#solves your problem of not being able to come up with a plot because you are not a very good writer. i dont know. i suppose there is space

[steelycunt]

‘gay retelling of a classic!’ ‘feminist sapphic twist on this greek myth!’ why don’t you write a better book than that. i think we deserve better books than that

[maelancoli]

Adding Tension After the Ship Happens

i feel a lot of slow burn ships lose steam after the characters finally get together, whether it's just from sleeping together or them actually engaging in a relationship, so here are some ideas for how to maintain steam.

their problems are not solved now that they've crossed the thresh hold

first things first, the plot itself i'm sure has other details than just their relationship. even the most fluffy of fluff has other things going on than kisses and giggles. don't abandon these details once the relationship truly begins. and if there was any kind of unresolved tension point or previously mentioned ex/trauma/insecurity/fear bring it back! bring things back around that might put a strain on a new, tender relationship. this can either make them have problems or be a way to develop their bonds and *show* it in action. any of these foreshadowing/resurrected points can be added in edits if you didn't start out with them or with retconning if you're writing rp/fanfic. all the writers do it. we see it in tv everyday it's ok if u gotta pull a rabbit from a hat.

their relationship will not be suddenly smooth and solid as if they have been married 20 years

okay they kissed/fucked/agreed to be together. now what? what circumstances kept them from getting there sooner? are those circumstances still present and how will they deal with it as a team? you also don't have to have characters officially together once they've done something physical. there is still discussion to be had and boundaries/expectations to establish. those conversations could be interesting to explore. and, even more-so, this is the perfect point for plot to happen and keep them from being able to have those conversations when they should. you can add angst, you can add miscommunication, you can add anything that tickles your fancy. especially a perfect time to have an ex return to cause some tension and uncertainty if they haven't made it official. they don't know what they are yet and that uncertainty is a delicious point to write it and really give the characters a hard time

utilize the main plot's tension

again, if you're writing more than just a contemporary fluffy romance, the romance should enrich the main plot. the romance as a subplot should be a component which merges with the main storyline and does not take away from it. if you don't want to milk the will-they-won't-they anymore than you already have it's time to build the relationship up in the midst of OUTSIDE conflict. let them disagree about how to resolve problems. let them butt heads. let them be scared and do and say stupid shit because they're scared. let them be worried or angry or frustrated and have to figure out how to balance their newfound vulnerability with who they are and were before that point. let them hurt each other a little so they can come back together stronger.

utilize the characters around them

if it is a plot which is mainly romance filled, then think about the tension from the lives around them. think about their loved ones and how their own issues could influence the plot points the characters have to face together. this could be a time for them to be introduced to loved ones. you could throw in a group trip with silly mishaps and shenanigans. you could even have loved ones try to break them up or doubt the love interest. navigating new relationships while also dealing with friends and family can be a source of plot and tension in and of itself. this can be a point to let love interests reassure each other and prove their salt. it can help them grow closer. it can be the heroic moment for one of them to stick up for the other or prove they're there for them no matter what.

overall if you're struggling with what to do after the slow burn feels like it's sizzling out it's time to zoom out. make sure you are not losing the whole picture of their environment or steamrolling past the real development of new relationships.

[lemonhemlock]

the reason why i don't think blood & cheese works without maelor is because it undermines the gravity of helaena's choice

in the books, as we all know, she has to choose which son to sacrifice. blood & cheese are going to kill one either way, so, whatever happens, if you want to get cynical about it, aegon will still be left with a male heir of his body. no, the horribleness of the choice lies not really in dynastic matters, but in basic humanity: which of your children are you willing to condemn to death? and helaena truly does try to make the best out of a bad situation, she picks not because she loves jaehaerys more, but because maelor is so tiny that she hopes he won't understand what's going to happen to him.

and she absolutely has to choose, because b&c threaten to rape her daughter if she doesn't. it's psychological torture. b&c just want to fuck her up in the head as much as possible and helaena tries her goddamnest to minimize the harm done to her family. to further compound on the tragedy, b&c kill the opposite child, so now she has to live out the rest of her days knowing that the son left alive is the son SHE herself marked for the axe. which is what understandably drives her to lose her mind

now, in the show, the "problem" blood & cheese have doesn't exist at all: that they can't supposedly tell the twins apart. but (as awful as it sounds, since it involves sexual assault) they could very easily check which child has male genitalia and be done with it. it's a "problem" that takes literal seconds to solve. they don't need helaena at all! it becomes irrelevant which child she points towards - b&c can always just check! she can't save jaehaerys in this situation no matter what she does, because b&c were never interested in jaehaera in the first place. in the books, she has the ability to save one child and this exact horrible "agency" bestowed on her torments her for the rest of her days. in the show, even had she pointed towards jaehaera, it would have been a narrative plot hole for the writers to have killed her without checking

likewise, in the books, she begs them to kill her instead, but, in the show, she offers them a necklace? you can't deny that the dramatic stakes are lowered substantially by making that change. which one of these options would have been more filled with pathos? personally, it just feels like this was phia's moment to shine and, while she did a good job with what she had, every narrative choice was somehow made to subdue this horrible event and left her only crumbs to work with. cinematically-speaking, this scene (as it was executed) does not even come close to the iconic moments that cemented GoT into the collective consciousness, which is very strange, as the subject matter is anything but mediocre

and that's not even getting into the rest of the plot holes that others have already pointed out, like:

- why are there no guards at helaena's door or anywhere else for that matter? not just on that hallway, but on many other hallways, she has to run quite a lot to get to alicent's chambers

- why is her room unlocked at the very least

- why is ALICENT's room unlocked, for that matter? she is having secret guilty sex with criston and she forgets to lock her door in a castle full of spies? anyone could have walked in

- not even getting into this whole thing just being one huge misunderstanding + minimizing daemon's and mysaria's roles :))

- NOT EVEN mentioning removing the trauma of alicent witnessing all of this, gagged and bound on her own bed, not being able to help or intervene in any way

i can understand the likelihood of these elements happening sometimes (maybe someone does forget to lock their door from time to time, maybe a guard does shirk their duties from time to time), but you can't write all of them at once without it turning all looney tunes. if you introduce too many aspects that defy logic in your story, it ceases to be believable and just becomes bad writing

___________________________________________

also, "they killed <the boy>"? not "my son" or "jaehaerys"? it sounds so removed, don't you think? helaena out there on her mother's floor dropping exposition for the audience 🥲

[melanchoire]

bartender(is that how you call it??) sub!hanni x soft dom! ceo gp reader🥺👉🏻👈🏻 it's been in my head for too long and i can't think of a plot 😔 i hope you do it tho

-📽

i had an idea in mind but it ended up being something else... i changed the dynamics a bit 💔

cw: riding.

going to a bar to drown your sorrows because being a CEO was a tough job and work had been shitty lately; conferences with other companies and CEOs that only gave you headaches because they were simple and empty proposals led by arrogant bosses who felt they were the center of the world, having to be patient and fake a smile with a secretary who seemed to have laziness as the predominant emotion in her body because she always did her work with little enthusiasm and somewhat incompletely, and dealing with employees who increasingly failed to meet the job requirements

like any other day where you feel this way you would do the usual thing of just going home after a long day of work and drinking on your couch means that your mind is so clouded that you don't understand a single word that the people on television are saying, buuut you needed a change of routine so much that you didn’tmind going to a local bar in the city center

bad luck for you that it just happens to be a friday night, meaning teenagers or young adults going out to parties or something simpler like hanging out with their friends, whatever the option, the place was plagued by young people who were too loud and were gradually irritating you

until a voice pulls you out of your thoughts! a pretty young girl with hair tied in a messy bun and thin-framed glasses resting on her nose. she just smiled at you and tilted her head, wiping a damp cloth over the bar and cleaning the remains of drops of alcohol that fell when preparing the previous drinks

“rough night i guess?” oh yeah! you can’t tell if she is making fun of you given the small smile tugging at her lips, but your tone was being quite honest, so you just had to cross your fingers

“you can say it…” and your usual serious and strict CEO demeanor had completely vanished, being replaced by… vulnerability? honestly, you didn’t know what caused your change of attitude. maybe it was because being able to vent to someone was something you'd been looking for for months, but you never succeeded because your family always reminded you that you were an adult and that you shouldn’t act like a baby with “basic” work-related problems, or something like your friends always minimizing your problems and making jokes about how the “rich girl” expected mommy and daddy to solve everything for her…

you end up venting to hanni?? you don’t know if she is really interested in listening to you or if she simply doesn’thave other clients to serve because her other coworkers are taking care of it while she deals with your drunk ass… whatever the option, you’re thankful that she is a good listener! she was even being a good advisor, not understanding much about the scope of working in an office and having a position as high as that of a CEO, but anyway, she was there for you

until there comes a point where your system clearly can’t tolerate any more alcohol and you’re practically lying in the chair, looking so messed up that at any moment your body will fall off the chair straight to the floor 😭 hanni helps you go to your car and get in; partly because she is a little embarrassed by your messy state and how you even struggled to tell her which of all the cars in the parking lot was yours, and also because her coworker minji told her to take care of your drunk ass before she kicks you out of the place herself because she didn’t want you to throw up in the bathroom right after she cleaned all the stalls!

…would you believe me if i told you that you don’t remember exactly how you went from hanni helping you out of the bar to her riding your cock in the backseat of your car? i mean–! it’s not your fault that alcohol impairs your memory because it’s a central nervous system depressant that slows down brain activity! giving you blackouts, which are gaps in your memory of events that occurred while you were intoxicated, and boy were you drunk! aol you remembered at this point was leaving work, blinking, and suddenly getting so drunk and BOOM a cute girl was riding you…

awww and your head is spinning so much that you can barely lay your head against the headrest of the seat and keep it there without feeling like it’s weighing you down 😭 luckily hanni notices this and comes to the rescue! bringing her hands to your head, holding your face between her palms and running a hand through your hair to brush the loose strands away from your face 🥺 you were looking at her from below with eyes squinted from tiredness and clouded by alcohol, giving hanni a needy look as she rode you in a way that took you out of your boss bitch role and made you whimper for her

you barely mustering up enough strength to try and make a move, pushing yourself off your seat and leaning forward a little to try and kiss her, only for her to place one of her hands over your mouth and push you back against the seats again, saying “owww nooo you have alcohol on your breath.” 💔 but when she sees that you want to complain about her words, she silences you by giving you a sweet kiss on the cheek, adding "fifteen more minutes and my shift will be over. then you will take me home with you, right?” and never before have you nodded with that enthusiasm!

[chaaistained]

what’s your internship like? (in your better cr)

page turners

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you can’t blame me for wanting to live in a world where society doesn’t reserve value and recognition to only be rewarded if you follow the standard, left brained, logical mindset of stem and maths and science and technology — and this is coming from someone who loves those very subjects and excels in them — i’m very much a maths lover, i enjoy solving logical problems, it brings a satisfaction that cannot be described, and yet . i don’t feel as alive as when i’m writing, when i’m reading, when i’m analysing, pulling apart, breaking down the intricate threads of thought that make up a story, or an essay, or a poem

my mind may find satisfaction in solving page after page of algebra, but my soul will only find its spark when i give in to emotion and empathetic analysis, and for that very reason, i scripted a different degree for my dr-self, and with that came a different internship in a publishing company that does not exist in this reality — Page Turners

in my dr at the midpoint of my first year in uni, i had gotten into a year long internship at a government office, hired because of my degree in entertainment law majoring in copywriting

but i have a double degree, my second being a degree in arts majoring in literature and creative writing, and i always knew i wanted a more creative job, rather than the technical, legal side of the publishing industry (no matter how well it pays)

so at the end of my first internship, i started exploring different avenues, and Page Turners was brought to my attention (ironically, by my english tutor from high school)

they advertise mainly to young writers, they have an open submission for a monthly online magazine, curated by a theme (think dakota warren’s nowhere girl collective but only focused on writing — whereas dakota includes submissions for art and music too)

Page Turners wasn’t hiring anyone who hadn’t gotten a full degree but with the help of my ex-tutor (and ex-boss bcs i used to mark papers for her every now and then) i was able to make a case for an internship position

it took a while, a whole year in fact, but Page Turners thought that a way to reach the youth would be to start as early as possible and the best way to do so is by implementing internship programs into their business plan — essentially, my drive to work in the creative field (and mostly due to my connections bcs networking sucks but it is everything) i was able to convince an up and coming publishing house to start hiring students, who may be exactly like me, just waiting for the opportunity to do something creative

i haven’t scripted much on the actual internship program and what it entails but i get accepted and start working at the beginning of my third year (honestly year 3 of uni has a lot of firsts for me — first longterm internship, first boyfriend who i can actually see a future with, first new car, first youtube play button for my anonymous cover channel w two of my high school friends — theres probably more but i don’t wanna sound cocky T^T)

anyway, back to the point — my internship essentially allows me to explore the workings of a publishing house, and with my background in copy write law and creative writing, i’m able to dabble in many different divisions and subdivisions, getting a chance to see how the writers, lawyers, agents and editors work — it’s where i find my passion for developmental editing : the profession of assisting with the creative process of a book, primarily a novel, where you go through a synopsis, a story board, and the overall themes and acts of the story, it’s less about the in-debt typo-prevention of editing and more about the overall narrative — stuff like helping to pivot the story or guide the plot in a certain direction to achieve everything the writer hopes for, or, my personal favourite and my special skill if i do say so myself which is patching up plot holes to be seamless and make sense

finally, this internship, the people i worked with, they are the reason i felt confident enough to go back to uni and do a postgrad degree for a masters in creative writing and a specialisation in editing, so i could officially work full time as a developmental editor

meaning i could read and write and help create stories for a living

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if i ever script more or after i’ve properly experienced this internship, i will definitely update this post, or just make another one!! but for now, this is all i’ve got <333

cuppa queries; order in — ask responses

2025 © chaaistained

[pastafossa]

When Heather said Muse and Daredevil are the same, just “underdeveloped boys hiding behind masks, trying to make it look more sophisticated”, do you think she might have a point? (Personally, I don’t — I think she’s speaking from a place of ignorance + trying to process her recent trauma + feeling some understandable anger. Also I think this is good indicator — and purposeful by the writers — that Heather doesn’t actually know Matt that well and their relationship won’t last much longer)

Eager to get your perspective — imagine me with my face in my hands, kicking my feet and giggling

NO BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS, CAUSE I CLOCKED THIS TOO.

I think there's multiple things being brought together, a lot of which you caught here.

Going to put this under a see more cause it's a slightly longer dissection of this part of the episode.

DDBA thoughts beneath the cut.

"Underdeveloped boys hiding behind masks, trying to make it look more sophisticated."

If we compare this to the last time she brought this up, there's been a clear shift in perspective. Before, she was curious about the 'why' with vigilantes and masks - does the mask allow vigilantes/antiheroes to be their true selves, or is the mask about hiding those true selves, creating some sense of separation? She wanted to talk to Daredevil, even Frank Castle about it. Now, she seems (to me at least) to be working through her own trauma and anger, yeah - anger at Muse, yes, but at Daredevil too, because to her, at least right now, she's latched onto, 'Muse was a horrible person who wore a mask to hide his identity, which means horrible people wear masks. Therefore the people wearing the masks are the problem because if they were doing what's right, they wouldn't need to hide.'

It doesn't matter to her brain right now that Daredevil saved her life. He's part of the problem - especially since she just saw Daredevil at his most violent. I think with time she'll be able to process that and recognize it eventually, in the way that someone bit badly by a dog will often come to recognize that not all dogs are bad. But they're going to be afraid of dogs for a while, or maybe even forever. Especially if their sole experience with a dog is getting bit.

But if we set all that aside and just take the statement at its base value: she's both right and not, I think. We know how people are. We know how Muse is, calling his slaughter an 'art' and not just, you know, serial killing. There would absolutely, in this universe, be insecure, chest-thumping, underdeveloped dudes who'd slap on a mask so they can run out and beat people up and see themselves as heroes. But in reality they just like being violent, and the mask DOES help hide them from consequences.

But she's also wrong by applying it overall/to the masked vigilantes in general. Not just because of Matt/Daredevil, but because of people like Hector earlier in the season. With Hector, that was one of the whole plot points: he was (RIP) doing it because it's the right thing to do, and because he wanted to help. Matt, arguably, does what he does for the same reason: because it's the right thing to do. Hell, Frank isn't even hiding behind a mask for all that she included him on her list earlier. He's not calling it sophisticated, or hero work. He's doing it because he believes this is the only way to solve the issue.

They aren't playing at being sophisticated. What they are doing is trying to save lives in an inherently broken, corrupt, inherently unjust system: a system that killed Hector despite him being found innocent, a system that would rather spend more money jailing a hungry guy than feeding him, a system that allowed Muse to kill 60+ people before anyone noticed, a system that elected Fisk despite his loooong list of crimes. It's a system that will literally kill you if you help the very person the system is trying to crush, like Hector did. The mask is an added layer of protection so that they can keep doing what they can to help. It's not about 'allowing' them to be violent in the way the statement implies.

And the strongest evidence of that? If all crime stopped, they would give it up.

Frank would go into retirement.

Matt would hang up the suit.

And Hector would have been at peace.

That's something about the street level heroes. They're not up there. They're down here in the dirt with us. They're the ones who hear a woman get grabbed in an alley. They're the ones walking by the corner store when they hear someone pull a gun inside and demand money. They're witnessing all of this firsthand. And I don't think you can call them all underdeveloped boys playing at being heroes without acknowledging the reality that that the person being robbed in the alley needs a hero, because the system sure as hell isn't all that interested in doing anything about it.

And I think that's sort of where they're going this season. What they're leading us to. Because that's the reality that Matt's been struggling with - the system is broken. So what do you do when you have the ability to stop some of that suffering? Do you turn away and hope someone fixes it? Or do you fight?

We know what Matt's answer is, what Hector's was. And I'm not convinced it's the wrong one.

And I think you keyed in on how this relates back to their relationship: Heather doesn't know Matt all that well, not really. None of them do, really. Heather loves the image of Matt that he's shown to her, of course, but it's a false one, an incomplete one. That's not her fault, since Matt has been lying and frantically trying to hide that side of himself to her, and he also clearly hasn't been exploring his stance on various ethics with her like the regular debates he had with Foggy and Karen in the past. I do think the relationship's destined to blow up, though whether that might get mended in S2 is anyone's guess, but I just am noooot getting the feeling that relationship's going to be able to survive the fallout once she realizes just how much Matt has hidden from her.

[writingwithcolor]

Avoiding the white savior of the kingdom

@ceo-of-angst asked:

Okay so I'm writing a fantasy series. There's two main kingdoms though there is a third but that one doesn't have to do anything with this ask. Both of them are likely as big as a continent each so there are different climates everywhere, therefore there's a lot of diversity even within one country. The issues mostly is between the two kingdoms nationality wise, as there's a war. The prince of one of the kingdoms kills his older brother to gain the throne. This is where the issue starts. They have a younger (half)sister who ends up leading a revolution bc of her brother's bad rule (famine, war, dictatorship and incantation or sentence to fight to the death in war to anyone who doesn't obbey the government etc), she's white, she's helped by my main cast who are all poc (one of them also from nobility) from the other kingdom and I don't want to accidently make it a white savior She's not my main character though if anything we only see into her pov bc of a difference between kingdoms in book 2. Most of the pov is on my main cast so I don't know how this could pay out.

Add diversity to the kingdom

There is a simple solution: don’t make one kingdom all-white or all-BIPOC. Add in diversity and mixed race. You seem to already be doing that, and it’s not an issue of race but rather tyranny. White saviorism is when only a white character can solve a problem for BIPOC and they’re seen as the hero. If it’s a team effort, where your protagonist is fallible but well-intentioned, you should be fine. -Jaya

Questions to ask yourself

This critique got levied at Tamora Pierce’s Trickster series, and it’s a pretty valid critique of the books—every time you have a white person as a figurehead of an otherwise-diverse movement, you’re going to start getting into why this white person, and why then?

It’s especially salient if you have the person come into an already-established rebellion movement. Is her involvement the thing that gets the privilege necessary to make the movement valid? What about her makes her the ideal top person in the organization?

Why is she white?

My first question is: why is she white? Is it related to colorism and classism? If yes, then why are you automatically making the leading group white if there’s so much diversity and so many other groups can trend extremely pale?

Why are the kingdoms so big?

My second question is: why are the kingdoms so big? It’s actually frighteningly hard to run a continent-sized country. If you’re attempting to make these single groups so big simply for ease of worldbuilding, and for diversity’s sake, know that a country does not have to be large to contain a multitude of groups. You are allowed to have political rivalry in a small area and still maintain diversity within it.

How much privilege is she willing to give up?

My third question is: how much privilege is she willing to give up? Is she trying to take the throne for herself, or is she trying to destroy all of the structures that gave her status in the first place? Because that question will determine how willing the PoC around her are going to be. Why would they support a ruler if they’ve been subjugated by that family, with no real promise she’s going to be any different once she gets in power?

On the flipside, why would she be willing to give up any of her privilege in the name of removing her brother from the throne, and what stops her from going off the deep end once she has the ability to control others?

It’s likely doable to make this situation read as less of a white saviour, but in order to do that you’ll likely need to wask yourself a lot of hard questions about your motives and the character arc you want to have with her.

People may see a white savior, regardless

And you’ll also have to ask yourself if you’ll be comfortable with never really being able to avoid some people calling this a white saviour plot. Even if you do “everything right” and follow every bit of advice you can, there’s always going to be some people who aren’t too thrilled that the person saving everyone is white.

So examine your motives, really nail down what you’re trying to show with this, and come to terms with not making everyone happy no matter what you do.

~Mod Lesya

[moinstar]

Lesson 54 spoilers

"...So, tell me. What is it you're plotting, exactly?" Raphael eyed Diavolo with mild irritation in his tone.

He smiles apologetically, caught in an act and felt the need to explain now. "So, you can tell something's up, huh? I was afraid of this."

"It's odd enough that we're the only ones here. And then after we were attacked, your response seemed unusually tepid. There are so many red flags..," the gray-haired angel sighs. "Of course I can tell that something's going on."

Moin speaks up. "I'm guessing that has something to do with me?"

"Yes, it does. Though it's nothing you should feel bad about." Diavolo reassures, though it's not bringing relief to the burgundy-haired human girl.

"This is about your magic power, Moin. And what has been happening to it." Mephisto stresses it strongly.

"Yes, your power has been growing greater by the day. And then there was the incident with the hostile demon in Meowcao. That's when we realized that you weren't in full control of it." Lucifer added.

Simeon nods mildly, carefully regarding Mephisto, Lucifer, and Diavolo's statements. "And when Raphael was attacked earlier, it looked like Moin cast a barrier spell of some sort, but without an incantation. I'm guessing that in the heat of the moment, the spell must have gone off subconsciously."

"What exactly is happening to Moin's powers, we need a definitive answer to that question. Then we can take action if necessary. However, we thought we needed to spend a bit more time observing things from afar." -Diavolo

"Right, our theory was built on too many assumptions. They needed to be verified." -Lucifer

"...So you used the SF as a chance to do that." -Raphael

"That's right." -Diavolo

"Ah, that must be why there was a second preliminary test. You presented everyone with a problem that no ordinary student could solve." -Simeon

"In any case, Lord Diavolo, Lucifer, and I were the only ones to pass the second test." -Mephisto

"So, it worked out exactly as you'd hoped, then." Raphael gapes his mouth a little, coming to a realization. "...Unbelievable. You mean to tell me that the fiery rock that nearly hit Simeon and the beast that attacked us were both YOUR doing?"

"No, that was the work of demons who oppose the royal family. We'd never resort to such cheap tricks." -Mephisto

"However, we knew that if we were to hold the SF finals here, those demons would see it as a good opportunity to strike... That I cannot deny." -Diavolo

"Yes. We did know they were here, and we didn't try to stop them." Lucifer sighs defeatedly. "So in that sense, you might be able to argue that it was "our doing"."

Moin's eyebrows furrowed at this. If Diavolo knew about the opposition, why didn't he do something about it? Why did it have to go as far as almost risking their lives since that incident in Meowcao?

"There are still many lower tier demons who think that harming an exchange student would be a good way to damage Lord Diavolo's reputation. They had no idea they were being lured here, the fools," Mephisto scoffs with a smirk.

"Even so, if you'd only told us this in advance-" Raphael notices Simeon who hasn't been talking for a while now. "...Um, Simeon?"

Simeon smiles. It was that frightening smile back when he used to scold the brothers. "Ah. I see... Thank you for making things so very clear." Everyone except Moin pales at the sight. She knew that Simeon would never direct his anger towards her. "For the sake of argument, I'll overlook the fact that you chose to test Moin's powers. Because I can see how that might be the only way to draw out certain aspects of these powers. Tell me though, why was it necessary to lure the Demon King's enemies into attacking us? What if Moin or Raphael had been hurt? What would you have done then, hmm?"

"It's only thanks to Moin that we're okay. Because she protected us, even though it meant putting herself in harm's way," Raphael added in.

"What's more, I'm a human now: weak and frail. Should I assume none of you cared about what might happen to me?" -Simeon

"I wouldn't call you "weak and frail"..." Lucifer mutters.

"Sorry, did you just say something, Lucifer?" Simeon pointedly smiles at him, daring to continue what he has to say.

"No, nothing."

"I didn't know it was possible to project so much anger while maintaining a smile..." Mephisto whispered to Diavolo as he takes a step closer to him.

"I'm too scared to move a muscle. It's been a long time since anyone's made me feel this way..." -Diavolo

Moin turns to Diavolo with an expressionless gaze. "I'd like you to avoid such methods in the future..., Lord Diavolo." His face immediately shifts to the one who's worried and hurt genuinely, sensing that Moin is indeed mad and felt betrayed at this whole discussion they were having. It's spiraling down rapidly that Diavolo almost forgot to consider her feelings and wanted to comfort her. But as he was about to speak his reassurances once again and offers his hand, Mephisto butts in with a disdainful remark.

"Well, I'd like it if you could learn to control your powers. Then we wouldn't be in this situation."

Something snapped in unison. There was a moment of defeaning silence, as if another wrong answer would cause an explosion, figuratively. Simeon could tell that it was the last straw. The revelation hurt her than they thought it would. And there was another person who wasn't helping the situation get any better. He could feel the gears of emotion running around her head and that she's barely holding to what she might impulsively do: tears, anger, or running away. She really wanted to do those three options but before she could react, Simeon shields Moin from them, hiding her behind his cloak.

"...Lucifer, Diavolo, Mephisto. You need to think about what you've done today."

[starillusion13]

BETTER THAN GOLD (TEASER)

Synopsis: Taeyong cleared his throat, “your dad will be fine but you. The princess needs to face the consequences.”

Every good thing comes with a price.

Pairing:Taeyong x Doyoung x Jaehyun x f!reader

Genre: Angst, Business, Romance, Smut

W/c: not yet

Warnings: mention of drinking and smoking, poor and rich, name calling. Rest warnings will be later in the original plot.

Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated . Applause to the ones who come up to me to interact and they know how friendly I am. Okay enough!

you are different from them. There’s nothing common between you and them. They should hangout with each other but you are not allowed there. You are being told repeatedly that they are like the royals and you are just a commoner. But why though? Can’t you be friends with them? You didn’t mind the rich and poor before you met them but now you envy them. They get every single respect and recognition unlike you who is under shadows.

Shadows of them.

.

.

.

It all started when your father moved to this new city because he told you that this new place would be a better place for his job opportunities. You and your mother were really happy for this and it gave you hope that the future ahead of you would be a better one. Your family doesn’t need to be in poverty anymore and your days of struggle will be over. You will be living a happy life with no worry and regrets.

But you forgot one thing people said.

Everything comes with a price. If one problem gets solved then another problem rises up.

Your dad got invited to a grand hotel from his new workplace and you wondered how is he being treated like this. You are not complaining but getting surprised. You have never been to such grand and luxurious places before and deep down you are excited and wondering what it would be like to experience such things.

Will you be considered rich or you are still being treated as low class?

“Dad…”

He hummed while tightening his belt around his waist and looked at you through the mirror. He sent you a warm smile and you returned the gesture.

“Isn’t it suspicious that they are inviting you to this place when you are not even a part of the project team.”

“Y/n… I have told you that they are my friends and they are just helping me. Why are you so suspicious of them. We are having such a good life because of them and we should be grateful.” Your dad stated and turned towards you.

You nodded but still you are a bit hesitant to go to this place because of a foreign feeling lingering on your skin. You always trust your dad and if he was telling you to not think about it then you should not.

“I have never been to such places.” You whispered under your breath but your father chuckled on hearing you.

He walked towards you and sat beside you, “come on my child. Cheer up. If you have never been then atleast now you are able to attend such parties. Everything will be fine. Promise.”

Promise…

“Okay.” You and your dad smiled towards each each other.

.

.

.

“Hello Mr. Kang, Welcome to the party. I hope you have arrived safely and have you brought your daughter?” Mr. Kim greeted and your dad nudged you to come closer.

You were already anxious about the situation because of the grand spacious hall with richness and lavishness radiating everywhere even the dirts under the shoes and all the stares from people surrounding you.

You smiled and bowed towards thim, “Hello, myself Kang Y/n. Nice to meet you.”

Two other men also joined the scene and they had the same cheerful expression on their faces. Their welcoming gestures were calming your nervousness.

The other two also introduced themselves as Mr. Lee and Mr. Jung.

The three of your father’s friends had one attraction in common. Richness. The expensive suits and their great businessman aura was radiating off from them and your dad was looking like a mere corporate worker in front of them. But friends don’t let their money to come between their friendship and you should be grateful that wherever you are today, it’s because of them.

They studied in same school, they had same childhood then why your dad was the only one to suffer. It’s because he was greedy and he ran after money without working hard. But they chose patience and day by day they earned their position like this. Your dad has now learned the lesson. But are they same like before? They will still consider your dad to be that friend when they had nothing. Right?

“Hey dad…I was going upstairs and we won’t be eating here… And who is he?”

“Hey Kang, meet my son Lee Taeyong. And son this is my childhood friend I told you about, Mr. Kang.” Mr. Lee stood up from his chair from around the round table and came behind his son, patting his back he gestured him to bow.

His son rolled his eyes but still bowed to your dad in a bored expression. Your dad smiled but you didn’t. Your curious eyes watching his movements.

Rude.

His eyes locked with yours and you were expecting his bored eyes but the corner of his lips curled up. The sharp facial features were reflecting the expensive light and texture of the hall. His smooth skin and piercing eyes with the sharp jaw was a perfect combination for the grand name: LEE TAEYONG.

“Who is she?” He pointed towards you.

You were surprised that he even asked about you. You were trying to be out of spotlight but still he noticed you. Nothing. Just because you were sitting beside the man to whom his father introduced him.

“She is Mr. Kang’s daughter. Your new best friend.”

He chuckled and then laughed before glaring at you, “I don’t even know her and she is not even my friend and you are already referring her as my best friend? No way you are being serious, dad.”

“Don’t say like this. They are our guest. He is my bestfriend. Like the way you are friends with them, I hope you can be friends with her too.”

Like the way you are friends with them, you can be friends with her too.

Mr. Lee was serious and his son poked inside of the cheek with his tongue. He was annoyed but with whom.

Mr. Jung spoke up, “hey Taeyong, she is getting bored here among the dad talks so it’s better to take her upstairs with you all, I hope you all will get along well.”

Get along well with him? No way.

Mr. Kim nodded in agreement and Mr. Lee excitedly glanced at his son. His son was about to argue but his father’s stare made him shut.

Mr. Kim called you closer to Taeyong and with small steps, you stood beside him and gulped down the anger.

Did he despise you so much because you are not rich like him?

Taeyong extended his hand but as soon as you reached your hand to hold it, he smirked before pulling it to himself and said, “oh princess. I’m not here to escort you. Remember your place. You are just here because of my dad and I’m showing you the way to where we have to go.”

No one could hear him because others were already at the table and the music was atleast loud enough to make his low heavy voice inaudible to other people around him.

You just wanted to punch him but you curled your fingers into a fist by your side. He didn’t wait to see your glares but already started walking towards the fancy stairs. You were hesitating and thinking to go back to the table. But you didn’t want to give excuses to them and to have them a different impression of your dad.

.

.

Reaching a green door, he didn’t even knock but pushed open it. He looked back and gestured you with his head to enter the room. His tilted head and tongue licking the lips with the black hairs falling over his eyes was screaming at you, the most perfect man you have ever seen.

As soon as you stepped inside, the room had a strong smell of smoke and alcohol. You wanted to puke but just gulped the lump.

“What are you doing here?”

You got startled by the sudden voice and looked towards the side to see one man sitting on a sofa scrolling through the phone with a cigarette between his fingers. Everytime he was blowing in, the dimples were pointing out on his handsome face. Beside him, the one with wide eyes and a wine bottle in his hand staring at you. The one who questioned you.

“I have asked you something. No one is allowed here so get out.”

“I-i’m here—“

“Meet our little friend. Miss Kang Y/n.”

Friend? Huh!

The one who was smoking also looked up from his phone and all the stares from three of them was overwhelming you.

You started picking your nails and your hands got swatted away by the one who was smoking, he glared at you and threw the cigarette away. He was so tall that he was towering over you. You were feeling intimidated under their gaze but still you were doing your best to stray strong.

“Don’t do that. It can cause infections.”

You nodded, “it’s okay. It’s just—“

“Don’t think that I’m caring for you. We don’t want to get sick because of you.”he harshly replied before scanning you up and down.

“Oh come on. Be nice with her. Our dad told us to get along with her or this princess would complain about us to her dear daddy. Poor daddy. Can he buy a handkerchief to wipe off your tears?” Taeyong had a wide smirk across his face.

You had enough.

“Well it’s good that my dad is poor and not rich like yours. Maybe We live in poverty but atleast we have better manners and respect for others unlike you who are blinded by luxury. Actually you all can’t even differ between love and money. Emotional feelings and materialistic satisfaction are two different things. But you can’t see the real emotions because of material emotions. You all have an artificial soul built by the expenses and royalty.”

The one who was still drinking at the sofa laughed out loud. The smoker was staring down at you and Taeyong folding his hands beside you was now glaring at you.

“Do you have angel eyes to see all these? Don’t think that if you were rich then you wouldn’t have been like this. You can’t even know the air we breath because you can’t even be in our place ever. This No.1 company in this city was built by our dads, I’m the son of Mr. Kim. Everybody knows me here, Kim Doyoung and everybody looks up to me.”

The named Doyoung glared at you in the end before chugging down some alcohol.

“If you go downstairs and say my name Jung Jaehyun. Then you can see all the ladies will turn their heads to get a glimpse of me. Everyone try to marry off their daughter to me so that they can have my dad Mr. Jung as their business partner and their daughters would be happy to marry their dream guy.”

Jaehyun smirked in the end and leaned to the wall near him.

Finally Taeyong spoke up as if he was waiting for the chance, “Nothing can be more valuable than money, princess. Status can change everything. The facade of innocence that you have will be ripped off the day you will sit on the throne. But fake princesses don’t get the royalty. Only the gold ones get it.”

You scoffed and glared at each one of them.

“I would rather be a person with good morals, good reputation with others, instead of with rich material things which can be here today and gone tomorrow. Riches cannot buy you true love or true lasting happiness.”

“Riches can buy us everything, Y/n.”

Hearing your name from Taeyong shifted something inside you as if you were in a trance earlier. You licked your lips.

“If those riches can buy me true love and happiness then It’s better than gold.”you stared at them.

“Do you think you are better than gold?” Jaehyun asked you.

“Yes I am.”

You turned on your heels and bumped Taeyong’s side, you knew it would make him annoyed and it did.

Doyoung shouted, “where are you going?”

“You only said earlier that no one is allowed here then I should assume that I am un-welcomed. And if you want to take revenge for this like whatever I have said and made you angry with pointing at your attitudes then show it on me. Don’t do anything to my dad.”

Doyoung leaned back and smirked, “are you scared? Oh wait are you requesting something to me, to us? I really can’t hear you.”

You cursed under your breath because that earlier the rush of adrenaline made you lose your temper but you didn’t think of your dad at the time that it could harm your dad’s situation. They might can do any conspiracy to kick your dad out from the job.

“Oh the angel is silent now. Who was being so strong a few moments earlier?” Jaehyun’s mocking voice earning laughs from the other two and your tears were threatening to fall.

The sweet names ‘Angel’, ‘Princess’ are so lovable to be greeted by but they were calling out to you in mockery. They were having fun because you were having happy life at their mercy.

Taeyong cleared his throat, “your dad will be fine but you. The princess needs to face the consequences.”

Every good thing comes with a price.

COMING SOON…

Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @hwanring @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon @hyuukah @kazscara @aceofspadesbiofalltrades @sexygrass @minkyuncutie @loveforred [open! ask/reply/dm]

[wip]

Hey WIP,

Would it be feasible to allow pinning more than 1 post? Having a single big pinned post front and center is very useful, but sometimes i do wish i could separate different topics into different pinned posts instead of trying to fit everything into one.

An artist, for example, could have 3 separate pinned posts covering:

an introduction

links to their work/kofi/patreon/etc

and another that addresses some FAQs

As topics these flow well enough that they all work as a single well written post, but not all topics flow as smoothly or carry the same tone. I would also imagine a follow up request to being able to change the order of pinned posts.

What are your thoughts?

Answer: Hello, @cinna-bunnie!

A little plot twist for you. We actually built the infrastructure for pinned posts on Tumblr to allow as many pinned posts as you want. We have, however, limited it to just one for now.

This is mostly because pinned posts can take up a lot of space when viewing blogs, and this can be a little frustrating for people who have already seen the pinned posts and only want to get to the latest content. So we need to solve that problem before we expand it to more than one pinned post. We might return to this in the future—and we will be sure to let you know if we get around to it.

Keep the questions coming, y’all!

[rinovarka]

Grimlock, Technobots, and Purpose

The G1 Transformers cartoon is mainly episodic and not indepth with its characters opting to focus on a wide cast and adventures. Some may say it was solely just to sell more toys and merchandise, and I can wholly disagree. But I can't wholly agree either. There are some ideas that stay ideas, or fleeting moments of the heart that make me tear up, or have stood the test of time as other people are able to recall.

And for me personally, one of said concepts is Grimlock and the Technobots.

Grimlock and the other dinobots were built by Ratchet and Wheeljack. In both cases, introduced to them by people of Earth, in enthusiasm to help the cause, as well as a general appreciation of the former rulers of Earth.

Sure, they were built to be Autobots to be brute force warriors, but also for the pure joy of an appreciation to the creatures of Earth's past. But purposely made with the assumption that dinosaurs were stupid, therefore they must be made stupid too. And it wasn't the grandest of starts for the first three.

Throughout the series the Dinobots are belittled and seen as lesser beings. Their intelligence and way of speaking mocked. Their loyalty shakey. They occasionally make remarks about their relation to the Autobots. They were made this way. And not even Wheeljack and Ratchet are immune to making jabs at them — and they MADE the Dinobots. To focus on what in front of you, to have innate instincts, to dig into the Earth, to be animalistic— primitive, less than a person, even.

Then fast forward past the Transformers movie where their creators get BBQd because Hasbro needs a new set of toys! And just so happens that the Dinobots are in good standing as far as sell-ability goes.

Then there is the episode, Grimlock's New Brain.This episode begins by really hammering it in how Grimlock wants to help but since he doesn't know as much as the other characters, is prone to mess things up. Something is missing. A brain. Que another scheme by Galvatron and co, and the bots are on the case.

He alone from the other Dinobots wants to take an active role in the Autobot ranks. And throughout, the Autobots let Grimlock know directly how they think the Dinobots lowly, Perceptor saying this with no shame to his face. And Grimlock affirms this by saying he bashes brains instead of having one. Because how else would he think, being told this time after time?

Grimlock in his pride, messes up their navigating device, exclaiming his frustration and accuses the bots of thinking him stupid and not wanting him.

Eventually, Grimlock gets hit with a spark of intelligence. And he sees the world beyond the way of his fellow Dinobots, able to problem solve and come up with plans, filled with the worries of the average Autobot and more. And his fellow Dinobots are dumbstruck with how different Grimlock is.

And he goes on to help the Autobots. Even at a point having Perceptor remark about being confused as to why he didnt think of what Grimlock had, the dino retorting Perceptor" having limited thinking "Because your mental abilities are so limited". Which of course is in regard to the situation at hand, but to me? Can be interpreted in how he regarded Grimlock beforehand.

The other Dinobots look for Grimlock. He goes and tries to get his Dinobot companions to help, to no avail. They dont like this new Grimlock, who looks down on them with big words and claws on hips.

And once more, he left, but not by the other Autobots but his fellow Dinobots.

Eventually in the heat of battle, Grimlock finds that his words and explanations have no time, no one can understand his plan in the situation he is in, and has no choice but to leave the Autobots and go Alone. And in this scene, he takes spare parts and creates a new bot, Nosecone. Who first remarks "Are you my father?"

Locking in, Grimlock has him transform, blah blah episode plot stuff. And Grimlock creates the other Technobots, designating Scattershot as leader, for "I wont be of use to you much longer", as if in knowledge of what he must do. And Scattershot is scared, rightfully so — he was just woken to life, unsure of the situation and not ready for whats to come. But the time has come and He Must.

And the Technobots go to battle against the Terrorcons, seeing the might of Abominus and fleeing. They return to Grimlock, and Grimlock lets them know — they are more than they think! And they transform into Computron. Who all intents an purposes is a big nerd with not enough brain power. Computron recognizes his unlimited potential but that even that is not enough. And Grimlock knows this. He always did.

Computron kneels. Grimlock dons on the helm without hesitation, placing it on the giants head. The manifestation of the "children" he has created. And Computron tries to refuse but is cut off by Grimlock. And for the greater good of all, for the Technobots' survival and success in life, he transfers all he had gained in one fell swoop. And in his waning intelligence, he says

"Me Grimlock says you smart now, me can no can help you anymore".

The Grimlock who made him is now gone, and the combiner goes and does what he needs to do.

And to me, it reminds me that of the Parent's Sacrifice. Grimlock gives up the potential of rising in rank, being seen as an equal or more than by his fellow Autobots. As some parents in life live and love and struggle against and rise against adversities. And midway, be it by plan or not, in non ideal circumstances, come to bear children. And in healthy situations, give their all, "giving up" their time money and freedom to raise them. But it is not truely "giving up" , done in loving sacrifice, to see that those before go much farther, and shine bigger and brighter.

And in the end of it all, we see Grimlock fishing with his fellow Dinobots in a lake, remarking how being smart isnt what its cracked up to be, and he likes being good ol Grimlock. And for once, the Autobots cheer.

And theres many ways one can interpret -- or rather, overthink this.

On a different path, Im reminded of the Love, Death, and Robots short, Zima Blue, which is one of the best sci-fi stories of ever in my opinion. I recommend watching the video before reading what I have to say, as I spoil the grand premise.

Anyway, its the story of artist named Zima Blue, known throughout the world for his poignant pieces and focus on the color blue. The art pieces get grander, yet his yearning for... something grows wider, and he sheds his humanity, revealing himself to a journalist that he is, in fact, a robot. One with origins of a simple pool cleaning—tile cleaning robot—whose job was to scrub pool tiles into the specific shade of blue, Zima Blue. Who was tinkered by a bright young mind, surpassing other robotic projects, over time evolving into the man he is today. Accepted in awe by all the world.

And yet, something was still missing.

"I will slowly shut down my higher brain functions, unmaking myself, my search for truth is finished at last. Im going home."

And to the world, he reveals his true nature, dons off his attire, and swims as a man one last time. The audience looks on with excitement for what was to be his final art work, only to look on with shock and horror as he begins to fall apart. And what would emerge? A little pool cleaning robot, a tile scrubber to be exact. And the crowd leaves, leaving the robot to scrub for the rest of his days. Alone.

And in the end, our main character, despite all the wisdom and experience acquired... chose to revert back to the simple pool cleaner, to spend his days scrubbing along the walls in what some may is a glorified container.

Some would be confused or balk at the decision, for why would he choose to live such a simple, dare I say primitive life, to that of a high elite of world reknown?

There is no shame in finding joy —purpose — in being what one is. Yes, there is the fact of being a tile scrubber whose objective is to scrub, of being a brute strong dinosaur who likes to fight and fish can be seen shame. Of not being as intelligent, of not being as certain way as society seems fit. And while one has the capacity to change, there is no shame of being happy of who one is and embracing it with those who understand--

--To have that dont cheer/look on from a distance

--and To be what one is and am, and that is enough.

In the end, the Technobots are their own people, functionally adults with knowledge and fighting prowess. Grimlock shows no real attachment or regard to the Technobots, as they also do the same. As I said, G1 tends not to be super character focused and is episodic, the next episodes never following up on this. And while I havent seen all of G1, I can assume that they dont really interact after this episode, Grimlock having the Dinobots, the Technobots having each other, both groups being loud and proud about themselves.

But I have to wonder, if Grimlock ever looks at the Technobots from a distance, just for a little moment. Or if Wheeljack and Ratchet would be proud, if they could've been there, to see how far their creations have gone, with nerd dork grandchildren to boot.

[under-loch-n-key]

Longggg Sherlock & Co plot rant. You have been warned.

I know the creator of Sherlock & Co. found the idea of writing Moriarty into the series intimidating. Plus, not knowing how to do Sherlock's "death" over a podcast and such. But I had an idea.

I love the idea of Professor Moriarty being some sort of hacker/online troll and MORIARTY is the name of a dark web corporation that is trying to hack into the Sherlock & Co. Company to send Sherlock puzzles/cases. You lot know those shady anon hackers on the dark web in films and certain websites? Like that.

I think it would be cool if at first Moriarty leaves hate/weird comments on John's podcasting sites and Watson just thinks it is some hater and thinks nothing of it and deletes the comments. He just grumbles about the comments being a continous thing.

Suddenly the comments stop. Watson isn't complaining about it, he is relieved by that because they were really annoying him. (no matter how many times Sherlock & Mariana told him to ignore them.)

Later on, Watson gets these emails from an unknown email of some shady guy (Moriarty) taunting Sherlock (and the rest of the company) and sending them on goose chase cases (Like the BBC did in that one episode with the phone calls, in a way?)

When Moriarty becomes the main centre of the podcast episodes, instead of Sherlock dying, he gets kidnapped by Moriarty's network. Watson and Mariana embark on and have to solve their most important case yet "Where is Sherlock Holmes?" This would give us some cool dynamics and more screentime between Watson and Mariana.

Watson starts to panick because he thinks he isn't like Sherlock and Sherlock did tell him that he would never be able to figure out stuff the way he could. Mariana is there to support and be there for him. Watson and Mariana have to channel their inner Sherlock Holmes to solve the case.

Idk whether I like the idea of Sherlock expecting this to happen and leave behind clues in some way. I do know though, that I like the idea of the following cases being them trying to work on finding Sherlock.

When they do, Sherlock is banged up and Sherlock tells him "I trusted that you would find me, Watson. You really are a persistent fellow."

And Watson just runs up and hugs him and Mariana joins in and they are just mother henning him like crazy.

Watson tells Sherlock "Don't do that to me again. Don't disappear on me again, you hear?"

And Sherlock is like "It's not like I was expecting to kidnapped, John. Besides, your podcast wouldn't last without me."

Watson just huffs and tells him "No, no, it wouldn't. Just come here," and then goes to hug him again.

Mariana pulls away from them both in realisation and she tells them "Boys, I don't mean to break up our moment, but we still do have one problem."

They both look at her and Sherlock nods and says "Moriarty. He's still out there."

I want it to be implied that they came face to face while Sherlock was kidnapped.

"He? Sherlock, you saw him?" Watson replies.

"Indeed, Watson and I think I know where he'll be waiting next."

*cue Sherlock & Co. End of episode music.*

Anyways, then we get to the episode of the Reichenbach fall, they have their final facedown. Sherlock doesn't die, but Moriarty does fall.

Watson would 100% be grumbling about how he can't pick up any audio over the sound of the falls.

Sherlock and Moriarty would begin fighting and Watson would start describing the scene in a panicked tone.

Sherlock calls over "Not helping, Watson!"

After more sounds of fighting and nervous ramblings from Watson. Sherlock & Moriarty turn the corner of the falls into a blind spot.

All Watson hears and sees is a cry and someone fall and crash into the water.

Watson panicks and shouts "SHERLOCK!" then dashes up to where they were fighting. Sherlock is sitting down and catching his breath.

Sherlock would probably make a smartarse comment like "Ah, John. Glad you make it. Help me up will you?"

"You're not dead."

"Clearly, or else we wouldn't be speaking. Now, would you please help me up?"

"Right, yeah." Watson helps him up.

"So, you, erm, you killed him?"

"I did. His baritsu was lacking, so his demise was inevitable."

"You're a clever, bugger, mate. Now, lift home?"

"Yes, of course."

I think it would be funny if the episode ended like this. They get home and Mariana starts mother-henning them both and she is scolding them both in Spanish about being more careful, how much she cares for them both, etc. Then she hugs them both.

Later on, we cut to them sitting in their chairs and talking about, well, everything.

"It's good to have you home, you know? I- well, Mariana and I both missed you."

"Mm. It's good to be home, Watson. I prefer the smell of our flat to the vile odour of where I was."

"Do you want to talk about it? Because, I, erm, am always here if you need a good talk."

"Not at the moment, Watson, but I will keep that in mind."

Long pause.

"So, Moriarty's network.. is it?-"

"Gone? Mm. No, but it will be taken care of."

"How? They are bloody HUGE, Sherlock. Shouldn't we, I don't know, contact Lestrade? Actually, the whole bloody Scotland Yard?"

"They're useless here, Watson. I'll leave this to the government."

"The government? Sherlock, we both know what they are. The government is not reliable in the slightest."

"Mm. The government you are discussing, yes. They are indeed unreliable, but in this instance I am discussing a WHO not a what."

"Friends in high places?"

"No. Much much worse."

"Oh, erm, an enemy then?"

"Mycroft is not an enemy, but certainly not a friend."

"What the devil is a 'Mycroft'?"

"My brother."

There's a long silence in the audio

"YOUR WHAT!?"

*Cue end of episode music*

I think this concept would be a cool way to be introduced to Mycroft, Watson realising his capibilities since meeting Sherlock, more screentime with Mariana and John's friendship, a way to do the podcast without killing Sherlock and having the time gap between Sherlock's "death" and resurrection, etc.

If you made it to the end of my Sherlock & Co plot concept ramble, good for you. Lol. Anyway, I just thought this would be a cool concept. The rant kinda blended into a fic, but oh well.

Do you lot like this idea? I thought it would be neat.

If John (or even the creator of Sherlock & Co) sees this ever, I will spontaneously combust. 😳

Enjoy my story/plot rant-

(Sorry for any typos, I am sick and half-asleep)

(I am so normal about them, I swear-)

[thesiltverses]

I was listening to S2Q&A and I went over the character limit on Spotify so I'm just gonna drop my comment here instead:

I think all y'all do incredible work, but I'm especially a fan of the sound design! It's one of my favorite things about audio dramas that makes them distinct from audio books. The environmental storytelling that comes through is so satisfying and easy to understand without sounding manufactured.

I might be a minority, but I actually love the muddiness and chaos of your action/battle scenes. You're clearly mastering a fine line between listenability and honoring the disarray of the scene. I enjoy the brief pockets where I don't understand what's happening beat-for-beat because it feels like I'm caught in the fray of it, and not being able to 'keep the score' until it's over ramps up the tension deliciously.

Everyone does fabulous work on this, but I just wanted to gas up your sound design. It's like costuming or lighting- you're doing your job well when those things support the story, and it means people don't notice that effort at times because it's so seamless. One 'tech' to another: very well done!!!

Thank you so much, that's really kind and means a lot! Other than in the Q&As, I haven't really talked that much about picking up sound design duties over the course of the series, but it really has been a meaningful and exciting learning experience for me, not least as a writer getting to hone his writing via audio editing.

Since you mentioned it and I can't pass up the opportunity for a rant - listenability and what that actually should mean in practice is a topic I think about a lot.

I think it's important for audiodrama designers not to get haughty or defensive when listeners struggle to comprehend a particular sequence (I have designed scenes poorly where the dialogue clearly didn't rise over the background noise sufficiently, I've designed scenes poorly where the action was clearly too chaotic or lacked sufficient cues to help the audience through it).

But equally - between wildly different auditory processing capabilities and the wildly different listening environments and listening habits at play, I don't believe there's any perfect state of comprehensibility available in this medium, and sometimes I think our hunt for it can lead us astray.

Over the years, I've heard from listeners who honestly can't tell the voices of actors with globe-spanning accents apart, I've heard from listeners who can't pick up on environmental SFX cues indicating a change of location and need something more explicit in the dialogue whenever there's a scene shift, I've heard from listeners who can only listen through one earbud in the workplace and therefore don't want binaural sound, listeners who struggle to hear any action sequence whatsoever as more than incoherent noise, and listeners who can only enjoy audiodramas solely as a second-screen activity and who can't keep up with a fast-moving or complicated plot without regular recaps.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of that, and those listeners aren't wrong to respond in this way - everyone has their own processing threshold, and everyone has their own needs and preferences as an audience member.

But I also don't believe I'd personally want to create a full-cast show under the limitations that would arise from my attempting to strictly solve all of those problems at once (as opposed to being flexible and considerate about them during the design process).

There has to be room for calculated ambition and big swings in the medium, and there has to be room to trust the audience to keep up with you during the ambitious moments, albeit with one eye firmly on accessibility - otherwise audiodrama is likely to remain dominated by 'one actor with a nice soothing voice telling stories' or 'one small group of characters having lots of conversations about their ongoing efforts to resolve a single plot thread'. Which is often fantastic, but there's plenty of it already!

When it comes to action scenes in particular, I've been trying to operate under the consistent philosophy of 'before, DURING, after', with equal weight and design attention given to each third.

In other words, if we do enough careful and quiet work to establish the environment and props and rising tension ahead of a big noisy chaotic sequence, and if we do the careful and quiet work afterwards to clearly show where the characters have ended up and what condition they're in, my belief is that it's 100% acceptable if the audience can't immediately track the movement of Character A's fist hitting Character B and Character B falling against a table in three seconds flat.

Like good action editing in cinema, an engaged audience member will follow the motion and comprehend the outcome cleanly, even if they don't take in all the details. That, to me, is a vastly better result for the work than having to include a 'oh, no, he stabbed you with that knife!!' line of dialogue.

Anyway, you just wanted to gas me up which was very kind and instead I wrote out this big long blather. So apologies, and thank you so much again!

[flo-zoinks]

Merry Christmas Zoinky!! 🎄🫂❤️

I would love to hear you yap about your thoughts on Reverend please 🙏🙏

MERRY CHRISTMAS AOIOOZORA❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 SORRY IM A BIT LATE I LOVE UR ASKS

I've had such a moving relationship with Swanson as I've played - I started by HATING him because of the interaction he has with Javier (I'd only caught about some of it and thought him telling his 'Mexican friend' as he says to repent was for being Mexican). But I've defo grown to love my boy so I'm very grateful for this ask thank you!!!

One thing I adore about his character is his parallels with Dutch - how both of them seem to be in always completely opposite situations. Whilst at the start Dutch is seen as loving, respectable and driven, Reverend on the other hand is presented as shameful, shallow and hopeless (essentially the complete opposite.) Dutch knows and is confident in his ideals and how he will lives accordingly, whilst Swanson is shown multiple times in almost comedic oxymorons with his actions to beliefs, like when his bible opened to contain recreational drugs.

However, as Dutch comes down, Swanson goes up. As Dutch falls and betrays his own beliefs on family for instance, such as leaving Arthur to die, Swanson instead finds truth in his faith and gets sober, doing actions such as preaching to people like Arthur wisely. I think this is to show perhaps the effect of their characters different mindsets, or just overall views. Dutch believes his problems are not him, but everyone else. He believes hes somehow perfect, and will change his ideals to make himself feel perfect - ultimately becoming his downfall as he goes against everyone and runs to live in a cave. Swanson, though, is only harmful to himself, and takes full accountability for his own actions. This means he is able to see his problems, and when he can stop the shit he throws at himself and solve them. So Swanson is able to heal, and become the best version of himself learning from his mistakes and changing accordingly.

If I'm being honest too, his relationship with his Faith is one I've always related to a little. He struggles in the beginning to understand why a God would cause his life to go so astray and horrendous while he, in comparison to so many others, chose to become a man of the cloth and dedicate himself to his faith - proven as he makes comments like "I feel like if God really loved me he would've struck me down years ago" (paraphrasing). But growing and healing himself to a newer version allows him to refind that security in his God, becoming someone with so much to be grateful for (like his own Church) when he commits to changing. But that's just me.. - yet because of that hes always had a little place in my heart 😭❤❤

I personally love his character in the camp, whilst at the start I struggled to understand why the game (and mostly Dutch) would add a reverend with no criminal skills or monetary skills to the camp, rendering his character quite useless in a good number of missions. Continuing however, and seeing his character as one representing much more than just a 'drunk gone sober yipee', I think is very poetically tied in with the main plot. He's a prime example of the layers in every character in RDR, as hes so much more than just that. Even whilst a drunk, whilst still sometimes causing harm to those around him, he purposely tries to prevent everyone else being wrapped in his issues, and tries to be a help during Colter in the ways he can. I had no idea during my first play though that the Reverend reading passages to the gang and helping John with his morphine (now I sound like an idiot) would be a 'low life' addict, and that definitely shocked me. Even whilst he's considered healed, when Strauss tries to talk to him about his own worries Swanson is a little ignorant, and instead yaps about his own journey and ignores Strauss trying to talk. That little interaction though had me surprised at how well he had changed as when Strauss asked to talk his immediate reaction to shut his book and say "yes, of course", getting up was starkly different to their other interaction in chapter 2 in which he calls Strauss a horrible man for not giving him money for drugs. Especially since Strauss by all holy books is perhaps the definition of sin, preying on the poor and showing little empathy, Swanson sees the good in him that other's don't and turns the other cheek to kindness as his Holy book preaches time and time again. It also presents how much he actually took the beliefs to heart, as many people who identify themselves as Christians (no matter where you go, trust me I know) will often be ignorant of some rules to hate on "those who deserve it", or do the bad thing when it's easy. But Swanson doesn't, and works hard to take in and do the option according to his beliefs, even if the harder option like showing kindness to the face that insult you. Yet of course, hes still not perfect at the end, which to me solidifies him as an examples of the amount of depth in each rdr2 character

Finally can I just say

🙏him in chapter 6..😔Zoo..wee...mama...

Thanks for letting me yap!! What do you think about him??? I would love to know 😚😚 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[43501]

How would a female Near, L, Mello, Matt, and Light be in your opinion?

Hello my love. I'll give you my thoughts. The thrust of the question is something like "all else the same, in what ways would this character be different if they were subjected to the expectations of the opposite sex?" and that hinges a lot on connection to society and geography.

Near: Almost indifferentiable from canon Near. Male or female, Near just hasn't ever really come up against the expectations of sex. Wammy's House decided L's successor based on academic performance and problem-solving ability. Of everyone listed here, I think girl Near looks the closest to her canon counterpart. I think she'd be petite and curveless, genderbent Near art with noticeable tits registers as wrong to my brain. Also, every boy at Wammy's House had a crush on her at some point lol.

I had a sudden thought while writing this, which is that Near is strictly only ever seen playing with toys that're really "boy-coded"... robots, planes, cars, action figures, lego (or "block"). I refuse to believe he doesn't have a bunch of plushies as well. Um, well, the doll market was dire in the early 2000s but somebody should time travel and get him some of those more interesting and detailed Monster High dolls as well.

L: See above. But, the relationship with Watari would be different, wouldn't it? Men of Quillsh Wammy's time are reserved with their sons, but more free with their affection toward their daughters. Maybe if L was a woman, Watari would treat her more like his daughter rather than the son-master-boss-thing L is in canon (though I find this ambiguity really interesting). Female L has more social awareness than male L, but not by very much. Misa's captivity wouldn't have looked like torture bondage, too.

Mello: For everyone else, I was able to answer this question pretty quickly. I am drawing an almost total blank for what female Mello would be like. I think you need to ask one of the users with a PhD in Mellology, I'm still an undergrad despite him being my second-favorite character. (Don't tell him he's the second-favorite, though I suspect he already knows.)

Though one thing that strikes me is the whole mafia plot may not have been possible if he was a girl. There are women in organized crime, of course, but their role/involvement is completely different from the place canon Mello ended up. They are usually the wives or relatives of mafiosi because as a woman you can't "join". I wonder what girl Mello would have done after leaving Wammy's House. Actually, could you imagine how ticked off girl Mello would be dealing with canon Near in the same dynamic? Near's often dismissive, cold behavior would probably cut deeper if he's talking like that to his female peer.

Matt: A cool-headed gamer girl, tomboyish in manner. She's somewhat more extroverted and socially well-adjusted than canon Matt because she had more friends at Wammy's House and people were generally kinder to her. If Mello is also female, they're best friends forever. If he's not, they're still close, but for some reason I perceive canon Mello as bonding more with other men and his best friend would likely be another guy.

Light: She is the eldest daughter of the Yagami family, with all the ambition and smarts of Light as we know him, but now saddled with the burdensome social expectations of being a woman in Japan. A highly-strung, dignified sort. Similar to Kiyomi in mien, but less social validation seeking. I think she feels the constraints of her sex keenly and is kind of a man-hater as a result, in a bizarre mirror of how canon Light often looks down on women. She is always well-dressed and presentable, but this isn't any kind of vanity, it's because she feels she must maintain her image in order to be respected and taken seriously. She's a high achiever and I think she wants to be feared/intimidating more than she wants to be liked.

[topazadine]

Signs That You Will Probably Finish Your Writing Project

Anyone can finish a book if they work hard at it, even if it takes them longer than someone else. That's right: anyone. Anyone, anywhere, can write a book. Maybe it won't be the best book in the world, but it would be done!

But most don't. Many start a project and never do anything else with it. They then come up with a million excuses as to why they couldn't do it.

After speaking with dozens of writers over my lifetime, I've become able to predict with good accuracy whether someone will actually achieve a completed first draft. I am not always right, of course, because I am simply a human. But I am right most of the time.

There's no rocket science here, and I'm not a mindreader. It's just that there are certain habits conducive to finishing projects, and others that stymie your success.

I know that this will upset some people, and I'm sorry in advance. I'm not saying any of this to be mean, nor am I trying to discourage you. All these bad habits can be fixed, though it requires a mindset shift. You can achieve all of these powerful mindesets with some of the tips I provide.

Why should you listen to me? I have a pretty good track record of finishing things. I have 132 stories available on AO3, have published two parts of The Eirenic Verses, and am already revising the third manuscript before the second is even out. I've finished three of the other manuscripts in the 10-part series already in addition to the aforementioned third part.

It is the mindset I mention here that helps me stay so productive. This is not exhaustive. There are probably plenty of things that go into a great writing mindset that I have completely forgotten about. And maybe you'll beat the odds and have one of these issues but still get it done! And that's great, and I'm happy for you.

But nevertheless, let's get into it.

You have healthy self-esteem (or are working on building it)

I'm dead serious here. Having a healthy self-esteem is crucial to being a great writer. Here's a few reasons why:

You believe your work is good enough as it is, but that it can always be better. You think you have something important to say and that other people will enjoy it. You are not shooting yourself in the foot by bemoaning how terrible your writing is, making no one want to read it. You self-soothe when things get frustrating (writer's block, plot not working out, etc) and encourage yourself out of that hole rather than needing others to comfort you. You believe you have the skills to solve problems in your text and remain proactive in fixing things. You don't get absolutely obliterated by critique because you recognize that it's not a personal attack, so you improve by taking good advice. You don't think that rejection of your writing is rejection of you as a person. Your happiness doesn't hinge upon success as a writer, which may not happen no matter how good you are. You're willing to take risks, to talk to people about your work, and to market yourself because you understand that you won't get success without a bit of exposure.

What are some signs of low self-esteem for writers?

Not wanting to show anyone their writing yet also talking about it constantly hoping that others will want to read it

Talking about how bad their writing is

Getting jealous of other peoples' success

Being hypercritical of other writers

Talking more about their failures than their successes

Dismissing any praise as disingenuous

Needing constant reassurance at every part of the writing cycle

Being a perfectionist, especially during the active writing phase

Constantly revising to the point where they don't get anything done

Obsessing over perceived imperfections in their work

Avoiding getting feedback after they have completed a draft

Just as with everything else in life, your mindset plays a huge role in your success as a writer. Having healthy self-esteem (not an overinflated ego) will serve you much better than being overly critical of yourself or others.

Knowing you have the skills and talents necessary to tackle your project (because you do) will help motivate you when things get tough and keep you from giving up at the first sign of trouble.

Look, I had a shit childhood and a rocky start to adulthood. But I've managed to scrabble up some good self-esteem juice, and I am sure you can too. It takes time, and it looks different for everyone, so I'm not going to tell you how to do it because I don't know you personally.

However, fixing your mindset and believing in yourself does wonders for your writing - more than any expensive course, more than a personal editor, more than any of that. Trust your own process, and you'll reap wonderful results.

You think of yourself as a writer first, not an aspiring author.

Though my profile says I'm the author of The Eirenic Verses, that's not how I introduce myself. When people ask me what I do, I say I'm a writer. Because it's true: I write business stuff for work, and I write fiction for self-fulfillment.

When I was still working on the first book in the series, I did not call myself an aspiring author. I said I was writing a book. I've never called myself an aspiring author once in my entire life, and I'm glad for that.

Why is this important?

"Author" is a status, but "writer" is an activity. Anyone can publish one singular book and be an author, but only people who write regularly can call themselves writers.

"Aspiring author" is a dead-end title. It means you want something but haven't achieved it. Then you become an "author" and ... what? That doesn't mean you're going to keep writing. It just means you did one thing, once.

For sustainable mindsets, we need to remind ourselves that if we want to be something, we have to do something.

No one calls themselves an "aspiring scientist." They call themselves a scientist in training because they are learning how to be a scientist. That's an active title. It implies you are doing something.

So, if you want to keep doing, call yourself a writer. It reminds you, every single time that you tell someone, that you need to write. You'll feel guilty if you call yourself a writer and then haven't written anything in five months, and it will compel you to keep going.

You don't worry about what happens after finishing.

Fussing about what will happen after you finish is the best way to burn yourself out. The writing phase is about writing, not about revising or publishing or marketing or whether anyone will ever want to read it.

Focus on one thing at a time. Think only about the writing when you are writing. Everything else comes at a later date.

You do not announce WIPs when you start them.

There's this author I follow over on Twitter whose name I will not share. It seems like every other week, she's announcing a new WIP with a pretty moodboard and a name and characters and so on.

She has little emojis and "code names" for each of her WIPs, and she'll "drop hints" about all of them every once in a while, all mysterious and Taylor Swift-esque.

Has she published anything? Nope. Nothing. Nada. A whole lot of talk and not a lot of action.

Why are you announcing something you haven't even done? Why are you telling us about a project that you personally haven't devoted much attention to? Why should we care about something that you haven't cared enough to work on yet?

I have a list of my WIPs for The Eirenic Verses because they are all in the same world and all have to exist for the next part to make sense. I don't have a choice to drop them if I want to finish the series. I didn't create that WIP list until I had already decided on each of the parts and had already published the first book, so now if I want to keep people reading, I have to commit to them.

But if you have dozens of different unrelated WIPs, who is to say that you'll finish all of them? You probably won't.

Announcing a WIP before you have done the work is cheating; you're getting a little dopamine hit of everyone telling you how excited they are rather than a dopamine hit of achievement for doing the thing.

You do not talk excessively about your projects.

The more you talk about your work, the less you get done because you are tricking your brain into thinking that you are actually getting things done.

Again, you get the dopamine hit of people saying "ohhh that's so cool I love it!!" and then you are happy that people liked your idea, and then you don't do the idea because you don't need to. You already got the result you wanted, which was people telling you they liked it.

Great authors don't tell anyone about their projects except in the most general, vague sense before they are well underway, because they don't want to jinx themselves. If you're already staying mum about your work, then you're doing great.

And yes, your constant updates of "here is exactly how much I wrote today" every single day does count as talking about your project.

You are okay with going it alone.

The Active Writing process is the loneliest part of writing. No one is looking over your shoulder and encouraging you. It is only after you get to Percolation and Revision that you start to share your work with others, get feedback, and find ways to improve what you already have.

If you need someone to constantly build up your confidence and tell you that you're wonderful and that you should keep going, then you are not likely to finish because you are constantly talking about your work instead of doing it.

Writers need to be comfortable with solitude, but they also need to be willing to network, get feedback, and listen to other perspectives. It is a balance and it all depends on where you are in the specific stages of this given project.

When I'm working on a project, I tend to just avoid other writers entirely and stick to my other activity groups so that I'm still getting social stimulation but don't feel encouraged to share details of my work.

Those other friend groups do not really care about the ins and outs of writing, and that's perfectly fine; they don't need to. If they're willing to show up and cheer me on when I actually finish the project, great! That's all I need.

Constantly needing to check in with other people and having them rubber-stamp your writing is a sign of a lack of confidence, and it's something you need to work on it if you want to finish anything.

Be okay with going it alone. Be okay with waiting for feedback. Trust in yourself and your writing.

You have a process.

Your process doesn't have to look like mine to be successful. I've shared my process so that those without a process yet can get some inspiration for how to organize themselves, but there's no rule that you have to do it like me.

I will say that my process has achieved great results, but I'm not omniscient; maybe there's an even better way of working that I don't know about yet.

Every writer goes about things a different way, and that's totally fine. What matters is that they are getting things done in a manner that they like and that is working well for them. Even if their approach would make me want to tear my own skin off, I cannot and will not judge. They've got their thing, and that's perfect.

You need to have something that guides you so that you can replicate your successes. Scattershot approaches get scattershot results.

Contrary to how it may seem, I am not actually a very organized person. I work on both Google Docs AND Word for different parts of the process because I like doing it that way, but it would probably drive someone else insane if they like to use things like Ellipsus or Scrivener.

But it works for me, and if it ain't broke, I'm not going to fix it. If what you has is doing well, then keep at it. If it's not working for you, then you have many options to better organize and systematize your work.

You worldbuild as you go along.

This is specifically for fantasy and scifi, two of the genres where I see people crash and burn the most.

That's because they set everything up to perfection before actually doing anything and then just ... don't do the thing. Or do the thing in fits and starts because they spent so much time and energy worldbuilding that they don't have any creative juice for actually writing anything.

If you have like one chapter done but you have a full bible-sized guide to your lore, you've gone about things in the wrong order. Now your project becomes about fitting all of that in somewhere instead of writing an entertaining story, and you're far more likely to fall into the Infodumping Trap. You're making things too complicated.

In my guide to worldbuilding, you'll notice that the things I encourage people to emphasize are little things that don't have anything to do with the plot. One cannot build a plot around a cultural dish.

And I emphasized those things on purpose, because those are things that aren't going to overtake your story and become a substitute for actually creating something people want to read.

When I started writing The Eirenic Verses, I had a pretty simple premise: there's one country that has poetry magic and one that doesn't, and there's a giant mountain range between them and the girls are fightinggg.

That's about it for what I had at the jump. All the other things - lore, mythology, religion, international politics, festivals, cultural consciousness, economy, clothing, etc - all came later, as I was writing.

I didn't set out knowing what festivals the Bremish had or how the royal family works in Sina or what the towns looked like or exactly how High Poetry works or any of that. I discovered all of that during the writing process and noted it down so I wouldn't contradict myself.

By focusing only on the "what if" at the start, then infusing the rest as you go along, you will avoid the sin of infodumping because you don't know what to infodump. Things will just come to you as they make sense, and you will include them as relevant. You don't have anything to infodump on the reader.

You remember that you can always revise.

And lastly, great writers worry about getting the draft done. They don't fret over every word because they know that they can get it looking flawless LATER. They just want that rough draft, and then they seek specific feedback on how to improve that draft.

My third book, Funeral of Hopes, is extraordinarily short right now. after finishing the first draft, I then sent it to a great beta, who offered me suggestions for how to lengthen it, and I'm now fitting those new puzzle pieces together.

I knew as soon as I was done that I needed more, but I wanted to let it sit for a bit and get some suggestions for how to do that. If I had spent ages trying to lengthen it the first go-round, I probably would have gotten frustrated and given up. It's okay to just have the bare bones of the story and then seek out feedback; there's something there to scaffold off.

If you'd like to read more of my work, consider buying my book!

9 Years Yearning is a gay coming-of-age romance set in a fantasy world. It follows Uileac Korviridi, a young soldier training at the War Academy. His primary motivations are honoring the memory of his late parents, protecting his little sister Cerie, and becoming a top-notch soldier.

However, there's a problem: Orrinir Relickim, a rough and tough fellow pupil who just can't seem to leave Uileac alone.

The book features poetry, descriptions of a beautiful country inspired by Mongolia, and a whole lot of tsundere vibes.

You can also check it out on Goodreads for a list of expanded distribution.

Be sure to preorder Pride Before a Fall, arriving January 1, 2025!

If you do purchase my book, don't forget to leave a review!

Reviews are vital for visibility on Amazon and help to support indie authors like me. Whenever you love a book, be sure to let the author know! It's much appreciated.

I've also created a masterlist of writing resources that you can peruse at your leisure, all for free.

Enjoy!