The Mystic Duck Reblogs - Tumblr Posts
There are some telepath characters, in 3 of my WIPs:
Open Secret Files (Cyberpunk Superhero Story): Superpowers are common and therefore there are many characters with some form of telepathy or mental powers, varying according to the person's overall power and personality - and in their training/skillset. For a more clear example, in this story, there is an important character (of the main cast), named Ethan Donnovan, who has telepathic and strong telekinetic abilities. With his powers, if he chooses two, he can easily issue commands to someone, like a form of mind control, which is the way he mostly uses his powers. Meanwhile, the act of truly reading through someone else's thoughts and memories can be incredibly hard/demanding depending on the other person's level of "mental shielding", and can even give him migraines.
Enchanted Illusions: The most common form of telepathy in this WIP is used by powerful vampires as an extension of their many mental abilities. They can use their abilities to enter someone's mind and read through their thoughts, or even take control of their consciousness like one would a puppet. When used against humans, it is almost impossible for the human to resist/fight back against the vampire's telepathy, unless the human in question has some kind of magical knowledge. If it is used against other vampires, it is said that it is a much more difficult process, as the other vampire would be able to resist the mind control/keep the telepath from reading their thoughts, but fighting back against a more powerful vampire's mind control is extremely painful to do.
The Last Wrath: While there is no specific term for "telepath" nor specific sets of powers that grant someone the ability naturally, there are ancient arcane spells that can be studied by mages and sorcerers in order to learn said ability - and it takes a lot of time to master, especially when it comes to reading the mind of another spellcaster. Mind reading (in the sense of invading someone else's privacy and reading their thoughts and memories) is mostly an illegal practice in Agrannor unless the spellcaster is given strict permission (by someone in power) to do so, usually for interrogation or espionage purposes. Also, corrupt dark sorcerers and mages often use dark magic to control people's minds and break their will.
Superhero writers (and probably a whole lot of fantasy authors), how do your telepaths work? How do you describe what they get off of people when they use their powers?
Let's make a big collection of telepathy interpretations and geek out!
(This post was shamelessly inspired by @sunset-a-story recent description of their synesthetic telepaths.)
hey if i can tag you in tag games can you interact with this post? i don't want to bother anyone with tag games if they're not interested. i do have quite a few tag games to do though and idk who to tag.
please comment or reblog so i can know! I'll use this post as reference for later. tysm.
Hey writblrs - I’m looking for more active writblr friends specifically who play silly little writing tag games! My notifs have been barren the last month, and tag games really help keep me on track when my motivation is sagging at the end of the day (must write seven lines because random online person tagged me!)
I only write fanfiction, so you don’t need to actually read anything I write, just need friends to play games with!
The person I reblogged this from is awesome as fuck.
awwwksjfksjf thank you this made my fucking dayyyyy *incoherent blubbering noises*
also the writing paradox it’s paradoxing my brain is boggled
Ask Game for someone’s OC(s)
✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name?
🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)
🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?
🍕 - What is their favorite food?
💼 - What do they do for a living?
🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?
🎯 -What do they do best?
🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?
❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?
✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?
🧊 - Is their current design the first one?
🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?
🌂 - What genre do they belong in?
💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?
🙌 - How many sibling does your OC have?
🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?
🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?
✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?
💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?
💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?
🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?
🎓 - How long have you had the OC?
🍥 - What age were you when you created the OC?
joy list tag
I was tagged by the lovely, amazing @mysticstarlightduck! Thank you so much!! <3333
Rules: Make a list of all of the things that have made you happy recently! Then, tag as many people as you want that you think may need it to keep the positivity going ✨
D&D!!! This game is my special interest, so it's no surprise that it's my favorite part of my week. We had really long roleplay sessions for my Friday campaign last night, and the party finally got to learn a few things about Cyra, plus she got some... interesting news about her old gang... And tomorrow for my (usually) Saturday campaign I get to traumatize my poor boy Rook some more! (Poor man really is my punching bag... he's already been through so much...)
Playing video games! I bought Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous on January 1st, and I've played 98.3 hours since then, and am enjoying it immensely. I just hit level 20 yesterday! Cannot recommend this game enough, especially to people who liked BG3.
Seeing pictures of my parents' cats! My mom just got a new kitten a little over a week ago, and I'm so obsessed with her, I can't wait to meet her! And my dad's cats are still being their adorable, weird selves, and I want to see them again soon.
Watching Critical Role! I'm inching ever closer to the end of Campaign 1, and I'm not ready for it to be over. I can't decide if this ending will devastate me more than the ending of Campaign 2. On one hand, I preferred C2 overall, but on the the other, my favorite character dies at the end of C1. But either way, I love this silly little show, and it brings me so much joy. Watching Campaign 2 was literally a life-changing experience for me.
Daydreaming about my OCs! Even if I haven't been able to write lately, at least playing around with scenarios for them in my head at night while I'm trying to sleep brings me joy. These silly little guys (gender neutral) are truly the lights of my life. (This does include my D&D characters, btw.)
Buying books! While I was home over winter break I bought 7 books, and just yesterday I ordered 9 more, including a few from some writeblr people! I'm excited to read them whenever I get the chance.
Finding new music! In the past week I got really obsessed with Arrows In Action's latest album (Built To Last), and then WE MADE PLANS AND GOD LAUGHED by Beauty School Dropout came around and put me in a chokehold. It's fun finding new music that I like, and I'm excited to share it with my mom when I get a chance.
Getting tagged in posts / getting asks here on tumblr! This website is my only form of social media, and I truly adore all of the friends I've made on here. Even if I haven't done the thing you tagged me in, or I haven't answered your ask, the fact that you even thought to tag me or send me one makes me so happy.
I'm going to make this an open tag!! If you want to do this and/or need a reason to remember the good things in life, please feel free to say I tagged you!!!
Last line tag
Thank you for the tag @toribookworm22!! The words are not flowing easily for me today, but I've got a strawberry lollipop and determination, so I'm getting what little work I can done! <3
“You’ve seen the inside of my head,” Christopher murmured. “I have yet to know yours.”
No pressure tags for anyone who wants to share, and also @joswriting @mysticstarlightduck @little-peril-stories @reneesbooks @sleepy-night-child @eccaiia @artdecosupernova-writing and @aether-wasteland-s 🍹
Fluffbruary is ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY! Time to post the prompt list and spark some creativity!
As always, pick any or all of the daily prompts as inspiration for your fluffy fanwork. There are a handful of alternate prompts at the bottom of the list if none of the day's prompts work for you.
Whether you do some prompts, or all, or just one--increasing the fluff quotient in the world is surely a good thing.
All fandoms, all ships welcome! Tag @fluffbruary in your posts so we can reblog your fluffy creations--and please reblog THIS post so your tumblr community sees it and comes to play in the fluff.
February 1 : downy | clinic | nuance February 2 : engagement | scent | jam
Putting the rest under a cut because the images make for a LONG post :D
February 3 : umbrella | seashore | mist February 4 : camera | lush | beau
February 5 : rescue | inertia | lullaby February 6 : tie | embarrassment | dessert
February 7 : potatoes | blue | glass February 8 : shower | blessed | layer
February 9 : urgency | kneel | rural February 10 : flush | angel | owl
February 11 : reflection | water | apology February 12 : graceful | volcano | blanket
February 13 : choice | snuggling | furry February 14 : phone | bubble bath | doll
February 15 : cord | bakery | honey February 16 : neighbour | desire | horse
February 17 : magazine | tactile | curtains February 18 : suave | cologne | gradual
February 19 : tea cakes | flood | feature February 20 : smooth | glitters | queen
February 21 : photography | pepper | truffles February 22 : key | silly | quest
February 23 : rhythm | chalk | humor February 24 : spring | fuzzy | silky
February 25 : fox | twilight | sweat February 26 : fluff | woolly | care package
February 27 : table | blush | laundry February 28 : reward | shelter | piano
February 29 : breakfast | valley | sign
alternate prompts: evening | wish | hot | caress | solid
There you have it — all the Fluffbruary 2024 prompts. Please reblog, and bring on the fluff!
Writing Prompt #2593
"You're not afraid?"
"I'm terrified. I've just gotten better at hiding it."
Advice for writing relationships
Ship Dynamics
How to create quick chemistry
How to write a polyamorous relationship
How to write a wedding
How to write found family
How to write forbidden love
Introducing partner(s) to family
Honeymoon
Date gone wrong
Fluffy Kiss Scene
Love Language - Showing, not telling
Love Language - Showing you care
Affections without touching
Giving the reader butterflies with your characters
Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms
Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other
Relationship Problems
Relationship Changes
Milestones in a relationship
Platonic activities for friends
Settings for conversations
How to write a love-hate relationship
How to write enemies to lovers
How to write lovers to enemies to lovers
How to write academic rivals to lovers
How to write age difference
Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms
Reasons for having a crush on someone
Ways to sabotage someone else's relationship
Ways a wedding could go wrong
Arranged matrimony for royalty
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Six sentence Sunday
@mysticstarlightduck tagged me just today and I have a few minutes before I have to go raring off to rehearsal, so I thought I'd fill it out! (Oh my busy weekends, how I love and hate you) Here's a little of Invisible Girl since I miss her...
Velia tackled Antonio down and dragged him to the nearest edge. “Do you trust me?” “Yeah,” Antonio breathed, his face mashed up into the near regions of Velia’s right shoulder blade. “Of course, Velia.” Velia twisted and slid off the roof, pulling him with her. Halfway through their impromptu fall, she snagged the closest ladder rung and slowed, letting Antonio’s feet hit the floor before the rest of him.
Tags for anyone who sees this, and also @reneesbooks @blind-the-winds @sleepyowlwrites -- what are you guys up to today?
30 Character Backstory and Motivation Questions
1. What was learning like for them as a child? Did they attend a school setting or learn in another way?
2. What kind of skills did they learn in childhood and adolescence?
3. What's a song they used to like but don't anymore (or a song that used to apply to them that no longer does)?
4. How often do they dance? Do they dance by themselves? Significant dancing moments, if any?
5. Do they have parental figures? What's the relationship like if they do? If they don't, how does that affect them?
6. Do they have siblings? Are they close? Differences and similarities?
7. Are they been religious or holding spiritual beliefs and has it changed over their life?
8. What were their childhood fears? Are they still scared of them?
9. Something embarrassing that they lose sleep over?
10. Something they regret that they lose sleep over?
11. Any significant dreams they have? Reaccuring dreams?
12. What's a memory they would return to for a while if they could?
13. How would they solve the trolley problem? (Both classic rules and creatively)
14. What, if any, favorite objects have they had over time?
15. What is their dream house? How attainable is it?
16. What's something they'd spend significant money on for themself?
17. Do they celebrate holidays/birthdays? If so what are significant moments from some in the past?
18. Do they or have they ever had pets? If they haven't, do they want to?
19. How does their current life compare to what they used to envision for themself?
20. What are they stressed about currently? Big and small problems.
21. Do they ever dream about the future?
22. What's something they've always wanted?
23. What's a time they've been sick or injured?
24. What was their childhood bedroom like?
25. What's an article of clothing that is important to them and why?
26. How do they expect to die? How often do they think about this if they do think about this?
27. Have their morals changed over time or stayed relatively the same?
28. What's a traumatic memory?
29. What's a memory that makes them laugh?
30. What's a memory that makes them cry?
Preindustrial travel, and long explanations on why different distances are like that
I saw a post on my main blog about how hiking groups need to keep pace with their slowest member, but many hikers mistakenly think that the point of hiking is "get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible" instead of "spending time outdoors in nature with friends," and then they complain that a new/less-experienced/sick/disabled hiker is spoiling their time-frame by constantly needing breaks, or huffing and puffing to catch up.
I run into a related question of "how long does it take to travel from Point A to Point B on horseback?" a lot, as a fantasy writer who wants to be SEMI-realistic; in the Western world at least, our post-industrial minds have largely forgotten what it's like to travel, both on our own feet and in groups.
People ask the new writer, "well, who in your cast is traveling? Is getting to Point B an emergency or not? What time of year is it?", and the newbies often get confused as to why they need so much information for "travel times." Maybe new writers see lists of "preindustrial travel times" like a primitive version of Google Maps, where all you need to do is plug in Point A and Point B.
But see, Google Maps DOES account for traveling delays, like different routes, constructions, accidents, and weather; you as the person will also need to figure in whether you're driving a car versus taking a bus/train, and so you'll need to figure out parking time or waiting time for the bus/train to actually GET THERE.
The difference between us and preindustrial travelers is that 1) we can outsource the calculations now, 2) we often travel for FUN instead of necessity.
The general rule of thumb for preindustrial times is that a healthy and prime-aged adult on foot, or a rider/horse pair of fit and prime-aged adults, can usually make 20-30 miles per day, in fair weather and on good terrain.
Why is this so specific? Because not everyone in preindustrial times was fit, not everyone was healthy, not everyone was between the ages of 20-35ish, and not everyone had nice clear skies and good terrain to travel on.
If you are too far below 18 years old or too far past 40, at best you will need either a slower pace or more frequent breaks to cover the same distance, and at worst you'll cut the travel distance in half to 10 or so miles. Too much walking is VERY BAD on too-young/old knees, and teenagers or very short adults may just have short legs even if they're fine with 8-10 hours of actual walking. Young children may get sick of walking and pitch a fit because THEY'RE TIREDDDDDDDDDD, and then you might need to stay put while they cry it out, or an adult may sigh and haul them over their shoulder (and therefore be weighed down by about 50lbs of Angry Child).
Heavy forests, wetlands and rocky hills/mountains are also going to be a much shorter "distance." For forests or wetlands, you have to account for a lot of villagers going "who's gonna cut down acres of trees for one road? NOT ME," or "who's gonna drain acres of swamp for one road? NOT ME." Mountainous regions have their traveling time eaten by going UP, or finding a safer path that goes AROUND.
If you are traveling in winter or during a rainstorm (and this inherently means you HAVE NO CHOICE, because nobody in preindustrial times would travel in bad weather if they could help it), you run the high risk of losing your way and then dying of exposure or slipping and breaking your neck, just a few miles out of the town/village.
And now for the upper range of "traveling on horseback!"
Fully mounted groups can usually make 30-40 miles per day between Point A and Point B, but I find there are two unspoken requirements: "Point B must have enough food for all those people and horses," and "the mounted party DOESN'T need to keep pace with foot soldiers, camp followers, or supply wagons."
This means your mounted party would be traveling to 1) a rendezvous point like an ally's camp or a noble's castle, or 2) a town/city with plenty of inns. Maybe they're not literally going 30-40 miles in one trip, but they're scouting the area for 15-20 miles and then returning to their main group. Perhaps they'd be going to an allied village, but even a relatively small group of 10-20 warhorses will need 10-20 pounds of grain EACH and 20-30 pounds of hay EACH. 100-400 pounds of grain and 200-600 pounds of hay for the horses alone means that you need to stash supplies at the village beforehand, or the village needs to be a very large/prosperous one to have a guaranteed large surplus of food.
A dead sprint of 50-60 miles per day is possible for a preindustrial mounted pair, IF YOU REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO. Moreover, that is for ONE day. Many articles agree that 40 miles per day is already a hard ride, so 50-60 miles is REALLY pushing the envelope on horse and rider limits.
NOTE: While modern-day endurance rides routinely go for 50-100 miles in one day, remember that a preindustrial rider will not have the medical/logistical support that a modern endurance rider and their horse does.
If you say "they went fifty miles in a day" in most preindustrial times, the horse and rider's bodies will get wrecked. Either the person, their horse, or both, risk dying of exhaustion or getting disabled from the strain.
Whether you and your horse are fit enough to handle it and "only" have several days of defenselessness from severe pain/fatigue (and thus rely on family/friends to help you out), or you die as a heroic sacrifice, or you aren't QUITE fit enough and become disabled, or you get flat-out saved by magic or another rider who volunteers to go the other half, going past 40 miles in a day is a "Gondor Calls For Aid" level of emergency.
As a writer, I feel this kind of feat should be placed VERY carefully in a story: Either at the beginning to kick the plot off, at the climax to turn the tide, or at the end.
Preindustrial people were people--some treated their horses as tools/vehicles, and didn't care if they were killed or disabled by pushing them to their limits, but others very much cared for their horses. They needed to keep them in working condition for about 15-20 years, and they would not dream of doing this without a VERY good reason.
a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town
academy
adventurer's guild
alchemist
apiary
apothecary
aquarium
armory
art gallery
bakery
bank
barber
barracks
bathhouse
blacksmith
boathouse
book store
bookbinder
botanical garden
brothel
butcher
carpenter
cartographer
casino
castle
cobbler
coffee shop
council chamber
court house
crypt for the noble family
dentist
distillery
docks
dovecot
dyer
embassy
farmer's market
fighting pit
fishmonger
fortune teller
gallows
gatehouse
general store
graveyard
greenhouses
guard post
guildhall
gymnasium
haberdashery
haunted house
hedge maze
herbalist
hospice
hospital
house for sale
inn
jail
jeweller
leatherworker
library
locksmith
mail courier
manor house
market
mayor's house
monastery
morgue
museum
music shop
observatory
orchard
orphanage
outhouse
paper maker
pawn shop
pet shop
potion shop
potter
printmaker
quest board
residence
restricted zone
sawmill
school
scribe
sewer entrance
sheriff's office
shrine
silversmith
spa
speakeasy
spice merchant
sports stadium
stables
street market
tailor
tannery
tavern
tax collector
tea house
temple
textile shop
theatre
thieves guild
thrift store
tinker's workshop
town crier post
town square
townhall
toy store
trinket shop
warehouse
watchtower
water mill
weaver
well
wind mill
wishing well
wizard tower