#concept plot

[sunlit-mess]

taking off my anxiety over a license exam ☠️

[baeshijima]

thoughts on being engaged to duke!sunday, the head of the oak family, an incredibly influential figurehead within society, the close subordinate of emperor gopher wood who brought him and his sister in and raised him like his own, and the villain who faces a tragic ending in a novel you recently finished — the very same one you just so happen to find yourself transmigrated into. he is as cunning as he is blinded, a trait which brought ruin to many in the empire, and one which ultimately brought ruin to himself at the hands of the protagonists.

as luck would have it, you became a barely mentioned side character from a marquis family, whose role was to be the villain's wife stuck in a one-sided love who, too, would get caught up in the tragedy alongside him. however, now that it's you who is stuck in this position, you're determined to try any means necessary to deter him from going down that path, all in an effort to escape your predestined doomed fate!

of course, you didn't expect it to be easy. the day of your arrival in this world was already the night before your wedding, so you had little time to prepare yourself for the nonchalance of your supposed family, how they viewed you as but a means — a tool — to boost their influence and prosperity, the dismissive mannerisms of the household servants, and the absolute beauty of a man you will be married to.

(seriously. the novel descriptions did not do him justice. he was like... like... like he was handcrafted by god himself! and not to mention his sister, robin, was the very epitome of an angel! perhaps you're destined to perish by the god-tier visuals instead...)

to say the least, the wedding ceremony went by quickly. safe to say you didn't spend the night; he was cordial and gentlemanly upon letting you know that he won't do anything until you're ready, that you can take this relationship slow, but somehow you ended up feeling a tad insulted. like, who leaves their newly wedded alone in a big cold bed as they walk out on their own? a sick bastard that's who!

well, whatever. it's not like you need nor want to consummate with him! besides, you have bigger things to worry about — things such as your impending death. and, of course, the only way to stop sunday that you can imagine working is by chipping away at his resolve bit by bit, and opening his eyes to reality.

he is a tragic character, one who cares more about the well-being of penacony and its people than anyone else, but was manipulated into getting his hands dirty in the emperor's stead. you knew this. you sobbed over his story, cursed out the protagonists, and even fought internet randos on novel forums about sunday's motivation and how,

no, he is not just a stupid villain. he is a complex character with flaws and humanity and was cruelly taken advantage of by someone he considered family. he was deceived through the suffering the emperor wanted him to see to make him easily manipulated, creating a rift between him and robin to have that prominent separation. you know what? maybe you're just a !%#@ who can't even #@?"% read properly!

and yet you still find yourself at a loss when faced with the walls he has in place. your initial efforts went as well as it possibly could have; you trying to earnestly help him, while he "kindly" dismisses your offers! well, "kindly" being more condescending since you could read between the lines of his mannerisms and amiable demeanour, but that's fine! you expected this! that just means you have to double down on your sincerity, get through to his heart (somehow), and help him realise humanity isn't as weak as he's led to believe!

you have three years until the novel's plot officially starts, and another year after that until your demise. that's plenty of time to get him to warm up to you!

it was easier said than done, but after your valiant effort and abundance of time put into this relationship, which admittedly you could do with some of that lost time back, you could give yourself a pat on the back with the progress you made! while you definitely could have done without a lot of the headaches, it's safe to say sunday has significantly warmed up to you in comparison to your wedding day. he now willingly eats all his meals with you with some real conversation, takes garden strolls with you in the early evenings, invites you out for dinner at a restaurant at least four times a week, hell he's even joked and laughed with you more frequently! but most importantly, he has begun asking for your opinion before finalising any decisions he is required to make. and he actually listens and considers your side! now, that certainly is the best outcome you could hope for after all this time, and it most definitely will help in your endeavour to save you both from the protagonists!

however, you've noticed he's been more... affectionate? well, at the very least he now willingly holds your hand when in private (not just in moments when you're in the public eye and he has to make sure the family's reputation is spotless), sometimes he will hug you out of the blue ("i just need to... recharge. you have a way of calming me down. i hope you don't mind." ...how could you say no to his supreme god-tier face card? that's just a losing battle you won't even bother fighting against.), oftentimes he opts to just gaze wordlessly at you (robin had mentioned over one of your tea times how it almost appears as though there is no one but you in the world when sunday gazes at you with, in her words, "the eyes of a man so deeply in love!" ...whatever that's supposed to mean...), but a more recent development has been his sudden interest in kissing you; well, more specifically giving you a kiss to the back of your hand or on your forehead — certainly not anywhere near the lips! (besides, he's probably just gotten comfortable with you, enough where he can freely act without judgement. nothing more, nothing less.)

well, either way, development is development! soon enough, the time for the main plot to start has arrived. it of course follows what you remember, from the organised balls to the protagonists meeting to the political aspects of it all. the only difference is sunday's less active involvement in all the schemes and the emperor's ploy. rather, he seems more focused on you and the future of your marriage and even displayed a sudden interest in your practically non-existent relationship with one of the foreign diplomats, aventurine— wait...

"[name]," he calls your name out so sweetly you nearly disregarded it as someone else he was talking to. well, perhaps you would have done had he not suddenly appeared before you, a tight-lipped smile tugging the corners of his lips as he steadily approaches you.

oh. he doesn't seem very happy, if his tense figure is anything to go by. you wonder if one of the nobles grated his nerves a little too much this time?

sunday comes to a halt a step away from you. "i don't like that... gambler being so close to you. it... it brings me a rather unpleasant feeling." there's a slight, trembling pause. not a moment later does he close the gap between you, one knee on the ground as he matches your seated height on the fountain rim, your hands gently enclosed in both of his.

you idly wonder if this is what robin meant by the so-called "eyes of a man so deeply in love" she constantly gushed about, for the way in which he gazes up at you is enough to render you breathless.

"tell me, [name]," he begins once more. there is an underlying desperation woven within his tone, one which has your head spinning and heart thumping wildly as his trembling gaze holds you in place. "tell me, what am i to do with this fervent love and overwhelming adoration i hold for you?"

oh.

...oh.

perhaps your impending doom should be the least of your concerns when you now find yourself in the arms of a clingy husband...

(though, it's safe to say you did, in fact, manage to prevent him from succumbing to his tragic fate! you just gained a loving, yet slight slightly emotionally challenged husband along the way.

well, you can help him work through it; you have the rest of your lives now to figure it out, after all.)

[goldensunset]

when people refer to canon story-relevant kingdom hearts games as ‘spinoffs’ it makes me sad not only for the obvious reasons i always say but also bc like man i WISH this series had spinoffs. imagine what they could do if they had permission from nomura to truly go off the rails and ignore the greater canon for a second and just do some fun whimsical plotless thing in an alternate universe. imagine a fishing/boating game on destiny islands. kh fighting game. it is an injustice that we have been deprived of kingdom karts. can anyone hear me

[yandere-writer-momo]

Why write the usual when I can make everybody sad? This is a different take on the Yandere trope with the reality of being involved with someone who is obsessed with you (worse case scenario).

Yandere Short Stories: The Consequences

Yandere Ex Husband x Deceased Fem Reader

“(Your name)?” Alec stepped back in disbelief, his hands rubbed his eyes to make sure that the figure in front of him was really real. “(Your name)! Oh my god!”

Alec ran towards the young woman and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. His whole body trembled as his hazel eyes began to spill salty tears. He couldn’t believe it… he couldn’t believe this was real.

Her hair still smelled like (scent)… this couldn’t be a dream! This had to be reality! Yes… she came back to see him again.

They were together so many years ago and then she vanished into thin air. To see her again was like a dream come true! To know she was still on this earth and she had returned to his side was all the relief he needed.

Alec pressed a kiss to her head before he pulled away so his hands could hold her face. His thumbs traced over her pink lips as a sad smile crawled on his lips.

“You… you don’t look a day over twenty six…” Alec’s brow furrowed. How did she still look so young when it’s been over a decade since they last saw each other? How was that even possible?

(Your name) softly smiled at him, her hands rose up to gently hold the backs of his palms. Her hands were like ice… no. Her hands were as cold as death.

“This isn’t real, none of this is.” (Your name)’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I died, silly. Don’t you remember?”

“No… you’re not dead.” Alec’s lip quivered and his eyes became crazed. “You can’t be dead, we just had an argument was all.”

“Yes… and you killed me. Don’t you remember?” (Your name)’s form slowly began to melt away into that of a rotted corpse. “You stabbed me to death and buried me in the garden.”

“No! No, I didn’t…” Alec began to sob and shake his head. There was no way… he didn’t. He wouldn’t have… he loved her!

“It’s too late, Alec. What’s done is done.” (Your name) the crumbled onto the floor in a pile of bones.

Alec fell to the floor in a panic. Her tried to piece back together her bones back together but it was futile. “No! Please stay with me!”

Hot tears flowed down his cheeks, another sob racked through his chest. He pulled her skull toward his chest to cradle it. “I’m sorry… I just didn’t want you to leave me! We were so happy and… I wanted you to be happy forever.”

Alec continued to sob on the floor that slowly melted away into that of a white padded cell. Reality slowly began to slip in.

(Your name) would be happy forever in death while he would rot forever in this padded cell. This was the reality of his kind of love. This was the consequence of his actions.

[chiscribbs]

I had an idea for a one-off Rise episode plot and just wanted to quickly sketch up some visuals for it.

The plot goes as follows: Donnie attempts to invent a cloning machine and, due to some kind of science-y mishap, ends up cloning himself...a lot. But there's a catch to this - the clones aren't exact copies of Donnie, they each possess just ONE of the various facets of his personality (i.e. brainy, broody, sarcastic, passionate, dramatic, mischievous, etc.) and a small portion of his mystic powers. Don tries his darnedest to keep the whole situation under wraps while he searches for a way to fix it, but some of the more rambunctious Donnies quickly escape and begin stirring up trouble in the Lair, so it doesn't stay a secret for very long. To make matters worse - the real Donnie starts to slowly disappear (something having to do with his existence being divided among the Donnies or blahblahblah fake science explanation). So, while he and the scientist Donnies continue to look for a way to reverse the cloning effect, his brothers and Co. set to work gathering up all the other Donnies so they can put them back where they belong and keep Donnie Prime™ from vanishing.

Hilarity, wholesomeness (and some mild angst) ensues.

(Note: I meant to include April in that second-to-last image, but ran out of room. Just know that she, Splinter, and probably Casey Jr. are all there, as well.)

[theroundbartable]

Ah shit, now I want an episode where Merlin somehow hears that Aithusa has been captured by an evil King.

Arthur is like: We have to get on good terms with that King. He knows how to capture dragons. Let's go, Merlin.

And the entire episode, Merlin debates whether to tell Arthur that they need to FREE the dragon because that's what Dragons are meant to be.

Then, Merlin sees the state Aithusa is in.

Evil King: it was tough to have it bow to my will. It loves to bite the hand that feeds it, haha. You shouldn't get too close.

Merlin: *not listening* walks over to where Aithusa is in chains.

Arthur: Merlin, what the hell are you doing!!!!

Merlin: She's hurt.

Arthur: yes, that's kind of the point. Now get away before- she?

Merlin starts petting the Dragon who is now whining and whimpering into his arms.

Merlin: *whispering* shhhh, my dear. I'll get you out of here. I'll be back tonight.

Evil King: It's not... Biting him? That's interesting

Arthur: Ignore him. He's just my idiot servant. For some reason, animals love him. It's just his nature

Evil King: That thing, King Arthur, is not an animal. That's a magical creature and magical creatures only feel safe around even more powerful magical creatures.

Arthur: *opens mouth, closes it, laughs* you wanna tell me that Merlin is a magical creature?

Evil King: would you care to explain, boy? *Completely serious*

Arthur: *expression falls* you can't be serious

Merlin: *remaining in his position* So, I see you did your homework

Evil King: You're a Dragon Lord

Arthur: oh come on! The last Dragon Lord is dead!

Merlin: I am the last Dragon Lord and I hatched this Dragon. You can imagine that I am NOT pleased with what I find here.

Evil King: oh. OH. That's rich. Is this your idea of peace, King Arthur? Bringing a Dragon Lord into my Kingdom? One who's out for revenge too?

Arthur: he's joking

Merlin: No, I'm not

Arthur: *huffs, and notices Merlin is also serious* Merlin, you HAVE to be joking. That THING-

Merlin: is basically my daughter.

Evil King: A wonderful job you did then, letting her fly directly into my arms

Merlin: I think you still don't understand who I am, do you.

Evil King: Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea, Emrys.

Arthur: WHO?!?!

[mafuyuakgae]

even if I came to love humanity in the end, there’s no proof I was ever here, right?

[dovewingkinnie]

anime girl gets transported into a post apocalyptic reality

[isbergillustration]

Luminous

[firehose118]

If Buck has any single glaring omission in his dating history pre-Tommy—besides other men, of course—it's that he'd never really dated anyone who was athletic in the same way that he is. He'd dated plenty of yoga instructors and runners and even a few surfers, but he'd never dated anyone else who was interested in weightlifting or bodybuilding. That wasn't intentional, it just hadn't happened.

Buck didn't even notice it was something he was missing until he started dating Tommy. It's far from the only reason he likes Tommy, and far from the only reason why it's working so well between them, but because of it, there's a comfort between them that Buck hadn't felt in his past relationships. Their lifestyles fit together seamlessly. Tommy eats the same way he does, meal preps the same way he does, works out as hard and as often as he does, and doesn't judge him for his periods of bulking and cutting. Their routines aren't the same, but they're close enough that it works.

Buck doesn't have to explain any of it or justify himself. Tommy just gets it—both the strength training and the psychological aspect of why Buck does it. Tommy understands firsthand the desire to see the physical results of the work you've done on yourself; to be proud of the man you see in the mirror. Of the commitment you’ve made to yourself.

It's common ground. Buck doesn't do Muay Thai or play basketball, but this is an interest they share. Tommy compliments Buck on his results and his dedication. He seems genuinely interested in how Buck's routine has changed over the years. He gives feedback and asks for tips. He's encouraging and enthusiastic and appreciative about it all in ways that none of Buck's past partners have been.

Of course, there's also a thrill in dating someone else who bodybuilds.

Tommy is strong. He can lift Buck up onto the countertop while they're kissing in the kitchen if he wants to. He can carry Buck across the room and throw him onto the couch. He can pin Buck down with nothing but his body; his big arms and his powerful thighs pressing heavy into Buck and quieting his mind in a way that restraints have never quite managed.

It's hot. It's not something Buck ever thought he wanted from a relationship, but now that he has it he doesn't think he could give it up easily. Heedless of his own strength, Buck can twist and thrash and play in a way that he hasn't been able to do with smaller partners—at least not without ropes and handcuffs. It's freeing to be able to be so unselfconscious of his own body. It’s amazing how easy Tommy makes it.

Tommy's strong arms around him make Buck feel safe. He feels taken care of. Buck has never felt weightless like he does when Tommy wraps Buck's legs around his waist and presses him securely against the wall. That's usually Buck's move.

And it still is. As big and strong as Tommy is, Buck matches him easily. Buck can carry him too; can press him against the wall, get both hands under his ass and lift Tommy up onto Buck's hips. The noises Tommy makes whenever Buck does that make the years of post-workout muscle aches and uninspired protein-heavy dinners worth it a thousand times over.

Buck's favorite is this, though: Tommy flat on his back in bed, Buck riding him like their lives depend on it and holding Tommy down by the shoulders.

It's not like Buck hasn't had partners who wanted to be held down by him before, but he never put his full strength into it for fear of hurting or scaring them. With Tommy, Buck doesn't need to hold back. With Tommy, Buck can lean all of his weight into Tommy's strong shoulders and move and keep Tommy exactly where he wants him. He feels powerful. He feels trusted.

It's clear that Tommy loves it, too. He melts under Buck's firm touch and stays where he's held. He'll struggle against Buck's hands just to get Buck to press harder, to really feel the way that Buck wants to keep Tommy pinned under his body like this.

It's not so different to how much Tommy loves Buck cuddling him while they sleep, he says, or wrapping an arm around his waist when they're out in public together. Buck gently gathering Tommy in his arms to keep their bodies close all night, Buck letting everyone know Tommy is his with a simple touch, Buck pressing his hands demandingly into Tommy's shoulders to keep him still beneath his body—it's all the same feeling to Tommy. It's Buck claiming him; wanting him enough to get a little possessive. To press their bodies together and insist that they stay that way. It lights a little fire of belonging inside of Tommy.

For Buck, it's a physical illustration of how he can bring his whole self into this relationship in a way that, for one reason or another, he's never been able to before. Face to face and close like this, there's no hiding. He's pressing his full weight into Tommy and Tommy groans in pleasure as he welcomes every bit of it. It's honest, intense, undeniable: it's full and unequivocal acceptance of Buck. He sees the love and desire and passion in Tommy's eyes and he doesn't have to worry about being too much for Tommy to handle. Tommy matches him effortlessly. Tommy wants this just as much as he does. Tommy wants him.

Buck has never felt more like himself in a relationship than he does with Tommy. For once in his life, Buck doesn't feel like a burden. He doesn't feel weak or helpless or desperate: he feels strong. He feels secure. He's not holding back, he's not overcompensating, and he's not begging to be let in. Tommy accepts and loves every part of Buck. He takes all of his weight with ease and revels in it. Asks for more.

Not because Buck isn't heavy but because he is. Not in spite of Buck's past mistakes and his flaws but because of who Buck is now in his totality. Because Tommy knows a thing or two about leaving behind a regretful past, and he loves Buck for who he has worked to become—the man he continues to work towards being. He loves what Buck has built of himself, day by day and rep by rep.

This thing they're building together now is unlike anything Buck has tried to build before. The giddiness and the trust and the perfection in the imperfections. The acceptance.

They fill in each other's gaps. They keep each other grounded. Buck holds Tommy down and Tommy feels held. Tommy holds Buck down and Buck feels free.

{give me kudos!}

[sualne]

your body isn't your own

[wttcsms]

ceo!choso who is stressed after work but doesn't like drinking at home because his much younger half-brother (a result from his father's many, many affairs) yuuji is there, and he doesn't want to set a bad example. he goes to the same upscale restaurant/rooftop bar, and he's struck by how pretty the hostess — you — are. it's a slow night, and as you pace around the restaurant back and forth, he calls for your attention and the two of you spend the night having the best conversation of choso's life. he's never felt more connected with anyone else before, and one thing leads to another, and the two of you are in a hotel room. whispers of i don't normally do this are shared by the two of you, but there's something magnetic about him, something that seems to pull you two together, that you just go with it.

he has to get back home to yuuji and he leaves a note for you to wake up to, but the note ends up falling off the nightstand, somehow ending up underneath the bed. you never see it, so you never know to reach out to him or how to contact him, and when a few weeks go by, you're not sure if you'll ever see that stranger again. which is awful, considering that he's the father of your child. one night of saying fuck it to rational thinking, and now you're going to be a single mother with an elementary teacher's salary.

on the night of the elementary's open house where your new students will get to meet you for the first time before school starts, you don't expect to see him again, walking in with a tailored suit and tie and holding the hand of the most adorable pink-haired first grader you've ever seen.

[ihavesomejays]

text transcription:

Many springs ago, I perceived a sea of flowers upon a lake. I thought to myself that those fleeting colors held indescribable beauty.

The next time I perceived those colors was many years later, when the medic’s tent had blinded me to all but red. The radiance of that shining star was lost on my eyes.

Now, my eyes no longer perceive the subtleties in the colors around me.

But I am content.

For I can now see the most brilliant colors in my universe.

anyways yeah why did they fucking do that to jiaoqiu bro

the planning for this experimentalish comic is under keep reading

[satsuha]

🎉 happy anniversary 🐙Ⅱ!! 🍻

can't believe it's been a year already!! i love this game to bits

[ddarker-dreams]

trying to de-yandere sunday by texting him pictures of himself with the caption 'i can be your angle... or yuor devil'

[em-dash-press]

The 5 Most Essential Turning Points in a Character’s Arc

You spend so much time creating a character because you want them to feel real. You want to connect with them and use them to create an experience for your readers. Their character arc is how that happens.

Don’t miss out on these essential turning points that make an arc feel not only whole, but complete.

1. The Inciting Incident

Your inciting incident gets your plot moving. It isn’t going to be the first sentence of your story (also called your hook), although it could be if you crafted your first sentence for that purpose.

An inciting incident is a plot event that guides your character in a new direction. It’s the successful prison break, the meeting of instant rivals, or the moment your protagonist wins the lottery in your first chapter.

Without the inciting incident, your protagonist’s life would carry on as usual. They wouldn’t start the arc that makes them an interesting person for the reader to stick with throughout your story.

2. Introducing the Protagonist’s Main Flaw

Every protagonist needs a primary flaw. Ideally, they’ll have more than one. People aren’t perfect and they rarely get close enough to only have one negative characteristic. Protagonists need that same level of humanity for readers to connect with them.

There are many potential flaws you could consider, but the primarily flaw must be the foundation for your character’s arc. It might even be the catalyst for the story’s peak.

Imagine a hero archetype. They’re great and well-intended, but they have a problem with boasting. Their arc features scenes where they learn to overcome their need to brag about themselves, but they get drunk and boast in a bar right before the story’s peak. The antagonist’s best friend hears this because they’re at the same bar, so they report the hero’s comment to the main villain. It thwarts the hero’s efforts and makes the climax more dramatic.

Other potential flaws to consider:

Arrogance

Pride

Fear

Anxiety

Carelessness

Dishonesty

Immaturity

3. Their First Failure

Everyone will fail at a goal eventually. Your protagonist should too. Their first failure could be big or small, but it helps define them. They either choose to continue pursuing that goal, they change their goal, or their worldview shatters.

Readers like watching a protagonist reshape their identity when they lose sight of what they wnat. They also like watching characters double down and pursue something harder. Failure is a necessary catalyst for making this happen during a character’s arc.

4. Their Rock Bottom

Most stories have a protagonist that hits their rock bottom. It could be when their antagonist defeats them or lose what matters most. There are numerous ways to write a rock-bottom moment. Yours will depend on what your character wants and what your story’s theme is.

If you forget to include a rock-bottom moment, the reader might feel like the protagonist never faced any real stakes. They had nothing to lose so their arc feels less realistic.

Rock bottoms don’t always mean earth-shattering consequences either. It might be the moment when your protagonist feels hopeless while taking an exam or recognizes that they just don’t know what to do. Either way, they’ll come to grips with losing something (hope, direction, or otherwise) and the reader will connect with that.

5. What the Protagonist Accepts

Protagonists have to accept the end of their arc. They return home from their hero’s journey to live in a life they accept as better than before. They find peace with their new fate due to their new community they found or skills they aquired.

Your protagonist may also accept a call to action. They return home from their journey only to find out that their antagonist inspired a new villain and the protagonist has to find the strength to overcome a new adversary. This typically leads into a second installment or sequel.

Accepting the end of their arc helps close the story for the reader. A protagonist who decides their arc wasn’t worth it makes the reader disgruntled with the story overall. There has to be a resolution, which means accepting whatever the protagonist’s life ended up as—or the next goal/challenge they’ll chase.

-----

Hopefully these points make character arcs feel more manageable for you. Defining each point might feel like naming your instincts, but it makes character creation and plotting easier.

Want more creative writing tips and tricks? I have plenty of other fun stuff on my website, including posts like Traits Every Protagonist Needs and Tips for Writing Subplots.