#but also it does have a new cast of characters and also its an alternate universe from tma

[aluria-sevhex]

petpet but it's all of the player cast

"...who are these goobers?"

These 12 are the main cast of the active in-progress MSPFA Sovereignstuck!

SOVEREIGNSTUCK is an in-progress MSPFA about 12 Teens, Their Friends, and a God-Making Machine - an RPG, simply titled SVURB, pieced together through mysterious scraps of code. Together, this ragtag team of young adults will have to figure out how to take control of themselves, the narrative, and win the game. But sovereignty over the story itself isn’t something that can be taken without pulling a few teeth, and it’s up to them to decide whether it’s their own, or somebody else’s…

-@/nekropsii (the lead writer), in his elevator pitch found here.

That elevator pitch works wonderfully as a more professional piece of advertising for a fanventure - but I would rather not retread the same tone and ground in this post when the writer has already done an excellent job.

Instead I'm going to talk about it in my own way!

Sovereignstuck is a current interest of mine that is presently doing things to my brain chemistry! It is still rather early on but it is actively updating and approaching its first anniversary. ;) :D

It is not an AU - it does not take place within a zone where there is canon content for it to be 'alternate' to. It features a new cast and a new game on Afterra - "a place once called Earth C by those who created it."

Featuring such wonderful characters, such as:

Retris Morage, a newly 18 neo-Japanese child star afflicted with Classpecting Analysis Disease, Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Disease, and of course, The Horrors.

Tejuri Kromab, a chronically ill Texican girl who writes fanfic about religious figures, knows her way around a yo-yo, and is also VERY VERY FRIEND-SHAPED! :D

Annomi Errata. :)

There's also banger music conveniently archived by a fan at @/sovstucktunes. :D

read it here:

[theloregirlv2]

Lore Analysis of The Casting of Frank Stone

꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the fog. I'm excited to be dissecting this game with you all as I've been looking forward to it for so long now! From a story perspective, I find the game to be very interesting. While we aren't shown a lot of new info, the game does flesh out things already talked about in the lore.

So pull up a chair, and let's talk about The Casting of Frank Stone.

(Credit to GamersPrey for the footage)

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING.⚠️

꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬

The thing that stood out to me the most about this game was its exploration of dbd's multiverse. I expected them to touch on it a little but not to this degree. This game not only explicitly references Tera Worlds but also shows us alternate versions of characters. We are officially shown this with Sam, the man responsible for taking down Frank Stone.

We see him later on in the present after he manages to get into the manor, only to find out that this Sam is not the same one from the 1980s that Linda knew. Instead, he's from a different Tera World and is actually a part of the Imperiatti. We later see this again as Augustine has stacks of tapes of different versions of Murder Mill from different universes. Augustine in general is a very interesting character, but we'll talk about her later.

For now, I'd like to talk about Frank himself. He shows up at the beginning of the game in a sequence that I actually find really interesting. He technically ends up dying due to being shot and falling into the fire below, but he seems to be taken by Entity afterwards.

This scene is kind of weird to me as I'm not sure why the Entity would appear here now. It could be that it was sealing its deal with Augustine as she is also present in this scene, or maybe it did something to Frank's soul? I think it was just simply cleaning up evidence of what had occurred, but it could honestly be anything.

The next time we see him is towards the end of the game, as his spirit is revived. While it's never explicitly said or shown, I'm pretty sure this is due to Augustine in some way. As the color of his ghost matches that of the machine she has.

It's also possible that this is due to the fact that the mill is most definitely a source of an overlap. The teens disturbing the site could have awakened his spirit, as it is mentioned that some trace of Frank was left after his death.

His final appearance is at Augustine's manor in the present. She uses the pieced together parts ofnthe film and some type of enchantment to summon Frank in a new form.

This version of him has been clearly transformed in some way. And while yes, he has been brought back to life, it's clear that's due to some "Entity magic." Frank chases the characters around in the manner in a sort of recreation of the trials until making it outside. Whoever you kept alive to this point will show up in the ending at a campfire.

The Entity claims both Frank and the surviving characters, as a trial is soon prepared. Even though I was expecting an ending like this, it still surprised me to just see the campfire in a story like setting. Getting to fully see how the Entity takes people into its realm was so cool, and the cameo from the original survivors was a nice touch.

The last thing I wanted to actually talk about is Augustine, who is a member of the Black Vale (the cult that worships the Entity). This is our first time seeing one of them visually as they have only been talked about in the tomes. I plan on making a separate post about her character so we'll skip over that for now.

What I want to talk about is her machine. It's pretty much what drives the game forward, and I find it really strange. It mainly seems to be some type of time machine, as it brings Chris back from the past and is also able to send her back.

We also see Augustine herself come out of the machine after she is sacrificed to the Entity by Frank. We see the same older woman from the store standing over her, which implies that the old woman is, of course, Augustine herself. The fact that she doesn't die or get taken into the realm after being sacrificed is interesting, though. I guess this is because she is a Black Vale member and extremely devoted to the Entity. So it probably has more use for her in the future.

Another thing to note is that the world we see in the Casting of Frank Stone might have actually been consumed by the Entity. While we do see Chris go back in time to before everyone went into the mill in the secret ending. I think her doing this probably created another universe or Tera World in itself since she does run into herself. But the main world was very likely destroyed by the Entity since Augustine does imply that she wanted that to happen.

꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷꒦﹋ٜ۪ꥇ໋۬ ꒷

That was my short little analysis on The Casting of Frank Stone! I do plan to talk more about this game in the future, as I didn't get a chance to talk about everything I wanted. As you can see, there isn't really a lot of new material added to the games overall world building. But there are some things that elude to greater things to come, like the secret ending I mentioned.

That will be all from me for now! Remember to avoid any mysterious fogs, or you may just end up like our friend Frank :)

[gece-misin-nesin]

hi i just wanted to ask if you had any jason-centric fanfic recs that actually focus on him and not make it about another character (saying this because the bruce and tim stans do this so often for some reason)

because i don’t know, its odd, so much fanfic is dedicated to how jason has to grovel to get the approval of the batfam or batman and i don’t want that because like in my opinion jason was never wrong about anything actually. unfortunately it seems most fans disagree and then write not so enjoyable fanfic about it :/

looking at the tim drake stans in particular like thats the most boring robin dont drag jason into this 😭

Hi! First of all thank you so much for sending an ask! Basically these will be fics that focus primarily on Jason and do NOT have him be in the wrong (i have those too, bc they can be well written and they are unfortunately impossible to avoid). Theyre not in any particular order, I'm just going thru all my bookmarks haha!! This is long bc my bookmarks containing jasons character tag is 28 pages on ao3. i am very normal about him. anyway! here they are:

The Beating Heart is a 4-shot featuring Ghostmakes/Jason, so if thats not your cup of tea, ignore it. Bruce is very much an asshole in this so if you're feeling hateful towards him (which is based) this will scratch that itch

The Bowery Branch is a one-shot from the pov of a librarian in the bowery. It's a bunch of snapshots focusing on how the librarians there view and interact w jason throughout his life!

The Lost Titans is soo good. Jason and some other people start having dreams about an alternate timeline where they were in a titans team together. Then some shit starts to go down and they have to fix it. has minimum bat appearances iirc. great mystery too!!

hit me as hard as you can is another good one. i think bruce and jason start over at the end but it was such a journey?? the whole thing is very good. and i remember the writing being very poignant

Thank you, Next! is a one-shot focusing on Jason and the men he's loved over the years. Introspective and character study-esque. very good

so, you've killed the joker is, as the name implies, a oneshot abt jason killing the joker. he does NOT feel guilty about doing it, which is for some reason a common trope in fics.

Father-Hood is about Jason raising an infant before he has the chance to start his revenge plan. He also gets together with Eddie Bloomberg <3

Granted the Serenity is about Countdown w donna jason and kyle happening w an al caste jason i think. it has next to 0 bruce iirc.

Things We've Lost, and Things We've Gained takes place in the young justice cartoon verse. if u dont know about it the short story is: the first child superhero team was not teen titans and roy harper was kidnapped and replaced w a clone and when the og roy is found he is rlly angry lol. Jayroy.

Yellow, Red, and Green is an au where jason becomes a green lantern while digging out of his grave. has a sequel in the works afaik but still good as a standalone.

Get Used to Dying is, in my objectively correct opinion, THE Jason Todd fic. I have recommended it before, and it's still a masterpiece. It tells Jason's life in the format of a play, absolutely brilliant.

Sacrosanct is about jason & bruce's relationship, and i think just from bruce's pov, but I have to rec it on the ground of it just being *chefs kiss* also there is no "bruce is right and do you not know how he mourned you jason!! care more about bruces reaction to your death than your own plase :/" bs

folly of youth, jason introspection/character study iirc. remember it being really good. also the last scene has great imagery.

in a new york minute, everything can change WILL make you cry no matter how much you've read it. it's about the last 60 seconds of Jason's (first) life. heartbreaking.

April 27th / I was only a child is a jason visits his grave one-shot. no bruce.

I think I could have included more but my bookmarks are uh. LONG. If I have other recs I will rb this post!!

[zipegs]

I’m back again with another rec list!! This time, I’ll be focusing on ostensibly lesser-known long fic—for my own organizational purposes, this means a word count of (approximately) 20k+. I will be including WIPs this time around, but they’ll be clearly indicated at such. Recs are divided into two categories—canonverse (including slight adjustments to it) and alternate universe. All fics are Hannigram unless otherwise noted. 

Please be sure to heed all archive tags and warnings! Hope you enjoy, and don’t forget to give the authors some love!!

Dolce Far Niente by @avegetariancannibal​ [E, 20k]

Hannibal and Will have many, many sweet things to say and do to each other.

Technically this is part of a series, but I found it reads perfectly well on its own! 20k of Will and Hannibal being soft, sappy, and incredibly in love post-fall. A little domestic fluff, a little vacationing, and a little smut—the holy trinity tbh.

The Fall, The Flood, The Flight - Hannigram by write_starlight_riots [T,  24k]

Hello! :]

This is mainly the manifestation of a very indulgent inspiration/daydream/thought experiment that seeks to explore what immediately-post-fall Hannigram would be like. And I mean /immediately/.

Also inspired by @/threadsoflacee on tumblr!

I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort, sickfic, and vulnerability, and oh man does this fic deliver! The boys are hanging on for dear life as they fight to take care of each other’s wounds while struggling through their own. Both of them are absolutely hamstrung by their injuries in the most delicious ways, and we also get some wonderful ~feelings~ drama and realizations mixed in with it all. Very visceral and desperate in the best of ways.

Io by cuspid [M, 24k]  * WIP

"You look tired, Will. Why don't you rest? I promise I'll wake you if anything should happen." "It's already happening," Will said, and Hannibal's smile widened.

On the way to the cliff house, Will begins to feel unwell.

SUCH an amazing A/B/O AU! Will presents as omega and goes into his first heat while he and Hannibal are driving to the cliff house. cuspid’s writing is STUNNING, and I’m particularly enjoying the way they weave omegaverse into the universe, including the cultural and language differences they include when we get Chiyoh’s POV. It really feels like an intrinsic (and very NBC Hannibal) part of the universe, and they fit it flawlessly into canon. Speaking of, they include some fantastic Chiyoh POV as well as POV from an original character who I fell in love with instantly. Amazingly hot, fantastic characterization, sexual tension... 1000/10 highly recommend. Last updated June 29, 2023.

The Rules of Disorder by @lestatdelioncourte​ [E, 53k]  * WIP

He is falling...

Will Graham falls off a cliff in the arms of Hannibal Lecter, finally accepting the darkest parts of himself. He wakes up, uninjured and in Hannibal's bed in his old Baltimore house. Confused, Will quickly realises something is wrong and has to navigate a new reality: one where Hannibal Lecter is not a killer, where they have made a life together without any of the familiar horrors. It is his ideal world...isn't it?

I’m definitely a sucker for parallel universe/time travel nonsense, and this fic doesn’t disappoint!! It’s so heartbreaking and hopeful and bittersweet—Will finally gets everything he could have had, only to realize it’s not the same as what he wanted at all. Very investing, emotionally rewarding fic! Definitely feeds my hankering for angst while not being one-note painful—it’s got that delicious balance of comfort and pain that I can’t get enough of. Last update was June 2023.

Honzen Ryōri by @terminalfids​ [E, 54k] * WIP

"I have never felt as alive as I did when I was killing him," Will admitted in a whisper, and it was true. His skin ached with it, felt like he might simply burst from it. It wasn't enough to contain him.

"Then you owe Randall Tier a debt," Dr. Lecter mused softly, still holding on to Will's hand as he cast a glance over the corpse before them. "How will you repay him?"

"I want to skin him," he said after a long moment, dragged out until he could feel Dr. Lecter's emotions swallow his own with anticipation. The man's feelings were bombastic. Loud and inescapable when he let them fly free on his face. It was easy to submerge himself in it, mirror it, until Will felt more of Dr. Lecter in his head than himself. Dr. Lecter wasn't a psychopath. He was more emotionally alive than anyone Will had ever met. He just also happened to be able to act as cruelly as though he felt nothing at all but cold curiosity at the simple flip of a switch. "I need the- the parts. I want to build him a monument. Do you know a place where I might do that?"

For the second time since his release from the BSHCI he thought that Dr. Lecter might kiss him. He told himself that he was relieved when he did not.

Canon-divergent from Naka-Choko. Picked this fic up soon after it was first published my god did I enjoy it!! The very first scene had me head over heels—it’s beautifully written, delightfully intimate, and has just the combo of hurt/comfort, inner conflict, and turmoil that makes me drool. I’ve loved the little changes terminalfids has made to canon so far, and the way they’ve echoed or adapted canon scenes and lines in new, appropriately divergent contexts. Really fantastic characterization and POVs from both characters—I love the insights we get from each of them and am SO excited to see how it all turns out! Last updated on February 2024.

A place you can never go by @det395​​ [E, 84k]

When things don’t go according to plan, Hannibal makes a wish. He finds himself a year-and-a-half in the past and seemingly given another chance with Will.

His feelings about the situation only get more complicated when he realizes he may not have completely lost access to his old timeline after all.

A Digestivo canon divergence.

I have never ever felt so emotionally conflicted (/positive) while reading a time travel/parallel universe fic! Jen writes these characters beautifully and captures their pain so well. I love the way she uses the memory palace throughout this, and I was hanging on every word. Absolutely stunning fic that has become one of my all-time favorites. She also has written two DELICIOUS timestamps/accompanying one shots, which are part of the same Ao3 series as this fic.

The Storyteller by @gzdacz-writes-fic​ [E, 188k]

Hannibal has little choice: to eliminate the threat he presents, he must stand by and let illness consume Will Graham. But the brighter Will burns, the more the delusions of his inflamed brain begin to spill onto Hannibal's world, until the boundaries between the real and imagined become faint - and something Other slips through.

Canon divergent from partway through season 1. I will rec this fic until I’m blue in the face. It starts out /painful/—Hannibal lets Will’s encephalitis continue on unhindered with some truly devastating results—and continues on a slow, emotional, bittersweet train that incorporates some truly lovely character moments, some great catharsis, and an incredibly engaging surreal/magical realism–style mystery. Fantastic writing and characterization, incredibly engaging through and through. HIGHLY recommend but be prepared for the road to be bumpy! There’s a lot of caretaking and recovery both mental and physical, in addition to some emotional turmoil 🥰

Callin’ Anybody, Can You Hear Me? by nobetterlove [E, 19k] 

Daring to take an Introduction to Visual Arts class, a completely blind Will Graham ventures into The Walters Art Museum for an assignment. While taking the narrated tour, Will isn't prepared for the heavily accented voice flowing through his speakers, flawlessly describing the art that brought each piece to life. Though it was hard to believe, love at first listen sat at the back of his mind.

Two years later, Will visits the museum every other Friday, fixated on both the voice and the beauty and knowledge his favorite museum had to offer. With the right connections and a true talent, Will scores a gig playing for the museum's latest exhibit reveal. When a recognizable voice makes the opening presentation, Will is overwhelmed with feelings and dreamed up possibilities. What happens when the voice becomes a real person, who finds Will just as interesting?

Or - the one where Will falls in love with Hannibal's voice before ever meeting him.

A really lovely piece! The characterizations ring so true to me and I love this portrayal of blind Will Graham. The author does a wonderful job with Will’s inner monologue and really beautifully portrays his perspective and interaction with the world as influenced by both his blindness and his Classic Will Graham character that we’ve all grown to love! The first meeting between Will and Hannibal is so heartwarming, sweet, and charmingly fluffy, and their relationship blossoms quickly—we’re treated to some really lovely dates that beautifully capture that honeymoon-stage flutter and fondness, and there’s a lovely navigation of their mutual loneliness that definitely hit home for me. Though this fic itself is technically complete, it does end on a cliffhanger meant to be picked up by a second installment of the series. If you end at the penultimate scene, though, it can be read as a complete work!

Songs for the End of the World by th_esaurus [M, 20k] Will Graham/Abigail Hobbs/Hannibal Lecter,  Will Graham/Abigail Hobbs

When the infection hits, swift and relentless, turning men into monsters and the world into a wilderness, Will Graham is one of the few who doesn't run. He's lost his wife, he has no colleagues, and Abigail Hobbs has been a ghost for such a long time; the only person he has left in the world is sitting in the dank cells of Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Waiting for him.

A TLOU-inspired post-canon AU written before s2 aired. Really beautifully written, fantastically emotional and heart-wrenching piece that kept me engaged all the way through to the bittersweet end. The characterizations are so good and the prose is amazing—highly recommend! For those who don’t normally read Will/Abigail or Hannibal/Abigail, it is present, but I think even those who don’t normally find that to be their cup of tea could enjoy this piece! There are a few very brief sex scenes between Will and Abigail (really no more than a few lines) but it’s the intimacy and distance and horror and love between the three of them that really shines through!

oh, give no faith to show by videcormeum [M, 25k]  * WIP

“Try to relax your shoulders. Be one with your body, do not fight it.”

Atoms separated them. Will swallowed. With a deep, steadying breath, he allowed his shoulders to drop. It felt better, the pull at his muscles easier. His chin lifted naturally. Projecting to the balcony.

Hannibal smiled. “That’s good, Will.”

Dancers are dying at a local ballet company. With local law enforcement convinced it's an inside job, promising FBI agent and ex-dancer Will Graham is sent undercover to investigate. When he meets renowned ballet dancer Hannibal Lecter, it becomes clear that the investigation will be anything but straightforward.

Yes, you need to read a Ballet AU. Trust me. The whole cast is repurposed here as part of the ballet company (except for Jack Crawford, who remains with Will in the FBI camp), from dancers Zeller and Bev to ballet master Hannibal, choreographer Chilton, and Madame Du Maurier. The piece is really delightful and full of emotion, old trauma, and sexual tension while also delivering some really fun company bonding and banter. Really lovely piece, especially for anyone with any interest or experience in dance or performance! Last updated May 2021.

A Trip for Biscuits by anothersummerday (M_hys_a) [E, 26k]

In late summer 1936, Bedelia du Maurier's traveling circus is plagued by a series of murders, and Will Graham begins a brief but passionate affair with a man named Roman Fell.

Wow, a delightful read all the way through! The circus aspect itself doesn’t play too big—we don’t see any performances, so it mostly serves as a backdrop that provides a really lovely traveling outcast feeling. We get an encephalitis-era Will analog here, grappling with having killed Hobbs and facing his canon-typical nightmares and sleepwalking, and then Hannibal, using the alias Roman Fell, shows up smack in the middle of all of it. Delicious repurposing of canon dialogue, lovely cameos and supporting roles from characters like Margot, Reba, Dolarhyde, and Peter, and just really smooth, engaging writing.

climb into your shell of grief by skellytons [T, 37k]  * WIP

"There is... a distinctiveness to the way that you carry yourself, Will. It is familiar in people like me and unfamiliar in people like them." Hannibal looks up at the sky, reading the stars. "And people cannot trust what they find unfamiliar."

"Well, what can I do about that?" Will scoffs, feeling quite lost indeed.

"You say you have this man's address."

"Yes."

Hannibal holds out his hand, palm toward the calm sky, "May I have it?"

Will has never been one for support groups. He hadn't planned to stay for long. And then he heard Dr. Lecter speak.

Retired FBI agent Will Graham finally gives in to pressure and attends a grief support group, and one of the members there immediately catches his attention (three guesses who that is). This is definitely a heavy one, so check the tags—lots of angst and hurt/comfort, and the focus really is on Will’s grief and trauma, the background and details of which are fed to us just a little at a time, enough to whet the palate but not give you the whole picture right from the start. It’s also got a fun mixture of canon characters, who poke in from the sides, and unfamiliar ones, who serve as a pleasant, not-at-all distracting backdrop for Will and Hannibal’s interactions. Last updated May 2024.

give it to the dirt by @ropertplant​ [E, 132k]  * WIP

Hannibal gets called in to consult on his second FBI case after The Minnesota Shrike; a string of murders connected to New Orleans. While he’s there, he meets a very interesting tour guide for the city.

They talk. They argue.

And they have much more in common than they may realize.

This is the Hannibal we know from canon—Chesapeake Ripper, psychiatrist, consultant for Jack et al back at the FBI—put up against the Will we know in spirit, if not in exact circumstance. Will has remained in New Orleans and works as a tour guide, living in isolation on the swamp with his seven-plus dogs. There is so much to love about this one!! The characterizations, dialogue, and banter, for one, are delightful and so striking. We get a delicious helping of smitten Hannibal, bitchy/abrasive Dark!Will, delightful inner conflicts, sexual and romantic tension, some hilarious peeks at Team Sassy Science, and more. There are some INCREDIBLY fun and incredibly hot scenes, and there’s great humor throughout along with some really well-done sweet moments. This one absolutely consumed me—once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down! Last updated July 2024.

Symbasis by @bloodripelives​ [E, 126k]

Anabasis: a journey up away from the coast, cf. Xenophon, Alexander. Katabasis: a journey towards the coast, or, descent to the underworld, cf. Persephone, Orpheus.

The world is being torn apart and remade. The ripper of Carthage thinks to help with the tearing; a desert prophet is ready to be remade.

REALLY fantastic Historical AU that starts out at the end of Alexander the Great’s siege of Tyre, where Carthaginian Hannibal son of Lectis happens to have been stuck along with the rest of his envoy for the past seven months. Meanwhile, this version of Will (Weldjebauend, or Wel for short) is an Egyptian priest of Ammon-Re; he’d been found in the desert when he was a child by Joh (Jack), another priest of Ammon-Re, who’d taken him under his wing and brought him into the priesthood. Will’s encephalitis-induced hallucinations and empathy are repurposed into visions and knowledge sent by the gods, Hannibal is a hoplite soldier as well as a murderer who’s got a blood feud to avenge, and some of our favorite minor characters are woven in throughout, including Beverly (Bacaxa), Jimmy (Jason), and Brian (Briarios). There’s A LOT of history in this, and Alexander the Great and the historical happenings that go along with him definitely do not take a backseat. It’s a bit of a slow burn leading up to Will and Hannibal meeting and getting to know each other in any capacity, and it’s an enthralling ride—tei’s writing is fantastic and the characters are absolutely engaging from the very start!

[troius]

What we learned from the war

"Endings are hard" is a something of a truism, but it's borne out in Bleach, where every story arc besides after the first two stumbled at the finish (even the endings of the first two arcs don't really "end" so much as continue into a new story). In the Arrancar arc, the number of characters and plotlines got so overwhelming that an ending that had to be rushed if it was to arrive at all. In the Lost Agent arc, the characters were pared down, but the ending wound up thematically inconsistent with the story anyways, possibly due to real-life circumstances. And the Thousand-Year Blood War somehow managed to have both problems.

The change in direction from "tightly focused character drama" to "sprawling cast of soldiers" meant that it was unlikely to ever give us the development of our protagonist that we craved, and that lack of focus was only aggravated by the widely-reported health problems of the author. And yet, perhaps because we don't get that, because so little of this arc is filtered through Ichigo learning about himself, we get a much clearer statement of the values inherent in the work.

This is most evident in our antagonists for this Arc. Yhwach and the Wandenreich don't really have the relationship with Ichigo that previoius antagonists had. He never knew his Quincy heritage, never identified with their ideals, and so feels very little conflict about opposing them. He doesn't ever develop his Quincy powers, at least beyond integrating them with his already existing powerset. And he doesn't take much of a personal interest in Yhwach, who in turn, doesn't seem to think much of him when he's not directly in front of him.

But for all that Ichigo doesn't end up having much of a dynamic with them, the Wandenreich still manages to maintain a unique character. Every antagonist has a priority, something that they are willing to do great evil for. For Soul Society, it's its own existence, the continuation of the system they've built. For Aizen, it's his own self-aggrandizement. For the Fullbringers, it was simply living another day, screwing over others so that they can't screw you first. But the Wandenreich has no such priority. They simply want it all to end.

That's most obvious in Yhwach's ending monologue, but you can see it from the very beginning as he kills Yamamoto, the man who tried to move on from his bloody past being slaughtered by the man who would absolutely not let it go. Yhwach shows more emotion towards the skeletons of Argola and Huberdt, his dead soldiers from a war long lost, than he does towards any of his living subordinates. And his subordinates follow his lead in showing no love to one another, happily stabbing each other in the back without even the Arrancars' uneasy level of camaraderie. Their movement has no future, and neither do they, so nihilism is the only recourse.

Most of the time. I think it's important to note that every time a member of the Wandenreich expresses positive feelings towards one of their comrades, it's immediately followed by them turning on Yhwach. Liltotto, Bazz, Giselle, eventually, in her own twisted way…even Jugram, at the very end. Sure, Yhwach kills them for their impertinence (he is the bad guy), but he also massacres the Wandenreich faithful en masse. There's no salvation, only death, and he'll enforce that state on his followers rather than allow them to discover any alternative.

I imagine the lesson, and the general attitude of the Wandenreich, was not lost on Uryu Ishida. Even in his relative paucity of appearances, it's he who is at the moral center of the arc. His culture, which he had thought was nearly entirely dead, turns out to be alive, and out for vengeance against the people who exterminated them. It's something he probably fantasized about growing up, and I don't blame him for joining. How could he not?

But at the end, he makes the very easy choice. Calling it a matter of "life and death" is a little on the nose, but it's morally quite black and white. Yhwach has no hope for this world, or for his people within it, or even himself. He lost a war for the nature of existence to a monster a thousand years ago, and never got over it. But Uryu has the strength to look at the horrors of this world and yet hope for better. Because he has people he loves in life, and who love him in return, he can dream of a better tomorrow.

And that's what the ending is all about. Yhwach loses to Ichigo, and it is very much "good guy beats bad guy". But he also loses to Uryu, and to "I hope to have a family with my girlfriend who I love so much" Renji Abarai, and to "I have a tremendous amount of hope to eventually make myself king of everything" Sosuke Aizen, and eventually (in a way I'm still confused about mechanically) to the child Ichigo and Orihime will eventually have, the literal embodiment of the potential of the future.

The final villain of Bleach is not society's tendency to preserve itself at any human cost. It's not individual selfishness, or manipulativeness, or any of the many vices we saw embodied in the hollows throughout the series. It's despair, the idea that life might not be worth living even through all the struggles and horrors our protagonists have endured. Sure, it will always raise its head, sometimes at the most inconvenient, or ill-fitting times. But having its reincarnation be blown away by the supernaturally normal lives of our cast…well, that's as clear of a message as I can imagine.

[skzhocomments]

The Rising Empress - Bang Chan Stray Kids Fanfic (Masterlist)

Main Masterlist

Pairing: Bang Chan (of Stray Kids) x OC (name: Aristia)

Genre: non-idol AU, Royal AU, angst, romance, mature

Word Count: ~64k words divided in 17 chapters

Warnings: explicit, mature, swearing, feelings of hopelessness, angst, depression, crying, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, angst, etc.

This is just a story that doesn’t describe Stray Kids members' true characters in any way. It’s just a product of my imagination and should be treated as such.

This story is also on Wattpad (click here) and AO3 (click here)

A/N: As any other writer out there, I would appreciate reblogs and your comments on this story. Please let me know if you enjoyed it, and most importantly, have fun!

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Summary:

“I guarantee you nothing will happen to you. I give you my word.” “How much does your word weigh, though?” Aristia scoffs. “You vowed during our wedding to love, cherish, and protect me no matter what. So far, none of your vows were respected. You said it yourself. You were never a husband to me.” “Neither were yours. In sickness and in health, I will stand by your side. With all that I am and all that I have, I pledge my loyalty and my love to you.” Chris scoffs as well. “You didn’t give me any chance to get close to you. You’ve put up your barriers and thought of me as your enemy since day one.” She comes closer to him. “I had no idea we shared an enemy instead, Aristia. Truly. I thought you were a spy.” “You didn’t even ask me anything. You dead bolted me.” “How could I have trusted you? You are the daughter of my enemy.” Chris frowns. “I don’t know. How can I trust you now, then? You are a man who hates me for simply being born as a princess of the enemy kingdom.” “… I assume you can’t.”

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The Kingdom of the South and the Empire of the Sun forge an alliance at the expense of Princess Aristia - the daughter of a King who didn’t want her, sent over like a sacrificial lamb to his enemy, a man who doesn’t want her either, who won’t even cast a look at her. She decides she won’t look at him either. Two can play this game. --- Non-idol AU This story takes place in an alternate universe where Bang Chan is Emperor Mature content ahead. 18+ ©storminsidemycore

Hello!

Storm here!

The Rising Empress is a story I've started writing on 17/01/2024 and finished on 28.10.2024.

I've always been an avid Manga and Manhwa reader, so I've pretty much gotten inspiration from the hundreds of things I've read, which is how this story was born.

I hope you will enjoy it, as I'm extremely proud with how it turned out. It's safe to say that for me personally, this is one of my best, if not the best work.

The main character's name (Aristia) is inspired after the Manhwa The Abandoned Empress - which is where I found this name and its meaning. Apparently, "Aristia" means "Rising Empress", which I found quite fitting for this story.

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The story and cover are original and my property. Any similarities to other stories are purely coincidental. Aristia, the protagonist, is a made-up character.

Stray Kids members or any other famous people mentioned along this story DO NOT represent their true character in any way, they are simply mentioned in order to provide a visual representation for the readers. Their personas obviously have nothing to do with their true personalities. They're just characters I've created for this story, so please don't take this too seriously.

Mature content ahead. Lots of trigger warnings apply, so please read carefully.

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18+

©storminsidemycore

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Chapter 1 - The Sacrificial Lamb - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 2 - The Wedding - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 3 - Mistreatment and the Loss of Self - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 4 - The Bearer of Bad News - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 5 - Dirt on the Marble Floors - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 6 - When You're on Your Own - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 7 - When the Emperor Takes Notice - Tumblr + Wattpad + AO3

Chapter 8 (coming soon)

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Thank you so much for reading my story, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

[lurkingshan]

Hi! I love reading your opinions and I have just started The Sign. What are your opinions on the show and what route are you hoping it would take for the second half of the show? Take care and happy new year!

Hello anon! You picked such an interesting moment to send this ask. We’re halfway through the show and I think its strengths and weaknesses have become fairly clear. Let's talk about it!

Strength: The Chemistry

I think this is the thing that had all the girlies losing it right out of the gate: Phaya and Tharn are hot and their interactions are hotter. The pull and chemistry between them is palpable and the set up for their romance is compelling. Kudos to whoever found Babe and decided to pair him with Billy: you, sir or madam, are incredible at your job and deserve a fruit basket. We are all dying for these two to finally fuck.

Weakness: The Pacing

Which is why it's kind of frustrating that the show is dragging its feet on letting their relationship advance. The first four eps were delicious tension-building, but as the show starts to stall and use dream sequence fakeouts to provide smut without actual relationship development, the audience is clearly getting antsy. The show's pacing is all over the place in general, with wildly varied episode lengths and inconsistent action and plot advancement from week to week. And the desire to drag out the romance without a compelling alternative plot to fill the show in its absence is causing some damage to the characters, most notably Tharn, who is just starting to seem unreasonably antagonistic to a person we know he likes, not to mention unperceptive in his continued inability to notice what is going on around him.

Strength: Production Values

This show is absolutely gorgeous; you can tell most of the money went into making every frame of it beautiful. The strength of the production values and hard work of the crew to create the look and feel of the world was evident from the first episode with all those beautiful training sequences on the beach. And this is used to particularly strong effect whenever we visit Phaya and Tharn's past lives and see the magical world that exists around them come to life.

Strength: The Supporting Cast

The show also has a great ensemble, with Yai especially a standout character who brings a lot of fun to the show, along with his girlfriend Sand and the police squad bros. This is not surprising, as big, messy, chaotic, endearing queer friend groups are an IdolFactory staple. As of last week, we officially have a lesbian side pairing! Tharn and Phaya also have interesting family histories with sweet grandmas and loved ones who lend depth to their characterization.

Weakness: The Copaganda

It was perhaps too much to expect that this bl about cops would have a more sophisticated perspective on law enforcement, institutional corruption, and the so-called "justice" system, but that does not stop me from groaning out loud every time they pause the story to let these characters wax poetic about the nobility of their jobs.

Strength: Thai Folklore

This show is teaching all of us some things about real Thai folklore about the garuda and nara, including local customs associated with celebrating these tales, and the depiction of these stories in the show is just beautiful. Despite it basically being a tourism advert (complete with couple shirts for no reason??), I really enjoyed the episode that took us to Nong Khai and the Mekong River to see how modern Thai folks interpret and celebrate the myths at the center of this show’s story and ground us in something real.

Weakness: An Underdeveloped Take on Toxic Masculinity

This show uses violence quite a lot in its story, including violence in interpersonal dynamics, and it sometimes seems to want us to be alarmed by uncontrolled male anger, and sometimes impressed by it. At this point, Tharn and Phaya have both struck each other in anger during personal disagreements, and there hasn't been any real reckoning with the fallout of that. On top of that, the show has given us some crime cases that highlight the harm of toxic masculinity while also seeming to glorify and revel in it, most notably in the framing of a man who kidnapped and retraumatized sexual assault victims as a hunky folk hero. It's a confused take, to say the least, and I'm not sure the show has the depth and precision necessary in the writing to take on some of what it's throwing at the wall.

Strength: Villains

All I can say is Heng was born to play an evil snake god. The show has done a good job at making him feel like a real threat and building the antagonism between him and Phaya to the point where Phaya has been isolated from support and made to look crazy in front of Tharn. Dr. Slow Motion is very good at this.

So, what's the TL; DR? This show is a lot of fun, but has some obvious weaknesses in the writing, so do your best not to take it too seriously if you can. I am ready to see Phaya and Tharn get together and finally start working as a team, for the full backstory and epic battle they are waging to come out, and for the motivations of the rest of the cast of characters to become clear (I just know there are some additional past life reincarnations waiting to be revealed). It's a great time if you don't think about it too hard, and I really hope the back half will pick up the pace so that we can all just enjoy the ride.

[inbarfink]

Okay, the thing is that I’ve seen some people speculate about the Winter King’s backstory and past assuming, like, that he’s always kinda been Like That. Like, that this version of Simon Petrikov has always been an evil heartless bastard or at least just a little less caring and loving than Mainworld Simon and that’s what led him down the path of the Winter King. 

But speaking personally… I think this is a less compelling story as it relates to Simon’s character arc. I think it’s a lot more interesting if the Winter King was indeed ‘once just like’ Mainverse Simon.

That he used to be that selfless, dedicated and loving man - and he still managed to stoop this low. I mean, well, Simon seems to have come to the conclusion that this version of him was just ‘messed up’

and that was mostly part of a trend of him in these last two episodes just kinda going

You know, like, I don’t think that the lesson he should’ve learned from his adventures in Winterworld is just “wow, that one specific alternative version of me sure does suck!”. Farmworld, via its version of Finn, was a reminder for Simon of just how much of a traumatic experience the Curse of the Magic Crown is. Winterworld should’ve reminded him of the torment and indignity he was trapped in and how often he was a danger to himself and others 

And of the truly fucked-up and terrible things he was capable of doing due to that torment and desperation of the Curse.

The Winter King is like a Whole New Exciting Way for Simon to lose his identity due to the Magic Crown, preserving his mind and memory by destroying the love and dedication and care that the Magic Crown never quite managed to fully burn away - his actual ‘immutable essence’. And this doesn’t work if the Winter King was always just Intrinsically a significantly different and worse person than Mainworld Simon, y’know?

And remember, we know the Winter King was in full on Ice King mode when he ‘conquered the crown’ (AKA cast that terrible spell to condemn Princess Bubblegum to the same terrible fate he’s been suffering). 

And Mainverse Ice King was absolutely capable of trying to perform some fucked-up mind-altering spells of his own. 

The only thing is that he was never quite that successful.

The main thing I am still unsure of with my favored reading/interpretation of how Winterworld Simon became the Winter King is…. There’s like, two different mutually-exclusive readings of what happened after the Curse was cast on Peebles and Simon regained his lucidity that are both very appealing to me from a thematic perspective. And I’m really not sure which one I like best.

Because the real issue was never ‘would Ice King be willing to cast such a horrible immoral spell?’, especially as one could easily imagine that whatever lucidity would allow Ice King to understand how his Crown is harming him and devise such a complicated spell would not necessarily extend to enough lucidity to fully understand the consequences of his actions. The issue is Winterworld Simon Petrikov, having regained his clarity of mind, choosing to maintain this spell for a hundred years. There's a reason why that's the thing Mainverse Simon fixated on when he figured out what's going on.

My first thought (and that’s something I went into more detail in a previous post) was this: Ice King’s madness was never wholly separated from Simon’s personality. Like, yeah, it was the Crown’s Magic that drove him so Mad and Sad - but it was also the trauma of losing Betty and surviving through the Mushroom War and feeling forced to abandon his beloved Marceline. 

And that Madness was based on Simon’s psyche. Ice King’s loneliness and romantic obsession and Princess-nappings are all based on how much he loves and misses Betty

And now, Princess Bubblegum has been forced into a mirrored recreation of them. 

The Candy Queen isn’t suffering from just the Magic Crown’s madness in general - but specifically from how it was shaped by Simon’s heart. And since you can’t actually separate this manifestation of Ice King’s Madness from Simon’s love for Betty - the Winter King ridding himself of one also rid himself of the other. 

And since so much of Ice King’s Madness was interwoven into Simon’s psyche and especially his love and his kindness - throwing away all of this Madness into someone else also decimated these aspects of his personality. Princess Bubblegum already paid the ultimate price for Winterworld Simon’s sanity - but in a way he also paid a grave cost as well; becoming an unrecognizably different person he would previously find morally disgusting - even morso than Ice King.

Because the lines between Simon Petrikov and Ice King are always going to be a bit blurry and messy, and because Simon can’t probably live a life totally free of his Madness and Sadness but he’s gonna have to accept it for an actual mostly happy and sane life as someone who is recognizably Simon Petrikov. 

Buuuut… that still basically means that casting of that Curse just kinda irrevocably transformed him into a Heartless Bastard. And that’s maybe not as compelling as if this change from kind and dorky Simon Petrikov into Evil Brian David Gilbert was done of his own free will

Hundreds of years of the Magic Crown eating away at his sanity and memories couldn’t truly destroy Simon Petrikov’s ‘immutable essence’. He still missed Betty more than anything even as this longing was twisted into something horrible, and still loved Marceline like a daughter even if he didn’t understand it. The one thing that could truly destroy this love that is so core to Simon’s being is him choosing to become selfish and cruel and uncaring. 

And since he was in Full Ice King Mode when he cast the spell… I dunno if I can actually call it a fully-conscious act of cruelty. Deeply fucked up? Yes. But it’s hard to say how much Winterworld Ice King actually understood what he was doing. And while I think it’s much more emotionally compelling if the Winter King started from the same place as our beloved Mainworld Simon. The only difference can’t just be the pure luck that Mainworld Ice King was just never lucid or focused enough to successfully cast a spell that would transform him into an equally terrible person. 

For this angle to work, this decision to continue doing the bad thing has to come from a lucid Simon who is still kinda recognizably Simon and still chose to continue perpetuating the Curse Ice King cast on Princess Bubblegum.

This might seem unthinkable, especially considering how obviously disgusted Mainworld Simon was at the Winter King’s actions. But you have to consider just how much Winterworld Simon would be desperate to not be Ice King again, Mainworld Simon was once willing to die then live the rest of eternity as IK. The fact that he’s so willing to throw away his sanity again now is so worrying because it shows just how badly he’s being doing - because at first, Simon was fighting so badly to avoid diving back into this pit of madness. And that Spell must've seen like the only chance he was gonna get.

And, yes, Simon Petrikov is a character full of kindness and love and selflessness - but that never meant he was the sort of Cinnamon Roll incapable of ever hurting anymore and especially not when he’s desperate or lashing out. That’s kinda the fallacy Simon himself fell into when he had that total identity crisis in the second episode. He just couldn’t find a way to join his previous identity as the patient and fatherly man who took care of Marceline 

With the fact he made a little girl cry. 

But yes, both we the audience and Simon himself have to face the fact that despite possessing such strong fatherly instinct and a desire to help children - Simon can also lash out in his trauma in a very cruel manner that goes against all of his own values.

And by the end of the fourth episode, he was tempted to let himself die - even though that will also utterly destroy a whole universe of sapient beings living in his head. It was brief thanks to Fionna knocking some sense into him and obviously the Literal Suicidal Depression involved was also seriously clouding his judgement. But that is still Simon nearly dooming a whole realm of other people  because he was feeling absolutely desperate.

Not to mention him kidnapping someone and forcing him into a terrible experiment for the sake of trying to summon GOLBetty.

A desperate attempt to reconnect with his lost love (and in a way, a missing part of his identity as Betty Grof’s other half). Which I mean, yeah, ‘it’s just Choose Goose’, but also last time GOLB was summoned it nearly fucked up all of Ooo and the only thing GOLBetty could do about that is get herself as far away from Simon as she can. And now Simon is gonna try and summon his Eldritch GF again in the middle of a major population center.  

And of course, Winterworld Simon and Mainworld Simon are never going to be fully exactly the same person because ‘Simon Petrikov’ is not some immutable unchanging concept and we know that they’ve had different experiences. It was really so sweet to see Mainverse Simon pay forwards the kindness he’s gotten from his loved ones when he was stuck as the Ice King towards the Candy Queen

But it also reminded me that the Winter King himself never got that sort of kindness and grace in the first place. The Curse was cast one hundred years ago. Back then, Marceline was still avoiding him because she couldn’t stand to see what he had become, Finn and Jake were not his friends on account of neither of them being born yet and… they also directly or indirectly helped him get his entire rest circle of friends.

So Mainworld Simon emerged from an Ice King who was not absolutely free from misery and loneliness… but has also experienced happiness and friends both from people who just loved him for who he was at the moment 

And grace and kindness from those concerned for his condition and honestly doing their best to make sure he’s doing his best in his current state and trying to bring out whatever of Simon was left in him. 

While Winterworld Simon emerged from Ice King at his worst and his most miserable. 

And while the Winter King’s callousness about Betty would kinda always be a worrying testament to how much Simonness he has lost - it is extra disturbing for the viewers and Mainworld Simon because they have seen Betty sacrifice her entire being for his sake. That would just reinforce his own love and dedication to her in his mind… not always in the healthiest of ways.

But the Winter King has experienced nothing of that sort. He was not freed in a self-sacrifice fueled by love that literally defied time itself. Wintdrworld Simon only regained his lucidity because of a deeply fucked up and selfish action he has taken as the Ice King. And as far as he knew, that was his only choice except death or the eternal despair of being the Ice King.

And so maybe Winterworld Simon managed to convince himself that he can stay like this for just one day. Just one day of enjoying both lucidity and Magic and then he’s going to undo it because obviously he knows that it’s terrible what the Ice King did! I mean, yeah, Princess Bubblegum and the rest of the Candy Kingdom are suffering but they’re also going to suffer when the Ice King comes back so it’s really a lateral move for them. For just one day!

And then by the next day, Winterworld Simon finds one more excuse why he can wait until tomorrow to bring everything back to normal. And day by day it becomes just a little bit easier to justify perpetuating something so terrible. Day by day he gives up a little bit more of his morals and his selflessness and his love. Until he finally finds out that he just doesn’t care anymore about being a selfish heartless bastard.

The same way the Magic Crown took his sanity and identity gradually - he’s now so desperate to cling to them that he chose to tear away at what was once the core most parts of himself

Until he became just as unrecognizable.

Both of these ideas are really compelling to me but they’re also kinda opposite. Maybe there’s a way to balance them both in a way that preserves what makes them so interesting for Simon’s character in the first place??

[indras-wife]

HIIIII!!! I am just discovering your page and I LOVE it! You write the characters so nicely! And do you accept requests now? If you do, can I ask for vampire headcanons or maybe oneshots of the uchihas? I would love seeing them in your style.

Thank youuuu!

Thank you for nice words anon~<3 OUUUU Vampire Uchihas~ I always thought that they fit the whole aesthetic of vampires perfectly! Dark, gloomy, sometimes merciless and always alert.

༊*·˚ Characters included: Indra Otsutsuki, Madara Uchiha, Izuna Uchiha ༊*·˚

Indra

As a vampire Indra is still the same: pretty antisocial, distant and rude. He does not bother himself talk with humans and interact with them. Only does it when his thirst for blood is no longer possible to ignore.

As the first of his clan, who got turned into a vampire, he has crazy powers: shapeshifting, mind manipulation, powers to control darkness. His eyes, of course, keep their red color, but he wears contact lenses to not grab the attention of people around him.

When he needs a new prey to feed on, Indra has his tactics to get what he wants. He goes after women for obvious reasons. The women who become his pray are usually those, whose absence their friends, families will not notice as they don't have any

He only prefers blood that is clean and not "contaminated" with alcohol, drugs and other substances. If he tastes any of those in blood, he will just instantly kill his prey without second thoughts.

Indra despises humans, viewing all of them as creatures that should not exist. However, when quenching his thirst, he isn't as barbaric as one would think. He casts sleeping spell on the victim, granting them painless experience. If he is very thirsty and cannot stop himself from draining their blood, his method helps the innocent victim experience painless death.

Madara

A complete lunatic. Lives a double life. At mornings, he is a beloved CEO of a big Law firm, at night he is the monster of the city, known to snatch people in an instant.

Madara LOVES hunting for his preys, but he also has different alternatives to get his blood. His wits, reputation and knowledge allowed him to work with Mafia to get fresh preys without dirtying his hands and cutting his work.

This man has no remorse for his prays. Literally. He kills them the most brutal way possible. If he is in a good mood, he might toy with them, giving them a hope he will set them free. He may sometimes let his preys run in his big garden, but of course he catches them one by one in a second. If he is in a bad mood, his long and sharp nail is what he needs to cut the throats of the preys and drink the blood.

He may sometimes use his abilities to take revenge from those who disrespected him, be it a woman or a man. He has some nice abilities like shapeshifting, teleportation, superhuman strength and mind control, so doing what it takes to satisfy his anger is all this man needs.

He also targets women as his usuals preys. He however, never touches children, and teenagers. Even as a vampire this man has morals and no way he would abandon them for his thirst.

Izuna

Izuna is the type of vampire that conceals his identity very well. He tries to not even show them at night because of his job in the hospital.

His brother is a CEO of a big and successful Law Firm, but he doesnt care. He wants to create his own path in life. As he is immortal, the amount of knowledge that he accumulated during all those years help him rise up rapidly in his preferred field of study.

Working as doctor has his benefits for Izuna: he NEVER goes hungry. The hospital has large amount of blood supplies, which he can consume when he wants. Of course, this young man has self-control and is very discreet about stealing the blood supplies.

He tries not to hunt humans because its his job saving them, but when the hunger hits, Izuna has very little control. If he doesnt feed he will lose all his senses and that will be very problematic for him, his brother and everyone else.

Izuna does not have a specific group of people whom he targets. When he hunts, he takes the first person who he sees and feels will be easy to deal with. Tries to finish the job as fast as possible. He feels extra guilty for his action, thus he punishes himself with creating more work and sleepless nights for him.

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle Series   

 - Chapter 13 - If You Love Her 

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU – (cross-over with Rules of Engagement) 

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret? 

Marabelle Series Masterlist, My Complete Masterlist 

Main Pairing – Crown Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor 

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F!OC Melanie Smithson 

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, drinking, crude language & innuendo. 

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors. 

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff/cross-over with Choices Rules of Engagement 

Words: 3739

If You Love Her -13-

Chapter Summary – Liam is anointed as the crown prince of Cordonia. As this news is announced throughout the kingdom, Sophie is anticipating her meeting with Liam; the first meeting with him as the future king. 

Music & Title Inspiration: If You Love Her, Forest Blakk (feat, Meghan Trainor) 

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother. 

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events. 

A/N3: Heartfelt thanks to @Selina012 for joining me in writing ideas for this chapter. 

 

Following the announcement of Leo's abdication, the atmosphere within the palace had fallen into a somber mood. Madeleine, devastated by the news, had retired to her quarters immediately. Her thoughts reeling from the shock. Not wanting to be seen by anyone, she isolated herself from everyone; not accepting calls or visitors. 

As Liam returned to his suite, his thoughts were also consumed by the events of the past few days, as well as today. He sank into the plush armchair by the window as he gazed out at the sun-drenched gardens. A sense of calm settled over him. He had made a decision; and he was ready to act on it. 

Picking up his phone Liam tapped a familiar contact. As the phone rang, he felt his pulse quicken. 

"Sophie, hey, hi. I was wondering ...if we could meet later today?" 

"Yes, absolutely," Sophie responded, her voice carrying a hint of excitement. "It's so great to hear your voice! I look forward to it."

"Great. How does 8 o'clock sound?"  

"Perfect," Sophie replied. "I'll see you then." 

Liam smiled, a feeling of anticipation blooming in his chest. "I'll see you soon, love," he promised. 

As he ended the call and placed it down on a side table, his thoughts turned to the future and the possibilities it held. 

‘Take it 

If she gives you her heart 

Don’t you break it 

Let your arms be a place 

She feels safe in 

She’s the best thing that you’ll ever have’ 

___ 

In the midafternoon, Drake decided to give himself some much-needed relaxation time. He drove his truck out of the capital and headed for the country, the open road stretching out before him. 

The sun was high in the sky, casting its rays across the landscape. Drake rolled down his window, the warm breeze caressing his face. He felt a sense of peace and freedom as he drove, the cares and worries of yesterday evening left behind. He left, back at his cabin, his frustrations with Melanie. The past night was restless for him, trying to understand what triggered Melanie's mood after the polo match that caused him to regret his actions.  

He was not sure where their relationship was heading, and he was not sure if he was ready to commit to something so serious. Drake was not the type of man who was into romantic and grand gestures. Drake was the kind of man who preferred to take things slow, and Melanie's impulsive and demanding nature had put a strain on their relationship. 

Drake knew that he needed some space and time to sort out his feelings and try to understand why she was so jealous of Taylor. Drake pulled up at a gas station, filling his tank and then bought a cup of coffee to go. 

As he climbed into his truck and drove on, his thoughts wandered. He found himself wondering how Liam was handling the recent events in his world. He knew that his friend had a lot on his plate, and he hoped that he was taking the time to process everything. Yesterday, he knew Liam felt comfortable with his lifestyle. But today? He was Cordonia's crown prince. Tomorrow, he will be the King. 

Drake shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. He did not want to think about the drama surrounding the Cordonian royal family right now. Instead, he switched to remember Maxwell's words about Taylor. 

Drake sighed, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Maxwell told him that she was crying after the polo match. Drake felt a pang of guilt at his earlier remarks to her at the game. He did not want to admit it, but he could see why Liam had fallen for her. Taylor was not the usual social-climbing woman Drake was used to encountering in Cordonia. She was genuine, caring, and always seemed to be thinking of others. 

He was quite sure that Liam did not have time to tell her about Leo's abdication yet, so that wasn't it. Shit. How was she going to handle that? 

The news was bound to be a shock to Taylor, and Drake felt a strange desire to be there for her, to help her through the inevitable waves of emotions that would follow. But was that it? He felt that Maxwell was holding something back from him. 

He could not place his finger on it, but there was something about Maxwell's behavior that was making him concerned. Was she really all right? Was she hiding something from them? He knew that Taylor could handle herself, but he could not help the feeling of protectiveness that was growing inside him. 

House Beaumont, Ramsford

It was just after nine am when Daniel knocked on Sophie's door. Dressed in her PJ's, Sophie smiled at her best friend as the door opened. 

"Daniel, come in." She looked like she had a good night's sleep, her eyes shining brightly and her cheeks rosy, he thought to himself.

"Hey Squirrel, how are you feeling?" Sophie understood where his concern was coming from and why he was asking. It was written all over his face. He was worried. 

"I'm good, really. I had a nice sleep, and I'm looking forward to going to class this afternoon." She smiled. "You need to stop worrying, everything is fine.” 

Daniel wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tight to his chest as he placed his chin on top of her head. "Okay, I'm sorry, Squirrel. I can't help it. You know me. I worry. I just wish this whole thing with that noble didn't happen." 

"I'm not sure what that was about, but I'm okay. It's been two days, and it's over. If anything, it just made me more curious," Sophie answered with a sigh. 

"More curious about what? What is there to be curious about? You have seen a side of them you never wanted to see, and you should not have seen. And if it makes you feel better, I don't want to see them either." 

Sophie gasped as she turned her head, quickly moving her hand to her neck, feeling a twinge of neck pain. A very real memory of her fall after the polo match. "It's just that when he looked at me, there was something about his expression."  

"What do you mean, Soph?” Daniel questioned. “There's nothing to look for, he is a douche bag. He purposely hurt you. Look at you! ...your neck! You need to tell Liam." 

"No, I'm not doing that. He doesn't need to know; it'll only add fuel to the fire." 

"You don't get it, he needs to know," said Daniel. 

"Why does he need to know?" 

"So, he can take care of it," replied Daniel, slightly exasperated. 

"Take care of it how? By doing what?" 

"By kicking his ass." 

"And that will make things better how?" 

"I don't know, it's just... well, you know Liam, he's protective. He will not let it slide. If someone messes with you, they mess with him. It's the way it is." 

Sophie was silent for a moment. Daniel had a point, and she knew it. If anyone messed with her, Liam would have no problem taking them down a notch. The truth was, Sophie was trying to figure out how to bring it up to Liam. 

"You're right, and I do plan on telling him, I just don't know how to bring it up. I am well aware that he's going to go after him." 

"That's the least of your worries," said Daniel. "This guy's dangerous. You could have been seriously injured. Hell, you still might have injuries we don't even know about. I'm glad he didn't break anything." 

"He didn't, and I'm not. I'll be fine." Sophie was beginning to feel annoyed. It was an accident, and she had to make Daniel understand. She could take care of herself.

Sophie checked the time on her phone. She had one more class this afternoon to end the week and then she could get back home to get ready to meet with Liam. "I need to get ready to go. Maxwell will be ready to go soon." 

University of Cordonia, Capital

Sliding frantically into her seat beside Sophie, Candace plopped down out of breath. Candace, or Candy for short, was a fellow sophomore in the second year Poli Sci class.

"Oh my gosh, did I miss anything?" 

"No, you are just in time," Sophie whispered, glancing down at her notes. 

"Sorry, I had a late date with my boyfriend last night." Candace whispered back, trying not to draw attention to herself. 

"How's it going with you and Tom?" Sophie murmured, curiosity getting the better of her. 

"Oh, it's more than great, I think we're getting serious." Candace said, a dreamy expression on her face. 

"That's good to hear." Sophie smiled, shaking her head.

At the end of the class, the professor cleared his throat, "All right everyone, have a great weekend." As the students began to leave the lecture hall, Candace turned to Sophie. "Hey, want to grab a bite to eat? I'm starving." 

"Sure, let's go." Sophie smiled. "I have a few minutes before I meet with Max for the drive home." 

"Great. There's a new pizza place that opened near the quad, want to check it out?" 

"That's sounds good." 

The girls made their way through the hallway to the front entrance of the building, dodging students that were hurrying to their next class. 

Just ss they were walking past the library, Sophie could have sworn she heard Liam's voice. 

"Excuse me for a minute, I have to check something out." Sophie paused peering into the crowded entryway.

"Sure." 

Sophie walked toward the library, hoping she would find Liam inside. She entered the large foyer and looked around, but he was nowhere in sight.  That is, until she looked up at the video screen mounted on the wall behind the front desk. A live image of the palace throne room was being broadcast, and on top of the dais was Liam, Queen Regina and King Constantine, all dressed in their royal regalia. 

She walked closer and stopped. Liam looked so handsome, the camera lens picking up every detail, down to the glint in his blue eyes and the slight grin on his lips. 

Sophie watched with fascination as the king spoke. 

"We are gathered here today to announce the ascension of my son to crown prince Liam Rys of Cordonia.” 

"Liam has demonstrated his commitment to the Crown, and his ability to lead the kingdom. Today, we honor him and name him heir to the throne. My son, may you carry out your duties with pride and compassion and to ensure the continued success of Cordonia." 

Regina beamed at Liam. "You have been chosen as the heir, and I'm confident that you will serve the kingdom well." 

King Constantine placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Cordonia is honored to have you, Liam. As your father, I could not be prouder." 

"I'm honored by your faith in me, sir," Liam spoke. "I'll do my best to live up to your expectations, and to those of our people." 

Sophie was so caught up in the ceremony, she did not notice Candace approach. 

"Whoa, is that the prince? That's Liam, right? He is gorgeous. Wow, you are so lucky to have danced with him at the masquerade ball!" 

Sophie blushed, realizing that her friend was standing beside her, staring at the screen with her. "Yeah, that's him." 

"Oh. My. God! You're going to be queen!"  Candace was the only person, outside of nobility, that knew about her connection with the royal family.

"Shhhh! Keep your voice down!" Sophie put a finger to her lips, motioning for her friend to lower her voice. "It's not official. Besides, he hasn't proposed to me yet." 

"Not yet, but soon." Candace grinned, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "And when he does, I'll be the first to congratulate you. I can't wait to see the wedding dress." 

Sophie chuckled, shaking her head, and remained silent.

"Well, you better start planning. It's not every day a girl becomes royalty. And with a king for a husband, no less." 

Sophie looked up at the screen. She knew it was possibility. She had thought about it often. Being queen would mean leaving her life behind and living a vastly different one, but it would be with the man she loved. She could not ask for anything more. 

House Beaumont, Ramsford

Aunt Bethany appeared in the foyer to personally greet Liam, dressed in a beautiful silk dress. 

"Your Highness, it's an honor to have you as a guest in our home." Bethany bowed her head with a curtsy as the newly named crown prince kissed her cheek and gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, Duchess Bethany. It's always a pleasure to visit your duchy." 

"May I take you to the terrace, your highness?" Aunt Bethany asked, "Sophie has been waiting for you." 

"You may and thank you." Liam replied graciously, as he followed her out to the terrace. 

Liam spotted Sophie sitting in the wicker swing, looking breathtakingly beautiful in a white and blue summer dress. 

She stood and walked towards Liam, her eyes sparkling with excitement. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a white polo shirt, his hair perfectly tousled and his eyes twinkling with excitement. 

"Sophie," he said, his voice sending shivers down her spine. 

"I'm glad you made it." She smiled warmly. 

"Of course, I'd never miss a chance to see you." he said as he took her hand and brought it up to his lips. 

"Liam," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. 

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close as he gazed into her eyes. "You look amazing," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear. 

"Thank you," she breathed, her cheeks flushing. 

"Walk with me?" he asked, gazing intently into her eyes. 

"I'd love to." 

Sophie's Aunt Bethany excused herself, leaving them alone. She turned back into estate, and joined her husband, Barthelemy.

They walked into the vineyard, hand in hand, as Liam began speaking. 

"Sophie, I wanted to tell you this in person. After my father abdicates the throne, I will officially be named king of Cordonia. It's an incredible honor, and a huge responsibility." 

Sophie nodded. "I saw you on the news this afternoon." 

"Good. I am relieved you had the opportunity to hear the news from my father. With Leo removing himself from succession, the rumours were swirling and my father made the decision to name me as his heir. This is a very important step for Cordonia, and for me. I've never been more ready." 

Liam paused, gazing into her eyes. 

"How has your father been feeling?" Sophie asked looking up, wanting to know all the details. 

"He's well. His doctor told him that he should retire soon though. My father was hesitant to accept that at first, but he finally agreed to pass the crown to me. But even now, he still works long hours and takes meetings." 

"And how are you feeling?" 

"Honestly, I'm a little nervous, but I am incredibly honored to become Cordonia's leader," Liam admitted. "I am looking forward to taking the crown. I am ready." 

"...and Leo? How does he feel?"

"I can't say I'm surprised with Leo. It turns out that he had been planning to abdicate for a while." Liam shrugged. "He was never happy with the idea of being king. He was always more interested in exploring and having adventures. And then add Madeleine to the mix." 

Sophie frowned. "Did he abdicate because of her?" 

"I don't think it was solely because of her, but it certainly wasn't helping." 

"How did she take the news?" 

"Not well, which isn't surprising. She had been so excited about being queen, and now it's all gone." 

Sophie's eyes widened. "So, she's not..." 

"No, no, she's not. She'll never be queen." Liam finished. 

Sophie bit her lip, processing this information. "I'm sorry to hear that for her." 

"Me too. But, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Sophie, I have a request of you." 

"What is it? Does this change things for us?" She asked hesitantly, her eyes searching his for an answer.  

"Not for me," Liam replied firmly, his hand reaching up to stroke her cheek. "My feelings for you are stronger than ever."  

"Even though you're going to be king, and I'm just a regular university student?" Sophie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Yes. You're not just a regular university student, Sophie. To me you are everything. You are the woman I love, and I would do anything for you." 

"Really? Even marry me?" Sophie's cheeks flushed red, embarrassed by her own boldness. 

Liam laughed heartily. "Yes, even marry you. My cheeky little monkey!" 

"You make me feel so special." Sophie's smile grew wider. 

"You are special." Liam replied, his voice sincere. 

"I love you." Sophie whispered, gazing up at him. 

"I love you too." He smiled. 

They sat down on a bench sharing a comfortable silence, holding hands. After a few minutes, Liam turned to her, a thoughtful look on his face. 

"Sophie, can I ask you something else?" 

"Sure, what is it?" 

"I've been thinking about the future lately, and there's something I'd like to do. It's a bit unconventional, and I'm not sure if you'll agree." 

"Oh, what is it?" Sophie asked curiously. 

"I'd like to take you to Italy." 

Sophie looked at him in surprise. "Italy? What are you talking about?" 

"There's a small, out of the way place there that has the most beautiful sunsets. I would love for you to see them with me." 

"When?" 

"As soon as we can. I'd like to go tonight, actually." 

"Tonight? That's so soon. I promised Maxwell that I would attend his graduation ceremony and party this weekend. He would be so disappointed if I wasn't there." 

"Of course, we shouldn't disappoint Maxwell and I do have to meet with Francesco in regard to tax reforms very soon. Let's plan for the first weekend in July." 

"That sounds perfect." Sophie smiled. 

"Excellent." 

As they turned to return to the estate, Sophie's nerves calmed, and she relaxed into his embrace, pulling him close, his presence grounding her. 

They stopped at the terrace, and Liam turned to her, a serious expression on his face. 

"Sophie, I need to ask you about something," he began, his eyes locking with hers. 

"What is it?" she asked, her heart racing as she tried to predict what he was about to say. 

"But I have to be honest with you," he continued, his expression somber. "Being the crown prince comes with a lot of responsibility, and it won't be easy." 

"What does that mean for us?" 

"It means that I want you by my side, Sophie," Liam said earnestly, his eyes burning with intensity. "I want you to be my partner, my confidant, and the woman I love." 

Sophie felt as if her heart were about to burst from happiness, her lips curving into a wide smile. 

"I want that too, Liam," she replied, her voice quivering with emotion. 

"There's something else," Liam added, his tone hesitant. "Cordonia has a law that states the crown prince must be engaged before the coronation." 

Sophie's stomach flipped, the realization dawning on her. "Does this mean that... we can't be together? Or ..." she hesitated, her voice filled with anxiety and uncertainty. 

"Not exactly," Liam said, taking her hands in his. "We can still be together and there will be no social season to search for a suitable match, but only if you agree to marry me." 

Sophie's heart soared at his words, her breath catching in her throat. 

"Liam," she said softly, her eyes filling with tears. "Are you... are you asking me to marry you?" 

"Yes," Liam replied, his eyes searching hers. "Sophie, will you marry me?" 

She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding as she thought about the decision before her. 

"Yes," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Yes, I will marry you, Liam." 

Liam's face broke into a wide grin, his arms wrapping around her and pulled her close as he placed his hand on her cheek to kiss her deeply. 

As they walked into the estate, the world seemed to fade away, and it was only them, two souls bound together by their love. 

'Take it

If she gives you her heart

Dont you breeak it

Let your arms be a place

She feels safe in

Shes the best thing that you'll ever have

She'll love you

If you love her'

Thanks for reading; please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from this series.

📌Perma tags: @bascmve01 @busywoman @kristinamae093 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @kingliam2019 @ao719 @alj4890 @emkay512 @karahalloway @twinkleallnight @malblk21 @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @emersyn-in-cordonia @dutifullynuttywitch @charlotteg234 @lovingchoices14 @kyra75 @imjusthereforliam

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[snapscube]

Hi Penny! I've never played a resident evil game, would you recommend me to start by the first one or is it the kind of series you're better off starting by the middle?

RE really does not have the most consistent story across basically any of its games in my experience haha. I would say just start with the one that looks most interesting to you! They'll most likely do a pretty good job of filling the gaps for you if it's your first.

If you want more specific recommendations of places to start anyway I'd say try playing RE2 Remake, then follow it up with RE3 and RE4 remake OR just go directly to RE4 remake. My first game in the series was RE2 Remake and it not only made me fall in love with Resident Evil but also the horror genre in general.

Alternatively, you could play RE7 if you're down for something a LOT scarier than most other RE games, and then RE Village for the direct sequel to that, it's a nice little duology that does have callback to previous entries but really stands alone since it focuses on a much smaller cast of mostly new characters through its run.

[kylesplayhouse]

So since my South Park fixation is back in full swing, I figured it was time to properly introduce my New Kid oc, Flava!

This little guy means everything to me, I know that sounds really cheesy to say, but this goofball has genuinely changed my life for the better.

Unfortunately I had never really delved into what all my OC is about until now, so strap in y’all because I have a LOT so say & share about this guy!

Preamble

Flava was created waaaay back in 2018 by my old friend @shin-holly after they whipped up a design in TFBW’s character creation, he looked MUCH different than he does now, as was his lore (which is a whole different thing entirely)

Throughout the years Flava underwent many different design changes as I got better with my art when I transitioned to using MediBang Paint around late 2020. His main idea however stayed relatively the same; A kid who had an interest for Outer Space and the unknown.

Since then i’ve been workshopping what his relationships are with the canon cast as well as his personality, which to be honest I hadn’t even BEGUN to think about thoroughly until 2022.

I’m happy to announce that now, I am fully confident in what this guy’s character is like and what kind of friendships he has with everybody!

Some Info about The Boy™️

10-11 years old

He’s transgender, primarily using He/Him (he also uses they/them occasionally). As a younger kid Flava had always known he was a bit…different from the other kids, and strangely felt unhappy about himself for reasons he couldn’t figure out. Then one day, during a library trip, Flava stumbled into the health section and discovered a book about Transgender youth, then everything made sense to him. Flava wouldn’t tell his mom about how he felt until he had just turned 10 years old

Has an older brother named Niiko. He’s 18 and still in his sophomore year of high school, having been held back due to doing really stupid shit, he loves Flava to death & tries to get him involved in his schemes. He loves grunge culture and frequently binges nu-metal and rock music, his favorite bands are Primus and Nine Inch Nails.

Flava’s friend circle is nerdy at best, with his best friend being Clyde. The duo end up goofing around often, Clyde being the prime instigator 99% of the time. Some other notable pals of his are Kevin, Scott, Kyle(?), Red, Pip, and Gregory. (Last two are important)

Personality is varied, at best Flava can be described as soft due to having such a calm nature to him. Growing up, Flava never had any friends so he is largely an outsider, most people who do talk to him leave after 5 minutes of him infodumping. Other than that, Flava is a very chill person to be around and is more than willing to talk to anyone he deems friendly enough.

He has two pets: Shadow🚺 and Sparky🚹 (Not to be confused with THE Sparky). Shadow is a two year old leucistic Reticulated Python who originally belonged to Niiko, but was moved to Flava’s room due to its bigger size, while Sparky is a 4 month old mixed breed (border collie/husky/german shepherd?). He was given to Flava as a Christmas present by Niiko, he’s extremely playful & loves belly rubs.

Interests

Space

As implied by his alternate costume, Flava loves outer space and all of its planets, his favorites are Neptune and Saturn. It’s probably the one thing everyone knows him for, as Flava talks about it almost every day, he can and will infodump about all the facts he knows about it and the latest news from NASA as he follows their website closely. You might even catch this guy stargazing late at night with his telescope, looking at the sky for hours.

Herpetology (Study of Reptiles and Amphibians)

Flava’s also engaged in learning about reptiles, this stemmed from falling down a rabbit hole while trying to read about snake care when Shadow was moved to his room, lately he’s into dragons, having now read all of Wings of Fire MULTIPLE times.

Art

Flava is a pretty doodle-y guy, he’s especially crafty with scrapbooks and notes. He’ll draw whatever comes to mind really, sometimes its his friends doing epic stunts (Clyde sometimes pays Flava 3 dollars to draw him.), other time its abstract shapes, Flava’s favorite thing to draw though is what the surface of planets look like up close. He considers himself a professional artist, and hopes to one day get his art featured in a museum.

As for hobbies outside of stargazing, Flava takes an interest in hockey, he often trains with Niiko at home, although Niiko is a bit aggressive with his techniques as he’s more experienced with it, Flava actually does use this aggressive himself in full games, this leads to his team getting shockingly good scoring and sometimes even winning.

If it sounds like Flava is absolutely perfect and is a “Mary Sue”, don’t worry because this fella has a few issues, most notably is his anger problem. If you push him enough, Flava will snap and punch you with as much force as a 10 year old boy possibly can. He tends to lash out at people who piss him off or think know better, Kyle being a prime example of this, as the two squabble a lot and appear to have a rivalry of sorts.

Flava also has a tendency to be pretty bad at reading the room, not understanding the context of the situation at hand.

Alter Egos

Kid Dragon

Our kickass “Warrior of the Skies”, Kid Dragon! (Also called KD by his friends)

He’s a brutalist class fighter who uses close proximity attacks with his fists and teeth, in his Ultimate Attack “Dragon Lord Flame Fist” KD is possessed with the full power of The Lord of Dragons and is able to completely K.O one enemy at the cost of losing a lot of health, surrounding enemies are slowed down for 2 turns.

KD is a loner, meaning he doesn’t belong to the Freedom Pals or Coon & Friends, in his words he “doesn’t want to deal with squabbling.” He does team up missions with Mosquito though.

Finnizaar of the 7 Forests

Finnizaar is a hulder/snow elf hybrid, a species of his own creation. Considered the last of his kind, Finzaar wanders the woods as he awaits to find his true calling.

He’s a fighter that primarily uses animals to attack as he claims to communicate with them, one such being his trusty “heavenly snake familiar.” In his special attack Finnizaar reveals his back, a hole filled with gems (which is definitely not a shitty tattoo Niiko gave him that may or may not have been put there permanently…oops), the sight of such hypnotizes enemies and causes them to hurt themselves.

He seems rather fond of Princess Kenny for some reason..

Relationships

Now we’re getting to my favorite part of this post, the relationships!!!

As mentioned previously, Flava had no friends before his family moved to South Park as he’d been homeschooled for 3 grades before starting public at South Park Elementary in 3rd grade. He’s a very isolated kid in his first few months there as he doesn’t know anybody & also is trying to come off as more masculine as a boy so if he slips something up there’s a chance he might be made fun of.

He slowly but surely finds his friends, though he also ends up finding enemies there too.

Clyde

Flava’s first and probably closest friend, they met on the playground at school one day and kind of clicked from there. They build off each other due to their general awkwardness to others and inability to look cooler than they actually are. Clyde tends to gossip to Flava a lot and since he can’t keep quiet on things he kinda spills it to the people Clyde’s talking about, never really ends well for either of them.

Scott

Same reason as Clyde for why they became friends, they just kinda met each other and eventually hit things off. Scott often invites him for sleepovers, which Flava immediately accepts every time because he knows Scott has the best snacks at his house.

Red

These two weren’t actually friends originally, they met in Drama Club and were always partnered up as stagehands, Red was always mildly annoyed with Flava but she never said anything, much like Clyde she eventually came around to gossiping to Flava about girl drama & such. Flava would get closer since he liked her apparent edginesses and not a complete “girly girl.”

Kevin

It’s kind of obvious as to why these guys are friends. Kevin has infodumped all of Star Wars lore to Flava a lot, he doesn’t want him to watch the newer movies though. They also tend to argue about whether Pluto is a planet or not.

Kyle

This one’s a little complicated so here we go.

Flava shares the same classroom as Kyle as well as his other friends, and it seems like he and Kyle would be friends too, and they are…kind of.

Flava is actually extremely jealous of Kyle, as he represents all of the things Flava wants to be but feels he can’t: Smart, reliable, and cohesive, all things that Flava can’t 100% do because of things out of his control. It’s frustrating for him to see Kyle or even hear him out because it feels as though Kyle is just saying words and wonders if he means what he actually says. They argue a lot due to conflicting differences of opinions and Kyle’s tendency to think better of himself.

Despite this, Flava does respect Kyle in a lot of ways and will stand up for him, if just because he knows at the end of the day Kyle is right about a lot of things, even if those things do hurt.

Pip & Gregory (AKA the part I know some of you might be here for.)

Long ramble so here we go.

Pip (or Philly as Flava calls him) met Flava shortly after a pretty bad bullying incident, having been actually shoved in Flava’s locker of all places. Flava was very sympathetic to Pip and spent the rest of the school day talking to him, including eating lunch with him, he was one of the few kids to not actually mind Pip’s voice or his proper grammar. They’re besties now, about the same as Clyde, who begrudgingly accepts Pip as not to destroy the friendship he has with Flava, its a point of contention for the two.

Gregory is complicated, but in a much different way than Kyle is.

Flava cannot help but feel..weirdly enamored by Gregory? He’s got this charm to him that Flava hasn’t ever felt with anyone else before, not even his Mom. He feels really close to Gregory in a way he can’t describe except for just…love. The two are also best friends, though Gregory is completely unaware of Flava’s true feelings for him. Flava wants to do something to make Gregory notice him, but he hasn’t exactly figured out what to do yet.

Fun facts!!

Flava’s mother, Freya, is part Scandanavian since her grandparents grew up in Europe. She’s a pharmacist and works at a drug store part time, her main job is selling herbal remedies online, she makes bank doing so. She’s declined Randy’s offer to collaborate on selling weed infusion medicine multiple times.

It’s actually kind of rare to see Flava without his big fluffy hat on his head, he uses it primarily to hide his hair which he feels extremely self conscious about, he doesn’t want to cut it but he worries people will make fun of him for how long it is, the hat does a good job at hiding it.

Flava’s nickname doesn’t mean anything, its just a goofy word he thought fit his real name Finnegan pretty well. (It’s pronounced Flah-Vuh, not Flay-Vah if anyone was curious)

He’s a very tactile dude, he often stims with his hands and likes feeling soft & silky textures. Things like Gregory’s button up when he holds his arm help Flava focus.

They actually designed their costumes themselves!

He can memorize the entire script of his favorite movie ever: 2001 A Space Odyssey

His original full name was “Flava Lavalamp Fluff”

Flava was also originally shipped with Connor, a very minor character from the episode “South Park is Gay.” I have no idea why i got so attached to him 😭

Although some elements of Flava are based on me, he is NOT a self insert!

Hey!! If you made it this far, thanks so so so so soooooo much for reading this! I had a blast explaining this guy out & drawing him some new references, this is probably the most definitive description you’ll see of Flava so I doubt much will change for him in the future.

And i already said it but I’ll say it again: This guy literally changed my life for the better.

Doing everything that i’ve done with Flava thus far has taught me one thing: Cringe Culture, or being “Mary Sue” or having “overpowered” characters don’t really matter because at the end of the day, they are YOURS and yours alone. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, its your world and you get to make your little guys and do whatever the hell you want with them

Basically, do what you want and don’t let anyone try to tell you what’s right or wrong with making an OC, you’ll feel much better when you just do what you want, regardless of what fandom you’re in.

[danthediamondminecart]

Finally posting the references for the revamped RBB / TMA AU, hooray! Its alternate title is the Top Of The Food Chain AU, but that’s subject to change.

The new premise of the AU is this:

Kreek Craft is a budding ghost-busting YouTuber living in a fictional city in the USA (I'm thinking Pennsylvania, but that's still being decided), where the RB Foundation also operates. He and his friends have been trying to make it big for some time now, to no success - everything he tries has already been done before. However, after Kreek has a genuine supernatural encounter with…something, and the video he posts of it goes viral, he starts to sink deeper into the supernatural world…and what comes with it.

…Yeah, I'm aware that premise is toeing the line between character ad creator, but I just really want to create a Hunt-focused story where the hunt is for something metaphorical like fame or information, and the brainworms made me do it here.

Character bios under the cut, and I’ll post more about the AU when I have more to show for it LEL

Main Cast:

Kreek Craft

The main protagonist. An excitable guy with dreams of being a famous YouTuber, and runs/hosts a ghost busting channel under the name KreekCraft - though growth is slow at the moment. However, an encounter with and subsequent murder of a creature of the Dark changes that for him. Due to this dedication to his craft and the chase for views, the Hunt soon claims him, whether he wants it to or not.

Steak Wads

Kreek’s co-host who’s one of Kreek’s best friends. He does all the odd jobs on the channel that Kreek doesn’t do. He’s a little…too upbeat despite some of the crazier circumstances they get into, but I’m sure that won’t lead to any issues. He gains a valuable connection with the Flesh avatar in this story, and later, the Hunt takes him as well. 

Bella Cinder

The camerawoman for the more produced episodes, who also runs her own more casual YouTube channel on the side. She finds herself in possession of a cursed camera, which gives her the attention of the Eye - as well as this, she ends up bringing the Institute’s attention to the goings on of the YouTube channel.  

Lana Raee

A make-up artist hired to cover Kreek’s tracks, she ends up asking to stick around and see more of the supernatural goings on. She ends up drawing in the attention of the Stranger due to her own fears of being replaced and the way she advises the cast. Very much the only sane woman. 

Booshot Mistr

The final member of the crew, and the audio guy for the more produced videos. Booshot is more no-nonsense than the rest of the crew and finds Kreek a little annoying, but he sticks around for Bella’s sake. In the final arc of the story, he is targeted by the Lonely.

Supporting Cast:

Ominous Nebula

Night-Foxx’s younger brother and Pink’s roommate. A musical theatre student that’s always upbeat and ready to do something to help others, but he has a lot of hurt he is hiding. He was adopted into the Nebula family as a sacrificial lamb to the Vast, not that he knows it until later of course. Where Lana is more desensitised but still an outsider, Ominous is the true ‘only sane man’ of the extended cast. 

Night-Foxx Nebula 

Kreek’s other best friend and Ominous’ older brother. He’s in a privileged position, already being the owner of the space travel division of the Nebula Travel Corporation at his relatively young age. Though, that’s most likely because his father passed the role down to him. However, he’s hiding a secret related to his father’s demise, and his connection to the Vast. 

Pink Leaf 

Bella’s childhood friend and one of the first ‘interviewees’ on Kreek’s channel, at Bella’s suggestion to ‘put himself out there!’, talking about an interaction with some creepy mannequins. However, something horrible happens as a result of this choice, leading Pink’s resentment towards Bella and Kreek to grow and for the Lonely to claim him. 

Justin ‘Think’ Noodles

An avatar of the Dark with ties to the Slaughter through his trusty pickaxe, Think was in some way related to the creature that Kreek killed. He tries to get revenge, but realises he could capitalise on it, and offers Kreek a deal - he’ll tell Kreek about other creatures he can make content about, in exchange for Kreek’s life when he retires. Kreek accepts, and Think something of a mentor to Kreek - however, this dooms the both of them. 

RB (Research of the Abnormal) Foundation Archival Employees: 

Russo Talks

The Head Archivist of the RB Foundation, and a 'world-building protagonist', so to speak. Has been at this for a few years, and is doing alright despite what his job really entails - but knows when to get serious. Has a lot of experience dealing with the entities. Is watching the events of Kreek’s life changing from afar, getting statements from those involved, and only getting involved if Kreek wishes he does. 

Deejay Monopoli

Russo’s assistant and Sabrina’s loving husband. A Hunter who became after Sabrina’s initial disappearance. He isn’t technically employed at the RB Institute, instead being a music producer full time, but he helps Russo out with the more…problematic missions. He finds out about Kreek’s predicament and takes it upon himself to ‘help’, becoming Kreek’s second mentor, as well as having a bet going with Think on Kreek’s fate. 

Sabrina Brite

DJ’s loving wife and Russo’s other assistant. She had an encounter with the Not-Them, but was revived by an artefact of the End and a researcher of cursed artefacts. She lived a double life for a while before DJ hunted her down and she returned to her original life. 

Not pictured: Jay Piercer

The head of the RB Foundation, and an avatar of the Eye (with connections to the Web..?). Tried to sacrifice Russo to the Eye. Failed. Not too important to Kreek’s story. 

[lunar1an]

while i tend to be uncharitable towards pale (seeing a story you really like go directions you don't want that you think actively hurt it while watching people uncritically praise every new development and meme character for three years tends to make you jaded!) i do think some people get a little silly about dissing a web serial they haven't read so like. to just put it down here.

i do think early pale is objectively one of wildbow's best works. like. the rotating three perspectives are used extremely well. the characters read as convincing and likable children, the cast is excellent, especially the starting Others. it's an alternate, lighter look at a dark setting and it works. the fact that the mystery isn't the premise so much as figuring out the problem of "how do we handle that some of these Others want to get rid of us". or later "how do we properly confront these people without being too cruel because society's already done that to them".

that's like. arcs 1-3. arcs 4-7 are also, i think, good, even if it's ultimately a diversion and some of the simplified messaging around Other treatment is a bit eh. alexander and bristow have a lot of character and while they're more straightforward pure antagonists it's fun to watch them be petty. the trio interacting with traditional practitioners is fun.

8-10 is like. pretty good. but some of the cracks start to show with arcs 9-10 dragging on a bit (it has melissa though so thats good). the new cast members are fun and interesting and tie into the conspirator plot. 9.9 is excellent if a hard read.

11-13 is like. where the dragging on elements intensify. a lot of Diversions happen that kind of get in the way of the trio Solving The Mystery(tm) and while a lot of those diversions are chocked down to one conspirator's work it feels more like it takes screentime away from the main plot and core cast which you're Really invested in. 12.z and about half of arc 13's chapters including the Break interludes are really good though, bringing a kind of like. pact-y vibe and atmosphere to the story which was sorely missed.

after arc 13 though its like. at this point it's less three rotating perspectives that each lay their eyes on the main plot at specific points with an intent to highlight certain aspects of the story (avery focused on connections, lucy focused directly on the mystery, verona focused on the Others). and more three separate web serial protagonists with their own plotlines loosely connected. and things get bloated. and start escalating beyond reason (70+ practitioners attacking kennet???). and the Practitioner = evil colonialist oppressor stuff gets silly. but i think like. at least the story still cohered. musser still continued the trend of jerk practitioners who abuse the system even if he's just a TwitchPlaysPractitioner stream that does things arbitrarily like a ghost or a dog. the founding sequence towards the end of arc 17 was cool even if i was a bit disappointed with how kennet found turned out.

i think if you were really invested in the trio and their story you could probably stop sometime around there and be satisfied. not a good or a clean ending, and you probably were better off stopping at arc 13, but it works.

but then pale keeps going and does a complete paradigm shift to make the literal Red Menace Revolutionary the antagonist. and has to justify the also purportedly revolutionary kennet opposing that antagonist and shit just goes sideways. and by now you start running into the more ridiculous stuff like "avery compares goblins to human minorities" (yes. i know the intent of her statement. it was still silly).

like. it just stopped cohering or being consistent or anything. plots and characters get introduced and discarded just as quickly and have little to no impact despite how hyped up they are initially. it's not good, and it actively hurts the material that came before it (retroactively making charles worse, for example).

even the setting stuff is like. early pale had some silly things like a technomancer being able to set up a worldwide magic jstor or this one glamour-drowned dude being wayyy too powerful with glamour for someone who wasn't even a fae or practitioner. but it was like. you could excuse or justify or ignore it if it didn't agree with you because at least the rest of pale was good. but then every Path turned into a whimsical video game level (among many other less ignorable things) and pale stopped being good.

and like. man. even despite that i still think about the carmine alcazar chapters and the story of a Beast who lived in a world that had long left her behind. and the trio in the back of a truck practicing runes with their magic hat. pale was good. it was good! but then it had to keep going.

[uraberika]

AreOri and nostalgia

I read a hot take the other day on Twitter that said something along the lines of "AreOri isn't worse than all the other series, y'all all just blinded by nostalgia", and after a lot of pondering, I have to agree. I have not seen the later part of Ares, nor Orion but I think the way they utilised nostalgia was what made it kinda flop. Objectively speaking Ares does a decent job at being a soccer anime, but by so heavily bringing in elements that aim to make fans nostalgic and then fails to handle this nostalgia well is what makes the series lag behind all the others in the franchise.

Ares wanted to do too much all at once by making it into an alternate universe with the og cast included. While at first I was very excited about the reappearance of some of my faves, they did a poor job at handling characterisations. The og characters became bland and uninteresting because obviously the plot had to favour the development of the new main characters. This also ruined many Ares characters since it immediately invited the viewers to compare and contrast Asuto's gang with the og guys; and not only Asuto's team had more personality (which made fans who were hoping to see the og characters disappointed) but they seemed to have eerily similar traits to guys in the og series. Asuto, the sunshine boy, Haizaki with his anger issues and sick-loved-one-in-the-hospital problems, Nosaka the genius, emotionless tactician etc. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with using a formula that seemed to work in previous installments, but the development of Ares characters 1) came at the detriment of the og character's development who just seemed to be background actors standing around without any real advancement of their own character or of the general plot and 2) was impossible not to compare and contrast the two groups of characters and find way too many similarities which makes the viewer (i am myself included xd) unable to appreciate the Ares characters as their own.

While this was going on, Ares also tried to use some tropes and themes that were already familiar to the audience. Yet again, a great move if executed correctly. My biggest issue with the execution here is that these tropes never fully made use of the full potential of Ares being in an alternate universe. We learn of Akane pretty early on in the series, Akane and Haizaki basically being the equivalent of Gouenji and Yuuka (or Gouenji and Yuuka with a different sort of relationship). Making a slight change in the trope of having a loved one in the hospital (like Haizaki and Akane being childhood friends) should have been enough, had Ares been a series on its own. The audience would have acknowledged that "haha this is a nod to the og series, how clever". But when Gouenji is right there, having gone through the same thing (especially if we considered how similar Akane is to Yuuka and Haizaki to Gouenji) the opportunity for these to bond (or hate, or whatnot, just to interact in any way) over this fact offers itself on a silver a platter, yet the series does not do anything with it, depriving both Haizaki and Gouenji from a potential character development.

The anime decided to create an alternative universe yet it was hesitant to harness the full potential of its alternative universe-ness. They could have used og characters to help them build the main character's personalities through interaction which they seemed to be doing, but at the same time, the og characters only seemed to be hollowed out shells of themselves, only there for a three minute appearance to draw in fans who started watching only to see this one character.

I think that's why I like Victory Road's premise so much. It seems to handle nostalgia much better than Ares did: the characters seemed to be very distinctly unique so far, no og characters to compare them to and a change in the protagonist's general attitude will also serve the game well, in my opinion. It alludes to previous series just enough for it to make fans want to pick it up while also introducing new, unique characters and a plot that replicates but also goes against the established story arc of Inazuma series. (I am aware that the fact that all the charas of previous series will be playable is also a big drawing force and that is the main reason that ppl are excited about this game haha).

So, in my opinion, the main reason people find AreOri the worst series in the franchise is because it establishes that it is going to rely on nostalgia and then does an abysmal job at making use of this nostalgia of the audience. It relies solely on the fans' dedication to their og characters - putting in og characters in the series as dummies with no real purpose, just so fans can say that their fave is in it - and completely forgets about the potential that fans can grow fond of new characters, can appreciate a storyline that is different from what they are used to.

I have to make it clear that I don't hate Ares, I just think that it was not well executed, due to in part in the way it relies on nostalgia, but I myself had enjoyed some parts of it when I was watching. And at the end of the day, it is a soccer anime which is mainly concerned with fancy hissatsus and high-stake matches and not the intricate details of their characters' personalities. I am also grateful for Ares because it was successful in making me nostalgic and indeed pulled me back to the franchise. Despite all the issues I think it has, a lot of characters turned out decent and I was very invested in the story when it first came out. What I also love about Ares is how it revived the fandom here on tumblr: the sakka fridays of watching the new ep without understanding anything, the long analysis posts, the fanarts and fanfics, I will always be thankful for its community-building.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. xd

[chasing-rabbits]

Prison Break recently got added to Netflix so I was like why not, I’d heard of it but never watched it at the time when it first came out but I thought yeah this looks good and then immediately got hooked and binged all 5 seasons. And then went down the rabbit hole looking up Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell and such and I saw they are going to be starring in a new show together which already sounds good so can’t wait for that to come out. I know the final season that came out years and years after season 4 finale was sort of mixed reviews but as someone bingeing it back to back I did like the sort of alternative ending for Michael. I also loved that they brought back the gang especially Sucre. I know they are planning to create a new show people keep calling it a season 6 but it’s not its prison break but a whole new cast from what I understand it won’t be any of the OG cast but just set in the same universe/world as the original Prison Break. Idk might watch it when it eventually comes out but I’m not typically a fan of that when shows get played out so long that they then have to move onto a ‘next generation’ because they’ve met their limit w/ the current characters storylines idk sometimes it can just feel like maybe just a little repetitive when shows do that sometimes but it could be done well so idk. I also cannot believe he is 52 actually none of the main cast really look their age. I also liked the surprise change in T-Bag in that final season and the twists with that too. I am almost tempted to start watching some of the DC stuff he’s been in even though I’ve not really watched anything from that before I mostly have just seen a lot of the marvel stuff over the years as that’s what Kade liked and he got me into it even then I’m not like on a level with die hards who know everything about the MCU. But I saw some GIFS on here when I was searching for prison break ones & the clips I did see looked good although I saw one saying he left after s1 because he didnt want to play straight characters anymore and then another one implying Snart was gay and they loved that he got to play a cunty gay villain so idk if one of those is wrong or they did switch him up to be gay cos of this who knows but I may just have to check it out. Side note I do keep seeing ads for The Penguin & it does look pretty good, but I kinda feel like with DC & MCU a lot of it feels like hard to get into if you dont already know the world its set in like Idk if I would’ve watched all of the marvel stuff if Kade hadn’t also given me extra info on the MCU I mean sure we’ve all watched some MCU & DC movies like come on who hasn’t but like not so much the shows so idk. Anyways I cannot wait to see more of Purcell & Miller together because I loved them as the brothers in Prison Break & I loved Prison Break I really like Schofield & Sucre’s friendship throughout the whole thing & as much as T-Bag is there to hate there was something to be said about how he always managed to survive like a cockroach I was for sure he was dead after he got his hand chopped off but nope he just kept on going til the end lol