i must write; i have run out of space in my head.

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend/ The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act/ And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!

[writing-prompt-s]

After 4,000 years of being defeated and captured by the monotheistic religion God, the old Greek Gods are free. Hades is ready to fight Lucifer and claim back his throne in Hell

[howtofightwrite]

I've seen you write some really great in-depth things about firearms and most of it goes way over my head. There are words that I recognize as having to do with guns, and I have no idea what they mean. Any chance you could give kind of a brief Guns And Characters That Shoot Them 101 crash course for those of us who might work with characters that use guns and don't want to sound like idiots while writing them, but aren't necessarily going into the nitty-gritty details of gunfighting scenes?

Let’s see what I can do. Fair warning, there’s probably going to be a few very minor technical inaccuracies. I’m typing this off the top of my head.

Gun: pretty much any gunpowder based weapon. This includes both hand weapons and artillery. It does not (normally) include weapons that fire self-propelled ordinance, such as a missile launcher.

Gunpowder: This is actually a catch all term. Early gunpowder (now called “black powder) was mixed from saltpeter (potassium nitrate), charcoal, and sulfur. Modern firearms use variations of smokeless powder, originally developed in the late 19th century. Black Powder is still used with some antique and replica weapons.

As an academic distinction, it’s worth pointing out that gunpowder isn’t actually explosive, it just burns very aggressively, which results in the expansion of gas and bushing the bullet into motion. Unburned powder that remains in the gun is a persistent headache in gun design, and why guns need to be cleaned frequently.

A tiny amount of an explosive, called the Primer, is used to get the powder burning. Historically this has included substances such as picric acid and nitroglycerin. I believe modern primers use lead styphnate, but I’m honestly not sure, off the top of my head.

Cartridge: The entire package of a bullet, powder, and primer. In modern weapons, the container itself is referred to as a shell casing. The shell casing can also be referred to as a shell or casing, independent of the other.

Shell casings are sometimes referred to, idiomatically as “brass” because it is the most common material, though aluminum and other soft metals are used.

Idiomatically, shotgun cartridges are referred to as shells. Historically these were frequently made from paper. Modern shells use corrugated plastic, color coded to denote the contents.

After having been fired, a cartridge (or shell) is referred to as “spent.”

Firearms/Small Arms: Firearms, primarily refer to handheld gunpowder weapons. Small Arms refer to guns with a bore diameter (literally the size of the barrel) smaller than an inch.

Bore: This is the literal hole in the center of the barrel, that the projectile(s) travel through.

Chamber/Battery: Both terms are technically correct. This refers to where the bullet resides when the weapon is ready to fire. If a weapon’s chamber is empty, it is impossible to fire it.

Chambered: Both the state of a round being in the chamber, ready to fire, and a term that refers to the cartridge size a firearm has been designed to accept. Examples: “Chambered in .308.” “It has a round chambered.”

Incidentally, “rechambering” a weapon refers to changing the rounds a weapon will accept, removing a round and loading a fresh one is cycling (see below). Rechambering a weapon usually involves replacing the barrel, action, and magazine. Though it can be more involved if alternate parts aren’t available.

Action: The mechanical systems that clear and replace the bullet in the chamber whenever the weapon is fired. We’ll come back to this with a couple varieties in a bit.

Cycle: The actual process of the action functioning. Depending on the firearm, this can either occur automatically with each trigger pull, or it can require a direct user input.

Receiver: The physical housing that holds the action.

Hammer: a physical component behind the pistol which strikes the firing pin. Not all firearms have one.

Bolt: This is the component that actually locks the cartridge in the chamber, when the weapon is ready to fire.

Firing Pin: This is a small metal cylinder pin which (in modern firearms) strikes the back of the cartridge, detonating the primer, igniting the powder. Usually this is a separate articulated component, though some weapons have a simple stud soldered onto the bolt.

Open Bolt/Closed Bolt: This refers to which configuration the weapon fires from. Technically the bolt needs to be closed in order to actually get the bullet moving.

With an open bolt design, the act of dropping the bolt will detonate the primer. This is primarily used with fully automatic weapons (see below). The bolt will fall, igniting the primer, recoil will send the bolt back, and the return spring will cause it to close, firing again.

Magazine: This is where rounds are stored inside of the weapon, before firing. The action will extract a round from the magazine each time it is cycled. Depending on the firearm, this may be removable.

Clip: A device used to load a firearm’s magazine. This is NOT interchangeable terms. Usually these are short metal strips that grip the base of the shell, though speedloaders for revolvers sometimes qualify as clips.

Clips can be used with modern weapons to quickly reload box magazines, but they’re somewhat uncommon.

If the firearm’s reloading process involves loading the rounds and then ejecting the clip, that’s, well, a clip. If the reloading process involves removing an empty container, and loading a fresh one, that’s a magazine.

Few things will irritate someone with firearms training faster than mixing these terms up.

Rifles: The term actually refers to two separate things. Rifling are mildly spiraling lands and grooves cut into the barrel of a gun. This prevents the bullet from tumbling once it leaves the barrel, and massively improves accuracy. Rifles originally referred to any firearm that featured a rifled barrel. However, the term is no longer inclusive, because handguns and other non-rifles include rifled barrels.

Handgun: A smaller version of a firearm that can be operated with one hand. This term is inclusive of several different varieties of firearm. It should be noted: you should not use a handgun one handed, but it is possible.

Pistol: This refers to nearly every handgun, except revolvers.

Revolver: A firearm that rotates to feed rounds into the chamber. Most often this refers to handguns, though some grenade launchers also use a revolver design. Revolver rifles, carbines, and shotguns exist, but are rare. There is a small gap between the cylinder and the barrel, which tends to vent burning powder when fired, which makes revolvers with a fore grip unpleasant to use. That is to say, they’ll try to set your shirt or arm on fire.

Shotgun: This refers to a weapon designed to handle unusually large cartridges, holding multiple projectiles. These are frequently smooth-bore (see below), but rifled shotguns do exist. In modern combat, shotguns are more characterized by their ability to accept a wide variety of projectiles to accommodate different situations. Shotguns can be loaded with everything from water (disruptor shells), to grenades (FRAG-12s).

Smooth-Bore: A barrel without any rifling. Most common with shotguns. This favors projectiles that will somehow self stabilize (such as flechette darts, yes, it’s another shotgun shell variety), or fire multiple simultaneous projectiles (such as a shotgun).

Single Shot: This refers to a weapon that can be fired once, and then must be reloaded. This includes muskets and some shotguns.

Semi-Automatic: A non-revolver firearm that will fire a round with each pull of the trigger until the magazine is depleted. Critically, the weapon must do this automatically as a result of firing. If a weapon needs to be manually cycled, such as a bolt or lever action, it is a repeater, and not semi-automatic. In any case where “automatic” is paired with another word, it can be abbreviated as “auto.”Automatic: A firearm that will fire multiple rounds with each pull of the trigger. Also sometimes referred to as Fully Automatic. Idiomatically, semi-automatic pistols are sometimes referred to as “Automatics.” This is incorrect on a technical level, but the actual meaning is, usually, understood.

Burst Fire: An automatic firearm that fires a specific number of rounds with each pull of the trigger and then stops. Three round burst settings are the most common, though two round burst weapons have proven popular in some circles.

Select Fire: An automatic firearm that can be switched between multiple fire configurations. Most often this allows switching the weapon between semi-auto and full auto, or semi-auto and a burst fire setting. Select fire almost always includes a semi-auto setting. It can include multiple other settings, including (rarely) both 2 and 3 round burst settings.

Single Action: A firearm where pulling the trigger will not cock the hammer. This is intermittently used as a safety feature on modern handguns. It is also somewhat common among sport revolvers, and antique revolvers.

Single Action firearms often have a much lighter trigger pull (the force needed to draw the trigger and fire the weapon). This allows for greater accuracy. It also allows automatics to be carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer down, without risk of the weapon firing as a result of an errant trigger pull. It’s still shouldn’t happen with safe weapon handling, but it is another safety feature.

Double Action: A firearm where pulling the trigger will cock the hammer. Almost all revolvers intended for practical use include this. It’s inclusion with semi-automatic pistols varies widely.

The complicated issue with single and double action handguns comes from semi-auto pistols. When the slide cycles, it will recock the hammer, this means a single action pistol can be fired repeatedly, without having to manually recock the hammer.

SAO/DAO: Single Action Only/Double Action Only. These terms get applied to pistols because there are pistols designed to switch between single and double action based on a variety of control parameters.

For example: pulling the slide back ~1/4″ on a Walther P99 will switch it from single to double action, and vise versa. Though it also exists in SAO and DAO variants that remove this feature and lock the action in one of the modes.

Bolt Action: A firearm where the bolt must be unlocked and manually cycled by the user. This allows for substantially heavier loads than any other style of firearm. Though it is a popular configuration for hunting and varmint rifles.

Lever Action: A firearm where the action is cycled by use of a lever, usually mounted under the handgrip. Originally these allowed for faster cycling than a bolt action weapon. These are fairly uncommon now.

Pump Action: A firearm that cycles the action by use of an articulated foregrip. This is normally seen on shotguns, though a few pump action rifle models probably exist.

Machine Gun: This refers to a fully automatic weapon. By itself the term is antiquated. Most often, when someone uses the term, they’re incorrectly referring to an Assault Rifle.

Assault Rifle: A select fire weapon chambered in an “intermediate” rifle round. Usually between 5mm and 6mm. Note: these do not always include full auto settings. The modern M16 variants can only be fired in semi-automatic or 3 round burst.

Battle Rifle: A select fire weapon chambered in a high power rifle round (roughly 7.6mm). This includes the M14 and AK47/AKM. Misidentifying a battle rifle as an assault rifle is… eh. It happens.

Carbine: A shortened rifle. Usually assigned for use in tight quarters, or vehicle crews. Historically these were also issued to cavalry. Sometimes issued to support personnel, depending on the military.

Light Machine Gun: Also sometimes referred to as a Squad Support Weapon is an unusually heavy automatic rifle intended for use in suppression. Sometimes abbreviated LMG.

Submachine Gun: An automatic weapon chambered to fire a pistol round. Sometimes abbreviated SMG.

Machine Pistol: A submachine gun that retains an overall pistol design. Informally, these terms can get mixed up pretty heavily.

Caliber: This is the imperial system of measuring bullet diameter. It’s expressed as a period with a two digit number. (EG: .45 or .38) This indicates the size of the cartridge in 100ths of an inch. So .50 is, roughly, half an inch in diameter. Additional digits beyond the first two denote differences in the cartridge, but not significant changes in the cartridge size. (EG: .308, .303, 30.06 are all .30 caliber rounds, roughly.)

Gauge: The imperial system for measuring the size of a shotgun shell. This one’s a little more idiosyncratic. It’s calculated based on the weight of a solid ball of lead, that barrel would accommodate. So 12 gauge will fit a single 1/12th pound ball of lead. This also means, as the gauge goes up, the size shrinks. 20 Gauge shells are significantly smaller than 12 gauge, for example. This is abbreviated as “ga”, so “410ga” would indicate a 410 shell.

Millimeter (mm): The metric system for measuring the size of a bullet. Usually expressed as a simple value. (EG: 9mm or 5.56mm). When multiple cartridges exist that are of similar sizes, other terms will be applied. (Technically, this also occurs with calibers. For example: .357 Magnum, and .357 SIG.) With metric measurements, the length is frequently added to distinguish two similar rounds, (for example: 9x19mm vs 9x18mm) or some other distinguishing characteristic. (for example: 9mm Parabellum vs 9mm Makarov). Usually you do not need to include both together. For example: 9x19mm Parabellum would be redundant, because 9mm Parabellum is a 9x19mm round.

Grain: The amount of powder loaded with a bullet. (Literally, an archaic unit of measurement.) Bullets in a specific caliber are usually available with multiple grain variants. For example: .45 ACP is commercially available anywhere from 185 grain to 230 grain.

Handload: The act of manufacturing your own bullets. Also a term for non-standard rounds produced this way.

Load: A term for the individual characteristics of a round that go beyond the size of the bullet. This includes the grain, and may include the kind of bullets (see below).

Magnum: A term denoting an unusually high grain load. Most commonly associated with the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum rounds. Though other magnum rounds exist.Ball: A bullet with a rounded tip. The most common kind of ammunition for handguns.

Hollowpoint: A bullet with a divotted tip. On impact, it causes the bullet to expand flattening. In a human body, this can sometimes sheer apart, and can cause catastrophic internal damage.While illegal, an individual can add a small high explosive to the tip of a hollowpoint round, converting it into an improvised high explosive round. The most commonly available materials that would react appropriately are primers.

Wadcutter: A bullet with a flat tip. Usually employed in target shooting, to create clean holes in targets.

[Material] Jacketed: Frequently copper, though other soft metals are sometimes used. This is used to partially shield the user from the bullet’s lead, and the associated health risks.

[Material] Core: Most often, the material is steel, though spent uranium (in this case, spent is a nuclear term, not the firearms meaning), is an exotic variant. The core will push through materials that would stop normal bullets. Lead shields the core from the barrel. (Firing a steel slug from a firearm would shred the rifling, so the softer metal contacts the metal.)

Tracer: A pyrotechnic round that ignites on contact with air and shows the shooter exactly where the round went. These are also mildly incendiary, and can start fires if they connect with something flammable on the other end.

I’m not going to give a full list of what you can stick in a shotgun, because it’s a very long list. But, a few quick highlights.

Buckshot: Ball bearings, usually lead or steel.

Slug: A single, solid, bullet.

Flechette: A steel dart, usually with fins to stabilize it in flight. Fired with a plastic sabot system that falls away once the dart is in the air.

FRAG-12: A small, impact detonated grenade, designed to be fired from a 12 gauge shotgun.

Flares: Commercial flare guns fire a low power 12 gauge shotgun shell. While you cannot load normal shotgun shells into a flare gun (it’s not designed for that kind of power, and will explode), 12 gauge flare shells can be loaded into a shotgun and fired. If the shotgun is semi-automatic the flare will probably not provide enough force to cycle the action, so the user will need to do that manually.

Dragon’s Breath: A shell loaded with a mix of oxygen igniting metals. Metallic Sodium and Potassium are most common. This creates the effect of the shotgun blasting flames.

I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface, and I know I’ve missed a few things. I’ll try to remember to revisit this in the near future.

Hope this helps some of you get started.

-Starke

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[doctorfiction]

Is it actually useful to dig bullets out of your own arm in a public restroom in an emergency situation, or is that something that just happens in movies?

About self-surgery in the bathroom of the local Exxon Station… Psychologically we all feel that getting the bullet out will help the problem but generally speaking it is best to let sleeping dogs lie and to bastardize Hamlet, “Get thee to a surgery.” The greatest concerns immediately post gunshot are circulation and airway. You are probably not going to have a breathing problem other than hyperventilation from fear, if you are shot in the arm. Your big concerns are bleeding and nerve damage. Have your character dorsiflex (hyper extend) his wrist, make an “O” with his thumb and index finger, spread his fingers apart, and then smile when he realizes everything is still hooked up. He flexes his arm a few times to see if blood is spurting or just oozing. If its just oozing, cover with a wad of moist paper towels, tear of a shirt sleeve and wrap tight enough to apply pressure to the wad of paper towel, but not tight enough to constrict. Have the character check the pulse at his wrist and note the color and temperature of his arm. If the arm is cold, pale white, numb or the nerve check is bad, your character has problems and needs to find his/her buddy who is an EMT.

The only indication for digging out the bullet would be if the bleeding is uncontrollable, otherwise, the bullet may actually be tamponading the tissue and slowing the bleeding at this point. Infection is later concern. The wound will ultimately need attention and the character will need antibiotics, but he has a few hours to worry about that.

If the bullet does need to come out, no probing with a pocket knife. Consider having him pour rubbing alcohol over a pair of “needle nose” pliers (from the nearest convenience store,) and then gently probe the wound path until he feels the metallic click of the plier’s tip on the bullet. He can then try to open the pliers, grasp the bullet and retrieve it. Apply firm pressure for 5 minutes and observe. If no bleeding he can do the towel and shirtsleeve thing. If significant bleeding, have him apply as much direct pressure as necessary to stanch the bleeding.

If your character is in the habit of being shot, he may carry a “Bloodstopper” product. They are small, useful, and I have them nearby all the time. The powder can be sprinkled on and will help with clotting. There is a product that you can insert directly into the wound track, “ouch,” that has the same chemical. They can buy your character some time.

[maggie-stiefvater-deactivated20]

Writers, here’s a fun resource: a real life doctor helping writers with medical details in their novels-in-progress.

[angelprompts]

❣️                             SOFT   INTERACTIONS  !

send  one  of  these  in  to  see  my  muse’s  reaction  (  add “ +reverse”  for  my  muse  to  do  the  action  to  yours ) .

[ crawl ]  for  your  muse  to  crawl  into  bed  with  mine .

[ flower ]  for  your  muse  to  offer  my  muse  their  favourite  flower .

[ slow dance ]  for  your  muse  to  ask  my  muse  to  slow  dance .

[ gift ]  for  your  muse  to  surprise  my muse  with  a  gift  ( & bonus if you add what the fit is ) .

[ homemade gift ]  for  your  muse  to  make  my  muse  a  gift    ( & bonus if you add what the fit is ) .

[ serenade ]  for  your  muse  to  sing  to  my  muse .

[ embrace ]  for  your  muse  to  pull  my  muse  into  a  tight  embrace .

[ caress ]  for  your  muse  to  gently  run  their  hand  down  my  muse’s  face .

[ caught ]  for  your  muse  to  catch  my  muse  wearing  their  shirt .

[ love letter ]  for  your  muse  to  give  my  muse  a  love  letter  they  wrote  for  them

[ boop ]  for  your  muse  to  boop  my  muse  on  the  nose .

[ date? ]  for  your  muse  to  ask  my  muse  to  go  on  a  date .

[ confess ]  for  your  muse  to  confess  their  feelings  to  my  muse .

[ sleepy ]  for  your  muse  to  slowly  fall  alseep  on  my  muse’s  lap .

[sweetiepie08]

Trying to find the perfect name for a character, but you only have a vague idea of what you want, like “he feels like a 2-syllable kind of guy” or “It need a hard consonant at the end.”   

[ofvisitorsthefairest]

May I recommend nameberry.com? I’ve sung its praises before, but you can search for specific lists of like “three syllable girls names” or “names ending in a.” You can also input names with a similar vibe to what you want and it’ll give you suggestions.

[bifrostiron]

I have been looking for this site since I first started plotting out my novel, god bless you

[tacticaltaxonomist]

I also like behindthename.com there you can filter too!

[astraofrph]

so here’s the template i filled out in an rp a while ago, i have no idea who made it, but it’s in-depth af, and i cleared it out so people may use it at their will!

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME:  PRONUNCIATION: MEANING:  REASONING:  NICKNAME(S):  PREFERRED NAME(S):  BIRTH DATE:  AGE:  ZODIAC: GENDER:  PRONOUNS:  ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: SEXUAL ORIENTATION:  NATIONALITY:  ETHNICITY:  CURRENT LOCATION: LIVING CONDITIONS:  TITLE(S): 

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE:  HOMETOWN: SOCIAL CLASS: EDUCATION LEVEL:  FATHER:  MOTHER:  SIBLING(S):  BIRTH ORDER: CHILDREN:  PET(S):  OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES:  PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS:  ARRESTS?:  PRISON TIME?:

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME:  SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME:  TERTIARY SOURCE(S) OF INCOME:  APPROXIMATE AMOUNT PER YEAR:  CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?:  PAST JOB(S):  SPENDING HABITS:  MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: 

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:  OFFENSE:  DEFENSE:  SPEED:  INTELLIGENCE:  ACCURACY:  AGILITY:  STAMINA:  TEAMWORK:  TALENTS:  SHORTCOMINGS:  LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN:  DRIVE?:  JUMP-STAR A CAR?:  CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?:  RIDE A BICYCLE?:  SWIM?:  PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?:  PLAY CHESS?:  BRAID HAIR?:  TIE A TIE?:  PICK A LOCK?: 

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM:  EYE COLOR:  HAIR COLOR:  HAIR TYPE/STYLE:  GLASSES/CONTACTS?:  DOMINANT HAND:  HEIGHT: WEIGHT:  BUILD:  EXERCISE HABITS:  SKIN TONE:  TATTOOS:  PEIRCINGS:  MARKS/SCARS:  NOTABLE FEATURES:  USUAL EXPRESSION:  CLOTHING STYLE:  JEWELRY:  ALLERGIES:  BODY TEMPERATURE:  DIET:  PHYSICAL AILMENTS: 

PSYCHOLOGY

JUNG TYPE:  JUNG SUBTYPE:  ENNEAGRAM TYPE:  MORAL ALIGNMENT:  TEMPERAMENT:  ELEMENT:  PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE:  APPROXIMATE IQ:  MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS:  SOCIABILITY:  EMOTIONAL STABILITY:  OBSESSION(S):  COMPULSION(S):  PHOBIA(S):  ADDICTION(S):  DRUG USE:  ALCOHOL USE:  PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: 

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE:  ACCENT:  QUIRKS:  HOBBIES:  HABITS:  NERVOUS TICKS:  DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS:  FEARS:  POSITIVE TRAITS:  NEGATIVE TRAITS:  SENSE OF HUMOR:  DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?:  CATCHPHRASE(S): 

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY:  ANIMAL:  BEVERAGE:  BOOK:  CELEBRITY:  COLOR:  DESIGNER:  FOOD:  FLOWER:  GEM:  HOLIDAY:   MODE OF TRANSPORTATION:  MOVIE:  MUSICAL ARTIST:  QUOTE/SAYING:  SCENERY:  SCENT:  SPORT:  SPORTS TEAM:  TELEVISION SHOW:  WEATHER: VACATION DESTINATION: 

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM:  GREATEST FEAR:  MOST AT EASE WHEN:  LEAST AT EASE WHEN:  WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN:  BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT:  BIGGEST REGRET:  MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:  BIGGEST SECRET:  TOP PRIORITIES: 

[herorps]

We were discussing creating characters in my screenwriting class, and my professor had us fill out a number of these questions that I found could be helpful for other writers and roleplayers and could even be an ask meme. Below the cut are 100 QUESTIONS for your character to answer.

Keep reading

[pastelbluberri-deactivated20201]

350+ names that make you/your baby really awesome and cool

[kokoinupi]

LINK?

[pastelbluberri-deactivated20201]

Here ya go!!

[kokoinupi]

THANK YOU

[vaememes]

𝚃𝙷𝙴   𝚆𝙷𝙸𝚃𝙴   𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂   𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂.

these are taken from the starz show with the same title, triggers may be present, proceed with caution, feel free to adjust any you that you deem necessary.

promises are always made, and they are always broken. always.

all my life i have been good. i have been biddable.

you have the look of our mother/father. that doesn’t please you?

i loved her/him/them very much, but i didn’t always like her/him/them.

i hated her/his/their ambition. what it did to us. nothing else mattered but power.

i wonder how you walk in a straight line, your wits are so dismally few.

all this time, i thought you were the petite fleur tremblante.

there’s a symmetry to it, don’t you think?

she/he killed the rightful queen/king, and put me on the throne.

how do you sleep? how are you not bowed down with shame?

how do you not howl with the grief of what you have done?

was this always your plan?

when have i ever had a plan?

i will not be commanded by him/her/them.

his/her/their power, ten times greater in the ballads they sing.

i have never joined you for the hunt or any other blood sport, and i will not start with this.

men are weak, swayed by beauty. women must be stronger.

i am tired of being a trembling flower and hoping it might make them feel their conscience.

but we are women, and we do what we must do.

do you love him/her/them?

what do you see? an innocent?

but he is here to kill your kin and rob [optioanl:place] of what was never his!

if you will not do it for your king/queen, then do it for me!

aren’t you happy about the betrothal?

a betrothal means a marriage, and this marriage means war.

how can i be happy about that?

you cannot be surprised that she/he/they would say that.

it is not simply that she says it. she believes it in her heart.

i’ve never loved anyone else.

but this…did i love you without ever knowing who you truly were?

but there is fear in your eyes.

how will you explain all that blood on your hands?

it is not murder if it is god’s will.

i have no power anymore. i have these four walls and your [optional:family] and that is all.

can you say you have never felt that?

you may disbelieve it if you choose, but you are all i have now.

have a care. he’s/she’s/their just a child!

in twilight years, might we not venture to cherish something for ourselves?

how can i prove that i am with you except to ask you not to die?

i kept my promise and now you will keep yours.

what have they done to us? we are their creatures.

i feel as if I’ve aged a thousand years.

do you feel any different?

he spent his life in brothels and cowsheds. what would he know of politics?

i think they like the war between them.

guard your heart, my [optional:name]. the child is not your own. he/she belongs to the throne.

what does he/she/they do to inspire such loyalty?

i have no love of war, but i do not like your king/queen.

i don’t think i should like to be queen/king, the clothes are all too ugly.

everywhere i look around me, nobles conspire against me.

they smile into my face and then behind me draw their knives.

if only we could work together, we could be a king/queen for [optional:place].

you make it look so easy. you know just what to do to make them love you.

you reap what you sow, [optional:name].

you rule with fear, and you will only get dissent and hatred in return.

i’d rather choose the side i’m afraid of.

your moves are far too obvious.

blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

unless you plan to hold me down, i shall do it anyway.

we must learn to change, or die.

your smile is almost convincing.

does it bring you the joy you hoped it would?

and that is want you want for me, even now?

it’s intended as a show of strength.

i will walk through my sorrow and i will smile through my pain.

can’t you kill them both? put a sickness on them so they die in awful pain?

i know my curses, but perhaps they’re just wishful thinking.

perhaps i just take good luck and call it magic.

my powers cannot be very strong if we find ourselves as we are now.

all i have wanted, all my life, is to marry a man/woman for love.

i’m sick to death of being cooped up here.

perhaps she knows a chaperone is pointless in your case.

a royal wedding is a business agreement.

i thought we would have longer.

i want to stay and fight.

this is yours now, [optional:name]. your kingdom. your throne.

burn them. and ban the snow from falling. i will have nothing white in [optional:place].

i have dreamed of this my entire life.

so this is how he treats the woman/man he expects to make his queen/king.

perhaps the worst is yet to come.

no one must know what has passed between the two of you.

who would’ve thought, to find us here like this?

we are [optional:surname], [optional:name]. we do not quake in fear.

with you, he/she/they joins the houses.

you knew you would marry whichever one of them won.

it is divine to suffer.

we never planned much after the battle.

you should show more loyalty to your [optional:familyrelation].

we continue to be at odds with another and i regret it.

you will be the peace that ends the war.

who gave the order?

hidden and patient. that will be my motto.

my life is gone in any case.

you’re not afraid? i approach you with a dagger and you do not even flinch.

i thought this was to win their hearts, not threaten them with bloodshed.

there is none to come against you now.

you grant them greater power if you fear them.

i will not have them thinking i’m afraid.

will you at least write to me while you’re gone?

i hope this trip will give us time to know one another, again.

[vaememes]

𝚃𝙷𝙴    𝚂𝙿𝙰𝙽𝙸𝚂𝙷    𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂    𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂.

these are taken from the starz show with the same title, triggers may be present, proceed with caution, feel free to adjust any you that you deem necessary. 

why do you smile, your grace?

when one is king one dines for many reasons with many guests…

did you and the queen take all your meals in here?

i’m sorry. i do not wish to take your appetite.

i tried everything to warm her heart.

she was cold to you?

the battle for her heart was hard-won. winning the throne of [optional:place] was less arduous.

when did you know that she/he/they loved you?

shall i take the king/queen to be my husband/wife?

why don’t you speak to me?

go back to your mother. find another life.

why do you talk to me this way?

i don’t know what my choices are! i don’t know if i have a choice.

if your love is so fickle that it can blow away like dust… i will forget you.

you came to tell me you will fight for me. am i correct?

and you hate your father for stealing me away, and…

if i marry him, i condemn myself to a miserable, loveless life.

so you’re saying you must marry him because he said so.

i haven’t known as many women/men as you think and those that i have were of the flesh. 

i mean, i… i want to… but- but the point is that- the point is that… that i love you.

you make me yearn to be king/queen so that i can be a better man/woman for you.

you are a wordsmith. you bend words to your whim.

a boy/girl kisses you, and everything i’ve taught you is undone.

the betrayal he/she/they will deal to you, it will break the world.

guard yourself! if you do not, the enemy will know just where to strike.

i have learned you have been banished from the court.

still, you have suffered for my benefit. i wish to make amends.

i want you to tell me what kind of husband/wife he/she would be.

he/she/they is clever and has a fevered lust for knowledge.

a man/woman with too much power and no discipline is dangerous.

i see another side to him/her/them.

he/she/they is like a knight of camelot, flawed, but also brave and dedicated. lancelot.

you clearly know your mind about him/her/them, so why ask me?

if you wish to be queen/king, then take the king/queen.

i think you rode here not just to ask for forgiveness, but to speak [optional:name] name aloud.

i think you love [optional:name]. may god help you if you do.

you are trained to be a queen/king. it is the way of kings and queens.

i cannot think of living here without you by my side.

i will not be the cause of your unhappiness.

you’re right. you’ve done too much for me.

are you to have two husbands/wives?

you’re lucky now to even make a queen/king.

you have permission for your marriage to the king/queen.

oh. but- but what has changed?

would i make you happy? would i make you as happy as your wife/husband did?

your heir will ensure the continued peace between our two kingdoms.

your loss has endeared you to the people. they share your grief.

you’ve had your courses for days, but you do not tell anyone.

it will be a modest life, not the one your parents planned for you.

do you even know if he/she/they wishes it? do you wish it?

you loved me [optional:name]. you still do.

my mother fought a battle while i was in her womb.

this sword is blunt. they both are. we wouldn’t want you cutting yourself.

oh, i could still hurt you with this.

you fight almost like a real soldier. 

oh, all armor has weak spots. here. here. here.

what is this display? you dare swordplay with the heir?

you, put that down, and come with me.

you do know, i presume, the basic signs if you’re with child?

i have no talent for tricks, and i have no news for you.

i have no power to make her/him/them doubt her/his/their own mind.

if you speak too soon, you may make waves against yourself.

i do not grieve as they expect, and then i feel that i am wrong for being as i am.

i will sleep. you may tell me in the morning.

i am much better at that than you are, and i always will be.

i don’t want you to go.

i simply wanted you to know before i journey back to [optional:place].

will you have me?

it is a tragedy but our marriage was never consummated.

what are you playing at?

we made sounds of pleasure, yes, to cover our embarrassment.

i ask you to accept my word, accept it and support it if asked to do so.

who would ask such a thing?

oh, no. please tell me you’re not planning what i think you are.

so you’ve lost your husband/wife, but not your ambition. i warned you against that.

this family don’t inquire. they extract the answer they want.

my answer will support whatever keeps my conscience and my head attached to my neck.

how else do you imagine i’ve survived this long in this vipers’ nest?

is it foolish to believe myself in love with a man/woman whom i have never met?

hold your courage and fight for what you want.

this is a game that must be played.

am i so changed that we are no longer friends?

it’s clear evidence of her belief that you are weak.

please, for the love of god, i asked you here for peace.

oh, so you have lost your country too.

then pick your place, not theirs, [optional:sister/brother].

what happened to the sister/brother i once knew?

whatever awaits you in this life, fix your place in the heavens.

you once told me to fix my place in the stars and not be divereted.

i simply come to claim what is mine and i am fixed.

we loved our king/queen and that is why now we grieve.

i will take my sons/daughters and i will reclaim everything that is mine.

i trusted him/her/them and he/she/they betrayed me.

i will never trust again.

it was all bad breath, bad poetry and disappointment.

have you had anymore dreams?

i don’t want to know who dies next.

i ride to claim what is rightfully mine: my inheritance.

i will take what i’m owed in gold.

i will never give my power away.

i have eyes and ears all over the palace.

if you challenge me, i shall defeat you.

if you want him/her/them, say so.

[optional:name], i need to tell you, i love you.

i feel a strong desire to embrace you.

there is still a dangerous ride ahead.

are you not coming with me?

tell me, are you afraid?

then you are a merciful to save life when others are too quick to take one.

i nearly took an arrow in the backside.

we do not get what we want in this life, [optional:name].

do you like it here? it’s cozy, isn’t it?

what’re you wearing that veil for? is it to stop [optional:name] from kissing you?

i’m glad that you want to kiss my neck.

[iguessweallcrazyithinktho]

words to use instead of

as 

while 

when,

whilst

 even as

 just as

 just when

 simultaneously as

 so long as

 at the moment that

 at the same time that at the time that

 in the act of

 in the process of 

on the point of

during the time that

 at the same time as

 during the time

 throughout the time

 in the time

 during which

 during which time

for the period that

 at the same time

 meanwhile

 at the time

 as long as

 exactly when

 at the very moment that

at the very time that after

 as soon as

 immediately when

 immediately after

instantly when once

looked

glanced 

gazed 

stared

gaped

peered

focused 

 peeped 

peeked

took a look

taken a look 

watched

considered 

saw 

seen

observed 

viewed

regarded

marked 

checked out

glimpsed 

spotted 

eyed 

took in 

taken 

in ogled

eyeballed 

beheld

beholden 

before

ahead

back

previously

since

sooner

afore

aforetime

ante

antecedently

anteriorly

before present

ere

fore

former

formerly

forward

gone

gone by

heretofore

in advance

in days of yore

in front

in old days

in the past

past

precendently

previous

up to now

smiled

beam

grin

laugh

smirk

simper

be gracious

express friendliness

express tenderness

look amused

look delighted

look happy

look pleased

touch

brush

caress

feel

handle

hit

kiss

lick

pat

reach

rub

strike

stroke

tap

abut

adjoin

border

communicate

contact

converge

dab

examine

finger

fondle

frisk

glance

graze

grope

inspect

join

line

manipulate

march

massage

meet

neighbor

osculate

palm

palpate

partake

paw

percuss

pet

probe

push

scrutinize

sip

smooth

suck

sweep

tag

taste

thumb

tickle

tip

toy

verge

be in contact

butt on

come together

feel up

impinge upon

lay a finger on

exhaled

breathe

emit

give off

let out

discharge

eject

emanate

evaporate

expel

issue

respire

steam

vaporize

nodded

acknowledge

bend

bow

greet

respond

salute

acquiesce

agree

approve

assent

passionate

ardent

dramatic

eager

eloquent

emotional

expressive

fervent

fierce

fiery

forceful

heartfelt

heated

impassioned

intense

poignant

spirited

strong

vehement

violent

zealous

affecting

animated

blazing

burning

deep

fervid

flaming

frenzied

glowing

headlong

high-powered

high-pressure

hot

hotblooded

impetuous

impulsive

inspiring

melodramatic

moving

precipitate

quickened

steamed up

stimulated

stirring

thrilling

warm

wild

but

although

however

nevertheless

on the other hand

still

though

yet

gasped

choke

snort

whoop

blow

convulse

gulp

heave

inhale

inspire

pant

puff

respire

sniffle

wheeze

catch one’s breath

fight for breath

frowned

glare

glower

grimace

pout

gloom

lower

sulk

cloud up

do a slow burn

give a dirty look

give the evil eye

knit brows

look black

look daggers

look stern

movement

act

action

change

development

evolution

exercise

flow

migration

move

operation

progress

shift

advance

agitation

alteration

swirled

boil

churn

roil

twirl

whirl

agitate

coil

crimp

crisp

curl

eddy

purl

roll

snake

surge

swoosh

whirlpool

whorl

wriggle

[aohlys]

crack my hard shell and you'll find cigarette smoke and ash; you may finally understand i am a person made only of visions and mirror shards. perhaps if you blow the ash away and let the smoke settle, you will find a heart still beating, blackened in the dust, wondering if it can still be saved.

-- fragments ; s.r.

[aohlys]

           V50891. That was my identity; it was my name, descriptor, and life history. One letter, five numbers. Qualifier: V—bred for Project Vixen, an intelligence agent. Rank: five. The highest rank of field agents, cleared to dish out orders on the field. Clearance level: zero. I didn’t have access to any info that I didn’t report directly.

The rest were ‘suitability’ scores. We got them at eighteen. This separated the paper-pushers from the field agents. A computer to weed out those who were unfit to serve and those who were. Temperament: eight. Level head, receptive, good at taking orders. Physicality: nine. A perfect score. And, of course, resistance: one. I was made to take orders. To listen. Do.

I wasn’t programmed to get any new ideas. I never would’ve on my own. We were no better than machines, never taught how to feel or think, but better than machines—flesh and blood, able to adjust. Adapt. Overcome.

Leander was, in the crudest way of describing it, a spy for spies. He stalked Project Vixen, found our agents before they found what they needed, and made them disappear. We called him the Cheshire Cat. He was practically invisible. There was no proof of who or what he was; we just knew he existed.

It was my job, for the last three years of my life as a soldier, to find him. It was the only case file I had unlimited access to, as if there were any reports in it other than repeated missing cases that filled it. I followed teammates by a day or two, trying to catch any glimpse or hint of the cat, but he eluded me. He never was on cases I followed. Always just out of reach.

Then I found him. Or, more accurately, he finally found me. We were both good, he was just that much better.

There are two distinct periods of my life. Before Leander and after him. The moment separating was minute, ephemeral and without ceremony, but it was enough—enough to begin my journey.

 He was leaning back on the bed in my hotel room, holding my notes up to his face as he read through with an expression I could only recognize as mild amusement, maybe surprise. Even I’m not arrogant enough to say he didn’t notice me until I cocked the gun, but it wasn’t until that moment he turned to me.            “You’re finally back!” He exclaimed, tossing the journal to the side and hopping off the bed, apathetic to the weapon I held. “Aw, come on now. It’s me.” He waved his hands in the air, with some celebration, only to be met with a dead reaction.  

“I don’t know you.” I replied shortly. It would be a mess for the clean-up squad to deal with, but I couldn’t let him out with what he read in those notes.

“Yes, you do.” He replied, rolling back and forth on his heels like a child with too much stored-up energy.

I didn’t respond. He was wasting my time and his with this game. I wasn’t made to play games. I wasn’t interested.

Obviously, he noticed, furrowing his brows and putting his hands on his hips. I knew that expression as well as night from day—it was disappointment. “I don’t have the wrong room, do I? V-five-zero-eight-nine-one.” He enunciated every number carefully, as if reciting it to a machine. “You’re assigned to my case.”

Quickly I examined his face, trying to discern if I had made a fatal error. Was he a missing agent? Tall, maybe six foot, five inches, blond hair, dark blue eyes. I couldn’t remember his face, and I had scanned those files hundreds of times. Regardless, it was enough for me to falter. Either I had made a mistake (unlikely), or he was lying (likely). “What’s your ID?”

“I thought you were closer than that.” He said softly. Then, under his breath, “Maybe Shal was wrong.”

“You have five seconds.”

Blue eyes turned back in my direction, as if he just remembered I was there. It was that amused look again, a handsome grin on his face. “You can call me Leander. I think you used to call me…” He tapped his foot, putting a hand on his chin as if trying to recall a long-lost memory. “The Cheshire Cat? Am I right?”

           “Fuck off.” I replied, steadying the gun back at him. “Absolute bullshit.”

           “I am right, then.”

           “Die.”

           He frowned, putting his hands in his pockets. For a moment he glanced at the window, likely deciding his next move before taking a deep breath. “V. Can I call you V? I think we’re friends now.” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Listen. Look. It’s absolutely me. You don’t have to shoot me; I’m not planning to leave.” He tapped his foot, showing all the signs of general impatience but not any, really, of lying. “V30764 missing in sector fourteen eight months ago. Researching a weapons ring. V40853 missing in sector nine seven months ago. Researching the dragon. V50945. V40874.” He steadied his gaze, seeming calm but restless. “I am who I say I am. I’m not here to steal your information or test you or whatever. I want to talk. Give me a chance.”

           “If you are who you say you are, Leander,” A name. He wasn’t military. “The room is bugged, you’re an idiot, and I’m sure reinforcement is already on its way.”

           Leander was an expressive person—more so than I was used to. In the moment, he was absolutely exasperated. “If I am who I say I am, V,” He stopped himself. “That’s stupid. You’re a person too, get a name.”

           “Shut up. Hurry up and get on with it.”

           “No. Absolutely not. Pick a name.” He replied.

           “I don’t know any names.”

           “That’s so sad.” He was taunting me. “Okay. I’ll give you one. V. V five zero. V zero. Vero? Veronica. Great. Fantastic. Veronica.” I hated it. “Okay, Veronica, since I’m obviously me, why are you too dense to think I didn’t debug the room already? Idiot.”

           I hesitated, a bit flustered from the interaction but mostly baffled. “Fine. Tell me everything. But you leave with me or you don’t leave at all.” I was tired of the conversation. Of his hyperactivity. I thought I had all the power. I thought I was in control.

           “Promise?” He said, with a new expression. I couldn’t identify it yet. It was pride. “I certainly promise. We’ll leave together first, and then I’ll tell you everything.”

           That sounded wrong, mostly, but I couldn’t quite place it. Still, I put the gun back in its holster and sat down in a chair across from him.

           The surprise was when he knelt in front of me. He grabbed my hand, held it like I was his queen, looked up at me with those expressive blue eyes and smiled. I was alarmed, uncomfortable, annoyed. Who was this guy? Why was he touching my skin like I wasn’t a machine, I wasn’t a manufactured soldier, like I was a person?

           “What’s your goal, Veronica?” He asked, not letting go.

           I frowned, tugging away from him. “What goal? Why would I have a goal?”

           His expression darkened. “Are you really okay living like this? Taking orders? Without friends or free will or something to fight for? Do you even know what you’re fighting for?”      

           “I don’t care.” I replied. Resistance: one. I was loyal to my higher-ups.

            A sigh. “He wasn’t lying. Huh.” He stood up, checking the window one last time before leaning down, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Start caring.”

           Outside, there was an explosion.

           It was my mistake to turn and look. When I looked back, he was gone.

           Vanished.

[aohlys]

Without remorse, the blade struck her. Staggering back, the little demoness held her chest tightly, looking up towards its wielder with watering eyes. A wash of panic passed through her, the air moving through her lungs and becoming haggard. Red hands became soaked with blood, and the pain seared through her like a flame shot from the sun. The chaos of the battle absolved as every eye turned towards the scene unfolding. The next few moments passed like an eternity. Her hands moved off the wound, coming back soaked not in the charcoal blood of the demons, but rather the golden ichor that passed only through veins of angels. Yet her confusion was short-lived before the rush of memories struck her with a force unequaled strength. And the room watched her erupt. Red skin cracked, her body quaking as light began to seep through every pore, vividly illuminating the room. There was a second, at first, where she began to only fall apart. Piece by piece, leaving only an ethereal creature without a figure or form - she was nothing but pure energy, light, and then, the blast. Only the Shadow King and the Heavenly Queen were able to remain on their feet, bracing against the storm. Lilith rose off the ground, shadows shivering out of her immediate as the brilliant light retreated. Her skin returned dark, tanned, while her hair tumbled down marble-esque shoulders in golden waves. Her eyes retained the light, glowing violent gold rather than the blue that was seated in the shadow beasts' memory. The final piece was her wings--massive, dominating--furrowing out of her dark skin and exploding outward in a flurry. An angel. Heaven's emissary. The- "Alice." Shalbriri whispered, stepping back defensively as he looked at her with fearful eyes. A creature of paralleled energy trapped and contained for hundreds, if not thousands, of years inside the body of a demoness. Right under his nose. The Jabberwock only hesitated for a second, as she turned those burning eyes to his dark form, before startling and finding Leander in the crowd. It wasn't surprising the way the cat melted. He stared at her like she was the last thing star in the sky, like every second he hadn't existed with her light was one wasted. Everything stopped before him as he stepped to her, one more, and another, an antagonizing pace. She burned, more and more with each moment he approached, but he needed her. Shalbriri reached out to his companion, but it was too late. "Leander." The creature seemed to sing, looking towards him. For a moment the king's worried eased. Then she raised her hand. She remembered, even if he didn't. The cat retreated into the shadows, for a heartbeat, before rising back, his form trembling as it tried to fight off the light. But she was too strong. He was too weak. The Cheshire that reappeared was a lion of white and gold, standing noble and statuesque against the forlorn scenes of battle. Shalbriri stood, nervous, afraid, as he looked desperately in the crowd for Akan. She was his last hope. They had to leave. When he spotted her, it was already too late. Her voice rung against the silence, a sorrowful call for the name of the only one she had ever loved. Leander, who had abandoned her at every possibility for something better. Leander, whom she had protected, from himself, from others, from the memories that would haunt his waking moments. Leander, whose lover she protected with a fierce strength, because always, always, loyalty first. Who abandoned her even now. Yet with a fierceness unrivaled, the woman ran to the Angel, not even shifting into her monstrous form. She wanted her wits. It didn't matter. As Akan raised her blade, dark and glimmering, Lilith reached out for her pale cheek, pressing heated skin against the icy coolness of the Bandersnatch. Red eyes widened, looking towards her king who stared back fearfully. When the bandersnatch rose again, the shadows had been lost. White, gold, the anglomeration settling on a wolf's form who stood brilliant, bright, next to its new queen. Shalbriri stepped back. One half of the underworld's strength taken in the matter of a heartbeat. Lilith looked towards him, falling back to the ground gracefully as her eyes turned blue once more. Her smile was painfully alluring, and the king backed away with every step she moved forward. "Your majesty." A whisper, a promise. He shook his head, fingers twitching as he looked back and forth between what was once Leander and Akan. "It's your turn. Let's see if you can fight the monsters you created." And they pounced.

[aohlys]

It was unfair to say that she had never loved him. There were so many things she loved: the heat of his skin and the taste of his blood; she loved his wild golden hair and the mischief in his blue eyes. Most importantly of all, she loved that he loved her. His sweet words and gentle caresses, the way he whispered her name and held her without abandon, like she would escape from this world as soon as he let go. He loved her like there had been no else. Like there could be no one else. This, this was what made her heart beat. It was this feeling she clung to, even after he no longer had love to give.

and I hate that you’ll never know.

[danscratch]

Big Ol’ Honkin’ OC Question List-- Long Post Ahead!

  Alright, here we go– I put together a list of questions about OCs that you can reblog and have people send in asks for you! I set it up so you can be like, “A3″, “D2″, et cetera… Keep checking in here to the original post in case I add some more to the list! In the meantime, I hope y’all have some fun with this and maybe use it to learn a little bit more about your OCs or get to share things about them!! A. Psychology

What of the Meyers-Briggs personality types they most fit into? INFP, ENFT, et cetera…

What alignment are they? Chaotic neutral, lawful evil, et cetera…

Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it? Do they try to treat it? 

Are they a pessimist or an optimist? 

Are they good at handling change in their life?

Does your OC tend to assume their interpretation of events and reality is correct, or do they question it? I.e., “I’m sure that’s what you said” versus “It’s possible I misheard you.”

Is your OC confident in their reactions to life in general, or do they get embarrassed or easily shamed for it? I.e., if something startles them, do they insist it WAS scary? When they cry, do they feel like they overreacted?

Is your OC a martyr?

Does your OC make a lot of excuses? For themselves? Others? 

Does your OC compromise easily? Too easily?

Does your OC put others’ needs before their own?

Does your OC have any addictions? If so and problematic, have they admitted it to themselves? 

Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

Is your character empathetic?

Is your character observant?

Does your OC have to go through their own trials to learn a lesson, or do they listen and learn from observation and lecture? I.e., does your OC listen when someone tries to tell them the importance of budgeting, or do they have to go experience what happens if you don’t budget first?

What’s one of your OC’s proudest moments of themselves?

Do they get jealous easily? Do they feel bad if they do?

What instantly irritates them or puts them in a bad mood?

Are they harsh on themselves?

Do they make excuses often?

Is your OC intended to be found generally attractive? Unattractive? Average? Is there a reason why?

Does your OC place much importance on their appearance? Do they feel confident in it?

What are some of your OC’s biggest personal obstacles? This could be emotional, physical, social… Are they aware of it? Are they trying to overcome it?

B. Social

Do they believe you have to give respect to get it, or get respect to give it?

Do they get frustrated when lines at places like pharmacies, check-outs, delis, banks, et cetera, are moving slowly?

Under what situations would they get angry at servers, staff, customer service, et cetera?

Do they tip well? How easily can they be moved to not leave a tip?

Do they hold doors open for people?

Would your OC let someone ahead of them in line if your OC had a big cart and the person behind them had very few items?

How do they respond to babies crying in public?

Is your OC considered funny? Do they believe they’re funny?

What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Does your OC find any “bad” or “mean” humor funny? Do they wish they didn’t?

Your OC is running late to meeting someone: Do they let the other person know? Do they lie about why they’re late?

Your OC orders something to eat and gets their order done in a pretty wrong way, something they can’t just pick off or whatnot to correct, or something major is missing. What do they do?

Do they have a large or small group of friends?

Do they have people they are genuinely honest with about themselves?

Does your OC enjoy social events, such as parties, clubs, et cetera..?

Does your OC like to be the center of attention or more in the mix?

C. Morality

Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

Would your OC feel bad if they acted against their morals? If not, would they find a way to excuse themselves for it?

Is it important for them to be with people (socially, intimately, whatever) whose major ideological tenets align with their own?

Do they consider themselves superior or more important than anyone else? Lesser?

Do your OC’s morals and rules of common decency go out the window when it comes to those they don’t like, or when it’s inconvenient? Aka, are their morals situational?

What do they do when they see someone asking for money or food? If they ignore them, why? If they help, how so?

Do they believe people change over time? If so, is it a natural process or does it take effort? 

Is your OC more practical or ideal morally? I.e., do they hold people to high expectations of behavior even if it’s not realistic for the situation, or do they have a more realistic approach and adapt their morality to be more practical?

D. Religion and Life and Death

How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

Do they believe in an afterlife?

How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

Would they like to be immortal? Why, why not? If they are immortal, would they rather not be?

Do they believe in ghosts? If not, why? If so, do they think they’re magical/tie into their religion, or are they scientifically plausible?

E. Education and Intelligence

Would you say that your OC is intelligent? In what ways? Would your OC agree?

Which of the nine types of intelligence is your OC strongest in? Weakest? (Linguistic, existential, naturalist, et cetera)

How many languages do they speak?

Did they enjoy school if they went to it?

What’s their highest education level? Do they want to continue their education?

Do they enjoy learning? Do they actively seek out sources of self-education?

Are they a good note-taker? Are they a good test-taker? Do exams make them nervous?

What’s one of your OC’s biggest regrets?

F. Domestic Habits, Work, and Hobbies

What sort of home do they live in now, if at all? How did they end up there?

What’s their ideal home look like? Where is it?

Could they ever live in a “tiny home”?

How clean are they overall with home upkeep?

How handy are they? Can they fix appliances, cars, cabinets, et cetera?

How much do they work? What do they do? Do they enjoy it?

What’s their “dream career” or job situation?

How often are they home?

Are they homebodies and enjoy being home?

Do they engage in any of the arts? How good do you intend them to be? Would they agree they are?

What are some of their favorite things to do for recreation? How did they get into it? What part of it do they like the most?

Would they enjoy a theme park?

G. Family and Growing Up

Is your OC close to their family?

Who makes up your OC’s family, at least the more important members to them?

Does your OC find their family supportive? If not, what would be an example why not?

What kind of childhood did your OC have?

Did they go through any typical phases growing up?

Do they have any favorite childhood memories?

Do they have any childhood memories they’d rather forget or be less affected by?

H. Romance and Intimacy

What is your OC’s orientation, romantic and/or sexual? Has it ever been a source of stress for them? Have they always been pretty sure of their orientation?

Is your OC a thoughtful partner, in whatever aspect of that you want to cover?

Does your OC believe there’s only one ideal partner (or multiple ideal if not monogamous) for everyone, or that there are many people who could be right?

Does your OC believe in love in first sight?

Does your OC believe in marriage (or their culture’s equivalent)?

Has your OC ever cheated on anyone or been cheated on?

What do they look for in partners? (Emotionally, mentally, physically..)

What’s your OC’s idea of a perfect date?

What are some things that your OC finds to be an instant turn-off in potential partners?

I. Food

What are their favorite kinds of flavors– Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, creamy, et cetera?

Do they have any eating requirements or preferences? Allergies, vegetarian, organic-only, religious restrictions…

Are they vegan/vegetarian (if their overall culture/species generally aren’t)? If so, why? Do they think animal products are wrong in all circumstances?

How often do they cook? Do they order out a lot?

Are they a good cook?

Could they eat the same thing they enjoy over and over and not get bored of it quickly?

J. Politics, Current Events, Environmental Aspects

Where does your OC stand most politically? What would they align with most?

How politically aware are they?

How politically active are they?

Is your OC the sort to fall for fake news? If not, do they ignore it or make a point to clarify that it’s wrong?

Are they or would they protest for a cause they’re passionate about?

How do they react to people whose political viewpoints are very opposite of theirs?

How much interest in environmental health do they have?

In reality-based or applicable worlds, do they believe in global warming? Do they recycle?

K. For OCs in Reality-Based Worlds Who Are Unusual in Paranormal Ways (such as magical abilities, being another species, having a curse like lycanthropy, sci-fi abilities, being from another time, et cetera)– Also for OCs where the scenario is similar even if their universe isn’t based on reality

Does your OC have to keep their paranormal aspect (PA) a secret from general society? If so, how? I.e., they can’t discuss their abilities, they have to hide a tail, they have an alter-ego, et cetera. What would happen if society found out about it?

Are there others in their universe with the same or a similar PA as your OC? I.e., others from different dimensions, others of their same species. Do they know about it?

Does your OC have any friends who know about their PA? Any enemies?

Does your OC ever use their PA to get an advantage? I.e., use their ability to be invisible to steal or get out of things, compete in track while their species is a naturally superior runner, use their invulnerability in careers like police work… If so, do they have any hang-ups about it?

Does your OC feel isolated or unrelatable due to the experience their PA brings with it? If so, how do they deal with it?

Does their PA cause issues in daily life? I.e., if they’re inhuman in a human universe and they can’t go to a doctor or risk the doctor realizing they are not human, super abilities with physical drawbacks, they don’t have control of their abilities and must keep to themselves, et cetera… If so, how do they feel about it?

Does your OC’s PA affect their dietary habits so that they are unusual or problematic by their society’s standards?

What are some routines, if any, of self-care that your OC must engage in that are not typical of their society? I.e., having to file their teeth, maintaining magical rituals, drinking blood…

Does your OC have knowledge that they can’t share with the rest of their world that could improve it if it didn’t cause chaos? I.e., a character from the future knowing about technology not yet invented, but they can’t reveal themselves by sharing it?

Would your OC give up their PA if they could? Why or why not?

L. For the Writer/Owner

How have your characters changed since you created them?

What do you consider the biggest themes in your character, if any?

Did you create the character to be like yourself, did they end up being like yourself, or are they very different from you?

Would you hang out with your OC if you could?

Which OC do you think is the most decent morally or behaviorally?

Which OC do you think is the worst morally or behaviorally? AKA, which is supposed to a “good guy”?

Which OC do you think is the most attractive? AKA, which is supposed to be a “bad guy”?

What’s the longest you’ve had an OC for?

How did you come up with your OC?

[aohlys]

Frigid, icy air blew through the open window, disrupting the black curtains to allow in peaks of the silvery, purplish light of the never-setting moon outside. It was a kind of winter wind that one could feel deep in their bones; that could unapologetically freeze the blood as it pumped its way through the veins. A ghostland, at first glance. Pristine, but abandoned, buildings scattered around a monument of a castle. Elaborate roads painstakingly paved ran through empty streets, full merchant carts of goods unattended. It was a picturesque landscape - of ruins yet to fall, an eerie, haunting image of a kingdom whose inhabitants had vanished from the earth without a trace. It requires a deeper look, to search down farther under the surface, to see the true life sweeping across the barren landscape. Cast from the glow of the moon, from blooming flowers crawling up walls, carrying a luminescent violet light gently around them. Under the shadows of these things one may discern, in brief glimmers, movements caused by nothing other than, seemingly, the shadow's own will. It's in these shadows where the vitality of the Underworld exists. In the shadows of the world above. Disappear from this corporeal world, sink down below it. The scenery does not change, the same castle, buildings, stands, roads. Within this blackened version of the world exists all life. Creatures slink between the shadows of their homes rather than walk in the light - regardless of how inoffensive it is. This is an easier existence for the creatures of the night, of the dark. Soon they will return to physical bodies and walk their homes, and later, the mortal world. For now, they rest.

|| the underworld