therivercrow

[therivercrow]

Taking psychic damage from the prequel scene for Alana I'm currently writing.

So, you know the lilacs thing right? And how I knew it was significant but Alana hadn't told me why yet?

Yeah, it's not what I thought it was and now I'm crying at my keyboard.

[therivercrow]

[therivercrow]

L'insoumise

[therivercrow]

You know what? Fuck you *untames the shrew*

[therivercrow]

Look at all these beautiful Rooks!

(And go follow @robinsea because they're the best!)

Progression of Rooks

First we had Nels Mercar, the nonbinary qunari with a big heart.

Then we had Ivy Ingellvar, the spiky Mourn Watcher who went through more style changes than a K-Pop girl group.

And after them came the feisty Crow who wore her heart on her sleeve and adored Lucanis, our dear Sihu de Riva.

And now, in my fourth run (yes, you read that right) I now introduce the absolute stud muffin that is Kione Thorne. He's a human Grey Warden with a sound strategic mind and very little time for Solas' BS. We'll see how that pans out!

[therivercrow]

After this horror:

My darling Rook finally got her man.

I'm crying.

[therivercrow]

What kind of love is your OC?

Tagged by the lovely @therivercrow, thank you very much!

Take this uquiz as your OC and share your result!

and.... why am I not surprised Qatesh got this one... (Hi, Alana! Samesies!) ;)

Qatesh is not someone who trusts easily but once she does, hooboy you better take care, because she'll put her everything into it! She absolutely knows she has trouble trusting and loving others and also knows that it will be at times difficult for her LI to trust and love her back (because let's face it, she has serious troubles with emotional regulation and self-esteem). Hence, she will make 100% sure she gives it her best to be there for her love and offer all the support and understanding she can.

[therivercrow]

It's missing Alana hours again. I'm watching @robinsea play Veilguard with their very cute Rook and I just want to start a fourth run as Alana because dammit I love them...

[therivercrow]

I am so glad that Veilguard exists.

[therivercrow]

writer’s tag game

I'm late to reading things, I will do that as soon as I get my hands on my ADHD medication but know that I am on the way. Gathering speed. Impending. TYSM everyone who tagged me in this, I haven't been able to keep track but I'm making my way to you!!

Gentle tags to the usual suspects, and for anyone who sees this and would like to play! (feel free to tag me in yours!)

I yapped a loooooot.

Do you prefer writing...

on your computer or on your phone (I'll use my phone for cool thoughts or outlines though...out-and-about-lines.) | one-shots or multichapter | <5k or 10k or >10k words per chapter | chronologically or jump back and forth | planning things out or winging it…Both? I have plot points and themes that are planned out meticulously, then I wing how I get there | drabbles or plot and character study | dialogue or action | romance and comedy | mystery and horror | alternate universe and close to canon | writing new content or editing your work | finishing a WIP or starting a new one (every new WIP fills me with such anxiety)

nsfw snippet in the final paragraph

Extra questions

How long on average do you spend writing 1 chapter? Between work, ADHD, DID shenanigans and autistic burnout…it can take me weeks to get things done sustainably. Prose is also very difficult for me! Offline, I perform and write poetry and I'm confident there but prose feels uncertain (I can't get away with as much). I don't have an inner monologue, I 'know' things in concepts; in ‘writing’ mode, my brain starts categorising and word associating until everything is rhythm, rhyme, alliteration. Instead of 'x sheathes their dagger', I get: 'x side-slips blood-slick slit-silver scarce' (after slicing. insistent. incisions. save me, seriously).

🫩

So…I have to actively smooth that out as I go. (But sometimes my brain bubbles up a veritable banger and that makes it so worth it).

How long do you spend editing? I have to limit it to 3 days at most or I get really stuck in and perfectionist. It's the best part to me though! I hunker down with my emotional support dictionary and thesaurus and get to editing.

Favourite thing to write? There is a figurative dragon in the wings of every scene, and that dragon is my urge to send a dragon careening into the scene. Movement of any kind is fun to write. Anything visceral, with plus points for viscera - fight scenes with lots going on. 3rd person close comes through for me here; I only need to write what’s happening within a tiny radius of the person. I use artist mannequins/a chessboard/other things to keep track of what's happening. I also love writing complicated emotions or emotions dialed up to 10. Also, cognitive or tonal dissonance.

Hardest thing to write? Smut. Where is everything?? Is that realistic?!! Can limbs do that/reach that/bend like that?! Sorry and thank you to my Djungelskog (giant ikea teddy bear) for participating in my hypothesis testing. Also, dialogue. Turns out are even less likely to batter each other with scurrilously recursive syllables when talking. And summaries. GAAHHHH. But I will inevitably get better by virtue of continuing to practise. No choice, I can't stop the march of time.

Fic/story you are most proud of and why? Alliteration (the irony is not lost on me) It’s an ambitious, long term project that's a HUGE step outside of my comfort zone. Usually I'd just...rotate it and not write it, but this time I’m doing it despite the uncertainty. My plan is to keep a few of the major plot points but change everything else up/complicate it (not as a fix it or bc I hate the game! I just don't want to do a retelling - plotting out new missions and adding lore reasons for WHY certain clunky things happen has been really fun ie why does everyone keep saying 'Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain in that cadence, hmmm??)

I started plotting it out last year and began updating in Feb; this was the first prose I’d written in about 8? years and I didn’t write much or for long back then. I’m also using it as a way to work on system collaboration and to smooth out the sharp edges of my perfectionism. It’s not a self-insert but it’s the first time writing a character whose experience of gender mirrors my own, and I'm using it to sensemake/take the teeth out of some of my personal lore. Some of the pride is in about what the fic represents, rather than what's in it. It's the culmination of a lot of hard work, a whole lot of luck and a whole lot of things coming together in my personal life.

…it still feels ambitious to the point of being beyond me, but I like the story. Getting a better feel for pacing, seeding in the themes, motifs and mysteries has been really satisfying. Plus I can feel the practise paying off? I must assume in a few months I will feel less anxious about it by virtue of time passing and my writing through it.

(nsfw snippet incoming)

Certain Evenings (R) Teiago Smut. I’m proud of it because I wasn’t really too sure about the premise or the prose poetry of it all, but I submitted it anyway. I’m specifically quite proud of this )

Viago is starving, perhaps even desperate, and the merciful slide of metal over glass has him shamelessly sighing slippery syllables super super super superfluous discursive sussurus spilling, spilling, spilling slick Tongue twisting, Teia teases the taste of herself from his mouth—

spffssspspsfpspsssspspsssps then TONGUE TWISTING?! TEIA TEASES THE TASTE of OMG where do i go from here, hm??? I may never be this clever again. chisel it into the slab I’m buried under idc what my will says

Like a Prayer (SolRook's Version) (R) I'd joined tumblr by the time DreadRook week rolled around; my plan was to immerse myself in my monotropic interest to help with burnout...but I was going to lurk, rather than participate. But the DeadRook week prompts just spoke to me and here I am. Call And Response/The Two Part Round Because it's the most emotionally hard-hitting and complicated thing I've written, and I love Davrin.

===

No pressure tagging

@bluerose5 @crushedv3lv3t @lotusfueltofire @in-the-drowning-deep @kai-dimir @wolfmoonwildflowers @woundedsoul12 @madamemortem @gutz-ingellvar @grand-crow @styxdysnomia @lockey-doodle-doo @rooks-dagger

Want On/Off my list?

[therivercrow]

[therivercrow]

The Cinnamon Roll Guard

[based on this post]

[therivercrow]

I love them

[therivercrow]

What kind of love is your OC?

Seen via @teamtakagi, @a-mumbling-nerd and others

Take this uquiz as your OC and share your result!

This is perfect for Alana and Neve. I love the idea of them choosing each other, even after everything they've experienced, and then *that* city choice, forgiving each other, and seeing each other for who they are beneath Alana's snark and Neve's aloofness.

They love each other on purpose.

Tag-boops to @bronzieinthedas and @pixiedurango!

[therivercrow]

So let me get this straight…

K-Pop Demon Hunters is about a 3 woman singing group.

All 3 of them live together in their own skyscraper.

Their idea of resting is sitting on the couch together watching YouTube videos.

They frequently want to go to the bathhouse together.

They check in on each other, compliment each other, get dressed and fight demons together…

The main crux of the story is about one of the trio being scared of coming out to the other two girls…

The big final climax of the film is the three of them shedding their fears and anxieties to embrace each other’s faults and this is what powers the Honmoon and their fans against evil…

…And you’re trying to tell me they’re into MEN?

…

Fuck off, this is the most queer coded STRAIGHT animated film I’ve ever seen.

[therivercrow]

Viago's opening letter to a de Riva Rook is the funniest goddamn thing

"Dear Idiot,

You are so fucking stupid and everyone is still complaining about that stupid thing you did. But none of them are complaining more than ME, you moron, you disgrace. I cannot believe I raised you. Anyway, if you die I'll kill you. Come home safe. But not soon

Your (Begrudging) Father Viago"

[therivercrow]

Yet more Alanas!

Messing about on image makers during work hours? Couldn't be me.

The tiny adventurer is from here and I saw it via @davrinsleftpectoral. The fantasy portrait is from here and I saw it via @hedwigoprah - thanks for the procrastination inspiration! :)

Making little Alanas is so much fun! And yes, that is Viago's pet snake in the first one - they're taking Emil out for a walk!