Charm-writes - Charmy's Writeblr

Here are some fiction books by Palestinian authors about Palestinian characters that I've read and enjoyed! Whether it's about living under the occupation or teenage diaspora falling in love, it's important to support Palestinian authors and read their stories, especially as attempts at censorship increase Let me know if you have any recs for me to add to my tbr!

The Elementalist Chronicles: Isle of Rune is an interactive game inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender. *insert theme song*

Genre: Low Fantasy, Elementalists, Time Travel, Slice of Life (kind of)

Setting: California (very briefly), The Secret Isles (Pacific Ocean)

There is currently no age rating for this game.

No nsfw asks please <3

PLOT

Your time on the Secret Isles have become a distant memory. It’s been about 10 years since your parents divorced and your mother moved you to California. The Good: California has great weather. The Bad: You can’t practice your bending as freely.

Mikayla loves Cali, so it comes as a complete surprise when she presents the idea of moving to the Isles once again. Your mother has no powers. Not to mention, her job and friends are in Cali. This move isn’t for her, it’s for you. It becomes clearer when she suggests that you train in the adult program of the elemental school. The master plan: getting you to reconnect with your father. Who just so happens to be the Headmaster of the Rune Elemental School.

Going back to the Isles means you will see the people you have not seen since childhood. Including your old best friend, Cameron, whom you have not been in communication with for quite some time. In your absence, Cameron has found a new friend. Jess isn’t really warm towards strangers. And you are a stranger, even if these Isles were your stomping grounds first.

Like it or not, a ton has changed. Tread carefully, explore with caution. Some roads may lead to different places and different times. It won’t do anyone any good if you go back hundreds of years… Your mother’s plan might go down the drain. You might find yourself stuck. You might find the masters you had only read about in books standing right in front of you.

Come along young elementalist, the Isles await you.

FEATURES

Customize your character: name, surname, gender, pronouns, description.

Choose a pet (kitten, puppy, snake, turtle)

Choose a hobby (hanging out with your pet, surfing, painting, reading, biking, chess) [hobbies may change]

Choose your element (water, air, fire, earth) & your birthplace (one of the Isles).

Explore the Secret Isles: The Isle of Rune, The Isle of Wind, The Isle of Ember, The Isle of Tides, The Isle of Sand (is sometimes called The Isle of Gems). And choose which one you want to live on.

Travel back in time.

Stay in the past with the four masters or find a way back to the present.

Get to know the people and grow a bond with them… or don’t.

Train and become a better elementalist.

Possibly witness how the four grand masters became who they are and how they founded the elemental school.

Or just chill and be a couch potato.

Main Characters

Cameron | Non-Elementalist | History Student

Cameron was born to an elementalist family but he himself has no powers. He used to be your childhood friend. As a child he was kind and rather shy. His shyness never stopped him from going after whatever piqued his curiousity. An intelligent and compasionate young man. You have not seen Cameron since you were 14. How will he react when you show up on the isles once again? Will you be greeted by the same gentle soul or will you meet a new Cameron?

A Short Description of Cameron: He has a tawny skin tone, topaz eyes, and ear-length light brown wavy hair. His height is 5'10 (180cm). He has a slender figure.

Jess | Non-Elementalist | Architect-Artist

Jess moved to the isles shortly after you left. He's been Cameron's closest friend ever since. Part of the reason why they became close is that they are both non-elementalists who were born to elemental families. Unlike Cameron, Jess struggled more with this fact because his family valued him less for his lack of powers. He is a loyal friend and a brave man. Perhaps a little reckless. He is clever and confident in his abilities.

A Short Description of Jess: He has a light skin tone, gray eyes, and dark brown hair that is slightly wavy and is slightly longer than shoulder-length. His height is 6'2 (187cm). He has a lean figure.

Jace | Master of Earth

Jace is one of the four founders of the Rune Elemental School.

A Short Description of Jace: He has sun-kissed skin, hazel eyes, and wavy-curly brown hair that is slightly longer than ear-length. His height is 6 feet (183cm). He has a slightly muscular build.

Lahela | Master of Water

Lahela is one of the four founders of the Rune Elemental School.

A Short Description of Lahela: She has golden bronze skin, dark brown eyes, and straight chest-length soft black hair. Her height is 5'5 (164cm). She is slightly curvy.

Sierra | Master of Fire

Sierra is one of the four founders of the Rune Elemental School.

A Short Description of Sierra: She has brown skin, light brown eyes, and curly-wavy dark brown hair that ends mid-back. Her height is 5'8 (175cm). She is slender and toned.

Ariel | Master of Air

Ariel is one of the four founders of the Rune Elemental School.

A Short Description of Ariel: She has beige skin, sky blue eyes, and long wavy blonde hair with wispy bangs. Her height is 5'6 (166cm).

Side Characters

Atticus | Current Headmaster of R.E.S. | Elementalist | MC's father

Mikayla | Non-Elementalist | MC's mother

Mary and Brutus | An old couple from the past

Arista | A young elementalist girl from the past

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Detailed descriptions will be in-game. You will also find out more about the four masters in-game. I didn't want to spoil much about them <3

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DEMO TBD

illustrated this comic for insider, recounting abdul-azeez sulaiman's journey from being tricked into doing construction at the world cup to becoming an advocate for worker's rights. you can read the full thing here

Let's talk mobility aids!

Canes

Canes are for when you need to take a little bit of weight off of one side of your body, need a little help with balance, or need a little extra stability when you walk. It's an easy mobility aid to find and get, and it's pretty easy to figure out how to use. Have the cane sized so the handle sits at wrist level, then hold it on the opposite side to the one that hurts. Match your cane strikes to the steps on the hurt side. It will hurt your arm, elbow, and shoulder sometimes, but having a properly sized cane will help.

Rollators

Rollators are kind of the "next step up" in support. They come with more restrictions, you get limited to ramps and stuff, but they're also the least restrictive wheeled mobility aid because they're light and easy to pick up and toss around. They also have a seat a lot of times and a basket so you don't need to carry stuff. They're for when you need a place to rest, something to lean on when you walk, better balance assistance than a cane, and less weight bearing than a cane. I also found that it helped me with fatigue quite a bit. There's two main kinds, euro style like the first, and regular like the second. There are other fancier ones but I'm covering the basics here.

Rollators are my favorite mobility aid and I've used everything from canes to a fancy high grade power chair. They're just the perfect balance of help and freedom. They provide so much support for how far they go.

Crutches

Arm crutches are pretty neat! They're a lot more ergonomic than a cane. In fact, some people use a single arm crutch as a cane. They distribute the weight a little better, so it's not all on your wrists, and they support you better than a rollator can. The major cons I found are that they take two hands to use so you can't carry much and I had a really hard time trying to learn to walk with them. A lot of people who use forearm crutches have other mobility aids and use the forearm crutches when they want to or need to walk.

Manual Wheelchairs

These are for when walking becomes more difficult than pushing a wheelchair. There's no weight being put on your legs and feet and depending on your needs, you can get really specific with your adaptations if you have a custom wheelchair verses a standard wheelchair. My first custom chair looked like a monster truck because i took in the woods and gravel, my second custom chair after I got sicker has a head rest, a backrest that holds me up, and a little electric box that I can attach that helps me push. The difference between getting a standard and custom wheelchair is dependent on how much money the user has, what kind of needs they have, and what kind of medical access they have. (One is not more "real" than the other.) I highly recommend getting a cushion for under your butt if you have a standard chair without a cushion, I used a standard full time for 6 months and a cushion made a huge difference.

Mobility scooters

Mobility scooters are for people who can't walk long distances, but can still walk with the help of a cane or unassisted. If you can walk around your house, but not really much else, a mobility scooter might be the aid for you! There's a lot of different styles and battery life lengths and handling abilities so try a few different scooters out if you can.

Powerchairs

Powerchairs come in a couple different types or "groups" depending on your needs. Group 1 is the kind of chair you're probably most familiar with. It's basically for someone who needs a powerchair to get around their house, the doctors, office, and grocery store. You can't do any custom seat cushions or anything, but it's for people who don't need it. Think of like... someone who can walk pretty okay still, it just hurts to walk or they're off balance or a little weak feeling. A lot of times more elderly people will use these, if you're more active look into group 2

Group two chairs are little more durable, a little more stable, sometimes you can switch the captains seats out for custom seating... They're what a full time powerchair user would use if they don't need specialty functions like tilt or recline. They also often have 6 wheels rather than 4 like the group 1 chairs have.

Group 3 powerchairs are reserved for specific diagnoses like muscular dystrophy, ALS, and other severe neurological and neuromuscular illnesses. These are also called "rehab" chairs because they're for making sure severely disabled people have quality of life. The tilt function is for pressure relief, though you can also get things like elevation so you can raise and lower your chair, and some of them can recline flat. There are other avenues of moving grade 3 power chairs beyond the joystick as well in case someone can't use their hands or doesn't have them. (Head controls, torso controls, and straw controls called sip and puff are alternatives.) They can go on a little worse terrain than group 1 and two chairs and go a little farther, but if they get stuck they weigh 350 lbs and it's awful.

There's a few other types of mobility aid that I don't know enough about, like ankle foot orthotics and gait trainers, but these are the basic "mobility aid" most people will come across.

If you use another type of mobility aid and want to educate people, add it on!!

ANTI-CAPITALIST AFFIRMATIONS

i am allowed to spend my time creating things, even if they are not beautiful.

there is no such thing as a "real job." all forms of work are real and valid.

there is nothing that i need to accomplish to be worthy. i am already worthy.

doing nothing is good for my soul.

i am not defined by what i produce.

my worth cannot be measured by my paycheck, my job title, or a list of professional or academic achievements.

i do not need to monetize my hobbies, it is enough to spend time doing something i love.

i will not let society decide what success looks like. i can define what successful life looks like for me.

Hello! I hope this is alright to ask but I remember one post saying Harley has body dysmorphia, I was wondering if it was any particular part of her body she felt uncomfortable with and, this is somewhat of a lore question, can magic be used to subtly alter a persons body, like shapeshifting magic and what not, either casted by the individual or a trained professional mage?

Very excited for this If and hope your day has been going well!

first of all hii & that's totally fine to ask :) and i've been doing great + hope you are too <3

Here's the short answers and under them a longer, lore-ish answer that's about things that will probably never be brought up in this interactive fiction but that are relevant in the broader 'Magici Universe'.

Harley usually just feels insecure about her body in general, some days it's more intense, some days it's barely there; but the parts of her body she continuously feels the worst about are her shoulders and traps.

Harley used to be diagnosed with body dysmorphia (BDD) but she's at a point now where she doesn't meet the criteria anymore; she still experiences insecurity and body image issues, though not at a 'clinically concerning' level, according to her psychiatrist.

You could alter your physical appearance with illusionary (Dark) magic, however it's only that: an illusion, and not actual shapeshifting. Say you have short hair and cast an illusion spell for your hair to be longer; if someone touched your hair they'd realise it's only an illusion and that your hair is short. Other mages with a strong Dark affinity wouldn't even need to touch your hair to know it's an illusion. That's the furthest a human on Earth can go, shapeshifting wise.

Harley has her best friend cast an illusion on her on especially bad days, which helps a lot but isn't a long-term solution. :(

People that can't cast illusions or can't have a mage cast one on them could buy an illusionary tincture brewed by a proper mage. They'd need to take it every week or even every morning, depending on how potent it is.

However illusionary potions are expensive and heavily regulated by specialised organisations because of how dangerous they can be (think wanted criminals changing their appearance, organisations spreading terror via large scale illusions, etc). They could be prescribed though, but it's very rare unfortunately.

(longer answer here)

So it's not possible for humans on Earth to literally shapeshift. However, there are several realms, and Earth is the weakest out of the known ones, magic-wise. That means that if magical creatures that don't belong to Earth tried to get here, their magic would be nerfed by a lot.

On other realms with higher magic 'density' there live creatures with three, four, and more affinities. So take Air, Dark, and Void and you got yourself a shapeshifter. Humans are much more flexible in that way 'cause they're not restricted to specific affinity combos, while for example shapeshifters or phoenixes are. So humans native to these other realms are by default much stronger than the ones on Earth.

There's ways to reach these realms and people from Earth have done it before; but only those with specific affinity combinations can even attempt to. A mage that reaches a realm with higher magic density can have another Awakening where they unlock one or two more affinities, though they're limited to that realm. So humans native to these other realms are by default much stronger than the ones on Earth.

It's said that some people have been able to capture shapeshifters and make shapeshifting mixtures out of them, and believe me when I say that governments have been going crazy trying to stop the elite from acquiring them (and to steal them for themselves) if it's true.

tysm for giving me the opportunity to talk abt this lmao

this is so cute waaa qwq

I'm so sorry if i've asked this already (I genuinely can't remember)

But could we get some Mystic Flour and Hollyberry bonding? Since MF hung around Holly's gardens more often

Here’s your break from the angst ;)

I could call what I wrote "commentary on the historical tension between male and female socialists" but sometimes u just gotta slap an "ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS!!" tag on ur book to get people interested 😩

Hi there! Do you have post where you discussed tips/advice on developing platonic relationships between those of the opposite gender? I see all too often the friends-to-lovers trope and while that is entertaining, I would like to expand my writing to develop an intimate friendship between two characters without resorting to the previous trope.

Guide: Developing a Close Platonic Friendship

Close platonic friendships go through many of the same stages and steps as a romantic relationship, but obviously without the romantic and/or sexual interest. Much like a romance, it can begin with an instant “attraction,” or it can develop slowly over time, but it ultimately builds through a series of shared experiences, common interests, and a building of trust.The Different Types of Friendship

acquaintances - known but not known well

associate - sharing a common activity such as work or a class

networking contact - friendly acquaintance who is beneficial to know

mentor - acquaintance who imparts knowledge or experience

social friends - friends you socialize with but don’t rely on in any way

good friends - friends you socialize with but can also count on if you need a favor or some light emotional support

close friends - friends you know well, can be yourself around, and can count on for favors and heavy emotional support

confidant - a close friend who you can tell your secrets to

best friend - your closest friend who you can count on for anything

Depending on where and how a friendship begins, it can advance through the different types of friendship almost as stages of friendship. For example, you might meet someone at work and bond as you begin to work together. Then you might begin to socialize with them a little bit, eventually graduating to hanging out together outside the larger group of friends. As your bond grows, you’ll be more comfortable around each other and trust each other more with your thoughts, feelings, and problems. This kind of friendship can turn into a very close friendship or even a best friendship.

How Friendships Form & How to Write About It

1) Meeting

For a friendship to form, two people have to meet for the first time. The nature of their meeting and the strength of their initial interest in one another usually determines how quickly the friendship forms. Also, the personality of each individual can obviously play a role. When two people meet in a larger group setting such as school, the workplace, or church, their friendship is likely to form a little slower since their time together is likely structured and not always conducive to socializing or bonding. In this case, the friendship has to develop enough for it to graduate to arranging meetings outside the initial group setting.

In other cases, when there’s more room for socializing upon each meeting, a friendship can form much faster. This is especially true when the meetings already occur outside of a structured format, such as when you meet someone in your neighborhood, online, or at the dog park.

It can be helpful to think of your characters’ meeting as the “inciting incident” of their friendship. Consider what was missing from their life prior to meeting this person, and what is gained once they become friends.

2) Moment of Discovery

After two people have met, there’s usually a “moment of discovery” that leads to a feeling of kinship between them. Typically, this discovery has two do with realizing something you have in common, like an affinity for the same subject at school, being huge fans of the same TV show, having the same type of dog, or having two kids who are friends. Often, this leads to the realization that you have other things in common, and with each thing learned and shared, the bond grows stronger.

For your characters, you’ll want to consider what works with the story. Look to your characters’ back stories to see if they have any common experiences, or if it would make sense that they both like something similar. For example, if both of your characters come from remote mountain villages, they might share a like or dislike of a certain type of food common in those villages, or of a certain cultural element.

3) From “Crossing Paths” to Intentional Meetings

Most friendships start without any sort of commitment. Sort of a “see you around” mentality, if you will. But as the two people keep crossing paths and getting to know each other, the friendship will probably graduate to intentional meetings, much like when two romantic interests decide to go on dates. For a friendship that forms in a structured environment, like school or work, the decision will likely be made to “hang out” outside of school or work.Sometimes, two people with an early friendship bond might get thrown into unexpected circumstances that strengthens their bond even more. For example, a group of school friends might get trapped in a cave together for a few days, which not only takes their friendship out of the usual structured environment, but throws them into a situation where they’re forced to get to know each other better, to bond, and to trust each other.

For your characters, consider what works best for your story. Don’t force a friendship. Let it grow organically through the events of the story.

4) Strengthening the Bond

One of the most important things that needs to happen once a friendship is established is things need to happen to strengthen the bond. These two friends need to feel comfortable sharing secrets with each other and knowing they can do so judgment free. They need to discover that the person will be there for them, even in difficult circumstances. As the friendship goes through and survives obstacles and challenges, the bond will grow even stronger.

For your characters, consider the natural opportunities for the friendship to grow in the story. What happens that force these two friends to get to know each other better? What happens that forces them to trust one another and rely on one another?

5) Sex is Sex

Generally speaking, human culture and society has very specific ideas about what constitutes sex and romance. These ideas can obviously differ slightly from culture to culture, and society to society, but we all basically know what these are within our own culture and society, and we’re all capable of guessing what situations might present confusion. But despite these notions, in real life there aren’t always crisp lines that define what is sexual or romantic and what isn’t. For example, a kiss on the cheek can be very affectionate and romantic, or it can be only mildly affectionate and totally platonic. In real life, you can cuddle with your best friend, curled up together in a tangle of limbs while you talk or laugh or comfort–and this can be completely platonic without even an ounce of sex or romance. But in fiction, we don’t have the billion points of data we have in real life to clarify that something is strictly platonic. And as much as we all may crave strictly platonic relationships in the stories we read, we’re programmed to see romance everywhere. This is why two characters on a TV show can’t smile at each other once without launching a thousand Character A x Character B tumblrs and inciting lengthy shipper wars. That said, as much as we may want to experiment with having our platonic characters being very intimate with each other, and doing things like showering together, kissing on the mouth, soft whispers and laughter while cuddling together on a bed–we need to really consider whether that kind of intimacy is really adding anything to the friendship or the story, and whether that thing is important enough to risk the fact that people will want to ship your characters even if you make it clear the relationship is platonic.

What You can Do to Clarify a Friendship is Platonic

If you’re worried that your characters’ friendship is coming off as romantic rather than platonic, there are a few things you can do to help clarify things:

- have your characters occasionally refer to each other as “my best friend” both to each other and to other characters.- give your characters significant others or love interests, or have them talk about people they’re interested in

- establish what your characters are attracted to sexually and romantically, and illustrate the fact that these elements are not present in the best friend

- find ways for your characters to be open about why their relationship isn’t romantic or sexual. For example, having one say, “Too bad you and I can’t hook up. It’d be so much easier than the nightmare of dating.” And then having the other say something like, “Yeah, but we’d drive each other crazy and you know I’m into brunettes.” 

- avoid portraying their interactions in ways that will be perceived as sexual or romantic in nature. 

Using a Timeline to Pace the Friendship and Tie it Into the Story

To help plot out your characters’ friendship arc and to make sure it ties into the story well, use a timeline like this:

Most important of all, follow your gut! Consider your own friendships, how they developed, what worked and what didn’t, and how something would have gone down if it had happened in one of your friendships.

this IF game is like...one of my biggest inspos , idk how i didnt find it sooner im so hyped to meet Xinyi qwq

God of the Red Mountain Directory

[This is a placeholder until I finish the proper topic post.]

Relevant Links:

GotRM Demo Link | CoG Forum | My Kofi | Discord

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Character / Story Tags:

Min He | Kaski | Qiu | An | Xinyi |

Go Ro | Hiemi | Spider | Chun |

All RO asks | World building |

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Maintenance:

Writing Updates | Demo Updates | Latest Update