[merlot-and-rainstorms]

Auris of the Thousand Names (Wattpad, AO3)

An ongoing novel that finds its home somewhere between fantasy adventure, political intrigue, and fictional biography

They wouldn't let her save the world. Unable to keep patience with the figureheads and red tape of the city-state governments, Auris turned her attention smaller, to a new settlement, and to a bare handful of its inhabitants caught in one of the worst injustices she's ever known. A personal drama rife with political intrigue, Auris' story explores themes of honor, morality, love, and abuse, and what it means to hold and face each.

Content Warning: war, moderate descriptions of violence, PTSD, emotional abuse

The Autobiography of Gayle Hunter (Wattpad, AO3)

A completed, standalone novella resting comfortably between fantasy adventure and fictional biography

Gayle was always an adventurer at heart, but when she followed her heart out of town, that life of excitement she'd dreamed of wasn't nearly as flawless as she thought--and gone all too soon. A sweeping adventure filled with magic, mystery, and romance, Gayle's story asks: what does it mean to live?

The Tale of Sir Ramics (Wattpad)

An ongoing, standalone novella that brings a darkly comedic touch to many classic fantasy tropes

A tale of heroics and self-discovery, in which the knight is silent, the crow is curious, the queen is questionable, the princess is pallid, and the wizard is as wizards are: cryptic, crafty, and constantly two steps ahead.

All of my work can be read for free on Wattpad and AO3 (@NicoAkira)

[getocakes]

[merlot-and-rainstorms]

It's okay not to know. It's okay to look at any of these things and feel like you belong in multiple places or no places or it's all kind of mushy and unknowable. The human experience is beautifully vast and ever-changing. Not knowing is an integral part of it. Changing is an integral part of it. You will change, you will learn, you will grow, and every part along the way will be true and beautiful for it.

[kurulover]

I hate that when you’re stressed enough your body just starts falling apart. I think it should realize you’re already stressed and don’t need that and start functioning better actually

[infizero]

bringing back my too woke opinion that you should be allowed to change labels without the previous one being incorrect

[infizero]

i think you should be allowed to identify as trans without retroactively saying you were also trans in the past. i think the "born this way" rhetoric is limiting and you should be able say stuff like "i was fully a girl when i was a kid and now im a boy" without it invalidating your current identity but maybe that's just me

[damsel-understresss]

im so sorry i never participated in the reblog game you tagged me in i love you very much im just so tired

[mihri-the-sasscatte]

Size comparison of Y’gathok, the Ceaseless Hunger and Bjorn, our level 20 Goliath Barbarian.

[professorsparklepants]

Hey quick question: why the FUCK do you have that

[kittyopteryx]

Imagine, from out of nowhere, your dm casually slapping this thing down on the table like any other encounter.

[mooretimetoplay]

“Yeah, the fight will start in a sec, uh…I’ll give inspiration to whomever helps me get this fucking box out of my car.”

[necrowemancer]

https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/7asxci/oc_ygathok_the_ceaseless_hunger_final_boss_of_our/ This is the reveal of this ridiculousness during their game

[jelloapocalypse]

Please watch this reveal video it’s kickass

[creepsandcrawlers]

FUCK ME  the reveal video

[threefeline]

“CHRIS??????”

[tanoraqui]

“Um, I don’t think our plan is gonna work.”

[8bitmickey]

[island-delver-go]

Always reblog Y'gathok

[robot-roadtrip-rants]

always ALWAYS reblog Y'gathok!

[teaboot]

You know that Margaret Atwood quote talking about how a major effect of existing as a women in a patriarchal society that objectifies women is that when you are a woman, even when you're alone, you can't escape that self-peception from the view of the male gaze?

The one that ends, "You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur."?

I really do think that pushing this concept precisely one degree further in the other direction would explain a LOT about how we ended up with this whole "Incel, looksmaxxing, manosphere" clusterfuck, I just need 20 minutes and an antidepressant to articulate how

[teaboot]

Like

LEVEL 0: People exist

LEVEL 1: "Man" and "Woman" roles are constructed; posed as a strict binary with discrete and disparate traits and roles.

LEVEL 2: Man wields power; Woman relies on Man's approval. One role is perceived and valued as better, stronger, smarter. Requiring Man's approval, Woman cultivates inner "man" in order to see herself from Man's perspective as a tool to better anticipate Man's desires.

LEVEL 3: Man perceives Woman's "inner man"; Man perceives anticipatory and appealing behavior as deceptive and manipulative. The potential ability of Woman to manipulate and deceive Man places Women in a position of power above Man, which Man perceives as a threat. In response, Man cultivates "inner woman": a tool which he uses to perceive the "inner man" who Woman uses to predict and appeal to Man.

LEVEL FOUR: Man "sees" the caricature of "Man" further distorted by the caricature of his conceptualized "Woman" and feels threatened and inferior, but at the same time trapped by the binary which generates this power struggle. Inside of him is a deceptive and threatening "Woman" who he rejects; inside of HER is the Ultimate Man, who this image of Woman supposedly desires the approval of.

If Woman can predict Man, then Woman is an opponent who leverages power through engagement with Man. The only way for "Man" to escape the Threat that Woman poses is to cease engagement. He retains "victory" (escape from woman) by maintaining distance from Woman, and because explicitly admitting the possibility that Woman could ever hold power over Man is Losing, has no option but to tell himself that this is not Fear of Losing Control, but a natural consequence of Posessing Control.

Man rejects any but the most surface-level engagement with Woman, but because "Hiding From Woman" means "Woman Is Threat", and BELIEVING "Woman Is Threat" is unacceptable, Man attempts to cut Woman from the narrative.

LEVEL 5: Man, possessing the "inner woman"'s "inner man" but determined to escape the influence of "woman", mentally erases "Woman" but retains the caricature's caricature of "inner man", who is desirable to BE.

Man possesses exaggerated image of Man, who now exists solely as the Ultimate Desireable Form. In order to achieve this form, Man must constantly see through his eyes, but in order to remain safe in his position of power over Woman, he must erase any trace of evidence that he is DOING this for Woman.

Man must Be the Ultimate Man, because [redacted], who requires Man's Approval.

Having bought in to this dichotomy and fearing the terror and uncertainty of the unknown, unable to shake the foundations of the reality he must now experience, Man forces himself into choosing between floating without purpose or structure in a void where he can no control at all over his environment, or a world where he Cannot be afraid of Woman, he is Superior to Woman, and therevis nothing more important that Being The Ultimate Man Receiving Approval from the Ultimate Man

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

mummies? genus of the zombie family. the two are not taxonomically exclusive groups, educate yourself

[kaiyeti]

Also skeletons by that logic.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

A lot of people make this mistake actually! ‘Skeleton’ can refer to any individual member of the family Zombie that has shed its fleshy exoskeleton. It’s just an unlife cycle stage, but because of its distinct appearance we refer to it by a separate common name (similar to how a ‘black panther’ is just a colour variant of leopards and jaguars, not a separate species).

[mortimermcmirestinks]

Okay, so I think this is a point of confusion.

The term “zombie” is both a technical term, referring to a family, and a common name, referring to a genus.

The family Zombie is a broad, overarching group that includes the genus that many people call zombie (Ghoulus, not to be confused with Ghouli, the unrelated genus of the Ghala family which also includes bogeymen and some ghosts*) as well as the Mummy genus (Pyrima), the spore-zombie genus (Fungan) and a few others.

The colloquial term “Zombie” is the common term for the genus Ghoulus, which is in the family Zombie and includes Ghoulus romero (the walking zombie), Ghoulus snydera (the running zombie), and Ghoulus smithi (the vampiric zombie, also called the legendary zombie).

Interestingly, there are several things called “zombies” that are neither Ghoulus nor Zombie, including the dancing zombie (Jacksoni thrillera), which is more closely related to (although not currently actually in the same family as) clowns.

*Note: the ghosts in the Ghala family are not true ghosts. True ghosts are in the order Spectere, which is entirely unrelated to Ghouli, Ghoulus, Pyrima, and Fungan. Ghala “ghosts” are given the common name ghost because of their superficial similarity to true ghosts.

Important note: sometimes you’ll see people claiming that zombies are domesticated! They are not! Some zombies can be tamed (like Ghoulus romero), but zombies are wild animals and might hurt you if you approach them! Leave them alone and don’t feed them!

[s0lar-nexus]

are there any domestic ghosts?

[mortimermcmirestinks]

this is a great question! here’s the answer:

the closest to a domesticated ghost we have is the house ghost, Phantome domus (sometimes classified as a distinct subspecies Phantome domus domesticus).

P. domus is interesting because it’s like housecats – they are technically domesticated (scans have shown that the fight-or-flight response, like in domesticated animals, is weaker in P. domus than in related species like P. majestica, the manor ghost, or P. more, the cemetary ghost), but evidence suggests that it’s a naturalistic co-evolution rather than an intentional domestication process like with sheep or dogs.

If a house ghost takes up residence in your home, they are completely safe unless treated in an inhumane way. There is a stereotype of house ghosts that they are dangerous or volatile, but this is usually due to confusion with other species, especially the common poltergeist (Sellaruptor vulgaris) or vengeance spirit (Phantome odium).

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

Ghostbusters remake but they’re biologists running a catch and release program

[ladynoveldragon]

I love scientifically explained fantasy. It is so much fun exploring the fantasy world in terms of biological phenomena.

[desultory-suggestions]

I told someone today that they are important. It broke my heart when they told me "no one has ever told me I am important before." If no one has told you, you are important. You specifically, are important. Your existence matters. Your life matters. You are important.

[childsacrifice]

(no beers in) So how do you perceive me in the privacy of your thoughts

[unheardoracle]

Your dialogue is stiff because everyone is being too honest

Great dialogue can come from radical emotional honesty. But in most real conversations, people

dodge questions

answer indirectly

lie (badly)

change the subject

crack jokes to avoid serious answers

lie (convincingly)

say half of what they mean

tell the truth but get so anxious/angry/defensive others now think they're lying

If your dialogue feels unnatural, it might be because everyone is saying exactly what they think, or articulating their thoughts too well. Try letting characters hide things instead.

Subtext is where tension lives.

[awakefor48hours]

"You should create for yourself" and "it's okay to feel discouraged when creating your own original projects if no one interacts with them" are two sentences that should be able to co-exist with each other

[awakefor48hours]

On the one hand, you should kill that capitalist in your head that tells you to make art only for the enjoyment of other people. On the other hand, it's totally fine to be disappointed that you spent hours or even days on something that only got 4 notes. You can feel both ways.

[theprofessional-amateur]

I love a good Very Specific Resource. Here are the links to my posts about resources carefully crafted to share a specific bit of history (updated as needed)

How Fast Was the Mail - Interactive map that giving mail delivery info in the US 1882-1908, also general railroad network information

Streaming Music from Around the World - No algorithms, lots of options, amazing music nerds helping you discover more music.

Professor Shoelace - everything you ever needed to know about shoelaces

Commercial Pattern Archive - over 50,000 scanned sewing patterns dating back to the 1850s

Public Domain Image Archive - thousands of images from various repositories no longer under copyright

Medieval Murder Maps - interactive maps of murder and accidents in medieval London, York, and Oxford

Travel in Times - plan travel routes in England and Wales in various centuries

The Quilt Index - a digital repository of quilts, makers, and their stories

Louis Armstrong Archives - Some highlights from the archives and how to access the full collection from home!

RSN Stitch Bank - hundreds of sewing and embroidery stitches, their uses, their structure, how to make them, and history!

Archive of 80s mixtapes - a whole lot of tapes from the 80s and also tapes of background music from Kmart in the 80s and 90s

Feast Afrique - What started as an exploration and celebration of West African culinary heritage has since expanded to include history, language, culture, and customs of West Africa and the African diaspora.

Letterform Archive - Thousands of high quality images celebrating graphic design, calligraphy, and typography. The beauty of letters!

Historic Menu Collection - Over 17,000 historic menus, 1.3 million historic dishes transcribed. Historic popularity and price range, map it, and more.

Palestinian Embroidery - Digital archives dedicated to the preservation of Palestinian embroidery. Over 1,000+ free patterns

Black Craftseople Digital Archive - enhancing knowledge of Black crafts people (both free and enslaved) and the objects they produced.

Georgian Lady's Magazine Embroidery Patterns - Free embroidery patterns from 1770-1819

The Dutch Textile Trade Project - History and trade of textiles in the 17th and 18th centuries. Fabric types, images, data on trade.

Estonian Knitting - Bog knits! History! Techniques!

[merlot-and-rainstorms]

How we yearn for an infallible Voice to lead us to Perfection.

[warmfigure]

i am massively overdue for a very very good week where not a single bad thing happens and everything is easy

[unlettered-heathen]

reblog to give prev a very good week where not a single bad thing happens and everything is easy

[heatherwitch]

My resolution last year was to do one thing before bed that would make my morning feel easier, and that’s become a daily habit that I’m carrying into this new year.

Some nights even filling up the kettle and setting an empty mug out for my morning tea felt hard. But I was always thankful for it in the morning.

Other nights, one thing would lead to another, and I’d wake up in a clean house with everything ready to go.

And, on a rare few nights, the one thing that I could do to make my morning easier was going straight to bed and allowing myself to rest.

What stayed the same each day is that I would take a moment to think of what I could do for my future self and do it, even after a hard day. And I would wake up knowing that I had done my best and any effort—no matter how small—was a kindness to myself.

[one-bite-is-undercover]

I’ve been doing a lot of “a treat for future me” moments lately.

[heatherwitch]

That’s a great way to look at it, and I love this artist! (Anna-Laura: instagram / website)

[zeenimf]

there's been such a big shift from my previous book to the next one. writing phei of the wind was fun and calming and an excellent distraction, but now with my current project i'm really trying to figure out what i have to say? i don't know if that makes sense to people, but there's so much grief and love and anger inside of me and im trying to figure out how this book can do those feelings justice, if only a little

[merlot-and-rainstorms]

Oh, I get that. Writing the first draft of Auris' story was just fun and wild that it grew to the scale it did. Revising it now...yeah. Grief and love and anger and I know they're all present, they're all potent, and how do I craft (re-craft) the story to do them justice.

I trust we will both have beautiful stories by the end.

[zeenimf]

Do you know what format you want to turn it into? I've read some snippets from it, but do you want to revise the whole thing?

[merlot-and-rainstorms]

It'll still be a novel, if that's what you mean! And yes, I'm reworking the whole thing! It wasn't originally meant to get this big--or, more crucially, to stand on its own. It was just a neat story for my friends about a D&D game we were a part of. But then it grew to what it is now, and I wanted to be able to share it with other people, and long story short, it has a lot of bits and bobs in it that once upon a time, meant something within the context of the games, but just don't serve the story as a standalone piece. So now I'm reworking it from the ground up, starting with a barebones outline and justifying each element I'm putting in instead of each element I'm taking out, and I'm hopeful it will help me produce a much better story!

Hope that makes sense :)