#i was not built to deal with this sort of research

[stephaniedola]

i am once again asking why i am being expected to cite historical sources

#i was not built to deal with this sort of research #kudos to any of ya'll historians because could not be me #thots et al #ugh i just have like 20+ sources that i HATED the entire process of finding and like #i forgot all the keywords i used to search all the shitty databases and i dont know how to cite any of them #i just want to take the L with this entire project but i cant afford to do that #i am only able to rest easy knowing this is the last history class i have to take #watch me submit slightly below the bare minimum

[briarcrawford]

Is This How You Write Romance?

I have never written a romance; not even once. That does not mean there is anything wrong with romance stories, just that I typically am drawn to writing stories that focus on other aspects. Now, that might sound like I am being a snob, but what I really mean is that I am a simple soul; I crave action scenes. Media that is majority romance just tends to bore me.

I do want to improve as a writer, though, and that does include writing romance(as a sub-plot). It is something most people expect in stories, and, if I am honest, a part of the reason I continue to avoid it is that I have no experience writing it. So, to help me get started, I have been doing what I do best: researching.

I have been (halfheartedly, with my phone in hand) watching the odd romance movie when my mom has them on(those ultra cheesy Hallmark ones), and it seems like most romances can break down into a simple formula.

The formula is:

1. The Meet-Cute

After the viewers have had a look into the life of the main character, the meet-cute happens. This scene is most likely funny or overly dramatic.

“In film and television, a meet cute is a scene in which the two people who will form a future romantic couple meet for the first time, typically under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances. This type of scene is a staple of romantic comedies, though it can also occur in sitcoms and even soap operas.” Wikipedia

2. Building a Connection

Scenes that gradually bring them closer; typically do to coincidences or circumstances that force them to keep meeting. These scenes are when your readers will decide if they have chemistry or not.

3. Turning to Feelings

They continue having scenes together, and show signs of mutual interest. These scenes are when readers decide if they would make a healthy couple, and romance fans start looking forward to what could happen.

4. Feelings Confirmed

Something happens (such as a rescue, or a near kiss) that makes them realize or suspect that the feelings are mutual.

5. The Test

Their relationship is tested, and they realize how much they need each other. This is normally when one side runs off, and the other chases.

Without some sort of conflict and character building, the romance may come off feeling like filler content or fan service.

6. End

All is resolved, and they are together now.

Obvious, right? Well, the trick is to weave these into your main plot without them standing out too much.

Once you know what readers want in romance, the tricky part starts.

1. Confirm your genre.

What scenes are most important to you? If it is the romance scenes, you may want to rethink how you classify your genre. For example, there is a difference between writing a fantasy with a romance subplot, and a romance with a fantasy subplot. Deciding if you need to shift your main focus will change how much of each content makes up the percentage of your book.

2. Decide Your Goals.

What are your goals for the relationship? Sometimes, the plot points above stretch through just one book, while other times it can stretch for a whole series. If your goal is to have them get together in one book, know that you will have to deal with continuing that romance throughout the rest of the series(and adding in enough drama to keep it worth the subplot time).

3. They Should Amplify Your Main Plot.

If you have your characters become a couple in the middle of your main-plot’s climax, you risk ruining what tension you have built. Some writers do fight this and go with it anyway, though that is often because one of the love interests is almost guaranteed to die in the next scene.

Instead, consider having the relationship build at the same speed of the main plot. This is why end-of-series kisses are so popular to write.

Another popular option is to have them get together early on, but separated. That way, the hero is fighting not only to survive, but also to get back to their love.

This is, of course, all written by someone learning, so if any of you have any tips for writing romance, please let me know! I am not planning on watching any more of those movies(sorry, mom haha), so I will take all the help I can get.

#writing #writing help #writing advice #writing tips #romance #writing romance

[3hks]

How to Create a Unique Character

As authors, we should want our characters to stand out, to be unique, and to have an everlasting impression on our readers! However, there are simply too many other characters out there to make our creations one-of-a-kind. But in this post, I'll give you some ideas and tips you can use to create a memorable character!

What really sticks out about your character? Appearance wise, it's admittedly easier if your character has some truly unique features, such as heterochromatic eyes, scars, different hair color(s), accessories, etc. If your character doesn't have anything too distinctive about them, then pick out some of their most important traits and embellish them! Notice that I said important, the features that matter to your character should matter to the reader. And finally, if your character is simply just average, then state that. Take time to really describe your characters and the respective parts of them!

What about their backstory? Honestly, a backstory can do a lot! They can change the readers' perspectives on the character and provide reasoning for their actions. With that being said, a backstory can really stick to the audience, so let your imagination run wild with their past! Naturally, you should decide on what influence their background had on them and build a story around that. Does your character live in an orphanage? What type of orphanage is it? What did they learn from it? For quite some writers, their main characters are orphans, but how did they become one? I'm going to be honest here, it's rather common for authors to have their protagonist watch their parents die, and have their motives built around that. Don't just settle for something bland! If they have been through some sort of traumatic experience, depending on the situation, I suggest involving that character, make them a part of what they went through, more than a simple bystander. Maybe they could've helped, but didn't, and that regret was what changed them! If you want your character to have an impression on your audience, the backstory is a part of the foundation for that!

What about their emotions? For a mentally healthy character, this is a pretty obvious answer: they are perfectly cognizant of their feelings and accept them. However, I suspect that most of you won't create a mentally healthy character, and that might work to your advantage! Think about how they would deal with these three feelings: sadness, anger, and stress. Does it differ from a "normal" person? Then at some point, include your character battling one (or more) of the emotions they find it difficult to deal with! How they respond will stick out to the readers!

What about their mental stability? Does your character have some sort of mental health disorder? These don't have to be flat-out depression, but can include OCD, mysophobia, (more commonly known as germophobia) anxiety, ADHD, etc. A disorder or obsession will definitely make your character stand out, but make sure to do some research on the topic! Mental health is no joke; some people may actually have the disorder, and falsified facts could really be offensive.

And lastly, what about their own, private problems? For example, a character's significant other has been distracted with work, and doesn't pay much attention to the former character. Thus, they feel abandoned and not prioritized. How does the character fight to overcome those feelings? How a character feels in specific events can reach out to the reader because they find it relatable!

These are some things to consider when creating a unique character! Every little part counts!

Happy writing~

3hks ^^

#writing #writeblr #writerscommunity #writing tips #writing advice #writing inspo #creative writing #how to create a unique character #unique character #how to make a character stand out

[maxwellatoms]

Would you trust ANY Korean studio for hand-drawn animation today? I ask because, when The Powerpuff Girls came back in 2016, I noticed how slow and stiff the Korean animation was. Since then, most Burbank cartoons animated in Korea, namely Cartoon Network shows, have been like that — mostly on 2s & with less inbetweening. Look at any Digital eMation episode of Victor and Valentino or Samurai Jack Season 5; do they animate as loosely and smoothly as Digital eMation episodes of Billy & Mandy do?

Sure I would. It would all depend on the studio and the circumstances. There are good studios and bad studios, and either of those will treat your show differently based on their perception of how valuable it is to their client. In the early 2000s Rough Draft was a top-notch studio. One of the reasons I switched over to eMation from Rough Draft was that I felt like Rough Draft was putting all of its resources into making Samurai Jack look beautiful, and we were still calling retakes on three year old issues. I knew we weren't a priority to Rough Draft, and I knew that stemmed from Cartoon Network's negotiations with them, so my griping was only going to get us so far. It seemed to me that I needed a studio that was smaller and scrappier like we were. We were putting in a lot of work on our end to make cool stuff and it wasn't ending up on the screen, so we needed people who were just as hungry on the back-end, and eMation stepped up.

There's also the fact, though, that animation itself has changed a lot in the last fifteen years. Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack's animation always seemed to have an air of "motion comics" to it. And frankly, that's part of what I love about it. It was all a throwback to the old UPA cartoons, which were built on strong, clear poses and made for the cost equivalent of a turkey dinner. Likewise, CN storyboard artists usually had around four weeks to write and draw their boards on paper, so there just wasn't time to take the effort to do anything too complex. It was all about snapping between those 300-ish storyboard drawings and momentarily savoring them for their humor and design mastery. Now we have tons of digital tools that make the basics of animation a lot more accessible to everyone, and have changed the entire studio pipeline. Things just won't look like they used to because nobody makes them that way anymore.

When I've had to choose an overseas animation studio, the network's production arm usually gives me one or three choices and tells me that's all there is. Deals have already been made. (Sometimes they make you pick two to save on costs, which (IMO) usually results in two studios that are less functional than any one of them would have been.) The studios usually have reels, so that gives you a basic idea of what they can do. You can (hopefully) find some other show creators who have worked with the studios and get an honest review. It's an important enough decision that it's worth whatever research you can put into it. Even over good bones, an ill-fitting skin can ruin the mood.

The most important thing to remember, I think, is that it's your job and your crew's job to make animating the show as easy as possible. Really, it's everyone's job to make the next person in line's job as simple as they can. Ideally, there shouldn't be a lot of questions because the materials you sent down the chain are clear.

So... yeah. I'd still trust Korean studios as much as I'd trust any overseas or domestic animation studio. You get out of them what you put into them by feeding them money and your own labor. It's quite possible that the shows you mentioned didn't do enough of either.

I imagine the overseas studios are hurting right now, so who knows what that landscape is even going to look like in a few years.

As with every step of the process making a TV show, you just sort of have to weigh your options and find the path.

Hmm. That got long.

#animation industry #animation studios #hot mess

[lovely-laceys-blog]

Hawkins, Indiana had always been a strange place. Whether the locals wanted to admit it or not, something had been wrong with that place since the moment it was built. Well, that’s what happens when you build a town right over a Hellmouth.

‘A Hellmouth is a sort of portal between Earth and the next dimension- a true hot spot for supernatural activity. Even when closed, the mystical energy attracts all sorts of creatures.’

That’s what Lacey’s Watcher, Derrick Posey had told her when she first started fulfilling her sacred duty. As it had been for centuries, in every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. And she… is the Slayer.

To be given a sacred duty at the ripe age of fourteen after moving across the country was a big deal, to say the least. Lacey, however, did her best to take her job seriously. She never made any close friends, kept her appearances by day innocent and unsuspecting. And when the sun went down, she hunted. Protecting the town from the monsters that went bump in the night. And Derrick had been there for her every step of the way, coaching her and teaching her how to be the best slayer he could be. Because if she wasn’t… she was dead. And the next slayer would be called upon.

Everything changed for the worst when Will Byers suddenly went missing. That’s when the Hellmouth really reared it’s ugly head and began to crack, spilling parts of that other dimension into the one Lacey needed to protect. That very same week, Barbara Holland went missing, and so did Derrick Posey. Missing was a gentler term to cover what had really happened. Again, Lacey was on her own.

The town had gone to shit since then. No matter how hard Lacey fought or researched, she was always missing *something* about the town that had the gates of hell creaking open every year or so. Then they would close, giving Lacey the littlest bit of hope that it would stay that way. It never did.

The latest opening had been the worst. Right in the middle of town, so dangerously close to the library Lacey worked at. The news had brushed it off as just another bad earthquake following a string of murders. Some Hawkins residents stayed after that, and most left.

Lacey had spent the better part of her morning going through the returned books, making sure they were still in good condition. Some son of a bitch had decided to stick a wad of gum on the back of a nice hardback book and let it dry there, and Lacey was determined to get it off without destroying the rest of the book. Using a letter opener, she carefully scraped away at the gum, almost missing Dustin Henderson and his gaggle of friends walk into the library, talking in hushed whispers.

Dustin had always been a frequent flier at the library. Lacey had engaged in some small talk with him over the years, and from what she could tell, he was an alright kid. A little odd at times, giving her a gut feeling that the poor kid knew more than he let on, but still an okay kid. She’d often let him check out more books than allowed, or waive a late fee here or there for him.

Setting aside the gum-infested book and letter opener aside, Lacey moved to stand, getting the group’s attention. “Anything I can help you all find?”

#hawkinshellraiser #🌙 walk through the fire

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2023: Day 18 - Blueprints

Crovan's Gate Works is Home to many Blueprints:

Crovan’s Gate Works is one of, if not the, largest steamworks in the United Kingdom – and the single best equipped. It services steam locomotives from all four of Sodor’s railways, as well as engines from across the country and further. Many of the engines who appeared in the infamous ‘The Great Race’ movie – especially those from Europe – were actually engines being overhauled at Crovan’s Gate when Mattel sent people to do research for the film. The works has machines that can make any part needed for an engine on the Fat Controller’s railway, and beyond – but that’s not all they have.

In a dark, slightly dusty room underneath the main offices, there are filing cabinets. Row upon row of the things which stretch out through the basement. And in these filing cabinets are the blueprints. There are thousands of these blueprints carefully sorted and filed away in this room. Everything from the designs of the A1X Terrier through to the Streamlined Coronation class. It’s all in this one room.

And it was originally the folly of Sir Topham Hatt I, back in 1897.

When he was the CME of the Tidmouth, Knapford & Elsbridge Light Railway (TK&ELR), Topham Hatt began collecting old blueprints. Some people collect stamps, others collect coins – but Topham collected blueprints. He had already copied many of the Great Western’s blueprints during his time as an apprentice at Swindon Works, and these he kept with new plans sent to him by his friend William Stanier in his office.

When building the TK&ELR Coffee Pot engines, he consulted a huge number of blueprints, trying to find something he could build considering the extremely low amount of resources he was allocated. And he did utilise some ideas from the various blueprints he had acquired – specifically a redrawing of the ‘blueprints’ used for the Novelty from the Rainhill trials… only the blueprints Hatt had were extremely well-drawn fakes, which did a bit of messing with the exhaust system. Topham Hatt mixed these blueprints with several others, but the exhaust system became infamous for spewing out dirty brown water.

This led to Topham Hatt deciding that the best way to avoid such an embarrassment in the future was to get more blueprints. He managed to bargain the blueprints of almost every engine he ever bought into the deal, with one notable exception: Henry.

Henry was built using stolen blueprints which were muddled and half-right. Hatt never managed to nab the stolen blueprints for himself, which made diagnosing Henry all the more difficult. It was actually Richard Hatt – Topham’s great grandson – who found the formerly stolen blueprints. He managed to find them in a garage sale!

Percy was another engine whose blueprints did not fully arrive with the engine. The warehouse Hatt bought him from had a grand total of around 59% of his original blueprints, with the other 41% being scattered across the West Country, the Midlands and Wales. If you can believe it, Topham Hatt went on the hunt for these blueprints all throughout the 1930s, and was able to snag the last one from the wreck of a bombed house in Cardiff in 1941.

When British Railways was formed in 1948, the now Sir Topham Hatt utilised his new position on the board of the company to gain access to every blueprint British Railways had under its control. Carriages, trucks, engines – even railway adjacent lorries, ships and buses all had blueprints that Sir Topham was able to have copied and sent to Crovan’s Gate. These were all placed in a special room and have been updated since.

Sir Charles Topham Hatt also added to this collection – but for a very different reason. In the 1960s, as Sodor gained more independence – and more diesels – it became increasingly clear that the island had to repair its engines on its own. To this end, Sir Charles began having copies of engines he bought sent to Sodor so that in the event of repairs, the works at Crovan’s Gate would be able to use the original blueprints before beginning the overhaul, saving time and allowing the workers to know what parts the engine might need. Sir Charles also had updated blueprints of all of his engines drafted, as many of his older engines had been heavily modified since arriving (such as Edward, Henry and Gordon), meaning that new, accurate blueprints were required. The first of these would be Edward’s when he went in for an overhaul after his ‘Exploit’ in 1965.

Today, there are thousands of blueprints kept at Crovan’s Gate Works, with new ones added each year. These are often copies of blueprints for locomotives built outside of the UK, as it is believed that Crovan’s Gate Works has a copy of the designs for every British locomotive, carriage, and wagon to have ever run – bar those which never had blueprints.

Back to Master Post

#fanfiction writer #weirdowithaquill #railway series #thomas the tank engine #railways #traintober 2023 #traintober #crovan's gate works #thomas the tank engine analysis #ttte henry #ttte coffee pots #ttte sir topham hatt #Sir Topham Hatt I

[shkika]

All, any, and every drop of Pebbles & Suns content adds +5 years to my lifespan. Every word from you about them is double that. Thank you for your service

I'm really charmed you like my rambles though oh gosh. Let's try to do a small Suns and by extension Pebbles ramble.

A warning from me is that this will be a VERY headcanon-y, because we know so little about Suns. I'll still reference the game, but I will also fill any holes I see fitting.

Which means btw that this will be very LONG I am sorry hehe.

I'm gonna pick apart their natural conversation they have in the deep green pearl. I think it's unfair to craft an idea of how they interacted when Suns was worried about Pebbles literally dying WHILE killing his sister.

WHICH HOLLY SUNS. I think they have ISSUES! Because god you are MEAN to someone who is being genuinely vulnerable to you. And sometimes that means you yourself are scared of being vulnerable.

Even after Pebbles tells them to ease down, because he's genuinely looking for advice, Suns doesn't miss out on implying he's stupid.

We also know Pebbles really looked up to Suns as well, with them acknowledging this in their conversation with NSH and with Pebbles himself referring to them as mentor-like.

In my interpretation of Suns' character, they were made by a very religious colony. As in they were kind cultish in their way of treating Suns. You've seen vague(?) hints on my blog pointing towards this with Moon saying they have political power over their own colony and with the entire deal of that one Sunstone comic I made (x). (and even here (x) "Blesseth be my name" as a little joke that people probably use their name to exclaim.

I don't think they ever wanted that attention or responsibility. I think things were messy and words were often put in their mouth by various houses. Pushed to make decisions they wouldn't have really made. Their fluffy over the top garments didn't really fit at first until they grew to play the god they were made to be. They played being an all knowing god and they hated it, but they grew into that persona until it became an undeniable part of their character.

They LOOK really put together. And they LOOK like they have a lot of power and are revered by the ancients with no drawbacks.

At least that's how it looked to Pebbles at first.

Not only was he referred to as an abomination from before being even built. With some ancients on Moon REFUSING TO MOVE on him, because they don't want him.

Now we have Suns who by all means is kind of the opposite in every way of the person who Pebbles is constantly compared to (Moon) and is STILL adored, even worshiped.

And you get the idea of how maybe they became someone who he really looked up to. And they had very similar interests too!

(Time for canon lmao)

Moon about the music pearl (riv campaign) states that there were those that loved cultural archiving. Obviously Pebbles is one of those iterators and given he and SRS were close friends I don't doubt they enjoyed being art nerds together. <3

So they clicked. They were genuine friends, but there was some sort of dynamic there. Suns was probably kind of condescending all the time as we see in the conversation. They tried their best to be good influence, but I cannot tell you if they succeeded.. eeh

They also didn't spare him any harsh truths, despite of what Pebbles might need to actually hear. Which ironically I think perhaps made Pebbles feel more respected. Aside the fact they showed genuine interest in his research and theories and so on.

I also think Suns really enjoyed Pebbles' company, despite the fact I can't tell you how healthy it was for them to have yet another person look up to them so much.

In conclusion those two are a complicated mess to me I think!!!! They care and they left each other deeply hurt and it's sad they never got to reconcile.

#ask #anonymous #rain world #seven red suns #OKAYYYY #THIS IS VERY LONG IM SORRY #UH #BUT U ASKED FOR A LOT #SO I HOPE I SATISFIED #YIPPEE #kiki rambles #also headcanon heavy because suns has a lot of room for taht #ive made up A LOT about suns i have an entire arc for them

[romeulusroy]

Succession Preference: Having A S/O With Chronic Illness

Requested: Hiiii love ♥️ You've been working yourself absolutely ragged trying to get content out here, so if you can't get to this that's totally okay, please take the time you need for yourself! If you're still doing requests, could you possibly do what the Roy siblings would be like with a partner that has a chronic illness? If not, all good! Sending love!!! - anon

A/N: Thank you my love, you're too kind!!! I really hope you like it!!! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💜💜

Connor tries his best to help, though he's not that knowledgeable about chronic illness. He thinks that tea and eating right and lots of sleep will help, and maybe it does a little, but it's definitely no cure. Eventually, after the third pot of tea, you have to sit him down and explain that while it helps, maybe, it's not going to get rid of your pain. You know he has the best intentions possible. You've built a routine over the years, a plan of action for when things get bad. Over time he picks up on this and always remains one step ahead of you just in case. Connor has never really dealt with anything like this before, so he has a lot of questions. He can't understand why there isn't some magic pill or shot to make your pain go away completely. You've accepted long ago that there isn't one. It's just how it is. Sometimes it gets to you, but you try not to let the disappointment and frustration control you.

Kendall has no idea how to handle this. He panics when his kids or siblings get sick, so dealing with something that is chronic feels like a beast he can't tame. Before he has the chance to freak out during a flare up and make things worse, you gently talk him down, reminding him that this isn't your first time dealing with this. Afterwards, he kind of relaxes, though he worries whatever he does he's going to make it worse. He becomes scared to touch you, to cuddle, to hold your hand. You have to tell him you're not a porcelain doll, that he can touch you and love you like he always has. He has everything you need in his apartment, asking you for a list of what you use when you're going through it, so that you can ease your pain even when you're with him, so that you don't have to suffer. He checks in with you a lot, wanting to be sure you're not in pain and when you are it's manageable.

Shiv knows exactly how to help during a flare up. She sort of panicked the first time you illness was really acting up in front of her. She wasn't sure what to do, how to help, etc. She never wants to feel that helpless again, so she does a ton of research and reads all kinds of articles on how to help, how she can make it just a bit more manageable for you. She secretly stocks up on pain meds, ice packs, heating pads, the softest blankets she can find, anything that you need to make it hurt less. She can always tell when you're in pain even when you're sure you're hiding it well. She picks on your little tells and, never in a condescending way, reminds you that her apartment is your apartment. If you need to rest, you can always go back to her place. She definitely worries when you're apart, how you're doing, if you're going through a flare up, but she tries not to smother you either.

Roman doesn't really take things seriously. Everything is a joke to him. At first he doesn't really understand when you're in a flare up, how taxing that can be. He thinks if you just pop a pain pill it'll all be okay. It isn't until he sees how tired you are, exhausted from dealing with it, does he realize maybe it's not as manageable as he thought. After that, he's a little more thoughtful. He's very in tune with you. He takes notice of when you're starting to get tired or frustrated before you do, calming you down before you tire yourself out. He definitely goes to Shiv on how he can help because he's clueless. Quietly, so as not to make anything out of it, he'll ask you if you think you can go to the party, gala, jet, etc. Sometimes you can and sometimes you can't, he always understands. Together you and Roman take naps, your head always on his shoulder or chest. It maybe isn't necessary, but you definitely love it.

#requested #preference #headcanon #connor roy #connor roy imagine #connor roy headcanon #connor roy x reader #kendall roy #kendall roy imagine #kendall roy headcanon #kendall roy x reader #shiv roy #shiv roy imagine #shiv roy headcanon #shiv roy x reader #roman roy #roman roy headcanon #roman roy imagine #roman roy x reader #succession #succession imagine #succession x reader #succession headcanon

[secretgamergirl]

I am so sick of poverty.

I am doubled over right now in my broken chair layering my clothes up because it's 20 degrees out and I can't afford heat. I haven't eaten anything tonight because I can't afford food. Things could be worse. I still have electricity. I still have a roof over my head, for now, in a bad neighborhood where I'm too terrified to ever set foot outside and I'm constantly having to deal with screaming, car alarms, and sirens. I have no real way of paying my rent, and haven't in some time. I just keep begging and getting one-off help from people and eventually that luck is going to run out. I genuinely did not expect to still be alive this month, I don't know if I'm going to be a month from now, and I genuinely cannot picture anything that can change my situation.

I'm just sitting here right now thinking to myself, "why is my life like this?" and I really hate how the answer really just is that I'm trans.

If you don't know what that means, and statistically you don't, that means I was born with a really quite boring fluke medical thing where my endocrine system makes certain chemicals in the wrong ratio which, if untreated, completely messes me up with really gross and disgusting physical symptoms and causing all sorts of awful brain issues that make it basically impossible to live... BUT, there's really cheap readily available supplements to get those where they should be and then you're fine. So in a halfway reasonable world, this would just be like how some people need glasses or a hearing aid or any other sort of medication people might need to take for something.

But, we don't. We live in this super messed up world where because being trans is such a rare and uninteresting thing, a tiny handful of weirdos, for reasons beyond my comprehension, have this all-consuming obsession with doing everything in their power to harm trans people, and have spent literally their entire lifetimes spreading utterly bonkers propaganda, lobbying lawmakers, getting onto medical boards, and just acting as traditional good old fashioned stalkers, with the net result being this swirling miasma of false information, stigmatization, mistrust, and of course, depriving people of necessary medical treatment.

One of the nastier specific effects there is that you can't just get the aforementioned medications you need to live a normal boring life as a trans person. There is this whole wild and wacky hazing ritual built into international medical standards where you're literally required to humiliate yourself in public for a good year and make damn sure everyone around you knows you're trans, and can properly make your life hell for it.

So back to my little story here. I'm trans, I decided I would in fact like to have some sort of bearable life with a functioning brain and a minimum of weird gross physical problems, and had to announce this to the world. IMMEDIATELY, I have stalkers out the wazoo. I'm getting death threats. Family isn't speaking to me. Friends aren't speaking to me. People I've worked with/for my whole life cut all ties with me. I just had to sort of start life over from nothing well into adulthood.

And you know, I managed that. I've worked as a journalist and a game designer my whole life, those skills aren't the worst for working on your own, things were starting to get off the ground. This despite/because the whole thing with neo-nazis coming out of the woodwork and attacking trans people both with life-ruining tactics and, you know, guns. But, you know, as fate would have it, some people who don't do proper research put too much stock in some cover stories suggesting that they're actually targeting journalists, and when it shakes out to the contrary, decide to absolutely crush the trans people whose lives are actually in danger and are reporting on this... while at the same time the worst TERF in America is literally getting trans journalists blacklisted, stalking people, teaming up with neo-nazis, all that good stuff.

Anyway, as it happens, basically all the people I've met in rebuilding my life care enough about staying on the good sides of some of the above people, and are all too happy to completely throw me under the bus, not only cutting all ties with me but also starting some horrible rumors and leaking my closely guarded personal details to some particularly frightening people, forcing me to flee my home with just what I can carry out in a day... multiple times. And of course, again, I've lost more or less all of my friends, my ability to find work, and I have the setbacks of sudden homelessness and someone skipping out on a joint charity project with all the donations people had made, burning down all the vital operating resources to boot.

And this of course is all before the whole bit where the site formally known as Twitter spontaneously kicked me off with no chance to exchange alternate contact info with anyone, because wouldn't you know it, the new owner has an irrational hatred of trans people and has neo-nazi stalkers of mine kissing up to him in a way he's weirdly protective of.

But wait, there's more! All these fascist stalkers monitor me at all times to make sure I can't get any work of any kind, and I'm forced to live purely off direct patreon donations and government programs. But that gets into some other fun problems. Stalking comes with identity theft, evading would-be murderers involves changes of legal name and address. These confuse a lot of government databases, so I lack a valid social security card in there somewhere. Also causes problems with paypal. And with medcab programs. And then there's good old fashioned medical discrimination. I haven't seen a dentist in years because the last couple I've been referred to outright discriminate against trans patients. I need some surgery performed, and my health plan keeps telling me I can only see surgeons who have almost no experience if I'm lucky, and a history of horribly botched procedures otherwise.

Oh, and the reason I have no food? I WAS on an assistance program, but in the yearly audit, someone noticed that my rent significantly exceeds my income. You would hope seeing that they'd realize I'm REALLY in trouble and if anything give me more money, but hey, one of those weird bits of propaganda about trans people is that we're all sex workers, so the people handling this case leaned into that bias and are insisting I must be withholding income information with some vague insinuations on what they're speculating, and denying me access to food, BECAUSE I'm losing access to shelter.

So yeah, if people could just be normal about trans people, I'd have no stalkers, still be able to work, see doctors when I need to, and if I had shortfalls still, at least be able to eat. As is... yeah I might just die in the next big cold snap while I try to beg money off people to cover my rent and buy a few cans of soup.

Sorry to be a downer. Patreon link if you want to try to help.

[guppybubbles]

I saw brick ask so Imma send a few too for inspo!!!

The rain that falls like tears

I GOT CARRIED AWAY 😰😭 TY FOR THE FAKE FIC TITLES BECKYU!!! <33 (ignore any grammar errors LMAO)

The rain that falls like tears.

Just like his father and older brother, Wilbur was a farmer. They make ends meet with the crops they grow, and their farm is only growing bigger and bigger, attracting more customers and more workers. However, that was when they were young kids. They helped the farm when they could, and they were promised to take over the entire thing when Phil retired.

Phil has yet to retire, but both Techno and Wilbur are adults, so they spend most of their days on the field. However, the weather wasn't what it used to be during their childhood days.

For the past 16 years, the weather was… decent. In a way that for a decade and a half, there was no sunshine or rain. The weather was damp, humid, and boring. The sun made its appearance (as it usually does every day), but it doesn't shine. The clouds would sometimes cover the sun, but it doesn't block out any sunlight, nor does it rain.

They were glad that thunderstorms and hurricanes barely showed up anymore, but the lack of… any sort of weather was slowly but surely damaging their farming business.

The lack of nutrients to the soil causes the crops to lose quality, effectively losing the big business their dad had built.

After months of research, Wilbur had found out about the God of the Weather. He needed to look for the God and pray for at least any rain or any sunshine. Wilbur felt he and Techno would take over the business soon, and if nothing is done about the weather, their farm industry would be gone in a matter of seconds. Wilbur left their home, leaving Techno and Phil to tend to the crops.

Weeks upon weeks of travel, and he had finally met the weather god. Wilbur first notes down that the god looked very young and then sees how unemotional this kid was. He bowed and spoke respectfully but was only met with a blank stare and a blank introduction. Tommy, the god of the weather.

Wilbur pleaded with the weather god and asked for at least a little rain or a little sunshine, but Tommy refused, saying he couldn't. After days of talking, Tommy agreed to change the weather after doing certain tasks around the forest he lives in. They spent months together, slowly building a friendship as Wilbur continued to complete tasks.

Wilbur learned that the old weather god, Theseus, had died, and Tommy was chosen at birth to be the next vessel for the weather god. However, it proved to be quite difficult for Tommy to control his ability and grew up to be unemotional— trying to train his powers every single day.

On another empty day, Wilbur confronts the god once more. He's been doing everything Tommy asked, no questions and no complaints, yet there's still no updates on whether or not Tommy will do his end on the deal. He feels he's stuck in this forest, trying to desperately please the god with no luck. He hasn't even heard of any updates on his family, and he's beginning to be worried, anxious, and irritated. As he angrily spoke of his frustrations to Tommy, the god's expression didn't move. Not even a flinch.

Wilbur finished off his rant and eventually said he'll leave this forest. He'll find some other way to help his family. He just can't let his father's business go down the drain. He bid his goodbye to Tommy, bowing in respect.

The clouds darkened, and as he walked away, raindrops gently slid off his glasses and onto his skin. It was raining.

Behind him, he could hear a faint sob. Tommy was crying

#mcyt g/t #mcyt gt #g/t #giant/tiny #dsmp g/t #dsmp gt #giant!tommy #g!tommy #tiny!wilbur #t!wilbur #mcyt g/t community #g/t idea #fake fic titles #guppy's asks #guppy ideas! #guppy writes!

[ttrpgbrackets]

Propaganda Below

Dish the Hot Gauss

Dish The Hot Gauss: when you reveal a dramatic secret to your foe, take +1d when you attack them during the current Mission.

What makes it Cool?

It encourages exciting moments by providing a combat bonus for activating a narrative trigger. "No. I am your father." Plus the name is a pun.

Ushabti Omnigun

Your mech’s omnigun is a piece of experimental hardware so advanced that it defies physics: it doesn’t require a mount, nor does it have a weapon type or size – meaning that it can’t be modified or benefit from your talents. You can’t attack normally with this weapon. Instead, 1/round, as a free action during your turn, you can use it to deal 1AP damage to a character within RANGE and line of sight. This doesn’t count as an attack, hits automatically, ignores cover, bypasses IMMUNITY, and its damage can’t be reduced or ignored in any way. No rule in this book or any other supersedes this.

What makes it so cool?

1.) Even the best scientists in the setting don't know how this thing works. At all.

"As with many HORUS pattern groups, the Pegasus fields a signature weapon system: the Ushabti, a hostile impulse anti-corporeal weapon that operates with complete ignorance of even the most basic underpinnings of physics and thermodynamics. As such, it qualifies unambiguously as a paracausal weapon. The Ushabti’s precise function remains unknown to Union and Harrison Armory scientists, though radiological and gravitational signatures captured in the aftermath of the weapon’s use point toward a relationship with the Aunic Firmament. Studies are ongoing on Ras Shamra, the Armory’s chief research world, and in satellite campuses across the Dawnline Shore."

2.) Art of the Pegasus doesn't show the Ushabti Omnigun itself. Instead, the Pegasus has a black hole built into its back as some sort of containment field for the Ushabti.

3.) Mechanically, the Ushabti is about as simple as you can get. You can shoot things for 1 damage per turn. (or 3 if you use the active). (for context, most enemies have around 15-20 hp) sound boring, right? Well no. it's a free action. You also get to do the whole rest of your turn. And then, you get to ignore anything that might try to stop you, and NO RULE IN THIS BOOK OR ANY OTHER SUPERSEDES THIS. This is the ultimate gun to end all guns. There is no escape from the Ushabti Omnigun.

4.) In Lancer, the word 'unshackle' has a very specific meaning. 'turning off the restraints on a psychic AI'. Normally, an unshackled AI is the final boss of an entire campaign, or at least a major NPC. like Shodan or GlaDOS or something. The use here implies that the Ushabti is an AI. But the lack of anything but 'slightly more gun' implies it has a completely alien set of priorities. There's nothing in there that dreams of freedom or power. And it even quietly reshackles itself when the scene is over.

5.) The Pegasus frame is full of similar crazy psychic supertechnology. But it's all bent obsessively around the same simple goal of 'shoot people with guns'. This thing can rewrite the laws of probability on the fly, and it only does it to achieve Perfectly Average accuracy. It may or may not literally Know Everything(it certainly knows enough to predict every choice you're ever going to make), and it doesn't even bother to manipulate you, or seek freedom, or anything. And the funny thing is, several of its abilities literally are just normal guns. This thing is so obsessed with guns that it will prefer a cheap store-bought autogun over Infinite Cosmic Power. This is a god that appears to be satisfied with the life of a war machine. For now at least.

6.) Historically, an Ushabti was a funerary figurine placed in the tombs of Egyptian nobles to act as servants in the afterlife, and manual laborers. There's got some kind of master-servant dynamic.So the gun might not even the SAME unknowable psychic god as the rest of the mech. There's TWO of these things.

7.) in case you didn't notice, the fluff blurb loops. it starts at "-funny thing." and ends with "Causality is a-" On top of being alive, this thing may or may not be doing some kind of time travel.

8.) Worst of all, you can't prove any of this. It might just be a normal mech with a cutting-edge gun. Why the fuck would a god-like AI limit itself to the life of gun? That's ridiculous, right? Right?

Do you now understand why the fact that it uses its incomprehensible psychic power to do no more than 1/damage per round is so much more concerning than if it actually did something weird.

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg design #tumblr bracket #ttrpg community #round 1

[sharkrocket]

Shark… Burda but one of them is a mermaid… Mermaid AU…

OKAY me and my partner have been tossing around some ideas, and here are some of the thoughts we came up with (we are running on fairy tale logic)

Scenario where Artemy is merfolk and Daniil is a human:

Started thinking about a merfolk society that would hold the megalodon with the same reverence as the aurochs -> Shark Artemy

I know there's folklore and stories about how consuming the flesh of merfolk can either grant immortality, extend human longevity or have extraordinary healing abilities

Perhaps a certain researcher by the name of Daniil D. Dankovsky, whose goal is defeating death, is interested in these claims and goes to visit a remote fishing village that's rumored to have merfolk sightings

Do they really exist? Is it just stories? Some people claim to have seen them, some people think THOSE people have never seen a big fish before - Everyone has their own opinions about it

Has Simon eaten merfolk flesh? Is he the reason why Daniil knows about this?

A couple different things can happen at this point

One possibility: Artemy has the ability to walk on land and turn back to merfolk in contact with water but needs to return to the water after a certain amount of time before he becomes severely ill

(Maybe he's half merfolk, half human? Haven't established the details on how this would work but there's a couple of good scenarios here)

Would integrate into town society and mingle among the land people while taking note of which people posed a threat to the merfolk

He could simply warn the other merfolk of the danger, OR find the threat and eat him (thinking about this made me laugh, but it might not be the most practical or reasonable thing to do)

So when a stranger comes into town asking about merfolk and immortality, Artemy takes a VESTED interest

Introduces himself to this researcher and tries to get a feel for his intentions, and maybe fuck with him a little

"Oh yeah, I've seen merfolk before, real ugly creatures. They've got huge bug eyes, long limbs like a spider with pincers at the end and they only speak in a series of clicks and whistles interspersed in an interpretive dance" and Daniil is furiously writing all this down

But who is this handsome guy that was so adamant on introducing himself to Daniil? His skin glistens with water, his hair is dusted with flecks of dried salt, and he seems awfully knowledgeable about the sea.....

Maybe he follows Artemy around to see what his deal is, because there's something not quite right about him....

But for some reason, right when he's tails Artemy he turns a corner and the man disappears, save for a tiny ripple in the nearest body of water....

We haven't quite banged out the specifics of their relationship but there was a particularly good mental image of Daniil catching Artemy in half shark form face deep in a creature, eating its innards with blood dripping down his face and chest and Daniil just being very normal about it

This post is STUPIDLY long, more under the cut

Another possibility:

Artemy befriends this new stranger and they get closer, exchanging knowledge about their respective expertise

Eventually, after much discussion and trust built between the two, Artemy divulges details about himself, revealing he is a merfolk

Daniil's true objective isn't revealed until after Artemy has made himself known

Betrayal of some sort ensues, and trust between them is destroyed

Daniil has a difficult decision to make

Some of the potential outcomes for these scenarios:

Daniil becomes merfolk and joins Artemy to experience its wonders (not 100 percent sure how this would work, but I enjoy the possibility)

Daniil locks away Artemy and steals him away, while the ruling families ruin everything

Artemy offers flesh from his tail/fin out of love or spite and Daniil can choose to take it and leave, or stop him and tend to his injury

Daniil and Artemy fend off the ruling families, regain trust in each other and Daniil chooses to stay to continue his research

Scenario where Daniil is merfolk and Artemy is a human (sorry this one is much shorter, the details for this one were much harder to bang out 😔):

Eel Daniil.... Eelniil..... The snake imagery was too tempting, maybe one day we'll be more creative with this (oarfish was very funny to think about)

Most likely born as a merfolk in this scenario

Motivating factors: Perhaps he wants to explore the surface and the world of man and see what discoveries are to be had outside of the water (he no longer wants to dive below into the dark, he yearns to go up towards the light)

Perhaps some greater power in the sea wants Daniil dead and his best bet was to go somewhere where they couldn't follow....

Either way, his curiosity gets the better of him and he ends up getting captured (whether intentional or not)

He gets trapped in a tank either for display or waiting to be sold to the highest bidder

Artemy's work puts him in close contact with Daniil (the nature of the work is unclear, I had trouble thinking of something fitting)

In either case, the relationship between them starts off antagonistic, Artemy goes to feed Eelniil and he bites his hand and swims out of reach with a smug smirk on his face

Eventually, Daniil starts asking a lot of questions about life on land and Artemy has some questions of his own so they strike up a form of comradery

Maybe they realize they're both trapped and they start planning a way to break out and escape....

Just some loose musings we managed to come up with, hopefully you enjoyed these thinky thoughts

#I am very slow with asks #But I will try my best to make my way through them

[major-wren]

Sonic Timeline (?)

Okay guys.. help me with this. Is THIS the current canon timeline for the main-line games? I really wanna figure out some sort of standard main-line canon, so feel free to pitch your two cents in comments & reblogs.

Read below the cut to see the timeline I put together, based on what I'm pretty sure might be the official canon timeline we're in right now.

HEAVY SONIC SPOILERS WARNING

> Ancient times,

before humans or animal-folk existed: The "Ancients" (shown in sonic frontiers) have their planet destroyed, and escape to Sonic's world to rebuild, but are destroyed again. We do not know who destroyed them either times, but their cyber-world containing their memories are left behind along with the chaos emeralds.

>In Sonic Riders, they establish the "Babylonians," or "Children of Babylon." They are another ancient alien race with advanced technology, although Sonic's world was not their home, they just got trapped there by accident. They built the Babylon Garden, a floating island that was originally their space ship, but eventually it was all destroyed as a "punishment from the Gods." The Babylonians did not go extinct, but it seems that they evolved into the bird-like species that Jet, Storm, and Wave are.

> 4,000 years before the 1950s:

"The Fourth Great Civilization" existed and were able to harness chaos energy. They built a gizoid capable of destroying the world, which Sonic would later name Emerl. This Gizoid became too powerful and ended up destroying the civilization that built it.

> "Thousands of years" before Sonic Adventure

(unknown how many thousands): The last Ancient maybe evolved into Chaos? The echidna tribes exist now and live in harmony with Chaos and the little chaos, but one tribe becomes power hungry for the master emerald and Chaos transforms into his monster-form and wipes out the power hungry tribe to protect the emeralds (I believe that tribe he wiped out was the largest echidna tribe but not all of them). Tikal seals herself and Chaos within the Master Emerald. Also, when they were alive the echidnas painted a mural based on a prophecy of someone using the chaos emeralds to go super in the future.

> 1950's, or 50 years before SA2

(Assuming SA2 takes place in the year of its release date, 2001, and then subtract 50 years because Shadow said thats how long he was asleep.) Ok, 1950s: Gerald Robotnik's niece/granddaughter Maria becomes terminally ill with NIDs. He seeks government funding to find a cure but they only agree on the terms that he also builds a weapon for them. He agrees, and lives on space colony ARK with Maria to work on his creation. He researches the ancient echidna tribes and the chaos emerald, as proven by the structures he built on the ARK that are identical to the structures the echidnas left behind. Its also believed that he was inspired by the mural the echidnas painted of that prophecy that depicts Sonic's super form, and that's why Shadow looks like Sonic, especially with the red eyes and upturned quills that Sonic's super form has. The mural can be found in Sonic 3.

>Gerald makes contact with the black arms aliens race and strikes a deal. If they let him use their alien DNA, then he'll let them use Shadow to take over the world when their comet comes by again. He makes the lazer on the ARK to explode the aliens' comet when they come by again so that they can't actually use Shadow, then combines the black arms DNA and the chaos emeralds to make Shadow (and also adds part of Maria's soul somehow I guess). If you like to keep parts of the Archie comics, then it's implied Gerald personally raised Shadow himself alongside Maria, as he calls him son in the Archie comics.

>Gerald also finds the old gizoid I mentioned earlier. Upon learning of its powers, he fears what could happen if it's left unchecked and tries to build safety measures into it so that nobody can use it to destroy the world. Yknow, since it wiped out an entire civilization 4,000 years ago. Relations with G.U.N are rocky as they're beginning to fear Project Shadow, and to make things worse, Gerald loses control of the gizoid and it destroys part of the space colony. In order to fix relations with G.U.N and protect everyone from the gizoid, he tries to destroy its core but is unable to, so as a last ditch effort he puts part of Maria's soul in it. Seriously... how is he doing that??

>G.U.N fears the weapons Gerald is building (bio-lizard, emerl the gizoid, and Shadow) and decides to shut it all down. As they rush the space colony ARK, Maria is killed by a G.U.N soldier as she tries to help Shadow escape. Gerald is sent to prison island with an unconscious Shadow. He is allowed to continue working on Shadow under supervision in prison island but ends up augmenting Shadow's memory to make him believe Maria wants him to destroy the world, so he can get his revenge. G.U.N finds out hes double crossing them somehow and he is executed, and Shadow is locked away deep within prison island. The gizoid is also sealed away.

> 1990's, "classic" era

Young Sonic begins his adventures saving flickies from eggman bots. It's assumed Knuckles was also born at a similar time as Sonic, and that by now the echidna species has slowly dwindled down over time to just Knuckles. I assume that since echidnas lay eggs, that Knuckles wasnt able to meet his parents because they died before he hatched, or when he was super super young and had no memory. But also... let's not think about that too hard. Anyway, Tikal is still sealed inside the Master Emerald with Chaos, and the little chaos and flickies are on Angel Island too, so hes not entirely alone.

>Sonic happens to run by and save Tails from some bullies, and Tails decides to follow him and become his side-kick. On a solo adventure, Sonic then faces off with Eggman and his new robot Metal-Sonic, who are holding Amy hostage. Amy's fortune telling tarot cards told her she'd meet her hero in that location, and since Sonic saves her there, she decides to follow him too. Sonic then meets Knuckles, who has been deceived by Eggman. Eggman lied and said Sonic is trying to steal the Master Emerald, so Sonic and Knuckles fight, but when Eggman's lie is revealed Knuckles teams up with Sonic to defeat him. They all become friends and everyday heroes, going on adventures together, as well as Tails having his solo adventures and Knuckles has an adventure with Team Chaotix and Mighty the armadillo. (Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic Drift, Sonic 3, Sonic Mania, Sonic Drift 2, Knuckles' Chaotix, Tails' Adventure, Sonic R, and Sonic Origins.)

> 1999, Sonic Adventure 1:

Eggman unleashes Chaos from the Master Emerald to take over the world, but Sonic defeats him. Tikal's spirit was also released from the Master Emerald when eggman shattered it, and so she commits to taking care of Chaos after Sonic defeats it, and Knuckles restores the Master Emerald. Sonic's growing up into his teens and becoming a hero on a bigger scale now (he is 15 at this point). Knuckles, Tails, and Amy seem comfortable working as a team now too.

> 2001, Sonic Adventure 2:

Eggman discovers Gerald's diary and wakes up Shadow 50 years after the ARK massacre so he can use Shadow to take over the world. Shadow double crosses him to completely destroy the world, killing everyone including himself and eggman, but after a heart to heart with Amy (who happens to say something similar to Shadow's key-phrase, Maria's last words), he regains his true memories and saves the world at the last minute through self sacrifice. Rouge also joins in this game, at first as a double spy working for the government, but throughout the game she begins to care about Shadow as she uncovers his past, and in the end she allies with Sonic team, at least on neutral terms.

> Sonic Advance 1 & 2:

In Sonic Advance 1, Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles all go on a classic adventure beating up eggman's bots in the familiar Greenhill zones. In Sonic Advance 2, Cream the rabbit is introduced and Team Sonic help save her mother Vanilla the rabbit from eggman.

> Sonic Heroes:

Shadow turns out to have survived his fall from space, and eggman has sealed him within his base with a guard robot named Omega. Rouge finds him and takes him under her wing along with Omega, forming Team Dark, although shes unsure if its the real Shadow or one of the robot replicas that eggman built. Neo-metal sonic is the big bad guy of this game but everyone defeats him together (team chaotix, team rose, team dark, and team sonic).

> Shadow The Hedgehog (the game):

The black arms return just like they said they would but Sonic crew defeats them with Shadow, who regains his memories with his friends' help. It's a good thing Gerald made so many video messages and diaries for people to find in the future lol

> Sonic Battle:

Eggman uncovers Emerl the gizoid, an ancient robot his grandfather Gerald discovered before him in the 1950s and gave a part of Maria's soul. Emerl is unresponsive though, so Eggman abandons him. Sonic finds him and brings him to Tails to fix up. Shadow attempts to destroy Emerl, saying something along the lines that Sonic (and bio-weapon creators) don't understand what its like to be a living weapon, that it's a life not worth living, and that he won't allow Emerl to exist knowing he has the capability to destroy the world, and also that no one else should have to live through what he has. Sonic protects Emerl and is adamant that every life has value and that he'll keep Eggman from using Emerl for evil.

>Everyone except Shadow decides to collect all the chaos emeralds so that Emerl can be reset through a key-phrase Rouge found, but there's also a chance he'll default to destroying the world if he's overwhelmed with power. Shadow refuses to give the last emerald in fear of Emerl losing control, but Rouge explains that Gerald gave Shadow and Emerl souls, so that even if someone tried to force them to destroy the world, their souls would prevent them from being able to do it. Deciding to trust Rouge and his shared soul with Emerl, Shadow gives up the last emerald and says the key-phrase (Maria's last words, which is also Shadow's key-phrase). It works and Emerl gains free will, but after a while Eggman captures him again and overwhelms him with power, which causes Emerl to lose control and attempt to destroy the world, forcing Sonic to fight him. Emerl self destructs as Gerald's last safety measure for if he is weaponized, ending his story there. Also, side note, Chaos is mentioned by Knuckles, meaning its still alive on Angel Island.

> Sonic Advance 3:

Eggman creates a new robot named Gemerl made out of the leftover data he could scavenge from what was left of Emerl after he self destructed. He then uses chaos control to break the world into seven pockets of reality so he can conquer it all and turn it into the Dr. Eggman Empire. Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Cream all group up to fight the eggman bots, Gemerl, and collect the chaos emeralds. Once they have all the chaos emeralds, Gemerl betrays Eggman and steals the emeralds for himself to become 'Ultimate Gemerl.' Sonic becomes super and teams up with Eggman to defeat Gemerl, who explodes.

>Later on, while Cream and her mother are at the beach, they find Gemerl's damaged body on the shore and bring it to Tails. Tails repairs Gemerl and reprograms him to be friendly and non-violent. From then on, Gemerl lives a peaceful life with Cream and Vanilla in their cottage, and becomes Cream's protector. In a way, Emerl was able to be reborn into Gemerl and have another chance at life.

> Sonic Rush 1 & 2:

Blaze the cat is introduced when her dimension collides with Sonic's. Unlike the chaos emeralds, princess Blaze needs the sol emeralds to stay together or else her islands will drop into the ocean. Blaze, Sonic, and Tails fight the Eggman of her dimension to save their worlds. In the second game, Marine is added and they go on a pirate adventure when Sonic and Tails end up in Blaze's dimension. Later on in The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog, it is revealed that Blaze is able to open a portal whenever she likes so she can cross into Sonic's dimension to visit or help in bigger adventures.

> Sonic Riders:

I honestly haven't looked into the story yet, I think these bird people are like... the descendents of aliens or something?? Why are there so many ancient aliens in sonic lore. Well anyway, the Babylon rogues are introduced with Jet, Wave, and Storm. Also hoverboards exist.

> Sonic The Hedgehog 2006:

Okay so... Silver is definitely canon and still needs to exist because he's in the IDW comics, but... Is anything besides him still canon in this timeline? I mean, even if Elise is out there somewhere, do any of the characters remember her?

> Sonic Lost World, Sonic Colors, Sonic and The Black Knight, and Sonic and The Secret Rings:

Lost World introduces the Zeti aliens, and Colors introduces wisps. The storybook games further support/imply the existence of other timelines and dimensions, or maybe Sonic was just dreaming.

>I don't think it really matters exactly what order these games happen in, including Sonic Unleashed, as long as they happen before the events of Generations. By release date though, it's Secret Rings > Unleashed > Black Knight > Colors > Lost World. HOWEVER, release dates don't always matter, because writers have said before that release dates dont always line up with the story. For example: Sonic Battle actually takes place before Sonic Heroes, even though Sonic Heroes came out first.

> Sonic Unleashed:

Since the beginning of time, a god-like being named Dark Gaia has been sleeping within the core of the world and wakes up to shatter the world at a certain time every however many years, and each time Light Gaia would put it back together. I wonder if this is what keeps wiping out the ancient alien civilizations? Clearly the Ancients in Sonic Frontiers, the aliens from Sonic Riders, and "The Fourth Civilization" from Sonic Battle each had time to build up their civilizations to amazingly advanced technological landscapes, but would then get wiped out and the next civilization would have to restart.

>Eggman learns how to drain the chaos emeralds' of their power, and condenses their power into a lazer that he uses to shatter the world's crust in order for Dark Gaia to escape (but couldn't he already do that with the ARK's lazer?) He also drained Sonic of his super form, which turned him into a werewolf with stretchy arms for some reason, but only at night. Since Light Gaia was taken from the Earth's core prematurely, he is in a weakened state with amnesia, and follows Sonic around until he remembers his true purpose.

>The Dark Gaia absorbs whatever power was inside of Sonic that caused him to turn into a werehog, curing him of his curse, and then Light Gaia weakens Dark Gaia so that Sonic can defeat it in his super form. Light Gaia, or Chip, then helps Sonic return to the Earth's surface, and seals himself within the core once again.

> Sonic Generations:

Sonic is celebrating his birthday!! Which proves that he and everyone else have been slowly aging throughout their adventures. Suddenly, the "Time Eater" attacks, and scatters all the birthday party guests all across space and time. Sonic and Tails meet their younger selves from the past, and they all race through all of the adventures Sonic's been on to restore the timeline. They defeat the Time Eater, which is being piloted by eggman and eggman from the past, with the help of their friends and their past selves. Afterward Sonic and his friends return to the present, with the Sonic and Tails from the past. Sonic tells his younger self that he's going to have a great future, before sending him and the young past Tails off to their correct time through the remaining time portal. Current Eggman tells Past Eggman that he's yet to defeat Sonic, and Past Eggman considers getting a teaching degree instead like he had wanted. It's unclear if Past-Sonic will then go through all the same adventures, or if his time-travel hijinks opened up a new timeline, maybe even one where Eggman becomes a teacher instead! But probably not, lol. At the very least, it opens up a timeline where that Sonic gets deja-vu in all his future adventures leading up to the Time-Eater's attack.

> 2017, Sonic Forces:

Sonic is captured by Infinite and they have to open up a portal into a different timeline/the past to get Classic Sonic to help them save our Sonic.

> IDW comics:

Everyone fights neo-metal and the zeti aliens again, eggman lost his memory but then regained it, the whole zombot arc happened, and now Surge and Kit are on the rise. To those who have not read, I highly recommend at least reading up to issue #29.

> 2022, Sonic Frontiers:

Sonic Frontiers happens somewhere on this timeline... Maybe sometime after Sonic Forces but in the middle of the IDW comics. Sonic crew learn about the Ancients (mentioned first on the timeline), who supposedly are the ones who brought the chaos emeralds to Sonic's world in the first place. Also, the characters are all clearly growing older, as their voices are much more mature, and they each decide to commit to independent adventures to prove their growth. It's honestly really sweet watching Amy and Tails start out with literal child voice-actors, then seeing them grow into their new older voices. I assume Sonic is going from 15 (his last recorded age in SA2) to his 20s, which will probably mean we'll get more lore-focused games that hold space for an older audience while still keeping it kid-friendly.

...I think that's everything? Someone please fill in the gaps on Sonic Riders, I know there's 3 games for that series. I think the details on their alien race might be important if we want to try and piece together the first four ancient civilizations.

Also, someone please share what happens in Sonic Rivals (2006) because I'm not willing to watch like over eight hours of game play yet, but I know it has a big story that most fans aren't familiar with.

#major mumbles #sonic the hedgehog #idw sonic #sth hc #sth headcanon #sonic headcanon #sonic frontiers #sonic riders #sonic battle #emerl the gizoid #sonic adventure #tikal the echidna #knuckles the echidna #sonic adventure 2 #gerald robotnik #eggman #maria robotnik #shadow the hedgehog #jet the hawk #babylon rogues #tails miles prower #metal sonic #amy rose #rouge the bat #sonic heroes #blaze the cat #sonic generations #sth #doctor eggman #dr eggman

[running-with-kn1ves]

This idea just hit me but like, I was thinking that maybe there's like tension between humans and supernatural creatures right? So the humans make a task force to sort of keep the creatures in line/negotiate. And one of the best pairs is comprised of like this smooth-talking agent, and their partner a sniper, who's almost never seen bc they're always perched somewhere ready to take the shot if necessary to protect their partner. Jump forward to a negotiation that isn't going as smoothly as they hoped, and the creature, maybe a werewolf kinda cocks their head to side and asks "Who's your friend up in the trees there, they never come down to say hello~" And the agent, trying to take it in stride is like "They're our security policy, Agent X is a very skilled marksman." So they called the reader down, and the creature kinda inspects them. "I'll make you a deal, if you give them to me, I won't wage war on this sector. And like the humans are shocked, and immediately start protesting that they cannot in good conscience hand over an agent to the enemy like this, but the monsters look so serious about this that they have to relent. I just imagine the reader disassembling their gun to go with the creature and looking back at their coworker bc they can't believe they were given up so easily. Turns out the werewolf and his kin have had their eye on the reader for a while. The werewolf especially likes to share the reader with his own personal bodyguard, a rather stoic, well-built man. They're both really possessive but it shows in different ways maybe?

UGH I love this. I have some kind of feral adoration for werewolves; and imagine he's some kind of gang leader on top? Oh boy. (Hope you dont mind I added a lot of my thoughts to this!)

I can see the reader being the quiet, judgemental type while at work. They're used to being silent for hours on account of their job, steathiness being required.Though, that doesn't mean they dont have fire in them. They took this job for a reason, and dont intend on going down without a fight.

I wonder if they're the type to fight back while being traded off, or of they silently comply, knowing at least peace will be kept if they go with?

And I'm curious if this is just a "leader of the pack" kind of werewolf love, or if the leader's entire group/gang is interested in our reader.

I'd like to think that the werewolf is making the negotiation more difficult than it needed to be, mostly in order to get his claws on the reader. Though I wonder how he found them in the first place; perhaps scoping out the human organization to get research on who the clan was dealing with, and he just so happened to come across the reader during a job, piquing his interest?

And I LOVE the idea of him sharing with his bodyguard. Two spooky monster men, preferably tattooed up too? No complaints here. I'd like to think they've probably worked together for years, the werewolf's bodyguard being his closest confidant and both finding each other quite trustworthy.

While the leader might be more of sadistic, teasing type, his bodyguard is the unpredictable, secretly yearning from afar but would never show it, kind of guy.

The leader is more obvious about his claim on the reader, near to the point of outright stating "you're mine." He likes to leave visible signs of his ownership on them, teasing them about it and brushing over the chomp marks on their neck in front of others. I imagine he might be the more jealous type, and has near to no shame. But he does like his privacy at times with his darling when hes not flaunting them.

Though when it comes to the bodyguard, I could see him as the type that tends to hold things in, but doesnt hesitate to get in the way if something happens that he doesn't like. Is more physically possessive, and his actions say more than his words. He doesnt say much, but when he does, he speaks quietly and with intention. He doesnt like to show off when hes with the reader, and rather would keep them in his own grasp, being more inclined to hide them away. I'd like to think hes more sensitive physically than the leader, and more audible when displaying affection, with little grunts or sighs, though it's usually unintentional.

#kn1ves rants #x reader #reader insert #writing #self insert #knives rants #male yandere #fanfiction #werewolf oc #male werewolf #werewolf boys #werewolf x reader #yandere male #yandere male x reader #male x reader #tw #yandere #yandere x reader #x gn reader

[s-creations]

Stillness

The quite allows you time to think the loudest.

Fandom: Court of Roses (Webcomic) Rating: General Audiences Relationship: Merlow the Rose/Nocturne (Court of Roses) Additional Tags: Other Characters are mentioned, Sort of a self-reflection story, Nocturne is such an interesting character, I mean they all are, Just let me focus on one thing at a time please, Deep thoughts come in early morning or late nights, no kissing but this is still a cute connection.

Gift to @nintendonut1 @courtofrosescomic

Early mornings always seemed to be the most undisturbed period of time. Time where those who were awake at night started to fall quiet and sleep. And those who’ve spent the night sleeping were just barely starting to wake up. Even those creatures who didn’t know of the social norms of ‘hours’ knew to remain silent as if aware there needed to be moments of calm before the day officially started. 

Truthfully, this was a time Nocturne felt the most at ease. Not to claim that this was his favorite portion of the day. More of it being a moment where he could just…exist. 

In the past, he would wake to have points of feeling normal. Or, as close as he could. Fantasizing that he was reading for pleasure rather than researching for his new claim. At a far younger age, it was a warm home with both fathers patiently waiting for him to return. For later years it was just the concept of believing he could have some form of stability. Not having the fear of being forgotten hanging over his head. 

It was so strange to think about. As a child, Nocturne had been excited to see what the lands held to offer. Now the idea of simply being home seemed so enticing. To have a solid place to live.

What a concept…

Laying on his back, Nocturne’s eyes stared up at the blank ceiling of the carriage. Thankful that both Sven and Felicks were on morning watch so as to not have to deal with two beings snoring loudly. 

Diana and Phoebe having claimed the two drop down bunks built into the sides of their mobile structure. Sure, they were just flat pieces of wood. But the provided elevation made the rest better somehow. 

Which left Nocturne and Merlow to rest on the floor. Both contorting on the ground as they tried for comfort. 

Nocturne wasn’t brother by this at all. Honestly, Merlow was the only member of this trope the Infernal didn’t mind being so close to. 

Don’t read too far into that, now is not the time.

Pointed ears twitched hearing a whispered ‘discussion’ between Sven and Felicks outside.

Both no doubt debating over what was going to be made for that morning’s meal.

The Infernal shifted to lay on his side facing Merlow.

The half-elf was still fast asleep at this point in the morning. Laying on his side as well and curled up as best he could be in the available space. Cheek squished against one of his hands that was acting as an extension of his pillow. The other hand up and tucked underneath his chin. His hair was somehow still untangled even out of their customary three braids. A few strands occasionally flutter from Merlow’s steady breathing.

Even with vision blurred, Nocturne felt that he knew every line that made up the half-elf’s face. 

Merlow was…an enigma to the Infernal. For all his travels, Nocturne had never met someone so joyfully optimistic who also carried such sorrow with them. For all that life had thrown at Merlow’s feet, the half-elf remained with the idea that there was good in people. Doing his best to spread the joy and care he radiated out to everyone. It was amazing to think anyone could be sour while around the half-elf.

Which is why seeing Merlow so still as is was such an awe. 

Nocturne was used to seeing the other bouncing around, to help or comfort, wanting to play, waving his arms around eagerly while sharing a story. Even with his calmer situations, Merlow could be found fiddling with his hair, or the strap for his bag, or picking at his gloves. He seemed to be constantly moving. 

If left alone from his tormentful past, the only time Merlow seemed to be motionless was when he fell into a deep sleep. 

He looked peaceful.

Calm.

Relaxed.

There was no need to keep his smile on or to comfort. 

Merlow could sleep. 

Nocturne could watch.

And it could just be the two of them for a moment. A comfort in seeing Merlow so relaxed.

Perhaps the quiet was adding a bit of bravery he wouldn’t normally hold. Regardless, Nocturne shifted so he could pull an arm from under his own blanket. Cautiously reaching out until his fingertips just barely brushed against Merlow’s cheek. When the other didn’t stir, he pressed forward. Getting a slight thrill when he could properly cup the half-elf’s face. 

Even with the warning he’d received about the other, Nocturne felt that Merlow had been a wonderful surprise to his life. An unexpected change of course on the Infernal’s path. Being informed that the half-elf was just a person so study, to understand. Only to become so much more as time continued on. A change that Nocturne should have been worried about. He’d lived his life as a forgotten footnote in history for so long that the want of being remembered was a phantom pain. 

Now, it was a bitter candy that he seemed to swallow everyday.

He hadn’t felt this content in so long…

The spell was broken when Merlow let out a low groan. Eyes squeezing tightly as he began to wake. Nocturne was just able to pull his hand away fast enough to hide under his blanket once more. Just as green eyes of Spring opened and landed on the Infernal with muddled and exhausted confusion.

“Mornin’...” Merlow croaked out. Slowly blinking as he fought to stay awake.

“Good morning,” Nocturne whispered back, “did you have a nightmare? You’re up early.”

“Can be sayin’ the same ta ye… But no, slept well… How early is it?”

“We probably have a few hours before the sun begins to rise.”

Merlow let out a small hum. “Ye never answered my question…” 

“I just had a few things on my mind, don’t worry. I’m going to try and get some more sleep.”

There was another hum before Merlow replied with, “‘M cold…”

“Suppose it is a bit nippier than previous mornings.” Nocturne’s quiet laughter turned to a quick choke as Merlow shuffled forward. The half-elf doing his best to tuck as close to the Infernal as possible. 

Nocturne felt himself freeze before allowing his arms to slowly relax. Wrapping them around Merlow, who let out a contented sigh. 

“Comfortable?”

“Very…”

“Good…” Nocturne relaxed further to press his cheek to the top of Merlow’s head. “Good.”

It wasn’t long before Merlow was asleep once more. Nocturne left to the silence as before. Eyes closing, he focused on the comfortable weight now resting in his arms. 

He welcomed the stillness.

Because he could imagine this was his life.

And he loved the thought.

#s-creations #merlow the rose #nocturne court of roses #court of roses #nintendonut1 #oooo I hope this is good #feels so much more terrifying than previous works

[the2ight2eer]

An in depth look at the capital of Gulfeńn, Valkor! (Buckle up, this is a long one)

Before I start I should probably clear something up: For inspiration for coming up with Elven culture, I looked at Slavic, Balkan, Hindu, and Middle Eastern influences. The easiest way to think about it is this (if anything that comes up in this post is offensive to any of these cultures, please let me know and I will try my best to fix it. I am only human, and I am an American at that, so I can only go by my research 😅):

Clothing, Music, Language, and Patterning = Balkan

Language, Music, and Clothing = Slavic

Food, Architecture, and Religion = Hindu

Architecture, Desert Culture, Food, Clothing, and Music = Middle Eastern

Don’t worry, I will give examples and visual aid to help convey what I mean!

____________________________________________

Valkor: The Capital

Gulfeńn is split into four different provinces, or states. These provinces have their own biomes, traditions, and leaders. Valkor is one of four, and is simply referred to “Western Gulfeńn” sometimes.

(Spellings will be changed throughout tho will be changed to fit what I have in mind for the elves)

Population- 4.1 million

Valkor is a unique city, in the nature of its height. Valkor is located in a part of the Ośtavlet desert that dips into a valley, where it can reaches 104 degrees on average in the summer. The elves would have baked to death. So they settled on a huge, naturally forming rock spire. These desert spikes provide great shade in the unforgiving heat, and were the prime spot for elves to carve out their cities. The Yvvińna Palace was carved directly into the rock, while the actual city was built around the outside.

After hundreds of years, the rock on the spire started to crumble and erode. Scientists have been researching a way to regrow the rocks. So far, more and more houses have to be partially or entirely held up by sturdy metal beams. It’s not too bad yet…

Around the base of Valkor is a wall, and behind the wall is the rest of the city. 

These neighborhoods are safe from heatstroke because of the shade that both the Wall and the Palace provide. Air conditioning is also free for those who live on the base (and for those who want it. Usually it’s only the human citizens who actually turn it on. Elves are adequately adapted to deal with the heat)

For those who live “On the Sky” as they say, it can get well near freezing during the night and during the winter months. The ecosystem up near the sky is more humid. More trees and plants can be found growing up there. Sometimes it even snows. Children who live on the base usually go near the top to play on the rare occasion it does. The journey from the base to the very top takes approximately 4 hours of twisty, windy roads. 

Safety rails have been installed after many instances of people falling off the sharp cliff sides. 

The Valkorian Throne is the highest throne of Gulfeńn, since the city was founded by The Oj Dolo (in the books, known as The Great Erlking). The Oj Dolo was seen as a sort of god in his own right, the equivalent to the Christian prophet Jesus, or the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Like both, he was a real life figure but ascended to legend.

(Quick note on Oj Dolo: imagine my surprise when I found out that “Dolo” is not only an actual Polish name, but also Oj Dolo is a song! I swear I had no knowledge of this until a month after I chose the name. I chose Oj as the prefix because I knew it meant “Oh”)

Thus, any Czar that followed in his footsteps, and took the throne, was seen as a mortal god (kind of like Egyptian pharaohs). Most elves will refer to the Czar with the prefix “Oj” (said like “oi”), as it is seen as respectful to do so for “god mortals”. This includes the royal family, and the Dzikaję (child of the Czar).

As for the elven goddesses, I will talk more in depth about them later (I don’t wanna overwhelm anyone with info lol), but for now just know that they have two: Seińn of the Sun, and Favšta of the Moon.

BONUS: in my version of the story, The Elf King, or Oj Czar Ykoda, was of the royal bloodline and was in an arranged marriage with the daughter of the Duchess of Stęńgard, Epopyja.

Also, just to get it out of the way real fast, here Lugźer (Luger), and Tręlis (Trellis) are cousins not brothers. And I have big plans for both of them >:)c

Here are some reference images of what I think Valkorians might dress like (all taken from Pinterest):

Don’t worry about their ears! They poke out of their head coverings with ease, and still have plenty of room to move

Last note, I was thinking that for the Oj Czar, he could wear a kokoshnik along with his mask:

(Credit to Alena Abramova for these amazingly intricate dolls!)

So his silhouette is still long and flowy, but distinct and intimidating

Next up will probably be a look at our main characters, and then I’ll probably do a breakdown of the timeline <3

#amulet series #prince trellis #kazu kibuishi #Cam’sAmuletRewrite #when I tell you guys that I have been sitting on thsi for a while I mean A WHILE #like… freshman year of highschool #I’m about to graduate 😭 #anyways thsi little project has given me the excuse to research cultures that I didn’t know that much about #and Slavic folk music which I listen to all the time now #even though I haven’t a single Slavic born in my body #Irish American born and raised on the Missouri countryside