#having fun + playing + experimenting + etc.

[brisim-claimhte]

ancient greek society didn't have the same concepts of sexuality that we have now, it's incorrect to describe virgin goddesses like artemis and athena as lesbians, BUT it's also not wholly accurate to describe them as aromantic/asexual, it's more complex than that

okay so fun fact, for Athena and Artemis (and Hestia and Hippolytus) it is accurate to describe them as aro/ace!

The only time in myth when a persons sexuality (as we know the concept) is described is when mentioning their lack of it.

For Artemis, Athena, and Hestia, HAph lines 6-24, describe them as beyond the powers of Aphrodite, which within the context of this specific poem refer to lust/love.

For Artemis, Sappho fragment 44a, states that Eros never crosses her path/comes near her.

For Hippolytus, Hippolytus lines 75-85, describes how he can enter a meadow no one else dares to because it is only for those who are naturally chaste, aka naturally do not experience lust/love.

And for Artemis and Athena specifically, their lack of attraction is key to their roles as goddesses. According to Walcot (1984), what the Athenians feared was not women themselves, but rather their unrestrained sensuality. It was believed that their inability to control their attraction led them to make irrational decisions and therefore they could not be trusted with leadership roles, participate in warfare, etc. which were typically male spheres.

But because Artemis and Athena do not experience attraction at all, they can hold domain over typically male spheres, because it does not interfere with their decision making. This is why Athena can be the goddess of strategy and wise council, how Artemis can be goddess of the hunt.

So not only are they aro/ace, but it plays a huge role in both their depictions in myth and cult worship!

myths have lots and lots of retellings, there isn't one singular "canon", but we can try to distinguish between older and newer versions and bewteen greek and roman versions

okay so this is more complicated than there is or isn't a canon. Canon does exist, but its a spectrum starting from Homeric epic all the way to the likes of Lycophron's Alexandria. High school and introductory courses at university will often just teach you that there isn't a canon because the level of context needed to understand how it works requires literal years of studying. But a quick summary is:

Homeric epic was taught in schools, and poets competed to have the most accurate recitation of the songs. Once it was written down by Homer it became codified, and we can safely presume it didn't change much because of said competitions of accuracy.

Next there's hymns. These were intended to accurately depict the gods, (hence the invocation to the muses/Apollo at the start which is also seen in epic) but could vary region to region as they also served to link regions to mythic events (see hymn to Demeter linking the story of the kidnapping of Persephone to Eleusis). Here we start to see some variation but the general stories and themes remain the same.

Next there's Athenian tragedies, which were kind of like modern historical fiction (the Greeks viewed myth as their history. Herodotus, Thucydides etc. treated mythic events and figures the same as ones we know to be real). While they were fairly faithful to the myths they were changed to reflect the socio-cultural context of Athens at that time. They were also used by Athens as propaganda to promote their imperial hegemony.

Now we start getting into small stories that are local to specific regions, these are often foundation myths of cult sites, or cities. So like how in Libya, Athena is the daugher of Triton, to link her to the lake Triton and therefore make that region more important.

And finally, we have the likes of the Alexandria. Ptolemaic poetry especially is renowned for having the most obscure and niche references and stories possible in order to flex the author's understanding of myth, as well acting as a way for the reader to distinguish themselves as learned. Education was super important in this context because it acted as a unifier for the many ethnic groups within the court setting that would not consider themselves as similar otherwise (Strootman (2010) is a great crash course on this topic).

most of what you know about sparta is probably incorrect

Paul Cartledge's books are a great place to start learning about Sparta!

reading/watching retellings is not a substitute to reading the original myths, read the iliad! read the odyssey! i know they may seem intimidating, but they're much more entertaining than you may think

Fagles' translations of the Iliad and Odyssey are available free online. They are the OG translations created specifically to make the stories accessible to the general public, and were so incredibly done they were also adopted by academia! They are also free in audiobook format on youtube!

Theoi.com is a digital encyclopaedia of people from mythology. It provides a summary of the persons exploits, as well as direct quotes from the sources. Please be aware that it is incomplete, and therefore is just a starting point for further research.

Perseus Tufts Library has free translations of the original myths, as well as the original Greek. But again its incomplete.

Steven Fry's books are great entry points, as they accurately adapt the original stories into modern language! Mythos covers the gods, Heroes covers the heroes pre-Trojan saga, Troy covers the Iliad, and Odyssey is self explanatory.

a quick psa to anyone recently getting into greek mythology and is a victim of tumblr and/or tiktok misconceptions:

-there is no shame in being introduced to mytholgy from something like percy jackson, epic the musical or anything like that, but keep in mind that actual myths are going to be VERY different from modern retellings

-the myth of medusa you probably know (her being a victim of poseidon and being cursed by athena) isn't 100% accurate to GREEK mythology (look up ovid)

-there is no version of persephone's abduction in which persephone willingly stays with hades, that's a tumblr invention (look up homeric hymn to demeter)

-as much as i would like it, no, cerberus' name does not mean "spot" (probably a misunderstanding from this wikipedia article)

-zeus isn't the only god who does terrible things to women, your fav male god probably has done the same

-on that note, your fav greek hero has probably done some heinous shit as well

-gods are more complicated than simply being "god of [insert thing]", many titles overlap between gods and some may even change depending on where they were worshipped

-also, apollo and artemis being the gods of the sun and the moon isn't 100% accurate, their main aspects as deities originally were music and the hunt

-titans and gods aren't two wholly different concepts, titan is just the word used to decribe the generation of gods before the olympians

-hector isn't the villain some people make him out to be

-hephaestus WAS married to aphrodite. they divorced. yes, divorce was a thing in ancient greece. hephaestus' wife is aglaia

-ancient greek society didn't have the same concepts of sexuality that we have now, it's incorrect to describe virgin goddesses like artemis and athena as lesbians, BUT it's also not wholly accurate to describe them as aromantic/asexual, it's more complex than that

-you can never fully understand certain myths if you don't understand the societal context in which they were told

-myths have lots and lots of retellings, there isn't one singular "canon", but we can try to distinguish between older and newer versions and bewteen greek and roman versions

-most of what you know about sparta is probably incorrect

-reading/waching retellings is not a substitute to reading the original myths, read the iliad! read the odyssey! i know they may seem intimidating, but they're much more entertaining than you may think

greek mythology is so complex and interesting, don't go into it with preconcieved notions! try to be open to learn!

[gloomwitchwrites]

Hiiiiii, stumbled across your blog when trying to find COD fics to gush over and yours are SO FUCKIN GOOD. I love how you write the TF 141 guys!!

My personal fave is Simon and I thought the SFW ABC’s HC were so cute! I’m wondering if you’d be interested in writing a NSFW ABS’s for him as well!

Don’t rush it or feel pressured to do it tho. Thank you pookie ❤️

Oh my goodness! I remember the SFW Alphabet I did for Simon. That was forever ago, back when I first broke 1k followers. Compare that to now with over 6k and if feels like ancient history.

I am more than happy to do a NSFW Alphabet for Simon!

Word Count: 1.1k

NSFW Alphabet Template

A = Aftercare

Aftercare all depends on the relationship. If it’s a quick fuck or a casual thing, Ghost isn’t really all that interested in providing aftercare. He might allow a brief cuddle, or some stiff conversation, but he’s more interested in getting his dick wet. But if Ghost is in a steady, serious relationship, then aftercare is important to him. Not that he knows what he’s doing. Aftercare is not his jam, but if he cares about you, he will make sure you have it.

B = Body part

Ghost loves his hands. He loves that he can kill with them yet bring pleasure as well.

C = Cum

Ghost has a terrible breeding kink. Watching his cum ooze out of his partner makes him fucking feral. Not only does the sight of it turn him on, but he’ll verbalize how good his cum looks dripping out of you.

D = Dirty secret

During his final year of secondary school, Simon got into some serious trouble, and nearly ended up expelled. It wasn’t his fault though, and he felt scorned. So, to retaliate, he fucked the principal’s daughter (a classmate of Simon’s) on the man’s desk. Took her virginity while the principal was in a meeting and the two of them should have been in class.

E = Experience

Ghost is experienced with sex but not experienced with love. He can fuck you all goddamn day and turn your limbs to jelly. But the intimacy part is difficult for him.

F = Favorite position

Face down, ass up. Not him, of course, but his partner. For Ghost, it’s dominating and rough and fulfills every primal urge he has.

G = Goofy

More serious than goofy in the moment. Doesn’t mean that Ghost lacks a sense of humor. The guy can crack a joke, but if he is a bit silly in bed, the humor is dry and might go over your head. Ghost prefers to be completely invested in the moment, and his level of silliness isn’t something he’s thinking about. Now, if something happens during the act that’s actually funny, he will laugh and won’t shame himself or you for it.

H = Hair

Doesn’t care about hair but hygiene. Body hair doesn’t scare him nor does a decent bush. Didn’t shave your legs/armpit/bikini line/face/etc.? Ghost could give a shit. If you’re willing and consenting, and he’s willing and consenting, body hair doesn’t even factor into it.

I = Intimacy

Ghost is terrible at intimacy. Sorry y’all, but he is. Doesn’t matter if it’s a quick fuck or a committed relationship. This man will literally approach you and be like “you want to fuck?” and expect a very clear yes or no answer to the question. But hey, at least he’s clear when it comes to communication.

J = Jack off

Ghost is a rigorous masturbator. The every day kind of masturbator. While he prefers his privacy, nothing is sexier to him than when you’ve been a bad boy/girl/one and Ghost decides what you need is a bit of punishment. He’ll restrain you and make you watch as he jerks off, giving himself pleasure while giving you nothing. Not until you’re a begging, whimpering mess.

K = Kink

Breeding, primal, semi-public, CNC, breath play, BDSM

L = Location

Cramped, enclosed spaces. In the car, against a wall, on the sofa, in the shower. Basically, anywhere where Ghost can feel big. He enjoys having a sense of largeness about him, that he’s trapping you under him. That you cannot escape him when he’s fucking you.

M = Motivation

This man is constantly down to fuck. Sure, talking dirty is fun, but what he really wants is clear communication first. Tell him you want to fuck him, and tell him plainly, and then the two of you can do whatever. A clear, “fuck me, Simon” sets him OFF.

N = No

Simon leans heavy on consent. His hard “no” is no clear “yes.” If you cannot communicate that you clearly want him, he’s immediately turned off. That also includes how he sets up a CNC with you.

O = Oral

Gives and receives equally. He doesn’t necessarily prefer one over the other. But when he does receive, he is vocal. Ghost wants you to know that he appreciates you going down on him, but also how much he enjoys it. When it comes to giving, Ghost is sloppy…but in a good way.

P = Pace

Ghost mixes it up depending on position. If he’s looking to draw it out, he’s going to go slow just because he wants to watch you squirm and wiggle. But otherwise, he’s all rough edges, wants to hold you down and fuck you until you’re both senseless and dazed. Even in his roughness, he won’t hurt you, but he might leave some marks behind.

Q = Quickie

Loves a good quickie. Just say the word and Ghost will bend you over or put you on top of the nearest surface and go for it.

R = Risk

As long as Ghost has your enthusiastic consent, he’s down for anything. If there is anything new you want to try, he’s open to do it, but is also good about setting boundaries especially if this new thing might possibly harm you or himself. A risk taker, but understands that the risks might outweigh the benefits.

S = Stamina

This man has the stamina of a fucking horse. He can go for miles if he paces himself. Ghost isn’t the kind of guy to tap out after one round. Sure, he might need a few minutes to breathe, but he’ll be ready to go against shortly after.

T = Toys

While he doesn’t personally own a plethora of toys, Ghost isn’t afraid of using them. His favorite ones are the kinds that vibrate…especially if he can use them on you and have complete authority over the controls. Expect to be edged and have your orgasm denied constantly.

U = Unfair

Ghost isn’t a tease unless he thinks you’ve earned it as a punishment.

V = Volume

Ghost is vocal but he’s not loud about it. If he’s going to drop praises, he’s going to say it like he’s passing on a secret. You don’t find this man yelling his pleasure to the ceiling. He’s all soft grunts and groans. But you? You can be as vocal and loud as you need to be.

W = Wild card

Ghost is a visual creature. He enjoys simply watching you. Watching you get dressed and undressed. Watching you shower. Watching you get ready for bed or ready for the day. He loves looking at you wearing something sexy or nothing at all. He stares.

X = X-ray

Under those clothes, Ghost has a decent bush. Keeps it lightly trimmed but a bit wild. Absolutely a good mix of length and girth. Just above average size. He fits…snuggly.

Y = Yearning

When it comes to a committed relationship, Ghost yearns for you all the time. He is always ready, and always eager if you are. He thinks about you constantly.

Z = Zzz

If it’s just casual sex, Ghost is falling asleep immediately. The man is a rock. Lights out. But if this is a committed relationship, Ghost will stay awake long enough to get you the aftercare you deserve before promptly passing the fuck out. Sorry, but he snores.

main masterlist

[toysrguts]

Dae-ho (player 388) NSFW Alphabet

first time posting something like this kinda nervy but i had to write for my pookie dae ho and my bro said it was good enough to post so here DAE HO TRUTHERS EAT UP if this does well there will be more to come trust

18+ content below the cut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

he's such a gentleman when it comes to aftercare. he’ll immediately help you clean up before you have the chance to move an inch, he’ll give you one of his shirts to wear (if you're not already wearing one) and he'll literally carry you to the bathroom to shower together. but if you're both too tired he'll just pull you close to him and play with your hair until you fall asleep in his arms

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

i think his own favorite body part would be his chest, hes got some nice pecs and he knows it. also cause he has a lot of upper body strength 🤤🤤 on you though its hard to choose one but he always finds himself grabbing onto your thighs and love handles so i think its safe to say those are his favorites

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

hes not a fan of making a mess, which isnt much of an issue anyway because spoiler alert he has a breeding kink!! he loves filling you up, especially when you both cum at the same time because it makes him feel connected to you. but if not inside he'll sometimes shoot a load on your face or chest cause it looks pretty when its all over you

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

he thoroughly enjoys being dominated. usually hes the one in control but he will bend over and take it like a good boy whenever the opportunity arises. being a big strong man is hard work, sometimes he needs to be taken care of too

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

he doesnt have a crazy body count or anything but he knows what hes doing for sure. especially when it comes to you, he knows your body and how to turn you on instantly and make you cum fast it fills him with so much pride

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

he loves the intimacy of missionary. any position where he can look into your eyes and be pressed skin to skin with you are his favorite. cowgirl is a close contender because he can look up at you while motorboating you and gripping your thighs. he also likes the one where he lifts you up and fucks you against the wall cuz he gets to remind you how strong he is. trying out new positions is fun with him too, he'll have your legs bending in ways you never thought possible

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

he doesn't really like being too serious in the bedroom, hes almost too giggly sometimes. if he catches himself being all concentrated he'll slow down a little and smile at u n shiiiii but its also so hot when he's just really focused on making you feel good

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

has like no hair down there he shaves as soon as he feels stubble, he just prefers to be clean shaven

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

intimacy may as well be his middle name. he values the connection between you too so much and it's adorable. he's constantly checking in to make sure youre enjoying yourself while also praising you and planting soft kisses all over your body. sometimes you can tell he loses focus just from looking at you. he’ll tuck your hair behind your ear or gently caress your face, he treats you like royalty seriously

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

he doesnt jerk off that much but when he does he's usually thinking of you and definitely whimpers your name when he finishes. he's not much of a porn watcher, all he needs is a pic of you and 5 minutes

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

he's big on hair pulling for sure. like how can you see that mane and not immediately reach for it when hes 7 inches deep inside you. and it goes both ways you’ll catch him yanking on a fistful of your hair without even realizing it. oh yeah hes also into breeding!!!! blowing his load inside is his favorite activity!!!!!

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

basic bitch loves the bedroom. he just likes anywhere that feels the most intimate, sometimes thats your bed or sometimes it's in the shower and he can't keep his hands off you and suddenly you're bent over with your hands pressed against the foggy glass

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

dae ho might not have the highest sex drive but to him, you are his motivation. it drives him insane when you make the first move. he gets weak in the knees when you put your hands on him or whisper something scandalous in his ear when he least expects it, he’ll start matching your energy real quick

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

he’s open to almost anything but hes not really into bdsm or torture and shit like that. he doesnt mind receiving pain but inflicting it on you especially to that extent is a big no-no

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

he could bury his face in between your thighs for hours at a time call this man the headmaster the way he eats pussy like its his last meal, and hearing the sounds you make is only more motivating for him. also BIG on face sitting he cant get enough of it. if you're hesitant about it he'll literally hold your hips down to feel all of your weight on top of him. he prefers giving but he'll still go crazy over the feeling of your mouth wrapped around his dick, especially if you make eye contact while taking it omg he’ll finish in 3 seconds

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

he always caters to you. he starts off slow and sensual, but as you get worked up and start moaning louder he’ll pick up the pace until tears start to form and your legs are shaking. training in the marines paid off thats for sure!!!

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

he’s not really into quickies because he enjoys a more intimate experience and quickies leave him feeling needy. they're unnecessary to have often but when you do its usually just him pleasing you and hes perfectly fine with that; if you're ready to go then so is he

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

he will try almost anything as long as it's with you, but not without having a safeword in place of course. he has his boundaries and he would never forgive himself if he crossed yours

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

this man was a marine he can go for as long as your heart desires. if you're not satisfied then neither is he

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

i dont think he has any for his own personal use but he probably has a few toys for spicing things up when you're together. he’ll bust out his vibrating cock ring for funsies sometimes

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

hes not a huge tease but sometimes he’ll do it just to see you flustered. hes usually too clueless but he’ll whisper shit in your ear because he knows it makes you crumble. but not crazy on teasing cuz he just wants to please you, if anything HES the one getting teased

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

definitely a whimperer. hes usually not very vocal though so its a nice treat when he lets one slip. he's usually too busy talking you through it to make noise, but when hes bottoming though….. yeah not even a pillow is masking that shit

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

cant cum without a good makeout sesh. its his favorite type of foreplay cuz its so intimate and gets him in the mood instantly. sometimes you dont even get to fucking because hes just glued to your lips; he could probably finish from just making out alone

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

hes packing a good 6.5-7 inches with the perfect girth that stretches you out. also a pale shaft with a cute pink tip

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

hes not the super horny type but little things turn him on. like if youre super touchy with him he will fold instantly. if youre cuddling with him and you press your ass against him just to feel him get hard he’ll climb on top of you with almost no hesitation. hes so pathetic when hes needy too you can see it in his expression the way he craves you and only you UGHRHR

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

dae ho refuses to fall asleep before you, i think its impossible actually. your comfort is his biggest priority. he’ll usually snuggle up really close to you with his legs intertwined with yours and run his fingers through your hair, only dozing off when he notices your eyes finally close

[gilbirda]

How to write Romance

Hello! This is the second post I'm making as a rough tutorial for writing, based of my method and experience. I'm not a professional writer by any means, but I've been writing for a long long time, and I specialize in writing women and romance.

The objective for this post is so you, the reader, has an idea what to look for or where to start when embarking in the journey of writing romance or a romance story.

Let's go. This is a long one, folks.

Romance Story line Vs Romance Story

Before I go into the details, I'd like to discuss the difference between "romance story line" and "a romance story".

But Gil, those are the same thing!

You'd think that! But nope. The main difference lies on how much space romantic aspects take in the story.

For example, you can have a tragedy with romance story lines. A murder mystery with some romance intertwined. An epic hero journey with some romance on the side. And so on and so forth.

Before sitting down and getting to writing, think what you want to write about: Is this about an epic romance for the ages, or is this about adding romance to a story (and not let it take the main stage)?

Let's take as an example "Pride and Prejudice" Vs. "Pirates of the Caribbean". One is about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy falling in love and the drama around them; and the other is an epic pirate action movie where Will and Elizabeth are protagonists and their relationship adds to the story but is not just about them.

I want to write a Romance story

Then you really have to sit down and write the story beats with the relationship beats.

Usually the natural flow of the story (first act, second act, third act) will match relationship milestones; and the development of the relationship is the development of the story.

There can still be drama, murder mysteries, etc. but it will serve the purpose pushing forward the main characters' romance story.

For example, the drama could be real life issues getting the way of the couple; or the romantic interest needs to do some growing before proposing.

Also, with Romance Stories you can play with some fun tropes on top of the story itself: Star Crossed Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Childhood Friends to Lovers, etc.

I want to write a Romance story line

In this case, development of the romance takes a step back and doesn't have to match the main story beats.

You will also take into consideration the tips and tricks of this tutorial, but don't have to go deep into much detail and can afford writing the relationship development more "in the background" as much or as little as your story needs it.

For example, you could write a couple getting together at the end, but can write the characters' "will they won't they" beats with the climax of the main story line's arcs — a character receives the Call for Adventure, and leaves behind the romantic interest; a character experiences a devastating loss, and can't really offer romantic interest the attention; a battle leaves main character heavily injured, and romantic interest nurse them back to health.

How do I write a credible Romance

Note how I'm avoiding saying "good" or "bad" romance here. I'm saying credible.

Why credible? Because, in my experience, readers engage more and feel for the characters more if they can believe that what is happening could be real. You write a romance in space, or as pirates, or Regency era stuff — but at the end of the day, you are writing people and people experience emotions in complex ways.

You have to make your readers think "they are so like me for real" at least once.

But how?

Emotions don't exist in a vacuum. You can deeply love someone and still be mad at them; or be frustrated with them; or be sad and not in the best headspace.

There has to be something else going on. Things happen all the time, and the world doesn't stop because you like someone. You have to include more meat than the romance, and explore more circumstances that have nothing to do with Character A and Character B having a crush.

Develop the characters beyond their romance story. Love is great but characters are so much more than that. They should have personal goals, personal drama, individual story lines.

But wait, there's more!

Let's talk more about characters in a relationship

This drinks from some basic character development tutorial (maybe a future post idea? 👀), but regarding romance you should also take into consideration more than the romance.

Feels counterproductive, but it's so so so so important. Before you even consider diving head first into Romance, you should already have solid characters to play with.

Some usual tricks for creating a character include doing a character Bio: Write their likes, dislikes, dreams, favorite food, favorite colors, height, age, etc. Anything you can think of, have it already chewed. (Think making a D&D character sheet!)

For fanfiction writers, understand the character you are writing first. Find their voice and even if you don't have a reference of a good romance already (I'm looking at you, DC comics) try to get an idea how they respond to good and bad things, how do they communicate, how do they like to be loved.

Then, you can use it for Romance.

How?

Easy: Consider what the situation is actually about, not just the romance.

Is it about trust? — How quickly does the character trust? How do they behave with betrayal? Do they have trust issues?

Commitment? — Are they the type that commits fast? Or needs a minute to commit? Do they have commitment issues?

Is it about communication issues? — How? Do your characters speak different languages (literally and "love languages")? Do they struggle with speaking up? Do they hide their feelings to a fault?

Are they incompatible? — Do they have different expectations for physical aspects of their relationship? Do they have little in common? Is the struggle about personalities clashing?

Love is not enough? — Do their circumstances pull them apart even if they do love each other? Is it "not that simple"?

Things you should be careful about

"This drama would be avoided if they had ONE honest conversation"

Classic misunderstanding drama set up. Is very tempting to hinge your drama and character development on one single misunderstanding, and is easy to maintain as long as you don't let the characters make up.

Don't fall for it. Is not as easy as it looks like and a bad execution can derail the story you want to talk about and make your characters completely unrecognizable. Check out this video about "Idiot Plots", which discuss more in depth how hinging the whole plot on one out-of-character misunderstanding is not worth it.

There can absolutely be misunderstandings, but not make it the only thing keeping the story going.

"Big Strong Masc saves Small Weak Femme (and they fawn for their mighty protector)"

(Notice the language used, because I've seen this with all types of ship configuration, not just M/F. )

This is related to deeper issues: Gender roles and patriarchy bullshit, which have no place in fandom.

You can absolutely write Character A saving Character B, but watch out! Characters should be developed on their own and have room to shine without the romantic interest.

Here's my tutorial on Writing Women, and I'm planning on another post to discuss the "strong, independent woman" paradox.

"Character A falls in love seemingly overnight with Character B"

What it says on the tin. It's just not believable. Even people who falls in love fast, don't just make the other person their world overnight.

But Gil, what about 'love at first sight'? That one is cute, and you can definitely write characters meeting for the first time and sparks flying, but there's attraction, and there's love.

Definitely write meet cutes and so on; but acknowledge that there is so much more needed to make a love story work.

"My romance story line suddenly became the main story"

Avoid this as much as possible. If the reader wants romance story, they'd look for straight up romance. Making the relationship suddenly ALL the story is about would be changing the genre mid-story and that's not nice. Is like starting with a murder mystery that switches to a shenanigans slice of life midway.

Then how can I have drama and relationship development?

If we should avoid misunderstandings and character A saving character B, then what would be my romance story about?

Answer: Like any other story development! Write conflict.

Internal conflict — Could be about one character or both; or about their relationship.

Internal conflict is a psychological or emotional struggle that takes place within a character's mind or heart. It involves their inner thoughts, feelings, beliefs, or desires. (source)

You use these to focus on the Character's Journey, and in the context of romance, on how they grow in a relationship. Loving someone else can be the catalyst for a character trying to better themselves, or realizing they need to change.

This is all your conflicts of interests, communication issues, trust issues, etc. Create situations where the drama comes from within the characters and how they themselves get in the way of their happily ever after.

External conflict — How the circumstances surrounding the characters influence the romance.

External conflict is a struggle that occurs between a character and an external force, such as another character, society, nature, or a situation. (source)

Families not approving the relationship, political drama, different species, opposing sides of a war... The world is your oyster.

Or use both! Is so much fun and complex (and credible) when there's layers to why your characters Will They Wont They.

And that's it for now!

I may come back and edit to add and/or tweak something, so keep an eye!

NOTE: These are some tips to write healthy romance stories. If your goal is to depict toxic dynamics or portray toxic relationships on purpose, by all means change and ignore whatever you'd like. Know the rules before you break them!

Happy writing!🙂✌

[shimmershifts]

what triggers a shift?

reality shifts, as we call them, are not exactly something you do, they're more like something you let happen.

you could shift while jogging, cooking, cleaning, or watching tv. this is because the stuff you are doing with your body in the 3D reality you currently perceive is irrelevant to whether you can shift or not. your 3D body is not what makes you shift, and therefor it is not what holds you back from shifting either. i do think, however, that due to the way we perceive the 3D as a constraint, we have an easier time shifting if we find out what triggers us to shift, and then using those techniques as we get into the prime state for shifting to happen.

if we look across all "shifting methods," we begin to see patterns, and similarities across communities. boiling down these methods, there are three tools used across a wide variety of them that i've identified. most methods include or involve relaxation, visualization, and repetition. i have my own theories for why these tools help with shifting, but let's get into how to use them your own way in the context of shifting.

authors note: please please please don't overthink these tools, or think you have to use these tools the same way others do in order to shift. i think this leads a lot of people into being stumped, thinking "i did the exact same things in the same order that shifter123799 did on tumblr.com, so why did they shift and i didn't?" methods like alice in wonderland, raven method, etc sometimes play into this because they tell you step by step what to think and when to think it. the techniques below are not that. the things below are not methods. they are tools you should learn to use in your own way, if they help you. they are not steps to take in order to shift, but tools in your toolbox that you can use in your own way, however that works for you. don't think: "how does shimmer relax, visualize and repeat? if i do it the same way, then i will shift."

instead think, "what helps me relax? how do i naturally visualize? is repetition helpful for me?"

relaxation

first and foremost, you don't have to be relaxed to shift. however, lots of people, especially beginners find it easier that way. something about reaching a relaxed state seems to help trigger a reality shift in a lot of people. maybe it's just easier to let the shift happen in the 5D when you're relaxed in the 3D. because again, i don't think shifting is something we "do" the way we wave our arms or stomp our foot. our awareness just happens to have the capacity to shift into a different 3D reality, and we're trying to get into a state where that's likely to happen.

lots of methods out there include some form of relaxation technique, like counting, breath control, staying still, meditation, calming your mind, etc but i implore you to think about what relaxes you. all of those techniques could work for somebody, but what matters is what works for you. when you're laying down to go to sleep, would you feel relaxed by forcing your mind to be quiet and forcing your body to be still? if not, that may not be the right relaxation technique for you.

one tip i will give, is that there is a difference between relaxing your body, relaxing your mind, and relaxing your awareness. i think it can be helpful to learn how to do each one, and figure out which one (if any) helps trigger a shift for you. i promise you already know how to relax. how do you relax? what do you already do to relax? it can be fun or helpful to try other people's way too, and maybe you find something that really enhances your experience, but don't lose sight of how simple it is to relax.

sidebar: if you're like me and have c-ptsd, anxiety, adhd, or something similar, it can be daunting or frustrating to be told to "just relax." so, again, you don't have to be relaxed to shift. if relaxation isn't a tool that works in your toolbox, don't pack it, scroll down to the other tools below. but if you just have trouble relaxing your body, maybe try relaxing your mind instead. or if you have trouble relaxing your mind, maybe focus on relaxing your body first. you can also learn to relax your awareness, without relaxing either of those things.

visualization

this is one of the most powerful tools for shifting, in my personal opinion. i think this is because our awareness can struggle to discern the difference between 3D reality, and a visualization, especially when we are in a state of being primed to shift (pure awareness, lack of awareness, or destabilized awareness.) this is because your awareness is not physical, it is not 3D. there is no one specific atom or molecule or body part where you can point and say "there it is, that's human awareness." that's why we can shift in the first place. your awareness is not 3D, it's simply getting its data and input sent to it from the 3D via the brain. so the point of visualization, in the context of shifting, is to disrupt that flow of data and input and say "hey, look at this instead, oooo shiny visualization, look here," and your awareness probably will.

there are tons of different ways people like to visualize, and please know that you don't need to copy other people's visualization in order to shift. it's not what you are visualizing that causes a shift, but how you are visualizing and what state of awareness you are in while you're doing it that i think plays a key factor. find whatever way you like to visualize. again, don't overthink this. i promise you already know how to visualize. yes, even those with aphantasia, because visualization does not just mean actually seeing things visually in your mind. if the term "visualization" stumps you, try "thinking of a representation" instead. some people like to imagine the actual sensations of sight, sound, touch, scent or taste as if they're feeling it now. but maybe when you "visualize" you're just thinking of how those things would feel, or listing it verbally.

so to be absolutely clear, your goal is not to visualize so hard that you start feeling these things with your 3D body in this reality. (side note, it's awesome if you can do that, but it's not needed for shifting!) if your goal is to shift, your goal is not to feel these things with your 3D body in this reality, your goal is to shift your awareness into a reality where your body is already feeling these things. when you are doing your visualization technique in this reality, you are not trying to create or materialize these sensations, but to trigger your awareness to shift in the direction of where you already have those experiences. while visualizing your DR scene or whatever, stop searching for those sensations with your 3D senses here. trigger your awareness to shift to them elsewhere.

repetition

honestly, repetition is the double edged sword. i think repetition can help with shifting. repeating visualization, repeating thoughts, repeating methods, repeating in general can have a strong affect on triggering a shift. we learn by repetition. the more times we're introduced to something, the more comfortable we feel with it. repeating the same visualization over and over can help sink it into your mind. repeating the same relaxation technique can help you sink into relaxation faster each time you use it, because your body or your mind or your awareness begins to recognize and accept it easier.

but i think it can be helpful to consider what you're repeating, and whether you're doing it mindfully. repeating something can make it easier, but it can also get you stuck in a rut. the more times we repeat something, the more comfortable we are with it... are you repeating something over and over that's not working for you, and getting too comfortable with things not working? are you repeating the same method over and over because that repetition is serving you, or are you mindlessly repeating it because you don't know what else might serve you?

mindless repetition can also be a tool, if you're using it for a specific purpose. ie, there are lots of counting methods or repeating mantra methods out there designed to help you repeat the same thing over and over in the 3D until your awareness begins to drown it out, therefore de-centering the 3D and moving to a state of pure awareness, or lack of awareness. but is that what you're doing, or even trying to do?

so, i suppose my advice is to use repetition, but to use it with purpose.

[drdemonprince]

I sent you an ask months ago about this guy I met on a dating app who was doing ENM/poly (he wasn’t even sure which) really badly and things had gotten messy between us.

Things have gone batshit crazy since then. Like we settled into just a friendship given that he wasn’t sure what he was doing plus he told me that I know this other person. I live in a small town so I’ve been trying to think who it was. He gave me hints like they’re also ND and work in a similar field to me. Anyway things had finally settled then this other person broke it off with him.

He came to me and told me he was heartbroken and just a wreck. I asked him straight who this person was. My therapist had said it actually wasn’t ok that they both knew the deal with me and I didn’t know who she was so there was this weird imbalance of power. He finally cracked and told me. So yeah it’s a friend of mine. I did not suspect it was her because until recently she was living with her husband and was keeping this hush. Kinda mortifying as we discussed my initial dramas with this man, that we had sexted and gotten really intense before I decided for sure the whole ENM thing was not for me and he didn’t know what the fuck he was going. So she knew it Him and they were together when we had this conversation and just played dumb.

So now I know who it is and she knows about me but doesn’t know that I know.

Then one night she starts talking about this crazy ex she had been dating and calls him possessive and controlling etc. Turns out he had been dating other people with her full knowledge and blessing but when she started expressing interest in also dating others he flipped out and got jealous.

In the meantime he’s venting and projecting all his emotions and experience onto me and wanting support, even though he kinda fucked me over. Like sending me screenshots of messages between them and rants through the night. Plus the two of them had been discussing my dating life between them even though I told him stuff in confidence.

So she dropped a big hint in conversation that it was Him. And I was like oh no way is his name ____ and she’s like Yes! So we’re both like Oh no way, even though she already knew about it and I also knew about her. It was silly.

Then she messaged him to say for him not to hurt Me and now we all finally know that we all know.

Moral of the story, don’t fuck around with relationship structures you have no idea about. Especially if you’re coming out of straight hetero marriages and just kinda decide you want to have to fun but actually you fuck shit up for everyone involved and it all gets messy because you’re actually insecure as fuck and just looking for someone to fix you…

jesus christ anon put BOTH these people in the clown car, none of them can communicate and they're not showing you any respect. ewwww. like i get it's a small town and maybe you wanna forgive your friend for her part because she just didn't want to bring things up and make it awkward but it's definitely information to keep in mind when dealing with conflicts with her in the future id say. whattta mess

[dubiousanon]

YOU SO GET MEEEE GRAHHAHSHDXB many of these actually have multiple chapters written already, some of those chapters just aren't written in order? Like, I have chunks of various scenes but I haven't cobbled them together yet, I've just been cranking out random parts for fun. I know it's weird but... Trust the process 😔 or smth

Knock Knock (Who's There?): (KakaNaru)

Kakashi, at this point in his life, has nothing. ANBU is all he's holding onto. He's not allowed to see baby Naruto, his sensei is dead, his friends are gone, and he feels like the ultimate failure. He feels cursed.

It's practically an out of body experience to see this head of gold hair and pair of sleepy blue eyes peering back at him through his closet door. At first Kakashi wants nothing to do with him, mostly out of fear that he'll hurt him somehow, but Naruto takes one look at him and is instantly like "you're my new best friend".

Lots of napping together and Kakashi coming home from hard missions and finding a little slice of paradise away from it all in Naruto's home. Kakashi can barely stand his own apartment, but Naruto's is well-lived in, full of knick knacks and photos. Naruto is such a tactile and touchy person too, it's nothing to him to grab Kakashi and manhandle him wherever he wants. Kakashi is always, always welcome. Naruto will never turn him away.

He never asks him to take his ANBU mask off, either. And when he eventually does, he kind of just squints and is like "oh, I didn't know Kakashi-sensei had a cousin". This Kakashi smells different, his chakra is different, his mannerisms are different, he figures it's not the same person— and really, he isn't technically wrong. It helps that 17 year old Kakashi doesn't wear a mask around Naruto. When he removed his hound mask for the first time, it's just his bare face underneath.

Kakashi adores him. He brings him gifts just so he'll smile, put himself in positions that Naruto is forced to touch him in some way— close enough to the sink that Naruto has to wedge past him to get by, hovering behind him so Naruto will bump into him when he turns, etc.

Even Sakura meets him and is like "Okay... weird. I didn't know Kakashi-sensei had family. Especially this freaky one who barely talks and stares at Naruto all the time." Eventually they bring it up with their teacher who's like "I... don't have family 🤨 who are you talking about?"

17 year old Kakashi figures the dimension stuff all out pretty fast but like hell he's jeopardizing his ability to see Naruto by mentioning it.

Dream A Little Dream: (ItaNaru)

Itachi had only peripherally known Naruto, and he'd known him pretty much the way everyone else does— holder of the nine tails, kind of an idiot, kind of annoying. It's a huge shock to him to meet him and learn how quiet he can get, how insightful he is, and how easy it is to feel comfortable around him after such a short amount of time.

After a few weeks of being stuck, Itachi starts to fear something irreversible happened. If it was temporary, he'd have been able to break it by then. He starts to really open up to Naruto, and he's kind of helplessly drawn in.

It helps that Naruto is needlessly kind. They're in a genjutsu. None of this is real. There's no point in fighting so Naruto doesn't bother. Instead, he takes a look at Itachi and sees a man who's been worn down and who maybe needs someone, and he has a gut feeling there's more to him than there seems.

Naruto kind of wars with his undying loyalty to Sasuke, but he and Itachi are literally doing everything together. They can't go very far from one another. They're trapped, and Itachi has no reason to be cruel when there's nobody else to see, and Naruto kind of has this light bulb moment of oh, he's... actually really gentle, isn't he?

They have a lot of carefree moments because there are no expectations and there's nothing they can do. They can go cannonball in a lake, and count the stars, and find pictures in the clouds, and play high stakes tag just because they can. Naruto is the very definition of upbeat and fun, and for Itachi it's exhilarating.

Itachi gets into this mindset of, having had very little good things in life, he should take what he can get now. Naruto is a reprieve and he tries so hard not to touch, but his illness has progressed so far, and he's so tired, and he can't see, and he's ready for it to be over. He's been ready, and Naruto is so warm and wants to know his favorite food, and his favorite color, and his birthday, and asks if he's okay, and when was the last time someone cared?

Naruto has suffered so much in life and Itachi has too, and they connect and seriously just... fall into place. Itachi just feels this overwhelming warmth bloom in him. Naruto actually smiles at him, and he can't remember the last time someone genuinely did that. Naruto cares, and Itachi is rendered helpless by it. After months and months, it's simply impossible to resist.

if you wanted to post any of your wips… *tucks hair behind ear*

I have SO MANY that I literally don't know what to choose, I've got decision paralysis 😭 let me list a few, and maybe if anyone wants elaboration, I can go from there? If anyone even reads this? I definitely want to post something new on Ao3 soon!!!

Knock Knock (Who's There?): (KakaNaru)

When Naruto moves into his new apartment following his return to the village after training with Jiraiya for two years, he doesn't expect it to come with a roommate. But when he opens his closet, it seems to lead into... another apartment. One inhabited by a quiet teenager in a dog ANBU mask.

Naruto is nothing if not good at making friends. Nobody can blame Hound for getting attached, can they?

OR: Naruto's closet leads to another dimension— one where a younger Kakashi is drowning in ANBU. Good thing he's got a cute new neighbor intent on keeping him company.

-Dimension travel! An alternate version of Kakashi exists in a mirror world, which is somehow connected via Naruto's new closet.

-(alternate) Kakashi falls fast and hard and is pretty much fiending, he's so touch starved and so emotionally repressed. He takes one look at Naruto and he's gone.

-Naruto is so accepting of him and free of any judgement that it's impossible for (alternate) Kakashi not to get attached.

-Big Kakashi still very much exists and is very much horrified when it all clicks together. He was a hellion at 17, and now that version of himself has latched onto Naruto? Are you shitting him?

-Basically (alternate) Kakashi being down bad, Naruto being cheerful as ever, and yeah. Shenanigans.

-The Uchiha clan hasn't died yet in (alternate) Kakashi's dimension either. Food for thought.

Deep Down: (KakaNaru)

Naruto gets hit by a jutsu that scrambles not only his chakra, but his memories as well. He can't seem to recall anything. Somehow, this leads to him taking one look at Kakashi and assuming that hey, this must be his husband.

Kakashi, in love with Naruto for years now but never planning to act on it, panics. Worse, Sakura says going against what Naruto says could confuse him and make the injury worse. Kakashi needs to play along.

OR: Naruto loses his memory, assumes Kakashi is his husband, and Kakashi suffers through a dream he knows will inevitably end when Naruto fully remembers.

-A few years post war and Kakashi's feelings are so severe that it's starting to affect him in real life. He can barely work without zoning out thinking of Naruto. When Naruto is around, all he can do is stare.

-When Naruto loses his memory, he sees that stare— which is filled with blatant affection— and makes the natural leap to "this must be my husband."

-Kakashi is in heaven but suffering too. This is exactly what he wants, but it'll go away once Naruto remembers And now that he's gotten a taste, he's desperate for more, more, more.

-Naruto eventually remembers but doesn't really mention it, because he's a little shit.

Darker Still: (ShikaNaru)

When the war goes sideways, all Shikamaru can seem to focus on is Naruto. Still so bright and bold and full of life even as the world falls apart around them, all he wants to do is know more. He wants everything Naruto will give him. He wants to know his favorite color and why, his height, his preferred ramen flavor, how he sleeps, the pitches of his laughter, how many crinkles form by his eyes when he smiles, what he smells like, what he tastes like.

Nara's thrive on knowledge, and sometimes they fixate. Coincidentally, time traveling to the past doesn't fix this. If anything, it only makes it worse

OR: Shikamaru is obsessed with Naruto, Naruto is blissfully unaware of how deeply, and they're going to save the world.

-Literally just Shikamaru wanting to know every last bit of information about Naruto. No matter how small, he will hoard every scrap, will swallow it whole.

-They time travel and no, this doesn't fix the obsession. Shikamaru is awful about it. Stalkerish levels of awful. He just wants to follow Naruto everywhere and touch him all the time.

-Everyone is beyond fucking confused.

-Naruto is out here saving the world, Shikamaru is just here to stare at him while he does it.

A Soul That Rings: (ItaNaru)

Soulmates are all up to chance, and so rare they're practically a thing of myth. You've got to touch them to know, at which point you both get your "mark". They're so uncommon that Itachi is certain he's in the clear, right up until the point where he touches Naruto Uzumaki right before his fight with Sasuke and orange streaks shoot up his arm.

Everyone knows that one soulmate can't die until the other does. It's basically a guarantee that you'll live a long, happy life together unless someone can get you both at the same time. Soulmates are engineered to die from old age together, passing on at the same moment. If Sasuke tries to kill Itachi now... It's not going to stick.

OR: Itachi accidentally finds out Naruto is his soulmate right before he goes off to let Sasuke kill him, and news flash. Not only is Naruto stubborn as all hell, he is exceedingly hard to kill.

-Soulmates are so rare that some people straight up claim they don't exist. They're seriously one in a million. Worse, once you meet them, it's impossible to die unless someone can off you both at the exact same time.

-Itachi is basically anchored to life via Naruto. Even his chronic illness won't kill him. As long as Naruto lives, it literally doesn't matter what happens. The link will keep him alive.

-Naruto isn't letting this go. Itachi can try to run and hide if he wants, but guess what? Naruto has a built in Itachi-sensor now, and that shit will lead him right to him.

-Itachi with nine orange streaks twisting up his arm and Naruto with bright red flames, the color of Itachi's susanoo up his

-Sasuke has never been angrier

Dream A Little Dream: (ItaNaru)

Before Itachi fights Sasuke, he runs into Naruto in the woods, intent on transferring the Kotoamatsukami to him (aka, Shisui's eye) so that Naruto can later free Sasuke from manipulation if he needs to. However, something goes wrong. When Itachi traps Naruto in a genjutsu to do this, he realizes he... can't seem to break it. Something is wrong.

Now trapped with Naruto in an illusion neither of them can seem to get out of, the truth about Itachi's entire past unravels. Pretty soon, Sasuke isn't the only Uchiha that Naruto wants to save, and Itachi finds Naruto impossible to look away from.

OR: Trapped for nearly a year in a genjutsu, Naruto peels into Itachi like one would an orange, and Itachi finds out what loving the human embodiment of the sun is like.

-The genjutsu is basically a barren wasteland devoid of any life aside from themselves, and Naruto is the type of person who can't shut up for more than five minutes

-An invisible force keeps them from getting too far apart, so no. Itachi can't run, hide, and wait it out.

-Naruto notices immediately that Itachi seems ill and is so annoying that eventually, Itachi gives up and tells him everything.

-In the process he also somehow falls head over heels for Naruto and finds a will to live, so at least there's that?

-Idk, I'm a simple girl. I want down bad Itachi, I create down bad Itachi.

I have so many others but these are my favs ♥️

[pureseasalt]

me personally i take anything as a win. the future is bright and the sky's the limit. today, a sydcarmy slow burn miscommunication angst fest. tomorrow, a sydcarmy pussy eating episode. the universe has set out its plans and it wants first and foremost for me to be happy

[thegreatyin]

How did you manage to handle not one, but FOUR separate accounts in fl? I recently made the account for my HD little guy but having to do the tutorial again just seems miserable

there's... weirdly several answers to that question, actually??

a HUGE part of it is due to the way FL is structured. the 10-minute action timer is a core part of the game on a fundamental level, and the fact that i can very easily run out of stuff to do on one character and thus have an excuse to quickly and easily swap to another is just... convenient? satisfying? i'm not entirely sure how to explain it. the fact that i can make progress even while i am fundamentally simultaneously Not Making Progress is like pure dopamine for my freak insane awful little brain. there's just something really pleasing about spending all of my actions pursuing The Goal Of The Day™ on one account before casually swapping to another and doing the same without feeling like i'm wasting time or acting to the first account's explicit detriment. the downtime helps! the recharge time helps! the structure really really works!!

i'm technically only actively playing three, maybe two accounts minimum. the only reason the fourth (the one that'll be my future BaL playthrough) currently exists at all is so i can get his earlygame completely out of the way now and not have to waste time running through it all later, when what i actually want to do is play the ambition i've made myself wait a full year to play. and also getting free goodies as seasonal stuff happens,, something something surprise tools to help us later. the only two accounts i'd say i'm really "actively playing" at the moment are caeru and lark- and of the two, lark takes the most priority, since his ambition is the one i'm currently pursuing in earnest. for a couple months now- despite being My Main FL Character- the scoundrel has actually been pretty inactive on a gameplay front outside of the occasional progression in TLC and discordance content. purely by virtue of having Very little left to do outside of Very long-term grinds and vanities. they're in their "now what?" "now you can start playing the game" era. they've graduated to previous protagonist background cameo in a sequel anime series. they're like the yin FLPC equivalent of red at the top of mount silver. they're Literally just vibing rn. i only keep posting about them regardless because i'm insane and i will never ever ever ever ever let that bat go. but yeah, big TLDR, outside of doing the bare minimum to keep making waves/notability up every week, i'm not actually spending that much time on accounts i'm not currently actively interested in playing. and that accounts for way more gaming spoons than you might think.

i have a virtually lifelong history of playing MMOs, especially and specifically world of warcraft. i was born in the endless grind for useless video game pixel vanities and/or bragging rights. molded by it. you all have merely adapted to doing the same piece of content a pointlessly excessive amount of times for literally no reason besides whimsy and folly. me? i've done my time. i've served my sentence. i've spent weeks doing the original burning crusade netherwing dailies. i've devoted days to running praetorium over and over and over again, back-to-back, nonstop, long before square enix cut it in half and made it NOT take at minimum an hour and a half per run. i've perfected my silverwastes + auric basin goldfarming strategies. i've (almost) crafted dragonwrath tarecgosa's rest. i've killed the sha of anger so many times its dying scream of agony is embedded into the very fabric of my being. ""only"" doing making your name content four times over? that is nothing to me. it means nothing to me. it is so infinitesimal i can do the persuasive seduction quests in my sleep. it's not a matter of handling misery, or having the capacity, or even sighing as i remember the brass embassy raid segment of the watchful questline seriously i don't know why i keep forgetting that exists or what even is my problem with it i just am so consistently mildly inconvenienced by it and its highly specific resource requirements and it is the worst thing ever. maybe i'm just so used to the scoundrel's near-infinite money and troves of disposable items that i've completely forgotten what being poor is like. despite having done that step 3 fucking times now. ahem. anyway. i have transcended the feeble mortal bindings of my resistant-to-grinding flesh and ascended to a higher plane of enlightenment, they may call me insane but they will be the ones left laughing when they see what that "insanity" has wrought, i've usurped them, i've usurped them all-

hacks and coughs and awkwardly clears my throat. i mean. uh. um. Ahem.

the empress' court artistry + tales of the university nerfs helped too.

[halflingkima]

the brosca warden storyline is insane (affectionate) to me, and it's wild that I happened to choose it first.

I've not played through all the origins myself, but from what I gather in general, I think brosca has the least material effect on later material gameplay – all of the effect is in brosca's character choices/response, which is completely up to the player whether or not/how much to honor.

the 'dwarf commoner' origin title is misleading – brosca's casteless, classless, as low class as possible and fighting tooth and nail while being actively pushed lower. accepting the warden offer is the easiest choice in the world (even aside from escaping the dwarven death sentence) because it offers any level of respect as a person.

later, when they return to orzammar with the treaties, the city insists they were never born. there's record of their death: when they joined the grey wardens. according to orzammar, brosca's homeland, their origin – brosca did not exist until they became a grey warden, at which point they were considered deceased.

(on top of the official records at the shaperate, no npcs acknowledge that you're a dwarf, let alone from the city. you can speak – briefly – to your family, but they're the only ones who acknowledge your past. I found it frustrating while playing that the origin didn't affect much, but that affected my own gameplay; brosca's origin makes the political dilemma seem laughably simple.)

and then. when the archdemon is slain, whether or not brosca survives, they're made a paragon, which is akin to a dwarven god. brosca is immortalized in their people's mythology forever – the same people who refused to admit they existed until their legal death. (presumably bhelen minimizes or eradicates the caste system, but whether or not that takes –) the history of the paragon brosca will almost certainly erase their origin as a casteless dwarf. when, arguably, they wouldn't have become a paragon without that history.

[skunkes]

I'm v curious abt Talon's mesoamerican origins and evolution in general how does his accent sound when written out? after such a long life what is the strongest vestige of those times he has (aside from physical features and so on). I can't believe some rando bloodsucker colonized my boy

I have no idea what his accent wld sound like as the few videos i cld find of people speaking his original language, are, of course, mainly spanish speakers! And I can sometimes hear the difference in spanish as they switch between the 2 while being interviewed but i struggle to mentally transplant that as to how it'd sound in English ykwim 😭 there's also the fact that its the modern language spoken by them so it has evolved alongside and borrows from spanish anyway, by those who still speak it and speak both Today

Im actually still zeroing in on fleshing out more of that lore, since I can't find too much info on the specific culture i envision for him, it may really just have to be "fantasy culture INSPIRED by the people" instead, so i dont completely botch actual historical info 😮‍💨 either that or go very vague off of the info available

[six-of-cringe]

hey so your soc takes iceberg. specifically the "matthias autism" bit.

i got one of my friends (who doesnt know anything about the grishaverse) to guess/assume things about the crows characters based on their wiki page pictures, and my friend took one look at matthias and said

"Just a normal person, no special 

Might have autism or ADHD

Or in a gay couple"

and your iceberg reminded me of that

Well in my opinion, your friend could be right about the autism. It's easy to just place Matthias in the common trope of gruff, reserved, down-to-earth Nordic strongman and call it a day, but beyond the overall Fjerdan culture and his repressive training, Matthias seemed to have traits that transcend those things that certainly would not apply to all the druskelle boys. His thinking was very black-and-white - when things are good they are good, when they are bad they are always bad. He acknowledged that he enjoyed the discipline and regularity his place in the Druskelle gave him, but didn't make many friends (he also admitted he was essentially a teacher's pet. Cult leader's pet??). His sense of justice was extremely strong, to the point where it was the axis around which his world revolves. His whole arc was about seeing beyond the patterns that form his life and reworking his rigid mindset, but at the end of the story he's still a determined, literal, strong-hearted person.

One could argue this is just a product of his indoctrination into the Druskelle, but I feel like these traits may well have already existed in him, and they just made it easier for Brum to prey on him. Brum praises him for having such "pure" faith in SoC - Matthias's all-or-nothing understanding of the world and his extremely strong sense of justice made the perfect conditions for Brum to package his loss at the hands of Grisha as an action item, a clear purpose for Matthias to internalize and enact. Also he tells Nina that she can't cry in a corner because the room is round.

[the-eng1ne]

still havent drawn my sona ref but i sure as hell have been doodling it in the same pose over and over. heres a couple of them that i actually put colours to

[batsplat]

caught up with the iga match. she is on one this tournament

welllllll I have been here too often with igatha at this point... like I think it's lovely for her that she has such ready access to the bakery when she's comfortable in a match-up, but she's also had plenty of tournaments by now where she's looked very potent in early rounds and ultimately ended up being quite disappointing. when she's winning and feels comfortable winning, she often posts ridiculous scorelines!! it's a cool calling card and obviously raducanu is a bit of a Name, but I am trying to resist reading too much into it

I saw most of her second round match against sramkova and she looked really good, forehand firing and all that, but again - this doesn't NECESSARILY give me much confidence for how she'll fare in latter stages. I didn't see much in that match I haven't seen plenty of times before, which is FINE because she doesn't need anything other than her A game to beat that type of opponent. but still!! we need to see her in situations where she needs something other than her A game

that being said!! she does have something important going for her that she hasn't in quite a few non-rg slams in the last couple years: the draw. I didn't have raducanu circled as someone who could cause iga trouble - and actually looking at her draw, she's now distinctly short on anyone who SHOULD be able to challenge her until the semis. she's playing lys next and then the winner of navarro/dasha. in the semis she might have to face rybakina or keys or collins (for her it'd be good if paolini makes it through that section) but... as far as I'm concerned, if iga makes semis then that'd already be a positive tournament for her. that's further than she's gotten in *any* non-rg tournament since winning uso 2022. I think she'll make it! if you look at all her slam losses since that time --

-- they all do fall in the category of 'surprising but I can see how that happened'. (this isn't just hindsight 20/20, these were all prospective matches that were categorised at least as 'tricky' in my head.) noskova, penko, putintseva, ryba hard flat hitters who iga struggles against; svito, jpeg just generally high quality opponents who played a tactically smart match and also played an offensive game in those specific matches. nobody in her draw path until the semis has the same vibe as one of those names. I have to say, I am kind of hoping rybakina makes it to the semi to face her there... swiatek's beaten her this year already but rybakina has looked pretty scary herself in this tournament. they've actually both looked a bit more convincing to the eye test than sabalenka or gauff, though I still think sabalenka and gauff are the favourites for the title. idk!! my pre-tournament prediction was sabalenka and I kinda stand by that, but I really would like to see all four of them in the semis for once so that we can actually have it out

[5-htagonist]

i think ive settled on laios being a knight of breath and kabru being a rogue of blood...... i think......

[snekdood]

not sure who needs to hear this but i do not see myself as above anyone, like, at all. if something I posted makes you think I think I am you're probably misreading it or my intentions. I dont feel the need to compare myself and make myself feel like i'm above people, i'm just not really that kind of person. in fact, people make a point of constantly trying to make me feel below them on here so dont worry, you don't gotta help em'.