Flaws/Quirks in Male Characters That I’m BEGGING Writers to Explore
✧ Dudes who are bad at sports. Yes, Chad, not every male character needs to throw a perfect spiral in high school. Let him get hit in the face with a dodgeball. Let him (please) suck.
✧ The “pretty boy” who's not vain, just vibing. Like he knows he looks like he walked out of a Renaissance painting but has the self esteem of a lost ferret.
✧ Shy, awkward boys who don’t magically become suave by Chapter 6. No, he’s still weird at parties and says “you too” when the waiter says “enjoy your meal.”
✧ Flirtatious guys who are actually super respectful. He's flirty but not a walking lawsuit. Shocker. He’s playful, not predatory.
✧ Male friendships that aren't emotionally constipated. Yes, two guys can say “I love you, bro” and not immediately punch each other to cancel it out.
✧ The soft spoken leader. He doesn’t need to scream orders or have a “gruff, commanding voice.” He just talks, and people shut up and listen because he’s competent.
✧ Dudes with weird hobbies. like, your guy MC collect antique spoons or have a YouTube channel rating old vacuums. Why not. It’s his passion.
✧ Guys who are clingy and insecure in relationships. Not abusive, just genuinely terrified of being left on read for too long. He's trying his best, ok?
because "my parents hit me or force me to be perfect" won't cut it for every character in the cast
-characters who grew up poor. poverty is traumatizing, people. i wanna see characters who never ask for anything, count dollars and coins, freak out when the bill isn't split fairly and immediately suspect bed bugs when someone says they're itchy. and mention the ugly stuff too. smelling bad and having water stains on the walls. ice cream for dinner and not eating breakfast. lights going out and fourteen year olds supporting a family of five.
-characters who were neglected. not physically abused, neglected. who don't understand why people care when they don't show up, or seem kind of down today, or leave a party without saying goodbye. who are too independent for their own good. who can't think of anything to say when asked to describe their parents. who are okay with being lonely. who always feel lonely. who get uncomfortable if you even ask them how their day was. who does that?
-characters who were smothered. who were treated like a toddler well into their teens. who were practically stalked by their own parents, never allowed a moment of privacy. who were constantly belittled and denied their autonomy as the adults in their life made every decision for them. regardless of how loved they truly were, this is abuse. this could go in two diverging directions: end result of a very guarded, mature character feeling a constant need to prove themself, or end result of a passive, immature character who requires attention, praise and constant assistance. both have extremely low self-esteem.
-characters who are fundamentally different from their family. maybe they're queer, or adopted, or disabled, or aren't fully related to the rest of them (bonus points if they aren't the same race as their family). characters who watch like a ghost as everyone else smiles and bonds. and maybe it's their fault that they're like this, or maybe it's their fault for not reaching out to the family themself, but... nobody else had to ask for it.
• • Clones - He made clones, including from himself. None of them accepted him as a father.
⏳ Timeline / Hosts
Year 65
✦ Age 0 ✦ Born. He names himself Leaf.
Year 72
✦ Age 7 ✦ Mud and Freckles die when they blend with their hosts.
✦ ✦ ✦ The next day, Cordesh, Jaydin, Per’sus, and Algae are taken to blend. Algae doesn’t survive.
Kajetan † • First Host
Cis Male • Homosexual • Polish Descent • Gray Hair (mostly bald) • Medium Blue Eyes • 6’0” • Farmer/Trader/Miner/Soldier
Confident • Friendly • Calm • Sense of Humor
Host Age: 68 through 198
Symbiote Age: 7 through 137 (130 years)
✦ An older man with much experience who takes on many jobs in his lifetime.
✦ He figures out his sexual preference when he’s a young man. He and his wife come to an understanding. They both have side flings.
✦ After losing his wife and adult children to the Goa’uld, he leads the rest of his family into Egeria’s territory.
✦ His daughter-in-law adopts her nephew, Kajetan’s grandson, raising the boy with her own children.
✦ He’s recruited by Selmak to become a host.
✦ Because of Cordesh’s youth, Kajetan takes on a fatherly role.
✦ Cordesh, like many of his siblings, tries to court Egeria. He is immediately rejected. (Year 73)
✦ His clutch mate, Per’sus, wins Egeria’s heart.
✦ Cordesh loses another clutch mate.
Fun Facts:
✦ He didn’t know nor care if his children were biologically his or not. He loved them and his grandchildren..
✦ He enjoyed being a favorite “uncle” to Egeria’s larvae and often spoiled them.
Wido † • Second Host • Year 202
Cis Male • Heterosexual • German Descent • Wavy Blonde Hair • Medium Blue Eyes • 5’8” • Jeweler Apprentice
Determined • Gentle • Kind
Host Age: 16 through 203
Symbiote Age: 137 through 324 (187 years)
✦ As a child, his parents sold him away to a jeweler so he could have a better life than they could give him, The jeweler, Alfbern, had no children to teach, and he treated Wido like a son.
✦ He was gravely injured in an attack by Jaffa. Alfbern poured his life savings into getting a great healer, getting swindled.
✦ Wido’s first father learned about the Tok’ra, but didn’t know if they could trust them. He, Wido’s mother, and Alfbern allowed Wido to make the choice.
✦ After blending, Wido kept in contact with all three parents.
Fun Facts:
✦ He encouraged Cordesh to push his (Wido’s) limits in education, hand-to-hand combat, etc.
Biff of Rire † • Third Host • Year 389
Cis Male • Heterosexual, Biromantic • Mixed Ancestry (current day Venezuela, Spain, and Wales) • Straight Black Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 6’1” • Accountant
Passionate • Addictive Personality
Host Age: 30 through 201
Symbiote Age: 324 through 495 (171 years)
✦ Biff is the son of an accountant, who works for the Lord of Ringkeeper. Biff inherits the job after his father retires.
✦ He marries Yénnifer, and they have three surviving children.
✦ Biff has a major gambling addiction. After gambling away his money, he tries to recoup his losses, by gambling the lord’s money.
✦ The lord in turn recoups his losses by selling Biff to a visiting low ranked Goa’uld. Biff lucks out that the “Goa’uld” is actually Garshaw. She offers him the opportunity to become a host.
✦ After blending with Cordesh, he returns to say goodbye to his family. It’s too dangerous to tell them the truth. His son, while still a child, has the new accountant job. Yénnifer is the one actually doing the job.
✦ For safety reasons, Yénnifer doesn’t remarry until their oldest son is married.
✦ Begins dating Se’laa.
✦ By his 428th birthday, Cordesh only has ten clutch mates left, including Per’sus, Talrak, Jaydin, Se’laa, and Dukar. (Year 500)
Fun Facts:
✦ Cordesh helped him with his addiction.
Victor Dreor of Frith † • Fourth Host • Year 560
Cis Male • Polysexual • British Descent • Curly Brown Hair • Medium Blue Eyes • 6’1” • King
Stoic • Honorable • Regal
Host Age: 16 through 188
Symbiote Age: 495 through 667 (172 years)
✦ Born in the kingdom of Holt (“forest) in the city of Dreor (“dripping blood”). (Year 544)
✦ Age 3, his brother, Jarvis, is born to his father’s mistress. (Year 547)
✦ Age 5, he’s betrothed to his second cousin, Sage of Mona (“moon”), an “ugly, wrinkled, pink thing,” and he is not happy about it. (Year 549)
✦ Age 6, his mother dies during childbirth. At first, he blames his newborn sister, Lya. (Year 550)
✦ Age 9, he meets Sage again at a formal party. He tolerates her. However, Lya cries when Sage won’t play with her. Victor snubs Sage in turn, which makes Sage cry. Victor’s whipping boy is punished. Victor becomes even more resentful of Sage as a result. (Year 553)
✦ Age 10, his father dies, and he becomes king. His uncle sends in assassins the next day.
✦ ✦ ✦ His older sister, Helen (Age 21), helps him rule.
✦ ✦ ✦ The betrothal goes through to secure the alliance between Holt and Mona. Due to their ages, Sage returns home immediately after the vows.
✦ ✦ ✦ Helen is assassinated. Rumors spread that it was on Victor’s order.
✦ ✦ ✦ Due to increased effort to find the true culprit, his uncle stays low. (Year 554).
✦ Age 16, another assassination attempt. Victor kills one culprit. The other is captured and interrogated. His uncle is executed afterwards. Victor is distraught after, but hides it. He’s advised to execute his first cousins, but sends them away instead.
✦ ✦ ✦ His wound from the assassination attempt becomes infected. Victor annuls his marriage and names Jarvis (age 13) his heir. Jarvis and Sage are immediately betrothed.
✦ ✦ ✦ He blends with Cordesh instead of dying. Due to safety reasons, he has to leave his life behind entirely. His family and people think he was chosen as a host by force. (Year 560)
✦ He learns that his first cousins were executed anyway.
✦ Marries Se’laa. (Year 573)
Fun Facts:
✦ He never did like Sage, but later admits that he never knew her.
✦ After blending, it was Lya that he missed the most.
✦ Excellent swordsman.
✦ Had he not been fatally injured, slavery in Holt would have been abolished. Fifteen centuries later, it still exists.
✦ His (indirect) descendants still rule Holt.
Lemuel † • Fifth Host • Year 732
Cis Male • Heterosexual • Hebrew Descent • Straight Black/Graying Hair • Light Blue Eyes • 5’11” • Peasant
Gruff • Stubborn • Proud
Host Age: 58 through 199
Symbiote Age: 667 through 808 (141 years)
✦ Born under Goa’uld rule. Each year, every adolescent and young adult is presented, and a number of them are taken, never to be seen again. Some consider being chosen an honor.
✦ For years, Lemuel goes to the Great Square, not knowing if he’ll never see his family again. Lemuel loses a sister, and multiple cousins and friends.
✦ Age 24, he’s branded as unfit to be chosen. It’s meant as shameful, but it means he can start his life.
✦ Ages 25 to 42, marries Shay, and they have multiple children. One of his daughters, Riva (age 16), is taken by Jaffa.
✦ Age 49, his first grandchild is born.
✦ Age 55, a new “goddess,” Maa-a, is given charge of the planet. Her host is Riva (now age 29). Lemuel and Shay don’t understand. When they try to confront her, Maa-a executes Shay. Lemuel is horrified.
✦ ✦ ✦ Maa-a’s rule is cruel. The people believe it’s Riva and blame Lemuel. They sentenced him to death and force him through the stargate, thinking that it kills anything that isn’t a god or Jaffa.
✦ ✦ ✦ He’s surprised to survive. He takes it as a sign that he’s being tested by the gods.
✦ Ages 56 to 58, he is found by Se’laa, and he immediately believes her to be a goddess. She tells him exactly what she and Maa-a are. He thinks she is testing his loyalty to the gods.
✦ ✦ ✦ She returns to him from time to time, often with rations of food. She heals his wounds and illnesses. Every time she offers to relocate him to a planet with people, he refuses. Sometimes, one of her clutch mates comes with her. He meets Cordesh when he’s 57. In time, he accepts the truth.
✦ ✦ ✦ He finally asks Se’laa about becoming a host. She takes him home. He lives with the Tok’ra for a few months before blending with Cordesh.
✦ Ages 58 to 60, Cordesh establishes himself among the Goa’uld with Lemuel as his new host. They eventually kidnap Maa-a and remove her. Riva thinks her father was taken as she was, and she blames herself.
✦ ✦ ✦ Lemuel takes her to a new home, but he can’t stay with her, and he can’t tell her the truth. He lets Riva “rescue him,” before they say goodbye.
✦ Se’laa checks on her from time to time, posing as a normal human. She keeps him updated.
Fun Facts:
✦ He fell in love with Se’laa before blending with Cordesh, so had no issue joining the marriage.
✦ He once had Cordesh go back to his original planet just to show that he survived the execution.
Muhammadu † • Sixth Host • Year 873
Cis Male • Bisexual • African Descent • Coiled Black Hair • Light Brown Eyes • 6’2” • Jeweler
Loving • Detail Oriented • Reserved
Host Age: 15 through 204
Symbiote Age: 811 through 1,000 (189 years)
✦ His father is a jeweler for Olokun, working with gold, silver, and precious gems, including naquadah.
✦ Muhammadu, being the eldest son, learns under his father.
✦ Age 13, he begins working on his own when his father is killed for a flaw in a necklace.
✦ Age 15, he runs away, where he is found by Lantash. Lantash offers him a chance to be a host. (Year 888)
✦ Age 108, Se’laa is killed by Jaffa. (Year 981)
✦ ✦ ✦ While he never loves the same again, he does develop a sexual relationship with Jaydin and her host, Ása. Cordesh isn’t ready to fall in love again.
✦ Age 125, Egeria and her host, Versha, are lost.
✦ ✦ ✦ Talrak dies soon after. (Year 998)
Fun Facts:
✦ He was never angry at Olokun, even after learning the truth. He felt that anger and the need for vengeance was bad for you.
✦ He was good friends with Jolinar.
Zigmārs † • Seventh Host • Year 1062
Cis Male • Aromatic / Bisexual • European Descent • Wavy Blonde Hair • Medium Blue Eyes • 6’1” • Guardsman
Brave • Determined • Impulsive
Host Age: 22 through 134
Symbiote Age: 1,000 through 1,112 (112 years)
✦ His planet is regularly raided by Jaffa and others. As a boy, he is taught to run and hide.
✦ Age 15, joins the guard. They fight non-Jaffa raiders and hide from Jaffa. (Year 1055)
✦ Age 16, marries a woman named Jerri. (Year 1056)
✦ Ages 17 to 21, has four children, one from an affair. He regrets the affair because it hurt Jerri, but loves the resulting child. (Year 1057 to 1061)
✦ Age 22, falls off a roof and is impaled when he lands. He hangs on to life for several days before the Tok’ra come. To live, he leaves behind his children and pregnant wife. (Year 1062)
✦ Age 23, after his marriage officially ends, he continues the relationship with Ása/Jaydin. (Year 1063)
✦ Age 120, Ása/Jaydin breaks it off when Ása begins falling in love with Per’sus’ new host, Mukul. Zigmārs has other lovers anyway. They remain loving friends. (Year 1160)
Fun Facts:
✦ He loved Jerri, just not romantically. The affair was very early in the marriage.
✦ He stayed in touch with his family after blending.
Chand † • Eighth Host • Year 1174
Cis Male • Polyromanic, Asexual • Indian Descent • Straight Black Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 6’0” • Scholar
Curious • Confident • Quiet
Host Age: 23 through 201
Symbiote Age: 1,112 through 1,290 (178 years)
✦ Born into royalty. His father is the youngest brother of the emperor. Chand is the fifth child born.
✦ He chooses the path of a scholar instead of government.
✦ Age 20, betrothed to Naila. (Year 1171)
✦ Age 23, develops cancer and becomes ill. This leads to him blending with Cordesh. (Year 1174)
✦ Age 28, romances Karme/Jaydin, who have a sexual relationship with Mukul. Chand and Mukul have a brotherly relationship. There’s no jealousy. (Year 1179)
Fun Facts:
✦ He’s good at reading people. He prefers to observe rather than speak.
✦ He thought Cordesh was too impulsive.
Onar † • Ninth Host • Year 1352
Cis Male • Bisexual • Anatolian Descent (modern Turkey) • Straight Black Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 6’0” • Cobbler
Shy • Loyal • Romantic
Host Age: 33 through 127
Symbiote Age: 1,290 through 1,384 (94 years)
✦ Born as a high class slave under Shak’ran. (Year 1319)
✦ Age 16, assigned to Shak’ran’s personal lo’taur, Ümut. (Year 1335)
✦ Age 23, Ümut disappears. There are rumors that he attacked Shak’ran. (Year 1342)
✦ Age 33, rescued and freed from slavery by Jolinar. She offers him the chance to become a host, suggesting he talk to Ümut, now blended with Per’sus, before he decides. He does.
✦ ✦ ✦ Omar and Ümut soon fall in love. (Year 1352)
Fun Facts:
✦ He preferred “slave food,” even after his rescue.
✦ He crushed on Ümut for years before his rescue.
Wael † • Tenth Host • Year 1446
Cis Male • Homosexual • Anatolian Descent (modern Turkey) • Straight Red Hair • Light Blue Eyes • 6’0” • Apothecary
Loyal • Loving • Hardworking
Host Age: 28 through 142
Symbiote Age: 1,384 through 1,498 (114 years)
✦ Born on a planet that’s largely ignored by the Goa’uld. (Year 1418)
✦ Age 9, his parents pay a fee for Wael to join an apprenticeship. He moves in with his new master’s family. (Year 1427)
✦ He lives a week away from his parents, so they and his siblings visit a few times a year.
✦ ✦ ✦ His master is strict, but treats him well. Wael gets along with his daughter, Nasim.
✦ Age 12, he is betrothed to Nasim, which he’s not happy about. (Year 1430)
✦ Age 16, he completes his training and works under his former master. (Year 1434)
✦ Age 17, marries Nasim. She unofficially helps run the shop. (Year 1435)
✦ Age 18, slowly develops a relationship with Raad, his secret lover. (Year 1436)
✦ Age 20, son, Thamir, is born. (Year 1438)
✦ Age 28, gets in a serious accident and nearly dies. Joins the Tok’ra. (Year 1446)
✦ ✦ ✦ Nasim cannot train Thamir, but she does anyway. Her father is the official master if anyone asks.
✦ For the rest of their lives, Wael visits his family and Raad from time to time.
Fun Facts:
✦ He teaches Cordesh a lot about herbs and continues to learn. He grows herbs in his personal quarters.
✦ He is happier after he blended.
Aston † • Eleventh Host • Year 1560
Cis Male • Polysexual • British Descent • Wavy Black Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 5’11” • Pirate
Compassionate • Vengeful • Jolly
Host Age: 35 through 176
Symbiote Age: 1,498 through 1,639 (141 years)
✦ Age 15, he’s a rebellious teenager with strict parents. When they try to give him as tribute to the Goa’uld. Aston kills his father and would be overseer.
✦ ✦ ✦ The overseer has a number of slaves collected. Aston frees them all. Because a number of them are even younger than him, they run away together.
✦ ✦ ✦ They commandeer a fishing boat. A few of the older slaves know how to sail. They teach the others, and the crew quickly takes to piracy to survive. (Year 1540)
✦ Age 21, Aston becomes captain with the previous one, Dylan, retires. (Year 1551)
✦ Under Aston’s command, every man, woman, and child is accepted. Most of the crew are women who wanted to escape abuse. More ships are seized. He becomes famous.
✦ ✦ ✦ Because he likes to sleep around, he has a number of children. Because his lovers also like to sleep around, he doesn’t know which children are his.
✦ ✦ ✦ A number of his crew found a city for retired pirates, children, and just anyone who wants out. They also fence many of the stolen goods for Aston and his fleet.
✦ Age 32, he is captured when he tries to visit his sister, Greta. Greta refuses to identify him, but his own mother betrays him. Aston claims he threatened Greta so that she isn’t executed with him.
✦ ✦ ✦ He’s rescued by one of his lovers, Cole. On the way out, he hangs his mother, the same way he and Greta would have been executed. (Year 1558)
✦ He has multiple close calls with the navy. When he hears he’s been accused of murdering women and children, he realizes Greta and her children were murdered to make the people hate Aston and his crew. (Year 1559)
✦ Wael/Cordesh crash on to the planet on the beach. Aston pulls them out of the wreckage. Wael says he’s dying and asks Aston to host Cordesh. Aston accepts because he knows the navy will soon catch him anyway.
✦ ✦ ✦ The stargate is in his home city. Cordesh is able to return. As soon as his voice is heard, no one bothers him. Cordesh gets a pardon for Aston’s entire crew. He also declares that Aston is innocent of the deaths of Greta and her family. Because he is a “god,” his word is accepted as fact. (Year 1560)
✦ He and Per’sus’ host, Bandile, fall in love. (Year 1562)
✦ Du’kar is killed, leaving Cordesh, Jaydin, and Per’sus as the last of their clutch mates. (Year 1614)
✦ Age 176, the Tok’ra bring two potential hosts, Milo and Sophron. Milo blends right away. Sophron lives with the Tok’ra.
✦ ✦ ✦ Aston is gravely injured. Sophron is brought in to be the next host. (Year 1701)
Fun Facts:
✦ Excellent swordsman and marksman.
✦ Cordesh had a few options on who to blend with, but Aston selected Sophon.
Sophron of Frith † • Twelfth Host • Year 1701
Cis Male • Omnisexual • British Descent • Curly Black Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 6’0” • Nobleman
Outgoing • Excited • Loves to Love • Justice Seeker
Host Age: 19 through 158
Symbiote Age: 1,639 through 1,778 (139 years)
✦ Born into nobility. He’s privileged and well educated. He has an older sister and brother, Thais and Simon.
✦ Age 1, his brother, Lysander, is born.
✦ An older slave, Chares, helps raise him and Simon, training them in combat and weapons.
✦ Age 9, gets lost. A search party is sent out, Chares, Typhon (age 11), and a new slave, Milo (age 13). Sophron ends up rescuing Milo from a pack of wolves. (Year 1691)
✦ Age 12, Thais gives birth to Nikandros. (Year 1694)
✦ Age 16, takes charge of the Nik unit in the guard. (Year 1698)
✦ Age 18, Milo, who is now his lover, is given to Sophron as a birthday gift. Sophron immediately leaves his own party to write up Milo’s freedom papers.
✦ ✦ ✦ After, he gives Milo an education, which was illegal before. (Year 1700)
✦ Age 19, Sophron and Thais convince their father to free all the slaves in Nik Unit, which includes Chares and Typhron.
✦ ✦ ✦ That night, Milo saves Sophron from an assassin. Sophron’s father, brothers, and nephew are killed. Milo is mortally wounded. The only way for Milo to survive is to join the Tok’ra. Sophron, now heir because of all the deaths, gives his new position to Thais, so that he can join the Tok’ra with Milo.
✦ ✦ ✦ He joins with Cordesh, who is also in love. (Year 1701)
✦ Age 20, they marry Milo, keeping the marriage open. (Year 1702)
✦ He slowly ends up in an unofficial marriage with Odette (Jaydin’s host) and Marco (Per’sus’ host). Jaydin also loves him, but doesn’t want to marry. Per’sus loves them all as siblings and has no interest in finding new romance.
✦ Age 158, he meets Nelay’an, who came to live with the Tok’ra. They get along quite well. A few months later, Sophron is mortally wounded while saving Milo’s life. He tells Milo not to blame himself. Sophron is amused that Nelay’an will be the next host. (Year 1840)
Fun Facts:
✦ He only gets angry when someone he loves is hurt, but when he’s angry, he’s furious.
✦ Sees the best in people. He wanted to abolish slavery in his city, but never had the power to do so.
✦ Is a direct descendant to Victor’s sister Lya.
Nelay’an † • Thirteenth/Current Host • Year 1840
Mixed European Descent • 6’1” • Clerk
Host Age: 20 through 178
Symbiote Age: 1,778 through 1,936 (158 years)
✦ Joined the Tok’ra to get away from an abusive marriage.
Liandra • Fourteenth Host • Year 1998
Mixed Descent • 6’1” • Tok’ra High Councilor
Host Age: 39
Symbiote Age: 1,936 (about 15 minutes)
✦ Taken as a method of hiding. It didn’t work. Liandra survived.
Fenz † • Fifteenth Host • Year 1998
Cis Male • Polysexual • Gaul Descent (modern France) • Straight Brown Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 5’9” • Tok’ra Guard
Outgoing • Determined • Resourceful
Host Age: 70 through 72
Symbiote Age: 1,936 through 1,938 (2 years)
✦ Born in poverty. (Year 1928)
✦ From a young age, he goes with his older brothers to trap/hunt animals. Life is particularly hard after their father is in a major accident and can no longer work.
✦ Jaffa frequently raid his planet, and he learns to hate them.
✦ Age 15, Fenz becomes severely ill. He is only saved because the Tok’ra came looking for a host. He blends with Vorran. (Year 1943)
✦ ✦ ✦ Thoran, Kilso, Shorvek, and their hosts welcome Fenz as a new brother.
✦ He works frequently with Shorvek, both being guards. Fenz happily takes on the role of being the “big brother” when his symbiote siblings reblend, first with Kilso’s new host, Hurton, then later with Shorvek’s new host, Lon.
✦ Age 69, his romance with Kilso starts becoming more serious. (Year 1997)
✦ Age 70, he and Vorran are horrified when Cordesh’s treachery is revealed. They and Lon/Shorvek are ordered to execute him. As soon as they are alone, Shorvek shoots them in the back.
✦ ✦ ✦ When Fenz wakes up, he slowly realizes that his beloved Vorran has been murdered. Cordesh has now taken his place. Fenz’s brain and neck are filled with pieces of Vorran. Fenz wants to scream, to cry, to throw up, but he can no longer control his own body.
✦ ✦ ✦ Fenz desperately hopes Shorvek will save him, but nothing happens. Fenz thinks Shorvek must have also been replaced, and he hates himself for not seeing it. He pities Lon.
✦ ✦ ✦ He learns that both Shorvek and Lon have truly betrayed him. Fenz can’t even shout at them.
✦ ✦ ✦ He watches in despair as Cordesh, posing as Vorran, coldly breaks it off with Hurton/Kilso.
✦ Age 72, after two years of desperately fighting back, Cordesh decides he needs a new host. Fenz is helpless as Cordesh kidnaps a father of dozens of boys and prepares him. Fenz promises to be a good host if Cordesh won’t destroy this man’s life.
✦ ✦ ✦ Fenz dies in despair, terrified that Vorran will go down in Tok’ra history as a traitor. (Year 2002)
Fun Facts:
✦ He never stops loving Hurton and Kilso.
Glebu of Woods † • Sixteenth Host • Year 2000
Cis Male • Heterosexual • Mixed European Descent • Straight Brown Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 6’2” • Fisherman
Kind • Patient • Loving
Host Age: 42 through 44
Symbiote Age: 1,938 through 1,940 (2 years)
✦ Born (Year 1958)
✦ Glebu is separated from his mother as soon as he is weened. He’s sent to live in the men’s village where he is adopted.
✦ He becomes a fisherman like many of his brothers. It’s not as prestigious as being a hunter, but it’s a respected role in the village.
✦ Age 14, passes the Rite of Adulthood. (Year 1972)
✦ Age 15, adopts his first son. (Year 1973)
✦ Age 29, becomes a grandfather when his oldest, now a man, adopts a boy. (Year 1987)
✦ Age 30, meets his oldest daughter…maybe. He’s one of a dozen potential fathers, but he doesn’t care. (Year 1988)
✦ Age 40, becomes an honored elder. More than half of his adopted sons have survived. This is considered a great success rate. (Year 1998)
✦ Age 42, he is kidnapped by a stranger. During the struggle, a “snake” slithers into his mouth. He suddenly cannot control his own body.
✦ ✦ ✦ Cordesh shoots Fenz’s body with a staff weapon, then carries him back to the Tok’ra, eliciting sympathy. Kilso and Thoran come to the funeral. (Year 2000)
Fun Facts:
✦ Glebu was chosen because his appearance reminded Cordesh of young Nelay’an.
✦ Glebu recognized that the other Tok’ra thought he was willing.
Lordon † • Seventeenth Host • Year 2002
Cis Male • Heteroflexible • German Descent • Straight Brown Hair • Dark Brown Eyes • 5’11” • Vendor
Patient • Strong Willed • Clever
Host Age: 36 through 45
Symbiote Age: 1,940 through 1,949 (9 years)
✦ Since he was a boy, he worked with his father, hawking goods and food.
✦ At sixteen, he marries, and they have four children.
✦ Age 28, he gets his own stall, no longer needing to travel.
✦ Age 36, Jaffa come. His children and many niblings are taken. His wife, parents, and siblings are killed. He decides to join the Tok’ra. Unfortunately, he gets Cordesh, who is still posing as Vorran. (Year 2002)
✦ Age 39, Martouf returns from being undercover. His report about slaves he freed makes Lordon realizes that three of his children and five of his niblings have been freed. Lordon convinces Cordesh that the Tok’ra would be suspicious if they don’t visit. It works. (Year 2005)
✦ Age 41, Cordesh wants his own children. He sets about learning how to clone. (Year 2007)
✦ Age 45, Lordon had been subtly convincing Cordesh to make a bold move. It finally works. Cordesh’s treachery is revealed after he makes a clone, Iasis. (Year 2011)
Fun Facts:
✦ He wished he could thank Martouf for saving his children and niblings.
✦ It’s because of him that Cordesh decided he wanted his own children.
Hurton † • Eighteenth Host • Year 2011
Chinese and Dapenkeng Descent (modern China and Taiwan) • 5’11” • Tok’ra Healer
Host Age: 57 through 71
Symbiote Age: 1,949 through 1,963 (14 years)
✦ Cordesh revealed himself to be a traitor, and young Iasis gave away his identity. He killed Kilso and took Hurton as his.
✦ Cordesh hunts many Tok’ra, looking for Iasis.
Ras † • Nineteen Host • Year 2025
Cis Male • Heterosexual • Viking Descent • Straight Blonde Hair • Light Blue Eyes • 5’10” • Farmer
Happy • Outgoing • Friendly
Host Age: 19
Symbiote Age: 1,963 (2 months)
✦ Einar’s seventh great nephew. He enjoys when Einar/Per’sus visits. He accepts Per’sus as another uncle.
✦ Age 16, he marries Gerd. A year later, his wife has a miscarriage. (Year 2022)
✦ Age 19, his mother-in-law stays while Gerd is dealing with a difficult pregnancy. His daughter, Anita, is born.
✦ ✦ ✦ Einar/Per’sus visit to see Anita. They are ambushed by Cordesh. When Ras wakes up, he is no longer in control of his body. Cordesh uses Ras’ body to kill Ras’s family, attack Ras’s town, and keep Einar/Per’sus captive.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ras is helpless as his uncles are brutally tortured with his own hands.
✦ ✦ ✦ Cordesh goes to Earth to capture humans to be hosts. Ras is shot. Cordesh leaves him to die and takes a new host. (Year 2025)
Fun Facts:
✦ He enjoyed farming.
Robert Forest of Earth † • Twentieth Host • Year 2025
Cis Male • Heterosexual • American • Straight Brown/Gray Hair • Medium Gray Eyes • 5’9” • Retired Air Force Officer
Friendly • Self Proclaimed Nerd • Patient
Host Age: 75 through 76
Symbiote Age: 1,963 through 1,964 (1 year)
✦ Joins the US Air Force, where he serves in Vietnam. He meets Jacob Carter, George Hammond, and Cyrus Glenwood. They remain friends after the war.
✦ He marries and has three kids.
✦ After a full career in the military, he retires. He remains particularly close to Cyrus.
✦ He has no idea aliens exists until Cordesh kidnaps him, Cyrus, and Cyrus’s adult sons, Brad and Fred. Robert is chosen as a host. (Year 2025)
✦ After a nightmare experience, Cordesh is forcibly kept away from the sarcophagus. He and Robert get to know each other. Robert learns who Cordesh used to be as he becomes himself again.
✦ ✦ ✦ As the nightmare ends, Fred is mortally injured. Robert doesn’t want to be a host anyway. Cordesh blends with Fred. Robert goes home. (Year 2026)
Fun Facts:
✦ He’s a big Star Wars and Star Trek fan.
✦ He also likes video games.
Fred Glenwood of Earth † • Twenty-First Host • Year 2026
Cis Male • Homosexual • American • Straight Blonde Hair • Light Blue Eyes • 5’9” • Air Force Officer
Submissive • Bully Groupie • Self Doubtful
Host Age: 28
Symbiote Age: 1,964 (a few months)
✦ Fred grew up with a strict father with high standards. He joined the Air Force because it was what his father wanted. He denied his attraction to other males because it would have angered his parents.
✦ He’s captured with his father, brother, and his father’s friend.
✦ Fred is gravely injured. Cordesh blended with him to save his life. However, Fred is not happy to be a host. They decide to rescue Nelay’an. In the meanwhile, Cordesh helps Fred accept himself.
✦ Robert is the most helpful after, apologizing for not recognizing Fred’s internal struggles.
Fun Facts:
✦ He misses Cordesh afterwards.
✦ Skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
✦ Seeing what Cordesh’s previous hosts had to deal with helped him stand up to his family.
Nelay’an † • Current Host • Year 2026
Host Age: 178 through (currently) 182
Symbiote Age: 1,964 through (1968) Age (4 years)
✦ Cordesh used time travel to save Nelay’an, then brought Nelay’an to his time. Nelay’an asked to be his host again.
Nelay’an, the 13th Host
✦ Meaning of Name ✦ “New Sky”
✦ Previous Name ✦ Firnan Nan
✦ Meaning of Old Name ✦ “Second Child”
✦ Gender ✦ Cis Male
✦ Sexuality ✦ Homoflexible
✦ Pre-Tok'ra Occupation ✦ Clerk
✦ Blending Age ✦ 20
🕯️Quirks/Traits
✦ In blending with Cordesh, he became quite arrogant.
✦ Humbled after recent events.
✦ Still loves Einar and Per’sus.
✦ Recently became an herbalist.
✦ He also teaches others the dangers of addiction.
🩸 Appearance
✦ Browm Eyes
✦ Black or Silver or White Hair ✦ Prefers medium-length hair. Cordesh cut it out of spite, but it’s grown out again.
✦ Beige Skin
✦ 6’0” Tall
✦ Large Build
💟 Relationships
✦ Friends ✦
• • Name • Blah
✦ Family ✦
• • Nan Reynard and Farra Nan • Parents
• • Zenan Nan • Older Brother
• • Name • Other
✦ Mates/Lovers ✦
• • Caden † • Ex-Illicit Lover
• • Deirdre Firnan † • Ex-Wife
• • Marco † • Late Lover
• • Einar • Unofficial Ex-Husband
• • Shorvek and Lon • Ex-Illicit Lovers
📝 Timeline
1820 ✦ Born. Per tradition, his last name is his father’s first name.
1837 ✦ Discovers his attraction to men. He has to hide it. (Age 17)
1838 ✦ Starts an affair with Caden, a married man. Caden’s wife, Janine, doesn’t care since she has her own flings. (Age 18)
1839 ✦ His government selects his wife for him. He meets and marries her a month later. She turns out to be very abusive. (Age 19)
1840 ✦ Learns aliens exists when Zenan basically volunteers Nelay’an to the Tok’ra. The Tok’ra ask Nelay’an what he wants. He decides to be a host. Since there’s no urgency, he lives with them at first.
• • • He gets to meet some Tok’ra, including Sophron/Cordesh. Nelay’an is surprised that Sophron is so open about having husbands.
• • • Blends with Cordesh.
• • • Milo immediately ends his marriage with Cordesh. He loves Cordesh, but can’t “replace” Sophron.
• • • Cordesh’s relationship with Marco continues, though it’s no longer a marriage. Nelay’an falls hard for Marco.
• • • Cordesh’s “marriage” with Odette ends, though they continue having sex. (Age 20)
1859 ✦ One of his lovers, Marco, dies. Per’sus, Marco’s symbiote, blends with eight-year-old Einar. (Age 39)
1878 ✦ Einar becomes exclusive with Nelay’an and Cordesh. Per’sus doesn’t join the relationship. (Age 58)
1986 ✦ Goes undercover to spy on Apophis. They are caught and killed, then corrupted with the sarcophagus. (Age 166)
1989 ✦ Participates in the Battle of Farra, an attack lead by Jolinar on Cronus. The attack is ambushed by Apophis due to the information Cordesh gave.
• • • During the battle, they kill two Tok’ra who has been suspicious about their behavior. (Age 169)
Multiple Years ✦ More and more, they have conflicts with each other. Eventually, Nelay’an demands Cordesh leave him. Feeling betrayed, Cordesh suppresses him instead.
1998 ✦ The Tau'ri find them. Suspicion falls on Cordesh. He grants Nelay’an’s request and finds another host.
• • • Nelay’an kills himself.
• • • Future Cordesh prevents the suicide, then brings Nelay’an into the future. (Age 178)
2026 ✦ Nelay’an is brought 28 years into his future. (Age 178)
Cordesh was by played Winston Rekert and Tosca Baggoo, so they are used for Nelay’an and Liandra’s images.
Other playbys: Shayne Blaikie, Eros Vlahos, Sean Teale, Jacob Collins-Levy, Geoff Snell, Gary Beadle, Benjamin Isaac, Arjun Gupta, Burak Ozcivit, Engin Ozturk, Aidan Turner, Ioan Gruffudd, Unknown Actor, John Sampson, Unknown Actors, Chris Pang, Ed Speleers, Martin Cummins, and Kai Alexander.
Like Parents, Like Child | Tagged by @makarovtm and @lilywatt | empty version below the cut
[ tagging, @socially-awkward-skeleton @simonxriley @derelictheretic @kyberinfinitygems @cassietrn @strafethesesinners @strangefable @voidika @josephslittledeputy @trench-rot @purplehairsecretlair @carlosoliveiraa @cloudofbutterflies92 @killyourrdarlingss @shellibisshe @aceghosts @vampireninjabunnies-blog @la-grosse-patate @katsigian @dumbassdep @imogenkol @josephseedismyfather @direwombat @simplegenius042 @elligatorrex @makarovtm and anyone that would like to do the tag 🤍]
Good morning or evening, my friend. I hope you had a wonderful day.
I am going to break down my advice to cover both plotters and pantsers so you can find the method that fits your style. Plotters are writers who prefer to outline and plan their story structure before they begin, while pantsers, or discovery writers, prefer to fly by the seat of their pants and find the story as they write. Understanding these terms helps you decide whether you need a detailed roadmap or the freedom to let the characters lead the way. Every author comes in a different shape. Not everyone is a panter and not everyone is a plotter. Some are in between the two terms.
Writing the beginning of a story is like setting the foundation for a house. If the footings are uneven, the whole structure will eventually lean. When you start, you are not just introducing characters but establishing a contract with your reader about what kind of experience they are in for.
Whether you are working on a Final Fantasy VII fan fiction or an original grimdark novel, the first few pages must provide enough friction to grab interest without overwhelming the reader with world-building or backstory.
The goal of a strong opening is to establish the status quo and then immediately threaten it. You want to drop the reader into a moment of transition where the protagonist’s world is about to change forever. This is the hook that keeps people turning pages. It is not about the biggest explosion or the flashiest magic; it is about creating a sense of curiosity that can only be satisfied by reading the next chapter.
The Inciting Incident
The beginning of your story exists to move the protagonist from their normal life into the conflict. As a plotter, I find it helpful to identify the specific event that makes it impossible for the character to go back to how things were.
In a fan fiction context, this might be the moment a SOLDIER receives a corrupted file or a Turk finds themselves in a sector they were forbidden to enter. This event needs to happen early so the reader understands the stakes and the direction of the narrative.
For those who prefer a discovery writing or pantsing approach, focusing on the character's internal reaction to this event is key. You might not know the ending yet, but you should know how the character feels about the disruption. The opening paragraphs should establish a clear voice and a specific problem.
Even if the larger plot is still a mystery to you, giving the character a concrete, immediate goal will provide the momentum needed to carry the story through the first act.
Strategic setting and canon compliance
Deciding how to handle the setting is a major part of the planning process, especially in fandom. If you are writing a canon-compliant piece, the beginning needs to ground the reader in familiar territory while offering a fresh perspective. You should focus on sensory details that evoke the atmosphere of Midgar or the surrounding Gaia (FF7) without wasting time on descriptions the audience already knows. The setting should feel like a living participant in the story rather than a static backdrop.
If you are transforming the setting or building an original world, the beginning must establish the rules of the environment quickly. You have to show the reader how the world works through the character's daily struggles.
Instead of explaining the political system or the mechanics of magic, show a character interacting with those elements. This allows the reader to learn the lore naturally as the plot moves forward, preventing the narrative from stalling due to heavy exposition.
Dynamic character voice and moral shifts
Maintaining a canon character's voice requires a deep understanding of their linguistic habits and core values, but it is a mistake to treat them as static icons.
To keep a character like Cloud or Sephiroth feeling authentic, you must start with their established baseline—their vocabulary, personality, their level of stoicism, or their specific dry wit—and then allow the plot to apply pressure. Character development is the process of that voice changing over time as the character is forced to adapt to new circumstances and interpersonal influences.
I remember ten years ago when I stumbled upon a Dungeons and Dragons article, which really resonated with me as an author. Real growth often happens through the friction of conflicting worldviews, such as a disciplined, Lawful Good paladin traveling alongside a morally Neutral thief. The paladin might start the journey with an unyielding sense of justice, but through constant exposure to the thief’s pragmatism, their rigid lines may begin to blur.
Conversely, the neutral character might start to internalize the paladin’s code, finding themselves acting altruistically for the first time. If the characters do not influence one another’s perspectives, they are not truly interacting. They are just standing next to each other.
Trope integration and reader expectations
The tropes you choose will dictate the tone of your opening. If you are writing a slow-burn romance or a hurt/comfort fic, the beginning should focus on the emotional distance or the specific vulnerability of the characters.
These genres require a different kind of tension than a high-stakes action plot. You are setting the emotional stakes, showing the reader exactly what is missing from the character's life so they will be invested in seeing that void filled.
In original fiction or more plot-driven fan works, tropes act as shorthand to help the reader orient themselves. Using a familiar framework allows you to spend more time on character development and unique plot twists.
You should be mindful of how you introduce these elements. They should feel like an organic part of the character's journey rather than a checklist of genre requirements. By understanding the expectations of your specific sub-genre, you can craft an opening that feels both satisfying and unpredictable.
Mapping the narrative arc for consistency
Planning the start of the story requires looking ahead to the middle and the end. As a plotter, I ensure that the first chapter contains the seeds of the eventual resolution. This might be a subtle character flaw that needs to be overcome or a minor detail that becomes vital later on. This level of preparation ensures that the beginning feels intentional and that every scene is pulling its weight toward the larger goal.
If you lean more toward pantsing, use the beginning to explore the boundaries of your concept. Write several versions of the first scene to see which one has the most energy. You can always go back and refine the opening once you have finished the first draft and understand where the story ended up.
The most important thing is to get the character moving and the conflict started, as the momentum you build in the first few pages will sustain you through the difficult middle sections of the writing process.
Thank you for sending in this question, my friend. I hope this helps you find the right footing for your story and gives you the confidence to start writing.
Remember that the beginning is just the doorway. Once you walk through it, the real adventure of discovery and character growth begins. Every word you put down brings you closer to understanding the world and the people you are creating. Happy writing!
Hero Splash Sans is Splash Sans from an alternate timeline. Instead of taking the role as a wanderer or destroyer, he is a protector! Hero Splash is a brave, colorful, very protective and expressive character. Hero Splash goes around AU's protecting them from danger of the Bad Sanses & any others who dare to destroy AU's with maybe innocent people.
He is adventurous, risk-taking, caring, helpful, sweet and of course, a bit childish! He has unlimited abilities like the rest of the Splash's does, able to change code, use strings, create beautiful-looking weapons and pretty much anything he wants.
Splash is very friendly and helpful as he'll always help others around the Mutiverse and the Omega Timeline. He isn't used to being flirted with so if you flirt with him just a little, he'll turn into a cherry. He is willing to make friends though he does have small trust issues, so if you want to be friends with him, you must earn his trust first.
He has abilities people would beg for and the other protectors would ask him for help and the other destroyers make secret plans to find a way to steal Splash's pencil that contains all of those abilities. And since he is a protector, he has big responsibilities and with big responsibilities, the more work and planning he has to do, especially when teaming with another Protector, the Star Sanses or if it's a big mission, causing him stress and exhaustion sometimes.
He sometimes does not like the other protectors decisions and believes there should be a balance between negativity and positivity and AU's, and if that balance is broken, he knows he must fix it before things get messy.
And yeah! <3
Design Sheet -> click here
(I'll add a drawing of the soul sooner or later, but not at the moment!)
