#and the oldies are the protagonists

[musicbasedsubculture]

TIP many shirley jackson short stories are available as free audiobooks on youtube. and you can listen to them as you wash dishes and pretend to be an increasingly nervous and alienated 1950s housewife

#larping as a shirley jackson protagonist has become irresistible to me #when ever I’m driving alone at night in the middle of nowhere I put oldies on the radio and pretend the townspeople are turning against me #shirley jackson

[insert-witty-user-name-here]

Random Plot Points

A little about me as a writer, I love daydreaming about adventure stories. I usually know the general set up and larger plot points but oftentimes struggle with the how, how do characters get from point A to point B. 

So, I made a list of random challenges for my characters that I look at when I'm stuck.

Sharing in case helpful to others! (intended for adventure, sci-fi, fantasy stories) 

characters are delayed/blocked/experience a natural disaster (storm, fire, flood, avalanche, earthquake, epidemic, etc) (BONUS and forced to take a detour from the original path)

character(s) is trapped (quick sand, fall through ice, in room filling with poison, on sinking ship, in a trash compactor on the Death Star, etc) (BONUS- fall into hidden room and discover something) 

characters go to a festival/ball/party/political summit (where inevitably it all goes wrong)

character(s) overhears a secret (at bar, at party, from a whispered conversation below them in a stairway, etc) 

characters are attacked by an animal or mysterious force 

characters(s) caught in a mob/riot

character wins/loses something in a bet

character is brainwashed or possessed 

character is stranded/lost

character is poisoned 

character succumbs to injury or illness 

characters are chased/ attacked by antagonists 

character is captured or arrested (and needs to be rescued)

character is kidnapped and kidnappers make a demand for their release (financial ransom, exchange of information, prisoner exchange, etc) 

character(s) go undercover to retrieve information

characters decide to steal something they need for their quest (weapon, magical object, money, information, etc). (BONUS- time for a well-planned heist!) 

characters need to protect/ retrieve/ destroy something 

characters uncover a network of spies (up to you if they're unexpected allies or antagonists)  

characters discover hidden passageway, room, ruins etc that leads to an important clue

characters forced to hide from someone/something

characters need to escape 

characters lured into trap set by villain (BONUS if the villain doesn't even care who wins but only goaded them to learn how a magical object works, the extent of heroes powers, emergency response system of a government, etc) 

characters set trap for villain (BONUS- use someone or something important as bait) (if in Act 2, they fail) 

characters reveal critical information to villain in disguise 

a character is mistaken for someone else (and then is wrongfully arrested, receives information not intended for them, etc) 

characters receive help (hitch a ride, get help hiding from captors, get help escaping somewhere, etc) from an unlikely new ally 

characters forced to team up with an unlikely ally/ morally grey character, etc

characters learn something from simple library research (an oldie but a goodie)

characters just literally just stumble upon or witness something important (secret weapon, secret society etc) 

characters uncover a secret map/ coded message on the back of an old unassuming document (time for a classic treasure hunt!) 

someone escapes from prison (an old villain or an old ally) that changes the quest 

someone is being blackmailed (or otherwise forced to act against the protagonists)

someone is discredited (rumor, disinformation campaign etc) 

something stolen from your characters 

something (document, magical object, money) turns out to be fake

OR, something unassuming turns out to have special powers or meaning  

something is hacked (defense system, infrastructure, bank, private records, etc)

something critical is attacked (important bridge, port, bank/ financial system, safehouse, capitol building, character's familial home, etc.)

a computer virus is unleashed 

a biological weapon is unleashed 

a piece of information the characters believed was true, is false 

an ancient myth turns out to be true 

a secret is made public 

A law is changed or a vote on a critical piece of legislation loses/wins 

a political opponent wins an election/ a political ally loses an election 

character(s) help a passerby (from raiders, local tyrant, beast, mystical force, etc) 

characters "follow the money" and realize someone who was thought to be their ally is actually working for... (crime syndicate, villain, local tyrant etc) 

#writeblr #writing tips #outlining #writing resources #writing prompts #writing #prompt list #fantasy writing

[fullsunised]

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗟𝗬; 𝙟𝙖𝙚𝙝𝙮𝙪𝙣 𝙭 𝙞𝙙𝙤𝙡!𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

❝ 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙗𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙮❞

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 ; idol!au, fluff, social media!au

𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 ; jaehyun jung x idol! reader

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐒 ; y/n and jaehyun were from different sides of the same world, that is until they're added into a groupchat together. and as they fall in love with literally everything about each other, the whole world turns heavenly.

𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 ; le serrafim, txt, nct, enhypen, bts, aespa, and literally ever other idol friend y/n has.

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐘 𝐂𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐗 !

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐘/𝐍 ; 99' liner, literally close with half of the industry, has debuted in 2019 with her debut single, heartburn. an only child, parents are not disclosed to the world, is good at song writing, and arranging, for the sake of the story, let's just say the fandom name is 'lovers', has many bangers, and also for the sake of the story just say y/n published all the songs mentioned. (THEY BELONG TO ORIGINAL ARTISTS)

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐘/𝐍 ; flirty- literally flirts with everything that breathes, is a crackhead, has no time but is chronically online, obsessed with playing games, very outgoing, has an unhealthy obsession with nct and taeyong especially, supportive, acts a bit gay, calls everyone she's close to pet names, a little insomniac.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ; a lot of shipping between male idols- y/n is delusional like her fans, pet names usage (like a lot), homosexual relationships, mentions of stalking, emotional abuse, passing out, unhealthy eating habits, some female and male idols are actually dating in the story (NOT A DEPICTION OF THEIR REAL LIFE SITUATIONS), and obviously swearing, mentions of sex, ass (don't even be surprised), dicks, and pussies, doesn't have smut is just suggestive, insomnia.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ; please take everything with a pinch of salt! other than that, support, interact and love. if this does well, then maybe I'll work on another idea I have with mark lee as the protagonist. a story turned into reality. love yall </33

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 ;

character profiles

chapter one: breadwinners

chapter two: the 'oldies' groupchat

chapter three: difficult desicions

chapter four: predictions

©️FULLSUNISED.

#kpop imagines #kpop smau #smau #jaehyun smau #jaehyun imagines #jaehyun fluff #jaehyun scenarios #aespa #nct dream #txt x reader #le serrafim #fullsunised #nct fluff #nct dream fluff #idol!reader #kpop idol #jaehyun headcanons #jaehyun x reader #jaehyun #nct 127 imagines #nct 127 fluff #nct social media au #social media au #enhypen x reader #aespa x reader #stray kids x reader #le serrafim x reader #heavenly:theseries #jaehyun x you #jaehyun x idol!reader

[zealouswerewolfcollector]

End of Year Fic Recs

I was tagged by @swanmaids and @grey-gazania. Thank you both <3 The year hasn't ended yet, so I can post this.

Inviting all tagged authors to participate if you haven't already.

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies).

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Five Series/Multi-Chapter Fics

1. By Treason of Kin Unto Kin by @amethysttribble

This epic Silm/aSoIaF crossover is the third part of Tribble's Everlasting Song series. It's gripping, fantastically written and very carefully thought out. You won't regret checking out how the sons of Feanor, reborn in Westerosi noble families, navigate the aSoIaF world.

2. The Valiant by whyyesindeed

Reborn Fingon returns to Beleriand to find his husband just before the Third Kinslaying in this beautiful and touching fic. It has a sequel too, which I haven't read yet, but I'm sure it's just as well-written as the first part.

3. Celechwes Fixes the Noldor by @tanoraqui

To my shame, I haven't finished this fic yet, but I can't recommend it enough. Celechwes - who marries both Fingon and Maedhros - is a delightful protagonist, the story flows so smoothly and is so much fun to read, while also being very moving.

4. The Seven Trials of Fingon the Valiant by @melestasflight and @polutrope

All seven sons of Feanor court Fingon in this hilarious, brilliant and inspiring fic. I had so much fun reading it, and if you haven't yet, please do yourselves a favor.

5. For We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight by an_evasive_author

This fic began in 2019 and continues to this day, and I still love it like before. Post-Thangorodrim and beyond Russingon with canon divergence. It is exceptional but deals with a very heavy subject-matter, so make sure you read the tags.

Five Single Chapter Fics/One-Shots

1. Tender Morsels by @sallysavestheday

Everything Sally writes is brilliant, but this one did something to my brain. Dark romance (like cannibalism dark) and Russingon coupled with perfect prose. It makes me go insane.

2. Project Requirements by @searchingforserendipity25

This short supply list by Miriel will delight you and break your heart. The author is an expert in this.

3. The knife that shapes the knife by @quixoticanarchy

This OC-centric fic is a careful, heartbreaking study of observing without acting, going with the flow until you sink into evil when you were trying to do good. It stayed with me for a long time.

4. enemy of good by @welcomingdisaster

Every single fic by the author could be here, I chose this one because it was the first one of I read. Maedhros is going through some stuff and tries to resolve it through bondage and sex. Incredible characterization and writing. Russingon, E-rated.

5. post mortem by @swanmaids

Examination of four Feanorian bodies post-Second Kinslaying - a brilliant idea, executed perfectly. The clinical description doesn't take away from the horror, on the contrary, adds to it.

Five Oldies but Goodies

1. No Way You Can Fall by @hhimring

Himring's Maedhros is one of my absolute favorite Maedhroses ever. This fic takes place post-canon with Maedhros freshly out of the Halls meeting a suspicious Fingolfin at Fingon's house. It is written with so much care and gentleness. It warms my heart every time I read it.

2. Tributary by @oopsbirdficced

It's a Spirited Away/Silm fusion and it's Russingon! What's not to love? Adorable, beautiful and magical, I still remember this fic from time to time, even though I read it so long ago.

3. In From the Cold by @dorwinionwhining

Short but so sweet and so well-written Russingon ficlet. The tenderness and their easiness with each other kills me. So good!

4. fools enough to love each other more than we can bear by @potatoobsessed999

After the Nirnaeth, Maedhros receives braids with golden ribbons from Morgoth. Now he has to decide if he should go and save Fingon. Unbearably painful and so good. I can't bear to reread it because it hurts so much.

5. Testrun by goldtoashes and heirsofbrokenlegacies

This is just one part of the authors' series Grow as we go. It's a Modern AU that includes pairings Maedhros/Fingon, Maedhros/Sauron, Sauron/Celebrimbor and even Maedhros/Sauron/Fingon. The whole series is amazing, but this part is my favorite because it's just Maedhros and Fingon in domestic bliss. The series is E-rated, this one part is M-rated.

Five Fics of My Own

1. Lady Makalaurë Fëanáriel Dying of Poison, Late Second Age, Artist Unknown

Post-canon Maglor wanders alone in her spaceship until she discovers something that Gil-galad has to know. This fic doesn't get much attention, which is understandable (it's an AU, a Space AU at that, genderbent and Maglor/Wife), but I loved writing it and I still like it. This was my second TRSB fic this year, and it's the first time I wrote two fics for this event, so I'm pretty proud of it.

2. My cannibalism ficlet and it's companion the other cannibalism ficlet

The first one is quite tragic because I like tormenting Fingon. The second one is lighter in mood, but it's still about cannibalism, so.

3. Alone in the Unknown

The angstiest thing I've ever written. It's the latest part of my Fingon Lives AU. This one focuses on Maglor and his futile attempts to bring Maedhros out of his near-catatonic state.

4. Fingolfin and Fingon and later Maedhros and Fingon discuss some heavy subjects

Not to be too modest, but I think I did some of my best writing here. Fingolfin has fears that Maedhros might be under Morgoth's influence and shares them with his son.

5. Now a Quill, Now a Sword

Maedhros and Fingon's relationship told mostly through letters. This fic deserves a click just for @melestasflight's absolutely stunning art embedded in there if not for anything else. It was a pleasure collaborating with them.

#silmarillion #silm fic #fic rec #zwc fic #a lot of these are russingon of course #but there are a few others

[fruit-sy]

Finished watching the Soul Eater anime

AND I LOVE MAKA AND SOUL HOLY SHIT, YOUR HONOR THEY ARE A DUO . NEVER SEPARATE THEM AHSJBXKZHSB

After watching jjk, Nobara was my 2nd favourite character because of how she's both badass and girly, but I was bummed that she didn't appear as much as I wanted her to in the anime, so I looked to other animes where a girl was the main character and saw Soul Eater had a female main protagonist.

The first episode and I was HOOKED. LOVED IT AAA MAKA KNOWS HOW TO KICK ASS AND SHE'S SO COOL AGSJWWJCOQLFJWK

At first I was kinda on the fence about the art style, but after getting into the first episode I positively ADORE IT. So much charm and style and exaggerated poses which kinda reminds me of ROTTMNT in a way. I see people mentioning it was Tim Burton-esque, and I see it too. A lot of halloween vibes which was very fitting at the time.

Anyways, the fight animation was great, I loved Maka (and Soul) and I was very invested,, until the fanservice came out. I felt like bashing my skull against the wall and just dying inside because of how much I couldn't handle the cringe. But I held out because Maka was my light in the darkness.

Super glad I did because Maka is so fun to watch as a character huehehe. Her dynamic with other characters is really fun, she's a capable fighter and knows how to get around in a fight. She even goes off the hinge and if you know me that makes me giggle excitedly ehhehehehehe (poor crona tho ;_;)

My brother told me "It's an oldie but it's a goodie" and (for the most part) I very much agree. I was late to this anime by 14 years but better late than never amirite?

Anyways, Soul and Maka are everything to me and they should NOT be separated. Though Maka looks like the reasonable one, they're both equally dumbasses. They bicker a lot and sometimes have serious arguments which cause them to split apart, but their friendship runs very deep. I love how I feel like they stand equal with eachother, both pull their weight and one's presence completes the other's, whether literally through the weapon-meister relationship, or figuratively through their friendship and uplifiting eachother when they're down in the dumps.

Soul genuinely really cares for her. Like, he shields Maka in the fight with Stein, Crona, and when she fell, he's there to pull her out the deep end when she's gone into Madness or when her knees buckle under the pressure of a battle or when she's furious beyond belief, and he's loyal as hell and will go through hell and back for her

And the feeling is very mutual! Maka is devastated when he took a hit for her and is determined to get stronger. The scene where she picks up Soul although her hands were burnt by him was hype as hell.

Their whole schtick of like "staying cool" is also so adorable i cant my heart-

ANIME SPOILERS

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.

.

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The first half of the anime was fantastic. Though it pains me to say the second half was rather lackluster and the ending was disappointing imo. I've heard whispers of spoilers that they fumbled with the ending but I wanted to make that judgement by myself.

It baffles me why these studios don't just put the series on hiatus until more chapters from the manga releases.

Anyways, I'm currently picking up from the manga and I'm hoping for a better ending and story there ;u;

#Fruit talks #Some surface level ramblings again for a thing that caught my attention and lives rent free in my head for the month #Love how Maka and Soul were written. they got eachother's backs and uplift one another like hoohh ❤️💖💕💞 #I can totally see them as platonic and romantic. both are really fun dynamics to explore huehehe #Anime with female protags

[the-smut-analyst]

Fantasy Rom-Coms

The genre I never knew I needed. Until I found it.

Short 'n' sweet book rec post today (because I know I've been doing a lot of deep-dive analyses of late). I deserve a break. You deserve a break. So let's do it.

Here's my top three fantasy rom-com series at the moment!

Pick them up if you enjoy a bit of smutty fantasy and are in the mood to laugh.

1. Anything by Kimberly Lemming

I do not know if my tits were built for murder. I don't even think they were built with my back in mind.

Lemming is an auto-buy author for me. This woman is bloody hilarious. The humour is farcical and somewhat absurdist, which is my absolute favourite style. I grew up with the likes of Monty Python, The Mighty Boosh, and The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson - so Lemming's work is right up my alley.

Her character Alexis, the dirty-talking sword (yes, you read that correctly) is, in my mind, nothing short of comedic genius.

"Oh my god, chip my steal, you're so annoying," Alexis snapped. "Maybe if you fixed your attitude and took a bath once in a while, women would talk to you. You smell like old cheese and a mother's regret."

I know some reviewers have been thrown off my the modern vernacular in Lemming's work, due to its medieval-like fantasy setting. However, I think that is exactly what makes these books so good (and refreshing).

The love interests speak a bit more "ye oldy", while the female protagonists speak like we do. The result is something akin to what might happen if a modern romance reader were dropped into a smutty fantasy world. It's brilliant. For example:

"Every scratch," he whispered, his tone gentle and comforting. "Every bruise, I will pay back in fire and blood." I blinked. "Um... that is so sweet but so unnecessary."

I'd recommend reading Lemming's work in publication order, which is as follows (links included):

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

Mistlefoe (novella - available with KU)

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

Two Scoops of Hellfire (novella - standalone - available with KU)

A Bump in Boohail (novella - available with KU)

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

2. Alphas of Nasila series by V.K. Ludwig

“If you ever see me running in heels, then you better run, too,” she says with a scoff. “What am I supposed to run away from, anyway?” “Me!” “Why? You got a chase kink or something?”

The best way I can think to describe this series is that it is Omegaverse satire. The pairings are alien males and human females, and the smut / romance includes all your fairly standard A/B/O tropes - with the exception of non-con. The consent is refreshingly solid here.

Book one of this series, Heat for Hire, was actually my entry into the Omegaverse. If you're unfamiliar with the genre, then this is a good place to start because the protagonist, Elli, is unfamiliar with how alpha/omega pairings work. So all the... ahem... knotting, heat cycles, etc. are explained via her first experience of them.

My skin prickles at the memory of Rhen’s growl. But only until I remember that I rubbed myself to orgasm on a civil servant.

However, book two, Knot for Nest is by far the best of the series, in my opinion. The chemistry between the two protagonists, Lucy and Tjor, is brilliant - and it's just a genuinely hilarious read. Lucy is a snarky, independent omega who absolutely knows how to play the big, bad alphas to her advantage.

Book three, Purr for Purchase, is a lot higher angst (and less comedic) than its predecessors. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but that's just because I'm not a huge fan of pregnancy in romance.

If you've tried the Omegaverse before but not enjoyed it because of the power imbalances or dub/non-con, then I'd still recommend this series. The Omega / Alpha dynamic is very much reserved for the bedroom and does not reflect how the couple interacts outside of it. This is particularly true of Lucy and Tjor. She might enjoy being "dominated" during sex, but she genuinely holds all the power in the relationship.

“Big, bad alpha, all calm and well-behaved between my thighs.”

The characters in each Alphas of Nasila book are interconnected and the events chronological. However, you do not necessarily have to read these books in order. If you're sceptical of the Omegaverse in general, start with book two. All these novels are available with KU.

3. Claws & Cubicles Series by Kate Prior

Some people really haven’t adjusted to life under the Dark Reign of Terror yet. Some things are different, but honestly it’s all cosmetic. Things aren’t that different from when we had a normal, living CEO.

This series is like The Office, but with monsters (and smut). The dry, relatable humour of a boring corporate job - but with non-human co-workers like orcs, the undead, etc - is genius.

The comedy definitely leans into that classic British deadpan / understatement style. Think IT Crowd, Faulty Towers, and After Life. I think anyone who's ever worked in an office will definitely be smirking and chuckling their way through this series.

“You could have just called me in. I’ve got skin.” I wonder if that last remark is rude or something. After all, he doesn’t really have skin, to my knowledge. I hope I don’t have to take an undead sensitivity training class now.

Book one, Live Laugh Lich, gets pretty kinky (the MMC has three... er... yes). The smut here isn't going to be for everyone. But I liked the humour so much that I didn't really mind if the intimate scenes weren't my cup of tea.

However book two, The Orc From the Office, holds a much broader appeal, I think. I adored this installment. I'd recommend pushing through and reading this, even if you had mixed feelings on book one. The orc MMC is a socially awkward cinnamon roll and I love him.

I wonder distantly if my health insurance covers being eviscerated by Orc cock.

Book three, The Gargoyle from General Management, left me a bit wanting in terms of the character development. However, the setting of everyone being away together on a company retreat was comedy gold.

All of the Claws & Cubicles books are available on KU.

That's all! I hope you enjoy the smutty rom-com fantasy recs!

This post includes affiliate links to help me create content. No pressure to use them! But if you do, I'll be very grateful :)

#book recs #fantasy romance #romance #smut #book recommendations #sci fi romance #romantasy #omegaverse #kimberly lemming #vk ludwig #kate prior #alphas of nasila #mead mishaps #claws and cubicles #monster romance

[byronicbi]

6 albums I’ve been listening to a lot lately! Plus one track from each that I’m especially fond of.

tagged by the wonderful @valenshawke!!

i haven't been doing much "full album" listening lately since going into a project usually means listening to a lot of tailored playlists, but i have been revisiting some... oldies.

Wish Upon A Blackstar - Celldweller; "Unshakeable" This was my first ever Celldweller album and it was introduced to me by a now defunct tumblr mutual about a decade ago. Apparently they thought "Blackstar" suited a character on my ongoing fic at the time, and I instantly fell in love with Klayton's music. "Unshakeable" is definitely on the playlist for one of my current MCs.

The Black Halo - Kamelot; "When the Lights Are Down" Kamelot is one of those bands Lil Goth me (freshman) got introduced to by an Elder Goth (senior) back in 2005, though "Ghost Opera" was technically the first ever song of theirs I ever listened to.

The Open Door - Evanescence; "Your Star" I wasn't joking about oldies. Again, surprising amount of MC vibes coming off this album which makes me fear for the poor guy's life.

POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR - Bring Me the Horizon; "1x1" So, the funny thing about "1x1" is that, at their core, every single one of my protagonists can be summed up by this one song and I don't know what that says about me as a writer. I mean, 'annihilation never looked so good' as a lyric never fails to make me want to headbang.

DEATH STRANDING: Timefall - Multiple artists; "Ghost" by Au/Ra My endgame as a creator is to become the next Hideo Kojima like I want to make my own company and make utterly self-indulgent and fucking insane shit how I want to make it and then have all my cool artist friends either star in it or record songs for soundtracks. That being said, I'm yet to come across a video game soundtrack that's just banger after banger after banger.

Love is Dead - CHVRCHES; "Graffiti" I came across this album during the beginning of the pandemic and I listened to it so many times that multiple people reached out to ask if my discord was glitched because the status kept showing the same songs over and over. I'm not sure why it latched onto me the way it did, but February 2020 was sure a time.

Honorable mentions!

7. Woman King - Iron & Wine; "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven"

8. Lifa - Heilung; "In Maidjan"

9. Pictures of Mountains - Cody Fry; "London" & "Photograph"

tagging @lucillesharpeapologist, @vanessaaftonsgirl, @opaleyedprince, @fortunatetragedy, @wrencatte SHOW ME YOUR MUSIC TASTES (but only if you want to, ofc!)

#texts. #boy howdy i'm all over the place when it comes to music. #tag game

[pumpkinstrawbrew]

𝕐𝕠𝕦'𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕒 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜

𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕀'𝕝𝕝 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕪… ⋭

…

(so, where to begin? i guess from the simple fact, that i wanted to do smth fun with this clean-cut parallel. at first, i wanted to make some quick edits, but then, i decided what the heck. i might just re-draw it! *or sort of re-draw it anyways*

the shippy stuff is shippy, but really it was hard not to be all like *insert dicaprio pointing meme* when i was reading the venom comic, and flash just pulled a batman on me. beat jack up, n’ then instead of killing him, like he wanted to, he spared him. took him in his arms all gently-like n’ carried his sorry ass into the dawn. like man, it just hit the cords within me! i was all like oohhh, it's like in one of my most fav scarecrow issues! i wasn't expecting this from the comic, even less so from flash, who always had a bit of bipolar resolute, when it came to jack. 'he wanna kill him, he wanna kill him not'. that sort of thing. yet, this moment kind of shown, that he prob will always find a reason to talk himself out of putting him down.

that's aside, another part of why i love those stories, is that both issues felt personal. both, jon n’ jack had personal grudges, both batman and flash were struggling with personal darkness within them. both overcame it, n' literally had to beat up their personal walking-talking nightmare *flash even refers to jack as that later on*. like, it was pretty great, honestly. all that emotional baggage, uncanny kinships with their own twisted mirror, which resulted in them actually feeling sympathy for scarecrow n' jack. giving them a small speech, that they couldn’t hear *bc unconscious*, sort of implying that maybe ‘they’re not beyond help’. it's almost bitter-sweet. even if most people would argue, that both jon n’ jack are way-way too far gone at that point. even if 'solution' sounds too unrealistic to be true. still, if someone like batman believes in you, then maybe, just maybe there is a chance. n’ if someone like flash spares your life, even though, he’s nothing like bruce *he actually killed people before*, then perhaps, there is smth beyond projection, which made him do it. 

all 4 characters are very different, n’ thb the context in everyone’s motivations n’ struggles are very different too, but i love how bruce n’ flash came to the same conclusion. took the same route with their respective twinky ghoul. showing mercy is noble, n’ it’s pretty sweet tbh. one of my fav tropes in fiction is when the hero/protagonist shows kindness/empathy toward their villain *who in most cases doesn’t ‘deserve it*. that whole cop out thing about 'evil should be punished by death' in fiction really takes away the romantism n' bendiness of fiction as whole tbh. esp with heroes. they supposed to be able to do 'impossible', including 'forgive the unforgiving'. this is why i prob will always advocate for the ‘no kill’ rule for super-heroes. i mean, it makes you have moments like those. smth that is actually emotional n’ also shows the cracks in heroes themselves, bc usually they can only truly relate to their rogues, someone who is usually designed to be a warped up reflection of hero’s own weaknesses, struggles or traumas. n’ while i always see jack o’lantern as spiderman’s villain *he’s one of oldies, a classic villain after all*, i suppose, that this version of jack was tailored for flash’s venom specifically, n’ i *unexpectedly* i loved it. daddy's issues run deep in this one for both of them. meanwhile, bruce be out there lecturing jon's school bullies, after he nearly killed them. what a man lol.

now, the comic panels themselves. just for better visualisation.

i didn’t include the first bit in my lil art thingy above, but i love how not only the venom mirrors batman in actions, but also how they’re even facing opposite sides, playing around with nearly opposite color pallets in each fight too. caters to the mood, but also it just looks nice side by side tbh. the blue/black/grey for batman, and orange/dark brown/yellow for venom. a dark knight / soldier n' maskless halloween villain. this prob the only point, where they connect narratively n' thematically, but it's a major one.

anyho', i didn't had a hardcore goal to re-draw those scenes to a t, just make it recognizable for the most part. but it was fun! also gave me an execuse to stare at those comic panels some more.

as for the song, it popped out inside my head kinda randomly. but it fits them, i think. even the tune itself adds to it. somewhat sad n’ slow. but the meaning of it, not fully hopeless. at least, they will always have someone there for them. after all, guys like jon n’ jack will always come back, seeking ‘their hero’, hungry for punishment or other things. n’ for someone as crippled as bruce or flash, it might not be the worst thing, really. usually, the hero is stuck in the same miserable 'unchanging', unwinnable situation as their villains are. be it outside forces, fate or sickness, that keeps them bond. it's still better to try and make the best of it, right?)

#batman comic #venom comics #bruce wayne #jonathan crane #flash thompson #jack o' lantern #dc & marvel #scarebat #flashjack #brew draws

[tvrningout-a]

alright, so! something to note about chiyo is that she grew up with a dad who bonded with her over anime and manga. he introduced her to a bunch of oldies, watched childhood classics with her, and even indulged in stuff like naruto when she got into it. her dad used the protagonists to kinda teach her how to be a good person -- be heroic, look out for others, stand up for them, be kind, etc. and that really stuck with her.

fast forward some years, and chiyo encounters her first bully. they aren't her bully at first; they're picking on a friend of hers, and chiyo does as she was taught and stands up for her friend, chases off the bully. things are cool, fine. then they aren't.

that bully targets her, and chiyo realizes most of her classmates are more afraid of them than they are of losing her. and really, that's okay. she's a hero, right? heroes have their rough patches. they're stronger because of them. she can handle a mean kid.

but chiyo doesn't get stronger the longer this stuff goes on. she enters middle school, and it gets worse bc her classmates begin to avoid her. just being associated with her means they might be bullied, too, and what pre-teen wants to risk that? none of them do, particularly when the bullying progresses from harsh words and exclusion to pranks that leave chiyo walking home in soggy clothes or washing egg out of her hair.

chiyo realizes she's not as strong as she thought she was. she cries a lot -- not in front of them, never in front of them, but her parents see it. she tries to stop them from worrying, tells them everything's fine when it obviously isn't. eventually, teachers catch on, her parents are called, and they're called so often, it feels like.

everything is going wrong, and chiyo just wants it all to stop. she doesn't want to go to school anymore. she doesn't for a little while, thankful that her grandmother is retired and can afford to homeschool her while her parents search for another school she can attend. they find one too quickly for chiyo's liking, but they make her a deal: she'll finish the year up at home before she attends her new school.

things are much different at this new school because chiyo is different, too. she's much quieter, tending to blend into the background. she manages to befriend most of her classmates, yet she can't call any of them friends, per se. they don't really know her, which is what she wants. they can't hurt her if they don't know enough about her.

chiyo thankfully doesn't have to put up with bullies so much as cliques at this new school, but she ignores slights and attempts to get a reaction whenever they do happen. other kids tend to say something before the thought ever crosses her mind, and chiyo lets them despite the anger that sometimes flares inside her chest.

she's not going to play the hero anymore -- she's exhausted.

#forgive me if the flow of this is choppy!! the hour is late uvu #and i feel like there's probably more detail i could add but this way all the events are at least laid out! #it's long as it is so i'll elaborate later if i need to or if someone's got a question #but wow i'm in so much pain over chiyo : ) thanks brain : ) #headcanons | chiyoko

[onlyallytothesun]

Belos loosing his filter and telling Kikimora to straight up just kill herself is so beautiful. He really put his love in Christ on that one.

Luz shit talking Belos and calling him cringe will forever solidified her as a great protagonist. That and pulling a reverse card on him at the last minute.

Raine cutting Eda's arm off, Eda holding them as they died, let this oldies be in love and happy. Please Dana, just for once.

Gus traumatizing Belos back. Amazing. Seeing him cry was heartbreaking tho. This boy is a barely a pre teen.

King.

The Collector killing Belos was a... slay i guess?

The Collector is terrifying

What the fuck is an Owl House game? Are they gonna play pretend?

#the owl house #toh #philip wittebane #toh emperor belos #emperor belos #toh philip #luz noceda #eda clawthorne #toh gus #gus porter #raine whispers #kings tide #king tide #kikimora #toh kikimora #im coping

[barb-l]

Top 5 of your favorite shows that others seem to not like. Or top 5 moments on Tumblr that you were here for?

I'm not sure I can remember 5 things for the latter off the top of my head, so lemme do the former

in no particular order. also chose these not because others think it's bad or anything, but because I don't know a lot of people who like em

Gosick - this anime is so good guys. It's about this Japanese exchange student that goes to study in a fictional European school in the 1920's. He befriends a girl that detectives go to for help solving cases because she's hella smart. The romance is great, cute as hell, but also the plot and mystery is just really good and engaging. It's a bit of an oldie but a goodie, and will have you at the edge of your seat at the first arc alone

Love Lab - this show is hilarious. About the student school council who secretly give the repressed students in their all girls school relationship advices even tho none of them have any experience in romance themselves. Just high school girls being silly

Infinity Train - I'm still so mad that this show was cancelled. I'm still holding out hoping it'll get picked up. The fact that it's an anthology series that focuses on different protagonists whose stories are connected to each other in some way is my favorite thing about it. One of the best Isekai stories out there

Tokusatsu Gagaga - this show is so damn cute. About adult women of different age groups(18, 20+, 30's) bonding over how nerdy and too "childish" their interests are considering they're supposed to be grown women. Super relatable for fellow nerds who grew up being reprimanded for having interests not meant for girls too

Agents of Shield - this show doesn't get enough credit for having its first female Marvel hero MC who was also asian. I didn't expect much from a show starring that dude who used to appear in every Marvel movie before getting killed by Loki, but this show really made me love Coulson and his father-daughter relationship with Daisy. Melinda May is also the baddest ass character ever. Her fight scenes were just *chefs kiss* They had the best Ghost Rider too, even though he was only there for a bit

#asks

[otakween]

Zero Men - Volume 1

Now that I've finished 0-Sen Hayato, this manga was next on the list, another oldie. At least this time it's by the Godfather of all manga, Osamu Tezuka. I think this is his first work I've ever read??? Apparently no one cares about it because there's very little English material on it. Oh well, the main character is cute!

Ch. 1

Omg I'm loving this so far! The art is so dynamic and cute and the dialogue is really colorful too. The protagonist Ricky is adorable ;w; I love his tail.

That was a pretty badass and hilarious opening with the two soldiers fighting a pointless war while also low key bonding over a baby they saved.

Ricky crying when his dad told him his tail was something to be ashamed of broke my damn heart! Glad the dad isn't fully evil though. Just misguided...

Kind of weird that the dad is like "I swear I'll find you a doctor!" Like dude...you've had many years to do that and it probably would have been easier when the kid was an infant.

Ch. 2

Obvious parental death is obvious. Ricky sure got over it quick lol.

So, so far we know that 0 men can survive extreme temperatures, are really fast learners, and have great agility. I think this is an Elfen Lied scenario where they're supposed to be "evolved humans." Making them squirrel like was kind of a weird choice but oh well.

The professor's design where he basically just has a cloud for a head reminds me of Dr. Uranus from Cyborg 009. Peak old dude character design lol.

Losing one dad and then instantly meeting your real dad is pretty wild. The emotional whiplash made it all feel kind of rushed and silly. It's nice that Ricky doesn't feel like a freak anymore tho. Kind of an ugly duckling story.

Ch. 3

Woah, suddenly the story gets very different. Forget the evil scientists, it's time for robot demons apparently! New bad guys are Enma (Buddhist God of Hell) and Satan. Fun for the whole family!

Enma kinda looks like one of the guards from Squid Game lol, simple but menacing

The scene where Enma and Satan make an entire lighthouse disappear and the keep jumps out to save his life was effectively frightening. I wonder if that guy will come back as a witness?

All of Tokyo is ripped apart and put back together in like an hour and everyone just shrugs it off!? I know Japanese people can be complacent, but not THAT complacent!

This chapter felt like an anti-communist message with every house being exactly the same but "something's missing." I googled it and apparently Tezuka was a communist, but only for a short time before he changed his tune, so it's still possible that's what he was going for.

Ch. 4

So apparently the professor is a good guy now (despite first impressions) as he teams up with Ricky to investigate Enma.

We learn that 0-men are closer biologically to squirrels than they are to humans...riiight. The adults definitely looked more squirrel-like at least.

Pretty savage of the professor to shoot up his friend with a gun to "check if he's human" (including a shot to the head!?) Reminds me of the original Stepford Wives when the MC stabs her friend in the crotch.

The way Tezuka draws the prime minister feels very Looney Tunes. He's very rubbery.

Ch. 5

This manga is very text heavy so the average chapter takes me a bit to get through. Luckily, the Japanese has been very easy so far! (Rare for an older manga...)

Ricky and the Professor escape the clutches of King Enma who was planning to kill them if they didn't reveal the whereabouts of the 0 men. They end up in the forest where Ricky finds his mom and dad again. They ask Ricky to return to their country with them but he turns them down because he's vowed to be an "ally of humanity."

I can see why King Enma wears a mask...he's pretty dweeby looking under there. I like his mad scientist hair though. The fact that his face is a little disfigured gives Darth Vader vibes.

Ch. 6

Ricky and the professor try to alert the public about King Enma's take over. People start to be swayed, but then Enma just kills anyone who tries to join the resistance, so they don't get very far. By the end of the chapter Ricky is captured again by another power hungry person after the 0 men. Gdi Ricky...

I know it's for plot convenience but Ricky's tail pops out so easily that you'd think they'd come up with a better strategy for hiding it than stuffing it into his pants by now.

Ch. 7

Ricky splits up from the professor and finds himself captive on a boat. His 0 men parents come to save the day (apparently this was like a 0 men slave ship) and they knock out their captors.

Ricky just did a dramatic goodbye to his parents in chapter 6 and now he's back with them again? Make up your mind, story!

I was proud that I was able to read the kanji 船長. The videos I've watched of Marine-Senchou (vtuber) helped me out with that one.

We end the chapter in the jungle of the Himalayas. Maybe we'll learn more about 0 man culture?

Ch. 8

Uhhh wtf!? Ricky's dad just dies in an avalanche and they're like "meh, whatever!" Seriously Ricky and his mom recovered from that way too quickly. He might not really be dead, but they believe he is!!

It was cool seeing how the 0 men have been evading humans by living in a place that's only reachable by their species. That felt believable. I bet their land is nicer than the weird place Ricky was living before anyways. No dictators (I hope lol)

Ch. 9

Lol my previous statement was immediately proven wrong in this chapter. Ricky basically went from living in 1984 to Brave New World. I quickly went from enjoying learning about 0 men culture to being like...oh...that's not good.

Kind of confusing that Ricky's mom would intentionally bring her son into this world if she knew how messed up it was? She even is like "here's our apartment where we'll live as a big happy family" but then Ricky learns that kids are separated from their parents super early in this world and sent to live in a children's village. Like...did she not think of that??

Why was chapter 9 like 3 times longer than chapter 8? Well, I've been enjoying the kanji reading challenge. This manga has no furigana...

Ch. 10

Man this story is cyclical. They escape, they get captured, they escape, they get captured. Tezuka also seems to have ditched who I thought was the main villain for now. Will this whole thing be episodic or will we get a real plot?

They come across some yeti in their travels who say "yeti yeti" like Pokémon lol. I wouldn't mind seeing them make friends with all the cryptids, but the visit was very short.

Ricky's mom asking him to shoot her tail off with a gun was pretty dark. It does seem like it would make their lives a lot easier to remove their tails (in hopefully a less painful way), but I guess it's the principle of it.

Dude at they end looked like a Cyborg 009 character with his giant buttons and fancy hair haha.

Ch. 11

And just like that we gain another random party member (and Ricky's mom gains her 2nd adopted son in like 2 chapters). Ricky and Pete bond over their daddy issues.

I was wrong, they did bring Enma back. He reveals that his new, Communist version of Tokyo was inspired by the 0 man way of living, so I guess that explains that.

Like I said, we're going in circles here. Now we're back to looking for the professor Ricky befriended in earlier chapters. After the gang finds a safe place to live, then what? Are they going to save the world from oppressive regimes? Is the goal to just be a normal, happy family?

Ch. 12

So apparently the professor they eventually find is some kind of fake (even though he passed Ricky's needle test). Can Tezuka decide if this dude is a good guy or a bad guy already!?

Kinda funny how when they found a safe place to hide out they're like "now let's confront the evil people!" Like...weren't you running to hide from the evil people? Well I guess heroes gotta hero.

Ch. 13

So now it's doomsday via Mt. Fuji erupting. Although the gang succeeded in destroying Satan's clone factory, they now need to worry about the fate of humanity.

The version of this that I got from Bookwalker is 4 volumes but MAL has it at 7 volumes, so this must be an omnibus. I wonder where the original volume 1 cut off?

That first volume was kind of all over the place. The plot progression didn't feel all that natural, but I think this was one of those stories that was supposed to be a one-off and then got expanded, so whatever. Let's see where things go in volume 2...

#0-man #osamu tezuka #manga #bookwalker

[doberbutts]

followthebluebell

I can't believe that square enix, the prettyboy video game company, has made a prettyboy character.

Honestly I think there’s more to it than that BUT I also laughed really hard at this reply because it’s true.

While Squeenix is known for its very pretty men, it’s also known for its big tiddy anime girlfriends as well as for its men who are practical paragons with godlike strength and abilities (thus the name “Squeenix”, for western anime culture oldies). In other words, Sephiroth might be pretty, you could even call him somewhat feminine with his face and hair, but he is very recognizably male and has been in most of his iterations due to the big tiddy anime girl characters that line the rest of the cast, Tifa and Scarlet being the worst offenders of that category. And, remember, when they first announced that Tifa would be getting a breast reduction and her miniskirt was going to have shorts underneath for “more realism”, the fanboys rioted claiming that somehow Tifa going from F to D cups and not allowing panty shots when she does her high kicks violated their freedom of speech and censorship from a fascist dictator government. I’m not joking.

While he is pretty (and wearing bondage gear, is2g someone at Squeenix has a very clever excuse for why all of these characters are in some form of kink costuming) he’s also clearly male. Nothing about him besides the length of hair and the delicate features on his face, both of which have in-canon explanations, really scream “feminine” or “girlish”.

And, the same with Tifa, whose interests, fighting style, and bearing should make her more masculine, but she is clearly female.

Even Cloud in the dress is still recognizably Cloud, and thus recognizably male. So even though Square has been playing with gender for literal decades, I don’t know that we’ve ever had them put their foot down and say “what if bodies were just bodies and we didn’t exaggerate secondary sex characteristics for our protagonists? what if you couldn’t tell male from female at first glance? what then?” Cloud’s time in the dress both in the original and in the remake is mostly played for laughs, but in interviews the intention was for that segment of the game to show “gender-free spaces” as good and freeing, even if they were odd to a rigidly gendered audience. How much they succeeded really depends on the viewer’s interpretation.

Again, from a western perspective, it seems to me like someone fairly high up the ladder of this company has always at minimum been an ally for Japan’s LGBT population, if not directly involved with that community. Like I said, it just seems to me that Square Enix and its subsidy Live Wire heard the “if you don’t like it make your own” and... made their own, as they have been doing for decades. And the gamer bros are mad about it because they don’t have a godlike huge muscled paragon like Sephiroth to play as, nor a big tiddy anime girlfriend like Tifa, and thus how dare they give us protag models with little-to-no difference between male and female.

[runabout-river]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

Hohohoho, this list is going to be colourful.

Favorite character in Demon Slayer but only after his backstory was revealed and he got to shine in the future season 4. He's a little crazy, has a cool design, a sad backstory and is absolutely loyal (to the people he doesn't hate). I actually have a fic planned about him (in the far future) where he gets turned into half a demon as a child.

Kai Hiwatari from Beyblade, an oldie here. Cool design, cold personality, hidden depth, intriguing backstory. You won't believe how many fic I've read as a teen about his forgotten past in Russia where he had to grow up in an abusive abbey.

Ling Xiaoyu from Tekken. Not because of her backstory obviously, that's barely existent, but because she's the character I learned all the movesets to. Even years later, every time I get to play the game, my muscle memory activates and I perform her best moves on the spot.

Zack Fair from Crisis Core. I played that game in school between classes. Absolutely love him and his personality even though he's the opposite of the characters I normaly like. That's most likely because the world of FFVII:CC is already gloomy enough without an equally gloomy protagonist. Honorouble mention goes to Terra from KH:BBS.

Texas form Red vs. Blue. I'm guessing that most people from the animanga community have no idea about RvB or only ever heard of it in passing while they watch RWBY. But the series (not the latest seasons or whatever goes on there) holds a special place in my heart. For everyone interested, this is the episode that got me hooked, featuring Texas and Monty Oum's animation, and this is the complete first season on Youtube (made with ingame graphics).

Dr Bashir from ST:DS9. Is attractive, passionate, a little silly often times and has a tragic/intriguing backstory. I always love seening him on screen. Between TNG, VOY and DS9 he's my favorite with Data and Chakotey coming next.

Nightwing (and Robin) from DC comics. I was a fan of Teen Titans, then of Young Justice, then of the comic books and now I have two stacks of graphic novels on the shelfs. I couldn't keep up with the comics anymore, but Nightwing is here to stay. Jason was the runner up.

Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Yeah it's not a character but saying Shakti from the Dungeon doesn't mean much here. I was introduced to this game by my uncle while a kid and even in university I found my first friends by talking about this ancient game. Nearly didn't start writing fanfic because I was just about have another months long playing session with this.

Roronoa Zoro from One Piece. He's awesome and the epitome of cool while still a victim of extremely goofy scenes. He's cool headed, has bloodlust, is reserved and also passionate and loyal. I've watched One Piece since the first episode aired in Germany. This guy is part of my DNA.

Riku from Kingdom Hearts. Every KH fan will tell you that playing these games will alter your brain chemistry. Not necessarily in a good way but they still shake your world upside down. Riku has good character development throughout the games and I like his design, his cool demeaner and his drive to help his friends.

I kept JJK characters out of this list of course becuase I already talk about them constantly, and I definitely forgot entire series and movies and whatnot while thinking of these characters but these ones were the first on my mind so there.

#ask

[animeguysindistress]

There's a older anime, Yami No Matsuei, where the 3rd episode is about the main character rescuing his partner/sidekick who was kidnapped by the main villain (who's obsessed with the protagonist). The partner/sidekick spends most of the episode tied to an old bedframe with what looks like piano wire. It's one of my favourites ♡

Oh yes, I remember that now. That was a very interesting scene indeed, especially since he pretty much stayed in such a state for the entire episode, if I remember correctly.

An oldie but goodie.

[owlbearwrites]

WtW Ghost Gala: Day 12 - Candles

After naming all some of your characters: tell us the meaning behind their names

Not so much meanings as origins, because most of my characters are named very deliberately...

Leading roles:

Jack Howard: (m; ~47; human and/or android) one half of the protagonist duo; being the character inspired by Handsome Jack of Borderlands and Tony Stark of the MCU, he takes his first name from the former (and resisted my every attempt to rename him), and the surname, after the latter's father Howard Stark (and not, as someone familiar with the Fallout inspiration of the story might've suspected, Todd Howard of Bethesda).

Rowan Woods: (m; ~32; human and cyborg) the other half of the protagonist duo; Rowan's name truly is a basket of Easter eggs. First off, his character inspiration, who also hails from the Borderlands universe, is called Rhys Strongfork, whose surname was a play on Reese Witherspoon. On my part, I continued the game, and gave the Rhys-inspired character a surname of Witherspoon's probably most famous character, Elle Woods. As for his first name, I wanted something still starting with R, but also, made for a slightly silly full name. Hence, a tree-inspired name for someone with the surname of 'Woods'. (I also have an in-universe behind Rowan's name, as he chose his first name himself, being being trans; here's some further context on that choice).

Supporting cast:

Richard Thornbridge: (m; ~50; human) head of the Agency's android program and Jack's boss; considering the contentious relationship between him and Jack, I arrived at Thornbridge's surname via a route of reverse-engineering the surname of Borderlands Jack's asshole boss Harold Tassiter. Tassiter is not a well-known surname in our world (although I found one family by that name in 19th century Massachussets). However, it's only one letter away from Lassiter, which is an English surname connected to the city of Leicester (pronounced kind of like 'Lester'). So I decided I wanted an English name, crawled around the map of England for inspiration, and eventually settled on something that sounded fancy, yet unpleasant (a bridge of thorns doesn't evoke nice feelings; plus, considering that RT will frequently be in the way of Jack's plans, he is an unpleasant obstacle, and so is his name). As for the first name, I wanted to give Jack a reason to call the man Dick.

Megan Diaz: (f; ~35; human) deputy head of the Agency's energy program and Jack's best and only work friend; this is another Borderlands inspiration. Even though Meg is not a canon character in the game world, it is fanon that Jack's personal assistant is called Meg (inspired by a real-world interview with the voice actor). My face claim for her is Stephanie Beatriz, who played Detective Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn 99, hence the surname.

Harvey Lorde: (f; ~early 40's; human) area commander of the Neighborhood Watch and mayor of the Havenford township; Harvey's first name is a nod to a community leader (and giver of all too many side quests) Preston Garvey of Fallout 4. Fun fact: although normally seen as a male name, there have been multiple well-known women called Harvey. For surnames, I went the face claim route again: my mental image for Harvey is Gina Torres; 'Lorde' is derived from Lourdes, the middle name of the character Jessica Pearson that Torres played in Suits.

Sofia 'Sonya' Morello: (f; ~230; mutated human) originally Rowan's best friend and colleague pre-apocalypse, and the Short Queen to his Tol Boi (who can, nevertheless, kick a lot more ass than Rowan, if necessary). Sonya is another member of the cast who makes a return post-apocalypse: in her case, as one of the Oldies, a small percentage of humans granted an unnaturally long lifespan by the effects of radiation, at the expense of various physical mutations. I wanted Sonya's name to evoke cuteness that matched her pre-apocalypse self and then contrasted with her post-apocalypse badassery, while also acknowledging her giant heart and keen mind: her full first name Sofia means 'wisdom', while 'Morello' stems from Italian for 'love' (in addition to being a kind of cherry, so extra touch of cute).

Henry Flowers: (m-presenting; ~40+ presenting; android) android gunslinger extraordinaire; as he is the creation of my friend Kayleigh Pepper, who graciously gave me custody of him for this story, I actually don't know Henry's name origins; something to investigate.

These are most of the characters who will play important parts in the story. Of course, various NPCs will need names too; and there may also be a secondary antagonist deserving of a meaningful name.

#wtwevent #wtwcommunity #wtw ghost gala #writeblr #preptober #50% fate: meta #fate is just the half of it #jack howard #rowan woods