#regardless of my actual feelings on the matter
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3hks · 21 hours ago
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How to Write Emotional Dialogue Without Being "Cringy"
Did you ever want to write an emotional scene between characters but suddenly felt so conflicted because you're worried it might seem cringe? I, for one, have (and still do) worried about this! So today, I'll share some tips on how to make your dialogue LESS cringy and MORE emotional!
But for starters, what exactly makes something "cringe"?
Our media actually plays a big part in shaping what we find to be cringe, so certain words or phrases tend to stick out to us as "cringe". But when it comes to writing, it depends mainly on the context given.
So, with that being said, something that's meant to be emotional might seem cringy and awkward because the scene falls flat. Now that you understand the base cause of this, let's explore some ways to avoid it!
>>> OMIT, DON'T SAY
If you ever found yourself writing out a line that, no matter what, still seems awkward, then the problem may lie in the line itself. Sometimes it's unnecessary to say everything; your readers are smarter than you might think! There's a lot you can omit in dialogue while still maintaining a natural feel, whether it be through body language or hidden meanings behind certain words!
EX:
Prompt: "You're so fake, you think you can hide from the world, but you can't. What if someone finds out the real you?"
"I'll just put on another mask."
V.S
"What do you think?"
Regardless of whether you find the first response cringe or not, you can also see that the alternative response hints at a similar answer despite not confirming or denying anything!
>>> BE BRIEF
Unless your character is ranting or you're strategically elongating their dialogue, try to keep their lines concise. Many people will speak briefer as a result of uncomfortableness, sadness, and/or anger.
If a piece of longer dialogue looks odd to you in a certain situation, that might be because your character seems to be trying to explain something too much when it wasn't your intention to create that effect. Filler words (uh, um, oh,) are fine because they're a part of natural speech, but sometimes it's better to get straight to the point!
>>> FILLERS
Speaking of filler words, they can become really useful when writing emotional dialogue because they can portray a variety of emotions! (They can depict feelings of anxiousness, sadness, and more.) Additionally, stutters and ellipsis are helpful for the same reason! Overall, these incorporations really spice things up! Unnaturalness can be a cause for cringiness, and fillers assist in making dialogue feel more natural!
>>> ITALICS FOR RANTS
Okay, but what about rants and purposefully long dialogue? How do we make these more meaningful when essentially, we're just talking about big blobs of text?
Here, it's important to add dynamic to catch the reader's attention. When we read, it's like a voice is talking in our heads, and the voice is ultimately determined by subtleties like italics!
So, with that being said, use italics (I suggest incorporating them regularly, actually) when writing LONG texts! It creates a flow and rhythm for our reading, and most importantly, adds emotional weight to certain words/phrases, which highlights what your character prioritizes and cares about most!
EX: "I-I thought we promised! You said you wouldn't leave--so why are you leaving now? Was it my mistake? I'll change, I swear! (etc...)"
V.S
"I-I thought we promised! You said you wouldn't leave--so why are you leaving now? Was it my mistake? I'll change, I swear! (etc...)"
See? With just a few italicizes here and there (although you do want to be strategic about which ones you italicize), the simple dialogue quickly grew more weighted!
>>> DON'T RE-READ TOO SOON
In the end, the most effective way to tell whether something is cringy or not is to have someone else read it and tell you! But if you don't like the sound of that and prefer to check on your own, I suggest to not re-read your dialogue over and over. Instead, give it some time!
When we re-read our work too soon, we already know what to expect, which influences our decision making and opinions. By approaching it after you refreshed your brain, it'll feel more like you're reading it for the first time; and therefore, you'll form more effective ideas!
***
Still, it's also important to keep in mind that something that's cringe to you won't be cringe to someone else and vice versa! It's ultimately based on the readers, which we have no choice but to accept. However, if you were concerned about your writing because of such reasons, I hope this has helped!
Happy writing~
3hks <3
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yayll · 3 days ago
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heyyy! I just read ur rockstar!Dazai fic and it honestly reminded me of this idea I had!!! (loved the fic btw!) Are you able to write an actor!dazai x fem!actor reader and they r fake dating while secretly being rivals ?? (I’d like 2 be known as 🦎-anon!)
hiiii 🦎 anon hehe
i'm sorry this was quite the wait, i LOVED your idea and i wanted to write it properly and i kind of took some liberties so i hope you enjoy it regardless? thank you for trusting me w your fic idea actor!dazai now haunts me actually dazai in any like, imagine just fucks my shit up that man is a menace in any story i put him in and i'm so glad others agree. i love u baby mwah u get so many ivy kisses
~ a little something about you and actor!Dazai keeping up appearances ~
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"You're choking meee!"
"I'm just fixing your tie, Osamu-"
"It's babe, actually."
"It's whatever I want if you want me to keep holding your hand in public, jerk."
He pouts at this. What a cute little meanie you were! Always scolding him and spewing empty threats as if you were hot shit. You were hot shit, and that was only the beginning of his problems... The biggest one right now being backstage with you while attending the hottest awards show of the year.
Just before he can respond, the curtains are drawn and it's a stagehand whisking you two away to present the next award infront of thousands of fans. You're walking side by side, your heels clicking with each step when Dazai leans in to whisper something.
"You should stand on my left, my right side is more attractive."
"We're both facing forward, does it matter?"
He raises a brow and huffs dramatically in typical Dazai fashion. You two had been 'dating' for a year now, everyone was invested in this blooming romance ever since you both started in that drama together, now it's nothing but red hearts for you two.
It wasn't planned, it just kind of happened... It also wasn't completely awful, but it was the goddamn ego on Dazai that really made you want to strangle him sometimes. He knew he was pretty and desired, and what a threat you were with such an iconic streak in all of your latest projects. No wonder you two had to be paired together, on your own you were both dynamite. An unstable formula that needed to be stabilized by combining it together. Thought could that make it worse?
You present the award holding hands the entire time, an act highly encouraged by the need to convince, and yet when it's you two doing it it never feels as forced as you'd like it to be. There is a comfortability in the role of this relationship, you've come to realize yet supress. You'll hold hands for so long you begin to get clammy, and it's certainly not because he dotes on you almost every time he speaks! Which he hates doing... It's just a script, after all. Duh.
You're both making your way out of the venue towards the car that awaits to drive you to the after party when you're ambushed by interviewers and hundreds of flashes that yell out speed questions.
"Does the beautiful couple have time to stop and answer a few things for us tonight!"
Dazai loves that shit. Of course he has the time, he doesn't care if you don't. He has to sell it, obviously, since you don't put in the effort according to him. He flashes the interviewer that sardonic little smirk you hate and speaks innocently.
"Why, us? Sure! Right, honey?"
He turns to you and the crowd loves it. You hold back how badly you want to roll your eyes and simply smile, holding yourself high with grace and a ton of media training.
"We'd love to."
The interviewer is overjoyed as she looks between you and Dazai, taking in that affection that radiates from your false words. She grins as she goes along to ask her question.
"So, I think a lot of the fans are wondering..."
You and Dazai perk up, not even realizing that you're clutching the bottom of your dress so tighty that your knuckles are white. The interviewer looks directly at you.
"The two of you have been the most stunning couple the industry has seen in a while. Any plans for the future?"
You freeze. Ugh, not this again. You shake your head, smirking to yourself at the absurdity of the concept alone.
"Thank you, but honestly we're just taking things day by day. There's no rush between us, we have all we need right here and now."
The journalist smiles again and nods, seemingly impressed by your laid back attitude. Dazai snorts and suddenly interjects, clearly having a cheeky response to give to the crowd of journalists.
"We'll have tons of kids in the future, actually~"
Your panic is so instant that you literally laugh out loud, yet recover quickly by turning your shock into a playful glance at your lover. You manage a more sweet giggle and smack him on the chest a little harder than people would guess.
"Ooh, he's joking, of course."
The journalist rejoices, finding your banter and your overall interaction as a couple cute. The ideal power couple! Dazai grins and turns to you again, leaning in to tease you, his narrowed Hazelnut eyes piercing into you like a promise.
"Not joking. One day we're going to have a massive pack of little kids running around. And it's going to be your fault for being sooo cute~"
And with that, he leans in all the way into a million dollar kiss on your confused and parted lips. You're taken so offguard you almost fall back and of course grab onto him a little tighter... and run your fingers through his disheveled hair you forgot to nag him to cut... As the cameras go off like crazy, you wonder if it's worth ruining your public image for a while just so you can slap him harder than you ever have before.
Everyone's cooing and you're fuming, so you settle for a quick thank you and goodbye as you drag Dazai off the red carpet and into the car. He's giggling the entire time, of course. As soon as the door shuts out the screaming fans watching you drive off, you turn to Dazai and whisper ardently.
"What was that all about?! We didn't discuss this prior to-"
"... You liked it."
"Huh?"
"You liked it when I kissed you."
You scoff, though it sounds like you're choking.
"I did not. I just did what I had-"
"... And you want to have my babies. That's adorable, how devoted of you!"
You smack him on the arm but he's smiling like a cat who's had too much catnip, too far gone into his delusions to care about the repercussions. Love is love, after all...
"I think we should break up, like officially. You're nuts. The press won't let that go, Osamu."
He perks up, snapping out of his stasis and crinkles his nose in disapproval. He shakes his head, his hand on his chin as if in deep thought. Dazai mutters, barely above a whisper.
"... We won't actually break up, though."
"And why not?"
"Because in about 60 seconds we're going to kiss again and you'll be clinging onto me the entire night."
You snort into a laugh, tilting your head in disbelief. The car slowly comes to a halt as you arrive at the after party where a familiar roar of the crowd awaits to greet you once more. You begin your futile argument yet again.
"I don't see why I would do that."
At such a silly reply, Dazai softens his voice, looking at you like he first did when you both met on set a year ago. A lifetime ago. You're so cute when you're playing dumb. He shrugs, carefree.
"Neither do I, which is why I want to know too. I want to know what you're thinking about, if it's me."
You hate the way he sounds so sincere, like a real boyfriend would if he were trying to convince you you're just as into him as he is into you. Mind games is what it is, or at least you hope so. You really hope so.
You sigh, suddenly over the conversation as you open the car door to begin climbing out. Dazai follows suit and the roar of the crowd makes your chest feel tight as overstimulation takes over. You want to be anywhere but here and you wonder if you're having some sort of panic attack, but it just doesn't feel describable.
You turn wildly, disoriented by the camera flashes and instant fuss of the press, only to be faced by your one and only savior: the omnipotent Osamu Dazai. You don't know what it is about him in that moment, you just glide into his arms and complete the prophecy as you hook your arm with his, taking deep breaths as you finally ground yourself. It feels like the right kind of wrong, and you don't care to question it.
You feel a squeeze and a soft velvety voice whisper to you once again, you don't even have to look at him to know he's as smug as ever. But amongst the teasing, there's affection there too...
"So, am I?"
"Are you what, Osamu?"
"On your mind."
"At this point you're practically a permanent resident."
You hear him hum, a smile still present on his lips, the world simply frozen for him to continue his private conversation with you in public.
"Hmm, remind me to have you repeat that to me later."
This causes you to squeeze his arm back and murmur in genuine curiosity, finally daring to face him. He's already looking right at you, so devilish and angelic at the same time that you can't even look away.
"Why?"
"Because your time's up. 60 seconds, remember? Now come and kiss me already, the camera's are waiting~"
The photos of you two that night were the envy of couples everywhere. If only they knew how the ride back to the hotel went, it would be a scandal! Or simply the next step in your future?
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fairyminnie444 · 3 days ago
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when i persist i always get thoughts like "what if my desires stay in imagination ans never externalize?", "if i do this in a certain way then i won't get my desire", etc, thoughts like those and they always seem so important and like if i don't give it real thought then my desires won't manifest. and there's always more thoughts like those that come to mind. any advice?
I have the same thoughts, sometimes even more, like "I need to do something to manifest and I can't stay still because if I don't I won't receive it or I don't deserve it”
This is the logical part of the brain wanting to shape us, so first we remember it’s normal, its part of process so we shift focus to what we already know and what is actually true. How?
1.Understand the Nature of These Thoughts
• These doubts are not the truth—they’re simply old mental patterns trying to protect you from disappointment.
• They’re a sign that your subconscious is working through resistance. This is a good thing because it means you’re challenging limiting beliefs.
2. Don’t Fight the Thoughts
• When you resist or argue with these thoughts, you give them more energy.
• Instead, acknowledge them and let them pass. For example, say to yourself:
• “This is just a thought. It has no power unless I give it power.”
• “I see you, but I choose to focus on what I want.”
imagine the sky and these thoughts are like clouds passing by, they don’t mean nothing cause u don’t agree with that and u don’t believe in that.
3. Redirect Your Focus
• When a doubtful thought arises, gently shift your focus back to your desired state:
• “Even if this thought exists, I know my desire is already mine.”
• “I trust the process, regardless of what my mind tries to tell me.”
4. Reframe the Fears
Let’s address the specific fears you mentioned:
• “What if my desires stay in imagination and never externalize?”
• Reframe: “Imagination is the foundation of reality. If I can imagine it, it’s already on its way to me.”
• Neville Goddard teaches that imagination creates reality—the 3D always catches up to your inner state.
• “If I do this in a certain way, I won’t get my desire.”
• Reframe: “There’s no wrong way to align with my desire. My persistence guarantees my success.”
• Remember: it’s not about perfection; it’s about your dominant state of being.
5. Use Affirmations to Neutralize Doubts
Affirmations help override negative patterns. Use ones like:
• “Doubt is powerless; my imagination is the true reality.”
• “My desires are inevitable, no matter what my thoughts say.”
• “I trust the process of creation completely.”
6. Practice SATS or Relaxation Techniques
When doubts feel overwhelming, use Neville’s State Akin to Sleep (SATS) or relaxation to anchor yourself in your desired state:
1. Lie down in a relaxed state, close your eyes, and visualize your desire as if it’s already done.
2. Feel the emotions of already having it.
3. Let this state soothe any doubts.
The more you practice SATS or similar techniques, the less attention your mind will give to intrusive thoughts. It's a process and the more you do it and the more natural it is for you, the less you will have these thoughts.
7. Remind Yourself of This Truth
Your dominant feeling and belief determine your manifestation—not every passing thought. Intrusive doubts don’t have the power to stop your desire unless you dwell on them and make them dominant.
Summary:
• Acknowledge the doubtful thoughts without fighting them.
• Redirect your focus to your desired state.
• Reframe fears into empowering truths.
• Use affirmations and SATS to anchor your belief.
You don’t need to figure everything out or get it perfect. As long as you persist in the feeling of your wish fulfilled, the 3D will catch up. Trust yourself—you’re on the right path.
Ps *mostly important*: Don't overwhelm yourself, don't do anything that seems forced or false, if it's a moment of very intrusive thinking remember: NEUTRAL STATE before affirming. Take your time, there’s no rush it will come for you.
There is nothing that can stop you from receiving what you want if you believe you already have it.
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violetasteracademic · 18 hours ago
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Rambling thoughts post. Won't delete.
I learned a long time ago to stop commenting on the state of the ship war/ SJM fandom as a whole and asking people to be kinder, and anyone who has followed me for a while (which sounds silly to say since I've only been here since March) has likely witnessed my slow disillusionment of the SJM fandom space. As my therapist said, if you keep trying to clean up debris in someone's house who refuses to fix their roof, you'll drain yourself for nothing. (That was about my ex husband but hey I think it applies here.) I've also realized that in the long run, individual creators don't matter, really. There are too many creators in this space who burn out and disappear and even if it upsets or disappoints people in the moment, there is always someone to replace them. I'm very replaceable. My thoughts really don't matter. But here they are anyway.
The SJM tumblr space is extremely hostile and negative. But it isn't all hostile and negative, and the more I filter out the shipwar content and anti content (seriously, I have filters on anti elriel, anti gwynriel, anti elucien, and shipwar buzzwords like delusional, reading comprehension, touch grass, ECT and thank you to my dear friend @yourstarsmyscars for showing me how much more the filters can do than I realized!) the more free I am to see how many kind and wonderful creators there are on here making cute art and amazing fanfics and nourishing a positive fandom ecosystem.
Again, I don't matter in the long run. I'm not sure how many people even still follow me really since I've stopped engaging in the shipwars beyond art, fics, and kind posts. But I do want to let anyone out there who, like me, has had their tolerance for the ship wars plummet to the core of the earth, break through the crust in the middle of the Pacific ocean, and then drift into space, know that there IS kindness in this fandom beyond the noise. There are people doing great work on all sides, who are welcoming to all, and just trying to create something people will enjoy.
I can't say I'll be here forever, or even much longer. But I feel moved to signal boost the positivity. I also know that, although I do believe I tried very hard to be positive and not insulting the majority of the time, I had days that I let the negativity get to me and I was snarkier than I wish I would have been. I'm truly sorry if I ever made a post that even remotely hurt anyone's feelings or added to the negativity. I'd go back and delete them, but frankly they are my most popular posts and still get reblogged so it feels sort of pointless since reblogs don't get deleted.
Although I am an Elriel in my heart of hearts, I want to continue to be a welcoming space for all. If that means my followers get cut in half or only a few people interact with my posts, that's okay with me. I can't try to patch the roof of the fandom, but I can keep my own space toasty and warm for anyone looking for reprieve, regardless of who you ship. I've stated multiple times here that I'm the only Elriel in my IRL friendships, and I love my friends dearly. I tried to speak to Tumblr as a whole the way I'd speak to them, and I didn't always do that. But the world is too abysmal and scary and a lot of SJM fans come online and struggle to find a space that isn't extremely hostile and negative.
Here's to all the goofy little spooks making art, fics, texts, and transcending the shipwars and just trying to connect over the things we love.
In the words of our Lord and Savior Taylor Swift, I want to be defined by the things I love, not the things I hate.
Also still committed to writing a banger Elain Lucien and Azriel throuple once I get through my laundry list of current fics. Maybe a quadruple with Gwyn. Maybe I'll just write a giant orgy, actually.
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god-syndicate-if · 1 day ago
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I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I think I respectfully disagree with the last anon.
I mean Ares just has naturally violent feelings and tendencies towards everything that pisses them off. Yes, feeling the urge to hit people when you're mad isn't a "good" urge to have but it's consistent with the character, that's how Ares is and they feel it indiscriminately towards everyone.
If you're playing as a professional boxer then punching someone will all your strength is going to hurt them either way, it doesn't matter much if they're a man or a woman, because you're going to do a lot of damage either way. I don't particularly think that it's "worse" to inflict harm on a person just because they're a woman. In my eyes, a professional boxer could hurt anyone badly, and to me, inflicting harm on a man is the same as doing it to a woman because they're both equally bad. So I don't think the lesson should be "don't hit that RO because she's a woman," but rather "Don't hit ANY RO because hurting your partner is always bad and it shouldn't matter what gender they are."
But like you said, feeling the urge is not the same as actually doing it. I think it makes sense for Ares to be feeling these feelings towards everyone/anyone, regardless of gender. You can't control what emotions and thoughts pop up, but the difference is that we have some control on when to act on them or not act on them.
(Plus, even fem dame is probably not exactly defenseless, they're still a god with healing and powers, and have a lot more going on than an average human who can't stand up for themselves)
So I did delete the ask that you're referring to so most people reading this wont get the full context of what the previous person said. but Essentially yeah. There are a lot of themes in this project I'm working with. Violence being bad and thoughts not equally action are two that kind of come up a lot. Hell the entire point of the project is how violence is bad and you shouldn't do it even if you really want to. Like if you didn't get that from the prologue then I'm sorry.
In general this type of discussion is going to be difficult, especially through anon ask/poster. So i probably won't answer any more like these just because of that. I feel like I can't really express my full thoughts on through asks because there are potential spoilers and stuff too.
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rhysdasior · 22 hours ago
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“I’m my mother’s son,” Rhys answered, ducking his head and averting his gaze with a humourless laugh. “That means two things; one, it means I’m every part as susceptible to a witch’s natural inclination to always strive for more when it comes to developing and mastering our magic. This position allowed that whilst simultaneously acting as a good addition to the ol’ CV. Two, it meant this – at the time – was a way to get out from under her watch. I’d planned to take up the position a few years before, but my grandmother knocked some sense into me and made sure I had a firmer hold on both myself and my magic.” For a moment, a fond smile settled on Rhys’ features as the mere mention of his grandmother was enough to bring Corinne’s ear-tugging and affectionate lecturing back to the forefront of his mind, the comforting familiarity almost enough to numb the ache of his guilt before he met Adrasia’s gaze again and the reverie shattered to bring him back to the grim reality. “I’ll admit, I was willingly naive. I didn’t look into what the position would entail fully prior to applying, didn’t think to question it during the… interview process. If I can call it that. By the time the job was mine and I’d actually taken the time to digest what was to be expected of me…” a sheepish smile blossomed across the witch’s face and he cleared his throat as he scanned their surroundings. “Well, my ego’s never been good at taking hits. My pride wouldn’t let me tap out. It would’ve meant proving my parents right – neither of them thought I’d be capable. Throwing in the towel so soon would’ve put me back at square one, stuck in London waiting for the day my mother decided to abdicate as High Priestess.” 
Forcing himself to hold Adrasia’s gaze, Rhys searched for the right words as he considered the remainder of the celestial’s questioning. “It’s selfish, I know. As are my reasons for remaining. During my years here, I’ve made bonds that mean more to me than my remaining family back home. I’ve got loved ones here now and others in the Undercroft that I’m hoping to buy freedom for when the time’s right.” It was easy to say the more socially acceptable words. It was also easier to swallow the unspoken admission that the paycheque and the prestige that came with the position still held importance regardless of his birthright and trust funds, no matter how morally reprehensible he felt for acknowledging such a fact. “I don’t have any justification for my behaviour. I could walk away at any point and I choose not to because, selfishly, I’ve got something good going on here and don’t want to put a stop to it. I’ll face the consequences of my actions one day, no doubt about it.” Finally pausing, Rhys took a deep breath and raised his brow at Adrasia with a sigh of laughter. “Feel free to tell me to shut up at any point now. Sorry, I’ve barely let you get a word in edgeways.”
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Adrasia merely listened as Rhys laid out his experience, trusting the witch to direct their steps as his eyes lingered on the other man's face. Learning to navigate conversation without empathy had made the celestial's gaze a rather heavy one, always seeking out those subtle signs of a person's true feelings with mundane sight to make up for the suppression of divine senses. The behavior may have stemmed from a desire for understanding, but that hardly made Adrasia's stare any less piercing, especially given the subject matter. "Four years... that is a weighty role." Hardly one of the poor souls scrubbing the masters' suites clean. "The length of our tenure is nearly the same."
The celestial watched Rhys' gaze roam away over the gardens and the slow creep of disquiet across the witch's face. Rhys' conscience was far from clear, that much was obvious. Adrasia recognized it with some steeliness and only the smallest flickering of sympathy -- he had learned in these strange first months at Krovs just how winding a road one could walk to become a member of the staff there. Some reasons were more complex than others, but Rhys' position was hardly one a soul could be easy blackmailed into. He answered the witch's tentative smile with cool neutrality, the subtlest upward quirk of his brows. His silence seemed to encourage Rhys' words, a small flood of them, infused with shameful self-awareness. That was another strange thing about mortals: such an emotion almost always spurred action in the celestial, yet time and time again he had watched the people of this realm tear themselves to pieces over behaviors they would not change. Why did they do it? Why wallow in rightful guilt rather than do what was necessary to erase it?
Adrasia felt no closer to answering that question now as Rhys laid out his sins for him, or at least the most pressing of them. He followed the witch's unthinking motions, the cigarette stub, the hands rifling in pockets, the steadiness of Rhys' words regardless of their contents. Four years was a long time to grow used to a sin, even if you remained clear-eyed enough to name it. Adrasia nodded, pensive, then cut through to the core of the issue, as level as before: "Why did you take the job then, knowing what it would entail? Why remain?"
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recallthename · 1 year ago
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shalom-iamcominghome · 8 months ago
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This isn't, like, the biggest deal, but I do find it funny when people are almost... surprised or shocked that converts unironically believe in judaism and also unironically align themselves with jewishness. It's just something I've seen a small handful of times and it's like... of course I (and others!) unironically believe in this stuff. I'm not putting in this work because I don't have enough going on in my life
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citrusinicake · 20 days ago
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ppl who dont understand loving a character while also hating them fascinate me, clearly youve never stanned a complete and absolute dickhead before
#mine.txt#i mean the char doesnt have to be That much of an asshole to be someone you both love and hate ofc#but once youve gone to that extreme theres basically nothing stopping you from indulging in whatever feeling a char gives you#regardless of assholery#this was ages ago so idr where i found them#but like there was this person who couldnt believe that ppl would actually stan villains and not just the heroes cause they were evil 😭#i think?? i found them on youtube???#idk its been a while#but that baffled me cause even when i was a kid thanks to my interest in noir and darker media#i had a streak of being a fan of morally grey asshole characters#who were like. Objectively assholes who i can gurantee Nobody would like irl no ifs ands or buts about it#but who were still really interesting and complex and flawed#you didnt like them cause they were nice or good or even Likeable#you liked them cause on Some degree you respected or at the very least were entertained by them#whether it be their integrity; their conviction; their goals; their audacity; their suffering; etc#there was always Something that intrigued you#you may not like them on a personal standpoint but they put on a good show and thats what matters#unfortnately it was also common for chars from these media to be laced with bigotry but its just how it goes im afraid#theres a few that dont really contain those but they tend to be either hidden gems or for younger audiences#idk i should watch and play noir stuff again i think i missed them#like that kinda stuff heavily colored my preferences in things
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dye-it-rouge-et-noir · 3 months ago
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"For particularly important things, it's always more reassuring to write them down like this." - Zhang Beihai
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#my art#three body problem#3 body problem#zhang beihai#三体#章北海#i've been meaning to draw three body problem characters and actually post them on my blog for quite some time!#so if anybody wants me to draw any specific character from the series feel free to reply here or send an ask as a request!#beihai is my top favorite and he resonated with me more than i expected! i rather liked bits of consequentialist philosophical ideas in him#anyways incoming ramble/infodump in the tags about various subjects pertaining to him#all you need to know about me is that i often lurk in chinese language fandom spaces and you might see commonalities in designs#if you see fanartists draw him with the broken eyebrow and mole then that's due to the 我的三体 (my three-body) donghua adaptation!#admittedly i was introduced to the series through that adaptation years ago because it seemed rather absurd (minecraft haha) but oddly good#at least check out the third season (haven't seen the fourth one yet but that's ongoing actually) or listen to 夜航星 (night voyager)#i'm rather curious how fanartists on tumblr might tackle character designs since i mostly see the two live action adaptations here#i want to diverge my designs from any particular adaptation but my beihai design takes a lot from 我的三体!#now about beihai- i really enjoyed his characterization and i'd like to bring up a maybe unintentional parallel and foil with the eto#hopefully that's something new to add to the discussion about zhang beihai and here's what adaptations don't get about mike evans#in the book he's a character you mostly only hear about from others and he's known to be a private person#he conceals a lot of his thoughts from even people like ye wenjie + he taught the trisolarans about deceit#then his strategy to kill luo ji was to keep it low and make it seem like an accident which those obfuscations of thought parallels beihai#then evans says: “but… it's obvious now that everywhere is the same” which is similar to beihai's “it doesn't matter. it's all the same”#the contexts differ but i think they're good foils about human nature “being the same” with evans's quote being about futility#then beihai's was about how regardless of if he survived or not- someone else would be able to carry on with his work#i have many other thoughts about beihai like how chu yan's (captain of blue space) group approach with the voting contrasts beihai#while beihai tried to bear the weight of attacking the other ships in solitude- chu yan made vengeance against trisolaris a group effort#(which that action goes against how the swordholder was a solitary role instead of a group one which is neat to me!)#i'd discuss more but i think that's enough to show that i really love zhang beihai (feel free to discuss the books with me though)
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ratbastarddotfuck · 12 days ago
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am I wrong? genuinely, I'm asking. would it not come off extremely condescending?
#she blocked me after saying that it wouldn't be talking down to because POC are my peers and it's like...#that's not how talking down to someone works?#yes they ARE my peers. so are the white people I'm explicitly talking down to#they are my peers and thus i respect that they have a lot more experience and knowledge than i do about this topic#and i decide not to condescend to them about it or slap them on the wrist for saying something i think is in poor taste#like idk man#I'm trying to talk to people who might actually listen to me rather than people who have no reason to#is that so bad?#like i was literally talking to a mixed guy about this and he was like#yeah i do mostly agree with you in reality but it's hard to not bask in a little shaudenfreude when it happens#and i was like yeah i think that's whatever and you should feel however you feel but perhaps the basking should be kept private#like... idk we're all human we all have shitty emotional responses sometimes and need to vent sometimes.#sometimes you do say something off colour to your friends when youre pissed off and hurting#but i DON'T think we should be encouraging this behaviour publicly. because it emboldens people#you say your shitty things in private to your friends who get it or you keep them in your mind and then you get up and try to help people#regardless of if theyre shitheads or not you should be feeling compassion and you should be offering them your hand#THAT'S what i have to say to POC who have been venting like this.#what do i have to say to white people who are venting in this way? shut the fuck up and go do some work.#stop self victimising and celebrating racist violence against people you see as your enemy#grow up#there IS a difference between lateral violence and punching down and that difference matters in the discussion of how to stop it.#the system speaks
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unforth · 9 months ago
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Actually, I really wish Tumblr as a whole was less comfortable using feminizing language for gay men, especially gay East Asian men.
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sootcrow · 6 months ago
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Wishful dreaming
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I can only hope, someday.
Happy Pride Month.
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mirchloe · 8 days ago
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something so evocative about the doomed nature of lucassie. you got communication issues. you got insecurity issues from cassie. you got everything that happened with lucy in grulovia that ultimately transformed her into a being cassie feared and tried to save, hoping the person she used to be remained. lucy was like a riddle cassie couldn't solve once she "died," but that riddle was never meant to be solved by anyone. lucy is lucy, and she's more than she appears, more than how cassie perceived her paper self through a lens of grief and confusion and anger. it's so fascinating how paper lucrecia, along with the other paper cutouts, are one-dimensional, created by cassie's interpretations, possibly even as her memories of the good days became farther and farther away, leaving her to contend with more negative interpretations of the past, colored by her regrets, her agitation, her lost feelings of companionship.
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bi-mirandalawson · 3 months ago
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mishanks makes me craaazzy
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humornaut · 1 year ago
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My Journey with Omori
Hey everyone. Rather than my usual analysis-type posts, this is going to go into my own personal experience with Omori. I've kind of wanted to do this for awhile, because I feel like I have a lot that I want to say about this game. This post is going to have major Omori spoilers. I will also be going into some criticisms of the game (though not particularly heavily). This one will be a long one.
My Background
This might not be something that people care about, but I feel it is important to start with my life situation at the time I discovered the game.
In 2020, I graduated from college with a degree in game design. If you remember 2020, you can probably guess where I'm going with this. Everyone left for spring break, and the day before we were supposed to come back, they extended break by a week. Then, at the end of that additional week, classes had gone fully remote. My three roommates at the time never really came back to campus, and I finished out the lease alone. I never got to do any kind of internship, and I didn't get a graduation ceremony. I really didn't know what I was doing with my life, and finding a job in the games industry seemed impossible. So, I made a decision to move in with my aunt and work at an insurance agency. I was states away from anyone I ever knew, working in an industry wholly unrelated to what I had just dedicated years of my life to studying, but it was a job.
I wonder a lot if this was the right call. At the time, it seemed like an obvious decision, but now, I'm even more unsure of my skills when it comes to breaking into the games industry, and working 40+ hours a week can really sap your motivation when it comes to personal projects.
As the world opened back up, I started hearing from all my friends less and less, and life really started getting monotonous. Living alone is expensive, and I'm not good at opening up to new people.
Last November, by chance, a comic by twitter user Shrimperini appeared on my feed (it's still the pinned tweet on her account if you want to see!). One thing led to another, I saw some more positive reviews of the game, and I ended up picking the game up on Switch when I saw at on sale at a Best Buy.
Now, anyone that knows me could tell you, this isn't the type of game I usually play. I've always gravitated towards things like strategy games or rogue-likes. I only really stray from that in a few cases, whether it's to play a game with my friends, or just a game that I've had a long-standing connection with, like Pokémon. I did play Undertale and Deltarune (and loved them!), but overall, this type of game was not one that I typically went out of my way to play.
Also important: I've never interacted with any fandom in the way that I do with Omori. You can trawl through my Twitter, you won't find much of me talking about ships or obsessing over details until I started talking about Omori. All this is to say: Omori was a bit of a first for me on a few different levels. So, let's get into my actual journey with the game.
The First Playthrough: The Sunny Route
I unfortunately already knew a few details about the game going into things, but nothing that was too big of a spoiler. Something that I think gets overlooked is how great Omori's prologue is. In my opinion, the first night in Headspace is the best night in Headspace, bar none. It perfectly sets you up for what the game's going to be about, and I want to talk more about that later, because I feel that it really shines on later playthroughs.
Based on what I said about my background, you can probably guess what I'm going to say. Sunny's story and personality resonated heavily with me. At school, I was always the quiet one, just kind of following what my friends wanted to do until I started coming out of my shell a bit later on. Faraway is very similar to the town and suburb that I grew up in, and I know that many people feel the same way. Walking around Faraway felt like walking around my own home town today, years after almost everyone I knew back then has moved out and started their own lives. I mean this literally, as well, since I started playing this game right around American Thanksgiving, so I actually was back in my home town. It's nostalgic in a way, and I think that that is a major strength of the game.
I also do want to say, that while a Kel/Sunny comic is what introduced me to the game, I mostly assumed that it wasn't actually a canon ship. What I didn't expect was for the game to actually depict a close male relationship that does border on romantic in its presentation, which made those opening transition scenes of Sunny and Basil so interesting (as well as Basil indirectly calling Omori cute during the flower meaning segment), though I do want to talk a little bit more about that later.
From there, I feel that my experience was a lot like most people's first time with the game. I got to experience Faraway, then tried to rush through Night 2 of Headspace without paying much attention, so that I could get back to the real world plot. I didn't pay much attention during Sweetheart's Castle, and it's already-commented-on gameplay drag issues felt exacerbated by the fact that I just wanted to get on with it.
Real world day 2 happens, I got to meet Hero in the real world, Basil gets pushed into the lake, etc, etc. The shroud has started to lift on what's actually going on here. The North Lake segment got me ready to figure out what was actually going on, but first: Last Resort and Humphrey.
It was around this time that I began wondering if there actually was any kind of gay subtext actually going on. Of course, I had seen the Lost Library entry for the ride home from the beach, but as I descended into Sunny's subconscious, the way that the game started talking about Basil took on a much different tone. I got to the Branch Coral, and listened to it talk about how Sunny and Basil are connected by a "string of fate". This immediately set off some alarm bells in my head. A lot of debate has been had about this line, but for me personally, even if a string of fate isn't always romantic imagery, it certainly is most of the time. Seeing it written in the game (as something that Sunny's subconscious is saying, no less) completely had me reconsidering if there was a connection, which I hadn't really thought about since Basil's disappearance. I thought about the photo album, and how well Basil is treated in Headspace, and it just had me thinking.
I got through Humphrey, finished up the side quests that I still had, and it was time to start Black Space. Prior to that, however, Stranger lead me through Basil's garden once again, going over the flower meanings. I took note about how the meaning of sunflowers, as it was the first time I made the connection about Sunny's name and Basil's meaning for them (plus him literally always facing Sunny in several scenes lol). And then there was what Basil said about white tulips.
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Being honest, it was difficult for me to interpret Basil as not being in love with Sunny after that, and Stranger's dialogue in some of the Black Space rooms really cemented that for me.
Black Space as a whole left me extremely intrigued as to what the plan was. The way it ended really left me in suspense for what was really going on. How did it all relate to what happened to Mari? I had already assumed at this point that she had taken her own life, due to some of the imagery. But what else was going on here? I didn't exactly think the game was going to veer back from being a horror title to turn into some kind of dating sim, but it was clear to me that Basil was involved with some other secret.
In a reversal of what I had expected of the game up until this point, I found it difficult to care about the real world plot of the game during day 3. It didn't help that it felt like a rushed resolution of the Aubrey plot, and I felt like I was simply going through the motions. I still have no idea how I'm supposed to interpret the key in the treehouse and how it got there, and it felt a little aggravating that plans were being made between Aubrey and Hero to include the hooligans next time, while Basil himself was still locked in his room.
So then, the truth sequence. It completely blew away my expectations for what the game was saying, and recontextualized so much of what came before it. Sunny had done something awful by accident, and Basil had done something awful to protect him. That last "Do you want to save Basil?" really hit me hard. I hadn't felt so part of the game until this moment. It was like I was Sunny, and I was mulling over whether or not I forgive Basil for the horrible situation his actions put us both in. The stakes are high, because it's clear that something bad will happen to Basil if I don't. I didn't actually know it at the time, but this is the first time you can actually choose not to save Basil. It's emotional.
And the fight. The way the game creates confusion as to what is actually going on between Sunny and Basil during it by using vague wording and hallucinations. Basil's desperation and the way his desire to protect Sunny as his "perfect" best friend come together, leading to the fight.
Memory Lane happens, and I honestly didn't think much of it at the time. It was cool to see some of the memories in better detail, but it wasn't as emotional to me as what came before or what will come after.
I would be remiss to not include that we learn that it was actually Sunny that had a crush on Aubrey, and not the other way around. I had already suspected this, based on Aubrey not being close to him in the photo album, along with the Lost Library memory, but I remember thinking it was an interesting choice to have Basil be the one to call it out.
I finished up the game, and it impacted me a whole lot. I wasn't planning on playing the other route at first, as I heard that it was just Headspace and mostly unchanged, and I felt satisfied with the story that I got. I walked away with the understanding that pre-canon, Basil had feelings for Sunny that he likely didn't understand, while Sunny had a crush on Aubrey that he was never bold enough to pursue. How they felt at the time the game actually took place is irrelevant to the story being told, outside of us understanding that these are relatable individuals, and I walked away alright with that.
Of course, after that initial wave of emotions from the ending subsided, I did have some criticisms. Sunny's actual friendship with Aubrey felt underdeveloped, as her behavior both in Headspace and the real world differ so heavily from how she behaves in the glimpses we see of the past. Unlike Sunny's relationships with the others, there's no real unique identifiers other than Sunny's crush. While I would not have wanted the only living female character in the main cast to have been treated as a love interest in both the real world and dream world, it would have been nice if the game gave us a little more than just the swing set conversations, like how we get Kel talking about their late night trips to Hobbeez. In addition, while I understood on a base level that whether or not Basil and Sunny are forgiven didn't really matter to the story being told, not seeing it happen left me feeling a tad empty.
Finally, I felt extremely dissatisfied with Headspace. On a superficial level, I could see that many of the things in Headspace were based on things from the real world, it didn't really feel like it had all that much significance, and the knowledge that it would be more of the same in the other route kept me from playing it. I occasionally visited the subreddit, read a few post-canon fics (Bask in the Sun by Lemari and They say Flowers are Meant to be Sunkissed by Witherdahlia being highlights with very similar concepts), and slowly immersed myself in the Twitter community.
Of course, as time went by, I started making my own interpretations about the game. I got very attached to Sunflower, as I felt the fics were the most interesting to read, and I already held the interpretation that Basil had those feelings for Sunny, even if I didn't think it even mattered if Sunny reciprocated (though I did like talking about their dynamic a lot). In February, Sunflower week happened, and I randomly happened across a tweet that pointed out how Sunny knows the recipe for a strawberry cake in Headspace, with that being relevant due to Basil's birthday being one in which a strawberry cake appears. This blew my mind a little bit, and I made the decision to go back and play the Hikikomori route.
The Second Playthrough: The Hikikomori Route
What I had previously assumed would be a slog through things that I had already done before turned out to be far more interesting. Without the desire to get back to the real world plot hanging over me, I found myself paying a lot more attention to the things that were happening in Headspace. Playing the prologue again was amazing, because I was taken aback by how it practically parallels the entirety of the Sunny route, right down to having to retrieve a stolen item and receiving an eyepatch after the boss fight. Some day, I might break that down further, because it's so interesting. But not today.
Pyrefly Forest and Sweetheart's Castle were much more bearable this time around, because I was paying attention to the little references to Basil and Sunny's friendship in Pyrefly, and the ways Sweetheart's Castle represented a candied-up version of the way that Sunny interprets the concept of "home". This time through Headspace, I saw the very subtle ways that Basil's thoughts "follow Sunny into his dreams". And then, rather than Mari leading you through North Lake, it's Kel. Stranger no longer tells us what Basil thought about white tulips and Sunny, but this time in Black Space, I noticed the implications that Sunny would open up to Basil about his trauma coming from the Lake Incident. It ends with Omori catching Basil in a bridal carry before returning his flower crown.
Whereas the Sunny route was this heart wrenching tale about forgiveness and guilt, and overcoming your fears for others, and how ignorance hurts those you care about the most, the Hikikomori route functioned almost as this deep dive into Sunny's subconscious. The fact that I was playing through pretty much the exact same stuff again but with a completely different perspective kind of blew my mind, and I wonder if this was intentional.
This is all to say that it was around this time that I was once again asking myself the question of if Sunny's feelings for Basil (at least pre-canon) were entirely platonic. Especially as I played the Basil Rush, with its new Tag Photos and Release Energy, I wondered if the game was actually trying to imply a romantic connection. And if it was, why? What purpose would it serve in the narrative for these feelings to exist? How does it relate to Sunny's crush on Aubrey, which surely must've existed in the story for a reason? And how does it all relate to the litany of things Sunny things about in regards to romance?
From a narrative perspective, I could reason that Sunny and Basil having feelings for each other that they could never healthily explore injects further tragedy into the day of the incident and Sunny locking himself away. It provides a context for Sunny's focus on "saving" Basil, both in Headspace and the real world. Basil is undeniably linked to photos and flowers, which are two huge symbols that appear throughout Sunny's mind.
Everything else is stuff I've already spoken about before. The way Sunny treated Aubrey parallels how he treated Basil, and via both things like his fear of spiders, and the way all the foods Sunny appears to know information on how to prepare being associated with Basil, his dynamic with Basil mirrors the way Sunny thinks of Hero and Mari's relationship during Memory Lane.
Playing through the Hikikomori route completely changed the way that I thought about Omori. It was no longer just the story of Sunny accepting his role in his sister's death, I was also now considering the possibility that the game did have a romantic subtext between its two deuteragonists, and thinking about the repercussions of such an idea.
As I completed everything that there was to do in the Hikikomori route, I was immediately taken in with the idea of replaying the Sunny route, with all the knowledge I now had from my previous experiences. First, let me say: Everything that I assumed about playing through Headspace a second time and was luckily wrong about, actually applied on my third run. I did not enjoy playing through Headspace on my third run through, and it will likely be awhile before I do so again.
However, I did start to get an appreciation for details that I missed in my first run in Faraway. Basil's little mannerisms during cutscenes, such as looking to Sunny before responding to Kel's insistence that they were all still friends, as well as the repetition of Sunny backing away from his friends' pain due to his subconscious guilt and fear of facing it, before the final payoff of Sunny choosing to walk back into the center of the room on his own accord during the confrontation with Basil. During Memory Lane, I took note that in the Treehouse Memory, Sunny asked to see one of Basil's pictures that had nothing to do with Aubrey, when previously he only asked to look at pictures of her. There are three different instances in which the player is reminded that Hero and Mari's relationship specifically is one in which they cook for each other specifically, and this information was now recontextualized with the knowledge that Sunny knows the recipe for a strawberry cake, owns a book about tofu (which he hates), and that's not even getting into all the stuff about smoothies in Headspace. Where Aubrey saying that Sunny "would listen to her talk to hours" was once a confirmation that Aubrey and Sunny did have any kind of dynamic at all, I now saw it as a recontextualization of how we were told Sunny interacted with Basil. (also, the "truth" being hidden in the toy chest, which is itself hidden in the closet was certainly a choice /j)
What was the point of all this?
Frankly, it's starting to feel like I'm running out of things to say about Omori. With every post I've made on here and Twitter, there's less things for me to extrapolate from Omori's storytelling, and it's unlikely that we will ever get any more added on to canon. I've grown to love this community, and I think it's so interesting when I look back at how I interpreted the game back in November when I first discovered it, and today. I hope that that will become evident with the mod that I am working on, Senesce.
Obviously, everyone has their own ideas when it comes to what Omori is trying to imply with its characters. Accepting Sunflower as "canon" (in the sense that those feelings do exist in some form) has deepened my love of the game and characters, and I love that other people can have entirely different interpretations and still be just as satisfied with the game! Even if it was all unintentional, I cannot deny that it has lit a fire under me when it comes to game writing.
I desperately want to create a game that has someone at home obsessing over the smallest details to extract meaning in the way I have for Omori. Flawed as it may be, it's special to me, and I'm glad I played it. Thanks for listening to me ramble about it!
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