#(The caretakers become the main characters later on)

[nostalgebraist]

There's a particular quality to early-to-mid Homestuck that I really loved when I first read it, but which I tend to forget when thinking about the story retrospectively.

This quality of like . . . taking pre-established elements, and building larger structures out of them. And then repeating this recursively, as these larger structures now become "pre-established elements" unto themselves.

A camera zooming further and further out from the same central point, "Powers of Ten"-style.

----

Homestuck is initially about the process of playing "Sburb," a fictitious base-building computer game.

The vast majority of comic pages in first 4 Acts are either about a character doing something in this game, or (if they are not yet a player) attempting to obtain and install it.

Everything else is secondary, at least formally, to this core activity. The main characters are always playing Sburb (or at least trying to), no matter what else they're doing. Dialogue is presented as a temporary side-stream overlaid onto the game; the characters play in silence unless they need to talk, and when they do talk, it's usually about the game.

This quality appears in the mechanics of Sburb. It's a game about combining things you have to make new ones ("alchemy"); about constructing a building by continually extending it at the edges; about making a tower that gets taller and taller, building on a pre-established foundation, using new components made from earlier ones.

And it appears, less literally, in the mechanics of the story. An element is introduced -- casually, weightlessly, accidentally -- and once introduced, it sticks. It gets brought back again and again, in a series of bigger and weirder riffs.

(John lived in a house, which we spent some time surveying. In the process, we learned about his father, who was his only caretaker. So now everyone has a single caretaker, and everyone lives in a house which we spend some time surveying. But with every iteration, the houses get bigger, the surveys grander, the caretakers more bizarre.)

Whimsical elements introduced very early on, like the "kernelsprite prototyping" mechanic, end up very deeply baked into everything. There's a palpable joy to the way the comic handles these things. A joy in doing something on a whim, and then committing completely to the bit, indefinitely; a joy in making mountains shaped like molehills.

This kind of dims away in the later, more "plot-heavy" portions that loom larger in my memory. There's a similar vibe to the way the plot elaborates upon itself, even much later on, but we lose this dynamic on the micro-level.

[nolita-fairytale]

Carmy as Your Baby Daddy | Social Media AU & Headcanon Series | part one

masterlist | part two now that i've finished my top gun: maverick series, it's me i'm back and gearing up for season two. after a bout of food poisoning, i finally cracked and am writing this pregnancy headcanon that i said i wouldn't bc my ovaries would explode (looking at you @allthefandomstogether). anyways, a huge thank you to @carmensberzattos who pinged many an ideas back and forth about carmy as your baby daddy and screamed into the abyss about this on a friday night. i'm writing this with my main character from the make your heart surrender-verse, but can absolutely read as a standalone piece. posting now because i'm so damn excited but i may go back and add some more things later.

oh and this a headcanon series now so. that part.

carmy as your baby daddy:

sometime after the wedding, you and carmy decide that you're ready to start a family. you're not trying but you're not not trying, meaning you've gone off of birth control but you're not carefully monitoring your ovulation cycle either. you both figure that it'll happen when it happens and if it doesn't, there are many other ways to make a family.

carmy never really thought about having kids until the two of you got together. after adopting your kitty together, carmy got to see a your more nurturing side and taking care of something together as a team made him think about how much he wants a family with you. after sugar has her baby it really ups the ante. seeing carmy become an uncle is what starts the conversation about seriously starting a family, and every time carmy sees you holding the baby, it's 'when our kids this, and when our kids that' for days after.

you swear it's food poisoning. after a somewhat questionable late night meal, you spend half the night vomiting while carmy works a later night at the restaurant. you text him to bring ginger ale and tums home. of course he comes through because are you kidding this man is a caretaker?!

you insist that you're fine and much better, even though you're absolutely exhausted. things are so busy at work for you (and have i mentioned the pregnancy fatigue) that you don't think much of it when a few nights later, you find yourself kneeling on the bathroom floor once again.

there are always little kids running around at the extended family gatherings and which led to your realization (when you first met everyone) that carmy is surprisingly good with kids.

it's not till a week or two later (after your little bout of 'food poisoning') that you're at cicero's place for a family birthday party that it hits you. one of carmy's cousins (not richie kind of cousin teehee) has just had a new baby with his wife. you've been catching up with ava, richie's daughter because you've become an auntie of sorts to her. you find some time to steal away for a some girl-time but when you return, carmy is holding his new niece/nephew in his arms.

the sight of him holding the baby not only takes your goddamn breath away as he stares long and hard your way, his blue eyes piercing right through your heart, but it's then that you realize that you're a few weeks late. it's like time stops as you look at him, seeing him coo at the baby with the softest look on his face. the realization hits you, clear as day.

"holy shit." is all you say, earning a few funny looks from the berzatto extended family and friends. "carm, can i borrow you for a second?" you and carmy find a quiet place to talk inside. "you okay, babe?" "carmy i think i'm-. what if i-. i'm late." "what do you-? like.. late late?" "now that i think about it, a few weeks late, honey." "yeah?" he asks you, totally in shock and eyes wide. "yeah."

the two of you make an excuse to leave the party as soon as possible, and hurry to the nearest drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test. you wait till you're home to take it. "do you want me to come in, sweetheart?" "no, carmy! i don't want you to watch me pee, you weirdo!" you answer, even though you know he's just excited.

the two of you are pacing back and forth, practically making dents in the floor with your footsteps for what feels like the longest two minutes of your lives. when your timer goes off, you're both simultaneously freaking out about the fact that you're lives are about to change forever, while also really, really hoping for a positive result. and as the fates would have it, the test is positive.

"holy shit. holy fucking shit. we're- you're-, we're gonna-!" carmy is ecstatic as searches for words. "we're having a baby, baby!" you squeal jumping into his arms." "god, i love you so much," he says, grinning at you as wrap your legs around his waist. "i love you too, carm. so, so much."

you literally get the biggest kick out of calling him your baby daddy: to friends and family, coworkers, random strangers, in restaurants, at the gas station. you'll take photos of him at the farmers market and post on your ig story referring to him as your baby daddy because you find it hilarious. carmy doesn't find it as funny (even though he secretly loves it) and he's cherry-tomato red when you tell the checkout clerk at the bodega across the street from your place that your baby daddy is going to pick up the tab.

everyone at the restaurant is so excited for you! even richie cries a little when you tell him the news. you hadn't really gotten close to richie until ava grew super attached to you, which opened up a whole new avenue and understanding for your friendship with richie.

ever since you found out you were pregnant, carmy always has bread and ginger ale on hand for your morning sickness. he started making you your favorite soft scrambled eggs with toast, but the chives have been way too strong of a flavor for a sensitive tummy. it's slowly become eggs & toast and then just... toast, which you promptly apologize for stripping away any kind of artistic freedom he may have previously had.

you get near compulsive cravings for certain foods, and carmy is always ready to throw on a jacket and run across the street when you get midnight cravings.

carmy hates seeing how tumultuous pregnancy has been during your first trimester. he's always ready with a hair tie or a glass of water for when you're done throwing up. okay hear me out: but carmy starting to wear hair ties because he wants to always have one ready for you. he'll even take off a morning with you or call your workplace if you need a sick day just so that he can take care of you. even if you don't need care, he just wants to spend time with you and be there for you while you go through it.

we already know that carmy is an acts of service king. he is the tenderest, most gentle partner and wants to be as helpful as possible. if you're sick, he wants to make you feel better. if the pregnancy hormones are raging against the machine, he's more than happy to let you be upset, or get you off by any means if the hormones go that way too. he'll sit on the bathroom floor with you and rub your back until you need to vomit again. he'll give you the best morning head of your life. he'll run a bath for you when you need one. he checks in every hour on the hour in your first trimester, which you appreciate, but eventually have to ask him to chill the fuck out.

speaking of physical changes, the pregnancy boobs are ELITE. carmy is always there to make you feel beautiful despite your rapidly changing body, esp when your clothes start fitting differently.

the first time your bump starts showing and you point it out to him, carmy cries. or maybe he notices it first and he's just like... weeping and you're like: babe r u ok? and then you realize that you're showing and carmy is kneeling and admiring your baby bump and now you're crying. sorry, but i don't make the rules it's just a fact that this is how it would go down.

carmy is so emotional about this because he realizes that he finally gets to build the family he didn't have and he gets to build it with you.

well this just hijacked my writing plans oops. part two will be more 'you & carmy pregnancy things' and part three will be birth & post-birth.

tagging my carmy taglist in the comments below!

[dropintomanga]

Pure Kindness Changes Everything - Skip and Loafer

"You know, Shima-kun. I'm the kind of person who trips up a lot. But that makes me a pro at brushing myself off and jumping back up!"

"Yeah. That's just who you are."

After hearing so much about the anime and the fact that it won the 2023 Magademy Award for Best Picture, I had to finally get in on Misaki Takamatsu's Skip and Loafer. I will say that this is such a psychologically compelling series that reflects the actual mental health of teenagers who are trying to navigate life through adolescence. And more importantly, it's about how life can change for the better when certain people come into your life when you let them.

The story is about a young girl named Mitsumi Iwakura, who has aspirations of being a politician as an adult to help Japan. She's a country girl who moves to Tokyo to attend a well-known high school there. Mitsumi's first day of school starts off in bad fashion as she arrives late due to a lack of exposure to city life, but meets a fellow male classmate named Sousuke Shima along the way. Mitsumi is noted to be a clumsy girl and it immediately shows throughout the first chapter. But underneath her clumsiness lies a heart that doesn't waver and believes in the best of people. The story focuses on Mitsumi's high school tenure and how she begins to leave her mark on her classmates, especially Shima, who becomes her main romantic interest.

The power of Skip and Loafer lies in Mitsumi making her presence for the following people.

Yuzuru Murashige - A very popular and pretty girl who, despite her looks, does not like being around the popular kids. Murashige meets Mitsumi at a karaoke outing. When Mitsumi feels a little overwhelmed from her first actual outing with friends in a city environment, Murashige was there to help her out. Mitsumi's pureheartedness gets to Murashige and she becomes the first real friend of Mitsumi's.

Mika Egashira - The opposite of Murashige in that she tries to be popular in any way possible. She has a lot of insecurities about how she wants to be perceived by people. Egashira starts off as a love rival to Mitsumi for Shima's attention. But over time, Egashira starts to understand why Shima and Mitsumi are perfect for each other. She then becomes a person willing to fight off her fears and support Mitsumi as best she can.

Makoto Kurume - A complete introvert who loves books. She tries to join a extracurricular club to make friends, only to run into Mitsumi and Shima. While afraid of the two at first, Kurume becomes fascinated over how the two can get along despite having very different personalities/interests. She happily becomes Mitsumi's friend after and would later form a close friendship with Murashige despite the latter's extroverted nature.

Tokiko Takamine - A student council member who dreams of being the student council president. She comes off as someone who tries to organize everything to a meticulous degree. However, one situation with Mitsumi causes her to change perspective and realize that it's okay if everything doesn't go according to her plans.

Nao - Mitsumi's aunt and caretaker in Tokyo. She's a transgender woman who has a complicated relationship with Mitsumi's family members. Once in despair when she was growing up as a young man, Nao found herself through Mitsumi's love before moving to the big city to chase her dreams.

Sousuke Shima - The big one. He's a typical handsome boy type who appears calm and confident, but keeps his distance when people get too close to him. However, seeing Mitsumi do her thing makes him realize that she has something that he himself lacks - an ability to move forward from whatever pain comes their way. Hence the attraction begins. Shima also has a complicated past where he feels that he always does what people asked him to do.

What I love and appreciate about Skip and Loafer is how every character's flaws are in full display and how they try to make relationships work despite them. What's even better is Mitsumi's comedic and/or kind timing in ensuring those flaws aren't the end of the world for them. One of my favorite moments in the story is when Shima looks at Mitsumi being excited about school festivals. Mitsumi said she needs to be more collected like Shima, but Shima thinks to his head that Mitsumi is the more collected one and laments his inability to move forward compared to her. Mitsumi then notices that Shima is down and gives him a bunch of senbei crackers to cheer him up.

Teen mental health is considered to be in a bad state. There's so many interventions out there and most have been failures. A big problem is that the therapeutic solutions are all handled by adults who think they know best. They want to help, but don't know how. What's worse is that adults often let teens have much say in how they want to be better when depression and anxiety rear their ugly head.

In Skip and Loafer, while the teens do struggle with whatever is bothering them at times, they are more resilient than adults think. They're smart enough to ask for help. It also helps that the help focuses on their strengths and Mitsumi is a big part of that. Sure, weaknesses are addressed for some characters, but there's a sense of empowerment that's unlocked after beneficial encounters. All the characters rely on one another to better understand themselves and others.

Teens want agency, to face their fears, and help those around them. Skip and Loafer is a journey that highlights this. But the grand message of this manga is that if you're a teenager who's trying to find their place amidst societal standards and are failing at it, change is possible. Maybe you are going through something, but damn it, you deserve more than just coping skills. You deserve to find your strengths and be more than just a victim. Another message the manga provides is the importance of taking things slow to really get the best out of your life at the present moment. Every character in this manga grows in their own way at a slow yet reasonable pace.

I have considered Mitsumi to be someone who's out of the norm due to being born outside of what's in the box. Because of this, she was much-needed change that actually helps. And in mental health care, I think we need non-fictional folks like her to show what great mental health in teenagers should look like.

I absolutely recommend Skip and Loafer for anyone who wants a fun and insightful read on teenage life.

[randombookposts]

Canaan University Au

Ok I thought of a college au for the locked tomb a awhile ago but I never bothered to write it down until now. Anyways I think they would all go to this imaginary university in New Zealand and it’s like the first book but with a lot less murder. Here’s what I think each house would study

Judith- Criminal justice major. Huge stickler for rules and doing homework. If she’s not in the gym reading a textbook while doing push-ups, she’s in the library getting into a heated debate with a Corona. Had a huge crush on Marta and went to the same college as her to hangout, just getting over it, may or may not have feelings for Corona, maybe.

Marta- In law school, was a mentor to Judith when she was in high school and that’s how they know each other. Gently turned Judith down but they’re still friends and study together sometime. Is the DD at every party.

Corona: Majoring in marketing with a minor in fashion merchandising. Doesn’t do great on tests but aces every presentation. President of her sorority. Can and will gaslight frat boys. Everyone wants her but she only has eyes for the stuck up criminal justice major.

Ianthe- Management major with a minor in maybe finance. Commits tax fraud and gets away with it. Sometimes does Corona’s homework for her. Doxxes people online (mostly Babs), smokes in the dorm hallways. Flirts with Harrow during their study sessions, which Harrow ignores.

Naberius- Economics major, and major fuck boy. Makes thirst traps and is doxxed. Hangs out with the twins even though they bully him. Doesn’t do shit during group projects. Will get a job at his dads company post graduation.

Jeannemary and Isaac don’t go to college but are tutored by Abigail at her house. They just silly teens who experiment with makeup and clothes to find their look. Talk loudly about anime in the school hallways. A little cringe but they’re doing their best.

Abigail- Anthropology professor and is really cool. Tough grader but genuinely loves her students and shares trivia with them. Brings donuts to test days. Will accidentally derail class to talk about books or her husband. If one of her students brings up one of the incredibly niche topics she likes, she will talk about it for hours.

Magnus- Not a teacher but visits Abigail's classes often. Nice guy, helps look after Jeannemary and Isaac. I'm not sure what he would do as a job, maybe chef or stay at home husband lol. Regardless, he's the one making all the meals.

Palamedes- Pre-med, wants to become a doctor so he can save Dulcinea save people. Smartest guy in the room always, a go to for anyone struggling with their biology homework. Has a friendly rivalry with Harrow (it's more rivalry than friendly for Harrow but she grows fond of him over time). Is the one derailing class with philosophical debates.

Camilla- Physics major, too cool for you. Really into sports, just not sure which, like gymnastics or soccer or rugby or fencing. Works hard but actually remembers to eat and sleep too. Probably in student government as well. Her and Palamedes are attached at the hip, they later get an apartment together and that's where all the main hangouts with the other characters happen.

Dulcinea- Suffers from chronic illness and focuses her life on learning and traveling rather than getting a traditional job. She's got multiple degrees in stuff like literature, philosophy, and art history. She is active on social media and has a blog, and sells crocheted animals on Etsy. Became mutuals with Pal and Camilla on social media and they met up later when they went off to college.

Protesilaus- Dulcie's caretaker, helps her with her medical stuff. Becomes like a cool uncle figure to her and her friends. Hangs out a lot with Ortus and they share poetry.

Silas- Double major in theology and philosophy. Freaky teen prodigy who graduated high school early and attends university. Little shit who people are either freaked out by or straight up just don't like him. Will snitch on anyone for anything he doesn't like. Really only friends with Colum.

Colum- Silas' nephew, but way older than him, weird dynamic. Not in school but drives Silas to his classes and Silas lives with him during the school year instead of in the dorms. Nice guy, looks out for Silas' well being the best he can but tries to keep him from being too nasty to others.

Harrow- Double major in theology and archeology. Studies at all hours and forgets to eat and sleep. Local cryptid. Autistic with special interests in religion and burial rituals. Went to Catholic school and had a suffocating home life. Trying to grapple with that as she starts to navigate adult life. Also trying to mend her relationship with Gideon after being so harsh in her younger years.

Gideon- Kinesiology major, butch vibes to the max. Does swordfighting and weight training in her down time. Has kissed both Ianthe and Corona at some point, though it never went anywhere after that. Wears her sunglasses at all times even in class. Finds the worst fashions from thrift stores and wears them to piss Harrow off. Grew up with Harrow in a foster home Harrow's parents ran and also attended Catholic school with her but they rarely interacted beyond antagonizing each other. Reconnected after being randomly assigned roommates. Now they're buddies and hang out alongside the 3rd and 6th, (also the 2nd and Dulcie sometimes too). They all do stupid shit together like sing karoke off key and hit up Taco Bell at 2am after binge watching movies.

[hazelnut1]

Hiiii~💖 it’s me again because i love your arts so much, all character designs are absolutely amazing!!! And well thought!! I have some questions about little Harry!

Is little Harry have tea with Narcissa and Draco?

Barty and little Harry is friends? I have feelings someone like Barty who loyal Voldy that much probably care Harry so much!

Is little Harry and Severus study potions or other things together?

Is little Harry get his own pet snake or will he get Hedwig 🥹

How Bella feel about ‘itsy bitsy Harry’ 🥹😂

Thats my asks! Thank you for everything you do! You make me happy!!

Thank you for liking my arts, your words mean so much to me (#´ᗜ`#)❤️ About this AU, I actually have written a bit of lore which will be posted later. But to answer your questions:

• “Is little Harry have tea with Narcissa and Draco?”

- Mostly with Narcissa, Draco just comes along because his mother encourages him to make friends. Harry was fascinated with Draco’s blond hair while Draco thinks Harry was weird.

• Barty and little Harry is friends?

- Barty was Harry’s main caretaker ever since he was a baby. Barty didn’t grow up in a happy and healthy environment, so he swore to give Harry everything that he didn’t experience when young. They’re basically brothers/ best friends.

• Is little Harry and Severus study potions or other things together?

- Most of the time, it’s just Harry doing his own things while Severus making potions. But sometimes, Harry goes with him to buy the ingredients and helps preparing them.

• Is little Harry get his own pet snake or will he get Hedwig?

- Probably both, Voldemort encourages Harry to have a snake (because of Slytherin’s pride and stuffs). Harry just want as many pets as possible. So a snake and an owl it is!

• How Bella feels about ’itsy bitsy Harry’

- She hold some grudges for Harry after the incident at the Potter’s house. But over the years, they got closer and she ends up care for him more than she expected. But because of her somewhat childish personality, she becomes that aunt who likes to tease children until they cry and think that adorable. It’s her own way of showing love (even though it’s weird)

[smillingcartoonist]

What I find incredible about Kabru character is how complete ineffective he is in the whole story !! First off he show off like some altruist guy who suffering with protagonist syndrome, like he constantly going in his head "I'm the chosen one, I'm Protagonist, I'm beloved by the Demiurge" But then his group dies !!!

Later when meet with Laios Group he show off like manipulative sociopath who is controlling everything behind everyone backs, but not really, when the Canaries show up he fails to persuade the Shadow Lord of the Island, he get manhandle by Mithurne and then stuck as his caretaker for the rest of the story and still he acts like he is the main character, it's like the narrative is making fun of him for thinking that he has any weight on the story what so ever !! Well to be fair he did stop Mithurne from Killing Sissel and letting the bad end happening, Like his contribution to story is stopping one the good guys from killing the one the villains !! Nice going there dude !!

Then when everything goes to shit and Marcielle become Dungeon, he tries everything to make Laios stay there with the Canaries, and Laios kinda calls him pathetic on the nicest way possible !! And for the rest of end he keeps appearing on the side like he still matter on the story ! I normally don't say this, but he is very Soggy Cat pathetic babygirl coded !!!

All of this of course is just based on my expectations that I had for this guy, and I think it is the intention, it is honestly hilarious !! Him Dropping the sword in the panel so meekly is a example of his whole ineffective in contrast with his grand standing of actually being a main player in this story !!!!

[celestie0]

i've always wondered have you ever given the y/n in your fics a personality description? like everything about her just ties the whole story together yet the reader can actually, embody her in some way?? that's one of the things that makes your writing so enjoyable to read and i've always wondered if you see yourself in her when u write ;

IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BUT i hope u know what i mean 💔💔

love u loads btw you're like my comfort writer as we speak

GASP i have neverrr actually, i dont think i’ve formally sat down n really given any of my characters personality descriptions i just kinda have a vibe of them in my head haha but this has intrigued me 🤔 I KINDA WANNA MAKE EM NOW!!! (i hope this is what u mean by character descriptions btw hahah)

kickoff reader.

i think she is a little self conscious at times, easily affected by things going on in her life, definitely tries to bite off more than she can chew, and she’s an anxious avoidant until she can’t take it anymore and becomes overtly confrontational instead alskdjdh i think this can be seen in the way she confesses to gojo, in her interactions w kai, and then also her turning down the newsletter job before she realized it was actually a good opportunity, etc etc. when i write for her, i kinda wanna give the vibe of tired college student that has a lot going on in her head n in her heart, but she’s slowly starting to learn to live again and is looking forward to life after college (aka me all of my senior year loool) i think she has a pretty neutral personality overall :0

in holy matriphony reader.

omg i haven’t written much for ihm reader yet but i already ADORE her so so so much based on what i’ve got planned for the series, and i think i understand her the most of the oc’s i’ve made. she is someone that gets crazy tunnel vision, can only really focus on one thing at a time, often neglects her other responsibilities if it means getting The Main One done, she is hella jaded because of all the financial stress, work stress and caretaking stress which means she doesn’t have much of a filter anymore, she’s very cynical and pessimistic and easily irritated and prideful BUT…..deep down she’s a huge softie and is actually very self aware of her flaws n just really wants to get better but she just can’t find a moment to breathe…im gonna enjoy writing for her bc i think she’ll come off irrational and a bit over the top at times, but in those soft moments, she’ll be very down to earth :)

in another life reader.

aww i haven’t had too much written for ial reader yet, but in my head i picture her as a veeeery soft spoken, sweet natured woman in her older age (she’s engaged to nanami, who i imagine has mellowed her out in comparison to when she dated bad boy choso lol), idk i think she’s kind of basic 😭 not that that’s a bad thing at all, i kinda wanted that dynamic of crazy rock star lifestyle choso mixed w simple lifestyle reader (for when they meet again later in life). when she was younger, she was highly impressionable, often thought she was more mature than she actually was, n loves veeeerryy deeply, so much so to where old scars hurt even after years and years. i think she always tries to do the right thing, but bc of her conflicting emotions, she has the capacity to cause a lot of hurt

AHH idk this is just the vibe i get from them or try to encapsulate while i write them, and i also totally think readers can have diff interpretations of them than me and still be accurate about it (idk as the author i don’t feel like i even know everything ab my own stories sldkdjdh at times i feel some of my readers know more than me haha)

i think kickoff reader is the most confusing in my head, but i like it that way because i suppose she’s the youngest and she’s in college and it makes sense for her since she’s figuring herself out

i definitely do see myself in all of them!! i have certain attributes i share n some that i don’t. for example i don’t think i’m as brave as kickoff reader (to pursue passions or confess to a boy so brazenly or slap tf outta someone at a bar LOL) and i don’t think i’m as crass or no-filter as ihm reader for example, but i definitely relate to certain aspects like the tunnel vision, anxious avoidance, and stuff like that!! but i still try to make them their own characters i suppose, but it really depends on how i want their personalities to mesh w the love interest as well

GOSH THIS IS A LONG FUCKIN ANSWER MY BAD i was just so intrigued by this ask xD i’m soooo sososoossooo happy to be your comfort writer and that you enjoy my works 🥺💕you guys keep my passion alive n i’m always so grateful for you all <33 have a wonderful day/night!! 🧚‍♀️✨ilyy

[fantasy-things-and-such]

Meet My OCs

welcome back to Meet My OC, a series where i talk about my OC characters and explain them in detail: who they are, what they do, and what makes them tick. Featured today is Chia, from my WIP "White Candy".

Name: Chia Xailan (formerly Ailan Zhuxi) Nicknames/Titles: Lady of Glass; The Saint Date of Birth: August 22nd, 3940 Age: 44 WIP: White Candy Role: Main lead

Character Quote: "I’ve come to terms with the blood that stains hands. There’s no need for you to dirty yours.” (I've updated my Other two MMO posts with a character Quote; going forward, I'll include these.)

Background & personality: who are they?

Chia is a orphan who was adopted by the Maidenhood of Glass. Her parents, Zang and Liela Zhuzi, were killed in a gang war- an all-too-common occurrence in many Cities on Sunside and Moonside of Belarix. Chia stands around 5'8 with a slender build, with white hair and blue/gray eyes. Being adopted into the Maidenhood meant that while she did play with toy blocks and such- she also played with sharp weaponry. Death was just another facet of life, and the Maidenhood taught her that it was a mercy. The maidenhood lets all of their children lead a semi-normal life until they come of age. then they hold a test to see who is worthy and who isn't. It only has one singular rule: Survive the night. only then do they become a Maiden of glass.

Ailan became a expert with knives very quickly. she loved cards, and her caretaker taught her card tricks when she was young- tricks that translated well into knife throwing. of course, she was trained in other skills, namely swordsmanship and archery. she excelled in both After the Test, she quickly rose through the ranks by taking requests and completing them with ruthless efficiency: Without qualm or hesitation. By 35, She had attained the rank directly below the High Maiden. Ailan's very serious and well-mannered despite all the killing she's done- she doesn't enjoy it, it's just another necessity to her. she retired at the age of 41 after she was tasked with killing Clarence and Shi Caspa, and couldn't bring herself to take in and raise their daughter, knowing that she would have to train and potentially kill them. they reunited- unbeknownst to Marie caspa, at the White Rabbit inn as Barmaids.

Hobbies

Chia picked up Card tricks again after she became a barmaid, and she's quite good at entertaining the patrons of the White rabbit inn- be it Mercenary groups or Families or anything inbetween. she's also good at chess- hundreds of games against Matthew(her boss) later.

Relationships

Put bluntly, Chia doesnt know how to talk to a man. she also thinks it's too late to start a relationship, nevermind the fact that being in one would be nothing but detrimental to her. She's not interested. She's married to her weapons.

Chia's relationship segment is short because she has no parents, no siblings, and her caretaker isnt really a parental figure. She has alot of friends, though she hasn't talked to any of them in at least three years, or at least the ones from the Maidenhood. Marie is akin to a little sister to her and Matthew is a employer- and a drinking buddy. He's cute enough to fuck, and that's about it.

Other Miscellaneous facts:

She prefers Wine over Beer

she hates sparkling things(soda, sparkling water)

her favorite food is Warabimochi

She's slightly homophobic(she would not like Tira and Lilli.)

Taglist: @jakkon-and-rose-topic @aesthetic-writer18 @the-golden-comet @ominous-feychild @emilynotfound @wyked-ao3

Lemme know if you want to be tagged in future things/want to be taken off the tag list. Cheers!

[tommykinard6]

could you explain briefly how the omegaverse work and why is eddie one? thank you :)

Gladly! I shall break it down as much as possible.

Omegaverse is a take on wolf pack dynamics. This can be literal, with wolf characters or werewolves. It can also be when the characters are fully human or have very distant wolf ancestry.

There’s Alpha, Beta, Omega, and sometimes non presenters, though not all authors write with non presenters. These are called secondary genders. Primary genders, such as male or female, have no impact on secondary genders in most verses. Non presenters never take a secondary gender or present much later in life. Presentation usually happens in the teen years or the person is born already presented. Presented is another term for secondary puberty, when the secondary gender matures and becomes obvious.

Now I shall keep this post SFW, but I can do an explanation on NSFW too if it’s wanted! Just let me know!

The alpha is generally the protective leader, the dominant one, sometimes literally the pack leader. In most fics, they are the partner with most societal pull and authority.

Betas are the neutrals. They make great peacekeepers, healers, advisors. Alphas and omegas are generally affected more by scents and emotions than betas.

Omegas are the caretakers and the heart of the “pack”. They’re the quiet engine that make the world go round.

Now, traditionally, alphas seem to take more stereotypical male roles and omegas take more stereotypically female roles, regardless of primary gender. That isn’t always true! But is a common theme.

Let me explain scents real quick. Basically every presented alpha/omega has a distinctive scent. Betas might too, but that varies. Betas also might not be able to smell scents as well as alphas and omegas. These scents can be vague, like smoky, or detailed, like apple pie with a hint of lemon.

((Warning for mention of mpreg: I’ll mark when it ends))

Each dynamic can be any primary gender. It’s up to the author how they want that gender to cross over. Are female alphas able to get omegas pregnant? Can female alphas get pregnant? Can male omegas get pregnant or get someone else pregnant?

((Ends here))

Betas tend to follow the biological rules of primary genders.

((Brief mention of dub-con/non-con as a theme. No graphic description within))

Now, it’s worth knowing before anyone non-experienced in A/B/O goes looking that sometimes, dub-con and non-con are themes in fics. That’s because alphas experience ruts and omegas experience heats and in a rut or a heat, the person can’t consent unless they already established consent beforehand. They’re not technically in their right mind.

((Finishes here))

That’s part of why omegaverse gets a bad rap.

I pride myself in writing fully consensual and enthusiastic A/B/O content, at least between the main ship. It’s absolutely possible to do. Tagging is important! Be sure to utilize filters if you want to avoid stuff when you go looking.

Now, for why I see Eddie as an omega.

It started partially because I don’t see Buck as an omega and I was and still am a Buddie shipper. I definitely saw him as an alpha figure. It’s also partially because of the top/bottom dynamic. Stereotypically, alphas are tops and omegas are bottoms. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE. You can write it however you want! That’s how I prefer to write, though.

I see Buck as a top/dom and Eddie as a bottom/sub. That man just needs to let go and get out of his head. He needs to be taken care of and pampered. Buck loves to take care of people and spoil them. Besides, I’m a bit of a slut for a size difference.

I don’t do well in explaining how or why a character is a bottom/omega to me; it’s sort of just a feeling. But hopefully, that explains it well enough!

Quick note to add that any dynamic can have any relationship. Alpha/alpha, alpha/beta, beta/beta, beta/omega, omega/omega are all alternatives to the classic alpha/omega pairing.

I did the best I could, but please let me know if you have further questions!

Edit to add: he’s canonically a nester and while that means something different in A/B/O…VINDICATION

[zacki0gaming]

Trying To Analyze Cintagon’s Backstory In The Season 1’s Finale

I know haven’t got a lot of analyze posts to say about the TPC series, but I want to actually fully talk about Cintagon’s backstory here, including truth of Pentellow’s mother, the Green Tree of Life’s conversation, etc. It is because I definitely know it’s still terribly written to this day for me…

Scene Overview

So apparently, Cintagon’s story discloses crucial information regarding Pentellow's origins, her mother's fate, and his own paternal relationship to her. It revelation serves multiple narrative purposes: it elucidates Pentellow's background, contextualizes Cintagon's challenging past decision between the Green Tree of Life’s request (we will get to this bullshit part later…), and establishes a profound emotional connection between the long-separated father and daughter.

Analysis

Cintagon’s Revelation

Lines:

"It was before this pink virus existed."

"Your mother died from giving birth to you."

"So your father was going to raise you like any parent would...But..."

"He had to give you away to someone else."

Setting the Context: Cintagon starts by mentioning a period before the Pink Corruption Virus was created. It contextually shows how this backstory is gonna playout later on within this discussion.

Grief and Responsibility: Cintagon’s statement about Pentellow's mother dying at childbirth, introduced a profound sense of lose as Cintagon's use of "your father" in the third person creates initial distance, building suspense before revealing his true identity to Pentellow.

Conflict and Duty: The word "But..." introduces a turning point, highlighting the internal conflict between his parental love and his sense of duty, evident through his promise to raise Pentellow like any other parent would.

Pentellow’s Curiosity and Shock

Lines:

"Why?"

Innocence and Curiosity: Pentellow's single-word question encapsulates her confusion and longing for understanding of her seeking the truth about her past and more about her family's background.

Cintagon's Explanation and Vulnerability

The Backstory’s Dialogue:

"The tree of life told him to. It said his daughter will become the second caretaker, and will succeed at it. If he's willing to give you to someone else. He was devastated. He thought he could never see her again... Until now. I can finally tell you why I had to give you away."

Forgive me for my stupid computer pen writing skills here....

So basically, this flashback represents Cintagon's vulnerability through the Green of Tree of Life's request in order to have his daughter, Pentellow to become one of the Caretakers. It is testament if he is wiling to give his daughter to someone else. So, remember the promise Cintagon made to take care of his daughter like any other parent would?

Emotional Devastation: This will get heavily influenced and destroyed here, humanizing the depth of Cintagon's long-lasting emotional toll for sacrificing his chance of taking care of his daughter in order to have her become one of the chosen ones.

Revelation of Identity: By saying "I can finally tell you why I had to give you away," Cintagon reveals his true identity as her father, blending relief, regret, and a desire for reconciliation.

Alright, here’s the main fucking problem here…

I don't mind Cintagon being Pentellow's father, but the overall execution of this main storyline arc needed more improvement. It was so underwhelming, rushed, and poorly-written. The initial episodes of Season 1 (1-5, and possibly 6) primarily felt like we were focusing on Cube and Cyan's characters when they basically became caretaker and hero in the first few days. But however, this sudden shift to Pentellow's backstory on searching for her long-lost family feel somewhat abrupt and disconnected.

The buildup to the realization of Cintagon's role as Pentellow's father lacked subtlety, with foreshadowing that was overly transparent. By the conclusion of Season 1, Episode 9, when Polyhedron stated, "Oh, you need to find this guy named uhhhh…. Cintagon," the revelation had become quickly predictable, diminishing its potential impact.

Now we talk about the backstory here. In essence, the Green Tree of Life makes a highly controversial and seemingly unjustified decision, instructing Cintagon to go fuck himself to cease all of his parental responsibilities towards his daughter for a period of 24 years. Let me say this AGAIN...! "A FUCKING 24-YEAR TOLL." I don't like this because The Tree's request was just so unreasonable and poorly justified. Like, the Tree was just seeming to disregard Cintagon's paternal role and emotional well-being, not wanting him to actually take care of his daughter for no fucking reason WHY…!

Overall, this main story arc for Pentellow appears to have been implemented hastily, resulting this storytelling experience with so much of wasted potential. Pentellow dosen’t get a whole lot of character development, Cintagon’s backstory was poorly-explained with the Green Tree of Life being so nonsensical and out of character for the sake of being a asshole toward Cintagon.

Alright, that’s all I’m gonna say here. See yall in my next rant post.

[renegadesfic]

i said this on my main blog but i have Opinions on sonetto's character growth already thru just the first 4 chapters so here are some of my thoughts.

first of all, despite everything we learn about her and vertin's history in chapter 3, sonetto treats her at the start of canon not even as an equal but as someone to be revered. this makes sense because vertin is the timekeeper, which is a highly respected position, but i think it goes beyond that. it seems like sonetto has barely interacted with vertin since what happened at the end of the flashbacks in chapter 3 - she acts like she barely knows her. to me that makes it feel like she hasn't been closely interacting with her in a while, probably since she became the timekeeper, which means that there's a chance this is one of their first times working together. at this point sonetto is still very focused on the official tasks at hand, trying to deal with the whole regulus thing, focusing on Doing Her Job. this is pre-her being appointed as vertin's assistant so it makes sense that they're working in conjunction with each other instead of sonetto helping her in such a close way.

however. in later chapter 1 and chapter 2, where we really start to see the proper story pick up, sonetto is becoming increasingly connected to the outside world. she befriends sotheby, the first person she's really connected with outside the foundation. the foundation has been her whole life for as long as she can remember, but now she's meeting Real People and making Real Friends. this, naturally, is a Big Deal - this is what starts to turn the gears in her brain that we see finish turning in ch3/ch4, where she goes to bat for vertin directly, going as far as to raise her voice on vertin's behalf. at this point in the story she's finally seeing what vertin wants Everyone to see - that there is so much more to life than serving the foundation.

and then!! sonetto, always following rules, always obeying instructions, is put in a position where the timekeeper Isn't There. she's gone, she's with the manus, and sonetto has to step up as the interim leader of the mission, since she is now the timekeeper's assistant. and she DOES!!! supported by her New Friends!!!! i personally think it would've been extremely difficult for her to make these decisions if she hadn't already been separated from vertin and met sotheby in the forest. already, her personal growth is being spurred on by being outside the foundation in a much freer context.

so not only does sonetto step up, but she makes several crucial decisions, including saving marian. this is a thing i think some people would brush off as just a "protect the peace of mankind" thing but it's more than that to me. right now sonetto is desperately trying to fix the Timekeeper Being Gone situation and she explicitly chooses to find marian, who she knew was being kept somewhere due to the traces of potion, even though there are objectively Bigger Problems. imo this isn't just her following the mantra the foundation promotes, it is also showing that she has already started to Really care about people outside of the main mission and goal at hand. she doesn't need to do that, she could just help the timekeeper get out, but she feels an obligation to not just the foundation's stated ideal of helping the people but to her own developing moral compass, her desire to protect people vertin considers important. that is crucial because we establish very early that vertin considers Everyone important, hence the photo wall and all the memorial stuff she shows regulus. so sonetto saves marian, jeopardizes her own safety, to follow her idea of what the foundation's motto should mean, instead of acting as if the mission is the only thing that matters. she's developing her own view of what protecting the peace means.

and then the end of chapter 2. sotheby, sonetto's first real friend outside the foundation walls, loses her caretaker, the person who was tasked with her safety. she is so far in over her head and instead of sticking with vertin, keeping her head down until the storm is done, and holding herself in place, she goes to comfort her. not for the first time, she leaves vertin's side - in this case the seat next to her at the table - and goes to the other side of the table to sit with sotheby and comfort her. this is representative of more than just her desire to comfort her friends - her leaving vertin's side at the table is a metaphor for her slowly peeling herself away from the rigid conformity the foundation has forced on everyone in it, choosing to stand on her own with the friends she has made in the Real World.

and then, of course, sonetto goes back to the foundation, realizes people are fucking with vertin, and gets Mad. sonetto is notable for being extremely passive unless she's protecting the timekeeper, but this goes well beyond that. in this case she is not standing up for vertin against critters or the manus - she's standing up for her against the people she's listened to without exception for her entire life so far. and she's doing it for vertin, because vertin is not just her boss, she's her Friend, and sonetto Takes Care Of Her Friends. so for probably one of the first times in her entire life sonetto raises her voice at someone in charge of her. she shows resistance against the people who she thinks are hurting vertin, and who she thinks are hurting the rest of the friends she's made.

at the very end of chapter 4, sonetto seems like she wants to say something about everything that's happened, but chooses not to. i have a feeling that she's not making that choice because she doesn't value her contribution. i think she's making that choice because whatever she was going to say was something she thought constantine wouldn't like. and she's starting to understand the concept of going behind someone's back to do things that are really important.

[gizkasparadise]

What is the worst, most technically inept drama that you secretly love? Tell us of the best badgood drama, the clunkiest dialogue, the most inexplicable casting, the hideously costumed yet most fun dramas, please.

🫥Anonymously yours🫥,

💜Purplehanfu😈💜🍇👾

dear complete stranger (<3),

man i love badgood dramas so much!!! i chose ones that are flatout objectively not good, but i was glued for them all. here's a few that are jumping out

triad princess (taiwan). it ends on a cliffhanger that will never be continued, the relationship building is non-existent, jasper liu basically plays himself yet still acts like he's doing a community service project, but omg it's cute and hit all the right notes for me. fave bonus is that one of the gangster henchmen falls in love with the FL's best friend, a shy boy who works at a mart and makes youtube covers

hold on, my lady (chinese). a bandit is offered a choice when she's caught during a heist: be executed or marry this aloof but beautiful but delicate son of the general. she chooses the latter, and hijinks ensue. made on a budget of pocket lint and just wacky, im going to rewatch this today, actually. fave bonus moment: the FL falls dramatically down and the ML breaks both his arms instantly when he tries to catch her

thumping spike & thumping spike 2 (korean). the two are barely related, but both deal with a competitive men's volleyball team! thumping spike 1 is about a washed up competitive female player going to coach a high school team to glory (just dont...think too critically about the age difference, there) and the second is COLLEGE EDITION with a love quadrangle between two identical twins, one of whom is a cheerleader for the team, the ace volleyball player who's too cool for school, and the WILDCARD volleyball player who gets mad when people call him gorilla. the second one is definitely worse than the first one, but neither are bringing home awards. i still watched them both in one sitting.

my heart twinkle twinkle (korean). this show is actually insane and a parade of toxic that i can never, in good conscience, ever rec to anyone. but gd did i watch the whole fucking thing. look at this fucking poster. this fucking poster looks like it was doused by a fake snow machine.

premise: Noble But Poor family has 3 daughters: the eldest, who is the caretaker; the middle who is Aloof and Ambitious; and the youngest who is A Fucking Menace. they are lead by their single father, who owns a fried chicken store

Rich but Dysfunctional family also has 3 children: the eldest, who is the only son and a fucking piece of work, the middle who is school colleagues with the other family's middle daughter and a hot mess who loves Da Club, and the youngest, who is clingy and gets into a ton of fights with the other family's youngest but is otherwise ok. they run AN EVIL FRIED CHICKEN FRANCHISE that is poisoning people through subpar ingredients!!

there's so much that's so wrong with this, im going to bullet point it from another post i made:

the entire premise is that there’s a fried chicken restaurant rivalry between two families but somehow there’s murder and slush funds and this guy who owns a string of fried chicken franchises named after himself (yeah) has direct access to seoul’s police commissioner at any given moment

one of the main actresses was involved in a scandal a little over halfway through production so they just….vanish her character/entire plotline like it never happened

the main male lead is toxic personified. him and li chengyin from goodbye my princess could co-author a dating strategy/forced-marriage-after-you-kill-your-girlfriend’s-head-of-household book because jesus christ. he literally screams that he hates women and he ends the drama (rightfully!!) in fucking prison

the second female lead disappears/creates a new identity and becomes a chicken chef student of the world. shes later in a love triangle between a single dad chicken shop interior designer and another vanilla guy

that's right, one guy’s job is he’s an architect for chicken restaurant interiors i cant

the main male lead leaves the main female lead’s father to die in a chicken-coop-themed arsony and then cha-cha slides into the son-in-law’s role during the father’s funeral and later MARRIES the female lead

the main male lead tells the female lead’s father’s grave that HE WON AND DAD LOST because the male lead is standing and the father’s in the dirt?!

a friend/almost!love interest of the second female lead dies tragically in a chicken delivery motorcycle chase????

it's the worst drama i've ever seen. i watched all of it.

kakafukaka (japanese)

this one is so gd weird and unappealing it somehow circled back around and became off-puttingly charming to me? so the premise is that there's a 20something year old woman whose life has gone to shit and she ends up in a sharehome with the most sexually dysfunctional bunch of people in the world. one of these is her ex, who tells her that she's the only one he can get a boner with (yeah) and asks her to help him get over his impotence in order to write his novel (yeah). if you read the whole show as kind of an exploration into sex without romance/love, it's as not bad, and there's something weirdly endearing about everyone--i really love the second female lead akari in particular. but it's not a good show, not by a long shot (MDL rating? 6.6), and the ship is dysfunctional at the very best. the ost somehow is great though?

speaking of trash dramas with great OSTs, love in sadness has some of my favorite songs:

okay that's enough for now!!!!

[solei-eclipse]

Explanation time! Starting with Kio because she's easier and TUMBLR POSTED MY DRAFT FOR JIU so I'm redoing that later everyone close your eyes

From top left going down: Chihiro Ogino (Spirited Away), James Henry Hayward (the Iremonger trilogy, Foulsham), Momo (Momo & the Grey Gentlemen)

Top right going down: Mitsuha Miyamizu (Your Name), Hikaru (The Summer Hikaru Died), Mitsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer)

Chihiro Ogino

So this one is PAINFULLY obvious

naturally she's where Kioku's character originated from, but the funny thing is she's a lot more disconnected from Chihiro than Jiu is to Haku

Most of the main traits still remain. the childish kind of naivety, meeting people she's been told are untrustworthy yet trusting and believing with her heart that they are good inside anyway (this works out for Chihiro, it does not work out for Kioku), stubbornness, general lack of grace, etc

The main reason why Kio seems more separated from Chihiro is because the main thing that inspired me was the idea of Chihiro after walking out the tunnel aka losing her memory

The concept of her disappearing and coming back as this strangely different girl but nobody knows why. She can't even remember herself

Can you imagine losing your whiny scaredy cat daughter for (what you assume is) 2 hours and she comes back hardened with experience and maturity and wtf why is she cleaning now

One of my favorite interpretations of an older Chihiro is that she's into sports! I've seen quite a few variants (track, soccer, lacrosse, softball)

To me, Chihiro would take up sports as a result of her budding work ethic + after all the stunts she pulled in the bathhouse I'd say she's got a head start on the training already (running from a giant No Face as a tiny scrawny 10 year old definitely alters the brain chemistry I think) + it's just a way to further hammer down how changed and developed she is from the child she used to be before. she is literally stronger and more capable now

Kio is pretty much the same in this aspect, with the added bonus of "the mind forgets but the body remembers" as one of the reasons why she likes physical activity so much

Also. Chihiro is absolutely not a parkourist though Kio is LMAO she's just kind of slightly a freak. while Chihiro is just sweet

James Henry Hayward

So onto the more obscure book inspos

James Henry Hayward is a young boy who was previously a bath plug. I realize I have to explain this a little.

In the world of the Iremonger trilogy, there are things called birth objects. They're essentially people turned into objects, and the rich and wealthy Iremonger family connect their souls with these poor objects in order to increase their power/lifespan I believe? It's been a while since I've read it to be honest. They essentially keep these people trapped into objects and carry them around like trophies. If they're too far away from their birth object, they grow ill until they die. A person and their birth object cannot be human at the same time, if their birth object suddenly breaks into human form again, the other person will turn into their birth object. You can imagine the oppressive shit they do to their objects in order to ensure that they stay objects.

James Henry was a bath plug, the birth object of the main character. At the end of the first book, a huge event happens where the main character turns into an object and James Henry is able to become human again

But since he has connections to the main character (who was heir to the rich and wealthy tyrant family), he was kept and locked away in their residence in order to be monitored

The main inspiration I took from James Henry once again has to do with memory.

When James Henry reverts back to a human, he can't remember anything from his past save from a few hazy vignettes and seeing things that shouldn't be there

His general perception of the world is cloudy and unclear because his caretaker feeds him "medicine" that really just serves to cloud his memory more and ensure that he lives in blissful ignorance

The people of the house regularly gaslight him into believing that nothing is wrong and that he grew up in this house, continuously feeding him medicine that makes his head hurt and difficult to think

He keeps seeing things where they shouldn't be and believes that they're remnants of his past memories that are seeping out

They're often distorted though, and usually take the form of strange things, like his sister as a rat inside a cupboard.

James Henry serves as Kio's inspiration in this way, but his caretaker Ada also serves as inspiration for Kio's guardian

Momo

Momo is a mysterious little girl (scrawny, around 10 or below) of unknown origin who just... appears out of nowhere and begins to integrate herself amongst the locals of the town.

When asked about her age, I believed she answered like. 1000+ or something? Once again, it's been a while.

Her origins are never explained, nobody knows where she came from and she doesn't seem to know either.

She's welcomed with open arms, though, and the townsfolk begin warming up to her.

Overall her personality traits are pretty standard heroine stuff, naive, honest, sees good in people (literally, I'll explain in a moment), does her best to help, etc

The main trait I took from Momo was the quality of her eyes.

Momo's eyes are special in the way that anyone who looks into them (which she does when she "listens" to them, her special talent is "listening") will have the good brought out of them. She listens to people's problems, and once they air out their grievances and look into her eyes it's almost like their problems are fixed somehow. She has the power to stop fights, bring creative inspiration and calm the hysterical just by sitting there.

There's a scene where one of the antagonists (a grey gentleman who steals the lifespan of other people) tries to lure her away with toys and such, but she just stares at him and he starts spilling his guts uncontrollably. He tries in vain to stop it but he ends up spouting secrets and the true motives of his company and junk and it's just an insane scene because all she's doing is standing there and this grown businessman alien is scared shitless of her.

NATURALLY THIS IS AN INSANELY OVERPOWERED ABILITY (to me). even more crazy how it seems like momo doesn't even know she has it

So I made sure Kio didn't have that EXACT ability because Lord knows the kind of secrets these s40 kids are carrying around.

I mentioned before in the introduction post, but Kio has a very open face and disarming eyes. They're not as overpowering as Momo's, just enough to make anyone with bad intent or a severe secret feel strangely uncomfortable. They're rather warm to everyone else.

Despite this, there's one person that her eyes have the full Momo effect™ on, and I think you can guess who.

(there's a reason he doesn't look into her eyes)

Mitsuha Miyamizu (Taki Tachibana?)

Honestly not much on Mitsuha herself, but rather Taki when he inhabits Mitsuha's body

It's noticeable that whenever Taki is in control, Mitsuha's hair is in a ponytail instead of its usual intricate braid. This is because he doesn't know how to do it like she does.

That's Kio to me. All she can do is a ponytail.

Taki-Mitusha is also much more sporty and bold than the real Mitsuha!

I can imagine Kio in that scene where Taki-Mitsuha plays basketball. That was a scene I found really fun lol

Honestly that basketball scene is the only reason. I don't really know why I gave her a spot here........

Hikaru

:)

Mitsuri Kanroji

Just for the general energetic vibes, clumsy nature and genuine spirit

Also the fact that Mitsuri is abnormally strong and her body composition is bizarre.

She's very athletic and agile, very fast-moving.

Kio would be less on the flexibility aspect and more on the running and jumping stuff, though (parkour!!)

Mitsuri is kind of a huge dork who messes up frequently and is pretty clumsy, which are traits that Kio has

But she's also an incredibly hard worker and creates her own way out of a given thing or situation, opting to keep her hopes up even if she cries about it sometimes (similar to Chihiro)

Kio's mannerisms are also quite similar, especially the scene where she tries and fails to explain something to the Master and embarrassedly says "I'm so sorry. I'm going to go die in a hole now." while groveling.

The reaction that Iguro has to her explanation is also very Jiu coded HAHAHA

[bigtomo]

PIT PEAOPLE ORIGINAL CHARACETDRS AAAAAAAAAA A a BEWARE

in light of the recent news im gonna go over some characters ive had BREWING in the back of my mind because i have been sentenced to UNSTOPPABLE SPUR OF MOTIVATION.......

Mara:

An ex-emperor's guard that later managed to become one of the pit's main suppliers.

She is a farmer and hunter, and much of her crops and game are used to feed pit fighters.

She has an extremely rocky relationship with her toxic (ex?) husband, Filbert.

She is Hailey's mother and Horatio's primary caretaker for most of his childhood.

Mara is friends with Henrich and respects him but it takes her a very long time to respect Horatio.

Filbert:

Once a travelling physician.

Now a zombie.

If you ask him how he died, he'd probably tell you something along the lines of that he "died from boredom of his marriage to Mara."

Mara has to re-kill him every time he visits so at the very least he doesn't infect Hailey. (And so she doesn't have to hear his nonsense.)

Henrich:

Horatio's father.

When he was newly divorced, Henrich moved to Citytown to pursue work to support himself and Horatio.

In the summer, Henrich takes up work building houses in the countryside because it makes good money. This would usually leave Horatio alone, however, so he leaves the guy at his pal Mara's farm for a bit.

Mara is initially not all-too excited to be a babysitter--she's got enough on her plate, but Horatio kinda pays off Henrich's debt to her by being an extra set of hands on the farm.

Perfectionist due to his line of work and impossible to please.

His parenting style and Horatio's butt heads a LOT.

ok thank yiy

[rescue-ram]

Also my thoughts on Kim were it's similarities to the later Yessir, That's Our Baby.

I've wondered in the past if Kim was originally intended to be a younger toddler aged child, and child actor constraints meant casting an older kiddo.

Despite being the title character, he's very passive. By which I mean, the episode is really more about the characters reactions to him, than his own feelings about them. The fact he doesn't talk always bugged me, because he's five. And pretty cheerful and affectionate, they don't comment on him being traumatized or anxious or struggling with mutism or hearing loss from surviving a bombing. It was just always odd to me he didn't tell his name, or they didn't find a native speaker to ask him. Plus he was a little child separated from his mother for weeks, and he didn't ask for her or become distressed? Also odd he didn't form a preference for a specific caretaker within the 4077th, but can be passed between them pretty indiscriminately.

I am obviously overthinking a sitcom plot designed for cuteness and light pathos, but it always strained my suspension of disbelief- the narrative felt too obviously contrived for the benefits of our main characters, and Kim was too prop like. You truly could replace him with a baby and nothing would change. I just wish they had given him a little more of a character separate from being cute.

[lucidiferneedssleep]

Okay, so. Since I haven't posted this already, this is the main idea I had for DreamCycle before I start writing it:

Basically, DreamCycle is a DreamTale alternate in which, rather than both Nightmare and Dream being Guardians, they are instead appointed Gods, the sons of the original Gods. Other characters I imagined would be of similar origin in different fashion would be Ink, Error, generally just the OutCodes. I'm gonna dive into Sovereign Rift (SR), which is a variant of DreamCycle in which Nm and Dream are Kings, rather than just normal Gods protecting the sun and moon. In SR, rather than there being different universes which you can jump between, all the AUs are instead a whole bunch of neighboring countries. (Shhh it's not Empireverse. They were also all born out of the original Gods, such as Nim, who will be going under the alias 'Gaia' for this.)

(The main Gods in this case would be the parent of each respective God. YES, the CQ siblings are canon to this idea, so Geno, Fresh and Error all have the same creator-mom. Reaper has a dad. Ink has his adoptive caretakers because his actual mom is very dead, and very much THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE????? like bro. OP much? Yada Yada you know this part)

The twins were created with their mother's magic and instructed to care for the country of Ignicia as their mother tended to separate places at the same time before falling ill to erosion. (The cause of that erosion is a plot point later on, so I'll explain that when I get to it.)

Nightmare and Dream were created with two separate elements, both needed to spark life. The warmth of the sun's rays and the waves of the water. Sun and Moon, created to rule day and night. Nightmare was a drop of the same energy he could control, water, a goopy little puddle, ice cold. Dream was a ball of hot, hot fire. The two were each given an apple at their birthplace, told that the magic-infested fruit would build them a body just akin to their mother's, who was a remnant of the tree of which the fruit had been plucked.

(This basically granted them the ability to freely switch between two forms: One based on the apple, a fire-like figure for Dream, and the usual goop for Nightmare and then their 'passive' states, being the one they usually used to not expend as much energy keeping their magic protection up.)

Dream, being only seconds older than Nightmare, was awarded the title crown prince. Despite his usual childish nature, he proved to be a good leader as they both grew. With their mother growing more and more absent as years passed by, they became forced to take the responsibilities of the kingdoms into their own hands. Nightmare was working hard at being Dream's right-hand-man, but struggling under the apparent distaste the people had for him. Dream was reveling in the glory of his throne, but often was crushed under the sheer weight of the heavy crown he was appointed.

The main plot point is the twist that during a friendly duel turned traitorous battle, there's the first 'incident'. But rather than Nightmare turning on Dream and slaughtering a village as what happens in the original universe, Dream lunges a spear lit afire right through his skull without thinking. Then he feels the most guilt he ever has within his life. It wasn't meant to hit him, it was meant to scare him. But now his brother was dusting hurting because of him, so he immediately took to trying to heal him like he usually did when they fought. Except Nightmare refused. He ran off, his skull becoming slathered in a gooey substance as his vision faded. He wound up back at his own temple, dunking his head in the healing waters of the moon, vowing to never forget the day.

Later the same year, he fled the country, instead gathering the castaways, the forgotten and the unwanted by the strict leaders of Dream's Empire Ignicia, creating his own nation: Oscuro, Kingdom of Darkness. Swallowed by evil. Nightmare would forever be an empty shell, only half of what was of his childhood self, but his Moon remained in a form which obscured his past and hid his hurt parts. This meant war.

Through the rubble of the war marched out many other separate neutral parties, either wishing for peace or for their own benefit through taking no sides of the large war.

Such include, for the Gods:

Geno, Omnipotence and Time

Reaper, Death

Error, Destruction

Ink, Creation

Fresh, Illusion (Parasitism)

Other third parties could include for example Swap (Revolution and revolt, justice) or characters like Cross and Orphic, but that's the main idea

The main leading plot points would be:

- The rebellion against the 'Universal Law' with humans not being able to talk to Gods

- Dream's obsession with power (Savior complex and narcissism that was engraved in him after being told he's this great ruler his entire childhood and needing to meet up with those standards, else he lose his purpose in life. Yeah, self-esteem issues who?)

- Nightmare's desire for revenge ("You're not my brother anymore" is def gonna be said at some point and I will undoubtedly cry.)

- The consequences of the war among the people and other nations (universes)

- Ink's non-emotional state and how it changes with time

- Error learning to discern right from wrong because he's a nervous, angry wreck throughout the thing

- The breakage of the "Universal Law" resulting in the tree being killed and Gaia nearly dying bc of it, instead burying herself underground until it became so much that the wilting tree's instinct turn on her own sons to absorb the magic that is being taken away because of mistreatment of the Gods

-Fresh's subplot of creating a whole cult of people he can feed off of through his parasite

- Geno's prophecy of doom because he's seen wayyy too much, poor boy needs a break

- Nightmare creating his own nation after leaving Dream's in reluctance to his rule and taking in refugees who don't think they're treated right (Nightmare's gang would be his highest ranked generals ofc)

I THINK THAT'S ALL. I spend a reeeeealllyyyy long time on this. But I'm excited about what you guys might think! Me and a close friend are working on starting the actual book so we might release an actual start to the story at some point, if ya'll want it <3333

Thanks for reading!!

Some concept art:

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