#feels™

[lostliketearsinrain]

@evanave asked: [ instinct ] sender takes receiver's hand on instinct in reaction to a startling sight or event, not even realizing they did it

All of a sudden, soft fingers wrapped around his rough hand. The touch was so gentle, and yet its effect on the man was so exceptionally strong. Something fiercer than any frenzy he had ever experienced rushed through his veins. His ribcage felt so tight, he couldn’t breathe. Every muscle tensed up and yet there was this strange lightness in his head.

Completely startled by this display of trust, the man forgot to watch out for the danger ahead and his gaze shifted to the boy at his side. The face was turned, sky blue eyes widened as they stared at the direction where the gunshot had come from. Those pinkish lips parted as the blond gasped. The small hand still holding on to the man’s large hand.

And then there was something that made the man exhale. It wasn’t a thought, not a conscious realization of what this meant; it was a pure emotion he didn’t know he was still able to feel.

It happened within just a moment, and no spectator would have noticed the turmoil of feelings the man experienced, no one would have been able to spot that he had been distracted for the briefest of moments. Because in the next moment, he pulled the boy close, lifted him up into his arms, carrying him, holding him close to his body, shielding him with it, as he turned to run the other direction, away from the approaching enemy.

[egophiliac]

still ruminating over Lost In the Book With Spooky Skeletons Part 1, so here's a selection of some of my favorite little bits! (...some more loosely paraphrased than others) (I just feel like Idia has no room to criticize in general, okay)

anyway, I'm sure we're just going to have a fun time celebrating Halloween and nothing bad is going to happen whatsoever! :)

[canisalbus]

This has nothing to do with anything but I'm in the middle of a houseplant fixation and I'm having a lot of fun. I've always had indoor plants, sometimes more, sometimes less, but it's starting to feel like I might've finally figured out some of the more advanced stuff, like personalized substrate mixes, different pot types, fertilization, growth lights and humidity.

My plants are doing really well now! I've repotted a few, trimmed the ones that took damage during the winter (or got hit by a thrips infestation late last year) and propped the cuttings, and they're putting out roots! I've never tried propagating anything before, it's exciting times. I'm going to plant them soon, maybe later this week.

Every morning and every night I do a little routine plant tour, simultaneously marveling at them and endlessly worrying about whether they're happy and thriving or not. They're making so many big, shiny new leaves right now and it's driving me to the brink of tears.

Very stressful but also tremendously rewarding. Just felt like sharing, since I've been mostly inactive or focused on complaining about health woes lately.

[lurukifennecfox]

Gotham was welcoming of Amity Parkers.

not as loving as with her own but she was way more patient with the people of her friend that any other outsiders.

so the people of Amity those Liminal and aware of her tried to pay her kindness back, to a reasonable degree of course but they could help and she let them stay so they did.

Paulina took it upon herself to make a nice place in the fashion district, she sold some charms to help with the curses as much as she could.

Sam being Sam opened a surprisingly Ivy Approved community garden and was very hard to convince not to join the Eco-terrorist but they managed to, thankfully.

the Fentons designed filters to help the 'Parkers but it was good for the city too if too little to do much.

Val hadn't moved here (yet) but she visited often enough and each visit volunteered somewhere.

Gotham grown to adore them almost as their own, she even hid them from the bats for a while to let them settle (and maybe help her more before her Knight inevitably got paranoid)

Gotham laughed when her King stumbled into her Red Knight, you could hear it in subtle ways the sounds of the night flowed just a little too much like a giggle.

Hood did deserve more good things she's proud of herself!

[lilybug-02]

It has been a long time since laughter has filled the air here. It is welcomed gratefully.

Bug Fact: Female Scorpion Flies choose their mates based on his saliva-secretion ability, if it's not good enough for her, she may eat the wooer.

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Masterpost

[son-of-avraham]

One of the philosophical/theological differences between judaism and other religions is how we conceive of the consequences of doing bad things.

I just heard someone say, "well jews don't believe in hell, so why don't you-" and just never sits right with me that the only thing that could prevent you from acting in bad ways are the threat of an eternal punishment. The implication that you shouldn't care about the consequences of your actions on the worldly level are astounding as well.

I care about not doing bad because it hurts people - myself included. Even if I did believe in hell... It wouldn't factor into how I live life. I fundamentally don't agree that we should treat this life and this world as a temporary home - a rest stop - where our actions only matter insofar as it affects where you go in the afterlife.

[garpen]

I love Gothamites thinking that the batfamily are Cryptids when they're not.

I also love the idea that to begin with, Gothamites know Robin has been a bunch of different human kids that the: Definitely a Cryptid Batman™ (bc let's be honest that thing is not human) has taken under his wing.

I think it makes the Robins scarier to them. Like "There's something fucked up enough about this kid that the Demon Bat took them in." And they're all pretty sure that every time there's a switch in Robin's it's bc the Cryptid Demon Batman thing probably killed them off or something.

They always try and warn off whatever new Robin he's taken in, but whenever they do the New Robin always laughs them off or attempts to assure them that they're fine and not worry.

[zaahvi]

"a story, unfinished..."

• prints •

[violetscanfly]

Out of reach

[hamstersnamedmarinette]

Anyway,

[the-most-humble-blog]

<div style="white-space:pre-wrap">

🧠 THE MANNEQUIN WITH POWERS — Why Character Comes Before Plot or Die in the Void A Blacksite Literature™ Transmission (If your protagonist couldn’t grip a reader’s soul in a blank room, you already failed.)

I. THE VOID YOU'RE WRITING INTO

Let’s get this out of the way first:

If your character can’t speak — not literally, but viscerally — to the reader’s insides without the crutch of explosions, lore dumps, or a “cool” outfit…

You are not writing a character. You’re dressing a mannequin. And no one gives a fuck what a mannequin does.

II. IF THEY FEEL NOTHING, YOU BUILT NOTHING

Who cares what city’s under attack? Who cares if they’re the Chosen One? Who cares about your twist, your map, your seven-act structure?

If the protagonist you’ve built:

Has no secret

Carries no weight

Evokes no response from a quiet, tired reader on a Tuesday night—

Then you wrote into the void.

Your reader wasn’t “dumb” or “impatient.” They felt nothing. And they left.

III. THE LIE OF “PLOT FIRST”

You’ve been sold a lie:

“Just make the story exciting and the characters will follow.”

No. Never. Backwards.

Character always precedes plot. Character is the plot.

Because if I don’t care who it’s happening to — Then nothing happening will ever matter.

A reader can forgive:

A slow start

A clunky scene

A cliché trope

But they will never forgive the crime of hollow company.

You gave them someone to follow —

And that someone had no soul.

IV. THE MANNEQUIN WITH POWERS

Let’s define the threat.

The Mannequin:

Has abilities

Has trauma

Has a goal

Has quips

Has a backstory

But no voice.

No contradiction. No shame. No private thing they would die to protect, not because it’s powerful — but because it’s theirs.

This mannequin does things. Big things. High stakes.

And no one cares. Because nothing human is bleeding through the plastic.

V. ESCAPISM ISN’T A LICENSE TO LIE

Yes, readers want to escape. But not from humanity.

They want to escape into:

A place where flawed people matter.

A place where pain has context, not just screen time.

A place where characters don’t just “get better” — they get known.

Escape into fantasy all you want. But if you’re escaping the imperfections of the human condition, then you’re not writing fantasy. You’re writing propaganda for emotional disconnection.

And your reader knows it. Even if they don’t say it. Even if they reblog it. Even if they finish it.

They know.

VI. THE SECRET THEY DON’T BRAG ABOUT

Let me give you the fix.

Give your character one thing:

A secret they don’t brag about.

Something they hide not because it’s cool — but because it’s raw, vulnerable, humiliating, or sacred.

Examples:

She used to believe in God, and now she can’t even say “grace” over her food.

He kept a voicemail from his brother the day before he overdosed.

She has two daughters, and hasn’t seen them since the custody ruling.

He talks shit to villains but goes home and reads old love letters he never responded to.

Do not announce it. Do not reward it. Do not let them monologue it.

Let it live. Quietly. And watch your readers form emotional attachments like animals recognizing kin.

VII. PLOT WILL NEVER SAVE YOU

You can worldbuild forever. You can twist the timelines, deepen the lore, expand the pantheon.

But if your central figure could be replaced by anyone and the story still works?

You didn’t build a character. You built scenery in a cape.

Plot is what happens.

Character is who we blame, who we mourn, who we root for in spite of ourselves.

And if you skip that? You skip the anchor. You leave your reader floating — no matter how pretty the setting is.

VIII. THE READER DOESN’T OWE YOU A DAMN THING

Let’s be brutally honest:

Your reader doesn’t care how much time you spent.

They don’t care how much of your soul you “poured in.” They don’t care how important your themes are.

If they can’t connect to a being — not a puppet — then they leave.

Because they’re not in your head. They’re alone. Reading. Tired. Wanting to feel something.

And if your protagonist doesn’t show up with emotional currency in hand?

They’re gone.

IX. THE ONLY TEST THAT MATTERS

Write this down:

If your main character was in a blank white room for five pages — with no plot, no action, no powers — would I want to hear what they think?

If the answer is no?

Start over.

Not from page one. From soul one. You didn’t give them a person. You gave them a vessel to carry your story — and no one wants to be ferried by a stranger.

X. THE REALITY YOU’RE TOO SCARED TO ADMIT

You’re not scared of writing bad plots.

You’re scared of putting real, flawed, mirrored, shameful, holy you into your character — because if it fails, it’ll feel like you failed.

So you keep them clean. You keep them plastic. You keep them “relatable” in all the ways that mean nothing.

But the only thing that ever makes a reader stay?

Is the feeling that this character was carved from a place they weren’t supposed to see.

That’s what creates emotional loyalty. That’s what earns tears. That’s what builds cult followings, not just fandoms.

XI. SO FIX IT.

Kill the mannequin.

Bury the empty badass. Silence the sarcastic automaton. Throw the trauma plot in the fire.

Build a person. A person with shame. A person with weight. A person who reminds the reader of a truth they’ve never told anyone.

Then throw that person into your plot.

And watch the story ignite.

XII. CONCLUSION: YOU'RE NOT WRITING STORIES. YOU'RE WRITING PEOPLE.

You think you’re writing entertainment. You think you’re building scenes. You think you’re plotting arcs.

But you’re not.

You’re introducing human souls to strangers. And the ones who do it well? They become immortal.

Every good story is just a person you didn’t want to say goodbye to.

If you don’t have that?

Then what the fuck are we doing here. </div>

📌 If this made your spine straighten mid-sentence — reblog it. 🧠 If it exposed a hollow character you once thought was “done” — save it. ✍️ If it reminded you why we write at all — read it again.

And if it hurt? That means it’s time to start over.

Bonus:

🧠 FREE WRITING LESSON — THE MOST POWERFUL CHARACTER DEPTH TRICK YOU’LL EVER READ.

[likesdoodling]

I have finished The Angst Version™~ (of chapter 50 of The Harrowing by @chthonion >:D) The bonus chapter added some stuff/re-inspired me, which is all to the good imo~ gotta get that Maximum Angst Factor AMMIRIGHT?? >:D (also. Mostly paraphrasing stuff just so you're aware~)

Then we got some of the conversation~ (without dialogue, 'cause a picture tells a thousand words~ >:D)

Then a sketch that was completely inspired by the bonus chapter-

It's not as 'polished' as the other ones, I just had thoughts about that tidbit and decided I absolutely had to mention it- so it got a drawing to match. :D

And finally, because I don't want to end this on too depressing a note-

:')

I'm not crying, you are.

My personal favourites include Extra Angry Maedhros + hands over the face Annatar, - then- actually. y'know what? I can't pick favourites. I like them all too much to do that. But that was the 'segment' that I experimented on - to try and convey the emotions through how chaotic/forceful the lines were, and it worked exactly how I wanted it to. Which is very satisfying.

>:D

(also, I don't think Maedhros was quite that visibly angry in the actual chapter, but it's supposed to be a mix of that plus Annatar's perception of him/what made Annatar panic. Make of that what you will. Eheh. Eheh. Eheh. >:D)

[sunlight-shunlight]

it does still make me wonder how the bioware writers managed to throw in "anders was in solitary confinement for a year" as like an offhand line, rather than something that should shape his entire character and that other people would react to. and then frame solas being put in a similar state at the end of vg as... uhhh... optimistic and plausibly sustainable...

like the ENTIRE veil hinges on this one guy not getting depression too badly after [indefinite number of years] in forced isolation? and no one thinks this is both really precarious on an objective level, and a morally fucked up thing to do to begin with?

weird ass game. unsettling implications. i don't usually like to assume anyone's political views from their work in that way, but do the writers think people in solitary confinement are just chilling? especially in the sort of medieval dungeon type of thing anders would've been in/whatever torment nexus solas is supposed to be in?

[lurukifennecfox]

Danny slamming open the door(in Phantom form): Jay i think i've just been adopted by your grandparents!

Red Hood having no memories of the GZ and thus no point of reference as to wtf is happening and who is this glowing teenager: ...???

[deerspherestudios]

I don’t know if this is where I’m supposed to post constructive criticism, but just a small inconsistency I noticed, I hope you don’t mind:

Mychael winks a lot throughout day 1, but then he doesn’t know what winking means when the MC attempts to flirt with him.

Thanks for your time!

That's fair to bring up! Believe it or not, I did hesitate on whether or not to write that bit, but it was a cute interaction that I liked so I left it in haha!

TLDR; Mychael learned to mimic gestures (i.e winking), but can't tell when someone is being flirty, so he misinterpreted MC's intent. He didn't assume they were being playful either judging from their tone.

So if I were to elaborate, Mychael has been mimicking gestures and phrases humans do and say without really understanding them; winking is another part of that.

He doesn't know why people wink, but it makes sense for him to do so when being playful/cheeky because he's seen people do so in similar situations, especially in drawings and cartoons, a more expressive media. It just feels natural to do it too after seeing it happen enough times.

On the other hand, when MC winked at him flirtatiously, he doesn't naturally connect the gesture with that intent. Given his disinterest in romance before meeting MC, he doesn't pay much attention to couples when he's out and about. Plus, he's never had anyone wink in his direction so that contributed even more to his confusion.

[dread-full]