#another thing to take with a grain of salt

[nori-the-cat]

RIIZE as Romance Trope(s)

Remember, this tarot reading is for entertainment purposes only. Take this post with a grain of salt. ♥︎

★ Shotaro: Slow Burn

Tarot cards: eight of swords, two of swords reversed, and the empress

In love, Shotaro is surprisingly hesitant to make a move and can be unsure of his feelings. But when he is sure of his feelings, Shotaro takes a leap of faith and uses his confidence to express his feelings towards the person he likes. The reason why I think he's a slow-burn type of guy is that Shotaro knows his worth. He is caring, and protective, and seeks a fulfilling emotional bond. He takes time to feel assured of his own feelings.

Hence, I think Shotaro's trope is slow-burn but with a twist. He is someone who takes time to process his emotions but, when the time is right, he expresses himself wholeheartedly. He might be the type to write a love song, surprise the person he likes with a meaningful gift, or confess his feelings in a public, unforgettable way.

Channelled song for Shotaro:

★ Eunseok: Lovers in Denial

Tarot cards: ten of pentacles, two of cups reversed, and three of wands reversed

Eunseok might wait a bit longer for love, but when it hits, it'll be a super strong connection, deeper than most. He doesn't care about what others think is "normal" in a relationship. Instead, he's all about finding someone who truly clicks with him on an emotional level and shares his values.

Hence, I think Eunseok is "lovers in denial" kind of guy. The ten of pentacles suggest he craves a stable, secure relationship, but the reversed two of cups hint at trouble expressing his feelings or feeling misunderstood. This might cause some delays or bumps in the road to love. Basically, he might have hidden feelings he's afraid to face, which could slow things down.

This is not to say Eunseok is a bad person or potentially a red flag. He just needs time to process his emotions and confront those feelings. Once he confronts those emotions and accepts that he has romantic feelings for a person, he's in fact the sweetest person.

Channelled song for Eunseok:

★ Sungchan: Beauty and the Beast

Tarot cards: seven of wands, five of cups, and nine of swords

Sungchan has a lot of emotional baggage. By a lot, I mean many things he needs to learn and heal from. Once he learns to embrace his sensitive side and acknowledges they are his strengths and not weaknesses, he might be the most emotionally intelligent among the other members.

In love (seven of wands), it can represent someone who fights for what they wants and doesn't give up easily. This reminds me of when Beast and Gaston had a fight. Similarly, this also shows Sungchan can be competitive and fight for what he wants until he gets it.

Adding to this, Sungchan not only has emotional baggage, but he also has difficulty letting go of past relationships (five of cups). He also overthinks situations or struggles with trusting others (nine of swords). This side of him is again, something he needs to work on. It is also likely that he dwells a lot and ruminates the past. In a relationship or romantic aspect of his life, if he continues to dwell on the past, it will likely stop him from finding "true love" Similarly, Beast is also like this.

Another reason why I think Sungchan fits the Beauty and the Beast love trope is because Sungchan might crave a love worth fighting for, someone who can offer him the security and understanding he needs to heal and fully open his heart. This is very much like Beauty and the Beast. Belle has always been there to nurture the Beast. It is likely that Sungchan also craves or needs someone to nurture parts of him that lack care or tending. Once he feels secure and loved, his protective and resilient nature can translate into unwavering devotion and a willingness to fight for the relationship.

Channelled song for Sungchan:

★ Wonbin: It was right in front of you all along!

Tarot cards: temperance, the high priestess, ace of pentacles

Wonbin's romance trope is one where they both won't know they're fit for each other. But they've been in each other's life all along until one day they realise there is more than friendship to the relationship.

Wonbin also sounds like a romantic dreamer (thanks to the High Priestess card). He's probably looking for someone super interesting and smart, someone who shares his ideas about what love should be. But hold on, because Temperance is also in the mix. This means he won't jump into just any relationship. He'll take his time, think things through (like the High Priestess again!), and wait for a love that feels balanced and perfect, just like him.

He's also the type to observe, see, and wait. He calculates the risk of being with the person he likes until he realises "What's the wait for?" and confesses his feelings when he feels sure of the person. However, he still has tendencies to look for the "perfect person". Hence, the time he spent waiting, observing, and seeing could be a waste of time. Deep down what Wonbin truly wants is comfort, emotional connection, and a good banter.

Channelled song for Wonbin:

★ Seunghan: Fake Dating

Tarot cards: the magician, the high priestess, and four of pentacles reversed

Seunghan is a charmer and he knows how to entice a person. I bet you he knows how to sweep a person off their feet. He is that charming.

Seunghan is charming, confident, and knows how to win someone over (the magician). He is also someone who is selective and has high standards for a partner (the high priestess). Hence, I think the trope fake dating suits him well because he would not mind taking on a role to be someone's boyfriend for a night. This is because he is someone who desires freedom and experiences within the relationship (four of pentacles rx).

In many ways, fake dating will give him the freedom and experience to experience love and he doesn't have to commit yet. Plus, fake dating sounds like a one-in-a-lifetime fun experience. But, this trope is risky. Seunghan might be the one who suggested the fake dating idea and ends up falling in love first.

Seunghan might be naturally charming and resourceful (The Magician). He might know how to make someone feel special and use his creativity to impress them. However, The High Priestess' influence suggests there's more to him than meets the eye. He might crave a deeper emotional connection and be selective when choosing a partner.

Channelled song for Seunghan:

★ Sohee: Friends-to-lovers

Tarot cards: king of wands, ace of wands reversed, and ace of swords reversed

Sohee might exude confidence and leadership qualities (King of Wands) in most aspects of his life. He might be decisive and take charge in professional or group settings. However, the reversed Ace of Wands and Swords suggest a hidden side when it comes to love. Perhaps Sohee struggles to express his romantic feelings or initiate connections. He might have a strong desire for love (upright King of Wands) but be held back by self-doubt or a fear of rejection (reversed Aces).

Despite these challenges, the King of Wands' influence suggests a strong potential for passion within Sohee. He might just need someone who can help him ignite that spark and create a safe space for him to express his true feelings. Perhaps a patient and understanding partner can draw him out of his shell and encourage him to take a chance on love.

Sohee seems like the kind of person who takes love slowly. He might be shy about opening up and sharing his true feelings. That's why a friends-to-lovers situation might be perfect for him. He needs someone he can trust completely, someone who already knows him well. Feeling comfortable and safe is key for Sohee to open up his heart.

Channelled song for Sohee:

★ Anton: Strangers-to-lovers

Tarot cards: nine of swords reversed, five of wands, and four of pentacles

Anton might need a little extra time to get over past worries, but once he clicks with someone, he's a rock-solid partner. Honest communication seems important to him, and he might crave a relationship that's both secure and playfully competitive.

The cards tell us a few things about what Anton looks for in love. The Four of Pentacles hints at a desire for stability and security. He might be looking for someone to build a future with, someone who brings him peace and comfort (thanks to the reversed Nine of Swords). But wait, there's more! The Five of Wands suggests he also enjoys a little friendly competition. Maybe playful arguments or teasing become his way of connecting and bonding with his partner.

I go back and forth between Anton's romance trope as friends-to-lovers and strangers-to-lovers. Although the explanation above fits friends-to-lovers more, I think strangers-to-lovers would allow Anton to grow in the relationship and learn about his partner while he learns about himself. Anton is also someone who likes a good challenge, hence, being with someone new is not a bad idea for him. However, this someone new could be a friend of a friend. So, it's not really a complete stranger, but someone new that he can learn from and grow together.

Channelled song for Anton:

This was a requested reading from user @moomoobug

[byrdblood]

I actually really like the idea that clothing/physical apperance is actually what fully determines a skeleton's 'biological sex/gender' rather than actual sexual characteriscs, since monster's are implied as not having any (they don't even have internal organs, so why external??)

So, that makes me wonder how this type of society would treat/percieve people who are more gender-nonconfirming externally, or in general people who works outside of this terms. Would prejudice exist??

I think one primal example of a skeleton who works outside of this kind of terms is Ink imo. In story, he actually was probably assigned 'nothing' at birth lol, due to his background of an unfinished sketch and all of that (in pretty sure that he canonically was actually NOT given any actual name too. So he had no identity of his own). In terms of physical apperance, he looks very androgynous imo. He wears a very loose/skirt- type of pants (that are inspired by a japanese clothing called 'hakama'. Which in today's japanese society is seen as a 'unisex' clothing) + tight crop top that is meant to compresses the chest. (this may sound ridiculous but people also often point out how comyet draws his body type, wich is kinda hourglass like? this is montly seen in drawings of his redesign lol). Even for being a 'sans', Ink was actually never really associated with the color blue? neitheir pink. He's mainly associated with the colors brown, yellow and mint green. Brown is actually acknowledged as the most 'unisex' color there is, yellow is too (this color actually has a vast genderqueer history associated), while green is montly seen as feminine (mostly the shade that Ink uses) (even his 'name' is not very telling of his gender since 'ink' is very gender-neutral+ it's actually translated as femeine in many latin-based languages, including french!)

I know that he's like, a canon he/they character so more of a androgynous look is indeed expected but this whole conversation just make me wonder what biological gender and he would have If he worked in normal terms....i see him as intersex, not gonna lie lol

Anon I am platonically and fictionally kissing you on the cheek right now you are fueling my autism so hard and I am so happy about it. I hope you like reading, because if not, I'm so sorry for the monster-gender-vs-sex BIBLE I'm about to throw up on you KHSGLADSHGA

I'm gonna mention some slightly more explicit subjects so just in case I'm gonna put it under another readmore!

About the "no internal organs so why external" thing, I COMPLETELY agree with you. And the thing is, even if most of the fandom wouldn't say it, I think most UT fans also agree with it, because again - I have been in the UT fandom since the beginning, okay, I know how UT fans season their freak sauce. And it seems like the general consensus (or at least the most commonly accepted headcanon) was that any monster could form anything, and also that physical intercourse wasn't actually how monsters reproduce - the soul is.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because i fucking love love love love fictional biology, okay, i LOVE trying to figure out how fantastical subjects would work in a real life setting, and take this with a grain of salt because I'm no biologist, but if reproduction didn't depend on biological sex, then sexual dimorphism wouldn't NEED to evolve because the species would not need to be able to tell the sexes apart at a glance. There wouldn't be any reason to be seen as male or female except for preference, because there would be no consequences for getting it "wrong". And while preference is of course a big deal in a species as social as monsters (or humans!), it's always going to take the wayside to immediate survival - the good old "4 F's" of evolution, you know. And the reason I bring that up is because, if monsters were biologically sexless by default, then when they DID form genitalia - aside from it being primarily for social/bonding reasons instead of reproductive ones, which is also a fascinating avenue - why on earth would they need to be gonochoric? It wouldn't save them any energy! In fact, even if monsters DID reproduce sexually, if you're already expending the energy to form this complex magical construct in the first place then why wouldn't you form both just to make sure you didn't miss your shot? That's evolution, babey!

Basically, what I'm saying is that I think "biologically" intersex should be default for monsters, both in reproduction of the soul and, naturally, also in physical intercourse - with gender being purely social. That's not to say gender wouldn't play any role in society at all, but there would be no real need for it to develop as this Big Important Thing if it had next to no impact on people's lives! I have no idea if prejudice would evolve; monsters are made of love, hope and compassion and I think that acts as a generous buffer to any cruelty that would develop, but we've seen that they're absolutely not incapable of it by a long shot. Honestly though, I'm inclined to believe that most wouldn't care. In Undertale, not only does everyone very naturally avoid gendering Frisk in conversation, they also don't ever ask them to clarify despite them presenting in a GNC way. Maybe that could be because they're a kid (and that could lend weight to the idea of monsters not developing a concrete gender identity until they're older - but that begs the question of when monsters would have puberty because I've heard gender identity develops in humans by ages 5-8 and I'm not slept enough for that right now LMAO), but honestly, to me that just lends credence to the idea that gender doesn't matter to monsters; if you're not presenting a certain way, they just default to neutral no problem. Maybe obvious nonconformity would confuse them because it's clear you're presenting some sort of way, and if they can't tell what, they'd naturally be anxious to get it wrong... but again, at that point, the only consequences for getting it wrong would be low-stakes social ones!

I'm also not saying that any of my Sanses are particularly GNC, to be clear, just that monsters approach gender with fewer shits given than humans do. In fact, of the TAU boys, Dust and Killer are both intersex, Nightmare is agender (canon, but still), and Cross (and Abaddon) are both AFAB (or the equivalent) - Axe is the closest one that could be said to be "cis", but in this group, HE'S the weird one for exclusively presenting with "male" genitalia. To be fair, TAU!Killer is more GNC than average and would respond to any pronoun you called him, but he still fully identifies as male and defaults to masculine. And I also think that a large part of Cross approaching his identity more like a human would (as opposed to Killer or, like, Mettaton, just being like "no I'm just this way and you have to deal with it"), is because he's from such an anomalous universe. X!Gaster created X!Tale and we know he's a total shitlord; it's weird in the first place for monsters to be willing to beat their fucking kids, and yet there he stands like a cheap Hitler costume listed on Wish.com with all his "one perfect world" shit.

(And one more thing - we know in canon that humanity's societies [or at least the ones immediately surrounding "Mt. Ebott", wherever it happens to be in a given world] INFLUENCE MONSTER SOCIETY through the trash that arrives in Waterfall! You show me someone who says that not a single porno mag fell down there and influenced monsterkind's ideas of gender presentation, and I'd show you a liar; monsters were developing alongside humanity the entire time they were in the Underground, we just don't know how/to what extent!)

Anyway IN FUCKING CONCLUSION: I completely agree with you about Ink being intersex AND I also see him as someone very GNC on top of that. Gender identity and biological sex are of course different subjects BUT I could very easily see him being influenced by monster culture when he was forming his identity, and therefore ending up kind of lax on his ideas of gender conformity. (Or conformity at all!) I really like Ink as a character but I also unfortunately understand why so many people have trouble with him; he's extremely unique both physically and morally, and it's difficult to get that nuance right. (I mean that fully as a compliment; his creator did a fantastic job.) Of course, the fact that he's been an outcode basically from day one also has fascinating implications; he's the "monster" equivalent of someone who was raised outside of a culture, I'd think, which could also heavily influence how he approaches the world! Maybe that also contributes to the intense protectiveness he feels for AUs; he could see them as this beautiful thing he was denied, and maybe some part of him feels envious and tries to channel it into "good". I'm not familiar enough with his character to really say, sadly.

[ayoyoungg]

I’m so glad they finally released the full cam (without reactions) for Round 2.

Group B and Group C were both phenomenal!! Here’s my interpretation of why I think C won (and it being justified):

When comparing the two groups, I think C was just overall solid. I’d argue that both teams were dancing in the pocket, but C’s members were more equal in terms of skill. C’s synhronization was also impressive. One of the judges (I don’t remember who but I think Gikwang?? or Kyuhyun??) mentioned how the ppl not in the center held their own with a strong performance too. I think B had a couple group moments where the gap in skills became apparent (some of the members hidden in the back).

Next is props & story. It seemed like some of the judges weren’t too big on props, but I just thought that was personal taste. For B, I think they could’ve gone without the story. Like what was the point of the book? And then the ending with Junseo waking back up/ coming back alive?? also could’ve gone without it. I think if they were going the story route, the story should’ve been clearer. Were they students taking a break from studying and wanting some excitement? Were they just rebellious teens? Was it a sleepover? Did they go to sleep or die at the end? Tbh, I think this song & the idea of 1 person “surviving” at the end would’ve been better executed if the plot was about a heist. That or just go no story at all.

Clothes honestly play a factor, granted I don’t think the contestants have much input. C’s clothes were very uniform, streamlined, and simple. It was very easy to appreciate their dance lines & the sync. B’s clothes, while literally school uniforms, had more variety. The outfits were also baggy, which I don’t know how to explain, but that exposed more when it came to the varying skills in hip hop choreo.

Finally, keep in mind that the scores were really close AND varied a lot. It wasn’t that every judge had B & C as either 1st or 2nd. Two of the judges (Moonbyul & Gikwang) gave D a higher score than B. The point difference between B & D was literally 1. This all just goes to show how impressive ALL of the performances were. It was seriously that tight.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Not sure if this theory makes any sense at all but I'm starting to believe that there's no time skip between Wally's phone calls and what we see/hear in the show's Media/Merchandise. If we see the Toyland call being made before the Homewarming episode then it would make sense that Wally's expecting Barnaby to come over soon. As well as the Homewarming sketch from the prior update. (I don't know, still kind of brainstorming this perspective)

that theory Does make sense and i've been considering it! the "timeline" is such a nebulous thing right now because we still... don't really know! there are too many variables and too many Maybes for any solid answer.

maybe the reality that the neighbors live in exists outside of time like you say, and like half of me suspects. there's so much reality fuckery already present, but I'm also... unsure of how much merit this holds given what we know / can infer about how time passes in Home. i'm putting this theory on a low shelf to look at but not prioritize

maybe it really has been 50 years, and Barnaby is either still around / Wally is still in contact with him, or Barnaby... isn't there. who knows, maybe Wally was just verbalizing some Wishful Thinking. i mean, Wally is a bit of an unreliable narrator, isn't he? we can't assume that everything he says is entirely accurate or truthful. and i mean, if it's been 50 years it makes sense that Wally would be pushing for connection / to revive WH. who knows how long he's been trying.

hm... i mean. it could be a mix of that and the Outside Of Time theory. who knows, maybe W is receiving calls from different points in the timeline - Wally may have started out just calling, and has just graduated to invading the WH website / getting pushy with the envelopes and media that's been sent to the WHRP. maybe Wally got tired of waiting for W to respond before W was even born. who's to say!

[nattikay]

gentle reminder that the A2 script pages that have been going around from the Blu-ray bonuses are from an old/outdated version of the script, and anything that isn't shown in the final film cannot automatically be considered canon, whether it's scene/dialogue changes, character details, lore details, etc.

Stuff gets changed and/or cut for a reason, be it because they didn't have time for it, decided to go in a different direction for the character/lore, decided the scene should be moved to a later movie, or anything else.

It's fun to see alternate versions of the story that could-have-been, and if you want to play with concepts based on the script in headcanon or fanfiction, feel free of course...but be very very cautious about considering any of it "canon" until/unless another source confirms it (such as how the Tsu'tey's Path comics confirm some of the A1 deleted scenes).

[aquariium-ediits]

N25 / 25ji Kaito Layouts, Requested By Nobody (Self Indulgent)

Notes: hehe. blue man. idk what else to say. these aren't great but we're learning as we go. uuuuuh live laugh love kaito.

reblog and credit if you use

[engagemythrusters]

Okay. Watching The Bad Batch for the first time and I’ve only gotten 2/3rds of the way thru the first season thus far, but I feel I now understand the characters well enough to start making conjectures.

So here’s what I’ve got so far:

Due to the inherent Muchness of heightened senses, I wouldn’t doubt a sensory processing disorder for Hunter. It’s clear that he’s gotten a handle on it (aka learned to adapt to, compensate for, and understand it) by the time TBB appears in The Clone Wars, but I bet it was hard to deal with when he was younger.

Wrecker appears to have a developmental/learning/intellectual disability of some sort, compounded by a TBI. He struggles with bigger words and is impulsive, along with other notable markers. This could have stemmed from the accident that left the facial scar and blinded his eye, but it seems that, based on how the other three original bad batch clones act around him, that this has always been a thing. A TBI likely added to this, because he seriously just keeps getting smacked in the head, the poor guy. He’s just a walking headache.

That being said, he likely gets lots of migraines. Seriously, that much head-smacking can’t result in a fun, happy time up in his head, pain-wise. I suspect the other four get them, too. Hunter has to process a lot of information from all senses, and Crosshair from his sight. That’s a lot to deal with, and I know I get headaches from a lot less. Tech… he’s staring at screens all day. Blue-light headaches much? And Echo… he’s literally got so much going on up there, technology wise, that it’s undoubtedly the cause of many a migraine. He’s one bad interface connection from a seizure, practically.

Crosshair has some attachment issues, I think. Like I believe all the clones would, had they not been programmed otherwise. They never got held by a caring individual, for gods sake. Maybe later generations had older brothers to hold them every so often, but that’s not enough. They never got one-on-one care. And, since his programming never kicked in correctly, Crosshair has all of that just shoved into his twig body. So, RAD, due to his obviously avoidant nature.

Tech is autistic and I don’t think that’s debatable, really. Like that textbook autism (which leads to a discussion about his savant nature being paired with a highly autistic-coded character and the harmful impact that could create for us autistic people in real life. The same harm of Wrecker’s disability vs how he’s treated as an ‘it’ in the show (said explicitly by Cid) and how Crosshair, with evident attachment issues, is demonised as the villain. BUT THATS ITS OWN ESSAY TO WRITE.)

Omega has ADHD and that one’s not heavily coded like the rest, but I think it fits!

None of them have true favourite siblings, but each are easier to go to for different things. Hunter, for leadership and emotional advice. Crosshair, for silent understanding (pre-chip activation). Wrecker, for emotional understanding and grounding. Tech, for intellectual advice and rationality. Echo, for interpersonal advice. Omega, for intrapersonal advice and a fresh, new perspective on everything.

I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, that Hunter would have the highest, shrillest scream. It doesn’t make sense, but it just seems right (to me personally).

Tech and Echo spend a lot of time on Echo’s implants and prostheses. Echo clearly isn’t using them for their original intent—some not even used at all—so they have to be updated, modified, or taken out. (As evidenced by the—I’m assuming what is a—neural interface he now wears and the lack of other implants he used to have in TCW.)

Echo has chronic pain, due to phantom limbs. That, and it must take a lot out of him for those prostheses. They're melded to him in a way that seems... not user-friendly. Techno Union wasn't doing it because they wanted him to live a fulfilling life. They did it because they needed him. They wouldn't care about his pain. It's unlikely that he doesn't feel constant pain. I'm guessing his everyday average pain level it's equivalent to what normal people (i.e.: people who aren't me or other chronic pain-havers) would consider a 4 out of 10.

I have a feeling that most of them know the basics of swimming, but likely aren’t good at it—Wrecker especially. And, with all that armour, it probably wouldn’t matter if they could swim or not. That shit will absolutely sink them. Omega, once taught, would LOVE IT, though.

Crosshair would let a tooka adopt him. As in, he would let the cat follow him around. Whether or not he’d do anything for or about the tooka… I don’t know. But he’d allow it. (Wrecker would dote on the thing if it followed him. Lula and said tooka would be his best buds. He may like explosions, but he’s a sweet guy at heart!)

Echo and Crosshair have absolutely held staring contests. Asserting dominance. (Somehow, despite not having been involved in the first place, Wrecker has won at least two of them.)

Hunter has a taste for meilooruns. Tech does not.

All of them snore. Echo’s even has an electronic buzzing to it. Tech is absolutely the loudest. Omega has wished to smother them all in their sleep.

[letswritestories101]

Characters are not people (and the importance of planning and fairness of character arcs).

A character I liked recently had a very tragic end. He had suffered a lot as an outcast and it wasn't totally unexpected in a way. Still, not only me but the whole fandom got that sense of bitterness, no matter how logical seemed at first. Was pretty much a consensus. I tried to understand why.

Then I saw: It's for nothing. He died continuing to suffer, being hated, for no reason and without any justice or narrative sense. The terrible thing hit: he needn't have died. It could have been resolved in another way. Was like saying: "strange, different and outcast people, no matter how hard they try to overcome and find love and understanding, they will die in hate and pain".

Of course, wasn't the author's intention, but it comes out quite like this. Because other characters in these respects survived the so-called worst ordeals.

Reflecting on this, I came to an interesting conclusion and that inspired me to write what I thought would make good writing advice both for myself and to help should anyone want it:

Characters aren't people.

What do I mean?

Think about us.

Sometimes things don't go as planned and we end up with totally different results even though we did everything right. Or we achieve something when everything was falling apart and there was no way out. Just chance sometimes.

Our characters aren't people. The chance card doesn't work with them because there are authors. And authors dictate all the rules.

Hence, enter what I mean:

As writers, we have to give meaning, motivation, and in the best way we can, irreversibility to a character arc AND how it might sound. Because in the end, if we don't give them a satisfying and justified ending, it's not going to be well written.

Of course, in real life, there are circumstances beyond our control and unexpected events. Both just and unjust. However, in history, you decide the facts. That traumatic conga given to some character or cradle privileges will not be life's work, but yours.

No matter how much attachment, grief and suffering a certain character leaves upon dying or good feelings upon winning and getting what they wanted, it needs to make narrative sense. It has to be explained and not just played out.

Even what may seem like chance in the stories and for the characters will be you, needing to be planned and executed in a satisfactory manner.

Prim from The Hunger Games dying. Tadashi dying in Big Hero 6. The fairy godmother showing up in Cinderella when she needed it most. Midorya becoming the heir to the One for All from All Might. Even if in the narrative they are shown as coincidences of life, good or bad, they are crucial events and translate messages. It's all about payoff.

For example, killing a character suffering from depression trying to have a happy life and move beyond suffering leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It is frustrating.

This happens in real life, often even, sad as it is. But the authors, not real life, are the ones who drive the story. And if you saw the above, you would hardly blame the event that killed them but the author who just made a mistake and ruined what would be a beautiful and inspiring message.

Sure, characters like that can die, terribly at the hands of the villain if you want. It's your story. But not without impact on the plot, not for nothing in the plot. Not without seeming like that was the fate that made the most sense for the character. Not without having a good point or sensibility while executing that idea.

And if you, for example, kill only depressed people because they might have, statistically, more chances of that in real life as the only justification it will sound… bad. Very bad. Yikes. Stop, rethink, and do it again. After all, we are not perfect and we can improve. Mistakes are normal.

We just have to remember that the fates of our Ocs are not simple works of chance or randomness.

Suffering and tragedies, or joy and rewards cannot be given for shock value.

Because in the end, characters aren't people.

They are a medium.

[siena-sevenwits]

💎

[theotherrichardpapen]

nigel & alex - to be haunted by your love

henri nouwen // like minds (2006) // death - melanie martinez // pope alexander - crywank // her mother's kiss - eugene carriere // sometimes i fall asleep thinking about you - catarine hancock // the song of achilles - madeline miller // achilles lamenting the death of patroclus - gavin hamilton // lee martens

[wall-e-gorl]

sincerity, rambles, sincere easy forgiveness, surprise, oh

[red-dragon-archfiend]

I don't have enough time or experienced with enough classes to write a detailed multiclassing guide, but for D&D players, especially new players, wondering if they should multiclass, the simple answer is "probably not". Multiclassing is, in general, bad. The game was not balanced with it in mind, and it's very easy to muck up your character if you don't know what you're doing. I'm not just talking from an optimization perspective, either; it's difficult to justify it narratively in a way that doesn't cheapen the significance of what class levels represent. You don't become a Bard by practicing the lute for a week. You can't become a Wizard without years of study. If you plan to multiclass, my advice would be to find some way of tying it narratively into your primary class somehow; an Eldritch Knight becoming a Wizard is sensible, because they already have an understanding of how to work arcane magic, they just need to spend some time focusing on that over improving their martial abilities to learn enough to start filling out a spellbook. Of course, that still takes a long time, but the Eldritch Knight's previous experiences mean they already know how to cast multiple spells already. If you want to multiclass for story reasons, ask yourself two questions: Is multiclassing really the best way to convey this change in my character, and, if so, do they have the adequate time, experiences, and resources to practice the skills necessary (physical training, study, spiritual attunement, etc.) to even START being that class? The reason I put so much weight into class levels is because the Player's Handbook itself makes a point to clarify what sets a member of each class apart from others who seem similar on the surface; not every soldier in a given army is a Fighter, chances are most of them aren't. And Paladins are even rarer! To achieve even one class level is a strong indication of skill and effort, and I as your DM would expect you to consider how your character achieves levels in a second class. My campaign features a Fighter/Warlock multiclass, and her patron is both the supplier of her occult magic, and her instructor, personally training her in her dreams, so she can level up in either class and it'll make sense. My favorite combination, Paladin/Sorcerer, can be explained by latent powers emerging in response to their experiences and the holy power they channel within themselves, perhaps a gift from their deity or the result of them or their ancestor slaying a creature like a dragon or vampire whose blood imbued the Paladin's bloodline with arcane magic. Maybe a Monk/Cleric comes from a monastery that reveres a specific deity, and that Monk caught their deity's attention, choosing the Monk for a holy mission. If multiclassing is part of your character's backstory or projected future, having a plan for it is key to making them still feel like a cohesive, singular character.

[gibbearish]

I am an egg

What is the egg for

I mean I agree that on the spectrum of gender I am plausibly definitely an egg that just feels about right. I'm just there man. Sitting around until needed. In my zone, in my lane, just serving my purpose like an egg.

But I'm still curious about the egg title I've been bestowed

generally in trans circles an "egg" refers to a trans person who hasn't realized they're trans yet, so then realizing is "the egg cracking"

functionally in the quiz it's kind of a "your answers mostly pointed towards cisish but not always" / middle of the road placeholder. honestly the results part is kind of the main bit im not entirely happy with because i have no idea how to actually weight answers properly lol

[windywhispers]

not entirely sure just how true this is to other cultures' beliefs, but at least from where my family's from, i grew up hearing a lot of stories about when buddha was born and took his first steps barefoot, lotuses would blossom with each step he took and even

which is why i love the possible nod to that story in kusanali's model?? like if you look carefully, flowers follow where she walks, and she's also barefoot too !

[claymorexpunisher]

..

[thebeautifulfantastic]

i hate this “coming back home” business. i hate this “you’re a teenager AND an adult” unrealistic expectations, double-standard shit. i hate that no matter what, in conversations where i try to approach an issue as calmly and diplomatically as possible, i still get called out for being too emotional. i hate that i’m expected to know how to clean a house (or at the very least my room) and keep it that way, but i can’t make decisions about my own screen time. i hate that i can’t express how i feel freely, even if it’s messy, because other people get “overwhelmed,” or because i’m something that doesn’t matter — but maybe for me it DOES? i hate that simply because my problem might be more inconsequential, it means whatever i’m feeling about it is also unimportant. i hate that when all i want is to be validated, all i get is a constant feeling of failure. i hate that when it’s convenient for you, i’m an adult, but when it’s important to me, i’m still a child.