#as in /I/ am fate motiv coded

[idlenight]

While I’m on my hg bullshit I’m still amazed I accidentally created such an amazing parallel and connection with River and Hollow Ground in the water theming.

I just named him River on a whim in 2018 because it felt right. And later decided on the why when I discovered he would’ve had to pick it himself.

Call that fate motivation coded.

[vegley]

hi guys i am pretty bored

[thewertsearch]

AC: :33 < sorry to bother you again! AC: :33 < is AC: :33 < um [...] AC: :33 < he available? [...] TT: What is the name of this mystery fellow you seek? AC: :33 < aaaaa youre just teasing me now! AC: :33 < i f33l bad about bugging you about it [...] AC: :33 < i miss pounce a lot :(( AC: :33 < and talking to him reminds me of her

Aw, Nepeta. :(

Still, there are ways to solve this. Maybe Rose could give her the code for Jaspersprite's pendant - or just give him his own computer, like Davesprite's iShades.

You won't need it anymore. It served you well. You suppose there are a lot of things you've outgrown, now that you think about it.

...his own computer, Rose! I said his own computer!

Rose is abandoning her primary communication device. Obviously she has others, but her attitude here is still making me nervous - especially considering how heavy-handed her phrasing is.

Who or what do you think you've outgrown, Rose?

JASPERSPRITE: Did you learn to play the rain rose? ROSE: Not yet, Jaspers. ROSE: It's a little complicated, but I believe I've embarked on another quest, one which surpasses the scope of the objectives local to this planet.

I'm on record as being fully on board with Rose's skepticism about her Quest - but she should be equally skeptical about her new quest. Both are sponsored by suspicious entities with unclear motives, and I'm not sold on either of them.

ROSE: I'm saying there's something more important to accomplish now. Something more important than creating a universe. JASPERSPRITE: Oh thats ok rose i wouldnt want you to feel obligated to do that.

That's a strange sentiment, coming from Jaspers. Sprites generally echo the game's expectations for its Players, so it's odd that a game centered around fate, destiny and temporal obligation would tell Rose that her ultimate goal is optional. After all, she was made to create a universe.

Maybe Jaspers just loves Rose so much that he's on board with her rebellion, even though he doesn't understand it.

JASPERSPRITE: I think that winning this game and getting the prize is up to you and your friends. JASPERSPRITE: You get to decide whether or not you feel its right to do that and what kind of prize you want to make!

Is Jaspers implying that Sburb's prize doesn't have to be a universe? That winning the game can mean something else, instead?

Rose thinks her only options are to submit to the game's whims, or fight it tooth and nail. Perhaps that's a false dichotomy, and it's possible to fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum - some sort of alternate win condition that saves their doomed session.

Perhaps the game has recognized that Rose is a renegade, and it's trying to show her that things aren't so black and white. Maybe Sburb is signaling that it's willing to negotiate.

JASPERSPRITE: Its part of becoming who youre supposed to become i think.

Damn it! Just as I'm starting to wonder if Sburb is more flexible than we thought, it tosses this line at us.

I don't like this sentiment. It stinks of Alpha, and it's exactly the kind of thing that will piss Rose off. She's rebelling against what she perceives to be her destiny - the last thing she wants to hear is that there's someone she's 'supposed' to become.

JASPERSPRITE: I dont know i hope im not being too pushy rose its not my place to be im just your cat! JASPERSPRITE: But the thing that made me how i am now seems to really want me to say this to you. JASPERSPRITE: Your quest is really important for you to do. JASPERSPRITE: Not really because thats how to get the prize. JASPERSPRITE: But because its what you need to do for yourself!

This isn't about the universe, says Sburb.

This is totally bizarre. I thought it was all about the universe, and the game's Players were just the mechanism for creating them. Even the Quests are just extended tutorials on how to terraform planets.

Do the Players have another role to play?

JASPERSPRITE: I love you rose! I always have even when you were a little girl and i was an alive cat. ROSE: Thanks, Jaspers, that's nice to hear. ROSE: It's hard to remember, but I'm pretty sure I felt the same way back then. JASPERSPRITE: It was fun getting to be your cat again rose even if it was just for a little while and also while being a princess ghost. JASPERSPRITE: Bye rose! ROSE: See you, Jaspers! ROSE: If you see my mother in the course of your travels, tell her I said hello.

Alright, let's hit the pause button on the lore speculation. I need to grab some tissues :'(

[king-crawler]

I could talk about Turbo’s death and its symbolism a lot but . Ok whatever IM GONNA TALK ABOHT IT RIGHT NOW.

Not only has he become this fucked up bug thing which is already giving “you would sacrifice your own identity for power and attention” but twisted to an extreme and ironic degree.. there’s also The fact he was essentially hypnotized by the light AND HE WAS TRYING TO FIGHT AGAINST IT. But ultimately gave in to his fate. He flew too close to the sun. It’s almost like that was his internal struggle from the very beginning.

The unquenched envy… the vengeful urge to take over another game the moment people stop paying attention to his. Except at this point it isn’t even a choice anymore because he has gone so far, he has REINVENTED HIMSELF into something entirely unrecognizable and senseless and power-driven. He already did that when he altered his code and fabricated a new identity to infiltrate and usurp sugar rush. But now here it is again- but this time even more extreme and out of his control- he has been reinvented whether he wanted to or not. Playing god gets you in trouble. And now that his coding is combined with cybug coding he’s literally become a virus that has the overwhelming urge to take over and infect everything. But he was already like that in a sense

It’s ironic how in this form he yearns for the Literal light, but that also translates into wanting the light symbolically- the spotlight… and the urge for this light is going to kill him. In every definition of the word. That symbolic yearn for the spotlight not only “killed” Turbo in the public eye but it killed a part of him that valued his own identity, greatly pushing the lengths he was willing to go in order to take that attention back. While chasing that light he fundamentally changed himself and hurt others to obtain it. And now, in this twisted form that embodies his consequences, he’s too far gone to resist it.

And so the light kills him

Am I being overdramatic (yes). Does he have simple motives (yes). Does having simple motives make him a bad villain. NOOOOOOOOOOOO . What I find fascinating is how FAR he goes to fulfill his motives. Not only discarding others but discarding himself in a sense …..

maybe it was a programming oversight that made him so overcomepetitive ..? Or maybe he’s just an asshole and that was all his fault Lmao.

[elina-sakura]

Rain Code: Spin The Wheel

So a while ago, I did a Spin the Wheel concept of my own with the Rain Code cast that appeared in the main game. And it turned out interesting, so I’ve decided to post my results, along with some ramblings about the said results. Spoilers for Rain Code.

Protagonist: Fubuki Clockford

Support (Shinigami): Kurumi Wendy

Support (Informant): Dr. Huesca

Chapter 0 Cast

Yakou Furio

Zange Eraser

Waruna (hitwoman)

Yuma Kokohead

Pucci Lavmin

Nocturnal Detective Agency

Chief Kurane

Makoto Kagutsuchi

Iruka

Guillaume Hall

Halara Nightmare

Peacekeepers

Director Margulaw

Vice Director Yomi Hellsmile

Shinigami (Chapter 0)

Zilch Alexander (Chapter 1)

Karen (Intern)

Aphex Logan

Chapter 1 Cast

The Priest

Melami Goldmine

Seth Burroughs (The Nail Man)

The Nun (The Copycat)

Chapter 2 Cast

Martina Electro

The Servant (Victim)

Icardi

The Worshipper

Chapter 3 Cast

Shachi

Dominic Fulltank

Servan

Yoshiko (Murderer)

Swank Catsonell (Victim)

Chapter 4 Victim

Desuhiko Thunderbolt

Vivia Twilight (motivator for murder/died from Amaterasu/Peacekeepers)

!!Rambling Time!!

I’m happy one of the NDA is the protagonist, and it’s Fubuki! And her Shinigami is Kurumi, so it’s an adorable, wholesome girl squad! We can even get fun RPG references, and Kurumi can do wholesome games for clues. But also moral conflict because neither would be up for murdering, and Fubuki feeling guilty for relying on Kurumi to solve the mysteries in exchange of the culprits’ souls.

With how the criminals from Chapters 0-2 (basically three chapters), there would be a build up of the girls slowly accepting that perhaps culprits dying is fine as long as they no longer hurt people for their own benefits (yes, I am going to frame Chapter 2 less sympathetic as opposed to in-game, which makes it the turning point of the girls starting to accept that the end justifies the mean, before that is once again challenged in Chapter 3).

It’s funny how the three Aetheria Trio somehow still ended up being murderers at the end of the day (or two out of three if we count killer!Waruna being an imposter tho).

I was so sad when I spun the wheel for Chapter 0, and both Yuma and Yakou ended up in the cast, meaning they die😭 Also, Pucci and Zange could not escape their fates.

Though Yuma ending up as a Chapter 0 victim actually sets up a great characterization for Makoto in this AU (who I’ve decided will be the complex, Ch 4 character because I say so). Where in this Swap AU, Makoto and Yuma are twin brothers who worked as Master Detectives in the WDO. So when Yuma ended up dying on the Amaterasu Express, it broke Makoto. To the point he wears a mask to hide his face because he has the exact same face as his now late brother he can’t bear to see anymore. Perhaps he’s even antagonistic towards Fubuki because she survived the Amaterasu Express Massacre, and is resentful how she’s the one who gets out alive, like she’s been exchanged to live instead of his precious twin. Maybe Chapter 4, he decides to exact his revenge on the Peacekeepers for all the murder they have done, including Yuma, and end it once and for all. And considering he has Coalescence as well, perhaps he may even get the same power as Fubuki and end up literally clashing swords in the Mystery Labyrinth.

Funny story, when I was spinning for the swap!NDA, I was getting like all females with only Makoto as the only male, and I was kind of praying to the wheel to give me another male, or at least another gender. And guess who the last gender that ends up joining (or staying in this case) in the NDA.

Dr. Huesca being the informant actually sounds right when you think further on it. Like perhaps his characterization can be based on the glimpse heel-turn self we’ve seen from the recorded video, where he once again (or perhaps remembered) how far his experiment had went and decided to call it quit. He’s still a mad scientist, but now has a (very shaky) moral compass and is more morally grey.

Kurane being Chief is also very fitting because it was mentioned/implied she has some interest in detective works (I understand it’s probably more so playing as a Detective as a character, but I hc she has interest in detective work as well). But also kind of funny and sad because the NDA now has a prodigal child detective who is a theater kid and obsessed with romance novels as their only Detective Chief in Kanai Ward. And to add relationship between her and Vivia, perhaps Vivia took Kurane in as her apprentice when she was younger, which helped lead to her becoming a WDO Detective, and leading up to her becoming the Chief when Vivia dies during an investigation on Amaterasu. Or, if I want to be original, perhaps Vivia is separated from his soul and body, and they’re both being preserved in Amaterasu. Who knows🤷🏼‍♀️

And Yomi Hellsmile is honestly really fitting as Vice Director because he can be that sadistic, power-hungry we know and love. Desiring to become the next Director of the Peacekeepers and trying to off Director Margulaw. I even got an idea that perhaps maybe he teams up with a certain, grieving Master Detective to help overthrow Margulaw (because I kind of imagine the CEO would not be dumb enough to give someone like Yomi power like that). Not entirely sure if I want to make Margulaw a corrupt Director or a benevolent Director (or in-between) because I want to avoid making his characterization from being too close to my Director Yakou’s characterization I’m currently/planning.

Finally, for Chapter 3, I’m imagining how it can play out is that Swank Catsonell was once the leader of the Resistance, but he was terrible at it. He was selfish and greedy and was fine with causing more destruction that leads to more problems for Dohya District. Shachi, one of the Resistance leaders, was against Swank’s methods and was planning to overthrow him, alongside Dominic Fulltank and Yoshiko. However, after Swank nearly went too far on something (maybe having a hand in the NDA blowing up or something), Yoshiko decides to take action and kill Swank herself. After she dies, Shachi is the one who gives the request that leads to motivate him to become the new Resistance Leader.

[eclecticpagann]

𝕆𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔹𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕤

Today, while discussing my goddesses and practices with my best friend, I was inspired by her decision to follow a path of devotion to the Celtic goddess of war, death, and fate, Morrigan. Her enthusiasm motivated me to finally take action and make a devotional offering to my goddesses, after a long period of personal healing.

Usually, I place offerings for Aphrodite directly on her altar. However, I haven’t been able to create a proper altar for Hel*, so I decided on an alternative approach: offering bowls.

So, without further ado, I present my offering bowls! I’ll be color-coding sections to help you easily find the important information through my ramblings.

[Content Warning: Mentions of real animal bones, blood.]

Let’s start with Hel’s offering bowl. In my digital journal, I mentioned/found that it’s best to leave food offerings until they are completely rotted away. Once that happens, all non-perishable items will be thoroughly washed and returned to Hel for devotional purposes. Any perishable remnants will be buried and returned to the earth.

What’s Inside Hel’s Offering Bowl?

Let’s begin with the more unusual items:

- Animal bones and a small vial of my own dried blood.

This might sound intense, but everything was ethically collected. The dried blood comes from a series of stress nosebleeds I had during a difficult time in my life. Offering blood to Hel is said to be a way for her to accept your pain and sorrow, so it felt fitting to include this little bottle of ground dried blood. The small animal bones are from a poultry dinner I had years ago. Initially, I saved them for work with another deity, but it turns out Hel was the one calling to me.

Now, for the rest of the offerings: In the bowl, there’s a Viking apple from my local orchard, honoring "Hel’s Orchard." There are also chunks of black obsidian and rainbow moonstone. Along with these, I’ve included crushed dried rose petals, dried yarrow buds, and dried rosebuds. To complete the offering, I added a black chime candle and a stick of myrrh incense.

Next is Aphrodite’s Offering Bowl.

For her, I’ll be removing the apple at the first sign of rot or decay—I like to keep her offerings as neat and beautiful as she is.

What’s Inside Aphrodite’s Offering Bowl?

Not to quote a popular meme, but compared to Hel’s bowl, Aphrodite’s is very mindful and demure.

Her bowl contains crushed dried rose petals and dried rosebuds, complemented by a scoop of crushed basil and a few sticks of cinnamon. There is a small collection of shells, including an “aura” shell*. Alongside the shells, I placed a chunk of rose quartz, a heart-shaped rose quartz, and a piece of angel aura quartz.

She was also given a Viking apple from my local orchard, as the apple is one of Aphrodite’s sacred fruits. To finish, I included a pink chime candle and a stick of myrrh incense.

Closing Thoughts

I found so much joy in creating these offering bowls, and I encourage you to try making one for your own deity—I’m sure they would appreciate it.

One last note: While assembling these bowls, I noticed a good few similarities in the offerings for both goddesses, which I found fascinating! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading through this, and thank you for taking the time to read my little post about the goddesses I am devoted to.

* For now, I have a mini or travel-sized altar for Hel in an old mint tin until I can create a proper altar.

* When I refer to “aura,” I'm talking about a treatment used on quartz, where platinum and silver are bonded with pure quartz to create “angel aura quartz,” which has a similar effect.

[sourrcandy]

KNIGHTS ; an update ↳ bc it's been 2 years since i began this wip

psd by @destimnesia

draft status. draft 1 ver 3 (aka the hoedition)

act 1 wc. 40,849

total wc. 51,709

more under the cut. bc goddamn this turned out to be a long post

the synopsis.

citizens of arkridge city call them puppeteers, rulers, monsters. fear is a weapon the round table wields with ease, but when the godfather of arkridge is murdered, the city is reminded that they, too, are only human.

with a multi-billion dollar inheritance and the fate of their father’s kingdom on the line, the nine clemonte children must navigate this elaborate arkridge game before the killer brings the city to its knees.

major updates.

i'm posting 2 different word counts because i write out of order and some scenes are done ahead of time since i have inspiration for those chapters!! the outline is planned for 3 acts so knights is predicted to be around 120k words in total.

after a long think (i wrote it down on actual paper instead of my notion) about all the characters and their motivations, i have decided to keep SELENA away from the main plot and only mention her briefly with she is 'out of town'. because she contributes nothing, her motivations are the same as aredhel's, and her actions can be covered by other characters.

so far our character motivations are :

serafine — to become ceo of clemonte corporations without the responsibility of her father's dirty empire + out of reginald's shadow

theodore — to be free from his promise / responsibility to reginald and forge his own path

aredhel — to prove her worth to being part of the family

violet — to tear down the clemontes' long legacy of being the roots of arkridge city's underworld and rebuild it in her own image

maribelle — to find the truth behind reginald's murder and change the city for the better with her experiences in the less wealthy districts before she was adopted

colette — to support her family no matter to cost and use the clemonte's influence to grow into herself

sage — to renovate the family and surpass her father's legacy

storm — to prove her worth to sage and simultaneously find her individuality away from sage

selena — in her overseas exchange era oops

side character updates.

blackbird — nothing major changing!! he is still going to be playing his part with bringing storm out of her shell while achieving his own means through her. act 2 is going to be more focused on why the round table and the kumiho gang have butted heads continuously and explain his motives on teaming up with storm

kit — he is going to be somewhat like sera's younger self -> hopeful, over-achieving, and taught to be accountable. BUT he is going to have a much more strict moral code and helps sera stray away from the cruel path knights usually take

morgan — i think i wrote her out to be more insane than she should, almost comical ngl. so i'm going to explore more of her genius / intelligence in act 2 to show that she is not just an insane person and delve more into her past with reginald

marcus — i have been pretty vague about marcus in act 1 bc it is mainly showing his dynamic / relationship with aredhel. he is going to enable a lot of aredhel's actions later on so i'm hoping to explore his motives subtly through the main characters before act 3

some of my favourite lines from knights so far.

finally. thank you to everyone (and ppl in wtw) who continuously showed interest in knights and for motivating me!! i know it's been a long ride and trust me, it's going to be a longer journey bc i am a slow writer. also kudos to mole and nicole for all your help / comments on my hoedition draft, it's what keeps me going <3

general taglist. @kazino @serpentarii @seasteading @lasbrumas @sympathyhouse @halcionic @janaisvu

knights taglist. @redbloodprose @writeblrfantasy @innocentlymacabre

— send an ask / put in tags to be added/removed.

[welcome-tothe-madness]

So upset I have yet to see a kuroshitsuji edit to Brutus, like, ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

That song is SOOOO O!Ciel coded.

I could literally do a lyrics breakdown analysis of how each verse correlates with his backstory.

I've been watching him for my entire life

I hate the air he breathes, his foolish decrees

His words so contrived

And I hate the way the townspeople gather outside

They hang on every breath, cling to his chest

Home to his heart full of pride

Obviously, O!Ciel has been forced into his brother’s shadow, and watch how everyone adores his brother while he stays inside alone with a dog

The oracle told him to beware the Ides

And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't wishing

For untimely death or demise

Or am I just wishing I could be like you?

That the people would see me too as a poet

And not just the muse

The oracle could be Undertaker meeting the twins when they were young, foreboding a terrible fate to come. Also, O!Ciel had to face some pretty complicated feelings of being in R!Ciel’s shadow.

Oh, it's not true, I don't wish harm upon you

From birth we've been like brothers of different mothers

Within the spirit of the same womb

May the gods strike me down if I forsake you

Frater meus, you're beautifully made

And to you I'm forever grateful

O!Ciel does not actually wish harm upon his brother, but he does feel immense envy for being born as his sickly spare. But he is grateful to him for being his protector and light

I'll never forget that you showed me to make art

And I know the love you showed me came

From a pure and noble heart

I love you, and if you want, I'll call you King

But why do I lie awake each night thinking

"Instead of you, it should be me"?

O!Ciel knows his brother is kind, noble, and pure, but he cannot help but believe he is the one deserving Earldom

Something wicked this way comes

And as I set to face it, I'm unsure

Should I embrace it, should I run?

What motivates me? Hatred? Is it love?

What's more wrong; that I too wish to be great

Or my mother wished she'd had a son?

And even if I can't be the one

Maybe I could at least help make way for him

Until the day that he comes

Maybe my name could also be known

That I helped return good to the people

And restored greatness to Rome

I believe this could be where Sebastian is introduced and O!Ciel begins to grapple with survivors guilt, his own selfishness, and him forever being changed by what happened. He wants to be the one remembered.

My name is Brutus and my name means heavy

So with a heavy heart

I'll guide this dagger into the heart of my enemy

My whole life, you were a teacher and friend to me

Please know my actions are not motivated only by envy

I, too, have a destiny

This death will be art

The people will speak of this day from near and afar

This event will be history, and I'll be great too

I don't want what you have, I want to be you

I believe these lyrics for the most part are self explanatory, but I think this would be a cool part to bring back O!Ciel witnessing R!Ciel’s death (by a dagger), and him reclaiming his dead brother’s name and family ring

I always knew I could be the one

Though I feel the endless pain of being

And I am scorched by the Sun

Of humble origins and born of the cursed sex

My name is Brutus, but the people will call me Rex

That last lyric is the one that feels like the cherry on top for me. “My name is ___ but the people will call me Ciel” is a good alternative for a potential black butler animatic/edit whatever.

Idk, I’m an artist so I could def be the one to make this happen, but GRRRR I think this song fits him so well it drives me insane I haven’t seen anybody else make the connection

[sirellas]

Left Hand of Destiny (1&2) stream of consciousness review

Overall thoughts: I really liked this book! Or technically 2 books but the second is just the continuation of the first so in my head it was just one long book (~500 pages all in all). This is only the second trek book I've read and also the second written by the actor who played the character in ds9 (shoutout to ASIT, though this one has a non-actor co-writer as well), but even beyond the star trekking of TLHOD, this was a really good read in terms of writing style, pace, emotion. It was very action and character focused which I enjoyed, and especially the characterization of Martok was so great and obviously JG Hertzler had a lot of thoughts about the character he played that translated really well on page.

The memory alpha article on TLHOD says this but I didn't really start to see it until the last half of book 2, but this is very much a King Arthur story (btw don't look at that memory alpha page unless you don't care about major spoilers lol). Down to a lady in the lake handing out mythical swords. That instance was a little heavy handed in my opinion, but I did like all of the prophetic dreams and talk of glorious purpose.

That's something to note though: if you don't like dream sequences, this is not the book for you. There are A LOT of dreams. In fact the opening scene is a dream, but it's now my new favorite opening line in a book because it jumps right in by telling you who this guy is and what his deal is:

I personally am a big fan of overt symbolism like this (even a well done cliché or two), myths and repeating cycles of heroism etc etc. And I think this book melded Arthurian drama with Klingon drama well. The Klingon-ness of this book was great. What better way to get to the heart of Klingon culture in a story but by focusing on the guy chosen to lead his people and getting it ripped out from beneath his feet and having to decide that he actually wants to be chancellor. In a lot of ways this is a story of outcasts finding their way back to where they belong, which isn't always what they expect or want in the beginning. Which leads me to...

The supporting characters really made this book. Without Pharh the Ferengi who got bullied for being as ugly as a Klingon as a child and now runs a landfill on Qo'noS, there would be no book. He's my favorite (little buddy coded to the extreme) but most of the major side characters are really well explored in terms of motivation and actions. Worf, Sirella, Ezri, Darok, Kahless, Alexander, to name a few. Alexander and Kahless were two of my other surprise standouts. And because no one who hasn't read this book knows about my new favorite guy Pharh, I will now include a couple passages I highlighted to spread the word about how great he is:

Wide array of well developed side characters aside, this book is awful for women. Yes the main antagonist is Martok's insane ex, but her character is kind of too outlandish to really have much depth. Ezri shows up at the end of book 1 and plays a big part in book 2 but honestly I'm not sure why she was even there (apart from loyalty etc, but I mean story-wise she didn't add all that much to keep the action moving ((anyone else could have been subbed in for her 9 out of 10 times and it would've made more sense tbh)) except to be another explainer of Klingon things to the reader). Sirella has a few great scenes, but not nearly enough and she wasn't allowed to do much either in terms of agency and impact on plot. Martok's two daughters are barely afterthoughts.

The main plot is that a usurper attacks Qo'noS (and specifically goes after Martok), swaying the Klingon people to their side through a combo of bioengineered charisma and the people's growing resentment toward progressive ideas that Martok (and Worf) represents. That's really only the problem in book 1, while book 2 deals more with Martok accepting the hand fate has dealt and deciding to win so they can save the decaying Klingon heart and so on. But even with the kind of cheesy setup, it rarely felt overwrought or unearned with the emotional beats. The antagonist lady is, yeah, she's a bit over the top. And before 2016 I would've said the quick flip to xenophobia and Make Klingons Great Again (I'm pretty sure they use that phrase almost exactly) in the general public was unrealistic but hey, cycles of destiny and evil constantly shifting and repeating, am I right??

There were... quite a few deaths. I guess I should've expected that, being a Klingon setting and all, but some of them hit me hard. And a few I don't think really needed to happen and kind of weakened the narrative.... maybe I'll put a spoiler section below a cut at the bottom of this to discuss those 🤪

This paragraph will haunt me for a while I think... 😀 sorry for inflicting it on others now but hey that's show business

Even with some hiccups (see spoiler section below), I loved the book pretty much. Shocker: tumblr user girlmartok loves the Martok book, but it was better than I had hoped even. The Martok focus was so good and the side characters just made it even better. Much more of a heroic fantasy than most star trek settings, which fit really well and also was refreshing. It's long! But I would recommend it if you have any interest in Klingons and/or fun little guys who go on adventures and think a lot about death.

SPOILERS ⬇️

Okay ripping the bandaid off. The way Sirella died was not chill. I mean even having her die was not something I would have included, because the story really didn't dive all that deep into her and Martok's relationship. But ramming an enemy ship so Martok could flee near the beginning of book 2... and she doesn't even kill any major bad guys doing it?? It just served no point narratively (the bad guys still outnumbered them, still caught up to them not long after) and it didn't even really affect Martok all that much beyond like one paragraph where he wants to turn around and go on a murder spree in her name... He doesn't even get to go on a murder spree in her name!!!

Bandaid rip #2: PHARH MY LITTLE BABY BOY DIES???? I was glad I had forewarning about this one because I would've been mad otherwise. I am not exaggerating saying he was my second favorite character in this book after Martok. The humor he added, yes, but also just his role as an outsider who's seen as weak by both Ferengi and Klingon, and he befriends the chancellor of the Klingon Empire, HOLDS ONTO THE CHANCELLOR'S RING FOR MOST OF THE BOOK AND BECOMES HIS SQUIRE BASICALLY 🫠💔 I don't know how anyone wouldn't fall in love with him. At least his death was done well, even though I don't think it should have happened. He at least got a murderous rampage in his name 😤 and Martok basically adopted him so he could get into Sto'vo'kor 🥺

Those were my main two criticisms of the book, and really ties into why this wasn't as great a story as ASIT, for example. A lot of things happen to Martok, but some things don't get the resolution they would need to influence him on this character journey he's going on. One of Martok's defining characteristics in ds9 is that he's a wife guy and his wife doesn't take bullshit. But then his wife dies suddenly and he's upset but he's not Upset upset, if you know what I mean. It didn't feel earned and it didn't feel necessary. Literally the first and only time it did feel like a reasonable plot device was at the very end when Worf tells him that people love a tragic victor even more than a victory. The problem is just that Martok doesn't ever explore what that tragedy really means to him.

Justice for Shen and Lazhna, Martok's daughters, who in addition to dying off screen are only brought up to highlight how shitty of a dad Martok has been. He just thinks of them (and his son Drex too but he gets more characterization solely by virtue of appearing in the narrative) in terms of himself and his love for them is more on the side of pity rather than real emotional attachment. Sirella should've been way meaner to him about that tbh.

Non character death related but a big focus of the first book was Martok losing public opinion pretty much immediately. Old friends turn against him and that really shakes him. But then in the second book... that's not really brought up again? The whole second book takes place away from Qo'noS, and yeah they mention that people will probably become less affected by the dumb bioengineered charisma after time, but I cannot stress enough how much the entire planet hated him. So he won the big battle against his foes etc etc, came back to Qo'noS and... just told everyone all that?? That goes along with the lack of fully exploring the consequences of some of these bad things that happen to Martok. It felt like a little too much piled on him and not enough resolution.

[sweetsunshinedarling]

Asking myself why I ship TK/Peter (Or TK/Peter/My Y/N) enough to write 100000+ fanfic plus start another (while also having a few others in the back of my mind) & it's a bit of a mix. Less well thought out reasoning and more word vomit below.

I disliked canon Y/N (not a major reason why, but I think it was the catalyst of me looking more in depth to other characters)

TK accidentally (or purposefully if the twist that they were the Y/N in the your girlfriend game is a thing) ticks a lot of boxes to be a Y/N while also being their own person. Maybe they some how freed themselves of the role. In a game in which is impossible to free yourself of much of anything. We so far have never even been given an option of helping Peter in anyway. He also very much cannot help himself, no matter what he does, hes stuck (doomed even) to play his role. (other that making food for him I'm pretty sure the game never give you the option of doing anything to help him let alone free him) Though no options of freeing him yet make sense as game not done.

As they mirror Peter so well & fall into the "People helper/pleaser" role the idea of them helping to free Peter too is *chiefs kiss* And Peter finally actually getting to do something because he wants to and not because he's programed to want that. AHHHHH!

I like a world in which Peter is free to fall in love and not have this be dictated to him by code in a video game. A few possible "happy" endings for him in my eyes included the idea that even out of the game/influence of the code he still falls in love with you/Y/N or that he was able to fall in love with another character and develop his own type. (Hell some where is an ending where hes free to just chill by himself and make youtube videos but that's for another day) Letting him have a polygamous relationship felt like the ultimate fuck you happy ending. He finally is free to pick and he gets the girl/boy/them because he picks them, but also fuck you he gets to naturally develop feelings for someone you never considered or programmed him to and they get to survive the hell you put them through despite it all (creator, basically his own version of Truman walking up the stairs at the end of the Truman show or any moment a character finally stops a time loop that's been driving them insane and saves the day in media with time loop as a thing)

I am on the ace spectrum and all my Y/N, Peter and TK seem to all be on this (or have been in Peters case) to some degree and I like the concept of writing characters who are ace without them being written as celibate/I don't know what sex is etc stereotypes.

My Y/N and TK like sex but for a lack of a better word, lack the motivation to start it up. Peter is the motivation.

Peter/TK works very well and there is basically zero content of it. The tragedy of what could have been if Peter/TK wasn't trapped in a loop/game, with his being and emotions dictated to him??? Enemies to friends to lovers trope, the fact that they work as mirrors to one another but also have a lot of the same motivations. Fates being very much entangled but in such a twisted way. As mirrors have personalities and actions that would support one another very well. TK goes out of their way to be helpful etc and is happy with any attention that you give them, while Peter would absolutely praise them and give them the attention they deserve but don't get and would finally have someone to help him. Really wish more people liked this as I am not the best writer/artist lol

Being sick of doom and gloom and wanting something that goes against the odds and is just EVERYTHING goes the most idyllic that it can actually. Everyone wins and every ones happy.

[deadgirlwalkinginadream]

I never ever post on here but the TURN fandom is still alive and thriving so I MUST participate. I believe @cabbxges-and-kings started this?

How has it almost been ten years since season 1 aired? God I’m old.

Favorite Season: Season 3 for sure. Everything was heightened constantly. The character development. It’s the full cast in full gear. So many iconic moments.

Least Favorite Season: Season 4. It’s the only season I’ve only rewatched once. (I am constantly rewatching s1-s3). It’s a great season compared to other shows, but there is just something missing to me. However, Abe SHINES this season and I feel like that is super overlooked. Also Caleb’s torture scene is borderline too much for him and entirely taints the season (which is totally the point so well done writers).

Favorite Character(s): So I have five. I have a top five. We’re just gonna deal with it. I want to give an honorable mention to Abigail because she could have totally been 5. I was constantly flip flopping those two. I just want everyone to know I love Abigail to the ends of the world as well.

5. Robert Rogers - Okay so I feel like I might loose some people here. The latest rewatch I did completely solidified this for me. One of my favorite things about TURN is that every time I do a full rewatch I see something different in all the characters. Rogers completely changes a scene just by being mentioned. His presence is so strong, and he’s SO influential to the entire plot of the show without meaning to. His interactions with Abe are AMAZING!! He’s the only character that makes Simcoe fully crack (I see the argument for Hewlett and even Abe but Rogers just did it like no one else). Rogers’ power is not talked about enough in the fandom, and his character stands true as one of the first “bads” of the show, when all he really wanted was to live his life the way he wanted, no strings attached.

4. Robert Townsend - My Quaker. What an intriguing character. He could have completely fell to the sidelines with such a multiple character focused show. His silent nature could have made him overlooked, but he constantly steals every scene. Robert’s morality and loyalty driven ambition are a perfect balance to Abe’s own ambition. Townsend’s interactions with Caleb and Rivington are priceless. He completly surprises every time he’s on screen. The ace among the Culper Spy Ring. The man managed to stay hidden until the 1930s. The perfect definition of a quiet storm. What a badass.

3. Mary Woodhull - What. A. Mother. Fucking. Badass. Dear god. Mary Woodhull is SUCH a well written and well acted character. The minute we meet her, we’re supposed to dislike her. She’s the barrier between Abe and his true love (Shoutout to Anna too I fucking adore her). She is a loyalist who puts her fate in her god. She wants the comfy, big house living. One of my favorite choices in TURN is that Mary never changes. We just get to peel off the exterior layers and see into her own motives. Her heart is dedicated to her family and her family only. She doesn’t care what side that is, and that’s such an interesting character to highlight in a show about the Revolutionary War. Every little thing Mary does is for others. Her willingness to stay as the prop for Hewlett Vs Abe, burning the code book and making the ENTIRE coverup story, aiding Caleb with the burning of the supplies, SHOOTING SIMCOE!!!! She is a firecracker in the thunderstorm. Mary did everything we wanted every character to do. She is the true epitome of quiet strength, and I absolutely loved that about her. She is also SLIGHTLY unhinged, and who doesn’t love an unhinged soft gal?

2. Edmund Hewlett - I could go into a multi page essay about Edmund Hewlett. Every time I rewatch in its’ entirety I love him even more. He was truly a man out of his element, that rose to EVERY occasion played in front of him. He never lost his moral compass, no matter the cards he was played. He was too kind for war, and he paid for it severely. I feel perhaps the most jaded about his story. Hewlett was a stick in a riptide. That being said, what a fucking badass!! He went toe to toe with Simcoe over and over again. What I admire about Hewlett is that he never lost his sense of self. He stayed true to who he was. He was a strategist and he used that to his advantage. He did what had to be done in a way that hurt the least amount of people. He is one of the most honorable characters, and he has some of the best lines.

1. Caleb Brewster - Literally anyone who knows me knows this. Caleb Brewster is an enigma of a character. He’s constantly laughing to hide his trauma. He’s a raging Patriot but only in the war for his friends. He’s technically a solider but he uses a hand axe. He’s part of a spy ring but uses his real name. Caleb Brewster is the sunshine of the Culper Spy Ring. He’s spitfire attitude balances the rest of the cast perfectly, no matter who he’s paired with. You can’t help but smile or smirk whenever Caleb’s on screen. For a show that steers pretty serious, that’s a rare gem of a character to have. Even rarer when that character still has depth. I believe that’s partly due to Henshall’s incredible acting. Brewster never feels too exaggerated. He makes so many (and I mean SO MANY) dumb decisions. He’s down to earth in a time where being serious was more normal. He is perfectly and purposely the odd man in order to create the flow of the ring. Caleb Brewster’s development is a beautiful and heartwretching process. If Caleb didn’t work, the show wouldn’t have worked.

Least Favorite Character: Benedict Arnold :( I can go on a whole evaluation about his character another time, but yes. Him.

Favorite Romantic Couple: John André and Peggy Shippen is an absolute given. God I LOVE them together. I’m also SUCHHHH a sucker for Anna/Hewlett. Both of these couples are so well written and don’t overpower the plot. I want to give a shout-out to Anna/Selah though. I honestly really like them together. I like that they had to grow into being good together. I wish we saw more of them, before the war and after.

Favorite Friendship: It’s Ben and Caleb hands down, but I always love the few Abe and Samuel Townsend interactions we get to see. What a fun dynamic. I also LOVE Anna and Caleb’s relationship. Underrated and so sweet on both ends.

Favorite Episode: I have a couple but my all time favorite is S3E6: Many Mickles Make A Muckle - This is such a catalyst episode. It’s the turning (ha get it) point of the show for me. We have so many character plot points happening BECAUSE of other characters, especially some characters that have been previously separate. Robert Rogers and Robert Townsend, Anna Strong and Samuel Townsend; and then of course so many character interaction payoffs; Abe and Anna being Abe and Anna, Caleb Vs Rogers coming to a head, Simcoe on Abe’s tail constantly. SUCH an amazing episode.

Honorable Mentions: S2E8: Providence, S3E3: Benediction, S2E4: Men of Blood, and S1E10: The Battle of Setauket

Least Favorite Episode: S2E7: Valley Forge

I feel as if this is a typical answer. Listen, I like Georgey Wash as much as the next person…but dear god is still the only slow episode in the whole show. I think it’s because the pacing is so weird? The show has been go go go until this and now it’s Washington lore drop central. Weird choice in progression. I would’ve done this as a twenty five minute add on to E6.

Favorite Quote: “Dear lord…I know we haven’t spoken in a while….thanks.” - Caleb

Also… (I’m paraphrasing her) “Did you hear about Arnold? What a piece of shit he is!!” - Abe

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Daysoul

Aliases / Nicknames: Leader Who Abandoned the Stars

Gender: female

Sexuality: bisexual

Family: unnamed biological mother, unnamed biological father, Springsoul (father), Spiritstring, Goldenstar (father), Spiritstring (parent), Stardust (sibling)

Other Relations: Rabbitheart (mate), Beargrowl (father-in-law [by technicality])

Clan: LostClan

Rank: leader

Characteristics: outgoing, loyal, willing to walk alone if it means she gets what she wants

Murder Motive: N/A

Number of Victims: 0

Number of Murders: 0

Murder Method: N/A

Known Victims: N/A

Victim Profile: N/A

Cause of Death: poisoned by Flintcall via yew berries

Cautionary Tale: N/A

Story: 

"Welcome, Daysoul, to the afterlife."

Daysoul blinked in confusion and fear, taking in the starry and warped forest around her.

"Where-where am I?" She coughed out, looking at the gray-pelted spirit in front of her.

"StarClan has decided your fate. You will be sent to the Place of No Stars unless you renounce your rank as leader, due to your actions against the code."

"So, as long as I am leader, I cannot go to StarClan?" Daysoul asked, her voice taking on a dark tone. "Thanks, but I'd rather stay leader of my Clan."

"So you have chosen your path." The spirit nodded. "Very well, the Darkness awaits."

Additional Information:

--Submission by @indigo-flightly-falls

--Yes Springsoul's kit ended up with Beargrowl's son. Rabbitheart is a sweetheart who renamed himself to distance himself from his father. Indigo's note: "I love him." You should.

--StarClan sent her to the Dark Forest because they are petty af.

[doriians]

10, 19 and 27 for the 'a writer's Ask game' ? :)

10. Do you set yourself deadlines?

I do!! It’s the best way to get myself to write :’) They’re flexible and often get moved esp if I’m hit with writer’s block, but my current deadlines are for my birthday. I want to have finished drafts of Fate’s Protégés, The Hero’s Protégé, and The Hero’s Traitor by then, so I can spend the summer working on my OTHER series, Coded :))

19. How do you keep yourself motivated?

It’s HARD haha. But honestly a lot of it just comes down to keeping in a routine of writing a tiny bit every day !! When I AM motivated, it’s because I’ve re-fallen in love with my original idea and will write thousands of words at a time for it, so the main thing for me is staying in touch with that passion and reminding myself how close I am to something I’ll be proud of :)

27. Favorite line or scene?

THIS IS A HARD ONE!!! There’s loads that I’ve written that I’m so so happy with, so I’ll list my top five LMAO:

The sky spilled inky grey and troubled towards him as Llevan sat atop the hill, lips pursed, arms hunched crookedly around legs that grew restless in anticipation of the approaching storm. (Fate’s Protégés, ch1)

“You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want you here.” It was an admission of defeat, and Rilan felt shame crawl over him like worming bugs inside him. The bright smile Zira shot him did nothing to ease the feeling; when warmth blossomed in his chest, tears stung his eyes. (The Hero’s Traitor, ch5)

They almost looked like they were praying, with their hands clasped in a white-knuckled grip and their head bowed. Ghild - Death to her enemies - took one step closer, and amused herself by imagining they were praying to her. Licking her lips brought the taste of sea-salt to her tongue, and finally, she joined the Rabbit at the edge, the rocks hard and unforgiving on her feet. (Recoded, Prologue)

“Hello, Brei.” The girl crouched down beside them, sitting cross-legged in the void, and Brei took a distrustful step back. “Do you know who I am?” / Brei frowned. “Are you God?” / “Not quite,” the girl said, amused, “if there’s a God, I’ve yet to meet it.” (Hacked, Prologue)

“I thought you were gay,” she shrugged. “I just assumed… the way you looked at Zira…” / Rilan spluttered, incredulous. “He’s your husband.” / “Yes. And I know I have wonderful taste.” (The Hero’s Protege, ch10, draft 1)

SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS IS!!! but it did inspire me to look back through my old drafts which was nice :]

Writer’s Ask Game Questions

[southern-tundra-iterators]

[Heads up, cause this is a long writing piece with some character backstory]

PRIVATE LOG #### DATE: ----.--- {{Recorded conversation, all users anonymous}}

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

A1: So...could you tell me more about this proposed idea of yours for a highly confidential project? A2: Imagine a scenario when the Great Problem has been solved by the iterators or by some other currently unknown means...and then what? A1: What about that kind of situation..? A2: What would happen to the robots afterwards? Do we have a plan for them, when The Great Problem has been finally solved or when we ascend by another way? Will they just be left behind? A1: Well, not really. They simply will have finished what they were built to do and not much else happens other than them working on smaller problems or they will continue working on their main task, I would assume. They're biomechanical robots that do exactly as we purpose them to do, they're nothing like us or even the small animals. A2: I wouldn't be so sure they're that simple. According the message logs within the local group I've found in the main computer's archives, it seems like they're starting to show preferences to certain things and even reply in a more emotional manner at times. A1: Hmm...your main point of all this being..? A2: I am saying that things may go awry if they're left unsupervised or already have solved The Problem. I highly doubt simply abandoning them would be such a good idea...considering how we saw that they could feel and even think on their own. A1: I believe you might be over-exaggerating on this and I don't view this issue as a severe one...But regardless, I will listen to what you have to offer. A2: What if there existed an iterator that would think of an efficient way to fully destroy other iterators and then itself? A1: ......That is an outlandish idea, to put it nicely...Surely you're well aware how they are built, correct? They are massive biomechanical superstructures relying even on microbes within their processing strata to function. You'd have to destroy every last inch of the iterator to fully kill them off. And besides, you would get yourself into deep trouble if other architects found you and your group out trying to design this creation with its intended purpose A2: Yes, I completely understand, however their inner ecosystem is still small in comparison to the entire world's and they are...different in a karmic sense. They're not the same. The iterator will not a superstructure of its own, it will be fused with another that we are planning to build using an intricate malware code that contains iterator genome. It will silently create and upgrade itself from within, without anyone noticing for a long time before it's too late. A1: I also have another reason to doubt your idea...I remember that our architect groups still are in a massive conflict of ''correct'' ideals in regards of religion and beliefs. I'm only listening to you because we share mostly the same beliefs and you have helped me a lot in the past, however I suspect that you could just be doing this out of spite against them, which is not what I would fully support. Your suggested method for this iterator's conception makes me question the motive further. A2: Now, now, let's slow down a bit, shall we? Yes, it is true that I do hold anger against some groups due to reasons you said, I will not deny it. But the world and the iterators we may soon leave behind are things I care about more, believe me. Our kind was already driven mad into reaching great painful lengths because of the cycles and immortality...the robots will be subjected to the same fate with the addition of purposelessness and taboos. A1: ... A2: I will pay you very generously in your cooperation and your identity will be fully protected. This conversation and group effort never happened in the first place. Do we have a deal? A1: ...I need to think about it.

[lowcal-dust]

Hello! People in pursuit of my abhorrent blog (all 3 of you)! I am motivated to scribble yet more fine, beautiful garbage, and i have ideas, but i cannot pick! (it is all elden ring/tadc crossover art because i am a cruel and cringeworthy creature)

Feel free to reblog to inflict bonus agony on all your followers!

(not putting any tags on this because the public should not be exposed to my nonsense, until it is done and i can throw it on someones dash like pocket sand)

[sam-glade]

🦋🌿🐥

Thank you!

🦋 tell us about your current wip

Oh, Elements, which one?

I'm going to link the intro posts under the titles, and give a brief update where I am with them?

Gifts of Fate - The Witcher x Fullmetal Alchemist hard fantasy, with superpowered HEMA fight scenes, inner demons, and queer characters going on a fantasy adventure. I've received some wonderful feedback from beta readers, and I know what changes I need to make. They aren't large (rewrite one chapter, foreshadow a couple of things better, make Ianim less cinnamon-roll coded), but one will be finnicky to implement - I need to eliminate all references to a thing, and I'm already worried that I'll miss something.

The Truth Teller - urban fantasy in the same setting, but set 3000 years later, in which a kind, gentle academic is pulled into the criminal underworld, Alice-through-the-looking-glass-style. it's going slower than I've hoped, but at the same time I feel like I'm spending a lot of time conceptualising scenes and rediscovering characters, so knowing my writing style, the dam will soon break and I'll be frantically writing it down.

🌿 who is your favourite character you've ever written?

Answered here.

🐥 here's some writing motivation!

Thank you, I need it🥹

From this ask game.