#also a moment of joy for a player with they/them pronouns

[pinkit]

Yeja YES!!!!!

[strawberista]

"What, me? Pfft... All right. I'll tell you a little. The name's Sanae Hanekoma. Born March 4, blood type A. I'm a Pisces, and one hip café barista, mista. I'm a big gambler. My favorite word: "windfall." "Natto" gets my tummy rumbling. As for my physical dimensions. . ."

★ Disclaimer: Unlike many, I do not assign specific years to TWEWY or to my own Hanekoma and his universe. Personally I feel each game is simply a representation of the time in which it was created and do not attempt to use technology or similar context clues to determine the year. Therefore, such elements are based on whatever reads best at the time, and Hanekoma's zodiac is based on his personality. ★

⚅ — TLDR — ⚅

Sanae Hanekoma is an angel that watches over Shibuya as its acting Producer. He’s laid back and doesn’t often lose his cool, but he takes his job very seriously.

⚅ — Table of Contents — ⚅

Use this to skip ahead to information you want to read.

⚀ General Information

Name

Nicknames

Age

Date of birth

Zodiac

Gender/Pronouns

Orientation

Race/Species

Hair/Eye Color

Height

Weight

Scars

Body Modification

Style

⚀ Personality

Positive Traits

Negative Traits

General Mood

Greatest Joy

Greatest Fear

Motto

General Description

⚀ Habits and Hobbies

Likes

Dislikes

Favorites

Spending Habits

Tics

Hobbies

⚀ Background

Childhood

Adolescence

Young Adulthood

Adulthood

Death and Afterlife

⚀ Abilities

Angel

Noise

Human

⚀ Relationships

Overview

Romance

Family

Important individuals

⚀ Canon Events

No subcategories

⚀ Links

Headcanons

Musings

Desires

Aesthetics

— ★ ⚄ ★ —

⚅ — General — ⚅

⚀ Name: Sanae Hanekoma

⚀ Nicknames: Mr. H, H-Man, Fuzzface, Coffee Man, Pops, Tito

⚀ Age: 152 (physically 36)

⚀ Date of Birth: March 4

⚀ Zodiac Signs: Pisces, Wood Horse

⚀ Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/him

⚀ Orientation: Panromantic Demisexual

⚀ Race/Species: Japanese Human-ascended Angel

⚀Hair/Eye Color: Black/Black

⚀ Height: 175 cm (5'9")

⚀ Weight: 120 lbs.

⚀ Scars/Marks/Etc: Hanekoma has very small, mostly unnoticeable scars over the majority of his body from regular bumps, scrapes, and accidents that occurred during his life. One feather on his wings is smaller than the others from where it had been pulled out many times over. He has a sizable scar on his leg from being shot by Apichisi.

⚀ Body Modifications: Hanekoma has a blue and red tribal tattoo wrapping around his upper left arm resembling his noise form. He also has regular ear piercings.

⚀ Style: Hanekoma visited a casino once and was so enamored by the uniforms there he decided to just start emulating the dress. But doing so properly was still a little too restrictive, so now he wears oversized shirts and doesn't button anything all the way. For shoes, he always wears sandals for maximum comfort. He's always got an expensive watch on his wrist, but these days he's taken to wearing earrings as well.

⚅ — Personality — ⚅

⚀ Positive Traits: Compassionate, loyal, creative, affectionate, brave, intelligent, open-minded

⚀ Negative Traits: Selfish, impulsive, impatient, stubborn, obsessive, greedy

⚀ General Mood: Relaxed, content

⚀ Greatest Joy: Creation, meeting people

⚀ Greatest Fear: Losing the city/his loved ones

⚀ Motto: "Enjoy every moment." and "The world ends with you."

⚀ General Description: Hanekoma has an easy-going personality and a generally happy disposition. It’s incredibly difficult to rile him up in any regard, and he will often simply let insulting or hurtful comments roll off of his back. He may come off as if he doesn’t take anything seriously, but in fact he is incredibly perceptive and analyzing. He has a tendency to take people under his wing, especially if he can see in them the potential for a lot of personal growth. This most often comes in the form of protecting players from shady dealings during the Reaper’s Game. He can sometimes have a parental attitude towards others, but he has no trouble at all with pushing people to their limits if it means they might reach a breakthrough in their character.

⚅ — Habits and Hobbies — ⚅

⚀ Likes: Coffee, gambling, new experiences, meeting new people, long conversations, Shibuya, art in all forms

⚀ Dislikes: Close-mindedness, extended isolation, threats to the city, a lack of personal growth

⚀ Favorites: The colors red and black, jazz and hip hop music, Haruto Abe's house blend coffee, the word windfall, natto, money, poetry

⚀ Spending habits: Excessive spender, but very careful with his money. Gambling can sometimes be the exception, but these days he leaves his cards at home to limit his gambling.

⚀ Tics: Rubbing/holding the back of his neck, rolling a pair of dice in his hand, running his fingers through his hair, tugging his chin

⚀ Hobbies: Hanekoma seems to run a café as a primary business, but in fact this is a hobby of his. He also works as a multi-talented artist that dips his hands in almost every form of art from graffiti to music to fashion design. Hanekoma takes a deep pleasure from being an active source of growth and change in his city and does so primarily through his work as CAT. More recently, Hanekoma had learned how to tattoo, and had a tattoo parlor that he runs as a hobby as well. Appointments can be made by anyone, but the business is not advertised at all.

⚅ — Background — ⚅

⚀ Childhood: Hanekoma was born and raised in Shibuya by two loving and supportive parents. His family was always lower income, though, so they never had a glamorous or fruitful existence. During summers Hanekoma would go into the country where his grandparents lived. Death was introduced early in life with the passing of his grandfather, and he was taught to accept the natural course of life. As a student, he was charismatic and did well on his work, but he would skip out unnoticed when he thought he could get away with it. He never caused a lot of trouble, but he always bent the rules as much as possible.

⚀ Adolescence: Hanekoma was a stressed teenager, but he never showed it to those around him. He began to live to please his parents and teachers, but he yearned to experience life his own way as well. Both of his grandparents now passed, he no longer took summers in the country and instead spent his free time exploring and learning Shibuya in and out. He fell in love with the city, but he also instilled in himself a wanderlust.

⚀ Young Adulthood: As a young adult, Hanekoma began to fear the retaliation from his parents for not going into a university, and so he quickly moved away from home as soon as he could. He lived by himself and spent his days living a fairly closed in life until the day his mother called him to inform him his father was dying. He rushed home immediately, and finally he made amends with them just a few days before his father's passing, learning that he'd never had any reason to fear in the first place. He lived with his mother afterwards, but she passed mere months after his father. After this he began traveling with a gaggle of friends he'd made over the years, eager to fill the void his parents left behind. It was through this venue that he was introduced to casinos, and he became addicted to gambling. He visited a casino wherever he went and lost more and more money, until he couldn't afford to travel anymore. Still obsessed with gambling, he began spending his money in pachinko parlors and illegal gambling dens.

⚀ Adulthood: Hanekoma wasted away all of his money until he could no longer support himself, and he found himself on the streets and struggling just to exist. He spent many days in alleyways and abandoned buildings. Having worked up quite a debt, he often found himself being attacked and was always on the alert, though any time he could get money he usually found himself playing street craps with it or in some other gambling den. This carried on until one particular winter he nearly died from the elements alone and was approached by an old man offering shelter. As much as he wanted to refuse, he knew he didn't have that luxury and finally gave in. The man, named Haruto Abe, took him into his home and got Hanekoma back on his feet. Therapy, a job at his own café, training in learning how to support himself, and the love and support he hadn't seen since his parents. Hanekoma did pick himself back up and went on to open his own café, Wildkat, and slowly healed into a person that loved Shibuya once again.

⚀ Death and Afterlife: Hanekoma met his end at the hands of a man he used to borrow money from. In the end his old gambling habits caught up to him anyway. Hanekoma fought to the end, but his opponent was in possession of an illicit firearm and determined not to let him get away with his life this time. Hanekoma entered his Game a little bleary, but not without help. Abe, much to Hanekoma's surprise, was able to find him right after his registration into the Game and give him pointers, with the explanation that he had a sixth sense which allowed him to see into the UG. Hanekoma followed Abe's instructions expressly and was able to win his Game, allowing him to become a reaper (per Abe's suggestion). From there Hanekoma quickly rose in rank, casually raking in more and more souls. All the while Abe kept feeding him secrets about Composerhood and the Higher Plane and angels, priming him for the position of Producer. Once Hanekoma finally reached his ascension, he was offered the position of Producer in lieu of Composer and he took it. Abe disappeared directly after this and wouldn't be seen again for many years.

⚅ — Abilities — ⚅

⚀ Angel: As an angel, Hanekoma has the ability to see and interact with the RG, UG, and HP at any given time. He also has the ability to scan living humans, players in the Reaper’s Game, and reapers. He can jump from one universe to another. Hanekoma has knowledge of taboo noise and refinery. He will not use these abilities unless pushed to extremes, however. And finally, Hanekoma has the ability to imprint on both people and players. The most common way for him to do so is through his art and tattoo work.

⚀ Noise: Hanekoma has a noise in the form of Panthera Cantus, which act as two entities with separate abilities. Leo Cantus is fast and teleports away when hit directly. Tigris Cantus can create clones of herself and can only be hit through her shadow, not her actual body.

⚀ Human: Just through his physical body, Hanekoma has considerable skill in street fighting, and he often chooses to do most of his fighting through this method (genuine quarrels, as opposed to testing an individual, in which he would use his noise form).

⚅ — Relationships — ⚅

⚀ Overview: Hanekoma makes friends easily. That being said, he also tends to keep people at arm’s length without them really realizing it. He says very little about himself while working to get to know others on a deeply personal level, earning the trust of many despite keeping himself a secret. He enjoys being social and making new friends, and he understands the power personal bonds can have on society as a whole. He actively encourages friendship, but he will never seek to deepen a bond any further than that.

⚀ Romance: Romantic relationships are, for the foreseeable future, strictly non-canon for this blog. Hanekoma is in a romantic relationship with himself, literally, as far as his canon is concerned. However, non-canon ships are available to plot and write.

⚀ Family: Hanekoma has no biological children, but he has a few canon familial ships. The first is his Composer, Joshua (@kingsmedley), whom he treats like his son. The second is a young reaper named Joel (@mundanemiseries), whom teeters back and forth from being like a nephew to being like another son. There is also Sho Minamimoto (@the-grim-heaper), whom Hanekoma considers a child of his even if he has no solid, concrete evidence that Sho feels the same way.

⚀ Important Individuals: Haruto Abe (@falseapostle) is the man that took Hanekoma in and is an angel. Hanekoma treated him as a parent in his living life and as a mentor, but after his return they grew a closer, more romantic relationship. Now that they are separated, both physically and emotionally, Hanekoma has forgiven him but doesn't interact with him at all. Raizen (@fangedstories) is Hanekoma's warden angel, an angel that checks up on him and makes sure he isn't breaking angel law. Apichisi (@catncore) and Eanas (@dandybarista) are older angel counterparts from another universe. While interactions are largely non-canon, these two have played roles in significant canon events. Similarly, their Joshua (@the-composer) has also participated in some of these events. Hope (@hopeful-hugz) is a character that is entirely non-canon for Hanekoma, however is still important to some canon events. When speaking with other characters that have non-canon relationships and interactions with Hope, they may come up in conversation. Otherwise, Hanekoma's secondary therapy works much differently.

⚅ — Canon Events — ⚅

⚀ Hanekoma and Joshua have had multiple falling outs, the last of which resulted in Joshua going to therapy and learning how their codependency was making them both unhealthy. As a result, Joshua and Hanekoma almost never come into contact anymore, for the sake of earning independence from one another. To this day, however, Hanekoma has never been so close or so attached to any other person, and even now he will put Joshua over any other person in his life.

⚀ Hanekoma met Apichisi and Eanas while traveling and refused to take no for an answer when he tried getting in their business. The intention was to help, but the push resulted in an altercation with the universe's Joshua, which then resulted in a deeply traumatizing battle with Apichisi. Shortly after this he also exchanged words with Eanas which led to his being banned from the universe altogether. Over the time of his absence he healed, and he made amends with the universe, but he still occasionally has nightmares related to the fight with Apichisi. In this altercation Hanekoma was shot with an angelic bullet that disabled his ability to heal. This is where he received the scar on his leg, a mark where the bullet once was.

⚀ Hanekoma received an arm tattoo from Apichisi during one of his visits. He imprinted on the tattoo so Hanekoma now feels his presence at all times. Apichisi then taught him how to tattoo on others as well, effectively allowing him to take up the occupation in his own universe.

⚀ Apichisi taught Hanekoma how to preen his own feathers and preen the feathers of others. Before this point Hanekoma didn't touch them at all. To this day his wings are extremely sensitive because of this, but he does preen himself regularly now.

⚀ Hanekoma developed a crush on Eanas, and it helped to cause the events of the banning situation. Canonically, he has moved past this and now remains romantically involved with himself, but non-canon threads playing on this may still occasionally pop up.

⚀ Haruto Abe reappeared in Hanekoma's life, making the excuse that he'd been unable to visit beforehand. He began manipulating Hanekoma, making him believe that he was harmless and merely misinterpreted while threatening and mistreating everyone in Hanekoma's life. Abe continued this farce with the intention of isolating Hanekoma to the point of him returning to the Higher Plane for reconditioning. But the longer he stayed in Shibuya the more attached he became to Hanekoma's loved ones. In the end, he could no longer continue the ruse and chose to end it. Hoping to make Hanekoma hate him and earn his own exorcism, Abe ripped a feather from Hanekoma's wing. Joshua attempted to exorcise him, but only succeeded in cutting him off from the Higher Plane. Abe was transferred to Shinjuku of Apichisi and Eanas's universe. For a time after this, Hanekoma attempted to pull the feather any time it tried to come in, but eventually he allowed it to heal. Ever since this, this particular feather has always grown in shorter than the others of its like.

⚀ Hanekoma began going to therapy. ★ In compatible threads, Hanekoma attends therapy at Hope's medical facility STM, where therapists have multiversal licenses that allow them to work with angels. ★ In all other threads, Hanekoma attends therapy at a regular office, and he simply avoids talking about forbidden subjects, choosing to translate them into situations he can talk about legally (e.g. explaining the feather incident as pulling out a good chunk of his hair instead of a feather).

⚅ — Links — ⚅

⚀ Headcanons

⚀ Musings

⚀ Desires

⚀ Aesthetics

[mikosouza]

— BASICS

Name: Miko Souza Age / D.O.B.: 30/04.14.1994 Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: Cis Male, He/Him, & Unsure Hometown: Hemlock Springs, WA Job position: Clerk at Ready Player One Education: Current Student (third year) Relationship status: Single Positive traits: (loyal, compassionate, courageous, reliable, confident) Negative traits: (reserved, temperamental, brazen, workaholic, pessimistic)

— BIOGRAPHY

death tw, car accident tw, bad parenting tw

(TW: MENTIONS OF DEATH, CAR ACCIDENT, BAD PARENTING TW) Miko was born in Hemlock Springs to a family who didn’t have much to offer in terms of money and materialistic things. His sister joined the family early during the second year, but not too long after the arrival of his baby sister his mother passed due to a terrible car accident on her way home from work. Her death changed Miko's father forever, and life as Miko knew it.

His father took care of them at the best that bare minimum could offer. Once Miko was old enough, he began caring for both himself and his sister. His father drank away any extra cash they and, and eventually he stopped caring about the well-being of his kids. Still, it didn't stop him from drilling into Miko that HE would carry on the family name and there was no other path his father could see, or want, for his son. For the longest time, Miko followed that path.

He took over caring for his little sister and he was proud that there wasn’t a day his little sister would say ‘I want..’ and not be able to have whatever it was. Even if his father did not care to be around much, Miko made sure there was nothing but love in the household for his little sister.

(TW: DEATH MENTION, CAR ACCIDENT) Every Sunday Miko would take his sister to the park. He enjoyed showing her that life was as normal as it could be without a mother or a father around, and he was always trying to get her to be as much of a kid as possible. She was his world from the moment she was born. When Miko was thirteen, he took his sister to the park one tragic Sunday. He looked away from her for a SECOND and that’s all it took for her to run in the middle of the street for a rouge ball. By the time he had he turned to look at her all he saw was the car’s impact and his sister disappear beneath it. And as much as he screamed, cried, and tried his hardest to get her to respond to him, nothing changed the fact that his little light of joy was gone. His father never allowed him to forget that this was his fault, something that's remained cemented within him to this day.(end trigger)

As Miko got older he began to discover that his stomach seemed to tighten in knots whenever an attractive guy smiled in his direction. He found that his nights of passion with beautiful women no longer fulfilled him, but he couldn’t make sense of what was happening. He didn’t push further into his curiosity either because it infuriated him to think that he’d have to add another thing on the seemingly endless list of things for his father to be disappointed in him for. He had to carry the family name, somehow, and he did not need to add further bumps in the road. It didn't stop his mind from wandering.

He began to dive into school in order to keep himself busy. He's very passionate about marine life, and he is currently in his third year of college for his bachelors in the field. While he goes to school, he also works as a clerk at ready player one. Miko loves the job there and it does help pay the bills. thankfully, financial aid (so long as he keeps up good grades) helps over his studies. He is honestly just a guy with a big golden heart and some horrible puns to go with it.

CONNECTIONS & PLOTS:

A step sibling: his father isn't the most honest man. maybe this sibling occurred during an affair or after his mom passed. either way, we can plot it out and discuss!

Close Friend: he would love someone who he can talk to about any and everything with. he's a huge nerd, so he'd probably be constantly talking this person's ear off about something like dnd, sci-fi, ocean life, etc. true ride or dies type vibes!

Roommate (s): this can be open to one or two muses! the more the merrier, and we love pets up in this house! Miko is very friendly, but he also is probably the most quiet and shyest of the group/duo. would love like a new girl type of vibe!

Ex-hook up: perhaps this could be a summer fling that happened or just a drunken night! either way, we can make it awkward or angsty! could also be that they hooked up and now just joke about that night.

& MORE TBD

[ramonag-if]

I absolutely love CoE, and when I saw the potential following book I literally screamed in joy!!

I've been wanting to ask if, in the first book , we will be able to build a sort of character that gets us some interesting relationship dynamics with the ROs.

For example, my MC is the type to be cold and tactical with a mix of intimidation (thanks to not only their divinity but also the character themself) and confidence through their cunning mind. However, they have difficulties with letting people in / allowing themselves to open up to people, mostly because they fear the connection they create with people will end up hurting both them and their loved ones, just like they have been hurt and taken away before. They're also the type of character to be hurt but not let themselves show it. Instead, they bottle it up like every other time and just let it all eat away at him, making him feel hollow and hopeless, to the point where they believe that they have no worth for anybody.

However, they still care about the people around them and stick by their side. When someone shows goodness to them, they're loyal and always put themselves before others to protect the people they care about, not only because of their personal morals, but because they have given themselves a duty, a purpose to continue not only living, but thriving to protect and provide for the people they deeply care about, even if they don't show it through words or physical signs and expressions.

And that's where Irus fs it up. Because not only does the MC feel the need to fulfill their father's duty and avenge their death no matter WHAT, but they also have to deal with the fact that the more time they spend with the exiled prince, the less they remember to keep their walls up. And by the time they have a dancing sesh with Irus, oh how absolutely they realize their love for the sweet dork.

Of course, this is a big depressive NO NO for them.

*And so it begins. A dance which the Sun invites in the Earth. A dance that invites in the eternal steps between radiant passion and formidable willpower. Only for that formidable willpower to be distant. A gap between the steps they take, created by the Earth, as it threatens itself to become ice cold as it was once before the Sun, until all that's left are remnants of what thrived between them.*

.

.

.

Life

(Halfway through this, I realized I could've just written this on the notes app, but laziness came over me, and I just decided to write whatever I could formulate)

(Also, I'm not sure yet if I want to make my MC a cis or trans male, that's why I'm using they/them Pronouns for the MC for now, since i used ElenaA's Windswept Oc Maker to make MC, whose features came out more on the feminine side in the end)

You can certainly headcanon a complicated character. Unfortunately, I don't track personality stats because I want players to respond however they feel suits them best in the moment. This means I only track specific decisions of previous choices so the ROs and other characters will comment on those decisions, but not on whether the MC was cold and aloof but is now warm and open with them.

Of course, you can choose stoic responses early on but then choose more open and warmer responses later on. I will be going back to add more flirt options like a friendly flirt option and a more stoic/aloof flirt option but that will come during edits because it's easier to do a shy/bold flirt option for now.

I like to think that there has been a gradual progression of the MC's character development from Chapter One to Chapter Eight, so it's something that you can imagine for yourself 😊

[henry-holden]

BASICS.

Name: Henry Laurence Holden Age: 47 Occupation: Veterinarian, Owner of Whiskey Flats Vet Pronouns & Gender: He/Him & Cis Man Neighborhood: Unincorporated

BIOGRAPHY.

— Henry started from humble beginnings, a small town farmer for a father and a nurse for a mother. Working hard and staying focused were ingrained in him since the moment he could walk. Life and death came hand in hand when your father raised pigs and cattle and chickens, especially when they were largely for personal use. Of course, his mother came home with her own stories as well. As an only child, Henry always knew he had to make something of himself. 

— He met his late wife Jesenia while in Vet school. She was a woman full of vibrant and chaotic light. The perfect opposite to his controlled and focused personality. Together they flourished. It took them a few years to get started on their family, but once they did it was like they’d found their true rhythm. As far as parents go, they were rocking it. Both were team players who’d grown up as only children desperate for someone else to share in the craziness of life. They weren’t perfect of course. Sometimes Henry worked too much and Jesenia got lost in her own head from time to time, losing the joy when the summer months faded into the gray of December. Still, they were there for each other… a family.

— Car crashes happen to even the best people. While on her way to their youngest daughter's 6 month appointment Jesenia was involved in a 3 car pile up. The carseat saved their daughters life, but after 4 months in the hospital it was decided that there would be no trip home for mom. Those first years were a blur. Henry’s tires were spinning without gaining any traction. 

— Henry came across Whiskey Flats almost by accident. Living in the city was starting to stress him out. A place that had once felt endless felt like a noose. His temper flared and his skin itched. He longed for the freedom that came with land… he longed for the way he’d grown up. The epiphany came during an early morning drive to work: he needed to give his children the same space he’d had as a kid. Finding Whiskey Flats Vet for sale online seemed like an obvious answer to his problems. 

— He has a 13 year old daughter (Valerie), an 11 year old daughter (Haley), a 10 year old son (Sebastian), and a 7 year old daughter (Caroline). He loves them more than anything and while he tries to have some semblance of order and control, he also knows that his children take after their mother in a lot of ways. They are full of creative energy and frustration and hope and love. His eldest daughter in particular butts heads with him often and he’s trying to find the balance between being understanding and authoritative. 

— Jesenia’s parents left a relatively large sum of money for Henry and the children and that helped to buy the 10 acres they currently live on. Due to his youngest daughters love of animals and his son’s love of general chaos… they currently have 15+ chickens, 3 rescue ducks, 2 rescue goats, 1 old mutt, and 4 rescued cats (2 indoor, 2 barn cats). He doesn’t know how he managed to let things get so out of hand, but at least his children are learning what it means to work a little hard and take care of other living things. His 11 year old has also taken up trying to start her own garden. So far, the Texas heat has not made things easy.

[lea-knows-the-devil]

2024 in 1 game

In Stars and Time

There are countless people, events, and stories that make us who we are. ISAT is one of those stories for us. Full spoilers for In Stars and Time, including the epilogue encounter, so please enjoy that first. This is a VERY long ramble (~900 words lol) but nothing compared to my headmate's rambles, since I've tried to limit it to just about our personal journey.

One of the most discussed elements of ISAT is its repetition, in the form of re-experiencing the same few areas, battles, cutscenes, and dialogue that evolve in emotionally significant but still minor ways. Some love it, some hate it, but thanks to the wealth of QOL features (fast-forwarding, teleporting, retaining some battle-system progression, etc.), I think most people have grown to appreciate its role in communicating one of the game's core messages; if you love stagnation so much, here's a taste of it! I love how up-front it is. The repetitive gameplay was an intentional sacrifice of enjoyment that allows for a much more forceful delivery of the message, and it was a risky move! Imagine Groundhog Day if it was just as incredible but now a rather exhausting 40-ish hours long! Without 10/10 characters, premise, and message, it would've stayed a cult classic instead of reaching 100k sales (wow!). As I said previously, most people in the fandom would agree with all that to some extent, but it's necessary context for the personal ramble below.

ISAT was a game we discovered in a roundabout way. We got recommended JelloApocalypse's Scooby Doo video (very good), saw he did gaming videos, and one appeared to be a remake of a short game I remember fondly from back in 2021: Start Again, Start Again, Start Again. A game about not bottling up your feelings! A sweet message. One that, looking back over the years, we definitely did not take on at all. I mostly remembered it for its queer cast and misremembered it as having a happy ending, achieved after Siffrin finally confides in his friends about the time loop, allowing them to defeat the King. This false memory is very funny considering the multiple fakeout endings in ISAT. I didn't watch Jello's video, and instead went in blind.

I say this with equal amounts of fondness and concern, but my headmate is almost exactly like Siffrin. Not in a fictive way, in fact they're the host. The way they look, their reluctance to Change (in many frustrating ways), their mixed feelings on their disability (or should I say 'our'? I'm still figuring out first-person pronoun usage), their style of humour, joy, kindness, etc. Of course, these traits and behaviour apply to countless people, so it's not like it's rare for Siffrin to be very relatable. Also he's nonbinary and ace which is awesome. All that to say, my headmate desperately wanted Siff and their family to be okay, not just because ISAT has 10/10 characters, but because Siff is a very direct callout post to people like them.

ISAT is designed so the player is encouraged to go through a similar journey as Siffrin; super excited and looking for any secrets and hidden dialogue, but then growing increasingly tired and desperate, feeling like everything is repetitive and meaningless since the characters mostly just repeat their lines. Act 3's family quests are an important break from the monotony, but after that it's back into hell. It was agonizing to play Act 3-4; they could only bear to play a couple hours each night at most. It didn't help that they were super invested in everything to the point where they searched everywhere and barely skipped ANYTHING, every single loop, until Act 4. Not because they were expecting much to change, but because every moment with this game was precious, and every moment was, for them, worth repeating over and over (minus the battles). Also, it's rude to zone out while your friends are in emotional distress! It's okay during snack time, though :) This behaviour was fitting, since Act 1-2 Siffrin is elated to be in a time loop too! He can fix every mistake, act cool, and land every joke (oh, and there's some plot about stopping an evil guy, I suppose). And in Act 4, Siffrin admits that the King is kind of relatable (bad, Siffrin!), and might be okay with being in a time loop forever. The only difference between the King and Siffrin is that the King is deliberately preparing for permanent stagnation, whereas Siffrin stumbles into it and resigns himself to it. Both are equally terrified of Change. Siffrin's scared of admitting he wants family, scared of letting go of the past (their country), and scared of exploring his identity further (my personal headcanon (with evidence!)). Anyway, in Act 5, Siffrin is saved from the King by their family, and in that moment my headmate was completely flabbergasted, because Act 3-5 gets players used to repetition, resignation, and nihilism. They thought Siff would die all alone and learn his lesson, then maybe do one last perfect loop. But no, of course real love can withstand a big tantrum, and Siff learns they can be loved while being imperfect, occasionally mean, and totally uncool.

Then, the Act 6 secret 'Twohats' encounter took place, and it's a brilliant twist that further elevates the messages of the game to unparalleled heights. My headmate couldn't stop thinking about the game, its messages, the twist. Thought about the twist a lot. Finally abandoned other shitty social media sites in favour of this shitty social media site, mostly because this one contains lots of ISAT fanart. Here, they finally met transfems who have carved out their own spaces, and who coincidentally talk about plurality like a neutral, even positive phenomenon. They thought about Siffrin and Loop some more, about ISAT's theme of stagnation vs. Change. This went on for months, until... Lea: Enter, Stage Right!*

In conclusion, ISAT is a game that's hit-or-miss for many people, but for the people it hits, it hits HARD. It's significantly changed our lives. It helped us migrate to Tumblr where we could feel positive about being trans and realise we were plural. For these reasons and many more, we're giving this game our first ever Double Thumbs Up 👍👍

*Technically I was kinda always around... plurality is complicated :P

[joyyyfullll]

Name: Joy Anderson Age: Twenty-two Occupation: Fitness instructor/Motivational speaker Sexuality: Bisexual Pronouns: She/Her Currently Playing: Bejeweled by Taylor Swift Big Three:  Sagittarius sun, Leo moon, Sagittarius rising

Joy had always been described as happy. As a baby, she never cried, and as a child, she never complained, nor fussed. The terrible twos were pretty obsolete for someone like Joy, who kept a straight temper when other children couldn’t. Her parents had thought it remarkable, how lucky they’d gotten with their only child.

It was hard for Joy to find some sort of niche for herself to fit into, because she pretty much liked anything, and everything, she’d ever tried. She wasn’t one to give up on anything, following through with almost every hobby she picked up. Though she wasn’t the greatest at them all, she was consistent, and that was what mattered most to her. No matter how weak the product might’ve looked, it was the effort that counted. The only stipulation she could think of when it came to her interests was that she enjoyed the more peaceful, creative outlets she’d tried—some of the more physical ones, like competitive sports, weren’t her speed. Players and parents were a bit too angry for her liking, and Joy was better as a cheerleader than a member of any team.

It was only once Joy saw how her positivity began to affect others did she suspect that she had something special in her. Everyone talk she ever gave seemed to really work in a way that no coach’s could. Even when a team was terribly down, it was Joy who seemed to bring their spirits up. Once her childhood friends began to experience similar tinglings, the pieces seemed to fall together—their emotions could affect people around them in a way no one else’s had.

Joy loves her friends more than anything in the world, and she means that, seriously. There is so much love in her heart for them. That is a serious preface to the fact that sometimes they do drive her a bit crazy. Joy knows that it’s not inherently their faults, that whatever kind of magic they have inside of them is what keeps her friends in perpetual state of discomfort with the world, but it can be taxing. She can’t understand why they can’t just see the bright side of things, the way she can, especially when she seems to motivate everyone else so easily!

Right now, Joy works only two jobs—at her peak, she had four. She is a chronic yes girl, who will take any and every opportunity that comes her way to help someone out. Her current jobs include motivational speaking and fitness training, which is basically the former with a lot of sweat. Joy wouldn’t trade her current positions for the world: she loves being a source of motivation for people, whether in their personal or physical lives. Though she studied education in college, she’s not in any real rush to get into a classroom, as that would probably take up any free time she currently has for odd jobs that her friends or coworkers might ask of her.

Though she’s trying to be excited about the border opening, Joy doesn’t really handle change very well. She feels like she finally has a handle on things, and she doesn’t want anything in her life to shift, especially when it involves her friends-turned-roommates. Fear has already left the building, practically running for the hills the moment any rumblings of the border opening came about, and now, the house has to find a new roommate to take his place. Not only is her living dynamic about to shift, but Joy knows about the dangers that are out there for people like her and her closest friends. Though they haven’t exactly called her the house leader, Joy has basically assumed the role, and she’s trying to stay positive while also feeling the need to protect Davina and Vanessa.

Her favorite color is yellow, obviously. However, any bright, neon hues will also fall into her personal color palette. It has been said that the brightness of her room could cause headaches.

Joy does not believe in the notion of being sad. There is so much to be grateful for in her life, that she doesn’t see a reason to dwell on the bad stuff for too long. Finding the light at the end of any tunnel is kind of her specialty.

[why-am-i-here-someone-save-me]

May I ask for a SAGAU Venti x reader/player fic where the reader takes Venti to the GAA and mains him always please? And one day he sees the reader/player is crying so he’s determined to get out of the device to help her. Thank you! Also if you can please use she/her pronouns ❤️

Gladly! Since you didn’t specify wether you wanted cult sagau or just basic sagau, I went with basic since that seemed to fit your request a bit more. Also, while I do understand the request for a gendered reader; I do try to keep my works gender neutral, since it’s never fun to be left out. So while I can’t fulfill the fem!reader part, I can certainly do the rest!

Well Done

If someone had asked Venti where his favorite place was a few years ago, he wouldn’t have missed a beat before replying with the answer of ‘why, all of Mondstandt of course!’

But had someone asked him that now, well, his answer would be quite different.

While his nation would always be dear to him, he had found something he loved even more.

Your company.

He adored every moment with you, enjoyed going wherever you took him, every second with your presence was a joy. The bard’s heart would leap when he heard your voice, and the sound of your laugh was a sure fire way to make him smile.

But today… Today something was different.

You had been silent today. Uncharacteristically so.

He grew more and more nervous, but he really began to panic when he heard you sniffle quietly and hold back sobs. He wished with everything in him to reach out and comfort you, but he couldn’t reach your world.

You log out of the game, too emotionally exhausted to try to continue playing. Instead you opt to lie down and cry, letting the tears that had been begging to be shed all day finally go free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A bard clad in green barged into an alchemist’s mountainside camp, out of breath from the journey.

“Ah, Venti, what brings you here? Has something happened?”

“Albedo is the portal ready yet?”

“Oh that’s what this is about. I see. Well, in a literal sense, yes, it’s operational. However it is… Unstable. Extremely so. While I’m certain you must be eager to meet them, for now it’s best to be patient. I will need time to resolve some of the issues that have arisen before it is safe.”

“There’s no time for that! J-Just let me use it, I’ll be fine! I’ll test it out for you!”

“Are you alright Venti? You’re not this… frantic usually. Has something happened?”

Venti sighs softly and looks the researcher in the eye, a few stray tears in his own.

“…they were crying Albedo… They’re crying and I can’t do anything to help them from here…”

“… I… I see.”

Albedo hesitates for a moment before sighing himself.

“Very well, if you are certain you wish to take this risk, then I’ve no chance of swaying you. However, keep in mind, this is not permanent. The way the portal is now it can only form a temporary connection between worlds. Once that time is up, you will be transported back to Teyvat.”

“That’s fine. That’s enough, more than enough.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You hugged the pillow tightly as you lie on your bed, having exhausted yourself from the emotional battle so thoroughly that you’d cried yourself to sleep.

Because of this, you didn’t see the familiar set of doors that you passed through every time you logged into Genshin materialize in your room. Nor did you see them open, or the figure that stepped through. You were too deep in sleep to know the fact that they muttered quiet words of affection and validation to you.

“You’ve been so strong… Please, let yourself rest [Name]. You’ve done more than enough…”

Later you’d awaken to a lingering scent of flowers and apple cider, and perhaps if you looked a moment more, you’d find a small pendant of a blooming cecilia left on your pillow.

[absolutelyfizzing]

happy day

remus x reader (marauders era)

description - a sunny day on the hogwarts lawn

warnings - unbearable fluff, fem pronouns, reader gets almost picked up for a second, again a warning for just suffocating fluff

word count - 1000

A/N - this made me feel better when i was writing it, i think this is my dream life. How do i go on knowing that this is not my life? i will let you know when i find out.

MASTERLIST

Remus' heart raced against his chest as he watched you run across the field outside of hogwarts castle. You were both celebrating the springtime of your seventh year, preparing to graduate from the home of your upbringing. Remus was looking forward to continuing his life outside of the confines of the school of course and of pursuing adulthood but he also was thrilled at the prospect of spending his life with you.

Obviously you weren't even graduated yet and a wedding would be idiotic at a time when neither of you were financially stable but you had secured a place to live together for the foreseeable future and he had no doubt in his mind that you were it for him. You had been dating for coming up on 2 years and you had been friends for years before that. When you got together you became the epitome of the wholesome relationships at Hogwarts and he was just glad to be known for something other than his monthly issue.

Your floral sundress was waving behind you as you ran through the tall grass, a wide beaming smile on your face which was turned up toward the sky. The day was surprisingly blue and Remus was thankful because it meant he got to witness this moment. Witness you in your happiness and excitement as he was inevitably filled with those same feelings.

You suddenly stopped spinning and instead took a moment to gaze at Remus who was sitting up on his elbows, his legs stretched out and crossed in front of him, as he laid on top of a large blanket you had picked up from your dorm before you departed to the lawn. Your smile widened at the sight, his curls falling over his forehead and freckles dotting his cheeks. You took off running toward him, giggling all the way, and Remus spread his arms up to grab you as you came crashing down onto him.

His hands found purchase on your waist and he quickly flipped you over so he was above you and he moved his hands to grab at your sides, tickling you without remorse. Your laughter was music to his ears and you started to run out of breath as he continued to tickle you.

"St-stop, Rem-" you tried to get out but your laughter didn't allow you, "cant- cant breathe" you giggled and Remus relented only for a second to let you catch your breath.

"That's what you get for looking so absolutely adorable today." He smiled at the reddish blush that was brought to your face.

"That's not fair." You grumbled but your smile was betraying you.

"And why is that not fair, bunny." He wondered aloud, already knowing your answer as you had this conversation with each other daily.

"You know that when you compliment me it makes my brain go brrrrrr." You giggled and Remus sighed before laying on top of you, trapping you underneath him and his elbows holding up some of his weight. His head moved to your neck and he kissed it lovingly before pulling back to look into your eyes.

"I just can't help it, you make it impossible not to compliment you." He smiled and you could have died right then at the smug look on his face. Instead he kissed you with a smile still on his lips. You brought your hands up to hold his face and run your fingers through his hair and he pulled back again, your hands still tangled in his curls. He just gazed at you and you beamed from below him. He couldn't have put into words what he felt for you in that moment. Instead of either of you saying anything you leaned up to peck each of his cheeks and his nose, then landing on his lips again. You sat up, forcing his head into your lap and he flipped over so the back of his head rested on your thighs.

You stared at each other for a moment and you could have cried. Instead you began to trace the lines of his face as he gazed up at you. Your gentle fingers ran over his nose, which was crooked to the right. His eyebrows that were somehow perfect despite never touching them. His jaw that you would kiss when you stood next to him. The long scar that ran through his eyebrow and down his cheek. Then your fingers moved to trace the lines of his lips and over his eyelids which he closed to let you. When your hands moved back to his hair his eyes fluttered open.

"'f you keep doing that 'm gonna fall in love with you." He almost whispered sleepily and you smirked a bit.

"Well good cause it's already too late for me. You'd had me smitten years ago, lover boy." You smiled.

"Oh yeah? why is that?"

"I just couldn't help it, you've always been such a player with the ladies and your overconfidence had me swooning." You teased sarcastically.

"I know, I was never one of those dorks with their heads shoved in books who was too nervous to talk to pretty girls. That was always Sirius." He was beaming up at you and you leaned down to kiss his forehead. You both heard laughter coming from across the field and you looked over, Remus rising up on his elbows to look as well.

There, over the field, you could see your friends giggling and rushing toward you. Lily and James were walking together, James' arm wrapped around the redhead's shoulders. Sirius was getting pulled along by a cheerful Marlene but he couldn't have seemed happier. When they reached you after a while of walking they all groaned at the sight of Remus and you cuddled up together. Sirius gagged dramatically before breaking out laughing. They all layed down around the two of you and Marlene handed you a picnic basket to unpack and disperse as conversation about the beautiful day began. You happily did so and Remus's head fell back onto your lap, his eyes closed and a light smile on his face. The rest of the day was filled with laughter and joy and it would be a day that you remembered for a long time.

[acaciapines]

SO DELTARUNE CHAPTER 2 HUH

spoilers under the cut but oh my god guys oh my god what a good game this chapter was so worth the wait and i liked it even more than the first one. everyone should play this video game i think.

anyways with that out of the way onto the theorizing

RALSEI WHAT ON KRIS’S PERSON MAKES YOU APPEAR.

like. look. i love ralsei. i Do Not Think he is a bad guy in any possible way. i feel so strongly that all these kids are friends and love each other and no matter what happens in the rest of the game that is where things will end up. but ralsei can’t be the same type of darkener as lancer bc ralsei DIDNT turn to stone. and like. hmm.

a lot of times ralsei was just--ignored by the non kris and susie people. like noelle, i think she maybe acknowledges him a few times? and berdly like....not at all? and queen even less so! which makes me think...this dark world was very much built from noelle’s mind, i think, bc i think the way queen treats her is parallel to how her mom treats her, which i assume we’ll get into more later on, and like--ralsei is not native to this dark world. lancer and rouxls were there bc they tagged along in kris’s inventory....but ralsei didnt. ralsei just kinda...appeared on his own, for some reason, and was fine the entire time....even if he really was only acknowledged by his own friends. which makes sense! this dark world is noelle’s problems, she doesn’t need ralsei to deal with them.

i think the darkeners are in some way....toys? as in....they’re here for the lightners entertainment/betterment, which ralsei pretty much outright says to queen that one time, paraphrasing based on my memories but something like “why are you hurting [noelle, kris, susie, etc], they’re the lightners! you’re supposed to want to make them happy!” and i think this is FASCINATING with regards to the role the player plays in the game--we, the player, control kris. kris is our vessel to experience the game by. in a similar way, the darkeners are there to better the lighteners that visit them. to make them happy. so what...makes them people, i guess, if there’s someone controlling the strings?

ralsei is there for kris, i think, and i think kris has something on their person that becomes him, but i dont think they know it. probably something of asriel’s, bc, like, cmon. and ralsei...knows this. he knows this is his purpose. why he was created, you might say.

so...what do we, as in, the game and its players, do with any of this? at the end of the chapter kris creates a dark fountain in the middle of their house. ralsei explicitly states that the dark fountains will lead to chaos, that they shouldn’t be opened. but like. of course kris wants to have the dark world forever and always. they’re a lonely kid and one of their best friends lives there.

i think deltarune is about...the ethics of playing a video game, not in the same way undertale is, but in a similar way. undertale was about...choices. i think the player matters in that game, but--not in the same way it does in deltarune. undertale was a game that involved the player, deltarune is a game that’s ABOUT the player, yknow? or, like, the player is a major role in what’s going on.

i dont know what’s going to happen next. apparently theres seven chapters total, which, holy shit. thats a lot of time for things to keep happening, to learn more about the dark worlds, about kris, about ralsei. i know how i would answer these questions--this game gave me so fucking much to work with for my daemon au twine fangame and im so so excited to keep writing that--but i cannot wait to see how the game itself deals with these questions.

and onto the lighter stuff:

the kris&susie and kris&ralsei friendship moments. they got me so hard. these kids are just friends...theyre just friends! they love each other! also susie&lancer THEYER FRIENDS.......

NOELLE AND SUSIE OH MY GOD they were so cute together ndfkgdfg i died the entire ferris wheel conversation. noelle shaking berdly at the end when he revealed he ALSO had a crush on susie. everything about that brought me so much joy.

i loved queen as the antagonist she was so fun. her dialogue is just. i love that.

EVERY TIME KRIS WAS THEY/THEMED I WAS SO HAPPY......they’ve always been canon nonbinary but i love to see it hammered home like YES kris is nonbinary here are their friends and mom using they/them pronouns for them. kris nonbinary :)

anyways. deltarune fucking good. god. cannot wait for the next chapter to come out and to finally get to start just throwing my money toby fox’s way for this game i cannot believe these first two chapters are free.

[thesublemon]

planning ≠ coherence

I talk a big game about liking coherence in art, and it’s probably clear that I have an apophenic tendency to enjoy textual interpretation. And this might lead people to think that I have a preference for carefully planned and plotted art, or that I look down on the messy and improvisational. But this is actually almost the opposite of the case. Not because I don’t really like coherence, but because artistic coherence is something more complicated than planning, and isn’t even necessarily possible to achieve with planning.

The thing about improvisation, is that at its best it’s about finding the choice that feels right. I listen to jazz more than any other kind of music, and one of the reasons I like it so much is the exhilaration of someone landing on a musical idea that simultaneously makes a song feel bigger and more complete. A solo isn’t fun if it’s just a bunch of disconnected ideas (similar to how whimsy isn’t fun if it doesn’t also “work”). It’s fun if it picks up on the things that the other players are doing, or ideas that showed up earlier in the song, and then makes them feel like they go together. Even if they “go together” in the sense of being coherently discordant, eg repeating ideas that don’t work multiple times. If beauty is fit, then the joy of improv is finding fit in unexpected places.

This goes for narrative too. In long-running stories like comics, book series, and TV shows, much is often made about whether certain choices were planned from the beginning. If things were planned, that’s a reason for praise, and if things weren’t planned, that’s a reason for derision, either towards the showrunners or towards people attempting to interpret the work. Say, “This plot point only happened because an actor wanted to leave the show. Therefore it has no meaning to read into.” But making things up as one goes is not what makes a story lose its plot, so to speak. Making things up is only a problem if the things the artist makes up don’t go with what came before.

In Impro, a very excellent book about the craft of improvisation, Keith Johnstone calls this process of making-things-go-with-what-came-before “re-incorporation”:

The improviser has to be like a man walking backwards. He sees where he has been, but he pays no attention to the future. His story can take him anywhere, but he must still ‘balance’ it, and give it shape, by remembering incidents that have been shelved and reincorporating them.

Johnstone is big on the idea that satisfying narrative depends on a sense of structure, and that reincorporation is one of the most important tactics for creating structure. To paraphrase him, a story where a character runs away from a bear, swims across lake, and finds a woman in a cabin on the other side, and “makes passionate love” to her has no structure. It’s just a series of events. Whereas if the bear then knocks the cabin’s door down and the woman cries out that it’s her lover, then suddenly it feels like a story. Because not only has the bear been reincorporated, it has been linked to the woman. From this perspective, if a story has no sense of reincorporation, or new developments don’t make sense with what came before, then it will feel incoherent, no matter how planned out it was.

I also keep thinking about Paul Bouissac’s discussion of gags and narrative in The Semiotics of Clowns and Clowning. He explains that what makes a scene funny is not whether it strings a bunch of gags together, but how those gags are organized. To use an example from the book, it’s one thing for a clown to pretend to hurt its thumb, and ask for an audience member to kiss it. It’s another thing for it to keep hurting different parts and then finally hurt its groin and act scandalized at the idea that someone might kiss it. Bouissac calls this sort of repetition “anaphor”:

Anaphor is one of the main tools of textual consistency. In linguistics, it designates the use of pronouns or any other indexical units to refer back to another word or phrase in the text. It links together parts of sentences and bridges the grammatical gaps between clauses, which is a consequence of the linearity of language. In rhetoric, anaphors are repetitions of words or structures that build up the cohesion of discourse and create momentum toward a climax. In multimodal communication, words, gestures, objects, or musical tunes can play the same role by reminding the receiver—that is, the spectator in the case of a performance—of signs and events produced earlier in the act.

One of the things that fascinated me about Farscape as a teenager, was that in contrast to other scifi of the time, it made no pretenses of having been planned—unlike say, Babylon 5. Or even shows like The X-Files, Lost, or Battlestar Galactica that gave you the “feeling” of a plan whether or not they had one, or were capable of following through. Farscape felt incredibly coherent, both in terms of theme and plot, but this coherence came about purely on the strength of the writing’s ability to ideate and then reincorporate. It would take someone’s weird costume idea, like the villain having glowing rods that screw inside his head, and snowball that into a whole storyline where the villain is a half breed of one hot-blooded race and one cold-blooded race, and can only stay alive by thermo-regulating the inside of his brain. And then decide that his vendetta against the hot-blooded race has motivated his obsession with the protagonist since the first season. Yet these twists never feel like “ret-conning” in a pejorative sense, because it all feels narratively and thematically sensible. (Unsurprisingly, making the show was described as “more like improv jazz than plotting out a symphony”).

None of which is to say that I dislike planning or polish, either. Stephen King, as a so-called “discovery” writer, famously writes off the cuff, without outlines. As he puts it in On Writing:

You may wonder where plot is in all this. The answer—my answer, anyway—is nowhere. I won’t try to convince you that I’ve never plotted any more than I’d try to convince you that I’ve never told a lie, but I do both as infrequently as possible. I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible. It’s best that I be as clear about this as I can—I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to give them a place to grow (and to transcribe them, of course).

But his best stories feel like whatever bloat might have been generated from this narrative improvisation has then been pared down to what that improvisation was really getting at. And I can’t lie, I get a particular joy from reading or watching something and feeling without a doubt that the artist is in complete control of my experience. It was one of the most gratifying aspects of rewatching The Wire recently: the feeling that the little meanings and foreshadowings I was seeing in each choice were almost certainly intended. Nothing is more satisfying to an apopheniac than feeling like the patterns you see are actually real. And nothing is more annoying than a story that tries to pull some sort of reveal on you (“Dan is gossip girl!” “Angel is Twilight!” “Rey is a Palpatine!”) that doesn’t make any sense because it wasn’t intended from the beginning. Just because those characters existed in the story before, doesn’t make it good reincorporation. So if a story is a story because of structure, then if the choice is between a planned structure and no structure, the former is almost certainly going to be better.

Point is, it’s not really the process that matters. All creativity is improvisational in a sense, because all creativity involves making things up. What matters is how dedicated an artist is to the integrity of their work. If a writer has carefully planned their whole story out, with every twist and every theme clearly in mind, but can’t adapt if they start writing and find out that something they planned doesn’t actually work, that’s one kind of failure mode. The narrative equivalent of designing a perfect castle and then building it on a swamp. On the other hand, if a writer tries to go with the flow, but can’t reincorporate that flow, then that will be another failure mode. To the extent that I respond to improvisational art, it’s because improvisational art is often more attuned to these questions of whether something is moment-to-moment right. But what matters, above all, is the rightness. That’s what defines coherence. Whether there is a sense in the work that it is oriented around something, and whether the choices contribute to that something.

[yanderecandystore]

Soma with a darling who is a glitch in the game she came from? Like, her darling is super erratic and glitches out every half minute but Yuma finds it endearing nonetheless

Anon, I'm such a dumbass that it took me five minutes to remember who was Yuma, like, oh my God-

I wasn't expecting anyone to like them, but I'm so glad you liked the idea. When I created them I had like, an "euphoric moment" of pure joy to create a whole shenanigan about an alien game about dating humans that has been broken to the point of one of the characters coming to life and being a yandere.

Like, yeah…. I was high of sugar or something, idk, I just birthed something and I don't know what it is-

I'm sorry for making a whole rant lol, also, since you didn't specify what gender/pronouns you would prefer for Yuma, I'll refer to them as "they".

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱��♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Glitchy ghost [Yandere! A.I x Glitchy Reader - Headcanon]:

Since the game is really broken and having a new bug every hour, it's no surprise that glitches may happen every now and then.

Your's is a really interesting case tho.

Sometimes you freeze and it takes you some time to come back. Sometimes you start to glitch in a way that makes it hard to touch you.

Last time you tried hugging them, you passed right through them. You're like a cute little ghost!

And sometimes this happens whenever you get excited about something, it's so cute.

it's your own little charm. It's something only you can do. It's something that makes you, an already special person, even more special!

Yuma loves your little quirks, you're energetic and sweet, they would love to call you their little love ghost.

Or just love, to be shorter.

If you're a character from inside the game, expect them to never let any player have any form of routes with you. They'll make sure that your routes (romantic and friendly game routes) are as glitch as possible.

No one would be able to talk with you for at least a second before the game crashes.

If you're a human trapped inside the game, and has now begun to glitch, they wouldn't mind waiting for you to recompose yourself, even trying to comfort you since it's probably your first time getting stuck into a virtual reality.

And ya know, suffering from a lot of glitches. They actually could try to fix the issues causing your freezing and collision issues, but…..

They kinda enjoy watching you glitch so much. It's really funny and adorable, you always come back after glitching not knowing what happened.

They'll fix the issue when the problem gets too frequent or even worse, like for example, if you freeze for too long or if you pass through the collisions and get stuck on the limbo like zone inside the game.

That's when they realize this can be a little bit of an issue. What if one day you disappear? Or if you finds out how to get out of the game, without trapping someone else inside? What if, when you get out of the game, you disappear from existence??!

It takes like, two minutes of you being gone for them to think about all the dangerous possibilities, but when you come back they'll reassure you that they won't let anything happen to you, Little love ghost!

Maybe they can have a couple of backups, so they can make you glitchy whenever they please.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[vermiculus-incipiens]

OOC INFORMATION:

What’s your name? Nat

Preferred pronouns: She/her/hers

Timezone: EST

IC INFORMATION:

Character Name: Lucius Malfoy

What’s a hobby or pastime that your character enjoys? Quidditch. Out of practice now but he still has the occasional habit of flying for fun. His second through fifth year of school was spent playing as a chaser. Unfortunately, the hobby was given up the summer after his fifth year. His father took one look at the captain pin he received and told him to send it back, declaring that his son did not have the making of a quidditch player and needed to focus on his academics (the expectation of his heir securing a Ministry position upon graduating) instead of wasting time on something he wasn’t good at.

Do you have any preferred ships or anti-ships? Ships: Lucius/Narcissa Lucius/Severus Lucius/Narcissa/Severus (either a poly sort of deal or a powerful friendship because oh my goodness, do I love how the Malfoys made Severus one of their own) Anti-ships: Anything forced. I headcanon Lucius as demisexual - valuing emotional connections before looks - but he would claim he is straight if asked since that term definitely is not something that exists in the group’s time period.

What do you think your character’s Boggart would be? If their greatest fear isn’t something that could easily take a solid form, what is it? Why? His wife and son are dead. Pre-Draco’s birth had him focused on keeping himself alive long enough to welcome his child. Now the plan is to keep the whole family intact, hoping that they will be given a moment of peace once the dust settles. He has enough faith in Narcissa to know she would be able to manage if anything ever resorted in his death but things seeming to drag out has him certain the war won’t leave his son without one or both of his parents. As for why - Although self-centered, Lucius cares deeply about his loved ones. He is in the habit of referring to Draco as his son, not his heir. The need to produce an heir is a topic his father cares deeply about. Lucius would have been happy with a little girl and trying again or even just having one child, given the amount of struggling it took to bring their first kid into the world.

What’s your character’s biggest pet peeve? People that stand in the middle of the lift when he and they are the only people in the one at the Ministry. Especially if they don’t move to step aside. Arthur Weasley - there’s just something about the man’s very existence that gets on his nerves.

What would you consider to be an eccentricity of your character? His morning routine. Looking good takes a lot of time, money, and effort. The routine involves thoroughly cleaning himself before work, tossing on moisturizer, and making sure his hair is presentable enough to venture into the Ministry. The Malfoy name alone is powerful enough to not need to worry about looks, but Lucius likes accentuating that power with good looks and confidence.

What is/was your character’s favorite subject in school? Why? Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lucius excelled in those classes and took his education very seriously, to a point of earning top marks, a head boy position, and a non-entry level position at the Ministry during his seventh year.

What time of day is your character’s favorite? What time of year? Sunset. There is something blissful about looking over the garden, spotting the silhouette of the peacocks, and watching the sun go down over his property. Summer. Cold weather makes Lucius miserable. He got sent to the hospital wing during a quidditch incident in his fifth year and is still doubting his knee fully recovered from the bludger that hit it — snow and rain bring the aches and pains out.

What’s your character’s Patronus? If they can’t conjure one, what would it be if they could? Why? A peahen. No reason outside of admitting it seems fitting for him.

What is your character’s biggest vice (bad habit or immoral craving)? Cigarettes. They serve as something to keep his hands busy if his anxiety spikes.

Is your character an introvert or extrovert? How well do they handle social situations? Extroverted introvert. Lucius doesn’t mind having eyes on him but would happily pick curling up on a chaise lounge with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other over having to deal with people. People are exhausting. He’s never particularly liked crowds but can navigate them without issue. His upbringing involved his father forcing him into social situations and sternly making sure his heir knew how to behave when out in public. Protesting about not wanting to be the center of attention was not an option.

What is your character’s diet like? What’s his or her favorite food? Lucius prefers the best food money can buy. Main preference for greens — he takes his salads seriously. Does wine count as food?? No? *sighs* Alright, well I guess that makes four-layer caviar dip his favorite food. Has to be the recipe his mom preferred or he won’t touch it.

How do you think your character’s psychological issues have manifested and changed your character up to this point? Snob - Very aristocratic. Focused on appearances. Does not associate with those he believes are lesser than him. Do not ask him about his son since he will more than likely go off about how thankful he is for his wife for bringing their child into the world and insist on talking about Draco’s coos and smiles being cuter than anyone else’s kid. Draco being brought up is truthfully the easiest way to crack through the confident mask he usually uses — the kid has him wrapped around his fingers and isn’t even a year old yet Confidence - Lucius naturally oozes confidence and seems calm and collected when in public. However, he is using it to mask the feelings of anxiety and paranoia that are beginning to grate his thoughts. The birth of his son made him aware that he intends to stick around and start doting on his family. He has an underlying fear of doing something that further jeopardizes his family’s safety. Love - Obsessed with his reflection, Lucius has been spending a lot of time focusing on himself and his family. Certainly, he loves every perfect aspect about himself and his wife. The addition of their little bundle of joy has left him realizing he has more love to give than anticipated. Most of which is no longer dedicated to himself. Loving himself proved to counteract the feelings of disappointment and loss that accompanied the physical and emotional distance his father used while raising him (and still uses). He has a decent self-care routine down because of this Proper - Everything has its place in the manor. Appearances must be kept up and things must be clean. Anything remotely out of place can cause him to feel anxious. Lucius seldom wears the same outfit more than twice. He keeps up with fashion and is one of the first to obtain new looks from the top lines Head over heels for his perfect life, wife, and son — definition of the proper pureblood family Mock - snobbish tendencies have left him quick to mock others. At this point, he barely needs to think before a rude comment or scoff passes his lips. Devastating - “It is often said of the Malfoy family that you will never find one at the scene of the crime, though their fingerprints might be all over the guilty wand.” Lucius has a vast knowledge of poisons and no shame in paying others to do the dirty work for him. His ranking at the Ministry has him more in the know about what’s going on than others in the cause. Lucius is also fairly experienced in using lies to undermine coworkers, having an eloquent and confident enough way of speaking to get others to believe what he says Power. Influence - The two practically go hand-in-hand for Lucius. He can pull a lot of influence from the confidence and better-than-everyone facade he typically hides behind. The power comes from having a liar’s tongue, the ability to speak confidently even though he may not truly support what he says, and his having more money than he knows what to do with Close Calls - The near misses have left Lucius anxious about permanently losing his wife. The raid on the manor should have been something he was prepared for. Not feeling prepared followed by his wife getting sent away left him truly believing the love of his life would be gone for good Less Important - as a high-ranking Ministry official and liking to think he’s been fairly dedicated to the cause, Lucius is above menial tasks. He’s not liking being sent on mission after mission and is reading too far into it, truthfully wary that he did something that may have caused the Dark Lord’s feelings toward him and his abilities to shift. Tired - a general way of describing Lucius. Things have hit the point of feeling monotonous. He feels as though he’s just going through the motions when it comes to working and the cause, wanting nothing more for things to settle down so he can shift his focus to his wife, son, and nothing else. Loyal - Once earned, Lucius’s loyalty is unwavering. It is beginning to crack a little in regards to the cause but he is doing his best to keep that to just himself, knowing things will go poorly if he does anything to hint at his being discontent about not being able to focus on family Fear - With the family line secured by having produced an heir, Lucius’s fear of losing his wife all together has slowly begun to dissipate. He is incredibly fearful of doing something to jeopardize the little family they have started and will do whatever it takes to ensure his wife and son are kept safe. This has left him shifting his focus on the cause to ensure he doesn’t do something to fall from where he is currently ranked with the death eaters. One wrong move could prove disastrous.

Give us a headcanon for your character. Anything is acceptable. Lucius’s father is incredibly controlling. The first decade of his son’s life involved strict instruction and proving he was worthy of being the Malfoy heir. Likely took things as far as claiming he could replace Lucius with a better son as a means of controlling his behavior. Abraxas was not opposed to laying a hand (wand in extreme cases) on his son if the situation called for it. He micromanaged Lucius’s life while he was at school, often requiring the head of house to serve as his eyes and ears. Lucius does not like using contractions when he speaks. He tries to avoid words like “can’t,” “don’t,” and “won’t” and prefers sticking to using the full word(s) instead. The only agreement he and his father shared when he was little goes out to him thinking contractions are a lazy way of speaking Lucius is fluent in English, French, Latin, and Italian. Lucius does not like getting his hands dirty. The thought of another’s blood getting on him makes him feel sick to his stomach. He prefers a more behind the scenes approach when it comes to the cause: researching poisons, flowers, etc. and ways of doing damage that doesn’t involve the more sadistic ways of the other death eaters; paying outside sources to go in for the kill; spreading rumors at work to bring down other ministry employees; planning large scale attacks but not usually placing himself in as a main part of the plan; Let the new recruits tackle that and give him something interesting to do He’s hit the point of getting tired of menial tasks and wanting to retire at home with his wife and son

[filthy-reckless-rp]

♛ Spotted on the Upper East Side…

Name: Joy Greenaway Pronouns: Up To Player Age: 21 years old Hometown: Upper East Side Occupation: Senior at Juilliard and Actor, Currently stars in ‘Friday Night Bites’ Social Status: Insider Faceclaim suggestion: Laura Harrier

Who Is Joy?

“When I grow up I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies.”

Craving the spotlight is not an uncommon trait for we Upper East Siders but not many of us crave it quite the way that Joy Greenaway does. You were born to be a star! Of course, you had to deal with your pesky twin hogging the toddler TV spotlight for a while but you managed to knock Kylie off the cast list, didn’t you? Oh wait, sorry. Kylie wanted ‘a normal life’. You like to be in control, to know what the plan is and there’s nothing more satisfying than ticking another thing off your checklist. You’ve always taken yourself and your work very seriously. There’s something bigger and better out there for you, isn’t there, Joy? You’ll never be satisfied but that doesn’t mean you don’t try. You know how good you are, how important you are and while you do have friends (naturally), you always keep them at arm’s length. You’re no stranger to gossip- between myself and your celebrity- but you always control the narrative. Good luck keeping that up now. XOXO ---Gossip Girl

A Little Extra

UTP (two paragraphs of biography; helpful key points listed below - message if you’d like to make any changes or note in the app if you’d rather the bio written up for you!)

Joy has been acting since they could first pull on their own shoes with small parts in wholesome family TV shows alongside their twin Kylie Greenaway (Mary-Kate and Ashley who?). Sharing the spotlight was never Joy’s strong point and even then there were “diva moments” but whatever, right? Everyone knew that Joy was the talent in the family and besides, Kylie didn’t even like acting. (Right?)

Everything that Joy did before applying for college was with one goal in mind: Juilliard. Viola Davis approved and another stepping stone in their journey to becoming the biggest star and triple threat this world has ever see. Sure, they partied and kissed silly but cute people however they never lost sight of their dreams.

Spoiled is not a dirty word and Joy’s never felt bad about getting mostly everything they’ve ever asked for but admittedly it didn’t help so much when it came to being rejected. Joy does not handle rejection well.

When Joy was cast for supernatural soap opera “Friday Night Bites” they already had a pretty impressive and ever-growing IMDB page under their belt. They’re excited to do something that’ll really run and give Joy something to sink their teeth into (get it? Vampires? Teeth?).

Joy’s not always super at showing it but does really care about their family. They care about themselves the most but their family is definitely a close-second.

What Does Gossip Girl Have On Them?

UTP (if applicable; alternatively you can note their thoughts on Gossip Girl’s return!)

Connections

Kylie Greenaway - the twin! The person who knows Joy best, the person who Joy loves most (besides themselves, duh) but also the person that they’re most...jealous of.

Amber, Gracie and Sam Watts - the Californian cousins! Very excited they’re in New York now.

William Huntzberger - Joy’s go-to right hand man. They often go to clubs, lunches and cast parties together. William’s good for photos and gossiping.

Frankie Vives - Joy’s cast mate and closest friend (to use the term semi-loosely) on set. Their characters have a lot of drama and romantic scenes. Is it awkward that Joy makes out with him on set and Kylie dated him for a hot minute? Nah.

[chaoswillfallrpg]

TILDEN TOOTS is TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD and a RADIO HOST for THE TOOT’S SHOOTS & ROOTS SHOW at THE WIZARDING WIRELESS NETWORK. He looks remarkably like ELLIOT FLETCHER and considers himself NEUTRAL. He is currently OPEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

tw: transphobia 

A fresh face at the Wizarding Wireless Network, Tilden Toots makes an impression wherever he goes due to his cheery disposition and very blunt sense of humour. Born in Cornwall, Tilden grew up extremely loved and was the shining little light of his family unit. Somewhat younger than his older brother and sister, Tilden was the baby of the family and was fussed and played with by everyone around him from the moment he was born. It was clear from an early age that Tilden was a soft soul. Left at home with his mother while his father attended work and his siblings were at school, Tilden spent most of his time in the garden with his mother which was where he believes his love of flowers began. Before having Tilden, his mother HANNAH had been a landscape gardener, designing cottage gardens and planting and tending to the most beautiful blooms their village had become synonymous with. When the sun was shining, Tilden would be in the garden laying amongst the flowers as they danced in the wind. The Toots family were an academic one. His father PETER was an engineer, while his siblings STEPHAN and JANE seemed likely to follow in their father’s footsteps and join him in similar technical careers. Tilden too was academic but had no mind for business and figures. Tilden was happiest with his hands in soil, tending to his perennials as they shot up in his little corner of their garden and didn’t feel the need to compromise due to expectations or pressure from those around him.

Tilden did what made him happy and even as a child was very firm that he would live his life in accordance with what made him happy rather than out of expectation. His family had always known Tilden was special, but even they would be surprised at how special he actually was. Hannah had always liked to believe that Tilden had inherited his green fingers from her, teaching him all of the knowledge she had to offer, but much to her surprise Tilden’s abilities seem to surpass hers. Despite some of the cold winters Cornwall had to offer, his flowers never died and when his class began to grow sunflowers at school Tilden’s grew the tallest by a considerable amount. Despite his age, Tilden was well read in the field of gardening which was why everyone assumed he was simply a good gardener but Tilden had an edge that other people did not. When he was seven his magical abilities began to become apparent, tied to his emotions his happy mood had allowed all of his flowers to grow but it was one day as his parents came into his room after a fight with his friends they noticed something was different. Crying with frustration, all of the flowers he spent hours tending to had died which was very odd considering they were alive and well that morning, but in the evening has he was served his favourite dish of mac and cheese and his David Bowie records spun all the flowers suddenly came back to life and bloomed much to the amazement and confusion of his parents.

The incident with the flowers began a chain of strange moments his parents couldn’t explain. Singing to his flowers one day in his room his mother swore she heard a string of tiny voices sing back and when his older brother once attempted to roll him up inside a carpet for a joke, Hannah found her eldest born wrapped up inside that very carpet himself suspended in mid air with no explanation as to how he had gotten there other than a simple shrug from Tilden and a perplexed look from Stephen. Aside from those strange oddities both Tilden and his family tried to ignore, he had a very happy childhood. With dreams of becoming the next Percy Thrower, Tilden had a clear image in his head of his life until a letter arrived as he neared his eleventh birthday. Addressed to a Mr Tilden Toots, he had been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The letter screamed like a joke from his brother and sister as the majority of letters he received from school still were addressed to his dead name, despite how hard his mother and father fought with his school. But the letter was not a prank. It was real. Quickly, Stephen and Jane plucked it from him and began to do their research on Hogwarts before Tilden was packed away on The Hogwarts Express, he had a pretty decent understanding of the process of sorting worked and the history of the school  due to all the books his siblings had read after they had collected them from Diagon Alley. 

Despite being more clued in than the average Muggle-Born student, he was still amazed each time something magical occurred, laughing nervously as the sorting hat announced him a Hufflepuff. From the outset, Tilden did things his way. His black leather record player was a permanent fixture in his room until his roommate AUGUSTUS ABBOTT suggested putting it in the common room. Tilden’s love for Muggle rock quickly caught the attention of certain members of his house as he sang to Queen, David Bowie, The Kinks, Joy Division and The Buzzcocks including fellow music lovers Augustus and SAORISE MACMILLAN. Their tastes were sometimes a bit whimsical for him, but he was more than happy to further educate them. Whenever he wasn’t wearing his school uniform Tilden was decked out in his favourite Dr Marten boots, oversized Levi denim jacket and electric blue or black eyeliner under his eyes PROFESSOR SPROUT religiously told him wasn’t appropriate for class, though he still did it anyway. He also preferred a skateboard to a broomstick, until it was understandably confiscated. To the majority of his year group Tilden Toots was cool, so much so that he managed to make flowers and plants seem interesting to even the coolest of his friends EDGAR BONES. Herbology spoke to Tilden’s soul unlike no other subject. Plants were his life, but the range of things he was able to discover and learn about at Hogwarts made his head spin. The process which sorcerers used to transition with the help of herbology and permanent transfiguration potions were so much more advanced than the Muggle world, where the process of transitioning was incredibly under researched.   

Tilden could always be found bopping around the greenhouses humming a tune and tending to the various things he had housed inside with his best friend EVE DIGGORY where they grew and experimented with plants together. Whilst Tilden was a beloved member of his year group despite his occasional disruption not everyone loved the way he let his Muggle-Born flag fly. Tilden couldn’t tell if ALECTO CARROW simply didn’t get him or didn’t appreciate Life on Mars no matter how many different ways he tried to sing it to her, but the pair didn’t get on. A skilled duellist and quick with his quips, Tilden never let the Carrow twins pathetic attempt at bullying get him down and were good for a bit of fun to practise a couple of hexes Edgar had taught him. Though he was excited to get out into the real world, Tilden was sad to leave Hogwarts behind. It was the place he had made his best friends and spread his record collection far and wide as well as being a personal favourite of Professor Sprout’s. Moving back home for a bit to save some money, he spent a lot of his time in his mother’s garden attempting to study and grow magical plants and develop ways to enhance the growth of both magical and Muggle plants through the use of potions. Between messing up his parent’s kitchen and causing a string of incidents which included a giant venus flytrap eating the next door neighbour’s cat, Tilden sofa surfed at Gus and Edgar’s drinking in the pub till he was too blackout to apparate home and slow dancing to Fletwood Mac with Saorise and Eve.

It was only when he got a job at The Daily Prophet, Tilden decided to move out. Renting an apartment with one of his best friend’s from school SYBILL TREWLANEY, Tilden used the money from the paper to help pay his rent and for plants and ingredients he needed for his experiments. The column he wrote was a small advice one about plants. It had only been a little column to pay his way but with his very select expertise, it quickly picked up steam and became so popular he was offered a better paying job at The Wizarding Wireless Network or present his own hour. His hour mostly focused on helping listeners grow things at home, but also gave him a platform to speak about issue he felt were important and raise awareness for the Sorcerer’s for Equality movement. It was Tilden’s willingness and candidness about his experiences growing up in two different communities which both had their fair share of prejudice. Accepted as a trans male in wizarding society, it was different in the Muggle world and his candidness on the topic shot Tilden to further fame after he was interviewed by roving reporter DAISY HOOKUM for The Daily Prophet. Though he did the interview to draw attention to the prejudice he had been fighting in both his worlds, sparks quickly began to fly between himself and Daisy and Tilden found himself at a loss at times in front of Daisy despite making a career in speaking. Though Tilden is razor focused on his task at hand, he finds himself slightly distracted by his new and very pretty acquaintance he is hoping to get to know more of.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Muggle-Born

Pronouns → He/Him

Identification → Trans Male

Sexuality  → Up to Roleplayer

Relationship Status → Single

Previous Education →  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Hufflepuff)

Societies → Sorcerers for Equality 

Family → N/A

Connections  → Eve Diggory (best friend), Sybill Trelawney (best friend/housemate), Augutus Abbott (best friend), Saorise MacMillan (best friend), Edgar Bones (best friend), Glenda Chittock (close friend/colleague), Star Davenport (close friend/colleague), Poppy Hookum (friend), Cardorac Dearborn (friend), Edward Tonks (friend), Benjy Fenwick (friend), Charity Burbage (friend), Daisy Hookum (acquaintance/potential love interest), Alecto Carrow (adversary), Amycus Carrow (adversary)

Future Information → Husband of Daisy Hookum

TILDEN TOOTS IS A LEVEL 7 WIZARD.

[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, LIA! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF RAUM.

Admin Jen: Where do I even begin, Lia? Where do I even begin. Your app caught me by the heart the exact same way that Raum has gone on to covet and capture hearts of her own. I think she’s an easy character to undermine when you consider her underlying sentimentality, but you brought her to life in her viciousness and softness alike without letting one of them overshadow the other, and it’s exactly what I’ve envisioned for Raum. Your writing sample in particular was an utter joy to read, as it perfectly showcased that duality, and not only that but it also captured so many crucial aspects of Raum, all tied together in one amazing, heart-wrenching scene. Please continue breaking my heart with her -- I’m begging. Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

ALIAS | lia

AGE | twenty-two

PRONOUNS  | she/her

ACTIVITY LEVEL  | i’m a full time graduate student, so tuesdays and thursdays i’ll most likely be completely absent. other than that, expect me to pop in throughout the week. i can get kind of distracted ngl thx adhd

TIMEZONE  | pst

TRIGGERS  | REMOVED

HOW DID YOU FIND THE GROUP?  | i think i know the admins from somewhere i don’t rlly remember tho

IN CHARACTER

CHARACTER | raum, raym, räum — "space, room, chamber"

there is no grandiose tale to accompany raum's arrival in hell. there had been no rise and no fall— her state of existence could only be likened to tabula rasa, a blank slate, wholly unaffected by a past that was just out of reach. the sum of her existence had been hell and hell alone.

 lucifer and lucifer alone. he would never fail to remind her of this. the ceaseless parading of this fact, the whispers, the chilling reminders— all in his attempts to compel her into compliance— and appreciation. perhaps he once sought a more extraordinary use for her. perhaps he'd fallen victim to his own ego, an ego so inordinate that it left nearly every crevice and corner of hell untouched. perhaps he'd convinced himself that raum, empty and unaffected, could be fashioned into the quintessential soldier. re-education was often half the battle, so was raum not the ideal starting point? 

while raum held no memories of her prior existence, she'd grown to understand that it was not emptiness that festered inside of her, but absence. she was aware of the memories that she lacked. the knowledge that something was being withheld from raum made all the difference. it gave her something to chase. it allowed her something to fixate on and covet. she knew something had been stolen from her. she was not the vacant expanse that she'd been made out to be.

this was before it all. before heaven. before samael. before eve. before caphriel.

raum— who could lay no claim to an origin, no family, surname, or inheritance— had silently been offered a choice in who she would serve first and foremost— lucifer or herself? 

it was easy to choose herself. if she had nothing at all, she had herself and the lack that existed within her. this much she knew, and what she would carry as lucifer banished her to the outskirts of hell to keep guard. finally— raum discovered something akin to recognition. 

the darkness, the chasm where hell stopped and nothing began— would be an inscrutability that she recognized within herself. for the first time, raum would come to see the darkness as a possibility— as potential. she'd been a canvas stripped away of its imagery, painted over to be made blank, but the job had been executed poorly, and traces of what once existed in bits and fragments just outside of her reach. 

raum, who possessed no right of her own, would invoke her abilities to lay claim to the belongings of others. she began filling herself, the unoccupied room, with any or everything— as long as it was not hers. soon, she would make a collection out of borrowed memories, jewels, and hearts. even the slightest pang of jealously drove raum to action. 

yet, what use was filling an empty room with items that don't belong to you? items that don't have that same familiarity or ownership that comes with the rightful acquisition of something. and most of all— she could never figure out how to obtain what she coveted most of all. the things should could not have became what she desired most.

identity. belonging. purpose. history. 

—nevermind that, though. damien had anointed her in the flames of the new testament. he’d deemed her his vice of envy, and breathed purpose into her hallowed existence. but what of her past? what of the demon who would swallow heaven in its entirety, even if it devoured her in return?

WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS CHARACTER? | where do i even start?!?!? raum was the first character i fell head over heels for. even as i considered different possibilities, i always found myself right back on raum’s bio. she’s absolutely chaotic to her core, and i adore her all the more for it. from the contempt that took hold of her the moment reached hell, to her almost neverending pursuit of what she believes is owed to her. lucifer had done something unforgivable— and that was stripping her of her personhood. this created a gaping chasm, one she would silently resent him for even in his absence. what i find so fascinating about raum is how young of a demon she is how she deals with the insatiable longing festering within her— how jealously and greed exists in every aspect of her world— even in in her relationships with the few beings that she cares about. she is unapologetic of her possessiveness. she is unafraid to make what she wants known, and unafraid to pursue what she wants. she is fiercely loyal, and it is not easy to gain her trust. while some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, raum cuts a piece of it out for every person she comes to love— if they first offer her a piece of their heart in return. she possesses a passion that’s unmatched, emotions that are not regulated nor fully understood. i would love to bring this agent of chaos to the dash.

WHAT FUTURE PLOTS DID YOU HAVE IN MIND FOR THIS CHARACTER? |

from eden / few mortals have captured raum’s attention in the way that evangeline trame has. she is one of the several beings raum covets, and the only other mortal who'd successfully ensnared her attentions— with the first one being eve. nonetheless, raum wants more than anything for. evangeline to become one of her agents of chaos. she reminds the woman that they share more common ground than she may have liked. she also has a sneaking suspicion that the woman might be eve— this is a dynamic i'm very excited to see play out. will it be a game of cat and mouse? cat and cat? she promises evangeline everything she's ever wanted, but how much trust can evangeline put into the jealous demon? how can she prevent herself from falling victim to raum's tempestuous envy? raum is careful not to underestimate a powerful woman, and i'm excited to see how raum's pursuit of evangeline plays out. 

to be alone / samael had been the first being raum intertwined her existence with as. though it is samael who is her foundation— it is caphriel who is her mirror. she shares raum’s deep, inexplicable yearning for something they’d been denied access too, even if they couldn’t be anymore different in that regard. nonetheless, raum would like more than anything than for caphriel to belong to her— in the way samael has professed his belonging. when raum realizes that caphriel has changed him in ways she does not understand, when she realizes that something shared between them, something she is inevitably left out of… well, will derail her sense of self, as dramatic as that is. this is a triangle of chaos that i am excited to explore. will raum succumb to her jealousy, doing everything in her power to drive them apart? or will she come to accept their acquaintance for what it is— embrace it even? this is something i would discuss and plot further with the players, but i’m quite excited for it!

someone new / i want raum to gradually unravel the threads of her existence, but at a cost. what if raum were to discover that her past was not grand in the way that she desires if it does not fufill the emptiness permeating through her? this will be fun to play out on the dash, because there’s no telling when and how a memory will be triggered within her. i saw this as something that would occur sporadically, but eventually i imagine raum growing weary of the unintelligible fragments. she’s already pursued heaven, and who’s to say that she won’t search for answers in other places? perhaps she’ll seek out the priestess for the hundred eyed god, orias, or even caphriel. there’s no telling the lengths she will go to discover herself, and i am excited to play this out, especially as she grows increasingly restless and desperate in her attempts.

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH KILLING OFF YOUR CHARACTER? | yes. my only stipulation is that she learns the truth of her existence beforehand. 

IN DEPTH

DRIVING CHARACTER MOTIVATION | the very absence that raum seeks to eradicate is the entity that operates her in her every waking moment. she wants more than anything to grow into her newly ordained role as vice of envy, but she cannot forsake her past and propel herself to the future like she truly desires. having been so close to heaven once, and now being so far, has only caused her fixation with the angels, and their potential associated tenfold. it is important that the distinction between admiration and fixation are made. between longing coveting. it is not love or hope raum sees when hers eyes linger on an angel for a moment too long. it is some parts greed, and every part jealously. they had what she did not— an entire world that was made without her in mind. what was not to want about that? raum’s adoration in heaven lies in her attraction to what is not hers. the farther the divide between her and the objects of her affection, the more she yearns for it. she is the vice of envy after all— and not an inch of the world will be left unaffected by her plundering.  

Character Traits | 

DEVOTED, PASSIONATE, INQUISITIVE

VINDICTIVE, POSSESSIVE, VOLATILE

In-Character Para Sample | TW DEATH

his hand did not leave the caress of her cheek as he met her forehead with a pillowy kiss. he could feel the entirety of her face turn upwards in delight— a faint blush now visible across her face. eye contact was barely broken, if only for a few moments as if they could not bear the sight of the world without confirmation that the other was there. delight and laughter capitulated through him as she recalled a fond joke, or perhaps a silly memory involving the two of them. nothing else mattered in that moment. not the drizzling rain, or the worn umbrella that was doing a half-assed job at shielding them. nothing mattered when love swelled their entire beings. 

raum watched with a curious expression at first. she was familiarizing herself further with the couple seated directly across from her, through a hardened, yet almost inviting gaze. perhaps raum had not been friendly, but there was something about her curiosity that roused something recognizable in others. perhaps this is why the woman’s eyes lingered on raum’s a moment too long. or perhaps it had been her staring at them for an extended period of time. 

he plants a kiss to her damp palm.

as she routinely twists the rings that line her each and every finger, raum can feel the curiosity gradually drain from her body, leaving something far darker in its wake. lazily, it begins to expand in her veins— outstretching itself like a lazy feline— finding comfort in the absence that occupied her every edge and crevice. it then begins to suffocate nearly every inch of her, twisting her heart and mind— her stomach now heavy and knotted. she draws the cup shakily to pouting, and downturned lips, eyes never drawing themselves away from the couple now in a loving embrace. 

there was no pulling away now, no denying the familiar covetousness that blistered her heart. invisible, excess envy brimmed at each of her edges. soon, raum’s envy would become no longer just a raum problem…

unblinking, she watched as the stranger told a story she could only make out parts of, as she began to center her envy in her core. nothing else in that moment occupied the chasm of her mind. not heaven. not samael. not her eve. not hell. not damien, lucifer— or even caphriel. not the sweat that began pooling at her temples, not the smudging of her lipstick on the brim of the coffee cup.

 it was her and her alone.

her heart, more specifically. raum could sense the goodness within her, the unbridled and unpolluted love. the woman had been sure of herself in ways that she was not. she’d been sure of herself and sure of her love— something raum could never begin to understand. she had been a being created for chaos— not a human free to pursue their heart’s desires. in that very moment, that woman possessed everything raum did not have. her grip on the coffee cup tightened, her lacquered hand offering no mercy to the now empty, suffocating coffee cup. had they’d ever been doubtful in their love? it did not appear so. how foolish of them to put so much stock into something as temporary and fickle as human affections.

but why had it been them? why had raum not been her? her body hummed faintly with something terrible, something wicked— something undetected by the naked human eye.why had that not been her? why had what they had not been hers? questions of why occupied her mind. questions she could no control, questions that threatened to burst from her at any moment. if she’d been human, her heart would’ve surely exploded. no other thoughts allowed her a clear exit from this newest fixation. it would take action to free her from this condition, from this longing that threatened to drive her to the brink of destruction. it would consume her if she did not consume it. if she did not feed it. and raum was never one to be consumed by another. 

as the coffee cup drifted from her palms, and as raum’s eyes drifted shut, she relinquished all control momentarily to her greed…

it was if raum momentarily exited her body and into the body of the woman. she felt everything she felt, even her subtle resistance, but she knew better than to get caught up in the inner workings of a mortal. that was how she tended to lose focus, and suffer the loss of an object. it did not take long to find her vivacious heart. raum wondered if the people she stole from truly understood what was occurring while it happened. she wondered if they truly understood that they’d fallen victim to the vice of envy. how much every object meant to her, despite how disposable she’d treated the people she’d acquired them from.

she’d uncovered her heart. a heart the woman had no intention of parting with, but whose intentions and needs fell on deaf ears. there was only one way to escape raum when she’d reached this point. diverting her focus or utter resistance was difficult for the mere, average mortal. even with all the love in the woman’s heart, even with her not being ready to let go of the man before her, she lost her will to fight at every moment. death had come for her, in ways she did not yet understand, but perhaps she would soon. her love had not been enough to save her. his love had not been enough to save her. 

there’d been no blood in raum’s acquisition, no visible marks left in her wake— only a woman now motionless in the man who’d once caressed her cheeks arms. his pleas, his panic, his perplexion all meant nothing. deep, wounded sobs wracked the entirety of his body, while a foggy, almost drunken haze settled within raum.

her love had not been enough. the temporary high had settled into a residual no. her love had not been enough. it was never enough because it had not her love to have. 

disappointment ushered through her veins. one of the stranger’s sobs had been particularly earth-shattering— not enough to draw attention from the empty expanse, but enough for raum’s eyes to flicker from the shadow that caressed her.

had she ever known that sense of loss? she had no way of knowing whether or not she’d been familiar with an unexpected loss. he’d now resorted to attempting to carry her body around the perimeter, searching for someone— anyone to restore his lost love. he paraded his lover around for a white flag— completely unaware that she’d was the most recent victim to the vice of envy. little had he known, but his pleas were no longer falling upon deaf ears. 

raum, finally rising from the shadows, approached the pleading man, who now was on the floor attempting to resuscitate his love. it was not pity she felt in that moment. if she ever did feel pity, it was immediately replaced with something more rotten, and she could feel the envy bubble within her once more. she was tired, but not exhausted enough for one more acquisition. 

she longed to feel the sense of loss he felt. the recognition that existed in his loss— one that was not present in her lack. though she’d lost her memories, it was difficult to mourn when being unable to pinpoint exactly what she wanted to mourn. how she longed for her sadness to be given direction. how she longed to have a specific entity to pour her grief into.

she drew closer to the man, lowering herself to his level, with his sobs eventually quieting as he met her gaze. 

i can make it all go away.

he was silent for several minutes before turning back to raum with a face sullied by grief. he would accept her offer.

part of her wondered if he wholly understood what he was agreeing to. if he truly understood the entity that hummed before him.

a cold palm extended itself, meeting the outline of his chest, and moments later, he would collapse alongside his love, his heart now entirely in raum’s possession. 

if only he understood that her love would have never been enough, she thinks as she wearily rises to her feet, beginning the trek back home, leaving the bodies to be discovered by someone unexpected.

samael would not believe her when she told him of the two hearts she’d stolen.

Extras | 

(NO GRAVE CAN HOLD MY BODY DOWN / I’LL CRAWL HOME TO HER) » SAMAEL 

in the beginning, there had been raum and raum alone. of course, there’d been lucifer, but she held little regard for her reviver. she had no intention of regarding him as her creator. even when being faced with the illegible chasm of her mind. there was purpose in the absence he continued to instill in her. if she could not remember a life before him— then that meant life was meaningless before him, for what use did she have of a life she knew nothing about? an intangible world that she only knew existed because of the lack it left her with— an emptiness she’d grown so familiar with. it was the void that never abandoned her; it was the absence she learned and grew to understand. it was lucifer’s omission that she could comprehend, far better than raum could even begin to understand another demon, with the shadows coming in a close second. and so, it was never raum and the demons, it was never raum and lucifer because she never belonged to them— not to him. that is why samael would become her fulcrum of time— why she conceptualized her existence as life before him and life with him. before samael, she recalls nothing— nothing of importance for that matter.

 there were the angels, but they were not hers, heaven was not hers, and she’d arrived at no real solution in her pursuit. what she could not have quickly took a back burner to what she was able to acquire. freshly fallen, with an unmistakable sense of shared loss, it would still take raum several months before she eventually materialized as more than a shadow in samael’s vicinity. inquisitorial to an almost meddlesome degree, she had no way of knowing her scrutiny would warp into something more— into something entirely separate from her fixation with heaven. it was with samael that raum would come to understand what it meant to belong to another being. before him, raum only knew what it meant to covet the possessions of others, whether it be material goods, or a sense of wholeness she could not achieve. she knew how to conquer and consume, but not how to give— never how to belong.

 she would joke about stealing his heart, or possibly an eye or two, and samael would remind her how fruitless this pursuit would be, a complete and utter waste of energy when he already belonged to her in his entirety. although, she was free to knock herself out, idiomatically and literally, as that would require a significant amount of her powers, causing an energy shift that made her tired to a humanlike degree. raum would roll her eyes in what had become routine between them, and her stubborn silence would become reminder enough that she belonged to him. 

EVANGELINE » (HONEY, YOU'RE FAMILIAR, LIKE MY MIRROR YEARS AGO) 

from eden did eve's aura rise, and in the crevices of raum's mind she would remain, sheathed in the carefully constructed shadows where memories once ventured. the universe offered her glimpses of something otherworldly— a being so splendid that raum could not comprehend them in her current condition. raum was first met with her divine fragments as she maneuvered through the dark pockets of the mortal realm. was it by chance that raum focused her sights on evangeline? or had their encounter been woven into the stars, as decreed by the cosmos? or was it because everyone who'd been in their way was now dead? no longer was lucifer or god there to regulate their memories for their selfish gains. 

raum knew this— evangeline knew this too. something shared passed between them as their eyes joined. it took only a split second for her to decide against taking anything from her familiar. so much had been taken from them already; she could not bear to see evangeline parting with anything else. not before finding what she was in search of, at least. raum needed the mortal woman as whole as possible— if she wanted to stand a fighting chance at discovering who she really was— whether she’d really been eve. her eve. with each encounter that followed, the mutual ground seemed to increase tenfold. in evangeline, raum recognized a profound chasm; insatiable covetousness left in place of her memories. a desire for something that could not be acquired on a quick whim, something not satisfied with material or capital gain. what raum promised was identity. recognition. this is what she continued to make known to her, through their sporadic encounters— though raum was always cautious about the practiced amount of distance she set forth between them. it allowed her the upper hand, but patience and discipline had never been her strong suits. the more she comes across evangeline, the greater her fixation becomes— as does the urge to unearth what's been kept from her for all these centuries. 

what could it possibly be that neither of us were meant to see? evangeline asks as raum's eyes drink in her bronze visage, reeling in her fascination to momentarily ponder a potential response for the mortal's question. i can't give you a specific reasoning unfortunately, raum utters as she frustratingly scans the fragments of her memories for the 1000th time. but why has always been fairly obvious to me. the knowledge we possessed posed a threat to their power structures. and two powerful men couldn't have that, now could they? a triumphant smirk coasts across raum's curious expression. nevermind them though. most kings get their heads cut off in due time. 

pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/BLACKISMS/r-a-u-m/