#it's public and the fans that influence them to change bc 'it's what they like'

[bandzboy]

i think whether or not you like ateez's music and concept you have admit that is pretty cool to see a group having their own identity and sticking to it and not really caring about what the masses want this industry is so saturated everyone does what everyone is doing because that's what brings them popularity and money and whatever else but having a group saying that 'this is our identity and music and we will stick to it' is quite huge nowadays and quite impressive to me that's why i just respect ateez so much, especially in that regard

[vaxxildamn]

very happy Matt decided to clarify his stance on the genocide of the Palestinian people rn. Pretty unhappy with the way he worded it, who he centered in his video, and disappointed to see the responses to it on Twitter.

kinda scared to even post about it bc CR fans can get so defensive about their favorite white people that they can often leave little room for criticism or nuance. but man I have thoughts.

[placeinthisworld]

just curious what you mean about your idol becoming what she used to sing about? what do you think has changed? no hate just genuinely curious

i feel like over the years her music has become more jaded, less personable more targeted. she used to sing about her experiences and feelings more generally and therefore held more interest bc of the relatability aspect of her songs. like for all the ogs which i may still listen to she had so much intent in the songwriting. like, as a teenager i never went through a breakup (still haven’t?) so i could never relate to her breakup songs in a traditional way- but the way she would write about her feelings would still feel relatable to me enough to help me through different situations.

i feel like now she writes to complete and album. she knows she can bullshit something quick is she’s motivated enough. it feels like midnights was a first draft- like it was never edited and perfected it was just written, recorded and produced. done.

i also feel like her fanbase has a lot to do with it. i think when folklore was released, she had disappeared from the spotlight long enough for the general public to forget why they were so against her to begin with. i think taylor made her dating life a main highlight in her career (whether that was on purpose is another debate), so when she got with joe and went private for a bit the general public weren’t being plastered w ts/ bf gossip and sightings to annoy them and remind them of her “serial dater” reputation. and when folklore came out it was purely about the album and not the relationship that influenced the album bc it was “fictional,” and people needed something fun to transfix on when the world was unpredictable and scary bc of covid- which is why everyone and their mom became a swiftie overnight. nobody speculated about what song was about who (i mean swifties did ofc but it wasn’t a world wide thing- it was just rocking out to august). the internet definitely shifted during this time and it feels like everyone became chronically online.

long story short: i feel like taylor is using her songwriter and platform as a weapon. she knows her fans are weirdly cult like and notoriously known for being bullies on the internet, and that they’ll buy and believe anything she says. i think everyone will be expecting a folklore- likeness to ttpd but i think it’ll be a cheap way of blowing over her relationship with joe and changing the narrative for rep tv. overall it just feels like all of her songwriter is so personal to her life and her relationships it’s not relatable anymore, her words don’t have the impact they once did. everything feels tailored to her life specifically and it’s more of a show for swifties to make pick up easter eggs for clout on the internet. like she knows what she’s doing with ttpd, we all know.

it’s evident in the way she markets herself, it’s evident in the lack of marketing of her albums. she knows her fans will promote it for her. no lead single, no real description of the album or anything. hundreds of dollars of encouraged preorders for something you don’t even know if you’ll like until you buy it. fucked with umg to try to return it if you don’t. fomo if you missed out on an “exclusive” or “limited” item.

also just the whole miss americana thing she’s ignoring. we all heard her. she said she wanted to be on the right side of history. yet here she is politically silent as always- besides that one time in 2020 when she coincidentally had something to release….

(also unrelated….but like the taylor overexposure is real. i love that she’s interested in doing different things but i wish she would prioritize quality over quantity. it feels like she’s rushing through everything to get to the next one. i just wish she would care more about her art than breaking records and being #1/ talked about constantly. it just feels very….narcissistic? like girlie you’re a billionaire and youre still in your early thirties what are you trying to do??? be the first person to sing on the moon like??? when is it Enough for her?)

[daz4i]

my probably not so hot take is that i think celebrity apologies are dumb. esp when it's about personal stuff (like a guy cheating on his wife for example)

it's become like a culture of certain people practically holding a checklist of what an apology needs to have and deeming said celebrity's apology as good or bad. if it's good they're gonna be mad for a bit then move on to the next public person who fucks up, if it's bad they'll drag them for a bit longer. and then move on also

when it comes to more personal fans i get being upset bc parasocial relationships are kind of inevitable (esp with influencers youtubers streamers etc, ppl who are more in touch with their fanbase) but expecting an apology, and again esp over smth personal, feels dumb. they didn't hurt you, why do they need to apologize to you

not to mention most of the time it's not the person themselves writing it but a pr team so the most important element of a real apology (realizing you did smth wrong and not doing it again *because* it's wrong. rather than bc ppl will get mad at you) isn't really relevant

it just feels more like a performance from every side involved - the celebrity themselves, their fans, and the media covering the story. and the bigger the celebrity is, the more performative it feels

and imo it doesn't matter much at the end of the day too. bc some of them will keep having fans who think that what they did wasn't bad enough to justify stopping (or, they'll think that whoever accused them has lied in the first place), and some fans will immediately drop them regardless of if there's an apology or not, bc you as a person gotta be the judge of what you think is too much basically. but does an apology take it back? does a good apology undo the thing you deemed too awful? does a lack of apology make the thing you considered inconsequential before worse now? (i get it when an apology is particularly bad but. that's a whole other can of worms) if not, then what's the point of it?

now before this gets taken out of context lemme clarify that doesn't mean i think celebrities are like absolved from apologizing as a whole or w/e, or that their actions should go unchecked and unjudged. my point is about the apology itself and how it actually changes the situation, if it does at all

[colorful-white-ideas]

My perspective.

This is long.

Part of maturing is realize that what A and Bill have is love.

A healthy love ? No. (at least not for me) But love regardless. There are relationships that are like that and people stay due to codependency or because the thrill of it all is as addictive as any drug.

He likes that woman In ways we clearly don't understand, that's why he has not just one but 2 baby's with her. Alida also loves what he gives her although it makes her ( for what we see) very unhappy. They deserve each other at this point and will remain together until one of them find a new source of thrill or " something better".

I dont think he is being black mailed, much less that he was groomed ... they come from very similar backgrounds, there is nothing more common and older than heaven than falling in love or stablish a relationship with someone who is sooo like you.

I am at peace with the fact that they have some sort of bond that seems to be more profound than what we thought.

I don't want Bill for myself , I'm not jealous of their relationship, I do NOT want to be some one else. But when I'm being expose to their shenanigans I am very critical of their bond. Why? Because it affected the fandom , it affects more than what people think.

The constant spam from that woman , her bad public behavior and the silence / bad faces from Bill have burst out the bubble that kept this fandom alive. Content creadors like editors, fanfic writers , fan pages or simple people who randomly posted about Bill's work became bored about him and bitter about his girlfriend bc we saw a side of him and his relationship that we were never suppose to see.

Even pages that never talked about Bill personal life suddenly announced their hiatus or simply abandoned their pages because of Alida's actions. The fandon lost their muse, he started to insipire nothing.

Don't get me wrong I don't think Alida should be in the shadows, if she wants to be an influencer she can but she needs to work on her own brand , gain her own followers , find her own ways and not use Bill as trophy so she can be liked by us.

At the end of last year we witnessed a positive change , finally the window to their dynamic - relationship got closed. If they were together or not it didn't really matter , cause fi.na.lly we were all talking about him and his work and if we critize something it was about him only.

Ahhh what a breath of fresh air.

Until now...

I'm not gonna lie , that post with the baby's face covered by and emoji gave bad vibes. I don't want to be expose to more spamming of things I don't care. I hope we can keep this peace for much longer than just a couple of moths.

I see with positive eyes that this fandom can reborn , there are new projects ahead , new people is arriving , content creators are back with stories and edits and stuff. That's nice, that's good 😊

She just need to stay away, let's keep her away.

[golbrocklovely]

have you seen the crowd on twitter trying to get Sam and Colby cancelled and sued for 'not doing enough'? It's wild and makes no sense to me, they're doing plenty, they don't need to give us everything, what are these people on?

i'm happy someone sent me this bc i do have some opinions on it lol

see the thing is, it's not even that they "aren't doing enough", ie related to xplrclub, it's that they aren't talking about things that matter. the main two being palestine and george/wilbur being creeps.

to be mad at them for all three of these things, as if somehow they are all on the same level is ridiculous and such an online take, it's not even funny.

but here, i'll break down how i feel about all of this.

as i've stated before, snc don't have to comment on palestine. i know a lot of fans want them to say something but reality is nothing will change if they say free palestine or ask for a ceasefire. snc do not hold that much power, they aren't besties with the president. stop asking influencers to do something. this genocide has been happening for a long time, well prior to the october attacks. it's not snc's job to inform the public on worldwide news. it will not change what is currently happening. palestinians are being murdered and you are making this about snc. stop doing that. who you should be truly angry at is our government and the fact they keep giving OUR TAX DOLLARS to the idf. be upset at that. call your congressmen. donate. stop making this about snc, oh my god.

(and if anyone reading this doesn't agree with me, that's fine. but just know i'm not gonna change my mind on it. who cares what snc think about a genocide??? do your part, help out how you can, and keep it moving.)

the george and wilbur thing…. look, i get fans wanting them to unfollow them, but most likely that's not gonna happen. not bc snc support them, but bc snc never do shit like that. they don't get involved in things that aren't related to them. and this is one of those instances. why do they need to denounce two ppl they aren't friends with and only collabed with, max, twice? you wanna be upset with them about this, go ahead. but don't hold your breath.

also it would be incredibly idiotic for them to comment on something like this. and again, you are making a situation that has nothing to do with snc about snc. stop doing that.

xplrclub. imma be honest with you, this is the one that i find hysterical, just bc of how far fetch it is.

i read the original post that started all of this, or at least that was recently created about all of this. i'm also on xplrclub and saw a fan asking basically all of these questions, and then getting a reply from a mod telling them that snc have account managers that probably tell them when to comment on things, and then when that wasn't a good enough answer, said fan asked for an admin. and idk what happened afterwards.

but let me make it abundantly clear: you can't sue snc for "not doing enough" lol that's just not a thing

first off, they haven't even been charging us for a while. so you're not paying for any of the content as of right now. which i think has caused ppl to think that xplrclub has always been free. but now that they plan to charge us in 2 weeks times, ppl are upset that this is all the content they're getting. but snc laid it out loud and clear on the site of what we're getting: multiple camera roll vids a week, a podcast and livestream a month, and a giveaway a month. and then exclusive content like once a week i think. that's all laid out on the site. if you don't want to be charge $19 a month for that… then don't sign up. it's an exclusive club for a reason. not every fan can afford it. you're not owed a spot in xplrclub. sorry. that's just how the world works.

but what makes all of this even dumber is these fans want to sue snc or at least let them know that "without your fans you would have nothing" as if snc don't already know that. and they're talking about "all we need is 40% of ppl on xplrclub to leave, and then they would have to shut it down, which means we can sue them bc we're not getting what was promised to us"

again, not how any of this works. not to mention, any fans that believes this 10000% wasn't around when metalife shut down in like three days time with basically a paragraph and an email notice lol but that being said snc also gave refunds to those that were charged for the month it shut down

if snc lost a huge amount of subs on xplrclub, they're allowed to shut the site down then if they weren't breaking even or were losing profit from it. the only reason you would be allowed to sue them is if they weren't giving you any content but kept charging you anyway. or if somehow there was a data leak and ppl's card information got out there. that would be a reason to sue. but that has not happened, and most likely won't as well.

not to mention, but there are over 1000 members on that site as we speak. 40% would be a significant dent, sure; but not enough to close the site down. there would still be hundreds of ppl on the site. you would need over half of the users to dip out, and baby that just ain't happening lol

there was also this whole argument about how if snc were sued "tv and film laws" are really difficult and they would be in a lot of trouble and all i gotta say to that is……… wut???? snc aren't on tv or film???? do you guys think they are characters or something, actors acting in their vids??? when snc call their content "movies" they don't mean literal movies, they mean length wise, babe. like i want to give some benefit since i know some of these fans are really young and don't know better but like… google is a thing.

i just…. it's always something with this fandom, you know. there can never be complete peace. i can't have a single day of fun without there being some shit storm brewing on the horizon. i'm so totally done with it lmao

[introvertedlass]

I think ppl misconstrued Lonesome's words when they said they think ppl should be prepared for an engagement over a breakup. I don't think they were affirming that these ppl were 100% getting engaged, but that the evidence pointed more likely towards an engagement happening vs. a breakup. By all appearances, they would be right bc of all the dumb DM and wedding planner BS.

However...did everyone literally forget that the engagement rumors first really began around the time the WDW photos/shower scene happened? The trolling twitter hate account was the one who let "slip" that the engagement was happening and to expect the news to drop around Christmas/holidays. I'm not sure if that account still exists or if they deleted and became that stupid Pantene account, but I'm pretty sure it was them who first leaked "the news." Ppl were panicking bc that same account was the one who leaked the private WDW photos showing her with his family. So it had some "merit," despite the circumstances.

A month later...some trashy tabloid posts an article that he got engaged earlier that month (January) and the 500+ wedding was happening thanks to a "source" spilling the deets.

Then a month later (March), DM gets the "tip" of a secret Martha's Vineyard wedding. Which she then apparently retracted bc someone told her she got trolled. lol.

Then a month later, the twitter fan girl started the July rumors while ppl argued it was Justin's sister getting married. The comic con ppl let slip he was attending an wedding and couldn't make the con.

Then a month later, DM does her podcast and drops the super secret proposal and engagement and ring stuff, fall weddings, and wedding planners following AB.

Then wedding planner comments on AB's winter dump saying "here for the winter love stories." which, interesting, bc I thought the wedding was in the fall? Or was it July?

Now Lonesome saying they think ppl should be prepared for an engagement rather than a breakup. Which, could be influenced by whatever info they were given by their source to make them believe it's all real.

Bottom line: The story and timeline of proposal and engagements keeps changing, but the intention behind the narrative remains the same.

Also: Does anyone remember that months back (this may have been as early as October 2022), ppl found AB's alleged spotify and pinterest and she was apparently pinning wedding stuff and making wedding playlists? This was before they even went public. Lonesome was one of the blogs that didn't believe it was real or that the pinterest/spotify was even hers. But let's say it WAS hers. I think it's interesting she was already planning a "wedding party playlist" on her spotify before she had even allegedly been proposed to. That means she'd been planning to get asked or perhaps steering the narrative for a long time coming.

So let's say they were really truly "that" serious - that she was already soft planning her wedding or knew she was getting proposed to from as early as October 2022. Then what was up with that super legit photo Lonesome got in July of 2022 of AB/another man that had them pretty sure AB was not with CE? Why did CE randomly make that laser focused comment that had tabloids spinning he was "single" to the world for a month after? Why did he get caught on camera in an interview saying his dog was his current long term partner, while knowing he was in such a serious relationship he was planning to propose already? Why did AB suddenly post a shower porn in December 2022 and deactivate while CE's mom was "caught" liking a hate comment against AB? And also, his mom, at this point, had clearly met AB at least multiple times, but not only chose not to follow her, but "accidentally" likes a comment calling her a racist and to not defend her? And continued to "not follow her" even tho they've literally just spent a vacation together, and her son is allegedly getting ready to propose?

The devil is in the details.

Thanks for taking the time to write this out.

[itsclydebitches]

To add to that gif-set, Ted's "This is still their team, we're just borrowing them" when he let public watch practice, with Rebecca's "Just bc we own these teams, doesnt mean they belong to us" in the newer episode

Ooo nice catch, anon! I want to re-watch the episode solely for all the callbacks and references. It feels like every scene was a nod towards some earlier moment, usually as a way to highlight someone's growth, which is real nice to see as the series winds down. I've actually wanted to tackle Ted's "This is still their team" moment since it aired, especially because the fans come to watch - and are crucially excited to watch - BEFORE Total Football begins the winning streak. I think it shows the profound growth of the town too (as shown through our pub trio) that we've gone from "Wanker! Wanker! Wanker!" to support even while Ted is losing/in the middle of (from an outsider's perspective) changing tactics in the middle of the season. Even if they won't admit it (as, again, seen in the pub scene when Henry is visiting), the town believes in Ted now, even when Ted isn't actively proving why they should.

The only thing I'm meh about in that episode Nate's continued off-screen development where we suddenly slam into an episode and discover he's made some huge leap forward without, from our perspective, any catalyst for it: he wants to apologize to Ted! He's got the confidence to snag a girlfriend! He leaves this high-powered job because it's the Right Thing to Do! I mentioned in another post that I think they took Nate too far into antagonist territory and his issues are too complex for him to just ~magically~ improve. Especially when he's in an environment that, by logic and his history, should be exacerbating his worst tendencies, not encouraging him to question them. So I would have actually liked more callbacks for Nate as a means of helping him work through some of those challenges. Instead, we're continually bombarded with new information: Nate has quit his job, Nate's father actually just wants him to be happy, Nate can play the violin and has been labeled a "genius" long before Richmond, Nate is sneaking into the club to give apologies...

I mean, it's not bad (I thought, in a vacuum, that moment with Will was extraordinarily lovely, taking Nate back to his kitman roots and having him embrace "Wonder Kid") it just doesn't feel earned to me? No one can claim that Nate hasn't improved tremendously over the course of this season, which is what I wanted, but I wish we could have seen a more nuanced depiction of how that came about, especially given just how deep into self-hatred and anger he was at the end of Season 2. It feels like Season 3 opened with a far more chill Nate than the one we last saw and since then he's just been improving in leaps and bounds... but without the support that, Ted Lasso argues, is necessary for improvement in the first place. So Nate grows because it's the last season and he has to, not because that makes any sense after two seasons of stewing in a warped perspective of events, being cut off from everyone who could help him see clearly, while simultaneously being manipulated by the one man in this show who is truly excellent at making people think the worst of themselves.

Seriously, Rebecca only escaped Rupert's influence after divorcing him and taking on three years of hard emotional work with Ted to steer her, but Nate sees through Rupert while actively under his thumb and with most of Richmond hating him (as shown by Beard still making target dummies of him)? Ehhhh that's real convenient for the short time-frame of the series.

[lemonhemlock]

this is not a game of thrones related ask, but i wanted to know your opinion on the barcelona situation 😉

greetings, queen! 💜 well, it's not looking too cool for them, is it? i'd say it's very difficult to conclusively prove (by legal standards, not the court of public opinion or vibes lol) just by looking at match footage whether the referee is intentionally biased against one team and favouring the other. bc mistakes or just plain incompetence exist. especially in the pre-VAR era. so, really, uncovering a financial paper trail that can link barca accounts to referee pockets is the way to go and kind of ... irrefutable. looks like the news of today re: negreira's 7 million confirms that.

sure, negreira was the only the vice president of the referees committee, so, from what i understand, they have yet to prove how that money got from negreira to actual referees on the pitch or how negreira might have influenced/coerced them into favouring barca AND if these alleged favourable decisions would have been enough to ensure barca's titles during those years. but why else would they have paid him for? their explanations of him fulfilling an advisory role or just paying to avoid bias are ridiculous and even the referee body came out to say it breaks their code of conduct, which, d'oh.

so basically it comes down to uncovering what kind of services they were paying for and what barca thought they were buying. how convenient that everything happened "orally" lol

analyzing the entire interval of 2001-2018 sounds like a mammoth amount of work, but the prosecutor's office is on this, and even though tebas denied the possibility of sanctions bc the statute of limitations has passed (lmao, really?), i do wonder whether la liga officials would change their mind if barca were found guilty. i mean, it's insane to think about barca being stripped of titles and honestly i'd be very shocked if they did that, for obvious reasons.

the elephant in the room here is clearly messi, as no one wants to see the greatest player ever™ stripped of his record titles. this goes beyond spain, it has international-implications.gif. so ironically messi might be the one thing to save barca's backside, even post-departure

what's also interesting is madrid implying they'll join the legal proceedings when possible, whatever the fuck that means. like RMA representatives would give testimony in court if called? that's kind of crazy as well since, for all their rivalry, real madrid need barcelona to maintain commercial appeal for the audiences and fans. i don't really know if they're volunteering their testimony here or if they're legally obliged to show up if summoned

i'm really hoping this means they've fallen out and it's the end of the superleague zombie project, if nothing else comes from this

[homeofhousechickens]

im on a fb poultry page and today i noticed a ton of ppl asking about reputable hatcheries and in every post at least one person recommended cackle hatchery. do you know of any groups that are any good? no hate to the group but it just turns my stomach to see so many people referring to big industrial hatcheries as reputable just bc they didn't ship dead birds :/

I would say that i dont trust any company "hatchery" unless they focus on breed genetic preservation and health over production. Some private breeders call themselves hatcheries but its up to you the buyer to decide if that means they a legitimate passionate breeder. I just dont look at hatcheries at all anymore and only communicate with private breeders.

What sucks about chicken groups on Facebook is that hatcheries have tried very very hard to replace private breeders in the minds of the public and people who dont look at the bigger picture and only see chickens as egg machines that they will just buy more of when they stop laying just dont care to educate themselves on how important sustainable poultry keeping is. Hatcheries provide a ton of breeds and all you have to do is order them from one place and its not that expensive either (because these birds are not high quality and are considered replaceable) so people just rather go with a hatchery then putting the work to find a good breeder of the chicken breeds they want who are actually preserving and bettering those breeds. In a way companies like Purina have done the same with chicken feed basically influencing people to stop trying to find local feed mills that usually have good quality and even local ingredients

And really it isnt any lay persons fault. Hatcheries really dont want people looking at their breeding pens or have people question them. All i can find that helps is when someones flock gets sick, has behavioral issues, or isnt up to breed standard is to ask where the birds were sourced and if its a hatchery educate them on how hatcheries produce birds. (And offer advice for the problem of course)

Personally im not active in the big chicken groups and really just my local ones and i know i have been able to change people minds with just educating and helping out while ignoring and blocking die hard hatchery fans. When someone asks for a hatchery reccomendation i tell them to try to find a local breeder or a breeder who will ship instead.

[angeloncewas]

I think the Ranboo thing wads caused due to him like a year ago promising to be a better ally and share resources in regards to POC issues, because his community has a racism issue.

(I saw some people saying that it would already help if he remembered and said something during specific dates/holidays like Juneteenth, etc.)

(<- context)

A couple of things (all /nm)

1. Yeah that's kind of the cause, or at least a big part of it bc it's what he talked about, but clearly something prompted it this time around. Even if it's just people banding together to bring up the fact that he said he'd do that, that's not a recent development

2. I have to question the importance of some of the demands Twitter has. I'm not trying to come across as combative and I understand that Ranboo has genuine substantial influence as a public figure. But he is in fact a white, teenage, not even particularly big-time (as far as larger connections go) streamer. He's an internet micro-celebrity. I understand that he has a responsibility as someone with a following but the behavior of a fandom when the fandom is as his is...

Him saying to not be racist isn't gonna change anyone on Twitter's mind. He couldn't get his own fans to stop being fucking creeps about his privacy, I can't possibly imagine where people are getting the impression that he can get them to care about other people who they aren't so much as fans of. If you're looking to the white boy to teach you about poc issues you're looking in the wrong place, generally.

On top of that, so much of it just feels so performative to me. Not all of it. I'm not saying remembering Juneteeth wouldn't be good, acknowledgement of it'd be a big deal. But like that era where your straight streamer would say you're valid or gay rights or whatever, what does that really do for you? For people? There are things he can do (and is doing, according to his thread) but that's not what a lot of Twitter tends to want. They want the gesture, the noise, the personal acknowledgement. They want the follow back (else [cc] hates [minority]) and its a bad culture being established.

That's how I feel as a poc, anyway.

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

fine line - a close reading

gonna cry bc i’m at the end, gonna cry bc it’s fine line.

(x x x)

want to give the same disclaimer as with lights up: this song is so layered, so multi-faceted, that i could never hope to give an exhaustive analysis. due to its vagueness and openness for interpretation, i assume that everyone, just like me, has their own ideas about it and has attached importance to it in ways that no one else’s words can or should alter. this song means the world to me for reasons that aren’t necessarily in this post, and that’s how it is with art that touches us deeply. i’ve tried my best to pull it apart, lay it bare, spread it open, if you will, so it’s almost as free as it can be for you all to form your own opinion on it. in the synthesis i will make my own conclusions, but feel free to ignore that if yours are totally different. i’m just one set of brain and heart taking in fine line and projecting whatever i think is right onto it. alright, let’s go

fine line, track 12

sung in falsetto

live version at the form: first verse not sung in falsetto - after first chorus goes into falsetto - like “thinking of her” has summoned her

live version at the form: first verse not sung in falsetto - after first chorus goes into falsetto - like “thinking of her” has summoned her

Put a price on emotion

pouring emotions into the art you create: how much is genuine / how much do you show - line between being authentic to your audience and giving away too much, wanting to keep things to yourself and not feeling truthful with what you’ve written

exploits of the industry: lay your soul bare - or the exact opposite, some pretend emotion - to score that hit

I'm looking for something to buy

cynical. emotions aren’t genuine, right? where can i go buy some?

～ lights up themes. fake life, industry, being a sell-out

You've got my devotion

But man, I can hate you sometimes

“you” = career, music, Harry Styles™. devoted to the craft, to the job, all the ups and downs of it, despite the hardships it brings 

“man” is deliberate: can be seen as an offhand interjection, like “man, that’s rough”, but nothing is casually placed in this song. “man” is: The Man, the heads in the industry, the people pulling the strings. The man in Harry, the man he’s been in the media all these years, the part he’s played/had to play, the man that’s in him

⟶ “hate you”: hate for industry shit, self-hate created by having to play pretend (～ only angel analysis, the persona of the Bukowski womaniser)

“sometimes” - it’s not fucked up all the time

“you” could also be a lover, but the sudden “hate” there then would be for that person, which is absent in any other song about them, doesn’t make any sense

I don't want to fight you

And I don't want to sleep in the dirt

like there’s a choice to me made, but he doesn’t want to make it: either I fight this “you” or I sleep in the dirt

“you” as the industry: if he doesn’t fight them, he might end up being a beggar, lose all his self-worth bc he gave in to everything they asked/told him to do

“you” as himself: fight your instincts, part of who you are/the persona. if he doesn’t fight to figure himself out, though, he fears he’ll also lose

“sleep in the dirt” as a sense of rejection, as well

We'll get the drinks in

So I'll get to thinking of her

drinks to cope - falling, only angel, from the dining table - or to be braver and confront emotions better - tbsl

who is “we”? who is “her”?

narrative of “you” as “lover” further disproven: if “I” and the lover get together over drinks and “I” starts thinking of “her”?

⟷ “her” could be the lover, but then who is “you”? the industry? some other person, besides that lover, harry is devoted to? multiple lovers, all of a sudden? no.

⟶ “I” and “you” are all harry, that get to thinking of “her” because she is in daydreams with him. the narrative that harry is fighting a part of him, the persona he has (had) to play bc of industry limits, makes most sense. that persona is within him now, and part of his work, but all of him, “we”, is begging to come into the light - of which she is a huge part

We'll be a fine line

balancing act. let everything coexist but pay attention that those lines don’t get crossed the wrong way. what we are, what i am, is a fine line between what makes us go under and what lets us thrive

we will be: determination to fulfil this prophecy, statement of fact “we always will be”

“we’ll be a fine line”: other way of interpreting it is that on both sides of that line is what entails “we”, all that is harry. what merges on that fine line is where it’s just right, when harry is fully himself in every way

“fine line” can also be an echo of criticism, bigotry, in the style of: it’s a fine line between being simply flamboyant and queer, between dressing like that and people thinking you’re a transvestite or summat (cause we wouldn’t want that, now, would we) - “we’ll be a fine line” could be owning all of it. putting himself in the middle of all those messy lines, as someone queer without a category

Test of my patience

patience with himself - kindness to self - took a long time to figure shit out and it was a challenge

waiting for change: industry and its allowances/openness

There's things that we'll never know

my favorite line

“we” = harry / harry and company / us in general, all of us listening 

～ tpwk “i don’t need all the answers”: deep sense of acceptance

peace to be found in accepting this!!

You sunshine, you temptress

“sunshine” - as in all the love songs (blue skies, sunflowers, summer days…): lover - possible that there are multiple “you”s in this song?

sunshine could ofc also be directed at the temptress, still

female “temptress” - “i’ll get to thinking of her” - she - it’s tempting for harry to think of her all the time, to lose himself in the “her” in him

other interpretation for “temptress”: woman he knows with negative influence in his life - resemblance to woman “you flower, you feast”, so echo of Bukowski ～ only angel, kiwi (my sunshine, my love, who is involved with this temptress…)

My hand’s at risk, I fold

⟷ tpwk “dropping into the deep end”

not showing his cards just yet / forfeits

anxious to show all of him, to take the chance, with all the risks and consequences involved

Crisp trepidation

I’ll try to shake this soon

nervousness, anxiety - about (not) taking (enough) chances, (not) laying himself bare (release of the album that reveals much more than before)

“crisp” fresh, this feeling is unfamiliar - change is coming “soon”

sense of agency: I can get rid of this feeling by my own volition and make these changes - hesitant, insecure: “try”

wants to be braver. he’s not going back, but still needs to calmly coax himself further and further into the light, out into the open (“we’ll be alright”)

Spreading you open

Is the only way of knowing you

(can anyone else hear “spread thin” like a whisper under “spreading”? or am i imagining things.)

“you” is back - the only way of knowing “you” is to spread them open - the physical

to spread someone open - very literal, don’t need to paint the picture, or to lay bare, to lay it all out 

⟶ “you” as himself - the only way of knowing who i am is by doing this: writing this album, performing these songs, letting others listen in and form their own interpretations, let this world grow where i’m laid bare and OPEN and exist as this person who has issues, who is angry, who doesn’t know who he is a lot of the time, but is still so happy to be here - let it spread and let it all circle back to me so i can grow deeper into myself

We'll be a fine line

We'll be alright

“we” = h & self, h & lover, h & fans

collectiveness from tpwk

(notes on a piano sounding like drops, like he’s emerged from the water and dripping dry)

SYNTHESIS

Everything about this song is plural. Personal pronouns are all over the place. I, you, her, we. The sound is incredibly layered, with Harry’s own voice echoing through its verses like he’s singing to himself in an empty cave. Meanings can be attached to every word like it’s a wax tablet used too many times. What Harry has said in interviews for once holds pretty true to the actual meaning, in my opinion. 

“It felt like it described to me the process of making it and how the album felt in terms of the different kinds of songs on it.” (Capital FM)

This can mean a lot of things, and I think it means all of the things, of course. It means Fine Line is a summary of all of his emotions he visited on the album, of the things he’s laid bare. And it means that the actual process was also described, as one that can be frustrating and challenging, with added industry shit. 

Harry has expressed straightforward gratefulness to his label for "leaving (him) alone” while making the album and that speaks volumes. This time, he had the chance to make his art without the constant interference of a label, which meant he could weave in criticism as well. “Put a price on emotion” is first and foremost a critique on the industry. It’s the first line of the song, setting the tone for the interpretation of this song is about the risks I took while making this album. It involves criticism on an industry that creates such an atmosphere that only a certain type of music and artist breaks through or can be successful, that limits people in their personal expression. Convinces them that it’s better that way. That it’s better to hide who they love because the general public won’t accept them. That it’s better to create a song about a fake emotion than be honest. Harry loves writing songs and being on stage, but it’s taken a while for him to be fully comfortable there as a solo artist and bloom into the person that could make Fine Line. He loves his career, but it’s also limited his freedom in ways beyond our comprehension, and it’s exploited him to the point where he didn’t know who he was, in ways that have clearly taken a toll on his mental wellbeing. To a point where he finishes this album reassuring himself, most of all, that everything will be alright.

That process of making Fine Line obviously includes Harry confronting emotions he hadn’t before. He has stated that he experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows while making it. There are things he hates, he was fighting but doesn’t want to (anymore), uncertainties he was trying to figure out but had to accept he couldn’t, risks he still doesn’t know he can take without shaking. At the centre of it all is this sense of “knowing you.” The different personal pronouns in the song paint a fractured picture, which is ultimately deliberate. That the “you” Harry is devoted to and can hate sometimes doesn’t line up with “her,” that the end focus does seem to be this “you” that is mentioned in the same breath as “man” and “temptress,” forming the “we” together with “I”. 

After having songs like Lights Up, She, Falling and even TPWK, one of the central themes on the album has undoubtedly been self-discovery, in all its pain and glory. There are no female pronouns on the album besides, obviously, in She, and then here, in Fine Line. She is about a man living with a woman “just in his head”, who “sleeps in his bed while he plays pretend.” It is very clearly a trans narrative, the story of someone struggling to put into words what they’re experiencing in terms of gender. To a point that they fantasise about running away. Fine Line brings the ideas of knowing what it all means, which Lights Up kicks off (“do you know who you are?”), Falling deepens (“what am I now?”) and Treat People With Kindness turns on its head (“I don’t need all the answers”), together. Harry is still doubtful, and the questions asked earlier in the album haven’t disappeared, but he has accepted that “some things we’ll never know.” His aim, however, is still “knowing you.” 

To have Fine Line, as the summary of these emotions of self-growth and self-discovery, echo that one female pronoun, speaks volumes. It is a direct reference to She, to that story about gender. “Her” in this song refers to “she (who) lives in daydreams with (him).” The one who still only fully comes out when they’ve had a drink. The one he’s still working to include in who he is, as he tries to figure out who he is, all of it. The song where he sings in falsetto, just like on Fine Line. Of which he sang the first verse an octave lower live at the forum, switching between those voices, those perspectives. That’s also why “you” in this song is also Harry to me. We get this fractured sense of self, this “I” and “you” conversing over a drink, this “you” Harry is devoted to and wants to figure out. “You” and “I” form “we” and all of them are Harry. The lines are blurry on purpose, there is no way to figure out where “you” ends and “I” begins. 

“You sunshine, you temptress” is the most enigmatic line in that respect, and to me blurs those lines even more between the pronouns. “You” is suddenly also identified by a female noun. And no this isn’t about some kind of love triangle. “Sunshine” aligns with all the odes to his lover in the rest of the album. So what does that mean? That there are multiple “you”s in this song, meaning that Harry is addressing both his lover and a temptress? So “her” he’ll get to thinking of, the only other female pronoun used in the song, is identified as a temptress, but tempting to do what? To take risks? And no I won’t forget the “man, I can hate you sometimes,” where "man” is not a casual interjection but an identifier of “you.” 

Or is it an echo of “the light” from Golden’s “bring me back to the light” and Light’s Up’s “step into the light”? So that the “sunshine” symbolises being in the clear, being out of the darkness running through his heart, the darkness caused by not knowing who you are. “You sunshine,” you beacon of light. “You temptress,” risk-taker and source of anxiety. You, one I need to spread open to figure out, to know about, source of happiness and despair, one I’m devoted to but also hate. You, man, you, temptress. You there, in the mirror looking back at me. 

All of you, and myself included, we’ll be a fine line. And we’ll be alright.

This song is about all of that. The self in art, the self on its own, the other, the journey, the chances, the fears, the passion. Hope. Reassurance. Confidence. And, most importantly, that everything will be alright in the end.

x

read all my lyric analyses here

[talkingtea]

That's the problem with publicizing your entire relationship on sm and giving ppl unlimited access to every facet of your private life. Ppl will analyze every part of it and will notice obvious changes in posting patterns and behavior. And when things even remotely go south, not only is it visible to everyone watching the progress, but now there's this added pressure to keep up appearances or remain in a stressful relationship bc that's what ppl know you for and expect from you. Reminds me of a story from somewhere about some girl's sister being an influencer who put her entire relationship on insta, did all this and that to make them look a certain way though it was fake for the camera, and it made the relationship stressful having to be this facade until she and her bf broke up. But everyone was so invested in them and they built their influencing around their relationship so they had to continue the farce by pretending to still be with each other for their brand. I'm 100% positive that girl's sister and her ex are miserable. And I'm sure there are tons more stories like that. Sm ppl being in fake relationships they can't get out of because it's what they built their image around. And to that I shrug. They did this to themselves by tying their worth to their influence on sm. Lesson to learn about sm. It's unwise to give everyone unlimited access to things that should be kept under wraps. And while the short term gratification of having fans rooting for you may be fun at first, it's not sustainable longterm, esp if you're trying to portray yourselves as "everything is fine and happy and perfect" when it so clearly is not.

[thoroughlyskeptic]

OK.  So.  I have a dear friend who was always desperate to be in a relationship.  His home life growing up was a mess, mother abandoned the family after the third child was born, father and grandmother were left to raise the kids.  He never felt stable when it came to women.  So, whenever he started seeing someone, he became exactly what she wanted him to be.  He’d ghost his friends, stop doing the activities he liked, start doing everything his current girlfriend wanted.  Some of the girls were nice, so it wasn’t TOO bad, but there were a few… let’s just say I was gearing up for a fight at least twice.  (You manipulate my friend by telling him you (fake) miscarried his (fake) twin sons?  Fuck you.)  This happened over and over and over, and every single time his friends could SEE it, but we couldn’t DO anything about it.  It was YEARS, a ton of broken relationships, and a failed marriage (to a really great woman, but not the right one for him) before he figured it out.

I see similarities with Benedict Cumberbatch’s relationship with Sophie Hunter.

I only became aware of BC after S2 of Sherlock.  My husband told me about the show, and I watched it and was hooked on this unusual looking man with the funny name.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to find out more about him. 

“The secretary with the jade hairpin is his girlfriend!” 

“His parents are actors!” 

“His niece is his assistant!”

SPARKLY SHOES!

LAMB STATUE ON THE RED CARPET!

“Look how much fun he and Martin Freeman have together!”

Photobombing U2!

Dorkybatch!

The horrible Caitlin Moran (ptooee!) fiasco when he looked so crushed, and Amanda was comforting him.

“Go pay attention to Egypt” signs while filming.

I could see a change when STiD came out- he stepped out of that limo and I thought “Oh.  He’s a moviestar now.”  But he still didn’t seem to take himself too seriously, goofing around on the RC with the rest of the cast etc.

Then The Imitation Game.  What a great film!  He was marvelous as one of my persona heroes. 

By then I knew he’d broken up with Olivia and had been seen canoodling with various other women around the world.  Good for him, ride that wave.

The Oscar run though, suddenly there was this woman who seemingly came out of nowhere, his one true love.  OK- I get it, sometimes true love happens fast, I can personally attest.  But… there was something different about this relationship.  In the past he wore his affection on his face and in his body, looking at his partner with unabashed adoration, clinging almost to her side.  His body naturally leaned toward her.  Now he seemed stiff and unsure.  Yeah- he would reach out to her, he would hold her back, but it was so stiff.

So who is this woman?  People started looking.  She’s an opera director, she’s won awards, she’s an avant garde actress, she’s a mime, she’s done this, or that, or some other thing.  But… it wasn’t all quite true, was it?  To the point that one organization had to put out a statement saying that yes, THEY won the award, but that SHE hadn’t been involved.  Whispers of “Harvey’s Girl” started circulating.  SoHo House.  Red carpet girlfriend to prove that even though he played a gay man, he was absolutely heterosexual.  Racy pictures of her suddenly disappearing from the internet. 

Then there was her behavior.  The red dress stomp off is still so vivid.  Who does that?  I’ve seen the excuses- “She’s shy!” “She was pregnant and sick and had to go throw up!”  I don’t think those are any excuses for poor behavior.  Showing up separately to events, enough so that when the clutch dropped in Palm Springs you can SEE that he was completely thrown off by the bump reveal.  Not just that he was surprised she was being so blatant, but that he was surprised there was a bump AT ALL.

People started digging further, and the timeline started to unravel. “They met on Burlesque Fairytales!”  “They’ve been together for 13 years!”  “They’ve known each other since they were teenagers.”  “They started dating in May/June/last year!”  But why did her ex-boyfriend keep popping up?  What about the women he dated after Olivia?  What about Olivia herself? 

Then that bump.  Look- I firmly believe she was pregnant.  What I do NOT believe is that she gave birth in June.  To be as big as she was on the honeymoon and then the EXACT SAME SIZE in May?  Does not compute.  That pesky timeline again.  A first-week-of-June birth would put conception in early to mid-September.  There are photos that suggest the couple wasn’t even on the same continent at that time.

Jump to now.

Dorkybatch is gone, replaced by ridiculously expensive watches (Yes- I know they’re for Dr. Strange, but it’s still off putting that someone who used to be so invested in social justice … does that) and rambling interviews about breathing (all the while staying in an exclusive resort bungalow.)  Grins and hugs on the RC for his costars turn to stone face and awkward hand holding (or grab assing) with his wife.  (I’m not saying he never smiles at her, but it is a marked difference)

I’ve noticed over the years that if one of the people in a relationship is 180* different with their SO than they are with other people, or that much different than they used to be before- that’s a red flag.  You can try to spin it that he’s matured since he became a father, or he’s so annoyed with his fans’ dissection of his relationship that he freezes up when he’s in public, but I don’t think that’s it.

Speaking of fans.  Don’t you think it’s odd that in the past 7 years we’ve seen him out with his family only what- 3 times?  You cannot tell me that with a fandom that maps his favorite spots and flies around the world to see him that nobody, NOBODY has ever seen the family and taken a picture.  “Oh, but they’re respecting his privacy!”  I don’t buy that.  (Used tissues and wine glasses ring a bell?)  People have taken photos of Rihanna at the grocery store.  Chris Hemsworth at the beach with his children.  Milo V’s short shorts practically broke the internet.  Just look at DeuxMoi and you’ll see that people have no shame about taking sneaky photos.  This tells me one of two things- either fans have taken pictures and passed them around behind the scenes (unlikely- they would have been leaked) or that nobody’s ever seen the family together.  How?

Do I think he’s being mind controlled, has been drugged, is somehow being influenced by the Illuminati?  No.  But I do think he’s changed.  And there’s nothing we can do but watch.

************************************

Thanks for responding.

[ablednt]

something that really grinds my gears is when ppl pick and choose what si’s to condemn tho. like obviously there’s a hierarchy of harm on a large scale, w/ hp being rlly high up due to rowlings influence. but they’ll be talking about that while consuming lovecraft (whose antiblackness and antisemitism we can’t ignore just bc his works are public domain), jjba, star wars etc. and barring something huge like hp everyone is going to have different standards for what they can consume critically.

like i’ve watched white ppl harass black ppl for liking garnet from su bc THEY thought she was an antiblack stereotype + there are some black ppl who feel she is, it isnt a white person’s place to condemn black women who do like her. same w connie and going after desi ppl etc. like white ppl go out of their way to harass autistic poc who like media that other poc have issues with. how many times do we have to say we aren’t a monolith. nothing is above criticism but theyre outta pocket.

Yeah that's understandably really frustrating and I agree that the way a lot of media discourse goes is just bizarre given the double standards like most people don't want to accept that yeah at some point they're going to get attached to media that has problematic things in it.

Personally, the way I look at it is the harm done by the media needs to be measurable for a full boycott to be necessary. Like, with stuff like HP giving jkr and affiliated people money or free advertizing via fandom does measurable harm that's going straight to transmisogynist groups and efforts and in addition to that hp fans claim to be critical about said media but they only ever seem to do that about the transmisogyny and not the plethora of other issues within the text itself. Like, truly, deeply I don't care if someone still enjoys aspects of hp like certain characters or the different houses or whatever like so long as the aspects of it they enjoy aren't the blatant bigotry and they aren't giving it PR I am not going to care that's not what's doing the measurable harm.

With stuff like SU I honestly don't even think it's an issue for someone to post about it or enjoy it so long as they're willing to acknowledge that there's a lot of legitimately fucked up stuff in it (and of course, like you said, people of color almost certainly are fully aware of the negative aspects considering it literally targets them) and in the end it completely failed in the messages it ultimately wanted to send by adding in fascist propaganda. Like, personally, I'm always going to have a soft spot for the parts of it that resonated with me and that weren't particularly harmful and I also think it's okay to point out the places that it did succeed and resonate with people the same way that people do, like you said, with stuff like Star Wars which is just as heavy with its flaws (and marketed towards impressionable children the same way)

I also think we can really blame fandom culture for a lot of this issue just because the standard for enjoying something has changed so much like there is in fact a difference between "I enjoy this thing and sometimes I talk about it" and "I'm in the fandom, giving it pr, recommending it, and pouring money into it. This is my hobby." Like not that the latter is bad inherently but I really do wish people would like see the separation there.

And then one last thing I think is important, especially with children's media that is going to inevitably be a part of actual children's lives is that we learn to actually discuss a media for both its flaws and its successes because I really don't think your average like 10 year old is going to understand giving something up completely without even fully understanding what issues people have with it it's much better, in my opinion, to be able to seize on a cultural moment and use it for discussion than the way a lot of people just instantly condemn things. Like Idk we can have nuance once in a while...as a treat.

[numbaoneflaya]

You can count on me to pull up with a thousand of questions sbdhdh. A3, A22, C5, D3, F3 for Jilly ; A18, A23, B9, C1, H2 for Nirn ; A5,B9, C8, D1, I5, for Thurwen ; A9, A13, C1, E8, and G6 for Valkya? 😏

A3, A22, C5, D3, F3 for Jilly ;

A3.Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it? Do they try to treat it?

Shawty got that stockholm syndrome in a way. She is…. Sometimes aware of it, though she wouldn't call it that any more. Maybe at first in the basement she was more aware, but now that she can come and go she thinks its a thing of the past. tries not to dwell on it. Kind of in a “well its literally not that bad its kind of fun its kind of romantic were just quirky <3” way, will get mad if someone insists she has stockholm or that the relationship is fucked. Will get enraged and upset on Vincent's behalf, probably cry and yell at you.

A22. Is your OC intended to be found generally attractive? Unattractive? Average? Is there a reason why?

I intended her to be fairly average, maybe kind of cute. It's generally the way she dresses/acts in public that draws attention, not her looks. I tend to make most of my ocs on the average scale besides a select few.

C5. Do your OC’s morals and rules of common decency go out the window when it comes to those they don’t like, or when it’s inconvenient? Aka, are their morals situational?

Good question…. Jillys morals are pretty simple- always be kind and nice, murder and hurting other people is bad, and you shouldnt lie. She sticks to those pretty strictly herself despite the situations she gets put in, often to her own detriment. But she doesn't always put a stop to those behaviors from the people she surrounds herself with, so she's sort of accomplice to bad acts of violence just by not snitching. So somewhat situational? She tries not to think about it.

D3. How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

Not comfortable! She hadn't seen a lot of it before her early twenties and was always sort of sheltered. dead fish are flushed down the toilet bcs they go to the ocean to live again, right? Thought cows and such all died of old age peacefully before they were made into burgers until she was like… twelve. 💀Won't kill mice and other critters despite her prey drive bcs she would feel too bad. And this is just for animal death, she's much more uncomfortable with human death. Also a thing she tries to ignore.

F3. Could they ever live in a “tiny home”?

God no. She hates small spaces unless she's hiding in them and tiny homes have no room for all the shit she stashes! No room for zoomies, or climbing on the furniture, or wrestling around on the floor. It would be filled with junk within a week.

A18, A23, B9, C1, H2 for Nirn ;

A18. Do they get jealous easily? Do they feel bad if they do?

He's never had much to be jealous of, as he's never really been over involved in romantic relationships. They were usually mutually beneficial and somewhat clinical in nature. Hes also pretty sure of himself and his value as an asset and lover. If he finds someone who peaks his interest and they become an item though, he might get jealous if he catches them flirting with other people. Hell be peeved at first but know flirtation in business has its value, so to make himself feel better might flirt with someone else while they are nearby. Make a game of it, see who wins.

A23. Does your OC place much importance on their appearance? Do they feel confident in it?

Appearances are crucial to him and spends a lot of time and money making sure he looks his best. He needs to appear above the rabble and impenetrable, dressing well and having immaculate posture and an air of both grace and otherworldliness.

B9. What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Definitely not one to find fart jokes funny. Very rarely laughs genuinely or full heartedly, he keeps all his expressions of emotion close to his chest. Sharp sardonic wit is appealing to him in the right circumstances, even a jab directed at himself can make him chuckle if it's well formed enough. Irony almost always gets him, even if its dark irony or gallows humor. Bit of a hard nut to crack. Would laugh enough that hed have to cover his mouth with his hand if he were to see Felix fall face first into mud, though. More often than not you can tell he finds something amusing by a gleam in his eyes and a slight squint.

C1. Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

Well he used to have a real moral code :/. Now I mean…. The ends justify the means. By any means necessary. He considers his family's needs first, then the good of the world, then any individual in the world. Has ordered executions of entire families, had babies stolen and sent away, sent armies to certain death knowing full well they would all die, commanded individuals be tortured for information, sacrificed many in what he considers to be a game of chess where he is the player and others are the pawns. He finds senseless violence and savagery to be unforgivable, but if violence has a sense and purpose to employ it, then he will do so.

H2. Is your OC a thoughtful partner, in whatever aspect of that you want to cover?

Nirn tends to be a very thoughtful and attentive person in general, just for the wrong reasons lmaoooo. But with a lover? He's going to be utilizing that to show them how much he cares and using his powers for good. Mention you like a certain fabric while shopping one time and then complain your favorite tunic has a wine stain in it several months later, he's going to be taking your measurements for a new one in your preferred material without a moment's notice. Very keen on picking up moods, expressions and tone. Also has a very good memory. He doesn't really think about it but gifts are how he shows his love. Also a great attentive listener.

A5,B9, C8, D1, I5, for Thurwen ;

A5. Are they good at handling change in their life?

I would say so, yeah. Shes been used to things constantly changing since she was little and has had little to no control on outside influences. Shes also not one to over think about the past and lament, shes more of a one foot in front of the other, the only time is the present kind of gal. Of course large changes like becoming a warden were a bit more severe, but shes mostly able to think in the present as long as she has immediate problems to deal with.

B9.What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Slapstick is always gonna make her laugh as long as nobody gets seriously hurt, even if its her own ass tripping into a tree. Not a fan of scare pranks, 0/10 recommend trying to scare Thurwen. You will end up with a broken nose at best and an angry elf. Likes puns, but she's the one to groan at them and try and hide the grin spreading across her face. Gallows humor but only if its her in the gallows, otherwise doesn't find it funny at all. If a little kid calls someone a fartcicle she will be tears in the eyes giggling, which is hard when your warden commander and everyone looks toward you to be serious and mature gyshsdhdfsghsd.

C8. Is your OC more practical or ideal morally? I.e., do they hold people to high expectations of behavior even if it’s not realistic for the situation, or do they have a more realistic approach and adapt their morality to be more practical?

She definitely holds herself to moral ideals and is very hard on herself, but has realistic moral expectations for others. She can understand self serving and people only wanting to survive and she will only give people a little bit of shit for it, no one's perfect. But then she expects herself to be perfect and berates herself constantly for not living up to the hero of ferelden warden commander ideals.

D1. How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

Atheist ever since her mom died when she was a kid, but now Shes in a weird mixed state ever since the urn of sacred ashes where shes like. fuck the maker, but Andraste is cool I guess. So respects/believes in the power of Andraste while thinking the maker is a piece of shit and the chantry sucks ass. Even she doesnt know what she really believes, but she did see the ghosts of Andrastes disciples and Shartan, used her ashes as healing salve, killed an old god, etc. So shes been in a weird place recently, crisis of faith/non faith pretty continual.

I5. Are they a good cook?

I mean…. She can cook basics. Shes been feeding herself and the alienage kids since she was old enough to walk so she knows how to get protein and make things edible. Does it taste good? Probably not. She didnt see her first spice till she was 17 years old, but she can skin a rabbit in seven seconds.

LA9, A13, C1, E8, and G6 for Valkya? 😏

A9. Does your OC make a lot of excuses? For themselves? Others?

She tries to excuse bad behavior of herself or others a lot, yeah fgdgdsfhdhs. Mostly she doesnt have to make excuses for herself because she can wholeheartedly be like “yeah i fucked up but whatever im sexy and large and awesome and everyone loves me 🙄whatever baby” and when other people fuck up shes pretty sympathetic even though they are not as large nor as sexy. Shes very used to forgiving and excusing herself its totally alien to her when she really fucks up and is suddenly like wait… valkya…. Did bad?? What is this feeling. Shame?? Guilt?? IMPOSSIBLE.

A13. Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

She hates those giant bugs in morrowind and valenwood a whole fucking lot but I wouldnt exactly place it as a phobia. Those huge mosquitoes and haorvers got no respect but she really hates the morrowind bugs ever since they knocked her over and jumped her while she was pants down peeing drunk as hell in the sand :/ never forgave. Never forgot.

C1. Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

She was raised in a healthy household that tought the basics, prety much “harming others needlessly, stealing, torture, rape, dessecrating the dead, being selfish and not doing right by others, etc etc all basic bad things” are her morals. Her morality is basically treat others how you want to be treated. And if they treat you badly, then have fun beating the shit out of them to show everyone else not to fuck with you. Its a pretty nordic morality in that way. Her morality is also since she was ‘blessed’ with being so large and strong, that she has to also look out for the little guy who cant protect themselves. So If someone treats them how valkya wouldn't want to be treated, then beat the shit out of the person harming them to show them the little guys got backup. Her parents raised her to be a hero and thats p much how she sees herself, which has its benefits and its fuckin problems.

E8. What’s one of your OC’s biggest regrets?

Fucking up Dem and Dariens relationship for sure dude :/ valkya always gonna be sulking over that one. She doesnt regret becoming a vestige, even though it would have made her so much happier not to be because it ended up saving so many people and the world. She regrets not spending more time with Naryu, regrets always having other life saving business she had to run off to, regrets not cherishing the time they had together. Regrets not telling Lyris how she feels, either. Regrets not being able to save as many people as she should have, regrets she wasnt stronger in coldharbor and didnt break out herself. But she tries not to think about it <3

G6. Do they have any favorite childhood memories?

When she was seven she once spent two months training to hold her breath underwater, because her cousin always held it longer and won the gold bet. She trained for hours almost drowning in the river until she could comfortably hold it for up to three minutes. During the next holiday when they all got together again the competitions were on and they both went under- her cousin won, holding their breath for four more minutes before they decided to come up. This was the first lesson she learned that shocked her world view- you always need to know your opponents capabilities. (after she lost 26 gold in the bets, her mother later had to inform her that her cousin was an argonian.)