#So I'm just sorta stuck in my own head with stories that I'm starting to get scared that I won't be able to do anything with

[mistystarshine]

God... I want to continue my Hazbin fics? I really loved them. But I feel so shitty and anxious about my writing in general, I'm not sure that I'll be able to. Any of them. Which sucks, but. My bigger issue is thst I'm starting to get scared that I won't be able to bring myself to submit any of my original stuff either. Like, submitting a short story I'm not proud of to a publication that I know will reject me is one thing. Making the attempt with something I put love and effort to and discovering that I'm not actually a good writer is another.

[itsthesinbin]

You Had It All. You Had Him. (Valentino/Reader)

Just a little idea of what if you and Val were close in life and ended up in hell together/how he'd treat someone he actually Likes that ISN'T on the same power level as him.

Suggestive at the end. Reader is Gender Neutral.

TW: the Vees being the Vees, possessiveness, codependency, implied abuse (not toward reader), implied drugging (sorta. val's saliva is like a pheromone), implied high/drugged sex (from said pheromone), implied stalking/voyeurism (from Vox)

if I'm missing anything on the tw just lmk

If you like it, reblog it!

-----------------------------------

It was no secret how possessive Valentino was, what with him having Vox install cameras everywhere to keep an eye on his “assets”. Only a select few people had the pleasure of holding Val’s affection- the definition of which would change depending on who the target was. Angel Dust was an unfortunate soul stuck on the more insincere end of Valentino’s “affections”, and was kept under as tight of a lock and key as he could get.

You were… a different story.

You and Valentino had arrived in Hell together, glued to the hip in life and now in death. You didn’t remember the details of your death. Valentino did, and he always told you the same thing when you asked: “Why does it matter? We’re here now, aren’t we?” You guessed he was right.

Valentino had taken it upon himself to keep you both safe in the literal Hell you both found yourselves in. Stuck on the streets, Valentino had sold himself to get the money needed for food. Then a hotel. Then weapons. You didn’t like guns- you were probably considered a hippie back in the day- but Valentino insisted you keep one on you. Taught you how to shoot.

Once the weapons were secured, he shifted from sex to robbery to get the money he needed. Or both, if he could get away with it. You were terrified he wouldn’t come back one day- leave you totally alone in the afterlife. Even if he was damaged, though, he always returned in one piece. He loved to play up how sore he was so you’d baby him. He always did, even before arriving here.

Eventually, your apartment was tiny and shitty, but it was a stable home. Rent was atrocious- you figured capitalism would survive down here. But you had food on the table, clean clothes, and even a few luxury items.

And Valentino. Throughout it all, you had Val.

You both grew into your new bodies and abilities. You weren’t nearly as powerful as Val, who had begun to persuade people to sign their souls away to him. You still felt sick at the idea of such a thing, so you stayed on the sidelines while Valentino rose to greater heights. Got better money by starting his own porn studio. Gave you better places to live.

Then Vox and Velvette arrived.

By this point, you and Valentino had moved into an actual home. Big, and Valentino decorated it in his signature pinks and hearts. Everyone knew this house, and everything in it, belonged to the newest Overlord to rise in the ranks. People avoided you like the plague.

You answered the door at the insistent knocking. You first saw the shorter woman who was immediately eyeing your outfit and then the foyer’s decor. Then you craned your head up to meet the eyes of a figure you actually recognized. How could you not? He was in every commercial and every news program.

Vox smiled the same smile he gives in his interviews. The kind you give someone to disarm them. Valentino had the same talent, so you saw through it instantly. But you stayed polite. These two were powerful by themselves- you didn’t want to anger both of them.

“Hello there,” Vox started, sticking a hand out. “Vox, and this is my associate Velvette. This is the home of Valentino, right?” You shook his hand firmly, ignoring how his claws snagged the skin of your wrist from how long they were. Velvette didn’t go for a handshake, so you left her alone.

“Uh… yeah, he’s… upstairs. Let me go get him- make… yourselves at home,” you got out, undead heart hammering in your chest as they made their way to your couch. You would pray to God that Valentino wasn’t about to get killed, but you guessed God didn’t give a shit about you if you were down here.

You knocked on his door, cringing slightly when you heard a faint sigh. He hated being bothered when he was in his office. He took that time to edit the videos he recorded at the studio. It took a minute, but he eventually unlocked the door and opened it. Red smoke wafted out after him. You coughed slightly and waved it away, only for your wrist to be caught in a firm grip. You could tell he was annoyed.

“Mi vida, I’ve told you before-” you cut him off before he could continue to berate you.

“Vox and Velvette showed up. What did you do?” You told him, hissing the question quietly out of fear. His eyes widened, and his grip on your arm tightened a fraction. Then he let you go.

“Go grab your gun and hide it under the back of your shirt,” he instructed, a hand moving to your cheek. Your ears went back, and another hand settled on your hip. He smiled that charming smile- the one that always put you at ease.

“Hey, hey, mi cielito, I’ve kept you safe this whole time, haven’t I? Trust me, and get your gun. Only pull it out if I tell you to.” You swallowed, then nodded. With a purring little “good”, he let you go to grab his own. He was a little more brazen, keeping its holster visible on his hip. He headed downstairs while you went to get your own weapon. You figured he’d want you to be the element of surprise. You took a deep breath, then made your way down after him.

Val was greeting the two when you arrived. He sat down on the heart shaped loveseat, and held two of his arms out. You sat with him, leaning into him on instinct. His strong arms went around you securely, one hand immediately playing with your hair while the other settled on your hip. He always liked to put his claim to you on display. Had to, in this place. You saw Velvette sneer slightly, and Vox’s smile tightened in annoyance.

“Valentino,” Vox started, deciding to just ignore your presence. You were fine with that. Val was the businessman here.

“My partner and I come with a business proposition. You’re quickly becoming a very powerful Overlord- it’s impressive! But, with how long some of the others have been here, you’re bound to hit a… roadblock, so to speak.” Valentino frowned, tapping his foot angrily. In hopes of keeping his mood swings in check, you pressed closer and patted his chest. The claws in your hair scratched along your scalp gently in response.

“We’d like to offer a business partnership. Here at V- uh-” he coughed, trying to cover up the fact he was about to go into his actual business spiel. You and Val couldn’t help but snicker. Even Velvette snorted slightly as Vox grew flustered. He cleared his throat.

“The terms are simple: join us, and we’ll help keep your territories under control. You’ll get access to my very own brand for your work, too- cameras, lights, editing equipment…” That got Valentino’s attention. He perked up slightly, and Vox’s grin widened.

“I’m sure Velvette could even spare costumes and makeup.” “Sure can. Also got an idea for a love potion, if you’d be willing to help me develop it,” she smirked. Valentino’s hand stilled. A quick look at his face told you that he was considering it. Vox looked at you, and Val’s grip on you tightened. You knew instantly that Vox had leverage. You had a sinking feeling as Vox got a predatory look in his eye.

“And, of course, I can offer protection- for your actors, your assets… and whoever else may need it. I can have guards stationed at all times, and cameras everywhere.” Val’s hand slid from your head and down your back.

“... Give me a few days to think about it.” Vox and Val shook hands, and you saw your guests out. Valentino was deep in thought when you turned around.

You both were moved into Vox’s tower by the end of the month.

Which led you here. Dolled up in red and hearts and with a very obvious collar around your neck. You never signed a contract- not that Valentino needed you to. Even before dying, you relied on him. It was worse now- he had given you everything, and you didn’t think anything of it.

You sat in your lavish room, with Kitty brushing out your hair to get you ready for your date. The collar with the heart shaped name tag weighing heavy like lead stared back at you in the mirror. The camera in the corner behind you moved slightly, centering you in its lens. You knew Vox was watching you. He was watching everyone.

The door opened to reveal Valentino, who was absolutely delighted to see you. The shoot must’ve gone well, if he was in this good of a mood. He came over and all but shoved Kitty out of the way.

“Go get Papi a drink,” he barked at the robot, who scurried off quickly. Then he parked himself in a chair behind you, taking over where Kitty left off. Of course, he barely did anything before his mouth found its way to your neck.

“Almost ready to go, baby?” he all but purred. You rolled your eyes slightly in response.

“I would be, if you hadn’t kicked my hairdresser out,” you joked. He huffed, before pulling you back against him with his second set of arms.

“What can I say? I prefer having you to myself.” There was a tone to his voice that sent a shiver up your spine, and at this point you didn’t know if you liked it or not.

He finished your hair, turning your vanity chair around so he could see you fully. His face lit up at the hair, makeup, and outfit. He always liked to dress you to match whatever he wore under his wings that day, and gave you your own pair of heart shaped glasses.

“I could just eat you up, you know,” he hummed, hands traveling along your hips and up your arms. You felt your heart beat against your ribcage. The look in his eye, the way he grinned, said that he really could if you’d let him. The sound of Vox’s security camera moving made him twitch.

His wings flew open, blocking you from view. A hand went up to your face and his thumb stroked your cheek. You knew Vox and Val had a… relationship, so to speak, and it didn’t bother you too much. Free love and all that, a you from the past would’ve said. But Val was very particular about who you spent your time with- or who got to see him let his guard down with you.

“Maybe we can be a little late to dinner. I’m sure they’ll make an exception for us,” he grinned, red trailing down his chin as he leaned in. The sweet smell that always radiated off of him was a lot stronger now that he was close.

The familiar haze of Valentino draped over you as soon as his tongue was in your mouth. You felt your eyelids flutter and your muscles relax as his strong arms lifted you off the seat. You vaguely heard the whirr of the camera’s motorized joint following you. You stared into the lens over Valentino’s shoulder, as your demonic boyfriend trailed his tongue along your neck. You could tell it zoomed in on you both. From how Val let his wings back down, you guessed he wanted Vox to see. You didn’t argue.

You two didn’t end up going to dinner, instead staying in your bed until you both grew too tired to continue. Val snored away, head on your chest an antennae tickling your cheek. Your hand trailed up and down his back lightly, just how he liked it when he first got his wings and his spine stayed so sore as he adjusted.

In quiet moments like this, you could almost pretend you two were back in your shitty one bedroom apartment. Struggling day by day with you budgeting whatever money Valentino could bring in, but happy that you had each other. You were suffering, but you suffered together.

Now the collar dug into your neck, as he liked you to keep it on whenever you were with him. Another way of his to lay his claim. You ignored the fact you would see his brand on his workers. How that new spider demon hung off his arm when you would bring something to the studio and stared at you either with jealousy or despair. How you’d overhear Valentino be furious and angry behind a door and as soon as you’d enter he was back to his adoring self.

You didn’t really have any other option, not with how deep you’ve let yourself dig the whole that was codependency. You were terrified of being alone. Even if you could be, Vox has eyes and ears everywhere. You’d never get a chance to leave. You had no idea if you wanted to.

Valentino’s obsessions and possessive nature seeped into every aspect of his life. His videos, the way his actors were dressed, the way every little thing was personalized just for him. Including you.

You were safe. You were taken care of. You were protected. And, just like it’s been since the beginning of your afterlife, you had Valentino.

[oreo-oro-orero]

Ekko and Mel are really stuck between a rock in a hard place when it comes to how they're perceived by the fandom.

The grievances that black Arcane Fans have with how Ekko and Mel are and were treated by the fandom will either never fully be understood or outright ignored by non black sections of the fandom. I think a reason for this is because Arcane as a setting is very much a broad look at class disparities, it's something everybody regardless of race or ethnicity can relate too and that's great in its own right because it does allow for more general discussions about the show but I think that because it's so broad that when POC fans start to point out things they may not like or problems they have with this depiction they often get ignored because of the general setting.

Ekko and Mel already have a hurdle to cross just by being black characters in general but I think because of the setting and because of their roles within the story that this is sorta amplified. Bad faith interpretations, cruel headcannons, like the fact that people unironically think that Ekko is "getting in the way" of Zaun's independence I think shows how far the plot has been lost (this is prevalent on reddit mostly tbf).

Ekko and Mel also committed the cardinal sin when it comes to being a black character which is getting in the way of a ship between two white characters. Mel is just either outright ignored or demonized to the fullest degree. I mean the way she talked about you would think she is the main villain of the show. Ekko on the other hand while not forgotten is still met with a level of disdain and look I get it, if you had a ship you really liked and another ship comes along and not only starts to get popular but also have the slim chance of becoming canon I get how you can get defensive over your personal ship but commenting on Timebomb ship art and post with counter ships or how it "will never happen" is just rude and uncalled for and it's not even like Timebomb is a new thing, it's been a thing since Ekko's release and maybe it's just me but the fact that Jinx has like five other ships but the one where she happens to be shipped with a black character is also the one that seems to get the brunt of the ire does make me side eye a bit.

Overall this was just a little rant I had in my head for a while now and I know at the end of the day all of this probably isn't as serious as I'm making it out to be but look I just really like Ekko and Mel okay😭

[brotherwtf]

I feel like nobody has written enemies to lovers trope for Clegan. In highschool!au Gale despite being a "nerd" he's very popular among the students.His perfect face, his perfect scores, his hair everything has a fan club of their own and equally popular Bucky is the resident jock-Playboy™ who's the captain of the football team. Gale does not like Jhon at all. Hates everything about him. While Jhon keeps picking on him, teasing him, challenging him only because he has a huge crush on Gale. Eventually Gale loves the attention, loved the teasing and gives it back to Jhon the right way. Gale is forced to go on a school trip and somehow is stuck with Bucky. Maybe lost in the woods idk and their feelings starts to come out. Bucky in a heated argument confesses he's only been a brat towards him to hide his feelings and he probably fell in love with him at first sight. Gale confesses he likes him too. They make out and eventually find their way back to everyone. Bucky's friends grinning guessing something happened and Gale's fanclub glare at him for getting Gale into trouble.

This sounded so much better in my head but it's sounds so boring and cliche when typed out

hey anon! I straight up don't care about cliches anymore, the reason they're cliches is bcs they're just good content! I think this could be a great story lol

I do think their personalities are so different and clash in multiple ways that I'm surprised no one has written an enemies to lovers; I think the high school setting would be perfect for that because teenagers are absolutely insufferable. They would think all of the posturing is a personal attack as opposed to showing affection and just root in their personal beliefs that the other person hates them (everyone at school knows they're in love)

hoo boy I can already imagine the confession scene and I gotta tell ya, it's perfect lmao. my fave confessions are when they accidentally slip out during an argument. I think Gale would be grilling John about getting them lost, and John would be getting all defensive about it, claiming he's not perfect like "King Cleven". Gale would scoff at the nickname and start egging him on more, calling him dumb or a meathead or smth.

John starts getting even more defensive and closed off, attacking Gale and his "fanclub" and wondering why he even has friends at all. He maybe would start listing all of the things that annoy him about Gale, how smart he is, how put together he is, how just perfect he is, and Gale would scoff and say smth like "Didn't know you were in love with me"

And then it just sort of slips out, John is in love with Gale and he stops in his tracks at the realization. He stops arguing with Gale and just sorta looks sheepish, maybe just says like "Of course I am". Maybe Gale doesn't even say anything and just kisses him instead. They make out, hilarity ensues they live happily ever after.

I love high school aus they're so dumb and young and silly. I think this would make a great fic anon, don't be so hard on yourself!

[sarahsmi13s]

💜 Get To Know Your Moots 💜

thank you @desert-fern and @startrekfangirl2233 for the tags!

everything under the cut because i yap

What’s the origin of your blog title?

my og username used to be part of my email when I first made this blog, but after coming back I changed it to what it is now to match all of my other social platforms! Sarah Smiles by P!aTD is one of the only songs that has my name in it and one of my friends in middle school mentioned something about it one day and it just kinda stuck!

OTP(s) + ship names

I'm not really a huge canon/canon shipper unless they were already together, just never has really been my thing until sorta recently. I've written some Hangman/Rooster (hangster) in TGM. Buck/Eddie (Buddie) in 911, the writers just better not fuck it up. I did ship Buck/Tommy (Tevan) since they were canon, but that storyline is over now so they're just a little moment but not something I'm holding out hope for lol. I'm also a Lucy/Tim (Chenford) in The Rookie, and I hope the writers can bring that couple back and do it better. Astarion/Gale (Bloodweave) in Baldur's Gate 3. Shadowheart/Lae'zel (Shadow'zel) also bg3. and Wyll/Karlach (Wyllach) -- all of theses ships are canon to me if my tav/durge isn't interfering but then I have a set up for that don't worry 😂

Favourite Colour

I am a big purple girlie -- all hues but I have preferences towards lavender, royal purple, and the bluer shades! have been since I was little! but I love greens too, sage and forest are my go to's. but I also adore a good yellow! I rarely come across a color I don't like, if I'm completely honest. all colors are great, they just sometimes get grouped wrong

Favourite Game

as mentioned above, I have been playing Baldur's Gate 3 a lot. only 1 completed play through (though I held out at the epilogue party bc I couldn't say goodbye just yet and I did start a new run with that tav for fanfic purposes and cried remaking her) and I have about 4 others (3 tavs and 1 dark urge). and you can ask the servers I'm in... I can't shut up about them I'm also sort of getting into the sims, mainly just to build and have casual fun. and I'm looking forward to getting into dragon age (thanks to @horseshoegirl -- lucky has gotten me hooked). I also love the resident evil games though I haven't played them. and then the long list of games from my childhood that I watched Markiplier and JackSepticEye play. I also love a good card/board game

Song stuck in your head

currently it's "Would You Fall in Love with Me Again" from Epic: The Musical -- it won't leave

Weirdest habit/trait

um in Baldur's Gate, i have to organize the camp chest by putting things in designated boxes. bc I loot everything 😭 and I have so much food that I'm glad doesn't go bad in game because I've brought raw meat and veggies from act 1 all the way into act 3. outside of that, I don't know -- I assume by organization habits may translate? but I don't really know

Hobbies

writing, the occasional reading, playing video games, cooking when I have the things I want to cook available, bugging my mom, annoying my friends on the internet (only half joking 😂)

If you work, what’s your profession?

currently not working, but I have an associates in law enforcement, though I don't know what I would with it at this point in my life. it just doesn't feel like me anymore

If you could have ANY job, what would it be?

there's so many things: if I could find just get a grip, and build my own story, I would love to actually write a book (though I'd need to mature a little more in my skills I think). voice acting has been a big aspiration as of late as well, I blame this in on bg3 and the absolutely brilliant work done by the VAs on that work

Something you’re good at

oh jeez making me be nice to myself... I'd like to say I'm a good writer, all of my moots are (this is a fact and I will fight them on this) I have a lot a room to grow, but who doesn't? I do like to think I'm a pretty good cheerleader for my friends (I feel like I've been slacking lately though) and I'd also like to think I'm good at character analysis, and tearing apart fan fiction like I'm an English teacher

Something you’re bad at

a lot but if I had to pick, maybe like sticking to routines? which is weird, because I like having them, but they are very hard to change so I always revert back to before

Something you love

my friends (online and irl), family, writing and indulging in my friends story ideas to help them as best I can, video games (I'm a whore for story driven ones), food, music, YouTube, movies/tv -- I could keep going but I'd be here all day

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff

baldur's gate 3, 911, the rookie, some bits of the mcu (phase 1 to early phase 4), my fanfics and ocs, things I just blab to my mother about that I won't say here because it's a long list

Something you hate

my feet always being fucking cold and my inability to finish a fic atm <- there's more but again... we'd be here all day and this is my main issue other than my brain on occasion

Something you collect

fanfic ideas (my wheel is collecting drinks on tab), bg3 tavs (I'm playing through every romance and writing fics for it -- but after that I'm not stopping so tavs galore), and random shit I probably don't need

Something you forgot

a lot of stuff I learned in math, I was good at it at the time, but now? I don't remember the fancy equations. and until now, to move the little "today" magnet on my calendar

Love language?

all of them, honestly, though I'm more of a gift giver than a gift receiver. touch (gimme cuddles, hand holding, kisses, hugs -- all of it), quality time (we could literally sit in silence doing our own thing and it's great), and words of affirmation (I just really need verbal reminders some times alright? my brain is loud) are the big 3

Favourite movie/show

right now? probably 911 and the Rookie but NCIS and pre-season 11 Criminal Minds are a love of mine (nothing wrong with the newer stuff, I just have feelings connected to the early stuff). also I miss Adventure Time and Gravity Falls. movie wise: movies Glen Powell is in, but that's a given. Marvel movies (again phase 1 to early phase 4 -- haven't watched a lot of the new stuff yet) and when I was kid, I scratched the disc for Finding Nemo because I watched it so much

Favourite food

I'm pretty picky, so a lot of my favs are basic. but since I've started cooking things myself/helped cook -- I've ventured out more. but fajita quesadillas (steak and chicken), pizza (rolls and bagel bites included), grilled cheese, turkey and cheese sandwiches are generally safe options. then I've recently tried salmon, so good. and chicken and dumplings in my current go to cold weather food.

Favourite animal

outside of your classic pets (dog, cat, bunnies, bird, fish): foxes, wolves, otters, highland cows, ball pythons, probably more that I can't think of. (the fictional owl bear, they're cute don't judge me)

What were you like as a child?

I think I was relatively normal as a kid. went to like a "headstart" preschool which helped me be academically ahead, I guess? I'm not really sure, but I was a relatively smart kid and that preschool helped with that I think. I played sports, softball and basketball mainly. I loved (and still love) swimming. I played pretend a lot, which maybe is why I love writing so much. relatively well behaved, dropped a few "f bombs" though (it was like twice and my sisters bring it up still). and like I mentioned before, religiously watched Finding Nemo -- my mom would but it on because it was the only thing that would keep me occupied. the wiggles were another big one (I was hyperfixating, but no one knew it yet)

Favourite school subject

going off high school: math probably, I was good at it. I liked science a lot too. history was fun in high school -- mainly because of the teacher (she dressed up). English (lit) was okay, I just didn't like being told what to read and the teachers (8th and 11th grade) analysis was always bullshit out of the lesson plan and if you had something different it was just flat-out wrong and didn't even let you explore your own train of thought -- just told you that you were wrong with no explanation. (my 7th, 9th and 10th grade teachers were great though loved them)

Least favorite subject

adv physical science -- teacher got sick, not her fault but she was out for the last half of the years and it really hurt our grades for a bit because the regular phys-sci teacher wasn't grading us right, and it left a bad taste in my mouth for pays-sci English (lang) -- I write how I talk, which I know isn't really correct, but I just, it felt like it didn't make sense they way she taught it. (most of my subject issues are literally just me with grudges against the teacher bc they weren't helpful)

What’s your best character trait

I feel like I'm a kind person, or at least I do my damnedest to be. I try to be as helpful as I can when in positions to do so. I'm always trying to make sure that I'm mindful of others. I put my all into things, I'm very passionate. I listen and give advice when I can. I'd like to think I'm funny.

What’s your worst character trait (I get a little deep... sorry 😅)

I'm sure you noticed above, I'm very unsure of how people actually perceive me so it causes a lot of "I think" or "I'd like to think" statements. I'm often very in my head, and I care a lot about how others feel/think about me -- which I know isn't inherently bad, but it's not very good either. I beat myself up a lot, and I can get myself in really not nice headspaces. I also tend to bottle up my feelings, which isn't fair to me or others that may want to help -- but I don't want them to feel like it's their fault even though it's really not and I don't want them to feel like I'm trying to get them fix me or that I'm just fishing for validation (no one that I'm friends with has ever said this or made me feel that way, it's entirely my own head). but I preach communication, but I lack the practice in it because I'm scared to upset people -- I'm just a mess 😅

If you could change any detail of your job right now, what would it be?

probably the fact I don't have one 😂 it's a pretty easy fix though

If you could travel through time, who would you most like to meet?

oh that's a tough one -- some of them, there's a language barrier. others, I would end up screwing over the timeline with. so maybe like, just going back in time and talking with my pop who died when I was little, just so I can have that little window of extra time with him

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics! I have been an awful reader lately, fandom jumping is hard. I'm behind on everything but I've been privy to so much background stuff with my amazing friends! and I will tag their work (finished and wips) and please check out the one shots and other works that these people have done as well you won't regret it

Top Gun

Damn Those Dog Tags by @horseshoegirl - it is a finished work, but I haven't finished reading it. I highly recommend that you check it out if you haven't because Lucky poured her heart and soul into this and it is just a beautiful piece!

Set Me Alight by @horseshoegirl - a work in progress and i have loved being a part of the process in seeing this come to life as she writes this! i highly recommend this as well!

You Are My Soulmate by @startrekfangirl2233-writes - a work in progress. i believe this is the first thing a read of star's before we actually talked! a lot of ups and downs in this piece! i recommend giving it a shot

star has so many other yet to debut pieces, and I love them all so be on the lookout for them!

A Gun Amongst Daggers by @desert-fern - a finished piece, but again, I haven't finished reading it. another one I was lucky to witness the process of and I adored it all! please go show it some love fern really put her all into it

Anatomy of an Arsonist by @desert-fern - a work in progress and I have loved being a part of watching this story evolve and grow. she's put so much love and detail into this, I highly recommend

You Catch S.W.A.T Officers with... Muffins? by @desert-fern - a cute little one-shot with Nix that is just absolutely adorable and sweet, if you need a feel good this is where you go!

Anything by @topguncortez , @sebsxphia , @roosterforme , @teacupsandtopgun and so many others are highly recommend as well. And again, please go show anyone tagged here some love on their works if they are your style! they all have so much work that I couldn't possibly but it all down, and search out for smaller pages too -- they're deserving of love too 🫶🏻

Baldur's Gate 3

there are so many that've just been reading through on the search page so I'll be tagging the accounts I see a lot!

@moonselune

@astarionancuntnin

@reverieblondie

We the Stolen by @fangbanger3000 (only on ao3) - I adore this story, it's so captivating and interesting! a definitely rec if you're looking for something unique (please please please! ready the warnings before proceeding)

there are so so so many others if you're a bg3 girlie (gender neutral) give the tags a scroll, you won't regret it

911

@achilles-rage -- has plus!size and race inclusive readers! please please give them a look if you're needing a little love

@megalony -- all of their 911 pieces are very emotional and I think capture the characters in a unique way that is still true to them!

~~~~~

no pressure tags: @horseshoegirl @teacupsandtopgun @sebsxphia @achilles-rage @lovinglyeternal @bradleybeachbabe and anyone that wants to join!

[thedragonagebigbang]

Bang Creator Interview: Tumblr: @exalted-dawn  |  AO3: Exalted_Dawn

The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Dema, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!

Interview with Exalted Dawn

Ed and Dema talk collaboration, developing a personal style, and a bunch of stuff Dema had to redact but is leaving in to build suspense. 

Dema: I know in the beginning you were debating whether to participate as a writer or an artist, and you went with artist. What was the main driver of that decision?

Ed: It was definitely a combination of a few things. Workload and time allotment being the main influencing factors. My attention span when it comes to writing tends to be a bit all or nothing. I can have periods where I can churn out one thousand words in an hour and then go like two weeks without writing anything at all 😂 And then on top of it, with the new game coming out I was sorta trying to factor in how that would affect my ability to stick to a schedule. Drawing is a lot easier for me to sort of one and done over a weekend so I figured it might be better to start there for my first Bang.

Dema: Oh this is your first Big Bang! I don't think I knew that 😂

Ed: YUP LOL

Dema: When you do a collaboration like this, that isn't a commission but is based on another person's work, how do you navigate that process?

Ed: Well, from a starting standpoint, I really like to have a lot of communication with the person I am partnered with. I love collaboration work and really strive to capture the energy of whatever source material I'm working from. So getting the author’s opinions on their own story beats is a huge help. But aside from that, the element of choice in this sort of project definitely played a part. I got to choose a prompt that fascinated me, and then from there, I read through the material the author currently had and chose a few scenes that really struck me with a strong mental image. Something that when I read it, I immediately thought "Oh that would be neat to see in a picture!" From there, it’s back to touching base with the author and making sure that what ideas I have sorta line up with their vision. I want to make sure its respectful of the work its being based on, while still sorta playing to my own interests as an artist and a fan :3

Dema: You're a very prolific artist, how do you keep all these ideas organized? Do they behave themselves up there in your brain?

Ed: HAH! I would like to say that there's some sort of rhyme and reason to my creative process, but if I were being honest, they mostly tumble about in my brain. When I get stuck on an idea, I tend to fixate on it and continue to develop it in my head the more I think on it. With this prompt specifically, I was immediately hit with this idea of a vibe I wanted to get across in my art from the moment I read it. And then that continued to build and build, until I was left with these pretty complete ideas,  accompanied by atmosphere and layout, that I became stuck on. After that, I just laid them out on paper. (The bounty of inspiration certainly didn't help to make the decision easy XD)

Dema: Are you drawing inspiration from anywhere besides the source material for this piece?

Ed: I AM! There were several pieces my mind immediately went to when I was reading through the source material. Lord of the Rings (specifically the cinematic scenery of the Mines of Moria) and The Song Of The Sea were both big ones that I drew immediate parallels to. The huge scale and vast landscapes as well as the beautiful pattern work and 2D story book style typical of Cartoon Saloon’s work were both things I immediately latched onto for this. But more abstractly, having just read [REDACTED], I was already in the mindset of [REDACTED] when I got assigned to this prompt. Since this one is also leaning into the [REDACTED] genre, it sorta pushed me towards these concepts of strong lighting contrast— stark shadows played against bright light. Bold silhouettes.  I was even considering playing with a black and white inked style with colored accents and a heavy focus on crosshatching to get that sort of [REDACTED] look at one point.

Dema: Mmmmmmm how much of that am I gunna have to redact 😂[narrator voice: it was a lot]

Ed: You can totally just delete the second half if that helps XD

Dema: I don't want to DELETE it I'm just gunna redact it haha. IT'S FINE. Also I love that. Sin City vibes.

Ed: YEAH!

Dema: How did you develop your personal style?

Ed: Many years of frustrated grunting at my own artwork kjdhfhjsgvfd LOL no but actually, what I consider to be most typical of 'my style' (and for this question, I'm going with the main illustrative style I typically use for projects like this, since I definitely have multiple) came about pretty much by accident for the most part. I basically stumbled upon it. I had spent many MANY years developing my skills from, like, middle school up through college, first with pencil and paper and then with a very large desk mounted display tablet, and was sort of trying to get to a point where I was satisfied with the look of my own work. It was a slow process, and I hadn't really been satisfied with my progress and where I was. In an attempt to sort of switch back to the more familiar feeling of pencil and paper, I had gotten an ipad to draw on since it was of a more similar size. I had been playing around with it, and was struggling with the pressure settings on my pen for making line art specifically, so I sorta just threw my hands up in the air and said "Y'know what?! I'm gonna try lineless cause why not!" I made this small, lineless doodle of my Dungeons & Dragons character at the time, and suddenly it all just sorta clicked into place! I've been basically drawing like that ever since, but with the aforementioned handful of stylistic exceptions XD

Dema: What do you feel like you are striving for in your body of work? Or I guess, is there a theme or a feeling or a "spirit" in your work you're hoping to convey?

Ed: HMMMMMMMMMMM THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION! I wouldn't really say I'm striving for any single theme all throughout my work (part of the reason why I have multiple distinct styles is so that I can really draw out the desired vibes I'm aiming for in each individual piece). But from a general sense, I think I tend to focus a lot on capturing emotion and atmosphere, especially in the lighting and color I use. As for the spirit I often capture— I don't think it's super intentional on my part, but for my lineless artwork specifically, I definitely get that there is this sort of adventurous, almost whimsical spirit to a lot of what I draw. Rather than dark dramatic pieces, with lots of sharp lines and dynamic movement, there's this sort of softness and quietness to a lot of my work, like capturing a peaceful moment between all the big dramatic stuff. Even for the tonally and visually 'dark' pieces. Which— honestly— I think speaks a lot more to my own personality and preferences than I maybe intend 🤣

Dema: I love that a lot. Thank you for such thoughtful answers, and for taking the time to be interviewed today! I can't wait to see the final piece.

[snippychicke]

It's Just Business

Part Five: Lifestyle

I don't know when I can get on my computer next, so instead of making you wait I figured I'd just post via mobile. Not as fancy, but who cares, right?

AO3 | Master post

You and Nami split a bedroom, filled partly with items from your old ship and her own items.

It was your first time having a female friend - was it too soon to be friends? - let alone one your age. It was both thrilling and nerve wrecking at the same time, especially considering you were now living together.

"So hey, I have a question," Nami spoke as you settled in for the night.

"Uh, shoot?" You said as you climbed into your hammock, pulling a blanket around you.

"You and Sanji?" Nami asked. "Half the time you two are acting like a couple, the other half you're arguing and he's flirting with me - or any other women in the area for that matter. What's up with that?"

You were still stuck on the whole 'couple' notion that you barely heard the rest of her words. You? Sanji? A couple? "W-we we aren't… no. Not at all."

She tilted her head as she settled into her own bed, a wicked smile on her face. "You say you're not, but your red face says otherwise."

"We aren't a couple," You stated more firmly. "Never have been, and-and probably never will." Ow. You did not expect that to hurt as much as it did to admit that outloud. "We've been friends since we were kids, and were never really around others our age very much, so we just kinda… bonded. In our own little odd way."

Nami hummed thoughtfully, though she still had a faint smile on her face. "How do you feel about him?"

"Is this an interrogation?" You protested as you tried to shrink beneath your blanket.

"Sorta. Girl talk really," She teased. "Apparently it's a thing women do. Talk about our crushes, do each other's hair and nails. Gossip." You frowned at her, a bit uncertain, and her expression softened. "Relax. It's … well, I'm used to the others, but I don't know Sanji or you very well, and now that you're part of the crew…"

She just wanted to get to know you better, and the most obvious thing was probably you and Sanji's… dynamic.

"It's… complicated," You finally answered, deciding to admit some of the truth. After all, it was already clear that you two were not the typical pair of friends. "Sanji's my best friend, my only friend. Between him being raised at the Baratie and me being raised on my parent's merchant ship, neither of us had any other kids to talk to. No matter how much we'd argue and fight we knew no matter what, we had each other."

"But?" Nami hedged as you lapsed into silence, apparently able to tell there was more to the story.

"He's a massive flirt," You confessed, as if that part was surprising. "I've known this for years now, and before it never bothered me." Which was a lie, but it hadn't been too terrible. "He's just a stupid playboy after all. But now it does bother me, and I'm not sure what to do. I mean, I’m following this idiot to who-knows-where just because…"

You loved him. He looked at you with those puppy-dog eyes and you knew whatever he asked of you, you would give him in a heartbeat. Including abandoning everything else and setting sail on a pirate ship.

But you didn't think-- nor expected-- him to care for you the same way. You were thick as thieves, and that was the only reason he asked you to follow.

Nami's smile had faded, sympathy evident in her eyes, making you wonder if she had caught the words you refused to say. "I get it. I'll smack him if he tries to flirt with me, especially in front of you."

You laughed dryly with no humor. "You don't have to. Well. Unless you don't want his attention, then I'll be happy to help smack him until he starts thinking straight. Unfortunately, I think he's quite smitten with you."

Nami shook her head. "After serving Arlong all these years, I just wanna live for myself for a while. I joined Luffy's crew because I wanted to. I'm going to follow my dream. I don't want to worry about any romantic relationships right now."

You smiled softly and felt a sort of pity for Sanji. You knew how much he was pining for the redhead after all. "Then I'll make sure the idiot sees and respects that too."

》°《

You weren't sure how you ended up at the Baratie, or why.

You remembered being pulled from the wreckage of your parent's ship, sitting in front of the Marine Captain Axe-hand Morgan as he tried to draw information out of you. Unable to speak but just staring at the glinting metal of his arm. Remembering the metal of the pirate's swords. The cannon balls as they ripped the ship to pieces around you.

How the dark metal gleamed with the blood of your parents.

You remember the marines leaving you at Shells' Town port when all you had was the bloodied stained clothes on your back. And that was really the last thing you remembered, though you must have somehow convinced someone to take you to the floating restaurant - or maybe you had boarded the first ship that took pity on you, and fate had already decided your fate.

The next thing you knew, you were walking mechanically through the doors of the Baratie. Nemo, the Maître d’, paled when he saw you enter, and abandoned his post to rush towards you and quickly pull you into his arms. You numbly allowed the hug, as well as following him as he led you back into the kitchen. You vaguely remember him saying something, but you were too numb to really pay much attention.

Shortly after entering the kitchen, you were surrounded by the cooks all swearing your name and pulling you into strong-armed hugs. You still felt numb, but finally felt cracks appear in the thick sheet of ice as everyone stated how glad they were to see you. How worried they had been.

Sanji pushed through the crowd, eyes wide before pulling you out of Patty's arms and into his own. Tears finally stung your eyes as you wrapped your arms around his frame, breath hitching as he pressed a kiss to your temple, thanking whatever gods that existed that you were okay.

Then Zeff stole you from his apprentice, his bear hug twice as tight. "You're safe. You're home now," Zeff muttered, though whether to you or himself, you weren't sure. You didn't care, because he was right.

And that's when you broke down crying.

-*-

It was late when Sanji knocked on your door, opening it slightly despite not receiving an answer. "Hey, uh, I saw your light was still on, so I brought some hot chocolate."

"That sounds nice," You managed to mutter, your throat feeling tight despite having stopped crying hours ago. You were still sitting in the corner of the small room, back pressed against the wall for the sake of having some kind of stability to ground you.

Sanji opened the door all the way, careful with the tray of not only hot chocolate, but a plate full of treats as well. You had to admit, him taking a seat beside you on the floor without even hesitating eased the tightness in your frame more than the mug he placed in your hands.

Even when nothing was said for a long time, it was nice to not be alone. To have him beside you, grounding you more than being huddled against the wall ever could.

"I… can't say I know how you feel," Sanji started after a long moment. "Losing parents that loved you. But after the shit I've been through… I can say that things do start getting better again. It takes a while, but I promise it does."

You had heard, of course, of how Zeff and Sanji met - though you still had no idea about any of his life before that. Zeff wasn't his father - at least not biologically - so what happened for Sanji to part from his parents was a mystery.

However it happened, it didn't matter. You rested your head against his arm, hoping he understood what you were silently trying to convey.

Sanji moved, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you closer to his side. "And until then, you got me, Zeff, the whole crew, okay? You're not alone. You'll never be alone."

"Promise?" You whispered as you snuggled into his side.

Sanji pressed a long kiss to the top of your head, his hand rubbing your arm. "I swear it. No matter what, you got me sweetheart."

[archangeldyke-all]

fanfic ask game: 14, 20, 48, 55, 57, 73

EEEK thank u nix!!

14. what's your worst writing habit?-- i'm so ashamed to admit this but i love deleting things lmaooo. a scene isn't working? delete it and start again. a story isn't working? delete it and start again. i should save the shit i delete as drafts or something, but the only way my brain can stop worrying about how to 'fix' the thing i am stuck on is to completely scrap it and start again from the beginning.

20. what is your favorite trope to write?-- OOOOH u guys know i love some found family... but i also LOVE childhood lovers? or just childhood friends to eventual lovers? something about writing a love so pure and a bond so deep just makes me ✨🌷🥰💖 it's probably why i love timebomb so much, they were babies together 😭 (i probably love it sm because i was a lonely kid lmaoo)

48. do you reread your own stories?-- yes!! i write the stories i want to read, so i'm always reading my own stuff! it takes me a few months to forget the details of my own work, but once i do i love going back and re-reading :)

55. do you have any abandoned wips? what made you abandon them?-- sorta?? there is a single draft sitting in my tumblr drafts that i wrote before i was sure how i wanted to format my stories on tumblr that's been there for more than a year now haha. the rest of them i usually delete!! i don't know WHY i just can't focus on a new project knowing there's an unfinished project waiting for me. i'd rather scrap it completely. it's such a horrible habit.

57. what is the last thing a fic made you google while reading it?-- it wasn't really a fic, but i saw someone say they headcanon sevika as a dougla-- a word i had never seen before. i looked it up and learned it's a term for an afro-indian caribbean person! so that was fun to learn haha

73. how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head or do words just flow?-- oh it just flows. the rate of flow changes, sometimes it's just a trickle and sometimes it's a river, but it just seems to come out of me. idk how to describe it other than that hahaha

[bonesandthebees]

Me when- me when- me when looking for a creation myth ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

I haven't heard people talk about it nearly enough. I do genuinely think it affected my writing style and plot making and like my plot and trope preferences a lot. Because Pre-apocalypse, slice of life, cosmic horror, body horror (sorta), and non-human entities being painfully human (AHHH TOMMY) mixed together with a nice bow on the top holy fuck. I'm pretty sure I cried while reading it, I had so many theories and questions and the imagery was amazing I could envision everything so well and holy fuck it was amazing I loved it.

Might've made an au where Technoblade happens as a personification of the sunset/sunrise and forces the brothers back in their places but in the process accidentally gets stuck as a human and has a crisis about it before realising that wait actually being a human is pretty cool and on fuck what have I done how do I get Tommy and Wilbur back. And also even more weather anomalies start to happen like starfall as a metaphor for tears maybe? And also an eclipse happens at some point because yes. Also I know that Phil is supposed to be very human in this but but like he's way too weird and normal about everything to not have some connections to the divine. So.. maybe Phil as a personification of earth and humanity? That did the same thing the brothers did but a long time ago? Sorry at this point I'm just ranting. The story doesn't really need a continuation, it's amazing the way it is, the tragic ending just makes me sad. And Phil teaching Tommy how to make pancakes? OUCH. The reveal that Tommy did all of this and the whole loneliness thing? OUCH!

man this makes me so happy to read because I always forget I even wrote that fic but I was so proud of it when I first finished it. I loved playing with the imagery and the atmosphere in it and I'm so glad there are some people out there who hold it close like I did :)

(also, you're totally free to come up with your own ideas/hcs for continuations and all that. but if you're curious, while I kept it very subtle on purpose I did include subtle references towards the end of the fic to the earth itself being alive and displeased with both wilbur and tommy for their choices. in my head, techno was the earth and he was annoyed the other two were just gonna let the apocalypse happen lol)

[jamebajules]

Three/six of my Rooks: Talfryn "Mercar", Avera de Riva, and Jamish Ingellvar. My resolution this year was to draw more without trashing/abandoning everything, and to work on my novel. So, hey, it's working sort of. That said, I'm letting myself yap a lot more to get back into writing. So if you wanna know more about these three, there's l o t s of yapping below the cut.

Talfryn was my first Rook; when Veilguard was announced, I knew I was gonna play him first. The "just a guy" vibe is kind of his whole thing unlike his brother, Kenneth, who was an oc I specifically made for my Inquisitor, Julian. Tal came sometime later, but he's easily become one of my favs. I never beat Veilguard with him though, he's too much his own thing for me to really enjoy it (plus I played Ingellvar as my first run, I like the faction, but it only semi-fits him. In truth, he's more likely a Mercar if anything. But the O'hAnluain brothers, having been firstly made as Dragon Age ocs, feels weird to put them anywhere but the Free Marches).

Tal's about 6'4" at 220lbs, a sword and board warrior with a cold-yet-snarky attitude that hides his big heart. He's very bad at expressing feelings, but if he likes you, you'll know it. He's only fluent in the trade tongue, but can cuss at you in Tevene or Orlesian just fine (and hoo boy, does he). Trained as a blacksmith for a while, not a swordsmith, more making nails, trade tools, bridge supports, sconces or statuary fastenings for the local Chantry--the "anything that needs done" kind of stuff. The fighting bit came later out of necessity; Tal, despite his imposing stature, is suited to a quiet life of prayer and craft...But that life's gone now. He knows more, has seen too much. And he's not one to sit back as people suffer.

Next up is Avera! This time she's not originally from Dragon Age and is an oc I made. The first game I made her in though was WoW. She was made as a pair of paladins to play with my brother: Avren and Avera. The names were accidental, and the irony of it sparked her story, which isn't really set in stone at all but the gist of it was some grandiose, cliché prisoner soul-fusing shit that I honestly can't remember and have no idea if it was even any good. But the idea of Avera stuck and I never deleted her despite Avren being shelved and abandoned. That's sorta when she started becoming her own thing, and I think *that* is the essence of who this character is wanting to be, someone finding her own path, finding herself. Emerging from a predefined role, defying odds and familiarity.

And so Avera in Veilguard is a de Riva Rook. And, no, she's not a very sneaky assassin. "They'll die just the same if you turn their head to jelly." She reminds me of Gogron from the Oblivion Dark Brotherhood haha. She stands at about 5'9", 150ish lbs, 2h warrior preferring a mace to an axe or broadsword. Speaks the trade tongue and Antivan.

Despite her brash attitude and blatant disregard for anything resembling decorum, she *is* very efficient, much to Viago's chagrin. The character I made originally in her place was a random punkesque de Riva that I just wanted to play (that wasn't a rogue on nightmare because, maker, I love Silvio but playing rogue early game bores me out of my gourd), but the more I looked at her, the more I was like "wait..." so I changed her up and decided she was Avera. But that gave me all kinds of ideas for a nimble-yet-strong 2h fighting style that's brutal and beautiful, a combination of dance and death and daring. Wouldn't have thought we'd get her here, but she is what she wants to be and I'd have her no other way. I'm excited to learn more about her. Anyway, this is also my first time drawing her, and I used a Cyberpunk reference photo, so I'm not sure how I feel but it's whatever >_>

And last but not least, Jamish. Or my affectionately dubbed, "Jingellvar." (It *is* pronounced Hamish btw, and yeeeaaah ik it looks like I'm trying to be quirky with it, but this character's name was always "J", literally just that, so when I got around to actually naming them and liked "Hamish" I had a bit of a problem, but it was easily solved by choosing to be difficult lmao).

Jamish is truly my "Rook". Of all my playthroughs, theirs I've done 3 times and enjoyed it every single one. It feels right, the personality. Now, to me, Rook has some weird lines. The dialogue in this game took me a while to get used to, but even that aspect of the writing has slowly become a part of this character. Airy but sensitive, go-get-em and upbeat, and that dash of optimistic sarcasm in the face of impossible odds. And I like that; I never usually settle on characters that would go out of their way to save the world (I'm not a fan of heroes, if I'm honest), but Rook made me try it on and it stuck.

Rook just sort of *is* a hero. And that fits Jamish just fine. Save the living, save the dead, save the world; respect, honor, cherish what is, what was, and pave the road in gold for all that will be.

They're real big on ceremony and rituals, a Mourn Watch Exorcist that guides spirits away from places they might cause harm or be harmed, kill demons if necessary. Hella in touch with the fade--not gifted at magic, per say; it's an effort for them but they go out of their way to meditate, learn, still the mind and listen. It gives them a harmony and understanding with spirits that might put less experienced mages at risk of possession. They're ruled deeply by their emotions, can use their skills and experiences as a Watcher to guide them along this path, but they're swept along more so than ruling. What *feels* right, they don't think, just do. They have a hard time connecting to people though; prefer the company of spirits. Afterall, they're honest, they are what they are. People are complicated and never really say what they mean. And despite being so in tune with their own feelings, as a scholar of spirits and thereby emotion, they tend to view other peoples' feelings in terms of "whys". They do so with their own, too, and it helps them protect them in their work, but not everyone likes being dissected and picked at. They have to try extra hard to understand/remember that around other people, which makes making friends a bit exhausting.

S m a l l standing at only 5'2", 130lbs. Trade tongue again, but I'm not sure if Nevarran is an actual language? Google has me believing they speak Orlesian in Nevarra, but if not, they do speak Orlesian plus whatever it is they speak there. Jamish is a nerd though, language is their thing, so they also speak somewhat passable Antivan. Do they ever actually use these languages? Uh, no. The "no friends" thing kinda shoots them in the foot with that one lmfao. But hey! They've got the Veilguard now, at least they can practice with Lucanis.

But that's enough out of me. If anyone even gets this far down, sheesh, you're actually nuts. But thanks :) Hope y'all like my Rooks.

[centeris2]

Would love to hear more about the Tali fics, but "Let's put this in order shall we? WC 16816" definitely catching my eye.

We love writing things out of order here, which means at some point I gotta throw all the scenes into one document in order haha

It's my version of an Algonquin story The Hidden One, Scarface, or Rough Face Girl, (I'm pretty sure it's a legit Native American story, although it gets labeled as 'The Native American Cinderella' a lot so... the version I heard growing up might have been repackaged/softened up, idk, hard to confirm because there has been at least one novel released based on the story, so most search results trying to research go there). It's my favorite story from Adventures from the Book of Virtues growing up and has been stuck in my head since I was a kid, so I gave in years ago and started writing my own expanded story based on it

I was always bothered by the trope of "someone who is scarred/ugly magically turns Hot due to True Love" in folktales, since that seems to defeat the moral of 'true beauty is on the inside' and 'being hot doesn't make you a good person'. So started as "what if I wrote my own story that was longer than the 10 minute segment from the vhs tape I have" and added in "but also what if she didn't Turn Hot Again at the end so everyone could see how beautiful she was inside?" And just sorta kept going from there!

[mryaksalot]

Important changes to my Backstory AU(OUTDATED)

TW: This post is going to be sorta long, so buckle up.

As you may know, there have been a lack of many new chapters to my story The Road To Success on AO3 these past several months. I've been trying my damn hardest to keep up with updates, but I don't always have the free time in order to write. I have to attend school, work a job, deal with family matters; those things take priority too. I don't have as much free time as I used to back in 2021.

That being said, I still hold a lot of passion for this story. I first got the idea for this story all the way back at the beginning of 2021. It started as just an insightful thought, a drabble I created inside my head. Overtime, I kept expanding on the idea, fleshing out the world, making this story the best it could possibly be. Now we're at the point where the story is over 120,000 words, and it's not even half of the way done yet! I never anticipated for this story to be this long, but here we are.

Now if you are thinking that this post is about me throwing The Road To Success in the can, I just want to clarify that this story IS NOT being cancelled. But the way the story is written and formatted is going to change from what you have seen up to this point.

Just so I am transperent with you guys, here is a list of all of the changes to The Road To Success, as well as the Backstory AU as a whole.

1. The main story, The Road To Success, will be significantly shorter than the original version. The OG version, the version that I have stuck to while initially writing this story, was planned to have 40-50 chapters. That is just not possible anymore, with how busy my life has become. This new version of the story will now have roughly 30-35 chapters. As of writing this, the exact number of chapters has not been decided yet; that will be determined by the end of the year (at the latest).

2. The new version of TRTS (Acronym for The Road To Success) will be more Yakko-centric. I originally wanted to insert a bunch of extra sideplots into the main story, specifically after the Warners become actors. Wakko and Dot were supposed to have their own friend groups, and we would get the chance to see their perspectives as well as Yakko's. However, these sideplots take away from the main story, which is overall more important in the longterm. That dosen't mean Wakko and Dot won't be given any time in the spotlight (they are gonna play some significant roles later on), but I don't want their misadventures to take too much time away from the main storyline.

3. Some of the lore (the details on how the world works in this universe, how certain characters act, family trees etc.) have been and are subject to being changed and altered. I'm very much a perfectionist when it comes to the little details; they're very important imo. Sometimes, I will change my mind about a certain detail and decide to change it on a whim. I will try to restrain these changes to the lore based on what I have already written/talked about publicly, in order to not create too much confusion going foward.

4. The Backstory AU will be expanded beyond The Road To Success. That's right, folks! TRTS is getting a companion story, in order to fill in those lore gaps to answer questions that have yet to be answered. This story will focus on the parents of the Warners, covering their childhood, as well as their inevitable downfall as members of society. More details regarding this companion Peice will be elaborated on in a later post. I'm also cooking up a Christmas story, which will serve as somewhat of a flashback to previous events in TRTS. This story will come out on (you guessed it) Christmas of this year.

5. So you may be wondering to yourself: What's gonna happen to the scrapped segments of TRTS? Well that's where my drabble collection comes in. A month ago, I created a drabble collection titled Splats Of Ink, a collection of oneshots featuring headcanons, future story ideas, and now scrapped segments of already established stories. I'm thinking about fleshing out these Alternate scenes of TRTS, to show you what could have been. Expect the first of these scrapped-segment-reimagined drabbles to come out this April.

So, that's a decent laundry list of all the updates that I have made to the Backstory AU as of late. Chapter 15 is in the works as we speak, and will most likely come out sometime in March. Then it will be smooth sailing into Chapter 16 and so on! There's lots of exciting things in the works, and I can't wait to share it all with you.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through the whole thing. Feel free to ask questions if you need me to elaborate further on these changes. Your patience and support is most appreciated.

[vickyvicarious]

Lately I'm totally stuck on the song Wax & Wane by Alana Henderson. I love it.

And the more I listen to it, the more I keep thinking of Marcille. (I feel like it'd be great for a fanvid of her, particularly when the entire series is animated.) But regardless, I can line it up so well with her story, so I just wanna ramble a bit about the lyrics now.

Under the cut for spoilers for the whole manga and length.

The song's clearly originally about a het relationship breaking up, but I don't have to interpret it that way! It gets better for her the further in the song you get, in my opinion.

I could blame our partin’ For the fact that I’m not startin’ All my mornings at the time they ought to start And I could summon up a sisterhood Cry lead me out of widowhood But that is melodrama on my part

Least fitting lines in at the beginning, but you could still sort of make them work in a fanvid at least, with slow reaction/not being ready or prepared, being caught off guard, being dramatic and then taking it back every time with food. It makes me think more of lighthearted stuff mostly, though also perhaps with Falin's original death scene maybe?

I could blame my grieving On the fact that I’ve been leaving Us behind, the ones we were when this began But I have rose-tinted us ruby And I’ve conjured up a new me Who bent freely to her newly molded man

Marcille remembering dead Falin and also her father can be the 'rose-tinted' and the newly-molded man could sorta be the life she leads now. In a sense, she's idealized both of them and their happy times with her, without being willing to linger on the negatives. Even though those drive her completely.

But we bent and we broke and I meant what I spoke And the blame game does not produce a winner We went as far as we could go, we had to go that far to know That we had nowhere left to aim And no one left to blame but The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide

This refrain matches so well with the dungeon living pushing her (and all of them, but her especially as this is her song to me) to her limits and beyond as they go deeper. I picture this first refrain as earlier, the first effort to go back and get Falin back, and succeeding but only briefly.

And I could blame my parents For my vices so inherent That I cannot shake them much as I may try But how much have I inherited Or picked up since I was a kid? That nature versus nurture paradigm I could blame wrong turns that I take On decisions that my head makes Then trace each error right back to my heart And is it broken ‘cause you toyed with it Or was it formed with a little split That grows each year further and further apart

My favorite Marcille verse. It matches so well to her grief (often in advance) for her loved ones' shorter lifespans, and the way she never fit in growing up. Is the enormity of this desire due to her parents giving her this half-elf life, or is it her own personality focusing on it too much by dedicating herself to studying to 'fix' it? Is her heart broken because Falin died too, or is this something that's always been building, only increasing the more she pursues this path... (Stuff like the nightmare attack, or that one scene where she has to animate everyone with necromancy and it's funny up until you see her break down after and realize how terrible that would have been for Marcille in particular...) But we love and we lose and we lash-out and we bruise And the name of the game’s just the living We go as far as we can go we’ve got to go that far to know That we have everything to gain By knowing we can blame The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide

You have to eat to live! Pushing further into the dungeon! This time around I see it as much later scenes, as they work to get monster!Falin back. Even when that means going against other people, even when it means planning on (arguable?) cannibalism, etc.

And so I look to Karma And if I try not to harm another I will not be harmed by anything

This one bit actually really makes me think of Falin, but it also in a way matches a more naive earlier mentality, before the various characters all accept that in order to live they have to eat (and thus hurt other things). Not to mention, it leads in well to Marcille becoming the dungeon master because she wants to protect her friends and also wants to extend everyone's lifespans. She doesn't want to cause any harm, at least in her eyes. But it rapidly goes wrong throughout the rest of the verse:

If I salute the magpie, knock on wood Will I be doing any good? Am I strung up or do I pull the string? Will the fact I cling too tightly To my dreams come back and bite me Am I trying to make a science of an art? And will the very fate I wish to woo Be the one that I undo By thinking I can steer this crazy cart

Dungeon master Marcille here! It's perfect for all of those parts of her story. Getting the power to control things on such a huge scale, but being manipulated and lacking control over herself. Her dreams and desires overtaking her, leading to destruction, the warped version of her father and life with her friends that are offered to her. Her efforts to try and steer it...

But I’ll live and I’ll learn And I’ll light and I’ll burn ’Til the flame simmers down to a spark I’ll go as far as I can go I’ve to go that far to know that I have everything to gain By knowing I can’t train The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide

And then the endgame! She struggles to get it back, to undo what has begun. Her friends reaching out to her and her realizing this is as far as she can go, pushing too far was wrong. Accepting the possibility of Falin's death being permanent, accepting death in general. The lingering changes pointing out ways they didn't and couldn't achieve everything they wanted, like Falin's legs, Laios's inability to get close to monsters, Marcille's loss of the desire to do her hair. I never said it was your fault I only wanted to blame someone I never said it was your fault I only wanted to blame someone The moon’s wax and wane and the turn of the tide

And the final refrain is more of that acceptance. Marcille didn't precisely want to place 'blame' but she wanted to see it as a problem that she could fix, rather than accepting life and death (which = the moon's wax and wane and the turn of the tide).

[eevee1230]

summery: A forbidden child born of the sea A legacy born of falling stars and daughter of dreams Two friends who have different fates ahead of themselves but with help from their friends they will certainly get by Follow this ensemble cast of friends as they make it through their first adventure together and become close together Tw: language, slightly rushed subplots

{follows the first PJO book: The Lighting Thief}

Jackson Hall- The main male character who start a bit naive to the whole new world of his. Navigating it as he watches out for friends and enemies at every twist and turn

Tsukihana ‘Hana’ Morioka- The main female character who is an idealistic young woman at heart but in that sense she can miss the things in front of her

Despite her in her own head personality she is very observant even if she doesn’t catch on right away

Xander Morioka- A super smart guy who can be a bit stubborn but at the end of the day is a very good friend when you need him

He is also very observant and hardheaded at times and can also be a bit cunning and calculating when the situation demands it

Jade Vannavel- The resident voice of reason and emotional intelligence to her friends out.

She can be sensitive and empathetic to everyone’s problems and doesn’t mind listening and giving some advice back on the matter

Mia Vanderlin- A curious and adventurous girl who portrays herself tough on the outside but for those who succeed they with find a very protective, kind, motherly and caring side to her

here is a preview at my fic

 Chapter 1: There is a camp       It was a summer afternoon and three people that looked to be in their later teen years were sitting outside a Starbucks and chatting it up with one another. 

"So, Jackson, what are you going to do for the summer?" The raven-haired girl asks her friend

"Heading out towards the bay. Been stuck on the land way too long." Her friend, Jackson answers, smoothing back his jet-black hair with his hand as he replied, "You guys?" He then asked

"Kasan is taking us to our grandmother's. She owns an Observatory up in the mountains.” She let out a small, repressed squeal “I just Adore the stars and all their patterns. So many fun stories you can have." The female let out a small, dreamy sigh, closing her cloudy lavender eyes fondly

"You were always into the sky, Hana." Jackson replied with a bit of chuckle in his tone then turned to a blond guy who had starkly grey eyes and asked "X, what about you?"

"Same." The blonde male answers "Its sorta a family trip. We sorta own it even tho it’s overlooked by a-“ he was cut off by a pointed stare from Hana

“By a what X?”

“Uh, never mind, basically long story short our family owns the observatory property outside of town” he swiftly replies “Plus, it gives me a chance to see my favorite Cuz before I head to college" He grinned and swung an arm around Hana

"Egghead" Hana muttered wearing a grin of her own 

"You know it's true" he counters

"I'm your only cuz Xan." she retorts "Hey, get that arm out of my face or I'll bite it" Hana swatted his hand away playfully while giggling and rolling her eyes. "So what coast are you going to then?" Hana directed her attention back at her friend and asked Jackson "East or West? Is there even a difference in which you go? They are both bodies of water, right?"

"Heading out East,” Jackson answers “and yes the marine life is way better in the East. Much more prehistoric the farther you get."

"Interesting" Xander mused, he had an analytical look on his face "...Well I hope you have fun my friend" he grinned nonchalantly 

"I mean to be honest; I'm just surprised that I made it through the whole school year." Jackson confessed "Hate being confined down"

Hana let out a small laugh "Yeah, you're free as a horse sometimes, no one can tell you what to do.”

"Well, it would be fitting" Xander comments "A horse in spirit animal sense does mean freedom all above else and I'd say Jackson here is a rebel at heart, to be free from the reigns of society"

"I totally agree" Hana nods "Also sailing, sounds interesting but a bit tedious"

"Whatever, it's where I feel the calmest" Jackson retorts

"Whatever makes you happy right," the ravenette girl shrugs "I'm not judging"

"Heading out in a couple of days, when are you heading out?" he asks the pair of cousins 

"July 1st" Xander answers "it's for the 4th of July trip, Grandmother has something special planned for that, so we can't wait to see," he said with a hint of eagerness in his tone

"We're staying there until the end of the lunar festival" Hana adds "We are working on a project as well. I would tell you but now's not the right time" she winks

"Alright, well I've got to head out, checking out. Wait hold on. What the hell is that?" Jackson's eyes widen as he points to something or someone behind the two

"What?" the two cousins said at the same time, turning their heads 

"Uh, do you remember Kasan saying something about a bipedal goat guy before?" Hana questioned

"Satyr; And no." Xander shook his head "At least in this context. I thought they were supposed to be...wild" he replied equally as confused

'Shit, shit, I've seen these things before. But why now? Means that they're close' Jackson forebodingly thought to himself "Well it's been fun, but I need to leave. LIKE NOW!" Jackson says trying to make a hasty escape 

"Where are you going you cowardly baka!" Hana calls out a bit annoyed and disappointed at her friend's meek and cowering actions 

"Just away from here." Jackson answers back in a ‘don’t you know’ tone

"No, don't run! I'm not going to hurt you guys" the satyr said, trying his best to placate the matter

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jackson questions, still in a state of shock. His eyes look like they are about to pop 

"Come any closer and I'll pepper spray you, creeper.” Hana threatens, wiping out a small pepper spray bottle "Were you stalking us? Weido." she shakes her head

"I was sent to find you Jack. Hell, been trying for months, but every time I get close you three just leave." The satyr explains

Xander had an expression that he was ready to fight, but also in a deep pensive analysis of the situation

"My name's Connor." The satyr introduces "I'm a satyr sent to find demigods and bring them to camp."

'demigods?'

'camp?'

'what's going on?'

"You are not safe here." the satyr, Connor warns urgently 

"The hell do you mean we are not safe? What's going on?!" Jackson exclaims 

"Xan, what do you think? Do you think this guy is telling the truth?" Hana asks looking at her pensive cousin "If not then I'm ready to pepper spray him and dislocate his arm if not then" Conner winced at her threat a bit “but hey, if not, satyrs aren’t the worst way to uhm…”

"That is, speaking if he is or was mortal" Hana's blond-headed cousin replied, "Tho a satyr wouldn't be that hard to disarm I'd as well imagine." 

"Jackson, look at yourself. You were ready to run the second you saw me, worried that I might bring them back." Conner argued 

Xander and Hana gave each other knowing glances, questioning what the goat boy was referring to

"How… how the hell did you know?" Jackson retorts back at the satyr. The atmosphere grew a bit thicker from the tension going around

"Jackson, look at me!" conner exclaims, grabbing the dark-haired man's attention "I'm half-goat man, I come from a place where we deal with this voodoo stuff a lot." he tries to calm the frantic male down before he has an existential crisis. Tho, maybe he was a bit too late on the whole crisis thing "I know why you're worried, that's why I was sent to get you. You’re in serious danger."

"What camp? And why do you need me?" Jackson asks "And what about the other two?" They glance over at the other teens who were conversing in Japanese to hopefully keep their conversation a bit more private from the strange satyr

"So, we're just going to trust him or what?"

"I say yes but with caution."

"Damn you Xan" Hana hissed

"We'll ask our parents when we'll get the chance, how bout?" The blonde suggests

"Whatever,” she crossed her arms “I trust your call, just hopefully don't be wrong."

"Listen, how much do you three know about the Greek Mythos?" Connor asks

"Our parents told us to tell a few to us as bedtime stories" Xander answers

"Then when we made 15 years old our parents told us a bit more, like how the magical world existed" Hana adds 

'And something about being demigods and legacies. But demigods of whom? they still won't say.'

"But we never heard of this camp" Xander replied, shaking his head

"But there were no monsters or goat people in the fine print" Hana retorts with her hands on her hips

"Satyr, not goat men" Connor corrected 

"Same thing, you're still half goat either way." She retorts in a sassy tone

"And where it gets hard to believe is that it's not a myth, it's real, and I was sent here since you three are the children of Greek gods" he continued

Hana had an exasperated and deadpanned expression “so you come and show up out of nowhere, claim it’s for our ‘safety’ or whatever. This magical camp. And now have us drop whatever we are doing to go follow some strange goat into the woods” she chided, with each word getting close to Connor’s face “hey let’s just throw a gingerbread house in and call it a day” she adds sarcastically

“Hana, I think he’s right." Jackson said grabbing the ravenette's attention by putting a hand on her shoulder, she pulls back from the slightly terrified satyr "There’s been something that I’ve been hiding. From the both of you.” Jackson spoke up with a small sigh

“And what’s that?” They both glance back, Xander with his analytical glance and Hana with her tired yet exasperated look in her eyes “What is it?” They ask again

“Something your hiding?” Hana, curiously tilts her head, raising her brows a bit 

“We’re your friends, we’ll understand” Xander smiles reassuringly 

“When he said I’ll bring them back. He’s not kidding. I didn’t want to say anything, but I believe we are not safe here. There are these creatures that have been stocking me for the better side of a year now. I just didn’t want to say anything but the satyrs right? We need to leave.” Jackson confessed 

the two exchanged glances as if they knew what the other thought, which was very similar 'He is one of us'

“And where is he leading us too, huh?” Hana chided sending a distrustful glare at Connor 

“Sorry she gets fussy when she doesn’t get to finish her cup of morning substitutes” Xander apologizes Even though he knew that was a bald-faced lie. He can't say he trusts this strange satyr 100% either, he just met him after all

“It’s called camp half-blood.” Connor answers the demigoddess “It’s not that far actually. But we need to head out fast. We got company.”

 To Jackson’s horror, it was the same creature that had been chasing him for a year now. Some kind of haft man haft bull thing. The only issue, it found him.

‘Pasiphae‘s son, the Minotaur? But how?’ Xander thought

‘This would be a really good topic to bring up at the next family gathering for sure’ Hana mused 'Oh hey we almost got killed by the fricking minotaur'

“…NANI!...But how did an ancient Minotaur find a high school student?” Xander exclaimed 

“More interesting question why is Pasiphae’s son even after Jackson?” Hana adds on

“Good questions, another question: WHY AREN’T WE RUNNING!? Goat man fucking get us out of here!” Jackson asks the loudest

“Alright, this way.” Connor motions for them to follow “I know this forest better than that thing does.” The group of four dashes into the forest with the best right on their tails 

        Soon the team ran into the forest only for the beast to continue the chase 

“Ahh, I’m running out of caffeine and fumes to run!” Complained Hana as she swung herself down from the trees to the level of the other, she was lagging behind a bit out of curiosity as she counted each boom of thunder and rumble of hooves “I dang it I shouldn’t have ditched out in gym”

“Anything else?” Xander says glancing up at her. Hana sharply sighed and sent a suggestive gesture with her fingers to the blond, and he just shook his head.

They felt a rumbling and a low growl of the best not far from them. ”The beast is persistent; I’ll give them that.” Hana replied with a small shrug

"We can't just keep running" he argued 

"It's already almost sunset"

"How can you tell? It has been cloudy all afternoon?"

” I… I don’t know, I just have this feeling. I mean look the sky is getting darker, so what else could It be.”

However, Hana was wrong. Yes, the sky was darkening, but not due to the falling sun. It was the sky getting ready to cry. Rainfall began to pour, drenching the forest and everything stuck in there.

This did not affect the creature, as its rage caused the drops to boil off his horns the second the water hit them. Connor, Hana, and Xan kept running with the satyr as they attempted to lose this monster.

The only person that felt any kind of change, was Jackson. Instead of dread and fear running through him. It was replaced with anger and power. The bravest, strong, and instinctive he has felt in months. Without saying a word to the group. He ran in a different direction, a patch that had an open in the tree. Where the sky was free.

The creature saw this and abandoned the other three since Jackson was the one he was looking for. Running through and tracking this kid down, he eventually stop and saw him, all alone with no one around.

“I’m done running. Come and get me.” Jackson said 

what comes next, is hard to explain.

 Connor, Hana, and Xan stopped running after they saw they were no longer being chased. Confused and scared, they huddle down for a second before hearing a sharp cry in the forest. The only thing, it wasn’t quite human. Scared that it got Jackson, they ran to where they heard the cry, only to see… the monster dead. 

Horn ripped out, cut badly, and stabbed through the center, with a pissed-off Jackson standing on top, not saying a word

“Jackson. Jack, How, how the hell did you–What happened? You… you still with us buddy, say something.”

Connor stuttered, lost for words, the others just stood there in place at the sight. The group saw Jackson standing over the dead creature's body slowly turning into golden powder and Jackson was about to pass out.

They had eyes the size of disc plates at the sight of their friend. Standing over the creature that had been chasing them through the woods.

Before they knew what happened though. Jackson passes out and fell in front of the group.

“JACKSON! Oh my…um, did he...is he dead?!” Hana asked 

“No, he’s not dead, he is breathing but he’s hurt bad. We need to hurry. Get him out of here fast” Connor said

”Xan, can you, can you please carry him, we need to hurry.” she said helping Jackson onto Xander’s back"

“Does your camp have first aid?” Xander muttered, securing Jackson’s weight on his back 

“No, we got something better, a god.”

“I swear that Baka will get himself killed one day” Hana sighed as she and Xander followed the satyr to camp

“I just wanna know how the hell he killed the Minotaur that fast. And no training or weapons nonetheless” Connor says, still a bit perplexed 

“Wild child” Xander shrugged 

“He’s a baka. That’s all I’ll say” Hana retorts with a huff

[touhoutivations]

dear miss himekaidou,

i unfortunately have not been employed. so, i’ve been working on a few journalist articles, mostly as practice for my skills in case i ever decide to go into the practice and im worried that the articles i’ve been making aren’t of high quality.

how do you manage? i know such insecurities might be common in a profession such as yours, so…. any advice?

yours, eientei’s favorite kon-consultant

"Trust me, to start off- a great journalist is one that already is thinking about the quality of their work and doesn't shut their brain off for ideas. So I think you're off to a good start! It's hard, because while it's a job- you aren't gonna like, be able to push for the great caste system revolution-  I mean hard-hitting journalism all of the time. Sometimes you're gonna get stuck with 'Pick your favourite wagashi and we'll tell you your personality!'" "Buuut, I think there's something to learn from each article you write- even if you scrap them, you need only look. For example, I- loathe as I am to say it- did do such pitiful writing as that article- but the person that requested it also offered a coupon for a senbei stand… 'Dorayaki lovers are hot headed and there's more to them that meets the eye- but they can get caught up in their own world, so they should try some senbei!' 'Senbei lovers go with the flow, but don't pursue their own wants, so they should buy some more senbei!' I'm kinda curious, if I ran that article a week later, would I get a different result? There's a buncha conclusions and thoughts you could ask about the journalism even in such a 'low-quality' article."  

"I've been talking with that outside world human, and everything down to 'memes' and 'tagging systems' can show different sides of a story and the intentions of an article. Liiiike, there was this one time this crazy village man, Yoshimoto- he started raving about 'how there was some chemical the yamawaro were putting to turn the frogs into youkai'- and some newbie that wanted a week off just handed him a typewriter for him to start his rantings. But then when I actually used my thoughtography to check that river…well, he wasn't wrong? Sorta. The frogs were having extra legs- but when I wanted to write about it, up top said 'It's already been covered'. But it hadn't been. Not properly." "So how could I word it? I mean, 'Yamawaro machinery production found to have linkage in extra limbage of amphibian population'- bo~ring! What about '3 ramblings of Yoshimoto- Number 3 is suprisingly true!' and I slap a couple memes on it? Would that draw eyes? Is Yoshimoto actually concerned, or was this coverage intentionally from a crazy old geezer to discredit a potential problem?"  

"These are like, the hard stuff that comes with our industry- especially if you don't get the freedom to go independent. But I know that by asking, you're off to a great start. You have to be asking questions, every time- how can I see this differently? How can I write this differently? How are -other- people writing stuff differently? What's language that's 'hip', what language is alienating? Seriously, can Aya stop using red circles and arrows in her articles like [Mii]Tube thumbnails?!"

"Not everything is gonna be a magnum opus, and not every wagashi listicle is gonna be the lynchpin into your socialist uprising theory deprogramming toolkit- and that's okay. As long as you put questioning and engagement- actual encouragement of media literacy- at the forefront of your own work and viewership, I think that's more work than a lot of other grifter sheeple are doing. There's more than meets a camera's eye, and as long as you keep collecting, I know you'll become someone that will paint a better landscape for Gensokyou- so get your brush, and crow all you want, mmkay?"

[meaningofaeons]

!!!! fellow oi reader hello!! may i ask what ois you've read so far sorry for being so straightforward it's just that hardly anybody i know reads oi and it's kinda embarrassing for me ahahaha

gepard feels like he'll fit in so much as either the personal knight trope or captain of the king's guards. stelle could also be the personal knight i guess? but the kind where 'villainess needs somebody on their side so they take in a foreign traveler in to be their maid/knight/personal aide', except said foreign traveler happens to rifle through the trash of everything.

jing yuan already feels like the emperor in hsr, he's just so perfectly regal in that sense. yanqing could be like the captain for jing yuan's guards, or his (adopted) heir who first (sibling-like relationship) meets and bonds with the reader without yanqing or reader knowing each other's true rank.

will there be a magic system? there is the 'mischievous/sly wizard of the tower' position that could go to sampo. i know you'll probably only write for the characters you listed so i'm deviating because i have so much brainrot about this right now, but i'm imagining march 7th also as a novice wizard/magician who's a friend of stelle. herta would also definitely be a wizard of the tower, probably would own/be the head of it. himeko feels so much like the ally duchess/marchioness character, with welt being another duke/marquess (or himeko's adoptive father if you're into honkai impact 3rd lore) or even royal advisor maybe.

blade as the cold duke of the north fits so well - sad backstory, red eyes, dark hair, slightly unhinged personality - a perfect match! dan heng could be the 'mysterious librarian who was the only neutral/slightly sympathetic person to the reader, but also never helped them outright in the first life'. friends with march and stelle, of course. speaking of second lives...

will the reader be reincarnated with a 2nd chance at life fix-it story, with the previous memories of the original timeline's bad ending and character actions? there's so much potential for angst if any of the characters betrayed her or weren''t on her side originally and the reader doesn't know who to trust nor like or love.

sorry for this word vomit, please don't feel pressured, it's just that i love your idea and i've gotten so hooked on hsr!!

( ↀДↀ)✧ GASP (=^✧ｪ✧^=))ﾉ彡☆ HELLO FELLOW OI READER !!!!! HOW ARE YOU ???? I feel the SAME way, hardly anyone I know reads ois or manhwas of any kind so I'm stuck in my own little visual novel enjoying corner (≅ᆽ≅)

I've read tons!! I don't have my full list on me rn (I am at work ;m;) but I can name a few off the top of my head! some of these are less isekai and more reincarnation/time travel, but I'll list them anyways! I'll put them beneath the cut along with my comments on your ideas since it gets pretty long LOL

my next life as a villainess: all routes lead to doom, the villainess turns the hourglass, a stepmother's märchen/fantasie of a stepmother, who made me a princess, actually I was the real one, I fell into the world of a reverse harem game, death is the only ending for the villainess, I will master this family, the tyrant wants to be good, lady and the beast, taming of the tyrant, roxana/how to protect the heroine's older brother, the rebirth of a tyrannical empress, sister in this life I'll be the queen, the duchess' 50 tea recipes, father I don't want this marriage, how to be a dark hero's daughter, the villainess is a marionette, and many, many MANY more.

this is actually only a small part of my list! again, I am at work, so I don't have my full (and unfortunately sorta not updated) manhwa list, but I think this is a good show of what I usually read lol!

I'll start on your comments from the top! FIRST OFF, SAME BRAIN!!! (=♡ ᆺ ♡=) while gepard is kind of a shoe-in for the personal knight that falls for the mc, I was ABSOLUTELY hooked on the idea stewing in my brain about stelle being a knight of some sort as well, with the only conflict being "well there can't be TWO personal friendly knights that love reader..." BUT THE IDEA ABOUT HER BEING THE TROPE OF THE FOREIGN TRAVELER/BEGGAR WITH SWORDSMANSHIP TALENT TO BE THEIR KNIGHT IS ABSOLUTELY GENIUS I BOW TO YOUR BRILLIANT MIND!!!!!!!!! OR MAYBE SHES LIKE A DEPOSED NOBLE WHO READER GIVES A CHANCE TO *:･ﾟ✧(=✪ ᆺ ✪=)*:･ﾟ✧

I agree on jing yuan, and I think that idea sounds rlly cute for yanqing!!! (=´ᆺ｀=)

I LOVE your sampo idea too. I kinda get lucas vibes from who made me a princess minus the maliciousness and adding 100x more sleazy swindly-type guy vibes, he's totally a bastard when it comes to provoking the other love interests behind ur back... the march 7th idea is cute too! I could also see her as reader's maid! and yes herta 100% head mage of the tower thats so real...

I am not mega into hi3 lore but I DO know about the dynamic between welt and himeko!!! I would love her to have a role like duchess tuania in remarried empress, a master of the social world who aides the reader. maybe welt is her adoptive father and she's trying to earn his trust to take over the duchy, and she thinks he won't pass it on to her, but little does she know he thinks she's more than capable and is making plans to give the duchy to her soon!!!

BLADE RLLY IS A SHOE-IN FOR THE DUKE OF THE NORTH HUH... that guy covers all the bases. "the monster duke" of the rumors... I think that's def what his position will be. for dan heng, ONCE AGAIN YOUR BRAIN IS HUGE!! the quiet, scholarly-type ML who helps the reader in business dealings or things requiring an analyst type to help, like maybe information gathering... I think having him run an information guild as the trope goes would be a Bit much for dan heng since I don't see him as much of a leader in that sense, but I think he's definitely got connections to some underground info guilds (=｀ﻌ´=) maybe he is friends w stelle and march as you say, and he is a lower ranked noble who knew stelle and helps the reader as thanks for giving his friend a chance? :o cold, but he cares!!!

I would love 2 hear your ideas for kafka if you have any!!! you have such amazing ideas anon!!!!

as for the reincarnation thing, I'm still not 100% sure yet but I DO like that idea... I love the mc going from villain/ridiculed noble to execution to reincarnating and either taking revenge on those who wronged them, making their life better (and by extension the lives around them who they care for), or both!

thank you again for the wonderful ask!!! you should totally send another one any time!!! I look forward to hearing more of ur thoughts, oi anon!!!! (≗ᆽ≗)ﾉ