#i'm just thinking through the mechanics of how i think the romance would develop. turning it over in my head

[corvigae]

Thinking about AU where Page and Lunarae are in the same campaign again and...Page/Astarion/Lunarae throuple real, perhaps? 👀

[jadewing-realms]

okay okay, I've been listening to Coulda Been Me by The Strats and I'm in my feels and thinking too much but like like people talk about how Astarion turns vampire tropes on their heads and he really does but I haven't seen anyone talk about the specific trope of like

How the entire concept of what it means to be human is such a recurring theme with them and usually, there's an unspoken point of how immortality is dehumanizing and how these vampires live for so long, they're just entirely removed from empathy for mortals because why would they stop to consider it any more than a human stops to consider the life of a fly, which is comparatively short

Something something mortality, knowing it will all end one day, is what drives humans to live well and make the most of the time they have

While immortals are usually the contrast of cold, aloof and removed from the passion that makes life worth living because they're not alive, they're dead men walking and will be forever, so alien they shall become

AND YET

Despite everything

Despite all the horrors he's experienced, despite the understandably devastating blow to his morale, the jaded self-defense mechanisms he developed because of course he did, he had to just to survive

Astarion never really... stops thinking like a mortal. Even after two whole centuries of pure shit, as he so eloquently puts it, the MOMENT he gets the opportunity, the chance at freedom, at living again, he friggin leaps for it and dives in head first

He wants to experience everything he possibly can, he's insatiable, he wants nothing more than to just see, think, do, feel All The Things

He maintains such a zest for life, a passion for freedom and experience, that most vampires in media just. Lack. Or only get back through a romantic subplot pff

He claims a romanced Tav helped him want to live again, but honestly, when Tav can say "nah, you did it yourself, I just gave you a nudge when you needed it" its absolutely the truth. He loves and wants life so badly that he overcompensates, is desperate not to lose it, is almost willing to lose his soul for it if not convinced he doesn't have to

And I've never really seen a functionally immortal character represent such a drive to Live before, its such a break from form

From Dracula and Lestat to Tolkien elves, we're used to seeing a sort of malaise, a despondency and passiveness associated with characters doomed to live forever, to the point that they've forgotten so much of what it means to be alive, truly alive, are confused by the "shortsighted" wants and goals of shorter lived companions, yet here's Astarion, undead yet more alive than any of them

Like, he sells himself so short sometimes, but he's positively bursting with life 24/7, he's vivacious and passionate and his energy is infectious and god, I don't know how anyone could genuinely, thoughtlessly choose the dialogue where you accuse him of having given up while suffering under Cazador, this man is so strong and so determined to live, it's probably what made him the scapegoat in the first place

His character arc is just a battle cry of LIVE

LIVE YOUR LIFE

No matter what you've seen, no matter how you've suffered, there is so much worth living for and all you have to do is reach out and seize every opportunity you get

Don't waste a single moment because time is precious and we never know how much we have

[amewinterswriting]

Ame Reads: The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

A Regency-era, high-heat sapphic romance with a lot to say about women in science and their lack of acknowledgement through the ages.

I will say that I'm not the biggest reader of romance as a genre and I've only recently come into exploring it. Mostly because it skews quite het for my tastes and digging in deep enough to find queer stories (that aren't just 'coming out, dealing with homophobia' plots) is only something I've recently decided to do. That said, I loved reading this.

Many romance novels/novellas place the romance squarely at the front, with everything else simply providing an excuse to move the plot forward to hit the narrative beats of the genre. Personally, I felt that 'young woman struggling to be acknowledged as a scientist in Regency-era England' was strong enough to stand independently of the romance and indeed, I felt like that was the main 'meat' of the novel, with a lot of rich depth and real pathos behind it. The passion for the field of astronomy, the very relatable frustration at Lucy being disrespected even when being begged for her knowledge and the absolute gall of some of the men involved felt very real and well-observed. Everything felt historically plausible and realistic.

That's not to say the romance isn't pulling its own weight - Catherine and Lucy have good chemistry and lives lived before they meet, which gives them both emotional baggage to deal with and overcome. The homophobia is indistinct but period-typical - mostly fearing potential discovery but acknowledging that they would get off lightly compared to gay men of the time. The romance interweaves with the plot very well, naturally progressing as developments happen beyond the two of them.

My only real critique is of a little frustrating sequence late in the book, formed of a misunderstanding that - to me - felt very hollow and should have been easily resolved with a quick conversation, but instead lingers on for three days with both of them believing the worst of the other. Given how easily other misunderstandings and problems are resolved, this felt like a sequence that was only there because romance readers expect it to be there, not that it made any sense for these particular characters or their circumstances.

I'd also argue that the blurb I read and the cover of the book was perhaps a little misleading - focused heavily on the romance elements and less on the science/feminist elements (and also no indication of heat rating). I can guess that was a deliberate marketing choice, and probably the right one, but I feel like I would have read this much sooner if I'd had a clearer idea of the story (and that there were sapphic sex scenes. Not to sound thirsty on main, but you can sell a book to me really easily if you tell me that there are well-written sapphic sex scenes).

Okay, I do have one other little niggle and it is about the sex scenes. I think there are just enough of them in there (I certainly wouldn't turn down another five or six, though!) and they are well-written, balancing the psychology of the characters with the physicality of the action. My complaint is that they are on the short side - maybe it's just me but I get incredulous when any woman gets an orgasm so quickly. I'm an easy creature to please, just give me at least four thousand words of lovingly crafted sapphic smut per scene, with graphic detail and deep insight into both the physical and emotional state of the characters throughout. And now that I really do sound thirsty on main...

Overall, a really solid, enjoyable read and definitely has a lot more depth than you might expect. I was promised a sapphic romance and I got a very heartfelt treatise on women fighting to be taken seriously in a world that wants to deny them their own accomplishments...which just happened to feature sapphic ladies in the starring roles.

[fruitcd]

i finished bg3

i really enjoyed it! i tried to take my time with this game and it was so nice to just have a really meaty, fun game to sink my teeth into. it was a super engaging game with a pretty good story, great characters, and fun mechanics. i've rarely played games with turn based mechanics before and i was surprised at how easily i adjusted and how fun it was. im also not really a big dnd fan but i found this game really streamlined a lot of the dnd aspects i find tedious irl (sitting and rolling die and adding up bonuses makes me wanna kms)

there is truly a lot of choice in this game and i know "your choices matter" is something of a gaming buzzword atp, but it does genuinely feel like what you choose impacts the game. i also just really appreciated the world and the aesthetics, i've never played a baldurs gate game before and i found the world to be really intriguing and fun. it's also just a beautiful game (when the textures load in properly) and all the environments/character/armor design are gorgeous.

there are a couple things i could critique though and my big one is just that it's pretty obvious that some stuff was added last minute. halsin's character was the only one i could never really get invested in, it really did just feel like he was a non-party member elevated to companion bc ppl thought he was hot in early access. i also found it strange that the polyamory SOLELY revolved around halsin, especially when it was a big part of the pregame marketing hype. like, shadowheart and astarion will be in a throuple... but ONLY if halsin is also involved. how does this make sense???????? other characters will also signal that they're ok with "sharing" like laezel and karlach, but will actually get super pissed if you actually try to open up your relationship. which again is like okay but then why market the game as having poly romance where there is ONE poly romance that you basically have to jump through hoops for...

another critique i have is that the character creator is SO diverse in some ways but there's one giant noticeable weakness (and i think it's strange that i haven't seen more talk about this)... why can you only be skinny and buff?? i get having body type presets, but when the only presets available are "short buff" and "tall buff," it gets really annoying. especially when this game is marketed SO heavily as being a game where you can really create your OWN character you identify with. it feels like "play your way.......... unless your way is fat." it just annoys me especially because otherwise the character creator is such a giant step forward in terms of customization

couple more critiques but they're spoilery so they're under the cut

but these small critiques aside, i REALLY REALLY enjoyed the game and definitely think it's worth all the praise it's received. i can already tell this is a game i'm going to come back to over and over again!

**SPOILERS**

the emperor's character ultimately just fell flat for me. he never really got a solid, consistent character and the big "reveal" that he's actually balduran feels like such a nothing revelation bc no one really reacts to it and it's brushed off. also, it's just a really weird writing choice to have him side with the elder brain if you decide to free orpheus, because the ENTIRE GAME has been about him trying to kill the elder brain and the speed at which he completely switches sides gave me whiplash. i can definitely see him turning on US and trying kill us to take the nether stones, but why the fuck would he side with the elder brain completely of his own free will? just feels weird bc there's a million ways he could have still been a final antagonist (mind control, turns on us, etc) but the way they chose to do it felt so.... contrived

some of the character endings felt really well developed and some felt really weak. i LOVED karlach and wyll going to avernus together, i liked laezel basically getting recognition from orpheus and being tasked with freeing her people, i got a nice ending with the person i romanced (astarion), but the way shadowheart and gale just like... vanish is really funny to me. even gale has a little exchange where he's like "well i guess im giving up on the crown of karsus" (which felt really anticlimatic considering his is basically the only companion quest that doesn't get resolved until the VERY LAST SECOND OF THE GAME), but shadowheart literally is just like "yay we saved the city" and then never speaks again 😭

but again overall i did really enjoy the game :3 it was so nice just to spend hours and hours playing a good, solid game!!

[pentition]

I wonder if they are going to add an outcome to keep Pen in Sandrock at the cost of Logan hating your gut. I don't think I would even mind that all that much, consequences like that can be pretty neat in a game like this I think.

It would be interesting! I want to keep them both but it would make sense to go that route. I'd also feel bad since Sandrock is (objectively) more of Logan's home than it is Pen's.

Spoilers!!

Sort of reminds me how in Dragon Age: Origins you get the chance to recruit Loghain at the cost of Alastair. Which, with some characters I like to play, they absolutely would make that call. I mean, when it comes to competency and useful assets, taking a veteran soldier vs a novice warden during a war is better. Apply that here, too.

Factoring in morality and intentions is always important, of course. Pen and Loghain are both traitors and both in possession of experience and knowledge. Alastair and Logan are both products of their mentors (or father-figures) and more green/less in the know of things. You run the risk of unpredictability in a way with the prior two vs the latter two when it comes to loyalty. But if they willingly do wish to aid for whatever reason, they are absolutely more significant assets to have.

Traitor Pen becoming a double traitor? Sharing his knowledge, when he thinks it's relevant to share it. I can think of so many reasons why he'd turn against Duvos sgfdgfhg

I feel like it's potentially something that Pathea wouldn't do just because they seem to prefer operating on more simple means. Which I wish wasn't the case since their games have lots of potential to be bigger and more. They have such fun lore with the ability to be light and dark, and even with some of the ridiculous designs they have it doesn't detract from the meat of the story and characters. I feel like if they are willing to make that effort it would definitely be interesting to the narrative. Choosing between Pen or Logan. Or even finding a way to make them cooperate enough. It would be really cool but I feel like, gameplay-wise with NPCs, things are kind of on par in some places and less in others with engagement in this game vs Portia. But it's also in early access still and despite my full release date worries (if they are happening in the summer still?) I keep trying to just remind myself it could change.

There are a lot of things I'd like to see. I think the potential for Pen exists in a lot of ways to keep him in the narrative and as a returning romance option. Also possible to make it be a choice between Logan or Pen or them just be at odds the whole time, likewise I see potential for positive development if facts are just changed around and Pen not really being honest. That's a whole ass subject in itself though. I just agree it would be interesting if they added more context and game mechanics - especially with these two, since they are rather important to Sandrock's storyline.

Also consequences in games, when done well, are so fun!! I'm so weak for social dynamics having pros and cons with characters and factions. If we have Pen back in our custody at the end of Knives Out, I feel like it's a perfect opportunity to play with consequences or building trust to keep Pen. The idea of options existing interests me. Maybe you can't get through to him so you can only engage with him while he's in prison. Or maybe you can't and he breaks out and stays your enemy. Or maybe you can find even ground and he comes to stand by you/Sandrock/Free Cities instead?

I'm dipping into the whole potential of Pen narratively speaking so I'm gonna cut myself off here. I agree with you on how fun and interesting it would all be!!

[nincompoopydoo]

LOVE IS STRANGE

PAIRING: Poe Dameron x reader WORD COUNT: 1.9k SUMMARY: The union of Ireca and Mohash may seem a typical cliche of love in comparison to your depressingly lonely state, but when a certain poster boy pilot emerges during the celebration, you wonder if love works in other underlying ways. A/N: I found this in my google docs, first written about a year ago. so, wohoo i present to you my first ever poe dameron content, i think? he's so charming and carelessly beautiful. please leave a comment and tell me what you think or what else you'll like to see from me 💖 gif by @john-seed from this gifst WARNINGS: mentions of alcohol and getting drunk, space swearing. support my writing through ko-fi💖 MASTERLIST

Love is strange. Delicate yet fierce. So forceful that it manages to seep through the cracks created by bombs and gunfire of war. Unexpected at times, appearing out of nowhere. Yet, it’s beautiful because it brings those with beautiful hearts and minds together, entangled in the constant dance of intimacy and devotion.

It’s what Ireca and Mohash have.

Ireca was from the Logistic division, a mechanic herself and your colleague. She was to be married to her long-time lover, Mohash, a flight engineer for the Cobalt Squadron. As far as cliches go, wartime love falls along the lines of a romance cliche. Yet, war was all you’ve known. It’s what everyone has ever known. It’s common to develop some kind of a feeling other than the constant emotions during battle—fondness, the feeling of falling in love with someone. It’s truly what we stay alive for.

Maybe that’s why you hate it so much. The absence of the feeling that everyone describes as so fucking amazing that it completes you. You feel empty most of the time. It’s definitely the reason why you put all your effort into fixing things you can rather than complicated problems and issues that continue to reside in your mind, especially in the wake of midnight.

You find yourself sitting by the makeshift bar, tucked away from the crowd of friends and colleagues. There’s music playing, the sound of drums, and the seven-string hallikset reminds you of your brief visit to Naboo three cycles ago. You’re nursing a warm cup of something that tastes closer to acid water than alcohol.

Ireca emerges from the crowd with flowers in her braided hair. She approaches you with a bright smile and calls out your name wistfully. You shoot a strained smile her way, feeling the bags under your eyes weigh a little more. “What are you doing here all by yourself, huh?” she asks, leaning against the bar with a gentle pat on your shoulder.

“I’m just really tired. Last night was rough. Plus, I’m behind schedule.” you sighed heavily, running your fingers through your hair. She flashed you a smile of sympathy as you continued, “I’m sorry, Ireca. Don’t let me ruin your night. Go, have fun.”

She raises an eyebrow as you take another sip from your cup.

"Go. I'm sure you don't want to miss Mohash's special performance." You gesture to a drunk Mohash, who seemed to be searching for the woman. Ireca merely laughed. "Oh, it sure is going to be special." With a gentle touch to your back and wave, you watch her make her way into the swarm of bodies. You're left alone once again.

You’re still trying to figure out how Mohash even got hold of any sort of alcohol and managed to smuggle it into the base. Someone must have nicked it during one of the previous missions in the Mid Rim.

You rub your eyes, half-awake at this point; your cup is placed beside you as you rest your head against your folded arms on the table. Your mind is in a daze and incapable of irrational thought, deciding it would be best to just camp out here, by the makeshift bar, for the night. You were too tired to drag yourself all the way to your quarters, which felt like miles away, in the first place.

As sleep began to weigh heavy upon your eyelids, you suddenly felt a sharp tap on your shoulder. A soft groan escaped your lips as you shifted your head, still resting on your arms, just enough to peek at your sleep intruder.

It’s Poe Dameron. Commander and Black Leader. Incredibly talented, confident, and effortlessly handsome.

Ugh, you hate this guy.

Yet, you don’t feel so tired anymore.

“Are you drunk?” There’s amusement in his voice with a tinge of mockery. It made you realize the stun you were pulling. Classic Dameron. It was supposed to be a happy ceremony, but it was truly Ireca’s fault for manipulating you into coming tonight. Parties, events, and social gatherings were never right up your alley. You prefer spending time with machinery and your greasy hands.

Poe’s eyes are gleaming under the fluorescent lights, filled with concern, but you spot the smugness in his emerging smile. A flash of a thought, you kind of want to feel his lips on yours. The image immediately stings. You want to gag.

Poe is irritating, arrogant, and careless. Not charming. Nope, definitely not charming.

You straighten yourself, trying to shake off the burning image, shoving it to the back of your head. You lift your head, propping your elbow on the table and resting your chin on the heel of your hand. “You actually think I’ll even touch that bantha shit?”

Tearing your eyes away from Poe, you reach for your cup only to realize it was empty. He casts you a look. Your eyes shoot daggers with an extended pointer finger his way, “Don’t you dare say anything, flyboy.”

Poe raises his palms in defense, lips pursing. “Wasn’t going to.”

You catch a glimmer of mischief in his eyes, one hand discreetly reaching under his tawny leather jacket. Then, a bottle of Corellian whiskey emerges, shining under the lights of the Resistance hangar. Your face lights up at the recognition of the bottle, memories of your rare trips to Corellia, sharing whiskey drinks with your colleagues. It was the only planet you’d been to ever since you joined the Resistance.

You’ve only tasted Corellian whiskey once because of how expensive it is. You’ll happily get drunk to that in a heartbeat. Drink the worry and sorrow away with the lingering taste of frankly exorbitant whiskey.

Like a child with grabby hands, you reach for the bottle, but as your fingers brush his, Poe quickly lifts it to the air and away from you. He smacks your hand away. You whine, feeling a little lightheaded. The contents of the mysterious drink are starting to kick in.

What the blinkin' mradhe muck was in that drink?

“What do you want from me? It’s not like I have a drinking problem.”

He’s giving you that look like he’s judging you, but with a hint of amusement at the slight tug of the corner of his mouth. “You definitely have a drinking problem, but... i'll let you drink this on one condition.”

“For kriff’s sake,” you mutter, rolling your eyes, glancing away. “I’m not doing any weird wacky favors for you, Dameron.”

He scoffs, expression bewildered. “Hey, I don’t ask for weird wacky favors,” He articulates his words with a defensive tone, index finger stretched to your face. You simply smack it away as Poe clicks his tongue and continues to clarify his proposition. “All I’m asking is for you to fix my ship.”

Your wide-eyed gaze flies to him, shaking your head furiously. “Oh, no, no. No. Never in a million cycles. Never in a million millennials. Nuh-uh—”

“Hey, quit being dramatic. It’s a simple job.”

Your eyes grow even wider, voice raising. “A simple job? You fly that ship of yours like we have hundreds of spare ones. I’m not putting all my time and effort into fixing a lost cause.”

“But you haven’t even—”

“No. I’m not fixing your ship, and that’s final.”

Poe blinks and you’re back to fussing over your empty cup. The chatter of the crowd grows louder as a group of pilots of the Cobalt Squadron began rendering verses of an unknown traditional drinking song to your ears. You steal a look to only find Ireca and Mohash amidst a dance, tangled in each other's arms.

He eyes closely, noticing the turn of your lips, trained eyes deem melancholy. He knows the face of a loner very well—usually recruits with lost family and homes. They enlist in a mass community of freedom fighters for the restoration of good in the universe, and to finally feel a sense of familiarity and belonging. He doesn’t know much about you but he knows you don’t truly have anyone to depend on but yourself. It’s the reason why you’re constantly fierce.

Poe clears his throat, shifting closer to you as he watches the way you carry your gradual gaze to hold his. They then flit to the space between the two of you, raised eyebrows acknowledging the weird close proximity of his presence to yours.

“Look, you’re the best mechanic there ever was and probably ever will be. So, fix my ship, and you get to have this Corellian beauty. All of it.” He sways the bottle in the air, but you don’t look at it.

“You know, that’s bribery.”

“Yes, and it’s working.”

You scoff. “No, it isn’t.”

Poe laughs. “Yes, it is. I can see it in your eyes.”

Another scoff, you look fully aggravated. “How dense do you think I am?”

“Oh, very, but let’s not get into that.”

Bickering was the only language the two of you spoke fluently when you found yourselves tangled in a conversation with one another. Thrown insults were spoken lies—saying you hate each other when you know that isn’t true. Well, at least you don’t mean it and you hoped Poe didn’t either.

You’re exhausted, physically and mentally. For once, kindness and acceptance seem to be the easiest route.

A sigh passes your lips as you blink up to the ceiling, sending a silent prayer for blessings from the Maker above. “You’re right. I am dense. Truly dense. So, yeah. Okay. I’ll fix that stupid X-Wing of yours.”

Poe blinks, dumbfounded. “Wait, really?”

With a roll of your eyes, they meet his very own wide ones. “Yes, really. Only because you complimented me. Now, hand me that Corellian whiskey before I change my mind.”

He then makes a sound that resonates between a cough and a pleasantly surprised laugh, eyes crinkling with delight. Poe happily and absentmindedly passes the whiskey to you, still reacting like your agreement is some sort of object of ridicule in the best way possible.

“Wow—Maker, you have no idea what kind of trouble you’re saving me from. If the General ever found out—man, pfft. Thank you. Thank you so much—”

A swift and unexpected motion, he is reaching you, palms clasp and either side of your face, and plants a quick peck on the side of your left temple.

Poe isn’t thinking straight.

There you are, mid-swig, lips so close to the rim of the bottle with eyes so wide. You steal a steady glance at the pilot whose expression seems to reflect yours. His hands are still on your cheeks. He’s unbelievably close to you and he’s staring with that stupid look of his.

‘Maker, preserve me.’

A cheer erupts from the crowd from across the space and just like that, the moment is gone. Whatever the moment even was. His touch is no longer on yours and his gaze shifting away.

The tension, however, is still very present.

You finally take a swig of the whiskey, wanting to ease the sudden tightness in your chest. You hum at the stinging sensation on your tongue. You catch a glimpse of Poe from the corner of your eye who busies himself with tapping his fingers nervously against the surface of the bar.

Then, in an awkward motion, you stretch your arm to him, offering the drink.

A beat. His gaze shifts between you and your hand. When he finally gives in, a smile curves upon his lips, fingers brushing against yours. They’re delicate and you smile at him. It's small, but it makes his heart skip a beat and you wonder to yourself about the strangeness of love.

[infinitxes]

Anonymous said:

I think that virgin Gojo does in fact make alot of sense and i agree with what you said, i also wanna add; just because he's a virgin doesn't mean that he's completely oblivious or innocent, i think that he's an AroAce and you already explained everything else which are my thoughts exactly.

I remember reading a q&a about him in that 0.5 volume where Gege said that he doesn't get many days off if at all? And he only chooses to slack off on his business trips! I don't know since when but i get the feeling that Gojo wasn't the same ever since Geto left, also I'm curious to know what do you think he was doing from the time he met Megumi up till vol 0 since we never got any info on it. Love hearing your thoughts.

Personally, I do think that Gojo feels romantic attraction. In my mind, he was romantically involved with Suguru. I just think he’s extremely selective (even more so after the kfc breakup), and that because Gege doesn’t have the romance subplot lined up for him, he’s neglected to introduce any other viable characters.

If you were to take all the characters out of context, I feel like I could see a relationship developing between Gojo and Nanami, or Gojo and Suguru! I think either pair have adequate chemistry. On the contrary, I think romance would be a very good way to help Satoru go through some much needed growth and development! I think it would really help push him a little more out of those juvenile (read:defense mechanism) characteristics, and fill that hollow where he didn’t get much familial love.

Yeah I think its somewhat canon that Gojo is just extremely busy. He tends to wander around on his missions (check out the audiodramas).

I think he really matured post-Suguru. It’s my personal take that there was a measure of reliance on Suguru during their highschool years, with Suguru being the ‘good-kid’ who was well-mannered and sensible and somewhat capable of keeping Satoru in line. After Suguru left, Satoru was forced to come into his own and re-evaluate his situation (e.g. being slapped with the order to execute his friend, starting to realize how much everyone relies on him, dying/the Riko-Toji incident/coming to terms with mortality). I think the separation exacerbated some of his negative traits and also pushed him into developing a whole range of really unhealthy coping mechanisms. I often write this period of his life as one where he distances himself from everyone around him by occupying himself with missions and starting to turn to flippancy to avoid the concern of others. It’s a horrible stretch for him, especially when you consider that he’s only 17-18 at the time and extremely impressionable.

As for Megumi/Tsumiki, I think he probably used his Gojo-resources to make sure they were well taken care of. I don’t think he was their primary guardian (again, he was a teenager who was still technically in school), but I think he would have definitely popped by from time to time to see and entertain them. I think a part of him felt somewhat guilty of the fact that he was the one to kill Toji and essentially orphan them. Concurrently, I feel that Toji continued to haunt him for years. Hence, he’d have felt a measure of subconscious reservation when interacting with them (haha you can see it in his face when he first meets Megumi). That said, I think taking care of the two played a pretty big role in his ‘getting over’ the incident!

I’ve got some suspicions about him playing a role in Tsumiki’s coma as well…

[diamondcitydarlin]

I love the way you describe Loki and Mobius' possible future in s2. Is something that I've thought about before, which honestly makes me feel kinda validated because now I know that I'm not the only one thinking that it would be beautiful to see Chaos and Order together ruling the multiverse.

That being said... do you think there's an actual chance of Lokius happening?

Hi and thank you so much! I'm glad to hear others share this theory/idea, I think it'd be so cool. It's so frustrating the setting and characters have all this potential (that seems so obvious) to be used in really amazing ways and yet those in charge chose to take frustratingly confusing turns in the writing that honor neither the themes set up in the first two episodes, nor anything that was advertised or previously discussed in interviews and so forth. What could and seemed like a tailor-made opportunity to throw Loki into a brand-new situation in which he has little to no footing and has to start improvising to the best of his ability, which causes him to start feeling genuine affection towards his happenstance companions (not necessarily even romance in season 1 just that sort of omg I have a found family thing between Loki, Mobius, Sylvie, B-15, the other Lokis etc), which forces him to come face-to-face with various versions of himself, Lokis that might have been, some of whom genuinely disgust him (like President Loki who could've been made more of a mini boss villain before Kang had they decided to give him an actual arc, and they should have), some of whom he pities, some of whom (Sylvie, perhaps) irritate him to no end but nevertheless understand him in a way only a variation of yourself could so he begins to feel a sense of kinship with them (and kind of allows him a better understanding of Thor's position in relation to him all this time), and of course his dynamic with Mobius which changes rather quickly but organically as Loki comes to trust and find himself more enraptured with him, as his thoughts and actions for Mobius gradually, naturally pivot towards a kind of selfless affection he would normally run from in fear of showing a vulnerable hand- but there is none where Mobius is concerned, esp after they've been through several missions through time together and reach a point where Mobius has eschewed the TVA and Loki has reevaluated his own 'glorious purpose' and both have concluded that their highest priorities are each other and their loved ones before anything else- sorry. What COULD have been -that- was, instead, without any real good reason to be so, a disconnected jumble of events slapped together poorly with duct tape and Elmer's glue.

(there's more, I'm sorry I wrote you a dissertation)

For my part, I could more or less understand the character transition Loki undergoes between the New York events and, say, episode 2 where he's frolicking around in Pompeii, given that he's just come face-to-face with what we're lead to believe are some pretty world-shattering things from his perspective of existence to this point, and with the assumption (then) that they were setting up for a more jovial, devil-may-care version of Loki that would develop into kind of his own thing after awhile. A Loki that has seen the beginning and end of his own life from a little projector in an interrogation room; a Loki that has had to look at the triviality of his glorious purpose and existence as a whole and slowly begins to embrace to chaos- first, as a coping mechanism because "nothing matters!!!", and after awhile, because he likes it. Because it actually feels right in a way that no other endeavor he's pursued to this point has before. There's freedom, he finds, in truly, actually, not giving a fuck. Loki is Isabella from Encanto here. What could he do if he was truly, madly, deeply in the moment? What could he do if he knew he didn't have to be perfect- by Odin's standards or Asgard's or anyone else besides? And how much more of an impact would Richard Grant's already amazing scene of summoning the illusion have been if the themes of self-acceptance, turning against perfection and expectations and tradition had been more thoroughly carried out (that is to say, at all) to that point? What could Loki become?

Okay sorry, Lokius time!

Will it happen? I......am honestly not sure, I go back and forth. If there wasn't such a huge gap of time in between this last season and the forthcoming one I'd wager a resounding no (at least not within the show itself), but as there is quite a gap I'm allowing for the possibility that things might have time to uhm...change, creatively speaking, for whatever that will mean. Like, idk, there could be turnover in writing staff. Changes in director. More time for Owen and Tom to bully them into making the show more palatable, that kind of thing lmao. There's time for things to POTENTIALLY change. Marvel is well aware of the positive reception of Owen/Mobius and the Lokius pair-up (whether romantic or just buddy cop platonic, critics and audiences seem to like it), something that would've been impossible to gauge before the show was released, so I guess the hope is that this meant enough to them to maybe shape the next phase of the story. I would hope it also meant something that quite a few people spoke up against the poor excuse for representation that was Loki vaguely alluding to having romantic relationships with women * AND * men- something we were all excited about at the time because, again, it set up the expectation there would be more of it. Not even necessarily with Mobius! Could he not have, I don't know, at least flirted with a masculine-looking bar tender while drunkenly singing about Asgard? Before he kissed himself? I mean, himself as a cis-woman? I mean, Sylvie? That would have been something! But...no, it's just 'yes maybe sometimes I do a thing with men but who knows lmao what if we kissed in front of Kang the Conqueror tho'. And there's the obvious possibility that this variant of himself that he falls in love with could have been male. It could have been Tom kissing Tom, why not, right? The setting allows for it. There's no good excuse for any of it beyond the obvious; they wanted representation points while not actually making an effort that would mean anything, and maybe just MAYBE people calling them on their bluff will matter. I dream, anyway.

I will say for sure that I do not trust the team that worked on season one to write anything worth my time (a linear plot, for one, let alone meaningful representation or profound themes), so as long as they're stuck to the show I'll just watch reactions from the sidelines and enjoy Lokius via fandom creations. If -that- particular group ever do Lokius willingly or well or at all I will be shocked. None of them really seem to care about Loki as a character beyond how he can serve as a foil to Sylvie, let alone prioritize a well thought out romance for him with vacation dad Owen Wilson. I doubt MW finds that sexy and why else would he write about anything?

However. There's the time gap thing and then there's the possibility that Mobius and Loki could appear together in a different project entirely and be written and directed by people unafraid to at least consider the possibility. Of course, a lot of this is (theoretically, anyway) vetoed and passed and enforced by executives concerned about advantageous marketing, investors and so forth (lol I say this while neither the execs nor investors seemed to care about Loki romancing what Spiderman later refers to as his 'brother' so who even knows), so it doesn't entirely come down to the creatives, but Lokius was never and is never going to be even a consideration for the previous team so...the bar is low, I guess? lmao

So yeah I'd say there's a chance! It's a small one, and my concern beyond that would be 'if it does happen will it be done well?' and either it not happening or being done in a way that is either insulting or unsatisfying is a possibility I just have to ready myself for hearing about. But hey, I'd love to be wrong.

[wolfpants]

WIP challenge

Thank you for tagging me @wanderingbandurria! All of your WIPs sound absolutely amazing!

I already did this last week but I'm going to do it again because, of course, a few more things have popped into my WIP trello board (yes, I have a WIP trello board, because I am just that kind of person).

WIP Challenge 😁❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍❤😁🤩🤩 Rules: tell us the titles of all the WIPs you are currently working on right now and a little about them. Then tag five other writers.

Pages of You - this is my current live WIP. It’s a soft spinoff/sequel to Led by Light, my 1960s Wolfstar AU. It’s set 20 years later, in 1980, and follows Harry during his summer between second and third year at uni. He picks up a job at Sirius’s queer bookshop and starts up a pen pal relationship with an anonymous boy he quickly develops feelings for. At the same time, he meets Draco, son of the CEO of the UK’s most conservative bookshop chain who are opening up a branch in the same London district.

Bites Through the Bone - I’ve posted a couple of snippets of this already (here and here). This will be a one-shot (or at the maximum, two chapters). Remus is a former art graduate turned thief when he and his best friend Gideon find themselves out of work straight out of university. They pick up rich men in London and rob them. One night, he meets Sirius, and things turn on their head. Guest appearance by James Potter. I’m not going to lie, this fic is pure id-fulfillment and really rather rude indeed; but it’s been very fun to write and a bit of a break from my usual brand of flangst/flufft. However, it is me, so it does include, you know, heightened emotions and depth of feeling… somewhat. I just hope people won’t judge me too harshly for it!

Scrabble - my RS Candyhearts challenge that I swear I will finish writing before Valentine’s Day. A cute one-shot where Remus and Sirius play a game of Scrabble and smoke some jazz cigarettes.

Firelight - my first official Jegulus fic, which I can’t give too much away about, because it’s a challenge fic. It’s a one-shot also.

As Yet Untilted Gothic Wolfstar multi-chapter fic - I posted about this here and I’ve started drafting/outlining, which I think makes it an official WIP. I have a couple of titles in mind for this and I’m sure you’ll hear more about it soon. This (or, admittedly, the below fic) might be my next “big baby” after Pages.

As Yet Untitled Nick Hornby inspired Wolfstar multi-chapter fic - much the same as the above, it’s completely outlined but I have no title for it yet. Sirius is a former child actor from a big film franchise and has since blurred into obscurity. Remus’s boyfriend is investigating him for his podcast series on forgotten pop culture icons, and Remus couldn’t care less about it nor him. Until he does.

As Yet Untitled Sirius and James Time-Travel Fic: I said I'd never do time travel because the mechanics of it would blow my pedantic mind to shreds BUT I posted recently about how much I love history (it's my number one love honestly) and that I should do a Bill and Ted style AU. It was a joke, honestly, but the more I think about it, the more I want to develop it. Will it be humour? Will it be a drama? Who knows! It will involve an epic romance though that crosses the historical divide between a modern day Sirius and Remus from another era (as yet to be decided).

Others: I am working on a few other WIPs including an ace!Sirius one-shot, a Wolfstarbucks cult initiation/biker gang kidnapping one-shot, and also at the bottom of my slush pile that I actually have a few chapters written in full of already: untitled Wolfstar go on a romantic cruise (as friends) multi-chap.

I'm leaving this open for anyone who wants to play!

[agrarianradfem]

hi, this is random but what do you like to read? I'm in a rut, so was wondering if u have recs or current reading list or tbr or smth? I rmbr u saying that u read 3 hrs a day? :)

Hi!! I do read a lot! Mostly nonfiction, romance, and a little bit of fantasy and contemporary/literary fiction. I’m currently reading The Hellion’s Waltz, the third in Olivia Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series (all three are ff historical romances set in England - Hellion’s Waltz isn’t out yet but I have an advanced copy). I would absolutely recommend the first, The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics if that sounds interesting.  In general, here are some of my favorite books: Nonfiction:  - Sweetness and Power by Sydney Mintz: A history of sugar, colonialism, and power dynamics in its production and consumption. Is rather academic but it is readable and slim. - Who Cooked the Last Supper?: This book is always recommended among radfems with great reason - women need to learn that the male way of thinking is wrong in so many ways, and that women have been making vital contributions to humanity that have been misattributed (purposefully and incidentally because of patriarchy) to men.  - Milk by Kurlansky: This is the history of milk. It includes a wrong fact about the history of cheese (Kurlansky misattributes it to a man as part of Myth of Man the Hunter - see Who Cooked the Last Supper? to learn more about misattributions. Cheese was absolutely developed by women who were at home caring for children). But otherwise it’s a great and very readable history of one of humanity’s most important foods.  - In The Shadow of Slavery: All about how enslaved Africans brought their foods and food traditions to the Americas and how food was a key part of resistance. Great information about things like rice cultivation in South Carolina and food as resistance in Brazil.  - Invisible Women by Criado-Perez. Excellent book on the ways in which failing to sex disaggregate data (aka not separating out data on women vs men instead of lumping it all together) fails women, from car design to snow clearing plans. Great as an audiobook.  - Fran Lebowitz Reader: This audiobook is amazing.  - In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. He brings his humor to Australia and you’ll want to purchase plane tickets immediately. (Can’t wait for Australia and NZ to open to vaccinated travelers!) I also love Thunderbolt Kid, At Home, and The Body by him.  - The Emperor of All Maladies: This is a history of cancer and its treatment. This is a tome, but is absolutely fascinating.  Romance:  - A Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics: Really a lovely novel about female empowerment (like the real kind: standing up for oneself in the face of male efforts to hinder women, women becoming the best patrons and confidants for each other, etc) - Ravishing the Heiress: This is a straight romance, and one not the best intro to the genre for lesbians who don’t read any straight romance. But for fans of the genre (or even just romantic subplots in books and fanfiction) this is a masterclass example of a marriage of convenience and slow burn romance.  - Devil in Winter and Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas. For those who loved Bridgerton, these are amazing. DinW is one of the most beloved historical romances of all time, and Marrying Winterborne is from her newest series and that book is becoming beloved as well. 

Fantasy: - When Women Were Warriors: This is a story told in three parts (it’s not three books, you have to read all three parts to complete the story) set in pseudo-medieval England about a matriarchal, matrilineal society where lesbianism is common. Great for fans of fantasy who don’t need magic, creatures, or space travel, etc.   - All the books written by Tamora Pierce. Her books are mostly YA/Middle Grade but they have excellent pacing, plots, and character development. My favorites are the Alanna books and the Immortals series. These are great if you’re someone who likes shorter books where for attention purposes or just for a fast read. I reread these all the time - Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs: TW sexual assault at the 1/3 point in the series (and for basically every book in the sister Alpha and Omega series). This is Urban Fantasy for all the fans of werewolves, vampires, fae, fairy tales, wendigos, and all the other scary legendary creatures. Features a great female lead, a straight romantic subplot, inter-species alliances and wars, fighting for good, and is set in the Pacific Northwest. There’s a billion of these books (read in order) so you’ll have plenty to keep you reading if you like the first.  - Daughter of the Forest: TW graphic sexual assault. This is a famous retelling of The Six Swans story. Straight romantic subplot. This book is constantly recommended as one of the best retelling stories and I agree. I would recommend reading rather than listening to an audiobook of this one because there’s no reason to read the assault scene - just get to it and skip a few pages and resume. I fully believe that if this book was written now it wouldn’t have the descriptions, but it is important to the plot.  Contemporary/Literary Fiction:  - Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters: TW for abusive relationship and prostitution. This story of the underground of London at the turn of the century is a lesbian classic for a reason. Happy ending! Great exploration of the time.  - Bastard Out of Carolina: TW graphic sexual assault of a child. This book is a really hard read about the ways in which women pick men over their own daughters, religion oppresses women, poverty is worse for women than men, women are expected to be quiet and just suffer their burdens. I read this for the first time in a Women’s Writing course in college and it made me bawl my eyes out. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.  - The Well of Loneliness: I love sad books and this is no exception. Sad lesbian at the turn of the century. Historically important book.  - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver: This ecofiction book is not the usually recommended book by her. This takes inspiration from Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and interweaves three stories of women, life and death, and the health of the environment.  I use goodreads and Kirkus reviews to find books all the time. If any one of these sounds interesting, put it into goodreads and you’ll be able to find other books by the author, books similar to it, and lists that contain the book (for instance, if you look up prodigal summer it’s probably on an ecofiction list and you can find a ton of ecofiction books that way!). Kirkus is amazing for finding new and upcoming books. The online reviews are free (I think - my mom is a paid subscriber to the magazine). For nonfiction I also look through Washington Independent Review of Books.  Another underrated way to find books is Facebook and Reddit! If there’s a genre you really like, then find a facebook group for it. This is a great way to find what others love, new releases, and you can save posts (underutilized thing fb does) and have something to scroll through the next time you are looking for a book. Reddit has a bunch of subreddits for different genres. Many of the large genre groups run books clubs (fantasy runs a bunch of structured book clubs, romance runs buddy reads, etc.).  Hopefully this gives you some place to start!

[onewomancitadel]

Don't you think that if Knightfall happens in the show, the community and Reddit would explode? knowing how their opnions about Cinder and Jaune are(at least some part), though that depends if they do Knightfall right or they fuck up in the pacing or execution.

I don't think they care lol. They committed to killing Penny (which made sense) and that obviously made a lot of viewers unhappy. People who don't understand why Penny didn't die properly the first time, and why she had to die properly. All that sort of thing. It just depends what thematic thread you're interested in following. But I think one of the last asks you sent me, we had a little disagreement over whether the show is following through on its ideas, and I think I have a different approach.

I'm not going to say I'm totally right all the time lol, I'm very prepared to be wrong, and to be quite honest in the case of BB they pleasantly surprised me, for instance. I had thought it made sense, and Yang's longing for Blake was unusual, and all of the stuff with Yang and Raven plus Raven/Tai made sense for a Yang/Blake romance. Idk, I felt like it made sense but I was uncertain if they'd commit. The Raven/Tai was a big thing for me when I was considering the ship, and this was an early notion (for me) of legacy themes, of course Salem/Ozma became a realised thing in V6:E3 lol. There was all the Beauty/Beast stuff, but I was less sure exactly how much they were committing to it then. It seemed to be more internal Blake stuff.

So yeah, I always reserve caution. But on that front, there were a lot of vocal Blake/Sun shippers. It was a horrible shipwar. It was terrible. They paid little heed to it, if anything they stoked the flames lol. I do wonder to what end Cindemption being seeded for as long as it has been, and to the audience eyes' since the V7 finale (like, two separate instances, there's the Cinder vs. Winter and Penny fight, THEN Ozpin's voiceover asking if you'll forgive them/understand why they did the things they did) is supposed to be rehabilitating her fandom perception along with Cindemption.

As I've sort of said, not to be repeating myself, but I reckon they don't care about causing a ruckus. Look at the people upset about Ironwood.

I do think Knightfall is possible to do well, and good Knightfall is probably contingent on good Cindemption, and good Cindemption is contingent on continuing to write her in an interesting way. Obviously they're my two favourite characters and I currently love the direction with the two of them, so I'm not complaining. Jaune has some meaty development, and Cinder's at her highest.

Although I've got to be honest with you. I'm not a very good person. Sometimes I want to live out the smugness of being a Knightfall blog this early in the canon, see it canon, and just bask in the satisfaction. That would feel really good. But I must put away ego and not be a bad person. I'm prepared for it not to happen as much as I am, if you know what I mean. I am willing to go with the story they're telling, I would just be disappointed if they went about-turn on their themes. There are just a lot of mechanical working parts of the story pointing in favour of Knightfall that it's too hard to ignore.

When I sit down and feel sad and try to convince myself out of shipping it, like when I'm thinking about the likelihood of Jaune/Weiss, I'm still just like... but that ship makes no sense. That ship breaks everything... all of the ships so far work to the themes and patterns I'm looking at, even BB which I didn't expect to happen. BB I didn't expect to happen partly because I was unsure for obvious reasons and I wasn't sure if they'd commit to that especially with the main cast, and then also there was some genuine Blake/Sun kind of baiting going on, because that's the anime-trope romance. Weird how all the anime-trope romances have failed but the fairytale ones haven't.

Knightfall is very fairytale lol.

With that being said though... don't you think Knightfall is actually a great way to legitimise both Jaune and Cinder in the eyes of fandom? Like, think about it: it gives something really important for Jaune to do, the thing I think is probably the most important thing he could do in the story and makes perfect sense for his character, and genuine interactions with her from someone who cares and isn't getting anything out of it would humanise her? Like, in a way it almost makes sense because it seems so unlikely, because they're characters with such particular... fandom reception, which I've talked about before, on many sides. It's almost like the perfect solution to showing the audience exactly why these two are the way they are lol.

To summarise: I'm not worried about fandom opinion and I want to be right always, all the time. I hope they do it well if they do it at all. To be honest with you I always thought Knightfall would be late, and Cindemption is being set up very early and as one of the most important redemption arcs in the show. But who nose. It could be even sooner than I thought lol.

Great ask though, I had a lot of fun replying. Thank you! <3 Hope you're having a good day.

[belphegorbillickin]

Tell me about it, Medi!!(Medi, was it?) I really like the thought of an antagonist, one that actually makes the storyline juicy by adding conflict. And can't we have a female character as a friend or something?.. Imagine mc having friends OTHER than the mains, I like that thought. Adds more detail and depth into the story.

But you're right about the personalities. It irritates me how they're literally just simping for mc now? Everyone has their own thoughts, but I'd prefer if they STILL had those demon instincts. They're WAY too soft for my liking. At least make them A BIT more demonic? Like Asmodeus. He doesn't only specialize in lust. The actual Asmodeus was responsible for breaking relationships, making people have selfish desires that led to their doom and those who succumbed to their lust became his prey. This actually happened with that one painting in obey me? The witch, Helene? And how asmo didn't even show A BIT of shame. But now he's back to "uwu I love myself and mc". Don't demons corrupt others though? My thoughts.

Maybe I'm thinking way too dark, but like, what if the demons actually kept a facade of loving you? Believe me I didn't trust Lucifer until lesson 18, or any of the brothers till 16, and I liked the feeling of dread when I used to be like, "Oh wait is he gonna do something to me now?" BECAUSE THEY ARE LITERAL DEMONS I DON'T TRUST DEMONS. It's disappointing. I guess now I gotta turn to fics that portray them as ACTUALLY being selfish like how a demon should be.

Yeah, don’t get me wrong I’d love to have a female character as a new datable option or friend, I just don’t have much faith in how they’ll write a female character into what’s pretty much an established romance. And yup, Medi is right.

Same, I loved the tension and hating Lucifer was so much fun. It's a shame I’m not really into Lucifer that way because he has the most character development out of all of them and stayed a bit more intact. Like even when he loves MC he’s still prideful. 

Meanwhile Satan is just a crazy cat lady with an occasional love of books/pranks and a rare reference to being “tamed.” He could’ve been so much more interesting, I loved their take on wrath and wanted to see more about demons vs fallen angels. It doesn’t help that I hate when they make “I can change you with my love” a reality, like at least get him to a therapist or something.

This might be controversial, but I think part of it is also due to Mammon’s success. From how things played out it seems like they expected Lucifer to be the most popular by far, but eventually they realized Mammon was pretty close and started focusing on him as well.

One thing that always bugged me about Mammon is that we never really face any consequences from it. Like Lucifer’s pride gets in the way or causes him to lash out, all of the brothers do, but Mammon’s sin never actually harms the player. I know half the people saying no one should ever be mad at him for stealing would be pissed if he regularly stole sentimental/rare/expensive belongings and never apologized or at gave them the money he made.

He never steals from them or screws them over, and even his early behavior gets ignored or brushed off as him being stupid. Because personally I have a hard time believing Mammon’s resentment from being forced into a pact and humiliated disappeared just like that. Sure occasionally MC gets punished, but the player doesn’t take any part of it and usually people that like Mammon want to do stuff like that anyway so it isn’t really his fault.

Anyway TLDR I think the fact that the softest and least dangerous demon with no real drawbacks or serious accidents being the most popular set the tone for the devs too. All of it started way before the attic arc too, he was a fan favorite from the beginning and I think he still would be even if he did attempt to get rid of MC tbh.

I could definitely see an argument for them pretending, especially since they fell “in love” so quickly and yet reacted to MC dying like they do to losing an object. I highly doubt they’d do that in a romance game though tbh, but tbh I always kinda pictured it as them being temporarily infatuated with MC instead of intending to be with them for the rest of MC’s life, at least until the whole attic arc and Lilith reveal.

I can see the appeal though, and imo Asmo already kind of does that. A lot of his “compliments” in the beginning have double meanings or hidden insults and his whole inspection thing after the labyrinth was looking for the source of power stronger than Solomon's in what’s supposed to be a pathetically weak mundane.

 He also indirectly tries to get you killed because you’re annoying him and actively threatens you if you say you don’t like him at all. If it weren’t that late in the game or it had routes I’m sure he actually would’ve tried.

The game would’ve been a million times better if they were routes tbh, actual routes and not the moneygrubbing keys mechanic, even if it was a common route until after the attic arc. Dark characters really shine when you can actually mess up and see their nasty side or what they’re like when truly and completely rejected. 

As it is now Mammon and Lucifer get all the attention even when you actively avoid them. Meanwhile Asmo stans get nothing even on his birthday. They could do a harem route too for all the people that want it, but it’s not like you can’t replay the game and go through all of them in a true otome. The wide as an ocean, but deep as a puddle thing isn’t working out imo. As much as I love them the side characters becoming datable didn’t help either.

They could’ve done some really interesting things with Diavolo and Barbatos too, having them as sinister and untrustworthy like they were in the beginning if not more while still having them be romancable. I love the hints of cultural/moral differences they give us and the many hints that Diavolo isn’t quite as “wholesome” as he acts even in the more recent things, but I doubt we’ll ever see that because it’ll alienate everyone who hates darker things and people who like darker things but not Diavolo.

I think that’s a small part of why it’s harder for me to write as well, because they’re all so much different now it’s harder to imagine them like I did before. There’s only so many times you can go back and read the beginning, although it’s always a bit of a shock how different they are. 

Even for fan content it’s hard to find the sweet spot between identical to the average sugary sweet human and super dark ooc t0rturep0rn imo. Like don’t get me wrong there’s still a lot of good stuff from way better authors than me, but there’s only so much and a lot them quit ages ago or are starting to now.

[feebledungeons]

My group recently just doubled in size (we went from 3 players to 6) and this is the first or second time they'll be playing. I'm the DM because I was the only one who had played once before. How do I keep a campaign engaging and fun for everyone involved? I've been trying to encourage them to develop the backgrounds of their characters in hopes of working it in somehow. I also want it to be appropriately challenging, but not so hard that they would die the first time they play. Any advice?

Wow this is the oldest ask in my inbox so I’m sure that you’ve managed to work this out on your own and I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner!

However, ask for D&D advice and you shall (eventually) receive!

Doubling in size from 3 to 6 must have been a bit of a culture shock, Nonny, but I’m sure you coped with it. I’ll be honest 6 is my maximum, and what I run with my regular groups, which are players I’ve known for years and who are all familiar with my table and each other. Normally, I’d recommend a group size of 4-5 but 6 is completely workable.

Hmmm there’s a few different things here so I’ll go through them point by point under the cut.

How to Keep a Large Group Engaged!

You do need to work just a little bit harder as a GM with a larger group so here’s some top tips for keeping the game engaging while juggling that many PCs.

1. Keep Cheat Sheets on your PCs

I keep a running cheatsheet of what’s going on for each PC. I’ll review these cheat sheets when planning adventures and encounters. They are usually formatted as so:

Details: Character full name (including any aliases), physical description and run down of pertinent facts like race, class, age, etc.

Emotional Hooks: What the Player has told me are their BEST and WORST memories or their WISHES and FEARS, alongside my own notes on what I think the PC’s motivations are.

Backstory: Brief bullet-pointed backstory with important NPCs highlighted (alongside their relationship to the PC and possible ideas for re-integration into the story)

Current Story: Brief list of important developments to the PC during the campaign (i.e. they fell in love with an NPC, they were seriously injured by a werewolf, they are now a vampire) and ideas for re-integration.

The Future: Any other notes or ideas on how to engage the player and what their turn-offs are. I.E. This Player loves tragic role-play but doesn’t want any romance elements OR this player has a major fear of spiders so keep them away from the PC, etc.

2. Get your Players to keep campaign notes. 

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: you’re doing a lot of work as the DM keeping the world straight, the players should be helping you by noting down the plot. 

This accomplishes two things: 

It makes sure that they’re keeping notes to remind themselves of their own decisions AND it allows you to see what they’re remembering and paying attention to so that you can tailor the campaign to their enjoyment.

If I could give DMs only one tip for running a long campaign, it’s this one. It has helped me SO much.

3. Make sure everyone gets equal time by becoming ruthless with your timekeeping. 

This is not easy. 

I have been known on occasion to set alarms on my phone to remind me to move on but with practice it gets easier to have a little voice in the back of your mind saying ‘we’ve spend enough time with the Elf, time to get back to what the Gnome was doing’ and you’ll be able to judge scene length just on instinct. 

Until you feel confident with that, set yourself alarms or simply say to your players: 

‘OK we’ll start with X & Y, then move to what A, B & C want to do and finish up with Z before we take a little break. Remind me if the scene starts to drag.’ 

Don’t be afraid to ask your players for help with this.

4. Encouraging back-story building from your players. 

This one’s fairly easy. Ask them to send you their PC’s:

  Best memory

  Worst memory

  Secret wish

  Secret fear

This is genuinely all you need to start building out stuff that is going to help them engage with your story.

If they don’t do it, they don’t get their backstory re-incorporated. If only ONE of your players does this, you’ve already won. As soon as the other players see the fruits of their companion’s labours come to fruition in game, they will ALL want it and you’ll get through PAGES of backstory. 

Just get one on board and the others will follow.

5. Setting challenge. 

This is something I struggle with to this day. 

Generally, I am not a combat-heavy DM and I tend to focus on role-play over action so if there are any combat-savvy DMs out there that can help with the technicals, please step in. 

My main tactic is to google ‘good CR level for X players level Y’ and then probably throw in 2 more enemies that I can nerf, if needed. 

I also ALWAYS have a plan for each PC if they ‘die’. 

With Strahd, I have a mechanic built into the game where the player can choose to have their PC come back but as some kind of undead monstrosity and I add a side quest where they can gain back their mortality at some cost.

I hope that was helpful and sorry it took so long!

[driftingglass]

How did you develop your writing style? It's so unique and descriptive. Did you take inspiration from anyone and build on that, or was it more like writing until you gradually became better at it? I'm having a crisis because I want to develop a distinct writing style, but I don't know how. I don't know if you can compare it to an artist finding their style or not, so I don't really know what to expect. eh, sorry if this didn't make any sense (ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣﹏ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣)

Very interesting ask.

Thank you for the kind words in the beginning of your ask, first of all. I think this is a very important thing to address for writers in general because it’s a struggle that we all go through at one point. And, for others, it’s a constant battle… for most, if not all, it’s a necessity. 

I’ll be answering this in two parts, because one is more personal while the other is more objective. I hope that these answers and thoughts will help in some capacity.

We’ll go with the objective one first. (This will be long. Sorry. I can’t answer this question in a short way without any depth.)

. Where Do You Aim When Crafting Your Writing Style? .

Anon, if I were to be honest, the actual act of aiming to develop a distinct style, rather than focus on developing your craft in terms of grammar, syntax, and variation in imagery, leads to obstacles more than anything. 

I know from personal experience that being obsessed with being different (and this is more recent in my years as a developing writer, rather than towards the beginning) prolongs the frustrations and even causes writers to stumble and overthink about their style. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve struggled with enjoying my own writing because of my very descriptive use of words and imagery, even though that’s what differentiates me as a writer. 

(And there are plenty of flaws that develop with every single style, and I can tell you a dozen frustrations I have for every one positive thing I like about my own. Of course, that will be expanded on later.)

The first step into coming into your own writing style, Anon, is understanding that trying too hard to emulate another’s style will only halt you in crafting your own. There is nothing wrong with drawing influence and finding inspiration in authors, of course, because that’s how we function. 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be similar or even outshine the authors we admire, whether it’s in terms of the actual style itself, the content, the plots, the characters, the settings, etc. In fact, it’s encouraged for writers to explore the secrets and methods that the most esteemed and successful authors use, because that’s where you learn.

Writing is, in fact, an extremely meticulous and even mechanical process. There is a sort of science (if you want to view it that way) to the way stories are structured, how certain styles work with certain readers and so on. 

Your motivations behind why you want to develop a distinct style should be made clear before you move forward with practicing and continuously exploring what you have to offer for yourself, rather than your wish to imitate other people.

Now, there are countless different ways you can discuss the writing styles of different authors. For one thing, there’s a very descriptive elegance and simple depth that is often found in the works of Ian McEwan, for instance, the author of Atonement, Nutshell, and Sweet Tooth. 

His style is very heavy on summarization of his characters, almost, which can either draw the reader in or immediately turn them off. Some absolutely despise this style because they claim it lacks depth or connection between the reader and the characters.

I absolutely love Ian McEwan. I’m one of millions of readers who enjoy his style, and I oppose the viewpoints of millions of readers who absolutely detest his style. But what makes Ian McEwan Ian McEwan is… well, Ian McEwan’s writing style and process. 

When you criticize or praise Ian McEwan, you’re not criticizing his style for emulating J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin or C.S. Lewis or any other writer, but your’e criticizing and praising him for his style. He is well into his own work because, through being influenced and learning from his own idols, he’s grown into his own style. 

Ian McEwan’s style, not a… say, “polished imitation of Rowling or Martin.”

It’s just his own.

This is a very important differentiator because it’s incredibly easy to become enveloped in the idea of wanting to be the “next J.K. Rowling” or the “next Stephen King.” I guarantee that it happens to every writer, and maybe my opinion isn’t exactly universally viewed as accurate in this regard, but I think this is a dangerous way to view writing.

Desperately trying to emulate another’s style through forced, unnatural and exhausting means, leads to burnouts and a quick recession of passion and even frustration that you can’t even pinpoint as a writer.

You will often ask yourself: “Why isn’t this working? I’m doing exactly what my favorite author is doing!”

And that, right there, is where you know you’ve slammed headfirst into a wall.

Do you write because you want to express the style of a different author? Or do you write because you want to express yourself?

Most, if not all, writers would say: “well, obviously myself. Why else would I write? I’m not trying to copy every other person out there.”

Of course writers aren’t always actively trying to do just that, but sometimes it’s inevitable when you’re focused so intensely on wanting to create your own style amidst a pool of millions of writers who could not be more different. Sure, some styles are going to be similar no matter what, but there are always elements that show your personality as the author in your work.

You should write, ultimately, for yourself first before anyone else. Thus, your style should be, ultimately, you. 

How do you become a better writer? You read and you write every day. It’s a simple, yet very tasking process, and part of what, of course, draws from us, as writers, to look to our idols and what causes us to create a new style based off of what we know. 

It’s the basic fundamental of writing, from beginners to the most advanced and successful published authors around (and beyond).

So, instead of aiming to mimic other styles and trying too hard to emulate your favorite authors, start with drawing inspiration from them and just… losing yourself, to a few tries. In order to evolve into your own style, you must freely write and just let your typing/writing fingers speak for themselves.

It’s a very daring process and it’s extremely difficult to do, especially for over-thinkers like myself, but trust me, the payoff is absolutely rewarding. 

[ Alright, moving on to the more personal aspect. There will be answers that aren’t explored in this one because they should be exemplified more in the second half of this post. Fair warning. ]

. So, Let’s Talk About the Relationship Between Style and Writer .

Oh, boy.

Honestly, this ask resonated so much with me personally that it’s difficult to write all of this out, but it’s important. And, as much as I actually detest and obsess over changing my style each and every day, there’s something I need to make clear about how it works in general.

My style actually fluctuates depending on which tense I’m writing. 

In fanfiction, I often write in present-tense. Why? It’s fast. It’s quick. It immediately appeals to the senses and allows more freedom and control over the characters in how they move, talk, etc. It also motivates me to write faster because this type of style emulates how I dabbled in poetry, which I’m very fond of. 

My writing is… very descriptive, yes, but this started out as my biggest flaw. In fact, it’s still considered a flaw. 

Sometimes I use far too many adverbs and far too many words to reach a certain point, and overly describe each scene and movement between characters because of how specific and vivid my visions are for each story.

It’s part of my controlling nature as a writer. Boohoo, I’m a horrible person. Whatever. 

Usually when I reread my drafts (which is either obsessively repeated or not done at all…) I cut away the excess descriptions because, ever since I started writing, I would over-write. I was desperate and even more insecure in my craft, and it showed. 

When I write original works, I write in the past-tense. And, strangely enough, my style just… changes. 

It’s often recommended not to have different writing styles for certain settings. If I had to simplify my style I would say it’s very descriptive and is pretty minute in what it pays attention to, but it can get lost in the fray and is usually best observed between character interactions and descriptions of scenes upon envisioning them for the first time. 

My past-tense style, when compared side-by-side with my present-tense, holds some key similarities but are, ultimately, quite different. It’s more blunt, still highly visual and sensual, but it is still, essentially, my style.

Everyone develops their style in a different way and over time through practice and just… discovering what you enjoy most about writing. 

Do you love appealing to the senses the most? 

Do you love imagining landscapes and describing the different ways a sunset or sunrise can look? 

Do you love architecture? Buildings? Moss on the walls? Thorns on a vine? What roses smell like in winter if they still retain their fragrance?

Do you love witty banter and short, snappy descriptions and fast-paced action? 

Do you love dialogue more than the setting?

Do you love the setting more than the dialogue?

Do you love both equally and seek a balance?

Do you love slow-building drama and angst? 

Do you love describing economics and politics?

Do you love describing romance and sex? 

Do you love laying out emotions as they are bluntly or relating them to more palpable things? 

Do you love fantasy? Contemporary? Thriller? Mystery? All of them? Everything and anything in-between?

Do you love more minute or expanded details? 

Do you love skipping over details in general and just going straight to the point? 

Do you love writing?

All of these aspects and many, many more, make up the many different styles that writers wield and hone to their own ability each and every day. It requires discipline, a lot of practice, insight, and willingness to delve deep into oneself and think: “will I like reading what I put down?”

Be honest with yourself. Experiment. Try new things. It’s normal to be confused and stuck in a rut, Anon. I struggle with my own style every day and obsess over it far too much, but it’s a constant uphill battle with unimaginable rewards when you start coming more and more into those moments where you can lean back and loudly proclaim:

“Yes. I fucking wrote that, and it’s brilliant. I love this style and I’m going to keep using it and building on it and making it the best of what it can be because it’s mine and I want to be proud of it.”

Good luck, Anon. And to anyone else reading this! I hope it provided some value! Thank you for the wonderful question and I wish you the absolute best.