#nicest anon to ever anon

[thesherrinfordfacility]

Hiiiii, this is an anon (not long winded anon though they’re amazing) here that doesn’t really have anyone else to scream about GO with (as of right now) and all your meta and analysis has OPENED MY EYES . They’re incredible!! . Truly, one of the things that drew me to Good Omens in the first place is the little details and how in depth the characters, sets, props, relationships, everything goes. And your analysis just made me realize things that, the thing is, I think I subconsciously knew in the moment but didn’t fully appreciate until someone spelled it all out for me? I love it. So much. Thank you for contributing your thoughts to the discussion of this complex piece of media!

And. Well. I’m not as astute or able to formulate my thoughts in a clear manner as you, so, erm. Prepare for walls and walls of text!

Most of this is just the dissertation of what I wrote after formulating stewing my thoughts on S2 for a couple days after I watched it. (well. Mostly about the ending. But I thought all the episodes and every single second was really good as well and charming and they do well to plant the seeds that harken the Final 15 Minutes, or explore + add context to all of Season 1, or hint at what’s coming next in season 3 (I’m pretty hopeful that the show is doing well enough… but I’ll rerun in it in the background just in case…)

So it probably doesn’t make sense, and there are probably things I interpreted wrong, but i thought it could be cool to send . Hope you don’t mind!

(—> I do think Metatron manipulated the heck out of Aziraphale though. And I do think there’s a possibility he put something into the coffee. Maybe some extra purifying substance, to make the option of heaven more tantalizing. BUT. okay now this next part is a little more speculation and hopes on my part but even if something was tampered with, I think Aziraphale would NOTICE a miracle effect on the coffee, or NOTICE Metatron’s choice of words and language, or RECOGNIZE the manipulation in some way.)

PERSONALLY, even though I partly agree that going back to Heaven is a bad move and likely Aziraphale won’t have as much power as he thinks, I think it was the tough but right decision. Like, Aziraphale is made for doing good and trying to make change. Though people mentioned they they thought he reverted back to his s1 self, THAT self thought Heaven was good. This self thinks that Heaven is bad as it is now, but he thinks he and Crowley can improve it.

IDK. IDK, to me, it seems that the happy ending that a lot of of the fan base was wanting if it were to cut off at season two would feel rushed and brush past a lot of things that needed to be addressed in the relationship. Like, Aziraphale accepts crowley’s offer and confession, Crowley moves his plants in, then what? Shax is (I think?) the Duke of hell and is going to pester them still, as well as Uriel, Micheal, and Salaquel (I’m so sorry for the name misspelling probably they were super cool though…). Like. Again! Book of Life hanging over their heads!

So, yeah! They’re together! They’re not broken up and depressed, woo! but. Is that it? And then they just ignore everything else? Let the Heaven and Hell system stay as it is, and as Metatron said he was planning, let the Second Coming into fruition.

But, like, Muriel! And all the other angels and demons living within the system and suffering for it! We saw firsthand Season 1 especially at the execution scenes where Aziraphale is meant to be burned in hellfire and Crowley is meant to be put in holy water and die a painful death. Like they collaborate just to cause suffering. (Furfur and Shax, for example, as well, who resent Crowley. Shax really wanted to kill and maim, yes, but also she just really wanted recognition and power. It’s easy to disregard them because they’re “just evil demons” but that’s also what people condemn Aziraphale for doing to Crowley so like. ) They’re so lonely, in the 37th Ballister, in that sterile office and kinda like Aziraphale once upon a time, not really considered as an equal or heard even though they’re so sweet. Sent to earth without the slightest training and looked down upon when Muriel just follows her innate Goodness instead of sneaking and spying for the higher ups.

Crowley is right in that it’s not supposed to be their responsibility to fix it and he wants to just go off, but Aziraphale would take on that responsibility for himself just like he promised to protect Gabriel even though he had caused him so much suffering when he was his boss

So just like we saw with Gabriel and Beezelbub, who were high enough ranking to like do their thing discreetly (and well. Didn’t turn out well for them either, Gabriel was literally memory wiped and it took a sneaky matchbox and a gift fly and Aziraphale’s shelter and everything for things to turn out well for them), there are probably other Aziraphale’s and Crowleys within hell and heaven. Either angels who genuinely want to do good and would object to things like killing Job’s children but can’t because of the system/what Heaven propaganda has instilled into their heads, like Aziraphale. Or Demons who don’t really have their FULL heart into pain and suffering (AGAIN. Shax was even surprised herself when she mentioned that humans came up with such horrible things on their own that she hadn’t ever thought of.) like Crowley. And angels and demons who want to be friends and lovers or whatever, or WOULD BE if they were allowed to meet on earth and have normal conversations instead of constantly being like “THE ENEMY” but can’t. All the demons were former angels, fallen, right?!! They were probably friends, lovers, acquaintances, all of that, before the war and the split! We just saw what happened with C and A because they were the earth ambassadors for their sides.

RIP I LOST SOME OF MY THOUGHTS when copy pasting so the next lines might not be as complete but trying to recoup them and continuing on

And the humans!!! They suffer under the current system too! Crowley and Aziraphale teamed up in the first place, even though A knew C before the beginning, in order to protect the humans from both Heaven and Hell. From God’s bets (Job and his children), to the Flood, to things like the end of the world Armageddon and now the Second Coming.

(Maybe I was giving Aziraphale too much credit in my above psychoanalyzing/speculating on Aziraphale’s thought processes and motives and understanding of the whole situation, I admit some of it was copium for hoping he saw through the whole manipulation thing, but either way the moment Metatron mentioned Second Coming would have sealed the coffin and not allowed him to step out of that elevator and back to Crowley because there’s something terrible, just like Armageddon, he has to prevent at all costs. Even if it means this much heartache. Because he cares for earth’s people, for Nina and Maggie, for everyone they met in Season 1.)

Also, everyone, even the ones who understand Aziraphale’s reasoning, seem to assume that his choice is a Total Dead End and there is absolutely No Good to Be Had. Of course, he’ll probably regret it (he obviously wishes to be with Crowley and earth and his bookshop, he obviously still has a favorable optimistic view of Heaven that will get weathered and shattered (but also I think it ALREADY HAS at least a little bit as seen with the Job mínisode and the grave digging thing), and eventually when Metatron is revealed to be conniving and manipulative instead of also a good guy, he’ll regret trusting him then, too.) Of course.

I really understand the ultimate romantic declaration of “I don’t care about anything but you and me, I would burn the world for you, I would do ANYTHING for you” that people see from Crowley and that’s why it hurts so much more when Aziraphale rejects that but the thing is Aziraphale wants both, he wants to love Crowley especially and also care about everyone else? And like. Normal healthy relationships are like that. Even though it’s romantic, it’s wonderful, the first thing toes the line of unhealthy codependency yeah? It’s devastating and shows how much Crowley cares that Aziraphale is his “only friend” and he’s obviously going to be major depressed after the end of S2. Of course. But like, it’s not good to put EVERYTHING on the line for someone else. In a different world, obviously not this one because Aziraphale loves Crowley that’s. So Obvious. But like in a different world where Aziraphale genuinely had no romantic interest in him, not in the “you are a demon and therefore innately disgusting way” but in the “I genuinely just see you as a good friend way” (aromantic) like. Same rejection.

I like watching it this way of course, where Aziraphale feels the same way, and it’s well supported by the text. But like. Idk. Food for thought?? Are my ramblings going off the rails?? Idk! I love good omens because it extracts think pieces like this out of my psyche LOL. So much to talk about, so many scenes can just be picked apart and there’s so much INTENTION BEHIND IT IT’S… AUGHUHGIFN GENIUNELY PEAK MEDIA I UNDERSTAND how people have so much love, and kept so much love for the series for all the 4 years between season 1 and 2 and even before with the book series though obviously the series at this point is pretty much a different piece of media still inspired and adapted by but pretty much doing it’s own thing yknow

ANYWAYS. GOT OFF THE RAILS. BACK TO my previous Point. I think instead of suppressing and oppressing him right away, Metatron would allow Aziraphale to make the changes he wishes to, even if they are small and hard-earned. And I believe Aziraphale is smart enough and loophole enough and rules bending enough and determined enough (he literally lied while swearing on his word as an Angel and truly thought he was going to fall about Job’s children, he realized and used of the idea of Divine Plan vs Ineffable Plan to his advantage to stop the world from ending) there had to be a lot of these small rebellions to keep existing in his partnership with Crowley and everything. He obviously didn’t know everything before, but as we see with the grave digging scenes he is willing to learn and change his views and through it all he has empathy for everyone.

To me, I think it is realistic that Aziraphale actually gets to make some changes, even if it’s not all of them. He gets to put a suggestion box there, you know? He gets to help more people like Muriel, he won’t put down anyone, he won’t bully anyone, and he would discourage that from his peers and HEY, supreme archangel status, maybe micheal and Uriel and the others won’t listen but maybe some will because the Metatron instated him there or maybe because he learns how to be geniunely a bit of a leader yknow? Though I agree he is a bit of a disaster but. It would be so cool.

And it’ll muddle the apology and forgiveness and everything even more, because while Aziraphale of course loves Crowley, saw so many good takes flying around that informed this behemoth but also i wanted to credit this one for what I’m going to talk about next: https://www.tumblr.com/irispurpurea/724196690802950144 (tl;dr: Gabriel and Beelzebub are able to run away because they didn’t care about jobs or humans in the first place, unlike Aziraphale and Crowley who actually love the humans and Earth. Also the same point I made earlier about how running away like they did to Alpha Centauri was as much as an idealistic “solution” to their woes as both of them joining heaven is)

( I love complicated so much muhauahuaha)

Some of the fix its I see, some of the hopes I see about yknow the Coffee theory or Aziraphale not going into the elevator at the last second or the apology dance/Aziraphale literally groveling at Crowley’s feet after regretting everything and everything like a few months into serving heaven (though I would love if the apology dance got brought back AND Crowley does deserve an apology after so much heartache, even if Aziraphale didn’t mean it and only had good intentions he still hurt him)

and by no means are these fix its or theories wrong or bad for what I’m about to say, they just.. I understand people are very reactionary, they waited years for this, they have to wait more, and it ended on such a fraught note. Emotionally devastating like it was meant to be. It’s tough to see characters one loves not have a happy ending (yet). Mentally exhausting/draining. I understand. And also some of the fix-its are being written in the span of a day after the release which is so incredibly impressive? Like wow! Of course they’re Not going to branch into the complexity I PERSONALLY prefer and crave. I understand.

But wouldn’t it be so great if instead of a simple solution, Aziraphale wants his old life back so much but now he’s making a DIFFERENCE (in some ways actual, in some ways manipulated by Metatron to make him feel like he’s making a difference, either way he’s DOING SOMETJING. he’s not gonna be like. Doing Nothing. I feel like having heaven try to trap him in a box right away would only drive him away sooner because at this point I believe that he has a little more self respect than he did before yknow. And also like. The best way to trap Aziraphale would be to bring people who actually needed help into it. Tied down by the obligation to help the innocent and the good.) and now people DEPEND on him and rely on him which makes it so much harder for him to walk away like Crowley wanted him to do yknow.

Basically, instead of “proving Crowley right the entire season” I want him to prove Crowley wrong and actually impress him with the improvements he’s been able to make from inside, BUT OF COURSE. THE INSTITUTION ITSELF IS ROTTEN, must be torn down and rebuilt in order to actually make real what Aziraphale wants in his idealism and I think that’s what season 3 is going to work towards right? And them working together not as two angels in heaven, but as the team they were always meant to be to make things better not Just in their own relationship but also the whole world they live in for like the True True happy ending yknow?? Then they get to settle down in the South Downs cottage.

(maximum copium ahead)

Yea you know what! I want him to also prove all of Heaven wrong. Like they give him the bare bones, the absolutely nothing material and power to make things better and he still makes SOMETHING of it because of his enduring patient strength and empathy and charming press and cleverness. Idk! Aziraphale, I believe, is very competent and capable!! (not at communication. But at helping people that’s what he’s good at yknow) and if even he’s not competent and capable, if he’s suffering and grasping for scraps and straws under this oppressive system, then you know either way he’s giving EVERYTHING he has to make it work. Determination!!! He’s going to do good even if it kills him and even if he wants nothing more than to go back to Crowley and be truly happy again.

And I want him to prove Heaven wrong so much that THAT’S what breaks the camel’s back, they realize he is actually changing things and that spurs them on to have them try to exert more control over him, and then that’s how he and Crowley meet and work together again to stop the Second Coming? Maybe?

The bigger copium I have is that secretly Aziraphale is a mastermind who sees through Metatron’s ploy and has to play along to later outsmart him, like a clever fox caught in a trap and laying the seeds of future escape. Like maybe the coffee theory is real but instead of being drugged Aziraphale keenly notices what was slipped in and is able to keep his wits about him. Or maybe Metatron threatened the book of life punishment or alluded to it so he knows he has to tread carefully.

The only problem I have with this plan is that usually Aziraphale isn’t the type to hurt others for the greater good, especially Crowley (as I type that out. Erm. Well maybe he would) but idk that devastation after the failed confession was definitely not acting.

The nightingale song message theory through the Bentley and the fake smile he gives at the end when he walks into heaven are literally my only basis of evidence for this lol lmao omegalul. And someone saying that the record he listened to had historical meaning about someone rebelling subtly and quietly.

I like to believe the truth is a nice middle ground between all the ideas presented here. Aziraphale is not helpless, but he’s not totally omniscient. He’s a victim of heavy manipulation by Metatron and Heaven, but he means to manipulate whatever power he can leverage from this arrangement to do as much good as he can. And through it all he was thinking of Crowley and his well-being the whole time even though erm. Yeah. That must’ve been crushing.

Idk sometimes I wonder if what I say is decipherable lol like yes obviously heaven is toxic it’s wrong, a lot of the good Aziraphale saw in it was willful ignorance, there is a lack of care, there is a lack of empathy… but like. He can instill some of that goodness in it again, right?

Also nobody’s talking about fixing hell or improving it at all, understandably, because Hell is supposed to be a Bad Place and nobody questions it (but our characters are MADE for questioning things!!!) course the absolutely terrible, irredeemable people (Nazis) got there shouldn’t be saved or given lighter fates than the spider digestion thing.

But maybe the demons themselves can have a bit of a better go of it, since the line between devil and Angel isn’t so different as the show has proved time and time again (also another thing I see floating around and totally agree with. Aziraphale obviously is told that demons are wrong and bad and evil and believes it, and of course the discussion of him thinking of Crowley as an Angel who was unfairly cast down and now fights against his Demon Nature to be nice and do good instead of that just being his authentic self is very thoughtful and true.)

Okay. That’s like 100 of the thoughts rattling around my head and there’s obviously more to come as people slow down and get to pick out every single detail in all the scenes during our anxious wait for the season 3 announcement (hopefully) (Amazon please pay your workers agree to the writer’s demands and renew this) (capitalism….. man…. Another complicated problem…)

I have lots of hope! Maybe too much hope! (As said before, I am probably extremely biased towards Aziraphale because of this) But! I don’t know exactly how it’s going to happen, but I have full faith they’ll get their happy ending 👍👍👍👍

Wonderful season : ) loved it!

I do hope that tumblr adds an automatic read more on this bc it’s so long otherwise it might get hard to scroll past erm. Sorry in advance.

hi nonnie✨ ive taken a bit of time to answer your ask because frankly, i could barely get past the first paragraph without tearing up slightly. this is so kind and lovely for you to say; i think it can be quite easy to feel major amounts of imposter syndrome when you're putting out interpretations into the ether, but actually the fandom is so diverse in perspectives and experiences that everyone's opinion is valid, make interesting arguments, and ultimately create excellent reading if nothing else! so for you to consider my ramblings among those is really appreciated, thank you💓

phooey, though - this is a long post!!! no matter, we shall do what we can✨ *cracks knuckles rolls neck* let's 'ave it!!!

✨p.s. excellent appreciation for the LWA too, couldn't agree more!!!✨

i too thought, come the end of s2, that it was a genuinely stunning bit of television. ill be honest and say that when i went to the screening, i left the cinema feeling... less than impressed. and was convinced that people were loving it just for the sake of it. but two revelations during the full release hit me like a freight train;

a) that this show is built for tv. it's a cosy and intimate and intelligent show - not to say that other big-screen isn't - and this show did not belong (imo) in a cinema. it belonged in its rightful place; on our tv screens. i found myself dreading rewatching ep1 and 2 at home, and dreading the rest of the season as a result, but having the space to fully appreciate it in my own screen made all the difference, and abruptly changed my opinion

b) whilst initially i felt that there were a lot of things wrong with ep1 and 2 (i initially felt the writing was weaker, it was over-comedic and relatively empty of any substance, acting was similarly weaker at points, the pacing was choppy, and the cinematography direction was a lot), as soon as i got to around mid-ep3, it all made sense. by the time id finished the season and immediately cycled back round to ep1, all of it immediately felt more cohesive, deliberate, thoughtful, and frankly a stunning piece of telly.

and maybe it was deliberate, that ep1 and 2 give off that first impression, maybe not - but either way i sincerely hope, in a way, they don't do wider screenings for s3. it was fun as a concept and there was a lovely sense of community and camaraderie in doing so, but it's built for tv (imo), so let people enjoy it on tv.

the thematic writing, the motifs, that ran through the season were amazing. im on my fourth rewatch and still noticing things, seeing parallels that were woven in so subtly that you'd blink and miss them. the music score was beautiful (if sometimes a little intrusive but hey, we move), the acting was phenomenal, the dialogue was delicate and yet brassy and bold simultaneously... all of it really was the masterpiece we needed to follow up s1. s1 had a completely different tone, and initially i wanted that in s2, but now - no, it was perfect. it was whimsical and airy and fun, jazzy, and then packed a whollop in the last half hour. brilliant, utterly brilliant.

i get that its technically a question mark at the moment, and that has people concerned especially in the wake of the avalanche of emotion s2 crashed upon us, but i genuinely think that we will get s3, and get it sooner than people think. we (fingers crossed, i don't want to manifest this) hopefully won't get another global pandemic, hypothetically cutting down the wait time significantly; the only thing at the moment that i think hinders s3 is the strike, but there are far more important things than s3 right now, and the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike and fighting for writer and actor equality is absolutely one of them. but trust - im confident it will be here before we know it.

but in any case let's get discussing meta!!!

metatron absolutely manipulated aziraphale. it might have been a huge manipulation, or a small suggestion, but metatron is definitely the Baddie here. im not sure if there is anything in the coffee; on one hand, it was posed as being key to the interaction between aziraphale and metatron, but similarly i think it could potentially be quite cheap for aziraphale to have been drugged. i much prefer the very simple, personal reason of him returning to heaven being because it made sense for his character, and so he could complete his character arc. that being said, i won't be disappointed either way (s2 has humbled me and taught me to simply trust in neil's writing - ive learnt my lesson!)

as im guessing you've seen from my other ramblings, there is indeed a lot of Unresolved Shit that goes down in s1 and s2, and in all the in-between we haven't seen. plus, this is the middle of the story; in fairly basic storywriting principle, to me it made complete sense for there to be a major rift to happen between aziraphale and crowley. i hoped it wouldn't happen, but similarly knew it was coming well before the release. it just simply made logical sense.

and that aside, i couldn't shake adam's narrative from s1 from my mind when watching the last episode; the whole point is to not sit and watch the world burn in the hope that that means a reset and everything will be better again. destruction is destruction. so again, it made complete character- and story-sense for aziraphale to choose to want to rebuild heaven for the better. he and crowley have been hounded and pestered and spied on for their whole existence on earth; i can't imagine that either of them, even crowley, would ever want anyone to go through the same thing. but crowley's fear and rage is paralysing, quite understandably, so i completely understand why he was trying to get aziraphale to stay. that being said, if i were in aziraphale's position, id have chosen what he did.

essentially, nonnie, everything you have said in respect of aziraphale's choice and why he chose it? completely agree with you. you've highlighted some brilliant 'what ifs' that, dare i say it, i think sometimes the fandom is missing when they consider the Feral Domestic™ scene; that there is a wider picture to be seen and considered, and just because this season has put a microscope on aziraphale and crowley, and their relationship such as it is, doesn't mean that that wider picture has disappeared, or has lost any significance to aziraphale especially. once again, his choice to me makes complete sense, and was required to effectively continue the story.

the only thing i will say is that i don't think it's a matter of proving crowley right or wrong. i think it's a matter of aziraphale proving something to himself; and yes, that's where i agree that there does need to be, in s3, some show that aziraphale is successful in revolutionising heaven for the better. perhaps even a timeskip, where he's been ensconced in heaven, being a benevolent, kind, and conscientious boss, and actually making change that on earth (or wherever crowley goes) crowley will benefit from. and hear about, and maybe start to question the concept of change; he was right to fear and detest heaven as it was, and it was understandable that he had the reaction that he did, but nothing lasts forever; including the stuff that he'd been sure would never change, and would only continue to remind him of pain, sacrifice, and anger. but crowley has to come to that conclusion for himself; aziraphale cannot and should not do it for him.

there will ultimately be an undercurrent of peril in s3, of course (hardly be a story without it!), but the main thing for me will be crowley learning that he cannot always be aziraphale's saviour, and aziraphale learning that crowley must seek his own salvation, whatever that may look like. the answer, for me, does not lie in heaven or hell, not even with each other, but within themselves. and then bring themselves together, as two wholes with edges that fit together but are valid and existent on their own.

thank you for dropping into my asks, nonnie. this was really nice reading and insight, and i thoroughly enjoyed it. make sure to get your thoughts out into the ether though, other people ought to get to enjoy them too!!!✨💓

[ohgreat-moretapes]

You're so right, I don't know what I'd do without you guys <3

-Tim

[jasminebythebay]

stage makeup 💋💄

This piece is now available as a print!

[figsnpassionfruits]

The aesthetic of your blog gives me every reason to believe that youre extremely pretty in real life. oh and also- its so refreshing to finally find someone who seems to write Logans character right. Im sick of all the 'bub' and random things where he is JUST portrayed as an angry and grumpy dude

thank you so much!! it means a lot to me that you feel happy about the way I write him <33 i'm always a little nervous whenever I release writing because I overthink whether they are accurate enough or not 🥺

[bumblingbabooshka]

Your vulcan characterization is so wonderful, the light you shine on both canon and OC vulcan characters is genuinely VERY inspiring. You really encapsulate and give a believable look into daily vulcan life that’s fleshed out and, most importantly, loved. Your care for these characters is apparent in every word, and it shapes them into real people that feel both alien and familiar. In some of the fanfics I’ve read involving vulcans, it sometimes feels like the author is just writing very stern humans who are misguided in their approach to love and emotion. In your writing, however, it feels like you really respect vulcans and love their way of life- that you find beauty and interest in what’s alien to us. Which, I would argue, is a big part of what sci-fi should be. Idk, I’m trying to write vulcans myself, and the way you portray them is a huge inspiration. Thanks for all you do!

Anywho, how do you think Tuvok’s kids (as young children) would react to an arcade? The mental image of a vulcan kid submerged in a Chuck E. Cheese ballpit is personally very funny to me

I'm sorry this is so late but this ask is one of the most beautiful and touching ones I've ever received and I didn't know how to respond (overwhelmed, pleasantly) so here's a bunch of doodles of Tuvok's kids being incredibly well behaved during their family outing at the Space Arcade/Play Place

(Arcade Trip Play by Play Under the Cut)

Elieth is the only one interested in the ball pit. He isn't doing anything in there he is literally just sitting in silence and observing the different balls. He does NOT want to leave the pit!!! <- This is foreboding to his parents who know that he must, at some point, leave the pit. Varith and Asil go in the ball pit in an attempt to understand Elieth's fascination but are quickly bored. Sek watches them with his hands clasped behind his back. Whenever an adult asks if he wants to go in he says "No, thank you." He appoints himself the safety officer and will tell the other children not to play too rough and 'rescue' the smaller ones if they look like they're struggling. Asil wants to leave the ball pit and Sek manages to pull Elieth away with the promise that they will return - they will each pick an activity so it is fair! They all go into that large overhanging contraption (reminds them of caves - fun to play in!) but only three make it out again. They try to use telepathy to find their lost brother but they can't do it (too little) so they have to go find one of their parents who has to telepathically lead them to the exit. This almost gets the trip cancelled but they all promise to stay together this time!! Sek fulfills his older brother duties of being fucking sick at a video game all his younger siblings watch him play. This actually draws a crowd of more than just his siblings - a VULCAN playing video games? He goes up against a human, wagering their tickets, and he wins. However, since Sek is against gambling he does not accept the human's tickets. This only makes him cooler. Elieth wanders away to the ball pit during this time. The remaining Tuvoklings figure out that the claw machine is rigged and think this is unethical and unfair. To remedy this, they find a way to plant their sister inside the machine where she proceeds to hand out as many toys as she can before the employees catch wind and alert their parents. That is it. We're going home. Where is your brother? (In the ball pit.) While Tuvok wrestles Elieth out of the ball pit, T'Pel takes the kids to the prize counter and they put all their winnings together and ask to be able to take a ball from the ball pit home. The clerk says that isn't a prize and they ask again to be able to take a ball from the ball pit home. The clerk is tired and says Sure. Whatever. So they each carefully select one ball from the ball pit and give them to Elieth which stops his tantrum. On the ride home Elieth happily stares at the balls from the ball pit which his siblings got him and Asil takes out several toys from her backpack which she took from the claw machine. A very satisfying trip! Indeed, we should endeavor to make a visit once a week. (No.) Twice a week? (Further.) Once a month? (Perhaps.)

[jibberjibbsart]

I’ve literally been scrolling through your art for the pass hour, I don’t even know half the things you are posting about but your art it MESMERIZING😍

it’s so round yet sharp at the same time. And you coloring is just 🤌🏻🤌🏻

I love it!! So please keep being awesome 🫡 have a nice day/night

I’M FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO ALL OF THE MESSAGES IN MY INBOX AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU NSMCSNBDKDCKWNW

Y’all are too kind, I am so honored that you… want to eat my art???? Anyway thank you and I hope to continue to create content that you guys enjoy :’)

[andromeddog]

i just discovered your art and just- wow. where did you learn to draw??

hi wow thanks for the ask!! this is such an interesting question let me see if i can do it justice uuhhhHHHH ive been drawing basically for most of my life but i only rly started taking it seriously/wanting to rly study and improve when i was in junior year of hs i think. then i went to art school (shout out vcuarts) and got my bachelors in communication arts (basically illustration)

since i left school its been a whole thing to keep myself learning. i do figure drawing stuff here and there, i study other artists i admire, i try to keep it fun for myself and also! the past few years i’ve been rly pivoting my professional career to a graphic design + illustration sort of thing and it’s been going well, getting more into design has rly helped with color and hierarchy and composition

THO i have to say while i learned a lot of technical stuff in school i didnt rly feel my work improving until post college… the stuff i made in school was so heinously bad im a little shocked lol (this is where id post some college stuff if my laptop didnt die and lose almost all of my digital work from 2013-2017ish) after college i just…. kept drawing! except it was mostly for my enjoyment which is where i rly began to get better. something about getting to do what i wanted to do instead of what i thought people wanted me to do was really an incentive to keep going

ALSO SHOUT OUT TO 2019 ACADEMY AWARD WINNING FILM 1917 for setting me down a path of insane obsession that years later has me averaging 3-6 hours a day working on uniform and various war related drawings. being disgustingly and obscenely obsessed with something is really how you learn and improve

[punkrock-bottom]

Has anyone ever told you you have a very off-putting and abrasive personality?

Only my parents and all the doctors and nurses in the hospital when I was born.

[completecondescension]

i think you're very cool in the sense that you have a goal, you're dedicated to it, and you're very good at not straying from your path.. it's almost attractive, in a way..

Of course, the Emperor has to know what They want so They can get it.

And...Almost?

[uhohdad]

You are an absolute talented writer.

I've been in a reading slump for a year and a few months now, and I terribly missed the feeling of staying up late reading something and saying just one more line .

You have brought that feeling back to me , I couldn't stop reading, and I didn't want to stop anyway... I admit I'm not that great at explaining how big of a deal that is, but it's important for me that you understand what a great talent you have.

The hunger games au should be freaking framed and placed in a museum.

I thank you with all my heart for such a wonderful, well written emotion evoking story

Thank you and your beautiful brain ❤️

anon I know exactly what you mean. long time follows of this blog know that before I was working on this story I was in a writing slump for months. it’s so silly, but writing this fic has seriously sparked something in me. I haven’t been this excited or motivated about something in a while. And to know that you guys like it too? im over the moon, dude. Its a big deal to me too 🥹🥹😭💕💗💖

i’m don’t even know what else to say but thank you from the bottom of my heart <3

[positive-total-drama-takez]

Carrie is so cuteeeee.....

—🫁

.

[orgasming-caterpillar]

Tu to behan hi haii....abhi tak operation nhi hua to ladka kaise bangyi ☺️. Aur dusri baat mar to teri gyi hai....tbhi kuch bhi bolri, main sapno mein bhi tera galeech roleplay server na join karu entry to tab deny hogi agar main au vahan 😂. And imagine being so pathetic that online aake gaaliyan deke cool personality establish krni pdti real life vali to.....bhyiii decent to tu hai hi ni....aur agar bachhi hai to school ja, mentally ill hai to psychiatrist ke paas Jaa online kyu ati behan.

Well I have an 11 year streak of getting top marks in school, I'm the champion of my city's interschool chess club, and like 15 homeless children in my city know me personally as "minku bhaiya" cuz I regularly buy them food. And that's listing only three instances.

One of us has to post hate online to establish their pathetic excuse of a personality and brother it ain't me.

[black-salt-cage]

Love that that Anon felt like they *had* to tell you they found your stance on fiction gross for their 'peace of mind' or something?? Lol. As a fellow proshipper who runs a few proship stim blogs, thanks for doing what you do! You're awesome and you really create such a fun space for us proship ND folk.

it's kinda strange how much people on stimblr assume I care about how they view us or this blog. like that's a really cool opinion no one gives a fuck about buddy... whatcha want me to do with that? stop having an opinion on something I feel strongly about so you can feel warm and cozy scrolling through our blog? there's SO many antis on stimblr who would gladly stroke your ego boner of media purity, go follow them and quit yapping in our inbox

[flowers-for-em]

i saw you attacking people with kindness tonight so i thought it was only fair for you to be attacked as well so

you are so amazing and literally so sweet, you are really really talented with your writing, its so captivating and enchanting and you are a great storyteller, and you honestly seem like you are such an amazing friend and just person in general and you love people for no matter who they are and you are just so charming and your blog feels so nice, like its cosy and inviting and you are the reason it feels like that because thats what you are like and you are so passionate about things and its really cool and your blog themes are always so beautiful and we havent interacted a whole lot but im always so glad when we do because its really nice and yea, thanks for being you i suppose :)

sasfkadkydkwfejdhafk omg omg omg anon you are the sweetest person ever what?? ilysm you're so nice ahhhhhhh (im giggling blushing and smiling so hard rn)

and whoever you are i'd love to interact more (if you want)!!!

[andersdotters]

Hi! I recently found your blogs, and can I just say how much I love your character analyses? Your portrayal of each character is always so in depth to the point where I can even picture them acting and speaking the same in game! I'm so impressed and I seriously don't know how you connect to each and every one of them so perfectly :O

If I may ask, what does your research and character profile process look like? As someone interested in writing, I hope to be as skilled as you with analysing characters (and writing plots and writing in general--) one day :) Any tips would be appreciated!

Thank you so much for all the hard work you do. I know I'll enjoy the story you come up with next!

Aww thank you so much!! Honestly sometimes I worry that my analyses won't be to everyone's tastes, so I'm very glad you think that they're good! I feel the same way about my writing because I know they're not the most romantic, so it's a relief to know you like it. ;v; <3 I have a lot to say about your questions though, so I'm going to put it under a readmore. It's an uh... infodump HAHA

When it comes to research, what it basically comes down to is reading everything. Read the character's lore, read their voice lines. Read what other characters have to say about them. Even talking to every NPC you see in the hopes that they'll talk about a character helps out a lot too HAHA. I also recommend going back to old events when doing research too. Reread them. Listen to the voice actor's portrayal of them. Read everything you can.

This is take three of trying to explain my character analysis process, but I'm going to give up and just explain to you the main logic that governs it. Basically what it boils down to is: we are not unique. Humans are not unique. What do I mean by this? People that are certain ways--for example, they have a low self-esteem, consistently overwork themselves, they want children when they get older, etc--they will typically share common characteristics. When you know the defining characteristics of each trait, you can potentially apply that trait to everyone you know that displays those characteristics.

For example, people that constantly overwork themselves typically have unhealthily high levels of perceived responsibility, typically with a self-deprecative trait that they don't deserve to be happy and rest. People that are very showy tend to care a lot about what people think of them. People that are extremely close to their families typically lose the ability to function properly without them.

If you know people that are like the examples above, you know that these observations are pretty accurate. And these examples represent pretty common types of people as well. Once you've seen one of them, you've seen them all. Nobody is unique. And because of that, you can apply these observations to characters because characters are meant to be human. Example one is Kaveh. Example two is Itto. And example 3 is Lyney. Now you've gotten a deeper dive into their psyche.

The way you become better at character analysis is by broadening your internal library of traits and their defining characteristics. This involves three steps: observation, drawing connections between observations, and fine tuning these connections by applying them to other people.

These steps are easy to understand, but let me go a bit more into step one. Observations come in two categories: physical observations and intuitive observations. Physical observations encompass things they physically do. Intuitive observations are larger statements that can't be tied to just a single physical observation. For example, physical observations may be that they don't go out much, they don't talk much in groups but do one-on-one, they wear bright colors, they're rude, etc. Intuitive observations are more: they seem to be uncomfortable around children, they act like they're scared to contact first, they're always on the move, etc.

The second step involves drawing lines between observations and trying to deduce meaning. For example, [they end their sentences using a rising intonation] + [they ask me my opinion a lot] = [this person cares about not sounding rude or unwelcoming]. Or, [they have a low self-esteem] + [they care about being seen as morally good] + [they engage in fandom] = [I probably should not tell this person I think Dottore and his penchant for human experimentation is hot].

Typically the logic goes: [physical observation] + [physical observation] = [intuitive observation]. [physical observation] + [intuitive observation] = [mid-tier intuitive observation]. [intuitive observation] + [intuitive observation] = [top tier intuitive observation].

But it does not end at step two. Step three basically tests to see if your observation from step two is valid or not. When you apply your observation from step two to a multitude of people, you're able to fine tune your observation to make it more generalized and more accurate. Maybe you realize that not everyone that ends their sentences in a rising intonation is necessarily polite, but it's more of a cultural thing. Maybe you see that having low self-esteem isn't always a symptom of having a high moral code. Test, revise, then test again. The higher the tier of your observation, the greater the chance it has of being wrong.

When I analyze characters, I go through my mental library and see which traits and characteristics I've catalogued before. And for things that don't have an exact match, I try to find ones that shares at least a few things in common that may follow the same logic. For example, I don't know anyone like Zhongli. However, I do have a friend that's very outgoing, but you can have a full on conversation with them and leave not knowing anything about them. Can I apply the logic of my friend to someone like Zhongli?

I will say this and I will say this again. People are not unique. Everyone is a copy of someone else in some way. When you treat the characters as if you were analysing any other normal human being, you can quite easily draw conclusions from what they have in common with people you know and have seen.

Anyway, this is so long I am so sorry. Hopefully I didn't completely bowl you over with information. OTL

[jusst-you-race]

ahhh rarepairs my loveeee. you wrote mewis, gewis, glance, choscar and all i can say it "that is sooo them". you wrote each dynamic so well. i love it here.

on the recent choscar drabble; oscar is done for isnt he. charles is that one minx that i wasnt expecting to stan when i entered the f1/fandom space and i guess that is a representative of oscar in "it brings your your eyes". with his lovely eyes, soft everything and sultry demeanour (not that charles was doing any of that on purpose, he was naturally endearing (and just knows how to use it to his advantage))

*ringing a comically large bell* RARE PAIRS! COME GET YOUR RARE PAIRS!

on a more serious note, anon this is the loveliest thing in the world I am smooching you on the forehead. I am a very big fan of exploring different dynamics and I love having fun with many different ships! also I do like a challenge, scary as they can be! To hear that someone thinks I am able to do these all justice is WILDLY flattering and I will be holding this compliment near and dear to my heart for the rest of my life <3

Charles being effortlessly charming and flustering poor normally chill Oscar is a very fun dynamic. I’m sure everyone can relate to having a crush on a friend’s older sibling at some point in their lives and it’s honestly SO embarrassing… poor Oscar… Charles going from “hehe Arthur’s friend that gets all blushy” to “oh shit he’s … kind of hot” and then ending up the one feeling like a mess is also a very fun thing for me to think about… reversal of the flusterer and flusteree!