Hi! This is my writing blog, where I will be posting fic and commissions (currently open). Feel free to ask about my writing anytime. Nix, they/them pronouns.
*takes the hand of a period drama writer gently* A queen consort is not a queen regnant. A dowager queen is not a queen regnant either.
There is very little intrinsic institutional power in queenship. The power a consort, dowager, or queen mother has depends mostly on how much the reigning sovereign (usually a man) is willing to grant her. Needing a queen to serve as regent is exceptionally rare, and the regent is more often a male relative.
Queen regnant: woman who rules in her own right, not on behalf of someone else.
Regent: Someone who temporarily assumes the powers of the monarch on account of the monarch being too young or too incapacitated to govern.
Queen consort: Woman who is married to the monarch.
Dowager queen: Woman who was married to the monarch. The monarch is dead, and she is owed support as his widow.
Queen mother: Woman who is the mother of the monarch. Usually the dowager queen, though there are exceptions if there isn't a straight line of succession.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
You bored, or feeling artsy but donât have any inspiration...? *updated!*
Do you need to distract yourself? Or are you simply bored? Here are some great websites to make the time pass.
create pixel art
Awesome photo editor and art program, all freeâŚ!
Totally free transparent textures
make a cute chibi
draw some cool generative art
be a graffiti creator
create a picassohead (you donât need to be a picasso to do so)
paint online
another awsome site to create pixel art on
and another one
create your own mandala
or color one
create an avatar
or you can try creating your own superhero
here you can interact with organisms in different environments to see how to music changes
hereâs a website that translates the time into hexidecimal colours,
Here is a website where you can travel along a 3D line into the infinite unkown
here is a website where you can listen to rain with or without music
Need a model in a certain pose for drawing? here
Want to build your own planet
here is a website where you can create your own galaxies
make your own pattern (very useful if you need a new background)
create next hit comic
make a city which looks like something from 90â˛s games
draw a mandala like design
jig saw puzzles
more jig saw puzzles to solve
create a stunning HTML5 animation - no coding!
make a movie
create and dress up dolls
play a piano
you can also play a guitar
create sounds
another sound creator
create a logo
design your dream home
sketch rooms
explore fashion trends and create your own sets
build a website
try this app for building a website
Or maybe start learning how to code!
design your own t-shirt or a beanie or sweatpants and order them
design your own phone case
pretend to be a graphic designer with this cool online tool
Make your own Glitch art
Hereâs another glitch art maker
And another!
Holy hell, hereâs a third!
make an image look like it was created by a commodore 64
freaking cool text generator!
Easy to use word processor
Make up really cool patterns or run your photos through it :)
Write an essay on anything with no hassle
Wanna see how something you write would look like if it was on JacksFilms YGS((Your Grammar Sucks videos on YouTube))?
Make pictures out of text
ASCII word generator
Need an idea for some fanart-here :D
Still havenât found something that would float your boat? Try these:
watch a documentary
learn to code
do something yourself
workout with the help of this great youtube channels
learn things
play pokemon or zelda or other awesome old school games
waste your time on miniclip
play games at additing games
or try games at agame
calm your thoughts
the quiet place
it will be okay
vent or listen to someone
pour out your soul
explore the sky
look at art from around the world
virtually visit museum of iraq
explore world with arounder
create a music playlist
list through rare books
scroll useful science website
create sand art
brain games
try out tastekid and discover new favorite band or movie or book
interactive 3D anatomy
random street view
post a secret
create a family tree
find our whatâs the difference between x and y
help scientists and become volunteer researcher
create your own font
read a classic short story
In the mood to read, but not sure exactly what book to go for?
scribble on maps
listen to letters
play with acrobots
listen to podcasts
make a bucket list
Ever want to see the most truly useless websites in creation?
Prank a friend with this blue screen of death!
Zone out watching the colors drip down
Maybe none of these peeked your interest-maybe youâve been wanting to create an o.c, but never really knew how to start-or you just enjoy making O.CâsâŚ.
This masterlist is to help you in making your own OCsâŚ.it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! (´ăŽ`)!
How to Write Better OCs:
basic tips on how to make your oc even better
tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great
writing specific characters
a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character
kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME
Character Development:
how to actually make an OC
Q&A (to develop characters)
more Q&As
giving your character a backstory
how to write an attractive character
Need an Appearance idea?
Humanoid generator? check
Hereâs another one
and maybe if you didnât like those thisâll work
Need Monsterpeople?
Well, then here yaâ go
Maybe you need Cats?
Diversity
adding more racial diversity
avoiding tokenism, AKA, how to add diversity to your cast not just because you âneedâ it
writing sexuality and gender expression (doesnt include non binary, if you have a good ref to that, please add on!)
masterpost on writing more diversity into your story
cultures of the world
guides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)
Mary Sue/Gary Stu
Test to see if your character is a Sue
Explains subdivisions of Sues/Stus
Powerful Characters Donât Have to Be Sues
Villains
villain generator
need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam
villain archetypes
whatâs your villainâs motive for being a villain?
Relationships
character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)
how to write strong relationships between two characters
8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others
OCxLove Interest Handbook
develop your couple with good olâ Q&A!
how to write realistic relationships
how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)
ARCHETYPES
12 common archetypes
8 archetypes for male/female characters
female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)
a list of archetypes
NAMES
how to name your character
random name generator
most common surnames
surnames by ethnicity
APPEARANCE
tips for better design
basic appearance generator
pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)
clothing ref masterpost
Clothing generator
Another clothing generator
More clothing generator
Aaaand even more
Steam punk clothing
Char Style preference
Dress Generator
DETAILS
give your character better powers
a list of professions
proactive vs reactive characters
positive and negative traits
interest generator
skills generator
motivation generator
123 ideas for character flaws
list of phobias
Oh shit someone died
Backgrounds and stuff? yep
Quirks
Personality. you need that shit
Need something fandom related?
City generator hell yeah
location? got ya
World-building?
make your own god damn laws
Landscape.
Need Item names?
Fantasy/sci-fi/etc. medicine names
Stuff to make things more interesting.Weapons, clothes, treasures⌠whatever your characters need.
THAT FIRST SITE IS EVERY WRITERâS DREAM DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES IâVE TRIED WRITING SOMETHING AND THOUGHT GOD DAMNÂ IS THERE A SPECIFIC WORD FOR WHAT IâM USING TWO SENTENCES TO DESCRIBE AND JUST GETTING A BUNCH OF SHIT GOOGLE RESULTS
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Have you ever been writing some historical fiction and wondered "hey, I wonder if my characters would have been able to pop an ibuprofen in 1977?" Well, you're in luck, because this post is all about when common medications became available:
Acetaminophen: 1950
Albuterol: 1969 (UK) 1982 (US)
Allopurinol: 1966
Alprazolam: 1981
Amitriptyline: 1961
Amlodipine: 1990
Amoxicilin: 1972
Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine (together as Adderall): 1996
Apixiban: 2012
Aripiprazole: 2002
Aspirin (first NSAID): 1899
Azidothymidine (first antiviral): 1987
Barbital (first barbiturate): 1903
Bupropion: 1985
Buspirone: 1986
Calcium Carbonate (TUMS): 1930
Captopril (first ACE inhibitor): 1981
Chlordiazepoxide (first benzodiazepine): 1960
Chlorothiazide (first thiazide diuretic): 1957
Chlorpromazine (first antipsychotic): 1952
Cyclobenzeprine: 1977
Diphenhydramine: 1946
Furosemide: 1959
Fluoxetine (first SSRI): 1988
Gabapentin: 1993
Glipizide: 1984
Hydrochlorothiazide: 1959
Ibuprofen: 1969 (UK) 1974 (US)
Insulin: 1923 (though many types of insulins would become available over the next century)
Imipramine (first tricyclic antidepressant): 1959
Iproniazid (first antidepressant (MAOI)): 1952
Levothyroxine: 1927 (though desiccated pork thyroid was used for the same reasons as early as 1890)
Lisinopril: 1987
Lithium: 1949
Losartan (first ARB): 1995
Lovastatin (first statin): 1987
Naproxen: 1976 (Rx) 1990 (OTC)
Nitrogen Mustard (first chemotherapy agent): early 1940's
the "came back wrong" trope except like... they didnt. like this mad scientists wife died, and so he studied necromancy, brought her back, and she came back and it all worked. like she came back exactly the same as she was before with literally no difference. but the scientist guy is like "oh no... what have i done.... shes Different now!!!! she came back Wrong!!!!" and shes just like. chilling. reading a book. cooking dinner. shes just so so normal but in the guys mind hes like "oh shes soooo weird" but shes just normal
Recipient of a third-degree burn in front of witnesses. IE, "I won't take that shit from a man dressed like a ghostbuster"= "Gostbuster" or "Buster"
A distinctive personal feature or quirk. IE, "Have you noticed how that new guy is always eating bell peppers?" = "Peppers", or "That chick has a massive forehead" = "Forehead".
An embarrassing thing you said or did. IE, "Did you seriously call Dale "Dad"?" = "Junior", "Baby boy", "Sport"
A game of name-mutation telephone. IE, "Donny Clyde" = "Bonnie 'n' Clyde" = "Bonnie" = "Bon-bon".
Irony. IE, calling a tall person "short stack" or a particularly dour person "sunshine".
A 'wrong place wrong time' one-off incident. IE, "He spilled oil on his pants and had to borrow a pair that were way too big and Jim saw him with the waistband pulled up to his nipples and called him 'Parachute'"
A batman-style origin story but not in a cool way: "One time she hit a deer with the company car and when she called the boss to tell her she was crying so hard we thought she was dying" = "Bambi"
The incredibly rare 'admiration' nickname, bourne only once a millennia under the light of the blood moon: "We saw him lift a truck once so now we call him 'iron man'"
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Character motivation advice? I need my character to be in a city for reasons relevant to the plot, but I feel his motivations for being there are weak (especially considering he has family in another country). Iâm trying to write more character-driven than plot driven, but I donât know how to strengthen his motivations
Going on the assumption your character resides in this city and isn't just a visitor, I've compiled a list of ideas.
Reasons A Character May Live in a City
1. workâeither it's the best place to succeed in his chosen career, he has strong financial ties to a physical place of business there and cannot commute, his primary customer base lives there, or wages are high there
2. educationâhis preferred school, university, intern/apprenticeship, etc. exists in the city
3. relationshipsâhe made friends there, or friends have moved there, or there is/was a romantic interest there that drew him to the city
4. circumstanceâwhether he used to go to school, work, or live with friends/lovers in the city but that's now all in the past, he's settled down and doesn't feel leaving would be worth it
5. familyâeither he likes independence from his family, needs to be away from them due to conflict/trauma, or earns money in the city that he sends back to them
6. medicalâhe or a nearby loved one has to stay near a hospital or other medical center in this particular city for their own health
7. culture/lifestyleâhe just likes it there. his "people" live there and not in his home country. maybe his personal tastes and interests are better catered to in this city than anywhere else.
â
+ Please review my pinned Ask Policy before sending in your ask. Thank you.
+ If you would like to support this blog, please visit my ko-fi and Buy Me A Coffee!
I love characters who dont think they deserve to be loved. Maybe they've been hurt, maybe someone has convinced them theyre evil, maybe they've hurt people in the past... and when someone comes along who loves and cares for them, they just dont see it as something they deserve
Sometimes you hear a song and a fic pops into your head full formed. This is a trap. The fic may be fully formed in your brain, but you still Have to write it down. This is an important step that most people forget about.
Grace pokes at the faint mark on his knee. Heâd run ahead of his momâs outstretched arms, but his little feet, still unsteady on dark hardwood, couldnât handle the uneven sidewalk.Â
He'd chipped two of his little baby teeth; the sidewalk had a pinkish tint to it for the rest of summer where he'd torn up his tiny knee.Â
The neighbors had thought he'd broken something with how he was wailing.
That little mark is the only sign left of how messy his knee was. He remembers picking at the scab and his mom slapping his hands away from it.
He's got a million of these flat little spots on his skin, the ones Rocky can't 'see'.
One on each arm from being stabbed with a pencilâJenny L. and Matty in third and sixth grade, respectively. Jenny L didnât mean to stab him, and they both cried over it. Matty would have just stabbed him a second time if heâd cried, so instead Grace had yanked the pencil out and set it on Mattyâs desk.
Itâd bled a lot for such a small wound, but the look on Mattyâs face was really funny.
Grace traces a couple more on his legsâseveral are from falling off of his bike. Racing with the other kids had been fun, but theyâd all taken their turns way too fast.Â
Mild burns from spilling hot water, oil splashes, and chemicals getting through his labcoat without his knowledge.
He had his appendix out when he was twenty-one: his first-ever surgery. Heâd been more worried about missing class and assignments than the potential of sepsis and death.
Heâd been so focused, then, on his goals. Before they changed entirely after he was laughed out of academia and went back to school for his education degree.
continue reading or finish on ao3
Thereâs a pinkish L-shape on the inside of his left wrist from the end of his first year teaching, when his students had rushed him on the last day of school. Turns out, when faced with the pressure of twenty-eight thirteen year olds, the marker rack under a whiteboard can do a bit of damage.
In the grand scheme of things, Grace doesnât have that many scars. He nicks himself shaving, sometimes, but those donât leave anything visible behind.
Even the appendix scar healed up nicely, leaving a thin diagonal line on his right side. He runs his fingers over it, but through his shirt, he canât even tell itâs there. It must be warmer in here than he thought, or maybe heâs just sweating a lot today, because his fingers come away damp.
He pokes at the weird spots in the back of his mouth with his tongueâhis wisdom teeth came in fine, but they must have removed them before they put him on the Hail Mary.Â
Does that count as scar tissue?
He canât decide.
Grace inspects his arms again for anything small that he might have missed.
Nothing.
He runs his fingers over the biggest scar heâs ever hadâthe one he loves the most, because it means Rocky had been able to save him.
The one he hates, because it means Rocky was hurt saving him, and he hadnât been aware of any of it until after.
He keeps his touch light. Anything more would be overwhelming.
Grace has an extensive first kit, but even he doesnât have all the proper burn care materials.
Heâs never needed them before.
This scar hasnât quite lost its shine yet, but it doesnât hurt anymore. He doubts it will fade in the way the others haveâit will stay raised and angry.
Rocky can âseeâ it better, that way. Grace hasnât asked him if he prefers the raised scar tissue to his normal skin yet.
Thatâs the last one. The biggest one, the worst one.
Itâs not the only one that mattersâthe kids in his first class are all grown up now. Some of them are probably dead. Some of them might have kids. Most of them probably donât have the career they wanted when they took his class, but maybe a couple of them do.
Even the kids he left behind to work on Project Hail Mary are adults now. He doesnât have any scars from them, though. So the L-shaped scar has to represent all of the classes he ever taught.
Would he still be teaching if he were on Earth? It seems unlikely he would be able to return to his previous position, with the way he took off in the middle of the school year, but maybe he would have found another school if heâd stayed.
Or maybe he would have gone into hiding, never to be seen again. Stratt probably wouldnât have broadcasted his cowardice to the whole world, but she certainly wouldnât have covered for him.
Grace lays back and lets his hands settle over his stomach now that heâs finished going over his scars. Heâs always achy these days, but looking over his scars helps some. It stretches his muscles out, loosens things up. Moreso when heâs standing than when heâs sitting, but heâs too tired to stand today.
âGrace, why are you leaking, question? Not from head, statement.â
âIâm fine, Rocky,â Grace waves him off. Heâs not leaking⌠heâs not so tired that he wouldnât notice wetting himself.
And heâs not crying, either, but he touches his face just to confirm.
âGrace leaking, statement.â
âGrace not leaking, statement,â Grace mutters back. He can hear Rocky moving closer in his ball.
âGrace side leaking,â Rocky says, getting as close as he possibly can, âGrace has not gotten out of bed today. Why Grace leaking, question?â
Grace is not leaking. Heâs just gotten comfortable, barely, so he doesnât want to get up and prove it to Rocky that heâs fine.
âIâm good, Rocky. Just one of those days.â
âNo. Grace not good. Grace needs to stop leaking.â
Grace sits himself back up with more effort than heâd like. Thatâs what he gets for only eating slurry these days.
When he can stomach it.
He pats himself down again, quickly, just to show Rocky that heâs not leaking. His hand comes away wet again on his lower right side, but heâs just warm and sweating.
âGrace! Leaking!â Rocky taps hard on the inside of his ball, like he can force Grace to see something thatâs not there. âLeaking there! Side!â
Grace looks at his wet hand.
Itâs red.
Huh.
Itâs not supposed to be red.
âGrace!â Rocky is going crazy, now.
Right.
Heâd known this might happen.
âRemember when I explained scurvy to you, bud?â Grace could let Armando handle this, but itâs one spot. Heâll be fine. âOne of the consequences of scurvy can be that old scars and wounds reopen. The collagen doesnât hold up anymore.â
Heâll have to refresh himself on scurvy againâit feels like he read about just the other day, but he needs another crash course if heâs going to continue like this.
He lifts up his shirt to get a better look. It takes him longer than it should to peel it away from his appendectomy scar, which means itâs been bleeding for a while.
âGrace leaking!â Rocky screeches.
âYeah. Iâm leaking,â He stares at it for a few seconds, or maybe itâs a few minutes.
He feels the now-familiar slide of a needle into his arm, and he doesnât get to figure out how long heâs been watching himself bleed before heâs unconscious.
Unlike the first time he woke upâmonths or maybe years ago nowâGrace doesnât immediately remove the IV from his arm. Thereâs a tautness to his right side that tells him his wound has been bandaged, but he doesnât care to check it just now.
âGrace wake, question?â
âIâm awake,â Grace says, slowly. Heâs too tired for this. Heâs always tired, now. Cold, too.
Rocky has noticed, of course, but itâs not like Grace wants to tell him that too much more of this might actually kill him.
Going back into a coma until they get to Erid isnât possible, either. It would be cruel to Rocky. Rocky canât make his taumoeba slurry, and he doesnât have enough food left without it.
âGrace is not well.â
Rocky doesnât even say statement this time. Thatâs okay.
âGrace was leaking from side. Grace is not supposed to do this.â
âItâs alright now, buddy. All patched up.â
âGrace get up.â
âLater, Rock. I should probably go back to sleep.â And let whatever IV he has in run its course. Antibiotics, he suspects, if they still have any left. An infection out here, right now, would be a death sentence for him.
âGrace get up. Statement.â
âIâm fine, Rocky.â
âIf Grace fine, Grace get up.â
âIâve got an IV in, Iâm going to let it finish.â Grace explains, hoping that it will satisfy Rocky.
âThen Grace get up.â Rockyâs not going to let this go, so Grace sighs and agrees.
He brings his blanket with himâthe one Rocky likes, because he can âseeâ the raised embroidery patterns.
âGrace⌠hurt self? Why Grace leaking?â
âOkay, where did you learn about self-harm?â
âMary reads to me when you are sleeping.â
âAlright. Good to know. No, I didnât hurt myself. I had to have an organ taken outâitâs fine, it wasnât crucialâand the place that was bleeding is where they cut me open to remove it.â
âYes. Scurvy. Mary explained this again too. But you eat.â
âI do eat, yeah. But Iâm missing some nutrients.â
Rocky rolls his ball back and forth. âGrace eat right nutrients, statement.â
âI canât, Rocky. We donât have them, and I canât make them.â
âGrace going to get worse, question?â
He can only lie to Rocky for so long.
âYes, probably.â
He doesnât have that many scars. The flat ones, the ones that have mostly faded awayâhe doesnât think theyâll open up again. But he canât be sure.
Once Rocky goes to sleep, he counts his scars again. This time, none of them open up.
Grace's assumptions are correct: most of his scars, the flat, long-healed ones, don't reopen. A very good thing, because he nearly runs out of gauze to pack the appendectomy scar on his side. The L-shaped scar on his wrist oozes blood when heâs working with his hands a lot, but not enough to be an issue.
The constant tang of blood in his mouth only makes eating more difficultâGrace is nauseous all the time, nowâbut he manages, if only because Rocky worries. Loudly. Frequently.
He gets a few new cuts while he's working on Mary before they get to Erid, and none of them heal.
The wound on his stomachâbecause he canât keep calling it a scar when itâs stayed openâonly heals up properly again once theyâre on Erid and heâs recovering from his malnutrition. Itâs a lot easier to eat when heâs not swallowing blood every other minute, and when it's not the taumoeba slurry.
His new scar is a lot messier. Thicker, raised, bumpy even to his eyes.
Rocky hates it.
He wonât say that outright, but Grace knows him well enough by now to know itâs true.
If Grace isnât wearing his jacket, then itâs âvisibleâ to Eridians through his shirt.
Even through the barrier, itâs easier for his young students to âseeâ him if they can grasp onto a shape. Most of them track the scar on his arm, because itâs still bigger than the appendix scar. The other little scars on his arms help with that, too. They're not nearly as large or well-defined, but they stayed open for so long that healing cleanly was impossible.
He doesnât get hurt much on Erid. Thereâs not much in his bubble that can hurt him.Â
Grace isnât a fan of pain. He didnât know many people who were, on Earth. Not personally, at least.
But he knows that Rocky wants him to meet more Eridiansâwhat good is that if they can't see him?
The first few really are accidents. The water temperature in his bubble is a little too high, at first, and he gains a new burn scar on his arm when it splashes him as he stands on the shore.
He's trying to get used to the weight of the new cutlery set the Eridians have made him when he slices his forearm open.
He's unsteady on his feet, even in the soft âsandâ as he takes his first steps in the bubble. Rocky tries to catch him, but his round ball doesn't make that easy. He splits his chin open in the initial fall; his shoulder when he tries to push himself back up and falls again.
The scar on his chin is tiny, but there. All of the others are slightly raised, and Grace notices quickly what a difference they can make. Rocky, who knows him well, can always track him now. Adrian and his âcare teamâ suddenly have less trouble determining where his limbs and face are when he's in motion, and heâs sure itâs because they lock onto the scars.
But it's not until he realizes that his students are doing the same thing that he gets the idea.
And, well, Grace is a teacher. His job is to help his students as best he can. So he hatches a plan that any psychologist back on Earth would tell him not to go through with.
Too bad for them, because he's on Erid now.
Grace takes great care not to cover up any of his old scars, especially not the ones from his childhood on Earth. He has to take it slowly, too, or Rocky will get suspicious.
He starts with his legsâeasier to hide, since he's almost always wearing pants. He makes little patterns out of the cuts. Grace can't get tattoos on Erid, so all he's really doing is DIYing it.
That's what he tells himself, anyway.
He does notice a difference in his studentsâ focal regions after that, and continues his plan as the old cuts heal into scar tissue.
His upper arms are nextâhis lower arms have scarring on them already.
Again, there's a shift in focus as his students register the new texture on his body.
Grace acts like he doesnât notice.
He slows down for a whileâRocky hasn't brought it up yet, but Grace isnât naive enough to believe he hasn't noticed.
There's no physical or emotional relief for him, when he creates the scars. It's all clinical. Grace isâhas to beâsure of his place on Erid, knows that Rocky and Adrian and his students want him around.
It's not dangerous. Heâs not trying to kill himself.Â
There's no reason for anyone else to be concerned, so Grace deflects, blaming his clumsiness when Rocky or Adrian or anyone on his care team asks.
If he tells them the real reason, they'll make him stop.
âGrace hurt,â Rocky says, not entirely out of the blue, because this has been coming for a long time. Grace has just been trying to avoid it.
âNo, Iâm alright, Rock,â Grace tries.
âGrace has new scars.â
âHumans scar pretty easily.â Especially compared to Eridians.
âYou did not have this many scars on Mary.â
âNew environments, even on Earth, are always a learning curve.â The last thing Grace wants to do is make Rocky feel like this is hisâor the other Eridiansââfault in any way.
âScars are neat. Not random. Accidents would be random,â Rocky points out, stubborn as ever, âI have read some human papers. You want to die, question?â
âNo, Rocky, I donât want to die. Itâs not like that. Itâsâhave I told you about tattoos? Those are made with a needle and ink. Theyâre not always colored, but they can be.â
Itâs so easy to slip into teacher modeâitâs not something heâs always been to reach for, but itâs helpful now. Itâs a steady feeling, one that lowers his heart rate a little. Thatâs something Rocky will notice for sure.
âI canât get tattoos here, of course. People get them for all sorts of reasons, sometimes to mark a big event. And my life, lately, has been a bunch of big events right after the other, yeah? So Iâm kind of DIYing my own makeshift tattoos.â
âGrace is lying, statement.â
Well, fudge.
âIâm not lying, bud, thatâs what Iâm doing.â
âGrace is baby, statement. Babies do not get tattoos.â
âIâm young by your standards, Rocky, but Iâve been an adult for a long time by human standards.â Heâs not even sure how long. How many people died on Earth before the Beatles got there?
âYou are not giving yourself tattoos. You do not like needles.â
âWell, Iâm not using a needle.â And heâd never trust himself with that, even if he had the supplies to tattoo himself properly.
âGive utensil,â Rocky pokes at his leg, âStop lying or no more, statement.â
âRocky, Iâm not giving you my utensils. Iâm fine.â
âTruth, truth, truth.â
Rocky doesnât repeat many words thrice anymore.
Grace closes his eyes. Rocky can tell when heâs lying, better than anyone Grace has ever known. Of course heâs not buying his excuses.
He should have practiced in the mirror.
Somehow, Grace doesnât think it would have mattered.
âTruth, statement.â
Grace breathes, as deeply as he canâwhen he first moved into the bubble, heâd done it as often as possible. He could sit for hours just watching the waves and breathing until chest ached from over-expansion.
Then he exhales on a low note.
âItâs so you can âseeâ me better. You and everyone else.â
Grace explains what heâs noticedâhe has notes, as well, because what kind of scientist would he be if he didnât write his observations down?âand how the scarring helps his students focus on him. Helps his care team.
âDoes not help Grace,â Rocky says, when heâs done explaining. Grace hasnât even described his charts yet.
âIt serves a purpose,â Grace says.
âNo. No purpose. No more. Do not need scars to find you.â
âYou donât, Rocky, but you know me really well.â
âNo more scars, Grace. Promise promise promise.â
âIââ Grace doesnât know why he hesitates. It should be an easy yes. âI wonât. I promise.â
âNo crossed fingers?â
âNo, my fingers arenât crossed, see?â Grace does jazz hands, but Rocky doesnât reciprocate like he usually does, âNo more scars, I promise.â
âRocky watches.â
âI know you will.â
Itâs harder than Grace thought, at first, not making new scars. But Rocky stays true to his word and inspects Grace every day for the next month, at least.
Heâs not sure how long it takesâthe day and night cycles in his bubble vary from the day and night cycles on Erid itself, to keep things as similar to Earth as possible for himâbut he eventually wakes up and doesnât think about his scars at all.
@whumplovers-collaborate
The important thing about wool is that it continues to keep you warm even when itâs soaking wet.
Other natural fibers donât do this. In fact, quite the opposite. Campers and boaters are usually familiar with the phrase, âcotton kills.â If youâre wet in cotton or linen, your clothes actually sap heat from your body.
If you sink in a lake in late October like I did today, staying warm is important. I was rescued long before I wouldâve actually died, but cold makes your muscles seize up, which isnât good if you have to swim to land.
Which brings me around to life jackets. If the waterâs cold enough, you may only have five-ten minutes until your muscles seize (today I probably had 40-60, more than enough time to get to land if I hadnât been picked up), and youâll drown.
In a life jacket, even in extremely cold water, you can float semi-conscious for perhaps another 30 minutes or so before you actually freeze to death, which is usually when someone rescues you.
Whatâs more, you probably know that moving around on land warms you up. Jumping jacks, jogging in place, etc.
In water, moving actually makes you colder. You need to stay still curled up in a ball, which you can only do in a life jacket.
In wool AND life jacket, youâre warm, and your headâs above water, which is pretty much your only and entire goal.
If youâre allergic to wool, synthetics are available specifically for this purpose. I know I always say natural fibers are the way to go, but when it comes to safety, wear what protects you!
Yep! A really simple âexperimentâ I learned as a kid and now use in my own courses is sticking your hand in ice water. Compare moving it around in the water to curling it up in a fist. The contrast is stark!
To increase your survival time in on cold water, you want to curl up! If youâre with others, you want to huddle!
Again, both are only possible when wearing a life jacket!
I know a lot of people are reblogging this for writing reference, but I like to believe that 7,000 people on this site were actually continually living in fear about this specific situation and that when the time comes, Iâve prepared them with what they need to know to survive.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Developing fictional relationships that feel authentic takes more than dialogue and grand gestures. Every detail below can be used to show platonic, familial, agape, or romantic love depending on context.
cooking a meal for someone, bringing them food, or spontaneously sharing a snack
sharing body heat/warming someone with outerwear like jackets and scarves
fanning them with something if overheated
getting a cold/hot drink for them
offering to carry something, whether it's heavy or just a jacket, to lighten someone's load or free up their hands
more below the click!
changing the subject of a group conversation that will be personally discomforting to someone in the group
making sure to include someone in a group conversation, especially if it's a topic they have special knowledge of
waiting for someone to catch up when the rest of the group has walked ahead
remembering preferences/allergies ahead of time when preparing/ordering food
planning trips, whether in a pair or as a group, that provide something positive for every individual to enjoy
procuring personal healthcare items like sunscreen, moisturizer, lip balm, pain relievers, or a snack and keeping them on hand for that friend who frequently needs them
making room for someone in a crowded vehicle or on public transit
making room for someone under an awning or in another limited space to help them avoid bad weather
warning or wordlessly covering for someone with a wardrobe/cosmetic malfunction
remembering a small luxury someone mentioned they enjoy, and getting it for them the next time it's convenient
running an errand for someone to make their day easier ('importance of errand : depth of relationship' ratio should be explored)
escorting someone to safety in a sudden unsettling event
escorting someone who is drunk, sick, infirm, injured, or emotionally compromised
asking if light, noise, or other sensory factors are bothering someone and taking steps to make them more comfortable
getting gag gifts for someone to show you reciprocate their sense of humor or quirky self-expression (not everyone does this, not everyone appreciates it, and some people predominantly express love through humor and gag gifts; works well with some characters more than others)
holding someone's hand or arm as reassurance, especially when they are afraid*
using their body to block someone from wind, rain, or heat
picking up a dropped item, or carrying a train or other dragging garment for someone else
returning a recognizable possession to someone who may have lost it
This is an inexhaustible list as humans have many ways of showing love for each other. If you are writing spec fic with non-human characters, you can play with variations on these by remembering three core values the "lover" has to consider:
physical comfort of others
emotional comfort of others
social reputation of others
I'd add "sensory comfort" though I think it's tied to physical and emotional comfort.
Please do not try and force any of these into the mold of the misogyny-based "Love Language" trend. Human emotions and expressions of love are diverse and endless.
*While hand holding can be construed as romantic, in reality it varies. Some cultures do not see this as romantic, and some individuals only mean it as a sign of support or compassion. Same goes for long embraces and kissing, both can be done platonically and of course naturally between close family members or friends.
---
HEY! Writers' Links
Tip Jar! If you enjoy my blog and advice, support me on Ko-fi!đ¤
Follow me on AO3 for fanfiction
Visit my Pinterest & Unsplash for visual inspiration
Actually you SHOULD make problematic content. You SHOULD explore dark or taboo topics. You SHOULD have a space where you can cope with your traumas or explore sensitive topics in a way that doesn't hurt anyone.
Also you should make problematic content for funsies. You don't need to have had trauma or need to be coping in order to explore dark creativity. You can just be a human who wants to explore dark and taboo topics because you want to. That's completely normal, btw.
Every single person on this planet thinks about dark and taboo things. It's literally the most normal thing in the world.
