#* ⋆ ‧ ₊˚ just like magic ／ multimedia.

[themagical1sa]

kpop fandom stop calling mave: an "artificial intelligence group" challenge (difficult)

[noctiilio]

SWEETEST SCARE A Gensokyo 199x Halloween Original: "The Centennial Festival for Magical Girls" + "U.N. Owen Was Her?" Source: Touhou 6: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil Happy halloween everyone this is the proof that outside of the mainline releases I can rearrange Touhou themes in that end of the last century goodness as many times as I want Also it was my birthday just a few days ago so this is like my little gift for you all and ESPECIALLY for little miss flandre herself who's been my best friend for exactly half of my current lifetime now Here's the Youtube version Here's the bandcamp link And here's the cover which I painstakingly painted like those semi realistic painted posters from the time period which my whole gimmick as a multimedia creator is to emulate

[ghosts-of-the-underground]

WELCOME TO GHOSTS OF THE UNDERGROUND

An Undertale sequel AU directed by @the-worm-man / @pipisofficial

Companion Chara blog here.

Companion Souls blog here.

Read it all in order here!

Sprites, Writing, alternate blogs etc. by: @the-worm-man, @queerrayne, @zavemann, @code-kindness, and @numberonephantompizza1

Promo Art by @fmsdraws, Textboxes generated from Demirramon

Rules and Info under the cut.

In this multimedia project, you, the “askers”, get to know the characters through asks.

The story progresses automatically through asks, mini-comics, animations, unprompted dialogue, or occasionally even playable games or fights.

This story takes place after a specific neutral route. Your job is to get to know and manipulate the characters through your questions to get the ending you want to see.

Major choices, such as Sparing or Killing an enemy for example, will be left up to an audience poll.

Please direct any OOC questions to @pipisofficial.

Rules:

Not every character will be open for asks at all times- only relevant characters are open. If a non-relevant character is sent an ask, the ask will likely be answered when the character becomes relevant.

Please refrain from blatant NSFW asks. shitpost asks, confessions of love, threats of violence, and other similar things are allowed in moderation.

Not all asks will be answered. Some may be too spoiler-y, some may just be too difficult to answer. Asks will not be ignored for no reason.

The characters cannot be give physical objects through asks. Magic Anons are not allowed. If you try them, you will look like a doofus and confuse everyone.

You may play an original character in an asks, just remember that the asks will be perceived as disembodied voices to the characters.

Have fun, and stay determined.

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Part 4.2: A Grand Glorious Gathering (1996-2000)

Welcome back to An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Last time we left off, the Lost Decade had just begun, Gundam got a radical makeover, CLAMP came onto the scene, Takara created a replacement for Diaclone, and Evangelion would begin its run on television. What we'll see now is the rise of a lot of fan-favorite shows in this era, but we will also see the sudden appearance of a third honorary mecha series. We will also see why [adult swim] is going to play a big picture in all of this, as they will begin to get more involved with the production of anime. With all of that out of the way...

Big O!

Showtime!

Pocket Monsters/Pokemon (1996, honorary mecha show 3)

Pocket Monsters, or Pokemon for short, is a multimedia series created by Satoshi Tajiri and the folks at Game Freak, Creatures, and Nintendo that would round out the four anime that would make anime mainstream alongside Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Gundam Wing. The reason why Pokemon is worth mentioning in a series about mecha is due to the nature of a lot of mecha stories, primarily those involving giant robots: Pokemon would grow to eventually become the single largest franchise OF ALL TIME. And as it is a franchise that is aimed primarily at children, this would prove to be one of many things that would help in the decline of giant robot stories, as a lot of the giant robots of old relied heavily on merchandise sales (namely in the form of toys) in order to be successful. Now that Pokemon is in the picture, there is competition, especially since Pokemon's video games would be published by a little company known as Nintendo.

Fortunately, Pokemon wouldn't become the highest-selling franchise of all time just yet. It would take a couple of years for that to happen.

Martian Successor Nadesico (1996) & Martian Successor Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness (1999)

Produced in 1996 by Xebec, Martian Successor Nadesico would be the first series since the original Gundam to really take a swing at subverting and/or deconstructing the giant robot. Primarily a screwball comedy, Nadesico is known for its extensive use of its show-within-a-show Gekiganger 3 (a pastiche of shows like Getter Robo) to foreshadow events that would happen later on in the story.

Nadesico proved to be popular, but that chance of becoming something more would peter out with the release of the Prince of Darkness movie in 1999.

After War Gundam X (1996)

Also releasing in 1996 was After War Gundam X, a series that would suffer from the fact that it would be the fourth Gundam series in a row on television. Not helping things is the fact that Gundam X would infamously have its episode count reduced from the then-standard 50 episodes to 39, and then it would also be moved to the Japanese equivalent of the Friday Night Death Slot.

It would remain in obscurity for years until 2013 when Gundam Build Fighters would feature a protagonist whose primary gunpla kit would help to bring the series back into the spotlight.

The Vision of Escaflowne (1996)

When one thinks of older mecha isekai shows, they are usually thinking of 1996's The Vision of Escaflowne. Escaflowne, unlike its older sister series Magic Knight Rayearth, would feature its giant robots more openly in a truly even blend of mecha action, fantasy adventure, and romance.

Armored Core (1997)

1997 would see the release of legendary game development studio From Software's Armored Core. Featuring mechanical designs by Shoji Kawamori of Macross fame, Armored Core would see the player navigate through a world of high speed mecha action and hair-tearing difficulty that would become a trademark of FromSoft's future games.

Cowboy Bebop (1997)

Cowboy Bebop would be the brainchild of one Shinichiro Watanabe. Released in 1997, Cowboy Bebop would take Japan by storm due to its mix of science fiction with the aesthetics and tropes of the western. Part of Cowboy Bebop's legacy has less to do with its popularity in Japan and more to do with how well it did in the west: which was very well.

Like "Cowboy Bebop was part of what made [adult swim] successful in the early days" well. If the quartet of Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, and Pokemon made anime mainstream, then Cowboy Bebop would be the one that would prove to the mainstream that anime wasn't just for children.

The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar (1997)

Speaking of anime geared for children, 1997 would also see Takara's Brave franchise peak with its final entry: The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar. Acting as an homage to the original Brave Exkaiser, GaoGaiGar would go down in legend as one of the most hot-blooded mecha shows of the 90's, second only to fellow Sunrise production Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Unfortunately, GaoGaiGar would see its viewership falter due to the success of the Pokemon anime, which would bring an official end to the Brave franchise. But it would not be the end of GaoGaiGar's story just yet, as the production staff got to work on another series that would serve as a spiritual sequel to The King of Braves.

Full Metal Panic (1998)

In 1998, the light novel Full Metal Panic! would be published by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Written by Shoji Gatoh, Full Metal Panic would blend elements of giant robot sci-fi with elements of the romance, slice-of-life, and comedy genres. The series would eventually branch out into manga and anime at the turn of the millennium and prove to be one of the big hits of the early 2000's.

While the original light novel along with its manga counterparts would wrap up their stories eventually, the anime would ultimately be abandoned after the release of its fourth season, Invisible Victory, in 2018.

Dai Guard (1999)

What if you took Getter Robo, made it adhere to real-world physics as much as possible, and then have be piloted by a trio of office workers who have to also navigate a lot of corporate red tape on top of the military trying to undermine their endeavors? That's more or less 1999's Dai-Guard in a nutshell. And don't let that fool you: the giant robot is still as cool as any other giant robot, regardless of the hoops the main cast have to go through just to use the damn thing.

Turn A Gundam (1999)

Meanwhile at Sunrise, Yoshiyuki Tomino would return to the directing chair for 1999's Turn A Gundam as a way to celebrate Gundam's 20th anniversary. Turn A would feature a very unique set of mechanical designs courtesy of Syd Mead, who was known for his work on Blade Runner, Tron, and Aliens. This series would also mark the end of Gundam's use of cel animation, as the next Gundam series would be the first to use digital animation. As a result, the animators went all out on Turn A Gundam's animation as a proper send-off to cel-animation.

Unfortunately, while Turn A is often regarded as one of, if not the, best Gundam series, its lackluster performance during its initial run would not be enough to help Gundam out. It wouldn't be until 2002 when Gundam would become a major hit again.

Xenogears (1999)

Directed by Tetsuya Takahashi, Square Enix would release the JRPG Xenogears in 1999. Xenogears would differentiate itself from the competition by combining a combo-based JRPG with giant robots and Gnosticism. A lot of Gnosticism. Unfortunately for Takahashi and company, Xenogears would prove to be a tad bit more ambitious than expected, and boy is that oversimplifying what happened to Xenogears. Suffice it to say that what happened to Takahashi and company to form Monolith Soft under Namco. But, like a lot of other things covered here, that is a story for another time.

Betterman (1999) & The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar FINAL (2000)

Reuniting for a spiritual sequel to The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar, the same animation team would create Betterman. Taking a turn to being darker and edgier than its older brother GaoGaiGar, Betterman would be the basis for the OVA finale The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL adding things like a darker storyline, fanservice, and, weirdly enough, more HOT BLOOD.

Unfortunately, plans for the two series to have a crossover would fall apart as Takara shuttered the Brave franchise for good after GaoGaiGar FINAL. It wouldn't be until about 2018 that the two would finally get to meet in The King of Kings: GaoGaiGar vs Betterman.

The Iron Giant (1999)

Released in 1999 by Warner Bros., The Iron Giant would be the directorial debut of one Brad Bird (the guy who did The Incredibles, among other things). Set in the 1950's, The Iron Giant would tell a story similar to that of the original Godzilla, though in the case of The Iron Giant, the titular character would be treated with much more sympathy due to his earnest attempts at trying to not destroy the town.

The Big O (1999-2003)

Created in 1999 by Sunrise, The Big O was a mecha show influenced by American media like Batman. Helmed by most of the people who worked on the Giant Robo OVA alongside the controversial Chiaki J Konaka, The Big O was supposed to be a more commercial spin on Giant Robo. Which is wild, because the series was cancelled after its first season in Japan.

Fortunately, that little American channel called [adult swim] would come to the rescue and produce the second season, as The Big O was a big success in the US.

For more on The Big O, I'd recommend Argonbolt's video On The Big O.

Throwbots (1999)

And finally, LEGO would release the Throwbots series of toys for their Technic line in 1999. Throwbots would prove to be moderately successful, but it's legacy is most known for being the predecessor to BIONICLE.

Conclusion

And that's a wrap on the 90's. As we have seen, the last two decades have been a big boon for mecha, though this would be soon to pass in the following decades. What we will begin to see in the following decades is a change to how anime in general is produced. You can even see it as early as 1999 with some shows such as Dai-Guard using digital animation as opposed to cel animation. The 2000's will see digital animation become the primary way shows get animated, though there will be growing pains. It should be interesting to note that cel animation doesn't go away in its entirety until 2015 when the last holdout, one Sazae-san, finally gave up the cel-animated ghost.

"The journey was long, but soon I found myself accompanied by a strange man in a black tuxedo. I couldn't tell if he was friend or foe, but he looked like he was about to faint from starvation. I think I remember him saying his name was Van... Van of... I don't remember what his title was anymore, he kept on changing it every time I asked him."

[akkivee]

HAPPY 7 YEARS OF HYPMIC EVERYONE 🎰🥳🎰🥳🎰🥳

to celebrate, i’m just going to list seven moments hypmic irrevocably changed the trajectory of my entire life lmao

1️⃣ buying the lives was probably the best worst thing i could have ever done to myself lmao. by the time i’d realised you could buy them, only the 2nd&3rd lives were out on dvd (they’re bundled together on one set), and though it wasn’t the first hypmic purchase i made, it kicked off the lives obsession lol. the 2nd live in particular blew my mind lol it was the first time most of the cast were on stage for hypmic and i’ll never forget the happy surprise on kijima-san’s face when the crowd screamed along to his call and response parts in drb lol. on top of that, kimura beatboxed live on stage confirming it really was ichiro beatboxing, shiraimu and nozu in lieu of souma-san’s absence gave it their all singing his parts and nozu dropped the sickest freestyle, and the samajuto cigarette kiss was born and so thoroughly rewired everyone’s brains, it just became part of samatoki’s character lmao

2️⃣ this list very easily can be just about the lives lol but i also loved getting to watch them live lol. forever and always 🖕🖕corona but getting to sidestep around abema’s booboo dookie region locks to watch the 5th live set off a precedence for needing to live watch them lmao. it’s probably the snowball that kicked off the avalanche that convinced me to try to go to japan for the first time in ten years, give or take, and bat’s 8th live day two was their most special live yet lmao

3️⃣ ITS NOT A LIVE ITS A STREAM LOL but the moment the kuukou brainrot roundhouse kicked me in the face was watching kuukou’s spirit possess hayama-san in real time lol i would have saved myself from so much heartbreak if i had stayed a matenhoe but nooooooo kuukou had to manifest in his seiyuu and i haaaaaad to watch it happen live and now i’m kuukou’s btch 🙄

4️⃣ wanna know how i became a matenrou stan lol???? jakurai’s voice introducing matenrou to the world in drb and hifumi flexing the love his women give to him makes him filthy rich lmao

5️⃣ i’ve felt a lot of frustration whilst mucking about in hypmic land, but i don’t think i have ever experienced as frustrating emotional rollercoaster ride more than the one hypstage has taken me on lmao!!!!! hypmic sneakily changing their description of the franchise from ‘voice project’ to ‘multimedia project’ when it was announced, okay actually showing a fantastic story despite hypmic’s ‘lack’ of one back in the day, nagosaka getting introduced and giving us simultaneously the best and ‘worst’ depiction of kuukou, only exclude them in the following tracks lmaooo, creating a really cool concept for mixing division pairs with an oridivi only for it to get cancelled like genuinely 🖕🖕covid but rolling up with the greatest comeback in the form of the rep lives where in the middle of the run we were given the best kuukou performance yet, shortly followed by the announcement that everyone was graduating!!!!!!!! but bop 2023 was magical; a fantastic send off to a legendary cast and closure to the pinnacle of stage production and hypmic storytelli— the stage was rebooted six months later in an absolute betrayal that was quite literally assuaged my love for hypmic, hatred for nelke and getting REAL WOMEN on stage lmao

6️⃣ and so like lemme circle back around to bat’s 8th live lmao. do you know how crazy that time was lol???? bat stans threw together a really sick flower display at a local flower shop, crowdfunded to make the lights display in this popular mall in nagoya shine purple for them, bars dedicating drinks for bat and welcoming live goers for an after party drink, day two of the live fell on bat’s 3rd anniversary and a few days prior they dropped the bright and dark mv for hypstage and the hella awesome banquet mv that bat stans ripped to shreds analysing jp bat fans my BELOVED lmao november is truly a bat month lol but anyway the 8th live was a peak time and i miss it daily!!!!!!!!

7️⃣ instead of being really gross and sappy about kuukou or the piece of merch that got me into hypmic lol shoutout to the music like actually lol. dba locked me in the moment i listened to it and i think very fondly of those days going thru the youtube for more lol. gave me a refreshed appreciation for music, esp jp music, got me to listen to more music instead of the couple hundred or so songs i’ve been listening to since i was in middle school LOL. so thanks hypmic, for giving me peak dissociation songs (like tigridia), the hypest shit that had me yelling (like moonlight shadow) and songs that had my heart racing at 3 in the morning and thoroughly unable to sleep lol (can you believe kaigen exists in this world and they let that shit drop during bat vs mtr 6th live and bc the bat seiyuu’s stage presence is just top tier they blew it out of the park frame one and she says the brainrot didn’t truly settle until live watching hayama-san get possessed but the damage was truly done listening to that calced cacophony of noise and in the ensuing silence as hayama-san’s ‘kaigen’ echoed throughout the studio OH IM GOING TO BE SICK—)

[chahaa-piun-ja]

I have a huge soft spot for text based games. just played birdland and loved it, but want to recommend some of my favourites -

choice of the dragon - short and fun game about being a dragon, defeating other dragons, plundering kingdoms, fighting wizards, etc. it's pretty short but you can play it multiple times to complete different achievements! they have a number of other text based games on the website but this is my favourite.

a dark room - you wake up in a dark room. a forest surrounds you. you can start by gathering wood, making traps, and work your way up to exploring the surrounding environment. doublespeak games has a bunch more games that I haven't explored much - penrose seems like another cool and interesting game but i haven't played it through.

fallen london - you start off in the prison of new newgate, and explore the hidden magic city which is victorian london. you can complete quests and storylines from there. they also do themed updates around different seasons!

also a short summary of birdland - which is more of a multimedia story about bridget, a girl who doesn't like summer camp and has strange dreams about birds (and maybe some strange feelings towards girls as well)

lastly, have to send some love to butterfly soup - not a browser game but a pay-what-you-wish downloadable game - which is another visual novel about queer girls growing up in california and making friendships over baseball. I love it so much and I periodically go through the whole thing!! also there's a sequel which is also so so good I love it very much!!

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. ITMF A) cheerleader Wei Ying!! And any game player lan zhan!!

B) Wei Ying appreciation!!Long fics appreciated. @whateverweilanlovechild​

1A)

drop the game by martyrsdaughter (E, 28k, wangxian, modern, romantic comedy, fake/pretend relationship, sports, cheerleaders, flirting, sexual tension, dom/sub undertones, compulsory heterosexuality, crossdressing, dub con, under-negotiated kink, consensual non-con)

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) Wei ying is not a cheerleader anymore during the time of fic, but he used to be a cheerleader. Further, over the course of the fic he does some cheering and some gymnastics and lan zhan comes very close to having an aneurysm about it. (link in #3)

There’s a whole Sports AU compilation

1B)

some things go forward by everythingispoetry (T, 73k, WangXian, Modern AU, Hospitals, Teenage Drama, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Happy Ending)

Waiting for Spring by thievinghippo (E, 130k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Pining while fucking, slight angst, Happy Ending, for a baseball fic, there’s not a lot of baseball, Sports, Baseball)

🧡 I Don’t Want to Debut! by countingcr0ws (G, 56k, WangXian, Modern AU, Reality show, Idols, Actor LWJ, Forced Contestant WWX, Tencent’s 2021 Idol Producer)

~*~

2. I'm in the mood for... A wangxian / yuri on ice crossover fic. Like, wei ying getting over his fear of dogs with the help of makkachin? A wangxian victuuri double date??

prompt meme time, anon, you're effectively out of luck with already posted stuff. there's Son of a - ! by katnor (M, 604, Victuuri, Flirting, Jealous VN, jealous LWJ, Oblivious KY, Crack Crossover, KY's Stamina)

and ch 8 of Rivals AU Bonuses by lily_winterwood (Not Rated, 20k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Social Media, Multimedia, Worldbuilding Bonuses)

and if you read Spanish then

Love is in the Ice by Nimirie (Not rated, 2k, WangXian, Victuuri, Yuribek) and Bajo el árbol de cerezo by Zahiel (E, 83k, WIP, Victuuri, Yuribek, WangXian, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Rape/Non-con Elements, Russian Mafia, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Forbidden Love, Mpreg, Miscarriage) look promising

and

Заходит солнце скоро by fandom Kumys 2020 (fandom_Kumys_2018), Neitent (T, 21k, Yuribek, Canonical Character Death, Background Character Death, Drama & Romance, Dead People, Jealousy, Hotels, Dracula Influence/References, Mysticism, Suspense) same if you read Russian, by which I mean these three don't look like multifandom ficlet collections. that's it, that's the sum total of works on AO3 that are both Yuri On Ice and MDZS/CQL.

~*~

3. Hi! Not looking for a specific fic but instead I was wondering if you have any fics in mind that are about LWJ dealing with anxiety disorder/social anxiety or generally being iffy about social situations. :') It could be in modern setting or canon compliant, both are fine. I just would love to find a fic where dealing with anxiety is one of the important parts of the story (doesn’t have to be the main focus). Thank you in advance!

in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie (cl410) (T, 48k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, cloud recesses, NHS & LWJ friendship, developing relationship, LWJ pov, minor injuries, autistic LWJ, implied/referenced child abuse, aka YZY warning, genius WWX, light angst, hurt/comfort, WWX protection squad, WIP) I think this one should fit? it's been a while since I've read it and I tried skimming it to see but it's a bit long so I'm not sure😭 regardless it's still a great read!

Falling Headlong by floraidh (T, 35k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, skater au, first meetings, first kiss, getting together, autistic LWJ, drunkji)

untitled by brokke_inactive (T, 5k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, autistic LWJ, sensory overload, angst, snapshots, non-graphic animal death)

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) I found it in a FF or itmf and i love it.

My Boy Builds Coffins by enbysaurus_rex (Not rated, 48k, wangxian, canon divergence, coffin maker au, YLLZ WWX, autistic LWJ, falling in love, hurt WWX, pining, deathscapes, farmer LWJ, burial mounds settlement days, tenderness)

💖 Minding series by WithBroomBefore (G, 85k, wangxian, canon divergence, what if WWX got therapy and recovery post-sunshot, trans LWJ) part three of the minding series by withbroombefore. Lan zhan is uncomfortable with social situations with the wider cultivation world and the jin in particular because he is frequently misgendered. Happy ending.

For a Good Time, Call by ScarlettStorm, 1st in series (E, 170k, wangxian, modern, getting together, pining, porn, onlyfans au, sexworker WWX, minor angst, mental health, therapy is good)

Many happy returns. by orange_crushed (E, 25k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Parent(s), Implied/Referenced Suicide, Past Suicide of a Parent, References to Depression, Anxiety, Therapy, References to Anti-Depressant Medications, Escort Service, Loneliness, Everybody’s Abandonment Issues, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Moving In Together, Oral Sex, Penetrative Sex, Hopeful Ending, Recovery, References to Escorting/Sex Work but No Actual Escorting/Sex Work)

sunflowersfield, this fic writer has lots of fics where Lan zhan deals with social anxiety

~*~

4. Hello!! Do you know any fics where WWX discovers that it was LWJ who kissed him in Phoenix mountain? Thank you!! 💜

There’s A Molester On The Loose At Phoenix Mountain!! by sweetlolixo (G, 3k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Humor, Crack, Romance)

~*~

5. Hi mods! For the next ITMF I'm looking for fics where it's shown that WWX was raised by Madame Yu! I feel like that fact doesn't appear enough on fics... So some stories where he has habits or things he learned from her, things he says, something he inherited from her or she gave to him, something like that :) Thank you!! @jiangclaritybell

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon, [Podfic] the field meets the wood by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), [podfic] the field meets the wood by jellyfishfire) includes a list of the now-dead women WWX has learned from, including YZY

there are *two* stories about WWX, wielding Zidian, as the Violet Spider, a feminine-presenting superhero-of-sorts:

Anywhere you want, just not home by androktasia (T, 28k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Superheroes/Superpowers, Spiderman AU, Secret Identity, Grief/Mourning, Loneliness, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance)

and

let your colours bleed and blend with mine by ravenditefairylights (T, 13k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Superheroes/Superpowers, Spiderman AU, Secret Identity, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Crossdressing, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, There Was Only One Bed, Fluff)

❤️ I Started From the Bottom/And Now I’m Rich by x_los (E, 57k, WangXian, WWX/Others, Mutual Pining, Marriage of Convenience, Arranged Marriage, No Sunshot Campaign, Fix-It, WQ Lives, Transmigration, Time Travel, Weddings, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy, Black   Widow, Protective Siblings, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, Sugar Baby, consort, Politics, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Crack Treated  Seriously) in chapter 3 pre war looks at yiling laozu wwx and realizes that he stole like half of his character from mme yu. It is. A more serious fic than it appears to be XD

~*~

6. Hi! Do you know any fics where wei wuxian's parents are alive but it still is based off the actual canon plot?

From the Warm Sun by sunshine_sparrow (T, 58k, WangXian, CSSR & WWX, CSSR & LQR, Discussion of Rape, Period-Typical Sexism, Mostly CQL but probably some MDZS too, Cángsè Sǎnrén Lives, Madam Lán Lives, Qingheng-jun lives, But WCZ Still Dies, Fix-It, Happy Ending, All Soft and Very Little Angst, the wens live, Yīn Iron, Good Person MY, Good Person LQR) only has Cangse Sanren alive if that counts?

Home is where your heart is Series by R95irth (T, 1.3M, CSSR/WCZ, JFM/YZY, WangXian, ChengQing, XuanLi, 3Zun, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Horror, Nightmares, Family Fluff, Found Family, Good Parents YZY and JFM, Consensual Underage Sex, Slow Burn, Slice of Life) Also, I hven't read this one but it looks promising

The Return of Cangse Sanren by milesofheart (T, 52k, WIP, WangXian, CSR/WCZ, Canon Divergence, CSR & WCZ Live, Angst with a happy ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Burial Mounds days, BAMF CSR)

~*~

7. itmf wangxian with no miscommunication happening in canon timeline if possible, but fine with aus too

hey I just met you, and this is crazy by KeriArentikai (E, 9k, WangXian, POV Outsider, Woke Up Married, married in vegas but with a twist, (the twist is that they totally meant to), Getting Together, Love at First Sight, LWJ Has a Canonically Big Dick, Size Kink, Dirty Talk, Coming Untouched, Unrealistic Sex, Wangxian Speedrun)

~*~

8. I've read stories many about EmperorLWJ/EmpressWWX but can you find stories where it is EmperorWWX/EmpressLWJ? Thanks

The Last Concubine by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 13k, WangXian, Royalty AU, Emperor WWX, Concubine LWJ, LWJ Whump, Forced Marriage, Starvation, Non-physical spousal abuse, Fluff and Angst, Doing the Wrong Thing for the Right Reasons, Happy Ending, WWX Takes Care of LWJ)

travelers through the empty gate by stiltonbasket (M, 44k, WIP, WangXian, Royalty, Emperor WWX, Mistaken Identity, Poor LWJ, Bookshop owner LWJ, Intrigue, Court Drama, Forced Marriage, Confused WWX, POV Alternating, Parenthood, Misunderstandings, Empress LWJ, Requited Unrequited Love, Fluff, Humor, Married Life, Angst with a Happy Ending)

A Flourishing Kind of Love by masked (E, 12k, wangxian, concubine LWJ, gardener WWX, court intrigue adjacent, historical inaccuracy, identity porn, romance)

Like wet earth after rain by jalpari (E, 20k, wangxian, bottom LWJ, getting together, prince WWX, emperor WWX, courtesan LWJ, identity porn, angst, pining, genre-typical worldbuilding)

Every River to Its Sea by knightcaptain (E, 17k, wangxian, emperor!WWX, courtesan!LWJ)

catch this manic rhapsody by anatheme (E, 23k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Emperor WWX, Power Dynamics, AU where the Yiling Patriarch became the First Emperor of the Cultivation World, he calls LWJ his Concubine Lan and baobei, Switch WangXian, Mutual Pining, Immortal WWX)

Conquering the Emperor by catbrainedschemes (E, 21k, WangXian, Historical, Imperial China, Emperor!WWX, General!LWJ, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Historically Inaccurate, Misunderstandings, Fluff, Eventual Smut, Light Angst, Slow Burn, Happy Ending)

Silver & Silk Series by farawayanddreaming (M/E, 55k, WangXian, Established Relationship, Emperor WWX, Concubine LWJ, Implied/Referenced Sex, Light Bondage, Devotion, No Plot/Plotless, vibes only, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX)

~*~

9. Hello, can you recommend plot heavy stories in AU setting? Like the plot is about politics, crimes, coup de etat, spy, assassinasion? It doesn't matter who's top/bottom.

mountains, we met by fruitys (E, 79k, WangXian, Historical, The Handmaiden (2016) Fusion, Enemies to Lovers, Misunderstandings, Secret Identity, Touch-Starved, Sharing a Bed, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Angst with a Happy Ending, falling for the person you’re supposed to be swindling: the love story, getting revenge on the people who manipulated you: the saga, and some cws……., Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Mental Health Issues, Emotional Manipulation, Blow Jobs, Rimming)

An Elegant Solution by giraffeter (E, 205k, niewangxian, canon divergence, arranged   marriage, friends to lovers, fix-it, everyone lives au, courtship, polyamory, smut) Canon-divergent au, super plot-heavy, incredible story.

🧡 Rule Number One: Never get attached. by KizuKatana (E, 130k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O, Criminal underworld  AU, Fluff and angst, Crime boss LWJ, Rouge criminal genius WWX,   Explicit Sex) 

Wei Wuxian’s Guide to Hacking for Fun and Profit by ArgentInferno (T, 150k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, modern cultivation au, Hacker WWX, neurodivergent wangxian, Therapy for the win, Fluff, Shenanigans, LWJ isn’t good with feelings, Fighting against corruption, Talisman-based tech, Getting Together, Slow Burn, shameless flirting) 

🧡 some life yet unspent by Fahye (E, 28k, WangXian, Background XiYao, Spy AU, Modern AU, 007 LWJ, Q WWX, Fluff and angst, Mutual pining, Injuries, Canon typical violence) 

Duel of the Twins by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 29k, WIP, WangXian, Star Wars Setting, Science Fiction, each chapter is intended to be a whole movie within a trilogy, Canon-Typical Violence, Mild Gore, mild body horror, Mentions of Suicide, But only in passing, please take that major character death warning seriously, Angst with a Happy Ending, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Angst)

Hiraeth by cherrywhiskey (E, 155k, wangxian, modern, fluff & angst, friends w benefits, pining while fucking, falling in love, separation, getting back together, angst w happy ending, second chances, food as a metaphor for love, canon-typical Jiang family dynamics, fighting)

Pearls For a Funeral by ElDiablito_SF (E, 30k, wangxian, noir au, 1940s san francisco, rich widower LWJ, gumshow WWX, case fic, all the noir tropes)

~*~

10. Hiii do I have any fic recs in which wy hides his identity as ylp or just hides his use of demonic cultivation in general?

the identity shenanigans comp might have a few

This Tornado Loves You by FeelsForBreakfast (M, 8k, WangXian, Horror, modern cultivation au, Pizza Hut, Humor, Mistaken Identity, Modern with Magic)

Hear a song this deeply by so_shhy (T, 87k, wangxian, modern cultivation, music, kid fic, action/adventure, canon typical JGY behavior, slow burn, fluff & angst, happy ending)

Crazy, Rich Cultivators by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 13k, WangXian, Modern AU, Modern Cultivators AU, Idiots in Love, Misunderstandings, POV LWJ, his started as a crazy rich asians au but quickly got away from me, light moments of angst but mostly shenanigans)

~*~

11. Hi! I think this may be a In the mood for a fic so I wanted to know if there’s any fic where both Wwx and lwj die and are brought back ((no time travel and no modern setting tho)) also angsty

~*~

12. For "in the mood for" could you please recommend fics where lwj and wwx have a lot of...romantic tension? Basically a fic about how they are slowly starting to get more and more affectionate before they have established their feelings for one another. Like they get SO CLOSE to just kissing but they hold back a little? Thank you for your work!

speeding up my heartbeat by plonk (Not Rated, 24k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Gyms)

(I feel like this is hard because we all calibrate tension differently! I hope these recs can help!)

and there was only one tent by detectorist (E, 21k, WangXian, Modern AU, Canada, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Sexual Tension, Camping, Outdoor Sex, Blowjobs, Frottage, Car Sex)

The answer has always been yes by Magnolia822 (E, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Bisexual Male Character, Frottage, Sexual Tension, Unsafe Sex, Getting Together, There Was Only One Bed)

Your Blood on My Lips (tastes like a kiss) by scarletwanlian (E, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, Vampires, Blood Drinking, Roommates, Monsterfucking, except it's monsterxmonster, Multiple Orgasms, Hand Jobs, Anal Fingering, Dom/sub Undertones, Coming Untouched, Sexual Tension, Resolved Sexual Tension, Humor, (or at least attempts lol), PWP, Vampire Sex, Vampire Bites, Banter)

Our Eyes on the Road by etymologyplayground (E, 22k, WangXian, Modern AU, PWP, Getting Together, Road Trips, Intimacy, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Humor, Banter, Oral Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Hand Jobs, Car Sex, Hotel Sex, Dirty Talk, Rimming, Coming Untouched, Sexual Tension, Come Eating)

Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground (E, 39k, WangXian, Case Fic, Intimacy, Curses, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Cuddling & Snuggling, Getting Together, Romance, Sexual Tension, Scent Kink, m.. maybe??, its not as intense as a kink, wwx Loves To Teach, Fluff, Scars, Sharing a Bed, Nonverbal Communication)

Our Song by gusucloudbunny (T, 14k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, straight boy wwx, bisexual wwx, Heteronormativity, Sexuality Crisis, coming out to yourself, comphet, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Alcohol, Music Majors)

New Habit by Medegela (E, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pining, Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, and they were ROOMMATES, straight boy wwx, Touch-Starved LWJ, Light Angst, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Dirty Talk, Flirting, and lots of hugging, Texting, mentions of lwj/others)

~*~

13. Hi!!! For the mext itmf can you recommend me a fic where wq and wwx is a friend (or bestie)? I like it when those two work together like a mad scientist or care with each other. It can be a story about that or their friendship only in the background. Thank you!!!

Always Be Closing by betts (E, 32k, WangXian, divorcing QingXian, Modern AU, America, Office, Kid Fic, Drunken Kissing, Semi-Public Sex, Sexting, Divorce, Falling In Love, Bank Robbery, Secret Relationship, Co-workers) it's a divorce fic between them with end game wangxian but I love how despite they're past they're still such good friends.

The Ballad of Hanguang-Jun and The Yiling Patriarch by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 40k, WangXian, ChengQing, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Burial Mounds Arc, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Humor, kinda just crack, Misunderstandings, POV Outsider, Crack Treated Seriously) 

Magical Mishaps by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 96k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, hogwarts au, misunderstandings, happy ending)

this Tumblr fic by hunxi-guilai WQ pounces upon WWX to deliver a medical hand massage (in part with the intent of teaching him to return the favor.)

Core-Thieving Hand by x_los (T, 5k, WangXian, WQ & WWX & WN, Body Horror, Fullmetal Alchemist Vibes, Nuclear Horror Vibes, Found Family, Neon Genesis Evangelion Vibes) showcasing WWX and WQ (and WN!) as Science Siblings; canon diverges in the middle of the core transfer, with the result that core research takes an even darker turn that nonetheless winds up saving more lives; an examination of the terrible decisions scientists face in wartime and living with the repercussions thereafter

💙 Wish I could forget the taste of your skin and the feel of your hands pinning me down by KizuKatana (E, 63k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, modern w/ cultivation, getting back together, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, case fic, pining)

sort the whole thing out by el_em_en_oh_pee (T, 5k, WangXian, Epistolary, Relationship Advice, Advice Columns, Everyone Is Gay, (or bi. or trans.), Background Relationships)

sacrifice by quillifer (E, 9k, wangxian, ABO, heat/rut, bottom LWJ, omega LWJ, top WWX, beta WWX)

A Match In Hell by MxModern (E, 7k, wangxian, rape/non-con, modern, ABO, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, crime boss LWJ & WWX, enemies to lovers, rape, extremely dubious consent, dark wangxian, dead dove do not eat, suicidal thoughts, breeding kink, violence, semi-public sex, under-negotiated kink, light bondage)

We're Sex Positive In This House by MxModern (E, 9k, wangxian, modern, ABO, omega WWX, alpha LWJ, virgin LWJ, anal sex, mating cycles/in heat, light dom/sub)

Myopia by rustycol (M, 67k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WQ Lives) Water Margin crossover; WWX, WQ, and WN are living incognito among a band of nomadic smugglers; they share quite a bit of medical, cultivational, and forensic shoptalk, including the Western theory of the Four Humors and how it compares to the Yin/Yang model. Unfortunately hasn’t been updated since June 2019

~*~

14. Hey! Can you rec some more stories of WangXian where WWX is living in CR with LWJ after being engaged/married. I'm kinda looking for angsty stories, so I guess I'd like to see WWX trying to adapt but gets punished for breaking the rules and becomes depressed. Thanks!

Concord by Deastar (T, 41k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Gūsū Lán Sect Rules, Depression, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Mourning Robes by Starlight1395 (T, 17k, wangxian, No Sunshot Campaign, Arranged Marriage AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Depression, dissociating, Mild Blood, Fluff, juniors idolizing WWX like he deserves, slowburn between WWX and Cloud Recesses, Hinted smut, Jingyi has a CRUSH, Supportive JC, Mojo’s Post)

Finding a Home by Duochanfan (T, 8k, wangxian, arranged marriage, light angst)

What Comes After Love by Rainbow_Horizon (T, 17k, WangXian, POV LWJ, Protective LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, POV WWX, Sad WWX, Jealous WWX, Módào Zǔshī & The Untamed Combination, Post-Canon, Insecurity, Chief Cultivator LWJ, Break Up, Separations, Healing, Husbands, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, marriage issues, Marriage Proposal)

call my name (but only if you mean it) by sortablue (E, 27k, WangXian, Different First Meeting, Canon Divergence, Sexual Harassment, not between wangxian, Arranged Marriage, Strangers to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, WWX POV, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Slight Role Reversal, Hopeful Ending) similar to Concord but goes in a slightly different direction

~*~

15. i have read "𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 " by naqaashi and it's simply my favorite mdsz fic. the new chapter five has just made me more insane for this fic. i'm searching for more fics with a similar plot i.e. time travel au where both wwx and lwj have returned to the past, BAMF wangxian, and not cultivation world friendly, very character critical

~*~

16. Hello again! It’s been a while but I hope everyone is doing well. For the next ITMF, could i get more stories where someone finds wwx wandering around either poor or sick after canon and takes him in? Like something similar to Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller or Story-Shaped by lingering_song. I’d really appreciate it, thank you 💜 @jikcf

hunters seeking solid ground by Attila (E, 23k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, discussion of canon character death, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, bed sharing, Getting Together, Yearning, Literal Sleeping Together, Really Excessive Amounts of Hurt/Comfort)

Achievement Unlocked 🔓 by UseMyMuse (E, 49k, wangxian, ABO, transmigration, crack, sassy system, canonical character death, kidnapping, accidental child acquisition) Not exactly what was asked for, but the same vibe! Wwx dies in canon and transmigrates to another world with ABO genders. He wanders around as a lone cultivator until lwj picks him up. :)

a grain of millet drifting by RoseThorne (T, 7k, NHS & WWX, Assassination Attempt(s), Introspection, Regret, Travel, Post-Canon, POV Third Person, POV WWX, Ghosts, Reconciliation, Exhaustion, Pining, Pre-WangXian) I have one that might count. Nie Huaisang sends someone to shadow wwx, and protect him from assassins.

~*~

17. Hello, do have have some recommendations on fics where a) wwx is adopted by hualian from tgcf? Or b) fics where everyone around wwx is very protective of him yet he doesn't realize that or he doesn't feel like he deserves it? Thankss @scorpionical

17A)

Narrative of Strength by MeltedIceAngel (T, 34k, WIP, WangXian, HuaLian, Canon Divergence, Adopt WWX, Found Family, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective XL, Protective HC, Adoption, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Serious Injuries, Angst with a Happy Ending, TGCF)

the hearth series by eccentrick (G/T, 65k, WangXian, HuaLian, Found Family, fluff with plot, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Disabled Character, Ableism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiāngs, slow burn found family, Adopt WWX, Married HuaLian, Post-Canon TGCF, Kid Fic, TGCF Spoilers)

🧡 The Red Ribbon by Xiao_Hua (M, 21k, WangXian, HuaLian, Canon Divergence, Ghost City, a bit of beefleaf, Immortality, Cultivation Partners, Juniors, XL and HC find a child who happens to be WWX, Fluffy wangxian, WWX is a Supreme Ghost King, First Time, TGCF)

Crown Prince Hua Wuxian by Bluemoonstarlight (G, 19k, WIP, WangXian, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, JFM and YZY Bashing, Bad Parents JFM and YZY, JYL Lives, Cultivator JYL, Supportive JYL, Protective JYL, Good Sibling JC, Protective JC, HuaLian Adopt WWX, Canon Divergence, Fantasy, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Sunshot Campaign, Grandpa JW, Grandma MNQ, Abusive JFM, Abusive YZY, Grandma BSSR, BSSR is WWX's Grandparent, WWX is BSSR's Disciple) a revised version of Crown Prince of Heaven and Ghost City, for anyone who’s missing that one

17B)

could you find a way to let me down slowly, if you're leaving baby let me down slowly by ravenditefairylights (M, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, Implied/Referenced Sex, Miscommunication, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Dynamics, Hurt WWX, Mutual Pining, Unreliable Narrator, Self-Esteem Issues, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, Protective Siblings, Trauma, Slightly dubious consent, courtesy of drunk sex, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Phoenix Mountain, Chronic Pain, Getting Together, Fix-It of Sorts, One Braincell Trio, PTSD)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what  you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack,  whatever - it’s all good!***

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Genfic!

Happy Singles Awareness Day to all my single pringles out there! Enjoy the half-price leftover chocolate, you deserve to treat yourself. And while you do, please enjoy the third community-sourced reclist, full of fics that AREN'T all about dating and love and sex and romantic happily-ever-afters (those stories are also great, but they can have the other 365 days of this leap year to be celebrated).

Please, leave a kudos, a comment, a reblog, a bookmark, whatever way you like to show your platonic love for these wonderful creators. And then, get ready for the next category -- community-suggested and community-voted!

That's The Way Love Goes by red_panda28 (8800, Not Rated, Louis Tomlinson & Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson & Niall Horan) - fic post

Liam is going through a break up. Louis remembers his own break up in the past

Reccer says: at its core it's a Larry fic, but the main focus is on Louis friendship with Liam (and Niall)

There's Nothing In Our Way That Can't Be Moved by LiveLaughLoveLarry (2770, General, None)

Based on We Made It from Walls. Louis reflects on the people who have stood by him through thick and thin, and how far they've come.

Reccer says: This fic reminds me how proud I am of Louis and everything he's fought to accomplish -- and I'm so proud to be able to support him and watch him flourish.

Pals and Confidantes by yeah_alright/uhoh-but-yeah-alright (2500, General, Niall Horan & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post

Golden Girls AU - Older OT4 friends sitting around eating cheesecake and sharing their worst date stories

Reccer says: I love that it's all dialogue - written like a script. So fun and funny! Great golden girls vibes with so many fun 1d tidbits sprinkled throughout!

Virginia is for Lovers by haztobegood (1700, General, Niall Horan & Harry Styles) - fic post

Harry and Niall go hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

Reccer says: A short and sweet canon compliant fic

For One of the Least of These by LadyLondonderry (6500, General, Horan & Zayn Malik & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post

The one where Harry, Liam, Niall and Zayn are witches and Louis is the fox with a curse.

Reccer says: This fic has excellent banter and hilarious hijinks as the boys try to break a magical curse

Housewives of Our Lives by homosociallyyours (500, General, Niall Horan & Zayn Malik & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson)

A Girl Direction ficlet where ot5 gets together to watch The Real Housewives of New York together. Because it's gay and they're gay and why the heck not?

Reccer says: This fic is proof there should be more girl direction ot5 friendship fics. Their dynamic in this fic is incredible!

Rising to the Occasion by LadyAJ_13 (3800, General, Niall Horan & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post

OT4 participate in the Great British Stand up to Cancer Bakeoff

Reccer says: The friendly competition of GBBO combines with the playfulness of 1D for this wholesome treat of a fic!

bad luck to talk on these rides by wordsnnotes (10430, General, Liam Payne & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post Warnings: mentions of aphobia

Liam just started dating Zayn and is desperate to make a good impression on Louis, his best friend. But things are off to an awkward start.

Reccer says: The friendship that developed between them became so meaningful, and I loved the platonic love that grew between them.

A Special Bond by Neondiamond (1110, General, Harry Styles & Niall Horan) - fic post

Niall and Harry take Harry's daughter Lilah out to see the Christmas lights over London.

Reccer says: It's very cute and sweet, both Niall and Harry dote on little Lilah. The linked pictures add a neat multimedia element as well!

[threeking]

... ⠀⠀יִיִ⠀𝃣 ⠀⠀ writeblr intro ⠀⠀ 💌 ⠀⠀ ── ⠀⠀ ;

hello ! my name is third king january but feel free to call me third or january ( or any other nickname you'd like ) ! i'm a twenty two year old black lesbian pursuing a graphic design major with a minor in art history and creative writing—considering media studies—who uses they/them pronouns !

ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ :⠀ 🍓. i think this may be my third or fourth time trying out a writeblr, but the other attempts didn't go well since i was busy and didn't put a lot of effort into interacting with my mutuals </3. this time around, i really want to be a part of the community and be more supportive of everyone's writing! my goal for this account is to share my wips, any writing, and keep motivated to do more than just stare at a blank document for hours </3.

i'm a big reader and i plan to share some of my recently reads on this blog. please feel free to send me book recs if you think it's something i might like or if you just wanna ramble about something you read that you really liked! my favorite genres are horror, magical realism, fairy tales and fantasy. i love beautiful prose that's almost poetic and ambiguous writing that has you questioning everything until the grand reveal.

my favorite books are: bunny by mona awad, deathless by catherine m. valente, and how to win the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone. the last two books helped me understand the kind of writing style i want to strive for as did poetry !! i don't have a whole lot of fav poems, but worm king's lullaby by richard siken is one that's always spinning in my head.

alongside reading i like manga, webtoons, videogames, and anime. my all time favorite anime is hyouka followed by angel beats and clannad. my favorite webtoon is omniscient reader's viewpoint and i can't recommend it enough. it's soosososo good! ( i started with the webtoon before switching to the novel bc i was too impatient to wait for the updates ) my favorite games are the halo series and oxenfree.

other interests of mine include music, drawing, art, watching youtube videos, journaling, horror movies, and sleeping 😴. i have a few graphic novels / webcomics in my wips so i'm learning how to draw to make them a reality! i also have a video game that's tied to another wip so i'm getting into coding as well !

please never be shy / afraid to tag me in ask games, send me an ask, or even a message! i also have a discord ( username: thirdking ) if you'd like to add me and message me there. also never think or feel like you're bothering me or anything if you wanna say hi or ramble about your interests. i'm always looking to make new friends !! 😁

i ask that minors don't interact or follow !! thank you !!

i have a handful of wips that's been running laps in my head for some time now but these are the ones ( excluding shorter stories ) that aren't multimedia projects or animation ideas, but i may talk about those anyways 😋 since most of these are still in the outlining stage they're subject to change but i'll make sure to update anything to reflect those changes !

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip one ; spring ( technically untitled but springs gna be in the final title )

the story follows two ex band mates reconnecting in their adult years after they parted ways when their front man signed a major record deal.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip two ; sisyphus

sisyphus stars three siblings at the center of a conspiracy 1!1!1 the oldest sibling, an astronaut, goes missing during a privately funded space mission embarking to a new planet found in the solar system. i wouldn't call this a greek retelling, but it does a feature a lot of nods to classic greek myths!

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip three ; atwe

atwe follows the mother of a teen superhero getting revenge after her kid is killed by an unknown villain. though it's my own special take on superheroes featuring my personal criticisms on teen heroes, it's also a study on family—in particular—distant family relations and saying i love you a little too late.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip four ; march marchen ( title will definitely change )

march marchen is my sort of alice in wonderland / fairy tale retelling that follows an unnamed girl in what might be wonderland trying to figure out who she is and who she isn't. ft parallel worlds, escapism, the fear of childhood, and the fear of adulthood.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip five ; neapolitan ( title will definitely change )

neapolitan is a magical girl webcomic / graphic novel. the story follows a trio of girls becoming the successors of a long line of ice cream inspired magical girls. ft a bright fun palette, gore, and cannibalism! though it's a webcomic, i intend to give it a novelization from the perspective of a different set of magical girls.

if you'd like to be added to a taglist please send me an ask! it'll be easier for me to keep track ! thank you for reading <3

[girls--complex]

what brand of sketchbook and pens do u like to use? :]

I mostly draw on anything I can find. Like I do just have a lot of Dollar store notebooks. If I want a multimedia or watercolor type paper pad I will get a canson usually because they tend to be well put together but to me that isn't a sketchbook it's a nice pad of nice paper. And for a nice pen genuinely my favorite is the super fine black posca which is technically a paint marker because it makes crazy irregular lines. Not going to lie tho most of my drawings are on cheap bond and done with cheap ballpoint pens.

I like this type of pen. And I chew the end of the pen, and I have so many and leave them everywhere I go. My Friends call them Morty Pens.

For Monotypes? I started them using more inexpensive brands of Japanese style kozo paper but I switched to bond because I wanted to make a lot of them and even cheap kozo is a bit more than bond. And it turns out the bond works well and because it's very short fibers pressed super hard, it soaks up the ink less and that is nice because I'm using this waterbased speedball ink that dries suuuper fast. The kozo would produce more evn tone but drink it all up off of the plate in one drawing.

I mean, kozo paper is truly magical and the mulberry tree is An Angel sent to man so that we can have the joy of producing beautiful papers for manifold purposes. But I also feel an affinity for cheap, industrial bond because I am born and raised in the technocracy.

Now if you were to work with a press or with a more substantial ink you would probably need kozo because kozo is very strong for how thin it is. For monotypes you would want to use a kozo paper that had relatively short fibers but is toothier than washi. It doesn't have to be a super nice, bespoke sheet, but you should be wary of ornamental sheets versus the ones that are intended for artmaking. Just in my opinion!

Anyway hope that helps.

[broomsticks]

HP fic rec list: underrated gems of 2022

AO3 collection here. mostly ultra rare pairs, gen fic, character studies, and G/T rated fic. all are short <10k-ish reads (plenty of <1k ficlets) - do give them a read if any look interesting!

transports of delight by @swoontodeath (1.7k, G). The Knight Bus meets the Catbus. Sometimes destiny looks a lot like driving in the same direction.

pairing: Knight Bus (Harry Potter)/Catbus (My Neighbor Totoro). come for the crack ship, stay for the autistic stan shunpike. i’m a sucker for outsider POV and this is why — such great opportunity for some unique characterization, which this author took full advantage of here!

-#-

Life of Pye by @houseofhebrideanblacks (9k, E). Augustus Pye sees patients at St. Mungo's.

SUCH a creative unique fic - love it when authors take their deep IRL expertise and weave it into the canon HP verse. as the author put it, for anyone curious about what a nonmagical doctor sounds like writing about what they imagine magical medicine is like, day in and day out.

“It’s Puddlemere versus the Cannons tonight. The cup final.” Pye stopped mid-stride and mid-thought, shoulders seeming to weep under the weight of realisation. “Oh no,” he almost whispered. “Oh yes,” Marge glowered, “and you’re alone tonight, Rupert is off sick.” “Good heavens,” Pye whimpered, his coffee seeming to shrink in his hand, both in potency and relevance. In the waiting room behind him, three blokes hurricaned in chanting “CANNONS, CANNONS, CANNONS,” their unconscious friend slumped and dragged between them. “You know how it is, Pye,” Marge turned and shuffled back to validate the young witch’s national insurance card. Speaking over her shoulder, she finished, “never a dull moment at Mungo’s.”

-#-

Strangers In A Strange Land by @sleepstxtic (7.5k words, T). Helga, Salazar, and Godric dock in a strange land looking for the elusive fourth member of their team.

helga/rowena, founders friendship with POC Rowena Ravenclaw and Viking Helga Hufflepuff. CANON NODS and POC REP and FEMSLASH and a wonderful fascinating setting — ticks every single one of my AU boxes. another incredibly inventive and criminally underrated story.

-#-

A Different Truth by @paulamcg (2.8k, G). A week before Halloween 1993, when a colleague appreciates his company, Cuthbert may feel alive, even though he's dead and it's Saturday.

ok this is the last time i will say criminally underrated. canon-compliant POA first person cuthbert binns & remus lupin. this could’ve been slash and i would’ve been sold on it. i love their friendship, bonding over literature (of course) and a walk in the woods (so unexpected, but works so well.)

-#-

Meagre Pieces by @vdoshu (1k words, T). The Muggle-born Registration Commission is announced, and Andromeda feels sick.

The fact that the first Muggle-born Minister for Magic was a great victory for equality . . . one which was never again repeated.

@thistlecatfics’s trans teddy tonks x andromeda is taking over the world and i’m here for it. the political commentary in this. doshu you absolute wizard — you’ve got such range and you nail it every. single. time.

-#-

O let the world come at you, love (currently anonymous) (5k, T). Twelve-year-old Harry tries to figure out his parents' polyamorous relationship with Peter Pettigrew.

the first fic for the peter/lily/james tag on AO3, gifted to me for this year’s rare pairs exchange, and it’s all the wholesome fluff i i could’ve wanted from this ship and more!!! so much poly rep!! background wolfstar+tonks (ish), dorlene+implied others, and just the perfect epilogue 🥰

"Does it bother you that your parents are with Pete?" Sirius asked. "No! I know they're polymers."

-#-

Nirmal by @crazybutgood (2.8k, G).

postwar cho/padma. i ADORE this fic. there are literally LINKS to all the places and foods and songs mentioned, it’s an ENTIRE immersive multimedia experience in 3k words - a beautiful and horrendously underappreciated fic, imo.

hawa paani ka badlaav hona chahiye—A change in atmosphere is often needed to improve one's health or state of mind. Literally, a change in the winds, and the water. Parvati quoted that saying to us one evening last month, suggesting that it would be good for Cho and me. My parents knew that I had been with Cho for just over a year then, and welcomed her to stay with us after the Battle … Cho actually looked interested at the idea and suggested our home countries for a month each. And so, we’re currently visiting Mumbai first, staying in a Muggle area at my Muggle maushi’s place, in July—during the monsoon season.

-#-

a heart the size of jupiter (a smile like the sun) by gghostish (300 words, G, no archive warnings).

linny, epileptic luna lovegood. such a lovely achy hurty little thing ❤️

-#-

métamorphoses by @venom0usbarbie (5k, M). The blood curse took her grandmother. And now, she has to pay the piper if she doesn't want it to take her too.

astoria greengrass-centric, astoria & hermione (gen/possible pre-relationship). this fic wow. where do i begin!! the descriptive writing. the angsty family feels. the way barbie writes the blurring of thoughts and feelings and emotions into physical sensations is harrowingly good. check out everything else by her if you liked this, her style is inimitable.

-#-

wood-rush and wildflowers by @nanneramma (500 words, G). Lily has a secret, and it's time to tell Petunia.

wonderful little canon compliant alternate character POV vignette, gorgeous writing. also reccing this horrorific pansy/tom (ad te omnis caro veniet, 1.3k, M), this gorgeously sad canon-compliant alice & neville (gaps, 300, G), and every single one of nan’s summer femslash double drabbles!

-#-

covered in your ivy by @girl-with-goats (1.5k, M).

smutty BDSM remus/lily with planty metaphors that just work so well for this pairing!

-#-

I Always Underestimate You by @patriceavril (10k, M).

sirius & lily friendship! multi-era, canon compliant, sirius/mary and jily. i love the way patrice characterizes this friendship -- it’s not always easy, and that’s why it feels so earned!

-#-

Madam Smith by @lumosatnight (200 words, G). HOKEY/WINKY! SO charming and sweet and lovely and fluffy.

A Bleak Midwinter by @bluesundaycake (500, T). A Fenrir Greyback character study. feel sorry for baby fenrir thank you bye <3

Pray by @krethes (300, T). A Hope Lupin character study. yes hello hi read and CRY WITH ME

The Prince's Poems by @inmyownlittlecorner5. seven poems, misc formats. this author writes the most enthralling snape, and making it poetry is just !!! unfair. such powerful writing in so few words.

[thelediz]

Sonic Underground watch along

Because… madness, is why. Almost twenty goddamn years ago, I started writing a crossover between the absolute worst piece of Sonic media ever and the games. That fic is The Lost Prince. I am maybe like… two or three chapters from finishing it. TWENTY YEARS AND THREE CHAPTERS. And I have no motivation. You cannot understand the pain this causes me.

So I’m watching the worst piece of Sonic media again in search of inspiration.

And I’m going to talk about it while I do it.

(Normally, I do things like this over on lediz-watches, but because this is specifically to explain some of my headcanons and inspire my writing, it’s here)

So let’s set the scene, first. This has become somewhat common knowledge in Sonic Tumblr fandom these days, but bear with me, because it’s important context.

(Also, the next paragraph is going to get me more death threats because I CERTAINLY HAVEN’T GOTTEN ENOUGH OF THOSE FROM THIS FANDOM, but we’ll carry on anyway because it’s important context)

Once upon a time, there was a cartoon series called Sonic the Hedgehog, now known as SatAM for reasons mostly relating to its timeslot. Sonic the Hedgehog was perfectly acceptable grimdark 90s environmentalist children’s programming which due to classic 90s multimedia marketing strategy also gave rise to the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comics. It got cancelled on a cliffhanger because that was the kind of thing that happened in the 90s where writers thought FOR SURE a cliffhanger would spare them from the dreaded 2-season contract. (It never did.)

The reason this matters is because the production house maintained the licensing rights to that particular branch of franchise. And they needed a quick cash grab.

For some reason which I will never understand, this spawned Sonic Underground, which is… an insane premise, cheap animation, surprisingly not terrible songs, and a handful of voice actors getting milked for every inch of their three-voice contracts.

Sonic is a prince! He has siblings that are TOTALLY NOT knock-off Princess Sally Acorn or Miles Tails Prower! They have magic necklaces! They save the day with music! Don’t notice the statues of King Max Acorn in the background! Knuckles’ grandfather from the comics is there! Knuckles has magic! The Floating Island has guns! Totally don’t pay attention to the fact that both the episodes and music tracks have separate licensing that will cost the networks extra! No we don’t have time to check for animation errors! ALSO let us use highly complicated political socio-economic difficulties of enlightenment and industrialism as world building BUT DON’T NOTICE WHAT WE’RE DOING just accept the ones we say are bad are bad and the good guys are good! Good? Good. Great.

It is a trashfire.

I adore it.

I have no excuse.

I do, however, have wine.

Let’s go, kids.

Sonic Underground 01: Beginnings

The plot (for want of a better word): Once upon a time, Queen Aleena of Mobius ruled a beautiful world kingdom city (?) and had three lovely babies: Sonic, Sonia, and Manic. An evil industrialist named Ivo Robotnik came out of nowhere and took over her city world kingdom (?), turning all the aristocrats evil. In desperation, Aleena turned to the Oracle of Delphi I mean Delphius who told her that she must hide herself and her children away, until they could reunite as the Council of Four and enter a glorious New Age.

This episode is about the three children growing up, realising they have siblings, magical music, and the much less exciting fact that they’re once and former royalty, and coming together through The Power of Harmony.

Now, this episode immediately showcases what I love about The Trashfire: its background worldbuilding. You are not supposed to notice the worldbuilding, but it’s there and it’s amazing.

Realistically, Aleena would have been an absolutely terrible queen. I am not in the least bit surprised her aristocrats followed Robotnik, who promoted science and industrialisation and then sold them cheap labour. Honestly. Compare that to –

The facsimile of the Hanging Gardens, right there in the first twenty seconds. The HANGING GARDENS. Beautiful, yes. Legendary, absolutely. Would I have loved to see it? Hell yes! A good use of time or resources or indeed environment? HAH. MEANWHILE –

Slums! I don’t care what your artistic imagery is telling me, those tight dark alleyways you’re running down were there before Robotnik took over, your majesty. And you’re wasting tax payer dollars mobiums on THE HANGING GARDENS.

Manic was supposed to go to a middle-class family – you can tell by the clothing of the person that comes to the door. And he’s immediately stolen. Don’t question why a thief would steal a baby (there are so many things we must not question), but notice that it took all of ten seconds. The crime rate in her supposedly perfect city is CRAZY.

Side note: Manic was supposed to go to a middle-class family! The triplets should have gone aristocrat-middle class-working class, but instead we skipped straight from aristocrat to working class and then down to thief, but Aleena NEVER INTENDED to teach her children about the underclass.

Is Mobius a kingdom? Is it a world? We don’t know. We will never know. It Just Is, and Robotnik rules it, while Aleena used to rule it. Stop asking questions.

Music is illegal. This is a real thing that has happened in fascist communities, by the way, usually as a way of controlling the youth. And yet Sonia and Bartleby are out looking for an illegal club. Bartleby is bitching the whole way, but he’s there and he’d looking because it makes Sonia happy and it says SO MUCH about the spineless little worm. I love him.

Anyway. Onto my episode notes:

These character designs. What are these character designs… In my fic I call the alien-looking thing mixes, and say it's what happens when too many super classes (like... canine, feline, fish, etc) interbreed, but really it's just WEIRD.

Goddamnit, I hate Sonia. Not because of her character itself – she is… fine. But I hated GRRL Power even when I was the target audience of it, because of reasons that I can and probably will eventually go on for hours about. But basically, I mostly just hate that she’s perfect at everything, and her only flaws are being bossy and over emotional. It’s not real character, it’s not real personality, and I hate it.

Oh. A thing I’d forgotten. Sonic Underground’s one and only positive influence on other Sonic media: this was the first western animation that gave the hedgehogs more than three spikes. Probably because 3D games were also coming and going to make it A Thing.

Also: Sonic’s Tragic Backstory! I make so much of these foster parents for so many reasons.

But uh… yeah, starting the first episode with the out of place smiles during emotional moments… Sonic and Chuck smiling blandly as the only home Sonic’s ever known burns to the ground in front of them…

Imagine if you’d never read the comics or watched SatAM. Uncle Chuck and his dump-base would be a such a strange thing to see…

Oh, wow… Sonic’s reaction to the Oracle of Delphius’s nonsense. “I’m a prince? Weird. I’m a BROTHER? HOLY CRAP!”

Poor Sleet and Dingo. They never wanted to be evil, but they’re… not even very good at it…

THE SONG: Someday. Meatloaf pop eat your heart out. You would never believe that this was actually a pretty good storyboard match for some legit music videos at the time.

Seriously, Oracle, you could have stopped all of this by just stabbing him instead of warning him. You aren’t a good guy. Don’t pretend to be.

The instrumental song! Legit Sonic music. In fact, this gives serious Sonic and the Secret Rings vibes… I demand more than thirty seconds.

“Oh no, my family has been captured and turned into a robot! But you say my necklace is MAGIC? Fascinating…!”

I mean, look. I can’t defend this thing. I won’t defend this thing. Even when I was a kid, I knew it was terrible.

But I’m having fun anyway.

Normally, on these posts, I'll do one at a time because I've just realised how LONG these are, but the first three episodes are really just an hour-long conjoined episode. And things like that are s why I know at least someone in the producer's studio legitimately thought the Trashfire was a good idea. They were wrong.

Anyway. Sonic Underground 02: Getting to Know You

The plot (for want of a better word): the three siblings set out as directed by the Oracle of Delphius. They encounter a trainer who teaches Sonic how to stop, Sonia how to spin, and Manic how to do cool tricks with his drum sticks that he will barely use throughout the series. Mostly, it’s an episode that introduces some overarching themes, like Sonic being impulsive and irritable, Sonia being prissy, Manic’s insecurities, the divide between proper girl and stinky boys, and that while the triplets will tease each other constantly, it’s always all for one if someone else comes after them.

…That made it sound much sweeter and better than it actually is.

Dingo… she’s not that pretty, and don’t let Sleet tell you you’re ugly. You’re both 90s villains. I’m sure someone’s made Rule 34 fanart of you.

Oh hahaha Sonia’s so out of touch, thinking there’s a maid and that a mouse is terrible ahahano. GUYS.

Look, I hate Sonia, I do, but I have to give her props that Sonic and Manic don’t. Two hours ago she was a sheltered aristocrat’s daughter, she’s stating her expectations, and when Sonic shuts her down she makes a quick joke and gets on with things. I appreciate the pragmatism. I will give her that.

Look, Sleet, you gave Dingo an instruction and he followed it. Don’t act surprised. (Spoiler warning: He will continue to be surprised.)

Okay, this is a weird thing that the show will play with occasionally. Sonic and Sonia trade off mission-focus tunnel vision all the time. Usually when they want the other one to seem flighty or impatient respectively. But Sonia loses her props for not just getting to the point when their lives are on the line.

And then the boys lose it for being Idiot Boys despite the conversation.

Ah, Sonic Undgeround’s weird timelines. How I’d forgotten them. Side note, I also have trouble with pacing and timelines when writing The Lost Prince, so I probably can’t blame it. But here, they’ve been walking for two days, and Sonia is only NOW asking what Manic did for a living.

(also, notice that even Sonia, sheltered aristocrat that she is, thinks everyone of their age should have a proper job. They are somewhere between the ages of twelve and sixteen, folks! I make way too much of this!)

Gondar. Is certainly not voiced by the same guy as Robotnik, I’m sure.

No one questions why Sonic has super speed. This is not considered to be his ‘hidden talent’. For Reasons.

Manic’s ability to make drum sticks fly around will never be mentioned after this episode, to my memory.

Three days plus however much training time… and Robotnik is only just now figuring out the map they found? Apparently the super genius can’t read.

Ahh, Manic’s insecurity. So very well founded. He’s right, I’d argue – Sonic’s speed and Sonia’s… whatever that spin thing is, they are both so much more powerful than being able to throw sticks. And this isn’t even Sokka in the Last Airbender thing, the sticks are basically useless and will continue to be so. His actual power (SPOILERS) is over the earth, to the point that the whole stick thing is a weird addition from the get-go.

I’ll be honest with you, the monks and the invisible stairs are the only things I ever remember from this episode, because it’s such a weird visual that isn’t important in any way.

Sonic implying less than 100% American heterosexuality counter +1

Okay, so this is another running theme with the series, where they’re going to say Sonic’s impulsiveness is a huge problem, but the times when it isn’t, he won’t do anything different, it will just be that either Sonia tells him what to do, or he suddenly shows far more battle skill than he does when the impulsiveness is a problem. This is a common thread in Sonic media, actually, and it always kind of annoys me because they never do it well. Everything is always Sonic’s fault, except when it isn’t. Yes, this is why I still haven’t gotten around to watching Sonic Prime.

The SONG: Working Together, in which 60s rock would like their style back, thanks

…Wait, that was it?

Oh, yeah, in a better show this would have been the second third of a long first episode, RIGHT.

Sonic Underground 03: Harmony or Something

The plot (for want of a better word): After having discovered Manic’s power over the earth, the triplets are told Sonic’s friend Trevor is in danger. They abandon their training to rescue him, only to uncover a scheme to hunt down the Oracle of Delphius! The triplets must think quickly and work as a team to save everyone!

Once again, Sonic being cranky disrupts the harmony and causes problems. 90s Sonic was always so cranky…

A bit of world building here again, that you surprisingly are supposed to notice: elementals (of which dragons apparently count) are a thing, and apparently common-place enough that they teach it in school. Now, the way the conversation is phrased, you’re supposed to think Sonic’s stupid for not knowing about it, but Sonia is the only one that does. This is absolutely where I got the idea that she’s the only one of the three that went to school. Which would make sense in context, but I am thinking way too hard about it…

“Control of the earth can set off powers beyond your control”… this will never come up again. Manic, you could have had such an epic character arc of growing arrogance and humility… Instead I have to think too much about it and read into Manic’s insecurity and make him into A Nice Guy and ughhhh I am such a problem.

“I have also learnt that you might have the biggest heart in the world” – this is about Sonic, and while I agree with this characterisation in general, I have not seen it in this series, and certainly neither has Sonia. But we move on.

 Jeez… yeah, Bartleby’s a sleaze and a problem, but again, put a little reality on this situation and he’s actually worth his salt. He ‘walks the fine line’ as per Sonia’s words, and is immediately threatened by the sight of a woman who was his social equal (if not better) having been robbed of her sentience and turned into a slave, and he still does nothing worse than continue to walk the fine line. He’s a jellyfish, but the man’s got integrity.

Dingo, in contrast, is a creep, and Sleet’s insults make like, no sense

Once again, Sonia knows all the things. Hacking, flying jets, this will keep happening… If a skill is needed, Sonia will have it, as a good 90s female. God, I hate her character type.

Manic… seriously, man, mortal peril is not the time to play around, but Sonia, snarking at Sonic during mortal peril is also not appropriate

And the first of Aleena’s guilt tripping holograms! Hooray!

THE SONG: Birds of a Feather… oh, the… the early 90s pop nostalgia… oh ouch… it hurts…

 …I appreciate Sleet’s pragmatism. It never works out for him, but I appreciate it.

Sonic implying less than 100% American heterosexuality counter +1

Aleena… Oracle… it… I get prophecy, but… you’re RIGHT THERE. Reunite! Save us the next 37 episodes and the unresolved ending! Or at least tell the kids to stop looking until they’re ready. Come on.

The prophecy is obnoxiously vague, by the way. In this episode, it’s… arguably implied that the triplets need to learn to be better before they can be given their rightful place as rulers, but I would argue that in 40 episodes, the show takes absolutely no steps to improve their characters and make them better leaders. And as I said last time, Aleena is implied to have been not great to begin with. So CLEARLY my solution to this whole problem is change the last two minutes of this episode.

But that was the opening movie! Ridiculously too fast-paced for what it was trying to do, terrible animation, amazing world-building, interesting characters, acceptable dialogue. Welcome to the Trashfire that I have loved for half my life.

Come back tomorrow if you want to know more!

[rpgsandbox]

Tired of the hassle of maintaining multiple miniatures, searching for the right one, dealing with lost or damaged pieces, carrying bulky cases, and constantly needing new miniatures for each character?

Introducing Doppel, the revolutionary digital miniature that transforms your gaming sessions into epic adventures filled with immersive sights and sounds. Say goodbye to traditional miniatures and hello to a new era of gaming excitement.

Doppel isn't just another gaming accessory — it's a gateway to a vibrant world where your characters come to life. With Doppel, you'll unlock access to hundreds of dynamic characters all in one sleek device. Compatible with the leading RPG games, Doppel elevates your gaming experience like never before.

Picture this: as game day arrives, your character's portrait illuminates the Doppel screen, instantly setting you apart at the gaming table. Whether it's the enchanting melodies of magical chants or the thunderous clash of swords, Doppel's immersive sound effects will captivate everyone in the room as you take your turn.

But Doppel offers more than just visual and auditory enhancements. With the intuitive app you can access your character's information with a few taps of the screen. And with the turn assistant feature, you'll never miss a beat, ensuring you're always ready to seize the moment. With Doppel, the power to switch between characters seamlessly gives you the freedom to embody any miniature you desire. 

Doppel is more than just a gaming accessory; it's a digital miniature that brings your characters to life, immersing you in a vivid world of adventure.

Picture this: as game day arrives, your character's portrait illuminates the Doppel screen, instantly setting you apart at the gaming table. Whether it's the enchanting melodies of magical chants or the thunderous clash of swords, Doppel's immersive sound effects will captivate everyone in the room as you take your turn.

But Doppel offers more than just visual and auditory enhancements. With the intuitive app you can access your character's information with a few taps of the screen. And with the turn assistant feature, you'll never miss a beat, ensuring you're always ready to seize the moment. With Doppel, the power to switch between characters seamlessly gives you the freedom to embody any miniature you desire. 

Doppel is more than just a gaming accessory; it's a digital miniature that brings your characters to life, immersing you in a vivid world of adventure.

Elevate your gaming immersion with Doppel's built-in speaker, designed to amplify every moment of your adventure. Dive into a rich soundscape as character-specific sound effects resonate from the device, from the thrilling clash of swords to the mystical murmur of incantations. And that's not all! Doppel lets you upload your own custom sounds!

Each sound effect transports you deeper into the game, infusing your characters with life and adding an exciting new layer of depth to every action. 

Experience the ultimate control over your gaming persona with the Doppel app, your go-to hub for character creation, management, and customization. Dive deep into crafting every aspect of your character's identity, from their name, backstory, to their appearance.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Share your meticulously tailored character profiles with friends and embark on an immersive shared narrative. With Doppel, you're not just playing a character; you're embodying a whole new identity.

Designed by gamers for gamers, Doppel understands exactly what you need for an immersive gaming experience. Its compact design fits into a standard 1×1 inch grid, and its no-slip base ensures stability during those intense gaming sessions.

Doppel effortlessly blends into your gaming setup. With easy customization and multimedia integration, this digital device eliminates the need to buy and store traditional miniatures while still preserving the tactile experience that they provide.

Unlock the power of connection with Doppel — it's not just about elevating your individual gaming journey; it's about fostering closer bonds between players. Connect with friends who also own Doppel devices, seamlessly sharing character profiles and co-creating a vibrant, shared universe.

With Doppel, every game is a chance to forge new bonds and deepen old ones, enhancing the social aspect of your gaming experience.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Fri, April 19 2024 2:57 PM BST

Website: [breadBoard.gaming] [facebook] [twitter] [instagram]

[beatle-yee]

what do you think of this alternate timeline where gen 4 of the rockafire gets released in the early 00's?

Rockin' into the New Millennium: Gen 4 Rockafire Explosion (Early 2000s)

In this alternate timeline, Creative Engineering Inc. unveils their most ambitious project yet: Gen 4 of the Rockafire Explosion in the early 2000s. This iteration explodes onto the scene, pushing the boundaries of animatronics and entertainment while staying true to the band's original spirit.

Technological Spectacle:

Servo Revolution: Gone are the limitations of hydraulics. Gen 4 boasts advanced servo motors and early AI, enabling lifelike movements, fluid dance routines, and expressive facial features.

Immersive Stage: Lasers, synchronized lighting, and interactive projections transform the stage into a multimedia extravaganza. The audience becomes part of the show, triggering effects and animations through touchscreens and voice commands.

Musical Evolution: The band's repertoire expands beyond classic rock, incorporating popular hits from the 2000s, remixing their own classics, and even dabbling in genre-bending mashups.

Holographic Collaborations: The show features special guest appearances, not just with live musicians, but also with holographic projections of iconic music legends, creating a mind-blowing visual experience.

Character Evolution:

Amplified Personalities: While retaining their core traits, the characters' quirks are cranked up to eleven. Billy Bob becomes the ultimate hype man, Looney Bird's inventions become even more outrageous, and Dook's spacey antics reach interstellar levels.

Dynamic Costumes: Their iconic looks get a modern makeover, incorporating trends of the early 2000s. Rolfe dons a hip-hop-inspired outfit, Mitzi rocks a colorful cheerleader uniform with a futuristic twist, and Fatz sports a bold new hairstyle.

Individual Showcases: Each character receives dedicated solo segments highlighting their unique talents and personalities. Fatz showcases his beatboxing skills, Rolfe pulls off impressive magic tricks, and Mitzi leads the audience in interactive dance routines.

Beyond the Stage:

National Tour: The Rockafire Explosion embarks on a nationwide tour, performing at major venues and children's festivals, captivating audiences across the country.

Interactive Website: A dedicated website allows fans to interact with the band virtually. They can vote on song requests, play online games featuring the characters, and even submit their own jokes and ideas for future shows.

Merchandise Mania: A wider range of merchandise is released, including plush toys with hidden voice chips that play iconic soundbites, video games featuring the band in interactive adventures, and behind-the-scenes documentaries showcasing the creation of Gen 4.

Showbiz Transformation: Showbiz Pizza undergoes a complete overhaul, becoming a themed entertainment complex. Interactive exhibits allow guests to learn about the history of the Rockafire Explosion and even create their own mini-animatronic characters.

But it doesn't stop there:

Animated Series: A new CGI-animated Rockafire Explosion series airs on popular channels, introducing the band's adventures and humor to a whole new generation of fans.

Theme Park Attraction: A dedicated Rockafire Explosion ride is built at a major theme park, transporting guests on a thrilling musical journey through the characters' world.

Charity Partnerships: The band partners with children's charities, donating proceeds from merchandise sales and even hosting special benefit concerts.

This is just a glimpse into the possibilities of Gen 4 Rockafire Explosion in the early 2000s. This timeline shows how the beloved characters could have evolved and adapted to a new era, staying relevant and engaging for a new generation of fans. What other exciting twists and turns would you like to see in this alternate timeline? Perhaps a virtual reality concert experience, a robotic pet version of Billy Bob, or even a Rockafire video game with interactive stories? The possibilities are endless!

Actually an interesting concept however this timeline does expand on what would happen if we were past Gen 2. Since this is in the early 2000’s I could see them sporting that cool look like CEC avenger era plus them expanding into theme parks is also and unique concept.

[laliwilde]

Captain Earthquake: Episode 1 - The Voices Hymn

An independently made mixed media musical cartoon about a pirate named Earthquake.

Hello! My name is Lali Wilde and I am a multimedia artist from Oakland, CA. I am currently creating this show, Captain Earthquake, entirely by myself. I make the music, act as different characters, draw and animate, and edit it all together. It's tons of fun.

This story originates from games I would play as a child, where I would travel through a wormhole in the sky into a magical land called Laliland. There, I was a new version of myself - a bizarre pirate named Captain Earthquake. Over the years, this world and its characters developed, and soon I started bringing the story to life, first through songs and drawings, and now through this cartoon. 

If you like complex lore and deep characters, this one’s for you. If you also like to just zone out and watch lots of pretty colors flash across the screen, this is also for you.

This project is a journey of self development and discovery. With each episode, I get to see the evolution of all of my artistic skills simultaneously. I also get to create a story that I think challenges the stories of popular culture. My aim is to create a narrative that surpasses traditional ideas of good and evil, and gives us examples of characters who learn and grow just like we do.

If you want to come along for the ride, please, join me! This is only the beginning.

Watch the full series HERE!

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[depizan]

I make many questionable reading decisions out of the combination of curiosity and working in a library. Well, and… I don’t want to chalk it up quite to being a writer, but the curiosity is sometimes very writer adjacent.

After reading Star Wars: Shadow Games, I chatted a bit with @pyr0clast about how some characters are unlikable because of how they’re written* and some are unlikable because they’re just…unlikable. And questionably a character in the case of Dash Rendar, who, at least in Shadow Games, seemed to be written to either be edgier Han Solo or definitely not Han Solo.

Which brings us to my latest questionable reading decision. An audio copy of Shadows of the Empire wandered by and I thought: “Huh, wonder if maybe it always boils down to how a character is written.”

I have yet to get to Dash, but hoooboy does Star Wars have a Villain Sue problem. I find Thrawn a bit much with his magic culture powers and very direct-line-to-the-author intelligence, but he’s got nothing on Xizor. With Thrawn, at least original flavor Thrawn, the realization that the author is just way too in love with his creation and is stacking the deck in increasingly improbable ways is a slow one. Xizor is That Guy’s character from moment one.

You’re sitting down to play your favorite role playing game with your friends and one of them brought a friend to join and, while everyone else has a character with a class from one of the official books and plausible stats and a reasonable background, that friend of a friend brought something else entirely. His character has a class from some on-line unofficial database and is a vampire lich demigod with maxed out stats and 11 billion gold/credits/dollars. But he’s still level 1, so it’s fine, right?

That’s Xizor.

Okay, so he’s not actually a vampire lich demigod. He is, however, a new, special race with pheromone powers, introduced just for him (or at least just for the Shadows of the Empire multimedia thingy) who’s an amazingly successful crime lord, in good with Palpatine, and obscenely wealthy. It’s just too much.

This does not bode well for the rest of the book, much less this author's handling of Dash Rendar.

*Which is what the whole Mary Sue thing should’ve focused on. It’s not purple eyes or being good at lots of things or even generally being liked that’s a problem, it’s the writer bending the rules of the universe into pretzels for a specific character.