#afraid the tag completionist wins this time

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

The hardest battle of my live was definitely trying to not ask you about Na/ruto (just in case if you don’t want to be seen in tags) Love your one piece content though

XD it’s fine! i’m not actually all that opposed to answering questions about nart, i just haven’t Gone There in many years so my opinions and knowledge aren’t super up to date. as i have no interest in changing that, i do appreciate you splitting the name up in your question.

gonna go ahead and assume you wanted to know more about the things i vagued about in a previous post; see below the cut for that (mostly shipping wank) talk, and if i assumed wrong feel free to send another ask with your question!

so, the reasons i brought nart up in that post were in reference to a couple phenomenon i first noticed when i was in nart fandom—but keep in mind that nart was my first animanga fandom, i’m not claiming that it’s the root of all evil here, just representative of the time (mid-00s), platforms (ff.net and lj), and the age of a lot of the fans (young).

phenomenon 1: god forbid you ship any uggos. the over the top disgusted reactions i used to see back in the day to the mere concept of shipping anyone with guy, or lee, or chouji… thankfully most of the vitriol died down by the time the series ended, though chouji still never got much love as a character or romantic interest. but oof, if you were a fan of any of those weird or unattractive guys, the fandom at large was not a safe space for you. people were asked to warn for such ships. granted, back then people were also asked to warn for any presence of slash in some parts of the internet. it was a weird, judgy time in fandom in general.

phenomenon 2: fans tend to stick with the first ship that catches their eye. sometimes a new character comes along so compelling to shippers that the major ship for a character shifts, but that’s pretty rare in my experience. even if the characters in that first ship literally interact once, you’ll probably see more fic for the first ship than any other.

…if you know your nart slash, you probably know what ship i’m referring to. >>;;

anyway, afaik that ship never had a second interaction in canon to work off, which makes its popularity feel especially egregious to me when contrasted with the three characters introduced later with deeply shippable dynamics with [character a]. and yet, it literally has more fics on ao3 than the next two [character a] slash ships combined—and nart fandom predates ao3 by a long while, so those numbers almost certainly understate the older ship’s prominence.

anyway, all that was to say that ships that are “popular” do not necessarily have “better reasons” for being shipped. sometimes they were just there first, and/or involved prettier people.

[librivore42]

2024 writing wrapup

Another double tag! This is very exciting and makes me feel Included.

Thank you @redroomroaving and @pricemarshfield!

I'm just going to slap some of the answers under the cut to keep this short

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

The writing is fun, has always been fun, and I'm allowed to have fun.

How has your writing developed this past year?

Fanfiction in general was a new development. I've always been afraid of writing canon characters with the thought that I'd 'ruin' them. And I'm definitely not writing any accurate character voices even now but you know what, I do not care. These are my versions and that's okay. That being said I am exploring how to make voices more distinct; it's a very fun exercise. And I'm getting more and more experimental and 'strange'. Messing with structure and format, strange repetitions, blending the colloquial with the overly poetic, knocking very loudly and annoyingly on the fourth wall, that sort of thing. (Almost all of this is for only one fic specifically but it's really letting me strech my muscles)

Good writing habits?

None, probably.

Bad writing habits?

Forgetting to stretch and take eye rest breaks because if I take a break I WILL lose the momentum and have trouble getting back to it, so better to never stop.

Favorite reads?

Too many fics to count, but I've also gotten back into reading books at the tail end of the year. I re-read Watership Down and rolled around in the prose like a horse in grass. And I only just started reading Childen of Time but I'm so entertained by the narrative voice. Things to learn from, but first to enjoy!

Biggest win?

As a serial non-completionist, especially when something gets long and complicated, I am so, so happy that I wrote and completed a 35k fic, as well as many, many tiny one-shots! I signed up for so many events this year and managed to do them all, in a way I was satisfied with!

Goals for the new year?

Actually try and make progress on my own novel

Draw more. Even if I don't improve it makes me happy

Don't get so into drawing and reading that I forgot to STRETCH. Going to try and make health a priority this year so that I can create more!

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

Perhaps. I KEEP USING IT but it's so useful!

What are you excited for in the new year?

Collaborations! Creation! Friends! Life! All that good stuff. I hope and will work towards better health and not letting The Long Dark get me down too much.

[timetravelingshark]

So what exactly is this "The Arcana" you keep reblogging stuff for and what's it about? I am curious.

Okay, so I haven’t played it too much yet (I’m only like a fourth of the way through Julian’s route and that’s it, RIP) but the gist of it is that it’s a visual novel where you can romance six different characters. It’s set in a fantasy world, primarily in the city-state of Vesuvia, which is based off of Renaissance Venice with some definite Middle Eastern and Indian influences as well. Tarot is an overarching theme in the stories: the main character, each love interest, and all of the supporting characters have different cards from the Major Arcana that represent them and give insight into their character. The Major Arcana has some pretty interesting forces at play within the world and greatly influence the story. There’s a chance of getting a good, aka Upright, ending, and a bad, aka Reversed, ending. It all depends on the choices that you make while playing.

The main plot is that your character, who is a magician in training (in this world, magicians can actually use magic and are considered very valuable) who is summoned to the palace by the Countess Nadia. She tasks you with finding out who exactly is responsible for the murder of her husband, Count Lucio, who was burned alive in his bed on his birthday three years ago. (What a way to go, yeesh.) The lead suspect is a man by the name of Julian Devorak, who was the head doctor for the palace and treated many Vesuvians during a horrific outbreak of plague within the city a few years ago. He confessed to the murder before disappearing, but his guilt may not be so set in stone..... You’re assisted in the investigation by your somewhat flighty but extremely talented and mysterious Master, Asra, and Portia, one of Countess Nadia’s most trusted servants. A few other very interesting figures pop up along the way, each giving their side of the story of Lucio’s death.

Along the way you meet a cast of amazing characters, all of whom have really awesome designs and fun, unique personalities. I’ll describe the love interests below the cut because holy SHIT I ended up writing way more than I originally thought and also while I haven’t played many routes this is what I’ve picked up from browsing the tags.

First: Asra Al-Nazar

Your Master and one of your dearest friends. Very enigmatic and a man of few words, and is definitely one of the more subdued and laid-back love interests. He tends to disappear for bits of time to places unknown and has a deep understanding of magic and the magical realm itself. He’s got History™ with many of the major players in the story and knows more than he lets on. He’s very Somft™ to the Apprentice and cares about them greatly. Just generally a very sweet if mysterious guy. Lotta people really like him and for good reason.

Countess Nadia

The widow of Count Lucio and the ruler of Vesuvia. She’s very poised and generally keeps a cool demeanor about everything. She’s a very competent ruler and loves her people. Has, hands down, some of the absolute BEST outfits in the game. Like this girl ALWAYS looks good, and like a wealthy aunt, is always willing to make her loved ones look good, too. Very intelligent and crafty, and loves horseback riding and music. Doesn’t care much about the class of a person, and rather their talent and character. However, like all people, she does have flaws. She holds grudges for a very long time and holds them with a white knuckle grip. She’s also extremely reserved and finds difficulty in trusting people, expressing herself, or making herself vulnerable. Like Asra, is very Somft™ with the Apprentice and is very easy to simp for. 

Julian Devorak

The man I’m currently simping for. And yes, you can smooch the accused murderer! He’s a very tall goth doctor who cares way too much and has a massive guilt complex that he hides under a mask of drama and suaveness. Very much a protector type and would do absolutely anything for the people he loves. This man tries not to worry the people around him but at the same time probably survives off of like an hour of sleep and caffeine and he really looks it. He likes being very smooth and cool but if you throw him off his game this boy gets FLUSTEREDDDDD it’s great and hilarious. Kind of has Flynn Rider vibes. Love him to bits. (Can you tell that he’s the only character whose route I’ve played so far???) He wants to find out who killed Lucio, and why. (Minor spoiler: he doesn’t know if he did it or not and would rather like to find out) Feels as though he’s failed everyone he loves and can swing between joy and melancholy very quickly. He’s also ridiculously self-sacrificing. Despite all this, very loveable.

Portia

Nadia’s most trusted servant and also my homegirl. Very sweet, bubbly, and snarky, but is also a total ride or die. Very loyal to Nadia, but will side with the Apprentice over her on certain issues. She knows pretty much everything that goes on in the castle and all the secret nooks and crannies. She lives in a little cottage in the middle of the palace gardens alongside her kitty, Pepi, where she has a huge garden full of fruits and vegetables and flowers. She’s definitely a cottagecore type girl. Also pretty adventurous and willing to go do crazy shit if need be. She’s rather secretive, though. Her personality is quite a bit like my own, which is probably why I don’t really have her on my to-romance list, but I’ll still do her route to satisfy the little completionist gremlin that is my brain.

Muriel

Count Lucio. Or at least, his ghost.

Ah, the BEEG BOI. At a whopping 6′10, he’s the tallest and most muscular of all of the love interests, so if you’re into that Muriel is absolutely your man. He’s very stoic and grumpy, and almost always has a furrowed brow, even when he’s happy. Very much a hermit and likes to keep away from civilization and society. Underneath it all, he’s very gentle towards the ones he loves and especially loves animals and nature, especially dogs and his beloved chickens. Seriously, this boy loves his chickens. When he smiles it’s absolutely adorable. Kind of afraid of his own strength but has no qualms about using it if necessary. Don’t piss him off, he’s scary when he’s angry. Like Nadia, holds a grudge for a long time and is again, very antisocial.

And lastly (and most surprisingly),

Ah, this trainwreck. He’s such an asshole, but such a loveable asshole. Full of himself and with a flair for the gaudy and dramatic, he’s one hell of a piece of work but with the Apprentice’s help becomes an actually good person. Despite his vanity, cruelty, and pettiness, when he decides he likes you, you’re one of his people and he’ll love you wholly and move the heavens and earth for you. Still kind of holds a flame for Nadia despite everything, which is actually really sweet, fight me. He’s kind of got a hero complex and runs headfirst into things without thinking and desperately needs someone to hold him back by the collar at all times because while not pure of heart, this man IS dumb of ass. His facial expressions and dramatics are absolutely hysterical and he’d rather die than admit it but he’s such an ugly crier and it’s hilarious and also very endearing. He’s also kind of in denial about being actually dead, and instead refers to his state as a ghost as being an “Oopsie” and that he’s “Just stuck >:(” He actually doesn’t know who killed him, but is determined to find out. Underneath his pomp and circumstance he’s actually pretty vulnerable and super lonely and could probably do with some hugs and actual human connection. As I said, he does become a good man, or at least a better man, but it takes work on both his end and yours. A pretty divisive route among fans. I’ve personally played the first two chapters of it and honestly I really love him. At the same time, I’m pretty sure if I met someone like him IRL I’d try to strangle him, so there’s that. He’d probably be into that though, the kinky bastard.

So yeah! There’s the main characters and a bit of the plot. Sorry for such an essay but I really wanted to explain all this since you were curious (^^;) I’d definitely recommend playing it, I've had a lot of fun! 

(Also, tip: the scenes that you can buy with coins are just little add ons and treats for the player- the game is very explicitly NOT pay to win and what matters when it comes to getting a good or bad ending is what non-paid dialogue options you choose while interacting with them.)

[dukeofriven]

You know, its weird, but Sora and Ariel have the best chemistry of anyone thus-far. Unlike Sora and Kairi, whose relation the game has entirely summed up as “they know each other”, Sora and Ariel here actually share an interest, maybe even a few overlapping interests. That’s a big issue in this game, come to think about it. Sora and Riku are both publicly panting after Kairi as a way to flirt with each other, but uh... who is Kairi? I mean, I know who she is - the game only chants her name a million times and Sora keeps hallucinating her visage... but who is she? Here, I went and tracked down the damned script for this game - these are all the interactions with Kairi that take place before the great Plottening swallows up Outset I mean Destiny Island.

_______________________________ INTERACTION ONE Sora wakes up on the beach, having just vividly hallcinated an Utada music video. Kairi is staring at him. Kairi calls Sora lazy, mocks him for his dream. Sora: Gimme a break, Kairi. Kairi: Sora, you lazy bum. I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here. Sora: No! This huge, black THING swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe, I couldn't—(Kairi throws a small pebble at Sora) Sora: Ow! (He rubs his head) Kairi: Are you still dreaming? Sora: It wasn't a dream! Or was it? I don't know. What was that place? So bizarre… Kairi: Yeah, sure. Sora: Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up. Kairi: (She stares at the ocean) I've told you before, I don't remember. Sora: Nothing at all? Kairi: Nothing. Sora: You ever want to go back? Kairi: (Well, I'm happy here. Sora: Really… Kairi: But you know… I wouldn't mind going to see it. Sora: I'd like to see it, too. Along with any other worlds out there! I want to see 'em all! Kairi: So what are we waiting for? Riku: Hey, aren't you guys forgetting about me? So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft. And you're just as lazy as he is! Kairi: So you noticed. Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you! Sora: Huh? Riku: What, are you kidding? Kairi: Ready? Go! INTERACTION TWO (Sora fights Riku, beating him. Afterward, he finds another log, and then he goes back to Kairi with all of his supplies) Kairi: Thanks, Sora! I found something today, too. Here, it's yours. (She gives Sora a Hi-Potion) Tired? Want to call it a day? Sora: Yeah, let's go home. Kairi: Okay. It is getting late. We'll finish up tomorrow. INTERACTION THREE (As the sun sets, Sora and his friends are on the small island, looking out at the ocean. Sora and Kairi sit on the paopu tree) Sora: So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right? Riku: Could be. We'll never know by staying here. Sora: But how far could a raft take us? Riku: Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else. Kairi: So, suppose you get to another world. (She giggles) What would you do there? Riku: Well, I haven't really thought about it. It's just… I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds… Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right? Sora: I don't know. Riku: Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go. Kairi: You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you? Riku: Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks. Kairi: You're welcome. INTERACTION FOUR Kairi judges the Riku/Sora race. For completionist sake, here are her lines: Kairi: (She runs over) You guys at it again? All right, I'll be the judge. The usual rules apply. Take any route you want… First one to tag that tree and make it back here wins. Riku: If I win, I get to use the sex fetish soulmate fruit with Kairi which isn’t a weird thing at all to say in front of someone. {Essentially] Sora: Wha… Wait a minute… Kairi: Okay. On my count: 3, 2, 1… Go! INTERACTION FIVE Kairi: Today we collect provisions for our trip! Let's see, Sora, you're looking for…one seagull egg, three mushrooms, two coconuts, three fish, and fill this up with drinking water. But not from the ocean! (She hands him an empty bottle) Bring everything back here. If you need help, just ask. INTERACTION SIX (Sora fights Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie, beating them. Afterward, Sora finds a seagull egg on top of a palm tree. Then, he heads back to the raft with all of his supplies. There, Kairi is making something) Kairi: This? I'm making a necklace of thalassa shells. They were supposed to ensure a safe voyage. [Thanks, for the supplies] I found something today, too. Here, it's yours.  Tired? Want to call it a day? Sora: Yeah, let's go home. Kairi: Okay, tomorrow's the big day. We should rest up! (That evening, Sora and Kairi sit on the dock and watch the sunset) Kairi: You know, Riku has changed. Sora: What do you mean?Kairi: Well… Sora: You okay? Kairi: Sora, let's take the raft and go—just the two of us! Sora: Huh? Kairi: (She giggles) Just kidding. Sora: What's gotten into you? You're the one that's changed, Kairi. Kairi: Maybe… You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?Sora: Yeah, of course! Kairi: That's good. Sora, don't ever change. Sora: Huh? Kairi: (She stands up) I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great. THEN THAT NIGHT KAIRI GETS STOLEN BY SHADOWS ______________________________________________