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Latest Posts by doubleloner - Page 2
Writing ship-able couples
Here are some tips for writing relationships your readers can get behind:
1. Give them reasons to click
The two characters must have things in common - a hobby, a philosophy, a background. There has to be some element that connects them.
Your readers will root for relationships in which the characters fit together better than they would with others.
Also, make their traits compatible. Have them share some characteristics or have their strengths and weaknesses be complementary. Is the one hotheaded? Maybe the other keeps their cool well in situations of conflict.
There are endless possibilities. Just make sure there’s a reason these two people like/love each other.
2. Have them be vulnerable in front of each other
Personally, this is the best way to get me to love a couple.
Have them share secrets, open up about their feelings and tell each other things they haven’t told anyone. Have them cry in front of each other and comfort each other.
This can be taken to a whole new level by having them understand the other’s emotions even without speaking and already offer comfort. Keep in mind that this will probably only be possible with long-established couples.
And having them open up is also a great way for them to discover all the things they have in common/love about each other.
3. Build up the tension
I cannot emphasise this enough: DO NOT MAKE YOUR COUPLES GET TOGETHER TOO QUICKLY.
One of the best elements of a romantic subplot (or even main plot) is the tension. Your readers want to see the pining! They want the build-up.
And no, I’m not saying that you should introduce endless, petty obstacles. That can become tedious and appear forced.
Just give your characters time to sort through their feelings. Make them fall in love slowly. Have them be unsure. Insert SOME obstacles/conflicts.
Have them almost kiss a few times. Not all the time. Too many almost-kisses can become frustrating. But you should throw a few in there.
And, if you feel comfortable with it, add some sexual tension. Have them notice each other’s bodies and imagine what they’d like to do to each other (that sounds more explicit than I intended :) )
4. Write a healthy relationship
This could just be me and my rejection of unhealthy romances, but I will not root for abusive relationships.
Have your characters be kind to each other, support each other and truly care for each other.
If your characters are constantly putting each other down, physically/emotionally abusing each other or going against the other’s wishes, they’re not in a healthy relationship.
A great way to write a healthy relationship whilst still maintaining the tension, is to have the conflict in the relationship be external. Instead of having the conflict be due to internal struggles between the two characters, have obstacles enter from outside.
Your readers should want them to be together and for that, they should be good for each other.
5. Have their friends/family see their chemistry
I find it beyond adorable when two characters are still figuring out their feelings for each other, but the fact that they’re perfect for each other is crystal clear to everyone around them.
Have their friends tease them about the relationship. Have family members ask after the them. Have their loved ones conspire to get them to admit their feelings.
If your other characters are rooting for them, your readers will probably do so as well.
Plus, this means that the chemistry between the two characters is so strong that it’s obvious, which is always good for an exciting romance.
That’s all I’ve got for now. If you have any further questions about writing OTPs or any other aspect of writing, feel free to message me or pop me an ask.
Reblog if you found any of this useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.
i watched a single xmen edit and suddenly im CATAPULTED back into being head over heels for charles xavier FUCK
me when i find a new fandom to obsess over vs me when the characters start tormenting my mind
Having a really long-term hyperfixation that has since faded is terrifying yes but it's also so embarrassing. Hi I used to think about Scrimblo Splungus 25/7. Yeah, for 2 years straight. Nah, I don't think about them anymore except for with a vague sense of melancholy as I recall how they used to make me feel. Anyways this new one, Blimpkins McGee? I'm gonna think about them forever and the cycle will NOT repeat in 2 years. Trust me guys.
Cullen Dialogue Transcripts | DA: Origins | Broken Circle: Part 1
As I said before, I am not doing every possible combination (PC wise) because I just don’t have that kind of time. I pulled what I thought was relevant out of the few YouTube vids that had other combos. Since this is a royal pain, I thought I would share what I have transcribed for others to use as they please. Also, Origins dialogue is a confusing mess, hopefully how I’ve mapped it out makes sense.
DA: Origins Series: Mage Origin | Broken Circle Part 2 | Broken Circle Part 3
[PC enters room just below Harrowing Chamber to find Cullen stuck within a magical cage on his knee and bowed as if in prayer]
Wynne: “(Gasps) It’s a templar. He’s still alive…I think. We must help him!”
[PC approaches cage, goes to cutscene]
Cullen: “This trick again? I know what you are. It won’t work. I will stay strong…” *Note: He says this no matter the PC, but since Wynne is locked into your party, I suppose the “trick” could be her—in that the demon/mages were using people he recognized during his t*rture. Otherwise, it doesn’t really make sense (imo) for any PC outside of a mage. Unless he was hallucinating and seeing something else before realizing it wasn’t real.
Mage PC Options: A String—
Are you alright?
Cullen! Don’t you recognize me? (Mage only)
A templar, and it seems he is a prisoner.
What won’t work? *Note: The options vary in wording based on the PC, but the general thought behind the options is the same.
Options 1 & 3 & 4 – (To “The boy is exhausted”) Option 2– Cullen: “Only too well…how far they must have delved into my thoughts…”(To “The boy is exhausted”) Wynne: “The boy is exhausted. And this cage…I’ve never seen anything like it. Rest easy…help is here.” Cullen: “Enough visions. If anything in you is human…k*ll me now and stop this game.”
*No Leliana and/or Non-Mage PC— Cullen: “You broke the others, but I will stay strong, for my sake…for their’s…Filthy blood mages…getting in my head…I will not break…I’d rather d*e.”
*With Leliana— Leliana: “He’s delirious. He’s been t*rtured…and has probably been denied food and water. I can tell. Here, I have a skin of—“ Cullen: “—Don’t touch me! Stay away!”
Female Mage Only— Cullen: “Sifting through my thoughts… Tempting me with the one thing I always wanted, but could never have…”* *If Zevran is present— Zevran: “Someone was quite the little heart-breaker when they were an apprentice. My, my.” Cullen: “Using my shame against me… My ill-advised infatuation with her… A mage, of all things.”
Male Mage— Cullen: “Filthy blood mages…getting in my head…I will not break…I’d rather die.”
Cullen: “I am so tired of these cruel jokes… These tricks… these…(sobs)”
PC Options: B String (Female Mage Options)—
Uh…I don’t think I should be hearing this.
Stop it. You’re embarrassing me.
This is no trick. We’re here to help.
(All) Cullen: “Silence! I’ll not listen to anything you say. Now begone! Still here? But that’s always worked before. I close my eyes, but you are still here when I open them.” *Note: This is how he responds to B String no matter the options/PC
Mage PC Options: C String—
Just tell me where the surviving mages are.
Makes you wish you hadn’t said those things, doesn’t it? (Female Mage Only)
I’m real, and I’m here to help you.
I am no trick of the mind.
You’re pretty dense, aren’t you? *Note: Again, options’ wording is different based on PC, but gist is the same.
Option 1– Cullen: “What others? What are talking about?” Option 2 (Female Mage Only)– Cullen: “I am beyond caring what you think. The Maker knows my sin, and I pray that he will forgive me.”
A. There is nothing wrong with liking someone. B. Why does it cause you so much pain? C. I’m sorry if I ever led you on. It would never have worked.
Option 2A/2C— Cullen: “It was the foolish fancy of a naive boy. I know better now.” Option 2B— Cullen: “You are a mage and I, a templar. It is my duty to oppose you and all you are.”
All other options— Cullen: “Don’t blame me for being cautious. The voices…the images…so real” (To “But why have you returned…”)
Cullen (Mage PC): “But why have you returned to the tower? How did you survive?”
Cullen (Non-mage PC): “Did Greagoir send you? How…how did you get here?” (Go to E String)
Mage PC Options: D String—
I defeated everything in my way. Now it’s Uldred’s turn.
Greagoir told me what happened; I knew I had to help.
I survived through quick wit and talent, of course.
Is it so surprising that I’ve returned? This was my home.
Options 1 & 2– Cullen: “Good…k*ll Uldred. K*ll them all for what they’ve done.” Option 3– Cullen: “Yes. How proud you are of your power. Just like Uldred and look what’s become of him now.” Option 4– Cullen: “As it was mine. And look what they’ve done to it. They deserve to d*e. Uldred most of all.”
Cullen: “They caged us like animals….looked for ways to break us. I’m the only one left…”*
Cullen: “They turned some into…monsters. And…there was nothing I could do.”
*(If Oghren is present) Oghren: “I think you need a tall mug of ale to calm you down, lad. I may need one myself, come to think…” Cullen: “That was inappropriate, dwarf. But what more could be expected from an ignorant, cave-dwelling heathen?” Oghren: “‘Ignorant, cave-dwelling heathen’…? (Chuckles) Have we met before?” Cullen: “What do you know about the mages’ evil, anyway? You didn’t see what they did to the others.”
Mage PC Options: D2 String—
Where are Irving and the other mages?
Uldred will pay for what he’s done.
You must stay strong.
Be thankful it wasn’t you.
Option 1– Cullen: “What others? What are you talking about?” Options 2 & 3– Cullen: “And to think I once thought we were too hard on you.” Options 4– Cullen: “Don’t think I’m not grateful…but why should I live when my friends lie dead, their bodies and spirits broken? And to think I once thought we were too hard on you.”
Mage PC Options: E String—
I’ve heard talk of others. Of survivors.
We’re not all evil, Cullen.
Watch what you say to me. I am a mage. (Mage only) *Note: Differs for non-mage, but same gist.
Option 1– Cullen: “What others? What are you talking about?” (To “Irving and the other mages”) Option 2– (To “Only mages”) Option 3– Cullen: “Did a mage not start this? Isn’t one of you to blame? “
Cullen: “Only mages have that much power at their fingertips. Only mages are so susceptible to the infernal whisperings of the demons”.*
Cullen (Non-mage PC): “To think I once felt pity for the Circle. Now, I’d like nothing more than to wipe their taint off the face of Thedas.”*
*Wynne: “This is a discussion for another time!” (Move to “Irving and the other mages…”)
Wynne: “Irving and the other mages who fought Uldred. Where are they?” Cullen: “They are in the Harrowing Chamber. The sounds coming out of there…oh, Maker.” Wynne: “We must hurry. They are in grave danger, I am sure of it.” Cullen: “You can’t save them! You don’t know what they’ve become.”
Mage PC Options: F String—
We can’t just kill them all.
I am a mage too, Cullen.
And you do?
I don’t understand. What are you afraid of?
Options 1 & 3 & 4– (To “They’ve been surrounded…”) Option 2– Cullen: “But you haven’t been up there. You haven’t been under their influence.”
Cullen: “They’ve been surrounded b-by blood mages whose wicked fingers snake into your mind and corrupt your thoughts.”*
*If Alistair is present: “His hatred of mages is so intense…the memory of his friends’ death is still fresh in his mind.”**
Cullen: “You have to end it now before it’s too late!”
**Female Mage Only— Wynne: “He’s suffered pain and anguish like few have had to endure. That and his lust for revenge have confused the issue—“ Cullen: “—Do not presume to judge me, mage! I am thinking clearly—for perhaps the first time in my life.”
Part 2 of Broken Circle Here
(Expressions/Body Language During Conversation)
Addition: He also seems to say these two lines to a female mage—
Cullen: “When you knew me, I was an innocent. I wanted to be a knight, but I never really thought about why we were needed.”
Cullen: “Now, my eyes have been opened. The naivety I once had is gone forever. But I welcome the change as long as it helps me better serve the Chantry.”
I found these in this tumblr post, but could not get them to trigger, so I am not sure what’s required to make Cullen say them. In truth, I’ve never heard these lines in any of my playthroughs of DA:O or any available to watch online. If someone knows how to trigger them, I would greatly appreciate if you could tell me.
xxx
[Sources] Denny Ayard YouTube Enthusiast Gamer YouTube moarinternets YouTube
Note: Had to censor words so tumblr would show it in the main feed.
Broken Circle Part 2 Here
Early morning sparring becomes routine, Pros- Cullen & Ali are able to reach mutual understanding & respect, Cons - Josephine thinks its ridiculous (Leliana thinks it’s hilarious)
Cullen & Ali argue non-stop even while sparring, but by the time their at Skyhold its more about challenging each others views/plans/fighting style to improve each-other rather than mindless disagreement. Plus both of them are out of practice, so sunrise training is just convenient (nothing more.. definitely not becuase it helps them see the other as more human).
Speaking thoughts aloud:
I love Cullen. Everything about him. His strengths and his flaws.
I love his story. Every bit of it. As it is written.
I may have wished for more. For him to be a companion so we could dive deeper into his character and arc. To see things handled a bit differently only because his story had the potential to be truly fantastic.
But even so, for me, it was.
He may not be perfect in Inquisition, he may still have some growing to do (and my opinion of what that growth looks like is not the same as others, which is okay), but in truth, that makes me love it—love him—all the more.
It keeps the theme of his story that has been there from the beginning:
What it means to be human.
To have hopes, dreams, ideals, ambitions. To have preconceived notions and to have them proven wrong. To have your heart and mind at odds. To have doubts, struggles, fears. To have your heroes fail you. To have your friends turn against you. To have your ideals used against you. To be broken. Used. Abandoned. Violated. Manipulated. To have that pain twist and corrupt. To have that pain weaponized. To weaponize it. To lose your way…and yourself. To face your sins. To claw after redemption. To seek atonement. To have faith as your shelter in the storms of life. To want to serve something greater than yourself.
“I have decided to take Seeker Pentaghast's offer. The Circles have fallen. I can give no more to the Templar Order, nor it to me. The Maker has shown me a new path; I must take it.”
Hands bloody, tears streaming down your cheeks, throat raw from prayers and penitence, heart trembling with the fear that you’re too far gone as you dig through the refuse of your own making to find yourself—who you truly are—again.
To persevere.
And against all odds to find life, freedom, purpose, hope and even love in the end.
I don’t care if it’s Valentine’s Day—if he doesn’t look at me like this, then I don’t want him!
Y/N : I’ll do anything you want
Ghost : anything?
Y/N : anything.
Ghost : drink more water
Y/N : what?
Ghost : go outside, get back on your workout routine, stop procrastinating—
Y/N : wait—
Ghost : continue pursuing education, achieve acclamations, manifest the best version of yourself.
Y/N : WAIT— NO— PLEASE—
if i'm not DISGUSTINGLY in love with at least one (1) of the characters in any given piece of media it is not for me. if i have no one to crawl and weep for? can't get into it. if there is not one single character that makes me want to bash my head through a wall and then write ten thousand (fictional or academic) words about them then what is the point. respectfully
one of my favorite things about dragon age romances is the varying Flavors™️ of emotional damage they feed you near the end of each game.
for instance, lucanis dellamorte is here to slay your enemies and burn down the world if it even looks at you the wrong way. "i thought i would never see you again," he quietly tells rook, and there is regret in every one of those words. "if i have to kill every blighted creature in thedas to keep you safe, i will. my heart beats for you," he promises.
meanwhile altar-boi cullen rutherford is a DISASTER who literally falls to his knees before a statue of his god. he is seeking SPIRITUAL ABSOLUTION from the divine bc the very idea of putting you into harm's way is unforgivable, and then he breaks his prayer to murmur, "when the time comes, you will be thrown into his path again. andraste preserve me, i must send you to him. whatever happens, you will come back. allow me this. to believe anything else would… i can't."
my god, the buffet. these men are absolutely pathetic. i would DIE for them.
get off dating apps. the love of your life is from a video game!
to any of my fellow selfshippers who are afraid of their abusers knowing what you're up to or how you are in life now that you're away from them;
your f/o will do anything to keep you safe. they'll do anything they can do protect you from them. they'll reassure you that they can't get to you anymore. and even if they were to find out how you are and how your life is going, they'll be sure to make it loud and clear you're so much better off without them and are happy.
unspoken feelings prompts
“i wish i could tell you how i really feel.”
“sometimes, the silence says more than words ever could.”
“if only you knew what goes on in my mind when i look at you.”
“i keep my feelings hidden because I’m afraid of what might happen if you knew.”
„every time I see you, my heart aches with things left unsaid.”
“i wonder if you can sense how much you mean to me.”
“there’s so much I want to say, but I can’t find the right words.”
“you have no idea how hard it is to act like everything is normal.”
“every smile, every laugh, it’s all a cover for what I really feel inside.”
“sometimes, i catch myself staring at you, wishing things were different.”
“i wish you could read my mind, so I wouldn’t have to say it out loud.”
“there are a thousand things I want to tell you, but I can’t.”
“if you ever found out, it might ruin everything.”
“every time i’m near you, my heart screams what my lips can’t.”
“i hope one day i’ll have the courage to tell you how i really feel.”
sluttiest thing a man can do is say your name mid conversation
When your Character...
Gets into: A Fight ⚜ ...Another Fight ⚜ ...Yet Another Fight
Hates Someone ⚜ Kisses Someone ⚜ Falls in Love
Calls Someone they Love ⚜ Dies / Cheats Death ⚜ Drowns
is...
A Child ⚜ Interacting with a Baby/Child ⚜ A Genius ⚜ A Lawyer
Beautiful ⚜ Dangerous ⚜ Drunk ⚜ Injured ⚜ Shy
needs...
A Magical Item ⚜ An Aphrodisiac ⚜ A Fictional Poison
To be Killed Off ⚜ To Become Likable ⚜ To Clean a Wound
To Find the Right Word, but Can't ⚜ To Say No ⚜ A Drink
loves...
Astronomy ⚜ Baking ⚜ Cooking ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Food ⚜ Oils
Dancing ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Gems ⚜ Mythology ⚜ Numbers
Roses ⚜ Sweets ⚜ To Fight ⚜ Wine ⚜ Wine-Tasting ⚜ Yoga
has/experiences...
Allergies ⚜ Amnesia ⚜ Bereavement ⚜ Bites & Stings ⚜ Bruises
Caffeine ⚜ CO Poisoning ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Food Poisoning
Injuries ⚜ Jet Lag ⚜ Mutism ⚜ Pain ⚜ Poisoning
More Pain & Violence ⚜ Viruses ⚜ Wounds
[these are just quick references. more research may be needed to write your story...]
Writing Worksheets & Templates
will update this every few weeks/months. alternatively, here are all my tagged Writing Worksheets & Templates
Chapter Outline ⚜ Character- or Plot-Driven Story
Death & Sacrifice ⚜ Magic & Rituals
Tension ⚜ Thought Distortions
Character Development
50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character Creation
Character Creator; Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation
Character Profile (by Rick Riordan) ⚜ Character Sheet Template
Story-Worthy Hero ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet
Worldbuilding
20 Questions ⚜ Decisions & Categories ⚜ Worksheet
Setting ⚜ Dystopian World
Writing References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character
all posts are queued. send questions/requests here.
You deserve a calm relationship that's good for your mental health, heart, and nervous system. A lover who's your bestie, your safe space, and soothes your soul during stressful situations. Life is tough enough – you deserve someone who brings you peace, not problems.
I agree and self control is sexy
nice thighs dude fuck i'm sorry i meant thighs i mean thighs i fuck dude i'm sorry i meant thighs i mean thighs i mean i'm sorry i'm sorry i mean your thighs YOUR THIGHS
i need to get laid or alternatively be put down like a rabid dog but i seriously cannot keep acting like this
Ohhh [fictional character with worse mental health than me] save meeeee from this cruel world.