The Opposite Of A Mansion Murder Mystery Where Everyone Present Is A Bounty Hunter Who Really Wants To

what was even the point of "we talk it through as a crew" and "indestructible little fucker" and "well, if you want, i could be family" and "it's not about getting what you want, it's about belonging to something when the world has told you nothing" and "for the new unicorn" if they were just going to throw it all away in the finale

chilly mornings in piltover

a perfect excuse to lend your partner your jacket

(also available as a print!)

This is from one of my worldbuilding posts in response at the bias of temperate climates being considered the "default" in fantasy and fiction in general (so these are tags in response to tags in another post but try to keep up)

This is very true, and as someone from a subtropical region who has never truly seen snow, to me the danger that cold weather represents is, let's use the word, "exotic" when I read into writing. Things do get cold here, but the fact that there are entire months where things get cold enough that nothing grows and staying outside can outright kill you is not something I would get used to easily.

This is ESPECIALLY relevant when you're doing worldbuilding on pre-industrial societies. Nowadays we can go to the store in the deep of winter, but when most of the population is composed of subsistence farmers, the above dangers are more than fatal. In temperate regions, a great deal of effort in daily life was spent into getting ready for the winter; storing harvested crops and meat in one way or the other until the spring. A harsh winter or a bad harvest could and did mean people just starved to death.

In tropical and subtropical regions, you don't usually get a season where nothing grows. Actually, you do, most have a rainy and a dry season of some sort (in my region, you do get a relatively strong winter, but the main difference is rainy/dry), so the pace of life is regulated by rain, and there's also a greater diversity of crops (see for example the milpa/three sisters system of the Americas, still used today). It doesn't necessarily mean that tropical and subtropical regions had better food all the time, since they also faced the same challenges of dealing with bad harvests, droughts, and more (DROUGHTS, especially, are the kind of civilization-ending event), but they did sustain overall high population densities and extensive systems of irrigation. I'll admit I read this long ago and don't know where to look at it, but a good comparison would be the higher density of villages and small plots in rice-producing regions compared to those in more temperate places. The Americas were completely disrupted by European colonization so it's hard to make sweeping statements about them but if we believe 1491's research (there are some points in dispute there), they had very, very high population densities, and partly this must be because of year-round cultivation of a great variety of tropical and subtropical crops.

Indeed, cold places far away from fishing, for example, often had low populations because there simply wasn't enough reliable crops to support them. Until the widespread adoption of a calorie rich crop that can tolerate cold conditions. Can you guess which it is?

( a collection of summer is ending starters or dialogue prompts. adjust phrasing as necessary.) feel free to make edits to better suit your muse, but please don’t edit or add on to the original post ♡ if you like, please consider supporting me through tips

"The sun feels different today, like it’s saying goodbye."

"Every time the summer ends, I feel like the wind tries to tell me a secret, but I never quite hear it."

"Did you notice how the colors of the sunset have started to fade? It’s like the sky is getting ready for winter."

"The cicadas fell silent today. Do you think they know it’s the end?"

"The lake looks quieter now, as if it knows it’s time to sleep."

"I swear the shadows have gotten longer. It's like even they know the sun won’t be around much longer."

"I can feel the summer slipping through my fingers, like the warmth in the breeze is fading away."

"The ocean feels colder today, like it’s pulling away from the shore."

"The last of the fireflies are flickering out. I wonder if they know this is their last dance of the season."

"It smells different now, don’t you think? Like the earth is getting ready to sleep."

"The flowers are closing earlier each day. Do you think they know the season is ending?"

"I miss the sound of summer already. The air doesn’t hum like it used to."

"Do you feel it too? The way the light is softer, as if the sun is tired."

"The wind today feels like a memory, like it’s carrying the last whispers of summer."

"The days are shrinking. It’s like time itself knows summer is ending."

"The sunflowers have turned away from the light. It’s like they’ve already given up on summer."

"The sky feels higher now, like it’s pulling away from the earth."

"Every evening, the air smells a little more like autumn. Summer’s slipping through the cracks."

"The crickets sound different tonight, almost like they’re playing a slower tune."

"I saw the first fallen leaf today. It feels like summer is already a memory."

"Do you remember how we danced in the rain that night? It felt like the summer clouds were celebrating with us."

"We spent so many afternoons chasing the sun across the sky. Now it’s slipping away from us."

"Every time we went to the beach, the waves played with us, like they knew we only had a little time left."

"Remember when we stayed up all night, watching the stars? I think they burned brighter just for us."

"That bonfire on the last night of August… it felt like the flames were trying to hold onto the warmth of summer with us."

"I still hear the echo of our laughter from that day at the lake. Do you think the water remembers us?"

"We ran through those fields as if summer would never end. Now they look so still, like they’re waiting for us to return."

"The ice cream melted too fast, the sun set too late, and we never really noticed the days slipping away."

"Remember how the sand felt like it was alive beneath our feet, like it was trying to pull us deeper into the moment?"

"We spent the whole summer chasing sunsets, never catching one the same way twice."

"Do you think the fireflies miss us? They followed us through every twilight, lighting up our path."

"The nights were so warm, it felt like the stars were sitting with us, whispering secrets we’ll never remember."

"We picked so many wildflowers, I’m surprised the fields didn’t run out."

"The last picnic we had… the air was so sweet, like the wind had collected all the fun we’d had and wrapped it up in the breeze."

"We built sandcastles like they’d last forever. Now the beach looks so empty without them."

"We never needed clocks. The long days felt like they’d never end."

A modern take on magic symbols

Just an idea, but more modern spirits, and older spirits who've stuck around into the modern age probably haven't ever seen certain types of warding or other magic symbols before, or haven't seen them in a very long time. The idea that older symbols would effect them is based on the supposition that the symbol itself is inherently magical, as opposed to the practitioner's own intent or interpretation.

But, if we consider intent, and/or interpretation as being part of how a symbol operates, and if we also consider how the spirit may interpret specific symbols, then for modern witches, might I suggest some alternative symbols for a modern warding?

A standard UK (and I think a fair number of other countries) stop sign. People see it, and boom, you feel a urge to stop. You see it, and it's not just a suggestion, it's a command. Why should it not apply to spirits? Either your own interpretation gives the symbol power, or the spirits interpretation does. Either way, right? Then we've got restricted access - use it to deny any spirits you don't want, whilst allowing the ones you do want in, because they're 'authorised personnel '. The last one I think is UK specific, (correct me if I'm wrong!) The double red line indicates that there is to be no stopping in this location at any time -- I like to think of this as working for a protective circle or threshold ward. You could also use a single red line, no stopping except at specified times, or double yellow -- no waiting at any time, and so on. For cleansing spells invoke the names of powerful modern cleaning agents as you cleanse, or invoke the names of a local refuse removal company. For exorcisms, quote trespass laws as the spell!

Don't get bogged down in the idea that tradition is inherently superior, (not to say traditional methods are bad, I use folk magic practices in ancestor veneration or in specific environments), or stuck in the idea that you can only use certain symbols in certain contexts (discounting closed practices here, if you're not of that culture, don't use their stuff!). Magic is simply a mindset, a point of view, and as such, what matters most in a practice is how you specifically view your practice!

Drunken Love Confessions

"I like your stupid face. It’s so stupid. It’s so… I like it. Can I touch it?"

"You're all I ever wanted. I'm sorry I can't say it sober."

"I can't wait for the room to stop spinning, so I can focus on your face again."

"I would love to hear those words in any other place than this bathroom, holding your hair back."

"You're cute. And a bit blurry. But definitely always so cute."

"I think I love you." "And I would love to answer you accordingly, but I think I would appreciate it more when you’re actually able to understand my answer."

"Don't tell my sober me that I told you I love you. It was a secret."

"I…I want to give you my heart. It belongs to… to you. How… how can I give it to you? I don’t want it anymore." "Let’s wait until tomorrow with the surgery."

"Oh I'm dreaming of you again. If I wouldn't be dreaming and if you would be really here, then I would tell you I love you."

"I love you. But that's a secret. So I won't tell you about it."

"You're drunk." "Yes. And hopelessly in love with you."

"I'm seeing you twice. Oh, now I can give all my love to even more of you."

"Say that again after two coffees at least and I will be yours."

"You're so adorable. I want to pick you up and never let you down."

"I've always loved you. But I will never tell you."

"This is not a dream, I think. In my dreams we're usually kissing."

"I’m not drunk. Can a drunk person do this?" "You’re not doing anything." "But… I sent you my love. Did you… did you not get it?"

"Can you keep a secret? I am madly in love with you. But psshh."

"I fell in love with you." "No, you fell down the stairs. You should really learn to hold your liquor."

"You're so perfect. How can anyone be so perfect? Maybe you're just a dream."

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I used to think that the reason I wasn't satisfied with Izzy's death was because I was too attached to his perspective as a character and couldn't focus on the big picture of the season and the main Gentlebeard relationship enough. I mean, I was still convinced that his death and the way it was carried out was a shit writing decision, but everyone else outside the Izzy Canyon circles seemed fine with it, so I was starting to think that maybe they were right.

So I looked back on the rest of the season and rewatched the finale... And realised something that I'd been trying to ignore because it was too painful to admit. A huge part of why Izzy's death hit so hard (in a bad way, not that delicious masochistic pain of having a beloved character die a good, narratively satisfying death) was because throughout this season he was the only character who actually had a satisfying arc and development. Practically no one else did. I didn't actually care for Gentlebeard this season, not the way I cared in S1. From episode 1 to 8 and a half, Izzy's arc was crafted with more care, kindness, subtlety and narrative weight than the main Gentlebeard arc which, in comparison, felt like a string of choppy beads badly tied together in an approximate shape of an arc, but collapsed as soon as you looked at it too closely.

Yes, we all know this season suffered for being 2 episodes too short, but I don't think that's all there is to it. This is starting to feel like GoT season 8 all over again. Would it have been better if it wasn't so rushed? Maybe. Or maybe it would have been even worse because this season just didn't seem to know what to do with itself or the characters. The themes and symbolism are all over the place and completely inconsistent. Ed and Stede's characters are practically back at the same place they left in S1. All they did was bounce off the walls back and forth with no real growth. As soon as they took a step towards fixing their relationship or growing as people, they either tool three steps back or it just got dropped. Stede letting fame get to his head? Interesting and realistic development. And how was it resolved? It wasn't. Stede and Ed being whim prone? I'm glad they brought it up. And then they just fell for another whim and it was presented as a satisfying ending.

Ed went from the Kraken, to taking the first steps towards being Ed, then suddenly all the way to being Ed by way of a Night of Magical Healing Sex that he he didn't actually want to happen because he wasn't ready. And then all of a sudden he pivoted to abandoning Stede and piracy and becoming a fisherman... for 5 min. And then back to Blackbeard again because two fishermen were mean to him for 5 minutes. And then abandoning it again to open an inn. How was any of this even remotely coherent or satisfying? They didn't even have a single conversation about any of it. Ed had more proper closure and communication with Izzy during his dying scene than with Stede and the rest of the crew put together. Izzy's arc got sacrificed to do the heavy lifting for Ed's arc and became nothing more than a shortcut to speed run his character growth. Except it didn't even lead anywhere. "Ed, they're your family, they love you" no they don't, he didn't even have a single positive conversation with any of them except Fang. Of course this could have been the point, and Ed could have seen Izzy's death, his own discovery of found family and his dying words as a pretext to repair his relationship with the crew. But he just left them and stayed with Stede instead.

Sure, you could say this was only the second act of the story, and S3 will resolve everything. But the second act is still meant to move the story and the characters forward in some way. Yes, of course if we get S3, I imagine Stede and Ed's life as innkeepers won't exactly be idyllic. But the problem is that the conflicts they'd have will only be a rehash and repeat of the same conflicts they've already have, or were supposed to have, this season. Multiple times, even. We already know that Ed is simply unable to live with himself no matter what life he chooses. The title of S1 was literally "wherever you go, there you are". We already know Stede's love isn't enough to fix him. We already know their goals in life are completely opposite. Maybe they could have shown Stede realising, after his humiliating in S7, that piracy wasn't all it was cracked up to be or he isn't suited for it, and that's why he chose to leave it behind and open an inn, but that's not the explanation we were given. It was just another whim. They literally didn't learn anything this season. They had two baby conversations in E4 and E5 and didn't take anything from it, just kept doing the complete opposite of anything. "We're both prone to whims, let's take things slow" became "let's take things extremely fast by moving in together permanently and becoming entrepreneurs". They never talked about the actual, deepseated, longstanding trauma issues they needed to resolve before they could even begin to have a proper relationship. They literally got a heavy-handed glimpse in what their life would become if they just stuck together without addressing their own personal issues, and chose to do that very thing. It that's what S3 is going to address, then why were Anne and Mary part of this season instead of the next one?

I remember everyone saying they wanted Ed and Stede to reunite as quickly as possible in S2, and I get why. They have great chemistry together. The season is about them. But for it to work, spending more time apart is exactly what they needed. They needed to learn how to live with themselves and others, first. Romantic love alone can't fix you as a person. You have to fix yourself first. Community can help (as with Izzy's case), but you still have to put in the work. In retrospect, I'm glad that Izzy didn't get a love interest this season - because he wasn't ready yet, and had to learn how to have normal relationships and friendships with other people before attempting an intimate romantic relationship, lest he ended up falling head first unit another toxic mutually dependent relationship. That's what Stede and Ed should have tried too. Instead the show just ended up using Izzy's death as a quick surgical fix, robbing Ed of his agency and having to do the hard work repairing himself and his relationships with other people. There's a sad irony in getting exactly one character's arc just this, and then using it as a sacrificial lamb to patch over the main character's arc.

my parents (usually my mom) will capture me in a blanket and just sorta swaddle me an say 'can we keep em ?' 'ill take care of it' and my dad will respond with things like 'i dunno.. i think it bites' and ill jus wriggle about biting the air threatening to bite them if they dont set me free,

last night my mom said that i was her most favorite critter and this will stick with me for forever i think

Hey there! Can I request some vampire AU prompts

Of course! I’m not sure if this is exactly what you wanted, so let me know and I’ll adjust. (In every prompt, A is the vampire)

Vampire AU Prompts

Since A is a vampire, they can’t see themselves in the mirror. Every morning, B draws a doodle of A, writes a compliment underneath it and sticks it on the mirror.

A strongly resembles a dead celebrity, so they often dress up as that celebrity and walk around in public to create immortality rumours.

A has only been a vampire for a few years and is trying to continue their normal life. When people ask A how they don’t age, they claim it’s because of their skincare routine. This accidentally causes A to gather a following as a skincare expert.

B is a human who told all their friends that they have a vampire significant other. This, of course, is a lie, so they seek out A and beg them to date them so that B won’t be seen as a liar.

People think that vampires are creatures of the night who wear all black. In reality, they’re doctors who suck illness out of patients.

A accidentally kills a human. Out of panic and guilt, they shapeshift to look like that human and try living their life.

A spent their whole life as a vegan. Now that they’re a vampire, they have to find a solution to not drinking blood.

First Post!

I deleted my old tumblr because... man idk why it was covid-times and the prefrontal cortex was not in the room with us!! Anyways, I was reminded by my lovely friend @repecca that tumblr exists, and that some of my work has been going around on here, so I decided to post some of my work up officially! Starting off with my most notable (?) work to date, here's my LOTR: The Middle Kingdom Project. Now, it's been over a year since I posted this, and at the time I was... really searchingfor myself artistically, and I decided to go all in on something that I'd been ruminating on for a long time.

So, hello, again. I'm Leia. I do visual development/BG design, and I'm also a writer of things. I love fantasy and transformative work. It's nice to meet you.