#depending on how in depth i get with certain scenes

[heavenlyraindrops]

smut writing tips (TW: sexual stuff cause like. Cmon. It’s smut)

I did one for character so now I’m doing one for smut what’s wrong with smut huh so what if I’m writing tips on how to make smut so what SO WHAT HUH

Smut scenes aren’t that different from normal scenes. Probably because they’re normal scenes. Remember that.

Therefore, they should have dialogueeee because boy oh boy the amount of smut I have read where they are just dead silent is insane I could rebuild the wall of china with allat

so… dirty talk

BUT DONT MAKE IT TOO LONG! OR TOO WEIRD…

“Do you think they’d watch?” he asks. “Do you think they’d enjoy the sight of your naked flesh on display? Maybe they would get off on seeing your dripping pussy reflected back at them everywhere they look. Or the pretty flush on your chest when you come. I think they’d even enjoy watching your eyes roll to the back of your head when my cock fills you so fully, you can’t fit any more of me inside you.”

That’s from haunting Adeline… and… just.. no. NONONONO ITS DISGUSTING ITS GROSS…. WHO TF SAYS THAT BRO. Why is tHIS BOOK SO POPuLAR

more gross examples: “You want to know what I’d do?” he questions. “I would let them watch. I would let them watch me claim you as mine and own every inch of your body. They would watch my cock fill every one of your holes and then watch you cry because of how hard you came. And then I’d fucking kill them. My cock would still be wet from your cum as I’d slice their throats for even daring to look at what’s mine.”

dont write like that guys… like ew. Just ew

also.. epithets.. ok idk what they’re called because English = not my first language but

like

”his member” “sword” “love button” “seed” “her peaks/ nubs”

look my dude if you can read a smut scene like “he inserted his sword inside her cavern and spewed his seed inside her while fondling her mounds” then sure pop off I guess but tbh

no.

JUST USE COCK DICK AND PUSSY OR SOMETHING IDK WHY U GOTTA DO THIS TO ME I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE CERTAIN THINGS THE SAME WAY EVER AGAIN

“his member” I’m sorry is his dick joining a club?

anywaysysystst

research human body stuff. Like, dicks need to recharge before they get hard again yk

“Recharge” idk bro yk what I mean

cumming more than once for women do be kinda painful unless there’s an amount of time in between the orgasms

like depends on the woman, can range from a couple of hours to at least a whole day

although this doesn’t apply to everyone and some people do just go for it a bunch of times in one session so it’s a very variable thing

so yeah! Make sure to educate urself on biology

spemd more time talking about how they feel physically and emotionally than what they are doing so that the scene actually does have some depth

consistency! I have read shit that goes along the lines of “he grabbed her waist then with his other hand stroked her cheek and then she wrapped her legs around his feet and he pressed his elbow againts her knee flipping her upside down while she nibbled on his ear” how am I supposed to imagine any of that

they keep sprouting a third arm

or do things that completely contradict the position that they are in.. he can’t slap ur ass if ur in the cowgirl position..well, not very comfortably

so. Consistency! :)

that’s all for now ermmmm so yah tell me if this was helpful guys

edit: this post is super old pls ignore its existence

[plotbunnysyndrome]

More Than Honour

Chapter 9: Delicate Hostilities

Anthony Bridgerton x fem!reader

Introduction: Whistledown didn’t get the scoop. But you did. One charming rogue. One stiff-jawed Viscount. And a room full of witnesses who live for polite conversation with venom tucked neatly beneath the surface. The suitor. The rival. The diamond. And you—right in the eye of the storm.

The golden hour settles over the Bridgerton home, spilling warmth through the grand windows, casting soft golden hues across the drawing room where laughter rings bright and unrestrained. Seated among the family, you find yourself drawn into their playful banter, the warmth of their camaraderie, something you have long cherished.

“Tell me, Y/N,” Daphne leans forward, her eyes gleaming with mischief, “how does it feel to be at the very heart of Lady Whistledown’s latest scandal?”

Benedict chuckles. “Yes, I do believe she took particular delight in writing about your charming little tête-à-tête with Lord Lucien Blackbourne last evening.”

At the mention of his name, the teasing only grows in fervor.

“Oh, and what a sight it was,” Colin adds, smirking. “He looked at you as if you hung the stars in the sky.”

Violet, ever the composed matriarch, merely smiles over the rim of her teacup. “He did seem rather…captivated.”

Before you can respond, the door opens, and a maid steps inside, her hands clasped neatly before her. “My lady, Lord Blackbourne has come to call.”

Silence lingers for a fraction of a fraction of a second before Eloise gasps, dramatically. “Speak of the devil!”

Laughter ripples through the room as the maid steps aside, allowing him to enter.

Lucien is dressed in a deep navy waistcoat, the colour rich against the crisp white of his shirt, his dark curls just slightly tousled as though he had run a hand through them moments before arriving. He sweeps a courteous bow, his eyes seeking yours first before addressing the rest of the family.

“Good afternoon,” he says smoothly, his voice carrying a warmth edged with amusement. “It appears I am the topic of discussion. Should I be flattered or concerned?”

Daphne grins. “That depends. How serious are your intentions?”

Lucien arches a brow. “Oh, quite serious.”

A beat of silence. Then an eruption of reaction–some teasing, some pointedly intrigued.

Your cheeks warm slightly at the boldness of Lucien’s response, but he gives you no reprieve. He steps closer, his gaze holding yours as he adds, “Though, if you are in need of reassurance, I am more than happy to offer it.”

The room is alight with laughter again.

Eloise smirks. “You do realize you are vastly outnumbered here, my lord? We have had years to sharpen our wit against one another. Are you certain you wish to enter this den of wolves?”

Lucien tilts his head, feigning deep contemplation. “Ah, but you see, my lady, I do love a challenge.” His gaze flickers to yours. “Especially when the prize is worth the battle.”

A hush falls, just for a moment. You hold his gaze, something flickering in the depths of your eyes.

Benedict claps his hands together. “Well then! Let us see just how well you fare, Blackbourne. Tell us—what are your intentions?”

Lucien chuckles, lifting his hands in mock surrender. “Must I truly lay my heart bare before an audience?”

“Oh, but of course,” Colin grins. “Consider it a test.”

Lucien glances at you again, his voice dropping just enough for only you to catch the subtle shift in meaning. “Then I supposed I must pass with flying colours.”

You inhale sharply, the weight of his words pressing against you, even as the family remains blissfully unaware of the charged undercurrent beneath them.

Before another jest can be thrown Lucien’s way, the door opens once more.

Anthony steps inside.

His presence shifts the very air of the room. A quiet settles as his eyes sweep over the scene—his siblings laughing, you smiling, and Lucien Blackbourne…sitting just a little too comfortably beside you.

“Lord Blackbourne,” Anthony greets, his voice cool. “I see you are making yourself quite at home.”

Lucien bows slightly. “Lord Bridgerton.”

A moment of silence lingers between them, a battle of wills spoken in the silence.

Eloise, sensing the tension, hums under her breath. “Well, this is positively interesting.”

Anthony ignores her. “I take it your business here is of some importance?”

Lucien smiles, ever so slightly. “Indeed.” His gaze flickers to you once more before returning to Anthony. “It is a fine day, and I thought it best spent in pleasant company.”

Anthony’s jaw tenses, but he merely inclines his head. “How fortunate, then, that my family is so accommodating.”

“Quite,” Lucien replies, his own smile unwavering.

Colin, ever the instigator, leans toward Benedict and murmurs, “Oh, this is better than the theatre.”

The veiled remarks begin.

Anthony, never one to let a challenge go unanswered, tilts his head. “I do wonder, Blackbourne, do you make such calls often? Or is this a rare occurrence?”

“Rare,” Lucien admits, “but only because I prefer my attentions to be meaningful rather than fleeting.”

The implication is clear. You shift slightly in your seat, watching the exchange with something unreadable in your expression.

Anthony exhales slowly. “Meaningful.” He nods, as though weighing the word. “Then I suppose I must ask—what exactly do you mean?”

The room is silent. Even Eloise and Colin have fallen still, watching.

Lucien does not break his gaze from Anthony’s as he answers, his voice steady. “I believe my meaning is quite clear, my lord.”

Anthony’s grip on his gloves tightens. “And yet, I would still like to hear it from you.”

Lucien glances at you once more, and this time, he lets the weight of his words settle fully. “I intend to court her.”

A sharp inhale from someone—perhaps Eloise. A satisfied hum from Violet.

A hush falls over the room, thick and expectant. Anthony remains still, his expression unreadable. The weight of Lucien’s words linger in the air, undeniable, unshakable.

And then—

The door opens once more.

A soft, elegant voice carries through the room, light as a melody.

“I do hope I am not interrupting.”

Edwina Sharma steps gracefully into the drawing room, her serene smile perfectly composed. She is clad in a delicate gown of lavender muslin, her hands folded demurely before her. Her dark eyes sweep across the gathered company before landing, with unmistakable warmth, upon Anthony.

“Lord Bridgerton,” she greets, inclining her head ever so slightly.

Anthony, despite the tension crackling in his stance, straightens immediately, his expression shifting into one of practiced charm. “Miss Sharma,” he replies, stepping forward. “It is a pleasure to see you today.”

Daphne, ever the observer, glances between the two of them before exchanging a knowing look with Eloise.

Edwina’s gaze flickers to Lucien, her smile unwavering. “Lord Blackbourne, it seems you have also chosen to make the Bridgertons’ acquaintance today.”

Lucien inclines his head, offering her a polite, but confident smile. “A fortunate decision, it seems. The company has been most delightful.” His eyes flicker—just briefly—to you.

A slight shift in Edwina’s expression. Barely perceptible, but there. 

She turns back to Anthony, her voice warm. “I had hoped to find you here, my lord. My sister and I will be attending the park tomorrow. I wondered if you might join us?”

A pause.

Anthony, ever composed, glances at you just for a fraction of a second before answering. “It would be my honour.”

A subtle tension coils between the lines of this exchange.

You, caught between the currents of the room, feel the weight of the moment. Anthony, standing before Edwina with all the poise of a gentleman fulfilling duty, responding to an invitation from an esteemed lady of the ton. Edwina, a vision of grace, playing her role effortlessly. And Lucien—watching you, watching him, with something undeniably deliberate in his gaze.

Benedict, watching the scene unfold like a man witnessing a well-crafted play, chuckles under his breath. “Who knew teatime could be this thrilling?”

Eloise sighs dramatically. “It is a shame Lady Whistledown cannot witness this firsthand. What a column it would be.”

“Then it is settled,” Edwina says with a bright smile. “I shall look forward to your company, my lord.”

The words are innocent. But in this charged atmosphere, they land like a perfectly placed chess move—one that neither you nor Lucien can ignore.

Lucien leans back in his chair, stretching his legs slightly as he observes this unfolding tableau with keen interest. “Ah, how fortunate for Lord Bridgerton,” he remarks casually. “A morning stroll in the park with such charming company. Truly, some men have all the luck.”

Anthony’s head snaps toward Lucien, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. “And yet some must make their own fortune, mustn’t they, Lord Blackbourne?”

The air between them shifts—sharp, poised.

Lucien smiles. “Indeed. Though I have always found that the most rewarding pursuits are those which are earned, not merely inherited.”

A subtle blow. Calculated.

Anthony’s grip tightens around the back of his chair, but his answering smirk is practiced, composed. “And yet, there is something to be said for the weight of responsibility. Those who bear it know that fortune alone does not sustain a legacy.”

You inhale sharply, your gaze flickering between us. You can feel it—the battle lines being drawn.

Violet takes an extremely slow sip of her tea, contemplating if she should intervene.

Eloise, never one to miss a moment of intrigue, perks up. “Well, this is rather fascinating.” She glances between Anthony and Lucien, eyes alight with mischief. “Shall we wager on how long before one of you reaches for a dueling pistol?”

Colin snorts. “Oh, please. Blackbourne is far too civilized to engage in such theatrics. He’d simply outwit our dear brother until he surrendered out of sheer frustration.”

Benedict hums. “Now that would be a sight.”

Anthony’s glare sharpens, but before he can retort, your voice cuts through the exchange—silken, effortless.

“Now, now,” you muse, tilting your head. “If you boys must squabble, perhaps you should take it outside? Or shall we turn the drawing room into a battleground for wounded egos?”

Laughter ripples through the room at your words.

Anthony exhales through his nose, fixing you with a look—one that speaks of irritation, but also of something else, something lingering.

Lucien, on the other hand, has no shame in letting his gaze sweep over you, his smirk deepening. “Ah, but where would be the fun in taking this outside? I much prefer an audience.”

Your eyes meet his, amusement dancing within them. And yet, beneath the jest, something coils tight in your chest—an awareness of him, of Anthony, of the unseen war playing out around you.

Edwina, blissfully unaware, clasps her hands together. “It seems I have interrupted something.” She glances toward the Viscount, then to the seat beside you where Lord Blackbourne lingers, something unreadable flickering in her gaze.

Eloise grins. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Violet gently clears her throat, “Well, it’s lovely to see such…spirited conversation at this hour of the evening. Perhaps a second round of tea might cool a few tempers, hmm?”

Anthony, sensing the precarious edge upon which he stands, schools his features into politeness. “Not at all, Miss Sharma,” he says smoothly. “Lord Blackbourne and I were merely…comparing perspectives.”

A pause.

And then—because Lucien simply cannot refuse—

“I do find comparison fascinating,” he muses. “Particularly when the subject is so—” he glances at you, briefly, deliberately “—coveted.”

The air crackles.

You can feel Anthony tense.

And you, you feel the heat of Lucien’s words settle over your skin like a slow, smoldering fire.

The gauntlet has been thrown.

Now, the question is…who will pick it up first?

______________________________________________________________

And so, the pieces are on the board.

One gentleman wears his heart like armor, the other like a loaded weapon. But only one will walk away with yours.

Choose wisely. Or recklessly. I won’t judge.

Taglist: @bollzinurmouth @drewstarkeysrightarm @thorins-queen-of-erebor

[the-six-that-thrive-if]

THE SIX THAT THRIVE: FAQ

[FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS]  LAST UPDATED: MAY 05TH 2025 

☼ STORY CONTENT: 

RATING AND TUMBLR INTERACTION: 

All my IF blogs will be 18+ unless stated otherwise.   I get nsfw asks often and constant NSFW interaction.  

Which you may block NSFW tags. If you are under the age of 18, do not tell me nor brag. Keep that to yourself and please be safe. This is not a space for you, but I'm also not your mom. You will get blocked immediately if you tell me. 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

IS TSTT A SOLO IF? 

NO. THERE WILL BE A TOTAL OF FOUR BOOKS. EACH THAT WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE LAST WITH A SYSTEM I AM STILL WORKING ON AND FIGURING OUT. 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

HOW MANY CHAPTERS WILL THERE BE: 

GOAL IS 24 FOR BOOK ONE. THIS MAY CHANGE 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

ARE THE SIX ACTS PERMANT? 

NOPE. EACH CHAPTER WILL HAVE ONLY THREE ACTS WITH ADDED SCENES UPON RELEASE. THE SIX ACTS ARE PLACEHOLDERS UNTIL I COMPLETE TSTT. 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

ARE ALL THE SCENES SHOWN IN TSTT DEMO BE IT? 

NOPE. TSTT DEMO IS GIVING ROUGH DRAFTS OF EVERYTHING AND WILL HAVE ALOT MORE WRITING IN THE COMPLETED VERSION AND SCENES. THAT WAY ITLL BE A NEW EXPEREINCE ALL AROUND WITH GROWTH AND DEPTH.  

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

WILL THERE BE A KICKSTARTER? 

YES!! BUT I STILL HAVE TO PLAN EVERYTHING OUT BECAUSE THAT IS WAYS AWAY!!

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

HOW MANY NSFW SCENES WILL THERE BE? 

I DON'T KNOW. AT LEAST ONE PURE ARC. SO AT LEAST FOUR BEFORE THE FINAL DRAFT OF TSTT.

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

RO’S SEXUALITY: 

IN OTHER IFS, I WILL MAKE IT CLEAR ON THEIR SEXUALITIES FOR THE MAIN PART, BUT FOR TSTT, IT DOESNT MATTER, SO ASSUME PANSEXUAL/PANROMANTIC 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

NSFW SCENES AND INTERACTION/ROMANCE: 

ROMANCE IS OPTIONAL SAME WITH NSFW SCENES. YOU CAN COMPLETELY REFUSE TO ENGAGE, READ THE SCENE, OR HAVE THE SCENE IMPLIED. 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

THE ENDINGS: 

IN THIS IF THERE IS ONE ENDING, WITH DIFFERENT REACTIONS DEPENDING ON THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE CHARACTERS. TSTT HAS ONE MAIN STORY PLOT AND ENDING AND RELY MORESO ON THE DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS.  

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

HAREM ROUTE: 

EVERYONE WILL END UP WITH EVERYONE. THEY ALL HAVE CHEMISTRY.  

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

DIFFERENT UNIVERSES: 

TSTT, DSC, AND NBD TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE SAVE UNIVERSE. WITH NBD AND DSC HAVING ONE BOOK COMPARED TO TSTT. 

☼ GAME CONTENT/MECHANICS: 

ATTRACTION:  

ATTRACTION IS SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGING CHARACTERS ARE ATTRACTIVE. RO’S ARE IMMEDIATELY ATTRACTED TO MC, THERE ARE DIFFERENT REACTIONS DEPENDING ON TRAITS AND APPEARANCES. [EX: THE DEMON AND SCARS]

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

PAYING FOR THE GAME? 

EVENTUALLY! PRICING I'M NOT SURE YET, BUT THERE WILL BE A FREE DEMO OF CHAPTERS 1 – 6.

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

CODE DIVING? 

SURE. IT’S SOMEWHAT STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH HOW I DO THINGS, SO I DONT MIND.

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

ASKING TWINE/SUGARCUBE QUESTIONS: 

FEEL FREE! I ALWAYS WANT SOMEONE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I CAN HELP TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES. MY GOAL IN THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE A GUIDE TO HELP.

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

ERRORS AND BUGS: 

I TRY MY BEST TO FIND THEM, BUT I'M NOT PERFECT SO SOME WILL BE MISSED. YOU CAN SUBMIT ANY ERRORS YOU FIND HERE: TSTT BUGS/ERRORS 

DEAF FUNCTIONS: 

HAS NOT BEEN FULLY INTEGRATED DUE TO IT BEING ADDED LAST MINUTE AND ME CHANGING MECHANICS AROUND. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE CERTAIN TRAITS TO APPEAR, SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS HERE: TSTT SUGGESTIONS

IT HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETELY INTEGRATED DUE TO IT BEING A SOMEWHAT LAST MINUTE DECISION, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE CERTAIN TRAITS TO APPEAR, SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS HERE: TSTT SUGGESTIONS

 · · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

MENTAL DISABILITIES/ILLINESS FUNCTION/TRAITS: 

STAY UP TO DATE AND CONNECTION: 

· · ───── · ☼ · ───── · ·

EMAIL:  CVLUTOS@GMAIL.COM  ARTIST: VIOLETWISTER

PATREON: 18+  KO-FI: 18+  DISCORD: 18+ 

If you have any questions for the FAQ submit it here: FAQ Questions 

[galedekarios]

this is a personal vent post so please let me just get it all out without trying to come at me lol:

so many ppl saying they respect larian's decision to peace out and not deal with hasbro/wotc, but i have to be honest, i don't respect them at all.

they are leaving a game behind that is unfinished and a narrative mess.

they leave a game behind where everyone paid the same amount of money for it, yet depending on which character you prefer, you get less content.

the disparity between everyone else and their writer's pet ast*rion is insane. he has a half to a third more content depending on which character you compare him to.

they leave behind a sparse act 2, which is already so barren compared to act 1 and all it had to offer. act 3 is a narrative mess and lacks structure.

they leave a game behind where they made promises a handful of weeks before release where they ought to have known that they, in fact, will not be delivering said promises: access to the upper city, consequences for playing certain races across the acts (playing a drow is going to be different in act 1 and gives you advantages vs act 3 where it would give you understandable disadvantages), etc etc etc.

they leave behind a game where content was cut from the companions to make it seem like the origins have something to offer when that system is barely able to compare what origin playthroughs offered in dos2 and it hurts the game and the experience (like tara being cut for companion gale).

they leave behind a game where they promised to much variety and proclaimed in panels from hell how they struggled to show the width and depth of the game, but really? it's about as deep as a puddle. a lot of the choices do not matter. kill ethel? nah, she's alive and well in the city. no sister hags to be angry here. give karlach no infernal iron and never talk to her at all? doesn't matter, she'll survive until the end of act 3 and will still call you her bff. dissuade gale to use the orb? we'll make sure he'll still offer 3 more times just in case. send yenna away from camp bc you don't want her there? doesn't matter, she'll stay. and yes, i'm aware these are all small things, but they are part of a larger problem. almost nothing you do truly matters to the point of where i just skip most things in act 1 and 2 now.

they leave behind a game that they promise to still patch, but some things have been broken since early access / release to the point of where i'm like i'm sorry, but your word that you will continue to patch things means about as much to me as all the other empty promises. the dialogue about morena dekarios is still broken and it's been over half a year now. the astral sea scene has low-res body textures for months. i know from mutuals who love minthara that her romance is still broken. and i could go on and on.

and what gets me the most about this is all is that they have learned nothing at all from dos2: act 3 of that game was so bugged and all over the place that i couldn't muster up the motivation to finish it the first time i played. they neglected a character to the point of where he could have been removed from the game or made a general hireling (beast).

those issues were at least attempted to be fixed in the definitive edition.

with swen saying that there will be no new content anymore and stating that both bg3 and its characters are now property of wotc/hasbro, it seems unlikely we'll even get an attempt of a fix.

so what this boils down to to me is just another game company not delivering on their promises after overselling their product and more or less abandoning it after a year to move onto the next big thing.

i don't think i can respect that ngl.

[stygiansun-totaleclipse]

Hey Fen! I lnow this is a topic that will probably be covered later on in the game, but out of my own curiosity I really wanna ask - feel free to toss this into the proverbial trash can if I’m being irritating.

Can I ask what the RO’s reactions would be like to a depressed MC? If it isn’t too much to ask, maybe High and low functioning ones? As someone who’s been on both ends of the spectrum, it’s not a fun experience at ALLL, and the feeling of worthlessness at your inability to get up and do anything is SO miserable, as well as the feeling of numbly going through life without and real sense of purpose - just going through the motions.

Sorry this took so long to answer—this last week has been really busy with work/home stuff and also getting the demo update ready, but thanks for your patience! 🙏❤️

Kieran: Seeing mc go through this humanizes mc in a way that goes totally against all the bad rumors Kieran has heard, and while they aren’t the type to be swayed by mere gossip they will be wary of mc at first for reasons I’ll save for the demo. But this would prompt them to drop their guard a bit more around mc and open up to getting to know them better and they would be open to listening to mc—they’d be more of a quiet steady presence at this point in the relationship but when they do speak no words are wasted. They’d also probably try to subtly do things behind the scenes to help as time goes on without taking the credit.

Nihm: Is empathetic and patient and tries to be there to listen if mc needs it. They already will make an effort to be nice and include mc when they arrive in Celestyl but they’d make a bigger effort to include/invite mc out and try to show them things that might make them feel somewhat better like showing them snow/ice for the first time or taking them to other pretty views in Celestyl etc. Tries to also make mc smile with really awful puns. For a low functioning mc they’d probably want to turn to Sam or Aurynn for advice on how to help since they know mc better.

Lilith/Lucien: Cares a lot for their friends even if they don’t always show it, so at a friend stage in the relationship they’d want mc to be able to rely on and trust them and be able to talk to them about anything that was bothering them—they’ll do whatever would best help a low/high functioning mc and while it might not seem like it on the outside they tend to usually be able to intuit how best to help their friends depending on their personality etc. They’d spend a lot of time with mc to offer support and comfort and would bring them little gifts like a crow to brighten their day.

Samira: She worries after mc a lot and so tries to ease their burdens in smaller ways like helping with MCs work, making sure mc remembers to eat and sleep, and getting them out of their room and walking outside, etc. For a low-functioning mc, it’s pretty reminiscent of what her father went through after her Pa’s death so it’d be pretty painful to watch mc go through that but she’d be a lot more attentive and more stubborn about getting mc help even if they don’t seem to want it. Even if mc gives up on themself she’s not going to.

Aurynn: At least at this point in his character arc he’s uncomfortable talking in depth about serious/vulnerable stuff so for a high functioning mc he mostly compensates with humor and tries to make mc laugh but will also offer physical comfort as well if needed. For a low-functioning mc, he’s a lot more uncomfortable and feels kinda helpless and frustrated at his ineptitude here—less certain what to do and would probably enlist help from someone else like Sam.

Also as someone who has struggled with clinical depression for many many years, it’s taken a lot of time and effort in changing thought patterns etc and getting meds to get to a much better place than I was in before even tho I still struggle with aspects of depression—but I understand and I hope you can remember to be kind to and patient with yourself as you heal. You’ll never hate yourself into a better place. It can be hard but I’ll keep going with you :) ❤️

[thhouseofblack]

Feel free to ignore the heck out of this if it's too icky bc its not meant to be I just love the Tragedy of it but I love exploring how complicated Tele and Penelope's relationship is because it's either super strained or it would be easy to fall into the realm uncomfortably close, at least by that era's standards where you're super formal with your parents.

Which isn't saying that anyone would do anything bad it's just you would have alternate caretakers and Penelope's depression keeping that emotional distance between the two until suddenly the stress of the suitors and Telemachus being old enough to take on kingly duties push them together. They could easily end up having the interactions that the king and queen would have because they in many ways are the king and queen. Not even really thinking that it's weird to call your mom "My Queen" or to go to your sons room when nightmares make you feel unsafe.

In my initial draft of that scene between Antinous and Telemachus, the argument breaks out because of this exact thing - with Antinous making a nasty comment on how Telemachus is taking up his father's duties and responsibilities, which I discarded because how it felt mildly incestuous.

But I do agree - when I characterise Penelope and Telemachus, it's a mix of both those elements? Their relationship is fundamentally strained, especially after the end of the Trojan War and Odysseus not arriving back to Ithaca. There's a lot going on around the situation in Ithaca (politically that I'd love to expand on in another fic some day) but that alongside Odysseus' absence takes a terrible toll on Penelope.

I've also hinted throughout my fics but I do hc Penelope having post partum depression after Odysseus' departure, to begin with her labour was on the more difficult side, and then right after she nearly loses her son and then loses her husband - to war, where she can't even be certain that he will return. What she has left of Odysseus is Telemachus. That first year of his life I have Telemachus be taken care of by his Grandmothers (with slight involvement from Athena herself too).

Coming back to the subject at hand, I do think Penelope and Telemachus have a co-dependent relationship (I don't like using the word codependency but I cannot find another more accurate medical term at the moment) which is strained by their unsafe environment and lack of communication.

Telemachus steps into this role of a Protector and the Head of the House in Odysseus' absence and it in a way messes with the structure of the house. In the fic itself, how Telemachus refers to Penelope in each and every scene reflects his own emotions about her at that moment (so whether that be Mother, Penelope, Queen Penelope, The Queen). What he refers to as "Mother's Study" is actually the Royal Study, but Odysseus' absence means that to Telemachus it has always been Penelope's - all of this adds up.

I personally think even unknowingly and despite not wanting to, Penelope recognises the safety and protection she gets from having her son around (both politically, but also from the suitors). I refer to it slightly in Time Rejoices when Penelope in the depth of her depression thinks of how Telemachus "abandoned" her and left her to the "mercy" of the Suitors.

Odysseus' return - traumatised as he is, will mess with this survival mode that both Penelope and Telemachus are in (especially with the latter so used to protecting Penelope), I have a few scenes (hence the domestic abuse tag - though it is accidental) where Odysseus hurts Penelope while thrashing about in his nightmares, and that ends up leading into a huge argument between father and son (Telemachus didn't protect her from the hands of the suitors all these years just for her to be hurt by her own husband).

It's incredibly complex, but also definitely fascinating to go into and explore. For 20 years, Penelope is the only parent Telemachus has had, and she is his closest family member (with Ctimene away, Anticleia dead, and Laertes lost in his grief.)

[zsakuva]

Do you have your top 3 favorite series your doing/have done and if so, why are they your top 3?

The Noble Trials/Zaros

I have a feeling this series will always have a special place in my heart solely because of the concept, the challenges, and the voice actors that have lent their amazing skill to the project thus far. I love telling stories, and though it can be done with two characters (the speaker and corresponding Listener), it can get repetitive and boring. There's only so much depth you can dive into when you can't hear what the other person is saying. It's more than words; their intonation is critical in a medium where you can't depend on facial expressions. So the bigger cast allows for more conflict and in this story, gives it more weight.

Plus, viewing The Noble Trials as an episodic audio drama is so much fun, especially when finding the appropriate soundtrack for scenes (which can be a chore in itself, but is incredibly rewarding!)

2. The Broken Classmate/Niall

As the only M4M series on my channel, Niall was a driver to explore certain topics I couldn't do with anyone else. Battling with past trauma, internal struggles, and fear of coming to terms with who he is was paramount when writing him. And as a gay man myself, I wanted to share a story that might have started with tragedy, but ended on a hopeful note.

Much of his character is shaped by what happened in school; even though he has a supportive family, it's not enough to heal him. And for some people, the wounds are too deep. With Niall, his fears forced him to isolate himself, and I wanted to see how this man would be able to slowly break free from his own cage.

And when I read comments about how much people could relate to Niall, and how it helped with their own identity and closure, Niall served his purpose.

3. The Gang Lord's Son/Elias

This started as an experimental series. I knew I wanted a bigger cast simply due to the character Elias is and the conflict he finds himself in. I love stories where there are risks and stakes, and I wanted to incorporate an interactive experience for the audience. But I knew that the majority would vote for the best path no matter what, so this series allowed me to tackle something new as to how I told the story, as well as not being limited by the best case scenario which is... you guessed it. Boring.

As a character, Elias is quite fun to write as well. He's driven by many ideologies and fears, and some seem to clash within him. There are times I don't know what he'd do until I write it, and characters that surprise me are always great!

[aylish91]

I don’t know if you’ve answered an ask like this before, so sorry if you have, but what does your writing process look like? Is there a certain space you like to write in? A time? Music? Do you have an outline that you follow or do you write more according to your mood? Do you have to plan to write or do you jot things down as they come to your mind?

I’ve found that I need to like write out a bunch of garbage - like at least three chapter’s worth - and sit on it for a bit before I tear into it and rearrange it and I’m just wondering how writing looks for other people.

Thanks in advance, I really admire your writing and how lovely your descriptions always are :)

Thank you so much for the ask and for liking my writing!!! It really means a lot!

Brace yourself, it’s a bit of a long one. It’s got some peeks of things though~

~~~

I have two places that I like to write at the most: Shoved in the corner at the table with my laptop and in the corner at my computer desk on the desktop. (I like to have notebooks or paper around to write down random thoughts. Hehe.) Time of day usually doesn’t matter, just whenever I am not desperately busy.

Unfortunately, my brain gets distracted remarkably easily. I cannot have music on while I am writing, otherwise, I find myself unable to think about what I’m writing and only about the song. It also gets me sucked into YouTube or doomscrolling.

As for my writing process… It really depends on what I am doing or writing.

For example, a lot of the requests I have written have been “in the moment” type of things. I get an overall sense of what I want it to look like, start typing, and see where the words take me. These take a lot of, what I like to call, “daydream time”. The story stews and rolls around in my brain in bits and pieces until the right combinations make their way into one coherent piece. As you can imagine, the amount of time that takes varies. Sometimes I can crank it out after thinking about it, within a day or two. Sometimes what my mind wants doesn’t end up working in the document and it takes several chunks written, sliced, and completely redone before it starts to form properly. (All versions or thoughts I don’t want to forget or that I might still use, get put at the end of the document.)

*** A tip I have been implementing a lot more lately is: It is perfectly okay to start over. It could be a scene, an opening, or an entire document. Sometimes what you want, is not necessarily what it needs. If it’s not working, don’t force it. It never turns out to your “standards” and just ends up wasting a lot of your time. If you need to, work on the next part or something else until your mind settles enough to figure it out. ***

For other projects or WIPs, my imaginings fester long enough or hit hard enough that I write down everything I can about it so I will remember. It is all chaotic. More serious works get vague chapter outlines or fully paraphrased if I have more in-depth musings. My favorites even get background information for future chapters~ (There are even times I write a whole scene on paper.)

Now, keep in mind that I am all over the place and very disorganized. My notes can and have been done on random bits of paper, written in a document or notebook, or scribbled on anything I can physically get my hands on. Many a quote has been put on random doodle pages because I didn’t want it to disappear once my squirrel mind flitted away. Guardians of the Deep was paraphrased on an old stained paper on my nightstand/dresser at 3:00 in the morning because I refused to let the dreamed inspiration leave me…

With all the information I store, I eventually write based on the information and what the visions have left me. I only get about a chapter or one short done before I too am leaving it for a bit. Depending on how fast I want to get it out or how busy I am, it might be for several hours or a couple of days. I find that time helps me spot things that could be better, fixed, or that I have missed (After all, all first drafts are going to be a little bit awful and I still manage to miss stuff after the go throughs… Sigh. Hahaha!). It also helps get my mind out of it’s tunnel vision. After that, I simply try to edit the best I can and post.

It’s wonky and all over the place, but it seems to work for me.

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence Devlog 1:💙Afternoon route clean up!💙

Hi guys and welcome new followers I hope you're all having a good and safe start into the New year!

This part will contain spoilers if you haven't played through the [Extended Demo], specifically the afternoon route. Here's a link if you would like to play! :]

I want to explain what all was worked on last year up to the afternoon route as a quick recap!

The early start of 2024 was the surprise Trembling Essence [Extended Demo] while the spring/summer of 2024 consisted of me redoing the start of the game leading up to the cabin which included Dialog, CG's, Endings, and the way Noah introduces himself to you.

This was done because a lot of what happened during that segment didn't match what goes on later in the game since my writing and story telling improved. All of it is aboutttt 90% done because I really needed a break from working on it.

Around the fall is when I went through and fixed up the introduction into the cabin.

I added more depth on how the player(Y/N) feels/reacts from being back in the cabin again and cleaned up the different situations you can get depending on your interactions with Noah before he goes to bed along with choices that effects Noah's closeness with the player(Y/N).

"Will the [Extended Demo] receive anymore updates?":

As far as the [Extended Demo] goes, I do have plans on updating it with new/updated content HOWEVER, it will be some time before that happens. I do have a future poll I want to do about this. :[]

Onto the afternoon route clean up:

Midway through December I've been going through the afternoon route and making adjustments as I go! It was a lot of fun to do since I don't think I've played this route since maybe.. the early start of spring? Overall, it gave me a chance to have a fresh perspective of what needs to be adjusted.

I'm still aiming for a meaningful slow-burn build up. :]

I cleaned up the dialog by combining sentences together and slightly removed certain key-words sentences to balance the pacing during this scene. I want some of the talking points the player(Y/N) mentions to happen later in the game since this is still the half of just Day 3. Noah and the player(Y/N) interacting with each other has also been adjusted but not by too much.

The cooking scene:

I wanted the closeness build-up to feel more rewarding so I added 1-2(ish) more choices during the lunch scene and dialed back the dialog so it doesn't drag on too long for both "Chicken" and "Vegetable" choice . I also added a couple of callbacks here too that in canon with how Noah reacts to what you add into the soup! I won't mention any specifics but there is a post or two in the #Get to know: Noah I answered recently that discusses what type of foods he enjoys. :]

The noise scene:

I don't have too much to say about this because not much was changed outside of dialog adjustments and removing key-words sentences to balance the pacing during this scene.

The sewing scene:

I really loved what was already here and it was a lot of fun coming back to this because I was getting better at writing cozy/warm-like scenes around that time. :,D

I'm trying to be very careful when it comes to adjusting this part. The only thing I wanted to do is put a better emphasizes on how Noah truly felt when he caught you sneaking around. In the [Extended Demo], it felt as though you sort-of get punished for picking the choice that shows this because you don't gain any closeness with Noah. In good news around this time my play-tester was able to take a look into what I was doing and did a couple of playthroughs. A lot of good advice was exchanged and it really gave me a better outlook on what to do about this. I still have the original set-up jussttt in case. :,]

This is about where I left off since I didn't get to the final section of this route but I am surprised with how much was completed. I'm really excited about it because that means I'm closer to working on Day 4! :,D

If you like what I create, please consider supporting what I do on kofi [Here]! All donations and tips help tremendously while I continue to work on the game. Since the battery to my computer still dead I might open up chibi commissions through here BUT i need time to figure it out. Thank you to those that optionally bought the [Extended Demo] on itch.io. :,]

Q&A / Ask box is open:

Thank you to everyone that recently sent in asks! I see them and at some point I will respond, I appreciate the small influx of interest! :,D

To know and understand Noah through Asks and random posts about lore, they'll be under #Get to know: Noah ! :]

**Some asks won't be answered if it contains spoilers but I do appreciate what I receive. :]

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask here or on itch.io please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I enjoy hearing from you guys!

Anywho, that's all I have to share right now. Thank you to everyone's continued support, especially those that have been here since the beginning and have been very patient! I wholeheartedly appreciate it. :,]

[canmom]

social mechanics in RPGs

not a metaphor this time

so. a comment prompted by seeing this float by the dash.

some TTRPG mechanics are designed to abstract over something. you don't want to intricately simulate climbing a wall so you make a mechanic that says 'roll your Climbing Up Shit number and see if you get up the wall in time' (or whatever the stakes may be). any time you need to climb a wall, you just roll one die, and done. maybe offer a little description.

some TTRPG mechanics are designed to draw the game towards the thing they're simulating and make it a focus. these rules might be elaborate, intricate subsystems - the combat rules in D&D being the archetypal example. particularly in later editions, D&D is really interested in combat, it wants to have an elaborate tactical sim where you're juggling different resources to gain an advantage, it wants combat to take up a lot of game time.

in D&D the combat rules are largely self-referential (i.e. game constructs interacting with game constructs) and don't leave a lot of room to determine things by pure narrative logic, so the system needs to have enough depth to carry that. some systems, such as The King Is Dead, structure nearly every interaction.

other TTRPG systems leave more to player improv. there are various frameworks to account for the interface between the fuzzy narrative game world and the hard, procedural, mechanical one. PbtA has its 'moves', which trigger based on conditions to push the narrative in a certain direction. OSR games like to say 'rulings over rules', where the rulebook is silent on a subject and the GM makes a call on the spot based on the narrative situation. exactly what qualifies as 'going aggro', or whether your gambit is feasible and what dice you should role, is a judgement call.

exactly what should be precisely litigated by a rulebook and what should be left to the improvisation of the players, shaped by various vague prompts, is a huge part of the art of TTRPG design. it depends a lot on the group as well.

I think when it comes to social situations in RPGs, it is easy to get lost in these ambiguities. 5e D&D has three numbers on your character sheet called Deception, Persuasion and Intimidation. (in 3.5e the first two were instead called Diplomacy and Bluff). exactly when you should roll these numbers, and how it interacts with the fiction, is left to the discretion of the group.

the stereotypical "I roll to seduce" could be one approach, an approach where the dice system completely abstracts over social encounters - pretty boring. but equally there is the approach where you roleplay a conversation, and after a certain amount of back and forth, the DM declares 'OK, role me a Deception check' and evolves the fiction accordingly - now you're using it a lot more like a PbtA move, pushing the course of events down bifurcating paths at specific moments, and otherwise pursuing free improvised roleplay. however, from the numbers-and-dice side of things, this looks exactly the same.

some games like Burning Wheel offer a conversation system of comparable complexity to its battle system, designed for tense debate-like confrontations. it has something like a dozen actions - e.g. you can make a Point, Obfuscate, or make a verbal Feint, just as in combat you can Attack, Push or Disarm. Is this to Burning Wheel's advantage? it worked pretty well the one time I played it like 10+ years ago, but I also had a very talented GM who could probably have staged a very convincing debate scene regardless. however, the system provided structure, and prompts (how do I make a point? how do I obfuscate?), so it would surely have played out differently without it. it certainly led to a very intense and fun moment of roleplaying where I had to step out onto the 'stage', which has honestly informed me in TTRPGs ever since.

that said, a lot of the time, the best system for adjudicating social situations is literally just to roleplay it out and make a decision - 'what is this character feeling', 'what that character would say'. no mechanical abstraction can beat the human mind when it comes to simulating human beings. that is the unique advantage of TTRPGs as a medium, which no computer or board game can match! don't throw it away lightly.

the problem for a lot of discussions of RPG design is that how the group handles social situations at the table - what they say and when, when they call for dice - is something that depends a lot on the specific group dynamic, rather than something that can effectively be engineered by a rulebook. like many aspects of RPG practice it is something you learn by doing it and watching other players, not by reading about it in a book. you can try pretty hard - Apocalypse World and cousins are statements of a paradigm as much as anything, most trad games have pages and pages of GM advice - but that's not the same thing.

what makes D&D D&D, what makes indie story games indie story games, are their various play cultures, their habits and traditions - and the book is only part of it.

some players might find the prompts given by the notional buttons that say 'persuade', 'deceive' and 'intimidate' (or equally 'go aggro', 'seduce or manipulate' etc.) to be useful pushes in the right direction to play a highly social character, especially if they feel shy or awkward in life. others might find these limited options constraining, or simply irrelevant. or they might find a way to make them fit the rhythms of their group.

thing is, though, it's highly contextual and you aren't going to solve it forever by turning it into an argument about which is the best book-product-tribe to belong to.

[brightest-stars-if]

So how soon can we develop a crush on Lux? Will it be possible for it to be one-sided or does choosing to have feelings automatically make them like us too? Who falls first, us or them? Is Lux a "tell everyone we know" sort of person when it comes to our relationship or would they want to keep it more private/lowkey? What's the rating of the game, how detailed will our relationship get? Will our wedding be covered in the game? Married life after? Does Lux want kids? Will there be more of a focus on the adventure with our prophecies or on the mandatory romance scenes?

Feeling like that McDonald's drive thru meme, but I have a lot of questions ^^;;;

I've been keeping this question in my inbox for a couple of weeks because I wasn't totally sure how to answer haha. Hopefully you haven't taken offense, anon. Let me answer your questions in order.

No, the MC's crush won't be one-sided. Lux's feelings emerge around the same time as the MC's.

So to add to the first point, no one really falls first, it's more of a mutual thing. If I include an oblivious route for the MC, then Lux is aware of their own feelings first.

Lux is 100% a "tell everyone we know" sort of person. They're in love with MC and see no shame in that. Though with certain MC-Lux combinations, they might not be publicly as affectionate in certain circumstances. Particularly with a f!Lux and a m!MC. That doesn't mean they love the MC any less though!

The game would have a late Young Adult to New Adult rating I guess? There’s certainly going to be violence more detailed than in chapter 1 so far. As for Lux and the MC’s relationship, romantically it’s going to be very detailed. I will say I’m not going to be writing in-depth sex scenes or anything like that. There’ll probably be some suggestive themes/moments though.

Yes, the wedding will be covered in the game! Opposite-sex MC and Lux combinations actually get married pretty early in the game. It's going to be either at the end of Arc 2 or the beginning of Arc 3, depending on how I feel it fits with pacing. Same-sex MC and Lux combinations can also get married, but this will be much later, during Arc 8.

As a result of an earlier marriage, opposite-sex MC and Lux combos get more married-life content, but same-sex combos should also get some. All combinations get a pretty equal amount of established relationship content.

Lux could take or leave kids, they don't feel strongly about it either way. They're sterile/barren so they can't have biological kids, but there'll be an option to adopt toward the end of the game.

My goal is to divide the game between romance and the prophecies relatively evenly, though I'll probably allocate slightly more time to romance.

[fantasyforbeginners]

So something that I and probably lots of other people have issues with is repeatedly trying to improve certain aspects of a story. Personally, I struggle with my characters. I know that perfect is the enemy of good, but trying to remember that kind of led to a question I hadn’t quite considered: what *does* make a character Good/make them pass the threshold from serviceable to well-done? I know this sort of thing is subjective to a degree, but are there some basic principles to keep in mind?

Ooh, that's a good one. Like you identified, it is inherently subjective. Some of my favourite characters I'd say are exceedingly well developed feel subpar to other people, or vice versa. That said, a few things:

Keep in mind your character's role, which is to say: a side character doesn't need to be and/or likely won't warrant being as well developed as a main character. That's not to say you can't develop them at all, but a side character who's there to exposit things for 1-2 chapters doesn't need the kind of interiority a reoccurring side character does, etc. The former will probably be more useful from a plot/worldbuilding standpoint than from a personality/emotional one. (A minor side character can do all four, to be clear, but if every minor side character is like that, it can get a bit overwhelming.)

That said, some of my favourite pieces of fiction are my favourite precisely they developed their side characters in ways they didn't have to but chose to, instead, so here's my personal shortcuts:

How Important the character is to a story determines how many Things they have going on. I usually scaffold my stories like this:

Main character: at least 3 things going on in one book, maybe 5 depending on length/complexity

Side main character: 1-2 things going on

Side character: 1 thing going on

For example, in my novel out next year (aaah) my main character has roughly 3-4 things going on, although some are interconnected. They are as follows:

The loss/lack of her powers

Her subsequent one sided rivalry with one of her friends

Her relationship with her sister (that doesn't actually have anything to do with her powers at all)

Secret 4th thing

Her sister is one of my side-main characters (technically tritagonist, but it's a singular POV book, so...) has 2 things going on. They are as follows:

How current events are bringing her angsty backstory the forefront

Her relationship with her sister (+ their mutual friend)

There are other things, of course. Sister character is characterized as religious and she doesn't like the powers she has, although those are consistent character traits/beats that aren't resolved within this first book.

Lastly, we have a side character who is the main protag's mentor. She's integrated into the world, but largely only has one thing going on, which is:

Being main protag's mentor

She still has, you know, Concern and Feelings about whether she's doing a good job, and whether main protag is Ready, etc etc. for what's ahead, but that is her primary purpose in the scene(s) that she's in.

However, that's like. what a character has going on, not who is that character IS, y'know? A mentor or protag or sister can be any various of ways and have any number of personalities, and depth usually gets tucked under "how well is your character's personality/challenges explored or explained in a text," so let's look at that next.

Simply put, the easiest way to create depth is to create contrast.

Humans are drawn to and immensely enjoy contrast. This is why opposites attract is such a popular relationship pairing, or why comedy duos are often the 'straight man' vs the more outrageous character. On a certain level, this comes down to (the appearance of) depth being the result of a surprise. As stated, me going in with expectations that a work wouldn't develop a character, only to be pleasantly surprised that they did, greatly elevated the work in my eyes.

The "jerk with a heart of gold" trope is popular, after all, because it's a contrast: the character's external presentation masks the opposite of that presentation underneath. Implicitly, this attraction to contrasts (or depth) probably has something to do with humans enjoying acknowledgement that we're complicated, not always honest, or don't always present everything we think/feel at all times. While there's amatanormative reasons people enjoy the Chase of a relationship in fiction > the couple actually being together on a certain level, I think a lot of it has to do with enjoying a bigger gap between "what the character feels" and "what the character expresses," which is then presumably reduced when the characters get together and can therefore be more Honest with each other.

From a writing standpoint, this means you can create that Gap yourself with Intention. One of my characters has terrible self esteem, but also believes that she deserves much better than she's received; this means that she can be very hopeful and very indignant on her own behalf, and also willing to be a world-class complainer. It makes her more interesting, I think, than being a character who just thinks they're awful, or just thinks they're amazing (and even then, most characters with overt self-esteem end up masking a secret lack of, tbh). It also means her two core desires — to prove herself as something more than what she is, and to prove she's good enough as is — are at war with each other, creating (what I hope is) a compelling character narrative of seeing what sides are going to win out and/or create conflict.

Basically: a character with a hobby or trait that is the Opposite from what you'd expect from them is a good way to engineer contrast and/or make audiences feel like more depth is there in a short time frame. A big burly man that's secretly sweet deep down is in like 1,000 things, but the contrast between appearance vs personality (ex: a big biker guy who also unashamedly does/loves ballet) is going to Stick in a reader's mind more than characters who are just one thing or the other.

Not all characters need a ton of contrast (paragons, for example, can be very effective while being very straightforward) but it's a very good rule of thumb for creating serviceable to Good to Great characters reliably, I think.

Other fun bonus things:

Distinctive appearances and/or associations. One of the reasons I think Six of Crows is so successful, for ex, is because the main characters all have their unique thing (Kaz is always in a long black coat with his gloves and crow-headed cane, Inej as her blade and her knives, Jesper is flashier with his favourite guns) which helps characterize them and makes them stand out. This can be tricky in non-visual media to get across, but extremely effective.

Strong personalities. That's not to say you can't have a quiet or mild-mannered character, but that getting us to very quickly understand the external presentation of your character can be useful. It lets you quickly establish a foundation that you can start complicating or chipping away at with those contrasts.

The lie shouldn't just be a lie. Often times you'll get told to have there be a Lie your character believes about themselves, the world, others. By the end of the story, they unlearn this lie and move forward. However, I find I yield richer characterization and arcs when the Lie my character believes isn't entirely a lie: maybe they are also, but not just, the problem; maybe the world is a terrible, selfish place in addition to being a good one, sometimes, etc. I find that this, for example, tends to lend itself better to...

Challenging your characters. A couple of things I asked myself when sitting down to plot/plan my book series was "what does my character want and what are they willing, or not willing, to justify to get it?" as well as "what would break them the most?" That doesn't mean you have to Do those things to them, or that they all have to be willing to justify terrible things (sometimes a character who will not no matter the cost can be even more interesting) but that it's useful to know what they're scared of, what they care most about, what they're overcompensating for, etc.

And that's all I got really! At least for now / without more specifics, but feel free to send those in <3

[sparring-spirals]

I hope there is a chance for the bh to try and resurrect fcg, despite the result because I think it says a lot for the friends of someone who sacrificed themselves to try and get them back because they want them back to them. I don’t mind if fcg comes back or not it’s about the characters holding on

I'm almost certain Bell's Hells will try to get F.C.G back, although I'm unsure if it will be posed above table as a legitimate rez attempt or whether its going to be more a scene of collective grief and effort by the Bells, in character, that will take me out at the knees while reaffirming their love and the depth of their loss, but without the out-of-game framing of a legitimate chance to bring back F.C.G.

I assume that distinction will depend largely/almost exclusively on how Sam feels about bringing F.C.G back + whatever the cast have discussed since the ep happened, but! If it is any comfort, I do not see any world in which the next episode does not display how much the Bell's Hells care about F.C.G and how much they'd want to bring him back, while struggling with the weight and reality of the intentional sacrifice that F.C.G chose. And whatever happens, I see the potential for a deeply compelling story/character interplay that's gonna. Kick my ass. <3

Ugh just. the entire premise of. your friend sacrificed themselves for you. it worked. so now what. is fucking devastating. and can spin out so many ways. Im not sure what will happen. fascinated to see what direction they'll take it.

[randomnoteforfuturereference]

Thailand and The White Lotus: Culture

So a big thing I noticed was that season 3 of The White Lotus actually does a pretty decent job of representing Thailand.

So I decided to give a more in-depth look into that representation, and the first place I'm starting with is the culture and customs.

This is by no means an exhaustive explanation of Thai culture. Rather I hope it's a great starting point to those who are curious. And I welcome additions to here.

So let's delve in:

Greetings

Good as place as any to start with would the greeting.

So that gesture Thais do when they bow with their hands together is the general gesture of respect called the wai/ไหว้, which is derived from the Indian Añjali Mudrā (like "namaste"; also certain yoga poses). The way you do the wai (like how close your hands are to the face or how much you bow the head) depends on the context. Wais are multi-fuction used for greeting, thanks, apologies, and so on.

So hello is "sawatdee"/สวัสดี. Also thank you is "khop khun"/ขอบคุณ. To finish off either greeting or thanks, you slap on an identifying particle at the end. The basic spot to start is the gender particles. If you're male, you end with a "krup"/ครับ; if you're female you end with a "kha"/ค่ะ. You may have noticed that some of the guests flubbed that at the start.

Gender isn't the only particle marker though. If you're clearly older to someone or higher status (this can range from someone's boss to even a restaurant patron talking to a server), you bypass the gender marker. This is best demonstrated when Sritala is talking to Gaitok in Ep 3. Instead of greeting him with a "sawatdee kha/สวัสดีค่ะ", she greets him with a "sawatdee ja/สวัสดีจ๊ะ". And instead of thanking him with a "khop khun kha/ขอบคุณค่ะ", she says "khop jai/ขอบใจ". Also you can see that, like saluting, the one of higher status isn't as obliged to go through the process of wai-ing.

Language

Expanding on the language a bit more: Thai is a tonal language that's essentially made of a whole bunch of monosyllabic words strung together to create a larger word. Example that I always like to use: the word for copper (tongdaeng; ทองแดง) literally translates to "red (daeng; แดง) gold (tong; ทอง)".

That tonality (with five tones total: high, low, mid, rising, falling) is why you had that scene where Sritala was correcting Rick and Fabian on how to pronounce her name.

Regarding the names, the names you hear are many times not the legal names. If their legal name is longer than a few syllables, they will go by a "nickname"; either a shortened version of that legal name, a noun that fits them, or even a random western name. Pornchai (on that note, the r is silent) and Sritala can either be a full or truncated legal name. Whereas Gaitok (ไก่ต๊อก; guineafowl) and Mook (มุก; pearl) are definitely noun-based nicknames.

The script itself (which you can see in the background of the subtitles) is a Brahmic-based abugida like throughout India. Spaces are only between sentences, not words. As with a lot of things, the arrival of the script accompanied the arrival of Hinduism and later Buddhism into the region, which is a perfect segue into:

Faith and Religion

Thailand is an extremely religious country, with the white on the flag literally representing religions (plural for all the recognized faiths). This frame from the national anthem tv broadcast demonstrating that:

Buddhism (specifically Theravada Buddhism) is the majority (~90%) and state religion of Thailand. It's not the only prominent religion (Islam being the main runner-up and prominent/majority in parts of the country; Christianity, Hinduism*, and Sikhism are also formally recognized and have longstanding communities alongside Chinese traditions brought by Teochew and Hokkien immigrants), but it's what outsiders usually think of when Thailand is brought up.

Now the tenets of Buddhism is a whoooole other topic, and I will not be getting into it or how it relates to the themes of the show.

Besides Buddhism, there is an animist base to Thai culture (and much of Southeast Asia in general). This animism, for lack of a better word, connects with a major and very casual belief in spirits and ghosts. That is why spirit houses are found on properties from working class neighborhoods to high end malls; the general principle being that if you invite a benevolent spirit to live on your land and take care of them, they will take care of you (including driving away malevolent spirits).

*That is why there is that shrine to Brahma at the resort. A good chunk of Thai Buddhists do recognize Hindu deities due to a mix of Hinduism coming first to the region and that intrinsic connection between Buddhism and Hinduism. So you get that intersection of Hinduism and the spirit house to form these elaborate shrines.

Last note here are the garlands they got at the beginning and what Belinda left at the shrine. Those perfumed floral arrangements are called phuang malai/พวงมาลัย (more informally you can just say malai), and they function as a way to give blessings/offerings as well as essentially good luck charms.

Other Traditions and Manners

So the scene with the cougars managed to encapsulate both one of the most important festivals in Thailand... and a couple of the worst faux pas.

Songkran/เทศกาลสงกรานต์ is known as Thai New Years and takes place in the middle of April (which coincides with Buddhist new year observances across the world). Traditionally water is used as a purification ritual, and the rites are still practiced (especially pouring water over the hands over your elders and on Buddha images). However, it's taken on a new life by turning into a full on water fight (especially since April is the hottest month of the year).

And of course in high tourist areas, it's taken to a whole other level. That of course is where the trio get dropped off and make a major mistake:

DO. NOT. DO. THIS.

I mean, you shouldn't touch a stranger's kid regardless. But especially do not touch anyone on the head. The heaf is considered the holiest part of the body, and touching it is usually considered a defiling action. It's related to not showing the soles of your foot or leaving your shoes on indoors.

The other thing they messed up with was losing their composure. When Thailand is called the Land of Smiles, it's not because everyone is happy. It's because the smile is a perfect front (and there are different degrees of "smiles") as it's bad to lose face. Because if you lose face, it means you lost control.

...

I hope this info is useful and gives some context to the show.

I plan on making a separate post about the places and animals.

[donotnomi]

SLOW HORSES S4 FINALE COMMENTARY WITH HUGO WEAVING

source: this interview (worth reading using your browser's translation tool)

I’ve already translated the most interesting and curious parts and made a snippet list here for you. Enjoy and beware of spoiler from season 4.

How he got involved with the series – I was familiar with the books but hadn’t read them yet. When I got the offer to join the cast, I was still torn between intending to watch the series and actually doing it. I had heard so many glowing things about it, and I thought, “I really need to watch this,” but I never got around to it.

Since I had to quickly decide whether or not to join the project, potentially for more than one season depending on the character’s development, I dived into the first book to get a sense of the story, then the fourth and the ones that followed to learn more about Frank and understand what would happen after his introduction.

The changes between Frank in the book and the series – In the series, he’s more of a classic villain, but with a certain messianic aura. During filming, I kept going back to the original text to give him as much humanity and depth as possible. He’s intelligent, has a certain charm, is always calm and in control, and he’s very skilled at what he does.

Somewhere I read this guide for aspiring mercenaries: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” When he meets someone, his professional mind is already planning how to kill that person, if necessary. But I also sense a deep fatigue in him.

The pub scene with River – I love that scene. The whole season is built up to reach that moment, to that exchange of “Hello, Dad. Hello, son.” It was very exciting to film because Jack and I kept imagining how the audience would react to discovering the truth about River and witnessing this first-ever interaction between the two characters. I discussed the pub scene with Jack long before we filmed it, and we prepared for it for a long time.

As for Frank, I think he goes to that meeting driven by a mix of different desires. He really does want to meet his son and offer him a job, no matter how senseless or morally questionable that offer might be. At least by the standards of someone like River. But neither of them can deny the connection: River is Frank’s son, and Frank is River’s father. There’s a magnificent tension between them, culminating in Frank finding a way out through deceit. It leaves the impression that we might see him again.

River, Frank and the other 2 fathers - The grenade is not exactly the kind of gift a father gives to his son, no (laughs). I think with Frank, there’s this sense of training and testing River, giving him advice but also putting him in danger to see how he’ll handle himself. He’s a very dangerous father, and that’s what makes him so fascinating. In that sense, he’s really like Darth Vader: a mix of dark force and paternal will. He takes care of River but constantly puts him at risk.

Frank’s presence also brings out more of River’s darkness, because it connects to other difficult family figures that have shaped him: his mother, his grandfather who raised him. You mentioned earlier that Lamb is a kind of alternative father figure. I agree—he’s the father River has in his dysfunctional Slough House family. So, in terms of fathers, River has three: his grandfather who acts as his father, Lamb as a paternal figure, and Frank, his real father. Since the series revolves around a dysfunctional family, Frank’s arrival adds even more tension.

The atmosphere on set – The atmosphere on the Slow Horses set is very calm, even though everyone gives their absolute best. The people involved are incredibly skilled at their jobs and have a deep love for Herron’s book series. They’re the kind of professionals who watch the final result on TV and feel proud of it. It’s a lot of fun working with them, especially on a set that mixes drama, action, comedy… and a lot of pain.

The growing popularity of Slow Horses – A few days ago, when I was still in Sydney, I was stopped by some passersby who told me they are loving Slow Horses and enjoy my character. The series is gaining international popularity, even though critics have held it in high regard from the beginning. In this season, many people have started watching it.

[thesovereignsring-if]

I'm a different anon, but following the 'can get pregnant/makes others get pregnant' question: How does it affect gender? Is it something completely unrelated, or does it have some ramifications?

For example, if I play a male character that is male in everything except for the 'can get pregnant' option. Would he be seen as trans? Or is this a world where gender and sex are unrelated? Meaning, genitals non withstanding, a person may have a specific gender they grew up in. So, a person can be a boy, and seen as a boy, from birth, even though his genitals would allow them to get pregnant as they grow up?

Maybe I'm complicating stuff unnecessarily. But I do admit it would be fun to see a fantasy world where gender and sex are completely separate.

Rule of the thumb goes

Gender >> Gender identity and/or expression >> This affects your pronouns and title.

Sex >> Your biological make up >> Affects your sex scenes depending on how in-depth I make it.

With how the code is, you can edit and change your pronouns without issue at anytime and it won't affect your character, but your biological sex does affect how certain characters talk and address certain topics therefore it is fixed after character creation.

While modern day transphobia has its roots in religion, it's not an issue here. Both the Grand Cardinal and the acolytes of the church strip themselves of their identities (which also includes their gender roles, sexuality and expression etc etc) to worship their god. Their influence then shapes the general view of gender roles/expressions of the general populous.

The nobles in the story are much more pragmatic for the most part, they do not care about gender expression or identity or even sexuality to an extent. All that matters to them is the product. Can you provide an heir? No? Well, let's see what we have to do to make that happen. Wether you like it or not.

In short in this world, you can have your gender autonomy, but reproduction? hmm maybe not.