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[alocasiareversa]

Fantasy Guide to Employment: Within and Without the Castle Walls

No I am not repeating myself. Let us move beyond the keep of the castle and to the outer region of the castle.

Blacksmith

The blacksmith was the heart of the castle or the town. Blacksmiths were the most important of the trades which is why there are so many people with the surname Smith. The blacksmith worked at the forge and would have had a team of people working for him. The blacksmith would be paid a high sum by the castle's lord especially if he was skilled at making weapons or armour. A specialist armourer would have been extremely expensive to employ. The blacksmith could be employed within the castle walls or outside them. He would likely be provided with a house near the forge or sleep in a chamber off from it with his apprentices.

Porter

The porters were the gatekeepers of a Castle. You would not be able to go through the gates and the main entrances to a castle. The porter was responsible for making sure nobody came or went from the castle without proof of leave. The porter would be fed and housed with the castle barracks.

Groom

The groom or the stableboy/hand is employed at the stables to care for the horses. They would muck out the stalls, care for the horses, feed the horses, brush the horses, keep the tack clean and ready the horses when needed. The grooms would have to have some knowledge of the horses and likely a strong sense of smell. Grooms often slept in the stables or would have lived in the town as a tenant.

Bailiff

The bailiff was hired by the lord to act as his representative. The bailiff would act as an overseer, making sure the lands were in order. He would also be collect fines and rents from the tenants. The bailiff was nearly always somebody brought from another town or place from the kingdom so he could be impartial and fair. The bailiff would have been provided a small cottage near the castle if he had a family or a small chamber within the castle walls.

Watchmen

The watchman or guard was responsible for security in the castle. They were tasked to patrol the battlements and corridors of the castle, including guarding the most important places of the castle such as the treasury room. The watchman would be kitted out on the Lord's coin, trained as part of the garrison and wear the livery of the lord. Watchmen would have slept in the barracks, been fed by the castle kitchens and would have had to report to their captain or the Constable for orders.

Gamekeeper

The gamekeeper was hired to keep an eye on the populations of the animals on the Lord's lands and ensure that the wildlife was protected and keep safe from poachers (so the lord and his hunstmen could kill them themselves). They would likely have a cabin in the parkland and have certain privileges such as being able to take game for himself. He would have to have knowledge of animals.

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“We don’t have much time. Take my hand, and repeat after me.”

“Okay.”

“I do so swear to be bound to thee, to protect and to serve, to be protected and accept service, to care and be cared for, to cherish and to guard thee, until such time as I forswear or am forsworn, or until the day I die, or thee.”

“W- what does that mean?”

“It means you’re mine, and they can’t take you from me.”

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Random mansion generator

The Procgen Mansion Generator produces large three-dee dwellings to toy with your imagination, offering various architectural styles and other options. Each mansion even comes with floorplans:

https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/random-mansion-generator.html

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CARING FOR STUBBORN MUSES. for when the person you’re trying to care for insists they don’t need your help.

“at least let me clean the wound!” “you’ll be even worse off if you don’t let me bandage this.” “i really think you need to see a doctor.” “i made you some soup, and i’m going to sit here until you eat it. i can wait.” “your feelings matter too! i can’t help you if i don’t even know what’s making you upset!” “..i’m here if you need anything, okay?” “stop trying to push yourself! you can’t do this on your own!” “listen, i know you don’t want to, but.. maybe you should rest for a while. you’re not going to get anywhere like this.” “i’ll make you a deal: i’ll just get you some bandages, and nothing else, and you stop making a fuss over it.” “how long has it last been since you slept?” “have you even been taking your medicine?” “i know you think you have to get through this by yourself, but you have people here to help you.” “let me take care of you, for once.” “you’re gonna hurt yourself even more if you do stupid things like that!” “i hate to break it to you, but you’re not supposed to do any strenuous physical activity for the next couple weeks, and if i have to personally make sure you don’t every waking hour of the day then i’m fully prepared to do that.” “it’s okay to cry in front of me, you know. you don’t have to carry this alone.” “stop trying to act like you’re not bleeding out in front of me!! this is serious!” “listen, asshole. i’m gonna carry you home whether you like it or not. you’re not in any condition to get there yourself.” “oh my god, why didn’t you tell me it was this bad?!”

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Text: The ladies of the house were versed in all the fine arts. Music, dance, flower arranging, and necromancy. 

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HEY, Romance Writers!

A few followers have asked for tips on writing romance into their stories or as the basis of their stories. Here’s a masterlist of sources (below cut) that may help.

General Romance:

What Defines Romantic Love?

How to Build a Romance Thread in Your Story

How to Plot a Romance Novel

Slowburn Romance

When Friends Fall for Each Other (ask)

Tips for Writing a Character Who Has a Crush

Tips on Writing Unrequited Love 

Writing Healthy Couples in Fiction

An Antidote to “Love at First Sight”

How Attractive Should Your Characters Be?

3 Great Ways to Show That Your Character Is In Love

6 Ways to Get Your Readers Shipping Like Crazy

Six Steps to Stronger Character Arcs in Romances

Seven Great Sources of Conflict for Romances

9 Romance Writing Mistakes to Avoid

20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes 

How to Write a Kissing Scene in a Romance Novel

Types of Kisses and Kissing + This Post Is All About Kisses

List of Ideas to Keep Romantic Tension High

100 Questions for Character Couples

How Do I Make the Relationship Development Realistic?

How Do I Know If Two People Are Compatible?

Healthy Relationships Can Include Teasing

How to Write a YA Romance Without Cliché   

Intercultural Romance:

How do I write an interracial couple accurately? (ask)

15 Common Stereotypes About Intercultural Relationships

Cross Cultural Relationships

[Ideas for] Your [Fictional] Cross-Cultural Relationship

Things to Avoid When Writing Interracial Romance

writingwithcolor: Interracial Relationships (w/ links)

Bad Romance:

Removing the Creeps From Romance

Why The Surprise Kiss Must Go

Possessiveness 101

10 Signs You May Be in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship

Edward & Bella Are In An Abusive Relationship

Red Flags, Verbal Abuse, Stalking… | Script Shrink

5 Huge Mistakes Ruining the Romantic Relationships in Your Book

How do you write a [bad] relationship without romanticising it? (ask)

General Tips for Writing Characters Love Interests:

How to Write from a Guy’s POV

Writing Awesome Male Characters: What You’re Doing Wrong

7 Point-of-View Basics Every Writer Should Know

How Do You Describe a Character?

4 Ways to Make Readers Instantly Loathe Your Character Descriptions

3 Signs Your Story’s Characters Are Too Perfect

Is a Quirk Just What Your Character Needs?

Six Types of Character Flaws

Is Your Character Optimistic Or Pessimistic?

5 Ways to Keep Characters Consistent

9 Simple and Powerful Ways to Write Body Language

10 Body Language Tricks for Deeper Characterization

Describing People Part Three: Gestures, Expressions, and Mannerisms

33 Ways To Write Stronger Characters

Conveying Character Emotion

Distinguishing Characters in Dialogue

How to Make Readers Love an Unlikable Character…  

Characters: Likability Is Overrated

Relationships in General:

How to Create Powerful Character Combos

8 Secrets To Writing Strong Character Relationships

Character Relationships: 6 Tips for Crafting Real Connections

Writing Relationships: Hate to Love

Stereotypes, Archetypes, & Tropes:

Five Signs Your Story Is Sexist: Part 1, Part 2

Five Signs Your Story Is Sexist – Against Men

Always Female vs Always Male

Born Sexy Yesterday & Manic Pixie Dream Girl

7 (Overused) Female Love Interests

Other Resource Lists

Resources For Romance Writers

Pinterest Board “Writing: Romance Arcs and Plots”  

thewritershelpers FAQ (romance, kissing, sexuality, etc)

+ Follow HEY, Writers! on Ko-Fi // Wattpad // AO3 // Goodreads // Pinterest

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I will continue to build upon this list as time goes on. For now, I hope you find something useful!

Worldbuilding Prompt of the Day Tag

Brainstorming Series Posts

Magic Systems, Part One

Magic Systems, Part Two 

New Species

New Worlds 

New Cultures 

New Civilizations

Politics and Government 

Map Making 

Belief Systems & Religion

Guilds, Factions, Groups

War & Conflict

Science & Technology

Wildlife & Ecosystems

Species/Races

Creating long-lived species

Evolution of sexual reproduction in fictional species

Writing in a world without humans

Sounds non-sapient species can produce

Developing Fantastic Races (Link)

Creating Realistic Aliens and Their Worlds (Link)

Language

Languaging

Handling “Foreign” Language Within the Narrative

Developing Ancient Languages

Google Ngrams: tool for researching period-appropriate language

Astronomy/Planetary Physics

Multiple Moons Effect on Planet

Controlling the Biomes on your World (with Science!)

Controlling the Gravity on your World (also with Science!)

Giving Your World Fantastic Skies (Link)

Why Tatooine is Plausible: Orbitary Mechanics of Binary Star Systems (Link)

What if Earth Had Two Moons?

Geology/Land

Map Making Photoshop Brush Set

How to develop a country when you don’t know where to start

Useful Geography Descriptors 

Creating a World with Realistic Terrain

Forest types (aesthetic)

Laying out Villages and Towns

Specific Settings

Differentiating between Ancient Times and Medieval Times

Tips and Ideas for Writing Post-Apocalypse

Worldbuilding when there’s no “world” present

General Worldbuilding

Words for sections within a city

Using Characters as Worldbuilding Tools

Creating Unique Cultures

Prioritizing Worldbuilding Details In the Narrative

Filling in the Details

Weaving in the Details (Link)

Creating Realistic Cultures (Link)

Being a God of Your Own World (Link)

How to Create a Fantasy World (Link)

Creating Fictional Currency 

Writing Prophecies Without Making Eyes Roll

Logistics of Mega-Cities in Fantasy

So You Have Too Much Worldbuilding Exposition…

Worldbuilding/Writing Quotes Tag

Random

My personal writing playlist

Writing Pregnancy, Labor, and Birth (Link)

Using Indexes and Guides in your Novel

Writing in Multiple Points of View

How to Edit Your Own Writing (Link)

The Ultimate Guide to Worldbuilding (Link)

Avoiding Deus Ex Machina

Helpful Generators 

Vulgar - Conlang generator

City Generator

Seventh Sanctum - expansive SpecFic generator

Deity Generator

Guild/Clan name generator

Planet name generator

Random map generator

More personalized map generator

Prophecy Generator 

Technobabble Generator

SciFi Corporation Generator

Fantasy Calendar Generator (Multiple Moons, etc)

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for all you writers out there:

donjon has tons of generators. for calendars. for demographics of a country and city. for names (both fantastical and historical) of people, nations, magics, etc.

this site lets you generate/design a city, allowing you to choose size, if you want a river or coast, walls around it, a temple, a main keep, etc.

this twitter, uncharted atlas, tweets generated maps of fantasy regions every hour.

and vulgar allows you to create a language, based on linguistic and grammatical structures!!! go international phonetic alphabet!!!

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me, a writer who does a very poor job at outlining: oh!! that’s right!!! i was going to include a murder!! glad i remembered in time!

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I want to post what my NaNo project is going to be but I don’t actually have it fleshed out in barely anything but an inkling right now. And I’m kind of freaking out because November 1st is on Friday and I am not NEARLY prepared enough for it.

October was just a month for me and my family.

[alocasiareversa]

A Flirting Guide For Writers (And Real World Usage)

I reblogged a post a day or so ago, and the result (which made me sad) was mostly people saying that they feel they cannot flirt (and therefore cannot write it effectively). 

So I thought I’d share my own, admittedly limited, knowledge (under the guise of writing advice) so that you can all write kick-ass romance and show your feelings like the boss-ass-bitches you are! 

The Basics; Eye-Contact, Personal Space, Body Language

The thing about flirting is that most of it is non-verbal, and the world is split between those writers who find this part the easiest, and those who find it the most incomprehensible. 

The problem is that it’s all dependent on a fine, mostly unspoken, line which makes the interaction creepy if crossed. When writing a character who is trying to flirt with someone, or when trying to flirt with someone yourself, you need to keep three main things in mind; personal space, body language, and potential restriction. This is especially important for men. The problem is that this is mostly instinctual, and so it can be hard to write if you haven’t had time to develop the right skills yourself. 

Personal space

When trying to show that your character is flirting you need to make a note of them moving into the other person’s personal space but not too much. Consider this; someone leaning into your space just a little to speak to you versus someone being practically nose to nose with you. One catches your attention, the other is uncomfortable at best and intimidating at worst. The idea is to lean in enough to show interest and create a sense of intimacy, without becoming overbearing or threatening. As a rule, I find that I begin to feel uncomfortable if a man I’m not sure of gets closer than the distance it would take to perform a ballroom Waltz. 

To get an idea of how that looks, hold up your hand at arms length as if pushing someone away or pressing against a wall. Now slowly bend your elbow until the point sits just under your breast or pectoral muscle. 

That’s the maximum personal space invasion I allow from people I don’t know well. In my experience, this is common to many women, though others prefer more space. Likewise, in my experience, men I have met seemed perfectly comfortable with me being closer than even that, but I am small, relatively unthreatening, and we have to allow for the fact that we were in the position of viewing each other as romantic interests. Men may prefer more space from other men, or from individuals that they do not see in a romantic light already. This changes from person to person, and noting your characters preference is a good way to show what kind of person they are.

Eye-Contact 

Another fundamental which relies on instinct subtlety; conventional wisdom says that you should make eye-contact in order to show interest. Actual wisdom will also tell you that too much becomes intense and a little creepy. If your character holds someone’s eye for too long its becomes fixative rather than flirtatious; it becomes staring. Depending on your character and their interest this can either read as obsessive, creepy, or aggressive. 

Flirtatious eye contact can take a few forms; 

1 - the “getting caught” method where a person looks at someone and quickly looks away again. When caught have your character (or yourself) look away quickly and then back, hold eye contact for a few moments and then acknowledge the other person. A smile, wink, or nod will suffice for this. 

2 - the “lash” method where someone, usually a woman, catches their crushes eye, looks down, and then back up from under the lashes. Also very effective when done by men with big eyelashes. 

3 - the “full cheese” method by which someone winks, grins, or wiggles their eyebrows. This is effective when used sparingly. 

If your character also touches the person they are flirting with lightly, this will build tension. The touch should be gentle, but obviously deliberate. Avoid possessive gestures like gripping or pulling, however. 

Body Language

When flirting, the body language of both people is important; your character should watch their crush for signs of interest and/or discomfort. 

Positive signs; leaning in, touching, playing with hair, smiling, licking or biting lips, tilting their head slightly, mirroring. 

Negative signs; leaning away, crossing arms, pursing lips, refusing to make eye-contact, raising their shoulders, crossing their legs away from the other person, frowning, clenching jaw, balling fists. 

This body language can apply to both characters in the scene. 

Advanced Techniques; Verbal Cues, Suggestions, And Other Senses

This is the shit I thrive on, as a writer you will probably feel the same way; I notice the sounds, smells, and textures of another person as well as what they say (in fact, when you read my work you’ll notice that the smell of any romantic lead is noted upon more than once). 

Verbal Cues

This is the thing that most people focus upon when it comes to discussions or attempts at flirtation. The verbal sparring that comes with flirting is what really gets our stomachs churning and our hearts pulsing… but why are some people so naturally good at it, while others are… less so? 

And why does some of the most vapid and run-of-the-mill stuff seem to work between the right people? 

Well, the sad news for your unlovely characters is that physical attraction makes us more likely to respond to even the most poorly constructed of verbal flirtation. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so even the least pretty of characters could find themselves flirting up a storm with the right person. 

Verbal cues include; 

- Gentle teasing 

- Compliments

- Inside jokes

- Using someone’s name (yes, really)

- Asking questions and responding in a thoughtful way

- Sexual innuendo (when used tastefully and sparingly)

Suggestion

This is the easiest to miss or overshoot because it’s a combination of everything else we’ve already covered. For example, your character saying to a friend, 

“I’m just going to hop into the shower, talk soon.” 

Is not a suggestive statement. Now imagine your character flirting with someone on the phone before sighing and saying, 

“I’m going to take a shower… I’ll speak to you soon, ok?”

The difference is subtle but important; the second suggests that they don’t want to stop talking to the other person, that they definitely want to speak to them again as soon as possible, and subtly encourages the other person to consider them in the shower. You see? 

Easy to miss, easy to fudge. Suggestion is hard to pull off, and hard to write, but think of it this way - suggestion;

1) Encourages the other person to think of you/your character in an intimate way

2) Implies enjoyment in and desire for their presence

3) Is open-ended and encourages reciprocation

The Other Senses

This is not so much flirting, but the act of making your character/yourself as appealing as possible to another. Personal hygiene, a good fashion sense, and good manners are a part of this.

But - 

When writing about this you should not discuss it directly unless your character is making a conscious choice. Instead, focus on the character that yours is focussed upon. 

- How do they smell?

- What are the textures of their clothes?

- What manners do they affect?

- Does their voice have a texture?

- Do they touch your character a lot? 

- Do they note upon your characters smell or noticeably try to take in their smell? 

- Do they react noticeably to your character’s voice or mannerisms?

This is just a basic guide, of course, but if you get this down you’re in a good position to build romantic tension in every walk of life!

If you found this post useful and you want to help keep me writing, you can support me through Kofi!

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[alocasiareversa]

Symbolism

I thought I might not be the only writer out there who likes to put symbolism in their stories so I found some things and what they represent!!

Animals

Alligator - stealth, survival

Ant - diligence, industry, community, remarkable strength, hard working, success, patience

Antelope - action

Armadillo - boundaries, self protection

Badger - aggressiveness, passion and drive

Bat - rebirth, longevity, joy, good luck

Bear - gentle strength, dreaming, introspection, power, protection

Beaver - builder, accomplishing goals

Bee - divine messenger, love, service, gathering, community

Bird - enlightenment, perspective, swiftness, vision, prophetic knowledge

Boar - nature-based wealth, prosperity, success, protection, courage

Buffalo - prayer, abundance, survival needs met, good fortune, healing

Bulls’ horns - a good symbol in meditation for motivation

Butterfly - rebirth, the soul, transformation, the three phases of life

Cat - feminine energy, mystical power, used to keep the wearer safe in travel, wholeness

Chameleons - ever-changing future, inconsistency

Cheetah - speed, focus

Cougar - power, swiftness, balance

Cows - red cows are a symbol of hope, inspiring symbol for nurturing efforts

Coyote - trickster

Crane - longevity. A pair of cranes symbolizes “Long Marriage”

Cricket - good luck charm, singing, Spring, fertility

Crow - sacred law, gateway to supernatural, shape shifting, illusion

Deer - graceful gentleness, sensitivity, compassion, kindness

Dog - companionship, health, service, loyalty, protection, future prosperity

Dolphin - manna, joy, childlike play, helpfulness, breath of life, harmony, intelligence, self connection

Donkey - fertility, easy childbirth, efficiency, health, well-being, and luck

Dove - peace, innocence, fidelity, love, gentleness, kindnes

Dragonfly - good fortune, magic, vision, dreams, luck, and ancient knowledge, illusion

Dragon - wisdom due to long lives and potent magic, royalty, Emperor, eternity, courage, strength, rain, Spring

Eagle - courage, spirit, bravery, strength

Elephant - commitment, strength, astuteness

Elk - stamina, pride, power, majesty

Fish - miracles, providence, sea/water magic, good luck and prosperity, foresight, fortune, salmon in particular, are associated with knowledge

Fox - camouflage, adaptability, integration, tricksters, shape shifters, and possessors of great magic

Frog - healing, cleansing, messages, health, honesty, fluidity, purification

Gazelle - awareness

Giraffe - grounded vision

Goat - tenacity, diligence, can help to achieve goals, endure criticism, and stay safe. Goat’s fur or foot - an anti-evil talisman.

Goose - safe return, love of home

Grasshopper - nobility, prosperity

Hawk - nessenger, strength, foresight, truth

Hippopotamus - emotional depths

Horses - power, stamina, speed, transportation and communication - A black horse with a white marking on its forehead is lucky

Hummingbird - joy, pure love, celebration of life

Ladybug - delight, trust

Lamb - filial piety (dutiful respect or regard for parents).

Lion (baby) cubs - inspire mercy and gentleness.

Lion (grown) - inspire strength, courage

Lions - pride, nobility, cunning, courage, just laws, fairness, the sun, images can protect sacred ground.

Lizard - dreaming, foresight, ancient secrets

Lynx - secrets

Monkey - benevolence, drives away evil

Moose - self-esteem, assertiveness

Mountain Lion - wisdom, leadership

Mouse - frugality, rebirth, scrutiny

Opossum - strategy, diversion

Otter - medicine (woman), balanced feminine energy

Owl - deception, wisdom, clairvoyance, magic

Ox - evil spirits that disturb lakes, rivers, and seas

Peacock - wholeness, dignity, beauty, recognition, self assurance, pride

Pig - rebirth and rejuvenation

Porcupine - innocence

Rabbit - fear, fertility, moon magic, speed, swiftness, longevity, courage, strength

Raccoon - dexterity, disguise

Raven - magic

Robin - growth, renewal

Rooster - courageous, warlike disposition, warmth and life of the Universe

Scorpion - the “fire within” that often needs careful tending

Seal - inner voice

Sheep - sacrifice

Snake - cunning, evil, supernatural power

Spider - destiny, fate, weaving

Squirrel - gathering

Swan - grace

Tiger - courage, bravery, fierceness, strength, being in the now

Turtle - mother earth

Weasel - stealth

Whale - record keeper

Wolf - teacher, A Guide to the Sacred

Zebra - Individuality

PLANTS

Aloe- Healing, protection, affection

Amaryllis- Pride

Anemone- Forsaken

Angelica- Inspiration

Apple blossom- Preference

Arborvitae- Unchanging friendship

Aster- Symbol of Love, Daintiness

Basil- Good wishes

Bay- Glory

Begonia- Beware

Bittersweet- Truth

Black-eyed Susan- Justice

Bluebell- Humility, kindness

Candytuft- Indifference

Red carnation- My Heart Aches, admiration

- White carnation- Innocence, pure love, women’s good luck gift

- Pink carnation- I’ll never forget you

- Yellow carnation- Disdain, disappointment, rejection

Chamomile- Patience

Chives- Usefulness

Chrysanthemum- Cheerfulness

Clover, white- Think of me

Coreopsis- Always cheerful

Coriander- Hidden worth

Crocus- spring, Youthful gladness

Cumin- Fidelity

Cyclamen- Resignation and good-bye

Daffodil- Regard

Daisy- Innocence, hope

Dill- Powerful against evil

Edelweiss- Courage, devotion

Fennel- Flattery

Fern- Sincerity

Forget-me-not- True love memories

Gardenia- Secret love

Geranium- oak-leavedTrue friendship

Gladiolus- Remembrance

Goldenrod- Encouragement, good fortune

Heliotrope- Eternal love

Holly- Hope

Hollyhock- Ambition

Honeysuckle- Bonds of love

Horehound- Health

Hyacinth- Games and sport, playfulness, rashness

– Blue Hyacinth- Constancy of love

– Purple Hyacinth- Sorrow, forgiveness, regret

– Yellow Hyacinth- Jealousy

– White Hyacinth- Loveliness, prayers for someone

Hydrangea- Gratitude for being understood; frigidity and heartlessness

Hyssop- Sacrifice, cleanliness

Iris- A message

Ivy- Friendship, continuity

Jasmine- white- Sweet love

Lady’s-mantle- Comforting

Lavender- Devotion, virtue

Lemon balm- Sympathy

Lilac- Joy of youth

Lily, calla- Beauty

Lily, day- Chinese emblem for mother

Lily-of-the-valley- Sweetness, purity

Lotus Flower- Purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth

Magnolia- Love of nature

Marjoram- Joy and happiness

Mint- Virtue

Morning glory- Affection

Myrtle- Good luck and love in a marriage

Nasturtium- Patriotism

Oak- Strength

Oregano- Substance

Pansy- Thoughts

Parsley- Festivity

Peony- Bashful, happy life

Pine- Humility

Poppy, red- Consolation

Rhododendron- Danger, flee

Rose, red- Love, I love you.

Rose, dark crimson- Mourning

Rose, pink- Happiness

Rose, white- Purity, heavenly, I’m worthy of you

Rose, yellow- Jealousy, decrease of love

Rosemary- Remembrance

Rue- Grace, clear vision

Sage- Wisdom, immortality

Salvia, blue- I think of you

Salvia, red- Forever mine

Savory Spice-  interest

Sorrel- Affection

Southernwood- Constancy, jest

Sunflower- Adoration

Sweet pea- Pleasures

Sweet William- Gallantry

Sweet woodruff- Humility

Tansy- Hostile thoughts

Tarragon- Lasting interest

Thyme- Courage, strength

Tulip, red- Passion, declaration of love

Tulip, yellow- Sunshine in your smile

Valerian- Readiness

Violet- Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, modesty

Wallflower- Faithfulness in adversity

Willow- Sadness

Yarrow- Everlasting love

Zinnia- Thoughts of absent friends

Color

Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)

Pink: love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.

Beige and ivory: symbolize unification. 

Ivory: symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. 

Beige: calm and simplicity.

Yellow: signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.

Dark Blue: Symbolizes integrity, knowledge, power, and seriousness.

Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.

Turquoise: calm. 

Teal: sophistication. 

Aquamarine: symbolizes water. 

Lighter turquoise: a feminine appeal.

Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.

Lavender: femininity, grace and elegance.

Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.

Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, service, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.

Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.

Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.

White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.

Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.

[alocasiareversa]

Lacuna Chapter One Shino/OC 1,406 words AO3 & FF.net Lacuna: an unfilled space or interval; a gap. | Soira feels inherently misunderstood and alone in a village full of people. Sure, she has her friendly acquaintances but she truly longs for a lifelong friend and partner. Will she be able to find that in the man that she consistently notices at the local lake? 

The longest day of the year happened to be dreadfully hot and humid in Konoha. Soira didn’t mind the heat but the humidity got to her quite early that day, plastering her hair to her neck and her skirt stuck to her thighs every time she sat down at the restaurant. She was pleased that her shift today was short, seeing as the restaurant was closing early for the Summer Festival, but had to grind her teeth together as she dealt with the crowds of people as she made her way back to her apartment.

With the temperatures so high outside, the air inside her apartment was near stifling. Choosing to take a quick shower to wash the sweat off her body, she quickly dressed in a light yellow, flowy dress and weaved her still-wet hair into a long braid. In smooth motions she heaved the strap of her bag over her head to lay against her shoulder, slid into her sandals, and closed the door behind her, squinting into the daylight.

The festivities today meant that people were out in full force despite the weather. She did her best to keep her head down as she maneuvered around groups of people. Her name was shouted at one point and she picked her head up to look around in the crowd, waving quickly for good measure with a smile on her face before ducking down again, holding tightly to her bag. Soon enough she managed to break through the crowd and step onto a gently used path into the forest, immediately feeling her nerves calm as the chattering made way for chirping of birds and insects.

Soira continued along the trail, having to kick rocks out of her sandals all along the way. Quickly the smell of moss and musty water filled her nostrils. A lake, relatively large, came into view through a clearing. The water was murky, but people still swam in it. Two docks stretched into the water, small benches lining one side and ended in an ‘L’ shape for storage of fishing supplies. The trail continued along around the lake, following a hand-built bridge over the river that feeds into the lake and continues further off into the forest. This was Soira’s stop for today.

She found this lake, this clearing, weeks ago and felt overwhelmingly at peace during every visit that she has begun to make it a routine to come and sit regularly. The area itself was quite sparse today, more so than normal, likely due to the festivities happening in the village, which meant it was considerably quieter here as well. An odd couple with a young child splashed in the water on the shore together, and a single woman sat on a bench on the dock, and a man sat on the edge between the sand and dirt, focusing on something intently.

Soira has seen this man – and the couple, actually – here many times in the last few weeks. He seems to always be intently looking at something or meandering about with his hands in his pockets just gazing down to the ground or sometimes up into the trees. Sometimes she wants to go and ask what he is up to, what he sees that is so interesting to bring him here for that purely, but since she walks to this place for peace and quiet, she assumes other people do as well and keeps to herself.

Setting her bag on the bench situated under the largest tree in the clearing, she smoothed her dress underneath her as she sat down next to it. As she slipped her feet from her sandals, her eyes absentmindedly wandered over to the man she sees so frequently again. Her toes wiggled into the dirt, enjoying the feeling of the warm earth.

She smiled slightly to herself, truly intrigued with what he found so interesting as to bring it so close to his face. Some people made a mark on her on occasion and it seems that this man did that to her today. Tearing her eyes away from him for just a moment she reaches down to her bag, slightly startled to find an orange butterfly resting on it. She paused, allowing it time to fly away on its own before reaching in to grab the book she has been reading. Her eyes trailed after it as it fluttered into the forest to find its food.

Returning to look forward and placing the book in her lap, she was surprised to see another butterfly having landed on her dress.

“Oh, jeez,” she mumbled, freezing in her movements. “I don’t have any nectar, guys.” This second butterfly rested on her for some time until she shifted a little on the bench before finally taking off gracefully. She watched as it fluttered through the air toward the water.

Her eyes glanced down her body, making sure no other insects have landed on her in her moment of distraction and slowly opened her book, placing her bookmark on top of her bag. She noticed slight movement in her peripheral vision and her eyes instinctively glanced up. The man who was sitting on the ground has risen from his position and stared up into the sky. His head seemed to trail after something as he slowly moved until she felt his gaze meet hers.

She blushed lightly, quickly returning to her book a little embarrassed to have been caught staring. However, she didn’t manage to read even one word before she felt a light pressure on her forearm. Eyes darting over, her mouth agape slightly she realized a third butterfly had landed on her.

“The butterflies seem very attracted to you,” a smooth voice said gently. Soira’s attention was immediately pulled to the voice; the man she met gazes with stood a respectable few feet away from her. An eyebrow rose up in questioning and slight surprise when she realized that she hadn’t noticed him make his way over to her.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she replied lamely, “It seems that they are.” Together they sat in silence for a moment. Her attention returned to the butterfly still resting on her arm. “I’ve never seen a green butterfly in Konoha before.”

Rotating her arm around slightly to be in a more comfortable position, she giggled slightly as it trailed down her arm to rest on the back of her hand. Its wings opened and closed lazily.

The man spoke again, his voice slightly mesmerizing to her. “Green butterflies are quite rare in nature as is. In Konoha, even more so. This one belongs to a species that is currently migrating south for their breeding season. It seems that this one may have taken a wrong turn during its trip and landed here.”

“Why are green butterflies so rare?”

“Green is generally not naturally produced in living creatures; what you’re seeing is a hairstreak, which isn’t a pigment but rather a metallic refraction caused by grooves in the wing scales that only reflect green light.*”

Soira nodded along to his explanation, humming in acknowledgment when he stopped. “Neat,” she replied. A smile grew on her lips when she glanced up at him. He towered in height, especially seeing as she was still sitting. “Do you like butterflies?”

“I like all insects.”

“Cool,” she said. “Most people don’t.”

He hesitated in replying for just a moment, but said, “I am well aware.”

Soira stood, keeping her hand as steady as possible to not disturb the butterfly still resting on her. Even standing he loomed over her in stature, but he did not feel threatening in any way despite having his eyes covered in dark sunglasses.

Gently, she lifted her free hand out. “My name is Soira Iseki,” she said, a smile on her face.

The man hesitated for a moment before placing his hand in hers, giving it a soft squeeze. “Shino Aburame.” He released her hand quickly, returning it to its pocket.

The light flutter on her hand grabbed her attention as she watched the butterfly take off into the air again. The reflection of its wings brought a slight awe to her as a smile played at her lips, watching it disappear into the forest. Gazing in its direction for an extra moment, she turned her attention back to the stranger, her mouth curved into a smile.

“Its nice to meet you, Shino.”

[alocasiareversa]

A writer will always be a writer. It’s not a choice, it’s a destiny.

Stephanie Lennox (via wordsnstuff)

[alocasiareversa]

A nice vodka lemonade really helps you get over the fear of writing a scene poorly and just get it down on paper :)

[alocasiareversa]

The Atlanta Constitution, Georgia, June 23, 1932