toes curled and she craved more. Their power was its own entity and yet connected to them. A push and pull, a desire to be close.

Azriel bridged the gap between them breathing heavily, pulling her against him as he’d never felt her before. “Az.” she gasped.

His eyes were on her lips as he licked his own, smiling, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so alive.”

“You’re the worst,” She said between breaths.

“I know.” And their lips met in a furious burst of passion.

He kissed her with a fiery hunger, a male starving. Her hands weaved through his hair, her fingers getting lost in the darkness. Gwyn wanted nothing more then to be lost in his darkness, as he wanted to drown in her light. Azriel gripped her waist, grinding his hardness into her causing her to moan.

“You make such pretty sounds for me.” He chuckled, ripping her shirt off.

“Fuck me.” It was an order, not a request.

“Gladly.” Their clothes were gone moments later. His kisses moved down her neck as he sucked and his fingers dipped to her cunt as he felt her. “Always so wet and ready for me.”

She wrapped her hand around his cock, “Always so hard for me.”

“Can’t help it.”

“Wouldn’t want you to.” He laid her down in the middle of the training ring and stroked his cock up and down her folds, pressing against her clit. “oh my god-fuck.”

With that, his control snapped and he buried himself to the hilt in her. Stroking once, twice.

He smirked, crooning, “look how perfectly we fit.”

His thrusts were slow and shallow, edging her on, basking in the feel of him in her, of her around him.

He then went harder, hitting her in the right spot every time, but Gwyn needed more.

“Faster.”

“Your wish is my command.” Azriel fucked her hard and fast, and with every thrust she moaned in ecstasy, driving her hips forward, meeting him step for step.

“Oh my god fuck me.”

“Such a good girl, taking it so well.” He captured a moan on her lips, devouring her.

“yes, yes fuck.”

Where the light met the dark, was where Gwyn met Azriel. They were cocooned in a shell of power flowing between and all around them. They were a storm of blinding light and depthless shadow, the lines of what were and were not, blurred to just the other.

“Gwyn.” He groaned, nothing existed but them.

“Az I’m gonna cum.”

“Yes, my love, cum for me.”

Every thrust became sporadic and uncontrolled as if his pleasure had taken a mind of its own. He swirled his tongue around her nipple and ground her clit with his fingers.

It was all too much, Gwyn cried out as she came, her back arching, toes curling. Her cunt tightened around his cock as he fucked her past completion. She was everything and watching her cum was enough to send him over the edge as he emptied himself in her, collapsing on the ground next to her.

For a moment they were silent before Gwyn spoke, “would you like to hear what I learned about the interactions between Lightsinger’s and Shadowsinger’s” She smirked, “Apparently the sex is unlike even mate sex.”

“I can vouch for that.”

Gwyn laughed, and if it wasn’t the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.

#gwynriel #gwyn berdara #azriel #gwyn x azriel #one shot #gwynriel one shot #smut #Gwynriel fanfiction

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bigskydreaming · 3 years

Note

If you were editor of Nightwing's book ever since at least the start of Rebirth to today and you were given free reign, what would your story mandates?

Oh no, this is dangerous. LOL. Hmm, I have no idea what to shoot for here, so I'll try to keep it to ten. That's reasonable right? Ten is good. Yeah. Is fine.

Okay, so, in no particular order:

1) Let Dick be competent 101. None of this him having to play hype man for every other character to pop up in HIS title bullshit. Nope. That's not what they're there for. He's the lead man, LET HIM BE THE LEADING MAN. Like sure, everyone has their areas of expertise, he doesn't need or have to be the best at everything, blah blah blah.....but its about the nuance. All of that is kinda lip service because the thing is, you don't go into MOST comic books and NEED to be reminded of that because the lead characters of those books are all constantly getting saved or shown up or chastised by every guest star in their books, you know? This is a very weird, very niche phenomenon very specific to Dick's character, and I'm super over it. I'm here to read about the guy who has literally been doing this longer than most superheroes twice his age. The guy who's been doing this since before he hit double digits. The born acrobat. The destined ultimate warrior or whatever of Gotham's Ornithological Society Of Murder and Pretentiousness. Gimme that guy. And that guy doesn't need to be 'humbled' every other page, because the thing is, he's not some egomaniac to begin with so the everpresent need to humble him doesn't actually come off as humbling! It just comes off as pandering and not even to actual fans of the actual character, so its like.....wyd DC.

2) Let other people take responsibility for their own crap with Dick rather than always just expecting a mea culpa from him. I'm so unbelievably tired of the words I'm sorry from Dick. I love personal accountability, so I never thought I'd have to say this about a character, but enoooooough. They have made it completely in character for this dude to apologize to everyone ELSE for being brainwashed, getting amnesia, being KILLED, like.....the amount of things he's groveled for forgiveness for when he didn't actually do a damn thing wrong or worse yet, was the ACTUAL victim of is like....pretty damn staggering. And meanwhile, there's nary a peep of apology from the people who regularly insult or belittle him, get physically violent with him, take advantage of him or take him for granted, etc, etc, etc. Its entirely too one-sided and imbalanced, and the pendulum needs to swing the other direction, like YESTERDAY, and in a fairly big way, IMO.

3) None of this Baby's First Social Justice Awakening 101 crap. I'm sorry, but no. Especially not when you go out of your way to acknowledge that Dick is Romani, only to then turn around and act like he's only JUST had his eyes opened to an awareness of like, classism and poverty and the real struggles people face day to day? Sorry not sorry, but especially for other white writers out there, do not use people of color as self-inserts for dipping a toe into Learning To See Past Privilege. And especially when talking about a character who has a history of being actively abused and hurt by the system and institutions of power, or hell, even leaving out that particular origin story, who has still been out on the streets helping people since he was a literal child. You can not tell me that this is his first face to face experience with social issues, or the first time he's had the inclination to try and address those head on. (And its also particularly egregious that the people second-guessing Dick in his own title and giving him reality checks or acting like they have more of an awareness of all this than he does like, happen to all be white? OPTICS. LEARN ABOUT THEM. COMMON SENSE. GET SOME.)

Know what would actually be a better way to approach this? Flashbacks. Show us Dick running into situations that make him think back to a case when he was still Robin, when he and Batman had started fighting over their approaches to things, actually SHOW us those conflicts and how their viewpoints had started diverging, and how much of that was due to Dick not having the same experiences as Bruce, or the same standing in society, no matter what house he lived in. THEN you can jump BACK to the present, with the reminder/awareness that this is something that isn't NEWS to Dick, but that he in the past felt he was forced to make his peace with as something he wasn't in a position to do that much about....only NOW, he's in a very DIFFERENT position, and suddenly it just hits him how he's still acting like he did when he was limited in resources or in having to be part of a chain in command or having to factor other responsibilities into things....now he ACTUALLY has the power and the resources to make meaningful change in the ways he ALWAYS wanted to, but maybe just needed time to figure out HOW.

Like you know what would have made Shawn Tsang's story arc so much better? If Dick didn't just remember her as the Pigeon's one time teenage sidekick he'd briefly fought as a kid, but like.....if he remembered her as someone he and Bruce had FOUGHT about. Because he didn't agree with sending someone to juvie for defacing public property as a form of political protest, when it was someone's LIFE who was going to be irrevocably damaged by that while the damage to the city could be fixed with a check, and what made Dick any more deserving of Bruce's leniency and faith in his potential or underlying goodness than Shawn?

But he was still a kid himself back then, and when Bruce responded with his usual conviction, talking about the importance about rule of law and etc etc, Dick just didn't have the words to get through to him then, to get him to understand that this wasn't just Dick not getting it because he was too young, it was BRUCE not getting it, that Dick was literally just saying well he wasn't too young to have been in juvie himself, and of the two of them, he's the one who has experience there so why was Bruce's opinion on whether this was the punishment that fit the crime the one that got to hold more weight here? When Dick's the one who knows what that punishment actually LOOKS like beyond the abstract, for whom it was a reality that still haunts him in ways that even defacing a few statues of some rich old fucks doesn't deserve?

Or hell, go back FURTHER than when he was Robin. Idk where any of those posts are, but I've always wanted to see something where Dick maybe runs into someone he remembers from his time in juvie, maybe a guard who is like, the source of the reasons Dick mistrusts figures of authority and is so hung up on independence and not being under anyone's thumb, or maybe someone who was in there with him, another kid who looked out for him when he didn't have to, etc. Gimme Dick tackling head-on his firsthand awareness that there's no rehabilitation to be found in a jail for kids, when most of those kids don't even need rehabilitation in the first place and only did what they did in order to survive or escape from worse situations or like, were there purely because of racist cops, etc. Let him go after THAT system, driven by personal experiences and memories that maybe only hit him in full after recovering his memories from the Ric Grayson arc, like they're things that he put in a box in his mind a long, long time ago because he didn't have the spoons or reserves to deal with them when he was a kid still so traumatized in so many ways, like, something had to give and so he put all those memories away for another day and just....never got back to them because life kept hitting him with new and fresh trauma every week.

But now something has him thinking back to those early days in Gotham, and reminding him that not everyone had a Bruce Wayne willing and able to give them an out from that place or acrobatic skills to escape it on their own, and like. You want to do something about the cycles of violence in Gotham and Bludhaven? Why not start with the places that literally MANUFACTURE cruelty on an institutional level, that teach kids that no matter what they did to get put there, even if that was nothing at all, they're all going to be treated the same way and given no reason NOT to do whatever it took to be top dog in a dog eat dog world by the time they got out.

There's SO many better approaches to social awareness in the Batbooks than what we're seeing, and like. Sheesh. The bar is way too low.

4) On a related note, if I'm editor of the Nightwing book, the FIRST thing I'm doing is making it a priority to find a writer of color for that book, ideally someone of Rom descent. Its waaaaay past time to let a Romani writer take the reins on Dick, Wanda, Pietro or Doom, aka some of the only prominent Romani characters out there? You can't tell me that there aren't talented writers who identify as Roma who would be more than willing to add their perspective to Dick's archive of narratives, and if an editor's gotta go looking for them? Go fucking look. DC and its fans have milked a lot of mileage out of the idea of Dick being Romani with very little in the way of nuanced storytelling to show for it in the past twenty years, and if DC wants to trot out little reminders that Dick is Romani every couple years, like in the form of a freaking line that has no follow up or expansion to any degree and is offset by an internal monologue that otherwise reads as incredibly privileged, the least they can do is TRY to expand on that with the narrative perspective of someone they claim to be representing via that character.

And no, this isn't gatekeeping, this is prioritizing. Its not about preventing other writers from writing this character, like just for the hell of it, its about being proactive about finding a writer who can write specific aspects of this character that have long gone unaddressed or poorly represented. And like. Okay. Its not easy breaking into the comics industry for anyone, but its particularly not easy for marginalized writers. Most every major comic book company just recites 'make your own stuff first and then show us that' but when you're a writer specifically, finding a compatible artist to partner with on creator-owned indie stuff first, when those artists are in the same position as you are and apologetically and understandably tend to have to take paying work over yours if you can't pay except on the back end, like....there are a lot of hurdles to getting your start in comic books, and while there are more and more marginalized writers in comics these days, DC and Marvel kinda fucked up, because you know what?

After being told 'make your own first, then we'll talk,' writers DID do just that....but then found out that well, due to the ease of online distribution and access these days, for any writers who CAN find an artist to partner with, its a hell of a lot easier to get their content out there these days WITHOUT a major publisher behind them.....and for a lot of marginalized writers in particular, its worth it to keep full creative control in exchange for smaller circulation. Especially when they don't have to deal with editors 'softening' their work to make it more palatable for audiences that quite frankly aren't necessarily their primary target. So yeah, marginalized voices are becoming more and more present in comics, but Marvel and DC for the most part are keeping the same voices centered they always have, and what these voices have to say is becoming less and less relevant and outdated. Because much like this arc from Taylor, even when they DO dip their toes into story matter that's of interest to wider audiences, they're doing so to a degree that still puts them years behind the conversations everyone else is having.

5) The same holds true of disability representation. I stopped reading Taylor's run for a lot of reasons but his way of responding to people unhappy with his depiction of Babs was a key one. If I'm editor on a book, and someone tweets at one of my writers that their depiction of a disabled character was hurtful because it feels like they're doubling back on everything Babs has ever said about not being defined by or ashamed of her disability and now its being treated like a dirty little secret, and that writer's response is essentially to just laugh at them and say there's nothing wrong or ableist about their writing of a disabled person, TO a concerned disabled person? That writer's ass is getting fired. Full stop.

Either you give a shit about this stuff or you don't. Don't pay your readers lip service about how important social issues are to you and how much you care about using superhero narratives to inspire people on these matters if you're gonna turn around and show your ass the second you don't feel comfortable and prioritized by the conversation, like it wouldn't exist without your oh so valuable contributions. ESPECIALLY if you don't identify as sharing the same identity of the marginalized character you're writing. You are a guest in someone else's lived experiences at that point, and you think you've got the right to belittle and talk down to the people who LIVE THERE? Fuck off, my dude.

6) Re-center Dick as someone who the superhero community RESPECTS. I love seeing Dick depicted as someone who has an awareness of his own limitations and an appreciation for what others bring to the table, and so I'm not opposed to him calling on others when he needs to.....but I also would like to see more of the opposite. But not in the way we usually see it these days, where he's asked to come help with a crisis and then usually second-guessed the whole way, and then sent back home without so much as a thank you when its done. Yawn. Sorry. I've read that story by now.

You know what story arc I freaking LOVED as a kid, back in the 90s? In Green Lantern, when Kyle Rayner first became the sole GL, one of his very early arcs, before he ever joined the JLA or anything....was him realizing how little he knew about being a superhero. He was like, my predecessors all had a full fledged CORPS to teach them everything they needed to know, but I had a few lines of exposition from a funny little blue guy in a red pillowcase and then I was off to the races. That's not good enough. There's so much I don't know about being a hero, I don't even KNOW what I still need to know.

So he went on kinda a superhero training roadtrip. He went to Metropolis to ask Superman for advice, he went to Batman to learn from Batman and Robin (Tim at the time). He went to Wonder Woman, Sentinel (Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern), etc, etc. And in the end, Kyle very much became his own kind of hero who wasn't just a pastiche of all those other heroes and the advice they gave him, but like....this put him on the road to that.

And I'd love to see something like that happen in Dick's solo title. We've seen him train in a team setting, we've seen him train the other Robins.....I'd love to see like, young superheroes from OTHER books, not ones created by the title, but like names people actually recognize from other franchises, like, guest star in Nightwing's book to learn from HIM, specifically. I wanna see something where Wally looks at the latest speedster and is like, you know what, if you really wanna be the best hero you can possibly be, then Nightwing's who you gotta go to, because there's no one I trust to make a better hero out of someone than him. I want the newest kid on the JLA block to worry that people aren't taking him seriously because of his age or experience, and he's always hearing them talk about Nightwing and how young he was when he started and so if anyone knows something about how to gain the respect of your older superhero peers, that's the guy to talk to.

Gimme Dick's couch being crashed on at various times by a half dozen new or upcoming young superheroes who all heard or figured out that if they really want to up their superhero game, Nightwing's the guy to see.

7) Bring back Bea. There's no long paragraph expansion on this, its really simply. Bring back Bea. She was one of the freshest breaths of air in Dick's supporting cast in ages, most of the current run is based off her character direction in the first place, she's literally the best suited TO help Dick in this venture, and the reasons they gave for writing her out of Dick's life were all bullshit and they just wanted to focus on his previous relationships, which would be fine if they didn't fall into the same two endless cycles of bring back up, go nowhere with, awkwardly avoid each other for years, rinse and repeat. Like. Bring back Bea, please and thank you, the end.

8) Focus on new villains. Heartless is meh, but the idea of new villains is still better IMO than rehashing Blockbuster, Zucco, etc. Like, nostaglia ain't it. If I want to read Blockbuster fucking up Dick's life, I can do that. They're called back issues. The thing is, love it or hate it, the Blockbuster arc WAS iconic. It left its mark. And anything that doesn't leave just as much of a mark, if they're going to bring him up again, is just gonna be a waste of time, you know? It'll just dilute his overall presence when like, what he was - worked fine as is. We don't need Round Two.

The trick to good villains, IMO, is they have to speak to a fight that needs fighting.

What I mean by that is....the best villains are those who resonate on a more instinctive level because they embody something that already exists in a reader's mind as a conflict that needs fighting. Like, if superheroes exist, if the embodiment of larger than life presences and forces devoted to protecting the world from various things are real....then their villains need to embody the kinds of fights or conflicts that NEED larger than life figures to combat them, at least on a one to one level.

Look at Superman and Lex Luthor. Superman at his core embodies the strength of community. He's the ultimate hero of the people, his essence is that he was the last survivor of a doomed race who was raised by two honest, hard working people to see the beauty in just being ONE of them, in using what he had on behalf of all of them and not just himself. In contrast, Lex Luthor is basically the embodiment of capitalist greed, of excess, of the entitlement of being able to have anything with a snap of your fingers and thus assuming that gives you divine mandate to make the kinds of choices that he sees as only his right to make.

He hates Superman, ultimately, because Superman is the WRONG savior of the people. He wants their only savior to be HIM, half the time he honestly believes he's saving the world FROM Superman, but just as often he's perfectly content to be the villain and not shy about it....because Lex Luthor's ultimate motivation is he wants everyone to know when he's dead and gone that LEX LUTHOR WAS HERE. He genuinely doesn't care WHAT his impact or legacy is at the end of the day, just that it exists and it overshadows most everything else...because all that really matters to him is the irrefutable proof that HE mattered. And thus at their cores, Superman and Lex are perfectly opposed. Ideally situated to eternally be in conflict, their own forever war, because their core natures are incompatible. They CAN'T compromise, without compromising themselves and essentially ending up as someone totally other than who and what they are already.

And you can go down the list. The Joker is the chaos to Batman's order, while Mr. Freeze is the stagnancy of that order taken too far, he's what you get when you freeze everything in your grief and refuse to let anything go on, anything new grow, because that would mean having to admit once and for all that what you're mourning is really gone. Two-Face is the ultimate embodiment of Man vs Self, a once good man at war with his own worse nature, and reminding everyone who looks at him how easily they could fall to the same fate.

And so on and so on. What Dick needs, is more of the same. Like, as much as I'm not a huge fan of Talon stories, I maintain that the Court of Owls were a great foil for him - just they tend to be poorly used in canon as well. But I also think how poorly they come off in canon has a lot to do with canon not really touching on WHY they're such a perfect foil for Dick....and that's Dick's history with being outside the system, mistreated and even exploited by the system. Because the Court, their core concept, is they ARE the system. They are entrenched, enfranchised, institutional power, passed down through generations, dynastic control that is a perfect counterpart to the dynastic power of the Wayne family, embodied in its youngest generation in the form of Bruce's FOUND family, the children he adopted regardless of whether or not his peers found them deserving of that honor. The Court, and their entire....thing...about the Gray Son, is the entitled fury of those denied something they deem theirs simply because they WANT it, and who will burn the whole world down rather than admit defeat or let someone else have it instead.

And that resonates. It could resonate a lot MORE if DC would actually lean into those concepts and allow Dick to explore how the Court are nothing he's not used to, they're literally made up of the same people who have looked down on him ever since he came to Gotham, but now they're actually a face and a name put to all those attitudes, something he can literally FIGHT BACK AGAINST. The Court are literally human-sized embodiments of everything and everyone who's tried to confine Dick since his parents' deaths, tried to define him without his permission, tried to make him other or lesser than who and what he is.....and who thus now exist in a form that Dick can literally BATTLE. So that he doesn't HAVE to just take this stuff lying down.

Thanks to the Court, he doesn't HAVE to just passively accept it, that this is just how life is, that some people are going to view him this way and think this about him and there's nothing he can do about it. He CAN do something about it, in superhero stories. He can kick its ASS, in the form of the Court of Owls and everything its members think about him and intend for him. He can refuse to bow down to them, to accept their mark on him. He can say lol, no, and then blow their shit sky high, ideally with a little help from his family. He can BEAT them, in this incarnated form, and in doing so, even though he can't beat everything they stand for and represent, that victory still matters, still means something symbolic to readers it resonates with.

And that's what we need more of. Villains created specifically to embody concepts that are diametrically opposed to Dick and what he represents. The system, yes, but also villains who embody the kind of tyranny and control he fights back against in his constant battles for autonomy and self control. Villains who embody the 'new hopes' of a second generation just like Dick himself is the focal point of the hopes embodied by the second generation of heroes. I'm actually not the hugest fan of multiversal constant Dick Grayson, but I might like it more if he had an opposite number there, someone he was specifically contrasted with. Idk.

But you get it.

9) Dick having a social life. Gimme the Titans and his siblings showing up JUST to show up. We have room enough for at least a couple pages every other issue where we just get to see these characters having some breathing room, taking a beat to stop and be something other than just a superhero, to be human as well. There's more to life than 24/7 fighting, even for them, and that's largely been lost in modern superhero comics, which kinda sucks, because that was what made most of the more iconic and lasting dynamics between various characters like, STAND the test of time. The larger than life battles between good and evil might be what many of us come to superhero comics FOR, but the relatable back-and-forths and ups and downs of their private lives spent with friends and family tends to be what keeps most of us coming BACK. And lately its all just mission, mission, mission, and I'm like blah, blah, blah and its like, meh, meh, meh. Y'know? Give the guy some down time, and let his friends come spend it with him.

10) Boone. This is purely self-indulgent, but if you know anything about me, you know my obsession with Robin: Year One, Dick's brief time at Vengeance Academy, and the hate/hate relationship he has with his brief frenemy from that period, Boone aka Shrike. This character has SOOOOO much potential to be Dick's true archnemesis and rival, and like. *Sobs* I can't get into it all again. Its too much. I can't do it.

Okay, I absolutely can. And will, probably. But like. Later.

BONUS ROUND:

Other thing I would absolutely insist upon if I were Nightwing editor....

GET THAT FUCKING MEME SHIRT ABOUT BRUCE SLAPPING DICK THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.

Like. Seriously. WHAT THE HELL. Why would you double down on THAT? Why is Babs STILL wearing it? (Last I checked, like I think I saw it in a scan from last issue? I'm pretty sure its still there? If not, forget this entire rant, and I am very embarrassed. Okay not that embarrassed. I don't really care if I'm wrong here but like, in case I'm not)...

WHY. Who thought that was funny? No, seriously, on behalf of any other abuse survivors who like me are SERIOUSLY not amused, who the FUCK thinks its FUNNY to have one of Dick's best friends sporting a shirt that no matter what it represents IN universe, to readers OUT of universe, is always going to call to mind the fact that this meme only freaking EXISTS because of all the times DC has obliviously and without acknowledgment written Bruce abusing his children, including the BFF that Babs is literally wearing that right in front of.

Like omg do you hate her, DC? What other possible reason could you have for thinking that would be a cute, funny thing for her to wear around the guy getting SLAPPED, by his DAD, in your shirt's iconography.

Okay I'm done.

LOL.

Sorry, that last one was brewing for awhile. Deep breaths. Woo.

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