#so it's just wisdom and then I'll probably be able to keep up on my own

[itsgonnagetinspiringsoon]

Ok fellas it's time. After this I'll probably just do it myself but for old times' sake

5 notes and I'll listen to the wisdom saga

Not sure you can manage this one tbh 🤷

[raycatzdraws]

Wind and Spirit have a bad time in the Sacred Realm!

It's my Spirit Tracks x LU fic / concept / thing! There are a couple written scenes which can be read on AO3! This is one of them and can be read [here!]. I don't see myself continuing this project, but even so, I want to say some thank yous (under the read more)!

The animatic has no audio, but if it did, it would be Robot Soldiers from Castle in the Sky.

---

The project isn't something I think I'll be finishing, but that said, it's been fun to work on.

I know it's just a silly unfinished fic and some art and maybe I'll come back to it, however, I am just a little guy with so much gratitude! It meant so much to me to be so welcomed by the LU fandom when I initially posted that Spirit Tracks LU art compilation in 2021. (this one!) The art and fic couldn't have been made without the incredible art, writing, support, and headcanon brainstorming from the people around me and the inspiration I found in their works and ideas.

Thank you to everyone who's left comments and kind tags!

Thank you to @esthelle-wanders for the excited comments and support over the years.

Thank you to @snowylynxx for her Spirit Tracks LU comics which gave me so much motivation and whose Spirit design I've been borrowing.

To @theegh0st. I adore your art! A frame from the pump trolley animation has been your header for so long and it's so fun to see it when visiting your blog. It's been an honor!

And thank you so much to Wicked (@spirit-tracks) and Train (@fuckit-hero-of-trains) for 1) being unhinged in the best possible way about Spirit Tracks and 2) for your incredible writing <3

If you like Spirit in LU fics, then I really recommend Keeping Track of the Little Things by wickedcriminal. Wicked started a headcanon post about Spirit [here], it got picked up and added to, I made some art, and Wicked made a fic. Spirit worrying about his place in the group and stressing about time management is a headcanon I'm fond of. Worrying about schedules is something Time can probably relate on, and so it's something I wanted to include for them to connect over in a moment of downtime. Though the setting and stakes are different, Wicked has already written something similar to how I imagine the scene would play out, and it's absolutely wonderful.

!!! The project meant so much at the time! Some of the work I did on the lore is so cool!!! There's a bit of lore about the Triforce that was given in OoT which we hadn't seen happen in a game, but that I wanted for the Spirit Tracks fic, so I plotted it out. So then (spoilers for Echoes of Wisdom) to see it in Echoes was really cool!!!! It was really validating that, yeah I read that right and executed it how it was meant to! >:) There's other stuff too, but anyways aaaa

I just don't see myself completing it, though. It feels kind of bad to give it away but I also need to be free of it. It's been nearly four years... which is wild!

Thank you again for reading and for the support and enthusiasm up to now. It means a lot to know there were people invested in a story I made. It's small and fragmented, but still. Thank you.

(maybe maybe maybe I'll draw a couple more scenes as I have been, but for the fic, I am releasing writing while also saying it's going to be unfinished and discontinued asjdsahdgs sorry 'xD is that a thing people can do? I think the scenes are cool! That's just,,, all I'm able to write I think. Can people post just- isolated scenes? ,,,, That's definitely a thing. I still felt like I should say something. ANYWAYS <3 See ya!)

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | ANNOUNCMENT

Hey guys! As some of you may have read on my previous post, I got my wisdom teeth removed on tuesday and I just couldn't post yesterday, but the chapter is comming out in a few minutes so don't worry too much about it.

Now, the IMPORTANT news regarding the posting schedule: We're going on a mini hiatus!

There WON'T be a new chapter 18th of September.

There is a POSSIBILITY that there WON'T be one on the 25th either.

I'm going on a roadtrip and then I'm going to have some visit over and a lot of activities (got some friends comming over from abroad) and I highly doubt I'm going to be able to mantain my writting schedule.

But rest assured, we're definetly going to be back by the 2nd of October (if it's not by the 25th).

I have no idea how the network connection is going to be on my trip so there's also a high chance you might not hear from me much next week, but If you have any questions or anything, just DM or send me an ask and I'll get to it as soon as possible <3

I'll come back with cute pictures like last time, so keep an eye out for those  (๑>؂•̀๑)

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

As you might have read already, GC is ending soon, I'm thinking 10-15 chapters left (if I don't get carried away) and I want to print and bind my own physical copy. It will probably contain pictures, fan art, and other bonus material. Either way, if you want to collaborate, either in the revision (editing) or in bonus content, please don't hesitate to hit me up.

Thanks for reading, have a fantastic day,

xxx, Lils

[aleksanderscult]

I loved your analysis! Can you analyse the (barely there, not enough) Darklina scenes from the KOS duology? I could not rationalize some of what was going on there.

First of all, I'm so sorry for taking that long to reply, anon! (Hasn't it been over two weeks since you send this or what??😭😭)

Second, thank you so much for your kind words! 💗💗

Third, you and I both friend 🤝🤝

'Cause honestly I didn't know what the fuck was happening in that interaction too 😭

I'll actually analyze the only Darklina scene we got in RoW. But if you want another one too, just send me an ask!

So! Let's dive in and analyze that hot mess, shall we?

(note: I had to go back and read this scene very carefully in order to understand what the actual fuck they were saying💀)

⚠️TW!: PTSD, trauma⚠️

The way he's so obedient with her even in this life 😭

If somebody else had ordered him to do that, he wouldn't obey. But Alina? Alina is a different story and this is the first time he hears her voice since his death in R&R.

'Any little victory'

Uhh....okay...??

You made him wipe his feet. I'm.... impressed??

(confusion levels 📉)

LMAO MY BOY WOKE UP AND CHOSE VIOLENCE

I always believed that the dynamic between Aleksander and Alina involves lots of teasing. But not in the fun sense. But in the sense of "I'm getting under your skin. My words to you sting".

And that's what the Darkling does here too. He's a prisoner. Their prisoner. So he tries to gain the upper hand by using his wits, his past with Alina and the latter's trauma against her to get even.

Pretty clever, huh?

See what I mean?

He tries to weaken her confidence and it's interesting that back in Keramzin he also tried to get even (and he did) by killing her mother figure.

Aleksander: "Wanna fuck with me? Wanna mess with me? How about that time when I burnt that orphanage and killed your "mother"?"

*Alina's sure confidence is gone and now the Darkling has the upper hand in her feelings*

OUTSTANDING MOVE 👌

Excuse me, Misha? Who the Hell gave you the permission to interrupt or talk at all??

Also, do you really expect from the Darkling to remember a little boy while he was too busy trying to rule a nation, win a war and persuade Alina to join him?

And if you also expect him to remember you from that time when Baghra went out to confront her son while you escorted her, then you're also wrong. 'Cause he was too busy being furious that his mother sided and helped the opposite side and too busy being distraught because he was watching her fall to her death.

You're not important, son.

Sit down.

LMAO THIS IS SO HILARIOUS

Misha you're still an infant. Please shut up.

I honestly liked him in the Grisha Trilogy (I found him a cutie) but now I want to slap him and everyone else in this duology except Aleksander

The Darkling has survived numerous murdering attempts against him. He was finally killed by Alina not because of some grand display of her powers but because the former was so heartbroken by Alina's fate (and his own because he would be alone) that he just gave up on his life. Basically he committed suicide.

Misha, you wouldn't be able to kill him even now that he's powerless and in chains. Probably you would stumble and fall in the effort or smth.

Uhh actually no, Mal.

Threating him only makes you sound like idiots, honestly.

Also, since when did Mal gained ✨wisdom✨?

Wasn't he the hot-tempered one in the trilogy who always got angry with the mere mention of the Darkling? And the one who wanted to kill him as well?

Alina, you know damn well what his name is.

Honestly, I think she didn't say it because she wanted to respect the fact that he trusted her to keep it.

And I agree that Yuri is a horrible name for him. Makes him seem like a fisherman 😭

Meanwhile Alina in S&B:

So either Bardugo kinda forgot these scenes or we're led to believe that these scenes weren't her being happy, but we thought she was happy.

(me casually ignoring that theory because I choose to believe only the things that MAKE SENSE)

The fact that Bardugo made Alina believe that she was unhappy when she was whole with her powers and surrounded by people like her but totally happy now that she has no powers (a part of her soul actually) and living with a man that slut-shamed her in a toxic, childhood place is umm... yeah. Not good.

So basically:

Aleksander: "You look different. You look like shit. What the fuck did they do to you? This is not you"

Alina: "No bro I'm happy now that I live in toxic conditions where the teachers mock me, Mal takes me out for a walk to forget my psychological traumas and I raise some Grisha children that will fade because they don't use their powers and some others that I probably am in no condition to raise. At least that's what the author said is happiness, bro."

Aleksander: "......."

Alina: "......"

The readers: "........."

ALEKSANDER IS HONESTLY ALL OF US FRR WITH HIS LINES

"In peace"

Yeah, having PTSD certainly is peaceful. And knowing that you abandoned your country and left its fate to chance certainly makes you sleep like a baby at night.

"We chose the life we wanted"

Alina, you didn't CHOOSE to lose your powers. And before that you didn't even know what you wanted to do with your life. It was a last minute decision for you.

"I fell pray to the same greed that drove you"

Girl, are we the only ones who did our homework??

In his POV in RoW he confirmed that he tampered with merzost in the past because he wanted to stop Ravka's wars. So as far as we know he never used power exclusively for himself.

"I paid the price for tampering with merzost"

Now hold a second. I thought that the reason Alina lost her powers is because Morozova wanted that said power to be shared by any otkazat'sya around. It wasn't that much of a punishment as much as a need for Morozova to share that power.

Unless it was..... both?

I just want a guy that will believe in me and my abilities the way Aleksander does with Alina, man 😭

He strongly believes that she could become a Queen even without her powers. And he's actually so right when he says to her that her wounds won't heal. Because no matter how much you try to convince yourself that you are alright. No matter how hard you try to persuade your mind that you're not broken, reality will always hit you. Some wounds never heal and Alina's certainly will not. She didn't lose a toy, she lost a part of her soul and witnessed many die. How the hell does she think she's suitable to raise children, when she herself is NOT okay psychologically?

"In the wake of your wars"

Excuse me. Why is the Fjerdan and Shu wars always the Darkling's fault??

"And maybe when our country is free, then that wound will close"

She sounds so brainwashed bye--

And just like I said, wounds like that never close unfortunately. It can only become more bearable with time. But not forgetable.

Ah yes. Bardugo makes us watch how cute their relationship is.

Am I supposed to take off my camera and snap pictures of them whispering with tears in my eyes: "They look so adorable"?

'Cause I won't.

The way Bardugo has made Mal unfazed by the Darkling's comments. A thing that completely contrasts his nature in the Grisha trilogy.

He also made him have "sassy" lines because we've got to like him somehow, right? 🤗

Still hate him

Basically, dear anon, the author has made Mal more "likeable", immune to the Darkling's insults, patient and witty in order for us to change our mind about him and finally like him.

(mission failed btw)

He is literally nothing like his trilogy counterpart and, if possible, she made him more annoying.

(how the hell she managed to do that, I don't know)

I just feel sorry for Aleksander who has to deal with all these jerks. If I were there, I would have helped him kill them and bury their bodies.

Because you let your heart and feelings get the better of you, Aleksander. Because you proved to be the most human of all these characters here. You let her come close. And that's what killed you.

(also, shut up Misha)

Alina, you could have said "no" to that invitation. So stop acting like they dragged you from the hair here.

"Do you think you could manage it?"

Do you, Alina? 'Cause really, what did YOU do to make the lives of Grisha better? At least he built a palace for them.

"It's not like you didn't get a fair try before. Hundreds of tries"

Yeah, and half of them failed because you got in the way. You refused to listen to him and, even if you didn't like the way he dealt with the persecution, you chose to run away (again) instead of deciding to stay and do better.

SHE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT ZOYA AND NIKOLAI COULD DO BETTER LMAO 😭😭

Zoya, the very fact that he mentioned you should feel like a badge of honor.

And yet Ravka is in its worst condition ever.

Sorry Alina but I don't see shit from them.

The fact that the Darkling keeps mentioning that he's eternal is to remind them that he has seen everything and done everything. He has more experience than they will ever have. Not to gloat about it. And yet Alina takes it as the latter.

And it's funny that Alina turns him down for the job saying he has no powers when Alina herself suffers from the same condition 😀

Finally someone with self-reflection.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!

PREACH!! PREACH!! 👏👏

When you have the "villain" exposing the true problem in the story, the flaws and failures while having the heroes screaming "EVERYTHING IS FINE. YOU'RE WRONG!" then you know that something is wrong.

How the Hell are they gonna provide eternal peace in Ravka and to the Grisha when:

They have no experience

They are too busy criticizing the villain instead of looking at their own flaws

They doubt themselves

(you can add to the list, guys)

And he's not shaken because he's talking with a Saint, Zoya. He's shaken because he's talking to Alina. She always had a way in getting under his skin. He said it.

"Fine. Make me your villain" fits here 'cause he never perceived himself as the bad guy but he knew that this is what others thought of him.

I think it still stung to him to know that others saw his every action in a negative light but he still kept going. And sometimes he even used it (at the end of R&R).

Alina still wants to believe that there's something redeemable inside him. Her POVs were always the "kindest" in the way they painted the Darkling.

MISHA COULD YOU PLEASE SHUT IT

What about his mother, huh??

Who, despite the abuse he suffered from her, he still cared about??

Alina?? Oh boy, he was in love with her, obsessed and gave her so many chances. Something that he almost never does unless he's desperate.

So PRETTY PLEASE STOP TALKING

Meanwhile the Darkling in R&R, chapter 11:

"I have regretted many of the things I’ve had to do in this war."

So either Bardugo forgot that or Alina did or Aleksander changed his mind.

Or (my theory) Bardugo changed his perception in order for us to feel less sympathetic towards him.

Nevertheless, at least he has a spine and knows where he stands.

And Alina wanted the Darkling to say it not for him but for her. So she can feel okay. Unless Zoya is talking bullshit.

YES ALEKSANDER WHY DIDN'T YOU LIE SO OUR HEROINES COULD FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES???!!

HOW DARE YOU?? 😠😠

He tries so hard to persuade her that the reality she lives in will not pay off anything. First off, this is not who she is or what she was meant to become and second, why does she teaches children stories that are lies? Feeding them false hope, repeating a circle that others had also been doing.

"Do you *really* believe..."

He wants to make sure that she stands by that. He just can't believe that this is her opinion. Her choice.

He just wants her to shine people!! 😭😍

"Those stories tell us the only people who matter are Kings and Queens. They're wrong"

Now tell me, Alina, which stories do YOU tell them? What do you teach them? That the world is as rosy as the orphanage they live in, where they only eat sugar and play the piano? Do you imagine what kind of reality check will those children get once they live in the real world?

And here, ladies and gentlemen, we see the Darkling having reached his limits and saying "Fuck this shit I'm out"

Congratulations, Aleksander! You survived that meeting with these buffoons and their groundless arguments!! 👏👏

Here, have this! 🏅

He saw his chance (Alina holding Mal's hand) and seized it. But I think he really meant all those questions he asked to Alina.

So, dear anon, what we have here is the villain making his effort (again) to be heard and understood. He tries to make them see his own point of view: Ravka is in serious danger and Zoya and Nikolai are in no position to protect it. He, on the other hand, can since he has more experience and balls to deal with these issues. The Darkling is no pussy. He truly makes hard decisions when he must, something that essentially all rulers must do when the situation calls for it.

But! We have the good guys silencing him and threating him (even having a little child to do the last one) in order for the reader to understand what he has left in his wake. How much pain he has caused.

Mal has gotten ✨magically✨ wiser and calmer and has actual wits to repel the Darkling's insults in order for us to get to like Mal and see how much he has changed.

Alina sounds like a brainwashed woman who is convinced that her lifestyle is great! That wanting something more (idk. a throne and changing the world maybe) is sinful and unfitting of her.

Aleksander is the only one who thinks otherwise for her, though. Thank God, I mean!

He sought Alina out both to reclaim his powers and because he just wanted to see her.

Personally, in this scene only the Darkling makes sense. The others either want to feel good about themselves by threating him or want to convince him that "Hey, we're the good ones here. We know what we're doing, okay?" and his own ways are shit.

Dear anon, if you have any other questions or want me to analyze any other Darklina scene from this book or duology that I didn't include, then just say so!

And please any others who want to add something about this scene, feel free to criticise in the comments! 💛💛

[itsnotamatterofif]

you asked for slickball and you shall receive

- absolutely nobody saw it coming because they both dealt with their feelings by fighting, verbally and physically ( not all out fights but friendly-ish hitting and arguing)

- only the Dinah saw it coming (and forced them to figure it out)

- only the coaches and porter figured out they were dating without being explicitly told

- they don't do traditional pda except at races and on TV and stuff so that others know to back off

- they do pda though but in the form of light hitting and aggressively leaning on each other

I'm in class so I have to put this down but if I think of more I'll send u them

Teehee these are so cute thank you pal!!!

Obsessed with them thinking their PDA is so incredibly lowkey and that no one will ever find out that they’re together, except their PDA is them, two usually incredibly touch averse people, leaning on each other. Slick is such a fan of the ‘that’s too funny stop it’ friendly punch, but she never ever finds anyone funny, UNTIL she starts doing it to everything GB says 👀

Poor Dinah trying to help them to get together bless, talk about a Herculean task - Pearl probably helped in a way without realising and then only realised when she saw Slick trailing around after GB the week after (I HC that where Dinah doesn’t end up with GB/Slick it’s because she’s got a fat crush on Pearl and realised her crush on GB was just infatuation 🥺).

I love High Wisdom Low Int Porter as well knowing full well about his sisters crush but knowing not to spread it around because the other freights will Kill Her bc GB is An Asshole (he also understands the secret relationship pain)

Once they’re out though they’re very determinedly and clearly each other’s it’s ridiculous. GB is just always like, leaning on Slick or scrubbing oil off her or sorting her hair out, lots of preening since it gives her an excuse to display affection as well as being able to brush it off as needing to keep up appearances since she’s with the champion - she never had to do this with Dinah bc Dinah was always immaculate, but Slick is GRIMY so now GB has so many excuses to preen.

Mmm tasty tasty thank you so much for the lesbians my good friend

[mxjackparker]

hi! sorry if this isn't something you're comfortable answering publicly, but do you have any advice for someone starting full-service sex work? the conventional wisdom i've been able to find online is that you should ask your SWer friends for advice when you start out, but i don't know any irl, hence asking here...

for context, i'm US-based and have been (anonymously) selling solo videos online for a few months for a bit of cash while job-hunting, and i'm stillll unemployed and just so fucking done with the job search that i'm considering really leaning into sex work instead. i know it's not easy money and it can be dangerous, but i don't really have other good prospects and honestly i think i might kind of enjoy it? in that i like having sex and trying out new stuff sexually and talking about sex/sexuality with people, and frankly so far filming myself jerking off and posting it on the internet has felt way less degrading than doomscrolling linkedin and writing endless cover letters that will probably never be read by an actual human. i've found a website called tryst that has queer-friendly options (i'm a trans guy) but like. i feel like i have no idea what to do/how to prepare for actually seeing a client??

like i said, i understand if you don't want to give concrete tips or if it's too difficult to give general advice to stranger on tumblr; also, i really admire the work you're doing with writing about sex work, and even if i don't end up going the FSSW route i'm glad to have learned so much about the politics and history of the industry through your blog.

Hey! Totally fine to ask me things like this, and you're also welcome to e-mail or DM me with specific questions and I'll always keep that private and confidential.

I wrote this transmasculine guide to sex work a while back that I think would be helpful to you if you haven't already read it. It has general tips, though it's a little lacking in examples of sites and leaves out options like Rent Men and Bedpage etc. To work out where it makes the most sense to advertise, I'd suggest looking up sex workers in your area on social media or just other trans guys selling sex in the US to see what sites they're advertising on.

As for my biggest pieces of advice based on my experience:

Find community with other sex workers as soon as possible once you start, whether that's through joining online groups or in-person events if there are any near you. This will mean you have people who understand, who you can go to if something bad happens, and allow you to learn from the experiences they share with you.

Get a separate phone and sim card for work. Beg people you know for their old shitty second-hand ones, buy a cheap sim card under a false name, whatever you have to do. Your number is connected to your identity and no matter how careful you are someone will be able to trace it back to your real name and info if you don't get a separate device and number.

If you're someone who currently enjoys sex either with a partner or casually, don't neglect it once you start selling sex. You might think that since you'll be having way more sex, a lack of sex will be the opposite of your issue, but it feels different when it's for work and you don't want to develop a patter of treating all sex you have like it's work. That's less likely to happen if you maintain your current patterns in addition to work. (Disregard if you're not sexually active with others currently, out of preference.)

Decide on sexual boundaries in advance and stick to them even if you change your mind in the moment with a client. Example: if you decide no anal and then you're with a client and you feel like you might actually be fine with it, err on the side of caution and wait until after the booking to think about it again for the future. A sense of pressure can fall on you when there's a financial incentive without you realizing that's what it is at the time.

Find methods of self-soothing and plan what you'll do after bookings in advance, in case you have a bad experience.

Look into sexual health clinics that are sex worker friendly in advance, so you know you can be honest with them and they won't refuse to test you more frequently than people with a smaller number of partners.

These pieces of advice are from all over, but they're a bunch of the things that have been on my mind most recently and that came to me first. If you have specific worries, feel free to ask about them and I wish you ever bit of luck if you decide to start selling sex.

[the-mic-drop]

Building Zelda in BG3- Sorcerer

@benilos asked for it, and I'm delivering!

So, we've got two options for Zelda; a Sorcerer and a Wizard. A cleric might also work, but I haven't really settled on the specifics yet. The Sorcerer build is below the cut. I'll do the Wizard build next

We'll start with the version I use in the Isekai series I've been posting. I call this one...

The Dragon Queen

Background

Race: Elf (High Elf)

Background: Noble

High Elf Cantrip: Ray of Frost

Now High Elf I feel is self-explanatory, and Ray of Frost is the cantrip because she's more aligned with Naydra and her ice powers. As for the Noble background, I choose that over Sage because this Zelda is when she's really stepping into her role as Hyrule's regent. She's building a rapport with her people and is comfortable using her status as "Princess of Hyrule." Though if you disagree and think Sage is more appropriate, I can't really argue with you.

Abilities

Strength: 8 (-1)

Dexterity: 10 (0)

Constitution: 10 (0)

Intelligence: 16 (+3)

Wisdom: 12 (+1)

Charisma: 17 (+3)

Charisma is the main stat because that's a Sorcerer's spellcasting modifier, and even though Zelda is the Wisdom part of the Triforce, this version of her is much more of an intellectual than a philosopher. I felt the need to give her a tiny boost to Dex and Con becuase she's bound to be good with precision tasks and she's been through quite a bit.

Class & Levels

Class: Sorcerer

Sub-Class: Draconic Bloodline

Draconic Ancestry: White (Cold)

Sorcerer is a natural choice due to the inherited nature of her divine powers, and Draconic Bloodline fits perfectly since this is post-TotK Zelda, who deserves to keep some of her Draconic aspects. (Note that Draconic Bloodline gives you Draconic Resilience, making Mage Armor unnecessary.)

Proficiencies: Arcana, Religion

Cantrips: Shocking Grasp, Light, Friends, Blade Ward

Spells: Thunderwave, Witch Bolt

Arcana and Religion just fit way better than your other options. Shocking Grasp from Urbosa, Light because duh, Friends because her high Cha makes her a natural choice as the party's face, and Blade Ward because of her desire to protect those around her. Thunderwave and Witch Bolt are also thanks to Urbosa.

Level 2

Spell: Feather Fall (She floats sometimes)

Metamagic: Careful Spell, Extended Spell

Level 3

Spell: Gust of Wind (Revali)

Metamagic: Subtle Spell

Level 4

Spell: Hold Person (Calamity Wrangler/Stasis)

Cantrip: Mage Hand

Feat: Ability Improvement (Cha +2)

Mage Hand because she'd love it for efficient research. When you up your Charisma to 19, you'll likely be near the point where you're facing Auntie Ethel and you'll probably be able to get her boon easy enough to top Zelda up at 20 Cha.

Level 5

Spell: Slow (Sage of Time)

Level 6

Spell: Lightning Bolt (Urbosa)

Level 7

Spell: Ice Storm (Naydra)

Level 8

Spell: Banishment/Daylight

Feat: War Caster

Banishment because that's what Zeldas tend to do to Ganon in the series and Daylight because of the divine light she tends to generate. War Caster is just a necessary choice for any spellcaster.

Level 9

Spell: Hold Monster (Calamity Wrangler/Stasis)

Level 10

Spell: Telekinesis (Shiekah Tablets)

Cantrip: Dancing Lights (Divine Light)

Metamagic: Distant Spell

Level 11

Spell: Sunbeam (Divine Light)

Level 12

Spell: Chain Lightning/Cone of Cold/Globe of Invulnerability/Dimension Door

Feat: Mobile/Resilient- Wisdom/Spell Sniper

So, once I get to level 12, I find my main issue with Sorcerer; the lack of spells. You're plenty powerful, but not as utilitarian as you might like. Anyway, by the time you get to your max level, you'll have a Zelda that is as much a force of personality as a force of nature.

[drdemonprince]

Thank you for talking about the ills of isolation and withdrawing during a moment where we need collective action, whatever that may look like for each one of us.

I have been thinking a lot about how I want to belong to groups who are doing things I care about and what gets in the way of that goal. A huge difficulty I have as an autistic woman and a woc in a small town in a white majority country is that often even with people whose politics I broadly agree with, there is a lot of interpersonal unease and irritation to get through. This is probably sometimes as much my fault as theirs. But sometimes it's stuff like people openly rolling their eyes at my name (too foreign and hard apparently) or me finding some of the things they say awful (a queer rights group still being racist for example) or just finding people annoying to be around at times.

How do I show up in these spaces and create a community without burning out from annoyance/disappointment/the everyday alienation of it all? Surely moving to a big city cannot be a practical answer when it's not affordable? And surely there must be a way to be honest about my politics and stand up for myself and still be in halfway progressive spaces that are doing good work and are best options right now in terms of proximity and impact? My parents' answer (different generation, country, culture) was always keep your head down and stay out of difficult things like organizing. I am tired of living like that. But I also feel I am too angry and too unfit to deal with the everyday reality of what people are like to be able to part of movements. The alternative though is to having a panic attack while reading the news and sink into despair and helplessness which sucks. Am I missing an obvious way out here? As always, very grateful to you for your wisdom and clarity on living uncowered.

Thank you so much for your wonderful message and question. I am admittedly a little out of my depth in some ways in answering this, I feel, as a white person and a man who people don't tend to subject to the worst of the kind of treatment that you're speaking to. (What I do get is people thinking that expressing the prejudices will be acceptable to me, which I have the responsibility to shut down as often as humanly possible, so that spaces don't have a such a dogshit culture and alienate tons of people like you).

I think you do really have to look over your own bandwidth, and determine for you what is tolerable and what isn't. As a trans person, there are slightly "off" little comments that I'll accept from someone who isn't well versed in the topic, and differences in how elders talk and think about gender that I'll tolerate bemusedly, but if it ventures into any area that makes the space explicitly hostile to trans people who are more vulnerable than me, then it's something I need to fight about or I need to abandon the space.

For a woman of color like yourself, I think that kind of decision making is a lot more fraught, because frankly I never have to worry about anybody really escalating their bullshit with me too badly, and they'll want to forget it pretty quickly after the conflict even if I do challenge them.

(This propensity towards midwest nicey-ness / white person fake nicey-ness can sometimes be leveraged to win a battle or two -- when I have obviously, unquestionably shut down someone's ignorance or read them for filth diplomatically for making a really dumb point, often the other person's impulse is to backtrack and make nice or pretend that what they said never happened, while also never doing it again in my presence, and in plenty of situations, that's plenty good enough. I have seen this kind of maneuvering work for people of color too, especially in groups like churches, volunteer organizations, cultural affinity groups, and the like, where there is a strong bias towards everybody getting along...sometimes that awful cultural norm can be shifted to your advantage if you Make the Person Saying the Fucked Up Thing the Awkward One.)

I think a lot of what you'll have to do is discern between the groups where you can push back against the remarks and policies that are unacceptable to you but basically get along with well-enough intentioned people, and the groups where you will be singled out and treated poorly for speaking up or ever asserting yourself. It also really helps to befriend all the other people of color & neurodivergent people in the space early on into joining a group, so you have people to lean on and you can get their lay of the land.

I wish I had advice that was more targeted and immediately actionable, but I think a lot of this is a very subtle dance based on the community spaces you move within, your political goals, the people within the space, the norms within that space surrounding conflict, how many other poc are there, etc etc. You will probably have to try a couple of groups before you find one that is tolerable enough for you because a) the people arent That Fucked Up, and b) they can kind of handle conflict some of the time at least. Please don't be disheartened if things feel awkward or a few of your first tries have rancid vibes. You can also take steps to build the very community spaces that you want -- by reaching out to other people of color in the area and forming your own groups that can then partner with these kind of annoying white majority organizations. The autonomy is useful and may preserve some social and emotional spoons, but at the cost of having to do a lot of organizing work. So, tradeoffs.

Would love to hear in the comments from people of color who do organizing in non-urban areas and have to deal with a lot of white people nonsense.

[witchynyx]

Culpeper's Complete Herbal

Have you ever read a book talking about herbal associations and asked: "Where the fk do they even get this from?"

Well... the answer is history! Generally a mix of historical medical herbalism and herblore - although the line between those two categories gets fuzzier the farther back in history you go. 

As part of my quest to understand this history of herbalism, I've wound up spending the past 4 years lovingly creating my own edition of Culpeper's Complete Herbal (originally published in 1653)... which I'll be publishing this year! 

Without sacrificing Culpeper's trademark sass, this edition aims to make the famous text a little more accessible (for those not well-versed in Elizabethan England), while keeping his wit and wisdom intact. 

It will be released in 2 volumes, so that readers can choose between just the Herbal, and geeking out over the complete historical text (totalling over 1,000 pages). 

What makes this edition different?

Culpeper's Herbal has been in continuous publication since 1653 - which is no minor feat! - so what makes this edition different to all the others?

Excellent question!

I've put a ridiculous amount of research into identifying as many of the plants as possible, as accurately as possible. 

Yes, other editions have been released that include plant identifications, but if you look closely, you'll often find they'll let you down. 

Perhaps the common name matches, but when you read the description provided by Culpeper, he's very clearly describing a quite different plant. In other cases, I've seen folks just straight-up leave out plants they weren't able to identify (because of course 'Dragons' doesn't need a description)! 

There are definitely a few that I'm not 100% on, and a few others I'm more uncertain on (especially being located across the globe and not being able to investigate the flora of the London area first-hand), but I've trawled both modern and historical references to do the best job I possibly could - beating every other attempt I've been able to find by a significant margin. 

You'll also find high-quality, full-colour botanical illustrations of the plants mentioned. 

No, not crappy line-art that's challenging to match to its real-world counterpart. 

No, not that one set of illustrations from an 18th-century edition that you see included in most editions since then (which, again, often absolutely are not the plant described in the text). 

I genuinely couldn't answer which has taken more time between identifying the plants, vs sourcing and painstakingly restoring stunning, full-colour antique botanical illustrations of every plant highlighted in the Herbal... but honestly, it was probably restoring the illustrations. 

Spanning across a number of publications, artists, and centuries, these illustrations not only aid in recognising and identifying the plants discussed, but are works of art in their own rights. 

Why do I care about a 370-year-old medical text? Surely it's irrelevant and outdated?

Yes, it's outdated (as a medical text); no, it's not irrelevant!

Please, please, please do not take anything in this book as actual medical advice! While many of these plants are still used in modern medical herbalism, we're much more aware of safety, impacts, and interactions now, so if this is what you're looking for, there are other books on this topic, written by modern experts, who have an understanding of how to use herbs safely - and please consult with a suitably-qualified expert before starting any new medical treatments or regimens. 

However... 

Are you interested in plants and botanical history? 

Culpeper's Herbal is a marvellous reference of plants common in the London area in the 17th century, their names, and the beliefs surrounding them (plus you'll love the illustrations)! 

Are you interested in the history of medicine or medical herbalism? 

This book was used as a genuine medical resource until the advent of modern medicine almost 200 years later! 

Are you interested in herb-lore or magical herbalism? 

Culpeper was one of the leading medical astrologers (to the extent that he was actually accused of witchcraft in an attempt to discredit him), with each herb profile including astrological associations, temperaments, their actions within Hippocrates' humoural medical system, and a bunch of other beliefs and folklore mixed in. A huge portion of modern magical associations of plants derive directly from their histories of medical uses. 

Convinced? Curious?

You can head over to the website to sign up for updates! 👇🏻

[peacefulemoyearnings]

what are your thoughts on tlk1, tlk2 and tlg? how much do you like each of them?

ooh good question!!! lemme see here. putting this under a keep reading bc it long

TLK is definitely far and away the best out of all of em. God the visuals!!! Each shot is a definite masterpiece. Each scene vitally important to the film as a whole. The best scenes in the movie imo are Mufasa and Simba roughhousing and Mufasa's ghost speaking to Simba. Each emotional beat in those scenes just hits me in the feels every fucking time. Oh, and the music. It's simply impossible to discuss TLK without the music! Each song number is catchy and fun. The Circle of Life sets my soul on fire every fucking time. I Just Can't Wait to Be King and Hakuna Matata are my fucking anthems. Can You Feel the Love Tonight is sweet and romantic, with the funny bits with Timon and Pumbaa being the cherry on top. Even tho Be Prepared is my least favorite song in the movie, that doesn't mean it's a bad song. It's only my least favorite bc I don't resonate with it as much but it's still one hell of a banger. Also this movie arguably has the most recognizable leitmotifs ever. Mufasa's leitmotif is grand, majestic, and tragic when he dies. Simba's leitmotif is hope filled, inspiring, and awesome, especially at the end of the movie. The musical score is amazing. We Are All Connected, Kings of the Past, and The Rightful King are easily my top 3 movie score pieces of all time. I just. There's so much to unpack and I just aaaaaaaa it's my very favorite movie of all time!!!

While TLK2 obviously isn't at quite the same level, it's still a worthy sequel in its own right. The animation is still pretty good, the characters are fairly solid and the music is still mostly catchy as hell (that said, Upendi is definitely the cheesiest song in the whole movie and I definitely could do without it). I think Adult Simba's characterization is the strongest without a doubt here. Matthew Broderick's enraged shout of "Exile!" gets me every time. He's still wrestling with being like his father. Oh and Kiara is arguably my favorite TLK female character of all time and is probably my second favorite TLK character next to Cub Simba. Her compassion and wisdom really draw parallels with that of her grandfather and I headcanon that she sort of felt his presence guiding her as she fell in love with Kovu. Oh, He Lives in You and We Are One are my favorite songs of the movie. There's a spirituality to them that I really can't ignore (i'm a bit reluctant to go into my spiritual beliefs on tumblr bc of religious trauma and also i think i'll probably get lambasted haha).

TLG is a mixed bag for me. The chemistry between the characters in the first two seasons was pretty solid. The music is excellent as always, Zuka Zama being my favorite. The antagonists were pretty awesome too, especially Reirei. God, I love her. I also really appreciate that this show doesn't forget about its side characters and most of them make at least two appearences in the show, which I do appreciate. I also liked the little parallel shot references to TLK (in a youtube video seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0EYqMIR58&t=13s). However, Simba's characterization here really bugged me. Especially in the Savannah Summit episode where he basically tells Kion that he ruined it. He feels more like Kion's boss than his father. While I am able to headcanon that as him throwing himself into his royal duties to protect his family, I do wish he had at least a slight bit of chill. I also was bugged about Kiara wanting to be queen, which kind of skewed her desire to not be queen in TLK2 but honestly, I kind of chalk that up to writers forgetting her previous characterization briefly. Oh and ZURI. I fucking hate Zuri. Whose fucking idea was it to give a lion cub eyeshadow? She's irritating, unbearable, and simply unlikeable. I used to hate Tiifu but The Underground Adventure redeemed her in my eyes so she's cool with me now. Also, not a huge fan of Kion talking to Mufasa so easily. I just think it kind of ruins the whole mystique and majesty about the Lions of the Past. Season 3 was also pretty rough but I think I've complained about TLG too much already so I'll stop for now.

(gonna make a separate post about TLK 1.5 bc that movie is probably the best TLK sequel imo but yeah haha)

[trekkiehood]

Um... sorry. But as long as you keep reblogging these, I'm going to keep asking...

For Writer's Truth & Dare Ask Game...

🕯��

🎲

🦷

🦋

🧩

This ask game that I forgot I posted lol

Listen I WILL NEVER be upset at getting these (even if I was like wait when did I post it 😂) and I ADORE YOU for continually asking me stuff plz never stop

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

Oddly enough I don't hate it! Probably a 7.5 like it's not my favorite thing but some days it's nice to be able to just reread my work and only fix major issues. I don't tend to edit too much, just look for spelling/grammar errors and major plot holes. Some days it's relaxing!

🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time?

This website 😂

Well here and Instagram. I don't get a ton of free time at the moment bc I'm trying to finish up my final projects for the semester, but when I do get a free minute I'm aimlessly scrolling 😅 (or sleeping.... The amount of times I've started to write only to realize I couldn't keep my eyes open...)

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

I'll do a personal "wisdom" and a writing hack

On a personal note, don't view your platonic relationships as lesser. Don't spend your youth wishing you had a significant other, build that same loving bond with your friends. When you do get an SO, don't ignore your friends who have been with you through everything. If romantic (or familial tbh) are the only relationships you value as important you are missing out on so much. Find your t'hy'la. Maybe you have a soulmate out there, or maybe there are many shards of your soul that spread throughout different people who will come into your life at different times. Maybe it's not finding that one missing piece, but all of the pieces that make you whole. Platonic soulmates are just as important as any romantic one.

As for writing, write 200 words a day. That's it. 200 words. Do you know how long that takes? Like five minutes. You're tired? Voice note it. It gets you writing enough that if you have time and brain power you can write more. But if not? Hey you made progress, you can edit it tomorrow. And you're improving your craft! It's like commiting to doing one push up a day. It may take a while but you will get stronger! Sprints aren't the only way to get there!

🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately

This will mean very little to most of you bc it's something happening at my college, but the disrespect for the theatre department. They are treated like a secondary or unimportant field. Sports shirts are allowed to class but we were told theater shirts are inappropriate because they are not "school sponsored" like sports are (which is blatantly not true lol) and just a lot of things have been going down that frustrate me. I wish the arts got more respect, especially in the academic world.

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

Blocks of text with no breaks. Consistent chapters under 1k words (that's not always, I've written short chapters, but when you click on it you know). From the POV of an OC (I'm here for my characters, I'd read regular fiction if that's what I wanted). Bad internal monologues ("he would not frickin' say that" in the first chapter is not a good sign).

I avoid the E tag and have less than zero interest in smut. I don't like romantic stories unless the plot outshines the romantic aspect.

Thank you so much!!! This was so much fun to answer 💜💜💜

[callistosystems]

Severe tooth decay, Call for help.

Over the past several years I've had to deal with steadily worsening tooth decay and tooth damage. I live and grew up in poverty and haven't had dental insurance for as long as I can remember, so I could never afford to get any of the problems fixed and they've piled up to the point where now I have no choice but to go for emergency dental work. The only thing that has stopped me up to this point was that I wasn't in pain. That's changed. Two of my more damaged teeth have become abscessed, and others are at risk. I'll go into more detail below but I would recommend avoiding that segment if you're squeamish about dental issues. I've been prescribed antibiotics and painkillers, and I'm going to have emergency dental work done. I'm looking at at least 3 pulled, more likely 4. I will stress: I DO NOT HAVE DENTAL INSURANCE. I will be forced to take this on as medical debt, while I'm unemployed and between concrete homes. I'm making the decision to ask for help if anyone is able to provide it. I'll be accepting donations to help put a dent in the bill, my paypal email is "Calabel831@gmail.com". Any amount helps, everything I receive will be used exclusively to reduce the bill I'll be forced to pay. If you have the time I would appreciate if you could reblog this to help get the word out. (CW: Tooth decay and Damage described in detail. Don't read past this point if that bothers you.) The full extent of the damage to my teeth is much more severe than a couple of infected ones, but for the most part it can be put off. Right now I'm worried about the ones that have broken or split open deeper than the enamel, exposing the inside of the tooth itself. I have three, possibly four teeth that are damaged to this extent. My upper right canine and upper right back molar are two of them. These two are the infected ones, and the ones causing me pain. My bottom back left molar is split open with half of the cap missing and the inside exposed, this one was broken by my wisdom tooth, both of which have fully grown in. It's probably at the greatest risk of infection out of the rest of my teeth. My upper back left molar is in a similar state, but not as damaged. Aside from those most of my front teeth are severely crooked and many of them have extreme enamel damage, one of them has lost it's entire front facing surface, and the inside of these teeth under the enamel has turned completely black. These will probably all either need to be pulled or require root canals for the ones I intend to keep, but that can wait just a bit longer until I'm in a better living situation. My upper canines, including the infected one, have been shunted up into and are sticking out of the front of my gums. Both are going to wind up being removed eventually, as well as my lower right canine which is severely decayed. My lower left is in decent shape and I'll probably be able to keep it. If there's any doubt or skepticism that this is as bad as it sounds, I would be more than happy to provide images if they're requested of me. I would ask that those stay private, I'm extremely self-conscious about this issue. TL;DR I need thousands of dollars worth of dental surgery. Some of it is severe enough to be threatening to my health or even life and I need help to pay for the medical bills.

[awakenedsylvari]

What if I said number 14 for all you 14 sylvari? 👀 (or just the ones you want, all miiiiight be a LOT lol)

14. What do they think of the Nightmare Court? Would they ever join it? What would make them do so? / What made them join them? Would they ever leave it? (Sylvari ask game)

Ehehe, you picked a great one!

I'd planned to only give brief answers, oops. It's divided up into sections: Dreamers first, then characters who aren't Dreamers or Courtiers, and finally Courtiers. This is entirely because the Courtier section got much longer than the others! 😅

DREAMERS

Keelie is wary, having treated many wounds caused by the Court in her time. That said, she's generally trusting and prone to giving everyone a chance ('All things have a right to grow'); if a courtier who hadn't done her harm was wounded, she would treat them. She'd never join the Court by choice, but I can see her getting captured and forcibly converted if she's not careful.

Although Culhwch hates courtiers as much as most dreamers, they fought alongside some during the assault on Mordremoth. They've also gone through periods of disillusionment with the Grove/nobility/fighting against the dragons. It's possible that, at the right time, one of their fellow fighters might have been able to convince them. But generally, not going to happen.

Sorcha and Eirlys both have the usual Grove-aligned views on the evil of the Court, but neither of them encounter the Court much in their day-to-day. They're doing Mists stuff.

Hafwen also dislikes the Court. But he has no fighting ability, so if he was ever in the wrong place at the wrong time… sorry, dude.

OTHER

Rhiannon, Ddrysien, and Mal have all lived outside of sylvari society for a long while, for one reason or another. None of them think about the Nightmare Court much day-to-day. That being said:

Rhiannon has a strong sense of justice - perhaps too much, having rejected Ventari's wisdom for being too open to interpretation. Would never join the Court, probably fought courtiers during her time in the Lionguard. Honestly would probably kill any courtiers she did encounter, if she could get away with it.

Morally speaking, Ddrysien is the most likely of the three to align with the Court - she's cynical and unscrupulous. But she's not sadistic, just self-interested, and she would also dislike the hierarchies and commitment required. If she encountered any courtiers, she would be wary of them; if asked to pick between the Grove and the Court, she would pick the Grove.

Mal hates the Court as much as most Dream-associated sylvari, and are physically repelled by most of them - Mal has always been sensitive to sylvari empathy, and it only got worse after they answered Mordremoth's call. They would be very vulnerable to Nightmare conversion because of this and the Soundless methods they've tried to adopt since. Would immediately try to get out of any scenario where courtiers are.

Finally, Aderyn, (ex-)Mordrem with no memories of anything before that, doesn't know what the Nightmare Court is. Probably shot a few over the years, but not for being courtiers, just to keep them away in general.

COURTIERS

(Worth noting up top, I don't see Nightmare 'corruption' as inherently irreversible. I know that's not technically canon, but it's more interesting to me that way!)

Derval and Llinos, I've not decided how they joined the Court. I can't see either of them leaving, either, but that's just off the top of my head.

Daithi started out participating in Grove-aligned duels, hunts, and tournaments. Reasonably skilled and good at performing to a crowd, they found themselves being invited to more ruthless, higher-stakes revelries, which they found even more exhilarating. I haven't decided how it's revealed to them that they're attending Court events; it's probably dramatic and they leave for a while, but eventually crawl back. Maybe this happens several times, I don't know! I'll have to think about this some more. These days, they're unrepentant. If they left, it would only be to participate in a wider world of morally dubious recreational fighting. Even most of those frown on the killing/torturing of opponents who lose, so... The Court it is!

Idris and Esyllt could be their own post. They both woke on the same day, some months after the Secondborn (if Thirdborn was a thing, they would be it) and became close friends. I imagine the Nightmare Court was still growing at this point, somewhat unorganised and not seen as an outright threat.

Idris dreamt of dying, and woke obsessed with death and the avoidance of it. He found the Grove limited and limiting, and was slowly lured away by the promise of more freedom in his studies. He became one of the Court's executioners, using the close encounters with death to further his knowledge. These days, he isn't ideologically invested in the Court as an institution, though he finds some satisfaction in his role within it. However, he has no particular desire to go anywhere else either, especially given that the parts of the world with morals wouldn't exactly welcome him back. I've toyed with him taking up residence in the Heart of Maguuma to research ley magic/dragon magic, away from court politics, but I haven't decided if this is a HoT-era thing or a more permanent thing.

Esyllt was captured by the Court a year or two later while working as a healer for the Wardens. Idris refused to execute her, and she was placed into a Nightmare conversion pod. She came out a twisted reflection of the person she had been before. She discarded her medicines for poisons, and enjoys luring people in only to toy with them until they break. She intellectually knows that what Idris did to save her was awful. Nonetheless, the person that the conversion pod made her delights in Nightmare. (Naturally, she and Idris have a complicated relationship now!) Of all my courtiers, she's the least likely to leave, and this is the real reason that Idris would never leave either.

[icharchivist]

more da4 stuff are coming out and i hadn't blocked the spoilers tag yet bc the warning was that there'll be more spoilers on the 19Th, but last article by IGN actually revealed two things i really wanted to see in game by myself and i'm so mad kdjfhdjkfhd

i blocked the tag now so at least i should be able to avoid more but boooo

but about those things bc i want to discuss them:

so far it was a theory that Lucanis was possessed by a demon but the latest video just confirmed it and i'm. so sad they did so.

but they also confirmed which type of demons which is a win for me bc i've been brainstorming it for a while.

Because the tarot card showed Pride Demon and it boggled my mind because Lucanis is NOT prideful. he's only arrogant to provoke his marks. And, on the other hand, he's not particularly wise. In fact he's the opposite of wise this man fucking tore open the Veil to get revenge and then went "idk it seemed like a plan, anyway yolo YOU told me to do that", this man behaves on instincts not on wisdom.

To me, if spirit was possessing Lucanis (which was strongly hinted at from his new powers, his skillsets, the fact he's believed dead and probably did actually die!), it should be a spirit of Justice/a demon of Vengeance, because Lucanis is DEADSET on vengeance even though it's not his job. He derails his job completely because he's motivated by vengeance for people who were wronged by Ambrose.

But then again we never truly saw what type of shape a Justice/Vengeance spirit would take, since we only met one possessing other people's body. It also felt wrong to me to have this again considering how close it would have been from the Anders/Justice plotline from daoa and da2 (with Justice first possessing a dead person and him being twisted to vengeance once he gets into Anders).

So my conclusion was Justice/Vengeance unless it's a new spirit we've never heard of that is adjacent to that.

WELL the latest video seems to reveal that Lucanis is possessed by a Demon of Spite.

Which. Well. Close enough????

But also it means Lucanis very likely died or almost died and was saved by a spirit of Spite (probably because Lucanis is waaaays too comfortable using spirits to start with but that's a post for another time i have so many thoughts about Lucanis, magic, and spirits) which is why he's alive. The screenshot i've seen implies that Lucanis is trying to keep Spite from being too active, trying not to trigger it, and i wonder if the stolen glances with Emmrich in particular is a set up to how Emmrich, used to gently handling spirits who bind themselves to corpses, would help him navigate this situation.

BUT the best part to me is that it means Lucanis SURVIVED OUT OF SPITE. THIS IS THE FUNNIEST THING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER HELLO. HE LITERALLY SURVIVED OUT OF SPITE.

I already love him so much it keeps adding i'll never be safe.

The other spoiler i've seen is that we're definitely seeing Felassan again and i'm so excited for that, but i wish I'd been surprised about it in game. He's a book-only character, from The Masked Empire, and there's only one line that refers to him in Trespasser ("His friend had to die. Because he thought they were people. A slow arrow breaks in the sad wolf's jaws."), but we know Felassan was someone important to Solas and that the end of TME still haunts him, so it was logical that in the Lighthouse/Crossroads, that will be filled with Solas' memories, we'll see more about Felassan, but i was worried they may ignore him all together because he IS a book only character, no matter how beloved he is. I'm relieved they're actually showing him, but MAN i can just imagine how i'd have screamed if i saw he was there in game. wasted.

Anyway now i blacklisted everything and i reread The Wigmaker's Job and The Wake the other day, and i have thoughts, i've written half a post about it and then got too lazy to do the rest, so stay up for that one i guess.

But ghhhh. So good.

[queenofbaws]

One good turn deserves another, so now I'd like to thank you for YOUR kind words and well-wishes! I should probably clarify as well that I'm no stranger to writing in general - I've worked as an editor and even have my own story in the works. It's fanfiction that proves daunting, as I fear I won't be able to portray the characters accurately or even write believable modern-day interactions due to my own... social shortcomings, so to speak. If you have any advice to offer, I'd be rather grateful!

!!! well lookit that!!! aw man, if you're already writing your own story, you're so ahead of the game!!! ;)c on the rare occasions i've been asked for fic advice, my first step is almost always to, like, get a feel for writing rules in general, so cross that sucker right off the list!!! heheh

i'll throw a few nuggets of extremely long-winded "wisdom" below the cut for anyone interested, but tl;dr the BIGGEST and BEST advice i think i could give to someone hesitant to dip their toe into writing/posting fic is this: we're all playing pretend here - and i don't say that to minimize anyone's efforts!!! not even slightly.

if anyone takes playing pretend seriously, it's ME, angsty longfic mcgee, but at the end of the day, fanfic is YOUR sandbox. YOU make the rules. YOU make what you want to make the way you want to make it when you want to make it. everyone wants the validation of hearing that other people enjoyed their story, that they're moved by their art, but sometimes things won't hit the way you hoped they would, or people wind up having a different interpretation of a character than you and don't hesitate in letting you know, and man, that sucks when it happens and it can make the idea of continuing to post really, really daunting, but it's still your sandbox. if you like it? if you enjoyed making it? if it was fun and fulfilling and you felt satisfied once it was finished?????????? THAT'S what you gotta hang onto. THAT'S what's gonna keep you moving forward. <3

(and, just saying, from personal experience? once you take the dive and give it a try? ooooh baby. there's nothing like it ;P i've mixed too many beach metaphors in here. that has to mean something.)

LONG-WINDED RAMBLING, GO! i want to preface this by saying, hi, this is 100% just me running my mouth about how i go about writing fic - if anything i say here doesn't work for you, ignore it! wholesale!!! everyone has different processes, everyone approaches writing in a different way, and even my writing buds and i butt heads sometimes about the fic-writing process, so imagine this is simply me offering suggestions on little scraps of paper, neatly piled up on a silver platter. you're free to fling that platter out of my hands at any time ;P ha!!!

i COMPLETELY understand how trying to get a pre-existing character's voice down can be intimidating, but at the end of the day...everyone's going to view them a little differently anyway!!! that's one of the beautiful things about fic - two people can look at the same character and see completely different facets of them, and that in NO way makes them wrong, or somehow less valid! here are some of the things i do when i'm trying to get into a character's headspace or find my version of their voice:

mannerisms! the first thing i always try and figure out is how the character behaves in canon. do they hold themselves confidently? do they get along with other people easily? if it's visual media like a video game, what kind of idle animations are we working with here - nail biting, hip swaying, anxious shifting, slouching, yawning, knuckle-cracking? i like doing this a little bit better than just trying to pin down what kind of "personality archetype" they have, like...you can say ashley brown is the scared nerd character, sure, and that's one level of her, but she's also ruthless when she needs to be, quick to make a joke, and deeply, deeply curious. digging down into a character's pieces-parts instead of just looking at them as a whole can really make your characterization of them feel more HUMAN.

actual source material dialogue. how does the character actually TALK in the source material (if they do, in fact, talk at all)? do they stammer? pause often? are they using high-scoring scrabble words in day-to-day conversations, or do they mostly just grunt and nod when asked a question? if you're worried about keeping YOUR version of them close to the source material or canon, i always say look for those verbal tics right off the bat. to keep using until dawn examples, josh tends to talk slowly but FLUIDLY, if that makes sense, like he's been practicing how cool guys talk in movies; chris, on the other hand, tends to start and stop, or have a jerkier sort of cadence, shifting in pitch the more agitated or anxious he is. mike talks to himself a lot, whether it's to make inane comments or reassure himself that he's okay; matt really sort of stays quiet unless he's talking to another person. that sort of thing!

the jurassic park method. okay. okay stick with me here. this one's my fav. this one is genuinely my secret weapon when it comes to writing believable fic characters. you know how...in the original jurassic park...the whole thing was they filled the dinosaurs' genetic gaps with frog DNA? yeah. yeah i'm about to tell you to do that. only with blorbo from your shows. is there someone in your life who reminds you of a character you're writing for? they don't have to be a perfect match, but maybe there's someone out there who you think "aw man, i bet sam would wear that," or "i could so hear jess saying that," or "i bet she and emily would get along..." this is me taking you by the hands to say use that. fill those gaps with real life experiences. this one's really more about making characters feel realistic than it is keeping them true to canon, but man..................sometimes it really makes them shine, know what i mean???

as for believable modern-day interactions...WOOF. i also feel like...i have missed that bus on that one. 🤣 i wish i had straightforward advice for this, but i have GOT to be real with you, i am a mostly housebound millenial who recently had a very sobering conversation with my doctor about how i've hit the age where i need to actually pay attention to my blood pressure and cholesterol, and boy, that...that really makes you feel very

sdklfjskldf heheheheheheh

my biggest tip in terms of MODERN social interactions??? don't put too much effort into making them modern at all! that sounds counter-intuitive, i'll explain: language moves really, really quickly, and it's constantly changing. if you throw a lot of slang into an interaction, it's going to date itself pretty quickly. instead, when i'm writing, i really focus on the interaction feeling BELIEVABLE. not even "natural," not even "normal," whatever those mean, but believable. can you BELIEVE that characters would interact with each other this way. cuz let's face it: sometimes. in real life. social interactions. occur. strangely. that doesn't make them less BELIEVABLE.

(and for what it's worth???????? a lot of time canon doesn't care about modern day interactions either. emily and jess's fight in the lodge is.......the best example......i could give you. there's....there's a lot going on in that one. the bar has been set...very low on that one alkdjfalksjfasjdfklsdjf hahahahahahahahah!)

i'll stop here before i literally turn inside-out from word barfing so much, but to revisit my very, very first point up top...writing and sharing fic can be SO nerve-wracking. 100%. no question. writing is personal!!! if you're writing your own story, i'm sure you totally get that. it's a piece of you! and by putting it out where everyone can see, you're making yourself vulnerable, and that can be so, so terrifying. but. BUT. i am personally of the opinion that the benefits outweigh that moment of trepidation ;)c if this is something you've been wanting to do, i wholeheartedly say give it a shot! if you decide it's not for you, eh, at least you tried, right? and if you love it, then look at that!!! a whole new world opens up at your fingertips!!!

and you'll for sure have ME rooting for you, either way :D

[rainintheevening]

Oh boy, seven characters. Let's see...

Anakin Skywalker

Edward Elric

Sam Wilson

Gandalf

Sherlock Holmes

Peter Parker

Luna Lovegood

This ask game.

1. Sam. I'd go grocery shopping with Sam. Simple, fun, and he'd tell me about all kinds of stuff he'd cooked, and what dishes I should try making. He'd know how to shop on shoestring too. Nice guy, good person to help make decisions on what to buy.

2. Having Gandalf over for lunch is sketchy, because you can't be sure if it's just going to be him, or if others will show up uninvited. But that would just add excitement to the party, I suppose. I would want to lay out a good spread, but he’d have to bring his own pipeweed. He's a story teller, so lunch would give him plenty of time to spin me a tale of great deeds and small comforts and friendly jokes. Have lunch with a wizard grandpa? Definitely.

3. Peter would be lovely to have coffee with. Or hot chocolate, whatever he wanted. I'd also invite Ned, of course. I'd take them to Tim Horton's and let him fill up on doughnuts (enhanced metabolism, and all that), and whatever they wanted to try. We'd talk Star Wars and science, and people watch. It would be fun. I would probably attempt to deliver some elder-sister wisdom. And I'd give that boy the biggest hug goodbye.

4. Luna would be a wonderful person to go thrifting with. She'd see potential in every little knickknack and peice of clothing. She'd be hilarious, and offer wonderful fashion advice, which I suspect would work out more often than not. We could make up all kinds of silly stories about the people who might have ownes things, or what certain oddments might have been used for. It would be grand fun.

5. I think going to a museum/gallery with Sherlock would be amazing. He would spit out the most random facts about stuff, and then he'd have those one or two exhibits that would capture his attention and he'd spend at least an hour staring at. He might be a bit rude sometimes, but I think I'd be chill with it. I would probably be intimidated by him at first, but then if something exciting happened, and there was some sort of case to solve, I would totally be able to keep up with him. I think it could be a very enjoyable day.

6. Ed could be fun to go to a bookstore with. He loves books, reading, study. If he was in my town, I would take him to Sunrise Books, and he would probably get lost in there for hours. He would find some ancient tomes about alchemy (I suspect that there actually are a few of those in that bookstore). I would probably be the one dragging him out at closing time. I feel like he might also pay for my books too.

7. For plus-one at a wedding, I would absolutely want Anakin. We would have a great time. He would be a fantastic dance partner, and I would jibe back at his darker jokes with my own. Depending on how well we knew everyone, we would probably have 'our corner', where we'd stash some snacks and drinks, and come back when we needed some quiet. We're both extroverts, but Anakin’s a reserved one, so I'd pull him into conversations and games. If there was a little karaoke, I'd beg him to sing, and he'd probably say, "I'll do it if you will," so we'd go up and give a great performance of 'Firework', except our giggling would spoil it. Anakin would likely get into a big argument with someone about politics or sports, and I'd have to break that up. We'd do some people watching, listen to the music, enjoy the food, and I would probably doze off on his shoulder. (We'd probably go joy-riding after, and not get home till 2 am or something, if we didn't crash our vehicle/s.) Yeah, I think Anakin and I would be great friends. (Though if we were padawans together we would be trouble!)

Okay, hun, now you need to do these characters back to me!!