#that's just my personal opinion on the matter

[hrrtshape]

reality shifting, manifesting, and the great linguistic turf war

so i seem to have waltzed, with my imaginary margiela tabi ballet flats, straight into the discourse again. imagine that. i nod. i sip my drink. i light a cigarette, if only in spirit.

because, sure. manifesting and shifting aren't the same. the pope isn’t the prime minister, but they both run on belief. a cheetah isn’t a jaguar, but you still wouldn’t want to be locked in a room with either. language is about distinctions, sure, but it’s also about power, and there’s a certain je ne sais quoi to the way people want to lock these definitions in a box and swallow the key.

manifesting is mindset work. you decide, you persist, you refuse to be gaslit by the stubborn 3d reality that insists on showing you what you don’t want to see. you push, you sculpt, you bend the spoon until it folds itself into your palm like an obedient pet. shifting, on the other hand, is something else. something more nomadic, more quantum, more willing to entertain the notion that perhaps you are not merely bending the spoon, but stepping into a reality where the spoon was never straight to begin with.

now, why aren’t they labelled the same thing? because semantics is a business, and business is booming. because people are territorial about their terminology, like real estate developers for the mind. if you tell someone that shifting and manifesting are light years apart, separate continents in the great archipelago of the mind, you are not just describing, you are prescribing. you are setting the boundaries of an intellectual real estate market in which terms are currency and definitions are fences. because if we let the edges blur, someone will invoke the sacred texts (read: old posts, outdated theories, personal dogma) and insist that historical accuracy is at stake. but this is not a matter of brick walls and barbed wire. this is not the berlin wall, it is not the parting of the red sea. the difference between shifting and manifesting is a beaded curtain, shimmering, swaying, prone to being pushed aside.

this is my opinion, obviously, but in the grand tradition of opinions, i happen to think it’s correct.

and yet!! people are told, with great severity, that “we are not shifting every second” and “shifting is moving awareness to an already existent variant of yourself.” okay. sure. and yet!! is awareness not already a game of hopscotch across endless versions of self? have we not all flickered between different states of being, different potential selves, different lives we might have led? is your yesterday-self not a variant you can no longer touch? if we’re splitting hairs, let’s at least have the honesty to admit we’re all holding the same strand, twisting it in different directions and calling it by different names.

see, that’s a trick. perception is not a stable thing. you shift your focus, you shift your reality. some call that manifesting. some call that shifting. the labels matter less than the fact that it works. whether you’re bending the spoon or stepping into a world where the spoon bends for you, you’re still, at the end of the day, just person standing in front of reality, asking it to be something different.

so, yes. shifting and manifesting are not the same. and yet, and yet, and yet.

the divide is smaller than you think.

[sha-biest]

Hi again! This is kind of a random question, but have you ever thought about what Hassan would look like if he was ever mutated? I think that he would look hella cool as a turtle mutant but that’s just my personal opinion tho lol 👍✨

Hello!! As a matter of fact.. I have!!

Designed this early december and he'd be a pink ringed tent turtle! I really wanted to give him stripes like Leo (just to piss him off), plus I wanted the species to originate from india so that was the result!

He also needed to keep his hair (to piss Leo off as well)

[toffee4you]

Honestly I'm surprised at how much actual hate I've seen towards the Dawn Armor announcement (mostly Twitter). Just because he's wearing the armor doesn't mean he has to slay/harm Malleus.

Reasoning and anticipated outcome below cut

The reasons:

Already, Silver and Dawn have shown parallels. While they both wish for the unity of fae, humans, etc., Dawn followed any order despite knowing it was wrong because he didn't want to betray Heinrick (and by extension, his family). Meanwhile, Silver was already shown to go against Malleus's order for the greater good (early book 7 in Sebek's dream, when he refused to fall asleep even after being bashed for his disobedience, and fled from Malleus to save him and everyone else). There's also things like rabbitfest where he was completely warranted to dust those delinquents, especially since everyone else initially wanted to do that too, but he immediately went for a passive approach. That's not as strong of an example because there's no lives on the line, though.

Another thing we're forgetting is that Silver and Dawn likely had vastly different environments growing up. Silver was raised by Lilia, a fae who advocated for peace between all species. He also has peers who don't harbor any particular hate towards fae because the modern world is more tolerant. Meanwhile, Dawn might have had good intentions, but from what we see, at least some of the humans he grew up with had little regard for fae (Heinrick). And, judging by lines about their greed and lack of care for the environment, it's highly probable that most others had the same lack of regard. It's a little hard to follow your beliefs when it'll seem like betraying everyone else who you want to protect, ESPECIALLY your family. This leads to what I believe is one of the key differences.

Heinrick manipulated Dawn by telling him it was for Leah's happiness and her father's health. Maleanor is not someone Dawn has personally known, making it less of a loss to slay her in order to save what's important to him (as terrible as it is, and undoubtedly, it was a hard but wrong decision imo). On the contrary, Malleus is a part of Silver's family + his liege, and that's important to him. He's doing this to save Malleus and everyone else, not just to save one side like Dawn was.

Also, Malleus is doing this with misplaced intentions to make everyone happy, and the others seem somewhat aware of this (most definitely Silver, who saw his reasoning from beginning to end). Meanwhile, humans back then probably tried to dehumanize fae (especially Maleanor) by labeling them as the evil ones. No one is actively advocating for Malleus actually be slayed, giving Silver more room to follow his own will, unlike Dawn. So, not only was he raised to follow his will, but his environment is a lot more forgiving. As a matter of fact, if the others also advocate for not harming Malleus, there's really no reason AT ALL for Silver to hurt him.

Besides, it seems like TWST has been trying to represent a theme that the world is slowly changing, and issues do get resolved after overblots. Think of fairy gala. When Dawn said the line praying for all intelligent beings to live in harmony, he was about to slay Maleanor. When Silver said the line, it was because they actually SUCCEEDED at bringing the species together. History did not repeat itself, and I think it would be counterintuitive/more difficult for book 7 to end if they tried making Silver harm Malleus.

Also, did we forget how shaken Silver was when he realized he was related to Dawn? And how he had a whole character development realizing that even though he shared genetics with Dawn, he was still different and he was loved? Then vowed to save everyone? Super counterintuitive to go back on all of that for the sake of angst.

The conclusion:

In my opinion, I think the Dawn Armor has potential to be the opposite of "traumatizing" for Lilia. Sure, at first, he'll probably get a spook seeing that armor come out, but I think he trusts Silver enough to take the right route. I think it might finally give Lilia some internal peace when he sees Silver wield the same armor to save Malleus instead of slaying him, like a good ending version of what happened years ago. I also think Dawn Knight himself would be proud of Silver for doing what he failed at, assuming he's watching over Sil from the ring. At least, that's what I'm personally hoping for.

Feel free to throw tomatoes at me like a medieval villager if I'm wrong tho 🫡

[yournewfriendshouse]

I’m so glad this second part is on this post because earlier when I caught a glimpse of the meme I was going to try to articulate a similar thing of like…it’s happier to not centralise smartness as the priority of what you need to be in life but kurt said it so much better.

I still feel sad when people call me smart though its far less often these days. usually it’s doctors and psychs saying it which somehow feels even worse than before. but I have learned that I don’t need to let smartness be the rubric by which I judge my success on being a person. and it’s helped me live my life happier

because having your enthusiasm for learning things stolen by some weird brain competition that doesn’t actually matter in the long run is sad and a waste in my opinion. you get to come to this earth and we have art and we have science and we have history and so many things. just getting to learn is its own privilege.

and I have memory issues now so I get to learn them more than once! lmao!

[emblemxeno]

Why do you take criticism of Fates so personally? Sometimes it seems like you think you're fighting for your life out there, defending yourself against people who want to come at you personally because you like a divisive video game.

On this site and others, I've been accused of being a pedophile, an incest loving freak, accused of supporting depictions of grooming/SA, supporting depictions of conversion therapy, and the ever constant "Freak!!" for liking the game.

I've also been called every substitution for the R slur you can think of for daring to have the controversial opinion of... liking a game's story.

There's also the omnipresent attitudes of "Yeah Fates fans can't accept the truth/shouldn't deny their favorite game is trash" and especially "Fates fans like the characters because they're horny/I can name two big reasons why people like Camilla". FE-tubers in particular say that shit constantly.

Like... I have good reason to be bitter lol.

You did get me thinking, though. Really, if all of it was purely personal against me, I... probably wouldn't actually give as much of damn? Sure it fucking sucks having heinous shit thrown at you, but it's nothing the good ol' block button can't handle.

But the fact that this attitude is just accepted and encouraged in the greater community? That's what sets me off, that's why I rant a lot. Because it's constant, it's everywhere. It's not a matter of Fates being divisive, it's the fact that you can't express a positive opinion about the damn game without coating it in irony and sarcasm. And that sucks. You shouldn't have to lie to have your thoughts be taken seriously and your person be respected.

To compare FE to Sonic again, for a long period of time people had to just be comfortable with the fact that they're expected to think Sonic games aren't good whatsoever and they can only be enjoyed in ironic ways. That kind of mentality fucking blows, and the community got understandably sick of it.

I refuse to not call out that same bullshit in the FE community. If that makes me seem unreasonable (in an overreacting, oversensitive way), then... well I'm not apologizing or changing how I feel, but I can make my approach more palatable in the future I guess lol.

[anamericangirl]

It happened again! Nother convo between me and a lib friend.

Me: I thought you didn't support the death penalty?

Friend: I don't! And I never well. Those are human beings in a correctional facility. The purpose of them being there is to help them transition back into society as a normal human being.

Me: As someone who studies criminal psychology I regret to inform you that the criminally insane do not magically become normal people while in prison.

Friend: That doesn't mean we shouldn't try. [This is my favorite quote in here because this friend says religion should be outlawed because if we can't see God he doesn't exist. So his logic of "Just because we've never seen it doesn't mean we shouldn't try" goes out the window when it's religion, but he's all for it when it's gender ideology, criminal correctional facilities or communism being a good form of government.]

Me: So can I ask you about all the memes you've been posting? [Context: He's been posting memes non stop about how that healthcare guy got shot and saying it's hilarious]

Friend: Dude there's a huge difference between someone who made a mistake and someone who deliberately fucked over millions of people with health care scams

Me: I really implore you to watch criminal psychology videos with me sometime. These are not people who made a mistake, these are people who take pleasure in murdering as many people as they can.

Friend: They can still be helped. CEOs can't be helped, they're too far gone.

Me: I literally just watched one about a woman who killed her pregnant daughter and then cut her open and ate the baby inside of her, and you think she can be helped but CEOs can't be?

Friend: Yes I do, she's still a human being.

Me: She's not, she's dead. She got the death penalty for that. It was in Texas.

Friend: And what problem did that solve?

Me: Well there's not a woman who killed her daughter and ate her unborn granddaughter in the world anymore, so she can't go on to do that again.

Friend: Yeah but that's one person. This CEO killed millions of people.

Me: It's two people, and I dunno about you but I really feel like when you literally murder someone you don't deserve the life you've been given anymore, no matter how many people you murder. If we're gonna weigh the severity of murder on a bell curve that's fucking retarded. We don't go "Yeah he killed 10 people but he doesn't lose his humanity card until he kills a lot closer to 6 million people." I feel like in both cases we should probably get rid of the murderer.

Friend: Well, you got your wish apparently since both are dead so what the hell are you complaining about?

Me: I'm not complaining, I'm trying to understand your logic. You're completely okay with someone getting shot to death because you claim they've killed millions of people, but then when someone kills 1-10 people and is in prison you fight for their human rights. I'm personally glad that in both cases they can't keep hurting people because I'm of the opinion that the death penalty for heinous criminals who are a danger to society is a good thing. My confusion starts with you being okay with one but not okay with the other. You're entirely inconsistent on who you're okay with being killed.

Friend: I'm completely consistent with who I'm okay with being killed. If they're nazis, billionaires, CEOs, maga, racist or antivaxxers they can get killed and I'll be happy.

Me: What's the bar for CEO? Because a small business owner is still a CEO. And when you say racist, do you mean specifically white racists who are racist against non-white or are you at least being consistent there and also hoping black and latino people who hate white people die too?

Friend: It's not racist to hate white people.

Me: Got it. And the CEO question?

Friend: CEO and billionaire are the same thing.

Me: They absolutely are not. The term "CEO" literally means "Whoever is in charge of a business or corporation." That means that a family owned business does in fact have a CEO, even if that business is only worth like $10,000.

Friend: That's not the definition of CEO, CEOs are billionaires in charge of companies like EA and Ubisoft. A small business owner is a small business owner.

Me: The guy who makes tiki torches is a small business owner, you want him killed?

Friend: He's a nazi.

Me: He's a nazi because the KKK bought his product?

Friend: Yep!

Me: It is shocking how easy it is for you to wish death upon someone. So you think the tiki torch guy should be shot?

Friend: Absolutely, yes.

Me: Let's change the subject, this is getting stupid. You still ride horses?

Friend: Yeah

Me: Fucking nazi.

Friend: [He sent a groggy anime girl emote]

Me: What? The KKK owns horses, haven't you seen Django Unchained?

Friend: I'm going to bed.

Me: By the way the tiki torch CEO is a left-winger who went on CNN to say he was appalled by the protesters using his torches.

Friend: Don't care.

Me: Still shoot him?

Friend: Yes. Good night.

Me: Aight.

I'm still reeling from "murderers can be helped but CEO's can't be because they're too far gone."

lol.

lmao even.

There's nothing wrong with being a CEO. It's not a crime. So wtf is he talking about they're too far gone and can't be helped? Like the problem with the United Healthcare CEO was that he was supposedly a murderer but I thought murderers could be helped???

Being in charge of a business isn't a bad thing omg. Sounds like your liberal friend, like most liberals, is just jealous some people make more money than he does.

Consistency would kill these people.

[raven5056]

On Maedhros

My take on his character, and me trying to figure him out.

Maedhros is not a good guy. I think that much should be obvious by his deeds and while I think some of that can be attributed to The Oath™, definitly not all of it.

But I think he's not an inherently bad guy either. Tolkien is big on characters "turning" to evil rather than being evil by nature, so the same must be true with Maedhros.

And I don't think Mae can be classified as evil at all. He's an antagonist in much of the story but in the overarching plot he takes the role of a tragic antihero.

In my opinion Maedhros tries to be good. He tries and fails over and over again. He does something great and shows strong morals and the next thing you know he's kinslaying all over the place. He renouces The Oath™ and goes on to sack Doriath and Sirion anyway, and it's not just his brothers making a mess of things. It's a cycle.

To me he tries to adhere to a moral code up until the point where things go significantly downhill, instead of going down with his morals he throws them out of the window.

And later he hates himself for it. And I truly believe he wants this to change, but given a situation his stubborn will (inherited from his father) to achieve his goal is stronger than his ideals (due to his more tempered spirit via his mother) and he fails over and over again.

The fact he willingly gives up the crown of the Noldor to me speaks at least of a certain awareness of his inherent character flaws.

That to me makes him so tragic.

I've always have had a darker take on Maedhros. I generally don't think of him as redeemable. Not because he would not find forgiveness, but because he would never forgive himself. Because he thinks he is broken beyond repair and does not allow himself to heal. He will never leave Mandos because he believes he has no right to set foot in Aman again and walk among those he has harmed.

While Maitimo in his youth is generally a pleasant person he is also generally not okay.

Being the eldest son and heir to the guy the whole species literally peaked in in every possible way imaginable, and who also happens to be the crown prince, there is obviously a lot of pressure.

It doesn't really help that in his early youth —aside from his looks— Mae is utterly regular. He doesn't show any great talents or interest in a craft. (He had to take care of six younger siblings and fulfill his duty in court, he has little time to figure out what he actually enjoys) His grandfather teaches him about diplomacy in court and he is decent at it. Speaking comes easily to him. So he latches on to that. He tries to be the best at something (aside from his dad of course, no one beats Fëanor)

He can't be as good as his father but he can be good at one thing if he tries hard enough. (Whether he enjoys it doesn't matter if you've got Fëanor to live up to)

Slowly he is building up a facade of the perfect Son, Brother and Heir but underneath he grows more and more desperate for (his father's) approval. When his mother leaves he wants to go with her. He was always closer with her. But that means tearing down the entire facade so he stays with his father. Later he will regret that and think that maybe, just maybe had he gone with his mother (some of his brother's might have followed his example) some of the suffering could have been prevented.

When he comes out of Angband he carries a certain resentent towards his brothers.

He knows why they decided not to rescue him but he can't help but be angry after all he has done for them. Because he hates that he hates them, he keeps them at distance. He doesn't want them to know.

I also think he comes out of Angband a very different (very dark) person and the Nelyafinwë Maitimo is dead. His brothers realize that and there is a certain resentment towards this Meadhros Person. Especially through Maglor. I think Maglor absolutely hates who Mae has become but tries to not let it show, he knows it's not Mae's fault. (Mae knows of course, he always knew what Mags was thinking)

After Fingons death Maedhros gives up. (I vary between seeing them as romantic and platonic, so this works either way)

He knows the world is cruel, sure but seeing Fingons fate, the gruesome death of such a kind, brave and unendingly loyal person, his last hope dies. The Union of Maedhros is defeated and the one person who was able to look upon Mae with love, even after everything, is dead. He who deserved the world, died an undeserved horribly gruesome death and Maedhros is still there.

At this point he stops caring. He doesn't pretend to be a good person anymore, he knows he's not. He stops trying.

When Maglor decides to take the twins, they are terribly afraid of Mae. Of Maglor too, but they warm up to him. Of Mae they are still afraid. They sense the darkness in him. But they also sense the pain. One night, Maglor isn't home the kids are scared of a storm. With no other choice they turn to Mae. He does his best to comfort them. After that they warm up to him a bit more. But the uneasyness stays.

As The Oath™ is fulfilled and the Silmaril scorches his remaining hand, Maedhros feels empty. His biggest fear has come true: everything was futile in the end. He gave up everything including himself and any future he could have had for nothing.

There is no point in going on. And the twins are old enough to not need their protection. They are better off on their own. He has burdened their lives long enough.

He will not leave Mandos.

He cannot forgive himself. His Mother will try to see him, he doesn't want her to see what he has become.

Fingon will try to see him, he thinks Fingon hates him for giving up after his death (Fingon does, but he can forgive)

Eventually Elrond will come to the Halls to tell him about Elros' fate and Elronds own family. Elrond knows Maedhros will not return. He just wants to tell him.

[rainbowxocs]

(Reference coming soon)

(CURRENT THIS REFERENCE IS BASED ON THE MYTH. I WILL UPDATE IT ONCE THE MYTH IS OVER.)

Written by meeee!!

Name: Evren Nevermore!!

Alter of: Daisy Bell!!!

Role: Protector!

Alt Names: The Void, The Skybox!!

Special Titles: The Prophet.

Username: lappelduvide!! It’s a pun. Hehe.

Nicknames: Little Raven, Prophet, Caesar, Brutus.

Age: 17!!

Pronouns: Any Pronouns!!

Sexuality: eh whatever.

Gender: eh whatever.

Species: Technically, I am the same species as Daisy but like- I am a void. What is a void? Great question!! I dunno cause I kinda made it up Im going to be so for real.

Disorders: I have the same disorders as Daisy.

Physical Disabilities: I have the same disabilities as Daisy.

Religion: Daisyism, obviously.

Job: My main job is to like, protect Daisy obviously, but also to keep track of the domain and make sure everything is like chill and stable and stuff.

Lives in: I live in the Skybox/Void.

Languages: I can speak any language basically. I mean I’m literally a computer I can just google translate everything it ain’t that hard-

Height: 6ft!!

Accent: Otherwordly, No Discernible Origin.

Voice Claim: Amethyst from Steven Universe.

Spirit Level: Acceptance baby.

Powers: I have the same powers as Daisy. I just tend to focus on like reality bending stuff, wind and sky stuff, prophecy is a big one, yknow that kinda thing.

Weaknesses: I have the same weaknesses as Daisy.

Strings Form: Myyy strings are white cause we gotta MATCH obviously.

Soul: Mycena Lazulina!!

Weapons: Windforce Sword!!!

Alignment: I am chaotic neutral.

Text Color: Blueee!

Main Animal: Ravens!

Main Hobbies: I don’t really have time for hobbies with all the work I gotta do.

Favorite Food: Apples. I don’t really eat so.. not much else..

Favorite Flower: Lily of the Valleys!!! They’re pretty. Also they’re the fancy flowers you get in animal crossing.

Scent: Blueberries.

Handedness: Ambidextrous.

Blood Color: Good luck stabbing me to find out. It’s probably red though.

Awareness: Oh I am very aware.

Birthday: Same as Daisy, December 20th.

Theme:

Battle Theme:

Playlist:

Fun Facts: She knows all, She sees all, She speaks all.

Special Interests: Greek Mythology, Philosophy, History!!

Stims: Playing with clouds, flying around, spinning!!

Stimboard: [???]

Moodboard: [???]

Fashion Board: [???]

Comfort Objects: Im not a child. I don’t have any.

Here’s the part you really want to know yeah? WHAT ARE EVRENS OPINIONS ON YOU PEOPLE.

Family:

Cosmo. I feel absolutely no feelings towards this man I think he is stupid and he calls me little raven which IS RUDE. (0%)

Kriston. …he’s my dad… can we STOP TALKING ABOUT IT NOW. (100%)

The Cranes. They all seem like decent people. I haven’t met most of them.. but they keep Daisy safe and protected.. and that’s all that matters to me. (100%)

Jessa. SHE MIGHT BE MY MOM I DONT KNOW WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME SO MANY QUESTIONS GOD. (100%)

Ebro4. I go back and forth on him. I think he is a good man but he often gets.. blinded by more than his blindfold.. (30%g

Zailyn. I respect her a lot. She has done a lot of good for Daisy and protects her well. I can’t really complain about her really. (50%)

Friends:

Grat. I like Grat!! He’s a very silly demon. I have fun playing with him. :) (50%)

Zan. Zan is neat, I find her to be pretty funny. (50%)

Alice. Alice is funny, me and her often play together. She loves flying on my clouds with me. (50%)

Star. Star is neat!! I really enjoy them.. They are kinda like my personal hype squad.

Mouse. I respect her. I haven’t really interacted with her much directly due to our paths never really aligning. (50%)

Sleuth. Clockhead is funny. I like that.. he takes care of us though.. he- doesn’t have to do that.. (90%)

Romance: Aculia. Her system included in this of course. I.. really.. love her.. I- trust her wholeheartedly.. I would die for her.. (100%)

Therapist: Jonah Francois. Jonah is alright. I have no issues with him, I just am a little bit antsy when I have to bear my neck for someone.. (80%)

Enemies: Enemies is a bit of a strong word. This is more “people I disagree with on a fundamental level spiritually and emotionally”

Camilla. Okay maybe I have one enemy fuck this bitch I hope she dies in a fire. (0%)

Radio. I cannot forgive him for what he has done to Daisy. I fundamentally disagree with everything he stands for. Chaos above all else is meaningless. (0%)

Venus. If he truly thinks he can contain and control me then he is more of an idiot than I thought. (0%)

Emily. I understand why she did it, but I don’t know if I can forgive her for it. (0%)

Brief Personality: [wip]

Brief Backstory: [wip]

[how-do-i-write-that]

I do feel like this post gives solid base adivce but lacks some context that is helpful to understand why certain choices work. I would recommend beginner writers to try to understand what effects certain choices have, or rather, what sounds good to them personally when reading! And once you've figured out what sounds good to you, replicate it in your own writing.

I'm just going to put some of the points in a bit of context (in regards of my own personal opinion!) to hopefully help with understanding how they work.

1. "the floor shifted beneath her feet" is not showing, it's idiomatic. it still works better than using "she was sick with shock" as it draws more of a picture for the reader to imagine in their head. If you truly want to show and draw a bigger, more detailed picture, you can combine idiomatic language with some telling elements i.g. "Her breath was stuck in her throat and though her feet were frozen in place, it felt as if the floor shifted beneath them." Makes it easier for the reader to imagine what exactly is happening without saying "yeah she's shocked"

2. I have no gripes with scene breaks but for the love of god, do not put several asterisks or other random ass symbols in a row. They are a nightmare for screen readers, so if your writing is supposed to be read from a screen just don't use them. Put only one single one if you absolutely must (or if whatever you're using to upload/publish allows you to use dividers that can be parsed by screenreaders use those instead). Also if you really have to use them, be mindful that you're not breaking up paragraphs and topics that belong together. I personally also believe you don't have to rely on extra visual cues to inform your readers about a pov or scene change. Use words. Use line breaks and paragraphs. That's more than sufficient.

5. Don't end every chapter on a cliffhanger but always give a glimpse of what's next. You can conclude an entire subplot at the end of a chapter, with no action that needs to be cut right there and simply letting your character say something like "I managed to do X, now the next step is Y." Getting a bit of a glimpse of what's happening next without detailing it will help raise your readers' curiosity.

6. and 7. Yeah, you should focus on the important stuff in a scene instead of every single detail that lead up to it, but GoT is a great example why always subverting expectations might not be the wisest choice. Adding to point 10 here: just write whatever is fun to write to you. If you have fun, it is likely going to reflect in your writing. And if that means writing your character going grocery shopping and all goes according to plan, then so be it. Your readers might find it boring, true, but not every single little scene has to be the most interesting and impactful scene if you're just starting out.

8. Epiphets are not the devil, but you should only really use them for characters that have not yet been introduced or whose names will never be revealed. You wouldn't talk to your friend about "the blonde man" if the blonde man was your mutual friend Max you've both known for years. You'd just talk about "Max". So if your character's name is known, use it. If not, epiphets that describe the new character's most prominent features are fine.

Overall, write whatever is fun to write for you, no matter how well received it is, particularly if you're just starting out. If you want to improve on a technical level, read books from different time periods, different genres, different authors, different cultures and see what you personally like about them. Read fanfiction. It doesn't matter. You don't even have to read the whole thing if you end up not liking it or not finding enough time. But figure out what you like and then try to replicate that. (Be it sentence structures, usage of many/few adjectives, certain phrases, how chapters are structured, narrative voice, dialogue, how characters are described or characterized, etc. etc.)

No matter how small it may be, if you find a certain something in a writing you find awesome, try to write in that something, too. And if it's about your cat making a big meow meow fuss because food!! then that's fine, too.

tldr; read shit + find out what makes it good to you -> try to write something with theGood -> own writing sounds good to you -> happy + fun (-> reader also happy and fun)

my 10 holy grail pieces of writing advice for beginners

from an indie author who's published 4 books and written 20+, as well as 400k in fanfiction (who is also a professional beta reader who encounters the same issues in my clients' books over and over)

show don't tell is every bit as important as they say it is, no matter how sick you are of hearing about it. "the floor shifted beneath her feet" hits harder than "she felt sick with shock."

no head hopping. if you want to change pov mid scene, put a scene break. you can change it multiple times in the same scene! just put a break so your readers know you've changed pov.

if you have to infodump, do it through dialogue instead of exposition. your reader will feel like they're learning alongside the character, and it will flow naturally into your story.

never open your book with an exposition dump. instead, your opening scene should drop into the heart of the action with little to no context. raise questions to the reader and sprinkle in the answers bit by bit. let your reader discover the context slowly instead of holding their hand from the start. trust your reader; donn't overexplain the details. this is how you create a perfect hook.

every chapter should end on a cliffhanger. doesn't have to be major, can be as simple as ending a chapter mid conversation and picking it up immediately on the next one. tease your reader and make them need to turn the page.

every scene should subvert the character's expectations, as big as a plot twist or as small as a conversation having a surprising outcome. scenes that meet the character's expectations, such as a boring supply run, should be summarized.

arrive late and leave early to every scene. if you're character's at a party, open with them mid conversation instead of describing how they got dressed, left their house, arrived at the party, (because those things don't subvert their expectations). and when you're done with the reason for the scene is there, i.e. an important conversation, end it. once you've shown what you needed to show, get out, instead of describing your character commuting home (because it doesn't subvert expectations!)

epithets are the devil. "the blond man smiled--" you've lost me. use their name. use it often. don't be afraid of it. the reader won't get tired of it. it will serve you far better than epithets, especially if you have two people of the same pronouns interacting.

your character should always be working towards a goal, internal or external (i.e learning to love themself/killing the villain.) try to establish that goal as soon as possible in the reader's mind. the goal can change, the goal can evolve. as long as the reader knows the character isn't floating aimlessly through the world around them with no agency and no desire. that gets boring fast.

plan scenes that you know you'll have fun writing, instead of scenes that might seem cool in your head but you know you'll loathe every second of. besides the fact that your top priority in writing should be writing for only yourself and having fun, if you're just dragging through a scene you really hate, the scene will suffer for it, and readers can tell. the scenes i get the most praise on are always the scenes i had the most fun writing. an ideal outline shouldn't have parts that make you groan to look at. you'll thank yourself later.

happy writing :)

[morallysuperiorlips]

8 Tips for Redeeming Your Villain (Without Pissing Off Your Readers)

I won't lie, I love a good redemption arc for a villain. I love watching a formerly deplorable character atone for their sins and come to terms with the fact that they were wrong, and I especially love it when it doesn't come easy (as it shouldn't!). But I also know some writers might struggle with this, or worry about doing so in a way that won't aggravate readers or come out of left field. So, if you're struggling with this, here are some tips to help!

1.) Hint at redeemable traits early: All villains should be nuanced, in my opinion, but if you're going for a redemption arc, you should really dedicate some time to really showing those softer, redeemable sides of your villain from the beginning. It can be hesitation over their big evil schemes, or moments of really profound kindness in the midst of their cruelty. A villain that is too cruel from the get-go being redeemed will feel forced and likely uncalled for, so make sure you're going out of your way to show that the concept of "I can fix them" is actually possible.

2.) A strong motivation to change is a must: Nobody really makes an effort to change their ways unless they have a drive to do so, and the same should go for your villain. Don't make their mission to become "good" just a fleeting phase they happen to be going through (it's not like being emo, guys). Something needs to happen to them to drive them toward that switch. Maybe they realize the consequences of their actions and hate what they've done. Maybe the one person they want to save can only be saved if they change their ways. Maybe their beloved cat almost gets hurt during a scheme and they make the choice to change for their precious furry friend. You can really go nuts here!

3.) Remember "atonement, not apologies": Sometimes, "Sorry" isn't enough. In the case of a villain who might have done some pretty terrible shit in the past, I would wager it's most definitely not enough. While being remorseful is apart of atoning, it's not enough for them to just say "I'm sorry for trying to launch you into the sun" or "I'm sorry for committing arson on your base." Their actions also need to follow their apologies. They need to actually show that they're sorry, and are taking actions to fix the damage they've done. More than ever, their actions will speak louder than their dialogue.

4.) Remember that some actions are unforgiveable: There might come a moment in your villain's evildoings where they pass a point of no return. Some acts of villainy are just too far gone for chances of redemption. This doesn't mean that they can't have some version of redemption, but this just might come in the form of them accepting what they've done and making peace with it rather than being accepted and forgiven by those around them.

5.) Consequences don't just go away because they're nice now: No matter how kind your villain is choosing to be now, and how far they're willing to go to show that they've changed, they can't erase the past (of course, unless there is time travel at play, in which case...we'll talk). The consequences of their actions should still come back to bite them in some way, shape, or form, and they should still figure out how to work through them. Perhaps the villagers are still terrified of them, and likely will be for years to come. Perhaps the death of a loved one was indirectly caused by their wrongdoings, and they have to live with that.

6.) ...and neither does their core personality: At the end of the day, even though your villain is going through their redemption, they're still the same person they were as a villain. They still need to be the same ruthless or calculating or charismatic or dry or whatever kind of person they were to start. They just have less evil goals now. Write accordingly!

7.) The redemption needs to be EARNED: Redemption isn't something that just happens overnight. It needs to be treated like a practiced discipline. Your villain needs to try, fail, get up and try again, fail again, and keep trying. Maybe they almost give up at some point and try to relapse into evildoings. There needs to be a struggle as they come to terms with their actions, learn the correct way to atone, and find ways to make up for their terrible deeds. That way, when they've finally reached their peak of "good," it feels like it was deserved.

8.) Death does not always equal redemption: From years of reading, I've noticed that a common way to redeem a villain is just...killing them in an act of sacrifice. I feel like this only works if there's been a buildup to it. They can't just go out in a blaze of sacrificial glory and expect to be recounted as a hero when they were forcibly lobotomizing innocent children the day before. If your villains redemption arc does end in their death, the other tips still matter--there needs to be a buildup to it.

(If you like my guides, prompts, writing, or art, consider supporting the blog today! All donations help me keep this thing up and running and all are appreciated <3)

[maul-of-shame]

Just popping up to give my two cents on everything going on- [TROP Edition]

The TROP fandom is vast, passionate, and filled with people who care deeply about Tolkien’s world. Whether we’re here for the lore, the characters, the worldbuilding, or simply the joy of engaging with a new interpretation of Middle-earth, we all share one thing: love for this universe.

And yet, for weeks and even months now, it’s become increasingly clear that some corners of this fandom have been struggling under the weight of harassment, dogpiling, and outright cruelty—all over fictional characters and differing interpretations.

I want to take a moment to say this clearly: No matter where you stand on ships, theories, headcanons, or canon interpretations, harassment is never okay.

Disagreeing with someone’s take? That’s fine.

Engaging in discussion? Encouraged!

But targeted harassment, bullying, sending threats, or trying to force others out of a space just because they don’t align with your views? That’s not just toxic—it’s unacceptable.

I have my own opinions, and I’m open about them. There are ships I don’t personally like, and I have my reasons for that, which I’ve spoken about before. There are interpretations of characters I don’t agree with. But having a different perspective has never meant—and will never mean—that I condone or support people being attacked for their preferences.

Fiction is a space for creativity, exploration, and discussion, not a battleground where people should feel unsafe for simply enjoying a story differently. Myself, and many others have faced threats, harassment, and cruel messages—some from anonymous accounts, others from people openly creating blogs just to send hate. I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve had to block. It’s exhausting, and it shouldn’t have to be this way.

It’s heartbreaking to see the works of Tolkien—stories that have endured for generations, built on themes of resilience, friendship, and the fight against darkness—be tarnished by those who have no regard for basic decency. Tolkien’s world was never about cruelty, exclusion, or tearing others down; it was about hope, about standing together even in the face of overwhelming odds. And yet, some have twisted this fandom into something unrecognizable, using it as a weapon to attack, belittle, and harass others. It goes against everything these stories stand for, and it’s disheartening to watch a space that should bring joy and inspiration be turned into something toxic by those who refuse to respect others.

It’s okay to severely dislike a ship. It’s okay to find it uncomfortable, problematic, or simply not to your taste. It’s okay to critique the way a relationship is portrayed, to analyze its dynamics, and to express why you don’t engage with it. Fiction is meant to be discussed, interpreted, and even debated. But what is not okay is taking that personal dislike and turning it into targeted harassment against the people who create for that ship. Disliking a fictional pairing does not justify sending cruel messages, threats, or attempting to drive people out of a space just because their interests don’t align with yours.

No one is obligated to like what you like, just as you are not obligated to like what they do.

The solution is simple—curate your own space. Block, filter, and move on. Engage with what brings you joy instead of wasting time spreading hate. Fandom is meant to be an escape, a place to create, share, and find community. No one should have to feel unsafe or unwelcome simply because their creative expression doesn’t match someone else’s preferences.

To those who have been on the receiving end of hate, know that you are not alone. Your love for the characters, your creativity, and your enthusiasm for this world are valid.

No one has the right to police how you engage with fiction, nor do they have the right to dictate what you can and cannot enjoy. If you need to step back for your own well-being, that’s completely okay. If you need to block, curate your space, or disengage from toxic discussions, do so.

Your mental health matters more than proving a point to people who refuse to engage respectfully.

Fandom spaces should be a refuge, a place where we share excitement, ideas, and headcanons, not a place of stress and hostility. If you see someone being targeted, offer support. If you notice someone being worn down by negativity, remind them that their voice and presence are valued. Small acts of kindness—reblogging someone’s work, leaving a nice comment, sending a supportive message—go a long way in making fandom a better place for everyone.

At the end of the day, The Rings of Power is a show. Middle-earth, as much as it means to us, is a fictional realm. We engage with it because it brings us joy, because it inspires us, because it connects us to something greater.

But no story, no ship, no character, and no headcanon should ever come before basic human decency.

Your space in this fandom is valid, and I hope you find the support and peace you deserve.

Stay safe, take care of yourselves, and let’s do better.

[nocompromise-noregrets]

Oh, they dress themselves identically. :D It is a conscious and deliberate choice from their earliest days.

(I headcanon them as one soul in two bodies, more or less, which adds to the identicalness somewhat)

Only their parents and Arwen can tell them apart by looking at them. A few people who know them really well can tell which is which by mannerisms and listening to them speak (Elladan is slightly more brusque and sharp and impulsive, Elrohir is slightly more calm and gentle and considered). A very very few people have worked out that they stand in alphabetical order as you look at them (Elladan on the left, Elrohir on the right), much like Ant and Dec. Everyone else has no earthly clue. Which they heartily encourage, partly for insular us-against-the-world reasons and partly because they think it's really funny. :D

Ioreth thinks she can tell them apart, but she can't.

(extract from that fic under the cut because it still makes me laugh)

After everything was over, the Ring was destroyed and the Enemy defeated, the twins’ long quest to avenge their mother over at last, Arwen was amused and somewhat bewildered to see her brothers parading through the streets of Minas Tirith one on each arm of a small, elderly woman who never quite seemed to stop talking and who had opinions on absolutely everything that had happened over the last weeks. They were smiling, laughing even, tolerating the woman telling them what to do, fetching and carrying for her, treating her like a queen, and much as Arwen rejoiced to see hints of their old carefree selves, she could not quite understand how such a transformation could have been wrought so swiftly.

“What is going on, meleth-nín?” she asked Aragorn, quietly, as they and Legolas visited the Houses of Healing to speak with those who were still recovering from their injuries, watching the old woman confidently address Elladan by Elrohir’s name and Elrohir by Elladan’s. “Who is that woman and what on Arda has she done to my brothers?”

Aragorn chuckled softly. “That, meleth, is Ioreth. She is a skilled healer, to be certain, but also a very skilled gossip, and a purveyor of the most outlandish old wives’ tales. And she seems to have adopted the twins.”

“And she thinks she can tell them apart,” said Legolas, his soft voice full of amusement. “No matter who tells her that only those closest to them know with any certainty which of them is which, she is quite confident.”

“She almost never gets it right, and when she does it is purely by luck,” said Aragorn. “I think they are going along with it, pretending to be each other. It seems to amuse them.”

“Well, Varda knows they have been in need of amusement for a long time,” said Arwen, “but they have not pretended to be each other since we were barely more than Elflings.”

“We’re not certain,” said Legolas, “since you and your father are the only ones who can truly tell them apart, but it is most disconcerting to think one has worked out which is which from how they speak and behave, as the rest of us must do, and then have that completely upended.”

“I suppose so,” said Arwen, for she knew that others must rely on their knowledge of the twins’ personalities, Elladan slightly more abrasive and inclined to swearing, Elrohir softer-spoken and inclined to smoothing the feathers his brother had ruffled. “But -” and she broke off, staring, as across the room the twins, bringing more supplies to the old woman, were met with a long and rather complicated demand for something else that they had not brought.

“Manwë’s balls, woman!” barked Elrohir - Elrohir, Arwen’s lovely, soft-spoken brother who hardly swore and never snapped. “You couldn’t have told us that the first time?”

“Before we went to the stillroom?” added Elladan, much more gently, almost pleadingly, and Arwen could only gape as the old woman giggled - giggled, coquettishly, and batted her eyelashes at them.

“Well, perhaps I just like to make you work,” she said. “Now, hop to it, there’s good lads.”

And the twins just - went. They glanced at Arwen as they passed, and Elladan - Arwen was sure it was Elladan, though they were even standing in the wrong order - waggled his eyebrows, flashing her a grin.

Arwen pressed her hand to her heart, feeling distinctly off-balance. “Is this what being mortal feels like, meleth-nín?” she asked, rather faintly. “I feel as though I need to sit down.”

do you guys think that elrond is the kind of dad to dress the twins identically

[facewithoutheart]

Pst.

Write that out of-character fic. Write that self-indulgent fic that makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you believe you’re god, briefly, because you’ve created words, you put them on the page, look at them! They’re yours. Okay, not that one. Delete that one and try another. There! You’ve done it! You made something. You saw a picture in your head and you typed it out onto a screen and pressed post and someone will read it and love it and maybe it’s not as many someones as you wanted but all it takes is one.

(Unfortunately, it works in reverse, too. All it takes is one person sighing, rolling their eyes, telling you it’s not Good or Right and Why Did You Write This? Don’t you know, dear stranger, that there is only one opinion on the internet that matters and it is Theirs? And this voice is So Loud and it’s on the page of someone you admire and you think, for minutes for hours for days, what even is the point of creation if not to be torn down by people who think that they Know Better?)

But I am here, my friend, to remind you to find your own inner compass. Follow your own voice and trust where it leads you. I’m not saying ignore those voices that Know Better because, to be honest, I’m not sure if any of us can, but greet them with pity, with confusion, with the love they would not give you and write your story.

(Just, you know, tag it appropriately.)

[tgrailwar-zero]

*quietly* the water's really nice, isn't it..?

After speaking, he looked in your direction. This was the first time your presence was directly acknowledged.

LANCELOT: "…"

He returned to staring out over the water.

It'd be a lie to call him calm, as much as it was… 'not actively aggressive'. There was a tension in his body that never dropped, like a tightly coiled spring. A sort of 'battle readiness'. You'd seen RICHARD in a similar state when you prepared to fight that giant automaton, but he could turn it 'off'. This was a constant state of 'on'.

He didn't take it.

Seconds dragged on into minutes, minutes into what felt like the better part of an hour. Silence. Quiet. Staring into the deep, blue darkness. Like a statue, the knight gazed into the seemingly endless azure with a look that seemed hollow, but you caught just a hint of… something. Listlessness? Yearning? Somberness?

A 'something'.

Finally, he shifted.

He stood up, and without a word vanished into his spirit form, leaving you alone.

…You weren't sure if that was progress or not. It was really difficult to get a metric on what was 'good' with him. Still, you were allowed in that space, and that certainly wasn't anything to scoff at.

But you were getting a bit tired, and you probably had a busy morning tomorrow, so you returned back to the main camp and found an inn. It was one of the quilted tents that seemed to make up most of the area, though it was well-furnished and absolutely more comfortable than the tent you had in your camping supplies.

PPT exchanged hands, you were given a key to your room, and you went to sleep.

As you slept, you dreamed.

A voice you didn't recognize tickled your mind. It was light and playful, yet deep and wise. A voice that existed in a state of 'contradiction'- or perhaps possessed an inhuman quality that made it difficult to parse as a member of 'humanity'.

Regardless of your opinion or thoughts on that matter, the narrator within this dream began to speak.

-----: 'There was a young boy, born in France. Having lost his parents, he was abandoned and left on his own.'

-----: 'An abandoned child left to the fare on his own certainly would have died. But a fairy took pity on him, and made him her son. The human heart was a complex thing for her, but he at least felt something akin to what humanity called 'love'. There, he learned and grew, received many blessings and cultivated many skills. That boy became a young man, an ideal knight; handsome and brave of heart, but a bit foolhardy as well.'

-----: 'He had heard rumors that across the water, in the land of the Britons, there was a warrior-king that surpassed all others. Who had been trained by the greatest mage in Europe, and who was a brilliant ray of light that protected Britain from all threats.'

-----: 'Certainly, he mused, this was nonsense. He was the perfect warrior, after all. He was blessed with the fae, and his swordsmanship was unmatched.'

-----: 'I am not interested, the arrogant young knight thought as he hopped upon his steed, I am simply going to see if he is worth my time. And so, he traveled from France to Britain, and arrived upon a battlefield.'

-----: 'That rumored great king, riding gallantly upon a steed. His frame small and waifish, his skin fair and unblemished, and yet the way he commanded the battlefield was an image burned into the young knight's mind for the rest of his days.'

-----: 'That young knight, foolhardy and powerful, came to realize then that the ideals of knighthood were more than simply strength. That despite his skill and his might, this King of the Britons possessed something that he lacked.'

-----: 'Certainly, he realized, this is someone that I would follow to the ends of the Earth and call a friend.'

'A… friend?'

Something pierced your brain, hot and sharp, a knife driving itself into your skull. A hiss, inhuman and animalistic, cruel and fanged.

'No. Not a friend.'

'The person I hate.'

'The person I will never forgive.'

'The person I betrayed.'

'As long as she walks within the light, I will remain in the shadow.'

'As long as her name is praised, mine will be cursed.'

'As it should be. As is fate.'

'I am one who extinguishes the light from the bravehearted.'

'I am the one who ruins, and will continue to ruin.'

'And thus--'

You woke up with a start. You weren't sweating, but you felt cold and clammy. You didn't have much long to rest in your disquiet, as a bombastic voice rattled your eardrums.

RICHARD: "Good morrow! Miss Okuni has requested our presence on the beach, so that we may find a vessel! Aren't you excited?"

Aha.

This was a morning person.

And based on the way he was dragging you to your feet, a particularly inconsiderate one.

You were dragged out of your room, and taken down to the beach where it was already bustling with noise, barely having a chance to shake any of the sleep off yourself.

The shore was a lot more lively in the morning. There were a few stalls selling souvenirs, some food carts, and a lot of people milling about. Some looking at carts and stalls, others looking at boats.

Speaking of, there were a few boats that you had seen under the cover of night before, but now were accompanied by various seafarers promoting themselves.

BOAT CAPTAIN: "Come aboard the Sun's Crest! You won't find a finer vessel on the Solar Cell! Guaranteed comfort, favored even by the Pharaoh Cleopatra! 400 PPT per passenger!"

PIRATES: "Hop onto the Fool's Gold! Only 250 PPT each! What a steal! Y'ain't never seen a better crew, I promise ya' that!"

FISHERMAN: "I've got a few more spots on my boat! Just 150 PPT per person! We're slow and steady, but I haven't had a complaint yet!"

FISH-MAN: "Ye can ride on me back fer 10 PPT! One atta time, though! And ye gotta sign y'self a waiver! But I swim real fast, wouldn't ya know it!"

…Everyone was selling a little something, it seemed. OKUNI approached you, hands on her hips.

OKUNI: "Morning! Here comes the tough part. You've got to be assertive with these things… if you dally around and lose a spot, then you get hit with the junkers, but you don't want to get scammed either, so you've got to be careful."

OKUNI: "How about I leave the boat-finding to you? A good performer needs to have an eye for quality, after all."

[tarnishedxknight]

Ashelia froze for a moment. Did... did Larsa not know Gabranth was Landisian? Well and why not, she supposed. I didn't know Basch was Archadian, not until last night. "Yes. He and Basch lived there until they were sixteen. Basch told me last night. As I said, we... we discussed a great deal many things..." Ashe said with an air of sadness, almost as if she was lamenting who she was before she knew the information she'd learned during that conversation. One can never go back to being innocent or ignorant, even if they wish to, she thought.

At Larsa's comment of Gabranth not speaking of his Landisian blood, Ashe sighed a little. "I think it is more that... he wished to leave it behind him. So did Basch. I've known him all my life and yet... all these things he told me last night, he was saying for the first time. I never knew he had Archadian blood, never at all. I don't think my father knew that either. Or if he did, neither one of them ever informed me." It didn't change her view of Basch, not really, but it did... change her view. Overall.

His accent. "Mm. Yes, how strange it is that Gabranth seems to have an accent different from those of Archadia. He's been there so long, why has he not lost it? Basch lost his. I vaguely remember him speaking differently when I was a small child, but he gradually spoke more and more like a Dalmascan, until I forgot that he'd been anything else."

Ashe fell silent - a feat not easy for the talkative and opinionated former princess - while Larsa spoke of his mentors and of Drace specifically. It seemed that he'd been scooped up by Drace just as Ashe had been by Basch, in that moment when their own questioning might have spiraled out of control had they been left to their own devices. Ever the protectors of us, they are, she assumed.

"I don't think it's childish at all, Larsa. Finding out that one's father wasn't really his father is not small matter. I think you are entitled to your disarray, frankly. And I think those closest to you will understand that you are upset and need your space." At least... they should.

But as Larsa began to speak of Dalmasca, and her father, and all that she and Basch had suffered, Ashe felt antsy and uncomfortable. Yes, she was sad, angry, and grieving, but she had a problem with being lumped together with Basch. The levels of their suffering were, in her mind, not even close to the same.

"Basch suffered greatly," she insisted after listening to him share his thoughts on the subject. "I was spared the worst of it, I feel, save for losing my father and my sadness over the loss of Dalmasca's sovereignty. He was starved and tortured, denied freedom and light and food and sleep at times. For two years. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must have been like for him."

She couldn't help the way her mind wandered to the man responsible... Gabranth. How could Basch's own twin brother do this to him? To her father? How was this man that Larsa admired so much, his actual father, be the same man who had committed such heartless and cruel acts? Given Larsa's mental disruption over this whole affair, however, Ashelia refrained from asking those questions. She didn't want to upset her friend.

Instead, she smiled at him. "I think it would have been different, if you'd been Emperor. You would have changed Archadia for the better, Larsa. I know it. And together we could have changed Ivalice." Such chances were lost now, but there was comfort in the possibilities, even if they were only fantasy.

"Give yourself time. Apologize when you are ready," she said encouragingly, knowing how hard apologies were, especially for awkward situations such as these. With regard to Basch, though, she drew in a long breath and released it as a thoughtful sigh. "I think he might tell you some things. But if I know Basch, he may at times say that his brother's story is not his to tell. Perhaps he thinks certain things too personal for him to share, and that Gabranth should do so himself. But he will tell you some things. We can go see him, if you like. I know he would love to speak with you."

Larsa did not expect to be unfrozen at all, let alone in the future. When he had snuck upon Gabranth's ship set for Pharos he did it to ensure the peace would be possible. The last thing he remembered was running towards fallen Gabranth and then... Light. (Marvel AU) - tarnishedxjudgement

@tarnishedxjudgement

Noah didn't have the same abilities and resources in this time period with which to inform himself of anything and everything that was going on around him. He was in the dark, most of the time, unless directly informed of things, a condition he hated. Being at the mercy of others he neither knew nor trusted for information was not a position he usually found himself in.

It was the reason he hadn't known about Drace being found after him until she was brought one day to the training compound. Inexplicably, after executing her in his own timeline, here she was again, seemingly from another. The entire experience was wholly jarring, but not nearly as jarring as losing his only son.

So often had Noah thought of Larsa in the months following his revival in this strange time. Thoughts invaded his peace, his sleep, his ability to function, until he found himself so erratic and unhinged that he did not recognize himself anymore. Even Drace found it difficult to comfort him, and she had always been a master of that feat. There was no closure to be had, no second chances, no going back... and that knowledge was eating Noah alive from the inside out.

But once again, information had been kept from him, and yet another arrival from Ivalice to the Avengers compound was neither expected nor necessarily wanted. Would it be another Dalmascan? Gods forbid a Rozarrian. And the way the people of this time seemed to think that all Ivalicians got along and would be happy to see each other was beyond irritating to him. Nevertheless, when he was specifically summoned to greet this newcomer, Noah begrudgingly left his quarters to do so.

What he saw... stopped him dead in his tracks. Within seconds, his expression betrayed him, and within a few more, he was on his knees, his legs giving way in disbelief of the sight that lay before him. It was little Lord Larsa, looking just as he did when last Noah laid eyes on him, perfect as can be.

He knew he should say something, but words betrayed him as well as his own legs had. Instead, he merely stared, the absence of his helm serving to display to the boy all the shock, confusion, and relief at seeing him standing there. Finally, he forced out the only two words he felt he could say without falling apart.

"My lord..."

[v-arbellanaris]

i go out of my way to tag my critical posts because i dont want to interrupt people's enjoyment of the game, but ive gotta say im getting really fucking annoyed at fan attitudes about anyone who has criticisms of the game at all

white people in the da fandom will hear "hey, why isnt the fact that racism/classism exists (which THE GAME has made clear for like 15 years now), and is systemic, ever mentioned or acknowledged in any real way in this game" and immediately have the worst bad faith take on the statement ever to immediately scream about how evil it is that People (because ofc they never imagine that any person of colour might be upset at the blatant erasure) Want Depictions of Bad Things like racism in their media

as an example, there is no consideration of slavery as a systemic practice in dock town - even as 'the poorest of the poor' social level, soporati are not slaves. i dont know if youve ever interacted with members of your society, but we do not fucking exist in a vacuum. dock town is not magically Not part of tevinter or tevinter politics - the fucking black divine literally has a whole fucking home base there. it literally wouldn't have taken that many changes either. we could have heard ambient banter about how the pay's shit, etc, but We All Know It Could Be So Much Worse (you could be enslaved). an ambient dialogue/banter about maybe someone working themselves desperately to the bone to try and buy their sibling back from servitude from a magister. like those are ugly situations, yeah, but do you see how that 1) lends some fucking depth to the population that is both consistent with the lore of previous games and 2) emphasising that people in dock town are not magisters, and are as subject to the whims of the ruling class as slaves are (can't believe i want class consciousness in my media, i know) and c) creating social and power distance between the magisters of tevinter and everyone else. but i dont recall getting anything like that in the game, but i do recall the two dockhands trying to awkwardly go on a date together. this is because veilguard is not interested in delving into these topics, which is a decision that was made, that i - a person who paid money for this game - get to criticise. on my own damn blog. under a read more on a correctly tagged post that you can choose not to engage with so as to not spoil your own hype.

YOU can't deal with your guilt so it makes YOU uncomfortable to see depictions of racism, but i dont have that problem. i don't get to opt out of racism in real life, i don't get to opt out of classism and casteism in real life, and so it's important to me to represent these experiences authentically and respectfully. if that kind of storytelling is not your cup of tea, that's fine, you can literally just say that - we all have different things we want out of our media. i might privately judge you but that's a valid take to have. but im getting really fucking annoyed by people acting Holier Than Thou and like Superior Understanders, and constantly undermining valid criticisms of how flat the sociopolitical contexts are in veilguard are either just Coming From The Racists, bad faith interpretations and/or illiterate idiots in the most fucking condescending way possible