#also i have no clue how people who don't have the focus option on their phone live????

[just-slightly-chayotic]

allowing you to connect a focus to a lock screen was the best thing apple ever did because now i can have a different photo of jeff satur as my lock screen depending on the focus i'm using

[jogetsobsessed]

Always an Angel - Paul Lahote

Ok, I've been obsessed with the lyric “Always an angel, never a god for a few days now. I don't know why all of a sudden but it's been all I can think about. I know there are a bunch of literal interpretations but I look at it as a version of “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”, always the side character, never the main character. So I hope this comes across how I want it to lol. 

Also, the timeline is kinda messed up in this, just live in ignorant bliss and ignore it pls, and thank you!

---------

Always the option, never the priority. 

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. 

Always the lover, never the loved. 

Always the fighter, never the fought for. 

Always an angel, never a god. 

------------

You were used to being sidelined, looked right through. 

No matter what you were doing, or who you were with, you were never the main focus. 

Growing up boys never spared you a glance, your best friends being the main targets for their glances and flirty remarks. You were never the one asked to dance, always the one asked to hold a friend's purse or bag. If the car was full on the way to get ice cream, you were always the one that was going to be left out. You never learned inside jokes and standing alone at parties, you didn't even know why you went, it's not like anyone would notice if you left anyway. 

At night when you would break and confide in the one person you knew truly loved you she would always question why you remained friends with the people that caused you so much pain. And through your blubbering, you would look at her like she was crazy. Explain to your mother that it must have been too long since she was a teenager. Because that's not how it works. Living in a small town the pool of potential friends is small, and having friends that treat you horribly is better than having no friends at all. 

You would apologize to her years later, after maturing, and realizing that the remarks you directed towards her were uncalled for. The anger you threw her way was misguided and unfair. She didn't deserve the way that you treated her. 

When Bella Swan moved to town you thought everything was going to change. She was from a big city, you didn't know much about Phoenix but you knew they probably didn't harbor the same small-town mindset that Forks did. 

She had no clue who you were. She didn't know the unspoken reputation that hung above your head like a storm cloud. 

And at first, you were right. 

The two of you became friends quickly, Bella taking a liking to your quiet demeanor, such a drastic change from Jessica and her goons. 

Your friendship appeared surface-level, to everyone but the two of you. In school, you both kept to yourselves and didn't talk much, even to each other. You would drag her along with you when you gathered the strength to hang out with your old friends. But you didn't do that often, seeing as they saw her as a shiny new toy and didn't treat her as a second-class citizen. 

But after school the two of you would talk, your friendship would come alive in the comfort of your own homes, and you two would look like actual teenage girls and not two seventeen-year-olds who should be on the highest dose of Lexapro. 

She was the first person that you saw as a true friend, that was until she committed, in your opinion, a cardinal sin. 

Bella had gone off the deep end and you hadn't seen her in days. But that was normal, she would spiral, skip school, and then show up as if nothing happened. So you weren't concerned, sent her a few texts checking up on her and getting one-word responses back. Then the following Monday came around. You were waiting by your truck, lazily twirling your hair, eyes glazed over as you dissociated waiting for the bell to ring. 

But amid your dissociation, you were pulled back to reality when a shiny black Volvo came to a screeching halt a row over. You knew who drove the expensive car so you tried to be as nonchalant as possible as you peered over your shoulder to get a good look at the owner. 

You wished you hadn't. 

Because getting out of the passenger seat was the person that you considered your best friend. Your best friend was sitting in the passenger seat of the car of the guy you had a crush on since he arrived at Forks High School. 

She knew about your long-standing crush on Edward, she was the only person other than your mother who you had told. It came tumbling off your tongue one late night about a month after she had arrived in town. And you had sworn her to secrecy, begging her to never tell another soul. 

But now it seemed to not matter, she had broken your trust and your heart. 

------------------

The next year drug on. With Bella being completely infatuated with Edward you were left to crawl back to your old friends. They accepted you with barely open arms, reluctantly saving you a seat at the lunch table, sometimes sending you the location for Friday night activities. 

When the Cullen clan abruptly left Forks Bella did to you exactly what you had done to your friends months earlier. Part of you didn't know why, but you let her back in, although this time keeping her at an arm's length away, never fully trusting her, 

Eventually, however, Edward came back. First making his appearance walking hand in hand with Bella in the dreadful hallways of Forks High School after she had disappeared yet again for a few days with not even a courtesy text. 

This time seeing them together didn't feel like a hot knife was piercing your skin. How could it, you no longer felt the same that you had for Edward. Because he had proven himself to be just like everyone else. He made you feel invisible. 

------------

The heat of late spring had arrived and you took in all the warmth that you could as you walked down the small rocky path to the mailbox. Graduation had come and gone and you found yourself in isolation. The people you had forced yourself to be friends with in high school no longer mattered. You didn't have to play the uncertain game of high school politics anymore. Starting university was on the horizon and while you dreaded leaving the comfort of home you were excited, this was going to be your chance to reinvent yourself. You were no longer going to be the person no one cared to look towards. 

Pulling out the various envelopes you felt your heart stop beating when the light lilac envelope was pulled to the front. You knew what it was, you didn't even have to open it. But you did, ripping it open, praying that you hadn't torn apart the coveted invitation. Sure enough in bold letters, you read “Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan request your presence…”. 

The phone call with Bella that night was awkward. You haven't talked much since graduation but she assured you that she wanted you to be at the wedding. You had wanted to push and ask her why she was rushing to get married. I mean you along with everyone else knew that they had only known each other for a year and hadn't been dating for the entirety of said year. But she sounded happy, the happiest she had ever seemed. So you didn't say anything, instead prying for details about the impending nuptials. 

-------------

Thousands of flowers cascaded down creating a custom perfume in the air. Your eyes darted between the bunches of wisteria and sweet peas and you were in awe. The wedding had snuck up on you. So much had happened over the summer leaving you feeling unprepared to start school in the fall. Leaving you to make one of the hardest choices that you had ever made, deferring your acceptance into your top school to the following fall quarter. 

So when you got a reminder on your phone that read “Bella and Edward wedding tmr” you were at a loss for words. I mean you had everything you physically needed, a dress, a present, the right pair of shoes. But you had forgotten one important thing, a date. 

It wasn't going to be the first time you had shown up to an event without one, but it was probably going to feel the most embarrassing. 

So here you were, standing next to your group of “friends'' from high school as they gossiped about the possibility of Bella being pregnant. “What do you think?”Erik asked you, giving your arm a soft nudge with his. “I don't know guys '. Jessica of course had a counter, pointing out that out of the group you were the closest with her. Luckily before you had to come up with an excuse of why you didn't know for certain the music began, signaling that it was time for everyone to turn their attention to the altar. 

A few tears managed to slip down your cheeks as you watched your sometimes best friend say “I do”. In that moment all the turbulent times the two of you experienced didn't matter. You were just happy to be in the presence of two people who were madly in love and confessing it to each other, permanently sealing their love with a dramatic kiss. 

The reception area was decorated equally as beautiful. You were grateful that Bella, or more likely Alice had set you close to the dance floor. That way you could watch people without feeling like a total loser, hanging out in the corner by yourself. At least this way you could still enjoy the happiness of the other guests without feeling the gross amount of body heat from the dancing bodies. 

The ice was melting quickly in your lemonade, the night had not been rewarded with a cool late summer breeze so you were appreciative of the cool drink. The night had seemingly been going according to plan. Your ‘friends’ had migrated to another table across the dance floor with the excuse of wanting to talk to some of the other guests, but they had not returned in almost two hours so you were holding your breath. 

Mentally you were planning your escape plan, glancing at your watch. Waiting for an acceptable time to leave, not too early into the night but not too late that you were leaving only minutes before the bride and groom's big exit. As you granted yourself yet another glance at the heirloom watch you wore and looked back up a gasp unwillingly left your lips. 

The mystery man, who looked almost familiar, chuckled at your surprised look. Confidently he took the empty seat next to yours, turning his body to give you his full attention. “May I help you”, you didn't recognize your own words, your tone was a bit rude and you didn't even give him a second to introduce himself after she sat. 

“I’m Paul Lahote”. 

Once he gave his name to you your eyes moved up to meet him and the electric shock that you felt in your veins almost felt real. There was no doubt blush forming on every inch of your face and you were praying that the low light of the Edison bulbs did a good job at protecting some of your dignity. You gave him your name, barely squeaking out your last name. 

Things like this didn't happen to you. A man that looked like him didn't talk to you. A part of you wondered if Jessica or someone like her had already turned him down, because let's face it, you were always the option but never the priority. 

“I think you should share a dance with me, no pretty girl like you should be sitting alone at a wedding”. The flare in your cheeks was visible now, you were sure of it. No matter how low the light was you could have sworn a red glow was emitting from your body, like an accusing halo. 

“Paul…you don't have to dance with me, I was just getting ready to leave”. Gathering your belongings as you begin to stand up. “No!”. He said, eyebrows raising to the top of his forehead once he realized how loud he exclaimed. Sheepishly he looked around offering small smiles as an apology to a few of the guests who looked at him like he had three heads. 

“Please, I noticed you when I walked in before the ceremony and I haven't been able to shake you from my eyeline all night. I don’t think I can take no for an answer”. 

The fact that your heart was still caged behind your chest was an act of god. Because at this point it should have flown away due to how hard it was beating. You were at a loss for words. The thought that someone was putting you first, taking interest in you was unbearable. And you were crumbling at his gaze. 

His outstretched hand found yours that you slowly had begun to uncurl from against your body. Swiftly he whisked you out onto the dance floor, pulling your body flush to his. 

Clumsily your feat matched his falling into routine with his steps, your body swaying in unison to the light melody. He hummed along softly to the quiet music as he kept a firm grip on you, almost like he was afraid to let you go. 

The song ended and awkwardly you looked around not knowing what to do. Paul however looked happy as can be, letting go of your hand but keeping the one on your lower back in place. He led you back to the table where you had spent most of the night, pulling out your chair before you could even react. You thanked him as you sunk into the back of the chair trying to ground yourself. 

“Man, I feel like the luckiest guy here at this whole damn wedding I got to dance with the prettiest guest of them all”. He said matter-of-factly triumphantly, taking a sip out of the glass he abandoned when he first approached your table. You scoffed, there was no way he was being for real, the alcohol had to have been getting to him now if he was saying such an untrue statement. 

“I think you've had enough”. Your voice was shy and your eyes barely peeked through your almost closed eyelids. The embarrassment you hadn't felt earlier had returned and you were suddenly hyper-conscious of everything happening around you. 

“Doll this stuff doesn't make me feel anything, you, however, are making me feel alive for the first time”. His drink was abandoned yet again as he scooted his chair closer, invading your bubble, and causing you to squirm under his gaze yet again. 

“Paul, I'm flattered but again I think your choices are impaired. There's no way you feel anything like that for me”. 

Paul was out of his chair before you could continue your babbling, cutting you off by capturing your lips in his. 

After he pulled back for air his forehead rested against yours, the two of you matching your breathing. You were yet again at a loss for words, kissing the hottest boy at your best friend's wedding was not on this year's bingo card. But as per usual it seems Paul had the perfect thing to say, “My angel forgive me if this is forward, but l you need to let me love you, I have a feeling that you're gonna be stuck with me for a long time”.

[alexiswritingstuff]

Not just a man.

Pairing: Hiromi Higuruma x gn! reader

Warnings: none?

Summary: during one of the initial meetings in the culling game, Y/n decides to spark up a conversation with the mysterious man in the black suit.

Other mentions: like one thing about Itadori.

A/n: okay, I'm honestly not too confident about this one but if I leave it any longer it is just going to rot in my drafts, so here is my first fic with Higuruma! This is spoiler free, and even though it is based on the culling games, there might be points in this fic that don't accurately depict the situation in the manga. I have read it multiple times but my brain is something else, man. Also, be aware that there could be mischaracterisation, or general moments that would seem OOC for Higuruma. As much as I love him, this is my first fic with him so it will probably take time to nail down his characters, especially because the only thing that I can base it off is content from the manga. Either way, and despite the possible downsides, I hope you enjoy reading!

Finding a definition to encapsulate the past few days since the event had started was... difficult to say the least. While that may be because there wasn't a singular word to describe it, the options were unlimited.

Before anything had the chance to process, it was right onto the next thing. Another problem. Another fight, both physically and verbally.

It was the sort of cycle that may have already been usual in your kind of world, as there was no point in resting when curses were about, yet somehow it almost felt faster. Instead of potentially running into some form of beast, it was now an expectation instead.

Initially, you would think that was the most unnerving part, wouldn’t you?

Though, as you sat in a vast room with more people you had known in your life, it seemed that thought was more wrong than you could have known.

At some point during the game, a bunch of sorcerers were rounded up. You, somehow, just ended up being wound into it at some point. I mean, you may barely grasp the meaning of the culling game, but there were enough clues to fill it in.

There were only a few reasons why people like yourselves would gather in this way.

Something big was going down.

The room itself had become quieter over time. Most of the people within had left one after the other. Either having personal things to attend to, further discussions, or just trying to grab a breath of fresh air before even more stress.

You, however, had made yourself comfortable in one of the randomly placed seats. Or at least tried to.

In all honesty, your body was almost rigid. A lack of a want to move as the urge to fidget continuously antagonised each limb. It made it more tricky to maintain that hard exterior everyone else seemed to be able to keep up with ease. 

The whole sorcery thing wasn't exactly new to you. Your ability wasn't something you discovered young, like many others. It had given you enough time to learn about it. Grow it. Though being surrounded by other people who also had some form of ability was new.

Yeah, considering the fact that you had previously only met about a handful, it was most definitely new.

But you had to admit that it was very interesting to see the different kinds of sorcerers there were.

No matter how apparent, there was an active difference in mindsets, attitudes, personalities, and the general looks of these people. Most of what they could do even contrasted with it.

They had their own stories, their own abilities, and their own worlds. It was like the more you looked around, there was an increased possibility in becoming intrigued by something different.

And eventually, it landed on one thing in particular.

One person.

To your left was this man. He was sitting in his respective chair almost as if he were one with it, his hand simply resting against a table that separated the two of you, while his eyes gazed forward without a specific focus.

There wasn't exactly anything obscure about him. There was nothing on the surface that made him stick out from the rest; in fact, he was probably the most generic-looking person here.

He was just a man in a mere black suit and matching tie, though there was something that made it increasingly difficult for your eyes to stray.

And apparently keeping your mouth shut too.

“It's Higuruma, isn't it?”

It seemed to take a few seconds for the sound to register in his ears. Or, more so, the fact that it was directed at him if the words weren't enough. So a moment passed, he blinked, and eventually his head began to turn in your direction.

It was a lazy movement, one that soon revealed his other hand to be resting against his chin while the hook of a finger pressed into the space beneath his bottom lip. If he had glasses on, his eyes would be peering right over them, startled yet tired enough that they could barely be seen.

The man before you hummed, a deep sound that grumbled within his throat until his lips had finally decided to part. “I don't believe we've met before.”

His voice was pretty much what you were expecting it to be: lacking interest, flat, and a tad accusatory.

It was paired with this furrowed eyebrow, which created a light look of confusion, either simply because of the sudden conversation or the fact that it was with someone he hadn't paid much attention to beforehand.

To others, it may have made them uneasy. Filled them with a regret just for opening their mouth in the first place. But not for you. In fact, it had you finally settling into your seat.

“No, actually, I overheard that, uh, Itadori kid talking about your previous... interaction,” you explained, trying to use a new tone in hopes of loosening him up and making it clear that you were just wanting to talk. However, there was barely even a reaction.

A muscle in his face had slightly twitched in response to the phrasing, but otherwise he was still. He just stared back at you with those blank eyes.

He looked to be thinking, which helped relieve some of the tension, though in reality, it didn’t seem like he was one for conversing. At least not right now, anyway, and it should’ve made you turn away. It should’ve shut your mouth and made you go find somewhere else to bother. I mean, you had learned quite a few names by now. 

But the more you looked back at the so-called Higuruma, the more questions began to pile high up inside your brain. And it was only a matter of time before one would decide it was right to spill through your lips.

“Okay, look, I'm sorry, but I really need to.” You huffed out a breath, letting your feet fully plant against the ground as your torso twisted towards the man for proper delivery. “Can I ask you a question?”

There was a speck of hesitance that appeared within his gaze once it focused back on you, but nevertheless, “Go ahead." He relented, his tone enough of a warning that this was either going to continue or finish this conversation all together.

“Did you really take a bath with your clothes on?”

When the question settled for a moment, Higuruma leaned back a little, allowing a full view of you into his vision before he challenged, “Is it that unbelievable?”

“Well... I can't say that I've thought of doing it myself.”

“Exactly,” he stated without missing a beat, and it stilled your body. Your lips stayed apart for a moment, attempting to find the right words while he continued to stare into your soul. “So you just woke up one day and decided to bathe fully clothed?”

You blinked at him. He blinked right back. “Pretty much.”

Within the next few seconds, you found yourself sort of mirroring the way he sat. Like all the care you had on keeping up some form of appearance just went right out of the window.

And though a string of words failed to encompass your reaction to his experiment, it seemed that whatever expression was on your face was enough to entice a further explanation.

“Not to disappoint,” Higuruma had begun through a slight strain, somehow sinking even further into the chair until the back of his head was planted against the top rail. “But truthfully, I was only trying to do something I normally wouldn't.”

“That's all.”

Never in your life have you been more curious about a singular man. He hadn't done anything crazy; I mean, at some point, you must have had that same thought. So what the hell was it? Why was there an urge to keep this conversation going?

“And… how did that feel?” 

At this point, Higuruma's eyes had fallen closed, getting tired of staring up at the same boring ceiling, and basked in the growing silence from the fewer sorcerers. “Damp... though I must say it was better than I thought it would be.”

The only response you could think of was this barely audible hum. It was the easiest conclusion, seeing as it would acknowledge the comment while buying you time to figure out what exactly to say next. But it was rather challenging.

This whole scenario was just strange to you—something you probably couldn't even dream up if you tried. Yet here you were in the real world, having the most entertaining conversation with a man who you most likely wouldn't get the chance to if it weren't for the fact that both of you were sorcerers.

“You know, I didn't think I was going to get along with a lawyer.” you spoke up after a moment of silence, and Higuruma sucked air into his nose. His head lolled to the side, a movement fulfilled with somehow less energy than before. “That obvious?” he questioned, which in turn had you raising your eyebrows.

“What—that you're a lawyer?” you attempted to clarify, properly meeting his heavy gaze just in time to see his short nod. “You're the only one in here dressed in a full fancy suit; it was either that or you were a member of the men in black.”

It wasn’t entirely visible, but you swore the next time you blinked that the corner of his mouth that you could see sort of quirked upward. It wasn't a full smile; it had barely even created that little crevice, though it got accentuated by a huff that slightly shook his body. 

And then it faded: “Are you going to ask about my abilities too, then?”

“No, no, I got the jist,” you waved off initially, noting the way the question drained all the expressiveness from his face. “Honestly, I was more interested in the bath thing anyway, but now that you mention it, it must've taken you a while to master a thing like that.”

Higuruma hummed again, his gaze becoming unfocused once again as he started to search through his recollections. “I believe... It's been about twelve days.”

If it weren't for the statement itself, the nonchalant delivery would have also caused your eyes to widen in the way that they did. “What?” Your body turned as much as it could until your knee knocked into the crooked coffee table. The man before you remained unfazed.

“Twelve days—forget being a sorcerer; you're a damn magician, Higuruma!” you insisted, trying so hard to keep your voice at a minimum level while he lazily began to push himself to sit up straight. “Is it really that impressive?”

Your eyebrows were completely furrowed this time, your gaze narrowing on the man in disbelief. “There are some people who get their abilities at birth, and they can still not have them under control no matter what age they reach.”

“But that would also depend on the effort they put into doing so in the first place, if any,” Higuruma countered without missing a beat, though the conviction layering his voice faltered when he continued, “I… just got that chance of getting something that wasn't much different from my usual job.”

“Still, you managed to understand it—in what, a little more than a week? And it’s already at the point that you can just fully use it?” you reminded him almost at the same speed that he had, “I mean, even for a lawyer, that's got to be at least notable.”

The rest of his face may have been void of any emotions, but those eyebrows weren’t fooling anyone. His mind was moving. What wasn’t apparent, however, was in which direction it was doing so.

Higuruma may have been new to the world of sorcery, but this wasn’t something he thought was part of it.

Your genuineness, your curiosity, that look on your face—that was anything but the disgust he had seen in his own eyes. For once, he was face-to-face with something he couldn't solve right off the bat.

“How long did it take you?” He finally spoke up after a moment, and it seemed that both of you were equally unsure if the change of subject was due to it being uncomfortable or if he was now the one to be genuinely curious.

Now it was your turn to lean back a little. “Truthfully,” you started, averting your gaze for pretty much the first time since this entire interaction had begun. “I don't think mine is story-worthy, to be honest.”

Higurumas brow twitched upward. “How come?”

“Well,” You took in a breath, “not everyone has eventful lives. It’s as simple as that, really. In a world with a multitude of different abilities, there is bound to be a plethora of expectations and disappointments.” you stated with a light shrug, “Besides, I'm kinda tired of the whole 'introducing people's abilities before themselves'.”

“Isn’t that a little contradictory?” he inquired, and the defensiveness beat your urge to laugh. “What? No-- You were the one who willingly confirmed what you could do. I was only asking about–”

“The bath thing,” Higuruma affirmed before you could. “Yeah, yeah, I remember.” The look he gave you was one that had a grin fighting to take over your lips. It may have been filled with some annoyance, further concluded by a slight shake of his head. But it wasn’t the bad kind.

“Listen,” you began, trying to regain that seriousness so that you could get back to your point, even if it faltered. “All I’m saying is that we have every other day to discuss our abilities, man, but right now we have the chance to just... sit and talk about anything but that.”

That feeling of defensiveness was back, no matter its battle with amusement. And this time it was on a level that had you crossing your arms over your chest, as if it would do anything. “Then what do you have in mind?” Higuruma questioned, simply watching you complete your movement.

Your lips parted immediately for some reason. It was like your mind had pre-prepared some form of comeback as it got ready to let the words roll off your tongue… but they barely even formed into a sound. It was more like a slight croak, in all honesty. You paused. 

“... I didn't think that far."

For the first time in the minutes that you had known this man, the corners of his mouth had finally, and visibly, curled. 

He looked at you, his smile begging to grow further and further, to the point that he started biting it down. 

It was sort of unusual to see. Most of the time you looked at him, he had this blankness that latched to his face in a way that made it almost look embedded into the skin. There wasn’t really any difference in expression; it was more the movement of muscles. 

Yet now, whatever he was showing had almost reached his eyes, and it sat very nicely.

“What?” you half breathed out, a sort of nervous laugh breaking through your lips despite most of your face being screwed up in confusion. Higuruma waved a hand lazily and said, “Nothing. It's nothing; you're just…”

“It's all just been a little interesting,” he finally confessed, and though you were sure of its meaning, the phrasing put a crack in your amusement. “In a good way or a bad way?” you quizzed with a lighter tone, settling back into the chair, which never actually relieved the tension from your spine.

Higuruma shook his head once more before his gaze shifted to find your own. That previous spike of enjoyment seemed to use up the last bit of energy he had for the day as his face slowly reverted back to its usual state.

“It's good now, I think…” he started, dragging out the ending word, and it wasn’t until he lowered his chin that you realised he was gesturing in your direction. He was asking for your name. You hadn’t told him your name?

“Oh… Oh, just call me, L/n.” you informed quickly, trying to hide the confusion that had made itself known once more while the man before you simply nodded. “L/n,” he repeated quietly before continuing in a fuller voice. “Well, I hope your first impression of me wasn’t as bad as it sounds in my head,”

The slight grimace dusting over his face had you huffing out a laugh in seconds. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that any time soon, Higuruma,” you insisted, letting that smile take its rightful place on your lips to further prove it. 

And though it took a moment of looking at each other, he finally had a reason to do it too.

“Not at all.”

[eve-to-adam]

I LOVE your art, especially as a fellow (albeit amateur) artist who’s OBSESSED with the whole Wars of the Roses period rn. In that vein, I was wondering if you had any advice/good resources as to researching fashion for character design reasons? Thanks!

Hello! :)

I'm excited to hear about other people - especially artists - interested in the Wars of the Roses era! I know that nice feeling - that thrill of excitement you get when you try to create something like this. It seems sublime to me! <333333

I don't know exactly if you want my advice and recommendations to be general or strictly about WOTR and implicitly the Middle Ages, but I will focus on the second option, because the process is the same.

Before starting, I want to specify that this is strictly my approach and that there are multiple ways to achieve the same result, as long as they make you feel comfortable.

My first advice would be this: try to be sure what exactly you want to illustrate. Although sometimes indecision can lead to unexpectedly positive results, most of the time it can cause your characters/illustrations to lack substance, which is caused by a lack of consistency. It's one thing to create a complex character and completely different to end up with an inconsistent one. What I want to say is that you have to make sure that you draw some specific barriers in order to obtain an optimal result. Try to figure out your character's personality before you dress them - don't forget that clothes are as important a component in character development as the details regarding interests/ambitions/favorite food, etc. Depending on the status, the concerns of your character and the context in which they are, you can deliberate the shape and color of the outfits. Taking into account these aspects, you allow yourself to deliberate: what kind of outfit would X wear? Does it match their personality? Is it having the desired impact? Shape, length, pattern? What about the colors? Are they expressive enough to give us a clue about the state of our character? What do we want to express through that outfit?

My second advice: Be creative! Use the resources you have to create the most original outfits. Of course, here it depends on how you approach the problem - you can recreate outfits up to 100% if you want to make a study or your own artistic documentation, but I, personally, put more value on originality.

For example - and this is a purely personal approach, not a standard to follow, because each of us wants to experiment and express things differently - when I create outfits, I tend to take elements from different pictures and combine them in this way so as to result in a completely new outfit. (There are times when an entire outfit takes shape in my mind just by looking at a pair of sleeves, or there are times when I sketch the entire outfit and have to search the entire internet for a suitable collar for this type of outfit. Or, I simply realized in the middle of the process that my character would not seem like the type of person to wear such a robe). Of course, considering the process, you have artistic freedom, so you can afford to illustrate totally original elements.

At the same time, try to give credibility to the character. Above we were talking about the substance. Well, one of the rules of character design is world-building. Many works of animation or comics with the fantasy genre contain elements inspired by the Middle Ages, and this is because the stories always have their origin in reality. Your character is only a part of a larger whole called the Universe. Depending on the genre of your story, the character must be an integral part of it, so you must take care of the particularities. If the narrative takes place in 1450, your character must have an appearance corresponding to the respective times. If the character serves in the army, we show them in the uniform specific to the period imposed by us; we also take care to give it a certain rigidity, hardness. If it's a detective, we introduce distinct elements such as the coat and hat, etc. Of course, speaking of fiction, we allow ourselves certain liberties for the sake of design.

Although during my university studies I was told to keep the character design as simple as possible, I chose not to follow this advice, lol. Because simplicity does not characterize me. The reason I'm bringing this up is BECAUSE if you're not familiar with the details/ haven't mastered the approach yet, it would really be advisable to keep the character design as simple as possible. Here is the reason: Originality. Particularity. When you create your character, especially if there is a long line of characters in the background, you must take into account the fact that the viewer must be able to tell them apart. Try to give each of them one or more distinctive signs, which can mean practically anything - a mustache, a mole, a longer neck, a special body shape, a patch on the eye, a more atypical hairstyle. I will not say that this aspect can necessarily be achieved through clothes. Here's the reason - imagine that your character is 5 m away from you and is looking at you. Under all those layers of clothing, how can you tell for sure who it is without that distinctive mark? Your character must be unique, it needs to stand out with something. Your character must be recognized by the public, even from a distance.

The rest depends on your tastes and your personal approach.

When I start working on an outfit, the first thing I think about is: what can I do and what can't I do? Did the clothing item I'm thinking of really existed or is it just a product of my imagination?

In most cases, I turn to the illuminations from manuscripts, tapestries, illustrations, portraits, paintings, etc., because absolutely nothing is more delightful than consulting the source directly.

Manuscripts that I have used over time in my creative process:

BnF Français 599 (De mulieribus claris).

Compilation arthurienne de Micheau Gonnot. Gautier Map, La Queste del Saint-Graal, La Mort le roi Artu.

Français 995.

BNF Fr874 (Héroïdes d'Ovide).

Croniques abregies commençans au temps de Herode Antipas, persecuteur de la chrestienté, et finissant l'an de grace mil IIc et LXXVI.

Paintings. You can use them to search for other such examples on the Internet:

Cornelis Engelbrechtsz - Konstantin & Helena.

Hans Holbein - Virgin with Child.

Hans Memling - Altarpiece with Virgin and Child, Jan de Witte and his wife.

Hans Memling - Maria Portinari.

Eliseo Sala, Malinconia o Pia de' Tolomei.

Antoni Peris - Altarpiece of the Life of Virgin - Altarpiece of the Nursing Madonna.

Filippo Lippi - Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement.

Simon Marmion - Exterior of St. Bertin Altarpiece Wings. 1459.

These books may also help you. I chose the ones that also contain illustrations:

Herbert Norris – Medieval costume and Fashion.

Kathy Elgin – Costume & Fashion. Source Books.

Mary G. Houston – Medieval costume in England and France. The 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

Francis Grew, Margrethe de Neergaard – Shoes and Pattens.

Talbot Hughes – Dress design.

I hope my answer was helpful! :)

[blackjackkent]

OK. Examining Rakha's current to-do list in an attempt to determine what order to do things in the Lower City. Once again, I'm going to try and be less systematic in scouring the place than I was with Hector, and focus on what Rakha would realistically run into/prioritize (and then maybe do a sweep at the very end for anything sufficiently interesting that I've missed).

First of all, we've had a few updates to the Dark Urge questline, which are always fun to read:

"The Urge: Return to the Temple of Bhaal." You had a vision divine. The truth is restored; you are a pureblood Spawn of Bhaal. The former head of his Temple. Return, and kill sister Orin who usurped your place. Return, and restore your birthright - to lead the cult of murder until all in this world dies by your hand.

"Open Your Scars: Find Old Friends." Enver Gortash revealed more about your former glory. It was you who first put together the plot of the Absolute. As the greatest Bhaalian assassin in your prime, you were due to bring devastation to the mortal planes with the Absolute's legions. And you can get it all back, by collecting the Netherstones and reclaiming your place in the Temple.

And, much as it pains Rakha to admit it, this basically IS her top priority - finding and killing Orin, though her aim is less about reclaiming her birthright and more about rescuing Lae'zel. (...Hopefully, at least.)

Other items on the to-do list, from as non-meta a viewpoint as possible:

"Impress the Murder Tribunal." Theoretically, Rakha could expedite reaching the Temple of Bhaal by following the instructions they found in the Flophouse and killing two random innocents. I can't see her (or Wyll or Jaheira) deciding this is the right plan, though, if any other can be arranged.

Alternatively, "Investigate the Murders." Rakha can show the murder list from the Flophouse to Investigator Valeria as part of the investigation of Lorgan's murder - which might also point them in the direction of the Temple, since the Bhaalist are clearly behind it.

"Gather Your Allies." The Emperor has leaned on Rakha to get more people on board with assisting them in the upcoming battle against the brain.

"Deal with the Devil." Rakha has the option to go back to Raphael and agree to his deal to give him the Crown of Karsus in exchange for the Orphic Hammer. Alternatively, she also has a tip from Yurgir about how to get into the House of Hope on her own to get the Hammer. She's a bit skeptical about both these plans as she is still firmly allied with the Emperor at this point and questions the use of freeing Orpheus - though Wyll has also, for the first time, expressed skepticism to her that the Emperor is a good choice either.

"Aid the Underduke." Rakha knows that someone called the Stone Lord is causing upheaval in the city's underworld, standing against someone named Keene who is nominally in charge of the Guild. There's reasons to believe the Stone Lord is an Absolutist, so helping out Keene is probably in Rakha's best interests. (Side note: does anyone besides the quest journal ever call Nine-Fingers the "Underduke"? That's such a cool nickname and I don't recall encountering it anywhere else.)

"Destroy the Steel Watch Foundry." Wulbren wants the foundry destroyed explosively along with all the Gondians inside it. Barcus believes there's a way that doesn't involve violence. Rakha's more inclined to agree with Barcus, mostly because she likes Barcus and Wulbren is a twit.

"Find Dribbles the Clown." We've already found one piece of Dribbles, and normally Rakha wouldn't care overmuch except that it was part of a Bhaalist tableau orchestrated by Orin. Possibly finding more bits of Dribbles will lead to clues about Orin's location.

"Unlock the Ancient Tome." Rakha is still carrying The Necromancy of Thay in her backpack. Its magic is soothed for the time being... but it might have other secrets she hasn't been able to access.

"Investigate Felogyr's Fireworks." This was, apparently, the source of the exploding toys Rakha and co. found in the refugee warehouse. This isn't really top of mind for Rakha, but Jaheira and Wyll were pretty upset about it, so worth looking into.

"Investigate Cazador's Palace." Two vampire spawn invited Rakha to a party at Cazador Szarr's palace. This works out well, since she would happily kill Cazador on Astarion's behalf, and also agreed to do so on behalf of the Gur who had their children kidnapped. This is a killing with purpose, so very much on her radar.

"Speak to Lorroakan." Aylin is an important ally in the fight to come, so Rakha needs to make sure that the wizard who was hunting for her isn't going to be making trouble.

"Find Shadowheart's Parents." Rakha has agreed to help Shadowheart find her parents, who are still being kept captive by the Sharrans somewhere in the city. Currently, though, she doesn't have any leads on where that might be.

"Confront Lord Gortash." Theoretically, Rakha could actually avoid this and carry through on their alliance with Gortash after Orin is dead. However... Jaheira and Wyll have both made it clear that this would be unacceptable, as has Karlach, who really wants to be there for his death.

"Speak with the Bookseller at Sorcerous Sundries." This was Gale's idea - to research Netherese magic and the Crown of Karsus. Rakha is not exactly a bookish person - but she has a very deep interest in finding answers and is intrigued by the magic shop he describes.

"Find Minsc." Jaheira has said there might be other ways to find Minsc besides working with the now-shattered Harpers. She said she'd have ideas once we reached the Lower City. Rakha doesn't know Minsc - but Jaheira's description of him reminded her of herself, somewhat. She told Jaheira she would help, and means to do so.

With all this in mind, the first step seems to be quick chats with everyone in camp, see if anyone has any guidance on their respective quests, and then pick a direction and go.

I'm realizing I never talked to most of the companions at this particular point, because there's some new dialogue here I haven't run into!

-----

"The bustle here takes some getting used to. A crackling fire and a tressym for company is usually more my speed. Still, we must flow with the current we find ourselves in, however tumultuous it may be. If you've need of me, I'm glad to help."

-----

"Gods... this is the first time in two hundred years I've seen these streets in the sunlight. You can forget just how much color there is in the world."

Aw.

"Are you all right?"

"Hmm? Yes - of course. Obviously. Sorry - did you want something?"

-----

"I made it back. I'm here. Thank the gods... thank the gods..."

I've heard this one before and it broke my heart the first time and this time. She sounds so tired. 😭

-----

"The belly of the city. How many people are born, live, and die within these walls without ever seeing the depths of nature's beauty for themselves? I shudder to think."

-----

"Welcome to the Lower City, where Baldur's Gate truly comes alive."

Kind of funny getting this right after Halsin's comment; definite difference in outlook. Rakha, of course, is much more inclined to Wyll's perspective.

-----

"Baldur's Gate. You know, I never quite believed I'd actually make it back. Wasn't until we got within reach of Wyrm's Crossing that it felt real. It's so strange - I don't remember much of it, yet I can't help feel like I know it. It feels like home."

"Better than hating the place without remembering why."

Mildly odd comment from Rakha; the other option is Baldurian-specific: "It's good to be back." Probably meant to just be an idle comment, but also makes me wonder if any images Rakha has retained of the place are all wrapped up in the Urge's bloodthirst.

"I suppose it is. Though the chance to savor the moment might be brief, given all that still lies ahead of us. I may have to rely on your local knowledge to plug the gaps in my own mind. Hopefully I'll remember more than I expect to."

LOL. Yeah, Rakha's definitely the one you want to come to for local knowledge. XD

"You mentioned Shar followers might be watching for us. You think we can use them to track down your parents?"

"I hope so. So long as I'm willing to stroll right into the Mother Superior's trap, they have no reason to not tell me where to go."

"What should we be looking for?"

"Wyrm's Crossing is a chokepoint. If I wanted to intercept a new arrival, I'd find somewhere before the bridge, blend in amongst the crowds, and wait. Most people seeking entry to the city will be refugees; I'd look wherever they're gathering."

OK; I knew we missed the guy in Rivington earlier but wasn't sure if there was another clue to pick up in the Lower City. Seems like no, but this is good guidance and gives a reason for Rakha to wander back out there with Shadowheart later to pick up the scent.

-----

"Murder, oppression, conspiracies... this city has its charms after all."

"It's an impressive place."

"My mother visited, during one of her grand tours of the surface world. She claimed the streets were almost as varied and full of danger as those in Duthcloim. I never believe her until now."

Interesting. I don't think we've heard Minthara mention her family previously. :O

-----

"Have you thought any more about how we might find Minsc?"

"I have. And while I do not love my conclusion, that does nothing to change it. The Harpers are the city's best information network. With them out of action, we shall have to fall back on second-best. Nine-Fingers Keene."

(Rakha passed a history check here to know all about the Guild, which isn't really relevant under the circumstances; however, she does know the name from investigating the battle with the Stone Lord's people earlier.)

"The Guild? You'd throw your lot in with thieves?"

"Nine-Fingers is much more than a thief. Nothing happens in this city that she doesn't learn of, sooner or later. How hospitable she will be to a Harper that comes begging to her Guildhall... we will find out. Perhaps I will let you do the talking."

-----

OK, so. We have three really actionable items here based on the information Rakha has direct knowledge of. a) Go back to Rivington with Shadowheart to try and find a Sharran contact. b) Go back to Wyrm's Crossing and present the murder list to Valeria. c) Go to speak to Nine-Fingers in the Undercity with Jaheira.

A is not directly relevant to the immediate top priority of rescuing Lae'zel, and if choosing between working with Valeria and working with Jaheira, Rakha will choose Jaheira every time. So (much to my non-meta delight since I would like to find Minsc ASAP) we are off to the Undercity.

[outsidereveries]

old asks from curiouscat (9th august 2024—13th august 2024)

9th August 2024

may you expand on heeseung's health? (physical & mental)

the hanged man, 6 of pentacles, 5 of swords rx

these days he's more prone to overwork himself. therefore, he's not ill or lacking vitamins and nutritions but rather lacks sleep. he sleeps less than before and works too hard to try to sleep. he wants to sleep but he cannot. i don't feel much rather than the insomnia but i guess that's what i can see 😐

how BLACKPINK are feeling about the 8th anniversary reunion? what will be the intentions for the girls to reunite?

uh sorry for answering after their anniversary-

feelings for the reunion | the magician, 5 of cups, death

for the first time in a very long time, i don't feel anything. lisa didn't want to do it at all but came for the girls, she's the most pessimive out of all. the rest were happy to see each other but also didn't want to do it at all, at least publicly.

intentions for the reunion? | ace of cups rx, 8 of pentacles, 4 of cups rx

oh, now i feel all of the sadness in the world. the girls wanted to deliver something just for the sake of the group's name. they were forced to do it not because of other people but because of themselves. the girls might've been aware that blackpink is gone but they just though why tf they resigned as a group if they don't deliver something? so yeah, they forced themselves to do it.

will YGE be generous with AKMU & WINNER. i.e. givve trademarks rights to them when they leave?

will yge be generous to give akmu and winner's trademarks when they leave ⬇️

akmu | 8 of cups, 8 of wands, 7 of wands | i believe they will be, yes, the persistence to get them is there

winner | 10 of pentacles, the world, queen of cups | yes, they might pay for them though (as they apparently will leave after yge become subsidiary)

what will happen to their remaining groups if YGE become a subsidiary?

akmu | page of pentacles, the devil rx, the hanged man rx

they might leave before that happens.

babymonster | 4 of cups rx, king of cups, 2 of pentacles

i see that baemon will focus on group gigs and ahyeon and ruka will jiggle between their solo gigs and group ones but nothing much.

blackpink (group) | 5 of pentacles rx, the magician, 8 of pentacles

at its worst, i can see a silent disbandment with new separate agreement that yge can see blackpink's group.. stuff, and that's what i can feel it will happen. at its best though, blackpink can be active as a group like usual (comeback in 2 years and a tour afterwards for example). currently i sense the worst option.

treasure | 4 of pentacles rx, 8 of swords rx, the moon

uncertain, they might focus on solo stuff.

winner | ace of cups, page of swords rx, ace of swords

leaving the company, obviously. comparing to akmu though, it will be after the company becomes a subsidiary.

will all NCT members leave the company or will stay? will any member start their own company?

1 (without wish for obvious reasons): the magician, page of pentacles, the world

i'd say i'm leaning towards yes? from what i see, most of them will leave the company.

2: 10 of cups, queen of cups, page of swords • 6 of cups

i see similar situation as what happens with exo-cbx: creating a company and sme doing their best to sabotage them, so i'd say yes, especially with 2 members. maybe they're fire and water vedic sun sign, i don't have any clue.

how will katseye do as a group in the future? (until the end of 2025)

death, knight of cups, 5 of wands, the hermit, 4 of wands • the lovers

i see that there will be a dating scandal that will make katseye becoming a 5-member girl group. i see the girl being kicked out (according to my pendulum, it's allegedly lara) because the scandal is between the member and someone else with significant age gap that makes it questionable. if that's lara, as she's 18, she can date someone who's older. however as the 5 of wands is here, whoever is dating the knight of cups, it's happening for some time (at least a year) that makes the fact that .. she's dated an adult when she was minor. therefore, i can see eyekons being mad for it (usa ones and not only) and can try to cancel her. she can leave on her own but i really doubt it will happen in that way.

what are the plans HYBE has for KATSEYE now that they debuted?

3 of pentacles, 9 of cups, the hanged man, 10 of pentacles, 5 of pentacles rx

well, hybe wants to at least solidify katseye's relevance. the corporation want katseye to do more group activities, including releasing more songs (i personally think that releasing the songs of their debut ep 1 by 1 is so usa/western industry move that i'm sick of it but i assume that's geffen's idea)... that's what i can see 😐 idk why i expected to see more

will SM new girl group be successful? how many members will they have?

according to my pendulum, smngg is still 8-member one.

success: judgement, 9 of pentacles, 4 of swords • 8 of pentacles

not as much as sme's previous girl groups.

i can see that some members (including na haeun if she is still in the lineup? haven't checked with details) have the potential to be as successful as karina, irene and these snsd members who are very relevant individually but it will be pretty much up to there (9 of pentacles). even if sme tries to debut smngg in very favorable time, judgement says otherwise, therefore i believe smngg have members that have to face some things that are from their past lives and that will influence the group's popularity.

if i was in their shoes and hired a tarot reader, astrologer or whoever else, sme should try to continue like they used to do. i sense that their boy groups, except maybe shinee for me, have a specific energy that makes me "eh i guess they're meh for me, i cannot like them immediately and follow what they do willingly" while i liked all of their girl groups so far (from 2nd gen onwards, i have no clue how i feel for their 1st gen bc i haven't seen them that much except boa and bada/s.e.s). sme wants their girl groups to have a vibe that will personally make me raise suspiciously an eyebrow even if irl i cannot. it just won't do well group-wise, if they think they can do it like riize.. no. just no.

aside from that feeling, smngg might make releases from time to time as a group and it just .. i don't know. i doubt they will do good as a group. individually sure but up to there.

10th August 2024

that makes me sad for le sserafim and i’ll-it, do you see a positive future for them despite this? i’m glad the newjeans girls will be ok though

LS: 5 of wands rx, 3 of pentacles, 4 of wands

the thing i can see is personal but i believe they'll strengten their bond in a way that benefits all of the girls. chaewon will be happy that they will be closer.

ILI: 6 of swords, 4 of cups rx, 10 of cups

they seem to go in their own ways, so.. more likely no.

i asked my pendulum will there be something that is positive for the both groups career-wise and it's no, so if there are positives, they are for the members' solo paths (and it might be for le sserafim, for i'll-it my pendulum is more pessimistic).

[rumor or truth?] is there something going on between enhypen’s jake and belle from kiss of life?

for more context, there were "rumors" on tiktok from international stans, so.. 7 of wands, 10 of wands, the fool rx

rumor. jake on the other hand got interested romantically in belle (i assume behind the scenes) but she rejected him. to answer directly, no. there isn't something between them.

[rumor or truth?] there has been dating rumors between haerin and leo, ex-trainee a. is it true?

queen of swords rx, 5 of wands rx, judgement rx, 10 of swords rx

rumor for sure. i don't know how to see anything else except that it's dumb rumor???

does mhj have preferences towards certain members of newjeans? if yes, are the members feeling that?

1) ace of wands, hanged man, 7 of wands

not specific energy i can pick on, she seems to not be biased at all

2) the star, ace of pentacles, strength

it's sure that newjeans feel min heejin's unbiased towards them and like her authenticity. especially danielle for some reason.

13th August 2024

aespa’s reading for the next 3 years?

6 of pentacles rx, queen of pentacles, queen of cups, the tower, 10 of swords

there might be behaviour scandal in which aespa will be guilty for doing it, more affected might be karina and giselle. it seems to happen in korea.

anything on na haeun?

5 of pentacles, the high priestess, death

it seems that someone prepares her a scandal that will make her lose solo fans. nothing else i can pick up on.

does itzy stand a chance to make a comeback or too much time has passed?

ace of cups, 4 of pentacles rx, 9 of cups rx, the lovers rx, the chariot

compared to “born to be” era, they'll do better but won't be enough. they stand a chance, yes, but they have to be persistent to get their relevance back.

how are le sserafim dealing with the reactions to the documentary?

5 of cups rx, 3 of pentacles rx, the hanged man rx, 10 of pentacles, 7 of wands

not so good, they expected better responses from fearnot and not only, they realise the group's relevance is doomed. they expected to get their cashbag, i assume, otherwise idk why the 10 of pentacles would also appear, but will have to fight harder to get the bonus profit.

does dispatch deleting the videos with the leaked content mean anything?

4 of pentacles rx, page of cups, 9 of cups, 4 of swords, the hermit

there's allegedly an intern in dispatch who's also working with hybe, especially in source music. the page of cups might've been a trainee in the same team and deleted the video because she was there, so no. it doesn't mean anything, the reasons are personal. dispatch doesn't care that the video was deleted though so the intern will stay there as of now.

[rdhadastroke]

So this straw-masked dumbass decided to do a thing and share some personal tips about writing fanfiction/writing someone else's character/writing in general!

Please keep in mind that I am a hobbyist writer, not a professional! These are just suggestions/things that help me that may or may not work for you, please feel free to correct me or add your own anecdotes :)

Tips for getting ready to write:

Make sure that you're in an environment where you can concentrate.

Whether that be in a quiet room, a chatty café, or blasting your eardrums out with music, whatever gets you in the groove is good. Not everybody can focus in the same environment, so your choice of surroundings for when you right aren't going to be the same as everyone else's. I (personally) listen to long video essays, my current favorite song on loop, or a playlist about the story/characters.

Clear a space for where you want to write.

Clear the space of excess clutter and keep only what you need. If what you need to write is a lot, that's fine! Having too much going on at once in your writing space can overwhelm and/or distract you. I know from personal experience.

Have all of your materials at hand.

Character sheets, previous stories, note paper to jot down ideas, rough environment & scene sketches... Whatever references and tools you need, keep them with you! Also, keep a glass of water or some other drink nearby. Hydrate or diedrate, my friends.

Make sure that you won't be interrupted while you're writing.

This may not be an option for those of you living with your parents or a roommate, but it's ideal for your creative flow to go undisturbed, uninterrupted, and unwatched. Is your father really watching you write your fanfic? No, probably not, considering that he's snoring. But it still feels weird to write when he's sitting in his armchair right behind you. No, I am not projecting my experience onto the reader under the cover of an absurd joke, why would you say that?

Now that setup is out of the way, let's go over some actual writing stuff:

Always, always, always block out what you want to write before you actually write it.

By "block out", I mean give a basic summary of the events you want to take place in that chapter or segment. I usually do this event-by-event because I struggle to carry on a story without an outline, but you can do it by chapter or by paragraph if you'd like. Make jokes in your mini-summaries, and phrase things in wacky ways (that convey things to you effectively)! You don't have to be too serious about it. After all, if you're in a lil silly goofy mood, you can get an epic sentence like this:

If you get stuck on a part of a story, move on and save it for later.

If you're anything like me, you understand the screaming, crying, pissing, pants-shittingly frustrating experience of not knowing how to describe something or figure out what should be said next. As angering as it is, it's okay. Just write a mini block-in for what you want to happen, want to describe, or the general tone of what you want to be said. Or use a keyword that you can Ctrl+F for to finish those pesky scenes when you're ready. If your writing software can do it (I have no clue if any one program does this, I only use Google Docs), mark the spot for review to return to it later. If you're one of those frighteningly powerful people who write stories by hand, highlight it and paste what you want to go there over it once you're ready. If you aren't familiar with this infuriating part of writing, you're a lucky bastard and I envy you immensely.

If you have writer's block, there are 8 potential strategies (that I can provide) you can use to alleviate it.

These are NOT surefire fixes for writer's block and are EXTREMELY subjective and results will vary from person to person, but they can potentially help you.

Read a book. Sometimes reading how another author writes (dialogue, scenery, figurative language, etc.) can help you get a better grasp of what you want to write, and how you want to write it. You might even get inspired to make a different story, which bleeds into the next point.

Work on/start a different story. (This isn't always the best way to get out of writer's block, so if you can't get a word down, this probably won't help.) Sometimes changing what you're working on can free up the ink clogged in your pen, for lack of a better phrase, and give you an, "aha!" moment.

Eat and drink something. Brains don't work when they don't have fuel, so feed your machine. Frequent maintenance keeps an engine running smooth, so occasionally get a snack and make sure to keep hydrated.

Take a walk and get some fresh air, and touch some grass for the love of god. Jokes aside, getting your body moving can excite your brain into working and clear some brain fog, since exercise gives your brain a dose of serotonin. As silly as it sounds, sitting in the sun and touching some grass can actually make you feel nice and rejuvenated, it helps me a lot. Even if you don't go outside, moving around is a good way to give your brain a break.

Talk to a friend and get their input. Their ideas can get you through a tough spot and inspire you to get writing again.

Look at pretty pictures and distract yourself from what you're doing. I have pictures of art pieces and doodles I like hanging in front of the desk where I write, and losing myself in pretty stuff helps me work through what I'm struggling with.

Jot down notes by hand on what you're trying to do. Planning things out on pen and paper, despite being tedious, imprints information in your mind and can be useful to your writing needs

If you're writing a fanfiction, look at the source material. Chances are, there's something there that could help you along.

If you don't have the motivation to write anything, don't.

This isn't the best advice for someone who's on a time limit, but works wonders for passion projects and fun stories. Very few do their best work when they force themselves to do it. Besides, there's no point in having a hobby if you don't get joy out of it and overly stress over it.

Writing someone else's character? No problemo, here's some fanfic help:

Always look at the source material, and don't be shy to explore new territory with the character.

It's important to stay true to the personality of a character when you're writing someone else's creation, but don't be afraid to throw in some headcanons and artistic flair. Remember, there's a difference between writing a character unrealistically (pertaining to personality, likes, interests, and universe/world/time period) and changing the circumstances of the original story. Characters are people too, and people react differently to the same thing depending on the world around them. A character may not have [x] trait if [y] event never happened, likewise [y] event never would have happened if this character didn't have [x] trait. Take into consideration the people around the character, as well, as they can also affect what the character does and how they develop. Change up small events in the original source material's story to get a different story and a different reaction out of the character. Experiment, and have fun! It's your story, write it your way!

That's all the advice I have for now, and I hope I was helpful! :)))

[transgymbro]

im sure youve probably answered this before, but do you have a specific gym routine you follow? or one you could recommend?

my issue with the gym isnt even an issue of social anxiety or body insecurity, it's the fact that i genuinely have zero clue what im doing lmao 😅 any advice at all is appreciated, thanks man

I actually haven't answered this one before! This is under a "read more" because it got stupid long. Also sorry this has taken so long I've been grinding on my finals

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, I'm literally just some guy on the internet who likes going to the gym. Please consult an expert such as a doctor or fitness coach if possible before trying anything I say. If you happen to be an expert/experienced in this, please correct me if I got anything wrong. Also, YMMV.

So generally, when you go to the gym your routine is going to depend on your goals and how many days you're going to be able to go.

If your main goal is to cut (lose body fat): You want to concentrate on cardio, and if you do strength training at all you should focus on lighter weight with a higher number of reps each set

If your main goal is to bulk (gain muscle mass and strength): You'll want to aim for less cardio, heavier weights, and less repetitions.

WARNING: Be careful when you are going up in weight, you can seriously injure yourself if you try to lift something that's too heavy. What I mean by be careful is:

Make sure you can move your current weight easily before trying the next one up. That is, don't go up until you're able to do 15 reps on that weight.

When you move up in weight, don't go up by more than 5-10 lbs. This will make sure that if it turns out you can't lift as much as you thought, you won't hurt yourself.

Have a spotter with you, if possible. If you have someone who can/wants to go to the gym with, you, take them, especially if they have more experience. Having someone there to catch the weight can make the difference on whether or not you get injured.

Listen to your body. If you are hurting/experiencing sharp/unusual pain, STOP and either go down in weight or stop altogether for the day.

Make sure your form is correct. Lifting with bad form is already likely to injure you, and the risk goes up the heavier you're lifting. You can have someone else check you or check online for tutorials.

As for your exercises across the week, it depends on how much time you have to spend in the gym. Some people have time every single day to go, and others can only go maybe two days a week. Regardless of how much time you have though, it is important to give your muscles a chance to rest. Now, this doesn't mean you CAN'T go every single day, you absolutely can if you know what you're doing. But generally for people who are new to the gym I wouldn't recommend it. For one, if you're not used to the strain you're going to take longer to recover and get over the soreness, and if you're super sore it'll be difficult to really push yourself. Also, beginners aren't typically in tune with their body yet, that is, they don't know when to stop pushing to avoid injury. So, it's best to split the muscles you work out across your gym days.

A very common one routine is called the push-pull split. This divides the muscles you will work out into two groups, depending on their motion. The muscles that go in each category are

Push: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Quads, Calves

Pull: Back, Biceps, Glutes, Hamstrings.

Typically, one would go to the gym 4 days per week and do: push, pull, push, pull, or vice versa. However, this split is also good for people who can only work out twice a week. My brother actually goes to the gym three times per week (last I checked with him) and modifies this split into push, pull, and legs, so this is another option if you want to really make sure you're getting a pump on your legs.

My personal split is a three day split of muscle groups. Shoulders/biceps/triceps, chest/back, and abs/legs. This is how my aunt (former amateur bodybuilder) trained me when she was getting me into weightlifting and I've generally kept the same routine, but you're free to switch any of those days or muscle groups around, so you could do something like biceps/trips/back, abs/chest, shoulders/legs. Generally I would try to keep biceps and triceps together since both are your arm muscles, but that's really only a personal preference.

For the most part, what you choose to do here is up to you as long as you make sure you're giving your muscles a chance to rest.

Now we're getting into specifics: How many reps? How many sets? Generally, 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps on a weight that is manageable but challenging (i.e. you can lift it, but you're getting tired at about the last 2-3 reps). However, there are some (not exhaustive) special cases that I'm listing below

Cutting - Do you remember what I said about low weight high reps earlier? This is where it comes in. If you're on a cut you may want to go for a lighter weight than your normally would (for example, if you usually lift about 20 lbs use the 10 lb weights) and go for 15-20 reps, or if you're advanced, until failure.

Strength gain - High weight, low reps. You'll want something a bit on the heavier side, but you'll only be doing this for about 5-8 reps per set. I do recommend, however, grabbing a lighter weight as well and doing what we call a drop set (we'll get into what this is in a second). Once again: be careful when lifting very heavy weights. You don't want to injure yourself.

The Big Three (Deadlift, Squat, Bench Press) - These ones are the ones people tend to try and go as heavy as they can go on. They are the most rewarding, but also the most dangerous lifts you can do. If you are a beginner, do not attempt going heavy on these without a spotter. Generally for these, you'll want to do less reps the heavier you go. If you have a spotter you can go for a one rep max, where you lift the most weight you know you can lift for exactly one rep. Alternatively, these can go hand in hand with strength gaining, and because of how heavy these can get, you may end up only getting 3 reps in (I can only bench 145 lbs for 2 reps right now).

Drop Set - A drop set is a set where you start with a weight slightly heavier than what you can complete a full set with, do a low amount of reps, and then drop down to a lower weight and repeat, up to the lowest weight available to you. These are very good for building your strength, because they allow you to keep going and working your muscles without injuring yourself. Example: I want to drop set my bicep curls. I can bicep curl about 25 lbs for 10-12 reps. I would start with 30 lbs, do 5 reps, then drop to 25 lbs and do 5 reps there. I could stop there, especially if I'm using dumbbells because I don't want to have that many dumbbells with me, but I could go to 20 lbs, do 5 reps, then to 15 lbs, and then repeat until I'm using 5 lbs. These usually work best with machines rather than free weights because again: there is definitely such a thing as too many dumbbells.

Also: Make sure your first set is a warmup set. That is, do slightly lighter weight and slightly more reps to get your muscles warmed up and ready to lift the heavier stuff. Warming up your muscles will give you a chance to practice your form and prepare your body to handle the heavy shit.

I will also say that your diet will have a massive impact on how fast/whether you reach your goals, but since you asked about the gym specifically, I'm sticking to that scope.

[katrina20lh]

1 + 20 for the historical asks?

Hi there and thanks for the ask! I apologize for not answering earlier, i had a shit ton of homework to do.

1. Who is your favourite historical person?

Frederick the Great of Prussia. I wouldn't change him for anyone. He's a mess and all; but is just that his life, the abuse he suffered when he was a child, his first years as king, his relationship with Voltaire, his letters describing his feelings, all of that just moves me in a way no other figure has ever done. I smile full of joy when i discover some facts about him, when i read a letter he wrote, when i learn about all of his relationships. A lot of people focus on his military achievements, which are obviously amazing, but I love to learn about the feelings he experimented, about the shared human experience we all have. I know he has been dead for God-know-how-long but i just want to tell him that he is remembered vigorously for many of us and that all the things he felt, all the tears he cried, are valued and that he's appreciated for not only the things he achieved, but also because of who he was. I learnt about him not so long ago but now this man and his boyfriend ( voltaire) live in my head and I can't get them out. But I wouldn't like to anyway <3.

20. History crush?

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I sadly anounce that I don't think I have anyone??

Yeah, I mean all my options are kinda cursed: Fritz? no way dude, the guy hate women and is gay; Voltaire? I mean maybe but i want to keep my mental stability; Robespierre? I don't think so; Saint-Just? mmmm he's finee but he's not my type.

But recently there's been someone that I yearn to know better and get in her marvelous mind: Émilie du Châtelet. I haven't read a lot about her, but the little thing i know are enough to make me say what a woman! Anyway, if I find someone that makes me go insane in the good way I'll anounce it without directly saying it, but giving non-verbal clues.

[elfhunk]

hi! i just wanted to say that all of your stuff on exercise and having a good relationship with your body has been really nice to read on my dash.

i've been trying on and off for the last few years to get myself back into a consistent exercise routine that i enjoy (COVID happened, stuff in my life happened, etc.) and i think that both your perspectives + obvious love of the gym are really helpful as motivation.

if i can ask a question: do you have any advice on developing a consistent, realistic schedule and sticking to it? (of course, while still being okay if things come up and change what you can do.) for me, i think one of the reasons i fell out of my routine is that my work/social/life obligations have changed a lot in the past few years. so i've been struggling to figure out where to slot in time for exercise when it feels like there's always something else i could or "should" be doing.

also, thanks for all the fun warframe stuff! i haven't played in ages because of the aforementioned obligation time crunch, but it's also really cool to see what you're doing in the game. my playstyle and preferred warframes were pretty opposite to yours, so i really had no clue that you could do a lot of the things you've shown off.

thank you! i'm glad it's having the desired impression on the other side. i used to think posting about it or deigning to enjoy brief moments of self-indulgent flexing was gauche when i've only put in the bare minimum of effort since i started lifting in 2020... but... uh...

when we only see images of people who have been kissed by perfectly specialized genetics and have dedicated a huge amount of their time, money and resources to it and have these immaculate perfectly proportioned bodies?

that only makes the body dysmorphia madness worse for all of us? especially when so many of those images aren't given context... or disclosing who is and isn't using certain drugs. 🫠

anyway, my handy tool in all of this is a thing i picked up as a habit from sexologist and all around wonderful woman dr. lindsey doe a long, long time ago:

a want, will, won't list.

although in this instance of teaching it was being used to discuss sexual activity, it's how i end up thinking about basically any major decision or lifestyle change.

time just is not infinite! you cannot do it all! there is going to be compromise!

these kinds of tools are a great way to help your brain organize your conflicting thoughts and set boundaries for yourself.

so, i don't know your brain or what accommodations you need, but i hope this framework might help you start figuring it out?

how many hours, total, do you want to spend a week?

how much time on strength training?

how much time on cardio?

how many individual days a week?

what are you willing to change about your existing schedule?

what won't you change under any circumstances?

would you be willing to buy some home equipment?

pay for a different gym that's closer by?

would you want to take a class or pay for a trainer?

do you have friends who would want to pursue this with you?

there's a ton of resources published by actual personal trainers on how to structure a full body workout into a given week for people with every possible permutation of schedule availability if you look for them.

as mentioned before, i've actually been having a horrible time at the gym this year. my appetite is shot, my energy is gone, and i've just been unable to prioritize it. part of my own journey with this has been acknowledging where there's necessary compromise. i've had to spend more time working on my brain than my body this year, and that's okay.

i can show myself kindness while still trying to problem solve. i can make cooking meals easier, i can budget for more accessible options, i can go maybe 2-3 days a week instead of 3-4 like i used to.

to facilitate this, i've also been trying to focus even more on the immediate benefits of this work.

focusing on minor aesthetic differences you won't see payoff for months or years just isn't particularly motivating?

but when i've had a long day and i just desperately need an hour or two to focus on something physically demanding that requires my full attention? where i get to walk away feeling physically exhilarated and accomplished, even if i was no where near my PR?

that's self care, baby! we all understand how important that is!

your body is truly just too stupid to care about the long term goals. it will just feel really good, and much better than it did an hour before even if the actual performance of that session was mediocre.

apologies for another full essay a response!

again, i truly just don't know your life or your circumstances, so i can only provide broad strokes... but i hope this at least gives some scaffolding to begin tackling the issue with some kindness to yourself as you re-calibrate.

[kiss-my-freckle]

3x13: Bringing Out The Dead

Stefan's most common form of deflection, which happens whenever he's confronted by Elena or simply confronted in front of her. He pulls Damon into it for the sake of shifting focus from himself because he doesn't like owning his shit. This is similar to what Elena did in 3x3 when Damon showed her Stefan's Chicago wall. Or what Stefan does when Damon outs him for sleeping with Rebekah in 4x12.

Elena: Did you kill the medical examiner? Stefan: Why would you think I did that? Elena: Maybe because I don't know what you're capable of anymore. Stefan: Well, believe what you want, Elena. Elena: I don't want to believe any of it, Stefan. Stefan: But you had to ask me anyway. Elena: Stefan… Stefan: Did you ask Damon if he killed anybody lately?

Rather than own the fact that he IS a good suspect for the death of the medical examiner, he shifts focus to Damon when it was Damon who played the role of peacemaker while Stefan wanted to behead someone at the Wickery Bridge event.

"he was capable of pretty much anything"

"I don't know what you're capable of anymore"

You can even hear Elena's comments in Damon's.

"Because I can't predict how far he is willing to go until someone gets killed"

"I know my brother better than anyone, and right now, I don't have a clue how far he is willing to take this"

Stefan was the one that ripped up and down the eastern seaboard with his humanity on, now has the gall to shift focus to Damon as if he's the one that's been killing. This doesn't change until later in the series, and it only changes because there's no more point to Stefan ignoring the fact that he's just as bad as Damon.

"What if it was Stefan? He was crazy that night."

You'll also notice that Elena suspected Stefan on her own. Damon didn't put that idea into her head. Unlike Stefan, who's the entire reason Elena suspects Damon of killing 12 council members in 4x2. Because unlike Stefan, Damon doesn't feel the need to shift focus from his bad behaviors. He owns them. Elena had every reason to suspect Stefan rather than Damon. After all, Stefan was the one that abducted her and threatened her on the bridge. But again, he hates owning his shit. The more Stefan opens his mouth, the more he looks like an ass.

This is Stefan's "possessive" face. He has the same face in 1x2 and 1x21. He's extremely possessive, jealous, and controlling when it comes to Elena.

Elijah: Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight? Stefan: I don't know. Ask Damon.

One of the biggest things about this episode, is how it pushes backward to 3x4 and forward to 3x22 as they slowly prep Elena to become a vampire.

Caroline: Why are you trying to fix me? Bill: So I don't have to kill you! Caroline: Daddy, I'm sorry.

Suicide is only an option for a suicidal vampire. They will fight to survive, even if it means fighting their loved ones because it's their nature. So when people like John and Bill threaten Damon, they KNOW what they're getting themselves into. I'm bringing this up as I show how they push back to 3x4. Refer to my post for 3x4 as it pertains to Elena changing Damon.

Caroline: That's impossible. Daddy, you can't change who I am. Damon: So, Bill, I have a question. What makes you think that you can change the basic nature of a vampire? Meredith: That's gotta be hard. When your dad hates the one thing you can't change about yourself.

Caroline: Yeah, we've had our ups and downs.

THIS is the reailty of Damon and Elena. Not only because he's a vampire and she's human, but because Damon is still in the process of bettering himself. Like Caroline with her father, those "downs" won't stop them from loving each other. Those "downs" happen even in real life.

Bill: I knew what I was risking when I didn't leave town, but I figured you're not self-destructive enough to kill the sheriff's ex-husband. Damon: Makes you the third person to underestimate me today. Tyler: I lost control. Again. Bill: I knew the risks when I decided to help you.

It's through Tyler that they show the truth of Damon's scene with Bill in 3x4.

Damon: No, I'm not going to kill you, Bill. I'm just going to find pleasure in perfect little moments like this.

It's through Dr. Fell that they show Damon post-bite in 3x4. That's why she's first healing Bill with Damon's blood, then healing Elena with it in 3x21. Had Caroline not came in when she did, Damon would've healed Bill just like he healed Vicki. If he wanted to kill Bill, he'd be dead.

Caroline: I can't just let my father die. You know, I'm… I'm gonna force him to feed. Elena: Hey…. he doesn't want to, Caroline. The only thing your dad has is his choice. Caroline: Listen, listen to me. I know that you think you made your choice, but you can change your mind. You know, you are strong enough to handle being a vampire. I mean, you're the strongest person that I know. Bill: Oh, Caroline, my strength is all in my beliefs. Becoming a vampire is wrong, people aren't supposed to cheat death. It's just what I believe. Please respect that.

Here, they show how Damon challenges Elena's life and beliefs. While Stefan respects her choices, Damon challenging her as he has is the reason she feeds to complete the transition. Her choices leading to that moment when she actually decides to become something she never wanted to be. Damon's face when Elena tackles him in 4x1… that's not fear, but shock in the fact that she chose it for herself.

Elena: I can't, Caroline! If I admit it, if I even thought it for just a second… What does that say about me? Caroline: It says you're human, Elena. Bill: Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children, Caroline. It's okay. Bill: This is life. This is what it means to be human.

You're then given this 3x4-3x13 parallel. A foreshadow of what's to come. Elena basically dies because she waits "until later" to tell Stefan just as she waited "until later" to tell Matt.

Elena: Will you stay with me? Until he wakes up? Matt: Of course. Elena: I can't lose any more family.

This is Elena in 3x22. She won't wake until Damon rushes into that hospital. Best to know which brother she considers family and which brother she considers her boyfriend.

"It's a blood knot."

Like two keys, the sire and the sired. That's why the sire bond is no one else's business but Damon's and Elena's.

[mikareo]

OMG MATCHUPS ARE OPEN (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) (i'm frantically typing HELP)

Desired fandom, gender and age would be bllk, male and teen (sfw)

I'd say I'm quiet / shy (around friends I can get talkative tho), honest (to the point I sound mean at times), observant and apparently I'm sassy at times too. My star sign's scorpio (idk the other ones), my mbti is intp. My favourite hobbies are reading, writing, listening to music, playing badminton and (sometimes) studying. I love eating and going on walks (especially by the ocean or when it starts getting dark). Ideal date would probably be a bookstore one (I've never dated before so I have no clue on what I exactly like or don't like)

I hope this wasn't too much jsjshs (If I can find something nice I'll send them in for the appearance match up)

💌 ✮⋆˙ love letter to...kitorin!

i think this is actually the fastest i've ever done a matchup just bc i was like giggling at how cute u guys would be together :3 i hope you like this character souta!!!! i think he's a sweetheart n you two would work rlly well as a pair,, also!! i just saw me on ur carrd ily!!!

[ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ ᰔ ] your complete matchup results!

congratulations . . .‧₊˚🍂✩CHIGIRI HYOMA₊˚🍁⊹♡

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ chemistry analysis . . .

i'm ngl it took me a good like five minutes of thinking to figure out who i wanted to match you with n i argued w myself on three options until i landed on chigiri. the other matches were very similar to you and i realized i wanted someone more extroverted rather than an introvert...so here's why i picked chigiri!

off the bat, i think you two would connect on that level of honesty you have. chigiri is a very blunt person and always says what he's saying when he's thinking it. knowing that you also tend to be on the honest and blunt side of things, i think that you two could communicate together without that judgement there may be w/ other people, n have a really great foundation of trust that is essentially unbreakable. he'd definitely really value you since you keep him on his toes, n make sure that he's sticking to his goals n constantly improving (after all, you're there to tell him if he's not)!

i consider chigiri more of an extroverted introvert. i didn't want to match you with a total extrovert since i didn't want you to drown in their outgoingness or obnoxiousness; so i think chigiri is a good fit in this case. he enjoys his quiet time, which the two of you could fondly share, but also gets out of his comfort zone when he feels himself settling down. he'd constantly check in w/ you to make sure that you're okay with wherever you are/whoever you're with, n puts you're comfort first. if there's ever a situation that you feel like you want to get out of to escape for a little bit of peace and quiet, he's right by your side and holding your hand until you're away from the crowd.

his character analysis also matches extremely well with your hobbies and interests! as stated, chigiri really enjoys "drinking tea and eating sweets". he'd surely love to take you out to the new restaurants in town or even the local コンビニ to pick out your favorite snacks for a chill movie night in! on his off days, he prefers to read— so he'd happily visit the bookstore w/ you and sit in there for hours so long as he has his favorite drink by his side, laughing at whatever sassy remark you throw at him. he'd think of these quiet moments on the field when he needs to focus or concentrate on a shot; you being the thing that relaxes him and calms his heartbeat.

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ memories on the wall . . .

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ a treasured moment . . .

how loud does he have to slurp that damn straw?

you've only been at the bookstore for maybe ten minutes (?), and chigiri finished his drink in the first two. it was some sort of tea— maybe an iced jasmine with honey— and it was good when he let you have a sip! but it was only a sip; and then suddenly it's just ice and a plastic straw. your boyfriend enjoys his sweets, his treats, and especially his teas. you, however, enjoy some peace and quiet when you're trying to find the perfect book.

"you sound like a vacuum." the eye roll you send in his direction is deadly. he's practically shot on sight "i mean that in a bad way."

"i should've gotten the extra large, right?" he shakes the cup, frowning as he realizes there is absolutely zero drink left. he's so cute, it's annoying.

without glancing in his direction, you toss him a book or two that you're debating on adding to your shelf— which he, of course, catches with ease and balances on top of one another. his agility is outstanding on and off of the field, but sometimes you wish he'd miss...just for the laughs. "you would've finished the XL...what...ten seconds later?" he really is like a human vacuum.

though your tone is laced with irritation, you hand him your glass. "don't make me regret it." to which he happily sips on with a smile on his face.

so cute.

if there was an award for the prettiest, red haired, japanese, youth, male, potential striker, football player in the world; chigiri would definitely win. yes, that's a very specific title— but also it's the only way you know he'd win.

“i love you,” you murmur under your breath. you do love him, you really do…

…but you take back your words when that damn slurping sound returns.

[authoralexharvey]

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @goldenempress

Who You Are:

The Empress || She/her

After 12 years and thousands of ideas, I have successfully curated a list of 10 WIPs to last me the rest of my life. I will not be taking criticism at this time.

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, mystery, and paranormal. Young and New Adult.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Slice of Life. Anything can happen in slice of life, because you can even follow the daily lives of superheroes or prophesied saviors. Everything is slice of life if you want it badly enough. And that's beautiful.

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Tragedy. Tried it once, but I hate being sad. Also romance. Because while I do love a good rom-com or rom-fan, I prefer to focus on platonic relationships in my writing.

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

Me. I am my target audience. I would love it if literally anybody found something good about my work, but there are no guarantees, so pleasing other people is not on my priority list when it comes to writing. I know better than to engage in pyrrhic battles.

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

I like stories about people who are relentlessly devoted to each other to the point that other people are confused by it, because that's so soft and so beautiful and it means everything to me. I like stories about OP characters because I hate seeing my characters lose, which is very personal. And I like to combine those two ideas into one because it is the ultimate incarnation of chaos to watch over-powered people do whatever it takes to secure their loved ones' happiness. That's just my niche.

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

Anything sad, really. Yeah. That's it. That's bad vibes.

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

I'm currently working on 4x5 (title pending), which is a project that consists of 20 separate stories following the same 4 characters. I've been working on it for either 8 years or 15 months.

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

I write because stories are all I think about. And because I love the characters in my stories and if I don't write them their happy endings, who will? And I keep writing because I can't not.

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

I've been writing for about 13 years, and honestly? No clue. Or, maybe reading. Yeah, no, that's it. I spend my entire childhood at the library, so was there ever any other option for me?

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

I get my inspiration from other stories. It can be a moment, a line of dialogue, a theme, an idea, a character's power or personality trait, a scenario, anything. If I loved to watch it or read it, then I want to see if I can apply it to my stories. My current project was indeed inspired by other stories. I can't get any more specific than that. Because I have no idea what the specifics are.

What works of yours are you most proud of? Why?

An 80,000 word unfinished story that has been permanently lost to time due to a corrupted hard drive and thumb drive. Those 80,000 words were the first act of the first installment of a trilogy and I wrote them when I was 11, but they're still the best thing I've ever done because I've never had as much fun as when I was writing that. That sort of pure joy is something I've been chasing ever since.

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

I did. Once. Briefly. And then I unpublished it because I was afflicted by crippling regret. I do eventually want to start self-publishing my own work, but I have to build up to it.

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you? Why?

Umm… I can't say I know how to answer this question. Hmm. I like the idea of publishing because maybe someone, somewhere, someday will find my work beautiful and feel better because of it, even for a moment - the way the best stories make me feel. I don't like the idea of publishing because my stories never make me feel that way personally, and putting out something that I'm not truly happy with is maybe a little nauseating. See, the aforementioned crippling regret.

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

I like planning the most and revising the least. Revising because I don't actually know how to revise and the very act of reading my own work can be demoralizing, which is very personal. Planning because when I'm conceptualizing and imagining, I get to soak myself in my ideas at their most pure.

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

I have a 10 to 11 step detailed process for planning my story. This ensures that I know everything that will happen in my story from start to finish before I ever sit down to write. There are occasional deviations, but most of the time, my plan is as inflexible as I am. And that's how I like it.

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

I've been here for maybe 5 months and I joined the community because I wanted to get to know people who loved stories as much as I do.

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

I don't think I'm engaged enough in the community to comment on this properly. In spite of my best efforts, I've yet to actually find my footing here. Or maybe my efforts are just poor. Who knows?

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

I like when I get to see the project updates people post. Some people put together moodboards or character profiles or story summaries or quote - and I like the writing games.

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

I don't know enough about how it actually works to give any solid advice. I feel very lost on these things.

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

I don't contribute at all and I don't think I could be doing more because I don't really have much to offer. Which might be why I've yet to find my place in the community.

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

I like to interact with posts that give me a real glimpse into the bet parts of a writer's world and characters. The posts that show what the writer thinks are the best parts. The posts that are really mostly inside jokes between the writer and their story. They're my favorite.

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

See the above.

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

I've got a blog where I craft and post about writing and a youtube channel where I draw and talk about stories - my own and others'. Oh. And an Instagram.

Questions For Fun:

What is your favorite book you've read? Why?

I could never choose a favorite book in a million years and I'll cry if you make me.

If you could go back to yourself as a beginning writer, what would you tell yourself?

I would tell myself not to take other people's writing advice so seriously. I would read craft books and take them to heart and make myself miserable trying to follow their rules. It was a dark time in my writing life.

If you could have a conversation with any writer out there, alive or dead, who would it be and why? What would you say?

Agatha Christie probably. She was so prolific and so clever and so talented and I love mysteries and crime books, so she's something of a literary hero to me. I would just ask her… everything. What her process for developing mysteries was like, what her actual writing process was like, how long it took her to write, what she liked best about her stories - everything.

[zirconynx]

Final Destination Game in the style of Until Dawn/The Dark Pictures idea

Recently been fixated on Final Destination and I had the random thought of how interesting it'd be to see a Final Destination game in the style of Until Dawn/The Dark Pictures Anthology or even like Telltale's The Walking Dead and how those game styles actually go really well with the general premise of FD.

Think about it, if a Final Destination game took a Telltale TWD approach it could work well game-structure-wise since usually characters that can die in one episode in the game or later in another episode usually end up doing nothing for the narrative following their first possible death. In an FD game then they could tie it back to the whole cheating death theme. At the very least writing off the fact that they don't do much in the story after that point is a little bit more excusable because of the narrative and how death works compared to TWD where it was just blatantly obvious that the writers didn't intend for that character to do anything or affect the story beyond that death point (lookin' at you Nick from TWD S2)

I think there's so much potential for an FD game in the style of Until Dawn/The Quarry/Dark Pictures Anthology since the choices the players make would have more of an impact on what happens in the narrative and how they affect how a character ends up dying or at what time (taking into account the different Death's Designs). I haven't really thought this through entirely yet but I'd imagine that the players could influence how late or early a character dies or, depending on how much they explore or notice details in the environment, can have the option to save a person at the last second which would have a drastic affect the story (an example being that if you save someone who was next on the list bc you were quick enough then the game/story would follow the rule of skipping the saved person and moving onto whoever is next on the list). Obviously this would get complicated to write AND program depending on what type of Death's Design is used for the story. Personally I'd like to see a FD game that sorta combines the Death's Designs from all 5 movies (yes i am basically cherry picking which aspects of the Designs i personally like but hear me out, also, very long post about Death Designs down below)

In terms of whether all the main characters end up dying or not, I'm gonna use the theatrical canons since for this post and FD 3 specifically, I assume Kimberly and Burke to be alive since there's nothing to state the contrary AND since the official ending is ambiguous, it;s up to interpretatiob whether Wendy survives or not since the Alternate ending and Choose Your Fate stuff where the newspaper of Kimberly and Burke falling into a woodchipper and Wendy for sure dying aren't canon to me.

For order of deaths, I'd make it simple like FD 1 where it's just that the characters die in the order they would've in the premonition but can be skipped if saved by another on the list BUT i would also include the rule from FD 2 where "giving new life" i.e. giving birth or dying at the correct time and then being revived after officially being considered dead by the design as a way to stop the cycle, tho i wouldn't include the reverse order thing from FD 2 since it was a direct consequence of FD 1, but the game would follow one cast of characters so this wouldn't apply. Personally I'm not a huge fan of the rule where someone gets added to the list because they were saved by someone that IS on the list as I feel that gets complicated and for major disasters with lots of people that can get saved by the visionaries (FD 4) would create an inconsistency at best or major plot hole at worst depending on how much focus would be given to which aspects of death's design.

As much as I like FD 3, I don't think it substantially added anything good in the way of how death works (the pictures having clues of how people would die but also included the later deaths after a premonition that was not planned by Death didn't make sense to me so). The only aspect of Death's Design from FD 3 that I would personally include would be how it'd be possible to still cause the main characters' deaths if they didn't pay enough attention (or didn't get the "give new life" path) even at the end of the game (this is the only aspect of the Choose Your Fate stuff that I would incorporate since my hc is that if you notice the things like the hole in the train map or connection to some previously established main characters that died, then you end up surviving the subway crash but if not you don't). For the subway scenario, in the case the player does notice the signs and the odd grouping back together of the main cast then you can have the option to step off early and avoid death again (and have their spots filled as I will discuss later with FD 5) or can still get on, have the premonition but still die. If they ignore or didn't see the signs then they can get the premonition but survive. Doesn't make a whole lot more sense but I'm sure it could be worked on so that these possible endings could be included.

I haven't watched FD 4 but from what I've seen on Youtube and briefly read on the fandom wiki page, the only new thing I can deduce is that Nick had two (?) major premonitions, one of the Raceway and one of the Mall. Since premonitions are never really explained I'm kinda neutral on whether the characters should get more than one premonition (since Wendy got 2 but whether she survived the second is up in the air). Since FD 4 is the odd one out of the entire series i'd be more inclined to say just have the characters have 1 premonition rather than being able to have multiple since a lot of that movie is supposedly complete nonsense.

Personally I don't mind FD 5 but only because of the twist ending. I actually don't like the rule of "taking someone's remaining time adds it to your own" since i feel it would make the writing even more complicated than it already would be by having to mash all these different death's design elements together. Since i find the added time to be pretty confusing, I'd rather simplify it to just that a person who manages to cheat death will have their spot filled in with a random person for the original disaster (so the total death count of the accident is the same but not the people involved). To tie it all back together i'd make it so those who cheat death throughout the game can have these possible endings (and endings to the game):

1. another event claims them in the end (Alex & brick / Clear & hospital explosion/ Wendy & possibly subway / Nick & truck at cafe)

2. they get skipped over by being saved (Carter at the end of FD 1)

3. they get to live by having died and been revived (FD 2, depends on if you really want to include a giving birth plot line or not or if you include the rule of absolutely nobody surviving no matter what)

4. the visionaries live long enough to become one of the random people (or not random, could be death's plan and all that) that fill the spot of another visionary (hc that Sam takes the place of Alex even though this is probably not canon and he's just meant to be part of the kill count anyways. Alternatively, others took the Flight 180 survivors' places even tho we saw no one else get on by the time they get kicked off the plane i think)

Now with the main way i would personally tackle Death's Design if it were merged for this game, I think it'd make for a very interesting game experience with all these rules and choices like choosing to save someone which in turn skips them or the multiple ways the game could end based on what you do or don't find or what you can figure out in time.

This post kinda devolved into just a "what if i mashed all the Death Designs together into one" but I still think it'd be interesting if they did do this for a Final Destination game in the style of The Dark Pictures Anthology since those games I'd say are the best at having branching paths based on which characters are alive or not at certain points in the story and have quite a variety of endings (usually 1 - 4 or 5 but different enough that i'd say it'd work for an FD game)

[drawtectives-correct-quotes]

TCOTSA and Accessibility

Making a game as accessible as possible is extremely important. However, I am just one person. And while I'm trying my best to make my fan game more accessible to those with disabilities, it's also important to check in with my audience to make sure nothing is forgotten and if I'm implementing something incorrectly, or worse, offensively.

The engine used to make this fan game is RenPy. Although RenPy does have accessibility options, there are two problems with it:

It's not accessible to access it whatsoever

It doesn't cover everything

To get a better understanding of what I'm talking about, take a look at the default accessibility settings page:

First of all, you're probably wondering how I even got to this menu. You may even be baffled if you've played RenPy-based games before (i.e. Doki Doki Literature Club before it was remade to be ported to consoles) and you had no clue that this menu even existed.

That's the main issue I have with this. The options are good for basic presets, but you have to know how to even access it in the first place. I only learned of this while messing around with the game's main menu. If you select "help", the last thing it tells you is how to access the accessibility menu.

So unless you stumble upon a visual novel for the very first time and truly have no idea how to play through a visual novel and therefore need help on what keys to press and what they do, you'll probably never know that if a game is made with RenPy, it'll have an accessibility menu that's accessed with "Shift + A". And even then, most people just stumble through their first visual novel without checking the help screen out and instead just press a bunch of random keys until they figure it out themselves (or maybe that's just me).

That's the one thing I want to tackle first before anything else in regards to accessibility in my game. I want to make it easier and more known that there are indeed accessibility settings for those who need them. My current idea is to make a main menu selection that takes you to the accessibility menu when you click on it, no key combinations required.

Now, back to the menu itself.

The settings within the accessibility menu are pretty good. They cover the basics, such as dyslexia and TTS. However, as an individual who doesn't need those things, I have no clue how useful/helpful they are. For example, is Opendyslexic a good font or is there another font that is more universal among those with dyslexia?

As for self-voicing/TTS, this is something that I need to work on in the back end of things. While by default it's pretty good, I did some research and learned that there are ways to make a TTS version of the game just as enjoyable as a non-TTS version. That sounds super obvious reading it now, but as someone who doesn't need TTS, it's never crossed my mind. For example, by adding alternative lines of dialogue for TTS to read so that it doesn't fumble on certain words is a great solution. This is in addition to adding alt text to custom images that may otherwise not have any alt text for the TTS program to read.

Other things I want to focus on are:

Color-blindness options

Shaking/flashing toggles

As you can see, the list is short. On one hand, that's good because that means I don't have a whole lot to work on in this category. However, it also makes me worry that I'm missing things.

This is where I ask for your help as an audience. Are there any accessibility settings you would like me to add? Any that need modifying? Please let me know!

If you would like to read more about visual novels and accessibility, I highly recommend you check out this blog post over on itch.io!

[kiefbowl]

i think one of my friends is dying of an untreated s t d that theyre in denial of but i dont want to be rude or scare them. 1. They havent been to doctor in yearsss. 2. I have researched things ive noticed and I'm pretty sure. ):

Okay, you might be right or you might be wrong, so I wouldn't focus on what you think they have. Instead of trying to convince them they have an STD/STI, you might want to encourage them to go to the doctor just generally. You can always frame it as "I care about you" rather than a specific health concern you have (which at the end of the day isn't really your business). Sometimes people don't go to the doctor because they're scared, and you could try suggesting your own doctor if you trust them. Depending on your friend, you might have success saying something like "let's schedule a check up on the same day" so you can go with them (ymmv on this, some might find this creepy. I don't think it's creepy but people have hang ups about the doctor that are pretty understandable).

Some people don't go to the doctor because they don't have the knowledge. They were never "taught" for lack of a better word. I feel like this has been my case, and my parents were employed and well meaning. Sometime around the time my sister was born, I was in middle school and I stopped going to the doctor. I don't think my parents realized it, and I don't think I thought to ask about it. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I embarrassingly googled "how to go to the doctor" because I had one specific thing I wanted checked out and I knew walking into an ER was wrong, but I didn't know was right. That's how I learned about Urgent Care, I literally didn't know about them as an option (this might be different in other parts of the world who have, you know, good or at least better health access). You might want to find away to give instructions or clues without being assuming, reprimanding, or patronizing. For example: "My GP went out of town so I made an appointment at the Urgent Care across the street to get some tests done." Maybe if they don't know what you're saying, it opens the door to ask you questions.

Understand that if they do have a health problem related to sexual activity, they might be embarrassed or it might relate to something that happened that is emotionally painful. Avoiding the doctor could be a compound of lots of things that you alone won't be able to untangle for them, nor should you. They have to want to go to the doctor to go to the doctor.

Ultimately, you are not in charge of your friend's health, and you might make an assumption that's right, but you don't know and can't confirm it. As much as you might care about them, you also don't have the right to know. Don't pry too much into their health, but try to be open and honestly with them that you care and love them, and you're available to them as a friend. Also, if you're the kind of friend where nothing is off the table, you should let them know.