#let me put the adhd aside for a moment

[opikiquu]

oh i forgot about these

[comicaurora]

I've started making my way through the playlist hbomberguy made of actually good video essays by queer creators and spotted a comment of yours on the one about the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, which was fun xD red in the wild!

Anyways, just wanted to appreciate how both you and Blue and you are very good at showing your sources! It's always nice to know that the people you've watched for years have good habits after an event like this, and I hope you guys are among the people that get some new fans after this whole debacle, because your channel definitely qualifies for "good educational videos made by queer people"

I'm glad! Blue's much better about listing his sources and follow-up reading than I am.

To be honest, I loved the video, but my imposter syndrome always flares like crazy when I watch an essay like that. It might be the ADHD or it might just be who I am as a person, but I feel like I've lived my whole life striving to make everything I do the best it can be, and still managing to fuck up and get criticised for things I could've done better if only I never missed anything. It's an actual gut-drop when it turns out a source I used wasn't trustworthy, or when in older videos I only went wiki-deep for some claims and didn't check every source to be 100% sure I wasn't being goat-fish'd. And this being the internet, I can get criticized at any time for things I've gotten wrong years ago, since it's evergreen online and to the new-viewing critic it's as fresh as yesterday. It makes it hard for me to stay proud of my work past the first moment of "oh I would've done that different now". There's a cocktail of complicated, scary feelings around this space, no matter how little I actually have in common with the bad guys of this scenario - it's less about the reality and more about who my imposter syndrome tells me I am. I saw several people saying that the video actually made them feel much better about their own work because it made it clear that accidental plagiarism on that scale is impossible, but if my anxieties listened to reason I would've successfully machete'd them out of my skull years ago. I just hope I never fuck up badly enough to deserve an hbombing of my own.

But my own stress aside, the hbomb essay exposed a level of laxness, laziness and entitlement on the part of these plagiarists that I think is almost incomprehensible to people who actually create for a living or even just the joy of it. How hollow do you have to be to take in someone else's writing and not consider it, digest it, let it reshape your views and then formulate your own interpretation on it, but instead to file off the serial numbers and pretend it's yours, trusting that the person whose thoughts and words you valued enough to steal will never be powerful enough to call you out on it? I go down research rabbit holes because I love the frustration and thrill of putting something together! How joyless it must be to skim the surface and borrow someone else's conclusions!

I've sometimes had people email asking for sources on parts of my interpretation of various myths, possibly in the interest of source-citing for school papers (a nightmare concept in and of itself) and with very few exceptions I usually have to tell them "the only sources were the english translations I used of the primary source where the myth was originally written, like I said in the video, and the part where I said I was conspiracy-boarding has no source other than my own analysis of the given source, which is why I called it conspiracy-boarding" and I was always a little baffled by those emails - half the videos are introduced like "this is The Prose Edda" or "this is in Ovid's Metamorphoses" or "this bit is Hesiod" so what else could they want - but seeing the hbomb of the week made me realize that truly original analysis might not be what most people are expecting from a "thing summarized." They might be expecting a compilation of other people's summaries instead.

[rqbossman]

Hello Mr Bossman! (and possibly anyone else who reads this)

Its an honour to be here, I have a few questions. First i appologise for the long paragraph, you may dismiss it for the questions at the bottom. For context, i am here after finishing TMA and being up to date with TMAP, i then went over and listened to RQG, and have just finished listening to Epilogue 3 and might i just say, good sir I am grateful for your podcasts. I am currently just a few months away from my final exams of High School, and as someone who even just 1 year ago was very lost, struggling with school and being just overwhelmed. TMA isnt exactly comforting, but the characters and plot managed to serve as a good form of escapism while sorting myself out. I found my self engaging more in creative things that i had originally put aside in favour of maths and science (which i hated but thought i needed to do). I started drawing again, even if just fanart. and i found things going well. By finding podcasts, story telling and these communities have helped me in my own understanding of what i want in life. I got an ADHD diagnosis earlier this year, and almost directly after started RQG and as my first hyperfixation (that i was aware of as an hyperfixation) gosh dang it hit hard. (in a good way). Ive been able to do so much more creative writing and drawings, and got re-involved with a small dnd group with some friends who i played one game with almost 4 years ago now. So overall, inspirational sounds cringe, but it was. Im doing my best with the upcoming exams, but trying to get in to Medicine is not my only prority, and the fact ive been re-introduced to my first love (Literature and story telling), im planning to go do an Arts degree and i know i wouldnt have been able to confidently make this decision, or even have survived this long in the school system without the work you and your coworkers do. Now the sap is out of the way, Question time! (if you could answer even just one of these questions it would be so cool)(they go in order of RQ relevant to random stuff)(dont feel pressured to answer all/any. i know i wrote alot): 1. what would you say is the best way to draft out a long-form story. (with "Erasing the Line" as an example) Did you start at the end, with the links to the overarching plot.

2. When working with the players (in a form of TTRPG), what did you do to make sure you didnt miss relevant timing of plot points/ avoid creating spoilers while still giving enough detail?

3. What are good places to start with making a job out of storytelling/voice acting/audio etc. In the case of RQ, how is this a job and where do i sign up please! /j (what i mean is, how is best way/how did you find all the people involved and was there a common path that you were all on before getting to where you are now?) 4. Do you have recommendations for Terry Pratchett Books, i may be an literary-leaning student, but it seems i have never actually properly read any of his books. so where is best place to start?/What did you read first?

5. Similar authors or similar inspirations? Did you have a favourite podcast you listen to in your free time that you havnt had a hand in producing/directing/working on. 6. Favourite song/album/artist. And more specifically, what you like listening to in background when doing either writing or (for ttrpg) character research/game planing. 7. Since the olympics are on at the moment, what has been your favourite sport to watch, if you have been watching at all. Thank you for your time :)

Thankyou for all the kind words. Knowing our work is helping people really keeps our engines fired up. Let's see if I can't answer your questions: 1. I "sandbox" which is where I just shove everything I can think of into an unorganised bullet point list. Characters, setting, plot, all of it in one big mess. Then I decide what type of story you want to tell, copy and paste to a new document and then start to organise the thoughts (with the sandbox on standby if new stuff comes in I don't know what to do with). I think of it like scultping, you cut away bits and reshape until something comes out the other end that is story shaped. Only then do I attempt to build the sandcastle and put something coherant together like a synopsis or scratch draft etc.

2. Very tricky. I did a complete review and update of all notes after each recording session and don't forget the audio eas edited. I made lots of gaffs that you never heard as audience.

3. I contacted anyone I could convince to take part and just proved I was serious by overworking. I don't reccomend that route. Unfortunately it really is "who" you know. That doesn't mean chase established professionals as much as it means you need to get out there and associate with other up-and-comers who match your vibe. For me the route was long and windy and not a particularly good example. 4. I normally recommend people do not read his books in publication order. Don't get me wrong, its wonderful watching his craft grow from one title to the next but I would recommend new readers tip their toe into his later works to see if they like where he ended up before committing the time. I often recommend 'Monstrous Regiment' as people's first one. My favourite though is 'Thief of Time.'

5. I don't get much time to listen to podcasts in the last couple of years. I used to listen to a lot of non fiction. 'Stuff you Should Know' and that ilk. I also read a fair amount of classic YA fiction to unwind (Windinsger trilogy, Bartimeous, stuff like that.) 6. Paul Simon's Graceland but when working I assemble a playlist for each seperate project that is tonally appropriate. If I really need to focus I listen to Classical Minimalism. Or the Old School Runescape soundtrack. I'm allowed to be ecclectic. 7. I am actually in an incredibly busy work crunch at the moment so haven't seen any of it!

[princeofstarspost]

𓍊𓋼~Letting the impulsive thoughts win~𓋼𓍊

Type: Short oneshots

Description: Sorry for lack of posts, 4th of July put a stop on my schedule (which I hate sm) but anyways this is letting the impulsive thoughts win with genshin characters. Like wanting to throw whip cream at someone or boop them idfk.

Rating: Fluff/funny

Reader: GN, slight autism/adhd vibes

Includes: Wanderer/ Xiao

Wanderer:

It was calling to you, begging you, tempting you with it's white soft texture...(Don't be a perv ;)

Whip cream...covering the top of the pie you'd just bought, it smelled amazing and looked even better...but the thought of gently smashing into Wanderers face was literally eating at your being. Plus the counter was clean, you could literally still eat it if you wanted to so it wouldn't really be a waste..."No. No you can't, you can't."

"Can't what?"

You jumped at the sudden voice behind you...when had he walked in? Was he onto you... "Wanderer! Haha, I was just telling myself I can't eat the whole thing in one sitting. That's all, nothing else!"

He looked at you annoyed, like he knew you were up to something but not exactly what it was. "Hmm, I still don't understand how you can eat it. It's disgustingly sweet." He stepped closer to the counter, standing right, over, the pie, scowling at it.

You couldn't take it anymore, fate had laid it out all perfect for you. Your hand slipped under the pie and before he even had the chance to move you smooshed it in his face, whip cream covering all his features, dripping down his chin as you set the mostly empty crust aside.

He couldn't even react, he was so shocked and that was to funny for you, you started laughing hysterically, tears running down your cheeks as you tried to apologise. "I-im so sorry! Hahaha I couldnt- you stepped Infront- I'm sorry! Bahahaha!"

He took a deep breath and sighed, for a second you were worried he was genuinely angry, but he wouldn't be with you if he couldn't handle your impulsive thoughts. He held up the crust and scooped out what was left, "Your actions have consequences..."

You wiped a tear away and looked at him confused, "Huh?-AH!"

He mushed the pie filling on the top of your head, swirling it with your hairs as you squealed in dismay.

Xiao:

You giggled in excitement as Xiao helped you tie up your kite. You'd made it yourself, using all the Yakshas as your inspiration and even better was as you made it he told you stories of them. You could tell it was a little hard for him at first, but once he started talking about the happier stories he loosened up. This one he was telling now seemed to especially resonate with him.

"They were always playing tricks, using ink to draw on my face and introducing me to people, but giving me the wrong name. Bonanus, she was usually far less embarrassing with her pranks...actually you remind me of her in that way."

You blushed lightly, "I do?"

"Yes. She would often try and find ways to make me flustered. Once she even found a inappropriate book and left it for me to read. Even leaving a note on it that read: Alatus, I've found these war tactics very useful. Read at once."

Your smile widened as you imagined him opening the book, "I bet you were completely red in the face haha!"

"I was. It made it even worse that Morax- Zhongli I mean, was there when I started to read it."

"Pffft!" You burst out laughing, unable to contain yourself as you pictured the scene with Zhongli being in the same room. Then it was like a switch went off...and you felt kinda numb, maybe sad even...wishing you could have been there. "Xiao, do you prefer that part of your life..."

He paused and looked at you in confusion, "I don't prefer one part of my life over the other. I may miss my Yaksha companions, but if I were to choose that part of my life over this one, I would no longer have you. That would be just as much of a loss if not more."

Your heart skipped a beat as the moment grew more intense, his eyes staring into yours like he was attempting to prove to you that his words were true. It was a bit much and you weren't really good with tension...so you chose to lighten the mood with the very thing you'd wanted to do since he started talking.

You reached out and poked his nose, saying a small little, "Boop" as you did so. It was so random and yet it fixed the heavy air that had gathered around you both. His face turned a light shade of pink and he returned back to what he was doing, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Xiao?"

"Hm?"

"Is it don't yeeeettt???"

Another dirty alphabet up nexttt~

[jewish-culture-is]

(ADHD) Jewish culture is this. Let me explain my predicament, im kinda broke at the moment so i cant go buy more candles, so when my candles ran out 2 days before the end of hanukkah, i had half a set of tall ass hanukkah candles and also pink, blue, and yellow polka dot candles from a set of birthday candles i lost in a drawer last year. The tall ones varied in size because i already used them to light my scented candles and put the used candles back in the pack. Why do i have half a box of hanukkah candles? To make up for last years lack of candles of course, then had extra that i set aside for the next year. this same scenario has gone on for years but im being forced to fix it by the mighty Broke Bitch Syndrome.

.

[overwatch]

I played D&D yesterday at a board game store and I am still a bit shook from it. This isn't a D&D horror story but there's a few things I need to vent about.

- the DM who we did not know handed us character sheets. Apparently this had been agreed with the guy from my group who was arranging everything but he forgot to tell everyone?

- I never related more to a drag queen who gets the role on a ruchallenge they hate. I was forced to play a low charisma wizard whose whole thing was being religious. I did rly good and moved the plot along despite this horrible character, I killed it.

- Anyway straight men are animals they immediately go "IM ROGUE" "IM BARBARIAN". They don't even read the character description or backstory. Or ask me and the other girl in the group if we wanted to read the roles first??

- nobody was doing character voice 🫠 "he says x" "he asks why"-- I interrupted the other players to speak like the characters and they were just stuborn. Especially the straight men they barely used dialogue they only wanted to fight?

- one of the things I HATED the most was that I got a crystal (important plot device) and one of the straights says a) he wants to break it. I start *discussing* with the group that I don't think that's a good choice. B) suddenly the guy says "I take the crystal from her and save it on my things."

????

- me and the group and still discussing what to do with the crystal but the guy decides he takes it and doesn't need to roll or interact/ask me. He then triggers a boss to appear who wants the crystal.

- Before we can discuss as a group why we should give him the crystal the same guy throws the crustal at the guy??

- The DM who had obviously put some effort into describing the boss and voice for the boss just goes ok. I guess he leaves with the crystal then.

- the same guy says he wants to fight the boss. Not for the crystal. Just because he wants ti fight.

- I see the horror flash on the DMs eyes. This is obviously a very high level boss to fight later in the campaign. He even goes "are you sure..?" I save it by saying no obviously not. We already lost the crystal let's not get killed too. Dm says "good choice".

- playing in a boardgame store is horrible. There's so much noise. I have adhd and oh my god. Also dm said something rly serious to my character and I couldn't understand him and didn't wanna ask him to repeat himself bc he did character voice and it was a tense moment.

- straight men's characters kept trying to "go investigate on their own". Boy we just started the campaign??? Maybe idk we should stick together. One of them kept "I go way ahead of them" or "I go way in the back". Which triggered events without us being there yet. At some point the DM ignored the guy and just spoke like he was there with us too.

- I was the only one (aside from dm) actually roleplaying and doing voices.

- one of the guys was mad the dm didn't let him use his own figure on the map even though it was three times the size of the figures the dm had for us.

- I am 100% sure the men were angry I was the hero of the battle we had. (It was bush like creatures and I used burning hands... They were all upset at the dm when the attacks they used barely did anything. And I mean actually arguing.

Anyway I just to take this out of my chest. They also kept asking for feedback/compliments on WhatsApp and I was nice and said I rly liked meeting with them and the dm was way better than I had imaged. And the guy that stole my crystal without asking and almost ruined the game an off comment about me being "uncomfortable" because I didn't join them for dinner after (worded like an accusation)? 🫠 And didn't even say anything about me carrying the game and helping him with his fuck ups. But ok.

[rum-and-shattered-dreams]

The Man Downstairs Status Report -

July 10 2024

It's ahhhh been a while. Thanks so much to everyone who has been patient with this! How are you all doing?

So, first off, the actual status:

It's alive! ALIVE! I will have a chapter ready to post this Saturday evening! Finally! I can't say how often updates will happen but I do still want to finish this so even if it takes a while, I'm gonna get there!

Second:

Why it took so long (and some photos, some with cats and plants) - under the read more...

The reason related to the writing itself is that something was wrong in the story/tone and I knew it but couldn't figure out what it was. Recently, I had a breakthrough and have been rewriting everything that didn't feel right. Also, there was a scene that just didn't fit quite yet as much as I wanted it to so I took that out for now. We'll see what happens with it in the future.

One main non-writing reasons is cats! So many cats! I mentioned finding kittens back in this post and they have a home now... With me XD. (Except one who some acquaintances adopted so now I have nine instead of ten). In order to keep them, I needed to screen in part of my carport to give all of my kitties more space.

Building it was the easy part thanks to a friend. Getting the permit was the worst. But it's done and it's beautiful now! And most of the kitties tolerate each other now thanks to it! (Six of them are here):

Also, I've been putting in a lot of work on the gardens, especially the front one.

Before:

And after:

The dune sunflowers at the front will eventually fill the whole strip and the mulched areas that look a bit barren will fill in as the bushes grow and the wildflowers and ground cover fills in. As an example, here's the side garden when I first planted everything (with rain to illustrate that it also acts as drainage/a retention pond):

And here it is after two years of filling in:

And it's still not even near where it will be in the future!

And here's what the back yard looked like before:

And what it looks like now (yes it looks a bit hairy at the moment because it's in a stage where I'm letting things figure themselves out for a bit and once they're settled, I'll straighten it out more):

Aside from garden work, I also took driving lessons for a second time and actually managed to get my license this time (past all of my overwhelm and shut down associated with driving.)

Also, I was on ADHD meds but didn't like the side effects of not getting restful sleep and constantly having a stupidly high heart rate so I talked to my doctors, stopped taking it, and switched to a supplement program that helps balance things (cortisol, gaba, dopamine etc). It's not an immediately effective solution but it has been improving things over time and doesn't have the side-effects. Otherwise, I've been working on finding other coping mechanisms as well as trying to get meaningful rest to recover from burnout. It is getting better. Being able to write again is a good sign of that. Focus is still iffy a lot but it's improving. (I've been playing a lot of Palia and Stardew Valley lately XD)

So yeah. here's hoping for better things ahead for all of us!

[dragjunkie23]

Please Come Home

Request: A lovely user wanted to see how Sam would handle a partner with PMDD, which is almost like PMS but a lot worse especially for those who have ADHD or other neurodivergent

Minors DNI

Warnings: Very emotional, angsty, fluffy

Three days

It’s been three whole days since Sam left with Dean to help with a case. I normally would go with them, but I decided to sit this one out and give myself a break as the recent jobs we had got me super exhausted.

However, the exhaustion was not just from the cases. My period also decided to show up, and normally I can ride it out the best I can, but having ADHD plus hormones running wild…it’s not a great mix to have.

The cramps I can handle. It’s the fact that Sam was gone that was getting to me.

I took one of his flannels he left behind in our shared room and would hold it as I fell asleep. It sounded dumb, but having this close to me was almost like Sam was here.

I couldn’t take it anymore after day three, though. I found myself waking up crying and every single little thing got to me. I tried to fix our AC unit but I kept dropping the screws. I wounded up crying for about 1 hour before I could finally pick myself back up.

I wanted Sam to come home, to wrap his arms around me and tell me that everything would be okay. It felt selfish to ask him to drop everything and come home, though. People’s lives were in danger and we were the only one who could help them.

I eventually swallowed my pride and decided to call Sam up. Maybe hearing his voice would make things better.

“Y/N?”

I tried to hold myself together as I didn’t want him to know I’ve been upset.

“Hey…baby…I just wanted to call and say hi,” I said.

“Well, hey to you too,” he said as I heard him smile, “What bought this on? Everything okay?”

“Yeah…I just miss you that’s all,” I said.

“I miss you, too, baby girl,” he said.

The moment those words came out of his mouth, the water works began as I started to cry. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Baby?! You okay!?” he said in a panicked tone.

I didn’t know what came over me but I knew that there was no point in hiding it.

“Truth be told…no. I’m…I got my period shortly after you and Dean left, and it’s just been killing me. Every little thing gets me upset. I almost threw the toaster across the room because I burnt my toast…and I just wish you were here with me. I’m so lonely. I’m sorry…I didn’t…I know this job is important…”

“Hey hey, there’s not need to apologize,” he said, concern filling his voice, “Oh baby girl, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”

All I could do was nod. It felt great getting it all out but I also felt guilty. “I’m not trying to guilt trip you…”

“Baby, deep breaths” he said, “Again, you have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I’m glad you told me this.”

There was a moment of silence before Sam told me to hold on a second. My heart was pounding a bit as I wondered what was going to happen next. Was he mad? Was Dean mad? So much anxiety ran through me as I waited for the next steps.

Finally, Sam picked the phone up. “You still there, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” I managed to say.

“Okay. I’m coming home right now. Garth is nearby anyways so he’s gonna help with the case.”

“Sam…no…”

“Y/N, it’s all fine. If it helps, Dean was the first to say that I should come home to you before I even asked. He also instructed me to bring you chocolate ice cream and to put my healthy eating habits aside for this.”

I smiled a little bit, feeling better knowing that Dean was on board. Still, the guilt lingered, but there wasn’t a whole lot I could do about that.

“Get some sleep, sweetheart. I’ll see you in a bit.”

_______________________

3 Hours Later

I felt a little dip in our bed as someone sat down. Opening my eyes, I saw Sam looking at me with a sympathetic smile on his face.

He’s home.

I jumped on him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face into his neck, letting out little tears.

“You’re back.”

“I told you I would be back,” he said.

He wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair and rocking me back and forth to help soothe me. He whispered in my ear things like “Shhh, it’s okay, baby girl. Let it out. I’m home. You’re safe.”

After I calmed down, we both laid down on the bed, my upper body still on him as he continued to massage my head while rubbing my back.

“Can I ask…what bought this on?” he asked.

I shrugged. “It’s…not easy to explain Sam. I think in all honesty, it was a mix of pure exhaustion, the pain, and so much more. Normally I can take care of myself just fine, but…I don’t know. I’m sorry…that I made you leave…I wanted you to finish…”

“And I wanted to leave the moment I heard you crying. You didn’t make me leave, sweetheart. I wanted to get back here…I just needed to know that you were safe and that I could be there for you.”

I just nodded, not knowing what else to say. I wanted to apologize again, but I knew Sam would just tell me to stop apologizing.

“What…did Dean look like when you told him?” I asked.

“He looked scared, honestly,” he said, “When I told him what was going on, he was relieved that it was nothing serious, but insisted that I go and help you before I could ask.”

“You mentioned that on the phone,” I said.

“I know. Now, let’s get some rest, okay?”

I didn’t want to rest. I wanted to stay awake, enjoying Sam’s company. My body needed the rest, though, so I drifted off, finally having a dreamless sleep in the arms of the man I love.

[theballadofthesunandthestars]

Do you have any tips on writing long chapters? I’m working on a couple of fics right now and it’s so frustrating that I can’t seem to break 2k per chapter. I know this is gonna hurt me when I go to get published.

I can provide my advice! This is the routine that I’ve perfected on writing chapters in my own fic, and it took a lot of trial and error, so if it does work, play around with it! Writing chapters is SO hard, and the long ones are especially hard because the reward is delayed; as a person with ADHD, that’s basically a death sentence lmao. But below is my routine!

1. Outline the Fuck out of the Chapter

My first step is to overly-outline. Below is my outline of the most recent chapter of my fic (spoilers for it, obvs)

Make it detailed, but treat it more as a guide than an actual Bible to follow. As you can see, I added stuff in the chapter that wasn’t in the outline.

But here’s the trick; you need 2 things to do a chapter. Find a “theme” then find a “goal” of the chapter.

Okay, theme; what is your “theme” in this specific chapter, and how does it tie to the fic as a whole? For this chapter in my fic, I wanted to focus on how unstable Will feels in this moment; he was sent out on a mission before he had properly recovered, and he has a lot of trauma that has not been dealt with.

The goal; to set up a series of “ticking time bombs.” A lot of stuff was introduced in this chapter that will be paid off later in big ways. So this chapter needs to set those up.

I usually set those aside, but you can put them in your outline if you want!

2. The Really-Really-Really Rough Draft

My least favorite part; write the chapter as simply as you can, stream of consciousness style. It makes you feel like a trash writer, but it works. Sometimes I just write shit like, “then the fight happens.” And I move on. Since it’s stream of consciousness, just do whatever feels right in the moment; speed up or slow down the story whenever you feel like it.

Another method that works for me is just writing the portions I have clearly in my head in chronological order, then just stitching them together.

What you’re gonna end up with is a basic skeletal story that sounds like it was written by a third grader. Excellent.

3. Going Back Over #1

Walk away for at least an hour, then come back. Don’t come back until your head is cleared. Now go through the story and fix the phrasing. Pull out that thesaurus, and make it not sound like a third grader wrote it. Easiest step. Now go take another break, longer this time.

4. Going Back over #2; The Waltz

So, I used to struggle with writing shorter chapters too, and my personal problem was pacing. I felt that the story had to move forward at a steady pace, or it’s bad. But think of writing more like a waltz or a piece of music. Music moves through various tempos, it speeds up then slows down to a crawl, and it creates emotion by doing that. So you find the parts where you slow down.

How I do this is I go back to character beats and ask myself, “but what are they really thinking?” So here’s how one scene in my chapter went in my first draft;

“Will, do you think you can handle a weapon?”

“I don’t want a gun,” Will says quietly. Hazel nods quietly, glancing over at Nico. Nico’s eyes meet Will’s for a moment. Then he dismounts from his horse, reaching into his own bag. He procures a knife from it, then quietly walks over, holding it up to Will.

“Here,” Nico says quietly. “Keep it in your belt. If you need to, I can hold onto it at night.”

Will takes the knife. It feels strangely heavy in his hand.

Nico turns back to Colt. His voice is strained, slightly angry. “Don’t pull that again, Colt. Please just ask Hazel and me.”

Not bad writing, honestly! But a lot more can be said. So on my second go-around, I started adding stuff. Essentially, let the character talk through you. Embody them, then let them vomit out their thoughts based on the narrative at play. Here’s the final scene, with the new stuff highlighted.

“Will, do you think you can handle a weapon?”

Will hears the unsaid question; is he going to hurt himself or others with it? He likes to think that he won’t, but he used to think so many things about himself that were no longer true. He used to think he wasn’t a killer. That he would never turn to the same drink that had killed Kayla’s father, that he would never hurt a person he loved. He has been proven wrong, time and time again, and the cost of these assumptions have been great.

“I don’t want a gun,” Will says quietly. Hazel nods quietly, glancing over at Nico.

Nico’s eyes meet Will’s for a moment. Will used to be able to read Nico like a book. He used to be able to recognize every little movement in the muscle’s of Nico’s face, and he could tell you what each one meant.

But a year has done a number on Nico. Or maybe Will was out of practice. Because Will couldn’t tell you what Nico was thinking or feeling at that moment. The realization hits him like a ton of bricks, and he suddenly feels like a ship without an anchor, floating further and further out to sea.

Nico dismounts from his horse, reaching into his own bag. He procures a knife from it, then quietly walks over, holding it up to Will.

“Here,” Nico says quietly. “Keep it in your belt. If you need to, I can hold onto it at night.”

Does it hurt, Will wonders. Does it hurt Nico to hand him a knife after everything that Will has done?

Will takes the knife. It feels strangely heavy in his hand. The weight of it is too much. He wants to beg Nico to take it back.

Nico turns back to Colt. His voice is strained, slightly angry. But there’s a tiredness to it too. And Will hates that.

“Don’t pull that again, Colt. Please just ask Hazel and me.”

Every action taken has meaning for your characters. So play around with that! Just by letting loose with Will’s inner dialogue, I was able to massively expand the word count. Doing this can also set up emotional beats that can be paid off in later chapters, expanding on the word count in future chapters as well!

Watch out though, because it can be weird depending on the character. With a character like Apollo/Lester, he’s very in tune with his feelings and his completely unafraid of expressing them. As such, he likely has a lot of thoughts about it what’s happening! So many feelings! All the time! Will and Nico are more quiet and introspective as characters. The inner dialogue reflects this.

Essentially, pick five moments in your chapter and put a magnifying glass to them. If it’s too many, you can always cut down.

Final Step: Add Scenes as Needed

Sometimes we overestimate how much space a plot point needs. We do one plot point per chapter, and that can be hard! This was a big one I ran into when writing the Hunger Games in The Ballad of the Sun and the Star. Each chapter had one plot point, and there was less to write about than I thought, so the chapters were shorter. Combine chapters! Add scenes that expand on lore! Establish two or three things per chapter! This step is optional if steps 1-4 creates your desired results.

I hope this helps! I have no idea if it does, but lemme just say that shorter chapters are totally fine! Again, writing is music, and so sometimes, shorter chapters create the sense of a quicker pace, which really amps up the stakes. Play around with it! You’ve got this!

[piratekingnika]

So, I made my own version of TMNT because sometimes I am insane- I cannot draw (yet. My friend offered to teach me though) so it's just an outline but because I put a lot of effort into it so I felt like sharing! Also, sorry for any typos!

My TMNT au (takes heavy inspo from 2003 and 2012 turtles, and a little from the IDW comics and Mutant Mayhem):

Splinter was a human (Hamato Yoshi- Japanese, cis, straight, 57, 5'3) that moved to New York, from Japan, after Oroku Saki killed his family* and burned down his home, after mutation he had refused to go by his name after mutation because he felt that he had become a monster, but the boys started to call him Splinter (because he would always carefully remove their splinters for them and took care of them when hurt) so he adopted the name, and never let his boys think that they are monsters, he loves his sons dearly

*Splinter had a daughter, Hamato Miwa, with his wife, Teng Shen, he believes her to be dead but the Shredder had taken her, and raised her along side his own daughter, Oroku Karai, she is later abducted by Kraang with another Foot Soldier, mutated with a leatherback sea turtle and changing her name to Venus De Milo (Karai told her about her real parents and the Shredder but she does not know Splinter is her father)

All four brothers were pet eastern box turtles, until they got mutated

Hamato Leonardo is the oldest (19, 4'11), Hamato Raphael (18, 5') and Hamato Donatello are twins (18, 5'2), and Hamato Michelangelo is the youngest (17, 4'9)

(Quick aside; I am diagnosed with autism, ADD, depresstion, and severe anxiety, myself) All four turtles are autistic, have PTSD, and Separation Anxiety, Mikey has ADHD, Leo and Donnie have OCD and anxiety, and Raph has IED

Leo is gay and a demiboy (he/they), Raph is demiromantic, bisexual, and nonbinary (he/him), Donnie is aroace-spec, poly, and nonbinary (he/him, they/them), and Mikey is pansexual and genderfluid (he/she/they)

Leo is best at strategy and staying calm under pressure, Raph is the strongest fighter, Donnie is the inventor, and Mikey is the class clown but with the most potential also the most emotionally intelligent

All four brothers watch anime together, Leo is a big Sailor Moon, Gundam, and Voltron fan (they secretly like Nana and Fruits Basket as well- Mikey is the only one that knows and watches with them), he also likes Star Trek and Star Wars (him and Donnie watch a lot of Sci-Fi together). Raph is a fan of Hajime No Ippo, Cowboy Bepop (he watches with Donnie), and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (which Mikey got him and Donnie into), he also loves old Westerns (which he watches with Casey) and DC (Mikey again.) Donnie is a fan of Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain, and Code Geass. Mikey is a fan of everything, but most especially One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Bleach (he's the one that got all of them into anime), he also loves anything Super Hero; Marvel and DC.

As for music, Leo likes most things as long as he likes what the artist is singing about (lyric listener). Raph listens to rock in all forms, old country, and some hip-hop/rap (and some girly pop but him and Casey keep that to themselves). Donnie listens to all sorts of instrumentals- from classical to techno, they like background noise while they work. Mikey will listen to anything, she makes playlists for different feelings and different characters and even moments that have happened or they want to happen some day. Leo, Raph, and Mikey are all good singers (though Raph does not sing often), and all four are skilled dancers (ninja skills)

The Utroms crash-landed on Earth 50 years ago and created TCRI to try to get back to their home planet- one of them, however (Kraang), is planning a rebellion and wants to take over Earth, he started creating the ooze more than 30 years ago to make super soldiers to help him with his plan

Splinter found the four turtles on the side of the road next to a bunch of broken glass and ooze, he picked them up to bring them home right as a rat scampered across, brushing his hands, he mutated with the rat and in fear he moved to the sewers with the now mutated baby turtles- he always assumed that their owner had been in a crash and thought the turtles dead

Splinter acts more like a father but takes his duty as their sensei very seriously and he eased Leo into his position as leader so he would not be so overwhelmed

Raph is working on his jealousy of Leo and his feelings of inferiority towards his brothers, because he thinks he is the least favorite- Splinter puts more of an effort to actually help him with his emotions

The brothers met April and Casey when they were around 15- though the two humans are about 10 years older

Apirl O'Neil is a mixed, (black mother, white father) cis, lesbian, woman who works as a news reporter, she is 28 and 5'9 and typically keeps her hair dyed ginger and short in either an afro or locs, she is dating Casey

Casey Jones is a white, transgender, bisexual, woman who plays professional hockey and does roller derby on the side, she is 28 and 6'2 and her plan is to medically transition after she retires- but she always fights for equal rights for transpeople in sports, she keeps her black hair in a mullet

Irma Langinstein is a mixed (mother is Indian and father is German), cis, straight, woman who is April's best friend, she works as a secretary in the same news station that April works- and being so close to April she eventually meets the turtles, at first while they're in disguise and later as their true selves, she is 26 and 5'3, she keeps her long brunette hair in a ponytail

April has been like an older sister to all the brothers, Casey loves all four dearly but has a stronger connection to Raph, Irma is not really close with the turtles but she bonds with Donnie over new technology

Venus/Miwa (Japanese, cis, demiromantic, ace, 22, 6') was in the Foot Clan all her life and it wasn't until Shredder's defeat that she found out the truth about her past, she was absolutely devastated and ran from the Foot to try and think, one of the ninja followed after her to keep her safe only for them both to be abducted by Kraang and mutated, she is quick to join the resistance that later become the Might Mutanimals which then leads her to the turtles, she wears a white mask like the boys but she braids the back of hers

Venus feels a deep connection with the four brothers and wants to protect them as much as possibly, she bonds particularly with Leo as two very strategic minds- they often train, meditate or play chess together, her best friend is Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa, previously Pat Williams (white, demigirl, pansexual, 18, 5'6) had gradated high school early and was on track to get her AS in Physics when she was kidnapped by Kraang, originally he wanted to use them to help perfect his mutagen but after she refused he mutated her with an axolotl to make them one of his super soldiers (much like IDW Mona, she wears her frills in a ponytail)- however because of that she starts a rebellion with the other mutants to escape and live their own lives- now, a part of the Mighty Mutanimals, she is attempting to make an anti-mutagen for those who wish to go back to their old lives

Mona Lisa meets the turtles and immediately connects with Raph and Donnie (she met Raph first, they match each others snark and sass but she is also quite patient with him and he is protective over her, and they flirt constantly. Her and Donnie both have very scientific minds and work together often), Venus is her best friend and the two of them are the unofficial leaders of the Mighty Mutanimals

This story would take place after Shedder's defeat- Splinter has officially let go of the reigns and Leo is now fully the leader with Kraang and his mutant army as the new antagonists, there would be flashbacks to show how much of an affect the Shedder has on them though

Karai (Japanese, cis, lesbian, 25, 5'2) daughter of Oroku Saki has now taken over the Foot Clan but instead of revenge she wants to undo the damage her father wrought, and works as a philanthropist by day and runs a vigilante organization by night- she doesn't team up with the turtles, however, she just doesn't fight them

Hun Kwon (Korean, cis, straight, 32, 6'4) is the leader of the Purple Dragons, but they're practically a non-issue

Inara Bashar (Saudi Arabian 2nd gen immigrant, cis, demiromantic/sexual, poly, 19, 5'1) and Elion Nash (white, pansexual, poly, 18, 5'8) were jumped and nearly robbed by the Purple Dragons, when the turtles stepped in and saved them, Elion (being a fan of the occult) thought they were aliens and wanted to get to know them and thank them for the rescue, Inara was a little more cautious but she trusted Elion which lead her to trusting the turtles, Inara wears niqab and round glasses and Elion keeps their dyed dark green hair in a messy wolf cut

Inara and Elion both bond with Donnie most, helping him with blueprints, building, medicine, and even some hacking, plus they love listening to his scientific rambles- occasionally adding (with varying degrees of helpfulness) input of their own, Inara also becomes close with Leo chatting about cultures and responsibilities and books over tea, and Elion and Mikey discuss anime and comics together or start prank wars

Baxter Stockman (black, cis, aroace, 66, 5'3) teamed up with Kraang to create the mutant army- having, somewhat accidentally, mutated with a fly himself

Stockman uses the alias Captain Filch when traveling, having a special lab made on a boat, which is where Mona Lisa was originally kept

The mighty mutanimals are all mutants (both animal and human-animal hybrids) that defected from the Kraang; Leatherhead (hybrid; alligator), Venus De Milo (hybrid; leatherback turtle), Mona Lisa (hybrid; axolotl), Mondo Gecko (hybrid; gecko), Man-Ray (animal; electric ray), Wingnut (animal; flying fox), Pigeon Pete (hybrid; pigeon), and the Punk Frogs (Attila, Genghis Frog, Napoleon Bonafrog, and Rasputin the Mad Frog)

Leatherhead, previously Dr. Freddy (deadname Rose) Lurie (black, transman, aroace, 36, 9'4) was a biologist before being abducted- he was one of the first to be mutated and his animal instincts can take over when he gets too emotional for any reason, he sees himself as a monster and more than anyone else wants to be human again and is always helping Mona with the anti-mutagen

Leatherhead doesn't go out much but he does inevitably meet the turtles, him and Raph have an understanding of each other but he is very close with Mikey (who helps calm him when he is feral, and has never been afraid of him) and Donnie

Mondo Gecko, previously Armondo Mariano (Mexican, demiboy, pansexual, 18, 4'7) was a pothead, skaterboy that had just graduated high school and started working (as a busboy at a ma-and-pop diner) when he was abducted, he is easily the least concerned about his mutation, thinking it's cool and makes him like a superhero

Mondo has barely interacted with the turtles other than Mikey who he had an instant connection with- the two can always be seen reading (sometimes writing) comics, smoking (weed, never nicotine), or skating together

Pigeon Pete, previously Peter Buckley (white, cis, straight, 24, 5'10) was starting his life as an accountant when he got abducted, and to be honest, he has no idea what's going on- he doesn't even know he was a part of a rebellion, much less that he's a part of the Might Mutanimals, he's generally just clueless and hoping for the best

Three of the four turt brothers hate Pete- since he usually gets in the way of missions and is generally self-unaware, but Mikey likes him and they bond especially over not understanding what's going on

Alopex, previously Tapeesa Kalluk (mutant hybrid; arctic fox, Inuit, 27, cis, bisexual, 5'3), was originally a part of the Foot Clan before being abducted by Kraang and Baxter, but she escapes with the Mighty Mutanimals, fighting with them for a while before returning to the Foot- she then becomes Karai's second-in-command

Slash (humanoid snapping turtle) is from Dimension X, also stuck on Earth, originally worked with Kraang and Baxter Stockman but ended up switching sides when he learned of their true plans and joined the Mighty Mutantimals

Murakami Gennosuke (humanoid Indian rhino) and Miyamoto Usagi (humanoid albino Japanese hare) are dimension a hopping mercenary and samurai/ronin (respectively) duo, that team up with the turtles/mutanimals when they are in that dimension- they had even offered to take Slash home when they learned where he was from, but he ended up deciding to stay on Earth, Usagi also ends up permanently settling on Earth

Gen (cis, straight, 34, 8'2) loves to make bets and gamble- he isn't nessiccarily the most reliable, but he is a friendly and trustworthy guy, he gets along with the turtles fine, though it's mostly because he is so close with Usagi

Usagi (transman, gay, 19, 5'1) is an honorable warrior who wishes for an era of peace in the multiverse- however he knows better than to delude himself into believing it is an easy task, so he dimension hops and helps out where ever he can, which is how he meets and befriends the turtles

Usagi met Leo first and they knew immediately they were two-of-a-kind, the three other brothers didn't like Usagi at first due to a misunderstanding but when they saw how much he cared for Leo they warmed up to him quickly

Big Mama (cis, straight, 58, 8'6) is a spider woman from another dimension who runs the Battle Nexus- a tournament put on once a year to find the strongest warrior in the multiverse. Splinter had been invited before his mutation, and won. He was invited again but he didn't go until his boys were old enough to take care of themselves, and when he did he won a second time. He keeps the Battle Nexus a secret so his boys don't get themselves into danger, but they end up learning about it through Usagi and Gen, who had seen Splinter's second win and hold high respect for him. Big Mama also holds high respect for Splinter and always flirts with him. She encourages him to bring his sons- she is a buissness woman first (selling tickets to see the fighters and even creating a multidimensional viewing channel) but she does value honor and fair fights as well.

The Kraang's mutant army so far consistents of; Baxter Stockman (hybrid, fly), Superfly (animal, fly), Scumbug (animal, roach), several mutant anemones, Bebop/Peter Wise (hybrid, warthog), Rocksteady/David Laird (hybrid, white rhino), Tigerclaw/Takeshi Bauza (hybrid, Bengal tiger), Tokka (animal, snapping turtle), Rahzar (animal, wolf), Dogpound/Chris Bradford (hybrid, husky), Old Hob (animal, orange tabby cat), and Fishface/Xever Montes (hybrid, barracuda)

Kraang and Stockman's first test subjects were anemones, 8 out of the 10 mutated into semi-sentient beings, the next subjects were bugs, they continued up the chain until they made it to where Dr. Lurie (Leatherhead) and Baxter Stockman himself were the first humans to be mutated

Another enemy is the Triceratons, who plan to invade the Earth to defeat their eneimies- the Utroms. They have also traced the Fugitoid there, an android with the mind of a scientist that has the blueprints to create a teleportal to anywhere on (or in) other planets

The Fugitoid, A.K.A Prof. Zayton Honeycutt (cis, aroace, 54 in human years, was initially 7'7 but is now 5'4), was originally a humanoid from Planet Neutrino and is a genius who loves to invent with the intentions of Universal peace, unfortunately he can be very oblivious that others don't always want the same thing, wanting to use his creations for war. Finding out the Triceratons are after him he transferred his brain into his android servant SAL, used his teleportal device to get to his fellow peace-lovers; the Utrom, and then blew up his lab. He ends up being the one to uncover Kraang's plan, which is how he meets the turtles, who he agrees to help. He is especially close to Donnie, but he finds out Leo is somewhat of a space nerd and they chat frequently too

Leo and Raph are the most protective brothers (especially Raph since Leo can be very self-sacrificial), they push each other to be the best possible warriors they can be, they now fight less but every once and awhile the tension between them will be very apparent, even so they are better at talking it out, Raph teases Leo every chance he gets and encourages Leo's sassier side

Donnie and Mikey have always been very close, bonding when Raph and Leo's fights were especially bad, they are both very creative and Mikey loves to give Donnie ideas for new inventions and D almost always follows through, however D can get caught up in his lab and will get annoyed with Mikey occasionally causing him to blow up- he's always quick to apologize though

Leo and Mikey are each others biggest supporters, Leo will defend Mikey from Raph and Mikey is always there to pick Leo up if he gets too overwhelmed with being leader, it does infuriate Leo that Mikey never seems to take anything seriously and he'll sometimes threaten to keep Mikey home from a mission if Mikey is being especially childish but all Mike has to do is flash her puppy eyes and promise to be on their best behavior and Leo will cave

Raph and Donnie are the epitome of brains and brawn, Donnie will make something and he trusts Raph to use and repair it, they are both very quick-witted when it comes to insulting an enemy and bounce off each other nicely- they can get annoyed quickly though, with Raph not wanting to listen to all of Donnie's scientific jargon and Raph yelling can disrupt D's concentration or he'll break things D spent a long time on, they always get over it and make-up pretty easily, it helps that Raph is extremely protective of Donnie since he is the weakest fighter

Leo and Donnie also push each other to be the best they can be, mentally, Leo is pushing Donnie to learn more and D pushes Leo for better strategies- they can both push the other too far though causing spirals of self-doubt but the are always the one to pick each other back up, both making sure they rest and eat when the concentrate too hard on other things (training and meditating for Leo, building and researching for Donnie)

Raph and Mikey have the most cliche older brother/younger brother dynamic- constantly throwing insults at each other but never allowing anyone else to, Raph hitting Mikey for being an idiot, being the others best ally and worst enemy, Mikey is the one who can calm Raph down when he's at his worst and Raph is the one who can cheer Mikey up when she's at her lowest

Ships- Leo x Usagi, Raph x Mona Lisa, Donnie x Inara x Elion, and Mikey x Mondo Gecko, minor Big Mama x Splinter

Voice Claims:

Leo- Zeno Robinson

Raph- Jelani Alladin

Donnie- AJ Beckles

Mikey- Charlie Curtis-Beard

Splinter- Jackie Chan

Shredder- Patrick Page

April- Anairis Quiñones

Casey- Rosemary Ace Rosas

Irma- Arasha Lalani

Venus- Karen Fukuhara

Mona Lisa- Mariah Rose Faith Castillas

Inara- Alia Shawkat

Elion- Bex Taylor-Klaus

Mondo- Jose Estrada

Leatherhead- Ray Hurd

Pete- Tyler Alexander Mann

Slash- Matthew Mercer

Karai- Hayley Kiyoko

Alopex- Shina Nova

Kraang- Dee Bradley Baker

Stockman- Norm Lewis

Gen- Kevin Michael Richardson

Usagi- Micah Solusod

Big Mama- Christine Baranski

Fugitoid- Scotty Wartooth

[seventeenlovesthree]

OPLA episode 2 - first impressions

I swear, I feel like a screamy fangirl, considering I have watched German One Piece since I was like... 12, quite literally, since it aired in 2003. Even though I haven't consistently read/watched the series, I had a stronger phase in 2011 or so and watching the series now brings a lot of nostalgia back. SPOILERS AHEAD.

I've said it before, but the Romance Dawn Trio is giving me SO much life. I have always had a fondness for OT3 dynamics and the dynamics portrayed here are just... Wow. (I told this a friend, but they actually kinda remind of me of the JJK trio here, but let's not digress.) Again, the whole thing with Zoro and Nami doing their best not to give the impression that they give a damn, just to STILL end up doing everything for Luffy and each other is giving me so many goddamn feelings every. Single. Time. Zoro and Nami have always been infamous for having that "One for you, one for me" dynamic, constantly bickering, always looking for that "equivalent exchange" with, apparently, no strings attached, only gains, no emotional attachment whatsoever... But the one thing they (and all strawhats, really) have in common is that they would move mountains (read: die) for Luffy. And that's where they'll always put their differences aside - the moment they smiled at each other, promising to kick butts of everyone they'd encounter (to eventually save Luffy) side by side, was everything to me. Maybe there aren't a lot of emotions between them, but even if they appear to be on completely different ends of the loyalty/motivation spectrum - there is that thing that links them together and that's just very enjoyable, despite all the bickering. ("There's something way more valuable than diamonds - knowledge!!!") Also, a piece of framing I haven't even REALLY thought about before is really nicely done - the fact that BOTH Zoro and Nami do NOT think highly of pirates at this point in time. So Luffy being Luffy, convincing them that he is indeed different... It makes their developing bond so much more special.

The LuNa scene at the beginning - even if we've already seen them in clips -, is just sending me. Luffy's ADHD energy is beautiful, you can really tell how excited he is - and how easily he attaches himself to his not crewmates. I mean, one of his love languages CLEARLY is physical touch after all (the second one is food sharing) and, again, I just love how natural it is. Or maybe that's just me.

... What is it with the way Zoro's opponents have been oozing with sexual tension towards him so far??? And he's not any better, seriously... I mean, we already have the lone wolf facade CRUMBLING HEAVILY, having Zoro basically CONFESS that "this simpleton in a strawhat" changed his way of thinking within HOURS of having known him.... Be still my ZoLu heart.

I love the foreshadowing in Shanks' portrayal, even as someone who hasn't completely caught up to everything that is happening.

I really enjoy that Buggy is actually portrayed to be terrifying, I think they did find a good middle ground in language usage not being TOO on the nose with everything. But the imminent fear of death is always there and his over-the-top, dramatic acting fits SO well.

Again, I really enjoy Koby's acting, his and Helmeppo's dynamics are great and Garp has been intimidating as well...

Luffy's good-hearted-main-character-energy is still through the roof and I love it. Never stop smiling, my friend.

Fight choreographies and CGI still look high quality to me.

Again, for me it's easy to take this for what it is, I feel heavily reminded of my beloved Digimon stageplay and I've known these characters for years, so my bias should not come as a surprise. But really? I enjoy being catered to and the quality speaks for itself!

NAMI FIXING THE HAT THOUGH!!! God, I love them.

[gashface]

HEY GUYS!!! ,

This weeks prompt, was set out to learn more about your models, and delve a bit into their lives! <;3 These stories should be an important moment in their life, or just a memory that shaped them.

WARNING: This weeks prompt has a couple trigger warnings, which will be listed above the edit, so keep this in mind and proceed with caution &lt;3

With this in mind, onto the results! This week I was looking for edits that embrace your models story again, but from an earlier time in their lives. The main focus was on storytelling this week, and the edits reflecting this story. Whether this be directly, or in an abstract manner.

Charline Morel by @cyazurai

“Quand il me prend dans ses bras…” Fifteen-year-old Charline could hear her own voice singing, and she knew she was, but there was no heart in it. She hated singing. Well, perhaps she didn’t hate it, but through the circumstances she had grown to despise it. “.. qu'il me parle tout bas…” A tear streaked down her left cheek and she avoided her mother’s disapproving gaze. Beside her, her little sister Delphine enthusiastically played her violin to accompany her as they entertained their parents’ guests. “... le vois la vie en rose.” Another tear, this time on the right. This was not a sad song. This was a happy, romantic song. She should be putting her all into it, but all she could feel was the walls closing in. She was surrounded by people she could no longer see - they were just becoming only silhouetted blurs, judging her and family. They must be perfect. This happens every year. It was her parents’ New Years Eve party, and every year it was her and her sister’s obligation to make sure not to disappoint the hundreds of prestigious guests their parents invited. They had to be perfect or else. She hated this. She hated it. She didn’t want to be forced to sing just for a little bit of positive attention. Why did she have to do this? Why did Delphine have to be perfect at the violin just so that their parents might agree to let them go out for ice cream (when it wasn’t even a guarantee)? It was unfair. It was at this moment that Charlie realized she didn’t want to do this anymore, and so as the tears streamed down her cheeks, she decided to pour her heart into it one last time - because next year, she was going to be her parents’ performing monkey over her dead body.

POINTS

ORIGINALITY: 8/10

STORY: 10/10

EXECUTION: 9/10

STYLE: 9/10

Parker Winston by @morgynemberisagenderfluiddaddy

TW!: Suicide, self harm, mental health

Hi! My name's Parker, and I've tried to commit suicide multiple times. I know you're thinking that's a morbid and socially awkward way to introduce myself, but hey, it's a big part of my story and who I am. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot more to a person than just their mental health, but a lot of the time, these things tend not to get discussed, period. Let alone when we are trying to get to know somebody, so for today, I hope we can put that stigma aside, and I can tell you a little about my journey.

I have ADHD, and depression is something I have lived with as far back as I can remember. By the time I was twenty, I had tried to kill myself three times, I had a family that didn't talk to me, I'd cut my arms up so much my forearms were more scar than skin, my heart was crushed by someone I thought was the love of my life, and I was hooked on anything I could get my grubby little hands on.

I think about that shit a lot, the things I did, and the decisions I made. I think about the person I was and the person I am today.

They're wildly different people, but now that I'm able to see it from another side, I realize one can't exist without the other. I would've never learned the things I did, and I couldn't have grown from it. It was hell, and I had to claw those life lessons from my struggle like a damn wolverine, but hey, I survived! Despite my best efforts... Yeah, I know that's not funny, but if you don't laugh sometimes, you'll cry, and I'm sick of crying about it.

I hated who I was, and I had a hard time coping with everything I did, not just the suicide attempts but everything. Though I finally realized I couldn't change the past, but I could change the future.

I could get help, and I could make sure none of that ever happened again. I can't change the past, and it aches to know that somewhere in space and time, that kid is still struggling, and I wish I could talk to him... I don't know what I'd say to him because I know he wouldn't listen and probably just lift my wallet. But I still want to hug him, tell him that really it's all going to be okay, that he needs to let go of a lot of shit and learn to love himself, then I'd tell him to get rid of that asshole's shitty T-shirt.

The pain you feel, it's not for nothing, but it's also not forever. You'll learn from this, and in a way you least expect it, it will come full circle. Ease up on the drugs, stop cutting, and get yourself some help. I know you don't think you deserve it, but you do! And believe it or not, one day you're going to have a lot of people that want and need you around. This shit doesn't get any easier, but it does get better. You just need to let it.

So tell that jackass his band ain't shit, tell your parents they're full of shit, and tell your siblings you love them even though they all suck, hang onto your friends, don't be so scared, let yourself feel, and listen to yourself once in a while! You know yourself better than you think, and you know what you need, and guess what! The answer isn't always coke! I can't help that kid anymore, but I can help the one's reading this, and if in this moment you feel hopeless, do me, a stranger on the internet, a favor. Take a deep breath, know that it gets better, and reach out to somebody! You deserve help, you deserve love, and you deserve to be alive! With love, - Parker W.

POINTS

ORIGINALITY: 9/10

STORY: 10/10

EXECUTION: 7/10

STYLE: 7/10

Ember Arendse by @wolfrynn313

Ember: "When I saw this week's prompt,I knew that I had to recreate a childhood photo of me at the keyboard with my Mum/Mom. I've always been creatively inclined and so have both of my parents and brothers; I thought it important to focus on the crystallization of my musical inclination and creativity, hence the feature of ice freezing in place. I realized who I was pretty early on and remain to be proud of the person that I grew into."

POINTS

ORIGINALITY: 8/10

STORY: 8/10

EXECUTION: 8/10

STYLE: 8/10

Dillion Carter by @mewo-ita

Idea: Cherished memory of being with family at a rollerskating rink’s 80s night.

“Figured I should say something myself this time. My comfort place for the past decade whenever I feel overwhelmed to do anything has been this rink.

I discovered it the first three months after being adopted. I barely talked to anyone an’ just prepared to go back to the orphanage. That never stopped my new family tryin’ though and one day, we put on retro clothes and drove down to this place. It was 80s night, like it is now, and my sisters who I brought today helped me skate.

“Beat it” was playing in the background and I ‘member it being the first time I smiled in years. I was wearing a tomodachi my ma brought me and had no clue what soul or funk was, but I loved it. Did a lot for my confidence and ability to be around strangers— I don’t think I’d even consider being a model if not for that experience. I’d say it affected my fashion sense too, in a good way; makes me more open to change and bold colors.

Sure my folks will be able to find me here from now on; they didn’t know where I went off to before. S’not too bad.”

POINTS

ORIGINALITY: 9/10

STORY: 10/10

EXECUTION: 9/10

STYLE: 9/10

HOLY MOLY GOOD WORK GUYS!

I just want to say, thank you for all the effort you put into every weeks prompt. Your dedication is amazing x it makes hosting this so much fun

The next prompts will be released 8pm aest 25th of June.

Thanks guys x

- Buddy

Prompt Hint:

[voxasks]

🫐 -Hey there, why not get in on this, haha. Let's go, show me what ya got TV man- Jokes aside, I am a young woman in her 20s going to university for a psychology degree. I am very ambitous & goal oriented, even if it is sometimes very intense. To the point of hyperfixation bordering on obsession. I was going for journalism originally, but I changed majors because I didn't like how much I would have to lick the butts & shoes of yellow journalists who aren't worth my respect or time. I wanted to be part of the information side of things & keep people informed on the happenings around them. But all they do from my perspective is waste hours churning out fiction for views. If I wanted to do that, I would have pursued acting as a career, which is a hobby of mine. I like community theater a lot. It is a fun escape from everything. Something just so satisfying about putting on a show, where the moment I step out on that stage & feel those lights & eyes on me, I am no longer concerned with my problems. The mask is on & won't be off until later~! Music is my other passion. I love writing my own music and lyrics. I play the violin, piano, & guitar. I am taking singing lessons for fun too. My few friends describe me as the one they look to for honest opinions, even if it might not be something they want to hear. I am also weirdly regarded as a ball of energy. I am not a recluse, I just have intense trust issues. It is probably due to the pathetic jokes of relationships I have had, among other potential trauma inducing experiences. I love going out, just only with people I would trust my life with or myself. I am still quite introverted, but I do like the atmosphere of people having a great time & me having a good time, even if it is dancing on my own. If I feel like it, I will just make the decision to disappear for a weekend & hop back around come Monday like I didn't just drop off the planet to who knows where & do who knows what. I am used to the not so great side of life. Walking to school, seeing a dead body on the side of the road, later on seeing those infamous white lines, hahaha. What a day that was, or the time I had to hit the deck from a drive-by. You get used to that rough life than wham in a place that is weirdly sanitized and "safe." It feels like whiplash. I cope with my experiences with humor. Rather laugh than cry, you know. Psych became my interest after taking a random elective in it, & I was hooked on being able to make connections about the world & people around me. Giving me a sense of understanding some of the why's I have asked for years. I'm still learning more, too. I have some ideas that are not exactly conventional & push a few boundaries with other fields of science & ethics. Regardless, I hope to use the knowledge I am gaining to help others help themselves. I think that is a key component in life, to be able to help yourself, even if it means getting/seeking help in order to get to a place where you can do that for yourself. If that makes any sense. With all this said, enjoy your hellish morning, abysmal afternoon, explicit evening, or sinful night. Whichever it may be for you, I like to cover the bases~!

“it  feels  like  you  took  psychology  to  make  sense  of  the  things  that  has  happened  in  your  life  subconsciously.  at  least,  that’s  what  people  do  from  experience  anyway.  it  sort  of  feels  like  you  have  adhd  as  well  due  to  your  spontaneity,  being  described  as  a  ‘ball  of  energy’  and  having  many  interests,  but  hey,  i’m  far  from  being  some  lab  coat  shrink  who’s  qualified  enough  to  sit  behind  a  desk  to  rot  with  everyone  else’s  trauma.  you  want  to  stay  true  to  yourself  no  matter  what,  thus  opting  out  of  journalism  to  avoid  kissing  other  people’s  asses,  i  can  respect  that.  you  sound  ambiverted,  someone  who  struggles  to  find  the  comfortable  balance  sometimes  but  everyone  does  too.  and  hey,  a  dead  body.  must  be  a  big  deal  back  in  the  living  world,  huh?  how’ve  you  been?”

based off of the 200 follower event.

[callsigndreadfrost]

Okay, like I previously said Fallout version of Angelus is wild to me.

Btw TW for heavy subjects talked about here.

I like exploring different sides to them all in different AUs and Fallout is no different. Also, like I said in a post any info on them prior to 2023 when it comes to this AU is null and void. All that info is either eliminated or retconned.

Also I'm gonna try and better the tag system for better organization. Kinda got something in mind.

Anyway, I like writing and playing this version of Angelus 'cause it let's me explore a side to Angelus that the Oracle (Oracle is the original btw) version just doesn't have.

Oracle Angelus had a rough start. He suffered every type of abuse and my fucking gods do I mean EVERY TYPE OF ABUSE from as early as 1-year-old up to 13 or 14. Pretty much a little over a decade of nonstop physical, emotional and psychological torture. He did NOT get out of that unscathed. The trauma of it all still clings to him to this day. Had he been human he would've died like at 2, if he would've survived he would've been completely deformed and disfigured. But he's a werewolf so he somehow survived. Physically he has three scares from when his abusers tried to kill him. Two of the scars are from being shot in the chest and the third one is from being stabbed through the heart with a silver dagger. He actually scared which is basically impossible for a born werewolf but because his abusers never let him consume human hearts his immune system never developed. He even got fevers from infections. Anyway, it wasn't a good time for him and because of it a lot of mental problems arouse from it. He has C-PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, severe anxiety, the abuse exacerbated his ADHD and also caused him to develop a severe eating disorder and it's not some cute and quirky "oh ha ha i'll just pick at this salad i gotta watch my weight ha ha." No, this man legit will starve himself as punishment because if he makes a mistake he thinks he deserves to be punished. He will actually layer on clothes so Jelani doesn't notice any weight loss but Jelani is always on top of that. They constantly check in on him and help him through it. He has some good days, some bad days and some catastrophic days but regardless he tries his best. He does have his moments of unfiltered confidence and times where he's shown he's very sure of himself and shown strength.

That's why I have this appreciation for the AUs because like for example the Fallout one he didn't have a messed up upbringing. Yeah, there's the whole being sold and the transphobic grandmother thing but it didn't affect him. He's cocky as hell, doesn't really take much of anything serious, in party mode almost 24/7, he's loud, explosive, confident, loves to eat, is extroverted, not insecure at all, no mental illnesses, rowdy, little bit selfish, morally gray and ambiguous, an absolute lil shit but with a good heart and more of a leader than a follower. Fallout Angelus is the extreme opposite of Oracle Angelus and it really puts Angelus as a whole into this perspective that I otherwise wouldn't have had a chance to explore this side of him if it weren't for this AU.

I was NOT kidding when I said Fallout Jelani kind of took the role of Oracle Angelus. He was very similar to Angelus but then he was assaulted (I know I put a tw warning but this is not a word I throw around so freely given that it's super charged. Not sure if anyone actually reads any OC posts aside from Arcade but still) and you know, it was a brutal and traumatic event and not even a month later he witnessed his father "die" which made shit far worse and this is post-apocalyptic America. Where in the blue fuck is he gonna find a therapist to work that trauma out? Fallout Jelani is pretty much Oracle Angelus.

And that was covering some aspects. In terms of sexuality he's still very much gay. I think that'll be the only aspect about him that'll never change. In Oracle he was born a male but he's actually intersex (both genitals and half a uterus, it sooooooorta works), on top of that he has a bit of a feminine body. He's very androgynous looking. In Fallout he was born a female and transitioned to male. In Oracle he's strictly a bottom HOWEVER, if Jelani (he's a switch and both subs and doms) asks he will absolutely top him because he feels 100,000% safe and secure with him. In Fallout he's 100% strictly a top while Jelani is 100% strictly a bottom. And he enjoys the fuck out of dominating Jelani.

Honestly this version of him is really fun. Oracle will always be Oracle but these AUs are so fun to explore different sides to all my characters.

[pulquedeguayaba]

.

I'm so fucking tired of everything

Of this stuck loop I've been into since the pandemic started (but more with my current job since June 2021)

It's like a monotonous and neurosis inducing limbo in which I'm further stuck with the toxic cycle of depression-substance abuse-possible adhd and it's do hard to get out

Taking slow and size varying steps but it's not enough

It's becoming worse lately, I can barely tolerate the people I live with. There's nothing I wish more than to have my own place just me and my dog, and no one else, at least for quite a while (except for more animals ofc, the only ones who truly brighten a home without ever giving you bitter moments). Which is hard becos gentrification and still doable ofc but it'd be like a medium-term goal (especially cos I'm not sharing).

Also I've been more aware cos lately I'm exclusively smoking hashish (except for this weekend, and yeah, definitely putting regular consumption of weed aside for some time, for this and other [dysmorphia/dysphoria/ed] related reasons) and yeah no.

And it's kinda messy and got it sorted in my head but the people around me don't respect me (and for the most part I don't care except it shows in certain interactions that have been irritating me A LOT lately) and like don't expect anything from me but some of them are also kind of disappointed in very this passive aggressive and cunty way. And I hate it and I been hating interacting with them (which isn't that often but even the shortest interactions with most of them are enough for me to feel annoyed for a while) and I can't even complain cos they'd be like tf u on? Y u overreacting? So sensitive must be the drugs and again the scenario where everyone is allowed to be angry and call people out be assertive and be emotional except fucking me (apparently is related to the cancer Mars curse, that horrendous and useless placement)

And I just wish my domestic life wasn't this stressful and because I'm a body freak I got all my reactions and ticks in check and so my body has to find ways to let out the stress (even though I work out every day sometimes quite intensely) also this is where weed usually came in but again had been giving me headaches lately plus the binge eating and yeah the smell cos paranoia and again the cycle

I feel so trapped and I feel so stuck

And I just wish I could just one day wake up and being a workaholic and get out from here

[stew-pod]

Unfinished Business: Returning to the Things That Make You Feel Alive

Have you ever lost track of time doing something you love? That moment when everything else fades, and it’s just you and something that you’re passionate about? That’s how I feel whenever I’m holding my camera or writing something like this.

There was a time when I put my camera down for months, buried under deadlines and the pressure to ‘be productive.’ I told myself I didn’t have time for photography, I’m already filled with so much workload and my words are running the show now. But the more I ignored it, the more I felt disconnected from myself.

In a world obsessed with productivity, it’s easy to neglect the things that bring us joy. Studies show that people who regularly engage in their passions experience lower stress levels, greater life satisfaction, and improved mental health. Yet, so many of us push aside the things we love because we’re ‘too busy’ or ‘it’s not practical.’ I’ve even used the excuse (I’m pretty sure it’s not an excuse, but sure) that a girl holding a camera in Manila is a dangerous combination and just screams two of the words that I am most afraid of as a girl that starts with the letter “R”.

But here’s what I’ve learned: passion isn’t just a hobby you indulge in when you have the time—it’s a vital part of who you are. When we constantly push aside the things that make us feel alive, we start to lose pieces of ourselves. We become shells of who we once were, consumed by the idea that our worth is tied only to how productive we are.

We live in a world that glorifies hustle culture, where every minute is expected to be spent chasing success, meeting deadlines, or proving our value through output. But what if fulfillment wasn’t just about work? What if carving out time for your passions—whether it’s writing, photography, music, or anything that sets your soul on fire—is just as important as chasing career goals?

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve abandoned the things you love in the name of being “productive,” then maybe this is the reminder you need: you are more than just the work you do. And the things you love? They matter.

Pursuing what you love isn’t just about enjoyment; it’s about self-discovery. It teaches you who you are beyond work, beyond expectations. It builds confidence, fuels creativity, and gives life a deeper sense of purpose.

I have always been someone who liked to explore activities that make me learn something. I’ve always said that I am much more of a student of life rather than a student at school. I enjoyed expanding my skills towards activities that I find fun and since I was a kid, I tried to dip my feet into many passion points such as learning guitar, piano, bass, painting, volleyball, badminton, cooking and photography, apart from the things that I’m naturally good at. It seemed a lot, but my mind is just restless and I am taking advantage of the good side of having ADHD.

But despite having so many things that set my soul on fire, the weight of responsibilities felt heavier. The stacks of deadlines turned into mountains, and somewhere along the way, I got buried in the avalanche.

What I’ve realized, though, is that our passions aren’t just side interests—they are reflections of who we are at our core. They allow us to express ourselves in ways words often can’t. They are the most authentic parts of us, untouched by expectations or the need for validation. That’s why embracing what makes you unique—whether it’s through art, movement, music, or something unconventional—isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity. My most favorite TED Talk of Ethan Hawke talks about how art is not a luxury, it’s sustenance. What we do in our daily routine is our way of creating our lives. It is our art.

So if there’s something you love, something that makes you feel like yourself, don’t let it slip away. Make space for it. Let it be a part of your life, not just an afterthought. Because the things that bring you joy? They are worth fighting for.

The things we love are not random. They are part of who we are. Don’t let them fade into the background.