it's hilarious how if you do any amount of research into life or death melee combat the prevailing themes that emerge are that

Other favorites from history:

@gracehosborn some of these may be helpful

Characters being compared to dogs always use terriers or pitbulls or something for their metaphors. “They grab on and they don’t let go” “They keep worrying at it until it’s dead” etc.

Anyway, I want to see collies used as metaphors. Albert Payson Terhune style. “He was like an attack dog–making slash-and-run attacks, cutting them up worse every time, never staying in range long enough to get hurt but circling back over and over.”

@animatedamerican yes EXCELLENT.

“He was like a bloodhound–not actually that violent at all, but his reputation did the work for him.”

“He was like a corgi: by all signs unaware that a fight was even happening, just enthusiastic and delighted to be involved.”

“He was like a labrador– so known for being friendly and having a soft mouth that everyone forgot that he was actually quite large and had teeth.”

“He was like a poodle - much smarter than you’d expect for someone with such flamboyant hair ”

“He was like an Irish Wolfhound - he could do more damage being friendly than most people could do in a blind rage.”

He was like a beagle - AAAUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *breath* AUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He was like a husky, in that he had a tendency to break into screaming dramatics over the smallest things for no reason at all other than boredom

She was like a cat, in that she broke everything, blamed everyone, started the fight, and then left the room.

i think this is probably true of every office, but there's a middle aged woman working in business who doesn't hold any particular place in the chain of command but is Sovereign. i was running support and she has access to more secure network drives than i do. im pretty sure she has an admin account. i was having trouble with my parking pass and my boss just said to talk to kristen- one day later i had parking in any garage on campus. she's not even in charge of parking in our building

This is also true of academia. In pretty much any department of the university — in my experience at least — there’s a person with a small-but-private office and an unassuming title (probably including a word like “secretary” or “assistant”), usually an older woman, and she actually runs the place. Faculty defer to her; department heads come and go, but Jill has been there for thirty years and knows how everything works, and she’s the person you go to if you want to get anything done. You’ll know her because when a professor directs you to her they won’t say “you need to talk to the Office of So-and-So because this falls under their purview”, but “you need to talk to Jill.” Her official job title is basically irrelevant because her actual role is acting as eminence grise for this whole operation.

I’ve personally had the experience where my advisor told me “you should do such-and-such certification, go talk to Jill,” and I went to talk to Jill & she said “actually you can’t do such-and-such because XYZ,” so I went back to my advisor to relay this, and he just kind of shrugged and was like, “well if Jill says no, then it can’t be done” and that was the end of it. Complete veto power, no higher authority to turn to, because the only reason Jill can’t do something is if it’s literally impossible.

Honestly there’s probably a whole dissertation about invisible labor and gender dynamics in there waiting to be written.

The one in my undergrad department was Linda C, and I think her hypercompetence must have risen to the point of allowing her to manipulate time itself, because in my experience, every time you needed to talk to Ms. C, you would end up chatting with her for at least an hour (which was both enjoyable and informative) and yet she got so much work done--it just didn't seem physically possible.

Take secretaries and administrative assistants out of any organization and you'll see it crumble in no time. They are the holder of the secrets to understanding red tape and other administrative nightmares.

Actually, my therapist has told me this is a healthy way of processing things. Because you can get the trauma out of your head And you can write the ending you wish it had. The trusted person rescue, the catharsis of getting to kill the one who hurt you.

It's good for your brain. It's healthier than bottling it up. Fiction is where we go for emotional release. That can be true with trauma too.

so what you're saying is

character: NO

therapist: YES

Adding @dear-massacre's tags because they are so true:

#this is why it's important to remember that fictional characters are fake #they have no agency. they're made up #it hurts no one to make any character go through the horrors #it is healthy and cathartic

the fact that i'm no longer the same age as the protagonists of novels and films i once connected to is so heartbreaking. there was a time when I looked forward to turning their age. i did. and i also outgrew them. i continue to age, but they don't; never will. the immortality of fiction is beautiful, but cruel.

Roads go ever ever on, Over rock and under tree, By caves where never sun has shone, By streams that never find the sea; Over snow by winter sown, And through the merry flowers of June, Over grass and over stone, And under mountains in the moon. Roads go ever ever on Under cloud and under star, Yet feet that wandering have gone Turn at last to home afar. Eyes that fire and sword have seen And horror in the halls of stone Look at last on meadows green And trees and hills they long have known.

- Bilbo Baggins returning from the Quest for Erebor. He changes the lyrics throughout the War of the Ring. The Hobbit, The Last Stage.

character who is sun-coded but not in the traditional ray-of-sunshine way. character who is sun-coded in the sense that they burn hot and bright and powerful, that they're a raging fury of fire and passion, and that maybe, just maybe, they are destroying themselves as they do so.

character who is moon-coded but not in the moody grumpy way. character who is moon-coded in the way they shine brightly in darkness guiding others. a character that is moon-coded with all their darker sides no one else can see. that they are lonely and lovely. doomed to watch on as the the person who gives them their light slowly destroys themselves taking the light with them.

Jadis by shan.nohn

Artwork found here.

20 secrets that your character has

1. Hidden Identity: The character is living under an assumed name and concealing their true identity for personal or safety reasons.

2. Past Trauma: The character has experienced a significant traumatic event in their past that they have kept secret, shaping their behavior and motivations.

3. Forbidden Love: The character is involved in a romantic relationship that goes against societal norms or has complications, forcing them to keep it hidden.

4. Hidden Talent: The character possesses a remarkable talent or skill that they have kept hidden from others, fearing judgment or exploitation.

5. Criminal Past: The character has a history of involvement in criminal activities, either as a former offender or as an undercover agent, which they keep concealed from their current life.

6. Family Secret: The character comes from a family with a dark or scandalous secret that they are determined to keep hidden, even if it means sacrificing their own happiness.

7. Betrayal: The character has betrayed someone close to them in the past, and they carry the guilt and shame of their actions as a closely guarded secret.

8. Hidden Agenda: The character is harboring a hidden agenda or ulterior motive, manipulating events and people to serve their own interests.

9. Hidden Wealth: The character possesses significant wealth or resources that they keep hidden to maintain a humble or low-profile existence.

10. Supernatural Abilities: The character possesses supernatural abilities, such as telekinesis or mind-reading, which they keep concealed for fear of persecution or exploitation.

11. Lost Memories: The character has gaps in their memory or a forgotten past that they are desperate to uncover, unsure of what they might discover.

12. Hidden Agenda: The character is working undercover or as a double agent, keeping their true intentions and loyalties hidden from those around them.

13. Terminal Illness: The character has been diagnosed with a serious illness but chooses to keep it a secret, not wanting to burden others or alter their relationships.

14. Stolen Identity: The character has assumed someone else's identity, perhaps due to a troubled past or to escape a dangerous situation.

15. Secret Society: The character is a member of a secretive organization or society with its own rules, rituals, and agenda, which they keep hidden from the outside world.

16. Guilty Pleasure: The character has a guilty pleasure or indulges in a secret hobby that is incongruent with their public image or perceived personality.

17. Hidden Fear: The character has a deep-rooted fear or phobia that they go to great lengths to hide from others, fearing it will make them appear weak or vulnerable.

18. Lost Love: The character had a past love or relationship that ended tragically or abruptly, and they keep their feelings and memories associated with it concealed from others.

19. Hidden Enemy: The character is secretly being targeted or pursued by an unknown enemy or antagonist, and they must keep their guard up to protect themselves and those around them.

20. Unfulfilled Dreams: The character harbors dreams and aspirations that they have never shared with anyone, feeling uncertain or afraid of pursuing them.

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had a dream last night where marbles were back en vogue and everyone carried their marbles around in cute little pouches that they'd clip onto their backpacks or purse straps or belt loops so they'd always have their marbles on them and your marbles were deeply personal objects that showcased your individual personality and people would get really passionate and proud of them and playing for keeps was a deeply serious and honor-bound affair and i played a game with an old man while waiting for a bus and he told me how he met his wife while playing in a for-keeps tournament and in a miracle shot he knocked out her most precious marble a brilliant sparkling green one with an inside like a geode and when he looked up he found she was crying at its loss and so right there on the spot he proposed to her so that she could divorce him and take it back in the divorce "but in the end," he told me, "she kept me and the marble" and i awoke teary and resentful to be ripped from a fleeting world that had found for itself such a small and beautiful peace

I lived and worked in a lighthouse at a previous job.  There was a thick line painted in a circle around the shack where the fog signal was kept.  The line represented how close you could get to the fog signal without experiencing physical harm in the form of eardrums shattering or worse.

Even in the house it was LOUD.  Probably the loudest thing I have ever experienced but at a normal, predictable interval.  You would begin to time your sentences with little pauses with the rest of the lighthouse crew so you would talk like this while making your………..HORN…………. tea and then carry on talking because you knew when it would go off.  It rattled the walls and the dishes in our cabinet.

At least one girl had died there. They kept photos of her everywhere “in honor of her sacrifice” because she had decided to take the winter watch alone and died in a storm where bounders the size of mini vans had been lifted out of the ocean and left scattered across the island, to say nothing of the ice chunks.  People weren’t allowed to be alone on the watch after that.

One day a dead moose washed up on shore and it took my entire crew all day but we managed to rig up a line to hang it up to dry because we thought having a moose skeleton in the house would really spice the living room up a bit.  It did.  Weird shit happens when six of you are left alone, like ALONE ALONE, no cell reception, no wifi, just a radio to contact the real world and not a lot of reason to do that.  People don’t go on lighthouse jobs if they want to stay connected, I’ve found.

That said Id do it all again, I really do treasure those days

you know you could’ve just said “no they don’t have wifi” and that would’ve answered the question

But then you wouldnt have known about the moose

Happy Saturday, Fateful Friends! Want to see an exciting new feature for The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe)'s full game...? 👀

Moirai Myths presents... Gaeilge pronunciations, voiced by Nigel McKeon!

If you're as excited by this feature as we are, consider donating to our Kickstarter! If we reach our full goal by the end of the month, all of the Gaeilge terms and phrases in our game will receive audio pronunciations!

CLICK HERE FOR OUR KICKSTARTER!

me, writing: this sentence is way too long. I need to condense it in a way that makes it grammatically correct while still preserving the original meaning I’m trying to convey

the devil on my shoulder: or, you can add five more commas, a semi colon, three em dashes, fifty more words, and it’ll all come together in a way that’s technically grammatically correct but completely incomprehensible to anyone who reads it, even yourself!

me, writing faster: you’re a genius

Chapter headers???

I did these for Soarers and they turned out really decent so I was wondering if anybody else would be interested? They're 500x500p and black&white and I'd charge like 5 to 10 euros for 1 and figure out a discount for a full book. Here's how they look in document (phone can't handle laptop screenshot, trust me the quality is better):

romantic confession dialogue prompts