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calling all authors!!

i have just stumbled upon the most beautiful public document i have ever laid eyes on. this also goes for anyone whose pastimes include any sort of character creation. may i present, the HOLY GRAIL:

https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf

this wonderful 88-page piece has step by step breakdowns of how names work in different cultures! i needed to know how to name a Muslim character it has already helped me SO MUCH and i’ve known about it for all of 15 minutes!! i am thoroughly amazed and i just needed to share with you guys 

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hey writers! OneLook Thesaurus lets you find that word you can’t think of but can describe! go check it out!

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Writing Prompt #1620

"Won't you be lonely by yourself forever?"

"Not being married or dating someone doesn't mean I'm alone. That sort of relationship isn't the only thing that makes life worthwhile, you know."

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Writing Tips - Masterlist

Hi there! My name’s Mike, and I’m a writer and copywriter with an MFA in fiction.

I believe everyone has stories worth telling, and I want to help you tell yours well. So here’s a masterlist of all my writing advice! For more tips like these (posted every week), follow my blog.

Latest Posts

Complexity vs. simplicity: Stories that smell of the lamp, not of the sun.

Writing advice isn’t the limit of good storytelling. It’s the beginning.

The Progressive Outline – How I balance my plotter and pantser tendencies.

Most Popular Posts

Your character is driven by 3 emotional motives. See? I even made a graphic.

5 frustrating workshop rules that made me a better writer.

How write a character-driven plot.

Never mow the same grass twice — How to improve faster as a writer.

It’s never about the bread. (Emotional Motivations)

How to write better descriptions using negative space.

2 tips for adding emotional weight to your story.

How to easily improve the flow of your writing.

The cure for a boring character? Let them surprise us.

Description

How to write better descriptions using negative space.

Unforgettable: How to write imagery your readers will always remember.

The power of a single, closely-observed detail.

Character Growth & Plotting

How to write a character-driven plot.

A character journey in 4 steps.

How to write a “good” emotional character arc.

Should that be a twist or not?

Creating character arcs with Joyce’s epiphany.

Character Motivations

Your character is driven by 3 emotional motives. See? I even made a graphic.

The cure for a boring character? Let them surprise us.

It’s never about the bread. (Emotional Motivations)

The “I want” song — How to write your novel like a Disney movie.

Everybody has a story. What’s your character’s?

Honing Your Craft

5 frustrating workshop rules that made me a better writer.

Never mow the same grass twice — How to improve faster as a writer.

6 lifestyle habits for becoming a better writer.

10 lessons from a decade of writing.

The Habit of Art: How to write better stories, more consistently.

6 types of story feedback and what to do with each.

Want to become a better fiction writer? Take up poetry and nonfiction.

As writers, we’ll never live up to our expectations — and that’s a good thing.

Always look for the good in stories. Even when they’re bad.

Inspiration & Motivation

COVID-19: A writer’s guide to self-care.

Editing your story isn’t about fixing mistakes.

Every story has something wonderful inside it. Including your own.

None of our favorite writers are perfect.

Writing is only as difficult as you make it.

Write with heart.

Reading and writing are about joining a conversation.

Meaning & Theme

What is a theme, and why does nobody agree?

125+ themes for your WIP.

Your story already has a theme. You just need to find it.

Craft alone will never make a story meaningful.

You know, I really love a good, messy story.

To begin or not to begin — with theme.

Technique

2 tips for adding emotional weight to your story.

How to easily improve the flow of your writing.

“Dropping the sunglasses” — and how to keep readers immersed in a story.

How to craft good figurative language according to Dead Poets Society.

There’s more to raising the stakes than making bigger explosions.

Narrative anchors: How to hold your readers’ attention.

How to write scene transitions.

Never confuse a writing tip with its purpose.

You don’t need a big vocabulary to be a writer — but some words help more than others.

Start your stories with a question.

Bringing your story to life with figurative language.

Writing Quotes

Write what you wish to write. (Virginia Woolf)

Writing is like turning on a tap in an old house. (Ed Sheeran)

What are you going to write? (Stephen King)

People will never forget how you made them feel. (Maya Angelou)

What stories are about. (Kazuo Ishiguro)

All description is an opinion about the world. (Anne Enright)

There’s no point in writing hopeless novels. (Anne Lamott)

Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. (Andy Warhol)

Every child is an artist. (Picasso)

Writing is really a way of thinking. (Toni Morrison)

Why we read. (Ursula K. Le Guin)

Depicting hatred to depict more important things. (Hayao Miyazaki)

Writing is like driving at night in the fog. (E.L. Doctorow)

Write what should not be forgotten. (Isabel Allende)

Asks & Answers

Ask & Answer Masterlist

— — —

For more tips on how to craft meaningful stories and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

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Kisses I want to write about:

Goodbye kisses: Lingering and hard for longer times apart. Ones that curve A’s body against B’s and cause hands to splay against backs. Or short pecks, maybe not even completely on the mouth for short trips to the grocery store. Hello kisses: After long periods apart, these can include A picking up B and spinning them around. Fingers pressing into cheeks, palms cupping necks, and breathless laughs when they finally come up for air. Breathless kisses: A series of short pecks because they need the closeness but they also need air, so. Sometimes smiles come in between, or sometimes its just breath, gasping for the sole purpose of being able to kiss again. Heated kisses: Breath huffing into mouths, angrily or passionately. Hands grabbing at clothing and pulling each other closer. First kisses: Hesitant and nervous. Lips hover inches from each other for a few seconds before they just barely brush. It’s just a soft press, but it ignites their entire bodies. Pinkies link afterwards, still wanting to be close, and each looks down, smiling softly. After sex kisses: Lazy, slow presses. Limbs pressed together, chests heaving. Soft murmurs about what to do for dinner later, fingers trailing down backs, tracing lazy patterns. B rolling onto their back and A trailing their lips down their neck, kissing their shoulder, their chest, anywhere they can think of, memorizing B. Morning kisses: Barely awake kisses that usually end up on jaws or cheeks because A is too tired to land it properly. B makes a sleepy sound and rolls into A, nuzzling their face into their neck, ankles hooking together, while A drapes their arms around B and they fall back asleep for a while. Post-break up kisses: Soft and slow. Hands on each other’s arms in a way that neither can tell if the other is pushing away or pulling closer. The kiss ends with their foreheads pressed together, neither wanting it to be true that this is happening. Christmas kisses: More smile than actual kiss. A holds mistletoe above their heads while B rolls their eyes, but pulls A down by the collar of their ugly Christmas sweater for a heated kiss. A takes B by the waist and walks forward until they are around the corner, away from the prying eyes and hoots of the rest of their friends and family. Comforting kisses: B walks into find A sitting on the bed, shoulders shaking, cheeks wet. A looks up, face looking stricken for a moment. B is shocked, and quietly says A’s name. At this, A breaks, face crumpling, and only barely has time to reach both hands out for B before B is there, kneeling at A’s feet. B takes A’s hands first, kissing their knuckles and palms. Then B reaches up to hold A’s face, pressing soft kisses around their cheeks, their lips, murmuring “it’s okay” and “you’re alright” and “I’m here” in between. “I thought I lost you” kisses: The breath is knocked out of both of them with the force that they collide with. Hands grip the back of t-shirts and palms are pressed up and under shirts, holding them close, feeling the warmth of their skin. Palms are pressed to cheeks, thumbs swiping away tears until their mouths collide messily, the world seeming to disappear around them. “We can’t do this” kisses: Fists clenched, hands shoved into pockets. Brows low or brought together, jaws clenched. A feeling like a magnetic pull between them. Their foreheads press together, their lips brush, just barely, until B pulls away with a shaking exhale, forehead dropping into A’s neck. “Come to bed” kisses: A has their hands on B’s neck, murmuring the phrase softly. A’s hands slide down B’s arms to their hands, lacing their fingers together and slowly starting to pull B towards their bedroom. A continues to pepper B with kisses all the while, trailing them down their jaw and neck. “You look beautiful” kisses: Just a soft press of lips to the temple, resting them there for a moment, then smiling down and telling them as much. “I’ll be right back” kisses: A puts their hands on B’s shoulders from behind them, where they are sat on the couch. He leans down and around, while B turns his head a little, accepting the quick peck. “I missed you” kisses: Long and relentless, holding their body close, arms wrapped completely around their waist. A burying their head in B’s neck and pressing kisses there too. Angry kisses: Hard, gripping. Fists in clothes, shoving each other against walls. Fingers digging into hips. But the kisses always melt away from that. They turn into brushes of lips between shaking breaths, until they’re out of energy and are left just standing there, holding each other, fingers carding through hair. Sad kisses: Almost not a kiss at all. Just holding onto each other tightly, A’s lips pressed to B’s temple, whispering soft words, desperately trying to provide whatever comfort they can. In the dark kisses: The movie plays in the background, but A and B are hardly paying attention from the back row. They kiss soundlessly, long and soft, fingers locked. A’s arm is thrown behind B’s seat, wrist bent to curl their fingers into B’s hair. Dying kisses: A holds B in their arms, panicked, crying. Murmurs of “no, no, no.” Salt on their lips from tears. Voice cracking. Holding on tightly to their shirt, their shoulder, their hand, roughly pulling them against their body, anything to try and keep them tethered to this earth. Kissing them as they die (“no. No, stay awake—“), Kissing them once more even with the life has left their body (No. God, come back. Please, come back. Please, look at me, I’m right here”).

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OC questions that helped me with characterization:

On a scale of “is occasionally forced to bathe” to “Instagram model with sponsors to hoe for” how involved is your OC’s Skincare routine?

What are your OC’s food preferences (flavors/textures/spiciness/calories/ when and how they eat) and how did they get that way?

What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

What’s your OC’s response to being asked for money by a homeless person?

Does your OC get lost easily? What do they do when they do get lost?

What would STOP your OC from Doing The Right Thing in a tense situation?

Realistically, could your OC (in their normal circumstances- i.e. at thier own house/battlecamp/spaceship etc.) keep a small child alive for a week if they had to?  A Dog?  A Houseplant? A rock with a  smiley face painted on?

If your OC had to take the S.A.T. tomorrow with one night to prep, how would they do?  both emotionally and academically.

What would cause your OC to chose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

On a scale of “Complete and Justified nervous breakdown” to “Conquer The Entire Galaxy and become an Immortal God-Emperor”, how well would your OC handle being abducted by Aliens?

What song is 100% garunteed to get your OC beyond turnt and will be sung loudly and emabarrasingly, either in public or the shower?

What perfectly-normal-to-them-thing does your OC do that confuses/pisses off/terrifies thier neighbors?

Under what circumstances would your OC appear naked in public?

What thing did your OC’s parents do that your OC wishes they had a better explanation for?

How often does your OC “zone out” or do things on autopilot and how severe have the problems that have arisen from that been?

How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened becuase of thier Impulsivity or inability to be so?

How does your OC sabotage themselves? 

What’s the trashiest item in your OC’s wardrobe, when was the last time they wore it and why do they still have it?

How Dehydrated is your OC right now? Are they going to fix this?

What’s your OC smell like?  no, not that “Vanilla and Anxiety” evocative stuff, realistically.  Body odor? what have they been touching all day? When was thier last shower? Did they put on any kind of artificial scent?

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We all like to think that we're special, that we are powerful. That locked within ourselves is a touch of magic or raw power. Enough power to shake the very earth we call home. As we age we find that there is no power that manifests, that there is no adventure to be had. All our lives we bury ourselves in books and movies of characters who embody what we could be. We wish it was us but deep inside we know it's not possible, that we are not beings meant to have magic and power flowing in our veins. We're mortals.

Then one day you wake up and realize that your blood is on fire with magic. There is a power that radiates inside you and you don't know where it came from. Turns out there is another world that exists and you're a part of it. Do you do the cliché thing and stress and renounce the power inside? Do you embrace the power and magic and do what you have to? What kind of part do you play? The thing is, you'll never know until you're dragged into it. People always say how they would react but it's not until you're engulfed by it do you really know what you'd do.

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{The Morning After}

“ shit, I’m late for work ”

“ ugh, not you again ”

“ did I lose a bet last night? ”

“ I can’t believe I just did that ”

“ you cannot tell anyone about this ”

“ you cannot tell _____ about this ”

“ that was amazing ”

“ my name’s _____, by the way ”

“ where did you learn to do that? ”

“ well this will be an exciting diary entry ”

“ why are we outside? ”

“ I’m sorry I broke your bed ”

“ so… breakfast? ”

“ I think I need to shower for a year ”

“ we have to stop doing this ”

“ I really hope I’m/you’re not pregnant ”

“ I didn’t know you had a tattoo ”

“ wanna go again? ”

“ I ache all over ”

“ you might be the best I’ve ever had ”

“ that wasn’t what I planned ”

“ why is there glitter everywhere? ”

“ karaoke isn’t usually such a turn on for me ”

“ that was better than last time ”

“ does this mean we’re dating? ”

“ I’m so hungover ”

“ what did you say your name was? ”

“ I need a cigarette ”

“ are you sure that was alright? ”

“ I don’t cuddle ”

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Resources For Writing Period Pieces: High Middle Ages & Renaissance

Major Events Of The Time Period

The Black Death kills approximately a third of Europe’s population {1348 - 1350}

The Great Famine {1315 - 1317}

The Hundred Years’ War {1337 - 1453}

The Western Schism {1378 - 1417}

The Gutenberg Bible published {1454}

Leonardo DaVinci is born {1452} and dies {1519}

The Crusades

Popular Culture & Society

Johann Gutenberg

Joan of Arc

Vlad The Impaler

Culture in the Middle Ages

Society in the Middle Ages

Culture in the Renaissance

Renaissance Life

Renaissance Entertainment

Middle Ages Women

Kings in Middle Ages

Middle Ages Food

Life in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages People

Medieval English Terms

Old English Insults

Clothing

Medieval Knight Clothing

Middle Ages Ladies Dresses

Medieval Lord Clothing

Medieval Peasant Clothing

Medieval Kings Clothing

Medieval Women’s Clothing

Monks Clothes in the Middle Ages

Nuns Clothes in the Middle Ages

Simple Dresses from the Middle Ages

Middle Ages Hairstyles

Miscellaneous

Middle Ages Knights

Middle Ages Castles

Knights Templar

Middle Ages People

Middle Ages Torture

Middle Ages Weapons

Siege Weapons

Feudalism

List Of Renaissance Figures

List Of Medieval Figures

Names

Medieval/Renaissance Female Names

Medieval/Renaissance Male Names

Medieval/Renaissance Surnames

English Renaissance Name Generator

Italian Renaissance Name Generator

French Renaissance Name Generator

German Renaissance Name Generator

Spanish Renaissance Name Generator

By Country

Medieval Afghanistan‎ 

Al-Andalus‎

Medieval Albania‎ 

Medieval Algeria‎ 

Medieval Anatolia‎ 

Medieval Armenia‎ 

Medieval Austria‎ 

Medieval Azerbaijan‎ 

Medieval Belarus‎ 

Medieval Belgium‎ 

Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina‎ 

Medieval Bulgaria‎

Byzantine Empire‎ 

Medieval Croatia‎ 

Medieval Cyprus‎ 

Medieval Czech history‎ 

Medieval Denmark‎ 

Medieval Egypt‎

Medieval England‎ 

Medieval Estonia‎

Medieval Ethiopia‎ 

Medieval Finland‎ 

Medieval Georgia (country)‎

Medieval Germany

Medieval Great Britain‎ 

Medieval Greece‎

Medieval Holy Roman Empire‎

Medieval Hungary‎ 

Medieval Iceland‎

Medieval India‎ 

Medieval Iran‎ 

Medieval Iraq‎ 

Medieval Ireland‎ 

Medieval Israel‎ 

Medieval Italy

Medieval Jordan‎

Medieval Lebanon‎ 

Medieval Lithuania‎

Medieval Luxembourg‎ 

Medieval Montenegro‎ 

Medieval Morocco‎

Medieval Netherlands‎ 

Medieval Norway‎

Medieval Poland

Medieval Portugal‎ 

Medieval Romania‎

Medieval Russia‎

Medieval Scotland‎

Medieval Serbia‎

Medieval Slovakia‎

Medieval Slovenia‎

Medieval Somalia‎ 

Medieval Spain‎ 

Medieval Sweden‎

Medieval Switzerland‎ 

Medieval Syria‎

Medieval Tunisia‎ 

Medieval Ukraine‎

Medieval Wales‎

Ottoman Empire‎

Medieval Palestine‎ 

Medieval Persia‎ 

Medieval Latvia‎

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[thewrite-space]

Writing a War

(P.S.A. Before We Begin: While the above GIF is from Captain America: Civil War, I won’t be including any superhero factors in this post. I just really love the movie and this scene specifically :P Enjoy!)

Hello friends, Abby here with another writing post! I’ve noticed that the concept of war tends to play a large role in many of the novels I’ve read in the past. Due to this and the fact that my own series (Smoke Shadows) will include its own war of sorts, I was inspired to make this post. Without further ado, let’s get started!

What could cause a war?

There are, of course, many causes that can lead to a war, and it would probably be a little strange if one occurred in your story for a single reason. Let’s go through a couple of general causes that have played major roles, starting with the M.A.I.N.:

Militarism. Some countries take excessive pride in their militaries and continue building and displaying them, even during peacetime. Often nations that would perceive an action like this as a threat find these acts of militarism unsettling; this can worsen relations between the two nations or can lead the threatened nation to make a preemptive strike of sorts.

Alliances. These can be dangerous, especially secret alliances. A small country might have made secret alliances with several larger nations in secret; someone picks a fight with them and suddenly there are six other nations on their case about it. Alliances made like these are the ones that can and probably will lead to conflicts involving more countries.

Imperialism. Simply put, imperialism is the process of “stronger” nations taking over “weaker” ones for control of some sort, and usually without the consent of the country they’re taking over. (Imperialistic nations don’t seem to care much about that last part, though.) Imperialism could lead to conflict in the form of a “turf war” of sorts between imperialistic nations or to a fight for independence by the nation that’s been taken over.

Nationalism. This one is dangerous, because it often comes from a feeling of unity in a nation. This pride can range anywhere from slight to intense and can be created in whatever way you want, but a historically proven way to use this method is through things like propaganda and yellow journalism.

At least one of these four reasons play some sort of role in the starting of a war, though of course there are many other causes you could choose from. Some of these possibilities can include completely unprecedented attacks, economic/territorial gain, religion, revenge of some sort, and (intense) internal disagreements.

How to “Structure” a War

Wars are usually won not through brute force alone, but by strategy. You’ll want to keep this in mind when you think of how your war plays out; whoever is the better strategies will have a higher chance of coming out of this whole thing victorious. It will probably help tremendously for you to draw a map of your world and include every place that will be affected, then get some different colored markers to represent the different sides.

It’s especially helpful if you can make two maps, or one that you can edit easily. On one you’ll want to create a plan for each side. If you were planning out something like this, what would you plan for? Include things like:

Attack points and any (possibly) ensured victories

Retreat plans

Key areas that this side will need to win

Other people that will be travelling with the troops

Amount of troops sent to each place

Methods of communication and transportation

Weaponry used

Any rules going on (ex. don’t go after civilians, leave injured soldiers to be healed since they are no longer a threat, etc.)

There are, of course, other things to consider, but if you’re just looking for the basic information then all this should be a good starting point for you. Next up comes the results, where you take the time to figure out how each battle/conflict/whatever you’d like to call it turned out. Think of things like:

Casualties

Injuries

Prisoners of war or any M.I.A.s

Total resources used

Damage done to the surrounding area

Whether each group should completely invade, draw back, or stay where they are

Essentially, whether the conflict was a victory, defeat, or stalemate for each side

From there, you’ll want to figure out how each side will adapt to this result. The best strategizers respond to the events of this conflict will often assess their side and the other side, and change their plans a little to try and help their side regain (or keep) the advantage.

Rinse and repeat until you’ve created a war.

The Home Front

What is everyone doing at home to help this effort, if anything at all? How are people responding to the war? Consider things like governmental actions and the civilian response, and what people at home might be asked to do to aid the cause. From a governmental perspective, think of things like:

The possibility of a draft

How they would get their funding

How much control (if any) it would take over everyday life

Any new laws that might be passed

The changing of alliances

Deciding on whether or not to declare war (additionally, admitting defeat or making an attempt to find peace)

The need to prevent something like an economic depression afterwards

Trading with countries they’re not actively fighting against

You’ll also want to consider things like propaganda. It’s often a “strategy” used to increase morale at home and to help unify the nation during wartime. This can be used for a lot of purposes, but it’s often to 1) encourage those who would be able to enlist to do so or 2) encourage those who can’t enlist to still find ways to help the country.

Some other things that might change in the home life include:

Work and education standards

Anything that goes into and out of a person’s bank account (or the equivalent); things like taxes and pay grades might change

The possibility of rationing, if needed

People spending more free time helping out in the effort

How people would react to family being sent away to fight (and the possibility of bad news being brought back)

The demand for different jobs and how this demand might be met

Any major changes in priority for the people as a whole

Ending the War

And finally, we’ve made it to the end! One way or another, things are going to come to a close on this conflict. It might have been a month, a year, or a decade since the initial declaration of war, but we’ve made it. What comes with the end of a war can vary in essentially every way you can imagine. You’ll want to consider things like:

Treaties (including things like alliances that might have been formed or come to an end, war reparations, punishments, etc.)

Any measures meant to prevent another war of this nature

Things being done to help any countries on which the war was fought, if anything at all

Lasting feelings that might lead to future conflicts or developments

And that’s all I’ve got for today, I hope this helped! If there’s anything you want to see me write about in my next post, please don’t hesitate to leave a message in my ask. Until next time, much love! <333

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Personal

You know the cliché because you’ve seen it a thousand times. Someone willing to let many people die for the life of a single person. All my life I’ve always thought myself the type to save the masses over the one. Now, well, now I’m not so sure. I’ve been praised by many people for helping change their lives. For helping them want to keep living and not fall into depression. Yet, for all the lives I’ve helped the one that mattered the most to me I couldn’t help. I wasn’t able to be their shoulder to cry on. Their foundation to stand on. Their helping hand when they fell down. Instead I was worthless and couldn’t do anything. For all the people who have claimed to have been helped by me I’d trade it all of it meant he felt that way. If it meant I helped him succeed and fight the depression. If it meant I was able to make him stable enough to not try again. I’ve become the cliché, the person who only seeks happiness for her heart. Her heart being a single person.

[thewrite-space]

How is your OC’s relationship with their parents?

[thewrite-space]

Goodnight

When he walked away from her she felt numb, at a complete loss for words. Her mind was blank and everything felt like a dream. How many times had she met him in her dreams? Now, what would she do when she dreamed? What would she do when she entered that realm and not see him there? Worse, what if he was there? Anger was one thing that ran through her veins with such ease. It fueled her every desire and her very breath of life. Except, right now, there was no anger there was only emptiness. The walk back to Skyhold was long and it felt as if her soul didn’t even reside in her body any longer. The hollow feeling in her chest only grew bigger and bigger the longer she went on. The moment the gates came into view she should have felt relief but she still felt nothing. The gates opened slowly and she was greeted by those who stood guard. No words were uttered as she passed them by.

Their voices sounded distant and distorted like they were on another plane of existence. The stairs were endless as she made it to the main room of the castle. Passing by the small dwarf who always stood near the fireplace. Right next to him was the room where her ex-lover resided. Pausing she felt like a magnet was pulling her towards his room and her body leaned towards it. Why couldn’t she fight it? She had rebuilt herself from the ashes of her former life and yet with a few words she was demolished once again and swept to the side. As she stared into the room she watched as he walked in front of the doorframe. He knew she was watching and he stopped and looked over at her. Their eyes locked and neither of them could look away from the other. He was the first to divert his gaze and the moment it happened she felt the levy of emotions break.

Instantly her hand covered her mouth and she took off running towards her room. Thankfully it was late and all of the visiting nobles were gone. Even so the distance to her room felt longer than ever before. The door slammed behind her as she collapsed against it. Hand still over her mouth as she swallowed the cry that threatened to escape her. He broke her. The tears started to pool in her eyes before she blinked and they fell down with ease. Slowly she made her way up the rest of the stairs and to her bed where she collapsed. The blankets were pulled towards her as she curled up and let the tears fall freely. Her cry was silent and the only noise she made was the small gasps as she inhaled between the tears. The air around her felt electric and was charged with the magic that she let escape her. Lightning struck right outside her room onto the balcony sending part of the railing crashing to the ground.

More magic erupted from her as she cried harder and harder. Sitting up she stared at the fire that was always burning in the fireplace and screamed as loud as she could. The fire grew rapidly as the room heated up setting a few drapes on fire. Getting up from the bed she ripped down the drapes that burned and threw them outside and off the side of the balcony. It was luck that her balcony overlooked the drop in the mountainside. All the magic that she held back seemed to seep from her as she cried louder and screamed more. Falling to the ground she sat there her face buried in her hands as her whole body shook. How could she let this happen? Why did she think that she would find someone in such a place? It was easier living with her clan and there were those there that would not have broken her like this. Even through the grief she knew that there was no one else who made her feel the way he did. When they met she never though she would fall for someone who was so critical of her lifestyle and family.

The chill air finally seeped into her bones and she stood up and went back into her room. Pulling a blanket from her bed she curled up near the fireplace. Leaning back against the couch that was close she took a deep and shaky breath. Her throat was raw from screaming and she felt exhausted all of a sudden. Leaning her head back she closed her eyes and let the heat wash over her. The world grew quiet until she heard someone clear their throat. Eyes shot open as she looked up at the person who disturbed her silence. Eyes were blurry from the tears and slowly they came into view. There he was, looming over her and staring at the mess that he had made. She gave a toothy grin before closing her eyes once more.

“Come to gawk at the mess that you made?” she uttered, her voice barely above a whisper. He crouched down in front of her and she could hear him sigh. His had reached out to touch her face but stopped to hover mere inches from it. “If you break it you buy it,“ humor, it was something she was good at using to defuse a situation. Even if this was not the time to use it, honesty would have been so much better.

“You think I wanted this?“ his voice was quiet and she hated that it soothed her. His very presence did and she hated that. He was more of a home to her than this place. “I didn’t want to hurt you and I never meant for this to happen,“ he continued as he dropped his hand back to his side. Slowly she lifted her head to look at him and he was looking away from her and at the fire.

“Never meant to what? Fall in love? Be the one person who I looked to for council? To mean so much to me that you could break me into a million pieces?“ her voice began to raise the longer she spoke and she could feel the anger come to life inside her. Like a fire it warmed her and she slowly sat up straighter. “Look at me,“ her voice was stern and she could feel the anger growing more and more, “why won’t you look at me?“

“Because how can I look at the woman I love when I’ve caused this much pain? I didn’t think I’d fall in love and I’m sorry I kept pursuing you knowing that it would end like this,“ his voice didn’t mirror hers. He spoke quietly and she could hear the emotion in his tone.

“You knew it would end like this?“ the anger fell and she felt sorrow all over again. Her voice broke when she asked the question and she could feel the tears building around her eyes once more. “Solas look at me,“ she swallowed the lump in her throat, “please,” the word was spoken barley above a whisper.

“I know who I am and I knew you’d deserve better and I would do anything to make sure you got that,“ he answered as he slowly turned to look at her. Their eyes met finally and he felt his resolve break the longer they stared at each other. He wouldn’t back down from his decision, he couldn’t, she didn’t deserve the man he was. She deserved someone who could give her what she needed.

“Don’t you dare pretend to know me and what is best for me. I get to make that choice Solas, me. If I think I deserve better then I will get better. I don’t want anyone else and you deserve love as much as I do. You don’t get to make that call,“ she moved closer to him and without realizing it he had moved closer to her. Her hand reached out and hovered an inch away from his face. She knew what would happen if they touched. It always happened when they touched, it was like electricity ran through them and they both knew if it happened his resolve would break. Slowly he put his face into her hand and they both gave an audible sigh as if this was the relief they needed.

“I’m sorry vhenan,“ he stated softly as his hand reached out and rested on the side of her face. His hand moved as his thumb wiped away any of her tears. She closed her eyes as a few more tears fell. He moved closer to her as he removed his hand from her face and just opened his arms to her. Without hesitation she dropped her hand and found herself curling into him. Her head rested on his chest as his arms wrapped around her. “I could hurt you and that’s the last thing I want,“ he whispered his lips moving against her hair.

“I could hurt you the same but you’re a risk I’m willing to take,“ she mumbled and he sighed in defeat. Had he not come up here they would have remained broken up and yet here he was giving her hope that things would end well. He was selfish to do this to her but he didn’t want to let her go. His hand found its way under her chin as he slowly lifted her face to look at him. Leaning down his lips gently pressed into hers and she found herself moving closer and pressing more into him. His hands moved to hold her face as her arms wrapped around his neck. The kiss grew more passionate with time before she broke it in order to take a deep breath. In that moment his eyes roamed her room and realized that some of her drapes were missing.

“I’ve done more damage than I realize,“ he uttered and she followed his gaze before returning her attention to him.

“I did the damage vhenan, it was my actions. You know anger gets the best of me,“ she reassured him before she put her hand on the side of his face to make him look at her, “my actions are my own,“ she added before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

“You are exhausted vhenan, let us sleep,“ he slowly stood up, pulling her up with him. He led her to the bed as he crawled into it first. She followed him and slowly lay next to him as she wrapped the blanket around both of them. “Sleep and we’ll talk more in the morning,“ he stated kissing the top of her head.

“Meet you in my dreams,“ she stated as she let exhaustion take over and finally fall asleep.

“Goodnight“

[thewrite-space]

Sweetheart

“Hey Sweetheart“

Sweetheart. He would call me that whenever he had done something wrong. Whenever he had done something that was risky and could have ended badly. It was his attempt at an ice breaker, as a way to ease the tension. To lessen the blow of the rest of the words he was about to utter. The first time he ever called me that was the day I was sent out to obtain information about our enemy. There were so many enemies but this time I was to focus on just the one. The Fallen. They were smart and some even had multiple limbs. They were like roaches the way they grouped together. You killed one and two more would take it’s place. They were relentless and the fact they were so organized made it harder. There were houses that they belonged to, each wearing their own colors. I didn’t really care much for the details, tell me where to shoot and I aim. This time we were trying to figure out who the head of a house was, cut of the head and the body dies. So being that he was the Hunter Vanguard, aka the one I sought out when I needed missions, he was the one in charge. It was Earth, that was the destination. It was like their base of operations with the amount of fallen that plagued the land. The mission was supposed to be simple, recon.

I should have known it wouldn’t be so easy. It was the fallen we were talking about. They hid out in dark buildings for the most part, always creeping around the walls. At any given moment you could see movement from the corner of your eye as they stalked you. Ghost chattered away but he was easy to ignore, Hades hated when I ignored him. Staying low and slow I crept through the corridors of the old rusted and abandoned building. Always having my gun drawn and aimed when I came around any corner. There had only been a few fallen dregs and they fell with such ease I began to relax. Coming around the final corner I found myself in a large open room. The lights were off and Hades hummed before he disappeared to go find a way to get the lights on. As he worked I waited with my finger still on the trigger of my gun. I heard his familiar sound of approval before the lights came on. That’s when I saw them all. Hundreds of Fallen eyes turned to look at me as a large captain stood in the center. Their weapons drawn and prepared to defend this place with their life.

Funny thing is I had infinite lives and they didn’t and yet I froze. That’s when his voice came through, “It’s easy right? Someone said there was only a few fallen hanging around," his voice was light and teasing as it always ways. The exo really knew what good timing was.

“Easy. Just a hundred fallen and a larger than life captain,” I stated through a clenched jaw as I aimed my gun at the group of them. “Cayde-6 you need new scouts because this is way more than I bargained for,” no one moved as I stared at them and they stared back at me.

“What? That can’t be right! Hold on,” there was silence and the tension in the air grew thicker. Waiting to see who would make the first move or if a move would even be made. "Heyyy sweetheart",” he stated with a slight laugh, “so I gave you the wrong coordinates,” he added and I wish he could see me roll my eyes. Groaning I could feel the familiar pulse of light running through my veins. My fingers practically ached with the need to be used.

“Sweetheart huh?” was all I stated before I summoned the power from the void. The same way I’ve done a million times before and over the course of a hundred lives. A bow formed in my hand with such ease before I backed up and aimed at the center of their group. Pulling back and releasing an arrow made entirely of void energy it landed right in the chest of a dreg. Instantly they all cried out and went to charge. The moment they moved a group of them were held back as the arrow latched on to each of them with the same void energy it was made of. “Hades lights out and lets run,” was the last words I uttered before turning to run out of the building. The moment the lights were out they grew wilder. My body reacted on instinct as I made my way through the building and out into the fresh air. The moment I was free my ship picked me up and I could see the fallen escaping the building as they grew smaller and smaller into the distance.

Returning to the tower I made my way to Cayde first. The moment he saw me his hands went up, “sweetheart I’m sorry! I read it wrong,;” he didn’t move as I approached. The moment I was close enough I rested my hand on his chest.

“I’ll remember this sweetheart,” I mimicked his tone of voice. He laughed because he and I both knew that I couldn’t stay angry at him. I leaned in and kissed the side of his face, the cool metal felt soothing on my lips. We were Guardians, we made mistakes and that’s why we had infinite lives to give.

[thewrite-space]

What this is

Often I make up stories in my head, usually they are just scenes. Sometimes between my OCs from games and other times just things that come to mind. So in order to get them out I have decided to write them out. Obviously if it has to do with OCS it’l be stated. I have a blog dedicated to inspiration of my characters and in life. Sometimes I’ll draw from there, if so, again, it will always be stated. Hopefully this will help me get better at writing. This is for fun so if it’s constructive criticism bring it on.If you just wanna be a dick, it is what it is.