Umm

foxes-in-love

A comic of two foxes, one of whom is blue, the other is green. In this one, Blue and Green are walking somewhere. Though Blue is clearly annoyed by something, he listens calmly as Green talks. Green: Eventually the other monk spoke: How could you pick her up? You've broken your vow to not touch a woman." And the first one, who had already forgotten the whole thing, replied: "I put her down on the other side of the river. But you still carry her everywhere you go." Blue: ...Is this about the idiot who honked at me after not using their blinkers? Green: I forgot.

prokopetz

I understand that you were aiming for a morally grey protagonist, but in practice what you've ended up with is more of a moral beige.

prokopetz

@ancient-tree-with-deathwish replied:

how do you distinguish grey from other colours beyond black and wite?

Distinguishing features of moral beige:

The protagonist is constantly agonising over Hard Choices; however, circumstances always conspire to prevent them from actually having to make those choices, so in practice they're just angsting over stuff they might have done.
The text exhibits a recurring pattern whereby the protagonist seems to to have made a Hard Choice, but new information is reliably revealed shortly thereafter which retroactively establishes that whatever they did was the morally upright course after all.
The protagonist's moral impulses are straightforwardly heroic, except in one specific context which lacks any clear real-world analogue; for example, being prejudiced against telepaths.
The protagonist's actions are consistently reasonable based on the information available to them – they're merely operating on bad information basically all the time due to a bizarre conspiracy and/or a series of increasingly implausible misunderstandings.
The protagonist always ends up doing the right thing (for some fuzzy value of "right"), but, like, they're really grumpy about it.

writing-prompt-s

“I wish I was always right.” “OK you have two wishes left.” “No, I have three.” There is a moment of acknowledgment between you and the genie. “Alright. I can play that game.” thinks the genie before internally activating monkeys paw mode. “What’s your next wish?”

derinthescarletpescatarian

If I were an evil emperor in a fantasy world, I would have a an enormous aviary full of exotic birds that are exceptionally well cared for. They would be from a distant enough land that there would be very few people in my kingdom that knew much about them, they would be a friendly but not overly territorial species, and moderately intelligent. Like puffins. They would not, crucially, be able to imitate sounds and 'speak', but they would be very trainable and curious. Occasionally importing new birds for my aviary would be the Big Frivolous Indulgence that my political enemies make fun of.

I will also have a sorceror in my employ. When a hero or a renegade or a political rival is in a situation where I can safely kill them, they will instead be turned into a bird and added to my aviary. I would not brag about this; it would be a complete secret, known only to me and my sorceror. In situations where I capture multiple people working together, only one would go in the aviary;the others can be imprisoned or killed or whatever. If they escape and I reacquire them later, another one can go in the aviary. The point here is that nobody going in the aviary can safely assume that another bird in there is their teammate.

Because I would be trickling real birds in there, too. And I would train some of them to do 'intelligent' things like tap out prime numbers or scratch shapes into the dirt with their beaks. I would train some of them to pick at the locks and bars as if they were trying to escape. I would not train them all the same way, or train many of them at all.

Sometimes, a new bird goes into the aviary -- fellow revolutionary? Or just a bird? Is it trying to communicate to you that it's human, or just being friendly and imitating you because that's what smart friendly birds do? People would develop opinions and theories over time. They'd amass in a group of the smartest ones, pretty sure that they're closest four or five friends are humans, are using their invented little language of wing-flaps and trills with a human mind behind it... but can they ever really be sure?

Most people, when going into the aviary, would assume that all of the birds are captured enemies. So why are some of them hard to have ongoing communication with, to learn about, to plan with? Are these the natural communication barriers of someone in a bird body, or does being a bird make them stupider over time? Will that happen to them also?

Sometimes, if I capture a pair, I'll imprison them separately, then turn one into a bird and put them in the aviary at the same time as a real bird that's trained to have a couple of their partner's mannerisms.

When I interact with the birds, even in private, I won't secretly mock them or make clever veiled references to their past or act at all like I remember that they were once human. They are my birds, that I imported at great expense. And I've brought a treat for them; some fresh fruit, and another friend to share it with! A new bird!

Or is it?

hug-your-face

Never, ever, ever, fuck over a writer.

Writers can come up with the absolute worst revenge scenarios.

derinthescarletpescatarian

Well sorry if I would fill the fantasy world I got sucked into with COLOUR and WHIMSY.

jayalaw

Derin, how are you one of the coolest writers on here?

derinthescarletpescatarian

I'm definitely one of the least cool writers here but if that's what gets people reading my stories for free then sure I'm awesome.

derinthescarletpescatarian

#Another benefit of this arrangement is that since you play your part even in private #If somehow this got revealed you can claim your sorcerer was doing this behind your back and you were unaware of it #The only real weak point is of course the sorcerer #It's paramount to keep them happy and loyal #Or even keep two sorcerers and keep them unaware of the other sorcerer's existence #If both are doing a few of the transformations each then there's nobody but you who know everybody who was turned into birds #And if you suspect one of betraying you then have the other sorcerer turn them into a bird #This of course assumes that the magic system doesn't allow for them to have preventative anti-bird-magic measures in place #and that they don't keep their magic once they're turned into birds #The best situation is for you to yourself study enough magic to know how to turn people into birds yourself #But still have a sorcerer do it for you and don't let anyone know you have any magical knowledge at all #Then if it's ever discovered you still have everything leading back to the sorcerer and if the sorcerer ever betrays you you can turn them #Into a bird yourself and catch them off guard

Clearly the sorceror is part of some kind of evil cult and is loyally serving me because I'm letting them 'manipulate' me into letting them use my army or illegally mine some kind of evil crystal or protecting them from the execution that all of my rivals (correctly) believe they deserve for previous heinous crimes or whatever. The going rumour is that they are mind controlling me so I will fulfil their political goals but they aren't, I'm doing it for the birds.

I don't need to worry about them because they'll die in the final confrontation with the hero, the centrepiece of the big climactic battle, while I (too arrogant to evacuate when the palace is attacked) will be pecked to death offscreen in my own bedchambers by the birds (that the heroes released incidentally while storming the palace) and mentioned as an aside in the denouement. Much of my flesh is gone and I am recognised only by the opulent silks that I am wearing, imported at great expense while the peasants starved. (But of course the mangled corpse is a lookalike and I will show up in the sequel in the neighbouring kingdom, my identity revealed when the mysterious and dangerous new politician in town invites the heroes, who are going as diplomats to prevent a war between the lands they freed from my rule in the last story and this one, to dinner.)

Point being there's no need to worry about the sorceror.

nealashitposts

So for members of bdsm Dungeons, it's a rule that you don't approach other members if you see them on public for privacy reasons. They might not want people knowing they're a freak.

That said, it's normal to make friends in that space who you hang out with, outside of kink stuff. When that happens and people asked where I met my friend, my go-to line was "Spin-class," which is a very funny joke if you know me even a little. Very not my scene.

Well, funnily enough, while I was working at a homeless shelter, we had a very similar rule because of the homeless stigma. If a guest from the Shelter sees you outside of work, you don't acknowledge or approach them. They can approach you, but you don't tell whoever you're with where you know them. The guest gets to decide if they want to share that info.

Smash cut to me being out with a friend I met at the dungeon a very long time ago. I bump into a guest from the shelter who approaches me to chat. My friend asks how I know the guest, and without thinking, I blurt out "spin class" before remembering that's my go to lie for how I ment dungeon friends. These two proceed to have a conversation, neither fully understood.

Friend: ooohhhh okay i get it. Spin class! Me too. Stopped taking that class a while ago tho.

Guest. Oh for real? That's sick man, good for you! You got a good set up now?

Friend: The best!! I've taken up wood working so my furniture is all custom. Got plenty of space to do "spin" at home. It's coming together.

Guest: Hell yeah brother!!!

Friend: was really good to have my own space during the rona, but man it's lonely! I kinda miss the group dynamics.

Guest: Yeah, i heard that from my homie when he got out of "Spin class!" But it's for the best.

Friend: it can be, but its not for everybody. Can be safer to Spin in a group.

Guest: i know that. Lost a few homie to "spinning" alone. At least at the "class" you got other eyes on you.

Friend: I'm sorry to hear that! You know some elements of "Spinning" are risky but you never think anyone would get hurt. So, my buddy here still a real hard ass for safety?

Guest: oh man you dont even know. They revamped our whole fire escape plan.

Friend: Oh shit! They did that back when i was in Spin class too!

Guest: still improving the system i guess.

Friend: they still keep a bunch of robes outside in a shed so people who get out can cover up?

Guest: Yes!!!

Friend: Did you know it's their fault we have a 30 second rule!

Guest: Damn really!?! Makes sense tho, if there's a fire you gotta get out fast!

Friend: Yeah, I Never gave it much thought before they brought it up, but yeah the last thing you want is a fire when you're all tired up!

Guest: Yeah, that's true. I didn't know they came up with the rule, tho. I do like having the space between the beds clear...

Friend: Yeah it's so annoying when people block the path with their shit.

Guest: Yeah there's not enough space between beds for people to be hording shit.

Friend: Yeah! I loved that they always got people to keep their area clear.

Guest: not gonna lie i hate being told to clean up but it is better that way.

Friend: Yeah... haha.

Guest: well it was nice chatting with you brother.

Friend: you too, man! See ya around!

Guest: see ya!

Me:

nealashitposts

@mageless

Oh my friend, I shit an entire brick house.