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brailsthesmolgurl · 2 months ago

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APPRENTICESHIP

PREVIEW: Set back in the olden days of China, your attendance was much summoned by Master Li Shen, a renowned Medical Physician that is in need of an apprentice. Known for his stoic personality, your temperance was definitely tested. But, could there be an actual explanation behind his stoicity?

WARNINGS: Angst, slow-burn, surprise surprise another LAD guy is in this mix, this part is lesser of Li Shen's but more of the other dude's past with her, but it addresses the plot as the story goes on. Yes I am dragging out the pain for all of you! :)

previous part

Adjusting the straw hat he wore on top of his head, Li Shen looked ahead, his gaze enveloping the sight of the grand walls surrounding the Imperial City. A stark contrast from where he had came from, bamboos switched out for stone bricks, mud trails are no bricked roads and the hustle ever so bustling that it develops a dull ache for his ears. For she had disappeared for three days now and that is exactly how long it took for Li Shen to get to the Imperial City. There are no facts, no evidences for him to prove that she may be here but he only speculated based on the jade tag that wrench of a man carried. The slow clops of the horse formed a hypnotic rhythm, Li Shen’s mind wandered back to the night when she was taken away by force. By a man whom had taken her innocence, a man whom she may had never known, and a man that Li Shen should have not assigned to her care.

“Put her down!” Li Shen’s voice was raised, a rare spectacle. His eyes blazed, pupils dilated when he assessed the situation. His mind was spinning, throwing up ideas on what he could do to save her from the stranger. This is one of the first times Li Shen had ever panicked, had ever presented his frantic frown upon someone else and Qin Che is eating up every single moment of it. Knowing that there is nothing he could do to stop the man, he changed his approach. “You don’t want to do this.” His eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed together for a silent warning. At that moment, Li Shen had a dreaded feeling, he knew that if he did not do anything, he might as well be saying goodbye to her.

Unthreatened, Qin Che's lips tugged upwards, Li Shen's words worth nothing more than bagatelles for him. It is also very unlikely for him to be patient in letting people finish their sentences but something else plays at hand. It was intentional; his actions, his mannerisms towards her, even the kiss that he had laid upon her lips against her will. Qin Che never hurtles, he always plans his next move. "Or else?" His smile revealed his canines, obviously enjoying this one-sided banter of theirs. "What would, or more so, what could you do, Li Shen?" Qin Che's eyes drifted to the female in his arms, how small she looked in his embrace, and utterly fragile. "Take her away from me?" His question although almost self-efficating, Li Shen could hear the snideness of it, nearing the edge of doubting his ability to get y/n back.

Qin Che's back flared an ominous red glow and Li Shen dashed forward only to be met with an aphotic swirl of darkness engulfing Qin Che and y/n. Within the blink of an eye, they had disappeared into thin air and Li Shen could only grasp what's left of the memory of her figure. The moonlight grazed Li Shen's features through the opened window, basking him in the gloomy glow of his own regrets and self-recrimination. His fists tightened, veins bulged and his teeth chattered in anger. There were so many ways he could have chose to say goodbye and yet this was the one way he had managed to lose her, for the second time. The man deliberately pushed himself off of the floor, gaze drifting to the letter that he had left on her small wooden bamboo table. Her shadow lingered and for a moment, Li Shen could see the way she moved across the room, back hunched and teary eyed, before Qin Che invades her personal space. Li Shen is now a man void of inane, reaching out to the royal guards would be too much of a delay as it would take an hour time to reach them so the physician grabbed onto his sword and his best stallion and he rode off into the beyond.

Y/n's head buzzed, a low thump constantly nagged at the back of her head as she slowly woke herself up, eyelashes fluttering rapidly to adjust the amount of light --or the lack of it-- scattered around her surroundings. "Awake already?" Her breath and chest tightened at the raspy voice that she was strangely familiar to. She woke up and shot herself off of the surface of the bed, only to groan at a flared up pain at the side of her ribs. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetie." Qin Che sat a few feet away from her, back straight and silvery hair flowed down to his hips. He eyed the piece of paper laid out ahead of him, right sleeve held back and hands elegantly floating above the paper, dragging the brush with exact precision as he wrote.

"Where am I?" Y/n's eyebrows furrowed, her voice a mere demand given her lack of spirit, frustrated at the state she is in both physically and mentally. The room she is in turns out to be a private chamber, with intricately painted walls paired with open lattice windows to breathe what little air the room holds with the amount of tension inside, wooden beams shaped into the form of dragons and phoenixes and the screen behind Qin Che opened to showcase a courtyard with a pond surrounded by bamboos. "I asked, where am I?"

Seeing how pressed she sounded, Qin Che tilted his head up, his lashes casting a light shadow over his pupils. The way he looked at her already suggested that he is not your ordinary captor, a man that holds such cold intelligence beneath his composed exterior is a menace indeed. "You seem to be in good spirits." His tone held no bits of anger, only amusement. Qin Che is playing his words just like how he plays his Xiangqi --- articulative and measured. "Good, I like myself a challenge."

"Where am I?!" Y/n raised her voice, trying to sit up again only to be defeated by restraints this time, crimson silk tied against her wrists --- not tight enough to cause any pain, but good enough to stop her from getting off of the bed. She was so blinded by frustration that tears had started to crowd around the rim of her eyes. "Why did you kidnapped me?"

The end of Sylus' lip lifted up into the faintest of smirk. Outside, the bamboo leaves danced to the howling of the wind, it was as if time had stopped by itself as Sylus lifted his head up again, this time, staring right through her gaze and she felt a hefty pressure pressed against her. "You are going to help me to ascend my throne." And y/n's lips quivered. The myth himself, the banished crown prince sat in front of her. That explains the lavish private bed chamber, the intricately embroidered jet black and red detailing on his robe and that damn jade tag that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst his already status-informing outfit.

She had heard stories of him, mostly distasteful ones---of him having multiple women in a chamber, of him being a vengeful man who should be damned to hell, of him killing anyone just because he felt like doing so on a bad day. "You..." Her voice trembled more than she had intended to and that led to her internally cringing. "You are the lost crown prince?"

He tilted his head, the smirk widening. "You are finally connecting the dots aren't you sweetie?" He places the calligraphy brush onto the brush holder and stands up, his aura heightened the moment his shadow loomed over her and if she could cower into the size of a microscopic entity, she would have done it without a doubt and within the half-blink of an eye. But too bad, she could not and she is stuck with a bruised rib and teary eyes as Qin Che approaches her.

The moment he lifted his hand she forced her eyes closed and flinched, anticipating a slap, or even any brute force to be thrown against any part of her body but what she got instead, was just a featherlight touch of the back of his hand against her cheek. Opening one eye, she observed. Qin Che's face held an unreadable expression, somewhere between a fine line of hesitation and puzzlement. He seemed to be ruminating about something but it was quick to be dismissed. "Don't you dare touch me again." She warned, seething tone got him retreating his hand, not out of teasing, but out of consent this time around. Yet, y/n does not catch that.

If she was not anyone special at this point, Qin Che would have easily erased her out of his sight with a snap of his fingers. But, of course, the story of hers does not end merely over a threat towards him. For he has bigger reasons to keep her around other than forcing his way upon the throne. He sighed, a few stray strands of his silver hair falling past his chiselled face, his smirk still wide as ever. "You are free to roam within the walls of this building but you are not allowed to leave. My men patrols these walls so you may as well give up any hope of trying to escape." He gracefully pushes himself off of the floor and started walking --- but with his height and aura, it seemed to be more fitted for him to glide across rooms --- out of the chamber, yet he paused to state his last sentence for the night. "That includes putting off all hopes for Li Shen to come for you."

Qin Che left, leaving y/n alone with the flickering of candle lights prancing across her face as she tried to grasp what had just happened. The crown prince stepped out of her chamber and the doors behind him slid shut with his evol. A small thud to close off the rest of his conversations with her for the night. "My lord." One of his attending guards came to his knees in front of the crowned prince, his head hung low as he spoke, tension drifting in between the both of them. "We had eliminated every single one of the villages as per requested. Nobody would be notified of your attendance here now."

"Good." The piercing eyes of Qin Che's trailed off of the guard in front of him. "Guard these walls tight. Nobody comes in nor our without my permission." He took a slight glance towards the closed door behind him. "Especially my queen."

The story has been foretold that a king shall ascend to the throne from the shadows. Born out of wedlock, a love child that should never be acknowledged because of being the child of a witch. Having powers in this dynasty both grants a blessing and a curse but the general public prefers spiting the latter. A king with powers only brings forth more wars by egoistic nations that would send their men to die just to prove their capabilities of 'command and conquer' and this would only cause more harm than good. Qin Che marks the ascension of his throne to be a grand magnum opus of his. For he holds the evol that could easily eviscerate a whole nation.

Now one may wonder why would Qin Che need a lowly physician's daughter to aid him in the ascension of the throne if he was so mighty with all of his powers? Does one ever wonder why y/n is stuck in a love triangle between two daddies men who only seemed to remember her but not the other way around?

"That child?" The palace garden was in full bloom, peach blossom petals fluttered the air, landing onto the grass and forming a painting by mother nature herself. Contrary to the peaceful nature outside, the maid quarters are bustling, the air thick with gossip and incense smoke as one of the maids whispered into the ears of another.

"I knew she was too pretty to be a servant's child." The receiving maid hissed as she was grinding nuts in the stone mortar. "Did you see her eyes? It holds a striking resemblance to your majesty, Lord Qin's."

Another maid working on peeling tangerines turned around, huddling in on the latest gossip and adding her piece of mind to it. "I heard the timing she was born was too uncanny." The two other maids craned their necks towards her, eager to hear more. "She was taken in not long after His Grace returned from the North, right when the queen was having trouble conceiving an heir. All of it are lining up."

The first maid whom started the conversation quirked her eyebrow up, eyes darting between the maids. "It is also a great cover up to say that her parents are no longer alive hence she was adopted into the walls of the palace to serve the king." She snickered. "When I think the rumors of the king having a child out of wedlock may just be more than a housewife's tale afterall." And they all turned their heads to look at the main character they were gossiping about.

Y/n sat right opposite the talking maids, just reaching the age of seven. She sat on a bench, chewing onto some dragon beard candy that was offered to her by other maids. She had no idea that she was being judged, even when she had no relation whatsoever to the rumor that was circulating. She was just there at the wrong place and wrong time. She wore a plain simple robe, hair tied up with a maroon ribbon and a curios smile that constantly accompany her even she never understood the idea of parental love.

The king had found her during one of his expeditions up north, stranded in a hut, starving and crying as a baby. Beside her laid both of her parents, bled out by slashes across their throats, no longer breathing and eyes as still as the death that had plagued the village by enemy soldiers.

Word travels fast within the walls of the palace and it did not take a day for the Queen to hear of such treacherous rumours. Y/n was taken into the Queen's hall a few hours later by two eunuchs, with dirt still on her cheeks and hands and confusion in her eyes when she was grabbed mid way on her playdate with both of her friends in the courtyard. The Queen sat in her throne, her crimson dragon-embroidered robe shimmered as she leaned forward to study the expressions of the child, the sharp nails of her gilded fingertips tapped against her armrest impatiently. Clink clink clink.

"She is a spitting image of his." The Queen's words were laced with venom, her attendant nodding accordingly. "The timing adds up now that I have heard the rumors. She even has the audacity to carry herself like a royalty within the blend of peasants." Behind the Queen emerged her son, the rightful heir to the throne, the playmate of y/n's. His hazel-green gaze fell upon the girl in front of him, but he said nothing and continued standing behind the silk screens.

"If the magistrates believe that this child --- is the one whom is born out of wedlock --- the throne may be in danger. My son is still too weak to take up the throne, the magistrate may just slot in a puppet for the people to idolize and pull their own strings instead." Her eyes narrowed, teeth gritting at the thought of her own son's throne being robbed by a mere peasant when she had went through all of the troubles just to conceive a child of her own. "I will not let that happen."

The Queen then stood up, raising her bejeweled hands and her voice boomed across the hall like thunder. Behind her serene face painted a storm of fury and jealousy. "I sentence her to death by drowning. May the river wash her into the dirt just like where she belonged. Such scandals shall not be allowed in the vicinity of the palace." Her eyes taunted y/n, her vile smile widening. "As long as I am alive."

"Your majesty!" Y/n finally spoke, her eyes immediately tearing up as she thrashed in the grip of the two eunuchs. The poor girl was filled with terror and wrongness. "Please don't kill me! Lord Qin took me in from my village! I don't have parents!" Her voice trailed off as she was dragged off into the distance.

"Mother." The Queen's offspring finally stood beside her and he spoke, his voice hesitating. "Are you sure y/n is father's child?"

The Queen turned, her gaze immediately softening at the face of her child's, her hand coming up to run it down his cherubic cheek. "Even if she isn't, Mother would not let anyone take away your chance of being the Emperor." Seeing the confusion still plastered onto her son's face, she cooed. "Mother will always put you first, do you understand me, Li Shen?"

Y/n jolted awake from her kang bed, her rib no longer in agony and her wrists were free from any bounds. The candlelight in the far corner of the chamber flickered furiously, close to being snuffed out. Cold sweat clung to the nape of her neck, her breaths sharp and shallow as the remnants of the nightmare lingered in her mind. Her last moments of the nightmare was the echoes of the rushing water, her gasping for air desperately, the weight of her ragged clothes dragging her further beneath the pulsating waters. The dream felt too real for her.

Needing air, she slipped out of her bed and rested her feet against the floor before she started walking. The floor was cold, prickling the soles of her feet. Wincing, she rubbed her feet together in an attempt to warm them and she tiptoed towards the screen doors. Sliding them open, she peeked her head out. Lanterns hung on ceiling beams, the candle lights flickered low and casting a small glow onto the wooden floors.

The moon hung high in the clear night skies, shining pale and coating the cobblestones in the courtyard a shade of silver. Alone, under twisted branches of a plum blossom tree, stood Qin Che with his back facing her, his eyes trained on the fishes swimming freely in the pond. He was dressed in a plain black cotton robe this time, his hair still flowed down his hips like silk threads. Sensing her arrival near his vicinity, he turned towards her, his voice raspy but does not bear any surprise. "Why are you still up at this hour?"

Struck with his presence, she took this opportunity to confront him. "You can't just kidnap me from Li Shen, we are to be wedded." Qin Che's eyes narrowed at her bold statement, his gaze followed her as she walked towards the edge of the koi pond. "He will find you and he will save me." Oh, Qin Che could not wait till the moment she finds out why he is doing this. He could not wait for her eagerness to falter and he surely could not wait for her to see the truth with her own eyes. But, he shall not be the one to break her hopes and dreams, for now.

Tsk. Qin Che tutted, stepping forward slowly till he was close enough to grab her by her elbow to guide her back from the koi pond. "Just like how he tried to save you from the river." Y/n's head snapped towards Qin Che in disbelief, he seemed so sure of what he had spoken. She held no memories of her past after the trauma but hearing him spoke of a river, it got her curious if there was more to that piece of foregone memory. Judging from her perplexed look, Qin Che released his grip from her arm, something flickered in his gaze. "I was there, y/n. That day when you were sentenced to death."

Her rapid blinks had suggested her brain not picking up on any details and Qin Che stepped even closer, close enough that she could nearly feel the material of his robe brushing against her. "You don't remember, do you?" He asked, his eyes searching for hers. "We used to play in the south gardens, the three of us. You, me and that damned bastard of a child. You would always hide amongst the bushes and think you could get away with it because you are small in size."

Bits and pieces of memories started sparking in her mind, but not complete enough for her to paint a full image. "I...I remember laughters, but, I can't tell apart who I was playing with back then. It shows up in my dreams once in a while, but I never end up remembering them once I woke up."

Qin Che's eyes softened, a rare sight for a vicious man like him. He stayed put in his spot as he continue to jog memories for her. "When I play as the seeker, I always let you win so you could continue using that special spot whenever we play." He then lifted his hand to remove a stray petal that had fell on top of her head, his touch was barely the gust of a wind but she did not wince this time, she could tell that there were no ill intentions. "That spot became such a habit of yours whenever I am the seeker that I can't see myself calling you out and causing you to lose your special place."

Y/n's gaze shifted, why is he telling her this now? So many questions came to her mind in just a mere moment. Who is he? Why would he want her to help him to ascend the throne? How does he know about her dreams? Where--- Qin Che's grip on her chin brought her back to the plum blossom tree where they both stood. "Y/n." Her name rolled off of his tongue languidly. A name that he had called her for years, yet it tasted bitter to him, especially when the last time he had called for her was watching her at the brink of drowning while he was held back by the other servants. "As much as I would like to tell you more, I am afraid we have an early day tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" She looked away, his touch seared her skin and brought back the moment of him kissing her. Y/n bit her lip, her ears turning red at the thought of his lustful embrace.

Qin Che smirked, clearly catching on to her response. She is still the same as last time, abashed whenever she is teased by him. The crowned prince bends down to her, now at eye-level and he stared right into her eyes, searching for her soul that was still trapped beneath all of her foggy memories. "The palace awaits for us, sweetie."

previous part

Author's note: I know that this may be a little rushed, but it has been a while since I had gotten back into writing hence I am a little wonky on the plot itself, but I still want to try to address as many plot holes as it may have and still take my time in unravelling the storyline! But ofc if any of you readers want moreeee of the details do dm me and I can let you dive into my thoughts!

Taglist: @prettytemis @pinkblusheschuu @xvysarene @uyenlee @sapphic-daze

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utilitycaster · 1 month ago

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did some rereading of Daggerheart and I think a lot of the things it's being praised for are genuinely good, but also aren't particularly unique in the longform heroic fantasy/moderately flexible system sphere, and there are some things it does that are if not unique, at least notably better than 5e or what I know of Pathfinder.

I think collaborating on worldbuilding is something Age of Umbra is already correctly praised for, but this is something you can do in almost any system! This includes leaving things a little open for player improv when they succeed or fail; I think Matt tends to be a little more GM-forward than some others when he GMs in Exandria and Daggerheart may have loosened him up, but this isn't abnormal for D&D. Daggerheart makes it a little more explicit, but the degree to which you can add flavor to the world or minor details that won't interfere with a larger plot is present at least in small amounts in most games.

What I do think it does better than D&D, specifically in regards to core rules, is the following; there is a theme, which is that I think it encourages bold and decisive play, and as anyone following this blog knows, that is what I consider the good shit.

per-session abilities. I think that because D&D abilities are typically once per rest/long rest/day, some people tend to hoard them. Per-session is a very fluid concept and encourages you to actually spend those abilities when it matters. (This is not unique as a concept at all - per-session or per-arc abilities are a thing in a lot of indie games, but D&D lacks it).

resources that are gained through rolls and lost through action. As someone who can be more cautious at times, I've found a really good way to make me do something risky in games is to make it the best way to get something I need. You need to roll to get hope! You need to spend hope otherwise your slots are full and rolls with hope don't benefit you as much. I know resource tracking can be a little challenging, but honestly given that daggerheart simplifies a lot of other things (HP and distances most notably) I don't think it's too bad.

To that point, an emphasis on consequences by having a two-dimensional matrix for rolls. You can do this in D&D, and many do (success with fear or failure with hope in Daggerheart is not unlike a fail-forward ruling in D&D) but this makes it clearer to the GM and players (and decreases the GM mental load). It can take some of the sting out of a failure (if you roll with hope) as well, which I think is useful when dealing with failure-averse players.

no combat order definitely requires getting used to, but I think it allows for more natural and dynamic combat and specifically eliminates the common D&D problem of people having a really strong idea of what they want to do only to have that plan rendered irrelevant by someone else's action higher in initiative. I also like that simple actions that don't require rolls (like moving at regular speed) don't throw action back to the GM.

The character class questions to build out relationships are, rather like many safety tools, a case of "you should 100% be doing this anyway and it doesn't need to be as formalized if you know what you're doing; but I respect that you have provided examples and a framework for those who don't."

Death rules that make character death meaningful for those who want to pursue it but provide a way to prevent it for those who do not. I think character death is interesting to have as a possibility, but saying "you can either commit and make it count; you can evade it for now but not forever [specifically making the risk of taking scars increase with level is very good]; or you can leave it to chance" allows you to cover a variety of player preferences without favoring one at the expense of others.

#daggerheart #cr spoilers #critical role

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fixyourwritinghabits · 6 months ago

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Editing Post 3: The Character Pass

Did I say we were doing structural edits next I LIED, first we have to focus on character. In reality, you'll probably be doing plot and character passes in tandem, as plot progression should be tied to characters moving forward and changing. Let's start with:

Motivation - Clarity, Consistency, and Earned Change

When it comes to motivation, you're usually dealing with external (the events of the book) and internal (what's going on inside your character's head) motivation. I like Save The Cat's concept of the internal wound/shard of glass theory - your main character starts the story with a problem that needs fixing, whether they realize it or not. This is about digging deep in their head and linking that internal motivation to their external actions and choices. To borrow more Save the Cat lingo, it's all about the internet/external journey:

Internal Journey - Megan is shy and awkward, and thinks she wants to be one of the popular kids in school (see Wants Versus Needs below). What she actually needs is to become more self-confident, healing that inner wound in the process.

External Journey (aka the outer plot) - Megan has moved to a new school, the perfect chance to make it as a popular kid at last. Maybe she'll go all-out, joining a Battle of the Bands despite not being able to play a guitar or inventing a new identity to make her seem mysterious and cool.

However the plot progresses, Megan's external journey is going to be connected to her internal journey of gradually realizing what she needs is self-confidence, not popularity. Speaking of...

Wants Versus Needs

Often a great way to add more depth to a character is to have them want something, but in actually need something else. Their motivation will change as they discover what they want isn't what they need, and change focus - or, tragically, stubbornly stick to their want and never find the place they should be. Regardless of your character goal, review your scenes with the following questions in mind:

What does your character want? How does that influence their behavior in this scene? - Remember, external goals like "escape the zombies" are important, but you also want to focus on their inner drive of "save as many people as possible because he could not save his friend" as well.

What does your character need in this scene? How does that influence or clash with their actions? - For zombie guy, his true need is to let go of his guilt for not saving his friend. He stubbornly refuses to admit that to himself, allowing us to complicate the scene by having him spot his friend as a fresh zombie or taking the death of a stranger too hard.

By "earned change" in the previous section, I mean the character slowly evolves from realizing they need to pursue what they want versus what they need. By showing how they learned that over the course of your novel, their motivation stays consistent and compelling.

Tracking Changes and Growth

Escape the soggy middle by making sure you know when that motivation needs to pivot toward the inner need. This is again where I'll harp on having an editing outline, because knowing what needs to happen for your character to change is going to be much easier if you can look at it in the context of the whole plot.

If your novel feels muddled, take another look at where your characters are and where they need to be at the end of the book. Are there any realizations that need to happen? Could a budding romance benefit from more focus? Could a harsh defeat help set them on the right path?

Are You Pulling Your Punches?

You could have a lot of moments that don't reach their full potential simply because you're not pushing your characters hard enough. I recently reviewed a friend's draft and immediately realized a pivotal part of the book would be so much stronger if it ended in a confrontation between the main character and their terrible father. At the same time, I realized why they hadn't come to that conclusion themselves - often we (okay, me) tend to play it safe in drafting for realism or other concerns.

But pushing your characters past their comfort zones is a great way to make that book so much stronger - and if it doesn't work, you can always do something else!

Do All Characters Have Motivation (And Do You Have Too Many of Them?)

For your characters to be engaging, they all need to have their own wants and goals that the readers understand, even if they're a despicable antagonist. Yet another common problem I see is often too many characters to keep track of. You might benefit from merging two secondary characters into one, or cutting back on scenes involving people that never do much in the story.

Every character should have a want, a need, and a drive to get it, which will help you strengthen the plot and weave in more subplots. If your story feels flagging, take a closer look at your characters and make sure they're carrying their weight.

In my initial draft, two of my characters had older sisters that were secretly dating each other. While fun, I quickly realized in re-drafting that they already had what they wanted and including them was slowing down the plot. Cutting those characters ramped up the family tensions and kept the focus on the main characters ,where it needed to be. Another issue was that I wasn't paying enough attention to the villain's motivation - with less side characters to juggle, I had more space to explore that in the story.

Next post: Worldbuilding. Then structure. I promise. Maybe.

#writblr #editing #writing tips #editing tips

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illuminatedquill · 4 months ago

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I am loathe to wade into the shipping discourse because it’s not how Severance should be viewed - at least in its entirety - but also the writers, directors, and cast members definitely seem keen on the audience being forced into Mark’s dilemma: Helly or Gemma.

This conflict is woven into the show’s theme and is featured prominently in the intro, even. So it’s hard not to get involved and have thoughts. It’s a deeply uncomfortable topic to consider, which I totally get and, speaking personally, I despise love triangles in stories.

Severance gets a slight pass because they’re actually doing justice to the concept and making it interesting and complicated but I will admit that I’m still not a fan of Mark x Helly. I think they were better off as just friends, with the romance firmly staying between Mark and Gemma.

If you’re not interested in hearing any thoughts about this then feel free to keep scrolling. Otherwise, read on:

Mark x Helly only makes sense to me if it adds weight to the final choice of him staying with Gemma in the end. From my point of view, Helly’s most interesting relationship is with herself - namely, her outie Helena. In this season, that seems to have been sidelined in favor of her romance with Mark which is . . . a choice.

It’s possible that leads to the popular theory that Helly becomes pregnant by Mark, one that I’m personally not fond of, since it makes the relationships even more complicated (and I think the show has enough complicated interpersonal dynamics as it is) but I am giving grace to the Severance writers to handle such a plot line with their usual creativity and keen guidance.

Anyway, I don’t think anyone watching the show with working eyes can deny that Helly is deeply important to Mark and even Gemma, to an extent. If Gemma is the impetus for the show even existing, then Helly is the catalyst that spurs the show’s characters forward with her firebrand personality. She’s exactly what Mark needs right now, and the same could be said about Mark for her. He grounds Helly and gives her a safe space, whereas she gives him purpose and the will to move forward. Mark needs that.

Helly’s presence is what spurs Mark to start the search for Ms. Casey (even if that’s been somewhat derailed this season).

There’s a valid argument to be had that Mark x Gemma, having changed and lost so much because and for each other, would be doomed to a lifetime of misery for choosing to stay with each other. There’s so much tragedy between them, even before Lumon cruelly split them apart.

Helly could be a new start for Mark, free from that pain. Her and Mark’s relationship feels youthful in a stark contrast to Mark and Gemma’s lived-in marriage. That is purposeful; the creators of the show have said that one of the themes for this second season is adolescence. And we know that they go well together, having seen them in action on the severed floor.

But . . . it doesn’t feel true to the themes of Severance if they do go down that route, at least to me. Mark’s central character flaw is his conflict avoidance: his unwillingness to face the hard and painful experiences head-on in an honest and open manner.

Helly is important to him. He loves her. She is what he needs right now.

But it has to be Gemma. Not because he’s married to her or out of loyalty to what they had before. Because that Mark and Gemma are gone. Dead. Neither of them are going back to how things were between them.

It has to be Gemma because that’s the only way either of them are going to truly get out of Hell. Going with Helly would mean not having to face all that hardship and pain and suffering that healing would require. It would mean that Mark and Gemma suffered for nothing.

They have to face it; all the damage done from Lumon, from their own selves, and from each other. Face it together and learn to love and be happy and live together despite it all. And they have to undertake that journey together.

Severance never takes the easy route. It’s making the statement that you cannot sever away the trauma and pain of life without losing your humanity in the process.

Mark x Helly vs Mark x Gemma. It gives more weight to know that, despite having the chance for him to walk away, he still chooses Gemma. That he wants to be with her after everything: the good, the bad, the ugly. To stand by her side and go through it all with love and honesty and faith that they’ll make it through this.

It’s Gemma. Always has and always will be.

(I know there’s the question about what Gemma would want, especially after finding out that innie Mark loves Helly - and if they do go down the pregnancy route, hoo boy. But I think we forget that Gemma is intelligent - innie Mark was born out of a need to forget her. And she knows and understands from painful experience how innies work. If anything, Gemma might be more mad about the fact he chose to get severed rather than him falling in love with another woman, considering memories of him were all that was keeping her going while locked away in Lumon’s dungeon whereas Mark thought creating a version that never knew her was needed to keep functioning. But, all the same, I don’t think watching her fight tooth and nail for almost an hour leaves any doubt in my mind that she would still want to be with him. It wouldn’t be easy to reconcile with but, hey, life and love are messy. It’s the story of everyone. Trying to avoid it deprives you of the full richness of our brief lives and robs it of meaning is what Severance is saying. But if she and Mark survive getting free and clear of Lumon and are open and honest with each other, then they’ll be okay, I think. And, of course, the love is still there, in spite of it all. That’s enough to convince me. It won’t be the same, but it can be good again. I know it can be. After all, winter never lasts forever. Spring always comes again.)

These are my own thoughts, I cannot stress that enough. It’s what makes sense to me. Even though I don’t care for Mark x Helly, I do adore Helly’s character and wish her the best ending possible. But with Helena as her outie, I just don’t see that being a possibility. And, no, I don’t believe that Severance is going to attempt a redemption arc for Helena. Not that the writers couldn’t write a damn good one for her - they certainly could - it’s just that particular narrative would require a huge amount of character work that should take multiple years and seasons to develop properly. You can’t just flip a switch and she’s suddenly Helly, even if she does reintegrate. I just don’t think it’s a story that should be rushed, like how it was with the resolution to Helena co-opting Helly’s bodily autonomy to be intimate with Mark. Fringe did that storyline way better and the reason why is because they had the time and space to do so. Severance does not - not in this current era of streaming shows where everything is condensed to 10 episodes max. Doesn’t matter how good the writers are.

#markgemma #markhelly #mark scout #gemma scout #helly r #helena eagan #mark x gemma #mark x helly #severance #severance spoilers #severance speculation

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lixies-favorite-cookie · 11 months ago

Text

eat your words ◦ l.f

-in a spiral of whiskey-induced stupidity, you claim felix couldn't dominate you even if he tried—oh, how he's going to make you eat your words.

Paring◦ First time dom!Lee Felix x sub!Reader

Words◦ 2290

Genre ◦ smut, porn with NO plot 😋

Warnings ◦ teasing, kissing, biting, felix being a cocky little shit, questionable dialogue, praise, clothes ripping, boob groping,the start of some fingering, uhhh I think that's it

Taglist ◦ @thetoastghost222 my little pookie wookie sweetie pie <33

A/N ◦ this was originally supposed to be super hard smut like the kinkiest sex known to man kind but then mid way through I found out I HATE writing smut 😃soooo you guys are getting the weird little build up I did to get to the actual smut part and I may or may not a million years in the future write a continuation very unlikely though I really hope I didn't disappoint anybody 🫶

~cookiecreates 🍪

“I don't think you can do it,” You shrug your shoulders, staring at your smirking reflection swirling in the amber glass. His face shifts, a brow lifting ever so slightly, almost unnoticeable, but the way his eyes harden into a sharp, dangerous gaze isn't—challenging, testing irises narrowing like a predator stalking its prey. It was an odd metaphor, sure, but the way he gripped his cup in his hands, squeezing until his flesh turned white, made you tremble both in anticipation and terror, it was the type of fear that made your brain fog and your heart pound, and as the warm whiskey sloshed against the rim of the cup, you could have sworn; you saw the glass bend.

Humans are complicated structures like thick, vibrant layers of dried paint, but when you chip us into the rawest form of art, the naked easel, we are straightforward creatures, and sometimes all you need to do is prod the right places to get there.

“I don't think you can be dominant,” you smile against the edge of your drink, tipping the rest of the liquid back. Maybe it was the whiskey that made you lie or the almost intrinsic need to feel his hands digging into your hips, but either way, your mouth seemed to move without your mind's consent, and right now your vagina didn't care which one it was.

“And why's that?" He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, his lips quirking in a devilish grin. He cocks his head to the side, almost daring you to answer like either way; your words will be wrong. You squeeze your folded thighs in some feeble form to ease the tension that pulses between your legs, clit begging for his attention, longing for his touch, your needy, needy for him.

“You're so…” You tip your cup, a finger lightly teasing the rim, your eyes wander, toying with his patience. You act so nonchalant, so sure in your statement in the way you bounce the glass around as if you couldn't be bothered by the potential consequences of your actions, but little did he know lust smells like whiskey and wine—a rich sort of tang, and as you taste the words on your tongue, the thought of sex has never sounded so-

“Sweet,” your gaze lands on him in all his taut glory, annoyance pulsating off of him in waves. His back is tense against the chair as he folds his arms, both making his black dress shirt hug his chest and sinch around his biceps. He has never looked so alluring, so delectable, so tempting. He sucks his teeth, tongue pressing against his cheek.

“You know, I'm going to make you eat your words,” he states confidently, stretching his arms on the top of the chair, spreading his legs apart, flaunting his growing bulge. Saliva pools in your mouth, the only thing keeping you from drooling is the way you press your lips together, blinking back the waves of arousal that soak your panties.

"Well, what are you waiting for?” he beckons you with two fingers before promptly gesturing to his lap. “Don't tell me you're having second thoughts already.” You hop up from your chair, tossing your drained glass onto the bar beside you; practically tripping to sit on his lap.

"Someone's eager,” he smirks, wrapping thick fingers around the colom of your neck, smashing your lips together. You gasp into the kiss, pleasantly surprised by his greedy movements; palms moving impatiently across your skin.

“I want everything off,” you nod, matching his fervent fingers—fighting to unbutton your blouse—and instead of doing what any normal, sane person would do in a situation like this, asking you to unbutton it, he simply rips the fabric apart, literally tearing it off your person like a flimsy piece of wood. Your jaw drops as the buttons clatter to the floor.

"Felix,” you start, but his feverish mouth stops you. “It was in the way,” he snarls, unclasping the back of your bra. “You better buy me another one." You breathe, pulling away, but his hand laces in your hair, bringing you back. “You have my card, darling, buy 10." There's nothing more sexy than using somebody else's money and knowing it won't hurt their bank account a bit.

“Oh, baby, you really know how to talk dirty to me." Your snarky words quickly fizz out into a breathy moan when he forces your hips down, rubbing your clit against his hardened bulge. His kisses are frenzied, an almost desperate passion bubbling beneath the surface of all those harsh words and dead buttons lying idly on the floor.

“Are you 100% sure you want to test this theory, love, 'cause once I start,” his teeth scrape across the fragile flesh of your lip. “I don't think I could stop,” he growls, dragging his palms up your naked waist to knead your tits. A shaky sigh tumbles from your throat, feeling the friction of his calloused hands on your nipples.

“Then don't,” you gasp, caught in this perceptual state of euphoria. Your sentences are exchanged through steaming kisses, not seeing the reason to pull away or breathe, for that matter—why would you need oxygen when you're sitting on Lee Fucking Felix's lap?

His mouth turns hesitant as his thighs tense beneath you like he wants to lift you up, but his morals are stopping him. He sighs, pulling away from your lips, which you whine at, missing his heat.

“I ethically can't carry out all the things I'm thinking about doing to you without your full and complete consent.” Your heart swells with warmth at his caring gesture to get your permission.

“Yes, Felix, you have my consent to do-” You lean in to gasp the words on his lips, “Anything to me, now please,” you beg pathetically, "Make me eat my words.” That was all he needed to hoist you up and chuck you on the bed like a paper doll, completely weightless, fluttering into the sheets.

You squeal, his gaze setting fire to your soul, scorching lines as he lingers over the soft ridges of your chest, drifting down into your clothed cunt. You can almost feel him ripping off your thong. He leers at the foot of the bed, slowly pulling apart every single solitary button with provoking patience. He was purely evil for taking so long to do such a simple task, especially when your shirt lays deceased somewhere in shreds on the bedroom floor.

"You know Felix. How would my shirt think seeing its distant cousin being so carefully treated?” You meant it as a joke, but apparently, Felix wasn't really in the mood for jokes. The way he wildly yanks your ankles towards him crawling over you with a half-unbuttoned shirt hanging loosely on his shoulders, only giving you a peak into his chiseled frame.

"That fucking mouth." He cages you onto the bed, engulfing you with his body. “That fucking mouth is going to get you into a lot of trouble, baby." His voice is a low rumble coming from somewhere deep in his chest. It sends pings of pleasure rushing up your spine.

"All the things I should do to you." He drags his lips down your jawline, peppering light kisses across your neck. “For that comment,” he nips that sensitive spot just beneath the bone, pulling a pathetic whimper out of you. “I'm going to make you suffer.” his actions are a complete contraindication to his aggravated tone; soft, gentle pecks that feel like wildfire raging through your muscles. His lips are light on the sweet spots of your skin, “I'm going to tease you until it feels like you can't take it anymore,” he ghosts his mouth over your flesh, hot breath blazing bliss through your bones.

"I"

Kiss

"Could"

Kiss

"Do"

Kiss

"This"

Kiss

"All"

Kiss

"Night-"

You quiver as his finger caresses the collar of your shirt, dragging it ever-

Slightly

Down

Tension thrums through the room as your clit throbs for his touch. You just want to shove his face into your cunt and let his wandering tongue toy with the delicate bud and not the collarbone he's teasing with his teeth.

“I could tease you for hours, dragging my lips across your skin,” he's acting out everything he says like some sick, twisted play, “How long do you think you would last?” Not very fuckin' long, you know that for sure, the way his wandering hands seem to graze every stretch of skin at an excruciatingly steady pace and yet skirting right across the spots where you yearn for him the most. “I touch you in every place-” He drags his finger up the length of your waist, drifting between the valley of your breasts, just to stroke soft circles around your nipple, avoiding the sensitive skin in-between. He leans into your ear, fanning hot, sultry breaths across your cheek. Your body erupts in goosebumps as his voice drops in tone. “You don't want me." You squeeze your eyes shut, breath hitching in your throat; you're genuinely convinced you're going to die, combusting into a million bursting burning flames. There was a configuration on your skin, and the only way to put it out was Felix's face between your thighs; as if he could read your mind, he drifts downward, crawling back on the bed.

He drops to his knees in front of you, still seeming so powerful in his submissive stance, and when he lifts your ankle to his lips, you realize he's teasing you even on the floor with glassy half-lidded eyes blown wide with lust. His mouth was carrassesing the ball of your anckle; tongue, tracing the line of your calf. It was such a passionate form of pain, the way his teeth dug into your flesh only for his tongue to soothe the ache.

Your head tilted backward, spinning in the way he worshipped you, his tongue telling you words his brain couldn't quite convey. It was oddly intimate, especially as his lips brushed the swell of your thighs, whispering secret promises on your skin. It felt like time had cracked—trickling into an absent form of nothingness. You tremble beneath the possessive pads of his hands, holding your bucking hips down.

“Please” you whine, frustrated tears forming pools in your lash line. He's so brutal yet so beautiful, all at the same time; It reminded you of some sort of twisted poetry, a sensual paradox, living under the laws of juxtaposition—the vulgar words melted into the page, twisting and turning into your deepest dirtiest fantasies; no matter how sinful the words seemed to be, they always sprouted into something stunning like a blackened rose or a burning butterfly. You can't help but admire the way their wings flutter off, glowing like a dying star, flaring its final goodbye—soft hues of a bold, blazing blue before slowly being snuffed out.

(cookies interuptions: i dont know how i felt about that 😖)

Your stomach soared as your lashes stuttered shut, eyes rolling in the back of your head as he probs the muscle of your hip with his tongue, not before promptly dragging his teeth across the bone.

"Felix," You whine, squeezing the sheets beneath your palms,

“This was what you wanted, yeah?” His voice feels like fire on your skin.

“No."

“No?” he mocks, pouting in some sick form of sympathy.

“No!” You whip your head around violently, slamming your fists onto the bed. Your frustration must have sparked a loose wire in your head, making you a little bit wild and a lot a bit stupid. He grabs your face, roughly squeezing the flesh of your cheeks. His eyes narrow in a stern gaze.

“Don't test me." He snaps, digging his fingers harder, forcing your lips into a pitiful pout. “You started this love,” he says, dropping his hand to trace a finger over the curve of your lip. “Don't get upset when it doesn't go the way you planned.”

He draws patterns on your skin, blazing a bitter path from your lips down the curve of your jaw, dripping into the valley of your breasts. You pant, breath stuttering in your throat.

"What did you think was going to happen, love, with that snarky little mouth of yours?” He creeps lower. “You want me to touch you?” he whispers, sadistically inching two fingers closer to your clenching core. His voice was like molten cream trickling down his trachea.

"Prove to me you can listen.” His hand dips into your panties “Prove to me you can be a good girl.” You sigh, body buzzing with anticipation. It felt like the planets were finally aligning in a swelling earth-shattering symphony, and as he sank into the bed, creeping his face closer to your throbbing core, you clench your eyelids closed, muscles rigid with suspense. He tisks, tilting your head forward.

"Look at me, love” His lips dust over your clothed clit “Keep those pretty eyes on me.”

You moan, both at his words and how he licks a hot, wet stripe up your concealed entrance; reluctantly, you tilt your head up, positioning yourself over the stacked pillows so you won't droop.

“That's my girl." His eyes were heavy with lust, like drops of honey swimming in pools of ink; the way his pupils took control of his usually sunny aura, dominance seemed to transform him. He was like a burning butterfly confined in a chrysalis too long, and even with his wings fluttering off, he knew he was going to make the most of the time while they were still attached to his skin.

Oh, how he was going to make you eat your words.

©CookieCreates (posted: July, 4th 2024) All rights reserved. Do not translate, copy, or claim my works as yours! I only post on this platform so if any of my works are elsewhere, report and notify me immediately.

may y/ns shirt rest in peace

let us all mourn 😞

~cookiecreates 🍪

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lurkingshan · 11 months ago

Text

Japanese QL Corner

One show ends this week, but there are several more on the way, including a surprising adaptation. Of the six shows airing now, five are streaming weekly on Gaga and the other is available via fansub.

Takara's Treasure

I. LOVE. THEM. Their little bird watching date was precious and I loved every moment of it, including Taishin's adorable outfit and over preparedness, Takara's secret smiles, and the patient search for the wallet. I was so relieved that Taishin named his fears about them not being suited upfront instead of letting it grow into a huge anxiety in his own head, and I was also happy Takara was eager to speak with him about his impending relocation. That said, NOOOOOOOO I don't want a forced separation and time skip, show. Please I am begging.

Cosmetic Playlover

This was my favorite week for this show by far, because they actually let us see the relationship at its center! I enjoyed finally spending some time with these two as a couple, though I still find the timing and sequencing of these plots confusing as hell. Last week Sahashi gave Mamiya keys to his place and it was implied they'd been dating for quite awhile and were already serious, but this week we learn Mamiya has never spent the night and they are only just having sex for the first time. It was a real record scratch for me; I can't get my bearings in this relationship trajectory with all the gaps in the story. But hey, at least they finally let them make out a little! For a show that sold itself as toxic sexy, there has been very little toxicity or sex, tbh.

I Hear the Sunspot

*rubs temples* This show is really testing my patience. I got excited last week when Kohei and Taichi finally had a real conversation and it seemed like we were moving forward, but this week we're back to treading water. This story did not need 12 episodes; this pacing, while faithful to the manga as I understand it, does not work well for weekly live action. It's been weeks since we've learned anything new about these characters or advanced the central relationship, and the show continues to stumble with its confused depiction of Maya. I just want this show to pull together and finish strong, because I think a lot of this will be much more tolerable on a binge watch. For now I will just gaze at Kohei's beautiful smiling face and hope for a full recovery.

Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko

I said last week that the show had gotten so muddled I didn't think they'd be able to end well, and even with those very low expectations this finale still managed to get underneath them. The last several episodes made a mess of the characters, the conflict, and the themes of the show, and to add insult to injury, they capped it all off with angle kisses, a time skip, and a bizarre sex negative ending that had our "boob monster" adult lesbian refusing to have sex with her girlfriend for over a year so she could "cherish" her before randomly kissing her at the office as if that was the important resolution we'd been waiting for. A truly horrid ending that ruined everything this show did so well in its early episodes. I don't understand!! Big sigh and fingers crossed for a decent sexy gl sometime in the near future.

Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

I've just been beaming and staring into space for the last several minutes after finishing this episode. No matter what else happens in the shows, I love knowing I am always going to end my week in jql on a good note while this gem is airing. This week marked a transition point for Ishida and Mitsuya, as Ishida had a great conversation with Noguchi, found a new passion and put in for a job transfer, and had his final meeting and meal with Mitsuya as writer and editor. Which they immediately followed with a date and mutual acknowledgment of the feelings between them! And what a fantastic date it was, with every moment so invigorating and wonderfully adult. Mitsuya's quiet confidence and amusement at Ishida's nerves, Ishida's clarity on how he wants Mitsuya to see him, the mutual compliments and gestures and smiles and eye contact, ahhhhhhhhh. I also loved that Ishida got to be the one to show Mitsuya something new at the end, to get him to run with joy for the first time in ages and introduce him to a new food. I am so excited to see their dating era begin in earnest. You can find the episode with subtitles courtesy of @isaksbestpillow here.

Tagging @bengiyo to add this week's anime update.

#japanese ql corner #takara no vidro #takara's treasure #i hear the sunspot #hidamari ga kikoeru #ayaka is in love with hiroko #mr mitsuya's planned feeding #cosmetic playlover #mitsuya sensei no keikakutekina ezuke #twilight out of focus #japanese bl #japanese gl #shan shouts into the void

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little-one-eyed-monsters · 23 days ago

Note

Hi, I'm very (very!) new to the BL fandoms. I'm still figuring out what is what, so the SmartBoom news is the first major event I see unwind in real time. And I have a question - call me crazy, and maybe I am, but is it AT ALL possible for all of this to be an outlandish PR stunt?

Because 1) it makes literally zero sense, business-wise, for Smart to be doing it, according to the info those statements revealed themselves;

2) it's WAY too much on the nose with the basically verbatim situations we saw in the series to be just a coincidence, and

3) companies won't care if they seem like the Bad Guy here in the end, because they are universally hated anyway; however, if played right, and if the boys are made to seem to be "fighting" with them, and "prevailing", united Jin-Akin style, this might become this giant, transcending the screen "love-that-conquers-all", and turning the CP of SmartBoom into something legendary, iconic, and with potentially cult following. And turning them into a staple that surely will be supported/watched by EVERYONE in whatever they put them in - if for nothing else, then for the "Davids in love sticking it to the corporate Goliath" principle alone. All the while the corp guys preserve their power and control, because however (if at all) successful the stunt, they still stack the deck, and hold all the cards and power.

Obviously all of it sounds like some 3-rd rate series cartoon vilain plot, but didn't all analysis and metas posted lately claim how excessively greedy companies have become for engagement, trending, buzz, and popularity, and how they would do ANYTHING to get it, at the expence of everything and everyone? Would any stupidity, trick or stunt be too low to sink to, if it gets them there?

(That ask would make sense only if we DO observe some "heroic" actions and reconciliation, of course. If the ship sank, it's obviously just a few short-sighted guys in a petty, nano-dick measuring contest, ruining a good thing for literally everyone involved, including themselves. It's just, I always prefer to believe that when it's about big business and money, there's some convoluted, sinister plots at play, rather than plain, old, trivial, ABSOLUTE CORP STUPIDITY.)

NewbieAnon

Hello NewbieAnon and welcome to BL! I promise you we're not always putting fires out here 😅 It can actually be really fun, you just need to find the right ones to stan. And thank you for the ask!

Gosh I hope you can make sense of my very long SmartBoom posts 😅 I know I often write very long and very tangential, so please excuse the excessive blabber.

Anyway, first off, I LOVE your take on this! I really do. In fact, I'm hoping and praying that your hypothesis prevails, because if this PR stunt is a bamboozle to just hype the coming seasons, then I will take back everything I've said about these companies and will support ALL of their projects, even for other pairs, moving forward. Yes, it's greedy and manipulative, but if it means a career for their employees (not just Smart and Boom, but their co-stars, the people behind the scenes, their personal teams, their managers, etc.), then I will let the hustle absolve all sins.

On the outset, this social media bickering DOES look very stupid, right? Especially for industry veterans and definitely in 2025. Everything actually looks pre-planned and very in-series adjacent that someone even said this all feels like a Top Form episode, and I would agree with you my friend, if this was the first time this ever happened.

Sadly, in Thai BL (and so far, only in Thailand. Taiwan, Korea, and Japan producers have not exhibited the same issue, particularly because they don't establish branded pairs), this has happened many times over: companies screwing over their talents and the pairs just because they wanted a larger cut of the profit pie.

Before the pandemic, aside from GMMTV, branded pairs usually belonged to different companies or managements. Thai BL at the time was so new and not well-established, that bigger companies didn't see the benefits of investing in it-- often just loaning their dormant actors to indie BL producers for a quick paycheck. Most often, the prod houses who make BLs cast newbies or independent actors for their shows. Branded pairs aren't as big a deal as it was back then too, and cps weren't expected to do actual couple activities after the airing of a show. In fact, fandoms mostly just named themselves 😅 none of these naming ceremonies and hashtag nonsense. GMMTV really was the only company to commit to the concept, and they were rewarded handsomely for it (but maybe that's a post for another day).

The in-fighting was more common then because of this. PerthSaint was one of the first non-GMMTV pseudo-branded pairs to come out of early Thai BL, and they had a MASSIVE fanbase, but because they belonged to different companies that absolutely hated each other's guts, the pair perished before it ever became properly established (they never even had a joint fandom name. The Trigon fandom was supposed to be Saint's solo fandom name that bled into Perth's, which was then adapted for both of them). The show 2Moons had such a well-documented indie company vs. affiliate producer fiasco that they recast EVERYONE three times just to get the project off the ground. My Engineer the Series was another example, which spent two years in production hell before debuting with a cast of loaned and newbie actors, before promptly dropping said cast and never speaking of a season 2 they announced before airing Season 1. I've mentioned MewGulf and ZaintSee already because they were casualties too, but I have a few other examples (and these ones were actually established). First, OhmFluke: Ohm Thitiwat was a Studio WabiSabi talent, and given the number of continuous projects he had with co-star Fluke, you'd think the latter was a WabiSabi talent too. But he never formally joined the company, and after years of fighting with said company (and the affiliate producer WeTV *sighs*) to give him proper compensation for their project 609 Bedtime Story, Fluke Natouch officially left the branded pair. My most recent casualty is actually KaoUp (the same Up Poompat who is now in an actual branded pair with Poom Phuripan of My Stand-In), because though they only had one project together, they consistently appeared in each others' content and sponsorships. When Kao Noppakao signed a contract with Channel 3, the company entered a deal with Up's independent agency JustUp to loan Kao for BL projects with his brand partner Up, but a year later that deal also fell through, and Up found a new acting partner from Channel 8, who agreed to loan their dormant actor at the time, Poom Phuripan, to IQIYI.

That is to say, that not all BL branded pairs coming from different companies automatically fail, or get in a fight with each other's managements. I mentioned UpPoom up there because Poom's case is very unique, and might be more related to your ask than you think 😅 Poom was loaned by Channel 8 to IQIYI, (similar to what GIR did to Smart), but they had no intention of letting him go or establishing him in a branded pair outside of their company (he had a hetero semi-pair in Channel 8 already). After My Stand-In's runaway success, Poom actually terminated his contract with Channel 8, paid the fine and almost sued them for contract breach, left the company, founded his own studio Phumipatsorn 1997, and launched jointly with JustUp as an official affiliate. They are now in talks to do a second BL project with *sigh* WeTV. They have joint Youtube content and music, which is different from their individual solo work. This UpPoom blueprint is very similar to Billkin and PP Krit, who created individual companies after Nadao Bangkok went under, but continue to work together and do cp activities. They recently aired a bromance movie titled The Red Envelope.

YinWar is actually the best case scenario for a couple like SmartBoom, because Yin Anan and War Wanarat left BOTH of their companies and made their own JOINT company (YWPB Entertainment, what absolute BADASSES), and now they do BLs and cp activities that they chose for themselves.

This is all a very long-winded way of saying that Newbie Anon, though I love your take on these shenanigans, realistically I think GIR and HDL/TaiLai are being DEAD SERIOUS about their spats on social media, and that though these may be good PR, their tiny, money-hungry brains PROBABLY haven't figured that out yet.

But I mention UpPoom, BillkinPP, and YinWar because these three couples used their very public company woes to actually CATAPULT them to bigger fandoms. They know that airing and framing their against-all-odds story (which actually happened to them too, these companies were dead serious when they placed all three in hot water), to the masses would help their careers more, and this PR actually HELPED THEIR CAREERS. They sell out literal stadiums just for fans to hear their successful cp stories. If their companies cannot transform this bad press to loyal fan engagement, then I hope SmartBoom WILL, and use this PR nightmare to come out better and stronger for the sake of their careers.

Sorry this was so long but I hope it helped answer your ask even a little Newbie Anon! Welcome to the kooky world of BL!

#smartboom #perthsaint #mewgulf #zaintsee #ohmfluke #kaoup #uppoom #billkinpp #yinwar #studio wabisabi #iqiyi #wetv #headliner thailand #grand ivory records #gmmtv #thai bl industry #thai bl actors #top form the series #top form

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schmergo · 6 months ago

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My controversial opinions about the current trend of highly minimalist Shakespeare:

I like a minimalist approach to the Bard, but I think it has to be done within certain parameters.

Too many theatres seem to think that either everybody already knows the play and they don’t need to worry about the audience understanding everything OR they assume that nobody cares about Shakespeare and massively cut down everything except the celebrity leading actors’ lines. But if you play your cards right, audiences might actually enjoy other aspects of the play besides the stars!

1. A smaller cast is fine, great even. I’ve heard the estimate that Shakespeare’s plays might have been originally performed by about 15 people. A cast of 11-15 tends to work well in most spaces.

You can do an enjoyable Shakespeare play with 8-10 people (with significant cuts and doubling), but it doesn’t do anything to IMPROVE the theatergoing experience. And under 8 actors? It better be done for comedic effect or highly avant- garde, or it will be incomprehensible to most.

2. If you’re using a lot of doubling/tripling/quadrupling, you need to differentiate characters with costumes. Having everyone wear plain black minimalistic outfits or military uniforms only works if half the actors aren’t playing 5 different people.

As originally staged, Shakespeare’s plays didn’t have much in the way of sets, but costumes did a lot of storytelling. Even if yours are simple and modern, they should tell us something about the characters. The humble Friar Lawrence and the powerful Prince Escalus probably wouldn’t dress the same.

3. Similarly, if you’re doubling, tripling, etc. and significantly abridging the script, do not cut dialogue like “I have disguised myself as a monk!” or “They will never know that I’m secretly Bob!” Otherwise, they might think this is a whole new character they need to keep track of if clothes/accessories are the only signifier for that!

4. Also, try not to cut too many lines that establish a sense of place if you don’t have actual sets. Lines like, “Here we are in the forest” or “We’ve finally reached France!” are Shakespeare’s audience lifelines!

5. If you’re combining small roles to create composite characters, pay attention to those characters’ arcs. For instance, if combining all the minor lords in Macbeth into Ross and Lennox, maybe one starts more naive and the other more jaded, maybe one turns against MacB long before the other.

Don’t assign them lines that don’t make sense for their role, like if Lennox teleports between Scotland and England from scene to scene or if someone reacts with shock to news they already witnessed firsthand in an earlier scene. In general, treat your supporting characters like characters, not just vehicles to move the plot forward for the lead actor’s star turn, even if the lead is played by a celebrity!

6. Relying on voice and facial expressions only to tell the story, absent of sets, costumes, props, ensemble characters, or action scenes only works in a suitably intimate space. I don’t want to sit in the nosebleed seats in a 2,000 seat theatre and see a huge bare stage with only 9 people sitting or standing, emoting to only the first few rows.

Sitting through a play without following the story at all will make lots of people hate Shakespeare who may have otherwise fallen in love with his work after attending your play. “Stripping Shakespeare down to its bare essentials” can be raw and invigorating, just be careful not to remove binding ingredients or the whole recipe falls apart. The text can be tricky enough to comprehend, let alone with next to no visual signifiers to guide them. Work with the text, not against it! So many helpful tools are built into it!

#Shakespeare #theatre #Broadway #west end

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h0rnyauth0r · 2 years ago

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on a mission with 141, you and ghost are forced to act as a fake couple to gather intel on an important political figure. when he comes out without his mask on and ends up kissing you, there comes a point where neither of you can handle holding back anymore

i'm back from my break for now :) i'm sorry if this isn't that great but i tried so that's all that matters

word count: 2.8k

warnings: semi-public sex, cumming inside, unprotected sex, reader w/ vagina (who uses she/her pronouns to be safe), pussy eating

the whole group has convened inside of a hotel room across from where this big scandal will be occurring. there’s a politician who has made plots with a terrorist group and you’ve been ordered to partner up with one of the many men of 141 to act as a couple to gain entry and find your way inside to get evidence.

soap was the initial choice, but he is well-known within the ranks of this terrorist group as he’s been apart of raids involving them before. actually, all of 141 has. however, a conclusion came about when price suggested that ghost join and participate.

and here you are now, putting on a dress all too formal for you, with a dramatic face of makeup and hair curled loosely. you’re nervous to fuck this mission up as you tuck a gun into the holster you have around your thigh, knife placed safely in the smaller addition.

you’ve done infiltrating before, but this is on a whole other level. your body is tense as you finally make your way back into the room with the rest of 141. “okay, i think i’m ready. how are we gonna do this?” your voice is shaky with nerves, but gaz places his hand on you and gives you a warm smile.

“we’re going to be right with you. just say the code word and we’ll be there.”

“yeah, and ghost is with you too. he’ll take great care of you.”

you nod at the men in the room, inhaling deeply and eventually making your way across the roads and to the grand building. it’s a museum that has a ballroom on the lower floor, used for special occasions such as this one.

you have no idea where ghost is and it’s making you worried sick, standing in this line with one of your fake tickets for entry. you find yourself tapping your foot to the ground repeatedly, an action that has a couple in front of you glaring and scoffing at the noise.

you stop, feeling embarrassed that you’re drawing attention to yourself. “nervous?” you hear a voice behind you, recognizing it as ghost’s. when you turn around, your mouth goes agape and you freeze up at the sight of this foreign man.

a suit that matches in color to yours, gelled hair, and such a handsome face. you’re in awe of the fact that ghost even had a face behind the mask, especially one so handsome.

“simon.” you say softly, holding out your arm for him to grasp onto.

he does, strong arm gripping yours tightly as he pulls your body close to his own. “remember, love, we need to look official. we’re married tonight.” his lips, oh his lips, are right next to your ear as he whispers to you.

your face feels as though flames may burst over your skin as you breathe deeply, nodding at him and facing towards the entrance again. the line’s moved forward a bit, so you opt to continue following until you’re nearing the security guards.

not much time passes before you’re handing your invitation cards over, and your eyes quickly pass over a tattoo on one of the guards’ forearm. the guards are apart of the terror group, you realize from the familiar symbol pressed in red ink.

when you notice that the guard’s noticed you look, you opt to pass off your staring by leaning into ghost’s arm with a giggle. “‘m so excited to be here tonight.” you fake a little slur, noticing the guard’s stiff demeanor go lax as he motions to two of you through.

you even opt to trip a little over your heels to ensure that he thinks you’re already tipsy, which seems to work as the two of you finally walk through the entrance.

“you saw that too, right?” you ask him quietly, pulling him into a hall.

simon nods, “we have to let them know that the security is involved like we thought.”

he presses down on the small button on his suit, speaking lowly into it. “the security is also apart of the terror group. tread carefully once backup is needed.”

you hear footsteps approach and push into his body a little, nerves bubbling up. when a random staff member comes in, he wraps his arm around you and smiles at the worker. “i’m afraid my wife and i are a little confused, we’re trying to join the party.” he says.

the staff person leads the two of you out to the main ballroom, adorned with seating and what looks to be a dancefloor. you aren’t shocked by the classical music playing rather loudly, announcing your fake names with simon for the person to help find your seating arrangements.

once you’re seated, the most boring part begins. more people show up, and then the man you’re investigating does an announcement. it happens to be some bullshit about how he wants nothing more than to help the community. after this, it’s time to finally do some snooping around.

“we should stay together.” simon says, and you nod at him.

as you begin walking around the space of the building, you opt to have some conversation. “what’s this guy up to exactly?” you ask your superior.

“trafficking.”

“oh, guns? drugs?”

“neither, actually. children.”

you decide that asking anymore questions may be pointless as you find a room that has several others inside admiring artworks. “should we look here?” you ask, looking up at him.

he glances down at you with a nod. “could be something useful.”

unfortunately, there’s no evidence of anything suspicious inside of that room. you keep looking around together in different rooms for anything that’s suspicious: a lot of the terrorist members, large groups of people acting shady, anything. but there’s no luck yet.

you start feeling off though, like someone may be following you. you think simon can feel it too with the way his walking becomes more rushed and careful.

“follow my lead. please understand that what i’m going to do is for the sake of the mission.” his voice is soft as he mumbles, leading you into a distant bathroom and shutting the door without locking it.

you look up at him curiously, head tilting the slightest. “what are we doing?” you ask, eyes anxiously looking into his.

he pushes you against a wall, lips immediately crashing into yours in a deep kiss with his hands pulling yours to hook around his neck. you freeze for a moment before reciprocating his touch, leaning into it and even letting out a small moan at the feeling.

his body is pressed into yours, teeth knocking against yours for a moment before moving more comfortably. you can’t tell if this is even for the mission anymore with the way his tongue is invading your mouth and just how hard you can feel him getting in his pants.

however enjoyable this may be for the both of you, it’s cut short.

the door bursts open and you both pull away rather hesitantly, seeing two of the security from earlier backing away from the doorway. “i’m sorry, do you mind? we’re busy in here.” simon says in an annoyed tone, watching the two men sheepishly walk away and close the door.

your breathing is heavy and you feel dizzy as you look at him, seeing an emotion in his eyes that can only be lust. you gulp and try to do anything to look away from him and focus on the mission at hand, but when his hand pulls your chin up to keep your eyes on him you couldn’t give less of a fuck about anything else.

“we need to-”

“no. just shut up.” he says before leaning down and kissing you once more. his movements become more feverish as his hands run down your body, caressing your waist and squeezing at your hips.

his lips are downright addictive, leaving a yearning inside of you that you’re certain can never be satiated. one of his hands reaches to the side and you hear the lock on the door click before it’s wrapping around your throat.

you sigh against his lips and finally give into it all, a certain thrill rising up and making you even more desperate as you whine against his lips. his thigh presses in between your thighs and it makes you gasp, which is when he takes the chance to let his tongue enter your mouth.

his lips begin moving down your jaw to your neck and he bites at your throat before he’s playing with the bottom of your dress and pulling the fabric up and showing off your cute little panties.

“you can be quiet, yeah?” he asks, and you bite your lip and nod.

he props you up onto the counter, dress lifted, before getting down onto his knees and letting his fingers brush against your panties. the small amount of stimulation has you closing your eyes tightly, sucking in a deep breath.

his thumb brushes against your clit through your panties before firmly caressing the area. you throw your head back, whispering out the word ‘please’ to him.

he reaches towards the top of your panties and pulls them down, also opting to remove the holster that holds your gun and knife. when your panties are fully removed, he stares at your glistening pussy like it’s a meal ready for him to eat.

“beautiful.” he mutters, face leaning down closer. when he presses a kiss against your clit you mewl out, clasping a hand over your mouth and clenching your eyes shut tightly.

his hands reach down and pull your lower lips open, tongue reaching out and circling against your clit in repeated motions. your head is spinning, body beginning to grow sweatier and pleasure rising through your lower half.

his lips eventually suckle around your clit and you find yourself gasping out, free hand reaching and pulling at his soft hair. you know you’re probably fucking up the style he did, but don’t care with the way he plays with your pussy.

as his movements continue, never faltering, you can feel your orgasm grow quickly. the music plays distantly behind the door but you can barely hear it over the wet noises his mouth makes against your pussy and your own quiet moans.

his assault feels never ending, sparks igniting up your spine and sending goosebumps across your body as you reach your high. you try hard not to cry out, biting down on your lower lip so hard that blood is drawn and your eyes are rolling back from both the pleasure and the pain.

“there ya go. good girl.” he says lowly, lightly rubbing on your clit with his thumb until your hips are twitching and trying to back away from him due to the overstimulation.

he finally lifts himself up and leans towards you, capturing your lips with his own once more intensely. you moan against his lips when his hips grind into your bare thighs, opening your knees to invite him in for more.

he’s quick to undo the belt on his trousers, quickly tossing it aside and then finally releasing his cock from his pants. you find yourself looking down at it and biting your bottom lip.

you should be working right now, but instead you’re about to do something that could get the both of you into so much trouble. any logic or reason is thrown out of the window when the tip of his dick rubs against you, slick sounds filling your ears as you look at him with the utmost want in your eyes.

“you ready?”

“please.”

his lidded eyes gaze at you lazily as he pushes just the tip in, searching your face for any discomfort or pain. your mouth falls open loosely as you sigh at the feeling of how big he is.

as he pushes inside of you, he lets out a soft moan, “fuck, you feel so good.”

you just know that his moaning will now be one of your most favorite sounds. he keeps pushing in, and eventually, bottoms out with his pelvis brushing against you.

you feel so full and already exhausted, but there’s a buzz that’s bubbling up within you that has you so ready for more. his breathing is so heavy in your ear as he leans into you, lips pressing against your own gently.

gentle for just a moment, before it becomes more needy and forced. that’s when his hips pick up movement, and you’re reeling away from his lips and pressing against him at the heaviness of his movements inside of you.

“oh my fuck.” you whimper out in a high-pitched tone, teeth gnawing down on your bottom lip once more as your pussy throbs against him.

his thrusts start going harder and more urgently in a manner that has clapping echo against the walls of the bathroom. you can tell he wants to finish this fast, to get back to what you’re both supposed to be doing.

“gonna make this quick. i can take my time with you another day.” he says in a rushed tone, voice cracking a little as he picks up his pace even more.

one of his hands reaches out and grasps at your throat, squeezing just enough to have you wheeze out a moan. you find yourself lightheaded and in a dizzy haze that makes his cock feel even better than before.

your hands grip onto the arm latched out in front of you, eyes shutting and biting down on your bottom lip through struggled breaths as he continues his assault on your pussy.

you can already feel an orgasm brushing up on you from the friction against your clit, which only worsens as he leans closer to thrust at a different angle.

“y’doing so good, yeah?” he says in a gruff tone, going faster and faster.

you feel like you’re going to cum in any moment with the way his thrusts angle so he’s rubbing on your clit, and your toes curl once it hits you for the second time of the night.

you cry out, wheezing when his hand tightens its grip on your throat. you feel like you might pass out as it hits hard, simon’s thrusts becoming somehow inhuman as he moans out quietly.

eventually his hips stutter and he’s cumming inside of you head leaning down and resting on your shoulder as he keeps thrusting with small grunts and groans escaping his mouth.

both of you are breathing heavily as you sit there for a moment, him pulling out and quickly fixing himself. he helps you regain some composure silently, eyes continuously finding your own with a certain glint to them.

“we shouldn’t have done this.” you whisper to him.

“but we did. let’s get this over with. quickly.”

you follow him out of the room after you both fix up your hair and clothing to look the same as before. you don’t know it but your makeup is smudged in a way that makes it obvious to those around you that you were up to something in that bathroom.

it doesn’t take long before you find yourself in a room with two guards knocked out cold, and you’re helping ghost with looking through some important documents that show what the politician has really been up to behind the scenes.

after just a few minutes, you and ghost have to call for the rest of 141 to come inside for backup. it’s hard to not make all of the citizens panic when gunshots end up fired, but eventually you’re all packed into a room and finding out that this location is holding a group of individuals who would be traded for money for this politician.

it’s a long and tiring mission with a hopeful conclusion. the politician ends up arrested and you help the local police with rescuing and assisting many of these children with getting to a local area where they will be reunited with their families.

you feel like you will die of embarrassment when soap drops the news of ghost accidentally turning his mic to communicate with the team on during your lovely adventure, and specifically while he was fucking you in the bathroom.

neither of you get into trouble due to the success of the mission, but price sternly warns the both of you (mostly ghost) that if this ever happens again you will both be forced to clean every surface of the base using only a toothbrush for each of you.

despite everything, you and ghost reach a different level of intimacy on a free night. and you make sure it’s not in a bathroom surrounded by people who might kill you if they know what you’re up to.

taglist: @wwwurmomdotcom @kovieky @chibijusstuff @clove-shitposts

send me a dm or ask if you want to be added/removed from my taglist!

#call of duty smut #cod #female reader #x reader #call of duty #cod smut #smut #ghost smut #ghost x reader #ghost x reader smut #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #ghost

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ralexsol · 1 year ago

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JRWI FAN! Yes, you!

Do you absolutely love Riptide #114: Still Not Ferin Well? Do you wish someone would make a 90s-style choose-your-own-adventure horror visual novel about E114?

Most importantly, do you have:

A) Expertise in pixel art

B) Experience coding in Ren'Py

C) Skill at writing

D) Lots of free time

If yes to any of those, would you like to MAKE PREVIOUSLY STATED VIDEO GAME WITH ME?

I have been conceptualizing a JRWI video game called Moonlight, Storm, and Blackened Sea for a few months now. Unfortunately, with no motivation to make it beyond thinking "it would be a cool finished product," I have not made much progress. But if I have people working with me, my brain will kick into action because people will be depending on me!

I am a writer first and foremost. While I could theoretically make the entire game myself (as I have experience in writing, art, coding, and music), I would never actually finish the game for previously stated reasons. If I had an artist, coder(s), and perhaps even story consultants (although probably not necessary), MSABS might actually become a reality.

The MSABS project would make no profits, and it would be entirely created from volunteer work. I am a broke ass bitch. But if you don't care and simply want to create something amazing with me, then please, DM me!

So far, I have 2 branches plotted storywise out of - oh, I'm not sure, maybe 25? 30? I have drawn 9 sketches out of around 30 main backgrounds (excluding bg variations). I've recreated 6/9 music tracks from the official Riptide soundtracks into 8bit tunes. If people actually sign onto the project, I'll be moving forward as Creative Director, Head Writer, Storyboard Artist, and Music Producer. Still leaves a LOT of room on the project, especially on the coding side.

I genuinely think MSABS would be insanely cool. Please, if you have any questions about my overall game vision, please send me an ask and I'll try my best to give thorough answers! This game has been living rent free in my brain since March, and it needs to get out!

#jrwi #just roll with it #game development #jrwi riptide #still not ferin well #riptide 114 #whatsupray?#PLEASE let somebody take a chance on this...#msabs

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tex-now · 11 months ago

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New challenge. Watch Guilt Trip Of ML Season 4.

I did?? Like a while ago?? Did you not read the disclaimer orrrr

Also. In all seriousness. Guilt Trip also isn't done very well in terms of dealing with a character having a disability, with it being like "yeah, she doesn't NEED all this help even though she has a disability cause disabled people aren't fragile and helpless" which is a good message but it's not done well. And it also just makes Marinette look like more of an ass in retrospect because she was only willing to accommodate rose cause they're ~friends~ and rose is good so she can't be lying about her disability! Unlike that super liar Lila who is definitely lying >:( because she's evil >:( (and yes she was lying and the only reason why is so Marinette can have an excuse for her horrible behavior)

Also juleka tells rose's secret without her consent to the entire class (not cool) and rose is also a common archetype of a character who "has a disability but that won't stop me from living life to the fullest!" Except it's only brought up in this episode and never acknowledged again because MLB doesn't know how to write characters with disabilities.

Oh and also they do that stupid thing where they only really focus on how sad their poor loved one must be, having to worry about them all the time :( /s which is a very common and quite ignorant thing that always happens when writing disabled characters.

It's not a good episode. Like. At all. The only thing it does is make Marinette look like the worst type of ableist person and prove that the writers should not be allowed to touch this topic ever again.

I'll be honest I don't think it's marinette or juleka's fault that they do such fucked up things because it's obvious that the writers are trying to frame their actions in the right and act like what they're doing isn't fucked up.

The problem is the writing not the characters themselves. Their personalities get pushed and pulled in the direction that the plot needs to move forward. I know I sound like I think Marinette sucks but it's not her it's her writing. Does that make sense

Edit: Juleka actually only told Marinette and Adrien about rose, so she didn't tell the whole class, it was Marinette who had notified everyone of rose's condition, contrary to what i remembered. Apologies on my part

#ml salt #ml writing salt #also if i got anything wrong or said somethinf ignoratn please let me know #marinette salt #ily girl im sorry the writers treat you like dirt

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13leaguestories · 3 months ago

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Hello! I just wanted to say that I finished playing Ruben’s route and Superstition all seasons, and absolutely loved both!! I really like the way language was used to shape the imaginary world given to the player, and as an aspiring if writer I have some questions if you don’t mind :)

How do you arrange/figure out the plot? Do you write it linearly or do you think of an ending first and other major events? I am just curious how the pieces to the puzzle are arranged

How do you plan out the characters and their values? Basically, any tips to flesh out characters better/ make them feel alive?

What parts of writing do you usually focus on? Action/ choices/ romance? Any tips for those or challenges encountered when writing them? (also any other writing tips you’d give to your past self?)

And lastly, how do you keep motivation over a project like this that can take a good while for it to be completed?

I am just writing this because throughout this game I found myself really engaged with it and I want to distribute the same good feeling. Looking forward to Zarik’s route in Toa and thank you again for making such amazing games !!

Let me see if I can put thoughts into words lol.

So it all depends cos for example Superstition/Sea of Stars/For the Crown all came from linear books that I decided to convert into choose your story and so that gives you a beginning, middle, end. It's actually harder this way because now you have to set up "well this kind of MC may not choose this" and inserting branches but they all have to work towards that same end. Whereas with Throne of Ashes, which is pure dee off the noggin, it's a slower process, yes, but has more freedom.

So, to answer your question, I do both. But my process is the same to where I write down the beginning and end then do an act or beat structure to fill in the gaps.

2. Oof, I could go all day about character creation. Love that shit. To make it as short as I can though, I usually just find a bunch of tropes I like, some traits, what I want their main issue and goal to be then toss them in a blender. I think one of the biggest things to ask is: if they were the MC would the story still be intriguing or could you still have a perfectly fitted story. If the answer is yes, good job. No, then well, back to the drawing board. I have so much to say about this one but this thing will be an essay if I go off on this subject lmfao. Like, I love characters so much and the psychology behind them.

3. I usually put a ton of focus into character interactions, dialogue, and lore/world building. I hate action/fighting scenes, definitely a weakness. Romance ... is ... interesting. For me, I don't care a tremendous much but the bulk of your audience is probably reading for the romance, let's be honest. My biggest tip is read. Read books. Like if you don't like horror, still read them. Don't like romance? Still read them. Expand your ability to write different things. No one is saying you need to be an expert on romance tropes but knowing and understanding how that kind of story should move and how that relationship evolves is important. Know what makes a mystery good, or horror scary.

4. ... it's a mix of motivations. Motivating myself is there but it's a rollercoaster. Like right now, I could probably sit down and write two chapters of SoS because I'm excited. But the same can't be said for ToA. Friends and people messaging me telling me how excited they are and how much they enjoy it is a great motivation too. Something that tells me, "hey, there's a reason you're doing this and if you stopped then it would effect something other than you." Of course, you shouldn't put all your motivation in outside forces but having people care help. So for all you lurkers that say "no, I'd just be annoying" trust me, I haven't had one convo with an artist or writer who has said "I don't like being told that someone appreciates my work."

And for you, Anon, good luck! Don't be dismayed if your passion for your current project starts to sway or just stops, it happens and forcing yourself won't help. But, I do hope that you do enjoy and find all of your projects completed. Nothing but good vibes for you and your present and future creative projects.

#general asks

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elizabethisreading · 4 months ago

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Okay, just saw Mickey 17. Spoilery thoughts:

-Changing the reason for Mickey taking the Expendable job from Berto-encouraged sports betting to a failed macaroon business is...a funny and interesting change.

-I know Seven and Eight had different personalities in the book as well, with Eight being less frightened and uptight than Seven. But I don't remember Eight being as cold-blooded and mean in the book compared to the movie.

-I don’t like how they changed Alan Manikova‘s backstory. Making him a “psychopathic serial killer” is boring compared to the more wild and philosophical backstory he has in the book.

-Is Kai supposed to be Cat from the book? Because if so...they replaced an Asian woman character with a white lady...okay🤨.

-On that note, if Kai is a Cat replacement, she's not a good one. Kai's relationship with Mickey is rushed and forced compared to Cat and Mickey in the book. Also! Cat and Mickey never got together romantically or sexually! They were actually a pretty solid example of a well-written platonic relationship between a male and female character!

-I don't like the catty fighting over Mickey that Nasha and Kai do. It felt pointless, and I didn't care enough about Kai to be invested in it. It's especially annoying is Kay is meant to be Cat. Because in the book, Cat and Nasha don't interact much, and when they do, they get along fine! I think I even recall them joking together about sharing Mickey. There was no dumb "fighting over a guy" nonsense!

-I wish we could have heard Nasha and Mickey first conversation after they meet. She doesn't have a word of dialogue until after their sexy montage. I wish we could have had a moment to get to know her first.

-That being said, I like how Nasha had more "action" moments than I recall from the book. By that I mean more scenes where she's proactively moving the plot forward. She's super badass, definitely one of my favorite characters in both versions.

-The threeway scene: I joke about wanting Bong to "expand" the off-page scene from the book, but I didn't actually expect like...a full-on porno scene. The only thing about the scene that bothered me was that, unlike the book, they were high on drugs when they decide to do it. Mickey tells Nasha she's, "Not acting like herself." This is a small thing but I don't like it. I liked it better in the book, where Nasha just took what she wanted and didn't need to be under the influence to want to fuck two clones.

-I'm a tad disappointed we didn't get the moment where Nasha kisses both Mickeys in front of a Natalist officer after they're caught and tells him to "suck it." That was such a funny "good for her" moment for Nasha, I wanted to see it.

-THE BABY CREEPERS ARE SO CUTE🥺

-ALSO THE BABY CREEPERS STEALING MICKEY'S MACHETE AND FIGHTING OVER IT

-Love Mickey helping Nasha put on her uniforms and adjusting her clothes like the good little househusband that he is.

-The Trump/Trump supporter analogs were a bit on the nose but hey in the age of declining media literacy maybe it's fine if subtly takes a back seat sometimes.

-Toni Collette is a great actress and her performance is great, but her character felt stereotypical in a way that made her less interesting than the rest of the cast.

Overall, despite my complaints, it's a solid and fun movie. The satire is often blunt, and I don't think it's as deft as Parasite. It's more action-y than the book and more Hollywood-y than Parasite. But still, great performances, funny dark humor, and a compelling world.

I like the book better, but the movie is certainly worth a watch too.

#mickey 17 #mickey7 #bong joon ho #edward ashton #robert pattinson #mickey barnes #book adaptation #sci fi #bookblr #movie review

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seraphicsage · 5 months ago

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Lady Atredies

A/N That's right guys she's actually written a second chapter to a fic!! This has been beta read (again, since when do I do that??) so I hope you'll love it!! I'm really enjoying writing this and I would love for you guys to let me know what you like about it or if you just enjoy it!!

Chapter 2

My maids are waiting for me on the other side of the door and we walk together to my room. There is food waiting for me to my relief, and I sit myself down on the small desk in the corner of my room to eat. It isn’t long until Feyd is walking into my room but I find that I've nearly finished already. He stands firmly, with his arms held behind his back, waiting for something. I dismiss Becca and Nyla for the night and assure them that I will call for them if I need anything, letting them take my plate away with them. “Did he believe me?” I ask when they leave the room, turning so I can face him fully.

“He seemed,” he pauses for a split moment, “satisfied. He will not trust you yet, you are still an Atreides and he won’t believe that you are severed from your family loyalties until he can see it himself. But he is allowing the union to move forward.”

I nod in response, he clearly does not immediately believe I am lying if that is all he said to Feyd, so we have made a good start. Feyd still seems unsure despite it going well, all things considered at least. “What’s wrong?” I stand to walk closer to him, watching his face carefully.

“Your family is dead,” he states. It seems an odd thing to say considering that was the first thing I was told when I was brought here, by him no less.

“Yes,” I hesitate, “you told me that this morning Feyd. It’s beneficial, what’s upsetting you?”

“It doesn’t bother you? I understand you had your difficulties with them, but most people still care for family, do they not?” The concept of a close family is something that has often confused Feyd in my years of knowing him. If there is anyone who understands the complicated feelings surrounding my family, it is him. Considering his history with his own family I’m surprised he has to ask, though I understand the question he is asking.

“I am not upset by their deaths, only disappointed I could not see it myself. My own mother died years ago, as you know, she is the only one who I would have cared about. My father is pathetic and has always cared more for his son than I. And Jessica was most certainly not my family. You know this.” When Jessica gave birth to a boy rather than a girl, against what the Bene Gesserit had commanded, I knew that she had stolen my own purpose. During my own training in the Bene Gesserit ways, I had been told of what I had been expected to do, and of their disapproval of Jessica’s actions. She always thought she was better than me.

“And of your brother? I recall he followed you around like a lost puppy as children. You never grew attached?”

“He was fun to play with. I need him dead for our plans to work, and he remains to be a product of Jessica’s inflamed ego. I’m glad he’s dead.” I bring my hand up to hold his face as he takes in my words. He nods once and brings his hand against mine gently.

“I must train now, will you be okay?” He asks, swiftly moving on from the previous subject.

“I will rest now, I think, it has been a long day. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“My training has increased in the lead up to my coming of age event, so it will not be for long, but I will ensure that I do.” I thank him and allow him to leave, getting myself ready for bed before climbing in and allowing myself to sleep.

Over the following months, I establish a routine and grow close with Becca and Nyla, they quietly introduce me to some of the guards and I make sure to be polite and respectful. I believe that they trust me as I assure them that I would protect them if Feyd ever went to direct his anger towards them. I pay particular attention to the guards that stand outside of my room just in case someone tries to plot against me. I occasionally meet with the Baron for what seems like mundane conversations, but I’m aware of how closely all my actions are being watched in every interaction I have. He speaks to me of the upcoming arena fight, of the Atreides prisoners that will be killed. I ask if I will be allowed to watch it and he seems sickeningly pleased by the question. I suspect he has something more planned for the event, but I don’t risk prying. Feyd and I see each other daily, often at mealtimes when he’ll seat with me in my room and provide me with company. Sometimes we talk and other times we sit silently, but there is always a comfortable atmosphere when we’re together.

On the day of the event I visit Feyd as he is prepared for the arena. The women and his harpies that surround him watch me as I walk in but quickly avert their eyes as I meet them. “I am to sit with your uncle for the event.” I start, standing in front of him and watching the paint being applied to him.

“He claims to be looking forward to it.” His voice is filled with disgust at the idea of it, though I am intrigued on how it will play out. I hum in response. As the women finish painting him, a man steps forward with daggers on a cushion in his hands. I step to the side to allow Feyd to step forward.

The man looks terrified to approach as he speaks, “Your new blades, for this very special day, na-baron Feyd-Rautha.” I watch with fascination as Feyd drags the tip of the blade down his tongue, watching the man intensely. He swiftly swipes the blade to his side, not drawing his eyes away for a moment, slicing the throat of the woman to his right, before turning away to stab the other woman who had been painting him.

“A notch off balance,” he approaches the shaking man again, pointing the bloody blade at him, “in the tip.” He discards the blade onto the cushion again before turning his attention back to me, he looks as though he’s assessing me. “You should join him now, before my ‘performance’.”

I nod, watching him just as carefully before stepping an inch closer to him, “Make a show of it but do not allow them any grace. I want them dead with no mercy. Don’t fail me.” He lets out a shallow breath before I turn to leave.

I feel him grab my wrist, with very little force behind it, “I won’t.” He says firm, though I can hear the slight hitch in his throat. He lets go of my arm and I leave the room.

My maids are waiting for me on the other side of the door and lead me to the arena, where I am to sit with the baron. As we’re walking through a corridor though, I can feel myself being watched from the darkness. I stop in my tracks and encourage Nyla and Becca to walk ahead of me, and though they’re clearly confused they do as I ask.

A hooded figure approaches me, I recognise her as Lady Margot Fenring. “So, the rumours are true,” she mutters as she steps next to me and we begin a slow walk forward.

“Why are you here Lady Fenring? I have things under control.” I mutter back, trying to ensure no one can hear our conversation.

“Reverend Mother sent me of course. We had heard you were still alive; however did you manage that?” I can hear the condescension in her voice, I know she will be disappointed that I’m still here. I stop and face her.

“The na-baron convinced the baron to spare me. He made sure they brought me here himself,” I lean in close to her, sneering, “Ask me how I managed that.” Her face is as still and calm as ever. “Why did she send you? If she knows I am alive then she knows the line will be secured. Unless the plans have changed?” I step back and begin my walk again.

“Does he know of your training?”

I hesitate, “No.”

“She needs assurances. And personally, I needed to see this myself,” she answers my first question, moving on.

“What assurances?” I choose to ignore her last comment.

“She needs to know if we can control him. Your survival suggests that we can, but that is not enough. Do you know that we can control him?” Her voice rises slightly, emphasising the importance of it.

“I can control him. He would not respond well to many others trying, but I have established a secure relationship with him, and he will follow me.”

“How can you be sure of this? He is unpredictable and psychotic, you need proof. How far would he go?”

“The na-baron is vulnerable. He craves praise and pain. He knows that I will provide that, so yes, I am sure that I can control him and he will go where I tell him to. I know what motivates him and I know how to get him to do what I want him to do, don’t insult my knowledge of my betrothed. I have had one purpose all these years and I would not risk failing Reverend Mother,” I pause, “You said assurances, what else does she need an assurance on?”

“She needs to know the bloodline is secured.”

“Now? The baron has us in separate rooms and is watching our every move. He-”

“Then find a way around it. If you do not secure the bloodline tonight, then Reverend Mother will send me again and I will do it myself.” I hear the threat that it is. I still my face, ensuring she cannot figure out my reaction.

“Understood. I will send a message to Reverend Mother to inform her when it is done. You will not be required to return. A daughter?” I know the answer but with the changes with my family I must ensure this doesn’t go against any plans; she nods in response.

“You will have to complete the test yourself if you succeed.”

“I understand.”

Nyla and Becca have stopped up ahead and I can see that I will be stepping out to join the baron any moment. Before I step too far away from her, she speaks again, her voice raised, “You do know what he did to his mother, don’t you? How he killed her in cold blood?” I hear the mocking in her voice, like she thinks she’ll scare me.

“Of course I do,” I stop my steps but don’t face her again, “I’m the one who told him to do it.” I walk away from her, stepping past my maids, out onto the balcony to join the Baron. I lift my hood, not dissimilar to the cloak that Lady Fenring was wearing, to shield me from the sun. There is a chair placed next to the baron, placing me lower than him but with a perfect view of the arena. “My Lord Baron.” I greet him with a bow.

“Lady Atreides.” He indicates towards the chair, and I take my seat. “This is your first time seeing him perform, is it not?”

“It is. I am… intrigued,” I have heard many stories of his brutality in the arena but I’m certain none of them will compare to the real thing.

“Does it not bother you that the soldiers are members of your own house?” He asks, sounding as though he wants to scare me.

“On the contrary, my lord baron, all the more reason to look forward to it. The last ties to the Atreides House, severed.” I hear a loud voice calling Feyd’s name as a set of doors on the other side of the arena open to reveal him in his armour. Cheers erupt from the audience as the crowd chants his name.

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