Backstory And Motivation

Heavanswaed Dark Knight fit for my WOL. I always liked the simpler outfits over the big flashy suits of armor. And look, he's got a ✨scarf✨.

Adventuring duo that's an artificer and their little wizard child whose first instinct when encountering a problem is to set it on fire and any implication that this is not the correct solution is taken as a challenge.

My Warrior of Light in his ARR summoner fit. We love Brayflox Longstop for that fancy early game gear

It's not something I've experienced much myself, and I am hardly a historical scholar, but I can imagine how genocide or oppression can hollow out a culture and leave the survivors with only the worst parts of it. How they only remember the way their people would run and fight and hide. How they only remember the jackboots in the streets, the insults hurled their way and the friends left to die. How no one remembers the way they celebrate because they haven't done so in so long. How no one remembers their stories because the ones who told them are dead and their books burned. How cruelty strips everything away and much of what is left must be cruel in kind.

But they still sing. They still dance. And they do so because joy is stronger than those who would see it stamped out. Because they are still here, and no amount of hate can change that.

Thinking about lambs, whose culture was joyous and loud and vibrant. Lambs who had a dance for everything and a song to match. Lambs whose caravans could be heard marching melodies across the planes. Lambs for who even a combat was done in step to a waltz.

Thinking about The Lamb, who only knows the mourning songs. The Lamb, who only remembers the dances that require a blade in their hands. The Lamb who whispers sad melodies as they walk hostile lands. The Lamb whose only connection to their lost people is in the way they would spill blood.

The Lamb who sings and dances anyway, because while everything else may be gone, they still have this.

combined the wip cus i haven't worked on this thing yet hcgvj

lamb

lamb

What makes me angry about the whole "sometimes the curtains are just blue" thing is the abject unwillingness to engage in the media, instead just rephrasing known information in the form of an answer that doesn't dig any deeper. There was a conscious choice to describe the curtains as blue; to even describe it in the first place, and that has at least some small amount of significance.

An example of what I mean that comes to mind is Brian Jacques and his Redwall series of books. He would often give in-depth descriptions of food and meals eaten by the characters. Now, I could ask, "Why did he describe the oat cakes as sweet and crumbly?" you could say "Because they just are. That's what oat cakes are."

You would be correct. They are just oat cakes. This is just a small insignificant detail. The author only included it because he thought it was a nice little detail and, if it were removed, it would have no effect on the story as a whole. There isn't some big metaphor behind them, they are just sweet treats, but by dismissing the question, you miss out on so much.

"Why did he describe the oat cakes as sweet and crumbly?" Maybe because he wanted to demonstrate that the character was a competent cook. Maybe because he wrote his books for children in a school for the blind in Liverpool, and this is an example of the wealth of sensory details he uses to make the world feel vibrant and beautiful and help his readers feel like they were a part of it. Maybe because he was a massive goddamn foodie and always found himself wondering what it was the characters ate when a story simply said "and then they had dinner". Maybe because he takes joy in the fact that I always walk away from his books feeling hungry.

"Sometimes the curtains are just blue". Well, maybe they're blue because the author has some fuckin style.

That “the curtains are just blue” post remains the bane of my existence.

What your teachers were trying to do was make you think. About the story, the writer, and all the whys that come with literary analysis. Why did THIS writer at THIS time choose to write THIS SPECIFIC STORY and make THESE curtains blue?

There usually isn’t even a singular answer— the point isn’t to be correct, the point is to analyze it from all angles.

The great thing about writing is that no two people write the same. Writing is about your unique perspective. You could stick two writers in the same room and command them to write a story set in that room— and get wildly different depictions of the same space. One writer may describe the furniture in detail, while another fixates on the color of the walls or the detailed crown molding.

Neither writer is incorrect— but what they notice about the space and choose to focus on in their story is what is interesting. It gives you a glimpse at how this specific writer perceives and makes sense of the world. WHY does this writer focus on the room’s structural features? What does that say about them? WHY does this writer focus on the furnishings? What does that say about THEM?

It is about learning to engage with writing, and the person who wrote it, on a deeper level. Only George Orwell could’ve written 1984, only Toni Morrison could’ve written Beloved.

Now look at the curtains and tell me why that is.

The Paradoxical Character: 19 Unique Trait Pairings

Here’s a list of 19 wildly unusual, highly contrasting trait pairs that blend quirky or fantastical attributes. These could make for delightfully strange, otherworldly, or surreal characters:

Immensely Patient & Chronically Forgetful Character Idea: They can wait for years without complaint but never remember why they started waiting in the first place. Their endless patience is undercut by the confusion of purpose, creating an aura of timeless mystery.

Unbearably Charming & Involuntarily Invisible Character Idea: This character has charisma in spades but is cursed to flicker out of sight randomly. Their allure is magnetic, but people constantly forget they were even there, adding to their mystique and frustration.

Perpetually Cheerful & Pathologically Suspicious Character Idea: They radiate sunshine and kindness yet believe everyone is secretly plotting against them. Their optimism is baffling, considering they’re convinced of hidden dangers everywhere.

Mind-Reading Empath & Emotionally Oblivious Character Idea: Able to feel others’ emotions intensely, yet baffled by their own, this character has no clue how they themselves feel. They’re highly attuned to everyone else but entirely alienated from their own heart.

Limitless Curiosity & Existentially Terrified Character Idea: Endlessly fascinated by every detail of the universe, yet they’re constantly haunted by the fear of the universe itself. Every new discovery brings wonder and intense dread, creating a fascinating internal tug-of-war.

Brilliant Strategist & Hopelessly Absent-Minded Character Idea: A tactical genius who can plan a perfect heist, yet constantly forgets their own plan halfway through. They’re sought after for their brilliance but just as likely to wander off mid-operation.

Supernaturally Persuasive & Pathologically Indecisive Character Idea: They could talk anyone into anything—if only they could decide what they wanted to say. Their powers of persuasion are legendary, but they take forever to make a single choice.

Ancient Wisdom & Childlike Innocence Character Idea: Despite being impossibly old and wise, they approach every situation with the wonder of a child. They’re both sage and novice, baffling people who come seeking advice but receive only wonder-filled observations.

Obscure Knowledge Hoarder & Shameless Gossip Character Idea: They know every forgotten fact of history yet can’t keep a secret to save their life. This character’s deep knowledge clashes hilariously with their loose tongue, turning historical mysteries into idle chatter.

Zen-like Tranquility & Quick to Panic Character Idea: Usually the calmest person in any room, until anything unusual happens, at which point they’re the first to run. People turn to them for peace until their sudden freakouts reveal a hidden, hilarious irony.

Hyper-Logical Thinker & Ridiculously Superstitious Character Idea: Obsessed with logical consistency yet terrified of stepping on cracks or upsetting minor spirits. Their rationality makes them a master problem-solver, but they’re comically fearful of common superstitions.

Effortlessly Graceful & Magically Clumsy Character Idea: They’re naturally elegant in all they do, but objects randomly fly out of their hands or shatter in their presence. They’re revered for poise but cursed by chaos, creating an aura of unpredictable charm.

Telepathically Intuitive & Immensely Gullible Character Idea: Able to sense the unspoken thoughts of others, but easily duped by the most obvious lies. They sense everyone’s hidden motives but constantly believe in harmless nonsense.

Exceptionally Knowledgeable & Epically Lazy Character Idea: They’ve accumulated endless knowledge from books but refuse to do anything with it. They could save the world but prefer napping and observing others fumble around in ignorance.

Magnet for Coincidences & Cynically Skeptical Character Idea: The most absurd things constantly happen around them, yet they refuse to believe in coincidences. This character is a walking contradiction of fate and disbelief, surrounded by odd events they disdain.

Hyper-Attentive Listener & Mute Character Idea: They pick up every nuance of conversation and are incredibly insightful, but they can’t respond out loud. People find comfort in their presence but struggle to understand their silence and deep gaze.

Radiantly Optimistic & Obsessed with Disaster Preparedness Character Idea: Always smiling and convinced things will work out, yet constantly building bunkers and storing supplies. Their sunny outlook is shadowed by an apocalyptic readiness that baffles everyone.

Unbreakable Memory & Instantly Distracted Character Idea: They remember every moment of their life in perfect detail but are so easily distracted that they rarely finish sentences. They’re a walking history book if only they’d stay focused long enough to share it.

Boundless Energy & Always Asleep Character Idea: They have an endless zest for life and could do anything—if they could just stay awake. People are drawn to their energy, but they frequently fall asleep mid-sentence, leaving everyone in suspense.

i’m so tired i need to be held or killed

Lots of people depict ascension to godhood in cult of the lamb as a horrifyingly dehumanizing thing. There are some cases where the lamb completely loses themselves or even becomes something more akin to a force of nature rather than a person. This is often foiled very well with Narinder learning how to be a person and enjoy the world around him. It results in the potential for a very interesting plot where the lamb is doomed by the narrative while Narinder can be saved by it. It does beg the question however:

What if they say no? What if they decide the story doesn't get to end that way? What if they break divinity over their knee and pull their still-beating happy ending from the open chest of the narrative? What if they never stop fighting for that life they never got to have, even if it is against the very thing that saved and enabled it? A narrative that seeks to doom them against a lamb too willful and stubborn to let that happen.