#just the idea that she plays percy is SO cool like themes wise

[very-gay-poet]

okay so I talked about EPIC being in pjo but there's a popular headcannon that the Percy Jackson musical was made by the Apollo and (probably) Dionysus cabins so...that means that the pjo musical is canon to pjo...that means that Estelle would have to do productions of the musical in school...do you see the vison????

[laughingpinecone]

ToT letter 2021

I am laughingpineapple on AO3

Hello dear author! I hope you’ll have fun with our match. Feel free to draw from general or fandom-specific likes, past letters, and/or follow your heart.

Art likes: characters doing something, even something very simple, illustrating a moment rather than abstractly posing. I also enjoy seeing them wear different clothes, getting a feel of what their fashion sense is like beyond their canon outfit(s). Or dressing them up for some outlandish AU!

Likes: worldbuilding, slice of life (especially if the event the fic focuses on is made up but canon-specific), missing moments, 5+1 and similar formats, bonding and emotional support/intimacy, physical intimacy, lingering touches, loyalty, casefic, surrealism, magical realism, established relationships, future fic, hurt/comfort or just comfort from the ample canon hurt, throwing characters into non-canon environments, banter, functional relationships between dysfunctional individuals, unexplained mysteries, bittersweet moods, journal/epistolary fic, dreams and memories and identities, canon-adjacent tropey plots, outsider POV, UST, resolved UST, exploration of secondary bits of canon, leaning on the uniqueness of the canon setting/mood, found families, characters reuniting after a long and/or harrowing time, friends-to-lovers, road trips, maps, mutual pining, cuddling, wintry moods, the feeling of flannel and other fabrics, ridiculous concepts played straight, sensory details, sickfic, places being haunted, people being haunted, the mystery of the woods, small hopes in bleak worlds, electricity, places that don’t quite add up, mismatched memories, caves and deep places, distant city lights at night, emphasis on non-human traits of non-human characters (gen-wise, but also a hearty yes xeno for applicable ships), emphasis on inhuman traits of characters who were human once and have sort of shed it all behind

DNW: non-canonical rape, non-canonical children, focus on children, unrequested ships (background established canon couples are okay, mentions of parents are okay!), canon retellings

All requests are for both fic and art!

Death Crown: Death, trick

(I haven't played the DLC yet so, alas, no demons, or no spoilers for the demons, at least) I am absolutely charmed by the overall mood of this game and would like to see something more in that vein! Anything! Got more sacred (or unholy?) geometrical architecture for Death to interact with, maybe in greater detail than just wrecking it? What else feels like a contemporary take on a Bosch painting? Can Death get lost?

Ghost Trick: Jowd, Cabanela, trick, treat

Anything focused on Cabanela being an unstoppable force (confident, untiring, sparkling, stubborn, dexterous, loyal to the bitter end, legs) and/or Jowd being an immovable object (sarcastic, strong, depressed, self-deprecating but knowing he's hot stuff, also stubborn, clever but an emotional dumbass, round). Figuring out stuff? Something in the new timeline is linked to the old timeline? Coat? Dancing? Scarves? Halloween costumes?

I like Cabanela/Jowd and Cabanela/Alma/Jowd and Cabanela/Alma in scenarios where Jowd isn't around and Alma/Jowd in general (REALLY like all these, okay. like this is the one request where I'd love the most self-indulgent shippy takes as well), and dig Lynne/Memry. Yomiel/fianSissel and Emma/JM also cool!

Hylics: any, trick, treat

(I have only played the first game so far so please no overt spoilers for Hylics 2. Feel free to include stuff from it but... stealthily, I guess?) This is an "anything that feels somewhat like canon, please" sort of request! Love the mood, love the cast, love the little added details in their menu screen. Those can be prompts? Or the oddball stats? How do ToT's trick and treat freeforms apply to Hylics' overall... hylicsness, what would those guys think constitutes a "creepy" moment or a "fluffy" one?

Not into ships for this one, however I WILL say that Dedusmuln has all the proverbial curves in the right places. mostly their face.

Kentucky Route Zero: Weaver

Math, debt, the liminal state of almost being a ghost, seeing the world with a strange clarity... just anything Weaver, please! How'd she make her way to the town? What was it like for her to be working on Xanadu for a time? What about the community broadcast! Does she have an opinion on Carrington's oeuvre? You know... things... stuff. Weaver things. and stuff.

I love the whole cast and Weaver... wove... her story through most of them so feel free to bring in whomever. Not interested in ships here though.

Paradise Killer: Lady Love Dies, trick

A post-canon glimpse of life on '''''perfect''''' 25? That's not QUITE enough class consciousness to make the whole thing work, you guys. What does 'normal' life feel like to LD now? After following Henry's case and talking to Shinji so much, can she see that it's doomed to fail again, and then what? What IS Island 25 like, anyway? (what comes after Island 25, even?)

I liked the choice of canon romances - if it has to be just one I'd prefer it to be Crimson, but I'd also be interested in seeing what a V or triad with Doom Jazz would look like. They're all so chill about stuff

Pyre: Volfred, trick, treat

Pragmatic idealist, charismatic and bad at people, pacifist, activist, physiologically incapable of shutting up for a hot second, what's there not to love... I am very into either of the following: C. Volfred Sandalwood has a fantastic day; C. Volfred Sandalwood has a terrible no good day. Everything is great! Pre-exile antiestablishmentarian antics, maybe with Bertrude? Political gambits? The very physical dangers of the Downside which may or may not catch a scholar by surprise (who saves him?)? Tree problems? Meeting Oralech for the first time and Volfred thinks he himself is hot stuff but out of the two, Oralech is clearly the VIP? Feeling like he should live up to Lu Sclorian's legacy but he feels much closer to other Scribes (and what does Lu have to say about it, one way or another?)? The thrilling intimacy of Reading? The thrilling intimacy of lowercase reading also, maybe reading old manuscripts found in the Downside?

I very much ship him with Tariq and/or Oralech. The only canon ship I like is Hedwyn/Fikani. I also like Soliam/Gol, Bertrude/Pamitha and Celeste/Jodariel. Love all the Nightwings + Dalbert (+Deluge...?); love to dunk on Manley, Brighton and Lendel (I don't enjoy flat-out bashing, more like... I enjoy the way they are portrayed as horrible gremlins in canon and if they turn up in fic I'm not interested in more positive portrayals)

Signs of the Sojourner: Rhea, Elias, trick, treat

Once again pretty much an "anything in the style of canon" request. I love this setting, its themes and all the little lives that fill it. I am interested in a wide range of postcanon scenarios and love the whole cast - does Rhea come back to $town any number of years down the line and find $character? How'd their storyline end up in the medium-long term? What the hell is up with the Stranger (seriously, three runs and I never managed to speak with them, I have no idea)? What's life like for Elias back home, or in a new home if they can't keep the store, or if Rhea landed the Oscar ending or whatever (just, please, not dead Rhea. I love that ending but can't stand to consider what it'd do to Elias)? Or does he join the caravan just once? Who did Rhea grow to really like and can't wait to see every time? Any ghost stories or creepy encounters on the caravan's route? Does Thunder help?

I'm neutral on ships here - good with Rhea&Elias, good with background Rhea/Elias but I wouldn't like a romantic focus.

Totally Normal Wizard Apprentice: apprentice, wizard, master, trick, treat

(conflict of interest disclaimer, I illustrated this but didn't write nor nominate it) What awaits the apprentice outside the wizard's tower? It sounds like a pretty wild moon out there, I loved all the worldbuilding hints of the bigger setting. Does the wizard keep track of the apprentice, with her telescope or otherwise, and how does she take care of her ruined parlor? Was this all some sort of 5d chess on the master's part, and if so to what end? And what kind of otherworldly patience does this man possess, anyway, to handle the apprentice on a daily basis?

Twin Peaks: Margaret, Diane, Lucy, Tammy, trick, treat

(bass-boosted ethereal whooshing) For tricks, I would like to see any of these characters face the woods, the mystery of the woods, and/or a new symbol of your liking. Or: Margaret in the city, Diane and the moon, Lucy and the color blue, Tammy incognito.

For treats, a happy meeting. I love the whole cast and I'm always thrilled by gonzo "&" pairings, bring in whomever! Coffee and pie? The Bookhouse Boys? A kinder aspect of the woods?

Fandom-specific notes: love s3, love the books too. I like Lucy/Andy, Margaret/Sam fwiw, and rarepairs Tammy/Cynthia and Diane/Constance. Please no Fireman's-house-is-the-white-lodge, no Twin Perfect, no Judy-was-destroyed (nor is destroyable).

Arcade Spirits: Percy, Teo, treat

More than anything, I love the sense of group and camaraderie among the arcade's staff and regulars, and I'd love to see some more of it. I picked Percy and Teo 'cause they're my faves but anyone you may want to add, up to and including Sue, is very very welcome. Is there any aspect of gaming that feels like it could be adapted to this strange world of contemporary arcades? Cosplay shenanigans for everyone courtesy of Ashley? Any other activity that could show how Percy and/or Teo get along with the others, like they were all forming little groups during the beach chapter? It's such a feel-good canon, any feel-good situation would be great!

My Ari is with Percy but I'm not really interested in shipping here. All sorts of friendships though!

[awritingjourney]

Creating Characters: Archetypes and Cliches

To me, characters are essential to a great story. They make the story what it is. They drive the plot and create conflict. They need to be respected which means that they shouldn't be something that you throw together at the last minute. Again, 

essential!

However, sometimes it is hard to come up with a complete, real, and 3-D character. Sometimes you don't have an idea as to what the character should be or how to even form one. That's understandable which is why I want to introduce you to some jumping off points on creating well-rounded characters. 

Firstly, an archetype is an idea of a person (in our case) that has been imitated. An archetype could also be a theme or setting, but let's just stick with a character for today.

Common Character Archetypes:

The Hero: this character is the star of the show. They are wholesome, brave people that are here to fight against the cruel unjustness in the world. Ultimately, they win either by saving the world or sacrificing themselves for the greater good. They're just amazing.

 Think Hercules, Percy Jackson, Katniss Everdeen, Tris

The Mentor: This is the wise (typically old) person who nurtures the hero on their journey and helps them grow into their role. They teach the hero important lessons about love, life, justice, and whatnot. However, they always got the hero's back, not content with playing a passive role. They'll intervene when they see fit.

Think Dumbledore, Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Harry Hart

The Villain: He's the bad guy, the one whose main purpose is to destroy the world and destroy the hero for getting in their way. He's not someone you want to mess with. He's bad. It's in his job description. 

Think Voldemort, Moriarty, The Joker, Count Dracula

Secondly, a cliche is usually an overused word or phrase (but to us, it can be an overused type of character).

Common Character Cliches:

The Bad Boy: Okay, I'm guilty of loving the bad boy cliche, but here's the thing, it is overdone especially in YA. Just go to the homepage of Wattpad and I promise you'll see a plethora of Bad Boy books. He's the that's gorgeous, rebellious, and sometimes British. He's also very secretive and he'll only tell you anything when he absolutely has to and even then, it pains him.

Think Noah Shaw, Damon (TVD), Edward Cullen

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl: She's the hot, sexy, fun, cool girl that every guy loves, but no one really knows anything about her because she's more of a fantasy than a real person. She's the drive that keeps the boys going. 

Think every girl in a John Green Novel, Anne of Green Gables, Leslie (Bridge to Terabithia), Sam from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Good Girl Gone Bad: She does nothing wrong. She goes to school. She does her work. She obeys her parents. It's usually around her teenage years where she meets a bad boy and completely loses her shit. But before that, she's good and wholesome.

Think Sandra Dee, Olivia from Easy A

Okay, those are the differences between cliches and archetypes but they are both great jumping off points for creating your characters. With cliches, since some people are already wary of them, it's best to turn those cliches on their head and to help the characters beyond their labels. In one of my stories, I took the bad boy cliche and gave him a personality beyond his label. 

You can do this by:

giving the character personality traits and quirks (especially quirks that might contradict the archetype or cliche)

give them a backstory

give them unexpected motivations

don't be afraid to mix and match different archetypes and cliches with each other

let the character develop and arch and grow

backstory gives the character a reason and motive behind their actions. Don't be afraid to really jump into their history.

maybe the manic pixie dream girl wants to be celibate because of religious beliefs and she's a total geek or maybe the hero doesn't want to be a hero anymore and just quits. Maybe the mentor turns into the villain or the mentor is a good girl gone bad. 

everything that happens to the character will most likely change them in some way, so let that show. Maybe they go from a bad girl back to a good girl again. 

I hope you try to be creative and fun with your characters and make them well-rounded, real people. This is a quick run through, but there are hundreds of more cliches and archetypes that you can use as a basis. Happy writing!

[llamas--and--tea]

Question Time

I was tagged by @gameofsassbutts. Blame her.

Rules: Answer all the questions, add one of your own and tag as many people as there are questions

1. coke or pepsi? I don’t have a preference, but fun fact: when I was a child, I called them mamsi-coke and papsi-coke (as in mom and dad) for no particular reason.

2. disney or dreamworks? I like Dreamworks’ intro more than Disney’s, so yeah.

3. coffee or tea? I’ve tasted coffee twice and hated it both times. I’m a devoted fan of Earl Grey tea.

4. books or movies? Usually books, but sometimes movies capture a scene much better than a book could.

5. windows or mac? Windows: the only experience I’ve had with Mac was with a horrible, horrible PC.

6. dc or marvel? Marvel: I haven’t seen much of DC...

7. xbox or playstation? I don’t play video games that much, but lemme quote @gameofsassbutts ‘s answer ‘cause it’s cool: “[robot woman voice] playstation”.

8. dragon age or mass effect? Again, I’m not a gamer. No idea what those are.

9. night owl or early riser? Night owl ftw.

10. cards or chess? Cards because I suck at chess. Plus card games are awesome.

11. chocolate or vanilla? I hate vanilla with a passion so I’d say chocolate, though I’m not a fan of it either.

12. vans or converse? Converse duh.

13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash or Adaar? Trevelyan because they’re cool, but Cadash because the name sounds cool.

14. fluff or angst? Both. Both is good.

15. beach or forest? Forest because EXPLORATION FTW. Beaches are okay too.

16. dogs or cats? Cats are the rulers of this universe.

17. clear skies or rain? I prefer a sunny, clear sky with like a few clouds on a bright blue sky.

18. cooking or eating out? I prefer home-cooked food, just because it seems purer somehow. 

19. spicy food or mild food? I don’t really care but sometimes I’m eating something spicy and just *orgasm sounds*. (That sounded wrong.)

20. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas? I prefer Samhain because me and my friends have a great Halloween tradition.

21. would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot? Interestingly, even though I love warmth, I would choose being slightly too cold forever, just because being too hot would drive me nuts.

22. if you could have a superpower, what would it be? I would love being able to go back in time. Do you even realize how much I would be able to do if I could control time? I mean like my own time.

23. animation or live action? I’d say animation, just because you can do anything when it’s an animation, whereas a live action *anything* is constrained by the physical world. And that’s not fun.

24. paragon or renegade? Is it a gaming thing? If it’s a book thing, hmu!

25. baths or showers? Showers: baths are gross if you’re not already clean.

26. team cap or team ironman? I’m quoting @gameofsassbutts here because her answer is precious: “irony tony”. Captain America is cool too though.

27. fantasy or sci-fi? *Markiplier’s “Space is cool” video starts playing* (Fantasy) ALL THE WAY!! But Sci-Fi is cool too because the worlds that are developed in Sci-Fi stuff are mind-boggingly COOL.

28. do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so, what are they?

"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” 

- 11th Doctor, Doctor Who, S5e10: VIncent and the Doctor (2010).

“We are Twenty One Pilots, and so are you!”

-Twenty One Pilots, parting words after concerts since ERS 2016.

“Thank God it’s Friday, ‘cause Fridays will always be better than Sundays, ‘cause Sundays are my suicide days.”

-Twenty One Pilots, Migraine.

"I’m holy. Get it? Holey.”

-Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, George Weasley’s joke after he looses his ear to his twin Fred.

I would put more but meh.

29. youtube or netflix? YouTube.

30. harry potter or percy jackson? Harry Potter.

31. when do you feel accomplished? When I see people around me being happy/impressed/grateful for my actions. Which sounds vain af wow.

32. star wars or star trek? Not really a fan of any of them, but I’d say Star Wars because I’ve at least seen a few of the movies.

33. paperback or hardback books? Again, quoting @gameofsassbutts : “paperback’s ok but with the hardback u really feel it”

34. horror or rom-com? I’ve acquired a taste for horror a year ago so let’s say horror.

35. tv shows or movies? TV shows because they have more opportunities to develop the plot. Also because Anime is technically TV shows...

36. favourite animal? Why do you do this to meeeeee. Llamas? *hides because picked favorites*

37. favourite genres of music? Omfsh do not make me say the whole list. Let’s stick to alternative m’kay?

38. least favourite book? I quite disliked The Fault in Our Stars for some reason.

39. favourite season? Of what? jk jk it’s summer FITE ME.

40. song that’s currently stuck in your head? "Sleep” by My Chemical Romance.

41. what kind of pyjama’s do you wear?  I don’t have PJs but I guess T-shirt and shorts counts?

42. how many existential crises do you have on an average day? Goddammit @gameofsassbutts : “Ongoing”. Too relatable.

43. if you can only choose one song to be played at your funeral, what would it be? Funnily enough, “Sleep” by MCR.

44. favourite theme song to a TV show? Omfsh noooooo. I have too many. Do the TARDIS sounds at the beginning of Doctor Who count as a theme song? If not, then any of Shingeki no Kyojin (AKA Attack on Titan)’s openings they’re all wonderfully creepy and beautiful. But also Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood’s first and third openings. And also...

45. harry potter movies or books? Books because there are more details. THAT’S why you make books into TV shows instead of movie, people. DETAILS.

46. you can make your OTP become canon but you’ll forget that tumblr exists. will you do it? ‘’It was all fun and games until this. Ugh…wellllll if I forgot tumblr exists my friends wont so they ll remind me… lmaoo then MY OTP (how to cheat on the system 101)’’ @sonyxqueenofthewholeuniverse

47. do you play an instrument and if so, what is it? Yes, I play the flute. Have been playing for 7 years now (holy shite, how fast time flies!).

48. what is the worst way to die? Repeatedly.

49. if you could be entirely invisible for a day, what would you do? Just for one day? I would follow my friends around without them knowing. Not for malicious purposes, just to find out how their lives really are, and not how I imagine them to be.

50. What are you planning on doing with your life? Oh god uhm. I’m debating over several careers right now. There’s writer (not sure whether my shitty writing will be good enough to make at least some career out of it...), CÉGÈP-level psychology teacher (because my two-times psych teacher Lisa amazed me), Speech-Language therapist for children (because I’m intimate with how it works), and/or ASL interpreter somewhere somehow (because I’m a slut for languages). Extra-career-wise, I’d like to keep writing and reading any time I have time.

51. Favorite Disney movie? Fuck I was going to say The Road to El Dorado but APPARENTLY it’s a Dreamworks movie so fuck yOU. I’ll say The Emperor’s New Groove then.

52. Do you believe in aliens? Of course. Wouldn’t it be very self-centered for us to believe that we are the only sentient things in the whole of the Universe? As a side-note, I could let my father write a list of his conspiracy theories about the existence of aliens and the impact they’ve had on our History. But I’m not going to. But I could! *threatens threateningly*)

53. Are u an unstoppable force or an immovable object? I would say an immovable object. Because I’m stubborn but also apathetic af.

54. (My addition:) If you were in front of a nondescript door that’s only property was to surprise you when you open it, would you open it? (remember, a “surprise” can be good or bad) Yes. Yes, I would. I’m a curious little shit and fuck the consequences.

Goshdarnit this took forEVER. I do not wish it on anyone. Also, wtf you think I have the will to tag 54 people??!! Nope. I’ve tagged 13 people. Suffer as I have been made to suffer. (Kiwi, you can do this after you finals.) Also go follow @gameofsassbutts . She was spiritually making me do this. And her answers were hilarious.

@markiplier ; @caffeinewitchcraft : @writing-prompt-s ; @witterprompts ; @lexystudies ; @danielhowell ; @facts-i-just-made-up ; @livebloggingmydescentintomadness ; @vesselblurryface ; @notchicken ; @oneanddun ; @unsettlingstories ; @thatsthat24