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secondhandsorrows · 2 months

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Keys to Crafting Characters Readers Will Root For (w/ some examples)

As a writer and while making up this blog, I’m quite adamant that characters are just as important (if not more) as plot. In the grand scheme of things, an active, relatable, and engaging main character is crucial for a novel's success. But how exactly do we make a character all these things? There’s many ways, in fact. It is up to us as authors to keep track and manage the developmental arc of our protagonist: primarily, who they are on the inside, and how they grow or change / adapt to the situations or people around them.

Here are some examples and tips to help you develop a compelling protagonist (or all kinds of characters). Keep in mind these tips are at their most basic, essential level (there’s just so much that can be explored in each one), so I hope to go further into each point sometime in the future.

~`* They have clear goals and motivations.

First things first: you’d want to clearly define your character's goals and motivations — and the sooner, the better. Proper and well-set goals and motivations provide a sense of direction to the narrative. They should be specific, measurable, and achievable — or perhaps, not achievable, at least to its fullest extent. This would ultimately depend on the type of arc or ending you intend to write for your story, but there should at least be some main goal the character is vying for, and a motivation that dictates how much they want or need it.

For example: An aspiring actress hoping to make it to the stage and audition for the lead role in her favorite play. —> Why does she want to be an actress so badly? What does it mean to her to act in her favorite performance? What does she have to prove, to herself or others?

~`* They are flawed, yet relatable:

I’m sure you’ve all heard this before… but I’m still going to reiterate:

Your character should have relatable flaws that readers can sympathize with. It’s no secret that flaws make characters human and relatable. Flawed characters help us remember that nobody’s perfect, and that we’re not alone in our struggles and in our plights (stay back, Mary Sues!). These flaws can be anything, from fears, limitations, biases, misbeliefs, quirks, shortcomings, or behaviors. It’s useful two have at least two: a minor flaw and a major flaw, where the former affects only the only character and nothing else, and the latter hinders the character and affects the plot.

For example: A highly-knowledgeable yet socially awkward and oblivious professor who can hold a bar of soap better than a conversation. —> Does this flaw make him out to be charming or weird to others? How can his social-awkwardness affect the plot… does it hinder him from connecting to his students or colleagues?

~`* They have unique talents or interests.

Sometimes I read a story, and personally I have a hard time connecting with a character if all they care about from beginning to end is what’s happening in the plot. It’s like they exist for the sole purpose of the plot, and are nothing but a shell to see through the events or its challenges. This is understandable, especially when it’s an action-packed story or thriller.

Personally, I can’t help but wonder what its main character does for fun. What they’re like before the events of the novel.

I think it can be useful your character skills or interests that set them apart. This not only makes them interesting, but can drive the plot in unexpected ways. *Bonus points if they have a particular skill or hobby that conflicts with the way they present themselves to others, or if they hide it well if they are embarrassed by it or afraid of getting judged. Essentially, this is all to clue-in on the reader to the character’s backstory, their personality. It helps them seem more individualistic, like humans with their own sets of interests or ideas that give them more complexity and uniqueness. This can also be useful in creating parallels or connections to your story’s themes or your character’s arc.

For example: A brave warrior with an aptitude for gardening and flower arranging. —> Seems random, right? But what if this warrior had workin in their relative’s flower shop, and has kept the skill alive in their days of battle to see pieces of beauty around them, hope from fear and danger? They might dig graves of their fallen friends and leave behind flowers in remembrance. Just an obscure example, but see all the possibilities something like this can open up?

~`* They have deep, complex relationships.

Sometimes we can get a better idea of a character when we see them interact with the people around them. It’s like showing vs. telling, where we get a firsthand look at how the main character treats his family members, how he accepts or refuses help from those he’s close with, what he appreciates most about his significant other, how he feels about the annoying neighbor next door. Who’s the one person they most admire and never want to let down? Who’s the one person they despise with all their body and soul? Whether it's friends, family, enemies, or romantic entanglements, complex interactions and relationships add layers to your character and in how they showcase themselves to the world.

For example: An excellent, compassionate therapist with a strained relationship with his own family member. —> How does this character feel about this kind of relationship? Does it stem out of shared family troubles, or something deeper? Is there a glimmer of possibility the therapist might reconcile with this relative, or are they dashed because of mutual pride or distrust?

~`* They often face moral dilemmas.

It’s time to get philosophical. Human nature is full of paradoxes and tough moral questions, and so characters with conflicting qualities can be intriguing and relatable. Introduce moral dilemmas and conflicting values that force your character to make tough choices and confront their conflicting values. Do they have a friend with conflicting beliefs that challenge their own? Are they forced to act a certain way because of external pressures? Are they forced to choose between saving one person while destroying another?

No matter how serious this dilemma is, you can also add a moment of clarity or self-awareness for your character. This can be a turning point where they acknowledge and confront the conflict within themselves, thus becoming face-to-face with their internal crisis and how they decide to go from there. Do they weigh the pros and cons considerably, do they fumble because they’re hesitant, or do they embrace the new changes?

Despite conflicting values, make sure your character's behavior is consistent with their established personality. Consistency helps maintain authenticity and keeps the character grounded.

For example: A scientist torn between protecting humanity and the pressure of making a groundbreaking discovery. —> How does making this discovery very important to this character? What do they stand to lose… what do they stand to gain? Are they at the risk of becoming something completely opposite of who they were at the beginning of the story, losing their sense of morality or forced to choose a side?

~`* They show their quirks and habits.

Introduce quirks or habits that make your character memorable. These little details can make the character more relatable and interesting, because just like talents or hobbies, this can also give a clearer sense to the reader of what kind of personality the character has and what they’re like. Not to forget, it also helps them to stand out from other characters on the page, giving them a unique voice with their kind of dialogue, their behaviors, style, and mannerisms.

For example: A scholar who can focus only if she’s chewing gum or wearing her lucky ring. —> How might’ve this character started this habit or tradition? Does it actually work? Does it not work, but they still do it anyways because it’s comforting for them? Also, where did they get this quirk from?

~`* They have a backstory.

Most of what we’ve been discussing in this post already leaves some framework for the character’s backstory. It’s important to have a meaningful backstory in mind that influences the character's present actions and explains why they are they way that they are. This adds depth and helps readers understand their fears, desires, and motivations better; not shallow and two-dimensional as cardboard cut-outs.

Sometimes we don’t get a backstory for our character right away. Backstories takes time to brainstorm and shape — let alone into a complex or compelling one — but its helpful to trust the process. What you can do if you’re still looking for the right one, is to ask yourself questions on things that matter to you most. This pertains to your story’s themes and other main ideas you may like writing about, such as grief or family matters. It all boils down to who your character is (the present), and where it stemmed from (the past). If we take this a step further: does this backstory guide them or force them to make changes within themselves, thus leading to their changed self at the end of the novel/series (the future)?

For example: A woman with a fear of marriage because she’s seen firsthand its faults, including her own parents’. —> Is her parents’ divorce still something she’s struggling to come to terms with? Is her misbelief equating marriage to constant conflict? Does she have a secret desire to get married, yet it put off by its pressures? Does she make up for this fear by focusing on other matters? Will this fear later be disproven?

~`* They are often vulnerable.

Every hero needs vulnerabilities. Imperfections. Weaknesses. We’ve talked about strengths and flaws before, but giving them that dent in their armor, any little opening someone or something might get through, leaves a reminder that no one, especially our hero, is invincible. Nobody’s perfect, after all (side-eyeing you, Mary Sues…). Make your characters messy: adding vulnerabilities helps makes them more authentic and genuine, opening up chances for them to learn and evolve as the story moves along.

It can also add a layer of suspense to the story, especially in conflict and tension. How will the character handle someone breaking their walls down, or a bad experience threatening to make them crumble and fall back to old habits? How do they handle their insecurities? How well do they hide their fears, and will they ever admit them?

For example: An old woman with bad eyesight and lives alone can’t tell that the reluctant robber breaking into her home is not her grandson. —> This is a fun little example that opens up many possibilities. Her bad eyesight is a physical vulnerability, and so is her soft spot for her supposed grandson. The robber notices this, and he too may have a soft spot for any old woman who treats him kindly. Does he use this to his advantage to rob the house, or does he humor her for a while?

I’d definitely like to expand on these tips sometime. If there’s anything you’d like to share or add, please do so! I’d love to hear y’alls thoughts. Hope this helped!

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the-sweets-stakes · 21 days

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Romance Tropes Tournament aka The Sweets-Stakes!

Based on a bracket I saw a friend run, I wondered how a Tumblr Tournament for Romance Tropes would work - thus was born the idea of the Sweets-Stakes!

Now next, I would like you to nominate your favorite trope by filling out this tiny three-question Google form (name of trope, why you think it's the greatest, and optionally a link to a description of the trope) - looking forward to seeing how many we'll assemble, and which tropes will be submitted ten-fold because everyone loves them (this will have no influence on proceedings! only your votes in the sweets-stakes (eventual Tumblr brackets) will!)

And since Trope Favorites differ for me depending on whether I write or read them, that will be a distinction here, as well as what kind of romance we're talking about: straight or queer, and I also do wonder whether some tropes are seen differently in romances that focus on trans protagonists, so they will get their own sweets-stakes too.

(more info under the cut, since this is already getting long!)

By which I don't mean that those tropes are (or should be) exclusive to those categories; it's rather that, for example, the trope of Friends To Lovers hits different if person A, who knows themselves to be queer, doesn't even know if their friend B, of the same gender, is even interested in them that way, or if A would, by revealing their feelings, risk not just destroying their friendship but also running into homophobia as well. And even within the realm of queer romance, I think there'll be differences between stories with two male protagonists and stories with two female protagonists, as well as between stories with trans protagonists.

Basically, I posit the hypothesis that different tropes will hit differently in different communities, and I'm interested to see if the sweets-stakes will reflect that!

Which 😅 brings us to a total of eight sweets-stakes to run:

M/F romance tropes for readers

M/F romance tropes for writers

F/F romance tropes for readers

F/F romance tropes for writers

M/M romance tropes for readers

M/M romance tropes for writers

trans-focused romance tropes for readers

trans-focused romance tropes for writers

(which also allows, at the very end, to run the ultimate sweets-stakes between the winners of all of these, and fine The Only One Bed Trope of Tropes!)

Oh, and we'll go with the following definition of trope:

a recurring element or a frequently used plot device in a work of literature. It can be a theme, person, place, thing, or situation. For example:

Theme: Friends to Lovers

Person: The Bookworm

Place: Close-Knit Community

Thing: Grandma's Engagement Ring

Situation: Snowed In

(I'm not gonna distinguish between them in the brackets; if Grandma's Engagement Ring comes up against The Bookworm, so be it. This is already granular enough, no need to subdivide further!)

#not a poll #not a bracket #introductory post #tumblr tournament #tumblr polls #romance #romance tropes #romance tropes bracket

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indigodreames · 1 month

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GET TO KNOW THE MUN.

respond to the prompts out of character!

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? a few of my kids i've had for years since i first starting making ocs, like lex, avery, kelly & a few othrers. but i just create ocs based on whatever inspires me or ideas that come to mind and research that i do or sometimes even just fcs that inspire me to want to make a new oc

is there anything you don’t like to write? not really, but i'll admit as much as i love action and romance, i don't write those very well lol. but i guess also smut, just a personal preference more than anything.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? haven't really done much of it lately, but i loveee writing angst a lot!

how do you come up with headcanons? usually when the 3am insomnia hits is when i get the best headcanons tbh i both love and hate it lol

do you write in silence or do you play music? definitely music. i can write in silence sometimes, but music helps set the vibe the most when i write.

do you plan your replies or wing them? depends if something is plotted out with a partner or not, so i guess both? most of the times it's kinda just basic plotting and then if things need to be plotted out further down the line. but not always.

do you enjoy shipping? i lovee shipping! i'm always open to shipping for my muses and if chemistry naturally occurs without plotting, that's cool, but for a more solid romantic ship between muses i definitely prefer to plot somewhat

what’s your alias/name? jem

age? just turned 31 last month!

birthday? feb 25th

favorite color? emerald & lime green and baby blue (but really most shades of greens & blues )

favorite song? oh god, way too many. but let's just say most, if not all of monsters and men & btob or skz songs.

last movie you watched? the mean girls musical movie, much better than i thought it would be tbh

last show you watched? school spirits, but currently rewatching b99 & watching queen of tears & doctor slump

last song you listened to? eric nam's house on a hill

favorite food? spaghetti, lumpia, palabok, steak, probably others but i could literally eat any of these all the time and never get tired of it

favorite season? fall/winter. i just love the colder months, i don't like hot weather, and i just love getting to wear warmer/winter clothes too

do you have a tumblr best friend? @fatescattered bc sofia's the loml :') <3

TAKEN FROM : @luckhissoul :') TAGGING : @fatescattered/ @dandeliicns / @maimeelai / @shchvnts / @@lattehearted / @puremorte / @svnandmccn && anyone else who wants to do it tbh !!

#。‧ * ‧: ✧ ┊ i'm holding my heart and it's overgrown ⊱ ◜ooc◞#。‧ * ‧: ✧ ┊ wake queue up i'm fever dreaming ⊱ ◜q◞

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faithfromanewperspective · 3 months

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hey quick question but what's the most depressing part of australia? sorry this is so weird but i have an oc whose Tragic Backstory is that he's a first-gen immigrant whose family moves from a large chinese city to the suburbs during the early days of covid in 2020 and he gets really isolated and depressed... i was asking because i don't want to slander random parts of australia 😭😭 the plot requires him to be in nsw quite close to sydney if that helps!

hey! hmmm this is quite a broad question I think I'll need a bit more detail honestly to give you a good answer! but a lot of greater sydney shut down and was in lockdown for quite a while in 2020 (6 months or more if I remember correctly, I was in Brisbane at the time) so that's gonna be depressing. otherwise, ngl I feel like your oc would be alright in the hurstville area though they're probably going to think the public transport sucks, they might also like cabramatta or burwood (don't know those other areas that well but I think these are the main Asian hubs of greater Sydney). however if you want him to feel isolated I reckon he moves somewhere else--sutherland area is really white-dominated but otherwise decent, however the southwest and northwest really far out can be quite isolating, so places like campbelltown and richmond which are far more rural but like suburban as well if you get what I mean might work to make your oc feel isolated and depressed esp the way the culture tends to be there, idk how to properly describe it, you also get rougher (i guess, I don't actually know these areas that well) areas around Penrith that (I think) are also quite white dominated (again not necessarily bad in of itself but if you're an immigrant who doesn't speak much english or know culture and slang it might be hard), I guess there are a lot of have-nots there and a lot of people dealing with generational trauma and as a result may not be as welcoming, but it really does depend on who you meet because there are lovely friendly people everywhere. otherwise there's also a lot of have-nots in the lakemba area (though it's better now) like I can access my demographic maps from uni if you really want I'll get them! again still really lovely people there but it really depends on what part of china they're from and what culture they're used to. canterbury-bankstown area has a lot of multiculturalism and definitely some people can end up feeling tension and a need to be more loyal to their culture and people at the expense of properly mingling but this is also interspersed with a lot of community coming together and a lot of creativity, it's also a very working class area and if you catch the train at night you will sometimes encounter the 'rough' types--still most people are cool as long as you're not being hostile to them though the thing about cultural differences is sometimes it's easy to come across that way when you're just overwhelmed and confused. then you've also got the opportunity to bring your oc to a richer area where the sense of community might be a bit fragmented due to rich people problems (like just not letting people in basically because they're clinging to their wealth instead of dealing with feelings of isolation and inadequacy would be how i sum it up) and somewhere like rozelle in the inner west can be a bit like that, the traffic and public transport are pretty bad there too. I also imagine much of the central coast could fall into that category in the more mansion-y areas but also I really don't know that area too well and there's a lot of really down to earth people from there too. in general i do find community around sydney to be pretty good, same goes with a bit further out like wooloongong. however newcastle/maitland is both very white dominated and just far enough out of sydney to be not really well connected and also very suburban, very working class and it's easy to get into substances there and feel hopeless in terms of getting a better life--it's a weird paradox, you've got lovely chill people who absolutely love that area there and also people who get out and never go back because they just can't take it. it's about a 2-3 hour drive/train out of sydney and honestly i'd recommend putting your oc there, though i don't know any Chinese immigrants who've gone straight to that area, a lot of them show up on the southside of sydney though like hurstville, bankstown, probably out to cabramatta

#silver studies urban design #western sydney #asks #don't mind these tags they're more for me to sort things

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kozachenko · 5 months

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Big Touhou Anime idea that has been marinating in my brain for a while

Alright, so I just wanted to compile my ideas for a potential Touhou anime I had here because I just needed to get them out. This is also going to be a very long post, so get comfortable

So I would like to call this hypothetical Touhou anime "Touhou Project Definitive Edition." So what I mean by a definitive edition is that it goes through all of the Touhou games from 1-19 as well as some of the side material (this part is optional) and polishes them up. This would be fixing some plot holes, establishing parts of Gensokyo's world earlier on (mainly in the form of foreshadowing until the story actually gets to those places), and re-writing pre-existing material if there are any glaring problems or inconsistencies that are present in the original material. This also can help tie together the PC-98 games and windows era games together in a nicer way and can further solidify Gensokyos world and cosmology. This option is also pretty newcomer friendly if handled correctly. This option could also help expand on Reimu and Marisa's personalities, the plot potentially following them as they grow up together, the PC-98 games following them throughout their childhood a potential in between arc to more smoothly transition into the Windows era as well as adapting the Vampire Incident before EoSD, and from then on they would probably be in their mid to late teens.

Now of course this idea is very unrealistic and could go very wrong pacing-wise if not handled correctly, but I do think it could work. In regards to the pacing problem, some arcs could be lengthened or cut down depending on how long the events of the games are, with some taking longer than others. Of course, there's also the issue of the anime falling into the same traps that Memories of Phantasm, where the episodes become very formulaic very quick. Now this relates to an issue with the translation between mediums. If you were to directly, one-for-one, adapt the games, it would end up formulaic because the actual games all follow the same 6 stage format with an extra stage. The pacing of the plots in these games work best in their original 6-7 stage format because that's what they were designed for in the first place, not TV-Anime episodes. I feel like a better way of adapting the Touhou games would be to treat the events of the games as the latter half of a larger arc out depending on the game's story.

I'll use EoSD as an example of how you could do this, but remember, I'm not a professional writer so there will be flaws in this approach.

So, this potential EoSD arc would probably start out more as a mystery, with a mysterious red mist going from a weird, once in a blue moon weather phenomenon to a daily occurrence. We also see it go from just light tints of red on a misty day to a blinding scarlet. Reimu and Marisa take notice of this and start asking around the human village and witnessing the effects the mist is having on some of the humans. Normal people are starting to become lifeless husks depending on how much of the mist they've been exposed to. Reimu and Marisa have been lucky enough to not live in places where the mist is most prevalent as well as not being normal people (Reimu has the benefits of being a Hakurei shrine maiden and Marisa is just used to weird shit like this in general due to living in the forest of magic, so she's basically developed a strong immunity to it. The village nurse, Rin Satsuki, has been trying her best to help the villagers as much as she can. As the mist gets worse and worse, some people just start disappearing, eye witnesses saying that they last saw the victims walk towards the strange lake by the Youkai mountain. Some grizzly murders even begin to pop up. When asked, the villagers state that they could never hear any sign of a struggle. Rin, who is also handling the autopsies, notices that the bodies of the victims have been precisely dismembered and disemboweled, the organs producing the most amount of blood being suspiciously missing. At this point, Reimu and Marisa have been slowly connecting the dots between this and the vampire incident, now finally getting the last piece they need to connect the two together. This is when we finally get to the events of EoSD and learn that the villagers killed ended up being made into food for Remillia and Flandre. Of course, we also learn that Sakuya was the one doing the killings.

The set-up phase (as I'm calling it for now), would of course be different depending on the games and it can take as long as it needs to, even overlapping with other arcs as it slowly builds up overtime. This is how I imagine the Moriya Shrine conspiracy arc plays out, we slowly start to hear about some things in passing (i.e. background characters mentioning some stuff casually) and then once the anime can get to those games it can actually expand on some of that stuff, you get the gist it's kinda hard for me to explain. Now of course, this can still get very formulaic if handled incorrectly, but this can be avoided by shortening the length of this setup phase depending on the game the anime gets to as some games in the series don't really need it to be super long (i.e. Imperishable Night, Mountain of Faith, and Unconnected Marketeers). You could also tackle this issue by having some anime original episodes in between arcs, and by this I don't mean filler episodes like Naruto or One Piece, but more of what Hunter X Hunter 1999 did in it's adaptation. Taking some more time to expand on the characters personalities and setting up some individual character arcs as well that can be later resolved within certain games. Individual arcs for the actual games themselves can also differ in length depending on the game too.

Overall, this idea for a Touhou adaptation would probably not have a big overarching plot, but be more like a long form anthology series, where we just get glimpses into the strange world of Gensokyo. However, if it were to have an overarching plot or theme, it would probably be about the importance of connection and relationships, and by that I mean any kind of relationship whether it be romantic, platonic, or in some cases antagonistic. If you wanted to have all of this build up to something, I have another very long post about a scenario where Marisa becomes a Youkai that could very well work as an ending to this hypothetical Touhou anime.

As I mentioned before, this idea is very very unrealistic and would take a heck of a long time to make, not even accounting the other hurdles this would have to face in order for this to happen, but let me know what you guys think of this idea because I often play around with this potential adaptation in my brain. Again, don't think this could ever really happen and if it does it would probably be very different from what I described, so please tell me what you think, if there are any potential problems that could happen or any alternative ways a Touhou anime could happen.

#touhou project #touhou #Reimu Hakurei #marisa kirisame

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monkeydluffy19920 · 1 year

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Is Nami a mermaid? The evidence includes: An original drawing by Luffy of Nami as a mermaid. Her name means wave in Japanese. Shirahoshi instantly liked her. Nami understands the ocean even without any formal training. She’s Swedish (this is important because Scandinavian mermaids warn sailors of storms and danger). Her past is completely unknown. Also, she has constantly worn those two circles on her skirt and pants that we see the mer guards wear

Hiya Nonny and thanks for the ask :)

First of all, amazing background work made there! It took some time for me to do some as well so sorry for the delay but let’s move forward to the ponders whether Nami could be a mermaid.

This post will most likely be long since there are lots of interesting themes to talk about so here we go! :)

Mermaids in (Scandinavian) mythology

Ok first the basics, mermaid is a mythical sea creature with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail of a fish, conventionally depicted as beautiful and with long flowing golden hair [x].

Since you Nonny made a good point about Oda-sensei picking Nami’s nationality to be swedish so I will (try to) focus on scandinavian folklores in this post. By the way, if you dear reader are native Swede and know more about the folklore please let me know, I’m completely leaning on Google at the moment *laughs*

Anyway, in Sweden Mermaids are called Havsfru and they are believed to be seen in the open ocean, living peacefully with other creatures that live in the oceans. According to the legends, the sailors that meet mermaids usually give little sacrifices such as small coins, food or warm pieces of clothes in winter in order to honor them and as an exchange, the Havsfrus repay the kind gestures with either sharing weather information (i.e warning for approaching storms, or good winds, like you Nonny said) or warn them about icebergs etc.

Mermaids can take different figures, an indescribable beautiful lady (like Sanji dreams of) with the tail of a fish tails and sometimes they move with legs. Also according to the folklore, mermaids can also transform into another sea creature.

Transformation is something we saw in Water 7 when Oda made a plot twist and made Kokoro saved Zoro and the others from a huge wave:

In European mythologies, all kinds of tales have given mermaid a very variant imagos. Sometimes they were portrayed as beautiful and seductive maidens who were greatly desired by lonely sailors whereas they also were sometimes portrayed as siren-esque beasts that dragged men into the inky-black depths.

Also in swedish folklore, the continuation of your travel depended on the way you treated the mermaids. If you refused their requests, you surely got to taste the wrath power of hers and you’d end up deep down to the sea with your sunken ship. If you were nice and did what she asked, you would get rewarded.

If we think about this mythology and compare it to Nami’s appearence, we indeed can see some similarities in her and mermaids’ characteristics. First of all, she now also has long wavy hair Sanji imagined her to have before the time skip (frankly spoken that mermaid Sanji mentions back then indeed looks a lot like Nami, especially in colored version, not only the hair but the earrings and stuff) but again it can all be coincidence.

We can reminisce the she still worked for Arlong she was sneaky and used her cute appearence to fool other pirates (just like mermaids lured sailors) in order to rob them and also she charmed Sanji to get away with paying the food in Baratie.

Now that One Piece has gone further with Time Skip and stuff Nami hasn’t used her looks so much to fool the enemies. I think there are various reasons for this, first of all back then she worked all alone. So she needed always to be one step ahead of the game if she wanted to steal the gold and stuff.

Now she is a part of a pirate group which means she can always lean on her crew mates and second important reason is that her fighting skills have been improved a lot. She started with a (portable?) stick-kind of weapon which wasn’t quite strong but enough for her to get away just in case.

Now she has a clima-tact that has been upgraded ever since it was introduced the first time and now we can say that now she really is strong enough to fight so she won’t end up in such trouble first hand.

Last one thing why Nami doesn’t use her looks is that she simply doesn’t have to. She collected money to save the her home village from Arlong but now that Arlong is out of the game she can be more relaxed. One of her life goals was achieved. Also, she is now a part of a pirate group. Her main occupation is being a navigator.

Despite that she is still proven to be a quick and excellent thief. She freaking robbed a whole village while bidding them goodbye at Cocoyashi *laughs* She keeps her thief-skills still updated because she snatches important things every once in a while.

The point is, stealing money etc. isn’t a must anymore for Nami. Like a thing which her life depends on, it’s nowadays more like a “hobby”. Also now it’s easier to steal stuff vs. when she was alone so no more need to fool the others with body and so on.

Ok then about the other thing, at least from the comical aspect the travel indeed depends on Nami’s mood. I mean not only hers but if she is in a bad mood, she isn’t shy to show it.

No matter canon or filler one of the running gags is that Nami hits people to make them behave or stop the idiocy. This we learned very well before Skypiea when she was literally so pissed off because they became laughing stocks at Jaya.

Nami indeed is a great strategist ad negotiator, I mean she even got Zeus to turn against Big Mom. Let’s not forget that Zeus was made of Big Mom’s soul so a literal yonko soul is scared of a random pirate. That is something incredible.

But let’s not forget Nami does have a soft side too. Despite her greediness is huge running gag she did give away some treasure back in Thriller Bark which was a big moment of confusion for Luffy and Usopp.

Not only this but also in general Nami "repays" the good deeds which means she is thankful for everything Straw Hats done for her and gives back too. She might give chills if things are not in order (as a comical relief though) but she deeply cares about her nakama and is very protective of them.

For example it was her who felt the most openly distress when things start to fall apart in Water 7 and even tried to fix things by reasoning her mates. Then back in WCI she drove forward the retrieval team and showed constant worry about her missing nakama.

Let's not forget that Nami was also ready to save random kids at Punk Hazard (since she herself experienced a miserable childhood after Bellmere died she could somehow relate to the childrens' pain although they didn't know for a long time) so it really speaks for the fact that she is far from selfish.

We must not also forget that although her element is air, she also enjoys swimming a lot. That alone doesn't make her the mermaid but I have to say it's an interesting coincidence Nami was chosen to be a mermaid in one of that One Piece Straw Hat Theater-episode where Straw Hats were mythological creatures.

This was part of Oda's One Piece Omake-series so even though it was "fictional" and "spin off"-styled, I partly wonder Oda picked the mermaid-role for her on purpose.

Nami's unknown past

So, like Nonny said, we know just a little scratch of Nami’s past. She first met her foster mother Bellmere in Oykot where the Marines went to save the kingdom that was battling for some unknown reason. Then later she adopted little Nami and Nojiko and raised them in Cocoyashi Village.

There is basically nothing told about this place named Oykot (which is Tokyo backwards) but somehow it’s almost 50% safe to expect that Oda-sensei somehow returns to this topic and perhaps even reveals more about Nami’s origins (because things have been connected earlier too and everything seem to have a meaning when it comes down to the main characters, the Straw Hats and their character growths).

Like mentioned in this post, what puzzles me the most in this flashback in chapter 77 is the smile of hers. Also Nojiko is pretty much a “wild card” when it comes down to Nami’s past. Why?

Because when Bellemeré asks Nojiko claims that they are not blood related siblings. However she carries Nami around the rainy battlefield so it kind of gives the vibes that they might know each other but I don’t know enough to tell whether it’s normal to carry a stranger in your arms as a kid in middle of a battlefield.

Nojiko and Nami do look alike, maybe it’s Oda’s way to draw but this could indicate that they could actually be (distant) relatives?

She understands the ocean

So, in the folklore-part was talked, mermaids had some sort of ability to predict the weather and they'd share the information to the men of the seas. Nami's one most significant skill is related strongly to the weather (and linked to the ocean) this is something for example Vivi brought up back in Grand Line.

It's an amazing skill, no one knows where she has inherited it (like from books or just going by gut-feeling?) but she has honed it in Weatheria and even if she wasn't a mermaid, her skills are still beyond amazing!!

Friendship with Shirahoshi

Nami and Shirahoshi befriended quickly back in Fishman Island. Hard to say what was the "ice breaker" but mysteriously Nami replies her compliment with: "I guess we have some things in common".

This could be interpreted in many ways but somehow I have the feeling Nami is relating to the similarities in their pasts: both were under the influence Fish Men (and literally trapped by them) and lost their mothers tragically. They are also both emotional too. Would be interesting though if Shirahoshi would be the only one to sense Nami's mermaidness and at thait point these panels could become foreshadowing:

She has constantly worn those two circles on her skirt and pants that we see the mer guards wear

Frankly spoken, I've never paid attention to this detail so this is a great catch, Nonny!!!

There might not be info about who has created one of Nami's favorite clothing brand (which seems to be the one with the two circles-style since she wears it a lot in different forms) but perhaps it has taken influence on Fishman Island?

An original drawing by Luffy of Nami as a mermaid.

So, Luffy drew a “mermaid” version of Nami inspired by Sanji’s thoughts by basically adding hair and eyelashes to his sketch of fish-man. That could be another great foreshadow from Oda for sure but at least we know one thing. Oda is great with details and loves hiding easter eggs and atcually in chapter 262, Luffy’s drawing can be found too "alive"!

All in all, the conclusion of this post is, I really find this theory interesting although I can't say for sure whether there could be possibility that Nami is secretly a mermaid but it would require another arc for her.

Nami basically had already one main arc but now to think about, this could be a huge plot twist just like Sanji had, another arc that explained basically everything I mean.

So, who knows, anything can happen in the story of One Piece!

#one piece #nami #cat burglar nami #dorobo neko nami #long post #answered #thanks #anon #ponders #analysis #theory #//got carried away *laughs*#//sorry for the wait!#//but thanks also! Theories and headcanons are fun to ponder #mermaids #mythology

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preggo-ace · 7 months

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hey there! :)

since i'm new here, i figured i'd introduce myself

y'all can call me A if you'd like, and this is an alt blog i'll use for rp and to just explore my more nsfw interests, which will for the most part include pregnancy and birth

if you'd like to rp with me, here's some guidelines before you drop me a message (keep in mind i'm new to this scene, so these may be subject to change as i discover more and get more comfy)

LIKES/OKAY RP'ING

literary rp ; lengths of replies might vary, i'm a writer though so i may get quite descriptive

fpreg, afab nbpreg (this includes ftm don't worry!!)

semi-difficult birth as long as it doesn't end up severely hurting carrier or baby/babies

fantasy scenarios (magic, witchcraft, deities, etc) so long as it's within the bounds of the established universe of our rp ; this can include rapid pregnancy, again as long as it's within established bounds

i'm comfortable playing either the carrier or the carrier's partner, or if we're both carrying simultaneously ; i'd prefer fem x nb/fem x fem in terms of coupling, but if your character is transmasc for example that's okay with me, or we can keep the relationship strictly non-romantic as well

homebirth/medically unassisted birth

birthing multiples ; for now, i'm only comfortable with twins if i'm the carrier, no more than that please

using ocs ; for the time being, i'll be creating entirely new character to better fit our specific plot theme, so i'll more than likely be making up their personality as we go ^^;

LIGHT sex during pregnancy/labor ; i've only recently gotten comfortable writing nsfw myself, so if we rp this, apologies if i'm not very good or am inaccurate, i'm asexual and a virgin please remember!

lengthy rps, though we can start with short scenes to get a feel for things if you'd prefer

long births ; like spending a good chunk of time pushing for example

romance/fluff, especially during birth ; the comfort and encouragement from the carrier's partner yes please!!

clothing birth under specific circumstances that we can discuss ooc

birth denial ; again, under specific circumstances that can be discussed

DISLIKES/WILL NOT RP

mpreg, amab nbpreg ; i'll read it depending on story, but i'm not comfortable rping it

egg laying of any form

monster/creature (mostly referring to aliens, i am down for vamps/werewolves as long as we establish how they work as a species within our rp's universe)

horror preg in general, i don't really care for horror as a genre (except artistic horror and video games)

r*pe/non-con ; absolutely cannot and will not, genuinely makes me sick

video/picture format rp ; i still live with family, plus as stated i'm new to this, and i've only ever done literary rp before, so this format is off the table

anything bdsm related ; i can't name any specific bdsm kinks off the top of my head right now, so i would say in general avoid it if you wanna rp with me

vore, unbirth, anything like that

stuffing, food-related inflation, honestly inflation in general

feces/scat, piss, etc (genuinely find it gross)

anything to do with minors being carriers, sorry not sorry but i won't do that under ANY circumstance ; this isn't to say our plots cannot include characters under 18 (i mean, it IS pregnancy after all), but it'll be a hard no from me if said -18 character is pregnant within our narrative (mentions of a past pregnancy by a character when they were -18 is fine, just don't make it a present plot point is what i'm saying basically)

anything sadistic, i will not do it i don't care

public birth ; idk why it just messes with me, that might be my autism tho lol

detailed gore/injuries ; this includes heavy blood loss, tearing, or anything else in that vein that has the potential to happen during birth (we can further discuss this ooc should the need arise due to our plot, but in general, i don't want it)

hyper-preg ; the 'tism only allows me to suspend my disbelief so much

GENERAL REMINDERS

please be patient with me as i try to gain my footing in this scene

constructive advice on how to create better responses or even drabble prompts are always welcome in my ask box

i am autistic/have adhd, so be aware of that in case i take some time between responses as i can get distracted very easily

^^^ adding to this, i am physically disabled, so if responses take longer from me, there's a good chance i might be at a doctors appointment or just simply don't have the energy to work my brain enough for responses (though i'll do my best to reply as soon as possible!)

i would prefer if we plan out a general plot beforehand, with a few basic beats we wanna hit through the course of rp, just to keep on track

if you want to rp anything i don't have listed in my likes/dislikes, be sure to ask me before implementing it! more than likely, i'll be willing to try it, but that may not always be the case

IF YOU'RE UNDER 18 OR DO NOT HAVE AN AGE IN YOUR BIO ANYWHERE, I WILL NOT RESPOND TO A MESSAGE YOU SEND ME. it's nothing personal, i'd just rather only speak to/rp with fellow known adults here

i live in CST and am unemployed (due to physical disability), so i'm active more often than not, however i tend to go to sleep around 1-1:30AM CST. my wake-up times vary, though it's usually around the 7:30-9AM CST range

i don't rp for kink/fetish reasons, which is ironic, i know. but that's not what i'm stepping into this scene for, i'm here because it genuinely fascinates me and i enjoy fantasizing/writing about it (not in a sexual sense) even if i never want to take part in it irl

if you'd like to rp with me, shoot me a message !! promise i don't bite, but i might be a bit awkward at first ^^;

#pregnant #giving birth #labor kink #birth kink #pregnancy #birth rp #pregnancy roleplay

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wykart · 1 month

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I AM LOOKING HARD AT YOUR ZENITH BETA ARTWORK I've always kind of disliked the idea of zenith!Beta because I feel like the strongest and most compelling aspect of Aloy and Beta's sibling relationship was how Aloy is Beta's Rost. She is now the few-worded, directive, somewhat brooding protector to her assigned charge. And despite the debatable blood relations, their family. It's a prefect way to wrap up Aloy's arc and showcase how deeply important they are to each other. They NEED either other. I felt like Zenith!Beta storylines took away from that because if Beta already has the skills to basically overpower the world that Aloy struggled and struggled to conquer. (This option is subjective, people are allowed to like this trope even if I normally don't.)

BUT, BUT--- The premise you have set seems SUPER FUCKING INTERESTING. The hinted at the dynamic between Beta and Tilda. OH MY GOD, and Aloy basically having to slowly "wake" Beta up from that delusion. Oh, baby. I always give extra appreciation to creaters who can take a trope/take/plot that I don't like and make me fall in love. You haven't even written anything yet (or showcased stuff u have written), yet I'm passionate about it all the same. That being said, don't pressure yourself to make this idea of yours a reality just cuz I would love to see it. It is your story and there are many more important things in life than fictional characters (unfortunately). I just wanted to take the time to let you know how much I appreciate your WIPs and works (both art and writing) <3

Hi!! Thanks!! Honestly your problem with zenith!Beta is about the same as mine (not that I’ve read anything that’s out there). She is so essential for Aloy’s development and the story of FW in general. Also I love Beta and this AU is just hey what if everything about her was different? Your point about Aloy being Beta’s Rost is also 👌

That said, this time Aloy’s realisation about not being some sorta spiritual carbon copy of an innately righteous and strong person, and that actually her family and friends and choices made her and she has an identity of her own, comes not from Beta being seemingly ‘weak’ and stuck in hopelessness and dependent on others, but from Beta acting straight up evil. This person is the opposite of everything Aloy believes Elisabet was (and therefore made her). She’s like, how could a clone of Elisabet be so apathetic? she’s so mean 😭. Forces her to look inward in other ways haha.

Then of course it’s not reaalllly like that bc Beta is so completely brainwashed that she just doesn’t get it, and Aloy slowly realises that too. She’s stunted in a very different way to canon Beta, and comes in confusion to concepts like empathy and trust and hope from an antagonistic angle rather than a compassionate one. Which makes her the most annoying person ever to exist. The Tilda relationship is also Worse. As you can imagine.

I’ve written like a tiny tiny opening for this and have some rough notes, but it’d be long :( and I’m like do I realllyyy want to write another long story about a sobeck clone interfacing w zenith tech. And Tilda, can I bear to write more of that asshole? I’m not sure. That said it would be different stylistically bc I want to do first person (idk if you’ve read the Murderbot diaries, but those are the vibes). It’s an opposite character evolution from against the lightning in a way lol. I reckon I still want to write it

Buttt many more important things than fictional characters (unfortunately), as you say. So sad. I had (was forced) to take a few weeks off work a couple months back and spent almost the whole time just writing. I was so pumped about this other story and was like surely I’ll keep this up. Haven’t fuckin looked at it. Work is 😫. And I’m looking for a new job. Ugh. I am a constant knot of anxiety.

Anyway! Thanks so much!! Feel free to dm as well if you want to discuss further haha, I’d love the excuse

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duhragonball · 8 months

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The Punt Trick

I've been kind of inactive lately because I'm doing a writing project this month and I sort of fell behind on it. My morale was kind of low this past week, but I managed to turn things around this weekend by writing 5280 words, which is more than a quarter of the goal. Not too shabby, so I want to capture how I did it.

Historically, I've been able to write a lot more than 5k in a single day, but I can't do it consistently. It really depends on what I'm writing, and if it's something I already have laid out pretty well in my head, the words will flow. The problem I've been having in August 2023 is that my plot is well laid out, but I'm struggling to put down the words. I know what to do but I'm less clear on how to do it. So it's been slow going.

Basically, I made an hourly schedule for the rest of the month, detailing how many words I would write. I've tried stuff like that before, but the trick this time is that I made the wordcount assignments very small. I didn't think it would help very much, but it turned out to make a big difference.

For years, I would write numbers on a calendar, like "Oh, I'll write 2000 words on Tuesday, and then I'll do 2500 words on Thursday!" and then it'll be 11:48pm on Thursday and I'm 4000 words behind schedule for some reason.

I've tried making it more granular, but that would mean doing things like "At 6pm I'll write 1000 words, and then at 8pm I'll write another 1000 words! Easy!" But then it'll be 7:55pm and I won't have the first thousand done, which just demoralizes me further for the next thousand.

This time, I just decided "to hell with it" and assigned myself 500 words per hour. This turns out to be much more realistic. When I'm doing well, I can bang out 500 words in twenty minutes, but when I'm struggling (like this month), 500 words can take me... about an hour. Well, more like thirty minutes, which is great because if I procrasinate for half of the time alotted, I still have time to get the goal met.

And 500 is small enough that it's easy to overshoot. So chances are that I'll clear the goal with a little more than I needed, which makes the next hour easier to tackle, and so on.

And now that I've had this productive weekend, the schedule I've laid out for tomorrow will be even lighter. Monday I'm doing 250 words for each hour, which is probably too lax, but that just means I'll finish ahead of schedule. The important thing is that I'm not just vaguely declaring my intent to write 1500 words after I get home from work. Normally, I can do that pretty easily, but that confidence turns into procrastination, and I'll put it off until 10:30 at night, and then one thing leads to another and I blow it off completely. With this system, I have to start at 6pm, because it's not about getting 1500 by midnight, it's about getting 250 every hour for six hours.

This is something I really, really need to keep in mind for the future, because even when my writing goes well, I'll still run into spells where it doesn't, and this seems like an effective way to break the logjam. And it might also be handy for smaller projects, which I could break down into even smaller chunks, like 100 words, or even less.

I suppose what inspired me to try this was when I kept looking up at my word-counter and expecting to see some big numbers, and ending up with something dinky like "83" or "112". But with what I'm doing now, those are actually pretty good signs of progress. Chain a few of those together, and I can actually get somewhere.

I'm not sure if this would be helpful for others, but it definitely seems to be working for me, so if you're reading this and you find yourself stuck with your writing, give it a try.

#writing #gonna finish this christmas special before december if it kills me #not sure if it'll be any good but at least it'll be written #and that's the first step

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voltagecrow · 2 years

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War arc Soren

Okay so—all of this is gonna be under a cut for spoilers for MHA/BNHA’s war arc that’s still ongoing so this is y’alls warning to back out if you don’t want spoilers 👁👁

So this is gonna talk about Older Soren within the war arc as well as afterwards. For the sake of simplicity I’ll use his nickname, Coffee.

So as of right now the war arc is passing pretty quickly. That is not the case for Coffee. For him, the war arc persists for a couple years. By the end, meaning the end of the war and the slow rebuilding of soceity, of it all I plan to have Coffee be—roughly early 40s. Since Soren’s currently 30, I plan to have the war arc last at least 5 years. This would put him at 35 at the end of it all. Then that would mean Japan, and subsequently the world, take about 7 years minimum to recover and rebuild.

This is because, realistically, a war so important as the villains fighting back against hero society (and also Shigaraki’s recovery time) is not gonna last a year or two. I get why Hori is speeding things along but still. War doesn’t just happen within a span of two years, especially not one that requires another country to assist as well as one that causes mass panic. So I’ve put the war’s duration, on my end, at a healthy 5 years. The recovery period is at 7 years because of the amount of damage that’s been caused to Japan/Musutafu.

Of course, I am willing to work with other mha folk’s renditions of the war arc. If need be we can always talk about it! Plotting is always fun uwu/ Either way, Soren will be 42 years old by the end of everything, give or take a few years.

Now, that being said, I don’t know what Hori plans to do or how he plans to conclude such an important and massive event. I have my theories but I don’t know. For now, I’ll go with the idea that quirks are still a thing in the world after the war.

Of course the nature of quirks after the war undoubtedly changes. Whether they get stronger or not I think depends on the user. For Coffee his quirk absolutely gets stronger. The need for heroes (since many ‘retired’ >.>), stress, and the need to protect civilians/friends all factors into their quirk getting better. Below I’ll list some ideas I have for how his quirk advanced but I won’t make anything final just yet. I’ll probably wait until the war arc ends tbh

Upgrades

Surge

* basically regular surge except now he can use it for 3hrs, 4hrs if they’re not doing anything else with his lightning

* everything else is the same

Blinding light

* area of effect now extends further, from half a block to a block distance

* blinding effect now lasts 4 minutes, blurry vision bow extended to 2 minutes

* everything else is the same

Lights out

* doesn’t take as much electricity from the city

* takes 1/4 less charge time than before

* everything else is the same

New ability

Wall of light

* Can create walls of electricity, up to 20ft

* Voltage level and temperature can be adjusted as needed

* Not much thought is need to create 3 walls but anymore takes concentration

I did not give Soren any new abilities beyond Wall of light because I wanted to show his previous ones improvement as those would be the ones they’d use more often. I also have ideas on what exactly Soren does after society is rebuilt as well as how society even—becomes because of the war but for now I’ll end this here. As always if anyone has questions regarding this please ask away! I’m happy to answer!

#//i know im on haitus but shhhh #//i gently hold soren #humming: lore #years passed: older soren

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guardianofrivendell · 2 years

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Back by popular demand (lol two people but let me have my moment): the Guardianofrivendell Birthday Writing Challenge!

A writing challenge?

Yes! To celebrate Tullaina's and my own upcoming birthday on June 11th, I challenge YOU, my dear mutuals, friends and followers, to write! Because what better way to celebrate my birthday than by being creative?

You can write anything from a little drabble to a full-blown 5k+ words fic story, whatever you feel like. But about what?

Well... If you remember last year, the writing challenge was all about the Incorrect Tullaina Quotes. I’m bringing them back because it was a lot of fun, but I’m adding two more options for those who want to try something else this year or simply don’t want to write about my OC (which I totally understand!!)

You can write fluff, angst, even smut, use every cliche trope in the book if you want, but make sure to tag your work accordingly so no one gets surprised!

You can find the three options further down this post.

How do I participate?

If you decide to join this little writing challenge, I'll be forever in your debt and super super grateful that you helped by not letting this flop!

Send me an ask or dm if you want to join this challenge with the option of your choice. I'll list the participants in this post and depending of if they want to, I’ll add what option they chose so you’ll have a basic idea of what everyone else is doing (because we like that, we’re human after all)

Deadline is Saturday June 11th 2022, this means you’ll have about 6 weeks time to write your work. On June 11th, everyone can post their work on Tumblr using the tag #Guardianofrivendell Birthday Writing Challenge 2022 so we can find the fic and don't forget to tag me in it!

The day after I’ll link all the works in one big GBWC 2022 Masterlist.

Can I post the fic on other platforms too?

Sure! Go ahead and post it on AO3, Wattpad or whatever platform you use outside of Tumblr.

What if I can't write, but I want to draw something or make a moodboard?

Uh... Yes please! You don't even have to ask! Same thing, send me an ask or dm that you’ll join the challenge and I’ll add your name to the list. You can still choose between the three options!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send me an ask or message! I’ll probably reblog this post a lot of times the next 6 weeks, so sorry in advance for that :)

I read this post but I still don’t understand what this challenge is or what I have to do?

Don’t worry, we all get that sometimes! Luckily for you (and me!) I did this challenge last year as well. You can read all the works and watch the beautiful art pieces here so you can see how my wonderful mutuals and friends took on this challenge like a boss! Aren’t I the luckiest one?

Alright, alright, we get it! Now get to the options already!

You can choose out of three options, or combine them if you want, go crazy:

Pick a quote (or quotes if you’re feeling ambitious) from the tag “Incorrect Tullaina Quotes”. Use it as inspiration, build your story around it or use it as part of a dialogue in the fic. Your choice!

Search the tag “Incorrect Tullaina Quotes” in the Tumblr search bar or on my blog and you’re supposed to get most of them that way. There are over 100 incorrect quotes, so I can’t link them all in this post. It would simply be too much. However, if there are enough people who do want a list with all the quotes lined up, let me know and I’ll see if I can collect them in a doc and link that doc here. It’s a lot of work, so it can take a while before I’m able to do that.

If you need more information about my OC Tullaina, you can find fics, arts and her character sheet in my masterlist.

As you all know I’m a pretty slow writer and cursed to be visited by plot bunnies all the time. This can be quite frustrating because I know I won’t be able to write them all, even if I really, really want to.

So why not challenge you to write them for me?

Under the “read more” cut you can find a selection of Tullaina Plot Bunnies, little moments out of Tullaina’s life that I was planning to write someday. Some are almost summaries of the (non-existing) fic, while others are just “what about so and so”.

Don’t be afraid to write Tullaina OOC because you can’t! If I learned anything about last year’s challenge it’s that I love every version of Tullaina that was created, not once did I think “She wouldn’t say or do that!” because I was so in the moment!

Isn’t that a question we all ask ourselves sometimes? What if?

Well, now is the moment you can find out! Under the cut are 10 “What if” questions. Pick one and rewrite a scene from The Hobbit or Lord of The Rings, or write a new one!

For example, what if you pick the question “What if Thranduil was the smallest Elf in history?”, you could imagine how the scene in the throne room between Thranduil and Thorin would go a little differently... Let your imagination run free!

Thought of a What If-question that you would love to write but can’t find in the list? No problem, then you’re choosing number 11!

Participants

@midearthwritings

@grunid - art

@beenovel

@medusas-hairband - art plot bunny

@sunnyrosewritesstuff - what if

@sketch-and-write-lover

Tullaina Plot Bunnies

Here you can find little snippets out of Tullaina’s life that I wrote down in a doc (literally, it’s a copy paste out of that doc minus two that I really want to write myself) because I wanted to write a fic about it at some point. But you know me, I can’t write fast so who knows when it’ll get done, if ever. Feel free to give it your own twist!

Tullaina has a nickname ‘Tulls’, but only Fili and Kili use it. They get very protective if anyone else picks up on the nickname and uses it to address Tullaina. What would happen if at some point (say at a feast or gathering), another Dwarf uses the nickname when he talks/flirts to her? Could be any period of time: Ered Luin, during the quest, in Erebor, ...

There’s a ball in Ered Luin, the first one since forever (mostly to boost morale a bit) and the first one Fíli, Kíli and Tulls are allowed to go to. It’s the first time Fíli sees Tullaina all dressed up (hair done nicely, a proper dress). His mouth runs dry and he knows it will be a long night this way. How does the evening go?

Tullaina is trained by Thorin and Dwalin, and sometimes even Fíli and Kíli. She has the normal amount of training every Dwarrow gets, but once she decides to join the Quest, her training sessions pick up. What would a training session look like? How is she doing? And why doesn’t she wield an axe? Ered Luin era

When Kili meets Tauriel (? or another OC?) and falls in love during the quest, he tells Tulls he wants to ask her to marry him. And then Tullaina wonders ‘but who am I supposed to marry now?’ because they promised each other when they were teens that if they didn’t find their One they would stick together, maybe even marry each other. And she jokingly says (but secretly also kind of means it) that she’ll forever be alone now. Fili is standing there, he wants to swoop in and say something smooth like ‘you will always have me’ but can’t seem to find his voice. The moment is broken when Bofur says just that, and it becomes one of their ‘almost’ moments.

“Uncle Thorin” moments with Fíli, Kíli and Tullaina

There was really only one other Dwarf who genuinely wanted to court Tullaina, when they're in Erebor. You can imagine how that affected Fili... How is he dealing with this? And Kíli (aka their biggest shipper?)

Fíli runs into Kíli late at night, he’s looking for Tullaina. “Have you seen her? She’s not in her room and I can’t find her anywhere.” They’ve been working all day for the past few weeks. “Do you think she could have left?” “Maybe she finally got enough of being alone, we’ve neglected her” etc etc They look for her in the library, great hall, the stables but can’t find her anywhere. Slight panic, Fíli freaking out, Kíli trying to reassure him. When they’re on their way to alert Thorin and Dís of her disappearance, they find her sleeping with a book in her lap in a nook in one of her secret reading spots.

Once they’re settled in Erebor, married and all, Fíli surprises Tullaina with a grey puppy called Mouse (kind of like a Great Dane but the ME version of it, so... BIG, Fíli hates the name she gave him), as a guard dog for her when he’s out (worried husband y’all). Turns out it’s one big softie and instead of being weary of new people he’s welcoming to everyone. Until one time he doesn’t and everyone is suspicous. Rightfully so.

What If?

Pick a number and (re)write a TH/LOTR scene of your choice with this question in mind, or create a new one (a deleted scene if you want)

1. What if Dís went on the Quest, along with her brother and two sons?

2. What if Ori was the one to fall in love with Tauriel (movie verse)?

3. What if Boromir survived the arrows?

4. What if Hobbits could talk to animals? Like tiny dr Doolittles?

5. What if Gandalf couldn’t keep a secret/can’t lie?

6. What if Smaug was a different kind of animal?

7. What if Víli, father of Kíli and Fíli, was still alive when they leave for the quest?

8. What if Middle Earth was more modern than Tolkien let on?

9. What if Elves can’t tolerate water (maybe it burns them or harms them in some way) ?

10. What if one of the Hobbits is cursed with saying everything the opposite of what they mean? (fe yes means no, I’m sleepy means I don’t want to go to sleep)

11. (your own What If question)

Tagging a few people who were interested: @midearthwritings @beenovel @grunid

#Guardianofrivendell writing challenge 2022 #Tullaina #Fíli x Tullaina #The Hobbit #Birthday Writing Challenge #Guardianofrivendell #The Hobbit fanfiction #The Hobbit OC #OC x canon

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thespoonisvictory · 3 years

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i agree with how wilbur and tommy are currently the deciding factors in the smp! i do believe there's a very high chance for a wilbur lore boom during the summer as album stuff gets smoothed out (writing and recording a bunch an album will take way more time then processing and mastering it, for example) and i can also imagine a dip in content around july that swings back august-september, like what happened before the elections. i do feel like wilbur and tommy do really enjoy the smp story so far and will put in effort for it, and tommy could very easily bring back the daily semi-lore type content in the future months, once the initial vlogging hype dies down. i also think tubbo and ranboo have very good potential to rope people into semi-lore. there's some people i cannot imagine getting as involved with the lore anymore, and some who really depend (like if the syndicate manages to drag itself back, i can see niki rejoining the lore). and yeah technoblade is really a "if he wants to do this," since we don't really have a solid idea, but if a semi-lore wave comes back it opens a big spot for him and how he prefers to do light-hearted stuff. i feel like quackity is really going to be the lore "meat" for a bit, having a bunch of the heavier stuff. i feel like what's really dragging down the smp now is how spaced out everything is and where the semi-lore return would really benefit the server. i also agree with you that quackity very likely might burn himself out on content soon. i think he could really benefit from showing up on others streams to further lore (like on fundys) instead of shoving a bunch of things into a highly-produced stream, similar to other "villains" like schlatt and wilbur. i appreciate what quackity's doing rn a lot, but i think there needs to be another "threat for threats sake," like schlatt and the eggpire. a villain that's more traditionally lighthearted, with quackity being the darker side of "villainous" lore (see: schlatt and wilbur, to a degree, dream and the eggpire, etc) to balance things out. also, tommy was right with what he did with church prime! being afraid to change anything will get you nowhere! sapnap, start another pet war! i also think more smpearth fellas should be added to the dream smp who've shown interest, like wisp and sophietexas. spice things up!

just a solid agree on pretty much everything here.

in particular with your point about how the server is being dragged down by lore that's too spaced out, 100%. the server has had a problem since the end of s1 with oscillating between full throttle lore and... near radio silence (genuinely the l'manburg/ pogtopia arc was so perfectly paced imo ah but that's another topic). the issue with quackity's lore is that his tendency towards cliff hangers means that it 'freezes' certain characters, and they can't really have an impact when they're not in quackity's semi-movies. there's been a similar issue like that with the syndicate.

basically, the server went from feeling like an actual world we got daily peeks into, with a constantly moving timeline, very much an actual server that featured non-lore, shenanigans, chilling after tournaments or among us games, stage productions of macbeth, people just casually playing on it for fun, semi-lore, and lore, to just lore, with occasional streamers. you see- niki actually stocked her bakery for people to take from quite frequently, people would come on and grind to get stuff back after a battle, wilbur would mine in pogtopia, etc etc.

it was a living, breathing thing that I feel bad that some people didn't get to see live because it's hard to describe. people kept up the casual rivalry between the smp and l'manburg, wear their uniforms to tournaments: and that was what made it so unique. schlatt was a very real threat that could just pop into your vc at any moment, he felt like a proper villain in that sense. in the same stream that wilbur and tommy would be in pogtopia mourning the fact that they had no allies while two hours later we would see fundy writing in his spy diary and niki casually resisting. quackity's lore doesn't really allow for that, and it's good lore, but it's missing what makes live action rp so captivating.

how would I fix it?

1. don't end things on cliff hangers, for gods sake. let a plot resolve in your stream so that way people can react to an build off of it in between lore streams. quackity shot himself in the foot for any casual lore by leaving it on the fence whether people would join and not establishing any clear rules, meaning that all the streams we could be getting rn are blocked by that.

2. save high production value streams for big events, or flashbacks, or just anything that can't be done completely live or improv. that way, you can decrease the time in between any lore at all, take some pressure off quackity, and get back some of the organic, homespun charm. I was watching quackity's stream and thinking 'this is nice, but he could have done five short streams over the course of a week or two that accomplished the same goal but without so much energy and rushing. then, he could cut the footage together into a video if he wanted it condensed for viewing pleasure.' it would build hype and set some sort of much needed pacing

3. if it's not already being done, make the plan public so people can jump in if they want, leave open space for improv, at least a bit. if quackity let himself lean on other streamers half as much as wilbur did for both his arcs as c!wilbur and ghostbur, things could move at a more decent pace and feel like an actual server again. just- hop into foolish's streams my dude

I could elaborate more, but tldr: quackity's lore is good, but it severely lacks pacing, stifles organic chemistry between characters, and could very well burn him out. he should mix in casual lore and used formal lore as a supplement, not a base

#asks #critical #dream smp #future talk

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whackdreamer · 2 years

Text

Whack’s Black Clover headcanons, theories, meta-, ramblings or whatchamacallit (2).

About Chapter 326

I’m not going to advertise ABD again here but he was right regarding the awakening of Asta and Liebe’s union mode. One point I completely agreed with in his video about the last chapter but I didn’t expect that Asta would see Liebe’s memories this soon.

I wonder if Asta will end up using the mistletoe sword against Lucibear- I mean Lucifero. The dark magic has been effective against him before but in the end Asta’s antimagic is still the ‘super effective’ attribute against devils, so it seems. So like with what happened during the Dante fight and taking Yami’s katana it could possibly happen in this fight.

Forget what happened to the 4 fighters in this chap. WHAT HAPPENED TO MEREO!? Dear Mereo, either you die… or live long enough to become a fire spirit yourself.

With what Luci did to Yami and Nacht, the dude’s gonna catch Whack’s fangs! I’m prepared to travel dimensions just to snap all of his horns and shove them into his ass— (*cough* *cough* Does he even have an ass though??? Alright that’s enough, back to the story)

Future predictions.

After this arc, I could feel that it is headed toward the plot of 4th Zogratis’ ideology of acquiring undying bodies. AND! Depending on the event if Asta will indeed die as per Julius’ prediction, if Asta does die then un-die(is this even a word!?) because of “shounen protag syndrome-plot armor magic” this would further prove the point that undying humans are indeed possible. (I also have a theory on how this could potentially happen, so if somehow my prediction about it is right then it's not actually a complete plot armor nonsense. Tabata has laid down certain elements to make it happen.)

With the potential 4th Zogratis arc I have a hunch that Grey will finally be even more relevant in that part. Grey’s backstory is still incomplete. Her name is still unknown and her magic is really special. Grey is currently the BC universe’s ultimate healer. If anyone knows Jojo Bizzare Adventure, she’s basically like Giorno. Her transmutation magic is actually op, and potentially groundbreaking. This girl is closest to achieving what the 4th Zogratis wanted- an undying body. She can transmute organic material as shown when she healed Gauche. Healing magic in BC is said to be only able to accelerate regeneration and not regrow lost limbs. By converting inorganic material and change it into living cells it’s as if she can recreate cells and quite possibly artificial bodies. I’m pushing it but potentially she could create something like a homunculus in Fullmetal Alchemist. Sally can create human clones too, but needs Rades to put souls into them.

So yeah, Grey arc next pls!

Endnotes

I don't know if anyone else felt the same. But this current arc is giving me Yuyu Hakusho vibes. Plus the nerdy side of Tabata is all over the magic techniques. I've read Hungry Joker way, way, back and his hints of science fiction are here in BC.

The MC in Hungry Joker has gravity abilities. Following Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravity affects both space and time. Luci being the most powerful one makes sense. But don’t make me explain this, I barely understand the science talk. However, story-wise it could explain how it would take both the space devil(Beelzebub) and the time devil to go against the gravity devil(Lucifero) to match him in power.

Basically what I’m saying is.... the space-time devils may be conspiring against gravity. Sounds like a probable scenario....

#black clover #black clover theory #whack talks

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handsmotif · 3 years

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The Queercoding of Pinky and the Brain

This originally was just me infodumping to my friends on discord, but I decided it might be interesting to some people on here, so I polished it up and made it an actual essay lmao

To start, we’re going to break this into 2 sections -- the relationship between the mice, and Pinky’s relationship with gender, because queercoding doesn’t just mean gay!

For a 90′s show, Pinky and the Brain (and its mother show, Animaniacs) was very progressive for its time! But there were still lots of things that they couldn’t slip by censors, and thus, that’s where we have to read between the lines. And that is something I wanted to clarify here before we dive in, the actual meaning of queercoding. It’s NOT the same as queerbaiting. Queerbaiting is when the people producing certain media purposefully dangle the possibility of queer representation to lure in audiences (most prominent examples are BBC Sherlock, Riverdale, and Supernatural I GUESS? who knows abt that last one anymore), but never follow through, purely for profit. Queercoding is when media producers WANT to write in queer representation, but can’t, usually because the censors won’t let them. So, they must resort to subtext. (example: the policemen from Gravity Falls) It could also be unintentional, simply assigning certain characteristics associated with the LGBT community to characters. (example: Bugs Bunny, many Disney villains) Either way, it heavily relies on the audience picking up subtext, but whether it’s malicious or not varies, depending on the media. Bugs Bunny is an example of positive accidental queercoding, while a lot of Disney villains are negative examples.

Now, to actually discuss the gay little mice! Pinky and the Brain, whether it be intentional or not (based off comments from Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen, and Tom Ruegger, signs strongly point to intentional, but it’s never been explicitly confirmed), is an example of positive queercoding.

There are many moments that I could pick out to discuss here, but we’ll start with some VERY on the nose gay metaphors.

Remember Romy? If you don’t, that’s their actual biological son! Romy came about due to a cloning accident, where their DNA got combined and spat him out.

There’s SO many things I could say about Romy. Every appearance he makes has an overarching gay metaphor as the plot. His first appearance in the episode Brinky (yeah it’s literally titled their ship name), it deals with his dads (WHICH I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, he DOES call them both dad, and they do both call him their son) disapproving of the fact that he wants to leave home and not follow in their footsteps of taking over the world. Brain even goes as far as disowning him whenever he tells him, which is certainly something a lot of queer people can unfortunately relate to. Also seen a lot in this episode is Pinky and Brain arguing even more than a married couple than usual, which pushes Romy away even further. Later, when Romy eventually does leave, and Brain starts to regret chasing him away, he tries desperately to reach out to him, but Romy doesn’t want anything to do with him. They end up tracking him down to an apartment building, where Romy is now living with his human girlfriend. When questioned about their relationship, the girlfriend, named Bunny, goes off on a tangent about how people shouldn’t judge others based on labels or relationships (hello?), and that Brain needs to be more tolerant. Brain apologizes and Romy forgives him. Happy ending.

Romy’s only other appearance is in the comics. Essentially, the plot of this one is that Brain wants to become the president of the local high school’s PTA, but he needs Romy’s help to make it look like he has a normal home life. He also enlists the help of Billie, the obligatory Woman introduced to make sure Brain doesn’t look as gay as he actually is, that he has a crush on. She pretends to be his girlfriend, and Pinky pretends to be Romy’s uncle, while they make up the story that Romy’s actual mother was lost at sea. Because if the organization found out that Brain has a son with a MAN??? THINK of the controversy! Anyway, the plan works, and Brain actually manages to get elected as president. Throughout this though, Pinky gets WEIRDLY jealous that Brain keeps brushing him aside for Billie. To the point where during Brain’s inauguration, Pinky actually dresses up as the wife/mother lost at sea and storms into the room.

[ID: Comic panels of Pinky, Brain, and Romy on stage at the inauguration ceremony. Pinky busts into room wearing drag, saying, “Yoo hoo! I’m back from years lost at sea to be with my son and ungrateful husband! Narf!” He then hugs Romy, while glaring at Brain. He goes on to say, “I’ll stand by your side, even though you left me behind!” The people in the audience begin to question this, saying, “Oh great fuzzy bangs!”, “What’d she say?!”, “He deserted her to be with that other woman!”, “What kind of monster is he?!”. Brain then rips off Pinky’s wig and says, “This isn’t my wife! This isn’t even a woman! It’s my roommate, Pinky.” Pinky replies, “Well, yes... But Romy really is my son! Poit!” And Brain responds, “N-Nonsense! He’s my son!” More people in the audience angrily speak up, saying, “What’s that?”, “He lives with a guy who likes to dress up in women’s clothing and the both claim to be that kid’s father!”, “Grumble! Mutter!” /END ID]

Needless to say, this doesn’t end well for them. What we can conclude from this is that homophobia exists in the Pinky and the Brain universe, and our characters are directly affected by it.

Moving on, And-There-Was-Only-One-Bed is a pretty common occurrence with these two. Their cage is big, they have plenty of room for two beds, but? They choose to sleep together? Even in some times where this has been inconsistent and they DO have separate beds, they’re always RIGHT next to each other. (what if we put our minecraft beds together ❤😳)

I would like to mention the episode, You’ll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again! This episode is interesting to say the least. Deals with a lot of the meta of the show. Anyway. In this episode, Brain has a nightmare that he’s in a loveless marriage with Billie. You know, the woman he’s supposed to have a crush on. In the end, he wakes up from the nightmare in the same bed as Pinky.

Speaking of female love interests, Pinky is seen having multiple relationships with characters of different species. Any time this is brought up by Brain, Pinky counters with Brain being too intolerant. An honorable mention with this is in Wakko’s Wish, when Pinky is with Pharfignewton, and Brain’s constant pestering about their relationship could be read as jealousy. Pinky needs a mousy date, after all!

Something else I would like to mention is in one episode (I forget what it’s called, I’ll try to look it up later and edit this), Brain is applying for a job. The employer asks Brain if he’s married, and Brain hesitates before saying he “has a roommate,” but that he’s occupied with his own things, which then cuts to a shot of Pinky applying lipstick.

Leading into part two of this essay, Pinky’s relationship with gender! Pinky has always been very gender nonconforming, and loves to wear dresses, do his makeup, and make himself look pretty. For the most part, this is played pretty straight, and not as a gag, like a lot of shows tend to do! It’s just a casual fact about him that he likes to present femininely sometimes.

This does play into their taking over the world plans pretty often, where Pinky wears drag, usually either to sneak into somewhere. Like in one of their earliest appearances on Animaniacs, Noah’s Lark, where they pose as a couple to board Noah’s, and I quote, “love boat.” After boarding, Noah says to himself, “Who am I to judge?” Okay. Yeah. Alright. Anyway.

I actually had less to say on this than I thought I did, but I wanted to make sure to emphasize that Pinky at the very least is coded as being Not Quite Cis, and that he’s played a key part in helping a lot of people watching the show figure out that they’re also Not Quite Cis.

Wrapping this up because I’m hungry, but I want to throw in some more honorable mentions that I really do not see any type of cishet explanations for:

They literally go on a romantic date at a very fancy restaurant in Brain’s Night Off. This is played extremely casually, and the only remark from anyone that they receive is that they are “much smaller than the usual clients.”

Pinky, on at least one occasion, daydreams about him and Brain being a married couple, and wanting to be a housewife (the original malewife ❤)

There’s an issue in the comics where Pinky has a crush on another male mouse, and when Brain gets annoyed, Pinky reassures him that he thinks Brain is cute and quite the catch too

Brain attempting to kiss Pinky in the reboot??????

Brain actually did conquer the world once in the Halloween special, because Pinky made a deal with the devil for it, and thus Pinky got sent to hell! Brain actually went to hell and gave up the world to bring him back

Brain was extremely close to conquering the world once more in the Christmas special, but after reading what Pinky’s feelings for him were (nothing romantic, just Pinky basically just praising Brain for being so hardworking and an amazing mouse, and lamenting that he never gets anything for it), he gets so emotional that he sabotages himself and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas instead

TLDR; these mice are very queer and need therapy, and are probably the most heavily queercoded characters that I can think of in children’s media.

#animaniacs #pinky and the brain #patb #brinky #FLOPS ON THE FLOOR this took a long time to write

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onwriting-hrarby · 2 years

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rotten judgement - the characters and the circle

Read Rotten Judgement on AO3

I write stories about characters. It differs from the stories about plot —where there are things happening all the time, and basically, to go from point A to point B. Writing about characters doesn't mean to forget about the plot, because otherwise the story wouldn't progress, but it means to focus on the change of these characters and how all of this constitutes the plot.

How do I plan the characters and what do they mean to the plot?

I have always written like this. I am not very good at dialogues, action-packed prose. In my real life, I am like a bull, always going straight-forward, charging against everything that's on my way, without having time to think. But when I do, I like to delve into who I am, who are the others. I am this kind of person that likes to hear about people stories because I think that's what constitutes them. So, when I write, I like to pause and reflect. I want to do introspection to understand the characters I'm writing about —and because I think introspection is universal, too, and in talking about one character, a person can see it as its reflection.

That's why, when I started thinking about Rotten Judgement, I knew that forging the characters and the introspection would be much more important than in Instead, they said, because there are simply more characters and because Eren and Mikasa are very complicated in this one (although, to be fair, they are very complicated in all of them, but in Instead they said and in IDNLUT they have each other to go through that).

I knew I wanted to write Enemies to Lovers, which I haven't done, and so that meant to have a constellation of people in which I could narratively rely to portray Eren and Mikasa's relationship from the outside, to have this décalage in between they are saying and feeling, and how people is seeing them. In this décalage, I'm allowed to compare both and not do introspection all of the time, which I know it can be a little complicated to read.

But having side-characters to ease-up your story can be seen as a narrative trick if they don't have struggles for themselves. In a character's story, I believe some of the secondary characters need to have their own struggles. That doesn't mean that they need to change (to be "round"), but they surely need to bring something into the story. So I give a main "topic" to the characters I want to develop further in the story, and this is the topic that I will get deeply into as the narrative progresses. Then, I trace the relationships between the characters, and how those relationships affect them.

So my characters' chart ended up being like this:

Eren Jaeger — Topic: REPENTANCE

Mikasa Ackerman — Topic: FORGIVENESS

Armin Arlelt — Topic: SECRECY

Levi Ackerman — Topic: MOURNING

Jean Kirstein — Topic: DEATH

Historia Reiss and Ymir — Topic: HYPOCRESY

How do I tie the plot from here:

I always like my plot and stories to be circular, or to be well-tied. Having topics for the characters (what they deal with) helps me make round characters (hopefully) and round plots. In this sense, for example —and without spoiling too much— I decided to name the three parts of the fic with each topic from EMA. The plot will grow and delve in those topics from here: Repetence — Secrecy — Forgiveness. So, in some ways, the structure depends on the characters of the story. This is the first time I do this, since in the other stories, what happened to the characters depended on the structure: in IDNLUT, Eren and Mikasa's relationship was tied up with the way of going back and forth in the story. In ITS, the parts were distinguished with stylistic choices, rather than focusing on the plot or the characters.

The topics of Levi, Jean and Historia are crucial to the rounding of the plot, since this is a story, foremost, of life and death, and in any one there's mourning. So while this characters will portray their respective topics, it allows me to talk about this big "topics" and connect them with the main protagonists.

And so, this is how Rotten Judgement started. Let's see how the experiment goes.

#eremika #rotten judgement #hrarby #onwriting #writingdiaries #writing diary #my writing #hrarby musings #rotten judgement fanfiction #hrarbycraft

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