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eirian-houpe · 5 months

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Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by @kelyon

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

89

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,451,688 (Whoa!)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Mummy Franchise UC: Undercover Sleeper Cell (TV) Stargate: Atlantis Tolkien Halt and Catch Fire Star Trek: Discovery Once Upon A Time Stargate: Universe Cobra (TV) Stranger Things Foundation (TV)

Those are the ones that are kind of... in their own right, but with a few crossovers there are other fandoms too. You can ask me about those if you like.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Library Beneath the Clock Tower

Laer o Faen

Beauty Compelled

Disparate Pathways

Bluebell

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always do, though I am currently woefully behind. (I hope to remedy that today). I believe reader/write engagement is a gift, and one to be encouraged and celebrated.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

OMG... Angstiest.... um... I try not to end with angst. I fill the body of a fic with angst, or start a fic with lots and lots of angst, but ending...? I don't know. Maybe someone can tell me?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think that's subjective, honestly, because I think they're all pretty happy in the end, but the degree to which the fic makes a reader feel happy is dependent on how the reader feels about the characters, I guess. As a writer, and I suppose because it's the most recently finished, I'd probably say, Disparate Pathways.

Of course, both of the above questions rely on fics being finished before judgements are made, and I have so many WIPs...

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not here, nor on AO3. Way back when... I got a little bit of hate on 'the site that shall not be named' - but it smacked of jealousy, so... I dunno. I've since deleted everything from there in any case. Moved it all elsewhere.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do, yes, but I like to think it's never gratuitous. It's all couched within the the progression of the fic, and usually heavily romance driven.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I never used to write crossovers. For me there needs to be an internal consistency and reason for bringing characters from one work into another, and a good reason at that... and then I started Rumbelling things... and then @peacehopeandrats challenged me to write a particular fic, and this is a multi-source crossover, including: Cobra, UC: Undercover, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Miami Medical, 24 (TV), and Airforce One is Down, in the one fic.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

To my knowledge, not a whole fic, no, but someone once stole a concept and /part/ of a fic I'd written (on the aforementioned never to be named site). I was told about it by someone who was a reader of my fic. The person denied their wrongdoing, but eventually - after much calling out - removed the offending fic.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have, yes. Forbidden Loves and Stormy Nights was written with a whole lot of people whom I consider great friends, (@peacehopeandrats, @jackabelle73, @reolf @blueboxesanddeerstalkers, and @shadowedoracle for another beautiful friend @deliriumsdelight7 on the occasion of her birthday.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

There are two, and I can't separate them. There are several similarities in the overall nature of the ships: Rumbelle, and Michael/Teyla.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Laer o Faen, and I don't necessarily doubt that I ever will, it's just there's such a lot to write... you know?

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think it's in my worldbuilding and descriptive language.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I can often be very wordy. I don't know how to write short fics.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Language and dialect both, yes. My most ambitious is the Sindarin in Laer o Faen.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

If you don't count Blake's Seven, which I wrote for when I was 11, then it would be The Mummy franchise.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Oh, come on. That's like asking a parent to name their favorite child. I am very fond of Disparate Pathways, though, as well as Library...

Thank you, this was though provoking (and eye opening) I tag whoever is left that hasn't already done it and wants to.

#ask me anything #writer questions answered #kelyon

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inky-duchess · 5 months

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Fantasy Guide to Building A Culture

Culture is defined by a collection of morals, ethics, traditions, customs and behaviours shared by a group of people.

Hierarchy and Social Structures

Within every culture, there is a hierarchy. Hierarchies are an important part of any culture, usually do ingrained that one within the culture wouldn't even question it. Hierarchy can be established either by age, gender or wealth and could even determine roles within their society. Sometimes hierarchy can may be oppressive and rigid whilst other times, ranks can intermingle without trouble. You should consider how these different ranks interact with one another and whether there are any special gestures or acts of deference one must pay to those higher than them. For example, the Khasi people of Meghalaya (Northern India), are strictly matrillineal. Women run the households, inheritance runs through the female line, and the men of the culture typically defer to their mothers and wives. Here are a few questions to consider:

How is a leader determined within the culture as a whole and the family unit?

Is the culture matriarchal? Patriarchal? Or does gender even matter?

How would one recognise the different ranks?

How would one act around somebody higher ranking? How would somebody he expected to act around somebody lower ranking?

Can one move socially? If not, why? If so, how?

Traditions and Customs

Traditions are a staple in any culture. These can be gestures or living life a certain way or to the way a certain person should look. Traditions are a personal detail to culture, they are what make it important. Tradition can dictate how one should keep their home, run their family, take care of their appearance, act in public and even determine relationship. Tradition can also be a double edged sword. Traditions can also be restrictive and allow a culture to push away a former member if they do not adhere to them, eg Traditional expectations of chastity led to thousands of Irish women being imprisoned at the Magdelene Laundries. Customs could be anything from how one treats another, to how they greet someone.

How important is tradition?

What are some rituals your culture undertakes?

What are some traditional values in your world? Does it effect daily life?

Are there any traditions that determine one's status?

Values and Opinions

Values and Opinions are the bread and butter of any culture. This is the way your culture sees the world and how they approach different life hurdles. These may differ with other cultures and be considered odd to outsiders, what one culture may value another may not and what opinion another holds, one may not. There will be historical and traditional reasons to why these values and opinions are held. Cultures usually have a paragon to which they hold their members to, a list of characteristics that they expect one to if not adhere to then aspire to. The Yoruba people value honesty, hard work, courage and integrity. Here are some questions to consider?

How important are these ethics and core values? Could somebody be ostracised for not living up to them?

What are some morals that clash with other cultures?

What does your culture precieved to be right? Or wrong?

What are some opinions that are considered to be taboo in your culture? Why?

Dress Code

For many cultures, the way somebody dresses can be important. History and ethics can effect how one is meant to be dressed such as an expectation of chastity, can impose strict modesty. While other cultures, put more importance on details, the different sorts of clothes worn and when or what colour one might wear. The Palestinian people (من النهر إلى البحر ، قد يكونون أحرارا) denoted different family ties, marriage status and wealth by the embroidery and detailing on their thoub.

Are there traditional clothes for your world? Are they something somebody wears on a daily basis or just on occasion?

Are there any rules around what people can wear?

What would be considered formal dress? Casual dress?

What would happen if somebody wore the wrong clothes to an event?

Language

Language can also be ingrained as part of a Culture. It can be a specific way one speaks or a an entirely different language. For example, in the Southern States of America, one can engage in a sort of double talk, saying something that sounds sweet whilst delivering something pointed. Bless their heart. I have a post on creating your own language here.

Arts, Music and Craft

Many cultures are known for different styles of dance, their artwork and crafts. Art is a great part of culture, a way for people to express themselves and their culture in art form. Dance can be an integral part of culture, such as céilí dance in Ireland or the Polka in the Czech Republic. Handicrafts could also be important in culture, such as knitting in Scottish culture and Hebron glass in Palestine. Music is also close to culture, from traditional kinds of singing such as the White Voice in Ukraine and the playing of certain instruments such as the mvet.

Food and Diet

The way a culture prepares or intakes or treats certain foods are important to a culture. In some cultures, there is a diet yo adhere to, certain foods are completely banned. With Jewish culture, pork is prohibited along with fish such as sturgeon, along with shellfish and certain fowl. Meat must also be prepared in a certain way and animal byproducts such as dairy, must never be created or even eaten around this meat. This is known as kosher. The way one consumes food is also important to culture. In some cultures, only certain people may eat together. Some cultures place important on how food is eaten. In Nigerian culture, the oldest guests are served first usually the men before the women. In Japanese culture, one must say 'itadakimasu' (I recieve) before eating. Culture may also include fasting, periods of time one doesn't intake food for a specific reason.

What are some traditional dishes in your world?

What would be a basic diet for the common man?

What's considered a delicacy?

Is there a societal difference in diet? What are the factors that effect diet between classes?

Is there any influence from other cuisines? If not, why not? If so, to what extent?

What would a typical breakfast contain?

What meals are served during the day?

What's considered a comfort food or drink?

Are there any restrictions on who can eat what or when?

Are there any banned foods?

What stance does your world take on alcohol? Is it legal? Can anybody consume it?

Are there any dining customs? Are traditions?

Is there a difference in formal meals or casual meals? If so, what's involved?

Are there any gestures or actions unacceptable at the dinner table?

How are guests treated at meals? If they are given deference, how so?

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poisonheiress · 3 months

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Someone needs to say it: The "Heaven is actually bad" plot line that Hazbin is based around is useless when you spend more then 2 minutes thinking about Vivzie's Hell and her characters.

Besides it being much too early for this idea, the revelation that Heaven or at least the beings running it aren't good people has little to no impact when the people who are being harmed by this are all horrible people. Stay with me here. None of these people are people who were unfairly brought into hell and we are never ever introduced to someone who was either. Why should we care that Heaven is "evil" and blocking redemption when all the sinners in hell we see are the worst of the worst who would have never gotten in even if it was fair.

For the "Heaven is bad" plot line to actually work, you need people who were just one sin away from Heaven, who would've gotten into Heaven if circumstance hadn't forced them down a path that stole it from them. You need characters who aren't comedic villains but land in the middle of morally grey. Those who deserved to be in Heaven but because Heaven refused to consider their circumstances, they were tossed to burn with people much worse than them. Those are the people who should be your main cast cause those are the people who would actually be impacted by Heaven being bad/ Heaven lying.

Angel dust, for all his trauma, was still part of the mafia and likely had killed people before (showing to almost take joy in it). Husk became an overlord and gambled souls, so he had to have had blood on his hands before hell. Alastor is a serial killer, and the list goes on and on. Sure, these characters are (somewhat) interesting, but they don't make for good characters to have when the key plot line is that Heaven is a scam. Even if that fact is true, none of them were ever going to get there in the first place and this is something we also se in every single background sinner shown in Hell too. They were never close to getting there, so why would they or we care that Heaven is bad when all sinners are shown to be horrific people who are at best in the dark grey area of morality.

If you look at it from the "angel's are unfairly killing sinners" route, it still doesn't work. If the angels are killing them, what makes it different then the sinner on sinner violence that hell is full off? Why is them dying by angels this bad thing when they are just as likely if not 10x times more likely to get knifed in the back by other sinners in hell the other 364 days, especially when everyone here apparently is just as horrible as the next person. You cannot condemn the angels for killing demons and then make a joke of out sinners killing each other and never show sinners who doesn't want to kill people. Life either matters or it doesn't and when the main cast doesn't even show a care for life (outside of Charlie's who's entire flaw is her naivety), why should the audience.

On top of that, Vivzie's whole overpopulation aspect and the Heaven plot line would connect better if she actually had people like those I mentioned above, people who stole to survive but got tossed out cause stealing is technically wrong, people who killed another to protect someone else but were still sent to hell because even though they saved that person's life that person wasn't supposed to be saved, people who passively engaged in sins but never really did anything harmful under them. This would add into how Hell is so overpopulated and highlight why its so important that Heaven is evil/ why Charlie's plan isn't just a naive pathetic fever dream.

In the end, Vivzie should have never made Heaven the central plot of this show nor tried to assign this blatant good vs evil to that conflict. Neither her characters nor her writing choices are able to respond to this conflict in a way that will end or even tell the story in a satisfactory manner.

#anti hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel critical #vivziepop critical #spindlehorse critical #spindlehorse criticism #also I am not just talking out my ass for this #I had/have this same problem in one of my original works #where I had to make the relationship between Heaven and God and cambion a lot more complex then just oh this side bad this side good #and thats what you have to do as a fucking writer is ask the hard question and be ready to scrap characters and ideas to answer them #When you deal with human characters nothing is black vs white and the minute you claim it is #you have failed

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adrian-sheppy · 2 months

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for star trek au. want to make more . we wll see. . info dump under cut. its a bit disjointed

this whole au endevour has had me reading all the wikis for andorians. like “transgender” on andoria would be a blanket term because of the four named “canon” sexes (and the unnamed sexes that would fall “between” these!. and who knows how many genders.) i'm not gonna get into it here . there's a lot to say .

andorians are militant and family oriented. child rearing is very important. they suffer near constant population issues; one cause is that they need four people to have one kid. andorians are traditionally polyamorous and pansexual but they wouldnt use these terms . barney cant cut it in an andorian polycule so barney dating one guy (WHO IS VULCAN!!!) and neither of them wanting kids = traditional andorians instantly dislike him. guy with the biggest target on his back. joined star fleet so people back home would stop eviscerating him. like now when barney loses an antenna he is treated nicely instead of being roasted until it grows back! so cool . andorians in star fleet would be more accepting of untraditional andorian relationships . i.e jennifer lower decks . but gordons a vulcan so thats gonna cause some issues also...

...dont get me started on gordon's relationship with Vulcans and how they would treat him... like NO ONE talks about sybok outside of final frontier (i think he was mentioned in snw ?) not even in DISCO where the s'chn t'gai family is a FUCKING FOCAL POINT. they pretend he doens't exist because vulcans put things into boxes and rationalize them away . and when they cant? dont acknowledge it. call it irrational and move on... and then in comes gordon (number one hater of the vulcan science academy btw) and he cant regulate his emotions like the majority of vulcans can. he makes many vulcans uncomfortable by just EXISTING. its like the prejudice spock has to deal with but times 100x because he CANT keep his cool. it's used to discredit him and to question his vulcan heritage . and its called a “defect” primarily by vulcan doctors. his brain is just more similar to a humans than a vulcans. its a congenital disorder by vulcan standards.

they were both dealt shit cards and born into a culture that doesn't work for them (or gordon finds out later about said culture and see it has no room for him), so waht do? escape to the stars. misfits congregate in star fleet. and barney runs hot like the vulcan deserts and gordon runs cold like the ice moon of andoria and in eachothers arms they are at home and accepted for being the outcasted assholes that they are . . . . . ... and gordon is a chocoholic. love wins.

#my next question is does pansexual include alien fucking or is alien fucking its own like. thing. that you add on a preexisting sexuality #star trek canon writers are afraid to answer our burning questions #freeman's mind #freemind #gordon freemind #barney's mind #barmey calhoun #buttermind #mindverse #mindverse star trek au

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quatregats · 1 month

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Started reading archived versions of the Naval Chronicle and everything makes perfect sense now actually. I can see exactly how this led to both Hornblower and the Aubreyad

#the way they describe battles. the way they describe the social scene. the way they describe medicine. the way they describe the ocean #there's literally a poem in one of these #there's hydrography. there's music. there's love letters #you have SO MUCH to draw on as a writer no wonder both o'brian and forester went to town on this #absolutely insane. all my questions are answered goodnight #(to clarify i did know that this was a big influence on forester at least. i was just not quite prepared for how much)#perce rambles #aubreyad #hornblower #<- y'know what. go wild lads

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pesticidebook · 2 months

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PESTICIDE [ 9-1-2024]

How much is too much?

COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2024.

PESTICIDE is a shock/thriller novel inspired by the works of Tom Six, and Stephen King. following the life of Caine, a prisoner who was just released from G.H.W.B Prison. Moving in with Mason to get his life back on the ground, and dealing with the consequences of his own, and others, actions.

This book is queer-centered and shows the dirty reality of a militarized America, and how no good deed goes unpunished.

All promotional art is done by the author.

#I will blaze this soon to get more revenue #for now. its simply a post #human centipede #writers on tumblr #splatterpunk #tom six #queer books #literature #self publishing #self promoting #PESTICIDE #disability representation #FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS i will answer them all if they don't give away much

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sunnynwanda · 2 months

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The Game

Part 2

Warning: manipulation, electricity used for restraining (I have no idea how to phrase this).

"Good mooorning," Hero sings, drawing out their vowels in a tone way too chirping for such an early hour. Villain wonders if they are the psychopath after all.

“What?" Villain blearily turns around, midway through taking a sip of their coffee. They don't have the energy to snarl, opting for a dismissive wave of a hand as they turn back around, ignoring Hero's presence to enjoy their drink. "It could have been good if I didn't have the displeasure if looking at you before I've had my morning coffee."

Hero huffs, unamused at the lack of reaction to their theatrics. But before they can speak again, Villain turns towards them again. "How did you find this place?"

Hero flashes a devilish smile, lifting their hand to show off the handcuffs they are holding. "You’re under arrest." They muse, enjoying this a little too much for Villain's liking.

"Like hell I am," they retort, placing their cup down with a clink. They aren't armed, but that doesn't mean they will go down without a fight.

"Don't make me force you, darling," Hero's voice is much closer now. Villain can feel their breath on the back of their neck, tickling them with a sinister promise.

"You think you can?" They question, standing up to face Hero at a common level. "Let's put that to the test, shall we?"

Hero's smirk is nothing short of sadistic. Oh, how the want to wipe it off Hero's lips. One way or another. But it's too early for that yet.

After a short and rather uneventful tussle and one broken cup - Villain makes sure to curse at Hero for that, since it's their favourite - the cuff clinks around their wrist, the other secured around Hero's to keep them under control. Villain almost breaks character at that statement but catches themself before Hero can notice both of them are exactly where Villain wants them to be.

They are barely restaining the urge to laugh out loud when Hero brings them to their Headquarters, leading them down the stairs towards what Villain assumes are the cells. Their eyes sparkle with anticipation when they pass the double doors, their lips parting in awe at the sight of the equipement they craved held behind tempered glass and layers of laser beams.

Everything was going according to plan. It's almost as if getting an unstable scientist near the most guarded lab in the city was Hero's intention as well. They chuckle, amused at how perfectly Hero played their part in their game, albeit unknowing.

Villain throws their head back, laughing out loud as they are tugged further down the corridor. The cell door creaks open and they are dragged in. Hero takes the cuff off their own wrist and chains Villain's wrists together through the bars of their cage before exiting.

Only when the door shuts with a loud bang does Villain stop cackling. They glance at Hero's smug smile, shaking their head. Their voice is barely a whisper when they speak, leaning in as if to share a secret. "You think you won?"

"I'm pretty sure it's obvious," Hero nods at their restrained hands clasped around the bars and flicks a switch, sending a current through the bars. Villain hisses at the sensation, letting go as their fingers spasm from the shock.

They watch Hero walk away, allowing them to revel in the victory they assumed they had. Once Hero is out of earshot, Villain's face breaks into the widest of grins. Their hands close around the bars, electricity running through them in waves of pain and pleasure.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

Part 2

A/N: based on this amazing request by @thiefofthecrowns. Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing this. I know it's on the shorter side but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless ♡

Masterlist

Taglist: @marvellousdaisy @alltimelowing @lateuplight @surplus-of-sarcasm @betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney @thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsblood @whumpific @glassthedumbass @silviathebard @misskowe @ayeshaturnedtoashes4444

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unorthodoxx-page · 8 months

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In regards to that last ask you answered- I’m super curious as to why you’ll be releasing the rest of the fic in one go after chapter 20! I don’t know nothin’ about releasing fics and schedules and what not, so I’m not judging your preference at all! But why release it all at once? Not complaining at all, I love your fics and all your writings I’ve been blessed enough to stumble upon! Just curious :) do absolutely anything that makes you happy! feel free to ignore!

I don't mind answering! It's mainly because I want to focus on finishing my personal work. I just turned 29 (for those of you who don't know that I'm old lol) and it's a personal goal of mine to finish my manuscript and start querying agents before the big three zero.

But I really want to finish A Tale of Spirits before I do. I know myself, and if I get too deep into my manuscript then the updates for A Tale of Spirits will be few and far between. So I set my manuscript down (I needed to step away from it for a bit anyway) and decided to finish the Fic completely. Don't worry, I'm not rushing it. Right now I should be done with it by next month or so, but if it takes any longer then I'll keep you guys updated.

But yeah, 29 is my 'year of growth' and I want to hit all my goals. And starting it off with finishing and completing ATOS would be a huge accomplishment and motivator for me.

#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla fanfic #atla fanfiction #a tale of spirits #atos #a tale of spirits question #a tale of spirits answer #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #ao3 #ao3 fic #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #writer #writing stuff

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seireiteihellbutterfly · 29 days

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How do you think the JJK men would react to Desi reader's sari needing to be taken off? 👀👀

Well, now that's an interesting ask!

JJK Masterlist

Gojo

Has the least patience. Will fumble with it like a saran-wrapped sandwich hoping to find a corner he can start pulling it away from. When you mention the safety pins he loses it, and undoes your blouse, unties the petticoat underneath, and pulls it all off in one piece like a gown.

Nanami

Will have looked at Youtube videos in advance and with your guidance, will locate all the safety pins and remove them, making a neat pile on your bedside table. Carefully pulls out the pleats without wrinkling the silk. He'll even fold all 6 meters of it for you.

Geto

He'll figure out the safety pin on your shoulder pretty easily, but the rest of it? He has more patience than Gojo though, running his hands all over it trying to find them. He gets most of them, but a few stray ones here and there cause him to accidentally pull and tug the fabric. He'll laugh as it happens though.

Choso

Shy, will look to you for reassurance that he's doing it correctly. He's amazed how many pins are needed to keep this contraption of clothing in place. Delicately undoes the pleats and helps you fold it away.

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maybeitsalivescribbles · 3 months

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TTD - And then They Were Roommates ™

Before Villain was their roommate, Hero never had any peculiar feeling about their apartment. They were grateful to have a roof over their head, but were not particularly picky about how it looked like under. It wasn’t like they had the kind of time to arrange the place. To be honest, with their working hours, they didn’t see why they would find energy left for this. As long as they had a bed and electricity, it was fine. The result was a reasonably clean room, but a rather bland place. The only thing that was really personal was the vanity in the bathroom, covered with hair products and beads of all colors. At Villain’s displeasure, Hero spent hours in front of it, because unlike some people whining from behind the door, they had their priorities well in order.

True, Hero had felt a bit insecure when Villain had entered for the first time, stopping in front of every furniture with such solemnity you’d swear they were staring at a masterpiece in a museum. Flustered, the not-so-proud owner had explained that they were not that rich, but Villain had seldom made any comment, and well, with their shadow covering them it wasn’t like their body language was readable. Maybe they were tired too, and after their place had just been destroyed by Supervillain it was understandable. They’d glistened towards the guest room and locked their door without a word.

The agency had called in the middle of that night for news. Hero, toying with their blanket, had assured their superior on the phone that yes, Supervillain had been destroyed for good, no they weren’t making it up, and oh by the way, Villain had reformed and changed their ways, hmmhmm, yep, definitively. On the other side of the line, that declaration was met by no little skepticism. After one hour of pleading, they’d at last convinced their interlocutor not to send a team to eliminate the threat. The next day, they were ordered to keep Villain under lock and key. Villain had stared when they’d shyly explained the situation to them, brandishing a padlock they didn’t really know how to use, and had only said:

“I could open this pathetic thing in my sleep.”

Given how gifted Villain was with building tools and machines, it was probably no idle boast. The good news, though, was that they’d accepted to stay in their room whenever they were left alone as long as Hero would give them an old game-boy left in a drawer for years to keep them occupied. As time passed, it became evident that Villain was an indoor creature who was delighted at the idea of not stepping outside ever again. In return, Hero had given them pretty much whatever they wanted, including scraps of metal and lots of tools. At first, they’d said nothing, but when parts of the room had began to be covered with sinister forms, they’d felt they had to put their foot down:

“You are not building a torture room in my place.”

“What else am I supposed to do, you oppressor ?”

“I’m the one paying the taxes.”

Villain had sulked for a moment after that, but then they’d suddenly asked:

“Aha, but what if my torture tools were also useful appliances?”

Hero had stared and said:

“No.”

“No as no or no as it can’t be?”

“Both.”

“You have little faith.”

Villain had immediately put themself to work. In an alarmingly short time, they’d built a tiny guillotine for the kitchen. It could cut even coconuts properly, in one strike. Hero couldn’t use it much, because it made them feel sorry for the poor vegetables (especially after seeing Villain do it, yelling “death to all of you, you feeble preys!” at a bunch a carrots), but they had to acknowledge it was a decent tool to slice a loaf of bread. Actually, Villain was good with the kitchen in general. Being disturbingly fond of cutting vegetables and fruits, it was no surprise that they’d fallen in love with the blender Hero had never used before:

“For what it is but a miniature death trap, where my innocent victims are trapped in a transparent prison and melted into oblivion by unforgiving blades?”

Hero had asked what kind of blade would be forgiving, and they’d got lightly tapped on the head with a cardboard tube for their trouble. But the outcome of all of this was a fridge always filled with bottles full of drinkable food that never got Hero’s stomach upset. Villain had even made a damn acupuncture chair which spikes looked deadly, but were in fact quite soothing. After that they’d stood up, and Hero just knew that they were puffing their chest behind their shadow:

“So, have I succeeded in my impossible task?”

And Hero could do nothing but answer:

“Yes. Completely. It’s genius.”

And it was. Really, the biggest beef they had was the time when Villain had stolen their two favorite magnets on the fridge. They’d stopped dead in front of the aro and ace pride flags that fixated the to-do lists of the day, declared that green, purple and black were traditional colors for villains and so they were “bound to have them”, had yoinked them and flied back to their room before Hero had time to react. And as much as they were for people exploring their own identity, how were they supposed to keep their groceries list in sight now?

But none of this was the weirdest thing. It was the fact that whenever Hero returned to their place with all these strange additions, it didn’t feel bad or crowded. It was the strange new and warm feeling that finally they were home, they were home, they were home.

(Though they still wanted their magnets back.)

*

Check the These Two Dorks Masterlist or Tag for more snippets with this Hero and Villain. This is how they met and now they’re roommates.

Or back to Hero x Villain Masterlist.

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boasamishipper · 1 year

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i think the biggest problem of season 3 (of which there are Several) is the shift away from football being the crux of the story, which has undoubtedly resulted in the aimless, overstuffed, unfocused narrative we've been seeing for the last eight episodes. season one was as excellent as it was because whether richmond won or lost a match actually mattered; if they lost too many matches, they'd be relegated, and relegation was always treated as a distinct, tangible threat. there were stakes. and while season two had its issues with pacing and unnecessary subplots, no one would call it aimless. the characters had a goal (pun intended): to get promoted back to the premier league. if they lost too many matches, they would stay in the championship league. we as the audience were invested in whether or not richmond won or lost, and the narrative was all the stronger and more coherent for it.

season one asked us, can afc richmond avoid relegation? and we were invested in the answer. season two asked us, can afc richmond be promoted? and we were invested in the answer. now we're eight episodes into season three, and the overarching goal of the season, the question it is asking its audience to remain invested in, is...what? what are we building towards? is afc richmond's goal to win the whole damn thing? to beat west ham? to beat man city? to do just enough to avoid relegation again?

and because we can't answer this question, the narrative has suffered greatly. how are we supposed to believe beard when he says man city is the team's white whale if we haven't even seen them play each other yet this season? if ted's total football epiphany was so life-changing for richmond, why did we speed past all the matches this episode where the team won using that strategy? if this is all leading to a final nate-ted west ham-richmond match, why haven't we spent any time with nate at west ham? why haven't we gotten to see him grow and develop as a coach? at one point, the team was doing so badly that higgins suggested firing ted, who has been visibly struggling on and off the pitch - and the narrative did not give that suggestion the weight it might have had in season one or two. we spent an entire episode watching rupert, rebecca, and chelsea fight over zava - and then two episodes later he was gone, and we haven't so much as mentioned him since. just last season, sam was being heralded as the star of afc richmond, highly sought after by other club owners - but we haven't gotten to see any of his alleged brilliance on the pitch this season at all. i have to kick a little ball around, which those same people love me for, sam said in 3.07, that is, until i fuck up or miss a penalty, or i decide to fight back - a speech that was excellently delivered by toheeb, but loses some of its weight because we haven't actually gotten to see any negative reaction to sam missing a penalty or fucking up or deciding to fight back (not even in season 2 after the dubai air boycott).

(all this to say: i do enjoy the show. i love the characters, i've been enjoying the episodes as individual units, and i'll continue to tune in week after week. but for a show that once boasted football was life, it's sure been suffering since it decided to stop focusing on that.)

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #ted lasso critical #been thinking this for a few days now and had to get it all out on paper (so to speak)#yes this season is just as punny and heartwarming and quirky as usual but like. what is everything building towards here #like the only overarching plotline so far is colin's coming out arc and it's being handled great so far #but that can't be the overarching question of the season you know???#too many questions not enough answers #they should have kept the episode lengths at 30 minutes; forced the writers to keep the plot as tight and focused as in s1 #45-60 minutes is a lot of time when you aren't building towards anything

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purplethespian · 11 months

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genuine question about the writers strike: what do we do about movies that are already about to be in theaters?

i saw an ad for across the spiderverse and i really want to see it but i also really really don’t want to cross the picket line. but on the other hand, my partner pointed out that if we don’t see movies like spiderverse, they might not get produced in the future. so, what do we do about situations like this? would seeing spiderverse, a movie which had already finished developing when the strike started, cause harm to the strike?

#please if anyone could answer or tag someone who could i would forever appreciate you #i want to know what the write move is #strike #genuine question #i stand with the wga #wga strike #writers strike

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inky-duchess · 4 months

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Fantasy Guide to Royal Guards

Royals have multiple layers of servants but there is no set of servants most important that their protection. Royalty are never without some kind of protection and palaces are usually guarded to the teeth. So how do we write royal security. This is for @jamie-ties-writing

Recruitment

Royal guards aren't just any person plucked from the street and put into a uniform. They are usually recruited from within the royal army, from within particular regiments across the army (a mixture of calvary, naval, artillery, infantry). The Royal Guard is usually made of of multiple regiments, not just a single one. These regiments would share and rotate duties. The British Royal family are currently guarded by the Coldstream Regiment, Welsh Guards, Grenadier Guards among others. Royal guards will be selected for their skill, sometimes their birth (they may be chosen if they rank higher socially) and of course, loyalty to the Crown. Royal guards were intended to be a show of force, strength, Majesty so they were usually impressive specimens meant to instill some power to their monarch.

Duties

A royal guard's first order of business is the protection of the family. They may have sentry duty around the palace, guarding doors or patrolling palace grounds or corridors. A Royal Guard may be assigned to one member only but most likely they will rotate through the family as needed. Of course, a royal can request a guard to always be assigned to them if they want. They may escort their charge of the day to their engagements. If assigned a certain royal to protect, they would tail them throughout the day. A royal guard may even perform ceremonial duties such as the changing of the guard or riding in coronations or state funerals. A royal guard is expected to remain vigilant but never speak of what they see, they are meant to keep an ear out for threats but never repeat whatever is said, they are expected at all times to uphold a professional countenance and respect protocol. They will be expected to give their lives if needed, and be loyal to the last.

Rank

Royal guards are a military division and rank is a part of their lives. Their supreme commander would he the monarch first but there would be an appointed commander. Depending on how you want to write Royal Guards, each regiment would have it's own captain and leaders. Of course, not all regiments may adhere to the same ranks but this would be a basic outline for you to follow.

Colonel: Colonels actually have no duties, they are more an honourary figurehead. Many members of the royal family would have a regiment to be colonel of. This usually requires nothing more than a ceremonial role, the wearing of the uniform while inspecting the troops for example.

Captain: The Commander of the regiment. They would undertake managerial duties, issuing commands from the monarch, assigning duties, approving the induction of new guards into the Household Division. The Captain would decide who would guard which member of the royal family.

Lieutenant: The Second in command. They will assume command if the Captain is not available. They would take on a large portion of duties and aid the Captain.

Sergeant: The sergeant would be next in command.

Guardsman: The lowest rank. They will have the least experience but usually the most duties. They would be the ones patrolling and standing sentry.

Uniform

Of course, no royal guard is complete without their uniform. Royal guards would have to stand out, especially in ceremonial duties. This uniform would be distinctive, not only because it is a great honour for anybody to be named to the guard but also as mentioned above, to add a layer of might to those they protect.

Notable Royal Guard Units

Dahomey Mino (the inspiration of Black Panther's Dora Milaje)

The Praetorian Guard

The Imperial Guard of Napoleon

The Imperial German Bodyguard

Varangian Guard

Swiss Guards

The Kheshig

The Janissary

The Imperial Guards of Tsarist Russia

The Cossack Guard

Guardia Real

Coldstream Guards

Irish Guards

Welsh Guards

Grenadier Guards

Medjay of Ancient Egypt

Al-Ḥars al-Malakī as-Suʿūdī

Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince

Thahan Raksa Phra Ong

#Fantasy Guide to Royal guards #Royal guards #Royals #Royalty guide #Fantasy Guide #Writing reference #Writing resources #Writing advice #Writing resources writing reference #writing #writeblr #writing resources #writing reference #writing advice #writer #ask answered questions #spilled words #ask answered #writers

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beargyufairy · 3 months

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hi can I point the fact that one of natsu's love languages is physical touch but the moment lucy lays a finger on him he breaks. he will be hugging and laying on her all the time but if she gets too close he's done. and it has gotten worse bc in the begining of the anime/manga he was confused but now his brain just shuts down.

Hello,

Yes I absolutely agree!! Natsu’s love language is physical touch. In terms of Lucy, the very famous forehead touch with Future Lucy (and present Lucy in the opening) demonstrates a sense of trust and confidence. Natsu knows that Future Lucy came back to save everyone and he trusts her and kind of makes a promise to save the future. I think he couldn’t really convey that with words since it’s not his strong suit, so he preferred physical touches and hence the forehead touches.

But I don’t think he “shuts down” when Lucy is one initiating the physical touches. I think he becomes relaxed and calms down. Her touch is soothing to him.

For example, one of the most recent examples in the 100 YQ is when Natsu becomes overpowered by the flames he ate from Ignia. Lucy helps him calm down and get some control over this situation. I think he’s responding to her physical touches and recognizes them as something familiar, something safe.

Thank you for your input!! I hope this helps

#nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #fairy tail #fairy tail 100 yq #fairy tail 100 years quest #answering questions #q and a #q&a #thank you for coming to my ted talk #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #allaboutnalu

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sugarpasteltmnt · 3 days

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Asking some writers/artists I follow:

Is there anything in your fic/comic that you as the author know about, but won't end up in the actual story?

Oh man!! What a fun question!!

Hmmm… Well, tbh I’m not sure if i have anything like that for TNV. Though originally the chapter order was WAY different and had to be adjusted on the fly to help it flow better. I really like how it turned out instead.

The only thing i could think of that ‘didn’t make it in’ was lore for the mask. While i was writing “Strings” I was having trouble finding a reason for Donnie to go to the Hidden City bazaar—

Originally, I was going to make the mask a clue for Donnie to chase (under his ‘Wealthy Art Collector’ disguise) … but it just wasn’t working out. It didn’t FEEL right, you know? So i scrapped that idea— ultimately, the mask is just a piece of yokai art/costume piece he yoinked lol

I have some other things in this AU that won’t make it into TNV… but that’s not to say they won’t ever get written some day >:3c

#mehehehe >:3 #I’m so sorry everyone who thought i had a plan for the mask unfortunately I Don’t #i just thought it would be neat ;w;#but i am having fun with the Masked Stranger hehehe >:3c #we’ll learn more about him later >:3c #what a fun ask thank you again!!#i love answering writer-questions #pastel prattling #TNV asks

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pirateknight · 19 days

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btvs s4 was like okay so they're gonna do a spell to combine all the protagonists into Combo Buffy that has Buffy's strength! Giles' knowledge! Willow's magic! and Xander

#he's just. in there with em #dont get me wrong i surprisingly like xander. i relate a lot to his not going to college and feeling left behind #and any of the shitty misogyny lines they insist on is just male writers projecting so i can mostly just roll my eyes and ignore that #but also it is funny that s4 keeps asking the question 'why is xander here' and then just. doesnt answer it sjdhdj #like they pass him a tarot (heart i think?) so i guess he's like. moral support #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #chatter

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