#Arya making her own place as an unconventional woman >>>>>>>>

[fromtheseventhhell]

Arya offering Sam food and helping him + executing Daeron for being a deserter is so Lady of Winterfell-coded

[yennefers-geralt]

Have you noticed a trend in fics recently to make Cat meaner, and S nicer? Like, they make Cat be the one to cause all of Arya’s self image issues, while S is all sweet and supportive. If they need a snob in a fic, they decide that Cat, who knew the name of every servant in Winterfell is the one, not the girl who is disgusted by the sight of a poor boy. Cat isn’t even one of my faves, but her being bashed to make S more likeable makes me like her more and more.

Well, I don’t read much fanfic anymore. But Catelyn being written so badly is unfortunate. She’s such a complex and fascinating character. Though, frankly, if any character is used just as a one-dimensional plot device like the resident snob, that’s a sign of bad writing. A character can have that trait, but it shouldn’t simply be about filling a slot. 

That said, I agree, Catelyn wouldn’t be the character to use for that. She has plenty of faults, but what you’re describing doesn’t fit her. Yes, she supports the status quo (while also subconsciously pushing against the restraints of it) and pushes her children to fit their designated roles in society. But as you mention, she takes the effort to know the names of every servant in Winterfell, treating them as human beings. She even remembers the name of servants and commoners in and around Riverrun even though she hasn’t lived there in several years. She even gives a silver to each rower on the galley that brings her to KL, making sure to give the coin to them directly so their captain doesn’t cheat them. 

As far as unconventional women go, Catelyn again does support the status quo, while also not following it completely herself, since she’s incredibly assertive. But, she also has positive dynamics with women who don’t adhere to femininity as dictated by the patriarchy. In AGOT, she meets Mya Stone who keeps her hair short, wears pants, is sexually active, has a job, and is a bastard. Mya basically checks off nearly every way a woman can step out of her place in their society. After an initial hesitation that Cat doesn’t show, they get along fine and she feels sympathy for Mya. She also gets along great with the Mormont ladies, who don’t fit neatly into any category, defending Dacey’s right to be part of Robb’s personal guard. Brienne is another woman who wears pants and fights in armor who Catelyn befriends and accepts. Sure, she has clothes made for Brienne that she has been taught are proper for women, but when she refuses to wear them, Catelyn doesn’t press her.

As far as Arya and Catelyn’s relationship goes, they love each other. That isn’t fanon or wishful thinking, as the insistence that Arya and her bully love each other is. On the page, Arya loves her mother and longs to reach her, while Catelyn loves her and frees an important political prisoner in the hopes of freeing her and her sister. Their love is genuine. Their relationship isn’t perfect though. Catelyn does want to change who Arya is to help her fit into society rather than allowing her to be herself. She tells her she “could” be pretty if she behaved like her sister. She also allows Septa Mordane to say degrading things about her. Unfortunately, that last part is a teaching technique people use. It is effective with some and demoralizing to others. I feel like Cat should have seen that this tactic was having a negative effect on Arya and put an end to it, possibly even getting a different septa. 

So long story short, while Catelyn does contribute to Arya’s self image issues, she is far from the primary source of it. She also isn’t doing it to hurt her daughter or to assert her own superiority as Arya’s bully does. Her intention of raising Arya to fit within the rigid confines of their culture is intended to give her the best chances in life possible. She’s also far from a snob when you look at her actions.

[runawayjay]

Of Words and Swordplay

Chapter 4 Summary: Daenerys has her first lesson with Jon, sparring with swords and well as words.

Chapters 1-4/? on a03!

The weather on Dragonstone was fairer than it had been, so Daenerys had Jon Snow summoned outside for her first lesson. She was waiting in a private courtyard—private for all except the dozen Dothraki warriors she had along the perimeter for her guard—thinking it should be the northman waiting on her, not the other way around. Even so, taking Jon Snow as a sword tutor was already unconventional. A queen waiting on one of her rebellious lords couldn’t make things any more unconventional than they were.

Nevertheless, as she ran her hand over the pommels of the training swords set into the wrack she’d had carried outside, Dany couldn’t help but be anxious to begin. She was anxious to have her lessons completed, and to take Drogon out and avenge her allies. She refused to feel anxious about the northman.

“Your Grace,” he called from behind her. Daenerys turned just as he stepped out from under a stone archway, pulling on a glove. His dark hair was pulled back from his face as it always was, and when he stepped into the sun its light made the scars on his face seem darker against his pale skin.

Dany wondered when he got those scars—where he was and how they happened. She wondered if she would ever know.

“Jon Snow,” Daenerys said, trying on a formal smile to hide the nerves lighting her insides. This was her first step towards appeasing her advisors. Soon enough, she’d be flying over the seas to bring fire and blood to Euron Greyjoy. “Thank you for coming.”

“I said I would, and I’m a man of my word.” His voice was firm, but Dany hardly noticed with how he was looking at her. Jon’s stare prickled her skin, but it didn’t feel as if he was staring as other men had stared—other men like Drogo and Daario and Jorah. His was a studying stare, and it set her pulse to an uneven, heavy beat as he walked a semi-circle around her. He said, “Besides, I’m more or less your prisoner. I can’t refuse, can I?”

“You’re not my prisoner yet, Jon Snow,” Daenerys said, taking a long breath to settle her blood. Talking of political matters had a stabilizing, boring effect. “You offered your sword, won my competition, and are here to teach me—all of your own choice. Am I wrong?”

“No,” Jon answered, stopping his circle at her side with his back to the wrack of training weapons. Then, he added, “You’re small.”

Daenerys almost responded with a simple excuse me? before she settled her surprise. “Is that how you’d address your would-be captor?”

Jon Snow almost gave her a half-smile, but he pulled it back before it was even a smirk. “It’s good,” he said. “There’s less of you to hit, and once you get used to the weight of a sword you’ll be fast. I’ve trained and fought with skinny girls. They’re always faster than men like the Greyjoys.”

Dany raised an eyebrow, refusing to answer that last with anything but a look meant to chill Jon Snow to his bones.

“I’ve trained with my little sister, Your Grace. Arya Stark.” A true smile played his face as he said her name, but it was subdued and reminiscent. Dany didn’t think he even knew it was there. “If she could lift a sword, so can you.”

“Is it customary for the North to train their noble ladies by first insulting their size?”

“It’s no insult, You Grace,” Jon said, his smile falling. His face resumed its habitual solemnness, yet Dany thought his eyes still seemed warmer than they’d been before he mentioned his sister. She wondered how close they’d been, and when Jon Snow had seen her last. “And Arya was never one for custom.”

“What of the other girls you’ve fought?” She asked. Daenerys did not miss the was Jon Snow described his sister with. She was eager to be on with her lessons and away from saddening conversation, but she was still curious. It seemed the safest question to both becalm her interest and save him wounded talk of his sister.

Nevertheless, her question seemed to have the opposite effect she’d intended. Jon Snow’s face grew even more grave, and Dany thought he had the most expressive eyes for being carved from northern ice. It was a solemnness that grew from a different pain than what he had over his sister, however—a pain from heartbreak. Jon Snow carried scars deeper than those on his face, she saw, and Dany knew it because she had her own.

My scars burned away in Drogo’s pyre, she thought. His are set into ice.

“A woman of the Free Folk, Your Grace,” he answered shortly. “As fierce as the men, and twice as deadly.”

Daenerys allowed a moment of quiet to lay talk of their dead to rest. Then, she set her shoulders back and asked, “Shall we begin?”

Jon nodded, taking two wooden swords from the wrack of training weapons. He said, “We’ll work on your grip and stance for a start. When you’ve got that, we’ll move to footwork and defense.”

“Is it wise to begin with defense?” Daenerys asked. “If I fall from my dragon, as every one of my advisors feels certain that I will, shouldn’t I learn to attack?”

The Jon’s face hardened, and Dany knew she was going to be met with the Northern stubbornness he’d displayed so well ever since their first meeting. Daenerys had surrounded herself with advisors who had the courage to be as immovable as herself in the event that she try to act on her worst impulses. She was no stranger to stubbornness. However, Jon Snow managed to make “stubborn” as frozen and immoveable as she imagined the North to be.  Upon their first meeting, she’d taken it for insolence. Now, she considered it worthy of her respect.

“I mean no offense, Your Grace,” he began, “but you took me as your instructor. Now, let me instruct as I see fit.”

Daenerys took a breath to stop the smile that threatened to play along her severe expression. She inclined her head. “My apologies.”

Jon held out one of the wooden swords, offering it to her. Daenerys took it by the grip, glad he’d handed it to her by the pommel. If he’d been holding the grip as well, their hands would have touched in the fake sword’s passing. Dany wasn’t certain why, but she felt it would have been a dangerous occurrence.

When his hand fell away, Daenerys was almost surprised by the weight of the wood. She’d held swords and spears before; not often, but she had. She’d felt their weight then, but she wasn’t simply holding this one. She was going to use it.

“Keep your hold even, steady, and firm,” Jon Snow said, holding up his own sword to show her his grip. She followed his example. “If you don’t, you’ll drop it. Do that, and—”

“And Euron Greyjoy takes my head to Cersei on a pike,” Daenerys finished for him. “I know what happens when I drop my weapon, Jon Snow.”

Of all the responses he could have chosen, among them silence, he simply replied, “Good.”

When Daenerys had a grip solid enough for his approval, Jon showed her proper stances for sword fighting. She followed his example as she had before, putting one foot further out in front of the other and such, but her instructor wasn’t satisfied enough. Jon stepped behind her, tapping the inside of her right foot with the tip of his sword until it was better placed, touching her shoulders with one hand to angle them closer to sideface, moving her hips to better match her shoulders and her feet. She listened to his instruction and followed as best she could, but wherever he touched a chill lingered, those places more alive than were he did not touch.

No doubt Jon meant for these touches to be sexless, cold, and educating. She wondered if he succeeded in suppressing such feelings better than he succeeded in subduing his emotions from his expressions. With her back towards him, she could only guess.

Dany did not think Jon Snow would have trained his sister Arya or his brothers on the Wall while standing so close, but she didn’t stop him. The chills he gave her made it difficult to remember she was the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms and he was lord of the northernmost of those kingdoms, in open rebellion. As dangerous as hands touching in passing would have been, Dany thought this was just as dangerous.

It was a terrible relief when he stepped away: terrible, because her chilled bones and gooseflesh missed his closeness; a relief, because she could remember her purpose here.

It seemed Jon Snow remembered his purpose, as well. He began to show her defensive motions: simple ways to move without her dropping her sword from a botched grip; voiding attacks by stepping in certain directions; how and where to move her feet when she needed to step without unbalancing her stance.

More of his touches came to correct her grips and steps and placements, but Dany soon forgot them when they began to practice. Jon Snow took the attack, and she defended herself as well as she could. He spoke directions for her at first, telling her which way he was striking and where she should defend, and he moved slowly enough for her to become accustomed to the weight and movements of her wooden sword. By the time her arms were aching, he’d moved on to press her faster, and his directions were fewer in between sword strikes.

Dany was sweating beneath her clothes, beads falling down her spine to pool between her shoulders and lower back. Try as she might to hide how winded she was from the exercises, she could not appear as collected as Jon Snow. Sweat had gathered on his brow, but that could have been as much from the warm sun on their courtyard as it was from the practice. When he breathed, his chest rose and fell faster than it might normally, but not as quickly as her own.

When they broke for a moments rest, Daenerys asked, “Why would you ask Ramsay Bolton to fight single combat if you knew he’d refuse?”

Jon sighed, but since they were not in formal court and they were in relative privacy despite her queensguard, she could see he was willing to answer this time. “Same reason you want to take your dragons out yourself, I expect.”

“And what reason is that?”

“Avenge the fallen. Fight and die for those who would fight and die for you. Prove to your people you’re worth their support.” Jon paused for a moment, then added, “Perhaps piss off your enemies, while you’re at it.”

What kind of queen am I, Daenerys thought once again, if I sit by while others die for me?

Instead, she replied, “As my instructor, how promising do you think it is that I will have learned swordplay well enough to fly Drogon out in three days and, as you say, piss off my enemies?”

Jon palmed the hilt of his sword, staring at her boots as he thought. When he looked her in the eye, he asked plainly, “How well can you swim?”

Dany paused. “Is that a joke, Jon Snow?”

“I thought it was a question.”

As he turned his back to her, settling his grip on his sword again, she thought she saw another half-smile—amused, this time, rather than polite courtesy. Dany wondered if a man like Jon Snow ever fully smiled. She knew he must, at least on rare occasions, and she was curious what type of occasion it would take to hear him laugh.

Daenerys set the thought to rest, and picked up her wooden sword once more. She’d caught her breath enough. “Again, Jon Snow. I’ll not be swimming away from my enemies.”

He nodded, and brought up his sword, as well. “As you say, Your Grace.”

[roxilalonde]

Vriska Serket and the Antihero’s Archetype

In other news, I am endlessly fascinated with the Spidertroll. So I wrote an essay about gender, social perspective, literary archetypes, stages of morality, and Vriska Serket. 

First off: I’m not here to argue that Vriska is perfect. She fucks up. In some cases, she fucks up to the point where she seriously hurts others, mentally and physically, and becomes seriously toxic company. I’m not here to excuse her behavior wrt Tavros, or to justify her treatment of others’ emotional needs, because neither is healthy or defensible. But what I am interested in is how she ended up being the Fandom Recognized “worst troll ever” in a group with (a) a murderous bigot, (b) an abusive murderclown, and (c) a racist with a penchant for bestiality and a characteristic lack of regard for consent. 

The answer: It’s a long story.

Let’s talk about Vriska.

Absolutely necessary in any constructive discussion of Vriska’s character is an examination of her upbringing. Her lusus, a.k.a “Spidermom,” is demonstrably the worst parent of any of the trolls. Keeping her alive requires Vriska to routinely kill or be killed, and it obviously strains her; the psychological effects of having such a huge burden placed on her at a young age are demonstrated here; she voices a strong dislike for her lusus here. Further, Spidermom fails to care for Vriska to any extent you would expect from a parent, and Vriska seems delighted to be rid of her once the game starts. When confronted with the task of killing her parent, she is neither frightened nor even unhappy about it - her only concern is whether she’ll be able to do the job.

Your surroundings as a child define how you view the world and relate to it. Changing that perspective is difficult, and takes years of work and support. People in fandom like to characterize Vriska as a suave manipulator, cruel and unfeeling to the plight of others unless it benefits her to be concerned. But reading her pesterlogs, you would only believe that if you took everything she said at face value, which is a thin reading. A face-value reading implies that Dave likes puppets, Rose hates her mother, and Caliborn is a tactical genius. The impression Vriska gives is that of a person with a fundamental inability to connect with other people, who struggles with empathy in particular. She experiences sympathy - feeling bad that others are suffering - just fine. (Terezi and Kanaya, for example, are both recipients of her sympathy, after she does them harm.) But empathy, or the emotional understanding of others’ emotions as they experience them, she lacks, which evidences that her emotional intelligence never developed as a child (or she can’t do empathy, generally; neither is a character deficit so much as a product of circumstances outside of her control). Passages I think are useful reading here: these pesterlogs with Aradia and John, and the famous pirate cave monologue.

Now, let’s throw in Mindfang. From the onset, Vriska has two clearly established models in her life: a neglectful (arguably abusive) lusus, and an inaccessible, deified ancestor who glorifies violence and unlawfulness. Her value of Mindfang seems to come from Mindfang’s “coolness,” i.e., the fact that Mindfang is never awkward or incompetent. Of course a socially inept child is going to deify someone who’s always in control of their self-presentation. Especially since the Mindfang narrative that Vriska reads is entirely written by Mindfang, so there’s probably some severe manipulation of the facts going down to make her seem cooler than she is. 

And then Doc Scratch. An omniscient deity meddling in the affairs of a prepubescent girl from a young age, informing her that she has no choice in most of her critical decisions, and pushing her towards the decisions that will make possible the Alpha Timeline. He humors her desire for attention and importance by predicating his attention to her on her obedience; when she rebels, tries to develop an independent conscience, he criticizes her. From a young age, Vriska is being told that morality is impossible because everything in the universe is predetermined. That her choice doesn’t matter. Her life is a series of desperate grasps at free will, which has been denied her since birth. So she exerts her control over others to mimic the ways of her role models, Mindfang and Scratch. This is where Tavros comes in. 

That said: Vriska’s treatment of Tavros is inexcusable. It’s degrading, physically harmful, and toxic. Again, I’m not trying to defend it. But I want to point out that it comes from her trying to “improve” him, to change what she perceives as a flaw - his cowardice and indecisiveness. Already, Vriska is an improvement on her predecessors in that when she exerts control over others, she does it out of a misguided belief that she’s improving society - not solely for selfish reasons. And she points what she perceives as flaws with Tavros’ character. (Her comments about his disability, notably, which are ableist and inexcusable, do not fall under this category.) In trying to play Mindfang, and make him into her Summoner, the inept Vriska ends up hurting him. It doesn’t stem from malignancy; it stems from instability, and a lack of emotional intelligence. That’s where virtually all of her problems come from.

Additionally, her egotism in thinking she can “fix” Tavros can be traced to Spidermom and Mindfang, too. Her need to step out of her idols’ shadow leads to a desperate search for recognition, first and foremost a positive one. She’s a neglected child who desperately wants attention. What she does to get that attention is coached in the norms of a brutally violent society, but is a cry for help nonetheless.

Let’s talk about antiheroes.

Contrary to popular belief, an antihero is not just “an imperfect hero” or “a hero who doesn’t always do the right thing.” The antihero, specifically, is a person with ethical principles designed to contrast the protagonist - whom you root for even if they make the wrong choices. The AH has the same goals as the Protag, but a different set of ethics from whence they derive those goals. From TV Tropes:

“An Archetypal Character who is almost as common in modern fiction as the Ideal Hero, an antihero is a protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero . . . often an antihero is just an amoral misfit. While heroes are typically conventional, anti-heroes, depending on the circumstances, may be preconventional (in a "good" society), postconventional (if the government is "evil") or even unconventional. Not to be confused with the Villain or the Big Bad, who is the opponent of Heroes (and Anti-Heroes, for that matter).”

Aranea is a villain. She directly opposes the goals of our protagonists (winning the session, and/or bodily autonomy). Gamzee is a villain: he directly opposes the goals of our protagonists (staying alive, not dying). The Condesce is a villain: she directly opposes the goals of our protagonists (staying alive, winning the session). Vriska is not a villain, archetypally: she does not oppose the goals of our protagonists, most of the time, and in fact helps in achieving them. Putting aside the question of whether she’s a bad person, she’s not a Bad Guy.

Her code of ethics most closely aligns with an Antihero - in this case, a preconventional one. There’s a neat article to be written about Vriska’s advancement along the Kohlberg stages of moral development, but for our purposes, “preconventional” just means “I do things for me, and to the extent that doing things for others will do things for me.” Her main goal: fame and glory. Subsidiary goals: help her teammates to win the game, and create a new universe. Unlike traditional preconventional actors, she doesn’t care about her own life and wellbeing, or if she does, only insofar as they can aid her ultimate goal, which is attention and acclaim.

AG: I only ever wanted to do the right thing no matter how it made people judge me, and I don't need a magic ring to do that.

Let’s talk about gender.

Take a moment and tally up all the male antiheroes in popular media you can remember. (Count them twice if they get a redemption arc.) Off the top of my head: Zuko, Lestat, Derek Hale, Nico di Angelo, Severus Snape, Jason Todd, Captain Jack Sparrow, Han Solo, Spike, Tyrion Lannister. That’s without a single glance at the TV Tropes page, either. Those are all from some of the most popular media of the past twenty years: ATLA, IWAV, Teen Wolf, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Batman, PoTC, Star Wars, Buffy, Game of Thrones. 

Now count the women. (Count them as half if their “alternative code of ethics” is “I sleep with and lie to men to get what I want, which is almost exclusively money, until I met Protagonist, who changed my evil ways.”) Personally, I’ve got a decently sized list, but at least half are from Homestuck, with others being characters I go out of my way to explore: Arya Stark, Princess Bubblegum, Marcelline, most women from House. I’d give it to Furiosa, too, although that’s arguable. Maybe you have a long list; if so, please tell me what you’ve been reading/watching lately, because these women are either sidelined in the popular media they appear in, or aren’t depicted in popular media to the same level that their male counterparts are at all. (Note: the one-off female antihero, on the other hand, is incredibly popular, perhaps because the writer doesn’t need to develop her character or give her a substantive arc: see Jyn from ATLA, Calypso from PoTC, Narcissa Malfoy from HP.) 

Here’s why: people are much more inclined to forgive a man for doing bad things than they are to forgive a woman. You can chalk this up to any number of stereotypes about women in media: that they have to be nurturers, or that their “purity” is an important aspect of their being. Regardless, if you look over the TV Tropes page for the antihero (even with the obvious miscategorizations), and you’ll find the vast majority are men. Writers have realized that audiences are far more interested in a morally grey, badass, complex, tragic-backstoried man of action than a woman of the same persuasion. 

Let’s go back to talking about Vriska.

Contrast the fandom’s reception of Vriska with its reception of Eridan. To clarify: Eridan, ultimately, isn’t an antihero. He’s a villain. He murders people. He wants to commit genocide. Furthermore, he has no discernible motivation for this except being a bigoted asshat. But you don’t see 2,000-word callouts for Eridan, despite there being a large portion of fandom that wholeheartedly stans him. This doesn’t mean you can’t be interested in Eridan as a character, or even that you can’t like him, although I don’t understand the appeal, personally. But it means that condemning Vriska, all of whose mistakes are clearly motivated and regretted, probably isn’t the hill you want to die on.

I envision a hypothetical world where Vriska is written a boy. And I guarantee you, in that world, there’s a dedicated group of fans who - unironically - call him “a perfect sinnamon roll” and “my innocent son.” His trauma is openly discussed and sympathized with in fandom. Vrisrezi is in the top 5 most popular Homestuck ships on AO3. The Scourge Bros are the most popular troll ship, period. 

We forgive Terezi for manipulating Dave. We forgive Terezi for manipulating and murdering John. Because hey, narratively speaking, they end up fine, right? (Just like Tavros does.) But Vriska is where we draw the line in the sand. Because she’s an antihero, whereas Terezi has always been a nice, comfortable female protagonist. She doesn’t conflict with John & Co. She is clearly motivated by the Greater Good. Vriska is not.

Conclusion

Vriska isn’t simple. Female characters who aren’t simple inevitably cause controversy, to a much lesser degree than male characters of the same nature. Furthermore, the fact that she isn’t a protagonist in the classical sense - whereas most of her group, in contrast, are clearly written as protagonists - makes her appear “worse” than the others, or even, at an extreme “the worst.” Disliking her is perfectly understandable. Thinking she’s a bad person is reasonable. But please don’t do either without considering why she does what she does, and evaluating for yourself whether she deserves the reputation she has. 

[theseventhhex]

D∆WN Interview

Dawn Richard

Photo by Rob Daly

Dawn Richard, known professionally as D∆WN, is a multi-platinum American singer-songwriter. Being in two groups, Dawn already has 2 consecutive platinum #1 albums under her belt with Danity Kane. D∆WN is one of music’s most distinctive voices and songwriters, developing her own unique style via a tirelessly independent route. Her latest solo album ‘Redemption’ strikes the perfect balance between future-facing electronic music and the music of D∆WN’s New Orleans upbringing, bound together by an untouchable approach to song-writing and flawless vocal range. The final part in a trilogy that started with ‘GoldenHeart’ and continued with ‘Blackheart’, it represents her most focused, complete album yet… The Seventh Hex talks to D∆WN about the DIY approach, literature and Game of Thrones…

TSH: How much effort and work is involved knowing you're taking on so much as a solo artist?

D∆WN: I didn't realise initially how much I would take on doing so much of my solo ventures on my own. However, it's been so rewarding, even though there's a lot of hard work involved. Trying to deliver on a variety of different fronts can be hard, you're doing the booking, you're setting up the stage and you're musically just putting it all together. Sometimes you think it's too much, but when you get on stage and see the reception, and to see the audience on your side - it's all worth it.

TSH: Have you found much time to catch your breath?

D∆WN: I haven't had a chance to look up! I've been so busy with these last three projects. You know, people were telling me I'm being over ambitious taking all of this work on, but I really wanted to prove to myself that I could do work of real quality with no machine backing me.

TSH: You're primarily leading and going in with pure passion?

D∆WN: Exactly! I love this approach, some might say it can feel challenging and not worthy, but I find it more odd when some media don't see you as indie and they just clump you in with the rest of the artists in a similar lane. The independent artists have it tough, especially when you're not backed my millions of views and sales. We're pitted against our peers and expected to deliver the same art than each other with no machine behind us. It's basically up to us to deliver and work twice as hard. You can certainly feel like quitting when it's not built for you to win, because our fanbase has to search and find us, we're not force-fed to them, so we have to work twice as hard. Nonetheless, it is gratifying and the DIY is becoming a bigger movement.

TSH: Is the idea of versatility a defining factor for you?

D∆WN: Yeah, the target is to always do something different. It just so happens that I'm not doing what everyone else is doing, which can be a great thing or a horrible thing, because when you're too different, sometimes people don't know how to embrace it. It can be disruptive to the social idea of what things are supposed to look like. However, I'm just born to be the disruptive pop girl. I'm just challenging myself to make people feel what I'm feeling - telling them a story that's worth telling and when they listen constantly, hopefully they can find and dissect new meanings within that they can relate to. I never like to make my art simple; therefore I tend to straddle the line of having depth but not being so deep that people don't understand me. One thing is for sure, the moment people don't understand something, they hate it instead of trying to understand and feel it. People don't like being uncomfortable.

TSH: Were you looking to capture a certain type of energy with 'Baptize'?

D∆WN: I definitely had a direction in mind. We actually did this song two years ago when I first met Kingdom. All those songs on that EP were done on the day we met. The entire project felt like the scene in the movie Moonlight, where he's teaching him how to swim and it's like a renewal. I felt like the sparseness and space between the recordings had this emptiness that we were capturing. I felt like I filled various gaps and it felt like a baptism type of moment. Throughout my voice wasn't really a part of the production but like water instead. I like the idea of applying the analogy of water all throughout the record alongside a feeling of fluidity. 'Baptize' definitely has this sense of stillness too.

TSH: What does 'How I Get It' signify to you?

D∆WN: That track signifies the angst that I have to consistently put middle fingers up to those who give me an idea of what success should look like. The movement I have behind me are very much 'the others'. We don't have this clichéd idea of how to reach success or what it's defined as on a specific path. This track is an F U to people who say we cannot create our own lanes. It entails a cockiness that we're still here and that our direction is unconventional. My entire story is unconventional. I'm tired of people saying black girls can't be in electronic culture or pop culture has to have one type of black girl. I'm over that idea. There is a revolution of the black girl and women in general coming into the music industry. We are just not going to accept the idea that we represent or are just one thing. I am definitely not your poster idea of pop. I am an acquired taste.

TSH: How do you commonly decide on your vocal direction?

D∆WN: It normally depends on the sounds being formed or the general feel of the record. I'm a fan of switching tones and manipulating my voice. I like to use my voice as an instrument a lot. Sometimes people think my voice is processed because I can really stretch it, thin it out and add volume to it. I like to also manipulate my voice on my own before I even get to using plug-ins or effects. It's fun to lay down vocals without effects and it definitely shows depth and versatility.

TSH: How empowered do you feel onstage?

D∆WN: The stage is my happy place. I love the stage because it's where the communication happens. It's my form of church with my movement. I'm grateful because my movement isn't just singers and artists, but dancers too. Overall, when I perform, I want to create a world where people can escape, it's all I want to do. I want the audience to have a cathartic feel. Dance helps make this happen. The audience can move their bodies and it gives them strength in a way that they normally might not have. The live shows should consist of a vibe of non-judgment - the crowd can feel free to take whatever form they want.

TSH: You come from an educated family and your mother has taught four generations of kids. How amazing has it been to have such strong ethics and values instilled in you from an early age?

D∆WN: It's so amazing. You know, it's funny because when I was younger, it was horrible, haha! My parents being teachers meant they wanted us to be great all of the time. Now, as an adult, it's brilliant to look back because it's forced me and my brother to accept only greatness. We constantly push ourselves, and, for me, it can be stressful. I am a workaholic and I don't know when to stop, but I'm eternally grateful for what my parents represented and I appreciate them for making me a lover of the book...

TSH: You cite the likes of Edgar Allen Poe and Gustav Klimt as influences...

D∆WN: For sure. These days people don't read anymore. I love authors, novelists, sonnets and poems. I personally feel a lot of the depth in my lyrics and my stories comes from my love of literature. My parents were educators and I was able to be around a family of librarians. I was surrounded by people with masters degrees and PHDs. I got to see both sides - the artistic and intellectual side of academia; therefore I like to apply both worlds to my music.

TSH: Is Hans Zimmer very much your dream collaboration?

D∆WN: Oh man, if I could work with him, I could die after that! What he is, is the dream for me. He makes me full when I listen to his scores. When I saw him at Coahcella, I was taken back and so glad that the youth could see what he's all about.

TSH: You also very much admire the female characters in Game of Thrones, in particular Olenna Tyrell...

D∆WN: Lady Olenna is a boss! She's like my spirit animal. I think most of Game of Thrones' female characters influence my style, fashion and also what a woman should be. I feel the show gets it, you know? When you think about the show, the real strengths are the women. Cersei, Sansa, Daenarys and Arya each have a warrior like spirit that shows women can be more. Also, the way Lady Olenna died is how I'd go - I can relate to that - never bow down and tell it to someone's face. That show has a lot to do with the rising female power. The men are only great in the show because they have great women around them.

TSH: How do you like to unwind, outside of music?

D∆WN: I take time to do yoga, but I'm just blessed to have an amazing family. I keep my personal life private and close to me on purpose, because it's been good to me. In my spare time, I separate the woman from the work. I'm lucky enough to have a group around me that will tell me I need to relax. I live in a vegan household, which is also very refreshing.

TSH: What are the key aspects that you hope to maintain and stay true to as you look ahead?

D∆WN: I just want to continue to move people. We've become so complacent and desensitised with things that we don't even realise how to embrace the new. I'll be happy if I inspire other DIY artists to push this independent route. Overall, I want to leave a legacy where people can see that you could do it without yes people and without force-feeding people. I want people to know that your passion and hard work can be enough to achieve greatness. The machine is not the only way that you can be successful, you can be self-made - it is possible. There is a lane I want to burst open, whereupon independent artists can thrive.

D∆WN - “LA (feat. Trombone Shorty)”

Redemption