#there are plenty of examples floating around

[thresholdbb]

Let’s talk about some of the problems with Star Trek. There are obviously real-world, behind-the-scenes reasons for many of the things we don’t like about Star Trek, and they’re usually pretty messed up. A very non-comprehensive list includes but certainly is not limited to:

Geordi being bad with women - racism

Geordi and Worf being the people of color on the cast but in heavy make-up - racism/othering

Harry Kim not getting a promotion - racism (see: model minority)

Klingons all being black/dark skinned (pre ~2001 at least cause that’s mostly what I know) but sometimes played by white actors - racism (see: blackface)

Chakotay’s whole deal - racism (see: noble savage)

The Kazon not assimilated by the Borg - anti-black racism

Deanna Troi not wearing a uniform - sexism

Seven of Nine not wearing a uniform - sexism

Jadzia getting killed off - sexism

Ezri’s poor reception - sexism again

Miles/Keiko/Kira’s baby situation - theres a post going around calling it misogynistic and it’s a pretty good take

B’Elanna being reduced to angry Klingon - Racism and sexism double whammy (see: spicy Latina)

Keiko being perceptually reduced to nagging wife even though that’s not what her actions necessarily portray - racism and sexism double whammy again

Beverly Crusher’s trill episode - homophobia

DS9 flirting with different expressions of sexuality (many characters) but barely committing - homophobia

Pike’s fate - ableism

DS9 Augments - ableism

Later iterations of Spock losing the Jewish coding - antisemitism

I’ll stop the list there since we can keep pulling examples out as nauseam and find examples of any of the -isms, any of the -phobias either within the media itself or behind the scenes but especially in some of the fan spaces. There’s plenty of ethnic/religious/gender/sexuality coding, erasure, contradictions, and many other things that can be pulled out and dissected in ~900 hours of a franchise made over 6 decades. (Keep adding examples if you want, since mine do not cover the whole spectrum of the franchise and barely even touch alien species that also have issues.)

Star Trek is undeniably made in a capitalist Hollywood production company, so white supremacy, heteronormativity, and dominant cultural tendencies usually end up dictating what gets put on air. Hollywood has a dominant thread of white supremacy throughout its history, so even intentionally trying to diversify staff and talent is difficult because of the systems feeding into Hollywood or other industries/institutions. There can also be a great deal of privilege working in the favor of successful artists - not always but something to consider.

Additionally, Trek presents itself as a post-scarcity, futuristic utopia, and sometimes things stick out to us if they don’t meld with our personal understanding of what that would look like.

I’m sure we’ve all heard a little about the old production schedules, long days, demanding schedules, rotating writers, rotating directors, etc etc. It has been proven that implicit bias can drive decisions, especially when people are busy. Even if the production isn’t explicitly motivated by these things, they seep into the work. The -isms and -phobias are sometimes reduced to characteristics of a person/piece of media, but it’s sometimes more useful to characterize actions instead of people since it allows better conversation about the topics. Sometimes it is intentional and explicit, sometimes it’s not. The intention does not affect the impact, so how a storyline or message lands on the audience/viewer is important. Science fiction in particular is a genre that makes social commentary, so by design it lends itself to deeper analysis.

We also can’t forget that the shows are products of their respective times, and a lot of what was shown was pushing against cultural boundaries. For the most part, the franchise has tried to explicitly be diverse, but they are bound to make missteps in other areas, intentional or not. No piece of media is perfect or above scrutiny.

Now, all of that said, there are many schools of thought for how to analyze media. I’m not gonna give a whole crash course in literary criticism but we can look at it from a continuum of different perspectives. We can wonder what the production meant when they made it/what happened off camera (author intentionality), we can draw from the piece itself (in universe), we can focus on how the media was received either in its cultural context or outside (reader response), or we can do some combination of the three. No media exists in a vacuum, so they all end up working together to make the work.

My main point is this: it is ok to pick your analytical perspective. You can chose to ignore the real-world contributions and intentionality when analyzing media. If people want to stay strictly in universe to come up with reasons why something did or did not happen, that’s ok. If people want to focus on what happened behind the scenes and how that affected the work, fine. If people are just focused on how it made them feel, also great. Just maybe don’t get all worked up because someone is analyzing media from a different viewpoint or someone has a different take than you do.

#Star Trek #long post #infinite diversity in infinite combinations #I could put more in the bullets if I thought about it #there are plenty of examples floating around #a lot of the -ism tropes are so common they have names #I don’t remember all of them cause I lent that book out and never got it back #I am not defending the production for making bigoted decisions #the issue is nuanced #i like to stay in universe because it was hammered into me not to look to hard into author intentionality #intentional fallacy #like I’m not a Russian formalist or anything #I can acknowledge that behind the scenes and what resulted is far from perfect and may even perpetuate stereotypes #we contain multitudes #sure we can find plenty of white saviors too #I know I didn’t hit all the possible isms sorry #I have a lot of thoughts on the augment situation though #like yes x happened because whatever person was sexist racist etc but we can look deeper if we want #idk if this is a rant or what but I’m sorry I decided to go off on a million tangents today #a post no one asked for #just gonna keep writing long posts and tags people probably won’t read #meta

[poetrysmackdown]

what makes a poem a poem? does it have to be written in a certain way? is this question a poem if i want it to be?

Fun question! This is just my personal sense as an avid reader and less-avid writer of poetry, but for me it’s useful to distinguish (roughly) between poetry as a genre and poetry as an attitude or philosophy through which language and the world can be understood. And of course these two go hand in hand. I see poetry the genre as essentially a type of literature where we as readers are signaled, somehow, to pay closer attention to language, to rhythm, to sound, to syntax, to images, and to meaning. That attentive posture is the “attitude” of broader poetic thinking, and while it’s most commonly applied to appreciate work that’s been written for that purpose, there’s nothing stopping us from applying that attentiveness elsewhere. Everywhere, even! That’s how you eventually end up writing poetry for yourself, after all. There’s a quote from Mary Ruefle floating around on here that a lot of folks have probably already seen, but it immediately comes to mind with this ask:

“And when you think about it, poets always want us to be moved by something, until in the end, you begin to suspect that a poet is someone who is moved by everything, who just stands in front of the world and weeps and laughs and laughs and weeps.”

Similarly, after adopting the attentive posture of poetics, there’s plenty of things that can feel or sound like a poem, even when they perhaps were not written with that purpose in mind. I’ve seen a couple of these “found poems” on here that are quite fun—this one, for example. The meaning and enjoyment you may derive from the language of a found poem isn’t any less real than that derived from a poem written for explicitly poetic purposes, so I don’t see why it shouldn’t be called poetry.

That said, I do think that if you’re going to go out and start looking for poetry everywhere, it’s still important to have a foundation in the actual language work of it all. Now, this doesn’t mean it has to be “written in a certain way” at all! But it does mean that in order to cultivate the attentiveness that’s vital to poetry, one needs to understand what makes language tick, down at its most basic levels. It will make you better at reading poetry, better at writing it, and better at spotting it out in the wild.

Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook is an extraordinary resource to new writers and readers, and a great read for more experienced folks as well. Mary Oliver’s most popular poems are all to my knowledge in free verse, and yet you might be surprised to find her deep appreciation for metrical verse (patterns of stressed/unstressed syllables), as well as for the most minute devices of sound. In discussing the so-called poetry of the past, she writes,

“Acquaintance with the main body of English poetry is absolutely essential—it is the whole cake, while what has been written in the last hundred years or so, without meter, is no more than an icing. And, indeed, I do not really mean an acquaintanceship—I mean an engrossed and able affinity with metrical verse. To be without this felt sensitivity to a poem as a structure of lines and rhythmic energy and repetitive sound is to be forever less equipped, less deft than the poet who dreams of making a new thing can afford to be.”

In another section, after devoting lots of attention to the sounds at work in Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, she writes,

“Everything transcends from the confines of its initial meaning; it is not only the transcendence in meaning but the sound of the transcendence that enables it to work. With the wrong sounds, it could not have happened.”

I hope all this helps to get across my opinion that what makes a poem a poem is not just about the author's intention, and not just about meaning (intended or attributed), but also about sound and rhythm and language and history, all coalescing into something that rises above the din of a language we would otherwise grow tired of while out in our day-to-day lives.

I'll always have more to say but I'm cutting myself off here! Thanks for the ask

#ask #discussion #does this even answer the question? lol #anyways even if you're not huge on mary oliver i still highly recommend a poetry handbook #i admit her poetry is only to my taste about 60-70% of the time. but her handbook is a great resource and can stand alone #i actually think oliver wrote a whole other book just about metrical verse too. for people who are into that #also if you're someone who's less interested in the question 'what is poetry?' and more into questions like #why is poetry? can poetry survive? what the fuck happened to poetics in the twentieth century? #i recommend the witness of poetry by czeslaw milosz #an older book—actually a collection of lectures—but an absolute game-changer for me #not a poll

[snakeautistic]

One of the things within the autism community I find the most offputting are the self aggrandizing ideas you see floating around about the character of autistics.

That we are ‘the next step in evolution’, inherently more moral than NTs, inherently more intelligent than NTs, should be the ones to run society, ect. Now as a lighthearted joke, like “autism makes me cooler than the masses” or like “NTs are annoying.”- it’s whatever- punching up as a marginalized group isn’t bad. But the problem comes when people begin to genuinely believe they have more value based on their neurotype.

I think we have to understand that is inherently not healthy to put marginalized groups up on a pedestal like that. It may seem better to single out minorities with positive stereotypes, but what it really does is serve to further ostracize them. (A similar example to this is the ‘model minority myth’ when it comes to East Asians!) Even if this notion comes from inside the community, it’s not acceptable because it’s simply wrong. Autistic people are, well, people. We are just as capable of being shitty and being good as everyone else. To suggest that we aren’t is in a way denying us full personhood. (Now, this isn’t even getting into the way this sort of autistic supremacy myth completely leaves out and further maligns individuals with higher supports needs who perhaps aren’t seen as quite so ‘exceptional’…)

This isn’t to say that Autistic people don’t often have unique attributes and skills. A common thing mentioned is how a lot of seeming geniuses/ innovators were likely autistic. Broadly speaking, there are some areas where Autistic people are at an advantage over NTs. But there are also, of course, plenty of other areas where we aren’t. I do suspect that there were certain evolutionary factors that lead to the development of the autistic neurotype- I doubt that some of its traits are simply a ‘defect’. But this doesn’t make it ‘the next step in evolution’ at all, it simply means that autistic people should have an equal place in society.

#neurodivergent culture #neurodivergent community #autistic thoughts #autism community #autistic community #autism #neurodivergency #neurodivergent #neurodivergence #autistic #actually autistic #neurodiversity #asd #autism spectrum

[breelandwalker]

Sturgeon Moon - August 1, 2023

Buckle up, witches - with two supermoons in store, August is gonna be a wild ride!

Sturgeon Supermoon - August 1, 2023

The Sturgeon Moon is the name given to the first full moon in August. The name comes from the plentiful numbers of sturgeon which appear around this time of year.

Sturgeons are living prehistoric relics, examples of which appear in the fossil record as far back as 200 million years ago. Today, they are endangered due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss, but giant sturgeons growing up to 12ft (3.65m) long were once a common sight in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain in North America.

Other North American Indigenous names for this moon include Flying Up Moon (Cree), Corn Moon (Algonquin and Ojibwe), Harvest Moon (Dakota), Dry Moon (Catawba), Mountain Shadows Moon (Tlingit), and Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). European names for this moon include Haymaking Moon (Norse), Lightning Moon (English), and Grain Moon (Anglo-Saxon).

It's also interesting to note that in China, the seventh full moon of the lunar year is called the Hungry Ghost Moon, during which spirits of departed ancestors visit their relatives and homes, and trickster spirits may cause mayhem among the living if not properly appeased. Food offerings and incense are put out for ancestor spirits, families visit gravesites to offer prayers and site maintenance, and festival dances and floating lanterns celebrate the honored dead. In 2023, the Hungry Ghost Moon month will take place from August 16th to September 14th, beginning and ending on the new moons.

Blue Supermoon - August 30, 2023

Blue moons can occur when a full moon appears twice in a calendar month or four times in a season, as opposed to the usual three. August's Blue Supermoon is an example of the former, falling on the night of August 30-31 and peaking around 9:36pm EST.

This blue supermoon is especially notable, since it's the closest that our beloved satellite has been so far this year. The next time the moon will be this close to Earth again will be November 5, 2025, and we won't see another Blue Moon until August 19, 2024.

What Does It Mean For Witches?

Both blue moons and supermoons are particularly advantageous times for spellwork, especially that which involves the fulfillment of goals, desires, and wishes, or the culmination of long-term plans. It's also a great time to start new projects and set new goals for the fall and winter.

Blue moons carry your magical workings forward with a little dash of extra strength and vigor, and may provide extra clarity during divination or reflection. It's also the perfect time for spells related to second chances and abundance, drawing in that much-needed do-over or extra bit of luck or prosperity you've been needing.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

In August, we harvest one set of crops and sow another, reaping the rewards of our previous efforts and planting the seeds of future success. Look back on the magical workings you've done so far this year - how are they working out? Have any of your spells manifested in especially notable results? Go back and add to your notes, making sure to record anything that worked particularly well.

Evaluate your progress and reflect on what you want to carry forward and what you might need to put on hold or just let go for the time being. If you're partial to divination, a reading may help to provide some additional clarity on your current status, as well as some perspective on the possibilities for the near future.

Celebrate the harvest of grain and corn with your favorite recipes or a summer picnic. This year's August moon falls on Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, and the baking of bread and corn cakes are traditional for this occasion. But don't just limit yourself to corn and wheat! Late summer fruits are also ripe and make a tasty addition to any table.

Set your intentions and your goals for the latter part of the year and start preparing for the autumn and winter. It may seem silly to prepare for the cold when the weather is still blazing hot, but it will be here before you know it. Take time for one more summer beach trip or camping excursion before the hustle and bustle of the fall sets in.

The observation of the blue moon as a magical occasion is a modern addition to witchcraft, but the lack of antiquity doesn't mean there's any shortage of metaphysical potential!

Dive into your stash of blue clothes and accessories for some color magic. (Blue is generally associated with peace, harmony, understanding, clarity, and truth.) Set out a big jug of potable water to catch the light of these double supermoons - it will be great for cleansing, protection, wish-making, and drinkable potion bases later!

All in all, August is supercharged with lunar energy and primed for magical workings, so make your spells count!

Happy Sturgeon Moon, witches! 🌕🐟

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts by Bree NicGarran

Sturgeon Full and Blue Moon: August 2023, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Sturgeon Moon 2023: The Unique Supermoon Meaning of August, The Peculiar Brunette.

Blue Moon Meaning and Astonishing Spiritual Secrets in 2023, The Peculiar Brunette.

Hungry Ghost Festival, China Travel, June 20 2023.

Sturgeon, Wikipedia Article.

Lughnasadh, Wikipedia Article.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

Image Credit: "Leaping Gulf Sturgeon," by Dawn Witherington

(If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

#witch community #witchcraft #witchblr #lunar magic #full moon #Sturgeon Moon #moon magic #pagan #lunar calendar

[cyanocoraxx]

whilst i’m here. i don’t like this growing trend of treating exotic bugs and spiders like toys or props to make “viral” videos and such. the amount of videos i see floating around showing people irresponsibly handling tarantulas (especially old worlds!!!) high off the ground, bothering jumping spiders constantly because they’re cute and not providing them with enough enrichment, etc etc. tarantulas gain nothing from being handled and you put them at risk of injury or death if they fall or if you flinch and drop them. jumping spiders are adorable, but that doesn’t mean they should be poked and prodded for videos all the time like i’ve seen some people doing. yeah, they’re really cool, fascinating and a lot of people are adverse to these animals, but it doesn’t give you the right to treat those animals like props. they’re still wild creatures, they still deserve to have peace, and most importantly they need to be safe. that’s your responsibility and they owe you nothing in return!

yes, handle at your own risk. yes, some tarantulas and trues may harmlessly walk onto your hand and allow you to hold them. that doesn’t mean you should wave them around in front of a camera for likes and comments telling you how cool and brave you are for putting your animal at risk. sorry to be the fun police or whatever but come on. advocate for your animals so that people know that they’re not monsters, but advocate for them in a way that’s fair to your animal and honest to your viewers.

the only inverts i actively handle are one of my jumping spiders and both of my mantids and i do so entirely on their terms. if they want to come onto my hand they can, if they want to go home they can. i know each of them very well and know their limits and boundaries. my peacock mantis for example seems to appreciate being held where they can observe the room around them. my L3 thistle mantis doesn't like having hands close to her or above her as she's very small, and she prefers to jump onto a finger on her terms. my phidippus regius spiderling is shy and needs plenty of time to work up to jumping onto a finger from above, but once she’s settled she seems to like the warmth of my hand. my phidippus octopunctatus jumper doesn't want to be handled or touched, that's fine and i give her plenty of space.

just respect your inverts for the wild animals they are

#txt #advocate for your animals in a way that's fair to them and you AND your audience #it's not rocket science

[willtheweaver]

A writer’s guide to forests: woodlands made by man

Forests are for the most part, the realm of nature. But what about those with a less than natural origin? Here are some woodlands that are shaped artificially.

Parks and gardens- Trees look nice, there’s no denying it. As long as there have been people who admire trees, there have been gardens and parks. Grassy meadows, neatly trimmed hedges and flower beds may get all the attention, but an accenting grove, or a rambling woodland always adds to the aesthetic. Wealthy aristocrats would import trees from far away places, while more modest landowners and public spaces grow native species. Though the results do look quite natural, they are nonetheless human creations.

Orchard- Fruit and nut bearing trees have always been favored as a reliable source of food. And so people since nearly the beginning of agriculture have been planting orchards to provide for them. Trees are planted in rows, evenly spaced apart for the ease of harvesting. Smaller orchards, those catering to families who pick their own fruit, and those that grow fairly delicate fruits still do the harvesting by hand, while many more rely on machines to do the heavy lifting.

Tree farm/ plantation- Many trees types cultivated are deciduous species, but there are some instances when conifers are preferred. Being relatively fast growing, and usually possessing a single, straight trunk, they are the ideal tree type for use as lumber and paper products. Of course, one cannot forget the need every November and December for Christmas trees.

Palm plantation- The tropics are ideal for growing oil palms. Thousands of acres are devoted to the tree, as so much of our food and other products these days relies on palm oil. This is not a good thing as the demand means that vast areas of rainforest have had to be cleared. In Indonesia, the problem is particularly evident, as the growth of palm plantations is one of the main factors behind the decline of orangutan numbers.

Coconut grove- Almost anywhere you go in the tropics will have coconut palms. Buoyant, the nut floats easily on the currents, and where it is too isolated for a coconut to reach naturally (such as Hawaii), people have brought it with them. As well as the coconuts, the palms themsevles are also used; palm fronds can be used for roofing, and the fibers are used in weaving.

Bonsai forest- The art of growing miniature trees has been practiced for centuries. Some trees are collected in the wild, harsh natural conditions causing the trees to grow slowly and stay small, but many more are shaped over many years. While many bonsai are grown singularly, groves and forests are also popular choices. These can be either monospecific, or mixed, and can be part of a larger landscape creation that includes rocks, water, and figures.

There are plenty of examples of forest areas that are man-made. Don’t feel like you have to confine your story to a natural woodland. Use what you find around you to inspire the setting and drive your characters and the plot. What happens on the earth can easily be applied to science fiction or fantasy. Put your own spin on it (maybe your characters are small and live in a bonsai forest…of course they could also be normal sized people who happen to be in a giant sized bonsai planting).

Edit: As pointed out in the comments/reblogs, I seemed to have forgotten woodlots, so I am going to include those.

Woodlot- Common areas open to members of the community include a mixture of open pastureland and forested areas. People would have their flocks and herds forage here in spring and summer, whilst they managed and harvested the trees. Trees in woodlots would not be felled, instead the branches would be cut back and allowed to regrow. The resulting growth produces straight branches that are used in constructing walls, fences, as well as firewood and charcoal. (Communal pastures and woodlots are not really thought of these days, as many areas were lost over the years due to industrialization, urbanization, and the enclosure of land by the aristocracy)

#writing #creative writing #writing guide #writing inspiration #writing prompts #worldbuilding #writer #writers #writers and poets #writing community #writer on tumblr #writeblr

[nightkbroccolidemon]

AFO is Hisashi Midoriya

This is my contribution to the Dad-For-One theory, otherwise known as AFO is Hisashi Midoriya.

There are already plenty of indications and other theories out there to this particular idea, but I have never seen this specific one so I might as well share.

Disclaimer: this might have some manga spoilers, so be warmed!

First and foremost, what do we know about Hisashi Midoriya?

He is married to Inko Midoriya.

He works overseas.

He has a fire breathing quirk.

He is never seen in the backstory, neither the manga or anime.

Just from that we can already make some conclusions. I think some of them have already been floating around so I will make this short.

He could have taken her name in marriage. It would make sense if it was her family name, since Midori means green and Inko does have green hair.

An evil overlord most certainly makes enough money to send home. The cover of working overseas also means he doesn't need to be home and keep up the façade.

I believe it has been mentioned in manga and in the anime that emitter, more specifically fire quirks are the most common ones. So basically, nobody would call it either weak or strong if you are not Endeavour or Dabi. It would also be fairly easy to acquire a quirk like that for someone like AFO

We have no idea what Hisashi Midoriya looks like. Which is uncommon for parents in MHA. We have seen plenty of parents from different students, villains and even teachers in the vigilante spin off. One would think that the father of the main character is kind of important, or if he isn't (as we are led to believe) we would get at least a face. The fact that it is taking so long is certainly suspicious.

Now let's look at what we know about AFO.

He lost a big fight against All Might when Izuku was just a small child, before he received his diagnosis that he was Quirkless.

He is inherently possessive, narcissistic and egoistical.

He does not care for others only for the best way to gain power.

He has only one known weakness to his quirk. Said weakness is, he has to touch someone to steal their quirk.

Let's keep that in mind while we take a look at other facts. What do we know about the Midoriya family?

Izuku Midoriyawas born Quirkless.

He was diagnosed by the same doctor who later made the Nomus.

They are not rich, nor do they have any connections.

Inko Midoriya has a minor attraction quirk.

At first glance this might not mean a lot but in the frame of this theory both of these things shine in a different light.

AFO was born at the dawn of quirks. A time where it wasn't uncommon for someone to be born without a quirk. It wouldn't be far-fetched for him to have a Quirkless child.

If Izuku was indeed his son, it would make sense for him to monitor his development even after the fight against All Might. He must already be working together with the doctor because it was, he who healed AFO from his severe injuries.

What would AFO gain from marrying someone with a weak quirk and without any notable connection?

If AfO had a child with Inko Midoriya there is a possibility that this child could have a quirk which allowed them to pull quirks to them. This would solve AFO one weakness. In return all he would have to do is fly under the radar and pretend to be a good, if absent husband.

Alright this was a lot of speculation. So, let's take a look at Canon again to see if my main claim would make sense for the story.

The main example would be the Todoroki family. Endeavour demonstrates quirk marriage isn't a thing of the past. Which means we have a canon case of this happening.

The most glaring problem in this theory might be that AFO does not really look like Izuku. Then again Izuku does look a lot like his mother except for his hair texture and the freckles. At this point we have seen a younger AFO and still there are no glaring similarities. This might be because AFO wears his hair rather short in all his life stages compared to Izuku. We have also seen AFO mother who had no similarities to Izuku either.

For the time being AFO is kind of dead so he won't be the one confirming this theory. Izuku has seen him before and not mentioned anything. The only one left to say anything is Inko Midoriya.

Horikoshi did mention that there would be a Hizashi Midoriya reveal at some point. So, all we can do is wait and speculate.

Thanks for reading my random thoughts!

#mha manga #mha spoilers #mha #bnha #bnha spoilers #bnha afo #mha theory #dad for one #mha izuku #mha midoriya #just a thought

[windvexer]

Hi chicken! Apologizes if this is something you have answered in the past, but how would one get rid of entity attachments? Why do they occur and how do you identify if it’s attached? Additionally, for example, if something followed you home and won’t leave even after banishing and it got through your protections and wards, what do you do in this case?

(Entity attachment anon!) I forgot to ask, is it possible for entities to attach even if you’ve layered personal protections on? I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anyone having this problem but I’m deeply curious.

Hi, Anon! Major UPG post alert ^-^

So this is a huge topic and I'm afraid there are no easy answers. If we're talking about entity attachments, what I've mostly experienced are entities who are just targeting people because they've already got a foothold.

I find the "energy cord" theory to be more effect than cause. In other words, if a linking energy cord is present it's because the spirit is haunting a person; the cord doesn't cause the haunting, but rather reflects and demonstrates the relationship between two or more things.

I don't know if I really believe in "attachments," specifically. Sometimes, certain spirits can become fixated on a person in the interest of causing harm or for deleterious personal gain, but this doesn't necessarily mean there is any special magical link between the spirit and the person being haunted. It's not an attachment so much as it is targeted harassment.

But I'm also a little hesitant on the topic because IME, it's very easy to interpret "a spirit is upset in my vicinity" to "I am being victimized by a negative spiritual attachment."

Also, if it sounds like something the Warrens would say, I'm extra hesitant to adopt it into my worldview.

For example, plenty of unpleasant spirit encounters happen because a spirit accidentally got trapped inside of a household. It's upset and it wants to leave, but the practitioner is taking steps contrary to solving the actual issue. If a spirit is trapped inside the house and the practitioner responds by redoubling wards and commanding the spirit to leave, the issue becomes intransigent; the practitioner doesn't understand why the problem is happening, so they are taking actions that seem rational, but in actuality can't solve the problem.

My take on resolving unwanted spiritual intrusions is therefore a pretty practical, but boring one: resolving them requires an understanding of why they are happening, and how to form an appropriate action plan centered around effective sorcerous techniques.

There are plenty of reasons why a person could have attracted unwanted spiritual attention, and they're all boring stuff too: You stole something from nature that wasn't yours to take, you worked magic in a place you shouldn't have worked magic in, you targeted someone who has their own spiritual protectors, you're behaving like someone who needs to learn a lesson and the lesson has arrived, you accidentally opened doorways that spirits stepped through, you modified the spell without understanding the steps, you started getting involved in things that were none of your business and now business is getting involved with you, and so on.

It's never "an evil spirit followed me home for no reason and walked through all of my wards and now it's attached to me."

It's always "oh yeah, last year I made a promise to a nature spirit in that park to bring it offerings every week, but I forgot, but trees are supposed to be cool, right? No, I don't remember the promise ritual I performed, but I do remember that I invited the spirit to come visit me whenever it wanted. Hey, wait, is that why it could walk past my wards?"

From time to time, the exact cause of an unwanted spirit haunting can't be discovered, or doesn't matter. Some times unwanted spirits kind of just do float in and start causing problems, but those problems are resolved through effective sorcery. This means not only casting effective spells, but also employing an effective strategy.

If the banishing didn't work, it was either an ineffective spell, or an ineffective strategy. The angry dryad isn't being banished because the jar wards you put up 18 months ago have a clause about always protecting invited guests from harmful magic. It doesn't matter if you're casting a good banishment; it's a bad strategy to resolve the situation.

This is probably going to sound a little mean of me, but if someone said that a spirit just walked through all of their protections and wards and can't be banished, my immediate assumption is not that it's a powerful spirit who has become specially attached. My assumption is that the person is working with ineffective magical techniques.

So a lot of dealing with unwanted spiritual intrusions isn't just attack and defense. It's also investigation, diplomacy, and strategy.

You ask if it's possible for a spirit to become "attached" to a person even if they have lots of personal protections, but I'm not sure my beliefs agree with the question itself. Could a spirit force a harmful connection with someone who is extremely well-protected? Maybe, but I doubt it. At a certain point, a point not even very difficult to reach, protection becomes so all-encompassing that it is transformative.

But also, having many protection amulets isn't the end-all, be-all of protection against unwanted spiritual attention. I suffered from unwanted contact for years that my strongest banishing and protection couldn't touch, and then immediately resolved it with a basic spell that employed an entirely different strategy.

At the end of the day, though, effectively dealing with unwanted spiritual intrusions can be complex and require a lot of different skills to appropriately tackle, even if the situation is easy to resolve once you understand what's going on.

So if you've found yourself in a pickle and there don't appear to be any doors leading out of the fun house, then I'd recommend just hitting up a spirit doctor. Not to speak too broadly, but it's the job of such folks to remedy problems caused by spirits.

Various doctors have various specializations, but many of them are able to directly intercede on your behalf or at least provide the information necessary to resolve the issue.

#answered

[nninoxasaur]

so ive been seeing some ai art floating around in some of my frequented tags recently and I wanted to share some info about why I personally don't think ai art is that great

this is pretty common knowledge at this point but for those who don't know generative ai creates images, text and music through data scraping. what this means is that the ai uses every piece of information it can from the internet to create new stuff. which in theory is fine but in practice it means that a lot of authors, musicians and artists are having their work fed to programs like wombo, dall-e, and fotor without consent or compensation. its no coincidence that you can ask for images in big online artists styles and get convincing results.

am i saying ai art is evil and we should never use it? no. there are plenty of ways it can assist the creative process but when its taking data from people who a) didn't consent and b) arent getting compensated I personally feel its disrespectful to those creators.

there are examples of artists who use ai art in ethical ways like Yuma Yanagisawa if you wanna look him up his work is super interesting. The difference there is that Yuma's ai only uses photos he himself has taken to create the finished art pieces, totally avoiding the whole unethical data scraping situation.

anyways sorry for the long post i did a report on gai recently and wanted to put my thoughts out into the void.

#rotbtd #nninos thoughts #gai #ai art #rise of the brave tangled dragons

[nnycore]

Hunger was one of those annoying, unavoidable things about being a human.

Even though Johnny C. was pretty confident that he could survive on sheer force of will if he had to, living hungry was uncomfortable, and while there were plenty of sacrifices Nny was willing to make for the sake of becoming a feelingless, empty husk, hunger (at this time at least) was just a pointless preventable discomfort. 

And so he took to the kitchen.

To say that Nny’s kitchen was barren was an understatement. His fridge contained exactly four items: a carton of milk that expired a month ago (why did he even buy that? he’s lactose intolerant), a tupperware full of something unidentifiable (he really didn’t want to know what was in it), a jar of pickles (great for snacking!), and a single cucumber. His pantry wasn’t much better; all he had there were some cans of tuna (also expired, he accidentally bought them in oil instead of in water and refused to touch them), a bag of chips (only the crumbs were left), and three cans of spaghettio-s. There was also the matter of his lack of tableware. And proper cutlery. He had the basics: ice cream scoop, pizza cutter, a fork, and of course, knives. Lots and lots of knives. Nny was like a magpie when it came to those things. Any time a new knife caught his eye, he just had to have it. Whether it was the design of the handle, the curve of the blade, or the way it caught the light, something about them just drew him in. Of course he didn’t need it. He knew that. His set of kitchen knives could get the job done just fine. Hell, he could probably do his job with a spoon if he had to (actually, that’s not too bad of an idea… maybe that ice cream scoop would come in handy? FUCK that’s why he bought it! damned memory problems…). 

That’s not the point, though. The point is, Johnny’s living space was absolutely abhorrent, and he had nothing to put his fucking spaghetti-o’s in and the screams from the basement were getting loud enough to be annoying. Fuck he didn’t have time for this, he had things to do! People to kill! Walls to paint! Well, one wall. Regardless, he was a busy man.

Nny grabbed a can and a knife and headed down the stairs. While he walked, he worked the blade of the knife around the edge of the can, cutting the top off with a horrible screeching noise. He really should just invest in a can opener. Once the top was hanging on by just a shred of metal, he ripped it off with his teeth and gulped the pasta down. A glob of sauce missed his mouth and landed on the stairs with a plop. 

“God… DAMMIT!” he screamed. 

“Are you gonna pick that up?” a high, croaky voice asked him.

Fuck, on top of this, he had to deal with a stupid disembodied rabbit corpse following him around, squeaking out useless suggestions. Well, not useless, he supposed. He just didn’t want to hear it. 

Nny glared at the floating head. “Fuck off, Nailbunny. I’m not in the mood today.”

“You’re never in the mood, Nny.”

“And why do I have to be, huh? Who am I trying to impress? Because it isn’t you, it isn’t the doughboys, and it sure as hell isn’t the people down in the basement.”

The rabbit pouted. “Alright, I see how it is… but what about that little kid, huh? What’s his name… Tom? Todd?”

“Squee?”

“Yeah, him. Don’t you want to be a good example for him?”

“If Squeegee is looking to me for an example of anything other than what not to do, he’s already too fucked to be helped.”

“Aw, come on, don’t say that! You have plenty of good qualities.”

“Like?”

“Well… uh…” the rabbit faltered. “You’re very polite.”

“I kill people, Nailbunny,” he deadpanned.

“Well, when you’re not killing people, you’re always very nice. Even when you are killing people you can be polite.”

“Like hell I am! Name one time I’ve ever been nice to someone I killed.”

“There was that one guy… Almost a year ago, remember? You two had a nice chat right before you killed him. Very enlightening. I could see you being friends with him if things had gone differently.”

“Yeah, if things went differently. Which they didn’t. Now are you going to let me clean up my mess or what?”

Nailbunny said nothing and drifted away in response.

Nny sighed. Conversations with his head-voice-entity-things were always exhausting. Why were they so adamant on him questioning everything about his existence? Why did every conversation have to be deep and thought provoking? Was it not enough to simply chat about the weather? Or how ironic the death he planned for his latest victim was? Honestly, he put so much thought into the way he killed and there wasn’t even anyone around to appreciate it. But then again, he might just be talking to himself, and if that was the case, he didn’t even want to think about what subconsciously psychoanalyzing himself meant for his already nearly non-existent mental health.

“Nobody fucking helps me in this house,” he grumbled as he retrieved the cleaning supplies from under the kitchen sink.

Returning to the scene of the mess, Johnny realized just how small the glob of tomato sauce was. He had gotten his heavy duty stuff (yellow gloves instead of his usual black ones, a mop, and some windex) out for nothing. “I guess I’ll just…” He paused, dragging his hand down his face in exhausted frustration. “...get a towel then.” As he turned to slink back up the stairs, the steel toe of his boot caught on one of the steps, sending him tumbling down into the basement. Johnny C. landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, his mop and cleaning supplies scattered around him. He groaned, annoyed at the unexpected turn of events. As he struggled to get up, he heard a soft, timid voice from the corner of the basement. 

The source of the disembodied voice stepped into the dim light, revealing a young boy with wide, fearful eyes. It was none other than Squee, the kid from the neighborhood who always seemed to cross paths with Johnny in the most unfortunate situations. "Uh, hi, Mr. Nny. Are you okay?"

Johnny C. scowled, attempting to save face despite the embarrassment of his fall. "Of course, I'm fine. Just testing the structural integrity of the stairs, you know, for safety reasons. How did you get down here, anyways?”

Squee looked skeptical but didn't press the issue, instead fidgeting nervously with his fingers. "I-I heard noises, and I thought it was safer down here. But then you fell, and I didn't know what to do." He hesitated before asking, "Um, why were you screaming and making a mess upstairs?"

Johnny sighed, realizing that the evidence of his spaghetti-o mishap was still splattered on the stairs. "Just hungry, Squee. And those damn voices in my head won't leave me alone."

Squee furrowed his brow, clearly concerned. "Voices? Like, in your head?"

Johnny waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Just annoying chatter. Happens all the time."

As Johnny started to gather his cleaning supplies, Squee tentatively approached. "I... I could help you clean up. If you want."

Johnny blinked, genuinely surprised by the offer. He was used to people running away from him or, at the very least, avoiding any involvement with his chaotic life. Squee, on the other hand, seemed genuinely willing to assist.

"Well, kid, you might regret saying that, but sure. Why not? Just don't get any blood on you," Johnny replied with a smirk.

Squee hesitated for a moment before nodding nervously. Together, they began to clean up the mess on the stairs, and Johnny couldn't help but notice the mixture of fear and curiosity in Squee's eyes.

As they worked, Nailbunny floated into view, watching the unlikely duo with a bemused expression. "Looks like you found a cleaning buddy, Nny."

Johnny shot a glare at the floating rabbit head. "Shut up, Nailbunny. It's just a one-time thing. I don't need help from anyone."

But deep down, as he glanced at the timid yet determined Squee, Johnny C. couldn't deny that maybe, just maybe, having someone around wasn't the worst thing in the world.

#jthm #johnny the homicidal maniac #johnny c #jthm nny #nny #nny and squee #squee #jthm squee #jthm fanfic

[ohandcounting]

Oblivion Theory / Pile of Snow Theory by WandyDoodles / @wandydoodles

Oblivion Theory link

It's a good read! Go read it! It's way faster than 190 pages looks like because the font is big and plenty of pictures too. Almost like reading a comic book level of difficulty to focus, I like it a lot. My specific thoughts below the read more

I think this is potentially dead on for at least the symbolism that's going on, though it's still probable to me that there is also an "in-universe" angel. I'm also not sure if I agree with the assumption that the red soul we pilot is special beyond it being a human soul either? Like, there's no reason (YET) to believe that a different human couldn't also seal fountains just from their soul being able to float around in dark worlds like ours does. (like the Susie jail escape, Ferris wheel, literally every battle, etc.) Like, they could just be a magician like those dudes who did a big magic barrier in Deltarune.

On the ending thoughts: I was going to add that Sans' could be talking about Flowey, but...No. Flowey hasn't revealed himself to anyone except us in this timeline. How the hell would he know our type if not from something that happens in DR?! I never noticed it before! Flowey does explain other dialog, like "our reports showing timelines jumping around" and what not even if you did Geno first run/on a true reset. It's why I never thought about it before.

The proposal for The Vessel being The Knight seems very, hard to believe at first. I'm still not settled on it myself, but: The Vessel could be mistaken for Kris if they throw on a hood maybe? "There's that creepy Kris going to the library. We're used to our 1 human in town!" With a lot of characters showing a knowledge on what's going to happen (like Jevil) they might just know when to go do things already without raising suspicion. Only appearing when Kris wouldn't, and/or slipping by without people seeing. It's interesting to me that they never bothered addressing that tbh. I wonder if it's just something they couldn't explain well so rather than bringing it up, they're just hoping we explain it ourselves/wait for new chapter dialog to confirm this.

I am 100% sold on the knight not wanting to end the world though, I've been calling it the "Conspiracy Theory Theory" where the Bad Guy™ is not the Bad Guy™ but rather someone trying to make us Stronger so we can help fight The Really Bad Guy™ (like Kill La Kill kind of[the 10th anniversary was recent, so it's just the only example I can think of atm.]) It gets that ridiculous name because I believe MANY characters are in on it, including Kris themselves, Ralsei, The Red Soul, The Knight, Goner Maker Sequence Voices 1 & 2, Mystery Man, Geoff, Gaster, etc. Pretty much everyone who could be except Susie.

The save file analysis is wrong I feel? When Flowey takes over the save file, that is a veteran with literal near-godlike powers who knows how to manipulate saves. He hasn't had control for 9999:99 yet, despite what the timer shows. That info could be missing for Kris because we weren't there when it was made, what we use to see save file information shows what's missing because it literally doesn't know how long Kris has had that save nor where it was made. We get to see the name because we're in their body though. Like we see empty save files, and they're just empty. After a true reset? It's just empty, just like erasing a file in Deltarune. Kris having ANY information means something more than "just to establish you as a separate entity even harder than Undertale." Especially if the cut intro of Susie trying to wake us up is still hinting towards something like a timeloop being canon. (instead of being cut because it's not longer true)

Save file part 2 break in paragraph for easier reading: It might also be because Kris doesn't have the soul they made that save with anymore, if you're a Kris Is Toy Knife Kid Equivalent Truther like me.

It also falls for the trap of thinking what Chara says at the end of genocide is strictly a metanarrative statement, not something Chara believes will be possible. In a game where characters consistently say things that apply both in and out of universe, which I've never liked. Like Flowey after restarting the game after in TPE talking to both: 1.) us in the meta, but believes he is giving his parting words to 2.) Chara IN universe.

But like everything with depth, people are gonna make mistakes. Especially mistakes they don't think are mistakes and are much simpler answers without constant "catches" and clarifications. It's kind of like explaining King Crimson to people, where I'm the only person to do it right. (not a serious statement)

They also point to Mettaton's nebulous "Ratings" when mentioning the amount of monsters in the underground, instead of the echo flower where it's stated there's literally thousands of monsters??? This is something I see people do all the time?

#Undertale #Deltarune #UtDr #UtDr Theory #Deltarune Theory #Oblivion Theory #Pile of Snow Theory #undertale theory #<- thorough tagging because this goes over a lot and I like it and it's not mine so I'm not self-conscious about over tagging #(I probably forgot something I wanted to talk about but it's 4am so I get a pass 👍)

[buckybeardreams]

Been working on my shifters verse 👀👀

@snarky-drabbles

--

He found Buck laid out in a sunbeam, the morning rays warming his fur.

He was clearly asleep, and clearly so at peace under Athena's watchful eye that he didn't even stir when Eddie approached him, only jerking his head up when Eddie's hand rested on it.

"Shh, you're okay," Eddie soothed, fingers brushing through thick fur.

Buck dropped his head back to the ground the moment he realized it was Eddie, content to just lay there and be pet.

He was so domesticated, past Buck would be disgusted, but current Buck was more than happy to greedily accept all of the attention from his Alpha after spending the early morning hours just lazing around the packhouse, no care in the world.

Eddie leaned down to press a kiss to his head, Buck’s ears twitching when his Alpha murmured, "shift for me."

Buck's snout scrunched up like he wanted to object but he shifted back obediently, only to find himself pinned belly-down under his Alpha.

Buck huffed, squirming a little and blushing when Eddie just pushed his hips forward, letting Buck feel the hard line in his sweats.

"E–Eddie!" Buck squeaked, cheeks burning. "Athena's on post!"

Athena was, in fact, on guard duty at the moment, but she politely turned her eyes away when Eddie all but tried to mount Buck fully-clothed on the front lawn.

"Should have stayed in the nest if you wanted privacy, baby," Eddie rumbled.

Buck huffed, letting his body go limp under Eddie.

Eddie growled approvingly, nipping at the back of his neck before soothing the spot with a lick and an apologetic kiss.

"Sorry, Buck, think my rut's getting close."

Buck hummed, rubbing his cheek against the grass and lifting his ass invitingly, pushing back into Eddie to show he wasn’t really upset with him.

"S'okay, Alpha," Buck mumbled. "Just not out here."

Eddie nodded, the movement registering for Buck even if he couldn't see it.

"Don't worry, pretty Omega, I'm gonna keep you safely tucked away in my nest, rut into your ass over and over until you're so full of my cum, you're round with it."

Buck's dick twitched at the thought but he still made a face because he actually wasn't looking forward to being stuck in the nest again.

He figured this time around it'd be more manageable, or at the very least, he'd be distracted by the Alpha constantly trying to knot him.

Last time would have been a lot more bearable if Eddie hadn’t been both constantly fretting and refusing to bite him.

Being bitten just did things to him!

Made him want to stay in the nest all day and just float in the fuzzy softness of blankets and Alpha wrapped around him.

"Eddie," Buck groaned.

Eddie chuckled, nuzzling at his neck once more before easing them into a more appropriate position, rolling off his mate and pulling Buck on top of him instead.

Buck immediately settled, sprawled out across Eddie's chest, damn near large enough that Eddie just disappeared underneath him.

Buck may be acting more and more like an Omega these days, but he still looked plenty Alpha, standing taller than Eddie by a good inch or two, with a bodyweight to match.

He wasn't some dainty little thing that needed to be pampered, but he found that he liked it, liked being spoiled, liked being a pillow princess, as Eddie called him, liked whining and getting his way.

He was sure he was setting an awful example for his pup, but what was so wrong with an Alpha being treated like a spoiled little Omega?

Buck found very little need to object to it.

#buddie #buddie 911 #sneak peek #shifters verse

[just-dreaming-marvel]

The Bond Between Us ~ 5

THE BOND BETWEEN US MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 2,900ish

Summary: Ten years pass. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and yourself get put on the same assignment to protect Senator Padme Amidala. 

Notes: This is the beginning of Attack Of The Clones! All reblogs, comments, and asks are very much welcome. 

As soon as you arrived back at the Jedi Temple, you and Anakin were separated. You were given a new name, Y/N L/N. You took classes with other younglings on the Jedi Code but due to your ever-increasing power and strength in the Force, the Jedi Council decided that they would train you themselves. You didn’t have a singular Master over your training for instead you had the whole Council. This was because, unbeknownst to anyone who wasn’t on the Council when you were brought before them (even yourself), the Council believed you to be the Chosen One and not your brother. You were more of the perfect example of what a Jedi should be while your brother still followed his emotions, seemingly unable to control them to the Council’s liking.

The Council worked hard to train you and to keep you and Anakin a part. And they were very successful in doing so. You had heard in passing that Anakin was really struggling with the separation. You tried to be a good example in staying strong and doing what the Code asked to try and somehow help him, but you were still young. You had mastered keeping the heartache of separation to yourself, locking it up, and only letting it out when you finally rested at the end of the day. 

The only one who seemed to know of your struggle was Obi-Wan. Because he was in charge of Anakin’s training, he had been separated from you as well. The bond was still very much there despite the separation. You had learned more about Force bonds in your teachings and now had more of an understanding of what you and Obi-Wan shared. During your teachings, you had been taught how the bond has been used for both the light and dark side of the Force. You were taught that more of the dark side had bonds than those of the light, slightly scaring you. You had learned to intentionally put up blockers, especially because you wanted Obi-Wan to focus on training Anakin instead of worrying about you. But, especially on the nights where the heartache was really bad, your blockers came down and allowed Obi-Wan to sense you.

The first time he sensed your struggle, Obi-Wan went searching for you in the Jedi Temple. But, even using the Force, he could not find you. The Council had kept your quarters a secret, afraid of Anakin and his attachment issues, and you were doing a good job of helping them do it. You were crying out for comfort through the bond and it was piercing Obi-Wan’s heart. He could not find you to physically help you, so he stopped where he was and closed his eyes. Focusing on you, he wrapped his signature around you. Eventually, you calmed enough to wrap your signature back around his.

Situations like that happened often during the beginning of your training. But as you chose to try and be the best Jedi you could, you eventually began blocking Obi-Wan more and more. It hurt both of you to do so, though you both understood the reasoning behind it.

Ten years had passed since your life changed forever, and you currently found yourself in one of your favorite places in the Jedi Temple: the gardens. You were meditating underneath one of the waterfalls. Your focus in the Force was allowing you to float above the ground with small droplets of water floating around you. Master Yoda smirked as he walked toward you.

“Impressive, young one,” he commented.

You opened your eyes to look at your Master. “Master Yoda,” you greeted, setting yourself down gently. “To what do I owe this pleasure.”

“An assignment, the Council has for you.”

“An assignment?” You had gone on plenty of assignments before, but there was something about the way Master Yoda was coming about this that was causing you to sense that this was different. “What sort of assignment, Master?”

“Senator Amidala’s life endangered, it is. You have been asked for.”

“By who?”

“The Chancellor.”

“Chancellor Palpatine has asked for me personally?”

“Mhm,” Yoda hummed. “You and two others, he has. Protect the Senator, you must.”

You bowed your head. “Of course. May I ask who I will be paired with on this assignment?”

~~~

Obi-Wan and Anakin were riding the elevator up to Senator Amidala’s apartment. Anakin was fixing up his Jedi robes, nervous about seeing Padme again.

“You seem a little on edge,” Obi-Wan commented.

“Not at all,” Anakin responded.

“I haven’t felt you this tense since we fell into that next of gundarks.”

Anakin scoffed. “You fell into that nightmare, Master, and I rescued you, remember?”

“Oh… yes.” Obi-Wan laughed. “You’re sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath.”

“I haven’t seen her in ten years, Master.”

When the elevator opened, Jar Jar Binks was there to greet them.

“Obi?” Jar Jar questioned. “Obi!” He jumped forward and began shaking the Jedi’s hand. “Mesa so smilen to seein yousa!”

“Good to see you again, Jar Jar,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Senator Padme! Mesa palos here!” Jar Jar lead the Jedi into the main room where they could see Padme and her guard looking over the balcony. “Lookie, lookie, Senator. Desa Dei arriven.”

A smile grew on Padme’s face as she walked over. Obi-Wan bowed while Anakin was taking in Padme’s appearance.

“It’s a great pleasure to see you again, milady,” Obi-Wan said. He took her head and gently shook it.

“It has been far too long, Master Kenobi,” Padme replied. She looked over to Anakin, almost having to do a double take. “Ani? My goodness, you’ve grown.”

“So have you,” he responded, almost cringing at his own words. “ Grown more beautiful, I mean. Well, f—for a senator, I mean.”

Padme let out a laugh. “Ani, you’ll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine.” She turned, leading them to sit down on the couches.

“Our presence here will be invisible, milady, I can assure you,” Obi-Wan told her. “We—“

Obi-Wan was cut off as he sensed a familiar presence nearby. The elevator doors opened and you came walking out. Obi-Wan gasped, taking in the sight of you after these long, ten years. You had grown up beautifully. As you walked, you radiated strength and wisdom. You stood up straight and tall, your head held high. He had to shake his head free of the thoughts building, knowing that those weren’t approved by the Code.

Your eyes immediately found Anakin and Obi-Wan as you exited the elevator. Anakin had definitely grown up, now taller than Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan had changed too. A beard covered his face with a mullet framing his head. You could feel your blockers slipping, allowing you and Obi-Wan to feel the bond you shared after who knows how long it had been. With Padme also in the room, it felt somewhat like home.

“Y/N?” Anakin breathed out, not expecting you. He was trying to prevent himself from running to you. “What are you doing here?”

“Master Yoda has assigned me to this assignment,” you responded, trying to stay calm and collected. 

“Chancellor Palpatine requested the three of you,” Padme clarified. “Were you not told that?”

“I’m afraid it must’ve slipped the Council’s mind,” Obi-Wan answered, unable to pull his eyes off you. You came over and sat down beside him.

“Please do carry on with the discussion before,” you pushed. “I will do my best to catch up.”

“I’m Captain Typho of Her Majesty’s security service,” the guard introduced himself. “Queen Jamillia has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you are here, Master Kenobi. The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit.”

“I don’t need more security,” Padme retorted. “I need answers. I want to know who’s trying to kill me.”

“We are here to protect you, Senator, not start an investigation,” Obi-Wan reminded.

“We will find out who’s trying to kill you, Padme,” Anakin added. “I promise you.” Anakin clearly hadn’t changed very much over the years, you noted.

“We will not exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner.”

“I meant that in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course.”

“We will not go through this exercise again, Anakin, and you will pay attention to my lead.”

Padme looked at you, silently questioning what was going on. You shrugged, unable to know from being separated for ten years. 

“Why?” Anakin questioned.

“What?” Obi-Wan responded, taken back by the outspokenness of his Padawan.

“Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer? Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It’s overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our mandate.”

“We will do exactly as the Council has instructed. And you will learn your place, young one.”

You flinched slightly as you felt Obi-Wan’s frustration and embarrassment. It had been a long time since the two of you were open quite like this. You reached out with your signature, trying to calm him.

“Perhaps with merely your presence, the mystery surrounding this threat will be revealed,” Padme said, trying to diffuse the tension. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will retire.” 

Padme stood, everyone else standing up as well. Obi-Wan and yourself bowed to her as she walked off. You faced the Captain.

“I know I’ll feel better having you here,” Captain Typho said. “I’ll have an officer stationed on every floor, and I’ll be in the control center downstairs.” He and Obi-Wan walked toward the elevator while you stayed back with Jar Jar and Anakin.

“Mesa busten wit happiness seein yousa both again,” Jar Jar said.

“She hardly even recognized me, Jar Jar,” Anakin replied. “I’ve thought about her every day since we parted and she’s forgotten me completely.”

“You have changed a lot, I may add,” you said, trying not to feel hurt that Anakin was more focused on missing Padme than you. “I hardly recognized you.”

“Shesa happy,” Jar Jar said. “Happier den mesa seein her in a longo time.”

“You’re focusing on the negative, Anakin,” Obi-Wan warned, coming back over. “Be mindful of your thoughts.” He glanced at you quickly. “She was pleased to see us.” 

Anakin looked at you and quickly pulled you in for a hug. “I missed you so much,” he whispered.

“I missed you too,” you responded, hugging him back. You pulled away and faced Obi-Wan. “It’s been too long, Master Kenobi. And based on that interaction on the couch, I’m sorry that you’ve had to put up with Anakin by yourself.”

Obi-Wan chuckled. “He hasn’t been easy, I will say.”

“I’m sure,” you agreed with a small laugh. 

“He’s standing right here!” Anakin retorted.

“Right. Well, we should go check the security.” You headed back to the elevator, feeling eyes on you. You looked over your shoulder. “You coming boys? Or do I have to do everything?”

~~~

The three of you checked out the main security together before going your separate ways to cover more ground, faster. Obi-Wan and yourself found each other on the way back up to the apartment.

“You, uh,” Obi-Wan paused to clear his throat. He couldn’t understand why he was so nervous. “You seem to have flourished under the teachings of the Council, little star, or so I have heard.”

You inhaled sharply, forgetting how much comfort that nickname gave you. “I have tried to learn as much as I can and not take their teachings for granted,” you responded. “It has been a true honor being taught by the Council themselves.” Obi-Wan nodded. “I… I’ve been waiting until we met again to thank you and to apologize.”

“Apologize?” Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed in confusion as his head snapped to look at you. “For whatever for?”

“You helped me get comfortable here. You used our—“ you stopped yourself from saying bond. You feared what admitting it out loud to Obi-Wan could do. Especially if the bond felt different on his side. “You used the Force to help calm and comfort me…. Until I began to shut you out. I was just trying to focus on my training, I did not want to—“

“Little star,” his hand came up to your shoulder to stop you from fretting too much, “I understood. I knew that you needed to focus on your own training as I needed to focus on training Anakin. I am happy to hear that I could help you in some way.”

You nodded slightly, throwing him a smile. “Thank you, for taking care of Anakin as well. It is clear that he is still very stubborn.”

Obi-Wan sighed, his hand slipping off your shoulder. “Anakin still has much to learn, but he is very powerful and strong.”

“All due to your teachings, I’m sure.”

“I do hope that he has learned a thing or two from me.”

The elevator opened and Obi-Wan followed you out. He noticed you beginning to slip your brown Jedi robe off and quickly came to help you. You shot him a thankful smile.

“Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs,” you said, walking toward Anakin as Obi-Wan placed your robe over a chair before taking off his own. “No assassin would try that way.”

“Any activity up here?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Quiet as a tomb,” Anakin answered. “I don’t like just waiting here for something to happen to her.” The panel near the hallway leading to Padme’s room beeped.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, she covered the cameras. I don’t think she liked me watching her.”

“It is a little creepy, Ani,” you said.

“What is she thinking?” Obi-Wan questioned, going up to the panel himself.

“She programmed R2 to warn us if there is an intruder,” Anakin defended.

“There are many other ways to kill a senator.”

“I know, but we also want to catch this assassin, don’t we, Master?”

“You’re using her as bait,” you stated, having figured out Anakin’s plan.

“It was her idea. Don’t worry. No harm will come to her. I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me.”

“It’s too risky,” Obi-Wan argued. “Besides, your senses aren’t that attuned, my young apprentice.”

“And yours are?”

“Possibly.”

You rolled your eyes. You moved to sit in the hallway and crossed your legs.

“What are you doing, Y/N?” Anakin asked.

“I’m planning on meditating,” you responded, closing your eyes. “Don’t disturb me.”

“Come, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, leaving you be. He went and stood in the doorway of the balcony, able to keep an eye on you still, while Anakin stood outside on the balcony. “You look tired,” he told his apprentice.

“I don’t sleep well anymore,” Anakin responded.

“Because of your mother?” 

That caused your eyes to snap back open. You had been feeling something was off with your mother but had pushed it down while trying to follow the Jedi Code. As much as you missed your mother, you knew that becoming a Jedi made her very proud. You tried not to think about her often, dwelling on her made you long for her even more. But it was clear that Anakin dwelled on her frequently.

“I don’t know why I keep dreaming about her,” Anakin said. 

Obi-Wan glanced your way as he walked further out to the balcony. “Dreams pass in time,” he responded.

“I’d much rather dream about Padme. Just being around her again is… intoxicating.” Anakin led them back inside.

“Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They betray you. You’ve made a commitment to the Jedi Order, a commitment not easily broken.” 

Something about Obi-Wan’s statements didn’t sit right with you. You furrowed your brows as you put blockers up, trying to go back to meditating.

“And don’t forget, she’s a politician,” the Jedi Master continued, “and they’re not to be trusted.”

“She’s not like the others in the Senate, Master,” Anakin argued.

“It is my experience that Senators focus only on pleasing those who fund their campaigns and they’re in no means scared of forgetting the niceties of democracy in order to get those funds.”

“Not another lecture. At least not on the economics of politics. And besides, you’re generalizing. The Chancellor doesn’t appear to be corrupt.”

“Palpatine is a politician. I have observed that he is very clever in following the passions and the prejudices of the Senators.”

“I think he’s a good man.��

You gasped as you jumped up, sensing something happening in Padme’s room. “I—“

“I sense it too,” Obi-Wan said as you all ran toward her room.

Anakin ignited his lightsaber as the doors slid open and jumped onto Padme’s bed. He sliced the creatures that were crawling over her. Padme sat up with a startled gasp. You and Obi-Wan noticed a droid peeking through the window. Obi-Wan ran and broke through the window, gripping onto the droid as he tried to fly away.

“Stay here!” Anakin told Padme as her people rushed in and Anakin and you rushed out. “Stay with Padme!” Anakin said to you.

“Fine,” you said, slowing down. “Reach me on comms if you need me.”

Anakin nodded, running out to take one of the ships.

next chapter >

TAGLIST IS CLOSED - Taglist Information

#obi wan x reader #obi wan fanfiction #obi wan kenobi fanfiction #obi wan kenobi imagine #obi wan kenobi x reader #obi wan x you #obi wan x y/n #obi wan imagine #Obi-wan Kenobi X Reader #obi-wan kenobi x y/n #obi-wan kenobi x you #obi-wan kenobi imagine #obi-wan x you #obi-wan x reader #star wars fanfiction #star wars imagine #star wars imagines #Star Wars x reader

[berry-that-is-elder]

An Incomplete list of why I think Metatron is sus

Ok here’s my 1am, rambling, slightly drunk thoughts on Metatron cuz i have brainrot and can’t get my inebriated ass to think about anything else so,,, ik it’s been done before BUT—

1) He knows how to interact with humans

Every other angel in this show is a complete train wreck when it comes to interacting with humans. There is not one angel that resides in heaven that has any idea of human norms, customs, propriety, behavior, etc. They all just fumble along and think they’re doing well based on what other angels (who are just as clueless as they are) tell them.

But Metatron walks into the coffee shop and has an entirely normal interaction with Nina—he orders his coffee with no hitches (knows what oat milk, a latte, and almond syrup are), and even makes some perfectly ordinary (if a little bit boomer vibes) small talk with Nina about the name of the shop.

So this begs the question, how the hell does he know how to interact with people? It obviously doesn’t come naturally to angels (as we see plenty of times), so how?—especially if he’s spent most of his existence as merely a floating head doing the bidding of God. How does he know how to interact with humans so well?

One drunk brain theory I just came up with—DEMONS.

Demons seem to have a much better grasp of humans and how they interact, speak, and behave—for example, Beelzebub. They obviously knew human behavior and conventions much better than Gabriel, who didn’t even know what music was or to say “thank you” when given something. Granted we don’t see a ton of demon/human interaction in the show (at least that my last brain cell can remember atm), but what we do see is much more ordinary than any angel/human interactions. So is/was Metatron a demon, or related to hell in some way? Is that where his people skills come from?

Additionally, the demon prowess for human interaction could come from their jobs on earth. It’s mentioned numerous times that there are jobs in “temptations” for demons, and Fufur (i think that’s his name??) mentions that it’s not for him cuz he gets “all double tongue tied”. So demons maybe have some natural ability when it comes to talking to humans, or can at least learn, since a nonzero amount seem to have jobs that require conversing with humans.

So perhaps Metatron isn’t a demon, but fills the heavenly equivalent of hell’s “temptations” role. I’m also remembering at this point that Aziraphale was definitely said to do something of the sort (going around blessing humans), but perhaps he wasn’t the only one. I think it’s definitely possible Metatron was also doing something on earth, otherwise how does he understand human conventions so well?

There’s prolly more analysis to be done here and more to be said so pls feel free to continue on this train of thought, I just can’t squeeze anything more from my drunk and shriveled brain cells.

2) He wears a dark gray suit

Dark fucking gray. This bitch wears a suit that is dark gray. In no other scene or context do we see another angel wearing a color as dark as that, so why is the Metatron wearing it?

One could argue that his explanation is the simplest—“this look draws far less attention”—but i just don’t buy it. Aziraphale has been on earth for 6000+ years and he has always worn very light colors—white, cream, beige, mint, etc.

While he occasionally wears darker colors, that is only in the very specific context of his magic shows (both in s1/2). He wears the dark grays and blacks and the bright teal because he is putting on an act—he’s getting into character. No different than Crowley transforming into the light gray suit in heaven—we’ve seen enough of them to know that these are exceptions to the rules, and that these outfits aren’t something that Aziraphale or Crowley would wear under ordinary circumstances.

So what’s up with the Metatron’s outfit?

No wonder the other angels don’t recognize him—he doesn’t have the trademark angelic look. But why? Is or was he a demon, or in some way related to hell? Is he not an angel at all? Does being the “voice of God” disqualify him from angelic status or something? Is he the yin to God’s yang perhaps? Idk if there’s more to this or not, but my brain cells are slowly dying and I can’t think of anything more coherent; feel free to respond and add shit that makes actual sense.

3) He eats/drinks human foods and beverages

Ok ok ok disclaimer to start—we don’t see him eat anything and he doesn’t actually say that he does, but he definitely implies that he (at the very least) drinks human beverages. With that implication I feel like we can also stretch it to the safe assumption that “ingesting things” also extends to human food.

Wirh the exception of Aziraphale, who has been on earth for over 6000 years and was originally tempted by Crowley into eating human cuisine, we don’t see or hear of another angel ingesting… well, anything.

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think we see another angel eat or drink anything throughout the series. We see Beelzebub and Gabriel sit down with drinks and food at the pub, but Gabriel doesn’t drink or eat. We see Muriel with a cup of tea from Aziraphale, but they never drink any of it. Gabriel s1 even remarks “I do not sully the temple of my celestial body with gross matter” or smth similar.

So what’s going on with Metatron? He waltz into the bookshop holding a goddamn oat milk latte with almond syrup and not only offers it to Aziraphale, but encourages him to drink it, as “[he’s] ingested things in [his] time”.

You what now???

Angels hardly even deign to interact with physical objects (as seen with the matchbox & Muriel with the cup of tea and with books), let alone drink a damn coffee.

But the Metatron seems to have no issue with it. Idk if it’s just me, but that seems incredibly sus. Idk if anything I’m writing is even making sense anymore but like Metatron? SUPER SUS.

4) His miracle doesn’t sound as angelic as the rest of the angels’ miracles

Now this one is a little harder to pin down and much more subject to individual interpretation, but it inspired this post so I had to include it.

The Metatron’s miracle.

After he and Aziraphale are walking across the street toward the Dirty Donkey and he mentions the second coming, there is the sound of a miracle. Let’s ignore for now what the miracle actually was (I think it’s widely agreed that it’s him summoning the elevator to heaven, but a friend recently pointed out that the elevator existed previously for Crowley, Muriel, and Shax, so who knows?) and focus instead on the actual sound of the miracle.

Mary Holden was so kind as to put together this very handy list of miracles from the show, as well as categorize them by sound and who’s performing them (well done Mary! We all share the brain rot, and the fandom thanks you for your service).

While watching this I noticed something about Metatron’s miracle—it doesn’t entirely vibe with the rest. It doesn’t have quite as many ringing high notes as those of other angels. It seems a bit more muted to me, similar to the demonic miracles that are performed. This could entirely be a coincidence, but it seems to me that Metatron’s miracle sound is most similar to Hastur’s from s1 in Crowley’s flat.

Hastur’s does seem a bit more vibrant, but maybe I’m just overthinking this and my brain isnt working properly cuz aLcOHoL but,,, lmk what y’all think ig? I’d love to hear your thoughts, as well as any more things you guys have caught that make the Metatron suspicious, and if anything I wrote tn made an iota of sense lmao. Anyways, my final drunk brain cell is signing off—see y’all in the morning o7

#good omens meta #good omens brainrot #good omens #ineffable fandom #good omens metatron #good omens 2

[sanctum-of-ramshackle]

You know, there's something that's been on my mind lately. What if Yuu was like Dexter Morgan from "Dexter"?

[OOC]: Hi! Writer here. Yeah…MC/Yuu being like Dexter Morgan sounds like an interesting concept. I mean the show itself is extremely mature with both homicidal and…other elements.

Let’s just focus on the murder! Wow. That sounds terrible out of context…

So about MC/Yuu being like Dexter Morgan, that’s gonna raise suspicions around NRC as almost everyone in the magical academy is guilty of something. Though I’m sure MC/Yuu Morgan may understand these students and friends of theirs are just acting like how normal teenagers behave.

Except I’m thinking whenever they defeat an Overblot battle and learn how the Dorm Leaders were the way they are, there’s gonna be blood shed.

[WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS. DNI IF YOU’RE UNDER 18!]

[I REPEAT! DNI IF YOU’RE UNDER 18 OR SO HELP ME YOU’LL BE DISGUSTED FROM WHAT I WRITTEN DOWN BELOW!]

MC/Yuu Morgan is meticulous when it comes to deposing human bodies and there is a lot of victims on their list of people who harmed their friends.

I don’t think I can write everything as there’s obstacles like Royal guards, high magical security and so on, but I can give an example to how MC/Yuu Morgan does their duty.

[Example: Dr. Rosehearts a.k.a. Riddle’s Mother from HELL]

(I hate her so much because she’s a prime example of the Authoritarian Parenting style.)

If MC/Yuu were able to travel to the Queendom of Roses, they need to be equipped with whatever sharp instruments they can find and supplies for keeping blood stains off of surfaces.

Also finding drugs to incapacitate their first victim in another strange world, Mama Rosehearts from the darkest corner of the Underworld.

They would sneak inside the Rosehearts Residence and if she’s still awake, they’ll quickly inject her with a syringe with the drugs from earlier.

Next cover the kitchen area in plastic, set up the surgical tools and other handy equipments to butcher the remains.

Also the laboratory glass sheets for collecting biological samples. (Blood samples, to be exact.)

Then they strip and tie the body down on the kitchen table.

Dr. Rosehearts: *Wakes up perplexed* Hm?

MC/Yuu Morgan: *In a monotone voice* Oh look. You’re finally awake. *Pulls out their scalpel*

Dr. Rosehearts: *Gagged with tape sealed on her lips shut* What is the meaning of this?!!

MC/Yuu Morgan: Do you know why you’re stuck like this? *Cuts her cheek as it bleeds*

Dr. Rosehearts: *Winces*

MC/Yuu Morgan: *Takes the blood sample as their reminder* You forced your son to be in misery. You took away what every child deserves. A childhood. A happier, safe kind. I have murdered plenty of those kinds of people back home. *Holds their scalpel against her neck* I hope your choices are what is best for you, not him. *Pulls their tool away*

Dr. Rosehearts: *Sighs in relief*

MC/Yuu Morgan: *Pulls out a huge cleaver*

Dr. Rosehearts: *Muffled screams*

MC/Yuu Morgan: Shhh…It’ll be over soon. Or now. *Swings the cleaver down and chops right in the neck*

[The head and the body are severed, pools of blood spills off the table and on the floor shielded with plastic. With 10 seconds of remaining consciousness, Dr. Rosehearts can only see a haunting glare of the conditioned serial killer.]

MC/Yuu Morgan: “Off with your head.” Seems appropriate in Riddle’s case.

They would hack up the body like an anatomical puzzle game and stuff them in trash bags with tons of weights to prevent floating. Like what Dexter did filling his bags of victims with rocks.

MC/Yuu would throw them in the ocean, hoping no Mer-Creatures would scavenge through.

The news broke out of Riddle’s mother going missing for a week.

Nobody knows it was the Ramshackle Prefect responsible for the disappearance.

Almost all of the cases of missing people and horrific threats were caused by the unassuming magicless Ramshackle Prefect.

Now if there is an ending for MC/Yuu Morgan, they’ll probably change their name and identity like in Dexter: New Blood and try to pass on from their past actions, but keep coming back.

That concludes if MC/Yuu acts, behaves and pursue like Dexter Morgan.

#The Master of Sorcery answers #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #twst au #Dexter #Dexter: New Blood #Dexter Morgan #MC Morgan #Yuu Morgan #twisted wonderland mc #twst mc #twisted wonderland yuu #twst yuu #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader

[sotwk]

I’m a bit late to the party, but thank you SO much for answering me super fast! I so appreciate your ultra-in-depth response about Mirion and Arvellas’s fates. Although I still weep on weekends, it’s helped me so much with my own story! And all the supplemental headcanon info on Mirkwood as a society has been invaluable to me as well! (Also thank you so much for your update on my Lindir fic! Please don’t worry about the length of time! When I submitted the request I shot for maybe having it as a Christmas present or New Year’s treat! But any time I receive it l’ll savor it all the same!)

I wanted to ask though, are there any writing exercises or prompts that you do to train your writing muscles? I find that I have a tougher time placing dialogue intentionally where it needs to be, and I struggle with showing, not telling. I plan my stories and chapters, which helps me a TON, but I still have issues. I’m coming back to writing after abandoning it in about 2018 because of uni and life. But now I wanna come back, which is why I’m writing my story, but I feel so rusty. Any tips/suggestions on how/what to write to improve on these skills?

Thank you so much for all your help. I really appreciate you. Your account’s richer than the mines of Moria for great writing content!

- Mithril

Hello Mirthril my friend!

Boy, am I glad I was able to answer your Ask quickly last time, because this one is laaaaate. I hope you'll forgive me that, but I have been pondering over your question since I received it.

My impostor syndrome tends to rear its ugly head whenever someone asks me for writing advice. I am against false modesty and all for giving oneself due credit, so I will say that I am a pretty damn good writer. (And I certainly hope so; I suck at math and most left-brain skills, so this is all I've got, haha!) However, I wouldn't call myself top-tier in the fanfic writer's world. Even though I have been doing this for many years, I still struggle with any aspects of my writing--in the same ways you described!

But you asked so kindly and I want to be able to offer you something, so here are the few tips I could think of that personally work for me, in addressing the challenges you described:

SotWK's Writing Strategies and Tips

Writing exercises or prompts

I actually suffer from having too many ideas, so I don't seek or invite new prompts often. I lean on the endless stream of wackadoo ideas in my brain, or the lovely suggestions and requests that come into my (always open) Ask Box.

I exercise things that I'm weakest at, and right now that's my speed and focus. I currently write at an abysmal 6-7 wpm (about 200 words every 30 minutes). Embarrassingly slow! I very recently discovered sprinting on Discord servers, and so far it's been effective in training me to focus on just getting words down as quickly as I can. I highly recommend it! I think with time it will gradually bump up my wpm.

If you really would like prompts to get you going, there are plenty of prompt games floating around the Tolkien fandom. You can also source them from writing groups, such as @fellowshipofthefics, the one I currently belong to. Their January Trope Roulette, for example, is so much fun! Amazing support group for Tolkien writers, and more importantly--very chill, no pressure.

Dialogue

This is tricky for everyone, and definitely exposes a writer's style and ability to speak in the voice of different characters (I think that's why writers stress about it). You gotta do it with accuracy and range, so it IS a challenge!

If you want to get as close to the characters' voices as Tolkien wrote them, then the obvious strategy seems to be to immerse yourself in the source material. Read the books. Watch the movies (which are pretty faithful, tone/dialogue wise).

When writing Tolkien fanfic, I am constantly browsing through my books (having ebook copies helps), playing the trilogies in the background, or listening to the audiobooks (I have the Andy Serkis versions). It's a little bit like method acting. If you drown yourself in the character's voices enough, you'll actually start talking like them in your head. You'll pick up on the language, the word choices, the pace of the dialogue within the story.

This is the reason I personally don't hop around fandoms (Tolkien only), and I stay away from modern AUs or crack fics. I prefer to preserve that Middle-earth tone and voice and keep it consistent in my writings.

You can also draw inspiration from other period/medieval/fantasy works! My frequent go-to's are ASOIAF/Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon, Pride and Prejudice, and even Downtown Abbey works!

This last one might be extra weird, but I am a writer who leans heavily on fancasts/actors for inspiration. I like seeing a clear face and hearing a distinct voice for the character I am writing. It truly helps me write dialogue. For this reason, I fancast every major character that appears in my fics, and I usually pick big-name actors. Why? Because they have more movies/tv shows I can watch and listen to!

Fun fact: While writing my Éomer fic (which was VERY dialogue heavy), I listened to the first 7 minutes of Dredd SO MANY TIMES over and over just to imbibe Karl Urban's voice--I'm surprised the Netflix app didn't crash.

Showing, not telling

Here's one thing to try: Use "said" or "said + adverb" more often than you think you should, instead of trying to force a substitute. Or don't use a speech verb at all. This will force you to get a bit more descriptive about the characters' specific condition or actions. (Example from my fic: “Anywhere. Far enough to take you away from all this--” Éomer swung out his free arm in a gesture as wild as the fervor in his eyes. “Away from everything that is confusing you.”)

Visualizing a clear picture in my head helps me with the showing, and writing descriptions. Besides daydreaming and staring off into space, watch cinematic masterpieces, and train yourself to use words to describe what you are seeing.

But personally, I think purple prose and lack of brevity is the bigger issue in many fanfics (including my own). We need to remember there's nothing wrong with being straightforward in our storytelling and descriptions, because it speeds up the story pace or at least gives it more variety.

Shaking off Rust

Nothing else to do but just do it, my friend! :)

Whenever I feel rusty or blah about my current projects, I just shuffle over to a different WIP, or if it's really bad--start a new one!

As long as you're getting words down and you're happy and satisfied, you're doing it right.

Lean on writing friends for help and inspiration. We are a community here, regardless of the whisperings that "fandom is dying". It will stay alive and thriving if we keep it so!

Anyway, that's my non-professional, semi-bogus advice regarding things that work for me! Hopefully you can find something in there that works for you too.

Thank you as always for your kind words, and I wish you the best of luck--and LOTS OF FUN--in your writing!

#sotwk answers #anon asks #i have the best anons #anon: mithril #writing #writing community #writing tips #creative writing #writblr #lotr #tolkien #eomer #karl urban #sotwk advice #sotwk fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #fanfiction writing #fanfiction writer