#[i think this is a good representation of me??]

[beanthebugboi]

I agree that it's a bad series. I agree that there's some pretty fucked-up subtext, the author is a horrible person, and supporting it in any way is absolutely wrong. I haven't engaged with this fandom in years and I'm disgusted every time I find old Harry Potter merch at the back of my closet.

Having said that, I don't think this person was arguing for the series, but for the community built around rejecting everything the series (and author) stands for and taking the good things into their own hands. And yes, there are some good things about the series, they may be grossly overshadowed by the author's bigotry but arguing that there is nothing good about a piece of media because it was created by a bad person is a fallacy. There's a reason it was so popular for so long, regardless of whether I think that popularity was deserved (I don't).

Anyway, I'm getting off track. My point is this: as long as someone recognizes and opposes the issues with both the series and the author, I don't think there's anything wrong with building upon the world in their own way. In fact, that's more or less what you said in the tags-

This fandom- at least, the section of it that the person above belongs to- has taken underdeveloped characters and created their own storyline and characterization, more often than not in direct defiance of JKR. Again, I avoid the fandom because of my own discomfort, but I have friends who are Marauders fans and you know what they've shown me? Body-positive and genuinely racially diverse fanart (none of that stereotyped bs), actually good disability representation, appreciation and character development for the (originally, badly written) women in the series, and a lot of trans headcanons.

I dislike the Harry Potter fandom as a whole. Merch, attractions, new media, and anything that supports JKR needs to die out. But I stand by the people saying "fuck you, Rowling, I'm gonna take these characters you wrote with hatred in mind, the story I found community around before I was old enough to understand all your hatred, and turn it into something rooted in positivity and representation that you'd despise."

On a final note, that person has a good point about actually supporting trans people. As crucial as it is to call out people like JKR and openly oppose her views/actions, being angry online can only get us so far. Directly supporting the trans community (through things like donations or volunteer work, participating in protests, preserving trans history, etc etc) is so much more beneficial than getting mad at every kid who wears an old slytherin hat or reblogs fanart of barely-mentioned characters kissing.

marauders/harry potter fans who "don't agree with jk rowling" are like if people loved the leopard mascot for the leopards eating peoples faces party so they wore all the merch and drew art of the mascot and talked about the leopard mascot all the time but don't worry! they don't support the leopards eating peoples faces party! they're just completely indistinguishable from people who do because they both love the leopard mascot and make loving the leopard mascot 99% of their personality, "why do people feel unsafe around me when i very clearly don't support the leopards eating peoples faces party?" says the person in the leopards eating peoples faces party merch (don't worry they bought it second hand so the leopards eating peoples faces party don't get any money from them)

[elumish]

so i believe you said you were aiming to complete the reading challenge by the end of pride month. did you manage it? any books you particularly recommend?

I did not!

Since my last post I managed to read exactly zero new books, so I still have nine to go. (Actually while writing this I realized it might be 10 actually beause I repeated an author.)

I do have some recommendations:

If you want gay urban fantasy:

The Tarot Sequence by K.D. Edwards is one of the best series I've read in a really, really long time. The first three books are out so far and act as a complete trilogy, and then the next set of books is in progress.

The Soulbound series by Hailey Turner is much more classic urban fantasy and really gave me Ilona Andrews vibes.

Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo is a horror/paranormal urban fantasy mystery set in Korea that gave me a flavor of urban fantasy I rarely get to see.

If you want fantasy romance or fantasy with strong romance elements:

The King's Weaver by Novae Caelum is a fun and interesting romantasy with a genderfluid princess and a bi king. I had a really good time reading it.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows gave me the arranged marriage book I was looking for, which is saying something because I read a ton of arranged marriage books.

The Phoenix Keeper is about sapphic zookeepers and also phoenix husbandry, and it's cute and a fun read.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland has some interesting worldbuilding and a slow burn.

The Stolen Court by Megan Derr has really good ace representation, which just scratches the surface for the queer representation in Megan Derr's books. I particularly recommend this series (Unbreakable Soldiers) and the Tales of the High Court series.

If you want fantasy with little to no romance:

The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard feels like one of those 20k oneshot fanfics that hits that really specific way, except it's 800 pages long. I've read it 4-5 times in the last few months.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a Sherlock Holmes-y fantasy mystery with some really creative worldbuilding and some dyslexia representation.

If you want sports romance:

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid is a fun gay friends to lovers hockey romance with what read to me, at least, as ace-spectrum representation (though it's not explicitly stated).

If you want contemporary romance:

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is a largely contemporary romance with a hint of fantasy, and it's also a book I put off reading for yours and then I read it in one night and cried a bunch.

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao is a cute trans sapphic roommates to friends to lovers romance about labor organizing that I immediately recommended to one of my friends after I finished it.

In the Long Run by Haley Cass is a sapphic romance about a woman returning to her hometown after a long time away. One thing I really liked about this one is that both characters are late 30s/early 40s, which is a nice change of pass for romance novels.

If you want romantic suspense:

The Honor series by Radclyffe is one of the quintessential sapphic romantic suspense series. I didn't love book one when I first read it, but I actually jumped forward to the last book in the series (which has a genderfluid character as one of its POV characters) and really enjoyed it, and I've been working my way through it since.

Criminal Intentions by Cole McCade is a dark romantic suspense series with a really interesting setup, where the series is organized into "seasons" with short novels or novellas essentially making up each "episode."

Tallowwood by N. R. Walker is a tight, well-written standalone romantic suspense novel, and it's set in Australia so I got to learn some stuff too, which is always a plus.

If you want historical romance:

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall is a great regency romance novel with a trans main character who reunites with her best friend who thinks she's dead.

[lovingdabeessss]

What do you think would be Weiss' feelings about Yang consistently getting better grades than her ?

Ohhhh boyyy do I have thoughts on this

For one obviously I think she’d be kinda really upset about it

I think yangs a huge point of insecurity for Weiss for a really long time and I think this would really add to that in a bad way

A lot of Weiss’s problems in the beginning is insecurity

She has worked VERY hard throughout her life to be good at everything she does, she’s had to, that’s the standard she’s held to,

and she’s worked probably even harder to be good at this

Because she JUST started doing this, she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she just got here!! She had to fight a huge fucking knight thing just to be here!!! She’s putting blood sweat and tears into every second of this but she is still new to it and nothing can fix that

Yang however

Has done this her entire fucking life, she’s a god damn legacy- which you KNOW early Weiss was obsessed with

She’s got crazy experience and general knowledge and she has it so casually

Yang simply doesn’t have to work anywhere near as hard as Weiss does to be as good as she is

And even with being very good at what they’re doing yang is also well liked!! She’s popular!!! She knows how to talk to their peers in a way Weiss feels totally alienated from

For a character defined by her loneliness to stare at a character defined by her relationships with others

And it’s made so much worse by the fact that yang, is in the beginning, the only person on her team she had any hope of getting along with

Ruby’s the leader which is a position Weiss is gunning for even after Ruby gets it, she also blew her up, shes also 2 years younger then her which is understandably infuriating when she’s made the leader, they have seemingly nothing in common at first there’s no hope

Blake fucking hates her and her whole bloodline ZERO hope there

Yang is NORMAL she got in the normal way, she’s well liked, would be great for networking, she’s good at their job AND communicating while doing it, she gets along with pretty much everyone

EXCEPT WEISS!!

To yang this is just some racist rich girl who’s a total dick to her little sister for no reason, like yeah it is weird they made the girl 2 years younger then everyone the leader but that’s NOT RUBYS FAULT!!! And Weiss is her age just totally being so rude to Ruby for no reason, AND she doesn’t get along with yangs team partner, who yang actually likes (not to mention Weiss doesn’t get along with Blake cause she’s like fantasy racist, something yangs clearly not chill with)

And to Weiss this girl is the absolute representation of all of her insecurities when it comes to proving she belongs here and when it comes to her social isolation

This would just be the nail in that coffin

Weiss would be mad because grades were probably the one thing she thought she had over yang and now she has nothing and it’s a slap in the face of how god damn hard she’s been working

Not that she’d actually vocalize it, depending on if this is before or after the white fang reveal, if it’s after she’s probably upset about it but can deal with it alright if it’s before she’s def PISSEEDDDD

This isn’t me saying yang is perfect and that everyone should be soooo jealous of her or anything

I’m saying Weiss is one of the best written characters

And everything she does makes perfect sense

And that canonically

Weiss starts out as a lonely socially isolated insecure teenager girl, who was abused in a way that made it incredibly hard for her to navigate socializing, desperate to prove herself, working as hard as possible to do everything right

And she’s constantly standing next to the canonically popular, hot, tall, “party girl” character who’s been doing this all her life, who also is immediately super chummy with both of Weiss’s other teammates with seemingly no effort and on top of it had good grades

If I was Weiss I would’ve fucking strangled yang

AND she drives a motorcycle id fucking kill her

Weiss is so strong for eventually getting along with her it’s a huge sign of how fucking mature she is to constantly be improving herself as she does in the first seasons

Which I think is super because of the fact that yangs SOOOO older sister coded

And Weiss lovesss an older sister figure

Like yeah did it definitely add to her hate at first that Ruby and yang had a relationship she’s never had with her sister? Yeah for sure

But the SECOND that they slip into friendship they’re solid cause yang also loves a younger sister figure and Weiss is SUCH a middle child

Moral of the story is that I think it would really frustrate Weiss but depending on when it’s brought up and stuff she’d probably honestly take it really well cause she’s really good at dealing with this kind of thing at this point

After having to acknowledge that racism is wrong and your entire family’s evil and the way you’ve been thinking about the world your whole life is wrong and evil and needs to change

This is probably something she gets over kinda quick

[aurieeeeeenyx]

while it's still pride month, here are my thoughts on a potential queer interpretation of kpop demon hunters in no particular order

before anyone starts getting mad, i just want to remind you that this is all in good fun and if you disagree, that's totally fine. however, as a queer person, i see a lot of parallels in this movie that resonate with my own experiences and those that i've seen from others in the queer community.

first of all, kpdh and rumi's character arc in particular focus a lot on resisting expectations in order to be authentically yourself. while this is not an exclusively queer experience, and is in fact one that real life idols must contend with, i think any queer person can relate to hiding your true self in order to conform to the "image" other people hold you to.

the song "Golden" really feels like a queer anthem in this sense; while i definitely relate to the bicultural experience zoey alludes to in her lines, "i lived two lives / tried to play both sides / but i couldn't find my own place", i think it also is a feeling many closeted people know well, especially bi, aro/ace, and nonbinary people. mira's follow-up line, "called a problem child / 'cause i got too wild" can be interpreted as a reference to the scorn and ostracization many queer people face when they are too "loud" about their own identity. and rumi's quiet, "waited so long to break these walls down / to wake up, and feel like me" ? ohhh man...especially considering she was looking at herself in the mirror. trans vibe, anyone?

the pre-chorus through post-chorus of "Golden" feel so freeing after all that, as the unapologetic authenticity shines through. i think "What It Sounds Like" also reflects this theme, so i'm not going to dissect it because it'd be more of the same, but my thoughts on it essentially boil down to that song feeling like a coming out.

on the flip side, we have the shame that seems to power the demons (or at least gwi-ma) in this world. it's quite easy to say that the demons represent internal demons as well as physical ones (see the lyrics of "Free" and "What It Sounds Like"), but in the context of a queer interpretation this tie to shame specifically—rather than rage, jealousy, etc.—struck me as rather fitting. many queer people experience shame, self-loathing, and so on for being queer in a world that refuses to accept us. in the movie, the huntrix girls initially follow the age-old formula of "our faults and fears must never be seen," which also contributed to the shame that split them apart and let gwi-ma take advantage of mira and zoey. rumi herself is told over and over by celine—her own pseudo-mother—that she must shed her own identity in order to be accepted, and nearly convinces jinu of the same. internalized homophobia, who?

but again, the movie insists that shame must be overcome (i.e., the old honmoon being destroyed and replaced with a new one when "What It Sounds Like" plays, rumi showing her patterns proudly at the end of the movie, etc.) so that one can really shine. yup, the coming out vibes are strong in these scenes.

as a random side note, i thought that moment when the saja boys transform back into their demon forms after returning to the demon realm and a demon happily tells their friend, "they're just like us," was an interesting nod to the desire for representation.

now: moving on to the fact that this movie is built around kpop. while i would consider myself at most a casual kpop enjoyer, i think the reaches of kpop's "queerification" extends even beyond kpop fandom. if you're reading this post, chances are you've at least heard of the kpop fandoms on ao3, youtube, twitter, tiktok, etc. and the ships that dominate them, but even if you haven't, queer fanservice has become ever more present in the kpop sphere. plus, many fans of kpop are queer, and find community with those like them who also have the same interests. coincidence or not, the fact that kpdh is about kpop idols definitely leaves space for queerness to permeate its themes of expressing oneself freely and connecting to others with your genuine, raw self rather than a carefully constructed version of yourself.

and finally, the most important piece of evidence for this whole interpretation:

rumi's bisexual eyeliner. what an icon.

[poppitron360]

I actually disagree with this take. I don’t think this is necessarily the self-centered, narcissistic flaw that OP is making it out to be.

Luz is Neurodivergent.

She doesn’t fit in in the human realm, to the point where she has no friends, hates school, and is met with negativity at every turn, despite how much she’s trying. Of course she would prefer to stay in the Boiling Isles! She finds a safe place full of people like her, the only real downside being the fact that she’s away from her mother. Should we deny her that?

As for how she’s “Holding onto the fantasy”- A lot of neurodivergent kids struggle to live life without an instruction manual, and so often use books and other media as a substitute. She sees the world through the lens of Azura and uses it as a reference to make friends and help her navigate the world. It’s something I did as a kid, and was often misconstrued as being “unable to separate fantasy from reality”. This part of neurodivergence is rarely talked about, and Luz’s representation is so important to me.

Navigating life is scary and unfamiliar, especially to neurodivergent kids. Luz is thrust into a fantasy realm where she knows nothing, so of course she would use her only frame of reference for this situation- the Azura books- as a guide, despite how it’s often misleading. And of course she’d want to stay in a world that aligns more with her “guidebooks” than the world she grew up in.

“She frames everything through Azura’s narrative” Yeah- that’s what it’s like when you have a hyperfixation. It consumes your brain to the point where you’re constantly thinking about one thing (this is called “monotropism”), and your brain naturally frames the world through that lens.

She equates her and Amity’s situation to Azura and Hecate’s, and she uses the books to guide her in her interactions with her. She learns that this kind of relationship can happen through the books, and is eager to try it out irl.

This is most clear to me in the Grudgby episode. She wants to help her friends but can’t do it in the “normal” way, so finds a way that works best for her brain- relating the sport to something she knows and is interested in. And it seems like she’s “trying to play out a fantasy” to Gus and Willow, but to the people in the audience who have similar traits to Luz, they understand that she’s just trying to help in the way that makes sense to her. And isn’t “some things don’t come naturally to some people, so they have to find a different approach” the whole POINT of the Owl House, and Luz’s journey with learning glyphs?

Yes she loves the people. It often doesn’t seem that way when your hyperfixation taints everything you do. Luz seeming to be more invested in her fantasy world reflects a lot of what is assumed about neurodivergent people based on how they interact with others, but that’s just good representation and doesn’t necessarily mean she’s selfish or flawed. Her brain is just wired differently.

Luz Noceda: Living the Fantasy, Not the Reality

Just a thought but is luz’s attachment to the boiling isles really about the people, or is it just about her living out her Good Witch Azura fantasies?

From the very beginning, Luz sees the Boiling Isles as an escape from her mundane life. She rejects the structured reality of school and instead throws herself into a world that mirrors her Azura fantasies. Rather than approaching the Isles as a place with real people, she immediately positions herself as the protagonist, eager to take on a hero’s journey. This mindset suggests she’s more invested in playing a role rather than integrating into the community.

like, yes, she makes friends, but let’s be real—Gus and Willow don’t get nearly as much interaction as they should, because they don’t fit the story luz wants to tell. Luz’s strongest relationships align suspiciously well with the structure of an Azura novel. Willow and Gus, who don’t fit neatly into that mold, fade into the background despite their initial significance. She frames everything through azura’s narrative, which is why amity becomes her main focus. amity isn’t just a person to her; she’s Hecate, the rival-turned-partner dynamic that luz thrives on. their relationship reads less like two people naturally growing close and more like luz projecting her book onto the real world (though this might be the same case for amity as well with her relationship to Luz. Their bond, while genuine, is layered with escapism, making it unclear whether Amity idolizes Luz or the idea of Luz as her personal turning point.).

and it’s not just her friendships. luz initially sees the boiling isles as an escape—not a home, not a place with real people and real problems, but a playground where she can be the hero. it takes her forever to realize that these people aren’t side characters in her story, they’re real—and her involvement comes with responsibility, not just adventure.

And then there's Luz’s refusal to return to the human world. It isn’t just about protecting her friends—it’s also about holding onto the fantasy the Boiling Isles offers her. The human world represents structure and expectations, while the Isles let her live out her dream of being a hero. Her reluctance suggests she’s not just choosing the Isles for the people, but for the role they allow her to play. Even when her mom is worried, Luz struggles to let go, showing how deeply her identity is tied to escapism.

so yeah, luz loves the boiling isles. but does she love the people? or does she love the fantasy it lets her live out? because sometimes, it feels like she’s more invested in the latter.

[lyxchen]

It makes me sad to read posts where people say that they don't like Squid Game season 3 because it showed them that there is no hope left, that trying to change the system won't do anything and that evil always wins. Because that's not the message I got from it. I already made quite a few posts about it so I won't repeat myself on why but this season and especially Gi-hun's character and arc gave me a lot of hope. All of what came after the games were ended also gave me a lot of hope. Seeing this little girl cancer free because her dad got out of the games alive and was able to pay for her treatment gives me hope. Seeing Jun-hee's baby wrapped not in the bloody jackets of her mother and the man who saved her life but instead in cute and clean baby clothing and in a place where she will be Safe gives me a lot of hope. Seeing Cheol finally be reunited with his mother gives me hope. Seeing the island get destroyed in one way or another gives me hope. Knowing that all of Jun-ho's and Gi-hun's efforts weren't for nothing Gives Me Hope. I know the way the story went was really sad. But we also saw that something did change and that some people's lives were changed for the better. And we also saw that life goes on. That is something that's so so so important to me and something that helps me a lot when I'm having a bad phase. Life keeps going, you're never going to be stuck in your misery for forever. It may not be the biggest thing but to me that means a whole lot. And that does give me a lot of hope. I obviously can't change anybody's feelings and how this season made them feel. But maybe it does help somebody to look at it from a different angle and see the hope in this shows ending that I'm seeing

Edit because @garlandgerard messaged me about it: what also gave me hope was In-ho and how he reacted in the end. It very much seems like he has actually changed for the better. He's definitely not perfect but I do think he has seen that he was wrong. He took care of a baby that had nobody else for six months and made sure to find it a home that was going to care for it and protect it. In some way he actually held up Gi-hun's promise to Jun-hee. While he didn't explain much he still tried to give Ga-yeong at least a little bit of closure in hopes that she won't resent her dad so much anymore. And overall what gives me the most hope with In-ho's story is that it shows that you Can change people's opinion for the better. To me it is pretty clear that after everything Gi-hun did he finally got through to In-ho and showed him that he was Wrong. In-ho realized that. And it gives me so much hope seeing a man who was so convinced of his opinion that humans are trash and inherintly bad people, realize that that isn't true and that humans do have a choice to be good and are able to do good no matter how bad the situation. In-ho took a baby, a baby that in this show is a representation of humanity and he cared for it and made sure it could grow up safe!!!

[gothcowgrrl]

𝑫𝑬𝑿𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑫𝑹

DR. VIENNA BARDOT. 〝 the profiler. 〞

Vienna Bardot is the youngest member of Miami Metro’s Homicide division — something that isn’t immediately obvious, given her composed, almost clinical demeanor. At just 25, she holds dual credentials as a forensic psychologist and behavioral profiler, her intellect far outpacing her years. Though officially brought in to consult on complex homicides, Vienna has quickly become a quiet fixture in the department, hovering at the edges of crime scenes with a notepad and unreadable expression.

She doesn’t talk much — just enough to make her presence known. It’s not shyness. It’s calculation. Observation. She listens more than she speaks.

But Vienna changes when she’s in front of a suspect.

Where most shrink under fluorescent lights and police pressure, she comes alive. Her quiet exterior sharpens into something surgical. She speaks with chilling clarity, dissecting a criminal’s mind like it’s a textbook, her voice calm, even gentle — but every word hits like a scalpel. She knows exactly where to poke, exactly how to make someone unravel.

To most of the team, she’s a bit of an enigma: brilliant, polite, and a little unsettling. But to Dexter, Vienna feels… familiar. She doesn’t laugh at the dark humor in the office, she doesn’t flinch at blood, and she navigates human interaction like it’s a second language. She’s not hiding a dark urge — but she is hiding something. Perhaps not a secret, but a truth: she sees the world differently.

In another life, she might have been Dexter’s reflection. Instead, she’s becoming the one person he can’t quite figure out — and maybe the only one who could ever come close to figuring him out.

DET. JEFFREY D. MORGAN. 〝 the detective. 〞

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been with Miami Metro for over a decade. He joined young — twenty-four, sharp, determined, and a little reckless. Now at 38, he’s seasoned but not jaded, respected without being intimidating. He’s the kind of detective who’s easy to work with and hard to rattle, known for keeping his cool even when the case doesn’t.

People like him. He’s personable, approachable — charming, if you ask around. Not the kind of guy who needs to talk over everyone to be heard. He knows when to crack a joke and when to shut up and work. He gets results, and more importantly, he does the job right. No shortcuts. No ego.

He first noticed Dr. Vienna Bardot not because she stood out — but because she didn’t. Quiet, precise, always thinking. She reminded him of someone who’d walked into a room already tired of it. Young, but sharp. Reserved, but not insecure. She didn’t try to impress anyone, and that alone caught his attention.

They work well together — despite the contrast in style. He breaks the ice; she reads the room. He asks the questions; she watches the answers unfold. There’s a rhythm there, even if neither of them says it out loud.

He’s aware of the gap between them. In age. In experience. In how they move through the world. But he doesn’t make it a thing. He treats her like a colleague — one he trusts, one he listens to. Everything else… it’s just under the surface. And he’s in no rush to name it.

Because with Vienna, it’s not about grand gestures or clear lines. It’s about patience. Time. Trust.

And that, he understands better than most.

a dr where i allow myself not to mask at all? giggles n kicks feet! i’ve always loved dexter because, although i don’t think it’s confirmed, it has some real good autistic representation (for me anyways). also, yes jdm is my s/o ONCE AGAIN… i can’t get over this man.

[sophaeros]

the strokes for crossbeat, november 2003

THE STROKES

Finally, the new work is complete! All members interviewed

Where should we go? That's what comes across in this album. It means we're getting closer to our goal

The day when "Room On Fire," born from the friendship of five people, will take the world by storm is coming soon ── The Strokes, who continue to "roll" with overflowing originality, reveal their latest feelings!

Interview: Shoho Koguchi / Interpreter: Izumi Kurihara

All pix by Yoshie Tominaga

Things have been going on since the news of their new album last month. The Strokes have finally completed their second album. The title is "Room on Fire". As previously reported, the album contains 11 songs, and the long-awaited Japanese release date is set for October 22nd.

I waited until the deadline to hear the album, but I was unable to listen to it. Based on the impressions from the listening session held about a month ago, "Room on Fire" is unmistakably The Strokes' mark. The minimalist ensemble that was prominent in the first album remains as the basic axis, but it also has the physical strength and experience acquired through long tours. It feels like it has been built up secretly while keeping the same carefree atmosphere. Right now, there's only one single "12:51," but the guitar that leads the whole thing like a keyboard is very memorable. There are many songs that show the charm of a rock band to the fullest, such as the aggressive and dramatic "Reptilia" and "What Ever Happened?", where you can enjoy Julian's shouts.

We want to be better than we are now and give everyone something that they can call "one and only"... but we've never thought of ourselves as something special.

And — and this is the most important thing — these five guys have overwhelming originality. Since the debut of The Strokes in 2001, the phenomenon of numerous rock and roll/garage bands gaining worldwide attention has been talked about everywhere, but these guys already contain the "unmatched core" of pioneers. They are simply pursuing a simple sound, yet they have such an absolute presence that they have given birth to bands that follow them without even realizing it. It's similar to the fact that The Ramones have always been The Ramones. Their strength, unfazed by their surroundings, is a unique strength.

──I had the chance to listen to your new work yesterday. The songs have become even more compact, and the performance is tighter and more compact.

Julian Casablancas (Vo: J): ...Is that a good thing? (laughs)

──Of course.

All 3: That's great (laughs).

J: Oh, by the way, thank you so much for putting me on the cover.

Nick Valensi (G: N) & Nikolai Fraiture (B: NI): Thank you very much.

──You're welcome (laughs). What do you think about the album?

J: I like it... well, I really like it. I was working on it right before I came to Japan, and there are still a few parts I want to change. I'm still talking to Gordon (Raphael: producer) about it... so I don't think it's finished yet. Also, there are two songs you guys haven't heard yet. If I add different flavors to it, the overall impression will be different.

N: But even though it's not finished yet, it's still something we're very proud of. I say that for everyone because we worked really hard on it. It's a clear representation of who The Strokes are now.

──The Strokes are truly one and only. Every sound the five of you make is overflowing with originality, and you’re unlike anything else.

J: Thank you. That's nice.

──When you were making it, did you also feel a strong sense of accomplishment?

J: Ummm... (laughs)

N: Haha (laugh)

J: I've never thought of it that way. I do have the feeling that I want to be better than I am now, and that's something I'm always thinking about. I wish I could give everyone something that they can call "one and only"... But I've never thought of ourselves as something special.

──The shout in "What Ever Happened?" was very powerful. You also raised your voice at key moments in other songs.

N&NI: Ahahaha!! (laughs)

──There's shouting and singing,

N: But no rap (laughs)

──Hahaha, that's true, no rap (laughs). Julian, in terms of vocalization, were you actively looking to bring out a side of yourself that you hadn't shown before?

J: Hmm... that's a good question... I definitely wanted to do something different with each song. That's different from when we made our first album. I wasn't thinking about that at all with our first album, it was just a feeling as the songs were being completed. I think "Meet Me In The Bathroom" is a song that feels close to the first album (it was performed at their first visit to Japan in 2002). That song was the first one we made for this album. The last song on it... you haven't heard it yet... it has a very restrained feel to it. Consciously. When you listen to that song, I think each one sounds even more distinct. Well, you could say it's the result of the natural development of each sound. It's true that with our first album we weren't thinking about that kind of thing. Is that the answer? But it was something like that, wasn't it? (asking for agreement from both of them)

──The guitar sound is really elaborate. I heard from Albert (G) yesterday that Nick was the main cause of this.

N: Yes, I agree. In terms of tone, I would say this album has a lot of variety. But not only that, in terms of songwriting, I think the guitar melody is stronger this time than before. On the last album, one person played rhythm and chords, and the other played lead, but this time, Albert and I both play melodies and counter melodies at the same time. In that sense, I think it's more refined than before.

── I think the live feel has increased a lot compared to the first album. How much attention did you pay to "performing live"?

J: No, I wasn't trying to make it sound like a live performance. I wanted to keep the same vibe. For the first album I used a computer, but for this album I used a mixing board and recorded in a so-called studio environment. Of course the first album was also recorded in a so-called studio environment... Maybe it feels that way because I didn't use any computer plug-ins (laughs)... Probably... This time I was conscious of making it sound more natural, so I think that's why it gives off that impression. How can I put it... There's not much distortion...

── Rather, I get the impression that the five of you have become more united and powerful.

N: Yes, I think we've grown as a band, or rather, we've become more involved as a band while working on this album. Thinking back to when we made our first album two years ago, I think that's true. At the same time, our knowledge of the studio has also increased, so we've come to understand the process of working in the studio, the kind of sound we want to record, and how to achieve that. So...

J: When you start wanting to do this and that, it can get messy, but it's a strength that we've come to understand how to do that. With this album, we can see where we should head. In other words... I think we've gotten closer to our goal. Just kidding, it's the complete opposite (laughs).

── A second album is a big hurdle for any musician, especially in your case, since your first album was so well-received and you've been getting attention from all over the world.

All three: (wry laugh)

──Did you feel any pressure while making this?

J: Pressure? (bitter laugh)

NI: What? (laughs)

N: Pressure, you say (laughs).

J: Haha, rather than from outside, I felt pressure coming from within myself... maybe. It was more like internal pressure (laughs). I was a little worried about whether we could make something good, but then, when we released our first album, a lot of people ended up saying 'it's good'... so I'm really happy... hmm... I don't know? Well, the album hasn't come out yet, so it's hard to really grasp it. It's hard to put it into words... I mean, it's kind of silly to say 'it's great!' before it's even out. But I think it turned out well, and I'm happy. I'm sure everyone in the band feels the same way. That's the most important thing. And I'd be happy if other people felt the same way."

When did you start writing songs?

J: Hmm... I guess I was about 15 years old.

──Huh?

NI: No, aren't you talking about the second album?

──Yes, from the second album (laughs).

N: Then the answer would be '10 years ago' (laughs).

J: That’s right (laughs). Umm… right after we finished making our first album (laughs). “Meet Me In The Bathroom” was the first one…

──What was the songwriting process like? Fab (drums) and Albert said that Julian would bring in songs and the band would work on them, but are you someone who can write songs pretty easily? Or do you spend a lot of time on each song?

J: Well, depending on the song, there are some that are completed quickly, and some that are only half-finished when I bring them to the band. Sometimes, when I bring a song to the band without making much progress, it is completed surprisingly quickly. That's when a good idea comes out of nowhere. But on the other hand, sometimes it doesn't come together and it becomes a mess. I try out different things over and over again, tinker with different parts, and then when I tinker with them, this and that don't go together, stuff like that. Those kind of songs get the nickname "nightmare". They really are a "nightmare" because they never end (laughs). There are songs that aren't finished even after three months. Some songs can be completed in two days. They can be finished the day after I bring them to the band.

Radiohead always goes through extreme changes and it's not what I want. I think evolution is something that happens very slowly and gently. I don't think it matters how much time it takes.

N: We're not the kind of band that can finish a song in five minutes, but we're also not the kind of band that can spend forever on a song. I'm sure there are people who think it's good to create songs quickly, but being prolific isn't necessarily a good thing. Because when you're prolific, there are bound to be some bad songs mixed in

J: But "Supernova" (retitled "12:51") was written in one night and two seconds. The next day, we went back to the studio and played it a little and it sounded good.

N: Yes. Julian wrote it in 2 seconds, played it for us, and played it the next day and it was perfect. There was no need to edit it any more.

J: Yeah. I tweaked it a little and it was enough. For some songs, I even tried out different harmony parts after about three months.

So, what are the lyrics of your new song about?

J: The theme is different for each song... How can I put it, I think adding additional explanations might make it harder to understand... Well, maybe in another 55 years I'll be able to explain what I was feeling when I wrote it, and it might be interesting to talk about that... but for now I'd like to leave it up to the listeners to decide. That's all I can say... I'm getting sleepy... Just kidding (smile)

──Please hang in there (laughs). Are you the type who puts a message into your lyrics? Or are you the type who just writes down whatever comes to mind?

J: Well, it depends on the song. I guess that's how it is, isn't it? Of course there are things I want to say, and there are songs that convey those things.

──As Nick said earlier, the new album reflects the band's growth in many ways, but in what area do you think you've grown the most compared to the first album?

J: Mentally, I’ve regressed to childhood (laughs).

N&NI: Haha (laughs)

J: Hmmm... I don’t know... I think we'll be able to answer that in about five years (laughs). We may have gained something from the first album and grown, and were able to reflect that in the second album, but for us who are in the middle of that, we don't really know what that is.

──I understand. Julian answered in an interview with this magazine that he wanted to "create something that evolved." What do you think of as "musical evolution"? Something drastic like Radiohead? Or do you mean strengthening the unity of the band?

J: For me it's not that kind of extreme change... I think evolution is something that progresses very slowly and gently. If it leads to a change for the better, I don't think it matters how much time it takes. As long as it gets better. And I think it should happen naturally, not intentionally. I know it sounds a bit fishy to say it like that (laughs), but that's what I think. ...How should I put it... I think Radiohead always undergoes very extreme changes, but it's not that I want it to, it's not that it's bad... I guess if you keep doing a lot of different things... you end up here before you know it... but I don't really know what I'm saying. Someone stop me (laughs).

── (laughs) Radiohead are staying here too, have you met them?

J: Oh, are they here too?

N: They're staying in my room (laughs).

──Ah, right (laughs). Everyone?

N: Yes, all five of us (laughs). There are six of us including me. All six of us are together.

──How many beds are there? (laughs)

N: Just one. But well, we’re managing.

──Do you decide who gets to stay in bed by playing rock-paper-scissors? (laughs)

N: No, we discussed it (laughs). I even put the drum sticks in the bathtub (laughs).

J&NI: Hahaha...

──Well, that's beside the point (laughs), but people have been saying rock is dead countless times now, for decades now.

J: That's been said since the 50s (laughs).

Other people are the ones who say "Rock is dead.” I guess that's what you say when you see music that you can't imitate. When guitar, keyboard, bass and drums come together, I think it's something that will continue to expand.

──(laughs) But even though we're in 2003, the band sound hasn't died yet. How much potential do you guys have for a "band"? Are you confident that you can still produce as many interesting and exciting sounds as you want with just guitar, bass, drums, and vocals?

J: I think there are always people who come up with new ways of doing things. I think people who say 'Rock is dead' say that when they see music that brings great ideas to fruition, music that no one else can imitate. I don't particularly want to imitate them, but even if I played like Led Zeppelin and someone said 'They're already dead, it's just a copy'... I think there are a lot of things that can be done with the instruments in it, like guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, and I think a lot of things are happening. I think that when those instruments come together, something can spread. However, there are probably some people who don't think that what's being developed there is new, or don't notice it. That's all I can say.

──I'd like to ask, what are your ambitions as a band?

J: ... (long silence). Ahh... to stay together with all these members forever.

──……Is that all?

J: Yeah (laughs). Because it's a very important thing.

──So, let me ask it another way. Do you want your second album to sell better than your first?

J: I want it to sell like hotcakes (laughs)... Just kidding (laughs). I don’t know.

N: Tell that to him (pointing at the person in charge at the Japanese record company). That's his job (laughs). But you know, all we want is for people to like it. We make something that we can confidently say is a good work, and send it out into the world. That's enough meaning. With that alone, there's no need to think about anything else. That goes for the creative process and everything else.

J: Even if I try to make everything go my way, it's not something I can control myself. It's not something that has a direct connection to the music itself.

──Is there any particular band that the Strokes are aiming to be like?

J: Yes.

──Who?

J: Maybe Mel Gibson (laughs).

──Really?

N: It's not like it's anyone in particular or anything.

J: There are a lot of musical idols out there.

N: If I had to say, it would be all the music that we've been listening to since we were kids and that has influenced us. Listening to that kind of cool music makes us want to play cool music too. So it's not like we want to be Iggy Pop or Keith Richards or anything like that.

J: What about Nikolai Fraiture (the bassist Nikolai, of course)? (laughs)

N: You want to be like Nikolai Fraiture? (laughs)

J: It might be a little funny (laughs).

N : Yes, we look up to each other.

NI: I wonder if this wraps things up nicely (laughs)

── (laughs). But the Strokes themselves have become a model for subsequent bands, haven't they? I think you guys created a trend, to the point that people say "after the Strokes."

J: Oh, really? (laughs). Then I have to live a long life (laughs). That's... weird, isn't it? Of course, we have a message and there are people who have received it. But... how can I put it (laughs), there is a much longer road ahead of us (laughs).

──Since you guys came out, many bands that play primitive rock and roll have appeared. Do you feel that you are a turning point band in rock history, that you opened the door to a new music scene?

J: Hmm... I don't know... But I don't think that there are a lot of bands that wouldn't have been successful without us. There's no way to confirm whether that's true or not. I'm sure those bands would have been successful without us.

N: But don't you ever think you'd like to say something like that? (laughs)

J: Okay, I was just kidding (laughs). How’s that? (laughs)

NI: I mean...

J: I don’t know. Of course, it's easy to say, 'Listen to the music we make! It's great!' but that's not what I'm thinking about. I want to reach a certain level. And I don't think we've reached that level yet. We have our own ideas about what we're doing. If we end up being successful, that's great too. But becoming super popular or getting into the top 10 charts, that kind of world is like an alien world to me. So... I don't think we've made any big changes at this stage. We've only just started. At least, that's what I think.

Before being band members, they are all friends who can be trusted. I think that atmosphere is conveyed from the above conversation. Julian himself said that he has an ambition to "continue with these members forever," and there is not a single cloud in that. I was impressed by Julian, who seemed reluctant, but spoke passionately about his enthusiasm in his own way. They are a group of musicians with their feet on the ground more than I had expected.

From here on, we will continue with the pairing of Albert (G) and Fab (Dr), who continue from last month. We decided to ask them a variety of topics, including the relationship between the Strokes and the band, as they actively play the role of "diplomats" within the band.

──First of all, what was the vision that the members shared when approaching this new work?

Albert Hammond Jr. (G: A): I want to make each song better, and I want to complete it in the best way possible for that song, and I want each song to have its own personality.

Fabrizio Moretti (Drums: F): After the recording, I spoke with Julian, and it seemed like he had a very specific vision for each song. With the first album, I didn't realize it at all as we were arranging and recording, but he had an unspoken vision. Once the recording progressed to a certain stage, that vision became clearer. It was about what kind of songs they should turn out to be.

Ichiro once said, "If I were a chef, I would have to take good care of my knives, otherwise they would rust. Then I wouldn't be able to cook." I practice at home every day, holding my sticks. That's the way to become a good musician.

──So, all the songs are about three minutes long. Were you determined to stick to this length?

F: There was a part I was trying to develop in each song, and it was complete when it was enough. So I wasn't worried about the time at all. It wasn't like, 'Oh, if I extend it any more it will exceed three minutes! Let's end it here' (laughs). So I guess I just brought out the part that the song needed. If I just added 'more, more!' I think it would become boring.

A: Yes, that's true. I think that in order to develop a song, you should look at the internal aspects of the song itself rather than the external aspects and develop it accordingly. You shouldn't force the song. If the song needed 9 minutes, I think I would have made it 9 minutes long. I wouldn't have shortened it to 3 minutes. And none of the songs feel short to me.

F: Yes, I don't think they're short either. There's always an interesting part or aspect to each song. It's not like, 'Oh, so that's how it goes around here. That's right, the one and a half minute part has to be like this' (laughs).

A: There are some players who always try to create cool parts.

F: That tends to be overplayed.

A: Since the birth of rock 'n' roll, songs have remained that length, right? Well, that's because they were originally made to be played on the radio, but I think that many of the songs that I would call the best songs are about that length. Of course, there are plenty of great long songs as well.

──It's pretty difficult to complete a song in 3 minutes. In your case, it's even more difficult because it's a superb pop song. Did you have any difficulties in making it so compact?

A: But that's what we're aiming for, that's our goal. I enjoy that kind of music too. If you're well versed in music, you'll understand, but even in songs that seem simple at first glance, you can discover interesting rhythms, right? It's the same with guitar. It's not just a simple phrase, you know (laughs).

──That's true. What is the Strokes' songwriting process like?

A: Julian will write it first.

F: Yes. We would work together in the studio to polish whatever he brought in. We would try out different things together and think about the arrangement.

A: There are five of us, so it takes time. There are many times when we say, 'Let's try this,' but it turns out to be a complete failure.

F: Arranging is about how to complete the song, how to present it, right? Julian writes the heart of the song, and we go from there.

A: But the one absolute requirement is that it's something that everyone likes. Otherwise it won't work as a song.

F: And before I even think about whether I like it or not, the base idea is Julian's original. I think that's great. And then we get to breathe life into it in the studio.

──What do you think you gained from the long tour for your first album? What you gained there must have led to improvements in your songwriting and performance skills.

A: From the beginning, we were successful right away. Then, we were faced with “things we have to do.” If we had to do it, then we had to do it. But for the new album, an 8-month tour would be enough. I don't want to do long tours anymore (laughs).

F: But when you play a song over and over and over again, you discover something new, or you see new possibilities for the song. I think we've all grown as musicians. I was talking to Albert about it, and we were rehearsing for Summer Sonic a while ago. At that time, things that used to be challenging for us didn't feel difficult at all. I think that's because we've gained experience.

A: And there are more difficult songs on the new album too (laughs).

F: Yeah (laughs). I feel like the vibe has been strengthened. By the way... I once saw an interview with a Japanese baseball player in Seattle. Who was it?

──Ichiro.

F: Yes, Ichiro. He said something really cool... The interviewer said to him, "You polish your glove every day like a sword, and treat your bat as something sacred." And he said, "If I were a chef, if I didn't take good care of my knives, they would rust. Then I wouldn't be able to cook." It's the same thing. After making this album, I think I've realized that I love my instrument. Especially when I get home every day, I hold the sticks and practice by myself. I think I understand the relationship between me and my instrument, and I think that's the way to become a good musician. I practice with a metronome, and I know what it means to play tight, and it's not a rough feeling like, "OK, let's give it a go." (laughs) I think it's more spiritual, and I think it's important to make music for yourself.

A: I think it's the same as learning a language. You study it, and then when you go out and try to use it, you'll be able to speak it properly. It's the same thing. When you go on stage, you'll be able to do it naturally without having to think about it.

F: Yes.

A: Well, of course (laughs).

F: I don't think you’ll end up thinking, 'Hey, how do I play the C chord?' (laughs)

── (laughs) By the way, Albert and Fab, you guys appeared on an MTV show hosted by Courtney Love, right? Was that because you were drunk?

F: (already laughing while listening to the question)

A: Well, it was 4:30 in the morning, and I was having drinks with Ryan (Adams) at a bar. Then Ryan said, 'Let's go to MTV, Courtney Love will be there,' and I was like, 'Sure thing.' But when we got there, it was like, 'Oh no...' (laughs). But Ryan was there, so it was pretty funny.

F: I feel this especially when Albert, me and the other members are together, but we have the illusion that 'we are the strongest!' (laughs). No, seriously. It's like no one can beat us, and being together with everyone makes us even stronger. For example, let's say you're walking down the street and you bump into someone. Normally you'd just say 'excuse me' and pass by, but when we're walking together as a group (laughs), you're like 'hey, watch it!' (laughs). When there's friendship there, it can make your life seem bigger than it actually is. That's what happens when you go to places like that. It's not that we're violent or anything, it's just that we're full of confidence.

A: It's interesting, isn't it? It's the same with music.

──Are you close with Courtney on a regular basis?

F: Courtney seems to like our music. She's a nice person.

──You've been going to some Kings of Leon shows recently. Do you like them?

A: They're a great band. Their live shows are great too.

F They're a band that won't disappoint. They're young, too. Two years ago we were really young, but when I look at them now I feel like we're like second-years. It's the same when I look at other bands, but I think, 'Oh, they're freshmen? That's nice.' I hope we can tour together.

──Apart from Kings of Leon, what other bands do you think are great these days?

A: I don't really know these days. I've been recording for a while, so I haven't been listening to anything at all. It's only when I have time off that I find bands that I like to listen to.

F: Once we start recording, we get so focused that we don't go out. And as soon as we step out of the studio, we're like, (covering our ears) 'Please, don't make me listen to your music!!' (laughs)

A: I discovered Kings of Leon when I had about a week off. I was in between studio work and had nothing to do for a week or two.

F: And since Kings of Leon is on the same label, they'll hand me stuff like, 'Listen to this' (pretending to hand it over secretly).

A: Adam Green's new album is also really good. His live performances are amazing, the best.

──You're also actively interacting with Ben Kweller in New York.

When we're together, we have the illusion that we're the strongest! (laughs) No one can beat me! When you have friendships, you make your life seem bigger than it actually is, but it's just that you're full of self-confidence (laughs).

F: Ben Kweller is great too!

A: This may seem surprising, but while it's true that we have made a lot of friends, we're all on tour, so we don't get a chance to see each other very often.

F: But on the other hand, being in a band means we get to meet the people we want to meet, so we're lucky.

A: Because it gives us something in common.

──Have any musical projects ever emerged from these frank connections?

F: That's not possible.

A: It's still a little early for that. It'll be a different story if we release about seven albums and become big. Right now we're still young and we need to focus on doing things ourselves first. Only then will we be able to do that.

──I heard that celebrities flocked to see the Strokes at last year's Coachella Festival. How do you feel about being perceived as a "cool band" like that?

F: We're actually pretty weak.

A: It has nothing to do with me. Don't get me involved (laughs).

F: I didn’t expect it (laughs).

A: If people want to see us and enjoy us, that's fine, but there's no need to give them any extra justification for it being cool or anything.

F: And celebrities just say "hi" in a sarcastic manner and that's it (laughs)

A: It feels like a different world. Everything is different. The lifestyle, everything.

F: I don't think they actually know much about us.

A: I guess it was just a coincidence that we just happened to pass each other. We took a photo together, smiled, and that was it.

F: Besides, it's so much more fun and satisfying to meet the enthusiastic fans who come to our shows than it is to meet celebrities. I'm so happy when I meet kids and they tell me, 'I love The Strokes' music, it really inspires me, it really touches my heart.' Compared to that, the reaction of celebrities is...

A: It was like, 'I've been in the industry longer than you!' (laughs)

F: That's right. (with a cocky pose) They said, 'I like your music' (laughs). Really, I was like, 'Oh, great, great, thank you for coming.'

A: Also, when we talk to kids, I think we can see clearly through them what we want to do and what we don't want to do. That's really exciting, and it makes me feel like I've become a bit of an older brother (laughs). That's why we have more fun when lots of kids come to our shows.

F: Better than a show filled with celebrities.

A: In the first place, isn’t that kind of weird?

F: Celebrities don't take the initiative. They're like, 'I'm famous, so everything just comes to me without me having to do anything' (laughs).

A: It’s like, 'Oh, so the concert was good? I see, I see, that’s good' (laughs).

F: So in other words, you want to say it’s ‘cool’ (laughs).

A: That's right! (laughs)

────

"The Strokes meet up with SUM 41 in Osaka"

Text: Masataka Oguchi

The real story! Behind the scenes of their visit to Japan

The Strokes' visit to Japan lasted for a week. At their request, they stayed at the Hotel Okura, which has a Japanese feel (many foreign musicians choose this hotel). Julian was a big fan of the opening video of "The Tale of the Heike" broadcast on BS2, and apparently even recorded it on video. Maybe it will be used in a future clip?

The title he came up with in that hotel was the first single, "12:51". This was reported as "Supernova" in last month's issue, but the moment he got involved, he was apparently overjoyed, saying, "Oh, if you fold this with a ":" in the center, it overlaps!" Only Julian knows the true meaning of that...

After meeting them, my impression is that the drummer Fab is the friendliest. He has a friendly personality that is typical of Italians, and he doesn't forget to casually hand over an ashtray. Julian seemed very sleepy during the interview, and half-seriously said, "I'm getting sleepy..." while speaking. Nick may have been the most cynical. The way he rolls his eyes is the cutest in the band.

At Summer Sonic Osaka, an unusual meeting between The Strokes, Stereophonics, Sum 41, and Good Charlotte took place at a hotel bar. Apparently, Julian invited the members of The Phonics and Sum 41 to come over and have a drink. Then Sum's friend Good Charlotte joined them. However, things didn't quite go well, and Fab and Julian ended up arguing.

After Summer Sonic, they went to Kamakura, which they had planned to do for a long time. Everyone was supposed to head out together, but in the end, only Nikolai (and his family) went. During the interview, Fab was excited and said, "I want to see Buddha!" Anyway, it must have been a nice break from recording here in Japan.

[undying-lilies]

This gained some traction when I first posted it so I’ve decided I’m going to elaborate-slash-rant.

All I'd like to do once in a while is lose myself in a good book that I pick up off the shelves because it looks intriguing. How many times lately have you been able to do that, read it all the way through, and think wow, that was a really good book? I bet it's been a long time. It's because that all the books being published and getting popular are either A) inappropriate to some degree, B) just shoving representation down our throats, or C) repetitive.

I think the repetition is what really bogs me down. It feels like every fantasy and science-fiction teen/YA book is almost the same. Unique girl with special powers must take down either the government or a superpowered bad guy with her love interest. You know they'll end up together because it says so in the blurb on the back. You know the story already. Because you've read them a million times.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate romance. In fact, I adore it in a lot of books. I've gone insane over my fair share of fictional couples - ask any of my friends - and I always have at least a couple romantic sideplots in my own writing. Heck, I paired almost everyone up in my main writing project, and I’ve thought about each of them a considerable amount.

But the romance nowadays in particular feels like a mold authors just shoved into a book that ends up overshadowing the plot. Where's the slowburn? Where's the first kiss AFTER they get together? Where are the creative dynamics and the romance that's built on friendship and mutual trust and not oh no he's hot???

Shake them up a little, people! Write those crazy retellings you can't find anywhere else! Put Alice in Wonderland in a dystopia world or mix your favorite Jane Austen with a fairytale! Write a romance that's new and fresh! Write about an adult-aged character in a book aimed for teens - teens still need good role models in books! Like, can we please get the found family trope but from the parental figure's perspective? (Also what the heck is it with teen books about pirates where the captain is seventeen years old?! And she's suddenly capable and has her whole life figured out? She's going to be eaten ALIVE. I've never met a seventeen year old who has their life all figured out. I certainly didn't)

There was a period of time last year where I DNF-ed at least four books in a row because I thought they looked interesting only for them to either be inappropriate and/or go against my beliefs. It made me upset. I found ways to deal with it - channeling my spite into writing romance myself and eventually rereading one of my favorite books instead - but they weren't by finding other new books. Idk, man. It feels like we've gone downhill.

Write more things like the Queen's Thief. Lunar Chronicles. Hunger Games. Something unique, I'm begging you.

you know what? I’m just gonna say it: we need more unique stories.

[vaguely-concerned]

This might be due to the fact that on my first playthrough I ended up creating a Rook more emotionally guarded than any of the companions except Minrathous-route Lucanis and perhaps Neve, so I was primed to look for it, but I never got the sense that the companions don’t care for Rook (the thought never even occurred to me until I saw other people post about it) — to me it seems much more like it’s Rook who keeps the last bit of distance, Rook who pulls away when the companions try to extend their care or worry too directly, who keeps themselves slightly apart. (Rook who is so full of grief they cannot know as grief and thus process that there’s no room inside them to let anything else all the way in, perhaps.) They deflect and flinch back when someone gets too close or approaches them too overtly about their feelings — especially when it brushes up against the theme of grief. They can offer care to all the companions who are grieving, come along to any number of funerals as emotional support, but the moment someone turns that towards them they shut that shit down Immediately, like when Taash almost gives the whole game away with ‘Like you’d know? You act like you haven’t lost anyone!’ and Rook just blandly responds ‘We’re talking about you’ and doesn’t engage. But they can also admit that they struggle with accepting compliments, or knowing what to say, or having confidence in themselves without Varric’s help.

Despite all their determination and even in their most stoic no-nonsense incarnation, Rook is awkward, with the struggles that entails. Someone who is eager and happy to be the helper wherever they can, and helplessly unequipped to know how to be the helpee, as it were. It’s not that the companions don’t return Rook’s attachment to them, there’s MUCH more of a ‘okay so what are the ways you will allow me to be good to you??’ desperation of care vibe behind all their invitations to conversations and hangouts together, to my mind. They bring Rook to their favourite places and share the things they love with them, they ask to spend time together (many times just to have their company, not because they have a problem they need help with! Sometimes the problem arises anyway b/c video game quest narrative of course), they bring them out for some direly needed grass touching, they introduce them to their families. Everyone is clearly getting the sense that Rook does Not want to talk about Varric especially (this is in fact what Harding says in banter, if she’s still alive after the reveal :’( ), but they are absolutely SCRAMBLING to find ways to show that they’re there for them even so. AND from the companions’ perspective, with the situation as they have the means to understand it, accepting that Rook isn’t ready to have that conversation and backing off is also a kind thing to do. (tl;dr: To Me Rook is that weirdly socialized friend who is a great hang once they’re actually there but you have to directly invite them or they don’t quite know how to initiate the contact themselves lol) 

Just as a crushing sense of responsibility for their family is a trait that is built into Hawke no matter how you play them or how you make them respond to that, I feel like Rook — however helpful and earnest, warm, charming, jocular, stoic or straightforward they seem at a surface glance — is always someone who struggles deeply with connecting to themselves and other people. (Emotional Intimacy, the Final Frontier.) As, indeed, is the case with all of the Veilguard companions too! It’s clearly a deliberate theme. These are all lonely people struggling with their sense of identity and belonging in some sort of way. AND having, working on and eventually starting to overcome these difficulties also makes Rook a direct foil for Solas, who doesn’t learn that lesson unless you corner him at the end of the world to force feed him his medicine lmao. They don’t manage to break out of the regret prison under their own steam, it’s because even struggling and grieving they have managed to create mutual bonds with other people who show up for them in turn now — and with all the protective walls of denial around what happened to Varric crumbling and making them less of a stranger to themselves, Rook is finally able to let them. An outcome Solas seemingly didn’t even consider to guard against, because he’s become that deeply entrenched in his loneliness, the utter isolation of the self — he can no longer truly imagine an alternative. (It’s not that he can’t form these bonds, obviously, it’s that he resolutely refuses to value them. Whether it’s because he feels like he doesn’t deserve it or out of a need for control or the martyr complex where he must sacrifice everything he loves on the sacrificial pyre of fixing his mistakes, all of the above and more, the result is the same. Mind!Varric, who I think is mostly Solas speaking, even calls this out directly. So yet again a situation where he has some self awareness about it and it doesn’t help At All haha. Solas falls to the temptation of making people into tools again and again and again, no matter how many times it comes back to bite him in the ass and the eternal solitude it traps him in.) 

And that deep deep loneliness… There but for the grace of… well the theological state of thedas being what it is right now, let’s just go with the grace of Something, Presumably go you as well, Rook. The same capacity/tendency to pull away from connection clearly lives in them as well in some form (again, for whatever reason and with whatever motivations and instincts behind it for any individual Rook). Solas and Rook coming together to create a blood magic paper doll of the mind Varric in response to acute loss and loneliness is one of the most deep , deeply fucked up and invasive acts of intimacy I’ve ever contemplated. I don’t think that’s accidental, there’s something There’s Something Wrong With You (there’s something wrong with you that’s also wrong with me (derogatory)) here that resonates no matter how both parties would hate to hear it. (A fitting legacy for Varric and his wild ‘I made my best friend into a story because it’s the only way I know how to love with this desperation of sincerity’ brain to leave in the narrative, methinks. I feel he’d appreciate it on a craft level, if nothing else.)

If you read through all of Rook’s potential backstories, one of the common threads through all of them, along with a certain maverick ‘I’ll do whatever it takes’ streak, is a sense of profound alienation. They did something or have some sort of quality that made it hard for them to fit in with the group they’re from, causing a conflict that cuts them off from parts of their identity as it’s been up until now. All of which also adds to how important Varric is to them — he was clearly able to break/see through some of that and be closer with them, even in the relatively short time they spent together. No matter what else goes to shit, they can trust that a) Varric sees them, b) he genuinely likes them and believes in them not despite who they are, but for it, and c) he’s got their back, we’re in this together kid. And then he is gone, and it takes them the whole game to be able to bring themselves to accept that and know themselves again, be able to let new relationships in fully. The very understandable ‘the last time I let someone in, they got stabbed before my eyes and the world ended’ flinch away, even if they’re not consciously aware that’s what it is. Anyway I love Rook. So much space to play around in here as to WHY they might feel or react like this, even when the framework is more defined.

[thisistab]

[polterwasteist]

The Pietà

finally had time to do a more serious drawing of these two I love them so much 😭

[psychomusic]

induced to me by my contemporary art exam AND a rewatch of rebels after years that. got me into sabezra unexpectedly AND i updated krita and there were many new brushes i wanted to try

refs (IF U CAN PLS HELP ME FIND THE ORIGINAL COSPLAYERS i can't find anything EDIT: found them!! they're starwars_irl on insta and @rebelartistwren / lionesscosplay on insta. thank you guys <3) and ✨colored version✨ under the cut

i can't find themmmmm I've been looking for 2 days but all i found were uncredited reposts

anyway they look amazing

i really wanted to try greyscaling but I'm not sure it looks good. idk. + while i was making it i was listening to i love you by fontaines d.c. (GREAT SONG FROM A GREAT UNDERRATED BAND) and. the grey fit into that mood much better

also two versions without the sketch lines. where ezra looks happier even if they're uglier

[britneyshakespeare]

when i last saw my friends i was talking about my barbie collection, present and past, and explaining the lore of various supporting characters from the decades, and at one point i bothered to drop the sentence "because i was obsessed with barbie as a kid—" before catching myself, realizing i was explaining the entire web of barbie's friends and family, and said "now i'm just normal about her. the way i am about barbie, that's how everybody is."

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Something is making my brain itch about this father-daughter (assuming that’s their relationship) and the lack of second parent and the beagle.

There is also the conundrum of the check shirt! Check shirts usually mean impending danger for the wearer and so it has me wondering if whatever happens to this man will be foreshadowing something happening to Eddie?!

But there is also something about this still that is giving me a throw back to Eddie’s introduction to 911 and the 118 - that they’re going to somehow parallel Buck becoming part of Eddie and Chris’s family - something around Buck introducing Eddie to Carla so that he could get Chris what he needed and build a life and a family in LA.

There’s something about the idea that the show might make this parallel at the moment Eddie is leaving the 118 - to really drive it home what Eddie is leaving by moving to Texas - because it would hit hard for both Eddie and Buck - highlighting that they’ve both built their family together at the moment it’s seemingly going to be torn apart.

But in juxtaposition to this, there’s also something about the idea of the beagle metaphorically representing Buck or Bucks abandonment issues more specifically.

Buck rescuing the beagle from a shelter because it has seemingly been abandoned by its family in the same way Buck feels abandoned by his own family throughout his life. Buck getting attached to the beagle is a metaphor for Buck clinging to his abandonment issues because they’re safe because they’re what he knows - what he’s loved with all his life (so being abandoned by Eddie (and Chris) is fine because that’s what happens to him).

Only for him to find out the beagle actually does have a family who miss and love it and they get to be reunited - Buck can make that happen.

So reuniting dog and family is also symbolic of Buck saving himself - letting go of his abandonment issues - and by doing that - by rescuing himself - he can be reunited with his family - Eddie and Chris will come back to him - come back for him.

[plutonicbees]

diversity win! ur teenage synthezoid daughter likes girls <3