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quixoticall · 6 months

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This Could Get Ugly 1. Before the Beginning

Summary: It's 1983 and The Downsides need another lead singer and you just happen to need a band--it's a perfect match. The only issue? You have to pretend to be in a relationship with your bandmate, Steve Harrington, but you can't help but be drawn to the band's broody guitar player.

pairing: s.h. x fem!reader, e.m. x fem!reader, j.b. x n.w., r.b x n.w.

warnings: It's the Daisy Jones and the Six!AU, Enemies to friends to lovers, Love triangles, sex, drugs, rock and roll, etc., fake relationships, bad parents all around.

MASTERLIST🎸

Prologue 🎤

WC: 3.4K

A/N: long time reader, first time poster. Please share your thoughts and any tips you may have. ❤️❤️

***

STEVE: Right, so I just start talking into this microphone thing?

INTERVIEWER: Yes, but you need to introduce yourself first.

STEVE: You know who I am, we’ve known each other for—ah, okay, okay sorry. I’m Steve. Harrington, obviously. Former lead singer and guitarist of The Downsides. So, uh, where do I start?

INTERVIEWER: The beginning—tell me about how you first got involved with music.

STEVE: Right, okay, I can do that. I grew up kinda lonely. My dad was this big real estate investor but we lived in Indiana of all places, so he was always traveling. I don’t think I remember him ever being home for more than a month straight growing up… and my mom was there but she wasn’t there, ya know? She drank a lot and spent a lot of time in bed, that sort of thing.

***

1962-1972, Los Angeles California

Your childhood is a lonely one but it’s also a boring and predictable one.

Born in sun-soaked LA to a movie director father and his much younger model wife, two people who didn’t know each other well enough to either love or hate the other. They maintained a similar distance in their marriage as the one they tried to uphold in their individual relationships with you, their child.

So, your infancy was spent in a rotation of different nanny’s arms with your parents’ presence only dotting the periphery of your life. Who could blame them, after all? Infants are so contrived and boring compared to the big, wide, world of art that was Los Angeles in the 1960s. Your parents were far too busy trying to cement their legacy in the art they created and inspired to spend too much time looking after you.

(Much later in life, you would find yourself wondering if your parents ever saw the irony in the fact that your art ended up eclipsing their entire existence in the end and their only legacy was that of being your parents.)

As a child, however, you spent little time thinking of legacy and instead spent your time trying to feel less lonely.

***

STEVE: When I was a kid I would wonder why my parents even had me. Sorry, that’s like a total bummer thing to say during an interview. But it’s true. And you said to tell the truth. I never felt wanted by them. Until I got famous, and even then… but that’s not new, a lot of kids grow up feeling lonely, right?

***

The employees who raised you were nice enough, but they saw you for what you were: a means to an end. A paycheck with big, sad, beautiful eyes that may beget sympathy, but they couldn’t get too close to. The children you came to meet at your elite California private school seemed palatable enough at first, but the more you interacted with them, the more you found yourself at a loss. It was like they spoke a secret language you did not know—a language of price tags, and ever-changing hierarchies and thinly-veiled insults. One that your mother spoke perfectly, but never bothered to pass down to you.

You end up turning to books instead. The home library your father kept up for appearances’ sakes became your favorite room in the house and your teenage growth spurts were fed by any and all novels you could get your hands on from historical biographies to soapy romances, you read them all. You loved them all, but you loved poetry the most— emotive and raw in ways you were unfamiliar with. You liked the way the syllables rolled gracefully into one another and how each word served a purpose—compact with meaning and so unlike the people around you who were so careless with their words.

As you began to age, and the meaningless mess of childhood shifted into the sharpness of adolescence, you began to write yourself. One day, somehow you had the idea of putting your poetry to music. If you could write songs good enough to be played on the radio then maybe you could earn people's adoration through your art like your parents had, you reasoned. Maybe you could even earn their adoration. You beg your parents for piano lessons, and they scoff at the thought. “But what’s the point of having one if no one can play it?” You ask, referencing the piano in the grand foyer.

“That piano is not meant to be played,” your mother explains, slowly, “it’s meant to be admired by our guests.”

She walks away from the conversation before you can even protest.

Instead of giving up, though, you went to the library and borrowed all the books you could on music and piano playing and slowly began to teach yourself. You were not very good, at first, and both your parents made a habit of reminding you whenever they were around to hear you practicing. Luckily, they were rarely around.

***

STEVE: My parents signed me up for every single activity and extra-curricular you can think of: karate, basketball, pottery. The one that really stuck though, was guitar lessons. Soon, that was the only thing I wanted to do it was something I was actually good at. Not something I had potential in, not something I was passable at. It was something I was good at. My dad did not like the idea of me going into music at first—he wanted me to take on a “manlier” hobby—but even he couldn’t deny that I was talented, and he sent me to this specialized music school in Indianapolis. That’s where I met Robin. That’s when I stopped feeling so alone.

ROBIN: Robin Buckley, brass, bass, and synth for The Downsides.

I met Steve when we were thirteen, I think, at this fancy music school in Indianapolis. I was there on scholarship. I’m not going to lie, he was obnoxious, but most thirteen-year-old boys are. Even then, though, there was something about him that made everyone want to be his friend. He was also really talented. He never had to work very hard to be good at something, but he worked hard anyway. I hated him at first, but he wore me down and we eventually became best friends.

***

1978

Your music became a good outlet for all your loneliness and anger and disappointment, but it was not a cure for any of those things. You craved friendship and commonality and to be liked beyond the surface.

One day, when you were towards the end of seventeen, you decided to go exploring. You had heard Emily Cooke whispering salaciously in the girls’ bathroom at school about sneaking into the Whiskey A Go-Go to see The Six playing and an idea began to blossom.

Your home was only a walking distance from the Strip, the aptly named piece of street that was lined with clubs and musical venues, so that day, after hearing Emily’s plan you decided to try your luck at the Whiskey. You loved music, after all, and you wanted to be good at it, like the musicians that played there. Plus, there were others that shared those interests and the was a chance that some of them would be more tolerable than Emily Cooke.

You waited in line, by yourself, donning an outfit that you hoped made you look older than you were in an organic, cool way. When you made it to the doorman, you smiled trying to look more confident than pleading. His eyes raked over your body once, then twice and you resist the urge to flinch away. You had known then that you were beautiful—mostly because it was the only thing your mother valued in you— but what you hadn’t known was how far just being beautiful could get you. The doorman had let you in the club, not even questioning when your voice wavered while you had told him you were older than you actually were.

***

ROBIN: Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but Steve was my first kiss.

INTERVIEWER: Uh, Robin?

ROBIN: Oh, right…. Well, whatever, Steve Harrington was my first kiss. He was also the first person I told that I liked girls. I knew from a really early age that I didn’t find men attractive but when Steve kissed me at our high school dance I had this immediate realization and I sorta burst out, “Steve, I like girls.” It was a really great moment of self-awareness for me—growing up as a girl, they always try to put you in this box of like feminity and being whatever men wanted you to be, including an object to be looked at or pawned over. I didn’t know how being gay fit into all that, until that moment.

I don’t think it was that great of a moment for Steve, though.

STEVE: She told you about that? Well, for the record, it wasn't that I wasn't happy for her, it's just when you're a teenage boy and if your first crush admits she's a lesbian moments after you kiss her for the first time, well, it does not do your ego any favors, does it?

***

The moment you walked through that door, your life became severed in two: the before and the after. You watched, from the fringe of the crowd, as Billy Dunne crooned soulfully, and the audience sang his own words back to him.

You briefly imagine yourself on the stage, being someone that people would actually want to come see, someone that people would listen to. Someone people would love.

***

STEVE: I always knew I wanted to be in music. It was the only thing that ever made sense. Wait, no, that’s not right… It’s the only thing that ever made life make sense. So, I started working at it, like seriously working it at, when I was 16. I bought as many records as I could, figured out what I liked, what I could do, and I practiced all the time. Like all the time. Robin did, too. I would play the guitar and sing, and she was insane on the trumpet and bass. I don’t think we ever sat down and had a conversation about whether we wanted to form a band or even what we wanted for ourselves in the future. We just always knew it was going to be the two of us, and we were going to be making music. Of course, you can’t have a band with only a guitar and a trumpet, so we had to start looking for more members.

***

1980

From that point on, your life had purpose.

You began to study everything about music—obsessively. You collected records, you played the piano until your fingers became cramped and sore or until your mother yelled at you to stop.

You filled notebook after notebook with lyrics, some good, many bad.

But you also kept your eyes on the tabloids and the gossip rags and the fashion magazines. To be a successful musician, you had to be good of course, but you also had to be well-liked. Growing up in the environment you did had given you a very unique perspective on this. Since infancy, you had seen hopeful artists-to-be approach your father for a chance, or ask your mother for advice. The most successful of them were not always the ones who had the best things to say, but those who said what they had to say in the best way.

You practiced giving fake interviews in front of your mirror and in the shower. You stayed on top of trends and bought the best-fitting clothes. And most importantly, you tried to associate yourself with all the right people.

By the time you turned 18, you were well-known, even beyond the Strip. Photos of you standing next to the bass player/drummer/guitarist/lead singer of whatever band might have been riding a momentary wave of popularity at the time began to appear in tabloid magazines.

Most of them were men. Most of them wanted something out of you. You became a master in the art of giving just enough for them to think they had a chance with you if it meant that you could learn from them or convince them to listen to one of your songs. But every time you would even mention the idea that you wrote music, you would come hit a wall of patronizing, feigned interest followed by a grab at your chest.

Then came Jason Carver. Lead singer of the Letterman’s, Jason Carver. You dated him for a few weeks, right after you had turned 18. He was 25 and just charming enough for you to overlook his frequent condescension. Plus, he had promised that he would teach you a few chords on the guitar.

One day, you had come over to his apartment and he was getting all worked up because the band’s label was on his ass about writing a song and he couldn’t quite get it right. He needed to write a love song, something introspective and sweet but Jason could only churn out party anthems and songs meant to be played in dive bars.

Eventually, after hearing him gripe for what seemed like an eternity, you sent him off to take a shower and in the meanwhile compiled all of his shreds of half-lines and began to work filling in the gaps. Forty minutes later, you had a solid chorus and first verse to present to him for a song you thought should have been called “All At Once”. You thought that this would’ve made him happy, after all, you had gotten him one step closer to a possible song. (And maybe, you had secretly hoped, in all of his gratitude he could be swayed to give you a writing credit on the song). Instead, he laughed at you like you were a child pretending to do an adult task and asked you to leave with a hasty promise that he would call you later that week. He never called. The hurt you felt was only a pin-prick. Six months later, you heard The Letterman’s on the radio: a new song by them called, “All At Once”. You tried to convince yourself for a moment that there would be no way that Jason could blatantly steal your song after having mocked you for even trying to write. But, boy, were you wrong. Those were, in fact, your lyrics, on the radio. Yes, the band had added another verse but, ultimately, your lyrics were all there. The same lyrics Jason had so easily dismissed six months prior.

That was when you realized if you were going to get ahead in the industry, you were going to have to play dirty, like Jason Carver.

***

ROBIN: We met Argyle in Chicago. Once we graduated high school Steve and I started working as subs for small bands in the Midwestern circuit. Yes, it was as grim as it sounds, but it paid the bills and helped us meet people. Argyle was the drummer of some Reggae band that needed a bass player for a few weeks when their bassist got arrested on possession charges. I subbed in and was immediately super impressed by his skills. People always underestimated Argyle, to this day, because of the whole vibe he gives off, you know? But he’s smart and adaptable. Anyway, when his bassist lost his case, the band broke up indefinitely and I tried my best to convince Argyle to join Steve and me. There were two of us, we’d never played an official gig, and we didn’t even have a name, but Argyle said yes. Next was Nancy. We held open auditions for a keyboardist once Argyle was onboard. After five passable auditions, Nancy Fucking Wheeler walks in in this long skirt and bows in her hair. She had a book of Debussy sheet music for God’s sake. I almost burst out laughing when I saw her because I thought she must have been lost but then, in true Nancy Wheeler fashion she blew us all away. Ugh, was that woman talented. And gorgeous. Steve’s jaw had to be crane-lifted off the floor, it was love at first sight.

STEVE: It was not. She’s exaggerating.

1980

Ironically, you met Murray Bauman at one of your parents’ parties.

You knew he was a music producer for Starcourt Records because he kept loudly boasting to his date about it. The same Starcourt Records that the Letterman’s were signed on to.

You waited until he was two gin martinis in and standing alone admiring your father’s latest art purchase before you approached.

“Hello,” you said, brandishing a dazzling smile, your whole body angled and ready to perform this familiar dance.

“Aren’t you the producer for the Letterman’s?”

He shot you a grin that borders on swarmy and said, “why yes, I am and you look like you’re out past your bedtime.”

You didn’t react to his statement and instead marched onwards, “I loved their latest song, ‘All At Once’ right? It’s so romantic.”

“Between you and me, I’m not sure how Carver popped that one out, he’s a bit of a meathead if you catch my drift.”

He didn’t wait to see your reaction before laughing at his own joke.

“Yeah, actually, I’m not surprised to hear that considering I dated him,” your eyes flashed in a way that you hoped came off as dangerous, “and that I wrote that song.”

He regarded you for a moment before breaking out in a laugh. When he saw your expression remained unchanged, he stepped back in assessment.

“Oh shit, you’re being serious.”

You only nodded grimly.

“Okay, well that’s a new one. Usually, girls come up claiming that one of those idiots impregnated them, not this.”

He regarded you again, searching for a trace of a lie. He sighed, “So let’s say that you did write the song, which, knowing what I know about those Neanderthals, I am willing to entertain the possibility of this being at least partially true, then what does that mean? You’re going to blackmail Starcourt? Do you want money?”

You gestured vaguely behind you, sure that he must have known who your parents were. “I don’t need money.”

“Then, what is it?”

“I write music. Obviously. I want to write for your label.”

A grin broke out across his face, “Oh, boy.” He started to laugh: a deep chuckle that floated up from his belly.

“You and every other Joe Schmoe in Hollywood, sweetie.”

“But not every other Joe Schmoe wrote a song for one of your most popular bands.”

Murray regarded you again, he gave you a look you’re all too familiar with. One that says he did not expect such a fight in such an unassuming package.

“Here’s the deal,” you start, taking his brief lapse to pounce, “all I want is for you to take my demo tape and listen to it, like actually listen to it. Do that and we never have to mention this again.”

“And if I say no to your little proposition?”

You smile at his question before offering a small piece of paper, “Then here’s the business card to my lawyer he’ll be reaching out.”

This, puzzlingly, makes the man burst out laughing once again.

“Let me get this straight, you just want me to listen to your tape? That’s the grand blackmailing scheme? No record deal, no music video?”

You shake your head in response, “No, I think my music speaks for itself. I just need to get it in front of the right person.”

Murray’s still chuckling to himself as he extends his hand out signaling for you to drop the tape you are now holding in his hands.

“Fine, but you are one shitty blackmailer.”

You were signed to Startcourt Records a month later.

***

STEVE: Once Nancy joined, we were a band, and so we needed a name. I suggested the Steve Harrington experience but the girls shot me down like, right away. We ended up fighting about names for like an hour. It was actually Argyle who ended up coming up with our name. The Downsides, he had said, since we were all so negative about everything. He had said this after Robin had said I was 'all hair and no brain'. Not the best of origin stories, I guess. But we liked it and that’s how we became The Downsides.

NEXT CHAPTER 🎹

#steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #stranger things x reader #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #Daisy Jones & the Six AU

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retellingthehobbit · 3 months

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I went to read your comic on Ao3 and I noticed you'd started back in 2020. Aside from your clear and beautiful art progression, what can you tell me about the timeline of your comic?

Thank you! And yes, started this webcomic in January of 2020. “I sure hope nothing bad happens in 2020 that will hamper my ability to focus on a large personal project!” — me in January 2020 with all the naivety of youth. Top ten images taken minutes before disaster. This comic is like a deeply personal diary of my mental state, complete with the long empty hiatuses that are sort of like that part of Twilight where months of depression are represented by blank pages.

One of my favorite things about webcomics is how you can often see an artist’s style grow organically over time. I think it’s something that’s getting lost in the age of “Webtoon Originals,” where people are starting to expect webcomics to be produced by an actual production studio with a team of artists behind them and to maintain a consistent highly curated art style throughout. These professionally funded comics are fun, but they do lose the messy personal organic growth that used to separate webcomics from traditional print comics? But i could go on a whole tirade about webtoon haha 😂 !

The Hobbit is partially a story about someone learning how to express themselves. Bilbo starts the story as this stuffy little guy who is repressing a lot his own personality; he ends the story as a skilled artist writing elaborate prosy poetry about his adventures. I deliberately chose to start drawing the comic before I went to college, knowing my art style would change a lot of over that period!

Anyway here's the timeline as I remember it: Pre-development: I was working on sketches of the comic itself as early as 2016. Chapter 1 (A Bedtime Story/Tooks and Bagginses): (Posted on Tumblr in January 2020, on Ao3 later): Published shortly before I went to college. I was drawing in Paint Tool Sai, and hand-writing all the words instead of using a font. I set out to adapt at least the Unexpected Party chapter, but thought I'd probably adapt the entire novel within a year or two. ("It's a webcomic Michael. How long could it take? twelve months?") Chapter 2: (A Very Respectable Hobbit): Posted like a week after Chapter 1. This was when I still thought I could post a ten page chapter every week, haahahahahahahahahaha Fs in the chat.

HIATUS #1: DANCE BREAK: TIME FOR A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. The exact timeline of 2020 is a blur for obvious reasons, but I do remember the updates became very sporadic over this period. Chapter 3-5 (Very Old Friends and An Unexpected Party chapters): there’s a global pandemic. During Spring Break my college abruptly kicks us all off campus and sends us home. I keep looking at the “post dates” on these chapters like what??? Really? I posted that at thAt time? But there was a global pandemic happening and I was so busy and overwhelmed with college???? When did I have the time? I have no memory of drawing these. My memories of all 2020 are so blurry. I think these chapters just manifested spontaneously.

The weekly/biweekly update schedule has been tossed to the wind, never to return. Alas. Chapter 6 (An Enormously Important Dwarf, aka Thorin’s intro): I was back “at college” during our “hybrid” year, so in practice I was extremely isolated. this was posted during a year after the first chapter, in 2021. I would never have found the motivation to continue if I wasn't so excited to draw Thorin! I also joined a "comic club" at my college which was comprised mainly of awkward video calls with like three people. On a weirder note, this chapter was posted a few weeks after the January 6th attempted coup. I was drawing in a a weird headspace.

DANCE BREAK #2: IT’S TIME FOR A YEAR LONG HIATUS:

I've started to often dislike the word “burnout” when it’s applied to art. It implies that the problem is that you were drawing too much or that you can’t find inspiration, when often the problem is much bigger than your art-- it's wider economic anxieties and social circumstances outside your control. It is very hard to think clearly and create things when you are worried about your future, about work, about housing, about a global pandemic, about constant demands on your time, and about being extremely isolated. In hindsight, I wasn’t “burned out”— I was in a situation where I could not think clearly or produce anything. Chapter 7 (The Lonely Mountain): posted a full year after chapter 6. For a while I considered having this be the “last chapter” of the comic!

Changing art styles was a thing I was really motivated to do, and was my last “bucket list” item for the comic.

HIATUS #3: I get really busy with junior year of college! I grow more and more disillusioned with Tolkien as I learn more about The Hobbit Law crushing labor unions and worker's rights in New Zealand, and how Amazon takes advantage of that. The Tolkien Estate also releases a statement saying they disapprove of any unauthorized use of Tolkien's works for profit or not, which isn't really legally enforceable but is also just an act of pure contempt XD. Chapter 8 (A Tangled Web): I get sent to the emergency room in an ambulance for Reasons and begin drawing this in the weeks after, as I realize I don't care about the Tolkien Estate or Amazon or Warner Brothers or whatever hollow marketable products they produce under the tolkien brand. I think this is the weakest chapter of the comic, both in writing and art, and in hindisght think the comic works better without it pacing-wise. However!!!! I was drawing it in a weird mental state, so. XD

Also, at this point I am drawing entirely in Photoshop. Chapter 9 (Ash and Smoke): Back at college for senior year— time for dragon! The comic starts updating with something that resembles a "regular schedule!" this year had more and more people on campus in person, and I started to slowly make college friends :). Also, at this point I am the President of the comic club, and we are now meeting in person and rebuilding our comic empire. Chapter 10 (The Heart of the Mountain): Some funky bits of writing I'd like to revise at some point, but I enjoy the art in this chapter. Chapter 11 (Polite Nothings): If I were to do this all again I'd shorten this chapter and combine it with chapter 12. One important note is that originally, I tried to keep all chapters under ten pages. This made it easier to post them to Instagram and Tumblr, because tumblr still had a “ten image limit” at the time. However at some point I realized that was more trouble than it was worth, and really made the pacing difficult/slow as I struggled to split the story into ten page chunks.

A lot of webcomics often fall into what I call a “wheel-spinning” phase, where the author is so focused on finishing smaller updates that they lose the pacing of the larger narrative—- and so the story stalls out. I feel like I dealt with a lot of “wheel-spinning” while I was at college, both in my life and in my comic XD. Chapter 12 (The Quest): My internship company gives me an offer to work full-time, which I accept. in the last semester of my last year of college, I take the most helpful elective class I have ever taken: a class on using 3D models in blender to aid with blocking out illustrations. This is the first chapter where you see one of those backgrounds! From this point on my background art will improve dramatically. I also have lots of internet friends and college friends!

As I grow more confident in my art I also make the decision to change the character designs, something I’d wanted to do for a while. Chapter 13 (The Necromancer): I graduate college! It's time for some Lotte Reiniger art. I stay in my student housing until my lease ends. The art starts to grow more elaborate as I have more time to spend on it. Chapter 14 (Terms and Conditions): my summer is free, so I spend it drawing gay little hobbits. I move up North to live with my grandmother until my work start date. This is the very last “normal-sized” chapter of the comic, where I hold myself to keeping it under 10 pages. I also think this is where my new more elaborate character designs actually start to look a lot better XD.

I was finishing up apartment-hunting at this time, so both Bilbo and I were goin over contract terms. Chapter 15 (Unattached): summer free time!! More gay little hobbits. I move into my New apartment and sleep on an air mattress for a while. I have a lot of time to draw and the art gets far more complex; this chapter was also twice as long as my usual chapters. I am still proud of this chapter, honestly, even though it's gotten less attention than Chapter 16/17-- it's one I'd been excited to draw for a while. A lot of this chapter was drawn on my beautiful powerful beloved air mattress. Air mattress, my beloved. Chapter 16 (the Song of the Lonely Mountain): I start my new job! I get a BED. Lots of exciting things are happening. I was really excited to draw and post this chapter, because it’s one id been dreaming about drawing from the beginning-- it was surreal to see it "posted" because part of me never thought I'd get this far. I even started a tiktok and posted the chapter there, certain that people would enjoy it. However, tiktok basically ignored it, alas! This is why tumblr is the only social media site. Chapter 17: I continue my new job. My roommate surprises me with the news that they will move out at the end of our lease, making me realize that months have somehow passed. I make a post asking for anyone looking for roommates in Milwaukee to contact me via dms (that offer is still open, if you’re looking to move here in early June.) I privately am very confused about why anyone would ever want to leave a comfortable settled home to go off on an adventure and then realize that I am behaving exactly like pre-quest Bilbo Baggins.

Chapter 18: the chapter I am working on now!!! Another chapter I have been excited to draw forever!! It’ll feature studio-Ghibli-inspired backgrounds, exciting landscape art, and so much fun! I’ve also started a Patreon where, if you want to see “one page a week” instead of “twenty pages every Mystery number of Months” you can subscribe there. (The first page of Chapter 18 has already been posted!)

But yeah! The TL:DR:

I think the moral of all this (to me) is that it’s hard to make art if you’re just not in a position to do it, and you have to allow yourself time to grow and change as a person XD. Sometimes you need to spend a few years thinking and getting better before you're ready to go on an Adventure. I started this comic when I was very Young and Naive to the Ways of the World. The quality (and dips in quality) reflect my wildly fluctuating mental/emotional states while trying to draw each chapter in the midst of a global pandemic. My art has improved a lot lately, and I think a large part of it is really just being in a situation where I *can* improve— having a decent job, not being in the middle of a global pandemic with no vaccine in sight, not needing to live in constant fever-pitch anxiety, having friends, etc etc. I am completely different person now than I was while drawing chapter 1.

Not to be dramatic, but I think you can see there’s a lot more joy in the recent chapters than there is in some of the older ones. It's weird to look at your art and realize you've gotten happier. XD

#thanks for the ask!!!#and sorry it took so long to respond #I am Treebeard-core when it comes to responding to asks #just like I am Treebeard-core when it comes to posting this comic #it takes a very loong time to say anything in oooold entish #and we never say anyythiiiiing #unlesssss #it is worth taking #a long #time #to say #the hobbit #the hobbit comic #retelling the hobbit #lotr #lord of the rings

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lansplaining · 9 months

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Sorry if I ask but can you explain to me wwx's development character? I know I came as stupid but I can't see it😭😭. He doesn't even say sorry to jzx for killing him one time and he prefers to hide to lxc about sisi so he doesn't 'make the wrong choice'. I feel like he doesn't grow a lot...

this is actually such an interesting question and something i've been thinking about a lot since I finally finished my re-read of the final volume.

i don't think that wei wuxian undergoes what western readers at least-- i'm not qualified to speak for other traditions-- would expect from a protagonist's journey of growth. and, like i was talking about earlier today, it's certainly not a journey of growth that rests on a christian concept of 'redemption' through confession, atonement, or apology for the sins of your past.

wei wuxian is absolutely aware in the present timeline that his yiling patriarch phase was intense to say the least. he comments on having probably taken it too far re: the wen corpses he weaponized, and he cringes to see the way he struts around and publicly defies jiang cheng. when he first returns to life, he wants to just fuck off and ignore everything, but quickly realizes that he can't separate himself from the past, either practically or emotionally-- a step of growth!

but wei wuxian spends the entire novel in a state of denial so profound that he can't even directly confront, much less move on or grow from, the things he did in the past. he can't apologize in his head for killing jin zixuan because that would mean really thinking about what that meant and letting those emotions come back. he just keeps running from jiang cheng because deciding jiang cheng hates him is easier than opening his mind and heart to all the other things jiang cheng might be feeling and might have felt because of his actions. he can't make a real choice about what to tell lan xichen because that might require stopping and really thinking about where his consistent determination to make choices on other people's behalf has gotten him, and whether they were ever really better off for it.

a different story would be about wei wuxian confronting and thus working through and growing and changing because of these things-- but MDZS isn't that story. i'm not saying he doesn't develop as a protagonist, but the ways that he grows and changes are primarily about his relationship to lan wangji-- and in true MXTX fashion, the things that the primary couple feel for one another don't tend to extend into other areas of their lives or apply to other people. wei wuxian can confront the things lan wangji did for him, and his feelings of guilt about that-- and thus he can move on from them, he can wipe the slate clean. there's no need for thank you and sorry, we don't have to think about the past anymore, we just need each other in the present. it works for a romance, especially the specific terms of wangxian's romance, but denial is rarely a great route for increasing one's understanding of oneself.

#ask answered

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hobbitsetal · 13 days

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Oooh yes I always enjoyed your faith media and art tag discussions

So one thing that I consider very important to art is its role in reflecting the world and in reflecting truth. In its various forms--poetry, song, prose (from fanfic to novels to essays), movies, tv shows, what have you--art has the gift of allowing us to feel seen and heard, or of allowing us to see and hear those who are different from us.

I have never been a nineteenth century aristocrat, but I know random facts about the French Revolution because I was obsessed with The Scarlet Pimpernel and with Rafael Sabatini's oeuvre as a teen. I've never been on a life-changing trip ala LOTR or Narnia or what have you (though visiting Ireland was really cool!), but I have traveled extensively through books.

The use of books and stories in developing empathy is a well documented one. Books allow us to identify with others and to gain insight into other ways of thinking and being.

Whether you want to explore the excesses of the early 20th century with Gatsby, the backwoods and Mississippi River and growth out of racism with Huckleberry Finn, or the drama and sly humor of the Georgian period with Jane Austen's characters, whether you want to struggle with Sam Vimes of Discworld, or learn to trust and grow with the Pevensies, media can help you do that.

Which brings me to the spicy take. Growing up and for many years thereafter, I met (and was taught to meet) any depiction of queer characters with disgust and outrage. When Shiro in the newer Voltron animated series was revealed to be gay, I and other Christian fans lamented what we perceived to be a disgusting corruption.

Since then, I've changed my views. Queer people exist. That is a fact of life and society. And if art is to reflect truth, art should reflect the reality that LGBTQ people exist and have existed for documented human existence.

Personally, I think the best art can include other people's points of views in a neutral way. There are queer people who consider themselves Christian, who seek to love and honor God and to care for their neighbors. There are Christians who believe being queer and Christian are mutually exclusive. Both of these views, and the range in between, deserve to be examined.

And there are plenty of stories in which Christianity simply isn't a factor, like Voltron. The story is concerned with other things, and deserves to be engaged with for those other things.

A prime example of this is the show The Dragon Prince on Netflix. The show contains multiple queer characters, and I know that fact alone is enough to turn many Christians away from ever watching it. But they are missing out on a truly beautiful story.

The core of The Dragon Prince is good versus evil. It is about good people struggling against their own potential to do harm as they fight a far greater evil. It's about seeking to bring peace to a suspicious and angry continent, about love and mercy triumphing over hate and violence.

It is, frankly, a show so soaked in Christian values that it is one of my favorite shows of all time, though it is not a Christian show.

And it contains queer characters.

Queer people, shockingly, are people. They are not a monolith, and their values run the gamut of other people's values. Too much of Christianity shuns them and others them. So there's my spicy take: Christians should consume media with queer characters and engage thoughtfully with the depictions and the values, rather than saying "ew LGBTQ" and closing their eyes.

Why do we believe what we believe? What are the implications of our beliefs? Why do others believe differently? And how can we engage those questions meaningfully unless we engage with the Other?

#art faith and media #here ya go anon #spicy saturday

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raayllum · 7 months

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in character design to show when a character has an emotional change they have a physical change (and them looking the same shows how they’ve not progressed emotionally, like Claudia) E.G. haircut/outfit change, do you think that when Rayla fully overcomes her emotional arc she’ll change her facial markings?

I mean there's definitely elements of character growth in all the kids outfits, such as

Soren being in less flashy armour in arc 2 because he doesn't feel the need to be showing off / proving himself as much anymore, and with the crownguard symbol (something he's proud of and dedicated to) front and centre, his hair having actually switched sides in terms of which way he parts it

Callum being more confident (having less hair on his face and more easily seen) as well as the Viren parallels being incorporated into his outfit as high mage, as well as some draws from Rayla's old S1 outfit

Ezran dressing and looking more like his dad (and mom), from the hair to his outfit, and the symbolism / meaning behind his silver > golden crown made from his father's sword

Nothing but Claudia's outfit having changed except her hair, indicating her emotional stagnation but also the growing corruption, in addition to dark being good in this case with white/light being bad. Her losing her snake bracelet meaning she's lost a metaphorical/literal chain yes, but also a key (as we see in the Puzzle House graphic novel). Even the fact that Terry braids her hair ('taming' her a little) only for it to come down during her arguably more brutal or 'villainous' scenes (4x03, 5x09)

For Rayla, she's left her clear cut assassin garb behind to have more of Ethari's colour scheme, but also looks more like Runaan with the bow and her metal shoulder pad. As for her markings...

For Rayla, her main thing is that her core desire - to have strength to protect people, and to be stronger together (things she believed before her parents left, and then had reaffirmed after through Ruthari - have always been good things. She's a bad assassin because she's too merciful/compassionate. Her people, village, Runaan, and herself may see those things as flaws, but they're not. Rayla is a character who's largely already been who she needs to be, she just has a very hard time accepting and embracing it for other various reasons.

That's not to say Rayla is perfect (she isn't) - she can make things unnecessarily difficult, she keeps way too many secrets, she's only just now starting to learn how to ask for help before the breaking point hits and doing otherwise has previously led to disaster, she can tunnel vision so hard on how she thinks she's protecting people she doesn't see how she's being a hypocrite, etc. - but that most of the things people/herself have seen as flaws are the best things about her ("Your heart isn't hard enough to do whatever it takes" -> "I told Runaan you were too good hearted for the work of an assassin, so I know you did not betray them out of malice" -> "You're too good to feel this bad about yourself. You have true courage and a big heart").

So I lean toward Rayla keeping her markings, tbh (maybe incorporating a bit more of her families, like Runaan's nose streak or something along her arms if we get an epilogue design) to reflect that she is who she needs to be and always has been, but that she can be wholly happy with who she is for arguably the first time.

#tdp rayla #which now that i'm writing it rayla probably has one of the most 'aang' ish arcs in tdp #so no wonder she's the fave lmao #like she's not as much of a paragon (and even aang isn't a total paragon) obviously #but she's a good kid with a good heart and most of the time she makes the right decision so long as she follows it #not without consequence but. yeah #thanks for asking #character designs #anonymous

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fellow-nerd · 2 months

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Time to go crazy about the characterisation changes in the new atla cuz oh boy do I have thoughts

The main thing I noticed for all of them is that this show is focused about telling a story about a war torn world and how that affected everyone first and a coming of age hero story second, which is a choice considering the source material which balanced them both extremely well.it never had to be so heavy handed for the audience to get it but that also could be because it's a kids show at the end of the day 😅

Aang: where is my adventure loving kid. He just wants to ride the Elephant koi and show his new friends cool things. Yes, his past weighs heavy on him and expectations press down, but he's still just 12. It takes him time to work through his grief and his reluctance to save the world and that is literally his big arc. Learning to grow up and save the world (becoming THE avatar ya know). This Aang gets with the program quick and is only concerned with helping people and stepping up, like little dude ur telling me u don't want to go penguin sledding. I dunno it just feels so off. Love the stuff with gyatso too.

Katara: she's actually the most true to her og character I think. I just wish there was more focus on her like there was in the og. She was my first favorite charcter, put some respect on her name. It was criminal to give the opening to kyoshi, like girl u have ur own novels to be in! ALSO WHY DIDNT SHE BREAK THE ICEBERG!!! UGH SO MAD AT THAT.

Sokka: look I get it It's the year of lord 2024 misogyny has no place. So why don't we tell the story of how a guy learns that those views are wrong and how to change ur views rather than pretending that it never existing, like erasing it. As much as it can be critiqued Sokkas misogyny was the catalyst for Katara to hit the iceberg and free Aang. Narratively this gets them both invested in Aang and just shows Sokkas growth on every rewatch. They could've toned it down but it's a big part of his character growth and what are the gonna fill that with, if anything at all.

Suki: now her in live action I can get behind. She ate and left no crumbs. She put Sokka in his place and stole the episode for me. Also I loved the addition of her mom, honestly goals. Can't wait to see how they utilize her throughout she's the best. No comment.

Jet/freedom fighters: pretty much the same, I didn't love the condensing plot lines all into omashu tho

Teo/Sai: same as above but I loved the Way the two interacted it had so much depth.

Iroh: not sure how to feel. It feels wierd hearing iroh not voiced by Mako ya know. Like his dailougue was fine but it lacked that inflection Mako had which really Gave iroh all his character. It's big shoes to fill and it comes so close. I did die for the line where he says he's the one who owes Zuko. Like. Ugh. The implications of that. How Zuko made him wake up and gave him a reason to keep going. Its enough to make a girl cry.

Zuko: oh zuko, zuko, zuko, zuko. Again tough shoes to fill. I think that the characterisation is all there the challenge comes later on when we get his redemption arc. I do love the seeds they are planting especially in his relationship to Iroh.

Azula: now I called it as soon as I saw that girl, knew it was her who else could I have been. Just as evil, just as lustful for power, definitely in character for her to be doing what's she's doing this early on. Will definitely keep tabs on this one.

Bumi: now he about WRECKED ME ok. It was rough. I loved this recharacterisation. If ur gonna give us a war torn world, give me the war torn ruler, whose been carrying all that trauma and burden on his back for 100 years. Of course he's gonna be mad at Aang of course HES gonna BE MAD himself. So yeah it was rough to watch but because it was so hard hitting to see how war destroyed Bumis mindset, and then so wonderful to see Aang give his oldest friend a piece of himself back

In conclusion I care about Avatar way too much and will be ranting about this even more as I continue watching

#also leaves from the vine during that flashback #criminal #dont do that to me!#*sobs*#avatar the last airbender

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howlingday · 2 months

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Ok so Lore dump time. So I said I will be doing the guardians Magiolems but I realized that I never talk about the current Keeper. But I'm sticking to my word. Now all Magiolems have the ability to teleport to each other and speak telepathically so i won't be repeating that. They can also repair them selves if damaged if material they are made out if around or use spare magic to heal. I might have to spilt this into two parts. So without a futher ado the Guardians

Name Gravitos(Grav-I-Tos) He/Him/It

Appearance: Is a large house like mech. Mainly colored a dark wooden brown with a coffee colored bricks and dark Grey joints.

Aura:Unlocked Semblance:Targeting he can keep track to up 15 different people no matter where they are in Remenat.

Magic:Gravity(He push or pull things towards himself. Make things lighter or heavier. Compress objects by making a gravity bubble. Make a barrier around himself to reflect attacks.) Size change(Can make himself the size of 8 story building or as small as a paladin.) Magic sensing.

Other notes: Gravitos is by far the strongest and largest of the Guardians. He's also the oldest living Guardian being 1000 of years old. He's does have a soul and Aura. He's not active the current story because his size makes him quite noticeable. He's usually about the size of the Atlas mech used to kill the Levatin in Argus. He's a calm mostly silent being not capable of speaking outside his body or the connection with other Guardians. He is straight to the point not caring how mean it makes him seem. He will often use violence as a eay to quickly complete hus missons as few things by themselves are threats to him. Also highly intelligent and experienced. He acts as a sort of data storage and digital assistant when his body is not active. His main purpose was to hold people and torture them for info.

Main Inspiration is from a graphic novel called Amulet with a vehicle that looked like a house. Photo below.

Name: Souless Stalker They/Them/It

Appearance: A lanky android with light metal and it's entire body. A flattish face expect two bulging glowing eyes and a jaw with razor sharp teeth. Claws on hands and feet. Tends to hunch over when not in combat or mimicking someone.

Aura:No not possible

Magic: Flesh Growth(With a small amount of DNA he can grow large amounts of that DNA.) Size Change. Fire. Voice Mimic(Can mimic any voice its heard before) Magic sensing(The ability to sense Magic and magic users location and how much Magic they have.) Shape-shifting(Able to change the shape of his body to fix the situation) Invisibly(Make it unable to be seen)

Other Notes: Souless is the most outright Dangerous of the Guardians. Remember Shiver? Well this guy is literally made out of it. Now unlike Anti-Aura metal silver eyes can't negate the effects or destory Shiver. Soulless is mentally unstable and often attacks others than are Magiolems or the Keeper. It is brutal and mercilessly in fights. Very good with robotics and copying people. It can mimic any fighting style it sees but not semblances. It even creeps out the other Magiolems and stays off for ustablely. It can grow flesh on its self to copy the looks of other people. Hates all Arcs and will enter a violent rage to murder them no matter what.(Yes even Adrian) Lastly crippling fear of Ozma(All hosts) and Salem runs away if it sees them and if it can't it curls up into a ball and makes crying noises.

Main Inspiration: The Mimic from Fnaf

Name: Fern *Name may change on a later date*

Appearance: He is a human skeleton covered in moss and vines to move around. His body when under disguise is a slightly tanned Japanese man with dark green hair. He where a large rimmed hat and a long white coat with deep pockets. White button up shirt with blue pants and Thick brown boots.

Aura:Yes Semblance:No

Magic:Plant control(He can grow,control and even connect to plants) Mushroom control(He can grow and control plants) Plant Monsters(He can make plant monsters such as a toxic gas shooting hryda or a wolf deer hybrid. Note all made out of plant and mushroom matter) Strength boosting(He is able to boost his strength even futher than others are able normally.) Growth(He adds to his own mass to increase the power of blows and make himself faster) Bullet seed(Able to shoot seeds out of his hands like bullets and also be turned into machine gun fire rate and even cannon shots with cocnuts.

Other notes: this is the a currently active Guardian that guards a collection of Grimm and Plants stored in Small magic pocket dimension spheres. Some even thought to be extinct like the Nightmare Grimm. His base is a old town over run with plants surround by a thick lay of trees and highly toxic plants. He is a smug amd proud fighter. He's speaks with an American Gangster Accent. He gets angry when his plants are destroyed. He helps those when ot can benefit him and his boss or hurt the Arcs. He likes to talk a lot by is often alone for longs periods of time due to his Job. Likes to watch crimes shows.

Main Inspiration: The man on the internet song on Floral Fury

Thats all for now. There is 3 Guardians left. Wow this was strangely tiring. Is that normal? Anyway stuff is open to change on later dates.

Thoughts? Criticism? Ideas?

OH! I remember Amulet! It's been a while since I read it, so I might have to reread it. Honestly, Gravitos kinda reminds me of the wardens from Darksiders.

Just this huge, massive thing that acts as an obstacle/gate.

The Soulless Stalker sounds absolutely terrifying. Especially that "hates all Arcs even Adrian" bit. That's a set up for a horror scene if I've heard one. Kinda got sort of a Warhammer Flayed One vibe from it.

This walking nightmare of flesh and metal makes me SHIVER every time! Ah? Ah? Ah, screw it...

Honestly, Fern sounds like a decent fella. Can't really think of a character to compare him to, except maybe Poison Ivy or Swamp Thing.

Covered in green and dedicated to protecting the Green.

#rwby #worldbuilding #my thoughts #my answer #my answers

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writing-with-gore · 2 months

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Writing A Story Part 1: What Are Themes In A Novel?

Hello! Today We’ll be talking about themes in storytelling, and what that means for our novel, book, or hell, even fanfic!

I used to think that a book ‘theme’ was unnecessary, since, yknow, the plot is there to do the theme's job.

But now? I realize that a theme is there for the plot to happen. If the theme wasn’t there, it would be like the writing’s genre was missing. So, themes are very important!

What Are Themes?

A theme is the main idea that a story tries to convey to its readers. It can be the message, or a moral that a story is pushing to its readers. The theme is the underlying message in everything that happens. If you can immediately tell who the bad guy and the good guy are, then the story is probably about Good VS Evil.

So, themes can be both simple and complex, and it is not uncommon for a story to have more than one theme. It’s okay for your theme to be complicated.

However, it is important that the theme is not confusing.

Here are some examples you can use in your novel!

1- Forbidden Love:

Forbidden love happens when two people are in love, but shouldn’t be.

Maybe it’s the parents? Maybe it’s society? Class structure, rules, or maybe personal biases?

Forbidden love can be used in royalty settings, or in a story about homophobia within society.

EXAMPLE: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

2- Coming of age

I’m sure we’re all familiar with this, but let me explain it for anyone who hasn’t heard this term before:

This is the most universal experience. The coming-of-age literary theme centers around a character who is growing up in some manner. Sometimes, they’re literally growing from a child into an adult.

Other times, they are an adult and are simply stepping into another stage of their life or passing a milestone. This common theme explores self-discovery, change, and growth, and leads to a character’s inner metamorphosis.

A coming-of-age story always shows how the protagonist overcomes internal conflict, so you should be careful to pay attention to the characters’ personal development is critical when writing about this literary theme.

EXAMPLE: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

3- Righteous Justice

In stories about justice, there is a main character who is entirely driven by getting the justice they think they deserve.

Maybe some sort of revenge? Maybe fixing a problem in the system they live in?

In the righteous justice theme, most readers should agree that the character in question is in the right and feel a sense of satisfaction when (if) the character gets what they want.

If you write this theme right, then your readers should feel sympathy for the main character.

EXAMPLE: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4- Corruption

The corruption theme shows how an external influence changes a character throughout a story and serves as a warning to the reader that they, too, could become corrupted if they’re not self-aware.

EXAMPLE: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

5- Family dynamics

Family themes in literature often challenge readers to look beyond blood and to analyze what the true meaning of family is. For the trope lovers out there, consider this as something resembling found family.

Characters may lose their biological family in some manner and then discover a new one, either with another literal blood family or with a group of friends.

A character’s biological family may also become threatened in whatever way.

Whatever the case may be, a family unit is always an important part of the story and pushes the plot points and conflict foreword.

Interpersonal relationships and character development should be at the forefront for these types of stories with these recurring themes.

In the family dynamics theme, the story examines how family members interact with one another, and how those dynamics are capable of driving a plot.

EXAMPLE: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

6- The power of family

The power of the family theme is always positive.

These stories show how family is a powerful force that can help a character overcome challenges, both internal and external.

There are many challenges in a Power Of Family theme. However, by the end of the book the conflict has been dealt with and the main message is that with the power of family, anything can be overcome.

EXAMPLE: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Gore's note: I absolutely love this book. I read it when I was nine and I’ve been obsessed ever since!

Hey! I hope you enjoyed today's topic and that it was helpful to you. If you did, then please leave a reply and tell me your thoughts!

Reblogs and Likes would also be very appreciated <3

#writing #writing advice #themes #themes in writing #how to write #how to write a novel #how to write a book #fanfiction #ao3 #writing tips #writer #writerblr #writing stuff #writing problems #writing is hard

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sendmyresignation · 4 months

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Favorite Albums of 2023 ^_^

To celebrate the coming of a new year, I wanted to spend this first week looking back a bit at the things I enjoyed both old and new. So I put together a little list of albums I spent a lot of time with this year, for a bit of personal posterity, a little of getting into the groove with music writing on a very conversational but nonetheless sincere level, and also just because I enjoy, on a base level, the exchange of music. So hopefully one person will give a new album a try, or somebody will tell me their favorite thing they listened to in 2023. That's all you can ever hope for <3

Here's the albums I loved that came out in 2023 itself:

100 gecs 10,000 gecs: If I’m honest with myself- my album of the year, both in what I spent the most time with and the tracks I’d hold up the most fondly by the end of the year. the high-octane blast of creativity in these short, sweet, never dull, and always inventive bursts made listening a very joyful experience. Hollywood Baby and Dumbest Girl Alive bangers of the year though one million dollars just oooozes and chirps sounds in the most satisfying way.

Paramore This is Why: very much preaching to the choir with this one. undeniable groove through everything– the whole thing brims with contained energy- like trapping a storm cloud in a bottle and displaying it like it's no big deal and then, every once in a while, electricity arcs through the room. The only issue is it ends on a bit of a weak note, with back-to-back ballads I don’t revisit often. but it's a minor quibble, they’re both distinct enough to stand on their own and neither is insufferably long. forgivable transgression.

Kesha Gag Order: This is self-explanatory, to me. Kesha was the first artist I ever truly fell in love with and everything she makes is like watching a flower bloom over and over again as I grow and change and wither and regrow right alongside. But on top of that, the record itself is so. powerful. Not in the cheap, congratulatory “you’re so brave way” but in the energy it radiates, in the way it stands its ground over and over. the way it grasps its own story by the throat and still lets you peak into all the messy pieces sliding out over the knuckles. Happy is one of those truly great album closers, but the whole album is so solid.

Vastum Inward to Gethsemane: Absolutely crushing in just about every way, This is like, the platonic ideal of death metal for me. Dense and malevolent as fuck, but there’s still room for these nasty riffs buried deep in all the disgusting muck. That opening guitar on Priapic Chasm is the sickest 8 seconds of the year.

The Gauntlet Dark Steel and Fire: At first glance, this seems like a textbook Bathory clone. And even if it was just that it’d still be amazing, I love that sound. But there’s space! and dynamic growth! And a growling echoing personality that every other standard in this space just never attempts. Even the hints of black ‘n’ roll and thrash are expanding a series of very narrow spaces– there are these mid-tempo stadium rippers scattered throughout the album that give the whole project gravitas which loops around and gives the faster stuff more swagger and aggression. really cool record.

McKinley Dixon Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?: I checked this out because McKinley Dixon has a great featured verse on Soul Glo’s Spiritual Level of Gang Shit. To make matters worse (or better, in terms of Shit I Am Interested In), the record’s named after Toni Morrison novels. To make it even crazier Hanif Abdurraqib opens the record (he reads this really beautiful passage of Jazz that's sampled later). An album so supremely up my alley I was almost scared the pieces wouldn’t fall together– they did! It's incredible! it's short but each second is purposeful and lush in a way that speaks to measure and care. the jazz isn’t just beautiful, it's a full embracing of the album’s central conceits (not just the Morrison, but the typography of cities, the people in them and the lives they live) and Dixon just oozes poetic ingenuity. Repetition is one of the best devices in his toolkit and nowhere is that more apparent than Tyler Forever which. man.... really really good project.

Tresspasser Αποκάλυψισ: catchy-as-fuck. not what you’d expect from an album which is very explicitly about debt strikes and anarchy. usually RABM (red and anarchist black metal) leaves me a little cold, a lot of bands in this loose conglomerate aren’t musically inventive. rabm isn't just a stand-in for anti-fascist bands, the projects associated with the label are usually politically lyrically explicit (sometimes in ways that are overtly shocking or simply following a trend). which is nice! and necessary in black metal. but it doesn't automatically make it… good. trespasser have always stood out within that paradigm. clearly grounded in what actually works in black metal (the drumming across their albums is crazy kick ass in particular) and i find myself humming some of these tracks which is such a hard skill to pull off in melodic black metal without being dull or predictable.

MEURTRIERES Ronde de Nuit: very surprisingly, a lot of this list ended up including black metal, which is uncharacteristic of me. but thankfully, MEURTRIERES is much more aligned with my tastes– epic old-school heavy metal with that galloping Maiden-esque bass and fiery, straining vocals that sit so expertly in the groove and then just push and push and push against it. simple, enjoyable, energetic.

Home Is Where the whaler: At its most basic level this is like. what emo can pull off when it wants to sound incredible. The swirling layers, the inclusion of shit like horns, the abrasive but catchy screams, crashes in and out of earshot, the rhythms!!! this is a very 2023 album, thematically and that's important and immediately apparent, but it's going to last much longer just with how the sound works and works and works until you find yourself continuously coming back, listening to it out of the blue.

Thantifaxath Hive Mind Narcosis: quote-unquote dissonant metal is so hit or miss for me. dissonance is oft a cover for boring, or unoriginal material that hangs its lapels on being disorienting or impenetrable. but when the tone is just right it swallows you up. Thantifaxath got the tone right; I was listening to this a lot while reading or writing during the latter half of the year because it just becomes a part of your world in such a wonderful, subsuming way. I really love these vocals too, they’re vaguely inhuman in a way that pairs so exactly with the balance of spacey and gross earthy magic, outside the world and grounded in flesh simultaneously.

Crotaline The Hemipenes Demo: This is my friends’ band. They are cool and talented and I love first-wave black metal. They are also people whose projects I listen to in a fundamentally different way; when they pull something off it's a little bit life-changing because you know that person, you’ve seen them do human things! And then they are capable of great art. It's weird and disorienting and one of the best parts of being alive. But I do also think their demo is good without quantifiers, it's exactly what they wanted, it's got riffs that sound gnarly on tape, and it's dedicated to salamanders. like what else could you need in life?

Dawn’s Reflection Demo MMXXIII: This short little demo is a perfect burst of raw-ass lo-fi black metal. Which I usually cannot stand. but for some reason is just incredible here. I think it's the way the riffs and vocals interact– there’s these really solid, almost crust-punky guitar lines that shine perfectly in this kind of (basically non-existent) production. And then the vocals just completely rip over them in the loudest most batshit way possible, but there are always pauses that allow the instrumental to recalibrate. The synths are just a fun touch that drone in the back until they’re pulled to the fore which makes for these great, dense peaks instead of overwhelming the balance. It works! I am always hooked!

And here are some new-to-me albums I listened to for the first time in 2023:

Nuclear Death …For Our Dead: Nuclear Death is already a favorite of mine (I feel like I never stop talking about them) but I finally got around to their demos/EPs this year. this one takes the cake, easily. Topping out at under 10 minutes, this record achieves a kind of demented brutality other death metal bands would kill for in a fourth of the time. It's a miasmic stormcloud of a project that proves (as everything they recorded did) that nobody can out-sick Lori Bravo.

Moral Decay To Build an End: This is a couple of kids in the 1990s writing a thrash record. Not notable in and of itself. However, it becomes clear immediately that these technically proficient metalheads are obsessed with emo. Like oldschool dc emocore. And it is thrown into their mix of sonic influences plainly and obviously. It is one of a kind. It shouldn’t work. It probably doesn’t, unless, of course, you are me and obsessed with it. The vocals on this are punky as hell and they work surprisingly well over these speedy, late-stage neoclassical thrash riffs. It's wild. I love it; the gem of the year!

Little Teeth Child Bearing Man: you will either love this or find it insufferable. Mathy emo-y touches, but this is freaky folk through and through. Flits in and out these crazy choral vocal moments and harmonies that fall in and out of comfort-level– lots of borderline screaming (or just gives up the ghost and becomes screaming). Everything devolves but the sense of melody is always lurking out of frame and comes back around to quiet and confessional. Manages artful and cathartic with a lack of grace and a hell of a conviction.

Helen Love Love and Glitter, Hot Days and Musik: the best punk understands punk is pop music. This is why I love this record. Helen Love loooovvess The Ramones, she does. And since she loves them so much she wrote dance music in their honor and got Joey Ramone to feature on the record. Incredible.

The BellRays Black Lightning: Soul-filled garage punky rock that’s just masterfully loud, catchy, and full of unlimited swagger. Lisa Kekaula’s vocals are clearly grounded in a long, long line of rockers and soul-stirrers but what stands out is her maturity and control which allows for the slow-burners to feel huge and impressive– she’s the center, the burning star of the whole enterprise.

Chinchilla 101 Italian Hits: this album is weird and, obviously, I love weird. Situated in the already weird San Diego post-hardcore scene, Chinchilla still stand out with their epic song lengths, murky 90s alt-rock depths, and the way Sioban Dixon’s vocals shift endlessly between a distorted fry, throaty shouts, and sweet elongated falsetto. So fun to get lost in these songs.

Heaven’s Gate Livin’ in Hysteria: German power metal is always good. Heaven’s Gate is so obviously following in Helloween’s footsteps but Helloween is one of the greatest metal bands on planet earth and they execute that Keepers era sound so well they make a little magic themselves. Add onto that an album cover with a dragon smoking a pipe… it's over, it was love at first sight.

A Few Honorable Mentions (if you've made it this far):

-Corinne Bailey Ray Black Rainbows (mostly here because I got to it wayy late in the year and haven’t sat with it long enough. but this was incredible all the way through)

-Smoulder Violent Creed of Vengence (was initially disappointed by this one and then I finally got a tape player for Christmas and it just… clicked in the new format)

-Be Your Own Pet Mommy (i love, love, loved be your own pet as a teen and seeing them return to music after so long with the same blast of energy is so cool. I just think the album overstays its welcome; the EP they released with just a handful of tracks just puts it into sharper relief too)

-Melissa II (incredible it was just such a good year for black metal it didn’t quite squeeze up there for me)

and that's it for me; Happy New Year may we all find new music to fall in love with in 2024 <3

#whew this isn't even like a quarter of the top stuff i loved this year- had a blast trying to listen to more new music #can only hope to keep it up next year!!#and this was a super necessary low stakes break from all Serious music writing I'm trying to figure out rn haha.#sometimes you Need desperately to talk about things you love :)#music recs #my posts

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that-ari-blogger · 5 months

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Actions Have Conciquences

The Owl House is a story about growing up and the dichotomy between youthful imagination and the pragmatism that is ascribed to adulthood. It's a coming of age story.

But The Owl House is also a master of trope subversion, so how does it twist this story archetype? Well, Escape Of The Palisman serves as a fantastic benchmark for how the series will tackle this subject later on.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The term Bildungsroman is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the following:

A novel that has as its main theme the formative years or spiritual education of one person (a type of novel traditional in German literature).

Obviously, the Owl House isn't a novel, but this is definitely a story archetype that can cross between forms.

TKC Publishing claims that there are four stages to a bildungsroman, loss, journey, conflict and personal growth, and maturity. I will be using these stages as a framework for my analysis.

In essence, the Bildungsroman is a coming of age story, it delves into a part of a person's life in which they emotionally reach adulthood. And The Owl House fits this for Luz to a tea. But this episode also functions as a miniaturised version of the format, and it is this that I would like to dwell upon.

First up, loss. This is what characterises the rest of the novel. The loss is the setback that the protagonist must overcome. Most stories use this as an inciting incident, and this isn't entirely correct, for reasons I will go into later.

In Escape Of The Palisman, the loss is the breaking of Owlbert. What is interesting here, is that it is directly caused by Luz's recklessness, setting up the lesson that will be learned in the episode. Actions have consequences.

The journey is the bulk of the adventure. Physically or emotionally, it is the transformation into a better person, but it doesn't directly solve the problem, just prepares them to confront that part of themself.

In this episode, this is rather obvious, Luz has to do chores for the Bat Queen. These don't solve the problem with Owlbert, but they do go a long way to proving Luz's loyalty to him. Trials don't change a person, they test them.

This is all fairly basic writing, hence why I'm struggling to bring something new. A character causes a problem and wants to atone, but there are obstacles. It's basic, but competently done. This isn't unique to The Owl House.

This is what makes the Owl House special. The Bat Queen's story is gut wrenching, specifically because of how well it fits with the theme of the episode and series as a whole, but also because of how it interacts with Luz's actions earlier in the episode.

Actions have consequences, if you are reckless, you will break things, or people. The Bat Queen in this story is the embodiment of loss and betrayal, but also with healing.

"I protect them all!"

The thing about scars, is that they never truly leave. They can fade, or be covered up, or sometimes even forgotten, but they are always there. The Bat Queen has healed from her betrayal, but that wound remains present, and it comes back in full force when she sees someone else going through the same thing.

Finally, we get to the conflict and personal growth. As the difference between Luz and the Bat Queen's previous companion, and it's Luz's defining characteristic once again winning someone over. Luz is kind, to a fault. She encourages people and shines a light on their hidden attributes. She inspires people.

The shot above makes Owlbert look badass as hell. The glowing eyes and scar are cool, and blocking the blow is awesome. But the shot also goes out of its way to show how small Owlbert is, and that's the point here. That's how brave this little owl has been inspired to be.

Actions have conciquences is often said with a negative connotation. If you do something reckless, something bad will happen. And this episode certainly agrees with that premise. But the saying is a double-sided coin. Actions have conciquences. If you are kind enough, persistent enough, reckless enough, people will see that, and maybe, just maybe, they will pay you back.

Case and point, when Eda questions Luz on her actions, Owlbert stands up for her once again, wiping the slate clean. She has redeemed herself, dwelling on the mistake is fruitless, in Owlbert's eyes.

Maturity has been reached, at least in comparison to the episode's opening.

I mentioned that The Owl House twists this story archetype, and here is what I mean: Luz doesn't change that much. She has a journey, yes, and she overcomes problems, but fundamentally, she doesn't do change much. She wins because she is kind and inspiring, and she starts the story being those things. She ends the series being kind and inspiring.

Character arcs aren't arcs. I mean this in the sense of the visualisation. To picture a character on a graph is a flawed endeavour, because humans are complicated. For example, if you put Luz on a graph, she would end up at the same point at which she started. Luz's character development isn't linear, or quantifiable. She learns to grow up, and she learns to stay the same.

I said earlier that there is a dichotomy between childhood and adulthood, and the point of the Owl House is: Why? Why are they separate? Being a child is about learning and imagining, and being an adult is about experience and wisdom. None of these things are mutually exclusive, and Luz's journey throughout the series is learning that. She bounces between the four points like a pinball, and it's fascinating to watch.

The last thing to point out is what is going on around Luz. If you were to analyse the Owl House from a top-down perspective, if no character is the main character, each person is given equal screen time. Then, Luz would be a support character. She would probably be the single point that everyone else rotates around. And that's what happens here. She encourages the Bat Queen to see witches differently, and she gets Owlbert to be brave.

Final Thoughts

This is not my favourite episode. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad by any stretch of the imagination. I said earlier that it is a simple premise done competently, and I stand by that. The unfortunate thing there is that I do not find this episode as interesting as others. The Bat Queen revelation is the best part of the episode and possible one of the best parts of the season, but it's fleeting, and the prelude of chores makes it lose its oomph, if that makes sense.

This is just my opinion, if you enjoyed this, keep doing that. Difference of opinion is part of the fun of media analysis.

Next week I'll be looking at Sense and Insensitivity, an episode that I adore, but find absolutely terrifying. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #character analysis #what's so special about...?#the owl house #toh #the owl house luz #the owl house owlbert #the owl house bat queen

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smol-tired-binch-blog · 8 months

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Opals and Moonstones

AKA Smol Once Again Uses Birthstones And Birth Flowers To Do Character Analysis. This time we have a twofer, as we'll be looking at Nishiki AND Kiryu! (with a bonus Yumi!) (this is gonna be another long one so please do check out under the cut)

Let's start with Nishikiyama.

His birth date is October 8th, 1968, leaving him with the birthstones opal and tourmaline (originally specifically pink tourmaline but now includes all types).

Now, apparently, tourmaline is the modern birthstone for October, and was made so in 1952 with the approval of the American Gem Society and the National Retail Jewellers Council. I will expand on this stone in another post, because it's the opals I really want to focus on (although it's worth noting that both stones are apparently good for emotional stabilisation, grounding, and healing. :) )

You see, the reason they threw in pink tourmaline as new birthstone is apparently because "In October’s case, the opal was seen by many to be too feminine in appearance and there were questions about its durability". Opals are a very delicate stone, with a water content of 5-10%, which leaves them very vulnerable to cracking under very dry conditions or sudden changes in temperatures. It can even cause them to shrink or expand, so they need a bit more care and maintenance (although you can apparently improve them by wetting them with a lil bit of water, which, idk, I find that fun because fish live in water, 'nishiki' is a koi, you get me?)

We all saw how Nishiki handled suddenly having most of his family and support network ripped from him plus the added pressure of running a new family full of people who very openly disrespect him and see him as some useless weakling they're all obligated to deal with. I'm not the only one who sees the opal parallels, right?

So, opals are a soft, feminine, easily damaged stone, but they also represent love, passion, luck, and healing, and associated with channelling strong emotions. In Roman times it was called the Cupid Stone, and was well-sought after, so overall has a lot of positive meanings and connotations...until a random-ass novel accidentally lead to them being considered bad luck. How dandy.

Now, Kiryu. And by extension, Yumi.

Kiryu's birth date is June 17th, 1968, and Yumi's is June 30th, 1971. (I find it very amusing that Kiryu forgot about Yumi's birthday when it's only a couple of weeks after his lmao)

This means that these lucky ducks actually get three birthstones: alexandrite, pearl, and moonstone.

Alexandrite apparently brings luck, intellect, and prosperity, somewhat similar to tourmaline (it can even be a similar colour to it). Pearls on the other hand symbolise wisdom, especially wisdom gained through experience, as well as calmness, integrity, and loyalty.

I think this is very fitting for our favourite dragon, isn't it? A man whose experiences help him grow from a naive kid into a man who stands by his principles and does whatever he can to help and protect his loved ones althoughitcanbearguedhowmuchhelearnsbutthatsapostforanotherday

But again, there's a particular stone I want to look at, which is of course the moonstone.

It's another stone associated with good luck and fortune, apparently considered sacred in India. It's also a stone of new beginnings and inner growth and strength. Again, fitting for Kiryu's return to Kamurocho after 10 years in the joi- behind bars. However, the reason it interests me is its connections and similarities with opals.

See, at first thought/glance, the two stones are very similar. They're (usually) a white colour but reflect an entire rainbow. And yet, they do so differently; moonstones has what's called 'adularescence', a faint glow akin to the moon shining on the ocean's surface, whereas opals are, naturally, 'opalescent', which is more glittering specks of colour.

Both stones are associated, of course, with the moon and the ocean (as are pearls). Both are considered good-luck charms, are meant to ground emotions, and are associated with femininity. Like, look at this:

Doesn't this sum them up? They're similar but different; Kiryu's calmer, grounding presence combined with Nishiki's more emotional, passionate nature. No wonder the two of them make such a great team!!!

And then I saw this:

:)))))))

It's just....if we keep up with the birthstone imagery/parallels, this means that the two people Nishiki loves the most are 'spiritually' incompatible. That, and the fact that opals are "softer and more easily damaged compared to moonstone" (see how Kiryu handles adversity vs Nishiki handling his struggles). Yknow despite this long-ass post I really don't know quite how to articulate what I'm trying to say, but I'm hoping you see what I mean?

The two men need each other and are stronger together however this strength is so amplified that when the two are separated Nishiki looks so much weaker in comparison, at least in others eyes. He cries, he gets overwhelmed, he lashes out and yells when he's angry, he makes his emotions known. He cares so much about image and how he presents himself to the world, but he has the bad luck of being next to a man with freakish levels of raw brute strength and a naturally stoic outward appearance that he just isn't as impressive in comparison, even though he's NOT unimpressive or incapable! I'm pretty sure that of the two, Nishiki actually knows what the fuck he's doing!

And that's the thing, people think Nishiki is nothing without Kiryu, himself included, but what is Kiryu without Nishiki? The man loves his brother, and I think he's the only one who seems to have an inkling of Nishiki's worth. The two banter and he's like "oh, like you know so much" about being a yakuza and how one should act, but I do think Kiryu trust Nishiki. He goes along with what he says for the most part because he 'knows' that Nishiki knows what he's talking about. He looks up to Nishiki. He sacrificed his freedom to protect him. After those 10 years he wanted to see his brother again.

Unfortunately, a lot changed in those 10 years. The opal cracked under the pressure. Its power and influence grew but its sense of self and stability shrank, leaving it both far too big and far, far too small for its setting. All it needed was a bit maintenance, a bit of care. But it didn't receive that. And instead, the moonstone ended up alone.

#smol plays yakuza #smol speaks #akira nishikiyama #kiryu kazuma #yumi sawamura #long post #i will make one with all of the info like on Yuko's post later #also when i say 'love' im not talking romantically so don't start with that #ALSO ALSO sorry i got oddly prose-y with that last bit unfortunately i am a pretentious bitch sometimes. maybe. am i? idfk man lmao #look i thought about this months ago and im finally writing it up. 5 likes and i'll make the zodiac charts like Yuko's #i wrote this up cause i finished Kiwami again and i am SORE i am UPSET this somehow hurts MORE

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jalebi-weds-bluetooth · 1 year

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Hello JWB!

I Went through your analysis and threads about ipkknd and it felt i watched a show with another perspective. Your Analysis is so beautiful that it makes me want to rethink about everything i watched. So here's a question i wanna ask, what made you watch and then get attached to it that you were able to write such beautiful analysis? Very few shows can ACTUALLY connect with people with depth that wants us to write detailed analysis. What was your attachment to this crazy ride of 300 plus episodes?

Hello there!

Thank you so much and I am so so humbled that you feel my interpretations give you a new way to watch IPK - I'm excited!

IPK executed many tropes to perfection. And their characters had solid motivations that didn't fizzle after a few episodes.

Anjali always played a prominent part in Arnav's life. We see that. Arnav had a valid reason to dislike Khushi (thankfully it was NEVER gender based - which most of the shows are. At no point of the show is any of the rage Arnav throws to Khushi stems from her being a woman. And we know that because Arnav views Khushi similar to Mool Rajani and his uncle. It all comes from the first impression he had and we all know how horrid it was.)

The audience understood why Arnav would have such a harsh opinion of Khushi and not believe in coincidences because Shyam on the other hand is doing everything Arnav thinks Khushi is doing! If only Khushi had Arnav's cynicism then Shyam would've never wormed his way into the Guptas and if Arnav had Khushi's optimism he would've accepted his love much earlier.

Also a lot of this show is written like a novel instead of 'tracks' in a trp. It went track to track post Shyam revelation. Oh here's a birthday track. Here's adopted child track. Here's a Mrs India track. Tracks often have little relevance to consistently developing a character.

But until the elopement you saw LITERAL changes in character as they lived lives. They met, had an argument, she ends up working at his place - twice, their sexual attraction is revealed at the worst moment, once he learns how deeply prejudiced he was upon learning his misunderstanding of the sheesh mahal moment he starts changing as a person, she grows more uneasy around her fiancé, omg her fiancé is the hero's very married sister's husband!, he breaks up to be a better human being for once, she keeps quiet because she fears the result of the truth and he has painted her worse for much less, slowly without any barriers they find themselves drawn to love and the fact he never apologized (hence wholly accepted his mistake of understanding khushi) to her and that she hid the truth has its results - their hearts are broken the night they're about to be together.

So you can see, it's a literal story until the night they elope - every plot line brings a cohesive change in the characters. They grow, learn, adapt, change.

Which tragically stops after the elopement. I honestly see some growth from the kidnapping track. Then during the remarriage - the charm never equals to the previous episodes but it's good enough. There's no actual villain in this show apart from Shyam. And he wasn't doing the same thing a million times.

We also saw the villain rise with the plot. He goes from hiding, to lying, to remaining dubious, to having other intentions, to threats, murder, infidelity, bigamy, manipulation, kidnapping, harassment - you would never know his plans on day one.

So this is the reason why I find IPK to be perfect to analyze because there's so much in this show. So less exposition, so much more for the audience to understand.

And they understood opposites attract. In a good way. Arnav never became religious to fit in Khushi's life and she didn't have a random modern makeover to fit in his. Also, the passion between the two stays post confession and post sex! That's difficult to achieve.

Of course the show goes downhill but because it ended so quickly after it went down the slope that it's easy to ignore those episodes!

Hope you liked the lengthy answer!

Love,

JWB

Also, Arnav was the perfect anti-hero ever made. There's not been a single character written better in grays after him in the history of Hindi tv. Aryan nearly started off in the right track but they dragged him so much down the hill that... ugh... the potential Advay had is heartbreaking but they lost the character even before they started.

Other characters have had stellar scenes but in an overall consistency point of view, Arnav always remains as the perfect anti hero. He's flawed and no one is asking you to believe in his 'heart of gold'.

#ipkknd #ask #anon #why I love this show #it's a lot good done #the sheer consistency in arnav #and the nailing of the anti hero trope

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hannibalzero · 7 months

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Red dead redemption omegaverse

Update ❤️

So when I first made my omegaverse headcanons I was only half way through the game. But now, a lot of my options and ideas have changed.

Growth you know? So please humor me while I tell ya about our favorite band of outlaws

John Marston: he’s a alpha, very cocky about it. Will puff out his chest to make you think he runs the show…at least when Abigail isn’t around. Bi

Abigail is a female omega, but in gender only. Everyone knows who’s the real leader of the Marston pack. Abigail doesn’t really care about her genders just wants to be the best mom she can be for Jack. Bi as well

Jack is a beta, he wants to be a alpha so badly like his father. It takes a long time for Jack to feel comfortable about himself. When he became a writer. Jack had done a lot of research, finally understanding the gang as a adult. Gay

Uncle? Uncle is Uncle but at one time he was a alpha, or so he says. No one really wants to know. An ace king

Javier is a beta, he doesn’t care about it. All he knows is that he’s bi. He misses his family and homeland but the Van der Linde pack is his family now.

Sean is a omega and will fight you if you point it out. Sean is straight and loves himself some boobies. Or so he says, he has been caught ogling a few good looking men with their shirts open. Straight/maybe polyamorous..he hasn’t become aware of that part of himself yet

Karen is a alpha female, Sean is her sweet little omega. She plays like she’s an omega when she’s robbing, pays better. She is considering making Sean an honest omega. Polyamorous.

Tilly, a omega bit a spitfire of one. She’s like Abigail and just tries to do her best. Her old gang tried to make her a pack breeder, it’s why she killed a man and ran to the Van der Linde gang. Lesbian

Mary-Beth, she’s a beta. She romanticizes the whole secondary gender one true mate thing. She’s still young, she’ll grow out of it. Maybe not… makes great romance novels ❤️ straight

Kieran: omega boi, loves his horses. Is very protective of himself when it comes to anything sexual. Keeps away from people so he isn’t touched. He’s demisexual but really likes Mary-Beth.

Pearson: beta and ace, just keeps to himself. Likes sending naughty letters with some feller a few states away.

Grimshaw is a omega women who was bonded to Dutch at one point. Bond broken but loyal. She takes care of the camp like it was her own pups. Straight

Molly, a high end omega women. Dutch’s newest Mate. She loves the man but knows deep down that she could not have pups with him. As much as Dutch wants a pup so bad he can taste it. Bi

Hosea: omega, he was Dutch’s first mate. They broke that bond when John joined the family. Hosea loved Dutch but loved Bonnie more. Bonnie was his one true love and privately considered John and Arthur his pups with her. Not Dutch. Stays in the pack to be with his family now. Bi

Dutch: alpha, wants to be the most alpha alpha that ever alpha’d. Wants to lead a huge pack that he is king of, gets board easily. Changes Mates when the mood strikes him, but privately knows his one true mate was Hosea that he threw away. He likes Molly, mostly because of what she does for him. Bi

Strauss: ace beta and not really interested in anything but money.

Swanson: Polly, he’s an all or nothing type of omega.

Josiah trelawany; a alpha that loves other alphas. Yeah he has a family in Saint Denis, but that’s just a marriage of convenience. He has men in every city after all!

Bill: gay as hell, alpha and self loathing.

Micha bell, straight and a Alpha. Looks down on anyone and anything. Thinks beta and omegas are only good for keeping his knot warm. Micha is sterile. Pissing him off more.

Charles Smith, demi alpha. Women are wonderful, Men are wonderful. Why chose. Is big on serious relationships. Charles knows what he wants and goes after it.

Sadie, alpha female. After the loss of her husband, she realized she enjoyed women more. There would never be another man like her husband after all.

Arthur Morgan, omega and bi. Arthur hides the fact he is an omega. It makes him uncomfortable when people know because suddenly people treat him differently. As the gangs enforcer, that’s not useful. Force celibate because Dutch gave him a order to keep his damn legs closed. So he had, feels like sex gets him in trouble, even with women. He hates dressing like an omega but has a love of soft fabrics and underwear. A lot of self loathing but maybe Charles will help him with that. 🦌🦬🦌🦬

Well that’s the updated version of the omegaverse headcanons. Any questions just ask!

#my writing #rdr2 #omegaverse #van der linde gang #update #headcanons #alpha beta omega #sexuality #lgbtq community

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