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precious-little-scoundrel · 2 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/precious-little-scoundrel/756658824654520320/marina-do-you-think-smith-has-any-lingering

Apologies in advance for this rant I am an absolute nerd about this topic as someone who’s completing a masters in women’s health

I LOVE this ask because menstrual trauma is a topic that is not focused on enough and it is so important to me. I will be talking about this specifically through Lu because I really do relate to her baptist upbringing and just due to thinking about when I was a young girl. I also think it’s so interesting to see this evolution of Ida helping her through her first period, and it being a not so terrible experience just because of Ida’s involvement, to her having to deal with it in the stalag. Because in some way, I do feel that her experience with menstruation would be unique as someone who’s had her period for such a short amount of time (I love what that anon said about her cycle being more crazy and irregular which causes Ida to fret about pregnancy). Anyways I think people underestimate how traumatic and difficult it is to menstruate in a situation such as this one. And we’ve seen some of it, like Gale hanging the clothesline for her which I loved and thought was very very sweet. But just the act of dealing with a period on top of everything else is no small feat. And I think of Smith specifically because the entirety of her introduction to menstruation has essentially been rounded out throughout the war. Like she has just begun to experience this and as a young girl who is just getting used to dealing with having a period, having to navigate all that in this sort of situation is so mentally and emotionally difficult. So I definitely think that she would have some trauma related to menstruation as a whole, I think it’d absolutely be something she dreads in the stalag and I think post-war, she could have some issues with her period returning/ going back to normal because again, her whole experience with menstruation thus far has been throughout the war. I think it’d take her some time to have it be something that she doesn’t struggle with.

Also, there are so many other complexities and nuances of menstruation that are so interesting to think on. I loved what that other anon said about the reasoning behind WHY women lose their periods in traumatic situations. It really is a survival mechanism because it allows your body to redirect nutrients and energy towards other bodily functions that are more essential for survival such as basic metabolic processes and supporting organ function. Those things are just more likely to be prioritized by your body compared to the functions of reproduction. But, also like that anon said, these sort situations are always nuanced and unique amongst individuals and as horrifying it is to think of these women in conditions that are so awful that they are losing their periods, the opposite is absolutely terrifying as well. Continuing to menstruate in a situation like this one is so concerning because your menstrual cycle would deplete your body of nutrients that are needed to maintain your overall health. Your immune system would already be weakened so you would already be more susceptible to illness and infection but if your body is expending resources to continue menstruation your immune function would be even further depleted.

I also started to think of this when I read those asks about Smith and Brady being sick. IF you do choose to go the route of Smith being malnourished instead of being hurt by the strafing during the forced march I will say that that would be interesting as well because younger girls are far more likely to continue menstruating in stressful situations. Their hormonal systems are still developing and maturing and so their hormonal regulation of their menstrual cycle is less responsive to external stressors, compared to older women who have been menstruating for longer. Also since your younger years are a time period of rapid growth and development it’s more likely for a younger body to prioritize maintaining the menstrual cycle to support further reproductive capability, even at the expense of other bodily functions. AND the health impacts of continued menstruation would be even more detrimental to a younger individual.

Anyways, I say all this because that anon asking about issues thst Smith may have with her period after the war really got me thinking. I feel like a big source of menstrual trauma for her could be that almost all the other women lose their periods and she just doesn’t. I find that interesting because for people who don’t know the health effects, this could be seen as a good thing, but it could be a big issue for her personally. Loathing menstruation is such a big issue for young girls, whether it’s due to stigma or discomfort or what have you, and it can have a lot of psychological effects. I think that if she continued to menstruate in the stalag it could be the source of a lot of distress for her and just have her caught in a bad relationship with her cycle.

THAT IS SO LONG SORRY.

OH MY WORD, the literal geniuses that adorn my inbox 😭🤯 I read this, mouth agape, devouring it. This is fascinating. And so helpful for crafting the story but also just enlightening in general.

This makes a far more compelling argument for her continuing to have her periods. Like, all of it makes sense, and adds to her having trauma with it, as you said. Coming from someone who often had and has them very ten days or so, can affirm stress only brings them on more often, which in a scenario when you’re trying to blend in as much as possible? I can see her literally beside herself with aggravation and embarrassment about it. Poor thing.

Thank you for taking the time to share all this, it was amazing! If you have more thoughts about these please do share again!

#Tallulah smith #proposals #those who can

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thecomfywriter · 6 months

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Writing Likable Characters

Hey y’all! How is everyone? It’s your girl, @thecomfywriter, back after… a long time. Let’s not talk about it lol I have no excuses and you’re not here for life updates. Anyhow, I’m back! And today’s topic is a doozy, not because it’s complicated, but because for some reason, it’s unnecessarily difficult to actually make a character likeable and worth rooting for. Considering most stories want readers to emotionally invest themselves into their characters and like them— well, we see the issue, don’t we?

In this post, we’ll explore the fundamentals of character development, why it's important to create likeable characters, and how to create characters readers can emotionally invest in. There’s a great benefit to creating characters readers actually care about, whether they’re protagonists, side characters, or even (shh….) the antagonists. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

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Topic Overview:

1.0 Why Have Likeable Characters?

2.0 The Common Characteristics

NEXT POST: Is it possible to create an unlikable character worth emotionally investing in?

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1.0 Why Have Likeable Characters?

It seems obvious, but once you break down the purpose of a likeable character, it becomes easier to identify the fundamental characteristics and traits that most likeable characters possess.

Suppose you go to a dinner party with your friends one night. There, you meet a variety of new people. ‘A’ is a tall brunette, with wide eyes and an even wider mouth. ‘B’ is a short and plump woman, with curly blonde hair and the occasional grey streak in between. ‘C’ is a scrawny man with a long face, a crooked nose, and a bow-legged stance. And ‘D’ is a blue eyed man with spiky green hair, tattoos all up his arms, and a silver septum piercing in his nose. Now, I’m going to ask you: ‘Who of these four people do you like ?’

Pretty freakin’ hard to answer, huh?

Now suppose I gave you the same scenario, but I tweaked it just a smidge. You go to a dinner party where you meet a variety of people. ‘A’ is a talkative woman who only stops to take a deep breath and inhale a gulp of her red wine. She is loose and flamboyant while she talks endlessly about the various adventures she’s been on during her time off as a travel nurse. But while her extravagant storytelling is more than entertaining, you find it difficult to get a single word in when talking to her because somehow, the conversation always steers back to herself.

Meanwhile, ‘B’ is a preppy and bubbly woman who works as an elementary school teacher, but you never really discovered that until the end of the conversation, when your mutual friend asks her how ‘the kids’ are, and the origin behind her soft-spoken tone and expressive eyes clicks in place. Your conversations together mainly center around your mutual love for animals— her with her dogs and you with your cats. Though she overapologizes and tends to be a bit more passive with all other topics of parley, the conversation is otherwise lighthearted. She is the first person to leave, however, cutting your time together short when she realizes the time and suddenly her dark circles seem to get darker. She is the one to redirect you to ‘C’, who is a professor at a prestigious university in a neighboring town. He looks quite formal and acts even moreso when he offers to shake your hand and requests the full length of your name and background.

As a complete contrast to ‘B’, ‘C’ is entirely reclusive and apathetic— outwardly, that is. There is an aire of stiffness around him, with his tall posture and unintentionally impressive vocabulary. Your conversations deviate from topic to topic, never dwelling too long on one discussion but always exploring it to a level of depth that surprises you. Whatever point you make, ‘C’ presents a counterargument, and what could have started as a regularly subjective opinion transforms into an interesting delve into the nature of peaceful arguments. While the conversation is more than cordial and definitely leaves you feeling a bit more intelligent and curious than before you met him, you can’t help but notice the lack of impression or reaction from ‘C’ whenever you spoke. It is only when ‘D’ swings around and introduces himself to you that you feel more assured, as he informs you that everyone who talks to ‘C’ leaves the conversation feeling a bit judged.

‘D’, you discover, is a freelance photographer who asks you if you would like a photo of you and your friends. You end up talking about his photography career, looking through his portfolio with awe— he is remarkably skilled and filled with a plethora of experience. Like your conversation with ‘B’, the tone is lighthearted, but this time, a banter is exchanged between yourself and the extremely witty ‘D’. His little quips are sassy, occasionally sarcastic but the follow-up laugh and pat of the shoulder relieves you from taking anything too seriously. While ‘A’ was entertaining, ‘D’ has a sense of humour that wonderfully matches your own. He is touchy, with every joke he makes being paired with some form of physical contact, but you discover he is like that with everyone as he expands the conversation to the entire dinner party circle. Occasionally, when his joke doesn’t land, he’ll do an awkward chuckle and make a self-deprecating comment to release the tension. But the tension never really dissipates when he makes jokes about his ex. Nevertheless, his smile is bright and his body language is always oriented towards the person he is talking to. You can’t help but feel properly heard when talking to him. The eye contact is unwavering and his every response is a testament that he was genuinely listening.

Now, if I asked you— who of the four do you like? Is it a bit easier to respond?

The difference between the two is a bit obvious (intentionally, to make things a bit clearer). The amount of substance allotted to each character increased with the second scenario. While the descriptions of the characters in the first example were confined to their appearance, the second scenario offered interactive exchanges with each character that allows you as the reader to fully imagine this person, even without the physical descriptors, and visualize the interaction with them beyond a surface level. In short, the first scenario gave you caricatures; the second scenario gave you people.

Why do I give you this very obvious statement? Because the more you think of your characters as characters to be liked or disliked, as opposed to the actions and interactions they have with their peers (in story) and their audience (the readers), the more shallow they will seem and the harder it will be for readers to connect to them, much less emotionally invest in them.

If you want to create profound characters, expose your characters to scenarios that showcase their interactions with that environment and the people in that environment. Allow the readers to feel like the character is someone they know in their life, someone they can relate to or envision, whether it be themselves, their mother, or their chatterbox coworker from HR.

Real characters evoke real emotions.

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2.0 The Common Characteristics

Before we get into a general list of likeable characteristics, let's highlight two terms and define them to differentiate them. Introducing… charm and charisma! Similar, but not the same.

Charm: this is your golden ticket, and also the hardest to nail. Charm is essentially the presence a person carries, and how attractive it is to outsiders. Not attractive in the sense of romantic interest. Attractive in the sense that this person has a draw to them. Their personality is inviting, unique, and confident. They have an ability to put other people in ease in their presence and are welcoming and inviting while also keeping people engaged. Charming people are attractive because their personalities and presence in a room makes you want to stay near them.

Charisma: the way I define charisma is magnetism. Its one of the components to charm that acts as the hook, line, and sinker. Charisma is a person’s humour, their body language, their tone, the way they look at you when they speak, whereas charm is the agglomeration of charisma, style, confidence, and personality.

Okay, now for the list. You can pick and choose characteristics from the following list to create your own unique combination for your characters, but its not enough to have characters “have” these characters. Remember part one of this post. How your characters demonstrate these characteristics is fundamental to how charming and charismatic they are. Also, the influence these traits have and relationship they have with other characters.

Likeable traits:

Intelligence: people generally respect intelligence in a person. There are different types of intelligence though

Wit: how quick-thinking a person is. Think of someone who is witty— they’re quick with their responses and multifaceted. IMPORTANT: multifaceted. If you’re just quick with your responses, you’re quippy. But to be witty, your responses have to display intelligence through introspection or observance in a humorous tone. It’s a hard thing to master, which is why witty people are usually highly respected and considered inexplicably charming.

Shrewdness: think of this through the example of schemers. Shrewdness is a meticulous, detailed type of intelligence that is sometimes used in negative connotations to describe people who are cunning and use their intelligence for malevolent intentions. But in general, shrewdness is about being practical, decisive, and considerate of multiple factors before coming to a decision. It displays thoroughness and patience in deliberating one’s thoughts and actions. Personal opinion that is not at all unpopular: shrewd villains >>>> MWAH!

Cleverness: I like to think of these people as atypical with their intelligence. They find out-of-the-box solutions to problems and are able to apply creativity to problem-solving.

Knowledgeable: this is what people think of when they think of trying to make an intelligent character. The typical approach to writing a genius is making them know everything. And while many intelligent/smart people are knowledgeable, it's typically because of the underlying traits they have that drive them to pursue knowledge (i.e. curiosity, focus, passion, wonder, skepticism, objectivity). Focusing on those aspects of your character rather than what they know itself is what will sell your character as intelligent rather than a human encyclopedia.

Introspection//Observation: this is emotional intelligence. Being able to assess people’s intentions, their emotional states, predict their reactions, and also being able to understand and connect to their own emotions. Emotionally intelligent characters are honestly so lovely, so refreshing, and such an underrated type of intelligence. To be able to read and predict human behaviour is so extremely impressive and also allows your character to alter their behaviour depending on their audience, which can add to their charisma and charm

Kindness: no one likes an asshole. It’s really as simple as that. People enjoy the company of people who are tender, caring, compassionate, empathetic, and not mean. It’s safe company, and company that makes others feel better about themselves. Entirely welcoming, which is why its so charming to be kind and gentle.

Humour: I could do a whole separate post on different types of humor. But to summarize it lightly, to write a character, it’s more important to try to humor the reader than the other characters. Humor is subjective, but adding genuine comedy rather than ingenuine reactions from other characters and telling the readers that ‘Character A is funny’ doesn’t have the same effect as inciting genuine laughter from the reader. Different types of humor include:

Witty humor: as I mentioned earlier, it carries an added advantage of intelligence to the mix. These can include light jabs between friends, but if done incorrectly, can make the character seem mean. So good luck lmao

Dark humour: hard to pull off tastefully. General rule with attempting dark humour though? It's all about boundaries. It's dark humour if you're joking about your own experiences, traumas, or something personal to you/your character. Doing it on the expense of someone else's experience is called being an asshole.

Sass//sarcasm: use this sparingly. Sass is fun with banter, but imagine hanging out with someone who answers everything with sass or sarcasm. Sounds exhausting? That’s because it is. Also, quick differentiation: sass has personality and a bit of zest to it; sarcasm is deadpan and mocking. Compare the following dialogues:

Sass: “Hey Jocelyn! Jeez… Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” “And clearly someone else woke up on the right side.”

Sarcasm: “Hey Jocelyn! Jeez… Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” “You don’t say.”

Trustworthiness: the most inviting thing about a person is knowing they’re not a backstabbing, shit-talking, macking asshole. Someone you can trust your secrets with is someone you can be vulnerable around, which is one of the foundations of creating intimate relationships. Having a character who blabbles off other character’s secrets, or even just petty gossip, is not a demonstration of trustworthiness. Valuing a person and truly listening to them while they speak, and then asking them about how private they want to keep that information— oof that’s a keeper right there.

Good listener: just to bounce off the last point, being attentive and showing your character cares about the people around them, their interests, and what they have to say is such a likeable quality because it appeals to the part of everyone (including your reader) of wanting to be sincerely heard. Your character doesn’t have to be devotional. But it’s about being respectful.

Okay, a bit more of a condensed list now so I can wrap things up:

Empathy: understand others’ emotions and being considerate towards other perspectives

Humility: no one likes an arrogant prick. Don’t make them Mr. Humble either (Mr. Humble in the sense of being humble to the point of being rather pretentious or being a doormat. Like, a person can acknowledge their achievements, be proud of themselves, have confidence, and ALSO be humble by not being braggy and arrogant about it)

Honesty: telling the truth, yes, but also being sincere in how they conduct themselves.

Reliability: no one likes mr. flakey lol. Being able to depend on someone strengthens relationships, and the moment a character exhibits this quality for the reader to view, the reader is able to attach themselves to this character

Optimism: optimism is fun! Optimism makes people feel hopeful. Yeah, pessimism used for comedy with sarcastic characters is a whole trope. But it’s only likeable if executed correctly. Otherwise, pessimism can be a drag. Think of pessimism as the risky route vs optimism as the safe route.

Resilience: showing a person’s willpower and their will to live by enduring hardship is one of the most respectable qualities, because its a quality we all wish to emulate in our real lives and understand takes a great deal of effort to actually be successful in.

Generosity

Patience

Authenticity

Open-mindedness

Courage

Gratitude

Adaptability

Selflessness

Fairness

Integrity: what are your character’s values? How true do they stay to their values? How strong is the needle of their moral compass? This one is massive to creating a character who reader’s respect, because efining a person’s value system allows them to become intimately familiar with the character’s perspective of the world, their ethics code, and their morality. Even if they cannot agree with all of the values of the character, a character who stays true to their values and has integrity is commendable, and therefore in most cases, respectable (hint hint, this is a huge transition to my next post lol)

Essentially, creating likeable characters is about trying to charm your readers with your characters' personality and presence, to the point where the reader would genuinely want to be friends with this person in real life. Having their actions match their narrative description and their in-story reputation also adds to your reliability as a writer. If you’re trying so hard to convince me as the reader than Jonathan is a real stand-up, charming guy who is a huge womanizer; smooth-talker all around to the point where he is able to get positions and extort favours from people because he has such a way with words… but then all of Jonathan’s dialogue sounds like a piece of wet cardboard was brought to life, I’m going to start thinking you as the author are rather delusional, think I’m dense, or have no idea how smooth-talkers actually sound. But what I’m not going to believe is that Jonathan is what you say he is.

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Okay! That’s all for today, folks! Stay tuned for my next post on writing unlikable characters that readers still want to root for. Also! I’m thinking of short story prompts for you guys to practise your writing with on this account, now that I have the chance to be a bit more active.

Why do I have more opportunities to be more active?

I FINISHED MY BOOK, BABYYYY!!! LETS GOOOOOO :D

Yeah, so I might post some excerpts of my own wip here. Currently though, I’m in the editing phases, and then querying!!!

Okay, anyways, toodles! Have a great rest of your day or evening! <3

#writers #writing #wip #writing community #writerblr #fiction #writers tips #writing tip #tips and tricks #writing tips #character development #charming #character #characters #ocs #thecomfywriter thecomfywritertoolbox throneofvengeance tov #thecomfywritertoolbox #throneofvengeance #tov

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conlangcrab · 4 days

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Redirected ask from @thecrazyneographist

I use Krita to draw, paired with a drawing tablet (a cheap Wacom). In Krita, there's a function for Brush Smoothing -> Weighted, which I use almost always due to me having trembly tremored hands.

That plus custom/modified stock brushes sensitive to pressure, I suppose.

Also you seem to not have linked the post you wanted to reference, so once you see this reply you can reblog with the addition and I will unfold the answer further on the topic of what brushes specifically and their quirks.

@sillysanddweller

#conlangcrab #thecrazyneographist #neography

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drkdreams · 8 months

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Forgotten Orgasms

Reposting from my fetlife

Trigger warning for hypnokink content don't read if you don't like that.

I forgot I had orgasms.

Not all orgasms just a few specific ones.

Ones it was predetermined I would forget.

And predetermined how I would remember them.

Brains are interesting. I find the highest form of arousal and intimacy for me involve mental stimulation. I've been playing with a hypnotist, Mentat, for alittle over a month now. It has been incredibly hot, and now as we are beginning to feel more comfortable, we are starting to explore and try some new things. With discussion on consent before hand, and a post mortem discuss on how things felt afterwards.

Two nights ago we decided I would forget the session. Usually he is very careful to make sure I remember everything. This time the goal was forgetting. So after dropping, and floating, and falling, and orgasming for a while. I forgot it happened.

Now my brain, my subconscious, is a sneaky lovely bitch, because she knows how hot I find this all, and so she went along with it. My brain dismissed lingering thoughts, small inconsistencies that pointed to we had played. Redirected thoughts so I couldn't focus on what happened... I cleaned up and went to bed thinking I had just been turned on during the conversation, even though I never dropped.

It was midday the next day when there was a small crack in the wall holding my memory. I was deeply focused on work, heavy mental cross checking of investory numbers, when I got a few sudden flashes of images and words spoken and a small waves a pleasure. But I couldn't chase the memory. It was there and then gone. I tired to focus and remember but it was no where. And it wasn't another memory. It felt different. So of course I text Mentat. You did something to me last night? This was in a positive and playful way. I was already turned on at the thought of forgetting what had happened. I trust the man to honor my limits and do things I find arousing. And I know he would want to know any details about how my brain is processing this all...we both enjoy the analysis of what's happening during drop and play. Anyways, we text a bit, but I couldn't talk until later.

So I go about the rest of my day. My brain again redirecting any hard focus on what happened to other topics, which seems pretty normal given that I always have 5000 things going on in my brain. We finally get to have our call. This is all through video chat currently. We discuss alittle more about what the break through felt like, where I am at in remembering at the moment, which was still no memory.

Mentat then finally asked me to focus on him and gave the Recall command. It wasn't like movie or complete play by play of what happened. But suddenly I could focus and access those memories and feelings. I could remember the conversation before hand about memory play and if I would be OK getting naked during it. I remembered dropping, orgasms... The prompt to forget.. getting redressed while still in deep hypnosis. there was some further talk and play and another round of remembering to forget because I still had an inkling something had happened. He had also inplanted a trigger to feel it all again, and specifically to orgasm when I remembered, which I did as I exclaimed "you put a trigger to..." not sure how much of that got out of my mouth before I was overwhelmed with pleasure...

So yes I greatly enjoyed having my memories temporarily stolen. Even more so having them returned and then getting to discuss the whole thing with Mentat. We are both very smart nerds who find the discussion almost as hot and intriguing as the erotic hypnosis.

#hypnok1nk #hypnoslut

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curio-queries · 4 months

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Hi I'm reaching out re. your post on the bts-polls blog, since you redirected people to contact you here. I'm not the same anon who sent the other ask. I understand your reasoning for personally choosing to continue engaging with HP fandom, that's your choice and it's fine as long as you don't contribute to JKR financially. I guess I'm just adding one more trans ARMY voice to say that seeing casual references to HP and other Rowling works immediately gives me a bad feeling and makes me feel unsafe and alienated in the community. I'm also Jewish, so JKR's recent holocaust denial and her support of neo-nazis like Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshul add to this feeling exponentially. This issue is related to so much trauma and ongoing abuse that it's honestly triggering to see 'fun' references to that material as if nothing's happening.

I know it's probably 'not that deep' to most people, but small things like this mean there's one more space where the majority can be comfortable, but I automatically can't take part... in the end it's your choice, but since that blog seems to be aiming to be somewhat of a 'community' space rather than a personal blog I thought it might be relevant for you to hear how people feel.

You seem like a thoughtful person, and I appreciate the arguments you made in your other post. I hope this doesn't come across as attacking you or trying to stir up drama, these are just my honest feelings. Also I'm not saying you should personally cut HP out of your life, I understand there are ways of engaging in a fandom that don't involve supporting the original creator. Thanks for listening!

Hello Anon,

I apologize that this has taken me ages to answer. I haven't been able to spend much time in tumblr-land recently but this topic deserves more than an off-the-cuff response.

For any of you that are not familiar, anon is referencing this post. I'll put the rest of my response below a cut so that anyone not up for further discussion on this topic can bypass:

First, I want to thank you for reaching out. The only way most of us learn how deeply affected by events is if we share, but I know it can be a very difficult thing to do. I don't know if I'm the right person to really do anything specifically on this topic, but I can absolutely share a little bit more about my thoughts.

So, professionally, I'm a technical systems subject matter expert. And it's impossible for me to hear about something without trying to narrow it down to the root cause to resolve there. Yes, there are also actions to be taken to fix the immediate problem, but if the source is left alone, it's going to continue happening.

So, if that won't resolve the problem, what will? In my mind there are two possibilities:

To me, the root cause of the issue isn't this specific woman, it's much bigger than that. Because if we were to remove her specifically as an issue, there would just be someone else spouting the same junk, maybe with less of a following, maybe more.

1. Not allowing people to form and share their own opinions on issues like this. After all, if we HAD to comply to a collective moral standing, then we'd all be on the same page and there wouldn't be all this suffering, right? Hopefully everyone reading this knows why that would be a BAD IDEA even if was possible. I'm not going to go into detail here but if anyone reading this has any doubts, we definitely can!

2. Stop giving power to the words of people that have no authority. This is honestly one of my biggest issues with celebrity culture. Period. Why on earth do the opinions of someone who has absolutely no expertise on an issue carry so much weight in our society?

I'll give y'all an example: Let's say BTS states that they enjoyed seeing the purple streetlights so now we should repave all roads everywhere in the world purple. Not only would this be a logistical nightmare there would be significant ramifications regarding safety and economically. BTS has no expertise in city planning or road safety. 'But they've been all over the world and seen how happy people are when they're surrounded by purple, we should listen to them!' No, we shouldn't correlation is not causation. If there is to be any benefit gained from such a change, it would need to be researched and trialed by actual subject matter experts. Idk, this example is pretty convoluted but hopefully you get my point?

Anyway, now that we've established that fame is not a good enough reason to give weight to someone's opinion, it just becomes a skill issue of recognizing when to listen/disregard and how to implement it on a large scale. Let's face it, both are difficult issues to tackle. The lines definitely get blurry about who has valuable contributions vs who is just the loudest voice. Especially with the ease that anyone can have access to a platform, there's very little threshold to finding countless individuals sharing 'facts' about issues of which they have absolutely no knowledge. I think all of us have seen that first hand in the BTS fandom so I won't list any examples.

So, the first challenge is how we discern the value from the noise. I am personally a huge believer in non-traditional education, so you can't just rely on the alphabet soup of degrees list after people's names either. The next hurdle is getting the majority to start doing this as well so that value is attributed to the correct people and not those who have no business with it. And that is what SHOULD be society's goal overall (in my opinion).

I truly believe that everyone is entitled to have and share their views and opinions but that doesn't mean we have to continue to listen or give value to what they say once we've realized they don't align with what is actually good for us.

To finally circle back to this before-named woman and the hateful ideas she shares, I genuinely don't understand why anyone continues to listen to what she's spouting, with one exception. When a creator shares a viewpoint that is malicious of intent, I think the created work should be evaluated to determine if there is an ulterior influence that can be gleaned from new audiences. Like I said in my post before, personally the effect that the Harry Potter world has had on me and the people in my immediate circles has done far more to foster overall inclusion and understanding of marginalized groups than pretty much anything. It was one of the few things to get past the heavily conservative religious viewpoints in the community that became a gathering point for those of us who didn't conform to the norms.

The great irony in all of this is the parallel that can be drawn between the author and the main villain who literally went insane breaking his soul apart for the gain of power. Perhaps she should spend more time reading her own work?

Anyway anons, I hope both of you are able to find some healing from the trauma these issues keep bringing up. I'm grateful you've entrusted me to share your concerns. I do think it's important to keep learning and growing from each other's experiences in a positive way rather than the heavy handed 'how dare you not comply to my specific viewpoint and conclusions on a nuanced issue' approach.

#non-bts post #harry potter

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whatslanguage · 5 months

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Welcome to WhatsLanguage!

The idea of this blog is to introduce people to linguistics by answering questions about language and linguistics. So, this blog is specifically targeted at people who don't have a background in linguistics (everyone is always welcome of course, but just to state the target audience).

My ask box will (as long as I have the time) be open 24/7 for any questions about linguistics and language as long as they meet the following requirements:

1. They are not translation questions (e.g., "how do you say x in y language", or anything equivalent)

2. They haven't been asked before (for very general questions that can be asked in may different ways I might make separate and slightly longer posts instead). If your question has been asked or before, I will redirect you to the masterlist of answered questions and discussed topics.

3. They can be answered at a level people without a background in linguistics can understand while still being relatively concise. I'll still answer the ask, but I have a limited amount of time and expertise, so I may not always be able to go in-depth or cover all the nuances. I'll happily try to point you in the right direction for further research or explanation, though.

4. I cannot give advice on how to pick your BA or Master's. This blog is solely about the topic of linguistics. For advice about studying it, I suggest you look up brochures or open days of colleges and universities in the country you'll be studying in.

#linguistics #language

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nymphoheretic · 2 years

Text

˜”°•.˜”°• The Rules/BYF/BYI •°”˜.•°”˜

I was @/kxkyuu, so when I repost my fics please don't be alarmed its me! Please use my new pseudo on tumblr.(discord/moots can still call me by old pseudo).

★·.·´¯`·.·★General Guidelines★·.·`¯´·.·★

The most important rule to know is: This blog is strictly 18+. What does that mean? That means no minors/ageless/blank blogs are allowed to follow or interact with my posts. Your age must be in your bio pinned post, carrd, somewhere I can easily see it. I will not hunt through your blog for your age. If I suspect that you are a minor, I reserve the right to block you for my own safety and peace of mind.

Examples of acceptable age indicators: 20s, 21+, adult

Examples of unacceptable age indicators: +18, not a minor, DM for age

If you are uncomfortable with having your age on your blog, please either DM or send me an ask off Anon. It will not be posted.

★·.·´¯`·.·★DNI★·.·`¯´·.·★

Do not Interact:

1. If you do not fit the basic DNI criteria

2. Are Anti-LGBTQ+

3. Support or glorify EDs

4. Anti-aging up/Baji Purists

Everything that I write is depicted as fictional and the characters I write in adult situations are considered to be adults.

5. Against Dark Content

This blog supports and contains Dark content. If that makes you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.

6. If you cannot differentiate fiction from reality. It is not my job to tell you that this is fandom, not canon. When I am writing, thirsting, or otherwise simping over a character, I am not imagining them as their canonical age. I am imagining them either my age or older. If you cannot understand that, then my blog is not for you. I will not argue with you over fictional characters.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Roleplaying and Charanons★·.·`¯´·.·★

I simply love roleplaying!! If you ever wish to mod for me, a huge thank you!! All I ask that if you are not my mutual, to send me and an ask with your age, again it will not be posted, for my own peace of mind and safety before continuing. I am okay with both sfw and nsfw role plays. Please visit my aethestics rp blog @itskireibabie if you wish to rp with me!(DC roleplays must be redirected to my Rp Blog @darkkakyuu) I am pansexual so any charanon or fluster anon is welcomed.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Interactions★·.·`¯´·.·★

Interactions are very much welcomed! Please do not be afraid to come talk to me! I am not a mean person at all! Feel free to DM me, send thirsts to my ask box, play tag/ask games with me, tell me about your day. Whatever you want and I will get back to you as soon as I can! All I ask that if you are going to vent in my ask box is to use the proper trigger warnings and not just drop them on me unexpectedly.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Writing★·.·`¯´·.·★

I only write x Reader fics and most of the time it is either GN!reader or AFAB!reader. I try to keep everything inconclusive to descriptive features but, as I am a black content creator, some of my work will be black coded or tagged as Black!reader. You are still welcomed to read it, but know that I wrote that with a black woman in mind.

As stated earlier, all characters are assumed to be in their mid to late twenties.

Although I do not consider myself a dark content creator, my blog may contain dark content or I will reblog dark content. If this makes you uncomfortable, then please do not engage in these fics. All I want is for you to respect me as a writer and those who choose to consume it.

Hard kinks will always be tagged according as well as anything that could be potentially triggering. To further protect yourself the tag tw [topic] will be used in my tagging system. Please feel free to block those trigger tags. Also if I ever miss a trigger, please do not hesitate to tell me and I will fix it immediately.

Exceptions: only when writing blurbs for a moot will I ever dip my toe into the trans community. I don't want to step on anyone's toes and I know this moot personally and he won't feel affected if I mess something up.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Dark Content★·.·`¯´·.·★

Although I am not a Dark Content creator, I do write it in some fashions. I am in not way responsible if you do not heed the warnings and by clicking the read more you are agreeing to be exposed to the following content.

Dark content I write: Yandere, toxic relationships, hybrids, various harder kinks, stepcest

Dark content I will not write: incest, pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, scat, piss, or vomit.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Selfships★·.·`¯´·.·★

I do selfship with alot of characters, but my main ones are Kyoujuro Rengoku, Keisuke Baji, Itachi Uchiha, Yuuji Itadori, Shouto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugou. What this means that I will post my selfship art (please do not relog without permission) and my own selfship fanfics. These fics are of my own self-indulgence and will have my own descriptive features. I also write selfships fics for my mutuals. If you feel offended by this when I say that what I just is a selfship fic, just know that I do not care. That is for me and I only posted it as a x reader fic.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Requests★·.·`¯´·.·★

I do take requests, but only when they are open and only 3 slots. It takes me a while and my hyper fixations jump from one anime to the next or I may forget about it, If you request something when my requests are closed it will be taken as a suggestion or inspiring idea that may or may not get written.

But, thirsts are always welcomed! I may or may not write a very short little blurb or it may turn into a ficlet? Depends on my time and if I vibe with it.

★·.·´¯`·.·★Copyrights★·.·`¯´·.·★

Everything I write is property of me. I do not give anyone permission to alter, copy, translate, or promote my work on any other platform, especially tiktok. If you see my work on a different site other than tumblr or AO3, please notify me immediately.

#nymph.rules♡

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sincerely-krp · 1 year

Note

sorry admins, but i think this is important to say, and i implore you to really shut down the topic after this.

at the end of the day this: in fact we have asks (proof of identification sent to us under the promise we wouldn’t post it to the blog) that specifically tell us they had no idea they were on the canva and don’t mind but wish to move on! is what matters. if the victims want to move on, lets

1) let them move on. jesus.

2) hold the toxic people accountable for slutshaming a female muse when in krp lit we should’ve moved past this. hold the toxic people accountable for being so pressed about this that they probably just feed into the drama if they’re uninvolved or only look to use real victims as a shield to vent their personal frustration if they are involved.

3) hold the admin side accountable for continuing to ignore that they have proven to have been bullies, racists, and misogynistic. as far as i know the excuse is that they want to talk to the canva op to apologize instead of talking to the victims, which is a warning flag because she probably only wants to hurt the canva op instead of really take accountability.

4) recognize that both sides did wrong and were wronged. let this be a lesson for both of them. the issue is one scenario and the way the issue is handled is another. at the end of the day i’m sad to say i feel like we’ll be seeing both sides continue to be vindictive at one another it they don’t let each other move on.

we are closing the paradigm topic fully. if you have further installments with proof, please wait for three weeks before presenting it to us, as we all need a break! if you have more opinions, please redirect them elsewhere!

#paradigm krp

0 notes

kxkyuu · 2 years

Text

Welcome to my liddol blog. I’m the owner Kirei and these are my ground rules for interacting with me and my content. These are my boundaries and disrespecting them will result in an immediate block. Please be respectful of my rules.

Are you ready? Please leave a like to let me know you understand and click the read more to continue!

★·.·´¯`·.·★ General Guidelines ★·.·`¯´·.·★

The most important rule to know is: This blog is strictly 18+. What does that mean? That means no minors/ageless/blank blogs are allowed to follow or interact with my posts. Your age must be in your bio pinned post, carrd, somewhere I can easily see it. I will not hunt through our blog for your age. If I suspect that you are a minor, I reserve the right to block you for my own safety and peace of mind.

Examples of acceptable age indicators: 20s, 21+, adult

Examples of unacceptable age indicators: +18, not a minor, DM for age

If you are uncomfortable with having your age on your blog, please either DM or send me an ask off Anon. It will not be posted.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ DNI ★·.·`¯´·.·★

Do not Interact:

1. If you do not fit the basic DNI criteria

2. Are Anti-LGBTQ+

3. Support or glorify EDs

4. Anti-aging up/Baji Purists

Everything that I write is depicted as fictional and the characters I write in adult situations are considered to be adults.

5. Against Dark Content

This blog supports and contains Dark content. If that makes you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Roleplaying and Charanons ★·.·`¯´·.·★

I simply love roleplaying!! If you every wish to mod for me, a huge thank you!! All I ask that if you are not my mutual, to send me and an ask with your age, again it will not be posted, for my own peace of mind and safety before continuing. I am okay with both sfw and nsfw roleplays. (DC roleplays must be redirected to my Rp Blog @darkkakyuu) I am pansexual so any charanon or fluster anon is welcomed.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Interactions ★·.·`¯´·.·★

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Writing ★·.·`¯´·.·★

I only writer x Reader fics and most of the time it is either GN!reader or AFAB!reader. I try to keep everything inconclusive to descitpive features but, as I am a black content creator, some of my work will be black coded or tagged as Black!reader. You are still welcomed to read it, but know that I wrote that with a black woman in mind.

As stated earlier, all characters are assumed to be in their mid to late twenties.

Although I do not consider myself a dark content creator, my blog may contain dark content or I will reblog dark content. If this makes you uncomfortable, then please do not engage in these fics. All I want is or you to respect me as a writer and those who choose to consume it.

Hard kinks will always be tagged according as well as anything that could be potentially triggering. To further protect yourself the tag tw: [topic] will be used in my tagging system. Please feel free to block those trigger tags. Also if I ever miss a trigger, please do not hesitate to tell me and I will fix it immediately.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Dark Content★·.·`¯´·.·★

Although I am not a Dark Content creator, I do write it in some fashions. I am in not way resposible if you do not heed the warnings and by clicking the read more you are agreeing to be exposed to the following content.

Dark content I write: Yandere, toxic relationships, hybrids, various harder kinks, stepcest

Dark content I will not write: incest, pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, scat, piss, or vomit.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Selfships★·.·`¯´·.·★

I do selfship with alot of characters, but my main ones are Kyoujuro Rengoku, Keisuke Baji, Itachi Uchiha, Yuuji Itadori, Shouto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugou. What this means that I will post my selfship art (please do not relog) and my own selfship fanfics. These fics are of my own self-indulgence and will have my own descriptive features. I also write selfships fics for my mutuals. If you feel offended by this when I say that what I just is a selfship fic, just know that I do not care. That is for me and I only posted it as a x reader fic.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Requests★·.·`¯´·.·★

But, thirsts are always welcomed! I may or may not write a very short little blurb or it may turn into a ficlet? Depends on my time and if I vibe with it.

★·.·´¯`·.·★ Copyrights ★·.·`¯´·.·★

©️KireiRengoku 2021-2022

#updated rules #its so pretty #pls like to agree to my rules and conditions #for the new followers too #pls respect my boundaries

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famouskittychild · 3 years

Text

Cheeky Mandos - ...and we're off

(Sorry I had a terrible writer’s block in the past 6-ish weeks - I went from reading fanfiction and being inspired by other’s visions to “I’ll never be able to write anything like these and I’m useless” in a single day :( I’m getting back into the groove finally, so I’m hoping to post more soon.)

There will be 18+ content (in the coming chapters soon) so if you are a minor, please don't read further.

Also the characters will be quite open and relaxed about things like gender, attraction, sexual activities, relationships etc, so if you prefer your Din (and their partner) possessive and/or monogamous , this won’t be a good read for you!

***

This pairing is Din Djarin x gn reader / tall reader. I’m short (and cis and woman). There’s so many short (and female) reader stuff out there, I wanted to write for people on the other end of the “why is your height not normal” / "definitely female" spectrum. If I make mistakes or you have advice, or ideas you'd like to see, please tell me!

Word count: 4267

Summary: You’re an armourer and some shiny guy just showed up.

First full piece/chapter/course! In which people seem to catch things. Thoughts? Viruses? Dropped facts? Who knows!?? Also contains a dilettante’s attempt at space electronics and some barely-canon-reminiscent Mando world-building. Still no spiciness sorry, marinating is a long process :P

Rating: T for some mentions of heavier topics.

CW: Mentions of mandalorian history, playing somewhat loose with canon lore (as in, my SW knowledge is patchy. sorry.)

Author’s note: I tried to find more info but it seems like the mandalorian alphabet doesn’t have names for the individual letters so I used aurebesh (also I liked the little Dorn(e) meta in there). And sorry for the bad puns. They’ll keep coming.

Prologue

One - ...and we're off

***

You aren’t worried about taking a stranger on board, you’ve done that plenty of times before. You hope he’s willing to put in the effort himself, too, just as he promised at the assembly.

The stranger leaves behind his ship, saying a friend will come to pick it up together with whoever might want to join the cause. You spot him from the cockpit as he walks over with a repulsor pallet in tow. He stops for a moment when your droids surge past him, busy at their pre-flight tasks, before moving on towards the ramp.

All his baggage is a satchel at his hip and a small bag on his shoulder, and two large crates of weaponry. You put him up in the spare cabin, the one that had been Sal’ee’s, your former apprentice, before she went on to be a journeyman. He stands in the middle of the room, staring at the two cots on opposite sides of the room, the lockers, the fresher in the corner.

“All mine? Where will you sleep?”

You don’t understand the surprise in his voice.

“Over there” you show him, pointing at the cabin opposite from his. It’s much more lived in, some of the blankets and trinkets and pillows visible through it’s open door. “There’s a third cabin that I mostly use for storage but has more fold-up bunks in case I need to transport more people. That’s rare though.”

“Ohh.” He nods, then turns to look around his room again. “Okay. I thought all of these rooms were cargo space.”

You smile, and quickly think through your to-do list. You’ll have to rearrange your schedule somewhat but it’s not that big of a bother.

“Come on, I’ll show you around the ship.” Before he gets lost in its cavernous interiors, you might add - but you don’t. If his reaction to a separate cabin and his current ship - an old ARC170 - is any indication, he must be used to very cramped quarters.

***

Your trusty Brick, a beat-up YV 929, is armed to the teeth and ugly, just as you like it. The ship is a scavenged one, gutted from most of its original factory issue armaments, engines, and even wiring. It was perfect for your former master when she found it at a scrap heap: she wanted to rebuild it herself, deliberately piecemeal; panels sourced form here, engines from there, concealments added. She modified the inner workings of the engines so that the power lines could be redirected to a concealed forge.

That forge is your pride and the main reason you haven’t settled at a permanent place yourself. When your master retired from travelling, the ship passed to you, and you continued her mission of offering your knowledge and expertise to those of your people who otherwise had no access to an armourer.

…

The next standard month is spent with adjusting, both for yourself after getting used travelling alone again since Sal’ee left, and for the stranger who found himself a passenger on someone else’s ship. Apparently he used to live a very similar life to yours, with the exception that he was a hunter not a craftsman.

You travel together, share meals, research the places you are directed to. He joins in the effort that is maintaining the ship. Still - he is very taciturn at the beginning, keeping his words to the bare minimum. The first few days it feels as if you are still on your own aside of your droids. By the middle of the month, he progresses from short answers, through sharing information, to willingly starting to tell stories; but you know that chatting will never be his defining feature.

His armour seems to fill the spaces of the Brick’s corridors. You feel as if it’s not him who has the presence, but that set of glinting, perfectly made handwork of an armourer you already admire. Some of the pieces were sourced elsewhere, you can tell by the different shapes and designs; they seem haphazard and mismatched compared to the rest. Most of the set is the work of a single person. On those, there’s not a single uneven line, a broken curve, an edge at the wrong place. The angle of the panes of the metal, the ridges, the simplicity and elegance of them all - you have to hold yourself back from touching them, to admire them. You would give a lot to hold those pieces in your hand, to study them, to analyse them with your eyes and hands and with your tools.

You’re a master, yes. But so much knowledge was lost. So many masters gone, with their knowledge and their workshops. Apprentices became heads of Forges in the absence of the more skilled. The survivors still to this day have to piece together half-remembered lessons and forgotten details, experiment with techniques that were known before but the methods got lost as decades of civil war and occupation and murder kept eroding your heritage.

Sometimes a set of armour comes along that is just made in a way you never had an opportunity to learn. Often the person who forged them is long gone. Not the stranger’s armourer though. As far you can tell, she’s alive. Or at least was, when he last saw her. Not too long ago; though your usual method for guessing forging dates is mostly useless as it is based on the condition of the suit’s paintwork. Which he doesn’t have, so you can only guess from the small amount of scratches. You try to ask once, but whilst he’s forthcoming with general stories, he doesn’t go into details.

It’s a common theme with him. He talks about people and planets and events, and leaves out a lot - and you don’t even notice it first. Only when you try to glean information about his armour do you realize how well he fuzzes over those facts and nuances. It’s only up to the peculiarities of Basic and its use of gendered pronouns that you know his Armourer is a woman, or at least he considers them so. He doesn’t even tells you his own name, and when you ask your Elder in one of your communications, she tells you he didn’t gave it to them either. You keep introducing him as a friend, and that is the end of it for a while.

***

The visits to this first few coverts with him are… interesting. You can see him fidgeting from the corner of your eye. He always follows half a step behind and off to a side, as if not wanting to be in your way. He keeps quiet and doesn’t mix much, and around small children and droids, he is positively withdrawn. He only comes alive when he talks about his mission.

You had learned early on during your apprenticeship that keeping the helmet on is a safe bet when meeting with unfamiliar mandalorians. That led to later getting in contact with his type of believers too, despite their notorious secrecy even from the rest of the People. When you tell the stranger about that, he immediately showers you with questions, but you can’t give an answer to most of them. You never met with anyone from his particular covert, or heard of it. No name, no description seems familiar. It’s painful to watch his shoulders slump after daring to hope.

During the course of the month spent travelling, he gradually comes to be more social. He starts to stand and walk beside you. He doesn’t withdraw to the background anymore; he can actually be quite chatty if approached the right way. Droids still make him stop, though he warms up to kids in his own way. He’s good with them, at least in your opinion, though you know some would still call him aloof and distant. He isn’t a cuddler, nor does he crouch down to ask cutesy questions. He juts sits nearby them, and in that way of children having a good sense about adults, they know he’s trustworthy. They go up to him to chatter, to hand him a toy to hold, to ask him to fix a latch on their boots; than they go back to play.

He teaches you too, inadvertently at first during everyday conversations and later by his own volition, about his Way. About his Creed. It keeps throwing you off how much it differs from most that you had met before. Not even meeting briefly with people who followed the same Way as him could prepare you for the details that he does share. The degree of strictness, the loyalty, the barest bones Old Tradition beliefs and their willingness to follow them is very rare amongst the People as far as you can tell. Their devotion earns your respect.

At other times, your jaw hangs open and you can’t believe you are talking to an adult roughly around the same age as yourself, who by his own admission had spent three decades living as a follower of the Creed - not knowing about things children are thought through plays and songtime. His ignorance is so staggering, your admiration towards his unknown Armourer wavers. How could she keep so many things hidden from them? Why not talk about your own history? Your greats? Your artefacts?

About the many other who would call them vod’e, siblings?

You are an armourer, a craftsman, a person who makes a living by making things with your hand. You’re not a leader, or a scholar, or someone who decides what to tell your people. You do have a status within the community, but that is a status of service. From what the stranger says, their Armourer was a leader in every aspect: elder and lorekeeper and moral guide and more. All in one. It is something you can see developing from the old songs and histories amongst groups who take tradition more literally.

You are good at observing people, even at copying their habits to make them feel more comfortable with you, but less good at determining their underlying motives. The reason you think of him as “the stranger” even after travelling with him is because it’s so hard to figure out what drives him. There’s a melancholy to him that overrides the more typical mandalorian fight-readiness or aggression. You see how he gazes off to the distance sometimes, turning his head to the side and freezing. How he keeps to himself when he can. But you can’t tell why. Grief? Regrets? Determination to change? Planning something greater and being preoccupied with that?

He doesn’t pick fights to test you. He spars with you when you invite him to, he helps when you ask, and often even without it. He’s polite and considerate; he keeps conversation to practicalities and interesting stories, and doesn’t bother you with anecdotes or insistent questions about trivialities or your private life. He even does the dishes.

He’s deadly boring in his reliableness.

You are used to being on your toes around people all the time. When you meet a new group, it’s all unknown people. With ones you had already visited, the problem is having to remember them. They remember you of course, the ‘wandering armourer’; and surely you remember them too.

What is worse, when people stay the same but you don’t remember them, or when they change and you just can’t place them?

He becomes a good excuse after you’ve been to several coverts together. It’s interesting to notice how your dynamics change even further once you two get into a comfortable routine. You start to retreat to your forge and tools, and let him take all the attention. And he doesn’t just talk about his mission anymore, or lets little ones play around him whilst he’s quiet. He converses with people about news, about their children, about weaponry. You have more time to focus on your work.

Sometimes, people ask you what do you think of his mission. You tell them that you will follow what your clan decides, and that’s mostly true. It is something people don’t often debate, at least.

He quickly becomes a part of your everyday life. You are content with your usually solitary travels. You know that your family, your clan and your friends wait for you at home. They message you and you can find the time that suits you to message back. You don’t miss the constant hubbub of the covert most of the time. But now that you have someone that is not a droid, someone who is your equal in every aspect, on board again, it’s not even lonely anymore.

***

“So what’s up with you and droids?” you ask one day, after you got back from a covert and are safely in hyperspace to the next destination. You tinker with your astromech’s navigational systems. Poor 2-T keeps bumping into walls and crates. Again.

The stranger looks at you and your droid, than over at Mouse who for a change isn’t zooming around at foot level.

“Bad memories.”

“Gunk sat on you?” You tease. You hope it’s just something silly and not him having some sort of snobbish organics-are-better philosophy. He is quiet, and you focus on your work. He’ll talk if he wants to, that much you know already about him.

Inside the body of your astromech, a rivet from stars knows where is stuck between two circuit boards and blocks the access to a short-circuited piece of wire.

“Kriff. Toots, this will take a while, sweetie. Can’t access that kriffing panel.” He chirps back something and you read the translation on the small display. “No, it’s not that. My hand can’t fit in that small space. Let me find those pliers… should be in that other drawer somewhere.”

You search in the chest of tools, and despite your usually good organization, you can’t find them amongst the droids’ tools where their place is.

“Let me help.” The stranger’s voice beside you makes you jump. He can be awfully quiet. “Sorry. I think I might’ve put them back into the wrong drawer. I used them the other day when I fine-tuned that scope.”

He points at another drawer, where you keep your fine electronics stuff. No wonder he mixed them up. He stands beside Tootee a bit awkwardly until you find the tool.

“Here! No problem by the way. “ You turn back to him and to the droid, than have an idea. “Do you mind a bit more help? You can say no if you don’t want to work with the droid, I’ll understand.”

He doesn’t object yet, so you go back to 2-T and show the stranger the area you’re working on. You see him lean closer in your peripheral vision.

“That’s where I need to get that burned piece of wire out and install a new one, but first, I need to get that rivet out of the way.” You point at the root of the problem, than explain your plan, pointing out each part in turn. ”If you could hold those using this, than I could get here, remove this, with that tool, than have to get those bundles out of the way too, so than that wire there could come out. Easy.”

You look up at him, and his helmet is way closer than you expected. You can almost see your reflection in that black visor as it stares back at you for a second, and you almost apologize again, when the stranger starts to speak.

“Just have to hold the wires to the casing, or pull them like…” he moves his hand in the air, showing what he means.

“Hold them to that panel, there, with the pliers, so I have room to access the rest.”

He thinks for a moment, than he starts to tug one of his gloves off.

“You don’t need to take that off, just hold the pliers” you tell him, but he shakes his head.

“No, I can fit my hand in there, I’m pretty sure. If not we can try it with the tool.”

You realize that this is the first time you see his skin. Than it occurs to you that he might very well misunderstand this whole situation. You just asked him to hang his hand inches from yours in an enclosed space; inside a droid nonetheless, just after you basically told him you noticed he has a problem with them. It would be so easy to get caught up in there, to touch his hand, and hush it up as coincidence. Especially now that he took his glove off as well. He might even think that it was a careful plan of yours: have an area to work with were your slightly larger hands don’t fit but his might.

Your fingertips already tingle from knowing you can’t make mistakes. Which means you’ll probably do. He reaches between the panels and gets to the part where you got stuck. He wiggles his fingers a bit and scrapes around.

“Ha, found some wires. Are these the ones you need out of the way?”

You peer down into the quagmire of electronics, trying to find the best angle to see everything.

“Yes, those are the ones. Just hold them like that.” You try to focus on what you are doing, but after those earlier thoughts, your hands are jittery. You somehow manage to remove the obstructing rivet, than find the burned out part and replace it without accident, the stranger patiently holding things out of your way. You direct him here and there, occasionally stumbling as it’s a lot of instructions, or at least a lot of “could you please” and “thank you”. It gets particularly awkward when you stumble over the lack of name spectacularly.

“Could you pull those the other way, so they aren't that taut, please? Thank you, you. I mean thank you.”

“Din. Din Djarin.” Your head snaps up while the rest of your body freezes. “I should have told you my name sooner, but I’m so used to not telling it… and it just became more awkward to bring it up as time passed. I apologize.”

You close your mouth that of course was hanging open in surprise, than shake your head.

“I thought at first that I missed it when you said it so I was ashamed that I didn’t remember.” That did happen before, and it was one of your greatest worries about meeting new people. “I actually asked my elder. Sent her a comm. So when she told me you went nameless, I didn’t wanted to demand it.”

He doesn't answer right away. His voice is softer when he speaks a bit later.

“Thank you. For being considerate.”

You smile and try to wave it off. Which results in your hand slipping and pawing at his, still motionless and stuck in the inside of the astromech.

“Oh shucks, I’m sorry… didn’t meant to.” You withdraw your hand quickly, and start to look for your tools to cover your mistake.

He doesn’t seem bothered, luckily. You calm down, reminding yourself not to behave like you drank one too many glasses of your cousin Ree’s home-made tihaar, and finish the repair.

“You can let those go now, I’ll finish from here. Thanks for your help.”

“You’re welcome, any time.”

He sits back on a nearby crate and watches you work for a while, ignoring Mouse zooming around the room. You’re surprised a bit: you didn't expected him to stick around. And than he starts to ask about 2-T. How long you had him, is he temperamental, can you install a vocoder on astromechs, and why not. His tone is somewhat cautious, his voice stiff, like someone asking about a dangerous predator. You remember how you asked him about his distance with droids, but don’t want to push that question. He already told you his name today.

…

By the time you finish with the rest of the repairs, clean Tootee up and tidy around your workplace, interrupted by having to leave hyperspace and land at a spaceport, it’s the middle of the night in local time. You planned to have a nap and search out the local covert just before dawn.

You go to the galley to have a bite before turning in, and the stranger - Din, you remember, although his last name is less clear - is cleaning up some dishes. There’s another bowl in the middle of the small table, covered by a plate.

“That’s for you, if you’d like to have it. Used up the last of that spice mix we got” he tells you as you enter. You sit down and stretch your legs out one side. As you take the plate off from the steaming bowl, you think about how nice it is to find warm food on the table and not having to cook your own all the time.

“Thank you.” You pull the bowl close and take the spoon that he put beside it. You swirl the soup - it looks very good: clear broth with lots of veggies and other fillers in it - and gather your thoughts. “So ummm… I want to ask something before it gets awkward again.“

He finishes piling the bowls and cups and sits down on the seat opposite. You blurt the question out before you might change your mind.

“What was your name again? Din, that was clear, but the rest… sorry but it sounded something like “jarring”?”

He chuckles, and it’s a clear sound even with a vocoder, no snort or sigh to distort it.

“It’s Djarin. Dorn-jenth-aurek-resh-isk-nern. Djarin.” You nod, a bit embarrassed, and he continues. “Don’t worry, you aren't the first to ask. Probably not the last either.”

“Thanks for being patient. I’m not the best with names, to be honest.”

He tilts his head.

“Is that why you are always so focused when someone introduces themselves? I can ask them to repeat their names for me too if you want to, than both of us can try to remember them.”

You blink at him.

“That’d be…” Unnecessary, and don’t bother, and it’s not your job, you think - but stop yourself. That would actually help. No shame in accepting it. ”That would be nice. Thanks.” You are good at a few things, like making things with your own two hands. Not gaping when something surprises you, or remembering faces or names, any names, not just people? Nah.

You tuck into your soup, and the two of you sit in companionable silence. You wander if Djarin sits there because he wants to, or if he’s waiting for more questions from you. You asked a lot from him during the last few hours, and he was really kind with all his help and telling you his name and not being bothered when you misremembered it.

You are halfway done with your meal when he stirs. He leans forward with his lower arms on the table, and takes a deep breath. You wonder what his question will be - you commit to answer whatever it might be. He deserves that after today.

“So you asked earlier about me and… droids, right?”

Your hand with the spoon stops in the air. You weren’t expecting this question, at all.

“Yes…” You want to say he didn’t have to answer. But you already told him that. You’re sure he remembers that too - since he brought the topic up again. “Yes, I did.”

He shuffles on his seat a bit, and looks out to the side like he sometimes does. You lower your spoon and eat, letting him gather his thoughts.

“When I was a kid… I don’t know how old you were then, but during the war. The Clone wars.” You nod, understanding what he’s getting at, and he continues. “We were… the place I lived came under attack. Some separatist battle droids. Mandalorians saved me.”

You swallow your soup. That was the shortest possible description of someone having their entire life and probably everyone they knew ripped away from them and finding a new way of life for the decades to come.

“I’m sorry” you say, because really, what else is there to say. He nods, and gazes off again. Than he shrugs his shoulders, as if he wants to shake the weight of the past from them.

He gets up, and walks around the table on his way out. He stops beside you for a moment and hesitates, and you almost turn towards him to ask what he needs when you feel him squeeze your shoulder. Than he straightens and steps away.

It’s warm where he squeezed it, and you remember how long ago it was that someone touched you.

You need to talk to your friends asap, and hug at least some of them. He turns back from the door.

“Get some sleep before dawn, all right? Have to be sharp to remember all those new names.” You don’t see him wink but you’d bet he does behind his visor. You scrunch your nose at him and pout before smiling, and he dips out of the galley.

Your hand is still hovering in the air, holding the spoon, while you listen to his footsteps getting more distant as he walks down the corridor to his cabin.

It’s just your luck that you don’t need your wits the next place. It’s only two people with the same, simple name and you met both of them before.

#din djarin x reader #din djarin x tall reader #din djarin x gn!reader #post season 2 #mandalorian oc #armourer oc #cheeky mandos #my writing

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drkdreams · 8 months

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Forgotten Orgasms

Reposting from my fetlife

Trigger warning for hypnokink content don't read if you don't like that.

I forgot I had orgasms.

Not all orgasms just a few specific ones.

Ones it was predetermined I would forget.

And predetermined how I would remember them.

#hypnok1nk #hypnoslut

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darrelodin · 4 years

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https://www.npr.org/2020/11/17/936003057/cisa-director-chris-krebs-fired-after-trying-to-correct-voter-fraud-disinformati

As I sit here, having just finished a presentation regarding potential good from cybersecurity regulation, I stumble upon this article and a dozen others like it and sigh.

Ignoring the one term president still throwing a tantrum over his loss, and his latest retaliation against someone for standing up to him (and it is retaliation, look at those tweets and tell me otherwise), this just continues to aggravate and worry me. Aggravate, because yet another person who did their job is getting demonized for not playing along with lies, and worry because a third of the country will just go with it, while more will just shrug and not understand why it matters.

As a little info, the CISA is only a recent organization, signed into existence by Trump himself in 2018. Formally, it was the National Protections and Programs Directorate (formed in 2007). For both organizations, the director is appointed by the president. The purpose of the CISA, as their tagline states, is “Defend Today, Protect Tomorrow.” I know, very cozy. But it’s typical cybersecurity speak, and they had reasonable basis for existence. The United States faces significant cyber threats due to its wealth and status even now, and the CISA’s purpose involves defending against those threats. And that involved dealing with misinformation, which they did through an official CISA site called Rumor Control. It’s actually a pretty good site for info, providing links to relevant points (ie, how tampering with ballot votes is incredibly difficult to pull off, that any ‘dead votes’ are most likely clerical errors or placeholder data, etcetera). Of course, all this truth led to the result shown in the very first article above.

So why am I making this post? To spread information, I suppose. Raise awareness about a topic that I researched for months. To provide resources to anyone who sees this so they might perhaps convince someone apathetic to become energized - or provide some information to convince the zealous that their belief in one man is better served elsewhere. And if this post DOES lead to you having further questions, well, check the links provided. Do some research from the official sites, or from industry experts. Or even ask me - I’ll do my best to answer.

#cybersecurity #cisa #election #voting #security #really out of character I know #but I just needed to get this off my chest #hopefully it helps #information

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missmentelle · 5 years

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How to Enforce Your Boundaries

I see a lot of posts on Tumblr that talk about the importance of enforcing your boundaries - I’ve given that advice out myself, many times - but I haven’t seen a lot of discussion about what that actually looks like. I’ve been getting a lot of asks lately from people who want to enforce boundaries, but aren’t quite sure what they need to say or how firm they actually need to be. So without further ado, here’s a quick guide to doing just that:

Let’s say that you don’t want to talk about your ex - for the sake of example, that’s the boundary we’re going to set. Your reasons for not wanting to talk about your ex are deeply personal, and you don’t feel like explaining them; you just know that talking about the relationship or your ex is something that always sends you spiraling into very negative thoughts, and tends to ruin your entire day. So how do you go about enforcing that boundary?

Define your boundary as much as you can. Are there any people that you do feel comfortable talking about your ex with, or is this a blanket policy that applies to everyone? Are you okay with people mentioning them in passing, or no mentions at all? If someone in your life is dealing with an unhealthy or abusive relationship of their own, are you comfortable with them coming to you about it, or is that something you feel uncomfortable with? Finding the edges of your boundaries can be a complex task, and you won't always know for sure what you're okay with until you've actually encountered it. That's okay. Do your best to be as specific as you can, and keep in mind that these things may change in the future.

Communicate your boundaries. Your loved ones will not be able to respect your boundaries properly if they are never told what those boundaries are. Even things that might seem like "common sense" to you (like not mentioning someone's abusive ex to them) may not be common sense at all - your loved ones may have had very different experiences, such as having a friend or family member that found it helpful to vent about their ex. Be as clear and concise as you can. In this case, you might want to reach out to friends in advance to let them know that you just don't want your ex mentioned around you, or you can deputize one of your closest friends to pass that message on to other people in your social circle.

Try to be as consistent in your boundaries as possible. I know that your moods and needs may change from day to day, but it can be very confusing for other people in your life if your boundaries seem to change rapidly, and it creates the idea that your boundaries are not "set in stone". If you have a good mental health day and bring up your ex in conversation, your friends may get the impression that your old boundaries no longer apply, and that they can now bring this topic up in casual conversation. Presenting your boundaries as inconsistent and rapidly-shifting also leads to something called "boundary creep" - this is where people start pushing your boundaries in small ways, because they see your boundaries as flexible and subject to change if they just persist long enough. To avoid hurt feelings and uncomfortable situations, it's best not to relax your boundaries until and unless you are ready for that boundary to permanently change.

For small violations of your boundaries, start with "soft enforcement". In cases where the boundary violation is probably a one-time slip-up or mistake, the best way to deal with it may be just to firmly change the subject or re-direct the conversation without necessarily drawing attention to the boundary violation. For minor, thoughtless errors, actually calling out the mistake may be more emotionally taxing for you than the impact of the mistake itself. If you and a friend are discussing a particular TV show, and your friend slips and says "Oh, I remember that Taylor, Sam and [ex] were so obsessed with it", this may be an instance where a soft boundary encforcement may be applicable - perhaps mention a new show that you are watching and firmly steer the conversation in that direction. If the violation was a mistake that was not meant with malice, this is often all it takes for someone to realize that they've screwed up and be more careful going forward.

For more serious boundary violations or repeated small violations, use more direct enforcement. Say you're having coffee with a friend and they directly mention that they spoke to your ex lately and start filling you in on how your ex is doing. Or perhaps your friend who accidentally mentioned your ex in passing has now made several similar errors, and doesn't seem to take the hint when you redirect the conversation. This is situation where you need to be firmer with enforcing your boundaries. This does not have to be a huge confrontation - simply re-state your boundary and firmly redirect the conversation. "I'm actually not comfortable talking about my ex and I want to talk about something else - did you go see that movie last weekend?" Don't use soft language here, like saying that you'd "prefer" not to talk about your ex or that you'd "rather" discuss something else - state your needs clearly, and move straight into a new topic of conversation. This does not have to be a confrontational or emotional conversation, but it does need to be very firm so that there is no possibility of misunderstanding.

For serious or repeat boundary violations, a "hard enforcement" is necessary. If someone goes out of their way to tell you that they don't think your boundary is reasonable, that they have a right to challenge your boundary, or if they simply continue to violate your boundaries over and over again despite direct and clear reminders, this is the time for a more serious confrontation. Sit your friend or family member down and let them know that what they are doing is not welcomed, not acceptable, and that you do not want it to continue. If applicable, point out past instances where they were directly warned about your boundaries, and explain how their violations make you feel. Make it clear that this is not up for debate or discussion; your boundaries are what they are, and if the other person is unwilling or unable to abide by them, the relationship cannot move forward. Explain that you value the relationship and want it to move forward, but that this cannot continue to happen. This does not have to be a long conversation - it should actually be a short one, so that there is minimal opportunity for the other person to try to debate you - but it does need to happen. This kind of conversation leaves absolutely no ambiguities; the person has been directly told that they are harming you and given instructions on how to avoid harming you.

If a person makes it clear that they are just not willing or able to abide by your boundaries, it is probably time to end the relationship. If you have clearly explained to something that their actions are harming you, and they do not change their actions, you can take that as a clear sign that they are okay with harming you and act accordingly. You do not benefit from having a continued relationship with someone who does not respect you enough to avoid hurting you. There is no need for an extended confrontation here - you have already given the person an opportunity to salvage the relationship and they chose not to take it. If you want to let the person know why you are stepping away from the relationship, that's up to you, but if you'd prefer to just keep your distance from that person, that's fine too. If this is a person in your life that you are unable to avoid, like a coworker, keep your distance as much as possible moving forward and avoid unnecessary personal interaction. Respecting boundaries is a minimal requirement in a relationship, and bending over backwards to accommodate someone who is not willing to do that doesn't benefit anyone.

It's important to remember that you are not being unreasonable or demanding for having boundaries. Most of the boundaries that people set in relationships - avoiding traumatic topics of conversation, asking people to respect your sleep schedule, not wanting to be pressured to drink, not loaning out money, etc, etc - are fair, reasonable, and take fairly minimal effort to respect. Even more complex boundaries and needs are easy to respect if they have been laid out in clear, unambigious terms. There is no excuse for a person to continue to trample over your boundaries when they have been made explicitly aware of their existence, and you are not the bad guy for wanting to be treated with basic courtesy and consideration.

#missmentelle #askmissmentelle #relationship advice #relationship tips #friendship #friends #relationships #relationship #boundaries #healthy relationships #mental health

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incarnateirony · 4 years

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I’ve been admiring from afar your work in schooling the stupid on Campbell. My background is in science but I’m fascinated by everything the lit crit community is doing in regards to destiel and smacking down the bronl*es. I’m trying to do some lit studies on my own, since I’m poor and busy with my 40 hr a week soul-sucking science job, but am at a loss for where to begin. I’m sure I’m only the 12,005th person to ask, but do you have any advice? Feel free to redirect me to a post where you’ve already answered this question :)

That really depends what kind of lit crit you’re looking to do. Cuz... there’s multiple forms.

For example, “Critical Theory Today”, by Lois Tyson, does an exercise in teaching the different theories and forms by taking the Great Gatsby and applying a different form of lit theory to each chapter. Then once you have those forms down, reach further into the bag and find resources that match the methods that really tickle your bells or whatever.

One thing @judgehangman brought up recently, and I have been endorsing ever since, is Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey” to understand mythic structure. It’s actually a tool more for writers themselves, but if you can understand these things you can also read through more what was powering a story moving forward, rather than just critiquing it in reverse (a lot of the methods do that, of course, but this is just... an easy to digest form).

Like if you look at Critical Theory Today you can sort through a bunch of things without having to read through everything any form of -ists ever wrote, but when you find the -ism you want to really look into, then you can pull up the related work.

Hopefully that helps. I have no idea where my former posts on this are, my tagging is horrible. I know @curioussubjects tends to have far more diverse knowledge on this topic than I do, or at least “workably explainable” information that doesn’t come out as word vomit.

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dailytomlinson · 5 years

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He made a couple of false starts, but after four long years, Louis Tomlinson’s debut album Walls is finally here! The much-anticipated album immediately shot to #1 on the iTunes charts in over 50 countries. And while it signals the true end of an era (Tomlinson’s the last member of One Direction to release a solo project), it’s mostly the beginning of a new one. As reflected in the visuals for the title track; where one door closes, another opens. And it’s one that was well worth the wait, as Walls promises an exciting new era of guitar-driven confessional pop.

Guitar-driven, because it’s clear that Tomlinson was sonically inspired by the 90s and 00s indie-rock that he grew up on. Confessional, because each song presents us with yet another look into the emotional complexity of Tomlinson’s experiences with heartbreak, pain, and letting go.

A clear example of the former is the opening track “Kill My Mind.” It is a rousing up-tempo song with a soaring anthemic chorus that’s just begging to be performed live. Tomlinson referred to the track as a true “statement of intent,” although it’s defiantly rockier than the rest of his album. Perhaps it’s already setting the stage for album number two.

There is “Habit,” of which the melody is weirdly reminiscent of 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” Lyrically along the same vein as “Kill My Mind,” it regales an addictive and slightly toxic relationship. Whether that’s aimed at an actual relationship, or meant as a metaphor for the music industry at large – who’s to say?

“We Made It” is another track that pulls Britpop right back into the ’20s. Significantly more laid back, the song’s mid-tempo production has somewhat of a Post Malone vibe to it. The song may not be the stand-out single of the album, it does encapsulate Tomlinson’s road to this moment. He’s made it, regardless of the adversity he’s faced along the way. Both as an underrated former member of One Direction – despite earning himself the most writing credits – and due to the personal tragedies, he faced over the past few years.

He doesn’t shy away from addressing any of these obstacles in his career. Title track “Walls” seems to be all about overcoming adversity – be it personal or professional setbacks. The string section adds a sophisticated touch to the rich instrumentals of the song, really honing in on that indie-rock sound Tomlinson is so fond of.

The heart-wrenching ballad “Two Of Us” stays true to the confessional style of the album. Tomlinson wrote the song about his mother, who passed away in 2016. It’s perhaps the most personal and vulnerable that Tomlinson has allowed himself to be on this record, and it shows in the lyrics: “The day that they took you, I wish it was me instead.” However, Tomlinson manages to yet again transform the acknowledgment of pain into an inspiring promise of honoring life. It’s extremely rare that a songwriter is able to capture both darkness and light within the same song. To do so in such a convincing way, about a topic that’s so deeply personal yet universal shows the strength of Tomlinson’s lyricism and his emotive delivery.

Interestingly enough, despite Tomlinson’s love for rock, he seems to prefer the mid-tempo tracks. “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart” includes a beautiful opening guitar solo, before adding a bit of kick drum to build a proper anthemic pop song. It’s rich in sound, and its message is uplifting and reassuring. Similar to his first solo track “Just Hold On,” its lyrics aim to inspire listeners to keep going in spite of the heartbreak. What’s refreshing, is that it doesn’t specify the cause of the heartbreak, nor does it marginalize the emotional impact. Rather, the lyrics remind you that you’re not broken beyond repair, no matter what it is that’s hurting you in the moment.

“Always You” is the only true pop, up-tempo track on Walls. Listen to it once, and the playful guitar and staccato beat make for an irresistible hook that’ll draw you right in. It’s almost odd how a song this perfect for pop radio is hidden away more than halfway through the tracklist. The lyrics are innovative, as Tomlinson travels all across the world, only to conclude he’s never getting over his ex.

Elsewhere on the album, Tomlinson addresses the loss of innocence and youth. Being in your twenties is somewhat of a confusing time, as you come to realize that being a grown-up is not all it’s made out to be. “Fearless” opens with the sound of children, then sees Tomlinson lament the innate recklessness you lose as you get older. It’s perhaps one of the only tracks that verge on disillusionment and wistful longing for those days you felt young and invincible.

“Too Young” is the other side to the same coin, highlighting the negative consequences of youthful naivete instead. This time, he connects heartbreak to regret. Accompanied by nothing but an acoustic guitar, Tomlinson reflects on a past relationship. It requires real emotional maturity and bravery to see your own flaws and mistakes and to take ownership of them. Even if it means saying “I’m sorry, I was too young to get it back then, but I get it now.” The only downside is that Tomlinson seemingly randomly adopts an American accent in the pre-chorus, which feels slightly out of place.

Tomlinson said of the record that it’s about him; “it’s me, I’m the storyline.” That definitely seems to be the case, what with each of his songs highlighting various aspects of the life he’s lived so far and the difficulties he’s had to go through. Nevertheless, there are definitely moments throughout the album that feel somewhat reminiscent of the old One Direction sound – and this is where it gets tricky. Of course, One Direction was also a part of his life, and Tomlinson was an integral part of developing the musical DNA of his former band. As such, it’s perhaps inevitable that there would be some sonic overlap between the past and his present.

On the other hand, this record is his chance to establish his own musical identity. “Perfect Now” seems to be the epitome of this split personality. It’s a mostly acoustic track, with some strings added into the mix as the song builds into its final chorus. The lyrics echo both “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Little Things,” two of One Direction’s biggest (and oldest) hits. It’s an admittedly incredibly catchy song that centers around the heartbreak of seeing someone you love unhappy. Still, it’s a shame he felt the need to cater to a sound that’s not solely his. If he truly wants to take his music in a more indie-rock lane, he should fully commit to it – surely fans (old and new) would follow.

Thankfully, the album is filled with songs that truly highlight Tomlinson’s abilities as a singer/songwriter. Two songs that stand out from the others when it comes to vocal range, delivery, and lyrical ingenuity, are “Defenceless” and “Only The Brave.”

“Defenceless” is the true embodiment of what it means to find strength in vulnerability. The song builds steadily, starting out with just a guitar before heavy drums kick in during the chorus. The lyrics, on the other hand, portray the insecurity you feel when you’re letting all your guards down. The bridge in particular highlights the fragile heartbreak that follows when trying your best isn’t enough anymore: “I hope I’m not asking too much, just wanna be loved by you. I’m too tired to be tough, just wanna be loved by you.” Tomlinson’s falsetto only serves to further emphasize the sense of defeat and raw emotion on display in this track.

The album closer “Only The Brave” sees him bring back the falsetto that’s absent from the album elsewhere. Contrary to the more confessional and conversational tone of the previous songs, this short track relies on metaphors throughout: “It’s a church of burnt romances, and I’m too far gone to pray, it’s a solo song, and it’s only for the brave.” As such, it’s a bold choice to end the album on such a different note. However, it works beautifully – an ode to what’s to come, perhaps.

Walls provides an exciting and much deserved first glance at who Louis Tomlinson truly is – both as an artist and as a human being. Listen from start to finish, and you’ll immediately enjoy the guitar-driven, intricate alt-pop that’s characteristic of this record. But if given the chance, it’ll be the emotive, authentic lyricism that truly reels you in for good.

It’s rare to see artists actually offer a multi-faceted, introspective look at their inner emotions. To have a male singer share his heart with such conviction – openly, brazenly, almost recklessly – is even more exceptional. On the other hand, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. Because if this album tells you anything about Tomlinson’s personality, it’s that he’s fearless, resilient, and he always gets back up. He doesn’t hide his scars – he wears them with pride, inspiring you to make peace with your own and do the same.

Let Walls break down your walls, I promise you won’t regret it.

#walls review #saskia postema #louis tomlinson #010220 #wpress

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