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Hack ideas, inspirational art, serious tips, general idiocy—we've got it all. Is it that special time of year again? Trick question, it always is! :) main: fidelcostco

[gatheringbones]

[“When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away—even if it’s only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaningless of modern life still have to drink water from time to time. One of my students wrote a story about a nun who got a piece of dental floss stuck between her lower left molars, and who couldn’t get it out all day long. I thought that was wonderful. The story dealt with issues a lot more important than dental floss, but what kept readers going was anxiety about when the dental floss would finally be removed. Nobody could read that story without fishing around in his mouth with a finger. Now, there’s an admirable practical joke for you. When you exclude plot, when you exclude anyone’s wanting anything, you exclude the reader, which is a mean-spirited thing to do.”]

kurt vonnegut

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

The levels of traditional Chinese architecture by 扇子有画

[qin-shi-huang-di]

I am always saying this!

[teeth-offical]

HOW DOES ONE "ACCIDENTALLY" BECOME EMPEROR?

[qin-shi-huang-di]

BY BEING A DISGUSTING TRAITOR WHO LETS HIS CONVICTS ESCAPE, AND INSTEAD OF SUBMITTING TO EXECUTION LIKE A GOOD QIN DYNASTY CITIZEN, HE DECIDES TO FREE THE REST, AND LEAD THEM IN A REBELLION AGAINST THE STATE!!!!

this is a call out post for @emperor-gaozu-of-han!!! liu bang is nothing but a traitorous PEASANT who is totally UNQUALIFIED for the role of EMPEROR. he might have hoodwinked the uneducated masses with his tax breaks, exemptions of corvée labour, making peace with the xiongnu, and founding China's first gold age ect ect but I expect my LOYAL MINISTERS to know better!

[emperor-gaozu-of-han]

um☝️I also have the bisexual swag

[qin-shi-huang-di]

DELETE YOUR BLOG

[redstonedust]

idk i think you should make this character's heterosexuality relevant to the narrative. i mean why are they cis if it's not servicing the plot. you can't just throw story elements in for no reason if you're gonna make an able bodied character it should really serve a purpose. like why are they white are you just trying to fill a checklist? :/

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Dove-Shaped Perfume Vessels from Ancient Rome, c.50 CE: these glass vessels were filled with scented oils or cosmetic powders and then sealed, meaning that their contents could only be accessed by breaking the dove's neck or tail

These bottles were created and used as unguentaria (otherwise known as balsamaria) which are ancient vessels that were typically filled with scented oils, cosmetic powders, balms, or ointments. Unguentaria could be crafted from ceramic, glass, or stone, and they came in various shapes and sizes, but dove-shaped vessels made of glass were especially popular during the second half of the 1st century CE, when they were produced and distributed throughout the Roman Empire.

Above: a dove-shaped unguentarium with residue from the original contents still visible inside

Each bottle was crafted from blown-glass that was carefully modeled into the shape of a bird; the inner cavity was then filled with perfume or cosmetic powder, and the tip of the tail was reheated and compressed, effectively sealing the vessel.

Above: dove-shaped vessels that were opened and emptied long ago, c.50-100 CE

As this article explains:

The vessels were produced with glass blowing pipes by so-called "free blowing," and are for this reason extremely thin-walled, with body thicknesses significantly below 0.1 cm.

After the containers had been filled, the tail feathers were sealed airtight by reheating to protect the contents from moisture. Parts of the containers, such as the head or tail feathers, had to be broken off in order to access the contents of the vessels, which means that they were disposable packaging.

Above: vessels with the tips of their tails broken off

Most of these bottles were made from clear or pale blue Roman glass, but some were crafted with a dark blue, green, purple, or yellow appearance instead:

As cheap, mass-produced goods, the packaging consisted mainly of the conventional thin-walled and transparent Roman glass with an unintentional light blue colouring. Specimens made of intentionally coloured transparent glass (e.g. dark blue, dark green, violet or yellow) are less common. This may also have to do with the fact that the pink or white contents could be visually better distinguished and marketed if the vessels were made of the conventional Roman glass, which offered more transparency to the beholder than the intentionally coloured glass.

Above: a sealed unguentarium that likely contains scented oils and cosmetic residue, from Rovesenda, Italy, c.50 CE

Research suggests that many of these bottles were filled with powder, including pink substances that have been described as "blush" or "rouge," while others were filled with liquid.

Above: more dove-shaped unguentaria from the Roman Empire

Vessels with this design (which is also known as Isings form 11) have been unearthed at Roman-era sites located throughout Europe:

Evidence shows that these glass containers were widely marketed in the Roman Empire. The main areas of distribution are the central and northern Italian regions of Campania et Latium, Venetia et Histria, and Transpadana, along with the northwestern provinces of Gallia Belgica, Gallia Lugdunensis, Germania inferior and Germania superior [in what is now Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands].

There is also evidence from the Balkan and Danube region in the provinces of Dalmatia and Pannonia, and also from the eastern Mediterranean in the provinces of Achaea, Creta et Cyrenae and Macedonia. The distribution in the western Mediterranean seems to be limited to Hispania Tarraconensis.

Above: the severed heads of two bird-shaped unguentaria

Sources & More Info:

Glassware and Glassworking in Thessaloniki: 1st Century BC-6th Century AD: Bird-Shaped Inguentaria (Isings Form 11)

The Austrian Archaeological Institute: New Finds of Bird-Shaped Glass Vessels with Residues of their Former Content

The British Museum: Roman Perfume Bottle in the Shape of a Bird

Società Friulana di Archeologia: Glass Doves and Globes from Thessaloniki: North Italian Imports or Local Products?

Analytical Chemistry for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: Compositional Analysis of Greco-Roman Unguentaria Residues

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Glass Bottle in the Shape of a Bird

[prokopetz]

My unpopular sci-fi/fantasy opinion is that "humans are the best community-builders" is just the old "humans have the greatest Will to Power" trope wearing a progressive hat.

[jukashi]

To be fair, there's not a lot of traits humans have, that other sophonts wouldn't have, that can't be squeezed to 'superior Will to Power' by an audience looking for it. Good colour vision is eye for detail is inquisitiveness is Will to Power. Being good at throwing things is Man The Hunter is ambition and drive is Will to Power. And I don't need to tell you what happened with 'relatively oversized penis'!

[prokopetz]

Well, yes – you're talking to the guy whose Tumblr post popularised "anomalously high cardiovascular endurance due to an evolutionary history of persistence predation" as humans' Special Hat and ultimately gave rise to the Humans Are Space Orcs meme; you don't need to explain to me how even relatively innocuous traits can be twisted around into "superior Will to Power"! – but my point is that the humans-are-the-best-community-builders thing isn't even a twist. It's a more or less direct attempt to rehabilitate old-school science fiction's "humans are naturally suited to Lead The Lesser Races because of our superior Will to Power" thing into "oh, we don't have an inherent right to dominion, we just coincidentally happen to be meritocratically suited to being in charge owing to our natural superiority at the virtues of leadership".

[clytemnestraaa]

ok there’s been enough reblogs from enough people on enough various posts of mine that now i need to stand up for the bitches who don’t fuck of the world. people aren’t writing bad smut because of a lack of having sex. they are writing it because a lot of people have very poor visualization skills and forget halfway through what position characters are supposed to be in, or don’t understand what makes a word a good or bad choice, or can’t create compelling dynamics. i promise that even the sexually inactive, by virtue of also existing within the human form, would know that if you’re behind someone you can’t lick their nipple. and i promise that the frequently sexually active are equally prone to using the word “mewled.” i can pretty much guarantee that having a lot of sex and writing good sex scenes are unrelated. do you think your favorite horror authors are cutting people up in their basements. do you think your favorite food critics are michelin chefs. do you think the people blocking cool combat scenes in movies are routinely getting into cage fights. no they just understand how to utilize tone, pacing, momentum, and the tools of film direction, while keeping action tied to character. like believe it or not this is simply a skill like everything else. idk i always think that that point of view shows a lack of understanding of what makes a sex scene work. it removes the craft of it in a way i find short-sighted. i think people are confused about the reason teenagers are writing bad sex scenes. it’s not because they’re not fucking, it’s because they are young and haven’t had the years to hone their writing craft the way someone older has.

[birdplushie]

now picture the character powerless and afraid and losing all hope

[ravenfleesfire]

Fictional country: average fantasy

Fictional small town in the middle of nowhere in real country: par for the course in any genre

Fictional major city in real country: standard fair, but it's usually clearly based on a real city

Fictional suburb of real major city in real country: strange but I can see the application

Real major city in fictional country: Chicago can be anywhere you dream of

[comradekatara]

rating uncle representation in avatar by accuracy

IROH (ZUKO’S UNCLE): a shamelessly reparative, whitewashed representation of the uncle figure, it is absurd to assume that one’s uncle could ever be capable of offering genuine wisdom, let alone competently leading a brutal military conquest. that said, the misogyny is a nice touch — 3/10.

THE WARDEN (MAI’S UNCLE): now this is more like it. he is an obstinately myopic asshole with utterly rancid vibes. and he’s stupid also — 9/10.

UNALAQ (KORRA’S UNCLE): while i do think it’s a bit heavy-handed of him to transform into the embodiment of all darkness, as a metaphor for unclehood, i can hardly call it inaccurate — 9/10.

BUMI (JINORA’S UNCLE): the most accurate representation of the uncle figure in the entire avatar franchise and perhaps all of media, bumi is obnoxiously obtrusive, ruins every scene he’s in with his heedless, wacky idiocy, and is entirely unnecessary to the mise en scène in a way that actively degrades the quality of the narrative as a whole. everyone would be better off if this man just disappeared, or better yet, had never been born at all. even though he is not an actively malicious figure, his unbearable stupidity coupled with his incessant need to be the loudest person in the room is itself immoral, and thus he causes harm to those around him simply by existing. while the entire show does suffer as a result of his presence, my commendations where it is due, as whoever wrote this man clearly understands the figure of the uncle with a canny insight — 100/10.

[theaawalker]

Guide to Writing a Magic System

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1. Establish the Foundation

Define the Source of Magic: Where does magic come from? Is it gods, nature? The soul, another dimension? Science-like forces or otherwise? The origin shapes everything. Decide Who Can Use It: Is magic rare, inherited, learned, or accessible to everyone? Scarcity creates tension; abundance creates complexity. Set the Tone: Is your magic mysterious and unknowable, or structured and rule-based? Decide early whether it feels like myth or science.

2. Shape Its Role in the Story

Decide Its Narrative Purpose: Is magic a tool, a weapon, a curse, a religion, or a metaphor? Tie it directly to your themes. Avoid “Convenience Magic:” Magic shouldn’t exist just to solve problems easily. If it can fix everything, your stakes disappear. Integrate It Into the World: Show how magic affects society. Show it's affects on the economy, class systems, politics, religion, and daily life.

3. Build the Rules (Hard vs. Soft Systems)

Define Clear Limits: What can’t magic do? Limits are more important than abilities, as they create tension and creativity. Set Costs and Consequences: Remember that all magic comes with a price. What must the magic-user sacrifice for the sake of their abilities? Their family or social safety? Their health, be it physical or mental? The conflict drives the magic and the plot along. Decide Consistency Level:

Hard magic: Clear, explainable rules (like a science).

Soft magic: Vague, mysterious, unpredictable. Pick one or blend both intentionally.

4. Define How It’s Used

Choose a Method: Spells, rituals, emotions, language, movement, artifacts, or willpower. Tell us how is magic actually performed. Create a Learning Curve: Magic should take time to master. Show training, failure, and gradual improvement. Differentiate Users: Not everyone should use magic the same way. Give the magic-users their own style, specialization, and philosophy create depth.

5. Create Meaningful Constraints

Introduce Risks: Physical harm, corruption, loss of control, attracting dangerous entities, etc. Magic should be risky. It it wasn't, we'd all have it. Limit Overuse: What happens if someone pushes too far? Exhaustion? Death? Reality distortion? Make It Situational: Magic shouldn’t work perfectly in every context. Make it circumstantial based on the environment, emotion, or timing.

6. Develop Its Evolution and Impact

Let It Grow or Change: Magic systems can evolve. Brew in some new discoveries, lost techniques, and/or forbidden knowledge. Tie It to Character Arcs: A character’s relationship with magic should reflect their growth, beliefs, or downfall. Show Long-Term Consequences: Wars, societal collapse, environmental damage are ways that magic could leave marks on your fictional world.

Types of Magic Systems (Quick Reference)

Elemental: Control over fire, water, air, earth, etc.

Divine: Granted by gods or higher beings.

Arcane/Scientific: Rule-based, almost like physics.

Spiritual: Tied to souls, spirits, or emotions.

Forbidden/Dark: Corrupting, dangerous, taboo.

Examples of Strong Magic Systems

Film/TV Examples:

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Elemental bending tied to culture, discipline, and philosophy.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Alchemy governed by strict rules like equivalent exchange.

Doctor Strange (Marvel): Magic drawn from other dimensions with clear visual and conceptual rules.

Literature Examples:

Allomancy (Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson): Metal-based magic with strict rules and limitations.

The One Ring (The Lord of the Rings): A softer magic system with mystery, symbolism, and corruption. "One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all. And, in the darkness, bind them."

The Guardians of Camoria (my series): Elemental-based abilities tied to identity, fear, and emotional endurance, the magic is tied to the young Guardians as their powers grow alongside psychological strain and self-discovery.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐎𝐟𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚

The Guardians of Camoria by A.A. Walker

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thank you, i am farkle :)

[theodysseyofhomer]

odysseus absolutely does present a threat to penelope if he perceives her as at all unfaithful, and i feel the unfairness of this, and i think people tend to undersell how much tension at least potentially exists between odysseus and penelope. but i'm also like. his reaction, all speculation aside, his actual reaction in the odyssey to her flirting with the suitors is delight, because he immediately ascertains that she is running a con. sorry that they're so in-sync in spite of the forces that try to drive a wedge between them, including their own misgiving hearts. sorry that they invented homophrosyne ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[strinak]

oh, you meant they literally did, ok

[theodysseyofhomer]

would i, tumblr user thee odysseyofhomer, lie to you?

[polyphemusthecylcops]

...

[theodysseyofhomer]

this is the only funny addition to this post

[pointless-achievements]

Achievement Unlocked:

Nobody Answered

Well ain't that a poke in the eye.

[detectivehole]

what's that one thing where they asked how ripely from alien was so realistic and believable as a female character in scifi for once and they were like "well we just took the dude from the original script and made him a girl and changed nothing else. it works bc men and women are the same?" and people were like "woah no way" and then didn't learn anything from that for 20 years

[detectivehole]

"how do you write such believable men as a woman?" "how do you write such believable women a man?" and the answer people who are good at it always give is "i just write people. were literally the exactly the same. do you think the opposite sex is some sorta totally different animal???" and people respond "woah that's wild. yea i do. and im not gonna stop thinking that goodbye :)"

[anarchistmemedistro]

[self-loving-vampire]

[birdsareblooming]

Dorothy L. Sayers: Are Women Human (1938)

it's older than ripley

[clytemnestraaa]

hi this drives me crazy

canon is what happens in the text. e.g. merlin tries to poison morgana

a headcanon is a fact that you have personally made up as an elaboration of canon. it is your invention. e.g. i think morgana and gwen had a teenage lesbian situationship before the events of canon. or, i think modern morgana would love evanesence.

an interpretation is how one reads the existing text. it is not an invented fact nor is it a headcanon, it is a reading. e.g. i think merlin tries to poison morgana out of misplaced self-hatred. or, i think that one line was delivered with suppressed malice and shows a nuanced relationship.

fanon is the general fandom’s accepted headcanons and interpretations that elaborate or recontextualize canon. e.g. merlin is a badass waif and morgana is a bitch.

these are all different words with different meanings.

[justdecadentcollectiondestiny]

and a cannon is a large mounted gun, usually on wheels, that uses explosives to fire projectiles.

[batneko]

Shout-out to characters who don't plan to survive their stories! Heroes who think they can only atone for their failures through sacrifice, villains who don't think they deserve to live in the world they're trying to create. Gimme that passive suicidality baby, mm-mm, delicious.

[fossore]

Just remembered this and I need some knitting enthusiast in London to get deeply unwell about it ASAP

It was likely knitted in the 1700-1750 range and it’s 3 meters in circumference at the widest point. They cast on approximately 2650 stitches. It’s seamless and how exactly it was knitted (well before circular needles!) remains somewhat uncertain

It’s also covered in animal and plant patterns which do not repeat at any point.

As far as I can find, there are no true recreations of any part of it have been made (one woman made an attempt for a bit of it but details her struggles here) and the pictures the V&A have are mediocre at best making reverse engineering hard, but it’s available by viewing request at their East Storehouse so a particularly passionate person could theoretically get better access to make better efforts.

[shutinthenutouse]

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Don't worry the audience extrapolated it back out. You zip the file and communicate it, they unzip it.

[thestuffedalligator]

Dragons are fireless until they undergo the Hroom, the traditional draconic ceremony where a fledgling dragon will go out into the world and make a bargain with a spirit of elemental fire to live in their soul in a state of mutual symbiosis. The spirit receives shelter and nourishment, while the dragon receives a source of elemental fire, which it can only now use to defend itself.

In many draconic cultures, the Hroom marks a dragon’s coming of age, a time to recognize that a dragon is now of a proper age to hold a weapon and defend itself. Some dragons believe that it is only by bonding with an elemental spirit that a dragon has a soul, and that a dragon is only a whole dragon when it has both the mortal shell and the inner spark.

There has been a backlash to this in recent centuries, of course. Fledglings these days are going out and making bargains with all kinds of things. This is usually spirits of elemental lightning and ice, but more than one dragon has come back to their clutch with a fairly bewildered witch.

[thestuffedalligator]

#Does the witch live inside the dragon's soul after...?

Metaphorically, yes. One dragon had married the witch she brought back to her clutch, and she said that meant their two souls had become one, which was basically the same thing.

The other dragons in her brood said it didn’t work that way, but she was able to breathe pure magic afterwards, so it at least worked that way for her.