#some people really struggle with idea generation!

[isfjmel-phleg]

😶

[borderlinereminders]

I think 99% of my advice for healthy relationships is to communicate, especially in advance.

Talk to your loved ones about conflict before you have one. Talk about how you react to conflict and ways you can solve conflict together. If you need to walk away during conflict to gather your thoughts, let them know before you have a conflict so that they can be prepared for the fact that you may need space. If there are certain things that really upset you that typically come up during conflicts, let them know.

Talk to your loved ones about your insecurities before they become a problem. Maybe this means planning a way to communicate that you could use some reassurance. Maybe this means getting a letter from them, or screenshots to read when you need to.

Talk to your loved ones about boundaries. If something they tease you about is actually upsetting, communicate that and let them know. Our loved ones generally want to make our lives better and wouldn’t continue to do stuff if they knew it was hurting you. They don’t know there’s a problem to fix if they aren’t told.

Talk to your loved ones if something is bothering you. Do you feel you always message first or initiate contact? Talk to them about it. Don’t start playing the “I’m not going to message until they do” game. Try not to become passive aggressive or hint at the problem.

Talk to your loved ones about things you like, appreciate or love. Give them the opportunity to do these things for you.

If a loved one is venting to you, ask what they need if they don’t tell you. Ask if they’d like support, or for you to offer validation or advice, or just to listen. This can prevent so much. When we get advice sometimes when we’re upset, we’re not in a place for it and it can make it worse and create conflict.

If a loved one is struggling and you don’t know how to help, don’t just avoid them because you don’t know what to say. Ask them how they’d like support. Sometimes people just want company, a distraction or to know they’re loved. On the other side of this, try to tell your loved ones how they can help. Often they do want to help, they just don’t know help.

I could go on and on about this, but perhaps you get the idea by now.

Our loved ones aren’t mind readers, but sometimes we expect them to be and that isn’t fair to them or us. That usually ends with both you and them being upset. Communicate directly when you can.

[seafoamreadings]

week of february 2nd, 2025

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: venus moves into your sign this week. while venus is classically debilitated in your sign, it just means the energy is not very natural to her. venus in aries is actually lovely as a force for the beauty of justice, and she can make you quite charismatic as well. embrace aesthetics and a little romance.

taurus: while many parts of your chart are active this week, the epicenter of activity is your career, reputation, and public image/status. there are changes coming to this realm and you will do well to put some effort into aligning those changes with the legacy you want to leave, the imprint you wish to make on the world.

gemini: you have great money vibes this week, especially if you are pursuing higher education, spirituality, or foreign travel. jupiter also goes direct in your sign this week, likely bringing helpful people. remember, it's auspicious to also be a helpful person yourself.

cancerians: if you need to do any reputation damage control or prettying up your social media or resume/cv, this week is a perfect time, especially once venus is ensconced in aries. in general you're going to have sort of low energy, so get lots of sleep!

leo: if a friends to lovers story is your idea of fun it's quite probable this week. you'll need to be looking out for it but it will be unmistakable when you do see it. and if that's not really your thing (or in addition to it) you can still make the most of the week's astrology by doing something really nice for a close friend, and appreciating them when they are there for you.

virgo: it's not the sort of week that you can expect things to go according to even your most impeccably laid plans. lean into your natural mutability and embrace unexpected changes instead of letting them chafe and irritate you.

libra: good air vibes continue. these are hard times broadly but for you on a personal level many good things occur and beauty exists everywhere. try to spread some of that to people who struggle more to see it.

scorpio: no matter how developed and complete you may have thought your spirituality to be, your philosophical approach to it continues to develop at light speed this week. don't try to dig in your heels about it but go with the flow instead. you are meant to change and not stagnate, fixed sign though you may be.

sagittarius: your ruling planet jupiter goes direct this week and you may even instantly feel like any stuckness in your life is magically undone and you can move forward (or at all) again. if stuckness hasn't been an issue rest assured good things are occurring for you behind the scenes if not before your eyes.

capricorn: your week consists of mainly minor influences but there is overall a push that you should be having fun, and not forcing yourself to go through rote motions for money or corporate points. it's not a bad time to "touch grass".

aquarius: jupiter direct brings you fun and even romance if you're open to it, but at the same time ceres in your sign square uranus in taurus is a strange standoff that can put you in somewhat unhealthy situations. try to form, or improve, a healthy and stable foundation so that when wobbly aspects like this come up you can regain your footing easily.

pisces: a surreal quality continues into this week. but now you may find you are a little bit more in your head than in some alternate dimension or dreamscape. keep one foot on the ground, and continue to avoid excess or addictive tendencies. indeed, it's not a bad idea to relax at home and see what good fortune just lands at your doorstep for now.

watch the transit posts in real time to have the best guide through your week. want a little more? have a look at my patreon or ko-fi.

check out my etsy for a private reading or fill out this form to set up a reading through venmo, cashapp, or paypal.

[certifiedsexed]

I'm just being sensitive but I feel like I'm disgusting for liking guys and/or girls. I'm aromantic, and I'm somewhat on the ace spectrum but I get horny a lot and it makes me feel disgusting and like I'm a disgusting person for being that way. I logically know that doesn't make sense but it still feels so real when I think of the idea of ever having sex with someone my age. I'm a teenager, and I couldn't actually go and have sex anyways because of how my whole family and living situation is but its still like. Weird. I don't know. I want to have sex but the very thought terrifies me because I'm bigender and I've had awful experiences with guys that range from toxic to sexual trauma and I'm terrified of having sex with anyone else because even if it was possible I'm not exactly someone anyone really wants in general.

Tldr; I want to have sex, but im too scared and even if I could despite my situation I feel like I'm disgusting for it and I'm scared of getting thrown into awful situations. I feel like a gross creep for not liking people romantically but still wanting to have sex. Especially when it comes to liking girls. I might as well be emulating the very thing I've been taught not to be like.

Okay, so first: this isn't just you being sensitive. Feeling ashamed of your sexuality and sexual attraction in particular is a very common experience, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, and its very encouraged by the world in general.

Its not just you being "sensitive" when you're struggling with it.

Adding to that sexual trauma and general transphobia? It makes a lot of sense.

Secondly, let me say that you're not disgusting. Sexual attraction to other people is not wrong, or disgusting, or creepy. You don't owe people the possibility of a romantic relationship whether you're just sexually attracted to them or if you have sex.

If you've been taught that being sexually attracted to girls is disgusting, whoever taught you that was wrong. There's nothing wrong with that. You're not sexually assaulting anyone, you're not harassing anyone, there's nothing wrong with that.

My advice here would first be to find yourself some people or community of similar sexuality to you, especially people who are talking about their sexuality. Whether that's locally or an online group (there are some on here specifically for aro people who experience sexual attraction!), I think even just reading/listening to people talk about it might be good for you.

Getting to the point that you can talk about it more as well would probably be incredibly helpful too. That might be easier online.

I also think learning more about sex, shame and internalized homophobia might be helpful too. You're not alone in this experience, Anon and I think learning more about that and how other people deal with that would be really helpful.

I don't know that this is helpful but let me know if you have anymore questions. <3

[felassan]

Some more DA:TV and related snippets from Sylvia Feketekuty, Part 4. rest of post under a cut due to length and spoilers. [Post One, Post Two, Post Three]

User: "How and when did he and her(johanna) meet? What was the story between him and her back then?" // Sylvia Feketekuty: "1. So I always imagined he and Johanna met pretty early on, in the Watchers. In their teens, maybe? (Hezenkoss was a pretty exceptional mage and Emmrich was raised by the MW, so I imagine both were fast tracked into the order.) 2. I have rough ideas, but of course since not much is in the game, not much is set in stone. One thing I did hint at obliquely I think is okay to expand on: when Hezenkoss complains about the Venatori and Emmrich says disapprovingly they remind him of Tevinter's nobility, and she agrees. In my mind, I imagine Hezenkoss came from a family not that much more socially higher than Emmrich's. So they were kids who probably bonded early on not only out of intellectual curiosity, but because they both came from working class families compared to students from the elites." [source, two, three]

Nick Boraine: "Hey Sylvia. thanks for writing such a beautiful character. I loved saying your words. Hope to again one day." [source] // Sylvia: "Nick! Hello! I hope you've been soaking in people's reactions to your wonderful performance. People have fallen in love with it! "Hope to again one day." If the stars align, I'd love that! Also: hope you saw that Emmrich picked up the Silver for "best new character" on the Playstation blog fan vote!" [source, two, three] // Nick: "I have indeed - it’s been incredible. So grateful. Hoping VG companies will all come on board soon and we can end the strike. I’d love to interact more with all the fans." [source] // Sylvia: "I'm glad to hear you've been getting to see some of the fan reactions! "Hoping VG companies will all come on board soon and we can end the strike." Amen to that. Best of luck to everyone holding the line, you all deserve what you're asking for and more." [source]

User: "I had been looking forward to learning more about the Mourn Watch since reading “Down Among the Dead Men” (which made me cry!), and it has been such a delight to explore that part of DAV" // Sylvia: "I'm especially touched to hear that about DatDM. It was a privilege to be the first writer who got to really open up the tombs in that story." [source]

User: "I'd be interested to know if you know any fun facts or something about the nevarran language featured in the game" // Sylvia: "Ah, tomb-script. I named it but it was our concept artists who went developed it with the hexagon shape-language of the Mourn Watch, which I loved. Conceptually: I think it's used purely an occult or sacred language. Something for the graves, or books on magic, but not everyday things." [source] // User: "The artists did an amazing job—it’s such a unique and visually striking evolution of Elvhen script, and it really highlights the distinct Nevarran aesthetic beautifully. It would be great to hear more about it if there's anything you're able to share from the concept/lore side of its development!" // Sylvia: "I don't know if I have too much more, but I did love how our artists made it follow the hexagonal shape-language of the Mourn Watch in general. (It's everywhere in their architecture and props.)" [source]

User: "1. What was Emmrich like as a student? Did he struggle with a particular topic in classes? Hezenkoss says some about him dragging her to parties so I was wondering if he was wilder in his youth" // Sylvia: "1. I think he was a diligent but very social student, very outgoing and fairly popular. I can't think of what lessons he might be bad at, not because he was good at all of them, but because that would mean getting into extreme detail about the MWers academia. e.g. I think it's fair to say visualizing and compartmentalizing thoughts and memetic rituals is part of casting magic, but but what do those classes LOOK like? How many are broken into sub-specialties? Etc. That said, even though I'm not sure how much it'd come up, Emmrich is absolutely terrible with anything mechanical. (Touched on that in some banter between him and Bellara.) 3. I'd say someone achieving the rank of Watcher is probably discussed by senior staff members, and is tailored to each mage. More about competence, temperament, and control, rather than passing a set test. (Which could include a thesis or a practical demonstration, but not as an end-goal per se.)" [source, two, three, four, five]

User: "could Emmrich be considered a spirit healer, or rather whatever it is that makes a spirit healer have that extra affinity for spirits? (I always felt like the healer bit was encouraged out of fear) Is corpse whispering a subset of that or a different thing entirely?" // Sylvia: "I definitely feel Nevarran necromancy is in the same realm in general, yet that Emmrich's corpse whispering isn't drawing on spirits to function, it's his own personal will. If that makes sense." [source] // User: "I think I understand! Like he can comprehend the spirits a little more clearly than most so they're inclined to want to interact with him but the corpse whispering itself is his own request/demand, the spirit/corpse/whatever a soul is is responding rather than assisting with the magic itself?" // Sylvia: "Yes! I think that's a good description of it." [source]

User: "I have to ask, did you write the Josephine letter to the inquisitor codex?" // Sylvia: "that was indeed me! I liked revisiting those two, even a little bit, in that letter." [source]

User: "since he's interested in botany, do you think he'd enjoy opening up a flower shop with a romanced Rook?" // Sylvia: "I don't think he's a man interested in the headaches of running a business, but if Rook REALLY wanted to go for it, Emmrich would probably help grow the plants." [source]

User: "my question is did any of nick’s performance inform how you wrote emmrich, because some of the scenes of his i had to stop the game and just take in the perfect unity of actor and writer voice to conceive such a realized character. and were you always interested in claiming emm to write?" // Sylvia: "1. Yes, absolutely. Nick got who Emmrich was, right away, and that informed future writing once I knew what Emmrich actually sounded like, how Nick embodied those emotions. 2. I pitched Emmrich, so: yes, absolutely! I'd always thought the Grand Necropolis and its inhabitants sounded like a very cool corner of Thedas, and I'm partial to necromancers in general, so "necromancer" was the first thing I thought of when it came time to pitch new followers." [source, two]

User: "do you think Emmrich would ever end up referring to Manfred directly as his son?" // Sylvia: "So I had Emmrich call Manfred his ward, not his son, because I thought that was one step too far for him right away. But I don't think anything is impossible in the future." [source, two]

Sylvia: "It was my pleasure to to work with the team to finally show off the crypts of the Necropolis." [source]

User: "Can you please tell us what type of tea Emmrich drinks for breakfast? He strikes me as an Earl Grey person but then again English Breakfast also makes sense somehow" // Sylvia: "I'm actually not a big tea person, so I almost feel I should let this be whatever your head canon is. (That said I do think Earl Grey has the better scent. But do Emmrich's refined tastes match my own? I dump a lot of sugar and cream into mine after all lol.)" [source]

User: "Emmrich as Vincent Price: all in my head or intentional? And if the latter, who do I have to thank?" // Sylvia: "Love Mr. Price, a legend, but it was actually Peter Cushing who was one of my first touchstones before we had any art for Emmrich in." [source]

User: "1. When Em&Rook had their fight - what were his intentions? Did he try to break up with Rook? 2. Just hypothetically, if my Rook bends her knee and asks him to be hers forever, what would his reaction be? 3. Johannas hand, it's planning mischief, is it not?" // Sylvia: "2. Emmrich would be over the moon. He would absolutely love to get married. 3. "Johannas hand, it's planning mischief, is it not?" Who could possibly say? (yes)" [source, two]

User: "Could you tell us how Mourn Watchers life is arranged? Do they live in Nevarra or right in Necropolis? Are their rooms similar to that coffin room?" // Sylvia: "The Watchers live in the upper, safer levels of the Necropolis. I imagine this is where they sleep, eat, teach/train, and also where they prepare bodies for interment. "Are their rooms similar to that coffin room?" I don't want to say either way, just because we never actually go there, and I prefer to keep things open until something is actually in the game or in a story or comic or etc." [source, two]

User: "He has also been an extremely positive driving force and has caused me to pick back up my plan to go back to university and become a lecturer. It's a dream I shelved because of little self esteem but I know he would be sad if I didn't at least try, sad Emmrich is a powerful motivator!" // Sylvia: "He would indeed be sad, especially if this is a passion of yours, but glad to hear you're picking it up again. Sincerely, best of luck." [source]

User: "Can you talk about your writing process? I'd love to hear a bit about what influenced/shaped not only Emmrich but the Mourn Watch and Necropolis. I actually find comfort in death and I just adore what you crafted for the game. I'd love to join the Watchers myself." // Sylvia: ""Also, are you able to talk about what you envisioned every day life for Watcher's to be like? Or maybe some cultural tidbits you'd imagined while writing? I like to think they'd have some incredible festivals and create really interesting folk art!" Oh that is fun. I'll be honest though I'll be a little reticent, just because I tend not to talk about too much until it's in a game. I do think a lot of their everyday life is what Emmrich describes to Rook: Preparing bodies, helping grieving people visit their loved ones, maintaining the graves, and the undead that help maintain the graves. And of course hunting down malign manifestations. The MW and their carefully-courted spirit allies are good at preventing demonic incursion. But as we've seen, it's not impossible. And there's a desire to figure out the weirder stuff that not even the Watchers really fully know. (X-files theme). "I like to think they'd have some incredible festivals and create really interesting folk art" Me too! They involve the dead in their lives so much, I think that includes going down to the graveyard to celebrate milestones, versus visiting on a calendar date. One of my favorite things to write was the folk tale about how spirits were first drawn to Nevarra in particular. I really wanted to make it feel like one of those founding myths filtered through storytelling embellishment in the winter nights. [link] "I'd love to join the Watchers myself." The Necropolis is always looking for more company" [source, two, three, four, five, six]

User: "I just wanted to add that Hezenkoss is absolutely my favourite noncompanion character!" // Sylvia: "Thank you so much for this, because Hezenkoss was a great joy to write. I risked going all out with her, and I don't know if that lands for everyone, but I wanted to have a proper mad scientist who was also Emmrich's best friend because personal seemed better for him." [source]

User: "I heard a rumor that you wrote a lot of the codex. Did you write these? If not, do you know who did? I found them hilarious. [link]" // Sylvia: "Oh, that's not true at ALL. The writers all wrote about an equal amount of codex entries. (One of our editors and I did some work on the proposed structure and organization, but I'm in no way the main writer of the content.) The letter is very funny though. If it's LoF I'd assume there's a good chance this might be by Trick Weekes" [source, two] // Trick Weekes: "Honestly, while I gave that one a quick writing pass, it was largely Malcolm doing the first pass and busting out that Aethelred the Unready reference. (Which I loved and kept.)" [source]

User: "congrats on Emmrich winning second place for the best new character award" // Sylvia: "Thanks very much! I was thrilled to see him there, especially because it's a fan vote." [source]

User: "i would absolutely love to know a bit more about his relationship / time with Dorian as his student in the necropolis ! (Is it possible Dorian got inspired by him for his mustache ?" // Sylvia: "1. I'm afraid my response is pretty dull, because there's not much in game (and I'm not Dorian's writer) so I'm reluctant to add anything off the cuff. Sorry! 2. Aw that'd be cute. I think that's just artistic coincidence though, so it also has to remain in the murky mists of uncertainty. (But because it lives in that space, it's also not impossible. I'd say head canon it how you like!)" [source, two]

User: "i was also wondering if you worked on any other side characters beside Hezenkoss ?" // Sylvia: "I did! The Mourn Watchers were me. And through a complicated chain of events, I wrote one single merchant in Treviso - the gallery owner, Mistress Trella." [source]

User: "I have a very important question and I’m sorry if it’s been asked elsewhere: what’s his favorite kind of tea?" [re: Emmrich] // Sylvia: "I talked about it a little in this thread [compiled above], where I confess I'm not much of a tea person myself. So I'm happy to let tea-fans imagine anything they like." [source]

Sylvia: "So much of the romance rests on our animators and audio team and Nick Borraine stepping up to deliver everything perfectly" [source]

User: "Less of a question and more just appreciation. I love him so much, the casual plant lore, just everything." // Sylvia: "Aw thank you! I'm especially glad you enjoyed the plant lore, it really gave me an opportunity to have Emmrich enthuse about the Memorial Gardens, one of my favorite spaces in the game." [source]

User: "Also, if you don’t mind aside from liking pineapple and hazelnut torte. Does Emmrich have any other favored foods? Or favored flavours like spicy/salty/ect?" // Sylvia: "I actually went over that here a little, which isn't much detail. He DOES bring back dates for the group at one point. For whatever reason, I never pictured him with a huge sweet tooth, but the occasional pineapple or date is a nice treat." [source]

Sylvia, re: Emmrich: ""And I’m immensely jealous of how stylish he is" Same. He absolutely has a tailor or two who knows their stuff." [source]

Sylvia: ""did Emmerich studied only in Grand Necropolis or he was in Circle of Magi? Or mages in Grand Necropolis doesn't must to learn in Circles?" I talk about that a bit here: I think he trained in the Necropolis, but taught both there and Cumberland's Circle. Admittedly, I never defined the Mourn Watch's Circle status in game. It could be a sanctioned fraternity that takes in promising mages and trains them for the Necropolis, but isn't technically a Circle itself, even if it oversees harrowings. (There's a bit of banter from a Necropolis NPC on that.) This would explain why there's non-mages around with full MW membership, like how your Rook can be a MW warrior or rogue. So I'm inclined to think this is the case. (But until it's ever in a DA game or piece of media, I wouldn't consider that 100% canon. It's just my own thoughts.) "I'm not sure if I it was in game, but how Strife take it if Emmrich became a lich? Is he alright with that and they continue relationships or he just drop it?" We didn't tackle that in that game, I'm afraid, so there's no actual answer there. Sorry! Apologies if that non-answer is frustrating. But that's the kind of topic I wouldn't want to answer unless a future game had a reason to go into it. "How long Vorgoth have been around in Grand Necropolis? There's theories about their persona and I know that you can't give straight answer but could they be a lich?" I'm afraid Vorgoth must remain mysterious, but nothing is impossible with them... "me and my friend have headcanon that there should be something like hospice in Grand Necropolis. You know some place where palliative care is given to those who needs it. Could it be true or it's not in Grand Necropolis nature?" I hadn't planned it, but that's a fun head canon if you like it!" [source, two, three, four, five, six, seven]

User: "I have a question and that’s if you listened to anything in particular when writing Emmrich? Or any of your characters" // Sylvia: "I did! I have my playlist on my old computer and if I dig it out, I will post it here. It's mostly ambient stuff, I prefer music without words when writing. A lot of stuff from Cryochamber, but I listen to it a lot in general. [link]" [source, two]

User: "1. Were Johanna’s morals *always* questionable, or did they steadily decline? It sounded like she’d been given a lot of passes by the Mourn Watch, brilliant mind or no! 2. Anything you can tell us re: the War of the Banners? Like, how it began, or which spirits/noble lines were involved?" // Sylvia: "1. I think Hezenkoss always had what Emmrich might call a "cavalier attitude" towards rules and limits, but that it got worse over the years. Being exiled probably did not help, but she probably crossed a line at that point already. 2. The War of the Banners part of the backstory actually came from another writer, and I loved it. But I don't think I want to colour in the lines because there's so much room for imagination. (And since I'm not at BW anymore, it would be even more my own head canon than most other things.)" [source, two]

User: "It's so interesting when he is a lich, it's rare that we see conflict in a game romance like that. Also, his "coming out" scene to the whole group was unexpectedly funny and had me rolling xD" // Sylvia: "The "everyone: I'm a lich" scene was one where I was really trying to balance the seriousness of the previous scene with something a bit more lighthearted but still heartfelt. So I'm very glad you dug it!" [source]

User: "I wonder how Emmrich studied the Fade? cmiim he explored the Fade right? Was it through dream? I'm so intrigued by that." // Sylvia: "Your question is a good one. He has definitely explored it via dreaming/trances, but I think a Watcher would first train for that, learn how to set up wards, and to start with, do it under supervision. Given Emmrich's affinity for spirits, I'm sure he cultivated trustworthy spirit friends in the Fade who could guide and aid him as well. (The way we see him reach out during House of the Dead to spirits from a previous quest)" [source, two]

User: "Is Emmrich Andrastian?" // Sylvia: "I have some thoughts on this one. Nominally, yes he us. But I think a lifetime of studying other death practices and religions has shown Emmrich so many points of commonality in the search for transcendence and the divine, that he believes all religions may explore something of a universal truth. So the Thedas equivalent of Universal Unitarianism, basically. And maybe he corresponds/debates with some like-minded scholars out there. Though quietly. I think he'd err on the side of "Let's not trouble the Chantry with this." for safety's sake. (I didn't want to make him an agnostic free-thinker, that seems too conveniently lined up with modern conventions. But I think seeking truth through argument and philosophical exploration fits him.)" [source, two, three]

Sylvia, in response to a user saying this phrase: "BTW I got a kick out of "nevarran cryptid". Who knows what haunts the lower halls?" [source]

User: "Can a MW Rook have an opportunity to achive Lichdom in the future?Or maybe only a mage Watcher could?" // Sylvia: "So Emmrich managed it, and so did Hezenkoss after she pieced it together from what he told her. So we DO know it's not impossible for any mage to try it. Whether a non-mage could is a very good question. The abilities of the liches are very ill-defined at the moment, so possibly Emmrich meant that promise very literally... But! I'm also not at BW anymore, and at this point this is just my own thoughts, which are very non-binding. (Sorry, that's a lot of words to say "Could be cool, but currently nothing set in stone.")" [source, two, three]

User: "What is Emmrich's preferred tea and how does he have it? Different types for different times of the day?" // Sylvia: "Different types for different times of the day?" I think so, that fits in with his sense of the rhythm of a day. But I'm no tea drinker myself, so I'm happy to let fans imagine what works for them." [source]

User: "Do you have any thoughts about emmrich & marriage proposals, would he prefer to be the one proposing? Or would he be equally excited to be proposed to? Ostentatious, public, private proposal?" // Sylvia: "Re: a proposal, gee. I think he'd be equally excited either way, though he'd prefer it to be a private moment. Somewhere he and Rook can enjoy each other's company and talk about it honestly, just with each other." [source]

User: "1. What was he good at in school besides anatomy? 👀 2. What's his favorite food right now? ✨️👀 3. Did he give Manfred his name himself or did he read the names in the book for Manfred to choose?" // Sylvia: "1. Grasping abstract and metaphysical concepts, and distilling them down into language suited for others, which is handy for both magecraft and professorship. And communing with spirits, so magical control. (I imagine the Watchers prize control greatly, since they work with spirits so closely, they're well aware how dangerous their focus is.) 2. Hrm. Uh...good question. Aside from being vegetarian, I don't think he's a picky eater, but he probably marvels at what a sure and skilled cook Lucanis is. 3. Emmrich likes giving Manfred some (limited, supervised) autonomy. But I think he named his skeleton companion himself." [source, two, three, four]

User: "Did he ever see Manfred as his son?" // Sylvia: "I think consciously, calling Manfred a son seems like one step too far for Emmrich right now, but he's absolutely paternal towards his bright young skeleton child." [source]

Sylvia on Emmrich: "He truly was a team effort. Everyone in level design, cine, art, audio, his voice actor, the other writers and editors contributed greatly to who he is." [source]

User: "Do you think he has a tattoo👀 Maybe a skull or the symbol of the moun watcher" // Sylvia: "I think this is a 'it wasn't shown in game, so I don't want to commit to anything' deal, sorry. (But feel free to imagine whatever you'd like!)" [source]

User: "what subjects did he study well when he was a student?" // Sylvia: "I think probably the same subjects as in the answer to question number 1. Though I do imply in dialogue that the Mourn Watch likes to give its members a well-rounded education in non-magical subjects- history, literature, etiquette etc." [source]

Sylvia: "Hey everyone, I'd like to correct a misassumption I've seen floating around. I saw a few people who saw my name attached to the codex system, and assumed I wrote the bulk of codex entries. That's not true at ALL. Codex writing was split roughly evenly among all the writers. I pitched some style and design suggestions to the narrative team. Then editor Cameron Harris did the actual structure, the docs and training, a lot of the editing, and the importation of all the legacy DAI entries." [source, two]

Sylvia: "Emmrich would be over the moon if Rook wanted to join the Mourn Watch. More time together in the Necropolis!" [source]

User: "From your point of view, do you think Emmrich is jealous? (a little?) I noticed that he liked some things related to the Storm age (he mentions it several times), is that a coincidence or is there a particular reason?" // Sylvia: "-I don't think he's beyond jealousy (few people are!) though it'd depend on the circumstance and what it was about. -Oops! Actual coincidence regarding the repeated mentions of the Storm Age." [source]

User: "1) Did you ever choose the name of the 5th Montilyet sibling? 2) What were the inspirations for her character? 3) If the player doesn't romance her, do you think she'd marry Otranto or would she pass him on to Yvette anyways?" // Sylvia: "1) You know, I never did! It remains unknown. 3) I think Otranto and Yvette are too perfect for each other for them not to get together, so it'd be appropriate if a comedy of errors going on inside the house Montilyet led to that happy outcome if you didn't romance her." [source, two]

User: "Curious how Nevarrans, and specifically Emmrich, would view stuff like Victorian mourning jewelry. Obviously would be horrified by the ones containing ashes, but what about hair? Wondering if it would be seen as special or grotesque!" // Sylvia: "What a good question! I think a lock of hair would be perfectly all right, even romantic. Perhaps a LITTLE bit of bone would be okay, though the actual Mourn Watch wouldn't love breaking up the body. I don't think they'd see keeping a small fragment or such as wrong, just a bit unfortunate." [source]

User: "I love your work and I wanted to thank you. Through how Emmrich is written I’ve realized that dying isn’t an option because there are people that care for me and I would be missed so I’m here and will be Also I wanted to share a song that reminds me of Emmrich’s romance: Deathproof by Graveyard Club" // Sylvia: "Thank you for saying so, Lena, and for sharing that. I'm glad getting to know Emmrich was helpful, even a little, and I hope it continues to be so. And thank you for the song rec! I have a real weakness for synths (may their comeback be eternal) and "You’re nowhere to be found/but you follow me around" is a killer set of lyrics especially." [source, two]

Sylvia on Emmrich: "There was a huge team working on him, and this is just what you hope to hear one day when embarking on making something." [source]

[rollo-rolls]

Small Rambling Ahead

Hello, guys! I feel like ranting a little, hope you don't mind, hehe. In general, I was seriously sick two weeks ago and I'm slowly recovering. It had to be flu or something. I was really scared because, besides typical flu symptoms, it hit my mental health PRETTY hard. I still struggle a little but it's way better, more stable. There is again some light in my head.

I wrote about it because it connects to my "sims life" in some way. After feeling a little better and being able to sit on my pc, I realize that I hate my sims AGAIN *sighs* I'm so tired of making "clones of real people". A whole process of making sims that way is a fuel for my OCD. It's an endless loop that always looks the same. It's toxic for my brain and waste so much time that I have for my pc. In general, I wish so freaking much to have a nice style that will be maxis match with a touch of realism. Something that I can peacfully settle with and enjoy every aspect of the game. I still want to base my sims off real people but not in such an obssesive way... With that being said, as for now, I'll be focusing on converting cc. Perhaps one day I will have an idea for new sims and the results will be good. Now I just want to bring new stuff for this game. Every cc converter, forgive me if I share something that was already published. I'm not doing it on purpose, I'm just behind with new cc in ts3 community.

Wish everyone all the best and happy simming

[a-sip-of-sunshine]

Offerings

An important practice in hellenic Polytheism is the offerings. Many people already have an idea about what they are, so this post is more centered towards worshippers that stress around this concept since I'll be talking about how to handle it/how I handle it.

Offerings can range from a wide amount of things. A quick classification I can make up from the top of my head is: food offerings, other objects, and devotional acts.

When you first get introduced to hellenic Polytheism, food offerings appear as one of the main ways of building Kharis with the deities, since in general, that's what offerings do. The problem begins when we take libations and food as the better way to do offerings, putting them in some sort of subconscious pedestal over the other "methods".

Many followers can't afford to always do them to honor the gods, myself included. So, when all we see is an inability to offer things to our gods that way, it leads us to feel guilty and disappointed.

This is where I start to give tips from my own experience !

First, think of offerings as gifts. It is said to us that gifts don't always have to be something material to be significant. The same concept applies to offerings. I mentioned at the start that there were also other objects that could be given and devotional acts too. Intent is what matters. The gods don't care if you do offerings a certain way, but if the feelings are genuine from your part.

Other objects include jewelry/devotional jewelry, toys, books, etc. Basically, anything that isn't food. Devotional acts, as its name suggests, are activities that you can dedicate to your deities as long as it falls under their domain. Example: I have given Apollo a mouse fidget toy and also dedicate drawing, divination, dancing, etc.

It is as simple as that, trust me. It doesn't have to be elaborated. Now that gets me to the second point: check your resources.

You guys already know I struggled from following recon concepts and practices. You're totally free to follow them too if you can and want, but simply, some of us can't. Many sources for information about helpol come from a recon point of view, or simply others put things way more complicated/elaborated than they really are. Again, people are free to do them, but I'm focusing here on beginners/revivalists. Analyze your information and don't stay just with that. Search for easier ways to do things and overall avoid possible frustrations.

Getting back to my practice, I found out that libations didn't necessarily need to be poured out outside on the ground ! They could be poured down the sink or in a cup. Simple, right? This is mostly for those who still want to offer their gods food but in a more accessible manner. Another one is leaving the first or last bite of your food as an offering. (For Hestia, you leave both of those bites)

Note: Before applying these, know that rules still apply to Chthonic gods, not ingesting, eating, or drinking the offerings !

So now that you have both of those tips, I'll tell you one last thing: don't be afraid. It is also a shared sentiment that us helpols stress over our gods' images of us, our relationship with them, to treat them with respect and, overall, not fuck things up. Relax with your offerings, ease down. That constant worry also affects your feelings towards them, and we don't want that ! It is something that not only makes your deity happy, but you as well. The gods care about your happiness.

That's it for today ! If you want more of my rambles, feel free to interact with this post ♡ I wish you a good journey.

[horizontalsplash]

y’know. it’s really gonna suck if the reason i feel weirdly stuck on this is because i have to talk about it

[cynicalmusings]

actually, because of that secret secret i just read, i’m going to post this thought before i forget about it, actually — for the last few days i’ve been turning over the idea of dan heng x reader where the reader, a chef or at least competent cook, joins the express and works as chef to save everybody from himeko’s… creative dinner plans (inspired by the recent event)… and there’s something about the effortless, easy confidence with which you navigate the kitchen which dan heng admires. it’s an art form of its own, really.

(plus, as i mentioned, everyone loves you because you’re there to step in and lend some guidance when himeko decides it’s her turn to cook…..)

[waywardsalt]

linebeck is probably so god damn paranoid all of the time

[krispdreemurr]

[id: screenshot of tags from @charafansmile , reading "agreee. i think this is why they like susie so much. she's just so very open about her feelings that Kris doesn't have to worry with her about if she's being genuine or not." end id]

no no exactly. you get it. i think like Kris is wildly desperate to have people around who they Get and can trust and Susie is just like. she's not only very similar to them just past the surface (making it easier for them to know what's going on with her generally), she also makes her feelings extremely clear. kris knows exactly where they stand.

this is also why they struggle so much with Ralsei - he's beaming Pure Unadulterated Kindness at them sure but they have no idea if he's being genuine or not, especially given some of the weird signals in there of him maybe liking the player as well and such. i imagine they had to work for years to get as close to Asriel as they did, and Ralsei is acting like he already has that level of trust. they really need time and space to figure things out with him

kris has the vibes to me not of "naturally wary person" but of "autistic person who's learned enough to know they can't tell the difference between sincere love and being made fun of and who defaults to the latter assumption for safety". the whole bratty food-fetching incident and how obviously bitter they still are about her is just so telling about how they used to be a lot more open and willing to trust, and how that changed

[dan-crimes]

I love writers I love when they ramble on abt characters and their motivations, their core values and the reasons why they react to things in certain ways and having character interactions work off of each other due to their differing ways of viewing the world and in general I just love character analysis

[maximusboltaqon]

most appealing part of the inhumans is that theyre all middle aged with back pain

[not-poignant]

I find myself in this position all the time, and it's further compounded by ADHD paralysis. So ways I've developed to work on this are (and these may/may not work for you!

Work on more than one project at once. My sweet spot is about 2-3 projects. I'm currently overrun lmao, but generally 2-3 projects at different paces usually satisfies 'business/financial writing' vs. 'for fun fanfiction writing' vs. 'some other third thing that annoyed me.'

Give your stories 'boundaries.' As in, if you have a really great idea you want to write but the worldbuilding is huge, or you're not ready yet skill-wise, or you just know it needs to wait, give the story something concrete: 'You will get two hours of my time on Sunday' or 'I will work on you in 2025' or 'Is there something about this distraction that is telling me that there's something wrong with my current work/s re: inspiration.'

Have a masterlist of plot bunnies. Shove all the ideas into a single document, arrange by genre or character or plot if you like. Give every idea a sentence / paragraph / page but try not to give it too much. Just enough to know that when you check in again, those ideas don't disappear and are always there.

Sometimes ideas for lots of different stories can be funnelled into projects you're currently working on. Unless the genre/s are all wildly different, often new ideas show us plots or character types we're very excited to write. The good news is that in most projects and story types, you can fold those in! This is especially true if you're working on a series.

It's good to get zen about never being able to write all your ideas. It will never happen. Some people struggle to think of ideas, but for those of us who have too many, you will never write them all. It's good to gently learn how to make peace with that, whether that's a grief process, an anger process, the sooner you accept it, the sooner it becomes easier to let ideas drift by without feeling like you have to snatch at every single one 'just in case.'

Pick two of the ideas that bother you the most, start with those. The ones you think about, make playlists for, already have a vague idea of an ending, or character names. Ideally they will be: Different genre/s and/or have a different 'feel' to each to satisfy the different parts of your brain that are ideating in this way. Now ymmv, but I am pretty strict on sticking to the stories I pick. I have what I call high fidelity to the ideas I choose, because I begin to trust that I can fold new characters and/or plots into these stories (I don't write short novellas or standalone novels for this reason, I write long serials which really suits this kind of ideation process).

Be careful of idea generation distracting you from the hard parts of writing. Idea generation for those of us who find it easy and exciting is actually very good at seeming 'productive' when sometimes it's taking us away from editing, or character work, or plot work, or worldbuilding. But on the other hand...

Enjoy the adrenaline rush and exhilaration that comes from story idea generation. For those of us who find it relatively easy, it can be extremely exciting to be in this mode. Sometimes stepping back and observing the feelings that come up with this can help a lot, like, does it feel anxious, frantic, fun, exciting, scary, upsetting, etc.

If you don't trust yourself to pick two ideas, go to that masterlist that I've suggested writing up above, and put those ideas in a jar and then literally just pick two. You will generally know in your gut if a story isn't 'right' for right now. You may also know which ideas can be combined. Some ideas will be very 'character' focused, others will be 'worldbuilding' focused, others genre, others plot. The ones that have a bigger combination of things (character and worldbuilding and ending / worldbuilding and plot and title) are generally the ones that are going to be better to start with.

As annoying as this sounds, it really is a matter of choosing your most solid idea at random, and the only way to know if it's solid is to start that masterlist and see which ideas excite you most to write and feel the most 'robust' and strong.

From there, you just pick that one. (Or more than one, I love working on more than one project at once). Until you write them down, they're all just amorphous dreams that are often fun to think about, but once you start putting them in a masterlist, it's amazing how different 'that one about the vampires' vs. 1000 words about a science fiction novel with two frenemies at the centre seem as prospective projects!

Ok, genuine question for other writers;

I am in a place where I have so many ideas I want to work on and I love them all and I can't choose so as a result I have written nothing.

I know I'm not alone in this, so I won't insult the hellscape we live in by asking if any of you have been here, but I will be wildly optimistic and ask if and how any of you got out of this position?

[cup-o-stars]

Relativity Falls!

Design Concepts (and my unnecessary thoughts):

Excuse the the colors, ig my apps are fighting.

I see Mabel finding success no matter what happens to her, but I really like the thought of her running an insane arts and crafts business in GF. Alternatively, if she fell in the portal, she'd come out acting confident as always, but she probably wouldn't realize how much the constant change and lack of family/stability wore her out until she settled back in. In either case, she's a bit cracked.

Dipper is investigative, but cracks easiest under stress and is not as inherently adventurous as Mabel or Ford- so the portal wouldn't treat him well. If he's not the one in the portal, he'd be into stargazing and real magic to share with people, while also warding tourists away from the dangerous stuff. In general, he'd be an unhappy adult if left to his own devices, lol.

Between Dipper and Mabel, I like Dipper being in the portal more. He's a great protagonist, but as a supporting cast member, he needs to be more insane to match the draw that is 'Mabel taking care of children,' ha. I also love the idea of there being no portal / some other looming threat for these two to struggle with (at least because Hirsche has made it clear that Dipper and Mabel are equally smart, and to me it seems like the portal would reopen way quicker with them), but I didn't plan on posting these and I don't know how my followers feel about me posting lore.

Stanford and Stanley:

Pretty much how they are in canon, but now they're in a setting where they can get over themselves, ha. They aren't quite as mature as Dipper and Mabel were at their age, but after coming to GF, they finally found other people to look out for them. Dipper could be a more emotionally available and level-headed role model (I think having people to take care of is calming for him in turn), and they'd both look up to Mabel as the peak of somebody who knows how to socialize.

Fiddleford:

He's a sweet, southern, farm-raised mechanical engineer just like in canon.

Idk why Fiddleford is in GF (visiting an unnamed grandparent?), but I really like his relationship with Ford in the journal. Following that thought, in this AU, he starts out more of Ford's friend than Stan's, and it's kind of a big deal. Unlike Dipper's arc on learning to be a kid, Stan and Ford clearly struggled a lot with interpersonal relationships / finding security outside of eachother, and that's what I think this AU could be about (it's great they realized they need each other in canon, but the part where they had no one else to turn to is also kinda crazy if you ask me).

Ford gets to meet another smart kid in a weird town, which helps him feel more normal. He has a better idea of what friendship is because of it, but also, since I can't imagine Dipper wanting an apprentice so young/vulnerable/impressionable or Mabel asking only one of the twins to stay- he'd have to come to terms with the fact that he can't live in his dream world forever. (Or maybe the apprenticeship comes from somewhere else, just because the conflict around going back to Glass Shard Beach at all, or sending Stan alone could be pretty good.)

On the flipside, I think Stan's initial jealousy of Ford and Fiddleford's friendship would force him to try finding his own friends / hobbies. I like the idea that he fails at first- and a lot- but Mabel notices his mounting frustration (which he is very keen on hiding), and her consistent and unorthodox support makes him realize he wasn't alone to begin with. He can be more open around her, which makes it easier to open up to others, and then he can make friends without having to pull any tricks. He probably starts with some animals, and then at least gets closer to Fiddleford anyways (I feel like they're both more practical than Ford and value human company more, so they'd bond easier once Stan gets over his personal hurdle).

Anyways- because that was way too much- Mabel's exes are a constant source of antagonists and Dipper is stressed about setting a good example.

(I was more of a Monster Falls fan back in the day, but I can't draw animals, lol)

[chaoticwriting]

Part 1

Gotham New Rogue 2

It's been a few weeks since Danny started to become the Trickster. To be honest, it is working very well. His core is expanding fast as ectoplasm is regenerating faster than ever before. He is also slowly developing new abilities and gaining more control and powers to his already established abilities.

For instance, Danny used to struggle making clones, but now he can easily create dozens of them with just a thought. He can also change his clothes to whatever he imagines using ectoplasm now. His ice power is also stronger and easier to control. His superhuman body is developing and slowly getting stronger and faster.

Overall, Danny will say that make a smart decision to become a rogue especially since no one has caught him yet. Danny is currently laying on top of a building watching the sun slowly set in the horizon. His stomach suddenly grumbles and he decides to hit the shack before he gets to "work" tonight.

Jumping off the roof, Danny lands and walks to the nearest Batburger while still wearing his rogue suit. He has a totally funny idea today and it involves him being seen in public. Entering the Batburger is like entering a library for some reason. As soon as he enters, everyone goes deathly quiet.

Danny slowly walks towards the cashier and orders his food.

Danny: 5 sets of set C please.

Cashier: Ermm, that will be 60 bucks.

Danny: Here.

After paying for the food, Danny gets his food and sits at one of the tables alone. It's only after he is through his 3rd set that reality is set in for the people. They begin to move and contrary to Danny's expectations, approach him to ask for pictures. Danny allows them some pictures and unknowingly raises his status as Gotham's friendliest rogue.

Suddenly, a white man that screams rich guy, a woman with blonde hair and a black guy wearing Signal's merch approach him. Danny has learned a lot of things from his 14 years of life and 2 years of half life and Danny knows when a rich guy approaches you, it's never good (Sam doesn't have the rich vibe).

Rich guy: Hello Trickster! May we have a meal with you?

Danny: Sure.

Rich guy: Ah, how rude of me. My name is Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne. These two are my friends, Stephanie Brown and Duke Thomas. You can call me Tim by the way.

Danny: Sure, Tim.

They sit opposite him with their meals and try to make small talks with him while eating. The trio realize that Danny seems to respond a lot better when Steph or Duke is the one to ask the question.

Steph: So, Trickster. Why don't you like my friend here?

Duke: Way to go in being subtle, Steph. Why not ask who is he really next?

Steph: Hey, I can't help it you know. He seems so snarky whenever Tim asks questions. I wanna know if Tim pissed him off or something.

Danny: He is rich, right?

Duke: Err, yes?

Steph: Let's say he is. Why does that matter?

Danny: I hate rich people. And government. But who doesn't hate the government?

Duke: So, eat the rich?

Danny: Yes.

Steph: Cool cool. We are also here just so we could leech him off anyway. We're not really friends.

Tim: Ow, you hurt me by saying that. What happened to our vow of eternal friendships?

Steph: I cross my fingers.

Duke: I lie.

Danny: Hahahaha. You're like my friends.

Tim: You have friends?

Danny: Of course I have friends. And unlike you I don't need money to have friends.

Tim: Sorry sorry. Are your friends also rouges?

Danny: Wouldn't you like to know? Last I need is Batman investigating my friends. I'm sure Batman is part of you rich people group chat or something.

Steph and Duke: *Snickers*

Tim: *Glares at the two* Why would you think Batman is in contact with the rich people?

Danny: Isn't it obvious? Batman has all these high tech gadgets and is always there fast whenever a Wayne is kidnapped. I would even say Batman is being sponsored by the Wayne.

Danny: I also don't like most heroes in general. They are just the government lapdog doing whatever the government wants.

Tim, Steph and Duke frowned at that statement. From the way Danny speaks, it is clear that he has some history against the government. Him being here also means he is at least confident enough to run away if any of the bats are here. Is it just blind confidence or a truly competent ability will remain to be seen.

Tim is just about to refute him when Danny suddenly stands up. All of them tensed up and ready for battle when Danny turns towards one side of the window, waves and disappears right in front of them. They are very confused and when they turn towards the direction Danny was just looking at, they see Batman and Black Bat right on the rooftop across the building.

Batman and Tim nod to each other and they all return to the caves.

-Batcave-

Tim: So you all hear the conversation right?

Dick: Except at the end where the sound becomes blurred for a moment, we hear everything.

Tim: Good. So what are your thoughts on this?

Damian: It is pretty self explanatory Drake. He has a personal hatred towards the government and that extends to all bodies of government or people he thought is connected to the government.

Tim: But why though? Is the hatred towards the government something as simple because he is a criminal? Or is there something else towards it?

Bruce: There is nothing to find about him currently with our limited resources about him. Return to the manor for today and take some rest. We will investigate it later.

All of them return to the manor and rest for the night.

-2 weeks later-

The Trickster is standing in front of an unconscious and tied up Batman. He is giggling loudly that evolves into full blown laughter.

He takes off Batman's belt and starts to pull out stuff one after another. Soon, he found the item that he needed.

Trickster: Hahahahahahaha. I have finally got it. The strongest weapon in the world!

The batfam that is watching the live broadcast shiver as they watch Trickster holds out the black object high in the sky.

Part 3