#the five commandments of storytelling

[melbatron5000]

More crap about story rules

I dunno if this is helpful, but I read somewhere that Tumblr is just talking to yourself until someone goes, "Oh, I like this," so here goes. It helps me to get this sort of stuff out and be able to reference back to it.

I'm a novelist. I write speculative fiction, primarily urban fantasy with a dollop of mythopoeia (wanting to lean more towards the mythopoeia, but anyway). Neil is definitely a role model of mine, and has been since I was 19. Terry came a little later for me, in my mid-twenties. I'd read Good Omens by then, but believed Neil had a heavier hand in it than Terry did (Ha!). Once I finally picked up some Discworld, I was hooked for life.

I also recently learned I have ADHD, so not only is traditional institutional academia not my thing, I also have trouble sussing out meaning and details from things unless I have specific instructions on where to look. Once I have that in hand, I often go on a tear and find things that I never imagined were there, and frequently surprise not only myself but others. But I absolutely have to have that first step laid out for me in order to make more of my own.

When I first started writing in the 80s (yes, I'm old), I started looking around for the elusive "story structure" I'd heard about vaguely from other writers. I really couldn't find anything written down about what constitutes the steps of a story, the journey a hero must take for a story to be told start to finish. The other writers I'd heard discuss it didn't have concrete ideas for me (lots of hand-waving and "oh, you know"s), so I figured I'd find it in a book somewhere.

I found a little something about structure from Greek philosophy, but that mainly boiled down to stories needing a "beginning, middle, and end," like, duh, and not a lot about what made those three parts up. As a very basic story-telling model, it is incredibly concrete and important, but it's something we've known for thousands of years by now so it doesn't exactly light up the night sky with insight anymore. It's become such common knowledge that it almost doesn't seem like knowledge. I found more from Joseph Campbell, but a lot of what I found written by him was very airy and sort of dream-like, and hard to follow. So I gave up and muddled along the best I could.

About ten years ago now, I decided to try again, and found a whole ton of stuff written about story structure, from Greek philosophy decoded to Shakespear's five-act structure to The Hero's Journey first talked about by Joseph Campbell to modern Hollywood 3-act structure. Around about 2010 there was an explosion of work done on story structure, and damn if it wasn't eye-opening.

My favorite book so far on structure is The Story Grid by Shawn Coyle, because he has broken down all the various types of structure into very concrete, easy-to-comprehend steps that make sense. He talks about exactly where there is wiggle room, exactly where there is not, the general shape of a story in comparison to the general shape of the five stages of grief, what precisely constitutes a scene and what the sequence of scenes has to be to tell a whole, complete story. (In case you're interested, my next favorite book on structure is Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. It fills in a few holes that The Story Grid misses, and together they make a beautifully complete map of how to tell a good story.)

My favorite, in particular, are the Five Commandments of Storytelling. Each scene, each act (however many you want, I like 4), and the story as a whole, all have to follow the Five Commandments. These are elements that have to be present for a scene to work, and for a story to reach its beginning, middle, and end satisfactorily.

Inciting incident. This is something that happens that forces the main character to change course, take action. It has to be either an Act of God, or another character acting on the main character.

Progressive complications. The main character forms a plan to put life back in order and tries it, but is blocked. They have to regroup and form a new plan. Threes in storytelling are always good, but the main character must be blocked until they reach the Turning Point Complication, where they realize that in order to move forward and have a hope of getting where they want, they must make a hard choice. Often the hard choice is that they must do The One Thing They Didn't Want to Do, though the introduction of new information will drive this decision as well. New information can come from another character, or be realized by the main character as a result of the action.

Crisis. They reach the decision point, where they must choose one thing over another. The decision must be between two irreconcilable good things, where they can't have both; or the lesser of two evils, where they can't escape both. The Crisis can also be boiled down to a "what will they do?" question. They're going to have to pick, but they're going to resist before they choose, and that creates tension which keeps the reader invested.

Climax. They make their choice. It's really that simple. They pick.

Resolution. The consequences of their choice are laid out. In a scene, this means the inciting incident of the next scene is introduced because of the character's choice; in an overall story, this leads to the end of the tale where our hero emerges, having learned whatever it was that the author deemed they needed to learn.

For example, Aziraphale is listening to music when a knock comes at the door. (Inciting incident) He forms and enacts a plan -- answer the door, probably hoping to get rid of whoever it is quickly. It's Gabriel. (Complication) He forms and enacts a new plan -- find out what Gabriel is doing here. Gabriel says he doesn't know. (Complication) Gabriel asks to come in. (Complication) Aziraphale forms and enacts a new plan -- tell Gabriel no. Gabriel says oh-kay and turns to the people on the street. (Turning point complication) Now Aziraphale has two bad choices -- bring Gabriel inside, or leave him to wander naked around Whickber street doing God only knows what. (Crisis) He chooses what he thinks is the lesser of two evils -- he tells Gabriel to get in. (Climax) Now Gabriel, possibly Aziraphale's worst enemy, is inside his home, the book shop. (Resolution) And because this is a scene, this Resolution is also the inciting incident of the next scene.

This can go different routes, as when the inciting incident rouses curiosity or creates a promise of something the character wants, instead of inflicting discomfort -- although if a character wants something bad enough, deciding to say no to pursuing it could inflict discomfort, so that counts, too. The inciting incident just means that something happens so that the main character can no longer keep living life as it was. Something has to change, and they have to change it. In the end, it all boils down to something outside the main character knocking them off course, them deciding how to try to get back on course and failing, and what happens as a result. (Beginning, middle, end!)

A good way to create a mystery is to hide the Inciting Incident from the readers/viewers. Or at least, the Inciting Incidents of certain character and scenes. In the above example, we see Aziraphale's Inciting Incident, but we don't see Gabriel's until episode six.

I believe we haven't seen the Inciting Incident of Crowley and Aziraphale's storyline for season 2. It seems like Gabriel showing up is the Inciting Incident for the entire season, but I believe his arrival is a Complication, not the Inciting Incident. As far as what the original Inciting Incident was, well, first and foremost, the Resolution of season 1 would naturally lead into the Inciting Incident of season 2, just as a scene would do for the scene following it. So there's one Clue. As for the answer -- we just have to keep looking where the furniture isn't.

I hope this story breakdown was interesting to someone. I find it completely fascinating, but I am a story nerd, so maybe what I like and find interesting isn't up everyone's alley.

Cheers!

[eobe]

How could I miss this GOLD of gorgeous faces 🤩🫶✨ Naaaaw with the little storytelling to each of them! 🫠

Echo the cutie, but I can understand him, Aev is hot 🤷🏽‍♀️

Rex need a hug but not from his vode I’m here for you oh captain my captain

HI FIVES 😍 This expression is ‚Whoa okay doom but I’ll deal with grace‘ 😂

Naaaw Tech 🫶 Tired of beeing reasonable… but also untidy ☝️ Tidy up and your belongings may be a bit more safe, dear hihihi 😁

Commander Fox, Sir, just… go to bed. NoOOo not what you’re thinking of – just sleep now for Maker‘s sake!! 🙈

Poor Kix is stressed out and I should be sad for him, but why do I laugh 🙈

FOX… ☕️🦊 Caf splashed, completely done, but this is not how caf or the force works 🤷🏽‍♀️ Both tend to work in mysterious ways, but the show was worth the try 🥹😂🫠 caf dripping from sweet fox curls hmmmm 🤔

I was too tired to do some serious art but I wanted to draw anyway so I let @ghostymarni pick some emotions (from Abisalli's Emotion Challenge) and clones for me to practice and this is the result:

Aev-walked-by-and-I'm-totally-crushing-on-her-Echo and You-sure-those-are-my-ARC-troopers-Rex

Ahahaha-what-do-you-mean-somehow-Palpatine-returned-Fives and Why-are-my-personal-belongings-either-knifed-shot-at-or-exploded-Tech

This-is-not-the-life-you're-looking-for-Fox (see bonus under cut) and The-kriff-do-you-mean-you-put-ducttape-over-an-open-wound-Kix

Alright I'm off to bed, sweet dreams and see you all tomorrow.

It's not blood he just splashed caf in his face to try and keep awake (that's how caf works right?)

[ruins-of-gods]

Something that I think Warhammer 40,000 storytellers miss sometimes is the sheer scale of their setting. I mean, don't get me wrong - I love the big, dramatic clashes, the characters you can buy in mini form and their convoluted, interwoven lore, the dramatic combats against unstoppable foes across a thousand ruined worlds. But that's the top of the setting, as it were - the most powerful beings in the universe, all fighting for supremacy. And at ground level, the level of the ordinary person, are so many other stories.

Did you know that a Lunar-class void cruiser has a crew of 95,000? Nearly a hundred thousand people, aboard a spaceship five kilometers long. A city, flying through outer space to wage war. Many of those people are proper trained soldiers, fresh from some academy or veterans of long, grueling campaigns, and many more are pressed into service, begrudgingly laying their lives at their Emperor's feet. But, unless the ship is currently actively involved in a really bloody campaign, most of those people were born aboard that ship. Most of their parents were born aboard it. And their grandparents. And their great-grandparents. Lineages stretching back centuries, so far that the original soldier who came aboard has been forgotten. A lot of those people probably know, on some level, that they're aboard a ship flying through space - but a lot of them probably don't, and I guarantee you almost none of them understand what that means. This ship is their world. To look out the window means madness so often that they avoid it - not that windows are readily available anyway. Most of them probably barely even understand that they're fighting. All they know is that when the readouts on their analog instruments display like so, when they hurry to obey the blared orders through the klaxon, the Emperor is pleased with them. They were born into that world. When they were children they did smaller tasks the adults couldn't. Their entire existence was winding metal corridors, laid out according to some archaic design, any logic that might dictate their layout long since degraded after millennia of ignorant maintenance, lit only by emergency lights that have long since become the default. They learned how to read an angle readout or how to relay an order perfectly the way another child might learn history or math. When they grew up, their service was flawless, born of pride and ignorance, and when they grew old and died, their legacy was remembered until it was forgotten. Many were killed in battle, but who cares? They gave their lives to the Emperor - a name whose meaning they don't understand, but whose importance they believe in wholeheartedly, all but synonymous with the commanding officers up above.

Sometimes, the klaxons sound a specific command, and every person on board who understands what it means feels a deep, awful dread as they run to their battle stations. They don't know what a warp jump is. They don't understand they're going from one place to another by the fastest way available. All they know is that, for a time, the ship dips into hell. The corridors go wrong. Things and people might not be where or what they were before. Daemons stalk the halls, and must be killed by any who can hold a lasgun. The overcrowded berths, the little nooks that families find for themselves - they are not private anymore. They are not safe. Things drift through the shift that do not care about the laws of physics, but that delight in killing and torturing human beings. Vast energies shake the ship and tear parts of it away - their home, their world, their existence, the biggest thing they can imagine, assaulted by something bigger. Is it the Emperor's punishment for failure? Is this what battle is? What's going on? They don't know, and no one who does can be bothered to tell them. The dread of those who have seen this before is even worse, because they don't know how long it will be. It might be just a few hours. It might be days, or weeks, or months, or years, or decades. It might be centuries, as the captain of the ship goes hunting daemons deep in the warp - the officers live that long, after all, and have little care for those who don't. There will be people born in hell, who spend their entire lives fighting from the day they can stand, and who die in hell, as old age and need catch up to them and they curl up in a corner to perish. To them, it isn't even hell. It's just the world. The world is death and pain and cruelty, an infinite metal box through which monsters stalk, and sometimes you must run to a battle station and do as you're ordered to do. And sometimes, as they reach forty or fifty or even a ripe old sixty, the ship drops out of the Warp, and, for the final years of their life, they are granted a life of relatively safe service better than anything they ever hoped to dream of.

Those are the kinds of stories I want to see more of. Super-soldiers fighting each other is cool, yes, but I want to see this universe explored. I want stories from the perspective of those that keep the Imperium going, or the aeldar, or the tyranids, or anyone, really. There's just so much potential in this setting. It deserves it.

[urhoneycombwitch]

your ideas on dm eddie!!!!?????

like i need more of him being in charge and reader just is like no no

replying to this with another anon

18+ mdni

he would be so easily corruptible. like one session you all have to stop mid-game (it’s been 4 hours but everyone got so lost in the storytelling!!) to get the kids home before curfew. and it was just getting good, too- the knight’s brigade with you as their commander, riding on proud horseback into the rumored-to-be-dragon-infested-forest.

and later that night, after you’ve carpooled everyone to their respective homes, you settle in at Eddie’s for a movie.

but it’s not five minutes in until you’ve got a hand under the band of Eddie’s sweats, fist slick around his cock. you’re biting at that hotspot behind his ear and he’s trying to be good, keeping his hips down even though he’s longing to just fuck up into your tight hand.

Eddie lets out a little whine when you thumb at his slit- and then your voice is low at his ear, murmuring, “no dragons in that forest, right baby?”

he can’t be faulted for not answering right away, ‘cuz your other hand has slipped to cup his balls and your thumb is pressing into indecent places-

“h-what?” Eddie pants, stomach flexing, using real effort to stave off coming. “no dragon… where?”

“in the forest, baby,” you coo, patient in tone but speeding up your jacking-off rhythm.

his cock throbs in response. Eddie moans.

you sink a lovebite into the dip of his shoulder before you continue, saccharine- “gonna make it real easy on me and my knights tomorrow, right?”

and he didn’t have a choice, goddammit, you’d jacked him right up against a wall, he had to strangle out a “yes” so that you wouldn’t stop your pretty hands from moving.

“come.” as soon as you whisper the command at him he’s gone, spilling thick ropes of pearly white into his sweatpants, letting his hips jerk forward as you coax the last of his spend with a squeezing upwards twist.

his head lolls against the back of the couch, chest heaving, bright spots of pink in his cheeks. “vixen. witch. you’re a sorceress.”

“nope.” you pop the p before sucking the mess from your fingers into your mouth, Eddie watching with lust-blown pupils. “I’m just a knight with a slut for a DM.”

[tadpolesonalgae]

Hi! Is the master list a wip rn? It’s not working for me

Hi! Sorry to commandeer this post but there are a few things I want to say relating to this.

So over the past fortnight or so I've actually seriously been considering deleting my blog, or just stopping writing fanfiction entirely. Most of Two Birds has been deleted and I started getting rid of a few Teeth and Talons chapters, I think all the links to masterlists have been taken down and I've made most of the cbmthy chapters private.

I don't want to mislead anyone by speculating why I've been feeling the way I have, but I'm fatigued, exhausted, demotivated, and I feel used.

Fandom to me is supposed to be about community, not to be taken as charity. That means interacting with writers. Reblogging posts with more than just sorting tags. Commenting something other than asking to be on a taglist.

I want to stress there are over 3,600 of you following me, and yet only the first part of cbmthy, Unchained, and Stockholm Syndrome even a third of you have interacted with. Most stories I write now have around 100-300 hundred notes, a fraction of those being comments or reblogs, which is such a small percentage.

My problem isn't feeling there aren't enough likes/comments/reblogs.

My problem is when I now share a fic with you, less than one twelfth of you are even seeing/acknowledging it.

If you don't like my writing, I'm fine with that; there have been others who have been kind enough to express how much they do enjoy it, and sincere enough that I believe it.

But for anyone who doesn't enjoy my writing anymore, please unfollow me.

If you don't have the time to read the things I write anymore, please acknowledge that and unfollow me.

If you don't have the energy to enjoy fandom anymore, please unfollow me.

I'm more than happy if 100 or so of you enjoy a post, because that's one hundred people who have enjoyed something I've taken the time to write, but the remaining three and a half thousand of you, keeping quiet, not interacting, potentially not even seeing the stories I work hard on, just feel like dead weight.

A drabble, or a head-canon post takes me about two hours to write.

A 2k/3k word fic takes me around five hours to write.

A regular cbmthy chapter can take me up to eighteen hours to write. Not including editing.

So to answer your question: I don't know if it's a wip.

I haven't decided whether or not to fix all the links. I don't even know if I want people to have access to all the stuff I've written.

Hobbies are supposed to be fun, but if the discontent and resentment outweigh my enjoyment, then I have to take a break from it, either temporarily or permanently.

I'd love to write a book one day, and I think having this blog is a great way for me to practice my storytelling, but I can't do any of that if I don't have the will to write.

[mysimsloveaffair]

Figuring out the age of Sims in the Sims 4 is tough. Sims don’t have a set ‘birthday,’ and they age up based on life stages, making it hard for legacy players and storytellers to narrow down exactly what ‘age’ a sim is. Let’s face it: there’s a big difference between a child who is five years old and one who is twelve.

I’ve been a legacy/storyteller for years. Previously, I relied on the in-game ‘normal’ life span for my sims. However, I often felt rushed to get my sims married and have children. This was to avoid the problem of my elder sims dying off before meeting their grandchildren. This issue became even worse when the Discover University Expansion was introduced. If I want to send my sims to college, it takes up even more of their young adult years. Consequently, the marriage/child ‘rush’ becomes a bigger issue.

Eventually, I turned to the MC Command Center mod to solve this by creating my own age ranges, giving each life stage ample time to pursue their goals, develop as characters, and later find someone to spend their lives with. With some tweaking over the years, I came up with the life stage breakdowns you see above. I tried matching the number of sim days in each life stage with an ‘age’ that matches what we’re used to in the real world. I am sharing this because it might be helpful for anyone else who is struggling to ‘age’ their sims. And while it’s not perfect, it could be a good starting point, and I hope it helps!

A large/printable version of this graphic is available on my website here: My Sims 4 Lifespan**

**Link takes you to my WordPress website

Thanks to @storiesbyjes2g, as always, for her feedback!

[prickly-paprikash]

One of my favorite things about Denis Villeneuve's style is how utterly masterful he is at subtle storytelling. Using the visuals to tell a tale that, even when you don't figure it out explicitly, one feels it immediately.

In Dune Part 1, my favorite form of this is at the very beginning when the Herald of the Change arrives to formalize the transition of Arrakis' ownership from the Harkonnens to the Atreides. The procession is full of pomp and posturing, with the Herald speaking in this loud, bombastic voice just to announce what is already a given, and Leto responds with his own spectacle—the armies of Atreides, chanting as one. It's all a show, since at this point House Atreides has been commanded by the Emperor. The contract is a legal formality; the costly procession on Caladan was (un)necessary showmanship. In the books, showing off the illusion of power and authority is vital in maintaining this cruel, unyielding power system, and without bringing mention of it, the film shows this off too. Then, once the Duke has sealed the form with his signet ring, everything just... drops.

Leto looks at the Herald in the eye, and asks, "So, it's done?"

And just as Leto replied to the grandiose display of the Emperor, the Herald now replies with the levity the situation truly deserves.

"It's done."

Both the Herald and the Duke know what this truly is. It's not a reward. It's not a show of love. The Herald, at this moment, is looking at a dead man walking. Millions of their currency sunk into this process, barely five minutes in total, and all to simply declare it all "done."

You can even feel a sense of satisfaction from the Herald.

The Emperor, in his paranoia and envy, guided the hand of the Atreides into a trap. And the Atreides know it is their doom, but they have no choice. They are popular and loved by the Great Houses, but they are bound by honor. And bound by might.

And all of this, narrowed down into one brilliant scene.

Once again, this subtle, visual storytelling is in full display in Part 2, and my favorite by far happens on Giedi Prime.

The Bene Gesserit Sister, Lady Margot Fenring (who is also a Lady of her own House in the books), watches on as one of their prospects, Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha engages in ritual combat for his birthday. Afterwards, in a hallway lit by only the fireworks outside, she stalks the Harkonnen heir, and Feyd catches on immediately.

Here's the thing: barring other Sisters of the Bene Gesserit, Paul Atreides, and some very gifted Mentat Assassins—you will never know if a Sister of the Order is stalking you. From the beginning, she had wanted to be caught by him. A lure. A tantalizing bait, perfectly designed to entrap the feral Feyd.

And he sinks in immediately.

Here is where my favorite visual storytelling comes into play.

In the hallway, we begin with a fully covered Margot. She is veiled completely in shadow, with the oil fireworks illuminating only her visage.

Next, Feyd strikes and holds his blade to her neck, revealing her face. But only her face.

Slowly, the scene shows off little by little her skin. In the hall, I believe the most we see is her throat, and I could be mistaken. The light flashes erratically, and we see her the way Feyd must see her.

In the shadows, a threat. In the brief sparks of light, a curiosity.

And when Margot confuses him, leading him to the Guest Wing where she stays, the light fully shows her off. She's still in formal clothing, but now we see her dress. It reveals a plunging neckline that barely shows off the top of her chest. Her top is sleeveless, showing off her shoulders and the soft musculature of her arms. In the dark, we could clearly see her wearing a veil that covered her body.

And the light mimics her, stripping away and revealing something beautiful. Irresistible, especially to Feyd, who despite his high intelligence and skill, is just as brutal and animalistic as his uncle and brother. All three so easily give in to their vice, and Feyd is no different.

He is allured by her. He lusts after her.

And all this without a word hinting towards sex in their entire shared dialogue.

Just the use of light, shadow, and body to tell a story.

Afterwards, Margot speaks to the Reverend Mother and Princess Irulan, revealing that she has secured a child from Feyd in her womb, which again without saying anything specific immediately shows that the Sisters have such power over their own bodies that they can ensure fertilization and have complete knowledge over their pregnancy. They even control what sex the child will be, as alluded to in Dune Part 1 when Jessica, out of the love she had for Leto and his desire for a son, rebelled against the Bene Gesserit's orders and sired a male.

Again, without info-dumping, we immediately understand that this religious order engages in Eugenics, and uses sex, fanaticism, and more to control the Great Houses.

Please watch Dune. Please read Dune.

[kcscribbler]

Christmas Fic Masterpost

Figured I'd toss this up in case anyone's looking for holiday-themed stuff, specifically. All fics here are either set around holidays or themed accordingly, and I make no claims as to their literary quality, lol.

My BBC Sherlock and ACD Sherlock Holmes fic are not included in the list as they're not on AO3 yet, but they are available on request.

Star Trek TOS

Of Luck And Miracles (4.2K, Kirk & Spock)

A deliberately plotless piece of Original Series fluff for those of us who don't feel very Christmassy this year.

A Celebration in Infinite Combinations (60K, gen ensemble & OC)

The first year of the five-year mission is a critical time for the crew of the starship Enterprise. With a new chain of command, a new crew, and a new captain who must prove himself to both, all must work together and learn to function not as a crew, but as a family. Ten mini story arcs revolving around ten sets of characters, all converging in the last chapter.

Gifts (7K, Kirk & Spock)

Five times Jim and Spock gave each other something, and one time it wasn't necessary. Early-era TOS.

Star Trek AOS

New Beginnings (1K, Kirk & McCoy)

Jim's never really celebrated Christmas before, at least not with someone who actually wanted to be there. This is…new. (It's super weird.)

One Step Forward (9K, gen, Kirk & Spock focus)

Grounded on Yorktown base for the winter holiday season, the remaining crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise deal with being haunted by metaphorical ghosts of Christmases past. Full warnings inside fic.

Loki Series

A Light in the Window (5.5K, Loki & Mobius)

On the eve of the multiversal war, the God of Time and Director of the TVA rendezvous one last time in a tiny beach house in the Florida Keys. Set near the end of the Storyteller 'verse, about twenty years after the events of Ready or Not.

A Green Christmas (14.6K, Loki & Mobius)

Holiday fluff and potential tree-related punnage, that's all. You've been warned. Part Five in the Storyteller verse, set a few weeks after the events of To Begin Again.

BBC Merlin

None Goes His Way Alone (25K, gen ensemble post-S2)

Merlin has always thought that the sorcerer chooses the familiar; his new familiar begs to differ. Canon-compliant not-quite-fix-it fic for S5 finale.

And for anyone who, like me, is feeling a little jaded about the holidays, you can find a 100% angst-free, silly or fluffy self-recommendation for each fandom below the cut. 💙

Star Trek AOS

All's Fair (9.4K, gen ensemble cast)

He needs a staff that will call him on his bullshit, not blindly obey his every command; one that actually enjoys his company rather than tolerating it with a fake smile. One who has somehow, despite all odds and his own initial intentions, wormed their way under his skin to wrap around his heart. It would kill him to lose them, now. Also now, he wants to kill them. It balances out, somehow.

Star Trek TOS

Action & Reaction (2K, gen Triumvirate)

Or, The One With the Checkmate. Tag scene to A Piece of the Action.

Loki Series

Crossword Clues (2K, Loki & Mobius)

The infirmary of the TVA is where non-jet-ski magazines go to die.

[rexxdjarin]

Clone x OC Week 2025

Day 5 - Future

Captain Rex x OC: Mari Vontas

Today’s theme future is a part of Rex and Mari’s story that I’ve alluded to but hasn’t quite happened yet in any of my written fics. I won’t get in to too many details because I don’t necessarily want to spoil exactly how they get there but this is ultimately Rex and Mari’s entire family.

Little descriptions and explanations below the cut:

Rex & Mari of course

Wolffe and Gregor who have since gone into hiding from the Empire on Seelos with Rex and Mari after the destruction of the Clone Rebellion

Kai Vontas (shown here as a toddler and his adult mid-20s), their eldest son and the one who looks the most like Rex and the other clones. He’s more wise, introspective and dreamy because Spoilers: he is incredibly, powerfully force sensitive and is the other main reason Rex, Mari, Wolffe and Gregor decide to go into hiding. They protect him until he’s about 10 or so when The Ghost Crew finds them and recruits them into the Rebellion again where a certain former Jedi takes great interest in her little force sensitive nephew 👀 he becomes Ahsoka’s apprentice and spends time being trained by both her, Kanan and Ezra until he’s in his late teens. With Ahsoka’s disappearance, he eventually goes out on his own to search for her and using his force given gift of premonition and connection to the world between worlds is able to rescue her. They spend the latter years of the Empire’s reign researching and learning about Mortis, the World Between Worlds and Ahsoka’s connection to the Daughter of Mortis. Kai learns that when Ahsoka saved his fathers life on the Venator all those years ago she transferred some of the light side of the force to him thus forever cementing Rex’s bloodline as a Guardian of the Light Side of the Force and Ahsoka’s/The Daughter’s Protector. He goes on various missions to find his own kyber crystal and create his lightsaber, blue bladed to of course honor his Father, and to continue the Jedi Legacy for the foreseeable future.

Nisa Vontas (shown as a toddler and her late teens), their only daughter and the most rough and tumble of all their children. As you can see, she takes after Rex in both her hair color and her personality. She is a warrior in every way and follows in her father’s footsteps by training to be a skilled fighter and a great shot with both hands. Shes scrappy, fearless and cunning, traits she gets from both her parents. She joins the Rebellion and is considered one of the most gifted natural leaders of the several squadrons she commands. She’s a much better pilot than her Father, a fact she never lets him forget. After the fall of the Empire she goes on to helm multiple levels in the New Republic Navy with hopes of eventually outranking even Rex one day.

Mako Vontas (shown as a toddler and his late teens) is their youngest child and their most entertaining one. He is sarcastic, funny, rambunctious and every bit the gifted writer his mother is, though he prefers to use his skills to write jokes. He’s a lot like Fives and Hardcase though he looks most like Mari. Mako, like the rest of his family, joins the Rebellion and assists his Mom with rebel recruitment since he’s such an easy guy to get along with and trust. He’s also a gifted, engaging speaker and storyteller and spends many nights entertaining battle weary soldiers who are in desperate need of comic relief. After the fall of the Empire, he becomes a popular entertainer, tv personality and the driving force behind a tv show that educates about the history of the Republic Clone Troopers alongside his mother, his uncles Wolffe and Kix. Together they create a statue in the New Republic Capitol of Chandrila of a clone trooper, you might recognize him from the tattoo on his forehead, to commemorate and honor the lives and sacrifice of all clone brothers who died for freedom and a galaxy-wide holiday to honor the clones celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th calendar month every year.

And there’s a quick run down of Rex and Mari’s future. Rex’s legacy is unparalleled and his children continue it every day for not just him, but all their extended family.

[nevcrmine]

announcing  the  arrival  of  SELIN  of  house  MARTELL,  the  PRINCESS  of  SUNSPEAR.  whispers  among  the  court  name  them  to  be  both  VISIONARY  and  INDULGENT  in  disposition,  and  those  closest  to  them  speak  to  their  interests  in  painting.  if  we  bards  could  compose  a  song  for  them,  it  might  tell  stories  of  bare skin on sun drenched balconies; a warmth that burns and consumes if wallowed in too long / whispers in the dead of night; as intangible and fleeting as the breeze, gone when you awaken fully / the ache of potential when it catches in your throat; you see their folly but they do not see you.  the  seven  whisper  to  their  most  devout  queen  as  she  sleeps,  making  her  question  where  their  loyalties  truly  lie.  are  they  right  to  whisper?  for  their  thoughts  have  lingered  close  to  treasonous  of  late.

# basic information.

official  name:  selin (pronounced celine).  nicknames:  sel.  noble  title:  princess of sunspear.  date  of  birth:  17th day of the eight month.  age:  30.  birthplace and home:  sunspear.  nationality:  dornish.  gender:  cis woman.   pronouns:  she/her.   orientation:  biromantic bisexual.  monikers:  the desert rose, crimson mirage, the kiss of dorne.  languages:  common tongue, high valyrian, some rhoynish phrases, a smattering of braavosi, lyseni, and volantene.   accent:  very clearly dornish. her speech cadence is slightly musical with a casual command of language that feels effortless, yet sharp and biting underneath.

# physical information.

faceclaim:  deniz baysal. hair:  dark brown, very long and either loosely braided or cascading wildly over her shoulders.  eyes: brown.  height:  five feet, seven inches.   build:  slender, athletic.  scent:  jasmine, orange blossom, and incense.  dominant  hand:  right.   allergies:  none.  scars:  a couple along her hands from childhood lessons on handling weapons.  distinguishing  features:  exceptionally long hair and a large, bright smile.   clothing  style:  flowing silk dresses that mirror the colors of life in dorne: vibrant reds, sunset oranges, deep golds. she adorns herself in jewelry shaped like snakes, suns, and roses. her shoulders are often bare and she always appears a little undone, but intentionally so.

# personality.

label:  the painted viper.   mbti:  enfp.   enneagram:  4w3 - the aristocrat.   element:  fire.    star   sign:  leo.    temperament:   sanguine-choleric (fun-loving, charismatic, social, passionate/strong-willed, ambitious, temperamental, strategic when needed).  character   inspirations:   oberyn martell, dorian gray, éowyn, princess jasmine.   deadly   sin:   lust & pride.   heavenly   virtue:   diligence & charity.    godly   parent:   dionysus + apollo.

# drives.

hobbies:  painting, astronomy, dancing, gambling, storytelling, spear combat. religion:  faith of the seven, but not devout in the slightest. alliance:  tbd.  personal goals:  living up to the Martell name while still carving out her own identity, proving herself equally as capable as her siblings in the eyes of her father + the elders.  would they choose family or power?  family.

# familial ties.

father:  prince doran martell. mother:  princess carynne martell. eldest sister:  sabriye. elder brother:  tbd. sand half-sibling:  tbd. spouse: n/a.

# narrative.

The youngest and final daughter within the house of the sun.

Treasured. Beloved. Overlooked.

Her youth was spent watching snakes sun themselves on stone walls. She chased her siblings through palm gardens, heard her mother's silk slippers slap across the floors, and knew from her first breath that she was royalty. Adored and fawned over, spoiled beyond imagination, yet highly aware of the expectations placed upon her from a tender age: to be clever and deadly if she wanted to keep her place. In Dorne, being borne a girl did not make Selin any softer or less valuable than her siblings, particularly when her sister stood first in line to ascend the throne.

A role she never appeared to want, but one Selin covets.

Raised to value loyalty to her bloodline above almost all else, from a young age she garnered a devotion to protecting the family's honor, reputation, and ambitions foremost. Some tutelage absorbed into her skin, other lessons have rolled off like beads of sweat under the unforgiving Dornish sun. A true Martell, she possesses an inner fire–– bold, spirited, impulsive, and deeply unapologetic for being herself. Self worth is never a question to behold for the Desert Rose.

With such confidence, she embraces Dorne’s open attitudes fully. Where others see limits, Selin only views beauty and possibility... in affairs, parties, feasts, art, life. She paints, she dreams, she seduces; all threads weaving her deep inner vision of what the world could be, not merely self-indulgent for the sake of it. There is a joy in living for the pleasure of magnificent things, intoxicating people, and experiences that heighten the senses. It creates a personal magnetism, it makes her witty and quick to laugh, or passionate in ways that both inspire and terrify.

Because underneath the silks and smiles, there is undeniable venom.

Like a desert storm, her emotions immediately turn violent and volatile if she’s wronged, insulted, or dismissed–– intentionally or otherwise. And forgiveness is hard earned by those outside of her immediate family. Capable of wielding a blade or poison when necessary, she might prefer pleasure and merriment, but she deeply understands the art of war and observes ongoing political discourse from the corners. Unfortunately it is this duality which hinders her claim to be taken seriously by the older generation, who still deem her too reckless and youthful to handle "real" matters.

All of the affairs and indulgence do not speak to her capabilities as a leader, but they bend how others view Selin. Her father especially. Doran greatly loves and exalts his youngest, but her unpredictability terrifies him. Where he places full faith in her eldest sister, Sabriye, as the calm source of logic, he doesn’t trust Selin not to bring emotion-driven upheaval into a delicate game of strategy.

Eternally burning with a desire to prove herself, she's now taken on her decadent lifestyle in a partial act of rebellion. Since the powers that be will not consider her a worthwhile voice in their courts then she will do as she pleases, reputation and disapproval be damned. If a coddled role is the one set out for her, then she will make it their problem, now and always. Perhaps it's merely a way to soothe the gnawing ache of not being enough, of never reaching their approval.

[2baddiesfanfics]

Takes Two to Tease

Pairing: Ei x Miko

Tags: Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Oral Sex, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Festivals, Semi-Public Sex

Summary:

As Yae Miko sets out to revive the Irodori Festival, Ei arrives to observe her efforts. With so much to be done and many Inazumans involved, including Kujou Sara, the kitsune finds it hard to keep her hands off her. When jealousy flares up, the Raiden Shogun makes her presence known. 

Read on Ao3

“Kirara, darling, that banner goes across that stall over there - wait! Not so rough! You’ll tear it!” A frantic Yae Miko chastised as the young nekomata attempted to do as she had been asked.

“Lady Guuji! I’m trying, really! I’m only one youkai, er…person!”

“I understand that, little one, but we need to get moving! The festival starts at sundown…ah! Chiori! Don’t you dare walk away from me! Come help Kirara, would you please?”

The owner of the Yae Publishing House pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache starting to bloom in her temples. After many years of being a relic of a bygone era, she had decided to revive the Irodori Festival. An international cultural convention, she believed it would be a wonderful way to bring the people of Inazuma back together and entice those of other nations to celebrate a very significant pastime - light novels. The publishing house’s works had begun to sell like hot taiyaki, and an event like this was sure to create even more wealth for the island nation.

The small plaza in front of the International Trade Association, now dubbed "The Five Kasen Plaza,” hosted a plethora of booths that sold not only light novels, but also showcased traditional Inazuman treats, crafts, and storytellers. This being the first year after the abolition of the Sakoku Decree, everything needed to go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, Miko’s “little helpers” were struggling to keep up with her demands.

“Raiden Shogun have mercy on us,” she huffed under her breath.

“You called?” The familiar warmth of Ei’s voice tickled the back of her neck.

“Archons! Ei! Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Still, she couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful sound of her laughter. It had been 500 years since she last heard it, and she now cherished it more than ever.

“How are things going?”

“Oh, they are…going. Nothing the great and powerful Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine can’t handle, I assure you,” she stated confidently.

“I see. So…no help needed from me?”

The kitsune shrugged. “Why make the Shogun do the work when I have plenty of volunteers? Ah, look! Here comes one now.” Kujou Sara approached them, her arms occupied with booth decorations.

“Guuji Yae! I need your opinion on which of these you believe would best represent the glory of Inazuma.”

“Yes, yes, let’s sit somewhere a bit more comfortable, hmm? My feet are simply aching. Until tonight, Ei,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

The Shogun pretended to peruse one of the stalls as she watched them from afar out of the corner of her eye. The tengu had been a loyal follower, certainly. But the way she was leaning into Miko was making her skin crawl. Suddenly, a loud bang erupted -Yoimiya perfecting the fireworks for the opening performance, no doubt - and Sara looked up with concern.

“Excuse me, Ms. Tengu! We are running out of time. Pay attention,” Miko commanded as she tugged on the woman’s chin to grab her focus. Ei felt an electric charge of jealousy surge through her.

“U-um, excuse me…Almighty Shogun…if you please…the static will permanently damage the books…would you mind standing a little further away?” General Gorou stuttered.

“Ah, yes. I apologize.” She fished in her bag for a handful of mora and placed them on the table. “I believe this should cover any potentially ruined copies.” Snatching a single novel, she did her best to pretend to be engrossed in the pages as she strategically drifted closer to the kitsune and tengu.

“No, no, no! You’re doing it all wrong,” she heard Miko instruct. Her long, deft fingers were now directing Sara’s to work with the folding paper she had brought to create origami onikabuto, her digits lingering far too long for Ei’s comfort.

This was the last straw. The second the sky turned dark, she would have her revenge.

The Raiden Shogun watched as Guuji Yae gave the opening speech to a truly impressive crowd. She couldn’t argue with the fact the woman knew how to put on a show. While she was proud she had produced an event that revived a rich part of Inazuman history, jealousy continued to gnaw at her insides.

Thankfully, Kujou Sara was now manning a booth with Kokomi. People she had never seen before wearing clothing from distant lands flocked to peruse the latest releases from Yae Publishing House as well as smaller independent writers. When she finally caught up with Miko, she recognized the woman she was talking to immediately. Ei approached and butted into the conversation as smoothly as she could.

“Captain Beidou. What brings you to Inazuma? How is young Kazuha doing these days?” She could almost see the kitsune’s fur bristle at the interruption.

“Raiden Shogun! Man, it’s been a while. Glad to see things have calmed down here. Not nearly as much lightning as last time,” she exclaimed with a wink. “Kazuha is doin’ just fine. He’s been a real asset to the crew. I’m just here as an envoy for Ning- I mean, the Lady Tianquan. She’d never admit it publicly, but she’s actually a huge fan of these light novel things. Just gonna bring a few back for her and let her know all is well between our nations.”

“I’m very happy to hear that. I hate to intrude, but I really must speak with Guuji Yae. I’ll be sure to send her back your way in just a moment.”

“No problem! Was just about to sample some of the local sake. Take all the time you need!”

With a polite nod, Ei gripped Miko’s arm with a force that made the woman wince.

“Ah! What’s the matter with you?” She hissed under her breath.

“I’d like to ask you the same thing,” the Shogun shot back as she subtly guided her between a pair of buildings just outside of the Outlander Affairs Agency.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

The kitsune rolled her eyes. “And what, pray tell, am I doing? Putting on the best event Inazuma has ever seen? Well then, lock me up and throw me in the police detention center. I seem to remember you being fond of…seeing me in restraints.”

Ei slammed her hands against the wall beside the woman’s head, Miko’s back now flat against the structure. “If restraining you is what it takes to keep your hands off Kujou Sara, I’ll do whatever I need to.”

The Guuji felt her heart rate soar. “Is that what this is all about? My, my, Ei. You left me alone for 500 years. You think you get to decide who I tease? Get over yourself. I fear nothing. Not even an archon.”

The Shogun felt a tinge of pain in her chest. She knew she had no right to be upset over a little bit of harmless flirting. She knew, and yet…she didn’t care. She was hers for eternity. Hadn’t they settled on as much the first night they reunited?

“Miko…I know I’ve hurt you.” To this day, the gentle way Ei said her name made her knees weak.

“Hurt is an understatement,” she replied quietly, trying to maintain the higher ground. The sounds from the festival were the only thing ensuring they weren’t enveloped in a painful, awkward silence.

The Shogun moved her hand from the wall, her thumb softly tracing the other woman’s bottom lip. “I’m more than prepared to spend the next 500 years making you never forget you’re mine.”

“And why would I want to be yours?”

“Because we both know we can’t survive eternity without the other.”

“…Archons I hate it when you’re right,” she muttered before taking Ei’s face between her palms and capturing her mouth in a ferocious kiss. She felt the Shogun relax against her, her muscles no longer tense from the prior conversation. Their tongues danced against each other as Ei pushed her harder into the wall. Wedging her leg between Miko’s, she parted her thighs, preparing her for what was to come. In her excitement, the kitsune bit the other woman’s lip just a little too hard, her fangs drawing blood.

“Gah! Damnit, Miko! I thought we had established that everything was fine…”

“Come now, it was all in good fun,” she chuckled. Remembering her prior comment about restraints, Ei smiled wickedly before wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. She removed the ribbon from her braid and used it to tie the Guuji’s wrists together. Grabbing her by the chin, she made her look her in the eyes.

“Now behave this time.”

Miko’s cheeks flushed as adrenaline pumped through her. “Yes, dear.”

The Shogun nodded and then dropped to her knees. Shifting the kitsune’s skirt up, she kissed up her inner thigh and heard her whimper in response. Nibbling the tender skin, she continued to ascend.

“Fuck…Ei…get on with it…”

She carefully moved the crotch of her panties to the side before licking her arousal directly from the source. Reacting to the sensation, Miko flung her bound wrists around her head, pulling her in deeper. The Shogun plunged her tongue into her, her nose nudging the sensitive bud above.

The Guuji gasped quietly, trying not to attract the attention of a group of event attendees walking to the booths nearby.

“Archons…Ei…hurry…”

“What, are you worried you won’t get to come before someone finds us? Don’t worry, love, I’m the Shogun. What are they going to do?” She resumed her lapping, increasing the pressure of the flat of her tongue as she stroked her clit with it.

“Fuck…fuck…fuck…there!” She cried through clenched teeth, her hips swaying to ride out the feeling. Rising to her feet, Ei kissed her hard as she undid the knot around her wrists, freeing her. The taste of herself on her lover’s lips drove the Guuji mad with desire. Grabbing her girlfriend’s arms, she forced her to face the wall.

“Miko…what the hells are you doing?”

“My turn. Hands on the wall, dear.” She did so reluctantly, and the kitsune positioned herself behind her. “It’s one thing to catch the Shogun doing what she pleases to her familiar, but what would they think if they saw me fucking you?”

Before Ei could answer her, she felt the cool of the night air against the skin of her backside. Goodness, she moves fast, she thought. Miko yanked her panties down and lightly kicked her shin in a signal for her to widen her stance. “Bend over a little further for me, little one.” She usually reserved that term of endearment for those on the younger side, but Ei would never admit that it made her stomach flip.

“That’s my girl,” she purred as she carefully inserted her thumb in her ass. The Shogun felt her eyes roll to the back of her head.

“Ohhhhhhh Miko…”

“You always take me so well,” she responded as she inserted another pair of fingers into her dripping-wet pussy. “Don’t be shy. Make a little noise for me, love.” She tried to coax a louder groan from her by curling her fingers inside of her.

“Ah…we must…agh! Be careful…too many people…”

“Tsk. I suppose you’re right. I did invite that girl from The Steambird to cover the event. We don’t want to end up on the front page, now, do we? I’ll make it quick.”

Miko moved with expert precision, hitting every sweet spot she had come to know after many passionate nights they had shared after Ei’s return. The Shogun turned her head, her moans buried in the sleeve of her kimono.

“That’s right, dear. Come for me,” the kitsune commanded as her lover bounced with the thrusting of her fingers.

“Fuck…Mikoooooooo!” She gasped, choking on her cries of ecstasy. The two leaned against the wall next to each other, both breathing heavily and looking disheveled from the night’s revelry.

“Lady Yae! Mistress Publisher? Where are you?” The voice cut through the chatter of the townspeople not too far from where they stood.

Miko wiped her hands on the handkerchief she kept with her and sighed. “Apparently, duty calls. Would you mind escorting me for the rest of the evening?”

Ei straightened the skirt of her kimono before replying, “Depends. Going to pull more of that stunt you did with Sara earlier tonight?”

The kitsune smirked and mirrored her question. “Depends. Does it mean you’ll devour me like that again later?”

[accomplisheddoubt]

Some Kind of Lepacy Outline

“A Lepacy is a legacy-style challenge focusing heavily on the content and features of each expansion pack.”

This is just a rough outline. Each generation will explore at least one stuff, game, or expansion pack and almost everything not included in a generation (i.e. traits, aspirations) will be randomized. With an exception here and there if something truly makes sense for a generation but was a base game trait/etc. Or a secondary aspiration may be chosen. If a generation includes more than 3 traits or traits that conflict with one another, some remaining traits/aspirations/etc may be given to the next generation or so forth.

If you are interested in following this outline for your own gameplay, please consider using the hashtag #some kind of lepacy

Personally, I play with an adjusted age span that falls somewhere in-between short and normal lifespans. I also keep everything disabled until I "unlock" it through gameplay. The only gameplay mods I am currently using are bits of Lumpinou's Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul and First Impressions. I also have MC Command Center set to a 55% chance for try for baby and 4% risky woohoo enabled. With autonomous woohoo and try for baby allowed.

Generation One

Base Game, Desert Luxe, Artist Studio 

Generation Two 

Outdoor Retreat + Little Campers as child 

 Get to Work as young adult

Objective: Run a bakery

Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

Reward Traits: Great Storyteller, Stoves and Grills Master, Incredibly Friendly

Skills: Herbalism, Baking

Collections: Insects

Generation Three

Poolside Splash and First Fits Kits as child

Spa Day, Everyday Clutter, Sweet Slumber as teen

Luxury Party, Modern Luxe as young adult

Objective: Make money providing Spa Services

Aspiration: Self-Care Specialist (priority), Inner Peace, Zen Guru 

Traits: Squeamish, High Maintenance

Skills: Wellness

Generation Four

Grunge Revival as teen

Get Together as young adult or teen 

Objective: Host a dance party

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack

Traits: Insider, Dance Machine

Skills: Dancing, DJ Mixing

Generation Five

Dine Out as child

Perfect Patio, Cool Kitchen as young adult

Objective: Run a restaurant

Collections: Experimental Food Prints

Generation Six

Movie Hangout as teen 

City Living, industrial loft kit as young adult  

Aspiration: City Native

Traits: Unflirty

Skills: Singing

Career: Critic, Politician, or Social Media

Collections: San Myshuno Festival T-shirts, Human Statue Outfit, Food Stall Recipes

Generation Seven

Vampires, Romantic Garden, Vintage Glamour, Storybook Nursery as teen or young adult?

Aspiration: Good Vampire, Master Vampire, Vampire Family

Skills: Pipe Organ, Vampire Lore

Generation Eight

Bowling as teen

Parenthood, Kids Room, Backyard, Bathroom Clutter as young adult

Objective: Host family bowling nights and dedicate life to children

Aspiration: Super Parent

Traits: None included, but make Family-Oriented

Skills: Bowling, Parenting

Collections: Voidcritter Cards

Generation Nine

My First Pet as child

Cats and Dogs as young adult 

Objective: Run a successful veterinary office

Aspiration: Friend of the Animals

Traits: Cat Lover, Dog Lover

Skills: Pet Training, Veterinarian

Collections: Rodent Postcards, Feathers

Generation Ten  

Laundry Day as teen

Jungle Adventure as young adult

Objective: Explore all tombs

Aspiration: Archaeology Scholar, Jungle Explorer

Traits: None, but highly consider love outdoors

Skills: Archeology, Selvadoradian Culture

Collections: Ancient Omiscan Artifacts, Omiscan Treasures, Relics, Jungle Souvenirs

Generations 11 onward are still in an extremely rough draft as I plan which packs should be combined versus played independently per generation. And will be added here once I've figured it out.

[onwhatcaptain]

It's been ages since I posted a snippet from my K/S novel, so I'm back with one from Chapter 15!

“Well, I haven’t even asked you anything yet, Doctor.” He snorts. “And for your sake, you probably shouldn’t.” They make a small expression of sympathy that he’s getting far too used to seeing and they walk in silence for a few moments. “I understand you’re going through a lot right now, but I have a responsibility to at least try and ask you questions, Doctor.” “And why’s that?” “Because this story deserves to be reported fairly and accurately, and your perspective on the matter is missing. I think you might have some valuable insight and I just want to understand. To shed light on the matter.” “And what exactly needs my input?” “Doctor McCoy,” they ask, “were Commander Spock and Captain Kirk merely colleagues and friends? Or was there something more?” McCoy stops in his tracks without turning to face them, nearly tripping on the gravel lining the path. “What?”

If you are curious, my fic "I Shall Do Neither" is here at AO3.

I Shall Do Neither (87406 words) by onwhatcaptain Chapters: 16/26 Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy & Spock Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Leonard "Bones" McCoy Additional Tags: Romance, Angst, Heavy Angst, Loss of Control, Psychological Trauma, Mutual Pining, Five Year Mission (Star Trek), Episode: s02e05 Amok Time, Post-Episode: s02e05 Amok Time, Pon Farr, Pon Farr Aftermath (Star Trek), Unresolved Sexual Tension, Friendship, Grief, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Unreliable Narrator, Vulcan Biology, Tarsus IV (Star Trek), Vulcan Mind Melds, Non-Linear Narrative, Storytelling Through Vignettes, Missing Scenes Between Episodes, Plot, Cover Art, Canon Divergence, Digital Art, Illustrations, In spite of the description Kirk features heavily in this novel Summary: In the wake of the kal-if-fee on Vulcan, Kirk is dead. When T’Pau tells Spock to live long and prosper, he knows he shall do neither. This is a story about men who love each other, and the lengths they will go to for one another. - Foolish, he thinks. I have been a fool. How he had wanted so desperately to prove his Vulcan side. How all his life it had felt like a performance, and yet, to be finally subject to the most Vulcan thing of all destroyed him. The stripping of logic. All sense torn from him. His carefully constructed barriers had collapsed like a flimsy house of cards. To be granted his wish this way was a type of mockery. How he had wanted to be fully Vulcan. To prove that the blood which runs through his veins was not so human. How wanting had been better than having. - This story is told in two parts across 25 chapters, and will be updated on Sundays.

[thearcaneuniversity]

3, 24 and 25!

Hello dear! <3

3. What were your top five books of the year?

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens I adore character-driven stories, and this novel delivers in spades... Dickens creates such a compelling cast. The backdrop of the French Revolution adds a sense of urgency and grandeur that perfectly complements the intimate human dramas at the novel’s heart. The theme of duality, whether through characters, settings, or moral dilemmas, makes it endlessly fascinating. It’s tragic, moving, and full of moments that I still think of today. As someone who went through a deep dive into the French Revolution and visited Paris right after reading this novel, it really brought history to life in an incredibly intimate way.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Nabokov’s writing style is a marvel in itself. Every sentence feels meticulously crafted, but this precision made the book a challenge at times; it demands your full attention. The way Nabokov draws you into Humbert Humbert’s mind is both brilliant and deeply unsettling. The contrast between the prose’s elegance and the story’s disturbing content creates a tension that stays with you long after finishing. The book is dark, forcing you to confront uncomfortable truths about the nature of storytelling itself.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt This book has a slow burn quality that made the initial chapters and the last 100 pages or so challenging to get through. Tartt’s prose is rich and descriptive, almost indulgent at times, which required patience. But as the story unfolds, you’re drawn into this insular, cult-like group of classics students who blur the lines between genius and madness. The characters are deeply flawed - pretentious, manipulative, and often cruel - but Tartt writes them with such nuance, while you may not always sympathize with them, you can’t help but feel the weight of their mistakes bearing down on them, page after page. By the time I finished the novel, I found myself haunted by its atmosphere and themes, which is why I felt compelled to revisit it in the original English. It’s a story that lingers, much like the memory of a bad decision that you can’t shake.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee This multi-generational saga is sweeping in scope but intimate in its portrayal of its characters. Min Jin Lee’s writing is deceptively simple, allowing the complex emotions and historical weight of the story to shine through. The novel explores themes of identity, resilience, and systemic oppression as it follows a Korean family navigating life in Japan. Each character feels vivid and fully realized, from Sunja, the matriarch who makes difficult choices to protect her family, to her descendants, who face new challenges in a society that refuses to accept them. The historical context of Korean-Japanese relations added a layer of depth I hadn’t encountered before, making the story both eye-opening and poignant. The way Lee handles dehumanization and bigotry is masterful—it’s specific to the cultural conflict in the book but also universally relatable, making the injustices feel profoundly real.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde This novel surprised me in many ways. I expected a philosophical exploration of beauty and morality, but what I got was also a gothic, almost sinister tale of corruption and despair. Dorian’s descent into hedonism and moral decay feels like watching a train wreck - you can’t look away. The philosophical debates between Dorian and Lord Henry were both particularly striking and quite annoying at times. Knowing the twists and the ending, I’m eager to reread it, especially in the uncensored version and in English, to better appreciate Wilde’s command of language.

I’m currently reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, and I have a strong feeling it might earn a spot on this list. However, since I haven’t finished it yet, I’ll reserve judgment for now.

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

Yes, I attempted to start my BA literature reading list - a collection of all the books I studied during my three-year university program (in preparation for MA studies). Unfortunately, I hit a roadblock with Old English and Anglo-Saxon poetry and couldn’t make much progress. I tried moving on to other works from the list, like Shakespeare, but I kept getting sidetracked by more enticing reads. In the end, I decided to put the list aside for another time.

25. What reading goals do you have for next year?

To read (or at least familiarize myself with) most of the books from my BA studies.

To read 50 books in 2025, or at least exceed this year’s total of 30 books.

To read at least three more books from my philosophy collection.

To explore more poetry.

Thank you so much for the ask!!!

[thecinderninja]

Theme and Variations

On Ao3 as The_Cinderninja

He is a very young child when he first speaks to the wind, but he was already listening long before that.

He could always hear the voices, even before then. Sometimes dozens, sometimes thousands, sometimes only one. They seem to like him.

He has no Vision, he has no control over the wind, nor would he ever try to control it. It simply comes to him. It warns him of oncoming storms, it whispers of danger and opportunity equally. It guides his steps; a friend, a confidant, a protector and a caretaker. 

It cares for him more than his parents, it’s there for him more than his peers. It listens to him more than his teachers, and it speaks to him more than the friends he does not have.

It smiles upon him. Loves him, even.

What came first? His love of the wind, or his love of stories? It is hard to say when they are so intertwined. One inevitably leads to the other, when the wind is such a profound gossip, a poet, a storyteller, a bard, and a sharer of secret histories. The wind shares everything it knows with Kazuha, it teaches him the way memory is woven through every word and song, it teaches him the profundity of a quiet moment. 

The wind becomes his parent, his peer, his teacher, his friend. 

Many days find him sitting in the quiet of early dawn by the shallow pool of a waterfall, listening to the songs on the wind with his hands outstretched before him. Eyes closed, head back, at peace. He isn’t sure what he expects to find there, but he’s always surprised when he opens his eyes and his hands are empty.

.

He is just a boy when he starts telling stories of his own.

A poet, he calls himself, in the back of his mind. He doesn’t say so out loud - but the word settles comfortably in his heart. He writes tales and rhymes and the secret stories of the most mundane things - because when the world is as beautiful as it is, nothing is mundane.

He sees beauty everywhere, beyond comprehension.

The sunrise never grows old. He sees it five thousand times, and never the same one twice. His five thousandth sunset brings him to tears just as surely as his first, and his hundredth. He grows up near the sea and spends days standing on the shore, staring out at the horizon. The horizon. It’s endless. It’s moving. It matters, in a way no one else can see.

It matters so much. 

An entire day he spends hiking only to stand at a mountain peak and look down at the world stretching out beneath him.

It is all his home. He reaches out and imagines holding the whole world in the palms of his hands.

He dreams of it.

He wanders, but never too far from home. He has ties, titles, obligations, and each weighs heavily on him. 

Until he doesn’t.

.

He is barely on the cusp of adulthood when he loses his inheritance. His father, his home, and what respect was left on his family name. Debt collectors come, and he is left with nothing.

Nothing but his freedom.

He walks away and he does not look back.

When he wakes, one morning, with a weight in his hands, it feels familiar. More familiar than anything he’s known, more right. A warmth, a weight, a blue light that has always been there, even when it wasn’t. It feels like coming home. 

It is an Anemo Vision, and he doesn’t question it.

Nothing changes.

He still does not seek to command the wind.

He holds the wind in his hands, like he always has, and close to his heart, where it’s always been.

.

He is a young man when the Sakoku Decree is announced. Then the Vision Hunt Decree.

And then the Storm Walls descend around Inazuma.

His mind is screaming at him, and he runs. He is afraid like he’s never been before, and he is angry like he has never been before.

He could run for freedom, flee like so many other Vision holders in those first tumultuous days, when the future is uncertain and dangerous.

He doesn’t. 

He runs straight into the arms of the resistance - it is the only place he could have possibly gone. It was never in question. 

This time, when he steps in front of the killing blow, meant for his friends - the Musou no Hitotachi falling upon him, he survives.

This time, he stands to watch the Storm Walls fall.

This time, he leaves Inazuma and does not look back, and he holds the world in the palm of his hands.

[pyreo]

I know there's people who like their fantasy storytelling to take a few steps away from reality, you know. Nothing that verges on allegorical to the stuff we worry about in real life. And I think I'm on the opposite team to that and y'know, the further away we get from gw2's original core story the more I see The World Summit instance as more pivotal than it appeared.

It's the part in the middle of Season 2 where you bring the world leaders together to try and insist that they need to aid you fighting Mordremoth, a primal force who's only just now awakened and started causing disruption and deaths. Mechanically, it serves to show the various cultures being made aware of the upcoming antagonist for mostly the first time.

But there's something that grips me to this day about the realism in that segment. You know full well that this thing is beginning its warpath and will kill those around you. You and your guild know that you need to take action immediately before it gathers itself together to a point you cannot fight it any more. I don't think the scene serves much more than obligatory scaffolding in a narrative sense but it echoes the way I feel in real life all the time. It's the focal point where I've never felt more aligned with my Commander.

Smodur: They're plant creatures! How hard can they be to fight. One good flamethrower and…

Knut: Mordremoth is not yet as close as the Sons of Svanir. They press in around our homesteads. That is more important.

Phlunt: Are you saying we should put ourselves on the line to protect all of you? We are safe in Rata Sum.

Jennah: I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't see how this will work. What are you asking of us?

It's not easy to ask the Main Five Peoples to get anything done together - they do come from legitimately incompatible cultures and there's bad history between humans and charr, and sylvari and asura. But you have to present an argument to each one to convince them this is the most important thing to devote resources to.

It's been about ten years since this was written and it still feels exactly like every conversation that deflects from the reality of climate change. The 'we have bigger things to worry about', the 'it's not that bad', the denials, the giving up, the ones who have enough to feel secure individually and don't really care.

That and the way the narrative turns from 'you're the hero, slay the dragon' to a domino effect that cannot be stopped, wrenching the planet off its hinges and it was all down to you. There's a big difference in changing the threat from ancient dragons awakening to devour all life... and it being the Commander's fault that the stabilising effect those dragons had is unplugged. The allegory becomes undeniable - you doomed the world. You have to chase down that tether and pull the weave back from unravelling even if it'll tear you apart. And even if nobody realises how close their lives are to ending, even if nobody respects you for it.

You have to look the most powerful people alive in the eye and plead with them to fucking help you for god's sake knowing it's a crisis and if you don't take action right now instead of waiting for it to get worse... being able to tell them 'I told you so' will be no solace at all.

And fuckin.... if fantasy stories are there to give us hope for ourselves, nothing hits as directly as the journey from "It's not that bad, why should we put anything on the line for you?" to

That hope means something very real to me.