#(which is why i haven't shifted my goal)

[remcycl333]

"i've been in the state for weeks, but i still don't have my desire yet!"

why you might not "have" your manifestation yet

this is a question i see a lot, mostly on twitter. i ended up making a thread about it, and since you guys are my day 1's, i decided to also convert it into a post for you guys!

let's be honest with ourselves.

firstly, if you're acknowledging that you don't have your desire, then you're not in the state of the wish fulfilled.

secondly, you shift in and out of states all day long. you are not going to be in the state of the wish fulfilled for days straight--lets alone weeks--and that's okay! there's really no need to be.

you just need to enter the state of the wish fulfilled MORE FREQUENTLY than you enter the state of lack. so, if you fall out of your desired state 10 times in a day, your goal is to shift back to your desired state 11 times that day.

entering your desired state more than the state of lack will make it become your dwelling state, and your dwelling state is what manifests.

your dwelling state = the state you most frequently go back to

so, if your 3D is still showing you lack, that means the state of lack is still your dwelling state. which means throughout the day, you are falling out of the state and not shifting back to it.

which means, no, you haven't "been in the state for weeks."

so how do you know you fell out of the state and need to shift back to it?

-you're doubting

-you're wondering where your desire is

-you're checking the 3D

-you're acknowledging you don't have your desire yet

your state creates your thoughts, so your thoughts act as indicators of what state you're in.

so what do you do if you notice you're doing/thinking one of these things?

you shift back to your desired state. if you don't, you will remain in the state of lack. which means for that day, you will have entered the state of lack more than the state of the wish fulfilled.

and what happens if you enter the state of lack more frequently than the state of the wish fulfilled? the state of lack will remain your dwelling state. which means you will continue not seeing your manifestation reflected in your 3D.

if you have truly been entering your desired state more frequently than the state of lack, you would see your desire reflected in your 3D. so if you don't "have" your manifestation yet, you haven't changed your dwelling state yet. so there's no "i've been in the state and i don't have my desire yet." you've still be in the state of lack more than the state of the wish fulfilled.

there's no pressure to be perfect when you first start manifesting something! (or ever, tbh). if you go back to the state of lack without realizing it at first, that's okay! you're not "doing it wrong", you're just still learning! you'll get better at recognizing the fact you've fallen out of the state.

but if you say "i've been in the state but i don't have my desire yet", i immediately know that's not the case. because your state creates your thoughts, and that particular thought is a product of the state of lack.

you need to take responsibility. it's no one's fault but your own if you haven't changed your dwelling state yet. once again, it's okay if you're not perfect when you start manifesting. but if you're blaming not having your desire on other people, you don't understand the main concept of manifestation, which is that YOU create your reality. it's no one's fault but your own, and that's a good thing! you don't have to rely on anyone else; the power is entirely in your hands.

when you notice a doubt or negative thought arise, you can feel it for a moment if you need to, or rant about it, but afterwards you need to shift back into the state of the wish fulfilled.

it gets easier and easier to do this. it's like learning how to do anything: it's hard the first few times, but as you practice, it gets easier and easier. it's become easier for you to realize you fell out of the state you want to make your dwelling state, and easier for you to shift back to it.

don't give up because it's difficult for you at first! maybe the first day, you'll fall out of the state 15 times and only manage to shift back to it 10 times. but then the next day, you fall out of the state 15 times, and you shift back to it 12 times.

it'll get easier and easier, until eventually that gap closes and you are able to shift back to the state every single time you fall out if it! and then, your new state becomes your dwelling state!

it's important to note that shifting back to your desired state ≠ flipping your thoughts. in fact, most people i've helped with manifestation find it much easier and more effective to just ignore the thought rather than to flip it.

why does this work? because all you need in order to shift states is intention.

to intend = to have a plan, result, or purpose in your mind when you do something

so when you ignore a thought, you do it with the purpose in mind to shift back to your desired state.

so if you notice a thought that doesn't line up with the state you want to be in, and you make the conscious decision to ignore it and not give it any power or further thought, you are intending to shift back to your desired state.

it can really be as easy as that!

to end this post i just want to reiterate the fact that you don't need to feel bad if you're not perfect at first! just keep getting back on the horse, and with persistence you will make your desired state your new dwelling state!

#states #law of assumption

[msallurea]

How to Change Self - Edward Art Edition

To change self is to change your "I AM".

1. I think of what I want to be, ANYTHING

2. Then I assume I am that in IMAGINATION ONLY

3. Now I walk in my physical world persisting in the knowing that what my inner man(self) experienced is truth and that I did truly experience that, in its own miraculous way in ways we just cant explain thats so natural almost coincidental it will come to pass

But Ms. Allurea why should we only change ourselves in imagination only?

You change who you are being in imagination because IMAGINATION IS THE ONLY REALITY/CREATES REALITY. Therefore in order to change what you are seeing you must first change who you are being. Since I know that the inner man is self and all I must do is change self to change my reality, I go within and become the one I want to be in imagination knowing that who i am within is truth because i do not identify as this outer body but as the inner man and when i say "I AM" i do not speak of the senses but of my eternal being which is the inner man(the I AM, my true self).

Well Ms. Allurea how do I know that I've changed self?

You will know because you will feel a sense of fulfillment. You see self was already changed the moment you desired it to be changed. But sometimes we tend to forget this, by thinking that we need to do something in order to get what we want. The moment you stop DOING and start BEING is the moment you've changed self. You've shifted your state from trying to get to now already being it. That is the goal, to realize that you aren't getting anything but realizing that you've already had it the second you wanted it.

But Ms. Allurea what about methods? If I affirm does that not mean I'm fulfilled?

Oh no no darling, you can definitely still do methods. But it's a matter of what are you doing those methods for? When you affirm, are you affirming because you enjoy it? Are you affirming because it satisfies your imagination? Are you affirming to remind yourself when you forget it's already taken care of? Or are you affirming to bring something to you/to get something? How about visualizing, are you visualizing because you want to and it makes you feel good or are you visualizing because u think you have to and feel that in order to get what you want you must visualize? The methods are not the issue it's how you use the method that is. This is why you hear ppl say that no matter what method u use maybe every method works, some works or even none because it's entirely based on what you're assuming. Either way, it all depends on how you look at it, and no matter which way you look at it whether you assume using a method makes your desire come quicker or you're doing the method for fun YOU ARE STILL OPERATING OFF WHO YOU ARE BEING. Which is why no matter what you do, do it from a position of changing your I am(self) and experiencing what you want to experience through your real self.

But Ms. Allurea I wanna see my desires in 3d and-

Well then my dear you haven't learned a single thing about loa or manifestation in general. The 3d cannot give you anything let alone fulfill you. Let's say you did have your desire in 3d I'm sure on the first day you're probably squealing with joy..now turn 1 day into 1 year, 9/10 you're not even squealing like before and your just like meh this is normal I have it and that's that onto the next desire. See the desire itself isn't the thing we want at all, but the feeling that comes with it. No matter how big or small it may be, there's always something attached to this idea that makes us want it. Why did you desire what you desired in the first place? Because whatever it was, when thinking about its fulfillment made you feel something that satisfied you and made you feel good. With that being said my friends, you can give yourself all those feelings you want to feel by feeling them now within yourself through experiencing what you Want to experience within imagination. And yet somehow some way, in a way that's so natural and just can't be explained, so much so you would have thought "well it would have happened anyway" you practically forgot that you even desired it in the first place because of how unexplainably natural it was..that same thing you desired to have on the outside actually ends up being right there seen with your own human eyes. But why? Because the 3d is just a copy of imagination acts that we've accepted as true that in its own way harden into fact in our physical world.

Do not move through the world with your eyes of sight but through the eyes of faith, for faith sees beyond what the human eyes are limited to and the inner man can experience beyond what the outer man senses. Turn away from and disregard your organs and instead listen to who you are being NOT what you are doing. It's through faith that you are the inner man experiencing your desire, that your outer man also reflects this as well because who you are in the eyes of the flesh, was first who you became through the eyes of I AM.

#msallurea #law of assumption #manifestation #my blog #manifesting #neville goddard #affirm and persist #edward art

[jahiera]

Love your little meta analyses of Astarion and would LOVE to hear your thought on the optional "you don't have to do this just because you feel like you owe me something" line early in Act 1 when he first propositions Tav and his reaction to it?

Okay hi sorry, I lost a bunch of my saves and I thought I'd lost the save for this scene too but turns out NOPE I HAD IT & I'm so glad because I wanted to go back and play the different variations so I could probably scream and... scream I did! And I'm SO compelled by this, so thank you for the ask! & sorry for the late response.

So you actually only get this version of the conversation if you don't express any sort of confirmation that yeah, you're into him. If you confirm you're into him, or the biting, that'll bypass the ability to say "you don't have to do this," altogether, which makes me want to eat drywall because the whole conversation prior is still fairly shady, but the "reward for your noble sacrifice" only comes through if you don't fully confirm you were into it. which is very interesting because in the other two versions you can still express doubt, but only in the format of the "a less trusting person" line seen above as well.

The first time he propositions you, if you get this branch of dialogue, what I think happens here is Astarion quickly shifts gears. He sees that Tav isn't, at least according to what they say, charmed or aroused by the vampire routine.

One other thing: they helped him because, as a result of giving him blood, he would be able to physically help them more. He would be stronger, a better fighter, and thus useful. (Whatever is intended by each individual tav who takes his line is up to the player, but that's what can most obviously be received by Astarion).

So, he switches up instantaneously to accommodate the motivation that Tav seems to have (through his own eyes). Instead of appealing to Tav's horny brain and physical attraction to him, he's appealing to their "sacrifice." Tit for tat. Pleasure in reward for blood. You aren't lustfully interested in him as is? That's fine. He can switch it up and instead offer sex as repayment for what you've done for him, and for his body as an object that functions better due to the blood you've given him. Either way, the end goal will be the same: sex to secure his position in the group.

At this point in the game, it isn't about Tav, not really, I don't think. You could take any version of this conversation to the conclusion and it would mean the same thing to him. (That is to say: seduction and sex for security, and sleeping with Tav is a quick way to get that.)

So when Tav says, "You shouldn't do this just because you feel like you owe me something," I don't even think it really... registers for him? Because he hasn't even begun to conceive of that possibility. He is fully still in the same mindset he had prior to escaping, and is running through the same patterns of behavior as before.

He brushes off that reassurance immediately, says it's "more of an excuse," than anything, doing the same thing as before. When he gets this reaction from Tav, he switches gears again: oh it's not the only reason I want to have sex with you, I'm mostly interested in you, I promise. He's navigating the very shallow social interaction that this seduction routine entails by adjusting at a moment's notice to the next thing Tav says. If they're interested or flirty back, he'll fully play up the whole thing. If they're reluctant, he offers new reasons for why they should want to sleep with him.

And then if you reject him entirely:

"Deny your feelings all you like, it doesn't matter to me."

You don't get disapproval for rejecting him, but he still reinforces this idea to Tav that yes, you're interested in me. You just haven't realized it yet. Typically this kind of line in romance would be annoyingly obnoxiously all about "oh you want me you just haven't realized it yet" and the other party is supposed to find this hot, but with the context of the rest of his arc, it's fascinating. Because Astarion only knows how to secure safety and power through seduction and sex. He only knows how to get what he needs through emotional manipulation and cunning--and SHALLOW emotional manipulation at that. He's not playing an intricate game here. His manipulations become prettyyyyy overt by the second time he propositions you:

Like, it would take some serious emotional blindness to miss the hints he's laying out here. He's delighting in dangling the fact that he's lying and manipulating Tav right out in front of them. Because now he feels more secure in his position in the group. In Tav's attraction to him. Because they've already slept together once, he has less to fear about losing his station of safety via Tav within the group.

So then I thought. Okay what does he say when you reject him in other places where he propositions you. In the actual sex scene itself, he simply says "Why are you here then? I thought we had an understanding? (...)" but if you reject him during the "little treat," scene, he says:

In both instances, the "you don't have to" and "I don't think I really want this," Astarion gives Tav a glimpse at the, huh, trauma behind the scenes. In this later scene, when you've already slept with him once, he outright admits he's slept with tons of people and doesn't remember most of them, and in a very.... passive, "gotten on my back," phrasing that's so offhanded for all that it implies. Like can we go back. Can we unpack that. And he does not! I don't know what to make of that last line. "You, I'll remember." Maybe he's being saccharine one last time to keep up some manner of security within the group. Maybe he's confusingly genuine, growing to care about Tav in a way he has no idea how to unpack yet, if at all. Probably doesn't even realize it yet, if that's the case.

Either way, he gives you unintentional glimpses behind the scenes to the inner workings of his intentions. The inconsistencies in how he talks to Tav depending on their next reaction. The switching gears quick to accommodate different statements and personalities. The offhanded reveal of his total lack of care or feeling about the "lines" he spews to get people to be interested. IT HITS. It hits badly.

#astarion #bg3 meta #bg3 spoilers #sa mention #BIG ... BIG FEELINGS ON THIS ONE. Apparently. #I'll add transcriptions of the dialogue in a sec I'm just on the go right now but #you're A DARLING & thank you for asking & thank you for liking what I have to say that's very sweet of you!! <3333 #MWAH. Hope this is coherent? and also... way too long #but. hopefully coherent!

[septembercfawkes]

The "Bathtub Story": Why It's a Problem, How to Fix It, When to Use It

Writing a "bathtub story" is rarely a good idea. It often fits right up there with flashbacks; most of the time you shouldn't use them, but in certain circumstances, you can get away with them. Bathtub stories lack immediacy and as such, often bring the narrative to a grinding halt. 

Yet they are common for new writers to write. So let's go over them, why they're a problem, how to fix them, and when to use one (if you dare 😉) . . . I also have a little offer for my followers at the end, so don't miss that 😊

What is a "Bathtub Story"?

The term "bathtub story" originates from author Jerome Stern, who talks about them in his book, Making Shapely Fiction. He writes:

In a bathtub story, a character stays in a single, relatively confined space . . . While in that space the character thinks, remembers, worries, plans, whatever. Before long, readers realize that the character is not going to do anything. . . . The character is not interacting with other people, but just thinking about past interactions. Problems will not be faced, but thought about.

A bathtub story is essentially a story that takes place in introspection.

While most novels won't literally be an entire bathtub story, many new writers have bathtub scenes or chapters, where the character simply reflects and doesn't do anything meaningful. While Stern likens this to someone in a confined tub, I would argue these can happen even when the character is moving. The character may be taking a walk or washing the dishes, but the story elements only exist in her head.

Why Bathtub Stories are Problematic

Bathtub stories are a problem because all the interesting stuff is in the character's mind (if there is any interesting stuff). This brings in several issues.

1. The Story isn't Moving Forward

Because the bathtub story happens in a character's head, the character isn't taking action. Instead, she's likely ruminating on the past. While you can have a characteristically lazy protagonist, when it comes to the actual plot, all protagonists need to be problem-solvers. And not just in thought, but in deed. A true protagonist is a driver of the story. She must be actively trying to solve problems (that come from antagonistic forces and conflict). Otherwise, she is a passive victim or passive observer (in which case, she probably isn't the true protagonist, but just a viewpoint character).

If she's not problem-solving, the plot probably isn't moving forward. The protagonist should be in the concrete world, taking action or revealing important information, creating turning points. She should have a goal, and a plan, and should be pursuing them--even if the goal is to avoid something.

When she's stuck in her head, she may be thinking about her problems (or past experiences), but she's not influencing the trajectory of the story.

If she's not acting, she's also not completing a meaningful character arc. A character arc shouldn't be superimposed on a story, it should happen because of the story. How the character responds to meaningful antagonistic forces (which includes how she tries to solve problems), creates the character arc. The antagonists challenge her to change, or test her resolve. That can't really happen if she's not doing anything.

At the end of the bathtub scene, ask yourself: Has the protagonist's goal or plan shifted? Has her belief system been challenged or tested by antagonists? 

If the answer is no, you likely haven't progressed the story.

2. The Character doesn't Demonstrate Agency

The protagonist needs to be making meaningful choices. For those choices to be impactful, they will be shown by the character taking significant action or revealing important information. Otherwise, his choice never leaves his skull, and therefore doesn't actually matter. So what if he thinks about what he wants to do? Real decisions will be shown. 

We all think about things (goals, plans, or otherwise) that we don't actually pursue. If someone thinks about fixing your leaky roof, but never shows up, who cares? If someone thinks they can help with your relationship problems, but never reveals any advice, does it matter? Not really.

Because the role of the protagonist is to be a driver (and not just the antagonist's passive victim), he needs to act on choices to try to achieve goals and solve problems (which helps move the story forward).

Many writers mistakenly think that making the protagonist a passive victim makes him more sympathetic and likable. In reality, the opposite is true. An active protagonist who demonstrates agency is more sympathetic, because he carries some level of responsibility and accountability for any negative outcomes that happen (plus, he also shows us how badly he wants his goal). We all have random crap happen to us. It's more painful and sympathetic when well-intentioned choices lead to heartbreak. (For more on this topic, scroll down to #4 on this post.)

Not demonstrating agency, again likely means the plot or character arc isn't moving forward (and that your protagonist isn't interesting.)

3. Lack of Immediacy

With the "interesting" stuff happening in the character's head instead of concretely, the bathtub story lacks immediacy. The story isn't unfolding for the audience, and because the character is confined to introspection, she's not impacting anything at hand. A lack of immediacy almost always means a lack of tension. If there isn't a current threat, there isn't potential for problems to happen.

4. Focuses on the Past

Speaking of a lack of immediacy . . . bathtub scenes almost always segue into one or more flashbacks, which are likewise frequently frowned upon. Bathtub scenes at least usually focus on the past (even if there is no official flashback.)

Writers tend to look at the past--how the character got to where he is now, or how the current situation came about. While that can be meaningful for the writer, it's often boring for the audience. Or at least less interesting.

The past has already happened. You can't change it. What the character or antagonist does now, won't influence what happened then. (Well, unless you are writing a time travel story, but let's assume you're not).

Instead, the audience wants to be in the present, which holds more tension (or it should, if you've set up your story right). In fact, they actually prefer to lean into the future on a regular basis. The future hasn't happened yet, so it's more exciting, and what the character does now, will (or should) alter the future. While the audience likely can't verbalize it, they want you to imagine the different paths forward the story could go, and then convey them on the page. This is what creates stakes. Stakes are potential consequences. They are about what could happen if a certain condition is met. And what could happen is exactly the sort of thing that hooks and reels readers in.

Think about it. At the most basic level, hooks work by getting the audience to look forward to a later point in the story--to anticipate something they may read later (or soon). So, they keep reading.

You want to regularly lay out what could happen, and almost always in relation to the protagonist or antagonist. If the protagonist successfully does X, then Y will happen. If the antagonist successfully does A, then B will happen. Now the audience needs to see if the protagonist successfully does X or the antagonist successfully does Y. (Or something of that sort.)

In fact, one of the few times visiting the past works well (including with flashbacks), is when doing so provides insight that could affect the future.

5. It's Abstract

If there isn't a flashback, then chances are the bathtub scene is full of abstracts and hypotheticals. The character is musing or even pontificating about the meaning of life, love, society, or what it means to be a homo sapien.

A story that is full of abstracts, often isn't as interesting. This relates to the "Show, don't Tell" rule. Stories are almost always more effective when they appeal to the senses and render a concrete world. 

Even if you do want to write about love, it's usually more effective to "show" it, than tell it. (And if you tell it too much, in the wrong way, the story may sound preachy.)

6. Hurts Pacing

For all of the reasons stated above, the bathtub scene almost always leads to poor pacing. The lack of proper plot elements (and often, the lack of proper structure), paired with too much introspection focused on the past or abstracts, kills immediacy and brings pacing to a grinding halt.

If the story isn't going anywhere, then the reader is probably out before you can say "bubble bath." Maybe they'd rather watch paint dry and do their own pontificating in the tub.

Now that we've talked about all the problems, let's get into how to fix a bathtub scene!

How to Fix the Bathtub Scene

1. Get Out of the Bath

Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you?

Get the character out of the "bath" (or off her walk or away from the dishes) and put her where the action is. Or better said, where the true antagonist and conflict is (and that doesn't always mean a "bad guy" or a fistfight or shouting match (see links)).

2. Give the Character a (Current) Goal and an Antagonist

Give your character a current goal with a plan she can start taking current action toward. At the basic level, there are three types of goals: obtain, avoid, or maintain. Any of them is fine, as long as the goal has an antagonistic force opposing it.

Often big goals will break down into little goals, which turn into scene goals. So really, most scenes should have a goal for that scene.

The (scene) goal should be significant, meaning whether or not the character achieves the goal somehow shifts the direction of the story and influences what happens in the near future.

A goal to shave your legs in a bathtub or wash the plates probably isn't significant enough to merit a scene. It's unlikely those goals have the potential to shift the plot's trajectory or affect the character arc. (If they do, well, that might be a reason for a rule break.)

For a scene, the shift doesn't have to be huge, but it needs to be impactful enough to somewhat alter the protagonist's path forward.

The shift for an act should be bigger.

And the shift for the whole story should be huge (read: super impactful).

If you have a bathtub act or literally an entire bathtub book, you probably have a major problem.

3. Demonstrate Choices, through Action and Revealing Knowledge (Information)

As per #2 above, make sure your character is demonstrating agency. A choice doesn't matter if it doesn't leave his head. His choices should be shown in how he interacts with others and the environment. If he chooses to fix a leaky roof, he needs to actually get his tools and climb the ladder. If he chooses to give relationship advice, he needs to open his mouth and reveal his knowledge there to another individual. Thinking about it isn't enough.

4. Write in the Present

Do you really need that flashback or long introspection about the past? For most newer writers, the answer is no. If the info isn't contributing to the plot (how to get the goal, how to defeat the antagonist, how to resolve a conflict, or how to influence consequences), or the character's journey (her heart's deepest desire or her character arc), or the theme (what the story is exploring and arguing), then there is a 99% chance it doesn't need to be in the story. If it does affect those things, it may be worth including. Ask, does taking it out "hurt" or weaken one of those elements I listed?

If the past info really needs to be in the story, does it have to come through a bathtub scene? Is there a way it can come into the story other than straight-up introspection? Can it be "exposition turned into ammunition"? Can mentioning it contribute to the present, or better, the near future? Is there a way the story can be organized so that it happens in real time? Sometimes the flashback can actually be moved into the present by starting the scene or story just a little earlier (though this depends how far back in the past the flashback takes place).

Strive to focus on the present, and even mention the near future. Sprinkle the past in when it contributes to, and doesn't take away from, what is currently playing out.

5. Be Concrete

Show more than tell. (That's really all that needs to be said here.)

When to Use a Bathtub Story

With everything terrible a bathtub story brings in, is it ever a good idea to write one?

All rules are really more like guidelines and can be broken effectively, when handled with care.

In order to do that though, you have to understand why the rule exists, so you can downplay the costs that come with straying off the proven path.

So, now that we understand why the bathtub story is a problem and how you can fix it, let's marry what we've learned and talk about how to make one work.

1. You're Writing a Frame Story

A frame story is a story within a story. It will open with a character telling a story, and end with him finishing it. It's also possible that more than one story is told by the character.

The main story, is the story within the story, which essentially comes from the speaker's memory, so it is usually part of the past, as well as part of his mind.

I'm personally not a big fan of this method, but it does exist and can be useful in providing additional context for the main story. It's also usually more effective when the main story is affecting whatever is currently or about to happen to the speaker.

Obviously a frame story often acts as a sort of bathtub story.

2. The Antagonist is the Self, and this is Internal Conflict

A bathtub story or scene may work if the character is in (meaningful) conflict with himself. We are often cautioned against using a lot of introspection, but if a character is having internal conflict, then he both holds a goal and is also his own antagonistic force. This can be used to create a sort of rising action, as long as the proper plot elements are in place. It is a wrestle within the mind (or perhaps, between the mind and heart.) The climactic moment, the turning point, is the character coming to a definitive decision.

With that said, however, as Ross Hartmann points out in The Structure of Story, it's usually more effective to dramatize or "show" the internal conflict. Have the character take one action toward one outcome in one beat, and then an action toward the opposing outcome in the next.

But depending on where in story structure the internal conflict shows up, it may be handled better one way over another . . . 

3. You're in the Falling Action

Story structure is a fractal. Not only should the story as a whole have a rising action, climax, and falling action, but inside of that, so should each act, and so should each scene. 

During the rising action, the character should (almost) always be proactive. During the falling action, almost always, the character is reactive. She's reacting to whatever just happened.

If you are familiar with Dwight V. Swain's approach to scenes, this is essentially what he calls the "sequel."

At this point in the structure, it may not matter too much what the character is doing physically, what matters is how she is reacting, and then, what she decides to do next.

If you are in the falling action, it may be perfectly acceptable to write a (short) bathtub story.

4. It's Focused on the Future

As mentioned above, we are often cautioned against writing a lot of introspection. This is in part because writers often focus introspection on the past.

But when the introspection is focused on the future--what could happen if a goal is or is not reached and/or what the character plans to do next--then it becomes more relevant and more interesting. In fact, not only does it not take away from the story, but it can strengthen the plot. Introspection can be used well to lay out significant stakes. And, technically, this could be done in a "bathtub."

Just make sure having the character think about the future, leads to him soon taking action to try to influence it.

5. The Point is to Show Nothing is Happening

In rare, rare situations, the point of a scene may be to illustrate that nothing important is happening, and no changes are taking place. Such scenes almost never work (and if anything, are usually better conveyed in summary), but, someday, in some story, you may find yourself in need of such a moment. A bathtub scene might arguably work there. 

Just don't make it longer than it needs to be to get the point across.

There are a couple of other times you may get away with a bathtub scene: if it's somehow contributing to theme, or if it's super entertaining or intriguing. 

All in all, be cautious.

They fail more often than they succeed. 

#writing tips and tricks #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing tips #Let's Write #writing resources #writing #writer stuff

[suniix]

02 | miyamura x reader

synopsis | moving to your grandma’s house is one step closer to helping you achieve your lifelong goal of having a normal high school year, but meeting a cute baker wasn’t part of the plan.

word count | 1k+

note | double posting today because why not. also, the show the reader’s grandma is watching is called la que no podía amar! i used that show because my grandma used to watch it and recently heard the intro song and it got stuck in my head lol

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You watched through the car window as buildings seemingly blurred together. Trees bloomed with bright flowers, a symbol that spring was here. The music playing in the car was drowned out by your own music playing. The low rumbling of the bumpy car was almost enough to lull you to sleep— almost.

The excitement of finally being able to live a normal high school life was enough to keep you awake.

Your mother shifted the rear view mirror to look at you through it. She saw you staring out the window with your earbuds in and lowered the volume of the music playing on the radio. She coughed twice which caught your attention. "So.. are you excited for the new school year?"

"Oh.. yea, I am."

Then there was silence.

You nervously tapped your foot, not liking the awkward atmosphere that now formed in the car. It was beginning to feel suffocating.

The relationship you had between your parents was complicated. You love them, truly, but their manner of parenting often left you wondering if they shared the same love for you. Their work had them constantly moving around and part of you hated them for not allowing you to make permanent friends. Sometimes it seemed as though you were never meant to fit into their busy lives.

The car slowly came to a stop in front of an unfamiliar yet familiar house. "Alright, we're here!" Your mom exclaimed, attempting to rid the awkward atmosphere.

You exited the car and took a moment to observe your grandma's house. You know you’ve seen this house before, but now the memory feels like a distant dream. The house was surprisingly big for someone who lived alone. The windows on the second floor were open and the curtains were drawn which allowed you to see a room's brown colored walls—a nice contrast to the cream color that decorated outside the house.

You heard your mother call and quickly turned your head to see her unloading your things from the trunk, motioning for you to come over and help. Grabbing a few of your bags you walk over to the front door and set them down on the floor.

You raise a hand to knock on the door but are disrupted by the sound of a wind chime ringing. It's a soft jingle, one that makes you stop to feel the breeze that comes with the sound. The colors of the wind chime are faded, most likely due to the sun's harsh rays, but the melody remains beautiful.

Your attention snaps back to the door once you hear it begin to creak open, revealing a familiar face you're happy to see. "Grandma!" You smile and reach out to hug her.

She chuckles and hugs back firmly. "Welcome home! You've grown so much over the years!" Simply hearing her voice made you feel at home.

She helped bring your bags inside despite you repeatedly telling her she didn't have to. She would just wave you off and respond with 'I know I'm old but my bones aren't made out of glass.'

You followed her up the stairs and she showed you your new room. The room had brown colored walls, a bed, and a drawer. You place your bags down and look out the window, noticing this was the same room you had been looking into earlier.

You walk out of the house to see if you forgot anything, only to see your mother closing the trunk of her car. She turned to look at you with a sad smile on her face. You both knew it was time.

You hated goodbyes. Despite you having to say goodbye many times you never got good at it.

She walked over to you and gently hugged you. "I'm sorry.. I know your dad and I haven't been the best of parents lately, but we still love you. I hope you enjoy this opportunity and make lots of friends."

You slowly wrapped your arms around her, returning the hug. It had been awhile since you'd hugged her, and now it'll be another awhile before you see her again.

The day passes quickly as you settle into your new life.

Your grandma would occasionally pop in to offer you pieces of sliced fruit which you gratefully accepted. By the time you finish unpacking the sun had already set and your body ached, begging you to rest. You gave in and plopped onto your new bed.

It didn't take long for you to unpack since you didn't have many items, but organizing everything was a tedious task that quickly became tiring. Slowly your room was beginning to feel like home. You were sure the feeling would only grow with the new memories you'd make.

Right! You quickly sat up in your bed. I should start by getting to know my grandma more!

Upon exiting your room you found your grandma sitting on the couch alone while watching a show. A sense of pity befell you at the sight, how many years had she sat on that couch alone?

Shaking that sad thought you stepped forward and sat next to her. Your grandma turned to look at you and smiled, "How're feeling sweetie?"

Your heart swelled at the sweet nickname. "I'm doing alright, what show are you watching?"

"Ah, I have no idea what it's called since it's in another language, but right now the main girl just took a job to take care of some boss to help her aunt with money. The guy she's taking care of is so rude! If I were her, I would've thrown him off his wheelchair and left to find a new job!"

You held back a laugh. Despite her joking nature you had a feeling she wasn't lying— she didn't seem like the type to put up with someone's nasty attitude.

"Do you want some coffee? We can drink some together as we watch the show." Your grandma offered.

You nodded happily. The late night cold air was beginning to seep through the windows and a warm cup of coffee would be a great way to warm yourself up.

Your grandma rummaged around the kitchen before coming out with two warm cups of coffee. She placed them on the small table in front of the TV and went back to the kitchen to bring back something to snack on. "Ah, we're out of coffee cake.. could you run down to the bakery and grab some?"

A chance to explore the neighborhood! "Sure!" You answered and walked over to the door, quickly slipping on your shoes.

Your grandma walked outside with you and slipped a fluffy sweater over your shoulders. "The bakery is just about three blocks down that way, then you take a left and walk straight. There's a sign outside, you can't miss it." She pointed down the street.

You nodded and walked in the direction she pointed in. You decided to walk slowly to familiarize yourself with the neighborhood. The lights in most of the houses were turned off since it was late, but the street lamps lit the way to your destination.

The walk was mostly silent, except for the occasional meow from a stray cat. Several of them had walked up to you begging for pets. It seemed like the cats welcomed you to the neighborhood.

The breeze nipped at your cheeks and nose making them feel numb. Your grandma was right to lend you a sweater, it was a cold night.

Your grandma was also right about easily finding the shop. Outside was a colorful sign promoting their special of the day, cinnamon rolls. Mm.. sounds tempting.. you thought. The soft chime of a bell was heard once you opened the door, complimenting the sweet smell of baked goods. It was warm and welcoming, along with the cashier's smile.

“Hello,” He bowed, “welcome to Cake Shop Iori. Our special for today is cinnamon rolls, would you be interested in any?”

Walking up to the counter you quickly glanced at the menu behind him before making your choice. “Hello, and yes! I’ll have a cinnamon roll with two slices of coffee cake to go please.”

He nodded before pulling out two bags from behind the counter and picking out the baked goods. You took this moment to admire him. His long black hair was pulled back in a half ponytail, revealing several of his piercings. His eyes were a vibrant blue and his bottom lashes were long, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t jealous. This guy was on a whole another level of beautiful, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you knew him from somewhere.

“Um, your order is ready..”

Crap! Your face flushed in embarrassment as you realized he caught you staring. How long was I staring for? This is so awkward! You quickly pulled out your wallet to pay.

“Sorry for staring, I’ve just.. never seen someone with so many piercings.” You apologized, coming up with an excuse in an attempt to save your dignity.

He chuckled, “It’s alright, I get that a lot when I go out.”

You hand him the money and he accepts it. You watch as he pushes some buttons on the register and begins pulling out your change. “This might sound like a stupid question, but.. did it hurt?” You asked.

He paused for a moment before looking up at you confused. “I’m sorry?”

You quickly point to his ears. “Your piercings! I mean obviously I know it hurt, but did it hurt like really really bad?”

He smiled and shook his head handing you for change. “Like you said, they did hurt a bit. The higher I went up on my eat the more it hurt.”

“Ohh, well they definitely suit you!” You smile and slip the change into your pocket, grabbing the two bags containing your food.

You wave at him goodbye and exit the store, not noticing the rosy tint on his cheeks. On your way back home you try and think if there was any possible way you’ve seen that cashier somewhere else before, only to come up with nothing. Your mind wanders back to his blue eyes and suddenly a memory hidden deep within the back of your mind resurfaces.

A lonely boy standing in the back of the class all alone.

You wonder what happened to him after you left.

thank you for reading till the end! :D

taglist | @swtstrwbrri @aizawa-hatake

#hori san to miyamura kun #horimiya #horimiya x reader #izumi miyamura #izumi miyamura x reader #miyamura x reader

[gamequoteshowdown]

Quote 1: "We do not have much connection, you and I. Still, this encounter feels special. I hope you won't mind if i think of you as a friend" - Solanum, Outer Wilds

Quote 2: "Why are we still here, just to suffer? Every night I can feel my leg and my arm, even my fingers. The body I've lost, the comrades I've lost, it won't stop hurting. It's like they're all still there, you feel it too, don't you?" - Kazuhira Miller, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Propaganda

Quote 1:

The whole game centers around the Nomai and their sudden deaths. A whole species wiped out in an instant without rhyme or reason to reach Sol you have to go through the same tests and trials a Nomai would've taken to reach adulthood. All the while you're learning about these long dead people and how much they loved and lost. The echo they leave on the story is massive and is entirely through the writing on walls or logs they left behind. You hear about the couple separated by miles of space not knowing if the other survived. But they're dead. You follow the path the young of the dead once walked. There is a quantum moon that appears and disappears randomly landing on which is the goal of the trials. You learn what the dead once learned and are able to get onto the shifting moon and head to the place these people once worshipped. You've spent hours learning about them. You've spent hours reading the words of ghosts. Against all odds as you approach the place of worship. someone is THERE. A single Nomai who had traveled to the quantum moon to complete her trials just as the entire Nomai population was wiped. The quantum moon exists in several different states- Sol's corpse can be found on every single one but the final one where she lives. She is Schrodinger's Nomai and the only one left. You can speak to her by combining images together. The language gap is too big for proper communication. You combine the images of her and yourself. She has never met you. You have met her ghost hundreds of times. She is stained on the ruins of her people. She is their last whisper of their existence.Your people walk in the massive footprints they left behind and here you are finally meeting them. What is this meeting but special?I have 60 hours in this game. 60 hours of reaching out to the stars and learning of the pain and happiness and grief of the Nomai. What else could describe that relationship; if not 'Friend'? Anyways all this to say i let out the WILDEST sound when i saw Sol. Its dozens of hours thinking youll never meet them than BAM Sol comes into view. I cried when she called me friend. It rlly is a culmination of the whole game and the story of the Nomai - @the-silver-vessel, written in tags of first round

Quote 2: Iconic and memed to death but most people haven't actually played the game its from. Good delivery and pretty touching if you've played the game/series and know the context - Submitter

#polls #tumblr polls #tournament poll #tournament polls #game quote showdown #solanum outer wilds #outer wilds #mgs #mgs 5

[oristendir]

I haven't posted in a while, but I'm working on this twst oc fic (working is a very loose term because it's all in my head and I'm struggling to write anything down), so I thought I'd post an little snippet of it here.

For context, my OC is named Eve Stirling. He reincarnated from a fantasy world that had it's own magic. Backstory wise, he was an orphan on the streets who was picked up by a noble and trained to be a bodyguard/ personal attendant. The noble turned out to be the 'villain' of the story (not that anybody knows that), but Eve was extremely devoted to him, called him Master, blah blah blah. Long story short, the 'villain' got defeated and killed by the worlds hero, and despite Eve's best efforts, the hero's part did not kill him out of misguided assumptions of innocence. Ultimately, Eve died after avenging his master, and reincarnated into TWST, where he becomes a painter (only so that he can make portraits of his Master), and is desperately trying to find a way to bring his Master back to life in this world, or travel back to his original world to revive him there. He get's placed into Pomefiore during the sorting (not rlly important here but it felt right that you know)

The snippet takes place during the Scarabia chapter. Eve is commissioned by Kalim to make him a painting that captures Scrabia's essence (kalim's words, not mine lmfao).

Lotta backstory, but I feel like it's necessary lol. The snippet is under the cut!

“Ah, yes.” Viper coughs lightly, “My apologies, but I have a request.”

-----------

“Can I help you, Mr. Viper?” he asks without turning around.

Eve finishes the stroke and gently wipes his paintbrush before setting it down. Truly, what Viper thinks important enough to interrupt him after being specifically asked not to, he doesn’t know. 

“What is it?” he turns around and startles at how close Viper is standing. He didn’t even hear him approach.

What on earth…?

“There’s something in your eye. Let me get it out for you.” Viper reaches up and gently brings Eve’s face down level with his own. Their eyes lock.

The world turns black.

-

“The one you see reflected in your eyes is your master. Answer me when I ask. Bow when I command. Snake Whisper.”

-

Stirling falls, which is an unusual reaction in and of itself.

Jamil glances down at the prone form on the ground and crouches to check his pulse. He’s not dead… surely… it would be quite the hassle if Sterling did die right now, considering numerous people are interested in his well being.

No, the pulse is still strong. Not dead, thankfully. But still unconscious.

“Of all the troublesome reactions…” Jamil mutters as he drags the other man onto the bed. “You just had to faint, didn’t you? What kind of weak…”

Jamil cuts himself off as Sterling begins to shift. He prepares to knock the other man out at any sign of trouble. He can’t afford to have any unknown variables appear at this stage of his plan.

Sterling groans and sits up, clutching at his head.

Abnormal reaction. The spell didn’t work.

Why, exactly, the spell didn’t work is a mystery for another time, when Jamil’s entire life goal is not about to be shattered into pieces. He moves to grab his magic pen, only to freeze when Sterling snaps his head over. He stares at Jamil. Jamil stares back. Sterling’s face begins to flush, and the look in his eyes as he gazes at Jamil…

It’s almost reverent. A gaze of love, devotion, loyalty, relief; everything the Asim family has ever expected of Jamil, packed hypnotically in eyes so deep, Jamil almost drowns in them.

He feels like a god under that gaze.

Sterling opens his mouth, face flushing. His voice comes out wispy and faint, barley making a noise. The words seem to come out almost involuntarily, the way they push so lightly past his lips, hanging in the air with all the weight of the world.

“... Master…?”

-

Eve wakes up dazed, head pounding, staring up at the ceiling of his temporary room in Scarabia. He sits up, groaning and clutches his head as his headache intensifies. He feels the same as he did back when he trained against Master, body battered and aching. 

He grips his head tighter, and then freezes as the presence next to him makes itself known.

That aura…

Eve whips his head around, disbelieving and nearly breaks down.

A man sits next to him, glorious as the day Eve saw him last. Black hair perfectly straight, falling like silk strands around a strong form; skin pale and scarred from battle, stretched perfectly across sharp features; eyes red like the rubies inlaid upon his crown. A man sits next to him, staring down at him with amusement.

Eve could cry. 

My God, My World, My Everything..!

My-

The image flashes briefly, pale skin turning tan, sharp features turning sly, before it settles back into place. Eve’s eyes white out in pain.

“...Master…?”

#sorry if jamils ooc i did my best #PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK I THRIVE WITH ATTENTION #also if you have any question feel free to ask me them #i love answering asks #disney twst #twst wonderland #twst oc #disney twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #twisted wonderland fanfiction #twst jamil #jamil viper #twst jamil viper #twisted wonderland jamil #twst fanfic #twst fanfiction

[marumarielle]

hi !! i was reading through ur shifting info and i realised we have similar methods! pls feel free to correct if im wrong, i’m not sure what a memory skim is exactly, but from what it sounds like, you briefly go through the memories of your DR ? if that’s the case, thats more or less what i do before going through my senses.

i’ve brought that up because despite my consistency with my method and falling asleep in the state of wish fulfilled, i still haven’t shifted and keep waking up in my bedroom. granted i’ve only been doing this method for a week-ish so it’s not as long as other shifters, but its kinda getting tiring to keep waking up in my CR despite feeling otherwise. i feel as though i’m doing everything right, and i’m following with what resonates with me, but somehow i still haven’t shifted :(

would you have any advice for me?? thanks for taking the time to read this :DD btw sorry if its incoherent i wrote this at 2am 😭

Hi love! My answer is quite long so I'm sorry if it's a lot to process all at once but if you have any more clarifications, don't hesitate to ask me!💖

First and foremost, yes, you are right about the memory skim part. I usually just go through memories that are important to me or just make me feel like I already am in my DR which helps with taking my mind off my CR. Now, the shifting part. It is important for you to know that I've also been through the same thing so you're not alone in this, anon.

My advice? Only be concerned with your inner world. imagination.

Since the 4D is what the 3D follows, why are you concerned with "waking up here" in your CR? Imagination is the only reality. The goal isn't for you to see your wish physically but rather to feel fulfilled within. Because the point of loassumption is to fulfill yourself (which is what I think a lot of people miss). The 3D "materialising" is just a bonus.

"Going back and forth to fulfillment and desire is to wander aimlessly." —Edward Art. I've fallen asleep in the wish fulfilled state and woke up having "not shifted" did I care? No! Because I fulfilled myself within. If I truly understood law of assumption I wouldn't be concerned with the 3D since it is just a mere consequence. If I knew that in my imagination I've been in my DR, I am there because imagination is the only reality that I should concern myself with. It doesn't matter if I did the steps right, or meditated for 5 minutes, if I don't have faith that I have indeed shifted despite what my senses tell me, I'll go back to living in desire.

★ You need to stay faithful to your new assumption despite what your senses are telling you. Abandon your old assumption, that "I haven't shifted", because you're not going anywhere. If you keep going back to persisting in the assumption or belief that you haven't shifted yet, you won't shift. Change the way your inner world works. Shift your attention to what you want and not what you don't want. And in no time shifting will feel natural to you.

That's all anon! I hope l answered your question. Remember that you are all that you need, happy shifting!

#maruniverse #law of assumption blog #law of assumption #neville goddard #shifting blog #reality shifter #realityshifting #4d reality #reality shifting #shiftblr #shifting #shifters #reality shift #shifting diary

[captainjonnitkessler]

hey you're the only person whose atheism takes i actually like AND you share some fandoms with me so i wanna ask how you'd approach this cause i'm short on ideas

i'm a big fan of fantasy gods and religion (zelda, final fantasy, dnd, etc) but it always boils down to "The Gods are de facto real and good so we worship them" or "There are some Good and some Evil Gods" but I'm kinda religious-traumatized so every time I try to work with the setting (and don't get me wrong, I like it as fantasy worldbuilding!) I accidently don't know where to go except angst and cult-stuff

but I was wondering if you had some other ideas for an antitheist depicting fantasy gods that doesn't feel like opening old scars or staring into the abyss, or if you know any resources i can look at

I love this ask, religion in fantasy is something that does fascinate me! Because as you say, a lot of works have a pretty generic "these are the Good gods the good guys worship and these are the Bad gods that the bad guys worship", which is, y'know. Honestly fine, if religion isn't a big theme in the work, but is also overlooking a ton of potential.

I think in something like dnd, where the gods are demonstrably real and there's little to no argument about who they are and what they want, the debate shifts from "is this true?" to "this is true, but why should I care?" Do people think gods are inherently worthy of worship, or do they expect to get something in return? What do the gods have to offer their worshipers? What do they demand in return, and why? In what way does worshiping or not worshiping a god impact your average peasant's day to day life? What would draw someone to one god over another? Dnd gods usually aren't all-powerful, so in what ways are they limited and how do they deal with that? Are the gods trying to achieve some sort of goal, and if so why? If your protagonist is worshiping someone, is it important to them or is it something they just do out of habit/family tradition?

I'm also a fan of the Terry Pratchett method of "the gods are real and are mostly minor annoyances". I mean sure, they're there, but you don't go around believing in them, because it would be like believing in a table. I think this is a funny option when you want to keep the gods around as part of the setting, but don't really want to do any religious narrative stuff. (Although as Pterry proves in Small Gods, you can also use this setup for a very powerful narrative if you so choose.)

And for my own part, I mostly ignore religion when I'm writing for the same reason I ignore romance: I simply don't care about it and don't want to write about it so I pretend it doesn't exist. My world now baby!!

As far as resources go - I haven't listened to much of the Writing Excuses podcast so I can't guarantee quality, but they do have a few episodes focusing on writing different types of religion in fantasy that might be worth checking out.

Anyway I'm opening this up to the floor because I would genuinely love to hear other people's takes on this. There's SO much potential for fantasy religious worldbuilding that I think gets overlooked in favor of "good vs evil pantheon" or "catholic church with the serial number filed off".

#i hope this helps or at least makes sense; i feel like it's a little all over the place #but thank you for asking! and in regards to your second ask no worries at all! #it just took me a bit to get to answering bc i didn't have my laptop and i don't like typing long stuff on my phone #atheism #skepticism umbrella

[berry-hwa]

As per my suggestion...!!

heres the promised mermaid au fic!!! I might not ever finish it because theres a lot of worldbuilding and writing stuff that i dont have time for😔i havent looked over this in a while and it isnt beta read either so ignore any mistakes!! All that aside now, pls enjoy!!

Well, here I am.

Looking up, her expression hardly wavered at the luxurious and magnificent hotel she stood in front of.

Here it is. Tres Spades.

Her glance shifted low to the dark blue dress she wore specifically for the famous I.V.C held at the hotel. Her pearl necklace reflected the huge amount of light from both the inside and outside and her silk, white gloves held onto a matching white clutch. She wasn't gonna look like anyone present at the party, but she was fine with that. The party wasn't what was on her mind anyway, it didn't matter if she stood out or not.

All she had to do was get to the penthouse.

Walking through crowds and crowds of people, her white heels clicked with every step she took on the recently cleaned floor. As she reached the room the I.V.C was held at, she was suddenly startled by someone talking behind her.

"Woah! I've never seen you around here. Is this your first time attending the I.V.C perhaps?"

She spun around to find two men looking at her, their eyes not leaving hers. She recognized one of the two almost instantly.

"Oh! Why yes, this is my first time here. I was looking for Mr. Ichinomiya? He was supposed to escort me to the party." She flashed a radiant smile, hoping to catch the two off-guard. As she stared at them, she realized the identity of the second man who strangely wore a fedora hat.

"Oh! We're his accomplices, and I haven't heard anything about you from Mr. Ichinomiya...would you give us your name?" The blonde smiled, crossing his arms and waiting for an answer. Her heart slowly began beating faster as she thought of a made-up name.

"Misaki. My name is Misaki." She extended her hand out for a handshake, which the brunette took and gave the back of it a gentle kiss. Her heartbeat slowly went back to normal and her smile slightly fell.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady. My name is Mitsunari Baba, but you can call me Micchy or Mitsu for short. And you probably already know who my friend is." Baba glanced back and forth between the blonde and the woman.

"Of course, Kisaki Ota. I'd be ashamed if I didn't know who you were." She bowed and internally cringed, her patience slowly running low. She wasn't here to chat up some men...but, if they managed to get her up to the penthouse, at least the lying would be worth it.

"You flatter me Miss Misaki! Now, what was that about Mr. Ichinomiya escorting you to the I.V.C?"

"Ah, right. We talked over the phone weeks prior to the I.V.C, but he must have forgotten. He's a busy man after all, and so am I." Lying in situations as such was her specialty, but for some reason she felt as if she was being read easily. Can they tell?

"Boss is a very busy man. If you'd like, we could escort you around the I.V.C ourselves?" Baba gave her a handsome smile that would swoon women in her place, but she was barely phased. It wasn't her job to begin flirting with a thief.

She tried to shake off the unusual feeling she felt when she realized Ota's smile had also fallen a bit as he stared at her. Not at her, but her necklace specifically. The only explanation that sat right with her was that he'd been looking at it from an artist's point of view. She didn't know if he realized the necklace was made out of real pearls, however.

"I would appreciate it very much, Mitsunari." She smiled again for the sake of being polite.

From nearly getting lost in the sea of people to stumbling upon a mysterious looking hallway and being sold at a black market auction held in the basement of the hotel, she was only a few steps away from her goal. It didn't matter who bought her, she would escape them either way. Her eyes were set on finding one man and that man only. Her surprise when she heard she was sold to seat #100 came as a shock even to her. She fell right into the hands of the man she had her eyes on.

The cage she sat in had been carried all the way up to the penthouse, her heart racing as she realized how close she was to her target. Even if they didn't speak and wore masks, she knew exactly who the two men that carried her up there were as well.

And when she was brought in, she found herself face to face with him. Eisuke Ichinomiya.

"Who are you?"

"Boss, this is the lady that we-"

"If you let me out of this cage, I will tell you exactly who I am and what I'm doing here."

She stared at the five men who stared back at her. Her smile from earlier was replaced with a fierce gaze at Eisuke, who was staring at her cautiously.

"And how do we know you don't have any ulterior motives?" A strong looking man stood up which she quickly identified as Soryu, Eisuke's childhood friend and a mobster.

"If your security is good at checking whether or not people have weapons on them, then you don't have to be afraid Mr. Oh." She held her chin high and smiled internally at his slightly bewildered face.

"...You know who we are?" Eisuke spoke, eyebrows narrowing as he stared at her through his eyelashes. She could sense he was conflicted and a little confused.

"I know you all. And we'd be able to talk like normal people if you let me out of this cage," She crossed her arms, gaze not faltering as she stared back at Eisuke, "But we probably already know the phrase "normal people" doesn't suit you at all, right Ichinomiya?"

She saw his eyebrow twitch. As she guessed earlier, Baba and Ota took their masks off, their gazes switching back and forth between the woman and Eisuke.

"Is your definition of a succesful individual 'abnormal'?" Eisuke crossed his arms and took a sip of his wine, placing it on the table in front of him afterwards.

"I think we both know what I mean here." Her gaze went to the wine glass in front of him. Lowering her open palm, she aimed it directly at the glass before knocking it over, the wine spilling on Eisuke's leg.

All the men's eyes widened and Eisuke swiftly stood up, panic evident on his features.

"Eisuke, go!" Soryu suddenly yelled at him. Realizing he had to move as fast as he could, he dashed towards the staircase with a curse, managing to make it up before anyone could see anything.

When they made sure he was out of sight, everyone shot a glare at the woman. Only Ota seemed to stand still, still comprehending what had just happened.

"What the hell was that?" Soryu approached the cage, gun in hand now. The woman only grinned as the realization that she'd indeed found the man she was looking for began setting in.

"I think you know exactly what it was." Her fingers tapped at the golden cage as the mobster stared her down. She felt confident knowing she wouldn't be killed in that moment after what she did. They needed answers and she was aware of that. There was also no way they'd let her go unless they heard the full story, unless they didn't let her go at all. She was bought by them after all.

"I...don't get it. How did you knock over that glass?" Baba stared, still a little stunned. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the thief who was looking at her for an answer.

"I'm pretty sure you know that as well." Before looking away, she caught a glimpse of Ota looking almost...solemn, as he stared off into the distance.

"Come on now, you can't all play dumb. I'm here for one reason and one reason only."

"And that is?"

"Eisuke."

Soryu stared at her once more with a stern look on his face. Was he gonna let her out? She made it clear she'd explain everything if she was out of the cage...but how could he trust her like that? Especially when he didn't even know her name?

"Open the cage Mitsunari." A deep voice from the back spoke, the woman recognizing it as Mamoru's. At least he's not entirely stupid, as much as he is lazy.

Baba hesitantly reached into his pocket to take out a key, Soryu stepping away to make space. Opening the cage, the woman stepped out, arms crossed over one another. The men continued to stare at her for a moment before they heard footsteps coming from the staircase.

Her eyes immediately locked with Eisuke's as she looked up. He looked both furious and confused as he walked down each step.

"I'm gonna ask this one last time. Who are you and what are you doing here?" Making his way towards her, he stood in-between Baba and Soryu, eyes staring daggers into the woman. He only recieved a grin in return.

"I heard a siren call from miles away, and it lead me here in your hotel."

The CEO stared in pure confusion. He almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded. A siren call. Is she for real?

Sure, it might not have sounded...that ridiculous, given the situation he was suddenly thrust into in less than twenty seconds. His eyes traveled to her neck adorned by the pearl necklace. He could feel his throat going dry even as he swallowed.

Those are real pearls.

And, sure, seeing real pearls hung on a string as an accessory wasn't the most unusual thing Eisuke had seen. But the way this woman was dressed bewildered him.

He estimated the cost of both her dress and heels were most probably around 200 dollars. Her gloves were made of silk, therefore they had to have been a little expensive. The pearls were what threw him off. A single, real white pearl was already expensive, but her necklace consisted of at least thirty pearls that varied in colors and shapes. He even recognized one of the rarest blue pearls hung onto the string, and he could feel the nervousness bubbling to the surface the more he stared.

"You've...gotta be kidding right?" The thief asked, gaze shifting to Eisuke who tried so hard to keep his expression as neutral as possible. Both him and Soryu were begining to catch onto the situation.

"I'm very serious. I came here specifically to talk to Eisuke, on behalf of my people."

"Your...people?" Puzzled, Soryu raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes now also shifting to look at Eisuke.

"I know what you are Eisuke. And we need your help." The woman's tone slowly morphed into one of pleading, as did her expression. Eisuke stared for what seemed like hours before sighing and turning his back to her.

"You have five minutes to explain."

"Five?!"

"Yes, only five."

She stared at his back as he walked over to the couch and sat down, Soryu and Baba following. She was glad she got the opportunity to talk...but five minutes? Really?!

"Alright I...just, do you mind bringing a glass of water?" Her gaze went to the artist who seemed to think about her question a little longer than he had to before nervously answering.

"Sure..." He put on a smile and strode over to the kitchen in the penthouse. Taking a deep breath before exhaling, her gaze returned to Eisuke who now sat on the couch, waiting for his explanation.

"First of all, I'd like to apologize for barging in all of a sudden and spilling wine on you. You were probably all confused and angry, especially you, Ichinomiya." Her heels clicked as she walked over to the four men, Eisuke's eyebrows forming into a frown as he recalled what happened.

"Apologize another time, get to your story." He swiftly crossed his legs and rest his chin in his palm as he waited for her to begin, as if he were a teacher about to listen to a student's excuse for a missed assignment.

By the time she stopped staring Eisuke down, Ota had come back with a glass of water as she'd asked. Funny how she has barely been here for five minutes and is ordering people around as if she owns the penthouse.

Thanking the artist, she set the glass down on the coffee table and waited for Ota to grab a seat, only for him to stand next to the couch Baba, Soryu and Eisuke sat on.

"As I said...I know what you are, Eisuke. Even if you might not know exactly what you are, we desperately need your help." She began, voice brave despite her slowly plummetting spirit.

"Who is this "we" you've been throwing around?" Baba exclaimed before getting interrupted by the woman.

"I'll get there. Let me explain."

"You fell into a pool when you were young in London...right?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at Eisuke for his reaction. He definitely didn't disappoint. His eyes went wide and he was now listening to her more cautiously, the nervous feeling on the verge of overflowing.

"You became a mermaid. Or...a merman. Otherwise known as a siren." She explained like she was some lunatic, but Eisuke knew better than to assume that when she was right. Except he had no idea what she meant by the siren part of it.

"How do you know any of this. Only my manager and some acquaintances are aware of what happened. How did you manage to find out what happened a decade ago?"

"That's not important. What is important is that I'm a real mermaid born at sea, and my people have and I have been threatened by the human race for years," She looked down, remembering the last moments with her family before they were taken from her, "They sacrificed themselves so I would stay alive and get help."

"It took you this long to find me?" Eisuke interrupted, his thoughts now racing. Had she been stalking him? Did she somehow bribe someone to tell her about him? What kind of help did she need exactly?

"I've known about you ever since you fell into that pool. You see, I'm from Britain myself, and all of us have known about you ever since that day." She explained briefly, not leaving any room for questions as she continued quickly afterwards.

"You're the first merman to have ever fallen in the pool in that cave in nearly sixty years. It just so happened that you became a siren on the day the last merman transformed 43 years before you did." She briefly caught a glimpse at Ota looking down at the floor as if he was holding something back. Did he wanna ask a question?

She decided to ignore it, passing it as just him being lost in his thoughts.

"This is...too much information," Eisuke rubbed his temple, her words barely registering. He was finally used to being this weird form of a human after so long, and suddenly there's so much information shoved into him it's almost too overwhelming.

"You think? You gave me five minutes to explain, I'm using that time wisely." She may have been aware of the conflicted situation he was in at that moment as he slowly took in what she was saying. Still though, she figured she might as well drop the bomb as quickly as she could, even if it confused Eisuke at first.

"We've been looking for a siren for years now due to our problems with the human race. And that just so happened to be you..."

Her frightless demeanor began to wear off, quickly replaced by someone in genuine need of help. Eisuke stared at her, her words still registering. So he was a siren. Was it good that he finally knew his identity after so many years? He certainly didn't feel any better knowing, that's for sure. What if she was lying?

"Can you prove to me in any way that you're telling the truth?"

The woman stared at him. Of course, Eisuke Ichinomiya of all people would never believe some girl suddenly showing up at his penthouse, telling him he was a damn siren and that there were real mer-people living in the sea with no proof. The whole story seemed like a sick joke. Even if she knew things many others hadn't known, even if she held information that Eisuke had never revealed publicly...he had to know.

"If you'll allow me to," She raised her open palm once more and focused her energy on the glass of water in front of her. Soon enough, they saw what looked like a bubble rise out of the glass. Eisuke knew she wasn't lying the moment he saw the "bubble" rise higher and higher, but still wanted to see what she would do. As the water reached her head, her hand suddenly dropped to her side, as did the bubble. The CEO's eyes widened as it splashed over her head and he was already begining to count down the seconds it took for her to transform. No sooner than that did Baba get up and rushed over to her, holding her up by her arms as her legs disappeared and were replaced by a sparkling blue tail.

"Is that enough proof for you, Ichinomiya?"

#voltage inc #love 365: find your story #love 365 #kbtbb #kissed by the baddest bidder #kbtbb soryu #kbtbb eisuke #kbtbb baba #kbtbb ota #kbtbb mamoru #eisuke ichinomiya #soryu oh #baba mitsunari #ota kisaki #mamoru kishi #sooo how are yall doingggg....its been a little whileee.... #i hope whoever read this enjoyed it!! enjoyed having u around here soldier #and now i will disappear for another few months. goodbai #kbtbb fanfic

[gothhabiba]

I want to have conversations about Netflix's Persuasion that are very different from the ones I've seen. For the most part we seem to have retreated into a literary-textual discussion about what Jane Austen's Persuasion "means" or "is about" and how the adaptation differs from this "meaning" (in 'moral,' tone, composition, plot). At their best, these conversations take a socially situated view in speculating on why an adaptation (and all the people who go into making one) might have felt that changes in a specific direction were necessary or desirable in presenting Persuasion to a particular audience—at their worst (by which I mean: most mundance, least challenging), they merely catalogue how the adaptation is "different from" the text, including in terms of general historical inaccuracies, with a sense of indignation approaching to violation.*

I see people saying that the "modern" tone, dialogue, jokes, and narration style are out of place in what is supposedly (from dress, technology, and other details) a period piece—they specify that they don't mind modern adaptations (Clueless, even Bridget Jones' Diary is mentioned with generosity!) so long as they bill themselves as such (e.g. "if they wanted to make a modern adaptation, they should have just made a modern adaptation"). We don't expect a period piece to make such unabashedly modern jokes or references.

But why not? We are offended when our expectations of what a "period piece" is are transgressed against. But why? We insist that these modes of storytelling (the "period" and the "modern") must not be mixed. But why not?

Quotations of the more obviously "modern" concepts and turns of phrase in the dialogue are trotted out ("I'm an empath," "exes," "alone, in my room, with a bottle of red," "if you're a 5 in London you're a 10 in Bath")—but then we kind of stop there, as though it is enough to say that this sounds awkward in a period setting.

Of course it sounds awkward in a period setting—it's obvious enough that even the writers undoubtedly knew it sounded jarring and were doing it on purpose. So what might this instinctive recoiling from this type of period mish-mash tell us about what we usually hope to get out of period pieces? Obviously every adaptation is "modern" in that it is produced for an audience of the producers' contemporaries, and in that the sensibilities of the "original" will inevitably be shifted in a thousand ways more or less perceptible to us—so what we can we learn from the places where these shifts raise our ire, as opposed to the places where they go largely unnoticed (a shift to a modern concept of "romantic" love that removes much of the requirement of tutelage, for example—no adaptation that I know of has Mr. Bennet tell Elizabeth to look up to her husband "as a superior")?

Literary-critical-style analyses of the adaptation complain that it got Anne Elliot "wrong" (interestingly, the people saying this have pretty different interpretations of her character amongst themselves). I don't think this is untrue so much as I wish we could push this conversation further. Assertions that the adaptation "failed" assume what its goals were—but what can we deduce about the team's goals from interviews (which I admit I haven't read) or from the film itself? Why do these goals offend us so much? We have a feeling that an adaptation has to "respect" its source material (I recall one person in a youtube video essay baldly stating as much)—but why?

What happens when an adaptation does not respect its source material, in terms of literary or adaptation / book-to-film studies or in terms of the commercial marketplace for movies? How does this movie reveal its own assumptions to us? How does it reveal our assumptions to us? Has it stumbled onto anything clever in its attempt to be more, well... 'clever'? What's going on with the audience-addressing narration? What pitches and shifts does that produce? How does it compare to Austen's narration? Why is this kind of question fruitful or unfruitful to ask of an adaptation?

For anyone who doesn't already get it, this isn't a 'defense' of Netflix's Persuasion (nothing with so much money behind it needs me to defend it). I just wish we were asking more interesting questions!!!

*Of course the language of fandom is frequently self-consciously exaggerated and emotional, as well as based around collective rituals of sharing and commenting, assuming a framework and an idiom that is common to those of others in the same spaces, for fun. This kind of indignation is fun! I get it! As Elizabeth Bennet says, hating something is a spur to one’s genius. And some of these literary-textual discussions are genuinely insightful and convincing. There's nothing "wrong" with these discussions. They're just not exactly what I want to read and therefore I'm making that everyone's problem.

#Persuasion #Jane Austen #Anne Elliot #literature #adaptation #adaptation studies

[amberlide]

Pieces of you - drabble

"You have a wonderful shop!" Penelope looked around the room in admiration, under the satisfied gaze of her friend.

Sacharissa's smile grew even wider. She knew her shop was amazing, having put in so much effort. It was a pleasure to see it gaining fame over the years and becoming the best cosmetic shop in all Diagon Alley. "And how have you been Pen? Why are coming back now? Tired of your travels?" The witch quirked her eyebrows. She still had all her flair.

Penelope sheepishly shook her head, "A bit," she confessed.

She had spent the last eight years researching plants all over the world—collecting, cataloguing, and painstakingly studying them. Her countless diaries were full of dried samples, notes, awful drawings, her heart filled with all the wonders she had seen, her head full of all the adventures she had experienced.

It was time to go back home and take over her father's business.

"I'm happy you haven't forgotten about me." Sacharissa took something from under her desk, and Penelope immediately recognized one of her letters. She smiled.

"Of course! How can I...?" Penelope started to say.

Sacharissa shrugged. "I thought you weren't going to leave, that you would've stayed, you know... with him."

Penelope shifted her gaze uncomfortably, "It wasn't right. We both had our projects, and... I wasn't ready to settle..."

"He still asked about you," Sacharissa cut her off, and Penelope raised her head to meet her eyes. She knew what she read in hers. "From time to time," the other added, but the strings of Sacharissa's trap were already pulled.

Penelope took a deep breath. She had beautiful memories of her first boyfriend and love, which she cherished deeply. It would have been a lie to say she hadn't thought about him during all her wanderings. She clearly remembered his long ginger locks, the feeling of gently tousling them, turning them around her fingers. Kissing the freckles that adorned his smiling face. His green eyes...

But that was the past, and despite the pain of ending their relationship, she hadn't regretted pursuing her dreams. They just had different goals in life.

Now that her goals had shifted, was she ready to meet him again?

A/N: sometimes you have to do what your OC ask you to do... It's not the first time this is happening and won't be the last. Penny is truly the most difficult of all my OCs. And I love her for this.

#hogwarts legacy #garreth x mc #amberlide writes #my fanfiction #ideas for my fanfic

[tinwhiskerpress]

Binderary 2023, six months later!

This was my first year participating, and I had just bought a Cricut, so my personal goal was to try as many kinds of titles as I could (and also bind surprise books for my friends, which is why I haven't posted anything until now)

Here's the full collection. I did typeset ahead of time and I might have even printed pages, but starting with folding, all of these were bound in February 2023.

Most of these are fanfic from the Akagami no Shirayukihime fandom (plus one Jane Austen book, one Dragon Age, and two copies of a Hakuoki fic)

Starting with my own fics, I bound some shorter ones as pamphlets:

The covers for all three are scrapbooking cardstock from my local craft store, and they're sewn with leftover embroidery floss.

Hide and Sweets and Inheritance were collected together because they're both about Ryuu and his familial relationship with Obi and Shirayuki. The title is painted in acrylic paint using a stencil. Stencil vinyl tears up cardstock, I learned.

Bad Wagers (Obi/Shirayuki) is permanent vinyl on cardstock, and The Strange Case of the Knight of Inkwells (also Obi/Shirayuki but lightly so) is printed on a separate piece of paper and glued. The permanent vinyl is difficult to place - I ended up doing it letter by letter - and the glued-on extra piece wrinkled the cardstock.

There are two copies of The Image of an Officer (Hakuoki, also by me), one for me and one for the friend I wrote it for. The bookcloth is homemade, and the title iron-on vinyl. One of them shifted, so that's clearly my copy. The Shinsengumi haori pattern was traced on with chalk and hand painted.

So I did learn a lot of lessons about titling, as I hoped I would, and these are the first of my own fics that I've bound. There are an awful lot left to go.

#binderary #fanbinding #my binding

[merchantarthurn]

it's funny that 2/3 of the companions i ship astarion (the 3 being halsin, wyll and karlach) with are people who are objectively just lovely, selfless people but in a way that's just... too far. both in their own ways don't acknowledge they give/have given too much away for the good of others and a big part of the healing they need is setting even a single limit on what's "too far".

(under the cut cos it got long but this is more a ramble about character dynamics than romantic stuff so please enjoy even if you don't care for the 'ship' aspect. ive also got a LOT to say about karlach but i don't here im sorry i love her so much pls--)

wyll's willing to give his immortal soul (TWICE) for the sake of a city and father that turned his back on him with barely a moment to reflect on the unfairness to himself (at least in a 'and that's why it shouldn't be expected of me' way, anyway). halsin's given a hundred years of devoted research to the shadowcursed lands and cut himself off from deeper connections in order to remain committed to lifting the curse, not the mention the way he skirts around really acknowledging his trauma from the Underdark as a trauma instead of just a Fun Halsin Fact!TM

now... like all relationships between companions this is a compelling area without any romantic undertones, this is more what's driving my interest in the ships at all, but i find the above level of self-sacrifice really interesting in contrast to astarion. similarly, setting boundaries doesn't initially come naturally to him - he's not in the practice of being able to say no, and getting through the 'disgust' is something he tries to handwave as worth it for the rewards. but when in control, he's very much got selfish goals in mind. personal safety, mostly, being considered useful enough to keep around under the protection of the artefact. and in addition his moral compass is very much not aligned with the above, but does seem to shift in that direction the more compassion he's shown. it's never all the way flipped but... still.

two things that are interesting about that - both the selfish and selfless goals are, in isolation, completely understandable? save a city? well that's a good thing! protect yourself? can't argue with that!! but "no matter the cost to my mental and physical health" ooh never mind. astarion is, out of the three, seemingly much better positioned to understand and admit that? which is what's particularly interesting about either wyll or halsin's relationship (romantic or not) with him. cos any efforts they make to help astarion out with his own boundary issues and healing creates a big ol' elephant in the room with their own deal that i think astarion would, like, push back on y'know? he's already incredulous about heroes and do-gooders for both understandable and dnd-evil reasons but once an established rapport comes into play, then you get that incredibly tasty dimension of "okay, so you spent all that energy encouraging me not to loan myself out to make us stronger but you're gonna sell your eternal soul to a demon for a bit of information? and you're going to keep neglecting any aspect of your life that isn't shadow-curse related, to the point where you rushed in to enemy territory without regard for your safety and would have died if we hadn't stepped in?"

it's just such a chewable way of a bond developing right? both sides changing each other with something they initially might have found deplorable/insufferable about the other? but it both ultimately resulting in healthier boundary setting and the valuing of their own bodies and hhrhghruguhgguh. which is the sort of thing i Need when it comes to ships. man. oog. the list of little scenes i need to write gets longer by the second i swear. we can add shadowheart to the "dynamics i need to explore with wyll" list too ahrghr oogrhg

it's also making bl**dweave conceptually more interesting as an antithesis to this although i honestly haven't stumbled on anything that actually fits this particular niche so [handwaves] but to me that's two men who are gonna make each other Worse actually (this is not inherently a bad thing for Drama but all im saying is im pretty sure if you put those two together for too long you'll end up with a god + ascended ending ok). censoring the ship name cos i see much more fluffy stuff and im not here to ruin fun with opposing headcanons in a search ahaha

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #this feels incoherent. i feel like i need to make a powerpoint presentation on these characters #ive not even finished act 3 i don't know what my boy's gonna do in that wyrmway

[noven-warsh]

Had some Anti ideas while I was on the toilet (a lot of this can be wrong? because of altrverse but i haven't read the comic and these are just thoughts i had anyways)

-> What if he was a dark entity that Marvin created, and before he could be contained he leaped off into another universe (Chase and Henrik's universe)

-> What if he was this failed spell thingy that was fueled by Marvin's negative thoughts, and therefore is fueled by people's negative thoughts and human suffering? (could be why he targets Chase a lot, who we all has his mental health in the gutter)

-> What if he had universe-travelling and time travelling powers? (Based on his puppeteering with JJ)

-> What if he's made of some dark ass energy that he leaves behind in every universe he travels? (made for the small idea below)

Imagine a scene where Jackie-boy man's just done fighting some huge comic book villain (the ordinary for a superhero ig) when something shifts in the sky.

When suddenly, lots of bodies start to drop down from the sky like rain, limply pelting the ground and splatting blood along it. Jackie gets uneasy and somewhat scared because wtf is happening here what kind of boss fight did he just enter-

And then Anti drops from the sky. He stands up among the crowd of dead guys, looks around, and just casually talks to Jackie-

"Very sorry for the wait here, I was stuck in traffic as you can-" He gestures towards all the bodies, who Jackie's now realizing are all small variations of the being in front of him. "-See here. But hey, I'm finally here now so that doesn't matter anymore."

Anti looks up at him with admiration? in his eyes. He clears his throat. "You know, I'm a really huge fan of you. I've seen you everywhere- Movies, letters, drawings, merch, I've seen them all! And...I really liked them you know? I really liked the idea of this 'super-human guy who's the epitome of selflessness and love. A savior with the whole world cheering for him. A spectacle for admiration and praise for the old and young alike."

"And since I'm a huge fan of you, I wanted to meet you. And then my goal was just that. I travelled all the way from there," He points upwards. "To here. And let me tell you it was really easy, like I can't even believe how easy it was!"

Jackie just gulps while he goes on, and Anti notices.

"Right. I'm...getting too ahead of myself here." He smiles and steps towards him. "Now then...I was wondering if you wouldn't mind signing an autograph for me."

(it is 3 am in the morning and I just wrote this small blurb that has the idea of a huge ass fanfic intro which is basically about this creepy dude travelling hundreds of universes just to pick a fight with a superhuman kid because picking a fight with Chase's kid wasn't enough-)

#jacksepticeye #antisepticeye #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man

[nomi--sunrider]

⭐ for the fic writer's ask!

Ah, a behind the scenes for Then, Now, and Always. Let's see....

Oh I know! I'll unpack the scene that got me the most negative feedback I've ever received on anything I've written: The Duel from Chapter 25: Battle of the Goddesses.

(I haven't talked about Then, Now, and Always in like a month, so be prepared for an essay.)

I thought up the silent Tally/enraged Alder epic duel very early on in the drafting process. Literally, it's in the first, very very rough draft in my docs, which is about 15 pages long and half-summary, half- little bites of scenes.

The reason I wanted them to have The Duel is twofold:

It's genuinely the most tragic thing I could think of for two people who love(d) each other. Y'know? Like Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Badass scene, but you're fully aware of the tragedy all the way through. It's supposed to hurt that these two women who once loved each other are now on opposite sides of a war and forced to do battle.

2. I thought it would be fucking awesome.

Part of the inspiration of Then, Now, and Always was this scene:

Tally Craven's hottest scene in the whole show imo. What was I gonna do, give her an enhanced witch baton and not let her use it to full effect? And who else was she going to fight who mattered? It had to be Alder.

Also, Alder's headbutt was dumb. You can quote me on that.

Look, if nothing else, Alder and Tally fight in the actual show. And that fight is important, it does have narrative and thematic relevance, and there is a damn good reason it happened. Unfortunately, that fight is also LAME. Seriously, it is the lamest thing ever! And not even because Tally gets her ass kicked in seconds! The scene is shot cleverly, with perspective shifts and quick camera cuts to veil the fact that the actors and stunt doubles aren't really doing that much. It's the only time we see an actual scourge battle that might have given some indication as to why it's the weapon of choice for witches and why witches make such deadly soldiers. And then it's five seconds long and nothing special.

So I wanted to write a cool fight scene for the fic. Not a spar, by the way. Sparring scenes are popular in fiction, but I personally think they're pointless (unless the author is trying to accomplish something unserious). Literally, a spar is a fake fight. A fascimile. It isn't real. I wanted to write something very, very real. And that led to a lot of the narrative wrapping around making Battle of the Goddesses possible.

Someone on Discord posted during a TNAA discussion "Oh Alder would never hurt Tally." The thing about that is a.) canonically, she can and she has, and b.) For Then, Now, and Always, that's actually not an unreasonable assertion to make. Alder is carrying one hell of a torch. Therefore, I had to make Alder angry enough to actually fight Tally with no holds barred and every intention of beating her.

And that ended up making Chapter 24: Judgment, what it is. In that same very early doc, I had this Petra line.

Literally, that's all. I had no idea where I'd put it or for what reason, but it felt important. I knew about the Ozarks twist from the start, so I knew that someone had to call out Alder for her judgment eventually. Then I realized that, since my plan when I started drafting TNAA was to fix everything, including mandatory freaking conscription of a persecuted minority group, I had the perfect, perfect opportunity to make Alder vicious enough to kill.

Tally's trying dissolve the Salem Accords. That was her endgame the whole time.

Now Alder's angry enough to fight to the death and make the duel truly epic, Tally's goal is much broader, the fic has the chance to move into deeply philosophical, big-picture territory, and I get a pair of dope-ass chapters out of it. Eight birds, one stone. I was so happy.

Zooming back out, I think part of the reason a lot of folks were upset by Battle of the Goddesses pertains to my theory that fanfiction is like ice cream. Easy to eat, requires no effort, delicious and instantly satisfying. The main romantic pairing isn't supposed to fight each other to the literal death, even if it's fucking awesome and deeply symbolic. Duels/battles/wars between two love interests are common fare in sci-fi/fantasy because of their intense thematic and narrative heft, but not in fanfic. That's serving roasted sweet potatoes and kale at an ice cream parlor. It's too much for a lot of readers.

Finally, I think a lot of readers were upset about Alder losing the fight. Here's the thing:

It's not interesting if she wins.

Just like it's not interesting if Goliath beats David or if Jamal doesn't win the jackpot in Slumdog Millionaire. It's a story. The underdog has to win against all odds by their cleverness and mettle. Yes, I too, am sad that Sarah Alder's trauma was never addressed. She's a traumatized, damaged victim of the narrative and her story is a tragedy, start to finish. I think a big draw of the Talder ship is that it allows us to protect and humanize Alder in a way the show never did. Few people want to see her be the victim of even more pain in fic.

This doesn't change the fact that General Sarah Alder is brutal, unyielding, and violent. She's a three hundred year old soldier and her entire existence is war. She is not a good person. To defang her without earning it would be OOC. Trauma doesn't make good people. Healing makes good people. And there's no indication in canon that Sarah Alder has healed in any way, shape, or form.

If you've read this all the way til the end, that's very kind of you. Thanks for letting me ramble!

Why her character arc in Then, Now, and Always really doesn't start until Arc III lmao. When Alder is on her knees, defeated and disgraced, but instead of Petra and Tally going for the kill like they did in the show, they both offer a hand to help her back up. Alder heals because she's given the chance to do so by the people around her. Because I chose to not, y'know, immediately kill her off after tearing her from her pedestal. Genuinely, I have lost so much sleep over all of the amazing, transformative character work the show had in its damn lap and chose to ignore.

#talder #fanfic #nomi--sunrider #then now and always #tally craven #motherland: fort salem #sarah alder #asks