#and it's fun as a creative exercise!

[inkskinned]

i love when words fit right. seize was always supposed to be that word, and so was jester. tuesday isn't quite right but thursday should be thursday, that's a good word for it. daisy has the perfect shape to it, almost like you're laughing when you say it; and tulip is correct most of the time. while keynote is fun to say, it's super wrong - i think they have to change the label for that one. but fox is spot-on.

most words are just, like, good enough, even if what they are describing is lovely. the night sky is a fine term for it but it isn't perfect the way november is the correct term for that month.

it's not just in english because in spanish the phrase eso si que es is correct, it should be that. sometimes other languages are also better than the english words, like how blue is sloped too far downwards but azul is perfect and hangs in the air like glitter. while butterfly is sweet, i think probably papillion is more correct, although for some butterflies féileacán is much better. year is fine but bliain is better. sometimes multiple languages got it right though, like how jueves and Πέμ��τη are also the right names for thursday. maybe we as a species are just really good at naming thursdays.

and if we were really bored and had a moment and a picnic to split we could all sit down for a moment and sort out all the words that exist and find all the perfect words in every language. i would show you that while i like the word tree (it makes you smile to say it), i think arbor is correct. you could teach me from your language what words fit the right way, and that would be very exciting (exciting is not correct, it's just fine).

i think probably this is what was happening at the tower of babel, before the languages all got shifted across the world and smudged by the hand of god. by the way, hand isn't quite right, but i do like that the word god is only 3 letters, and that it is shaped like it is reflecting into itself, and that it kind of makes your mouth move into an echoing chapel when you cluck it. but the word god could also fit really well with a coathanger, and i can't explain that. i think donut has (weirdly) the same shape as a toothbrush, but we really got bagel right and i am really grateful for that.

grateful is close, but not like thunder. hopefully one day i am going to figure out how to shape the way i love my friends into a little ceramic (ceramic is very good, almost perfect) pot and when they hold it they can feel the weight of my care for them. they can put a plant in there. maybe a daisy.

[deerspherestudios]

If anyone's wondering how the new VN for the Monstrous Desires jam is going,,

[stealingyourbones]

DPXDC trope writing challenge!

Choose a number of these common DPXDC tropes and write a blurb or fic without using these tropes! Easy Mode: chose 3 tropes from the list. Medium: Choose 5-7 tropes from the list. Hard: Choose 8-10 tropes from the list Batshit Crazy: 15+ tropes from the list.

Twin/Sibling AU

Lazarus water is Ectoplasm

Jason Is Liminal/Revenant/Halfa AU

Ghost King Danny AU

Adoption AU

Runaway AU

Ships

Danny Mistaken for [X] AU

Eldritch Danny AU

Slow Heartbeat/Inhuman looking Danny

Batfamily

Danny Lives in Gotham

Summoning AU

Evil Fentons AU

Alternate Dimension of [X] Character AU

GIW as Main Plot/Antagonists

Ghost Convention

Evil Superman

Magic Users Involvement

Kryptonite is Ectoplasm

Danny Owns Constantine's Soul

Jazz works at Arkham

Danny is a Clone (Superman/Batman/a Batboy, etc.)

Goes to Gala

Gotham is an Old Ghost

Happy writing y'all!! Sometimes putting yourself in a box makes you even more creative. Hope ya enjoy this writing challenge :D

[mossterious]

For Play It By Ear fan work week day 3, the prompt I went with was Animals!!!

I was inspired by vintage science posters, and so I drew a whole variety of the animals we ‘see’ on PIBE. Also included a legend/guide to all the references!

[ink-bunny2]

Honorary Mariella sketches to commemorate the new chapter of This Belongs In a Museum! (Volume 2) by @rexila-rites because Mariella is best girl. Employee of the month every month thank you for collectively saving our asses from imminent danger girlie we love you <3 /silly

[starry-bi-sky]

Danyal Al Ghul's missed potential - this kid is not gonna behave like his canon self if he's with the league of assassins until his late formative years, and my reasoning why

(feel free to take this all with a grain of salt this is just my thoughts on it, this is all mostly amusing to me and isn't trying to be negative towards anyone else)

similar to how i was talking about how danny growing up in crime alley would affect him, demon twin aus with danyal al ghul make me laugh a lot (affectionate) because... whose teaching danny to unlearn all the ecofascism he picked up from the league of assassins? whose teaching him to be kind? to be gentle? Not the LoA thats for certain.

(you could plausibly say Jazz but she's only 2 years older than Danny and do you really expect a fellow child to properly explain why X is wrong to another child and have it be 100% effective? i don't doubt it'd help to an extent, but not in the same way an adult explaining it would)

plus a ton of other things, like whose teaching him to value human life? not the LoA. Whose teaching him how to adjust to living with American society after he ends up with the Fentons when he's 8-9-10? Who teaches him that killing is wrong, whose enforcing that?

(not the Fentons if you're going the neglectful parent route, and Jazz can try but i really don't think Danny is going to listen to her, a stranger who isn't even part of his grandfather's league)

How do you teach a child to value human life when the greatest development window for that opportunity has closed and he's already formed his own opinions?

You're not gonna get a Danny whose exactly like his canon attitude if he's staying with the league during his formative years (0-8 years old). you're not. You could get someone LIKE it, potentially, or someone who has traces of it or is similar -- like danny's wit and jokes and sarcasm, and on some level his kindness. but you're not gonna have a carbon copy. Development doesn't work that way. "nature" can only do so much in the face of nurture.

If anything, it doesn't even have to be a major change -- in the league he cans till be kind, but it's probably going to manifest in a different way than what is considered normal. Tough love, for one. But there's gonna be something that affects him negatively. Why make him 'always good/kind' when you can make him a brat who develops into a kinder (if spikier than in canon) person?

TLDR: Danyal Al Ghul would not be like how he is in canon if he's with the league until his late formative years -- not without any lasting pr permanent impacts from the league at least. Missed potential to make him an absolute nightmare like damian was -- especially in his early years when he first arrived to the Fenton house.

(this doesn't apply to danyal al ghul aus where he's either given to the fentons as a baby/is reincarnated/etc. this is mostly aimed for danyal al ghul aus where he fakes his death at like, 7-10 and somehow ends up, personality-wise like his completely canon self by 14 without any differences.)

(and even then if he's five or four, or even three, he would still be traumatized and influenced by the league. he'll just have more time to adjust. the sooner he leaves the league the more likely he is to be like his canon self, but not like an exact copy)

(more under the cut)

Anyways what I'm saying is that there is prime missed Danyal al Ghul potential to make him an absolute NIGHTMARE to the Fentons however way he ends up with them, just like Damian was with the Waynes! Cuz why does Damian get all the fun? Danny got the same training and endoctrine as him! He is also an ex-assassin! Why is Danny the only one who is 'well adjusted and non-violent' hm? Hmm?

Why can't he also be mean, and stabby, and a total stuck-up in some way or another? Have fun with his characterization, its prime opportunity to play play-doh and clay with him! If he starts out as X how does he get the personality traits of Y, and thus become XY?

Like take this with a grain of salt if you will, but make him arrogant. Make him an asshole! Make him a bad person at first! Because he will be! He's the blood son of the batman and you mean to tell me that damian is the only one arrogant about it at first? Make him stabby and mean even at 14 when he's begun to chill out! Have fun with it! If he's with the Fentons at any point past the age of four or five then he's gonna be a nightmare to handle because he still remembers the league and his time there.

(and while it gives him more time to chill the hell out, his time at the league is still gonna leave an impact on him.)

also what im saying as well is have him and sam potentially get along like a house on FIRE. Again, Danny grew up under the views of an ecofascist cult and nobody to challenge those views to him until he got to amity park at whatever age in late formative years he was at. He could be about as intense or even MORE intense about environmental awareness/rights than Sam is!

(also him being supremely unimpressed with Sam's wealth. he gave up a palace in the mountains for this town. because that's funny to me - like let his past have more influence on him! it'll be fun!)

you could have a danny who doesn't kill but doesn't fully understand the value of human life because jazz is like two years older than him and isn't that good at explaining why people's lives are important. he won't kill but he's not morally opposed to it. there's very little chance he actually gets bullied at school because he nearly killed Dash the first time he tried anything.

Danny could have scars, physical ones, because its implied in multiple canon that training starts at toddling (my best bet is 3 at minimum and ~maybe~ 2 but only on the later side of 2. Good fucking luck getting any infant under 2 to do anything you ask, ESPECIALLY assassin training. They're gonna stick the weapon in their mouth sooner than they're gonna do katas. This is coming from a daycare teacher.)

there's more examples of how danny being at the league during his formative years would affect him, but those are just some of them. he could have a sword! An appreciation for weaponry and nature. Maybe he still speaks all shakespearan and formal, does he still make bodily threats to people? If Damian is still threatening people at 14 why can't danny?

[kaijuerotica]

much like fitz for like 20 years after the end of tawny man...............i miss the fool :(

[woah-its-al]

i <3 the idea that in all tfo human designs orion is the only one who is white. Like we all agree this is our favorite little white boy

[smile-files]

one of my favorite kinds of doodle: take the letters that spell out the name of a thing and use them to create the shape of that thing!!! (if you can't read any of these, they will be written out below <3)

going top down, left to right:

bone; butterfly; bee; joy; moth

kitty cat; snail; love; spongebob squarepants

eye; puppy dog; candy; wally darling; dolphin

hand; the element of kindness; lollypop; pencil

[oynonrings]

working on the winning fic from this poll, heres a snippet<3 (context/premise: daniil gives artemy some herbs without realizing that hes essentially propositioning him in the kin tradition, culture shock ensues)

[greenleaf4stuff]

A Thing Of Joy

(my other TROP fanfics)

Gen, pre-TROP. Celebrimbor and Mirdania for TROP Cozy Cuddle(s) Week 2025. Fluff. After decades of apprenticeship, Mirdania is ready to become a smith in her own right – and one of Celebrimbor’s assistants. But first, she has to complete three tasks to show her skill, knowledge and experience. Having worked towards this test for such a long time, Mirdania is rather nervous. Good thing Celebrimbor believes in her.

Another entry for Cozy Cuddle(s) Week 2025! :D After completing one for silverscars (A Rainy Night In Eregion), I thought it might be nice to stretch a bit creatively and try to write outside my usual box. Out of the ideas I had written down as 'prompts' for myself, this has popped into my mind several times, so it is the one I went with. Both Celebrimbor and Mirdania deserve all the hugs!

Another big Thank You to @rivendellwatch for organizing this lovely event, I hope everyone will enjoy this little entry! <3

For those that prefer reading the story on AO3, the story can also be found here. <3

This – this was what she had been working towards all these decades.

Being accepted as an apprentice by Lord Celebrimbor himself had always been a mark of pride for Mirdania, but even more so, it had been one of the most joyous and important days of her life until that point. Young and orphaned as she had been, she’d desperately sought for her place in Middle-earth, and in Eregion.

Her parents had always fostered her interest in metalwork and forging, back when they had still been alive. After their loss, Lord Celebrimbor had overseen that she would be able continue on her chosen path by taking her under his wing. She’d been the youngest apprentice he’d ever accepted, and she had been determined that he would not come to regret his decision.

Which was why this day was so important to her.

Today would hopefully see her completing her apprenticeship, and becoming a smith of her own right – as well as one of Celebrimbor’s assistants. Something she’d dreamt of ever since she’d first worked with him in the forge; peering over his shoulder as he worked on one of his creations, or having him explain to her various alloys and their properties, ever patient and kind, and more than willing to answer her questions or requests for help.

Despite his duties as Lord of Eregion, and his own studies in forgework, he had taken time out of his busy days to help her.

When she had studied old scrolls and memorized the various metals and their uses, he had often asked her questions to help determine which areas of expertise she would have to put more focus on, and encouraged her whenever she showed progress in them.

Whenever she had worked on her own projects, he would readily give her advice and gently critique her work, in a way that would allow her to come to the conclusions herself, with him merely guiding her towards recognizing what could yet be improved upon.

It had been him, in fact, who had one day turned to her with a bright smile on his face, laid a hand on her shoulder and said, "I think, Mirdania, that you are ready to take the exam, should you wish it," with a look of pride and utmost confidence on his face.

She had been rather nervous in the immediate aftermath, questioning whether or not she truly was ready, both eager to prove herself and make the attempt, but also scared that she might disappoint him. And herself.

But again, he had been patient, giving her the time to mull things over until one day, she was helping a younger smith with her work, instructing her and guiding her so she might figure out a small mistake she had made, when the blonde looked up and found the older elf look at her with a knowing expression.

That was when she had realized that she was at the point where she could help others the way he did with her. And that he was right – she was ready.

It had taken her another few years to prepare, however. Not for lack of conviction or opportunity, but because of the exams themselves. Long ago, during the founding of Ost-In-Edhil and the establishment of the smiths in the city, Celebrimbor had devised a series of tasks that an apprentice would have to undergo to be formally recognized as having finished their apprenticeship, and to become a smith in the eyes of their peers.

"Not because I don’t trust my people with their knowledge, or skill, or the quality of their work. But because I want them to have a good memory to look back onto. Something to always remind them that they have proven themselves before the other smiths in my employ, and the city at large," he’d explained. "I remember both my father and grandfather did similarly with me. They named a thing I had to make, gave me however much time I needed, and if my work proved adequate, they’d declare whether or not I had mastered that aspect of metalworking to their satisfaction. It was a mark of pride for me. Hopefully, it’ll be the same for you."

Mirdania had nodded so frantically she feared she might pull something in her neck in response.

The tasks were as follows: She would be questioned on various things first; metals and their properties, tools and their use, what materials to best use for what tool, weapon or trinket, and how the process of their creation would be performed. Then, those questioning her – two senior assistants, and Celebrimbor himself – would present her with scenarios of things going awry, and she would have to find solutions to the theoretical problems they described.

Once that part of the test was completed, they’d give her instructions on one or two things she should make, which could be everything from horseshoes, nails, door hinges, to jewelry, weapons, armor, tools big and small, to decorations and so forth. Sometimes they’d add a twist, asking the apprentice to work with an unusual metal and later explain their choice, for example.

The final task was the most extensive, and came before all others. It was the reason why it had taken her years to work up to the exam; the task given was to create something of her own, whatever she might like or want, and perfect it. She’d present her work, explain it, and have the senior smiths and Celebrimbor critically examine it.

If she managed to fulfill all three tasks to their satisfaction, she’d be declared a smith. And be accepted as Celebrimbor’s assistant.

Celebrimbor had been quick to tell most of the other apprentices that they could take the test as many times as they liked, until they were able to finally pass it.

In her case, he had not. As she questioned him on the reason why, he had given her another one of those kind, secretive smiles and said, "My dear Mirdania, I do not think you will require to take it a second time. I have full confidence that you can excel at whatever you put your mind to, and this will be no different."

Of course, such words were a great honor to receive. But they’d also done their part in twisting her belly into knots as she prepared for the exam. Who wouldn’t be nervous, if the Lord of Eregion and Fëanor’s heir, Celebrimbor Curufinion himself, put such trust in them, in an area that he had unique talent in?

She knew, to some degree, that there was no way for her to disappoint him. He was insistent that mistakes did not mean failure, only a chance to learn, to better oneself and improve, and he had not given her his blessing in order to pressure her, or as a point of pride for himself, but because he believed in her abilities and wanted her to know it.

And yet, she could not help but pressure herself. She did want to make him proud. She did want to prove herself as worthy of all the time and effort he and other people had spent to teach her, help her, instruct her.

This was also something she had wanted for most of her life. And so, she desperately wanted to succeed in it.

She reminded herself that she had already made it this far. That she had taken her time to prepare, done what she could, and now, the day had come that she and all she had learned would be put to the test. As she sat in front of the three examiners, the young smith felt her hands tremble in her lap where she clenched them, felt the tension in her shoulders and neck due to her nervousness.

Only when she looked towards Celebrimbor, and saw the small, encouraging wink he gave her, did a small smile find its way onto her face, and she could relax – at least a little.

"Are you ready to begin?" One of the other smiths asked her. Mirdania took a deep breath, and nodded for the others to start with their questions.

"I am."

While the first two or three questions were a bit difficult to answer, the apprentice soon found her footing as she got more used to the situation at hand and more tension fell off of her. She knew the answers, even if she needed a bit to gather her thoughts at one or two points, and had an answer for every question she was asked. By the end of it, she had taken to gesturing and become more animated again, the tremble in her hands almost completely gone.

"Well, that was the final question. If none of the others disagree, we can continue on to the practical part of the exam," the third smith said, herself looking serious to the point of not giving away whether she thought Mirdania and succeeded or not.

It was again Celebrimbor, who gave Mirdania a small, decisive nod to indicate his approval. He, at least, thought that she had done well.

None of the three had any reservations about letting her continue.

The second part saw her go to the stables as expected, where she was tasked with making a new set of horseshoes. Not something she had done terribly often in practice, but something she had taken time and care to learn just in case. The horses themselves already knew her, and they’d thankfully chosen a mare that was known to be patient when it came those that cared for her.

Mirdania managed to make and change all four of the horseshoes without a problem, though she did require the help of a stablehand due to her own height and the handling of the horse itself. This was not seen as detrimental, however.

She was also tasked to make a knife, but with the added instructions to make it purely ornamental in nature. It might still serve to cut things if she chose as such, yes, but the focus was to be on its appearance. It also wasn’t meant to be too elaborately decorative, as that would have taken longer than a single day. She’d decided to approach it as she would a letter opener, and used some lesser-used metals and alloys that combined into a beautiful, final piece.

The questioning of her choice of materials by the three smiths had been rigurous and sharp, but again, the young elf had expected as much. She managed to remain calm and collected, and gave explanations that seemed to be to the other smiths’ satisfaction.

By the nods and slight smiles at the end of it, she had passed this part as well.

"Now, there is only one part of the exam left, as you know," Celebrimbor said with a slight glint in his eyes. His smile was encouraging, and as always, it grounded and calmed Mirdania instantly. "Would you like to show us what you have prepared? And give us some explanations on your chosen project?"

She smiled, and nodded, "Yes, of course. Let me go and retrieve it-"

This, this was the part she was most excited about. And the most nervous. It had taken her a long time just to settle on what she wanted to make, then on making it, and finally remaking that same piece over and over, until she found the result to be to her liking.

She only hoped the other smiths, and especially Celebrimbor, would like it the same way.

Nervously, she hurried over towards where she had her finished piece sitting underneath some linen cloth.

She’d made clasps, but not just any kind of clasp; she’d made them for Celebrimbor’s cloaks, specifically. Fashioned after the holly leaves that he so loved, and after which Eregion had been named, they were made out of gold and with green, delicate gemstones. Small chains hung from the two meant to be worn the cloak’s front, while those he might fasten to his upper arms were more simplistic.

Not incredibly impressive if looked at from afar, but she’d made those pieces with utmost precision, and looking closely would reveal smaller details that showed how much time and care had gone into their design and construction.

Celebrimbor often preferred to wear multiple layers, to the point that she usually only saw him wear a simpler robe with no additional cloaks, coats or layers whenever he worked in the forge. She wasn’t quite sure why that was; one of the other smiths had speculated that he tried to appear less imposing this way, as he seemed to have a...more complicated relationship with his family’s history and legacy.

She and the other smiths, and the people of Eregion as a whole, knew that he was perhaps one of the kindest rulers there were, but she had seen those from outside sometimes regard him with suspicion and less than favorable opinions about his father, or even grandfather.

It pained her, the way his face would freeze into a polite smile during such occasions, the way he would look almost haunted in the aftermath.

She couldn’t hope to convince him that none of his own subjects feared him, and that he did not need to hide himself away – it wasn’t her place. And while she desperately wanted to openly curse those dignitaries and heralds, if only because it might bring a smile to her Lord’s face, she refrained from that, too.

So, the best thing she could do, in her opinion, was to try and help him a little instead. If he insisted on wearing heavy robes, they should at least have some beautiful pieces on them. These ones would hopefully keep the upper layers in place, or help to keep them closed at the front, while looking quite decorative.

And, hopefully, while being considered worthy of a Lord.

To her relief and joy, Celebrimbor beheld the clasps with surprise, then curiosity, and finally, with yet another one of his smiles. This one appreciative.

The first question he asked was gentle. "Did you have a specific person in mind for these?"

She grinned and moved back and forth on the soles of her feet as she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "I did, in fact. I made them for you."

She would never forget how touched he’d looked in that moment, how he held the pieces as if they were something so utterly precious as nothing he’d beheld before. Considering that his grandfather had created the Simaril, this was truly memorable, and to her, quite special.

The questions and remarks from the other two smiths seemed to pass her by in a blur after that, as Mirdania could only really focus on Celebrimbor’s reactions. The way he turned the pieces over in his hands, the look of awe he carried. The surprise on his face when he made to give them back to her and she gently shook her head, and lifted her hands to close his own around them.

"As I said. I made them for you. They are a gift."

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she thought she saw the hint of a tear in his eye for a moment immediately after, before he blinked a few times and cleared his throat.

And then, finally, the exam was over. Mirdania stood and wrung her hands, suddenly tense again, as the three smiths moved over to the other side of the room to talk among themselves. She had excellent hearing, like all elves did, but she refused to focus on their words, and instead chose to step outside as they discussed her test and its results.

The next moments seemed incredibly drawn out, to the point of feeling like they might never end. She barely kept from gnawing at her nails, but could not keep from pacing back and forth, or fiddling with some of the embroidery on her robe – green, as she often wore – until the thread began to fray under her fingers and she had to stop herself.

Her hair was next, with her turning it around her fingers as she changed direction once again.

"Mirdania," a soft voice came from the entrance to the forge. She startled and turned around with wide eyes. Celebrimbor looked apologetic, and motioned her over with his hand, head tilted towards the interior, posture inviting – and encouraging. "Please, come back inside. We’re ready."

She took a deep breath and nodded. As she stepped inside, he briefly placed a steadying hand between her shoulder blades, and then closed the door after them.

As she stepped in front of the three smiths, all of them wore delighted expressions, though none so much as Celebrimbor himself. Before they even opened their mouths, she knew what they’d say:

She’d passed.

And she had. They congratulated her on her knowledge, her abilities, her problem solving skills. Gave some advice on some minor mistakes, yes, but the important parts were all done to their utmost satisfaction.

"The piece you created by yourself, especially," the female smith said, to nods from the other two. "It might not be the most intricate or elaborate work, but it was made with great skill. And with heart. It’s clear you knew the person you had in mind, and put much thought and time into making these pieces, which is what a smith should do. Not just use their abilities, but also, their intuition."

Mirdania felt like her smile would split her face in two, with how wide it was as they finally declared her a smith in her own right. And even more so when Celebrimbor added that he would gladly take her as his assistant.

"I’d love to work as your assistant. It’s all I ever wanted. Thank you," she said, and now, it was she who felt excess moisture in her eyes.

She felt ready to burst with how elated she was. Seeing the elf she had so admired all her life nod at her and welcome her as his assistant was the fulfilment of so many of her dreams.

The other two smiths were quick to leave after, both of them having other obligations to fulfill. Or maybe they wanted to give the two of them some time alone.

Celebrimbor stepped close to her as the others left. Both he and Mirdania smiled at each other. The older elf looked incredibly fond, and once again, so very proud of her. "Congratulations. I am most glad to count you among my assistants now – I think Eregion will greatly benefit from your skill and dedication," then he stopped, and his voice became soft. "And I am glad to continue having you work in my forge as well. It is a joy to work with you."

In most other moments, Mirdania would have refrained from doing anything unexpected. As it was, she was filled to the brim with happiness, and with nowhere for it to go, she overcame her usual sense of propriety and simply stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the other elf to hug him close.

Some distant part of her was questioning whether this was alright, whether the other even wished to be embraced, especially by one of his subjects, but the rest of her did not care. She was happier than she’d ever been, and she wanted to share that feeling. "Thank you, thank you, thank you-," she repeated, face pressed to his chest.

She was almost certain that she was, in fact, crying now, if only a little.

Celebrimbor stilled for only a moment, before she heard a gentle chuckle, and then he lifted his own arms and wrapped them around her as well, one arm around her shoulders and one at the back of her head.

"There, there," he soothed, voice warm and welcoming, "You did really well today. I am proud of you. And I am very delighted about your gift, it is very beautiful."

She only tightened her arms around him in response as she continued to hold onto him. He kept her in his arms, rubbing a hand between her shoulderblades as she let her joy spread through her.

The other remained kind and patient as she knew him to be while he held her, a steady presence as he had always been in her life. When she finally drew back, after what had to be a very long moment, and looked at him with a bit of excess moisture in her eyes, he looked down at her and smiled kindly.

She did not know it yet, but this would only be the first of many hugs they would give each other going forward. Now that they had done so once, the Lord of Eregion would gladly greet the younger elf with a hug whenever he came back from travelling outside of Ost-In-Edhil, and she would often embrace him similarly, whenever she was the last to leave the forge in the late evening and bade him goodnight.

She also didn’t know it yet, but he would wear the clasps she had made him often over the following years and decades, only exchanging them when he had to, or they did not fit with the colors of his robes. But whenever he wore multiple layers or a cloak, her pieces were what adorned them.

And every single time, without fail, Mirdania would see the gold-and-green holly leaves and smile to herself, thinking back to the day she had given them to him.

Celebrimbor really had a point about how the exam would give those who took it fond memories to look back onto, it seemed. She certainly had some she held very, very dear. And she thought Celebrimbor might just do so as well.

[blkkizzat]

Ahh so i made good progress on The Nursery P3 today! 6.3k words deep into it now.

I think I finally got my writing groove back. I've been doing more self care as even though I was done with school I was still super wound up and kinda lost my creative spark a bit.

something that helped though is this book im reading now.

its called "a wack on the side of the head"

its really helping me let go of the mental roadblocks ive had.

one of the biggest ones they addressed in the first chapter of the notion of the "right answer". i know a huge problem me and a ton of other writers have is rewriting something over and over, being stuck on trying to find the "right" answer instead of trying to find many answers.

one of the best quotes that suck with me is "when there is no sun we can see the evening stars" the lesson i took from that is when you are stuck to ignore/forget the main problem/plot/driver of the story to focus on what supporting it.

how are they supporting it? what would these characters be doing if they weren't in this situation? if it were happening to someone else near them? if it didn't happen at all?

"forgetting" allows your brain the freedom to discover it all over again in a new way—or discover something new entirely. (thats also too why i like to take breaks on stories and come back to them but in thinking of it in this way you dont have to stop working on something to think of it in a different way.)

its all such a "well duh" concept but I don't think we consciously think of this when writing, or at least I dont lol.

[wannawrite999]

[psychopomp-namine]

you know, I think neji would enjoy playing dnd. getting to write stories and play characters with no limitations, and having to improv with the other players because he would never have full control of where the story was headed? it would be a dream come true, and also therapeutic. neji would of course be the dm who would "yes and" anything his players want to do. the story would be something everyone has input on and would help shape. an adventure that neji himself couldn't predict or write on his own. also, just imagine him describing his setting and doing all his character voices, he'd love that so much

I think it would be a good exercise for quartz too, because they'd have to make their own characters and backstories and roleplay in character without a script to direct them. especially to kisa "transparent vessel" tachibana, who can act out any character but is afraid of letting herself be seen through them. similarly, kai as well, since he'd be in charge of his own character instead of propping someone else up

on the flip side, fumi would get to enjoy playing a character but not having the pressure to be the lead/spotlight of a story. he's there to play, not perform

sou would also LOVE dnd. I think he'd be really into the character creation and lore, and is probably the next person I can think of who can try being the dm when neji is sick/tired/wants to be a player. he's the player who takes down notes and remembers one small detail neji mentioned four sessions ago that becomes relevant to the current session. neji loves him because sou is the one who appreciates his world building the most

suzu and fumi would instigate so much in the adventure, which neji would love. suzu makes a character everyone loves (like hachipochi) and always brings snacks to the table

fumi has read all of the player handbook, and mitsuki has read maybe a quarter of it (only the relevant parts to his character and how some dice rolls and combat work). mitsuki is also the one who doesn't put much effort into his character's backstory but unexpectedly gets big character development during the adventure, surprising everyone in the table including both the dm and himself

otori is very good at both roleplaying and combat, has created a compelling character, and tries to go on solo adventures but eventually gets roped into the party because he can't adventure alone in neji's setting

[maplemouse-warriors]

OLD GROWTH AU

An AU where the first six arcs are all shuffled around! I wanted to see how long I could keep the Clans in the Old Forest, and play around with a different order for the arcs while still keeping the core plot points and storylines intact. I had some help from @wsoupofpain , and I am super down to talk about this AU at any time!

The Broken Code

POVs: Spottedleaf and Redtail

Thistleclaw, after being killed by Rosetail for grooming Spottedpaw, is accepted into StarClan. He begins planting false signs and eventually possesses Raggedstar, encouraging the Clans to punish and exile codebreakers. The Clans must come together to defeat him.

Brokentail kills his father, Raggedstar, ousting Thistleclaw from his body. Redtail then kills Thistleclaw’s spirit after Spottedleaf utilizes death berries to bring her brother’s spirit out of his body. Redtail becomes deputy.

Culture changes to be more about working together, and encourages treating the Code as being up to interpretation.

The Prophecies Begin

POV: Firestar

Tigerclaw attempts to take over ThunderClan, and eventually the whole forest. Firestar works to stop him, stopping Brokenstar and saving WindClan in the process. Eventually, the Forest Clans must defeat BloodClan, a ruthless group from the Twolegplace.

Culture changes to be more inclusive in WindClan and ThunderClan; ShadowClan and RiverClan are reeling from their support of Tigerstar.

A Vision of Shadows

B1: POV Squirrelpaw and Leafpaw. Squirrelpaw is sent on a journey to rebuild SkyClan. Brambleclaw tags along, and they successfully re-establish SkyClan, saving Petalnose from her Twoleg. In the Forest, something seems to be wrong with ShadowClan…

B2: POV Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt. In SkyCan, the journeying cats must help the new Clan fight invading rats to ensure that SkyClan can survive. In the Forest, Tawnypelt details the worsening condition of ShadowClan under Kin rule, including its eventual dissolution. Some of the remaining ShadowClan cats take refuge in ThunderClan, but many remain with the Kin, and a few simply vanish altogether.

B3: POV Feathertail and Squirrelflight. The Clans band together to drive the Kin from ShadowClan. In the chaos, Tallstar and Deadfoot are killed, leaving WindClan leaderless. The remainder of the Kin retreat to Highstones.

B4: POV Crowfoot and Leaffall. WindClan goes through a Civil War, caused by Tallstar and Deadfoot’s deaths. Before Tallstar’s death, Deadfoot had considered retiring and Tallstar had publicly planned to make Mudclaw deputy. However, Barkface finds a sign of a single slash mark and believes it to indicate that Onewhisker has been chosen by StarClan. However, the Clan cats are unable to reach the Moonstone. The two sides clash, and StarClan smites Mudclaw to end the conflict. The Kin leave Highstones soon after, allowing Onestar to become WindClan’s leader. His first act is to isolate the Clan.

B5: POV Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw. Tawnypelt goes on a little journey to retrieve cats who fled ShadowClan during the Kin takeover, helping to re-establish the Clan. Feathertail comes with her and joins ShadowClan because they are in love. ThunderClan grapples with a yellow cough outbreak. The Clans argue internally about how much they are obligated to help their neighbors when struggling themselves. With all the Clans preoccupied with their own difficulties, the Kin easily take over RiverClan.

B6: POV Squirrelflight and Leaffall. The Clans begin planning the attack that will drive the Kin from RiverClan. Leaffall and Crowfoot leave and return; Cinderpelt dies in the battle; Onestar and Darktail fall over the side of the Gorge while fighting each other, but Onestar is grabbed by Leaffall and Crowfoot, who in turn are grabbed by their families, such that there is a huge group keeping Onestar from going over the edge. With Darktail dead, the remaining Kin members flee the territories for good.

Power of Three

POVs: Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf

The Three are born and Jayfeather and Lionblaze grow into their powers. Hollyleaf is revealed to not be one of the three. Hollyleaf reveals their parentage and kills Ashfur, then flees the territories.

Instead of visiting the Tribe, they visit SkyClan.

The Dark Forest begins recruiting, starting off with cats like Lionblaze and Hawkfrost who have familial connections to the Dark Forest.

The New Prophecy

POVs: Dovepaw and Ivypaw

Journey Crew: Lionblaze and Dovepaw; Heathertail; Goldenheart (Tigerheart); Stormfur and his apprentice, Rainpaw. They swing by SkyClan and Harrybrook joins them; on the return trip they go through the Tribe.

SkyClan joins the Clans on the Great Journey, and live with them at the Lake, taking their canon territory.

Dark Forest trainees are able to recruit other cats on the Great Journey, when the Clans are not in communication with StarClan or the Dark Forest. Ivypaw is the POV where we see this in action.

The Moonpool is “discovered” by Jayfeather via time travel.

The WindClan Coup is replaced by the RiverClan Succession Crisis. After Leopardstar dies, Mistyfoot takes control of RiverClan despite not being able to go and get her nine lives. She chooses Hawkfrost as her deputy. After Jayfeather discovers the Moonpool, Dovewing is sent to RiverClan to share the news. While speaking with Mothwing, she hears Hawkfrost trap Mistyfoot in a fox trap, and runs off to help. Mothwing follows, and the two of them arrive in time to save Mistyfoot, although Hawkfrost is killed by Mothwing in the struggle.

The RiverClan Succession Crisis occurs during the last book of the series; the various problems the Clans encounter while settling in are shuffled to be earlier.

Omen of the Stars

POVs: Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Ivypool

Relatively unchanged other than most characters being older, and SkyClan being present at the Lake. The Clans must fight against the Dark Forest and their supporters.

Hollyleaf returns with a variety of Clan cats that left the Clans at one point or another, including some SkyClan warriors who chose to remain at the Gorge, some Kin members who want to join or rejoin their Clans, and some other rogues or loners who are interested in the Clan lifestyle. These additional numbers help to make a difference during the battle against the Dark Forest.

Culture changes to be a bit more open to outsiders, including a formal method for joining (or changing) a Clan. Collaboration between Clans is much more common.

[proseka-card-hcs]

may I request a shizurui au with these cards? and maybe Len third wheeling bc why not?

Oooo interesting choices! Let's see...

Perhaps Rui is a spirit tied to a passenger train (maybe he died in some kind of murder on the orient express type thing), and he's fated to eternally be a passenger on the train until he figures out how to move on. Shizuku then could be new to the town where the train's major stop is, and she works at the train station as a receptionist of some kind? Selling tickets? Len could either be one of her coworkers or the young boss of the train company who knows about Rui but keeps that secret.

One day Shizuku would set foot onto the train to check on something, or retrieve a lost item, and encounters the spectral passenger. Out of compassion for his situation, she decides to work with him to find a way to free his soul, even if eventually she finds she doesn't want to part with him.