#it’s not that she’s constantly thinking less of herself

[luna-azzurra]

Ways I Write a Woman...

➤ Who’s Tired of Being Talked Over

You ever watch someone hold in a scream behind their teeth? That’s her, constantly.

✧ She starts choosing her words like landmines. Each one is sharp, controlled, and timed like a threat. She’s learned that being polite won’t get her listened to, but sounding like you might flip a table will. ✧ She’s mastered the art of the silence that feels loud. Doesn’t fill awkward gaps. Just lets the discomfort sit in the air like smoke. ✧ She explains things with forced calm, the kind that sounds like a teacher asking a second-grade class why the hamster is missing. ✧  She notices interruptions like bruises. She doesn’t react to them anymore, not out loud. But you can bet she counts them. ✧ She repeats herself less. Not because they understood her the first time. Because they never listened anyway. ✧ She’s learned how to weaponize eye contact. Not in a sexy way. In a “I will set this boardroom on fire with my mind” way. ✧ Her voice only shakes when she’s deciding if it’s worth the explosion.

➤ Who’s Been Called ‘Too Much’ Her Whole Life

She isn’t too much. She’s just tired of shrinking for people who were never going to make room anyway.

✧ She says the thing you’re not supposed to say. Then stares at you to see what you’ll do with it. ✧ She’s loud with her laugh, loud with her grief, loud with her love, because if she’s going to be punished for being “extra,” she might as well be honest about it. ✧ She over-explains. Over-apologizes. Then catches herself and stops halfway through the sentence. ✧  She tries to “tone it down” and ends up sounding like a censored version of herself, bland, miserable, unfinished. ✧ She edits her texts four times, deletes the paragraph, sends “haha ok :)” instead. ✧ She keeps her hands busy because otherwise they’d be doing something reckless. ✧  She overcompensates with sarcasm and then goes home and wonders if everyone hates her. ✧  She’s loved fiercely. Regretted it more fiercely. ✧  She walks into a room like she owns it, and then spends the entire time wondering if she should have stayed home.

➤ Who Wants to Be Soft but Doesn’t Feel Safe

She's gentle, but that gentleness lives under twenty layers of armor. And most people never even get past the first. ✧  She’s careful with her compliments, she knows how people weaponize kindness. ✧  She keeps her vulnerability behind locked doors and guards them with jokes, sarcasm, and “I’m just tired.” ✧ She’ll comfort others like she was born to do it, but flinch if someone offers her the same. ✧ She avoids mirrors on bad days. Eye contact on good ones. ✧ She cries where no one can see. Car bathrooms. Locked bedrooms. Grocery store parking lots at night. ✧ She doesn’t ask for help. Not because she doesn’t need it, but because the last time she did, it came with a price. ✧ She’s soft with animals, with children, with strangers, but not herself. Never herself. ✧ She daydreams about being taken care of, then immediately gets mad at herself for wanting something so “weak.” ✧ She wants love, but she’s terrified of being known. Because if someone really saw her? What if they didn’t stay?

And if you’re sitting there reading all of that thinking, “God, I don’t even know how to write women like this…” Please know: you’re not alone. Like, really not alone.

Writing female characters in a way that feels true, nuanced, and unapologetically real isn’t just about avoiding clichés. It’s about unlearning everything you were taught about what women are “supposed” to be on the page. It’s about getting underneath the polish. Past the performative strength. Past the “she’s not like other girls” and the “strong but broken” tropes. Past the idea that softness is weakness and rage is unlikable.

So many people struggle with this, not because they don’t care, but because no one ever really taught them how to see women as people first.

A lot of us grew up reading female characters written through a lens that flattened us. Made us background noise, love interests, plot devices, or emotionally bulletproof when we weren’t emotionally unstable. It’s no wonder we’re all trying to figure out how to do better now. I write a Book about How to Write Women that feel Alive... For you.

In the chapters ahead, we’re going to unravel that mess, together (Promise). We’ll talk about...

❥ Tropes — the ones worth reclaiming, and the ones you can toss into the fire. ❥ The psychology of a woman — how conditioning, survival, identity, and inner conflict shape her from the inside out. ❥ Female vs. male conflict — not in a “boys suck” way, but in a “our emotional battlegrounds are different and that matters” way. ❥ Expectations — society’s, her own, and how characters shrink or shatter under them. ❥ Emotions as strength — especially the ones she was taught to hide: fear, grief, longing, joy, rage. ❥ Female anger — what happens when she finally stops holding it in. ❥ Archetypes — and how to subvert them without erasing the truths they come from. ❥ Female friendships — no more cardboard “bestie” side characters. ❥ Romantic relationships — what it means when she’s finally seen. Chosen. Or rejected. ❥Mothers, daughters, and sisters — because female relationships deserve more than being backstory. ❥ Dialogue — how she speaks when she’s safe vs. when she’s scared. ❥ Inner conflict and development — her arc isn’t about fixing her. It’s about letting her evolve. ❥ Writing exercises — to help you get past the noise and write from a place that feels real. ❥ A full checklist for writing female OCs — layered, powerful, contradictory, alive.

📖 Get your Paperback now! (Here On Amazon!)

This isn’t a rulebook. It’s a guide. A toolbox. A comfort blanket. A callout. A reminder that writing women doesn’t have to feel impossible, you just have to be willing to look a little deeper.

So if you’ve ever felt stuck writing a female character… If you’ve defaulted to tropes because you didn’t know how else to make her “interesting”… If you’ve erased her emotions to make her “strong”… Or if you’ve stared at the page wondering why she still doesn’t feel real...This book is for you.

And I promise, by the time you reach the last chapter? You’ll not only know how to write her. You’ll understand her. And maybe even see a little of yourself in the process.

Love u All!!🖤

[ghoulishautism]

YES I finally get to talk about this!!

Its funny because those two were my original ideas (because Danny being space and Sam being life makes sense on paper)

But when I actually started looking more into the classes, I really could not justify giving them either since I realized they didnt fit as neatly as I wished? So let me try to break down my thought process:

Danny, the Mage of Time:

Strong association with Death

Mages understand their aspect, including both the positives and negatives-- Mages are also thought to suffer from their aspect in one way pr another

Thanks to stuff like TUE, we know that Danny has a lot of anxiety over his future-- and on a less serious note, he seems to struggle with time management in general as evidence in multiple episodes. Theres ALSO the aspect of him constantly going through repetitive routines and having to constantly balance between his human life and his half-ghost hero life. And the idea that he could never truly go back to normalcy, even if he were to give up his ghost half.

Thinking about the canon Time players we have such as Dave and Aradia, who tend to be more laid back (at least on the outside).

Bonus fact that a lot of people really like the headcanon/fanon of Clockwork being a mentor to Danny.

Sam, the Heir of Space:

Space players are associated with Creation (fashion, art, and yes-- even tending to plants believe it or not) and Frogs (which are a required element of SBURB to ensure the creation of the universe)

Sam is always hard to pin down because the show doesn't go too deep into her characterization, BUT from what little we can infer; she is a very creative person- indulging in many crafts such as fashion and music.

Space players also tend to see the bigger picture, which in turn can cause them to paint things in broad strokes and fail to see the proper nuance (with how Sam herself often sees things as very black n white- and its her way or the highway). She's very in-tune with what she thinks is right

I chose heir specifically (not only because I dont like recycling canon god tiers and instead like to explore ones we havent seen) because Sam's self expression is at the core who she truly is. Its really hard to separate that from her. She's someone who will constantly jump on the new train (if she decides it isn't too mainstream) just to prove how 'ahead' she is of everyone else.

Unlike most Space players, she's very impatient (which is something she'd have to overcome), but she also loves sharing her ideas with others, even if they too are too stubborn to give her ideas a chance (ie, the new vegan menu at school she forced upon everyone).

Are these absolutely perfect? No, but it was the best I could really do given the tools at my disposal. I think I'm pretty proud of what I came up with and I think they fit the very story I want to tell.

Heart and Life would also make sense for them too in a way, but I didnt feel like Danny exhibited enough Heart traits for that to stick-- and Life is more about the natural order of things and waiting for things to grown into their own rather than direct action (which doesn't feel like Sam to me).

We also just tend to know more about Space and Time considering they're one of the more important aspects of the sburb mechanics.

Decided that I wanted to re-learn the Homestuck Styles as a potential commission type, I might do a few more of these to practice/be sane so uh...You can drop a request in my inbox and I might do it

These will be tagged as "PhantomStuck" if you wish to block it

[lxdymoon0357]

hiii, is it possible to request for yandere juvelian and yandere max competing for female reader whose just a simple noble and is overall funny af, but kinda shipes max and juvelian, also if possible can you make her have like a homie bro relationship with regis, thank you! if you want to do any modifications please do! its my first time asking so idk very well 😆

(warnings: I added a little age gap between Juve and Max and reader so reader is a bit older. Reader is a tutor and trainer. Murder, competitions? SA accusations. Eventual Juvax poly, pretty short..weird format, Forgive me!)

© Writing belongs to me, Lxdymoon0357. Do not plagiarize, but reblogging, liking and commenting is deeply appreciated.

Oh no! My ship is falling!

☁ Due to you being a female noble and being close to Regis, you're introduced to help Maximilian sword-train with him and you're also there to train Jubelian on etiquette since you were a young adult. You were a bit younger than Regis, but he trusted you, seeing as you were pretty popular in society's eyes for being a light-hearted and rather funny individual despite the simple title you adorn.

You bow softly to the young lady of Floyen, Jubelian Floyen. Shimmering hair, round eyes and pale, clear skin. Everything a man would want, but she was rather.. manner-less, the softest way to say it and Regis wanted her to flourish.

And who better than you, someone beloved by many around for being so funny and interesting and a social butterfly yet maintaining the noble stature.

Sh bowed back with a sweet smile, and the smile stayed throughout the lesson. You showed her how to bow for a dance as she nodded, taking the position and fixing her dress, gently pulling it down to fit her better and bowed.

Unfortunately, she ended up showing off her cleavage a bit more than she likely intended to, right? You hummed, nodding as you felt butterflies in your tummy— No! You were far too old for her!

And when the lesson ended and she was waving you off home with her father, "Please get h-home safe" Regis said, as he waved you off and once you were out of sight, he waved his hand infront of Jubelian who frozen with a infatuated smile.

Oh you are SO hers..

Regis nodded as you pushed Maximilian backwards, using your sword to block his attack and push him back as Regis hummed in approve, "Faster, your majesty" he said firmly.

But sadly, you used your body to your advance a bit more than Maximilian did, using your sword to trap his lebow and push him back onto the ground, throwing his sword aside as you pushed the tip of your wooden sword against his throat and made a little slashing motion,

"And you're dead." You hummed as Regis looked down with a sigh, handing you a towel, "You were good. But you need to train a bit more"

You said, handing him some water and extending your hand with that gorgeous smile as Regis patted his back as you helped the crown princee up on his feeeet,

"No worries." Regis said as you extended a towel and Maximilian took it, thanking you silently as he stared at you.

Oh that smile. He couldn't wait for it to be all his!

☁ Jubelian would always make herself the finest lady for you and Maximilian would always try to be better even if albeit the two were sort of inexperienced. You always made them smile, somehow.

☁ They both DESPISE each other. Maximilian thinks Jubelian is a very spoiled, pompous brat who is his master's daughter while Jubelian can't stand to have you around Maximilian. The two constantly made snide remarks and even silent ways to kill each other off; ranging from missed assassinations to soft threatening letters.

"Duke Floyen and Lady Juvelian, so nice to have you both this evening." you said brightly, bowing to both in your lacy and extravagant dress as Regis smiled to you. A banquet in your name.

"Thank you for inviting us to your banquet" Regis hummed as you handed him a glass of expensive champagne, "It's always my pleasure" you said

Maximilian quickly walked over as you greeted him too, but far more sweeter than usual. Jubelian noticed his looks on you as Maximilian noticed her look on you, "Crown prince. I'm assuming you met Lady Jubelian?" you smiled sweetly, making Maximilian feel warm as he nodded, stiffly, bowing to Jubelian and Jubelian did back awkwardly.

To you, it looked as if they had feelings for each other and felt shy almost, the crush catastrophe of actions and behavior.

"Awwhhh, how sweet. You two can get to know each, you both look adorable, no, Regis?" you smile as Regis sighed, not really keen on his daughter with Maximilian as you pulled him away to give Jubelian and Maximilian 'time together' making th tow feel disgust at the idea of themselves with anyone but YOU!

"Crown prince, are the word of kindness just not in your vocabulary or what?" Jubelian asked, hissing to Maximilian as Maximilian rolled his eyes,

"Lady Juvelian, wer you always this annoying pompous brat?" he asked, leaning close as the two awkwardly stood aside in a deep conversation, having forced together by you who misunderstood that they have feelings for each other.

"You should know..there is a reason Lady Y/N doesn't want you to close to them" "And there is a reason Lady Y/N spends more time with your father than you."

The two could feel annoyance on each other and wanted to kill the other right now. But instead thee two still continued to look for you.

Usually they'd love to beat the other, but right now, they were busy watching you talk with someone, not even Regis. Regis would be fine, he was almost your brother-figure.

But you invited them to a a little event of hunting, and the two could never deny YOU anything. You were their goddess. But you were also popular, sad thing was everyone came to talk to you.

Maximilian was feeling his fingers graze his sword in annoyance a bit.

Oh my GOD! So fucking annoying..

☁ But one thing is, they're both far more normal to have each other a competition. Other people, not so much. Both of them have a way to kill off their competitions who are not each other. Juvelian uses public humiliation, social suicide and worse before using Maximilian or her father to plant crimes on them and Maximilian is the one to have them executed by accusing them of assassination.

☁ From killing them off during hunting season to standing up for each other in trials where they accused their competition for any crime against them or even treason if strong enough. They're always sure to not lose as they use their titles to help them.

"Oh my god! EWWW!" Jubelian grumbled, feeling the blood of some man ink her dress as Maximilian rolled his eyes, stopping his horse and pulling her up..

His sword had went straight through the man, he was not dead thankfully..just severely injured as he checke the man's vitals, Jubelian grumbled throwing her furry scarf onto the man..She will surely miss that scarf, you gave her so many compliments on it!

Jubelian grumbled, glaring at Maximilian who couldn't care less, this man had tried to flirt with you! No one other than them could do so..

Jubelian sighed, panting a bit, sprinkling her face with some water and using the blood to even make her cheeks slightly rosy, thankfully the sun had already made her slightly sweaty, as she used a little dagger to cut up her dress a bit.

And before anyone knew it, you heard a scream rip through the forest lines, which you and Regis recognized at Jubelian as he you both ran towards it, not caring you both weren't even on horses as someone blew the horse to halt the game.

You both ended up on a sight. Maxmilian calming Jubelian who was crying beside a man, she pointed to the man dead, crying roughly as Reggis scooped her in a tight hug and you cupped her face and checked her out. Maxmilian almost had the urge to throw his sword down and tell the truth.

But fortunately you turned to him, checking his blood covered face,

"Th-the man! H-hah-He..Hee tried to touch me!! And even hu-hurt the crown prince!" Jubelian wailed and by now, everyone was near the place. Everyone was murmuring between themselves, as you felt disgust, pulling Jubbelian and Maximilian close, trying to calm them.

The event stopped, with Maxmilian as a witness and the imperial throne with him, the man was arrested and Jubelian and Maxmilian could barely hide their happiness for you caring for them.

☁ Of-course, sadly to them. You think instead of them with you, the two look adorable together with how much they support each other during trials where harm is to come to the other, not knowing they're all accusations. They both stand scandalized when you both decide to set them up.

"Oh, calm down, Max..I know it's a bit private to not go anywhere with no one to escort us." You hummed as Maximilian was trying thide his happiness and his buzzing excitement..

Alone time..with you!

Well, you said you had a surprise, another little tea party of sorts. He could barely get you outside of his training sessions, but this was fine enough. Even if he had to be early, and with your hands on his eyes..it'll b a little hard for him to take off your clothes.

But he's fairly certain he can hold you up, maybe just ear a whole in your panties and—

"SURPRISE!!" you said loudly and brightly as you sat him down, "open your eyes!" you said brightly as Maximilian did just that only to come into sight with a little certain brat of his swording master, Jubelian Floyen and a little picnic.

Oh for fuck's sak—

"I kinda guessed you both had something going on, it's killing your father, Juve." Juvelian looked down in what you assumed was shyness, but was utter embarrassed. She thought she was going to be roughed up by your warm hands against a tree.

A soft, sweet lady like her, roughed by you..an older, more experienced, popular lady of society who was always surrounded by men and couldn't go through with her tendencies for liking women. But you continued speaking—

"And I'm so happy for you two..but it's getting a tad bit annoying. So I made you two a picnic—", "Lady Y/N-", "Nono, you two will sit down and enjoy", "My grac-", "Oh, don't even try to deny it!"

You giggled, turning on your heels and bega walking off, "Anyways enjoy yourselves!" you said brightly, rushing off to give thm privacy..

Oh fucking hell..

☁ Sure, it does give way into them falling in love and then getting engaged sooner or later. But then, they only reinforce each other into getting you to like them. Constantly inviting you, flirting with you, killing anyone who even dares to ask for your hand in marriage. No woman like you belongs to anyone but THEM!

[whamss]

I see talk from time to time about Meat Rosemary reunions about how tragic it would be to see Rosebot reject Kanaya after she spent all that time chasing after her blah blah blah but man you know what would get me? The two of them reuniting and Kanaya seeing a Rose who's nigh unrecognizable to her. Seeing a Rose with Dirk's hands buried so deep inside her mind she's more like him than herself, in a body that isn't her own (made by his hands), and not knowing what to do with that? Seeing Rose continuously push Kanaya away would be tragic, yes, but what about imagining how Kanaya grapples with the reality that the woman she's trying to save is barely even herself anymore? Wondering if, when all is said and done, she would even get her back... Or if Dirk's influence is already so deeply ingrained inside of her that he would keep on living through her? What is it like to love a woman so deeply you're ready to kill her father to save her, while fully understanding the ways this might hurt her? To love a woman so deeply you'll cross galaxies to return to her side, knowing fully well that she might push you away in the end? Things I chew on

[sabscarpcnter]

"you are," she whispered back, noticing how his expression seemed to become less tense," i did pick up on that." her tone was merely teasing since she knew that it had been a bit of an eventful night. already she knew how much he meant to her and he had shown her how much he cared for her. it was different compared to what she was used to as far as relationships went. she found herself constantly smiling whenever she was with him. she shrugged, knowing that they hadn't had a chance to have much conversation at the gala," i don't think you have but that is by far, the best compliment i've gotten tonight." she knew that she had intended on leaving but now it was the last thing that she wanted to do. it was clear that he was relieved at her question. she realized he might have been wondering if she was going to leave. the blonde wanted to make sure that he was okay with her not going. a small laugh escaped from her at his answer," as long as i want?" she knew that where her mind was going would be considered crazy," is this an invitation to move in?" she nearly wanted to take the words back but they were out there. she wasn't sure if that was what was going to happen. especially since she knew that she had a huge thing to deal with. it was still amazing that pedro was willing to stick with her through all of that. her breath hitched as she felt his hand move to the collar of her suit. his fingers moving fluidly as he began to undo the buttons," take care of me?" she knew that he meant everything that he was saying," how about we take care of each other? no press, no worrying about anything, ignoring everything outside of this apartment." she pulled him into another brief kiss, playfully rubbing the tip of her nose against his," sounds like heaven."

"Am I now?" He whispered softly, his face softening as he listened to her continue her words. "And you know that you're special to me too, right?" That was all that mattered to him, being that special someone for her and he already knew that she was special to him. "Have I told you just how beautiful you looked tonight? Because when I first saw you earlier, my heart truly, and I mean truly skipped a beat for you." As he spoke, he pulled back just enough to look at her in the eyes, a warm smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Pedro’s lips were still tingling from the kiss, and he didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until she whispered those last words. His brows lifted slightly, her soft question settling somewhere between amusement and wonder in his chest. Damn. She had a way of disarming him that no one else ever had — not with grand gestures, but with honest vulnerability and that quiet confidence he found maddeningly beautiful. He chuckled, low and warm, brushing a knuckle along her jawline. “You can stay as long as you want,” he said gently, voice dropping to something slower, more intimate. “Actually, I’d prefer if you didn’t leave at all.” There was no pressure behind the words -- just truth. He meant it. Every piece of her that she was still figuring out how to give, he’d wait for. And when she was ready to let go of the rest -- the act, the PR, the public persona -- he’d be right there, steady and sure. His fingers moved to the collar of her suit, eyes locked on hers as he began undoing it with slow, deliberate care. “Let me take care of you tonight,” he murmured. “No press, no pretending...just us.” He didn’t need anything else.

[cloudinal]

Cat birthday (2) !

[swordmaid]

like shri’iia really DOES struggle with that suffocatingly needy side of herself, and it’s why I’m a firm believer that in all of their own personal routes, only the oathbreaker/spawn variation for the hags is the one where they work out because she’s actively working on that side of herself, and she’s actively learning to be more independent. in a variation of where astarion stays as a spawn but shri’iia regresses, she will just end up suffocating him and I think it’ll be too much to bear and he’ll break it off. in the ascended route, the fact that she’s needy is SO perfect that he wants to keep her like that forever, and he wants her to be always relying on him until they reach a point where he doesn’t and he gets bored of her. (the variation where astarion ascends and shri’iia is an oathbreaker doesn’t exist bc her new oath will compel her to kill him lmfao)

but anyway I think even in an oathbreaker route, shri’iia is still working through that ^. it really will take a while for her to unlearn it, she’s been trapped in a toxic codependent relationship for soooo long that unlearning past behaviours is a feat in itself, but the important thing is that she is unlearning it…! but I do think she can get so clingy sometimes and if they express displeasure with her she’s like 💔💔💔 it’s so fucking over for me

[safitheartist]

I think people really need to keep in mind when discussing Ben 10 on a broader spectrum that the original show was written with none of the stuff done by Alien force and beyond in mind.

That includes characterization.

Honestly I would argue Max in OS would be very anti child soldiers because the reason he is so fine with Ben is because Ben is his grandson.

When you examine Max's behavior in OS isolated from the other shows you see how hypocrisy and projection are his biggest character flaws. He is a beacon of moral grandstanding constantly expressing his sense of morality and scolding Ben for acting like a kid his age but he is fine letting his grandkids be put in danger due to his desperate need to feel like he can be a hero again and the fact that he can project onto them due to his relation to them is very much part of that.

Ben and Gwen being his grandkids plays a big role in Max's decision making because Max very much wants to have his cake and eat it too. The implication for why he decided to go on the trip with them in the first place is that he feels guilt over being an absentee father to his children so he is projecting that onto them. He wants to be the good family man but he also wants to have the big alien adventure and feel useful and heroic.

That's why he doesn't immediately turn the RV around and takes Gwen at the very least home when the omnitrix shows up despite knowing full well that they would run into trouble now. Because the second he does that the fantasy he had of getting a dad redo goes up in smokes. Honestly the reason he probably offered to take her too that summer last minute was because he subconsciously thought having both his sons kids with him that summer would essentially be like having them with him. He is projecting his kids on Ben and Gwen and he is projecting himself on them too.

He is able to rationalize all of his selfish behavior because they are his blood. They are "like him". They are an extension of himself. In his mind Max isn't putting two innocent kids in danger because he is too selfish to properly tell them about everything and find a way to get the omnitrix off of Ben. He is putting two younger versions of himself in danger.

You can see the disconnect pretty well when you pay attention towards how he acts when they aren't in danger. Because then Ben and Gwen turn back into his grandkids who he is on a road trip with to make himself feel less guilty about being distant from his family.

He also treats Gwen extremely differently from Ben up until she gains powers herself. He both treats her with more care during danger while also brushing her and her needs aside more often to project his hero complex on Ben.

And Gwen takes note of that. She is too young to really grasp it but she calls Max on his bs on several occasions and acts as a more essential pillar of emotional support for Ben then Max in a lot of ways.

And you see the natural conclusion of that Dynamic in Ben 10K where Max very much seems to have been the one pushing Ben to give his son an omnitrix despite clearly being hesitant about it and when he has doubts about his decision he doesn't turn to Max for support. He talks to Gwen. Because Gwen gets it.

Max is deliberately written as an extremely flawed and even somewhat toxic mentor figure to Ben but in a manner that is very realistic in that sense. The decision to frame their dynamic under a family dynamic is also very much deliberate in that sense.

Max is the ex military grandpa who was estranged from his family because of his failures as a father grooming his grandson into wanting to become a war hero.

He would condemn child soldiers in the same breath as he would let Ben run off to war because he doesn't view him that way. He views him as another chance at glory first and as a child second.

Random: I think put in a Rooters situation himself Max would have balked at the idea of running experiments on captives, especially captive children, but would have been totally fine with the child soldier part of things.

[wildstar25]

What physical part(s) of Arsay does her partners find the most attractive! Is it the same for all partners or does it differ between them?

(also optional bonus ask of what part(s) of/about Arsay generally do they love the most, physical or not!)

Meanwhile, if you were to ask the same of Arsay:

[autism-corner]

I couldn’t stop staring at those long, slender fingers as they lifted the glass of red wine to her lips, as they carefully cut up the meat with her knife and gracefully brought the food to her mouth...

She looked at me and smiled. "You always tend to provoke controversy, just like a Venus flytrap. Do you long for a sword that much?"

[rigberts]

God if I had any balls I would shoot every yaoi ship I write for with my estrogen beam and not give a single word of explanation

[emi-writings]

Spotify keeps trying to recommend that I add Persephone inspired songs to my Niki playlist...

Which is very fun and interesting to think about.

[baldyeosang]

my mom is So Dense.

she keeps saying that if we had a forecast of a lot of rain we'd get out of town (we live right next to a river so while its never flooded that bad, we've also never had a storm that bad either)

like. fleeing may save your life but what about all your possessions? fleeing doesn't get you a new home in this housing crisis? doesn't get you new cars? doesn't get you new job? doesn't replace the valuables you couldn't take with you? doesn't bring back all the others who didn't have the luxury of leaving? I don't know what she accomplishes by thinking shes better than people in crisis

[docholligay]

Do you think authors sometimes don't realize how their, uh, interests creep into their writing? I'm talking about stuff like Robert Jordan's obvious femdom kink, or Anne Rice's preoccupation with inc*st and p*dophilia. Did their editors ever gently ask them if they've ever actually read what they've written?

Firstly, a reminder: This is not tiktok and we just say the words incest and pedophilia here.

Secondly, I don't know if I would call them 'interests' so much as fixations or even concerns. There are monstrous things that people think about, and I think writing is a place to engage with those monstrous things. It doesn't bother me that people engage with those things. I exist somewhere within the whump scale, and I would hope no one would think less of me just because sooner or later I like to rough a good character up a bit, you know? It's fun to torture characters, as a treat!

But, anyway, assuming this question isn't, "Do writers know they're gross when I think they are gross" which I'm going to take the kind road and assume it isn't, but is instead, "Do you think authors are aware of the things they constantly come back to?"

Sometimes. It can be jarring to read your own writing and realize that there are things you CLEARLY are preoccupied with. (mm, I like that word more than concerns). There are things you think about over and over, your run your mind over them and they keep working their way back in. I think this is true of most authors, when you read enough of them. Where you almost want to ask, "So...what's up with that?" or sometimes I read enough of someone's work that I have a PRETTY good idea what's up with that.

I've never read Robert Jordan and I don't intend to start (I think it would bore me this is not a moral stance) and I've really never read Rice's erotica. In erotica especially I think you have all the right in the world to get fucking weird about it! But so, when I was young I read the whole Vampire Chronicles series. I don't remember it perfectly, but there's plenty in it to reveal VERY plainly that Anne Rice has issues with God but deeply believes in God, and Anne Rice has a preoccupation with the idea of what should stay dead, and what it means to become. So, when i found out her daughter died at the age of six, before Rice wrote all of this, and she grew up very very Catholic' I said, 'yeah, that fucking checks out'.

Was Rice herself aware of how those things formed her writing? I think at a certain point probably yes. The character of Claudia is in every way too on the nose for her not to have SOME idea unless she was REAL REAL dense about her own inner workings. But, sometimes I know where something I write about comes from, that doesn't mean I'm interested in sharing it with the class. I would never ever fucking say, 'The reasons I seem to write so much of x as y is that z happened to me years ago' ahaha FUCK THAT NOISE. NYET. RIDE ON, COWBOY.

But I've known some people in fandom works who clearly have something going on and don't seem to realize it. Or they're very good at hiding it. Based on the people I'm talking about I would say it's more a lack of self-knowledge, and I don't even mean that unkindly. I have, in many ways, taken myself down to the studs and rebuilt it all, so I unfortunately am very aware of why I do and write the things I do most of the time. It's extremely annoying not to be able to blame something. I imagine it must be very freeing. But it ain't me, babe.

Anyway, a lot of words to say: Maybe! But that might not stop them from writing it, it might be a useful thing for them to engage with, and you can always just not read it.

Also, we don't censor words here.

[antiquepearlss]

Nuru thinks she’s the normal one but she’s just as weird as the rest of them.

Guys I NEED to rant about my thoughts on Nuru because i love her <3 ramblings ahead

Like I feel like in almost every fic i read, she's just like, a side character that's there to make whitty remarks to Hugo and be the levelheaded one. If she has an insecurity or problem it's usually pretty surface level and solved quickly, or only mentioned once or twice. I think there are SO many aspects of her character that are so cool.

Okay first, I think we sometimes forget that she's a nerd just like the rest of the gang. Yes, on the outside she's definetly the most 'normal' one, but I think we should concider the fact that she's the only girl in the group, and she's literal royalty. She was raised with a completely different set of standards than the other three. I don’t think I've really ever seen anyone cover that. I feel like she would get called "mature for her age" when she's only 15/16, and almost always gets critisism when she talks back with her own ideas (like her concerns about the meteor shows for example). I feel like out on her journey, she would finally get the freedom to just be herself, and be a kid and be able to rant on about her intrests with the rest of the group. It could be a struggle at first, but it would be awesome to see her getting more comfortable with the group the longer they spend together! Nerds encouraging nerdy rants lol

Since she is a kingdom figurehead, you could also argue that she always has a lot on her hands (especially since she's very proactive when it comes to science and solving problems). This could bring up a need to be productive, or always feeling like she needs to make the right decision, even for the littlest things.

I also feel like a lot of the time she's potrayed as the "right" one, who is 100% right when it comes to stuff like arguing with Hugo. Since they're opposites when it comes to class, they often are compared through that lense. I think it's cool just having Nuru tell Hugo off for judging a book by its cover, but I feel like they have a lot more in common than they realize. I think it would be interesting to see Nuru judging a book by its cover too. Maybe not to the degree that Hugo does, but I feel like calling out both their judging would not only call out character flaws, but it also enforces that even though they hate eachother and would never want to be like the other, they have a lot of the same flaws.

Also, being sheltered in a palace her whole life, I think she might think kind of black and white sometimes, and while she knows when people are just being mean as an act, she might struggle when it comes to people like reformed criminals.

Maybe she's able to be meaner to Hugo because she justifies it by telling herself he's criminal, and therefore bad, possibly glossing over the reasons he might be like that (maybe it crosses her mind, but she tells herself it's not a good enough reason, because stealing is still stealing, and he literally steals EVERYTHING. Even little trinkets and stuff he definitely doesn't need!). When they find out about Varian's criminal history, maybe she reexamines her views on morality and how she used to see people, because by her standards, Varian is a 'bad guy' who's caused harm to SO many people, but he's also the kind, caring, helpful friend that she's been traveling with who would never willingly hurt anyone.

Moving on to Amber x Nuru, I honestly never find myself liking the ship because Amber isn't developed enough which is fine. I don't think every character has to be a magnificent work of art. Side characters are side characters, but their romance is usually written like: "wow that girl is cute! I have a crush now!" Which is cool, but then that's about as far as it gets, then timeskip! Or offscreen they're a couple now. I know it's a side couple so it won't have as much devlopment as something like Varigo, but I never really see their dynamic play out in different situations. Like I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like they solely exist to be a couple? Amber sometimes just feels like an extention of Nuru, and their relationship feels surface level a lot of the time.

I feel like too often she's just watered down to the nice, smart, grounded friend, and I don't know I just think there’s so much more to explore with her. She’s not just some side character. She's literally part of the main cast! Even in fanart I feel like she doesn't really get a lot of stuff besides funny art and just like, pictures meant to look pretty. Unlike something you get a lot with characters like Varian or Hugo.

And honestly I get it. Some characters you just don't take an intrest in. I know I find Varian, Hugo, and Nuru more relatable than I find Yong, but I feel like part of that is developing their characters rather than just seeing them on a surface level. Ofc there are exceptions and there are some stories that dive deeper into Nuru's character out there! I just happen to see this A LOT.

Wow i said "surface level" a lot didn't I 😭😭

Anyway thank you for reading my rant i wanna know what you guys think!!

[opt1mistic]

TORMENT ME 𓋜 ft. mean bbf!ellie williams

cw. nsfw, kind of exhibitionism, ellie isn’t really mean she’s just a tease, loser ellie implied bc i can’t help myself lol, reader has a brother bc duh, and is afab but gn. wc. 1.6k. based on this request

it was about 11 in the morning, you are in your kitchen getting breakfast, ‘the most important meal of the day’ they say. but you could care less about getting breakfast with this leech constantly hovering over you at a distance that should be considered too close.

ellie. where do i even start? she’s just like a stray cat, you feed her once, one time and she’s here again begging for more. but instead of feeding her once, you may have slept with her... it was one time and you were both drunk. you barely remember it. so why is she always here reminding you that she was knuckles deep inside of you?

your eyes drilling holes into the fridge, so many options, but none that fill your needs. you’re not even hungry, if you were to be honest. you just came down here to see her. as much as you hate to admit it you like ellie. you’ve always liked her. she’s been your brother's best friend since, like, forever, you can’t quite recall a moment where she wasn’t here. on the couch in your living room, your brother's room, or the kitchen, the fridge specifically.

you knew ellie liked you as well, she’s made that fact very obvious. she is constantly reminding you of it, but not in a desperate way, no, ellie isn’t desperate at all, well maybe a little, she’s just really persistent. she knows you like her so what is the problem with the two of you finally having something, at least?

your brother doesn’t even seem to care if the two of you date. because you how it’s always when you fall for your brother's best friend. the same: ‘uhhh no you can’t date my friends.’(pretend that was said with a very forced imitating voice). or something like ‘fuck no, my friends are off limits.’

but no, not with your brother. he could give less of a fuck about whatever it was going on between you and ellie.

you were the real problem here. so stubborn about admitting your feelings and so, so bratty every time ellie makes a pass at you that clearly has an effect on you.

and here she was again. you, still trying to find something to eat, mind coming up blank of mostly anything only being occupied by the toned biceps that you got a glimpse of when you walked into the kitchen. she was already there making breakfast for herself as your brother sat at the dining table with his back towards the kitchen and a pair of headphones plugged into his ears, eating what seemed to be the biggest breakfast you’ve ever seen.

you walked past her trying not to stare too hard at her arms as you made your way towards the fridge.

it’s been a good minute and a half of looking at some jar(that’s filled with something of a very strange colour…)in the fridge trying to think of what you should eat, so you decide on the same thing you have almost every morning; toast. everything you needed was already on the kitchen counter.

you whip around, fridge door slamming shut behind you. she’s still in the kitchen, you were hoping she would’ve left by the time you finished your staring contest with the insides of the fridge. and she’s got that damn lopsided smirk like she just won something. with her elbow perched up on the counter right next to the bread and butter.

“found what you were looking for in there?” ellie asks.

you roll your eyes “i wasn't looking for anything.”

it was a stupid question because she knows you weren’t pay attention to anything that laid upon the shelves of the fridge. she did, however, catch your attention on her arms. and ellie was really hoping that was what had you so distracted.

she laughs at your obviously annoyed answer. you walk over to grab a plate from the cabinet, setting it down on the counter right next to her. you reach for the bread, ellies eyes following your every movement, they have been since you entered the kitchen.

she shrugs. “could’ve fooled me. you were in there like it owed you money or something.” again with her dumb jokes, does she seriously think she’s funny?

you shoot her a sharp glance, but it only makes her grin widen.

“or maybe you were just buying time. needed a minute to cool off,” she adds, voice lower, more pointed. “you always get like that when i’m around?”

you continue trying to make your toast, putting the bread in the toaster pulling the small lever of it down watching the two pieces of bread disappear.

“bet it’s exhausting,” ellie continues. “pretending you’re not obsessed with me.”

“you’re delusional.”

“mm, probably.” you didn’t dare to look at her, to look at that grin of hers that makes you weak in the knees. “still doesn’t change the fact you’re thinking about that night every time you look at me.”

is she crazy? you slam your palms onto the counter very lightly though, afraid your brother might hear.

“what do you want, ellie?”

she leans in just a little moving behind you now, enough for you to feel her breath on your cheek and you could still see her from the corner of your eye, but still keeping your gaze on the toaster before you.

“you.”

you almost choke out a gasp, it wouldnt really sound like one anyway, more of a silent gag. you push it all down, can’t be feeding into her ego too much. and before you could respond you feel ellie’s hands grip your hips.

as soon as her palms make contact with you, your eyes fly up to look at your brother. what if he sees? is she serious right now?

her face peaking from the side of you shoulder, right next to your face. your butt is right in her crotch pressed firmly against her.

ellie leans in, her voice dropping to that stupid low whisper she knows gets under your skin.

“y’know, if you keep pressing back like that, i’m gonna start thinking you want something.”

how did i get here??????

you exhale sharply through your nose, refusing to flinch. “get your hands off me.”

“say please.”

you whip your head toward her, eyes narrowed, and for a second, she just watches you with that insufferable half-lidded gaze—like she’s already won, like she always wins.

“ellie. i’m serious.”

her grip tightens just a bit, thumbs rubbing slow circles against your hips. “so am i.”

the toaster pops.

“you’re lucky he’s got those headphones on,” you mutter, trying to pretend your hands aren’t shaking as you reach for your freshly toasted bread when you feel ellie’s hands move upward from your hips to your waist.

she snorts behind you.

“yeah?” she echoes, voice laced with something smug and hushed. “i’d be luckier if he wasn’t here at all.”

you bite the inside of your cheek, grab the toast with a little too much force to put it down on your plate. “and what? you’re still doing the same shit with him right if front is us.”

she hums, dragging her fingers just beneath the hem of your shirt, brushing the skin there. “you’re right.”

you stiffen. your breath catches.

“but i’d just be less discrete about it.”

her voice is low and honey-slick, curling against your ear like smoke. palm by palm creeping upward under your shirt more, brushing warm fingers over bare skin.

“ellie…” you warn, but it comes out breathless.

“mm,” she hums, all mock innocence, fingers dragging lightly over your ribs, “what? just warming you up. kitchen’s cold this mornin’.”

you hate how you don’t push her away. hate even more how your stomach flutters when her thumbs graze the curve of your under boobs.

you roll your eyes, lips curling in something like a smirk. “you’re so full of shit.” you almost whimper as you speak.

“maybe,” she murmurs, ducking in closer, lips brushing your jaw now, “but you’re letting me touch you.”

you scoff, but it’s weak. you’re trying not to arch into her palms when her fingertips press into your hardened nipples. and you also can’t bark anything back at her when her fingers start to play around with the buds of your nipples, pinching them, twisting them, trying to get a noise out of you.

and it works.

you moan in shame as your head looks the opposite way from ellie, who's now kissing down your neck. her palms go to grip your breasts, messaging them, needing them like dough.

“so soft…” she whispers out against your pulse.

ellie’s hands now start to make their way back down your body, feeling the hem of your bottoms dipping her thumbs under to feel the lining of your panties.

and before things could escalate any further your brother sneezes, causing you to flinch.

your body feels empty all of a sudden as ellie moves her hands off of you. you turn your face to look at her as she’s moving away from you and grabbing her plate of food and leaving you, but not before whispering “you gonna let me finish that later, or are you just gonna keep playing pretend?” into your ear.

all empty and unfulfilled. so hot and bothered, worked up, your face flushed with heat. how could she just do that and walk away like nothing happened?

but truth be told, ellie is freaking the fuck out right now. face red, mind going crazy. all she hopes for is that you let her finish later.

©opt1mistic