#butcher army arc

[wildwinterlunas]

What I always found irritating and hypocritical of the exile arc is that immediately after c!Tommy was exiled c!Quackity, c!Tubbo and c!Fundy started making plans to straight up kill c!Techno. Like Tommy greifed George's house with no intention of taking a canon life, while the Butcher Army did have that intention.

Cause all three of them gave Tommy shit for provoking Dream by stealing from George and burning a couple blocks of his house. Which was fixed in the stream after in under 20 mins and Tommy was given the actual appropriate punishment of being greifed back. Then immediately after that punishment of exile is given they start making plans to kill Techno.

And while yes, Quackity and Fundy disagreed with the decision to exile Tommy, that doesn't negate the fact that they still gave Tommy shit for it. When at least Tommy had the knowledge and experience to know that Dream could be overpowered, there was no evidence of that with Techno and as we see with the Butcher Army, Techno can't be overpowered like Dream can. This is also something Tommy knew cause I distinctly remember him saying that he did want to go after Techno but could right now cause he knew they would loose (though I might be misremembering).

At the end of the day, do I think this would have mattered? Do I think the outcome would have changed if Tommy wasn't exiled? No, Tommy was likely already spiraling after Wilbur's death, and if Niki is any constellation on how New L'Manburg acted in that regard, I don't think anyone would have checked in on Tommy regardless of exile. Tommy's downward spiral was an inevitability no matter what happened with exile, Dream and exile just sped the process up. I also don't think Tommy's reluctance to immediately go after Techno would have changed that outcome either. It would have at best lead to Tommy not being informed of the situation and ending up in a similar situation to Ranboo, or at worst Tommy also being put under house arrest cause he tried to stop them from making a very obvious bad decision.

Though none of this is to say I hated this arc, in all honesty I think it's a good example of how the different perspectives of the characters affected them. Tubbo, Quackity and Fundy all had mainly negative interactions with Techno and Techno never got the chance to know them outside of L'Manburg's government up to that point like he did with Tommy. Honestly I may be of the opinion that a lot of things would have changed if the plot happened differently but Doomsday is one of the only circumstances that I think were unavoidable.

I just wish the hypocrisy of the Butcher Army happening right after Tommy was exiled was addressed at some point (If it was addressed though please tell me cause honestly don't think it ever was).

[itsnotmystic]

watched an old stream of quackity's and its the one where he's trying to get over his fear of Techno from mcm, and one way he does this is by briefly asking him out on a date to pogtopia and all I can think is- wouldn't it have been so funny if in later lore while Quackity is trying to get Techno to take him seriously if Techno were just be like, "my guy, you asked me out on a date because you were scared of me. I really don't see you as threatening."

Like, I know that stream was more just goofing off and not lore, but it's just a silly concept that's tickling my brain rn.

[brokenankleproductions]

(MIGRATED FROM INSTAGRAM, ORIGINAL CAPTION BELOW)

Rip I'm a meme account now

Anyways guess what your boy did today :D

Also bro I haven't been able to get the Ængus storyline out of my head. If I do an animatic to Ængus the Prize Winning Hog about a fandom that died about three years ago don't question it

[zorishy]

Ode To L’Manberg: It’s Not Your Time to Die

Here is the third work in my series presenting story of L’Manberg in my main DSMP au (Symphony of Gods and Dreamers). The lore dumps I have posted about this au can be found under the “Zorishy’s Bursona Lore” tag.

This poster covers the events of the New L’Manberg/Exile arc.

AU specific details:

• Tubbo gets a custom green L’Manberg uniform

• Dream manipulates Tubbo into exiling Tommy by framing him for helping wilbur blow up L’Manberg

• after Tommy’s exile is announced, Technoblade tries to attack Tubbo, fights and scars Quackity, and then runs off

• Butcher army never finds Techno, they try but never do

• Techno arrived on the SMP in the Technoplane

• Ghostbur doesn’t get his stab wound until the first revival attempt

• Fundy has been aged down, he’s around 3 here

• Wilbur actually has a grave!

•Tommy successfully kills himself by jumping off the tower

• Dream revives Tommy after he jumps off the tower

ADDENDUM: there is an aspect of this poster that is now inaccurate to my au. I changed it so Quackity is the one to adopt Fundy instead of Eret. Why? To fuel tntduo rivalry and also because c!Fundy is part of Las Nevadas.

[midnight1404]

Sansa had always thought Lancel Lannister comely and well spoken, but there was neither pity nor kindness in the look he gave her. "Using some vile sorcery, your brother fell upon Ser Stafford Lannister with an army of wargs, not three days ride from Lannisport. Thousands of good men were butchered as they slept, without the chance to lift sword. After the slaughter, the northmen feasted on the flesh of the slain."

...

"Silence, fool." Joffrey lifted his crossbow and pointed it at her face. "You Starks are as unnatural as those wolves of yours. I've not forgotten how your monster savaged me."

...

"I'm punishing her."

"For what crime? She did not fight her brother's battle."

"She has the blood of a wolf."

A Clash of Kings—Sansa III

Something i never see mentioned is how robb is maybe the only king in the wo5k so deshumanized till he is not human anymore for his enemies (or even allies atp), having people telling tales of him as a violent animal or a savage, (ik making war is something inherently violent and even robb's army is cappable of raw cruelty (like its showed in affc) but you never see someone speaking this way of tywin or the mountain lol) something i think it matters for his character arc bc a lot of the identity crisis robb is going on through ASOS is being treated as part of his wolf and he being scared that is true +also how sansa is also deshumanized here for having "blood of a wolf" ( and if i dont remember wrong, it wont be the last time)

I know maybe im repeating myself to much but more i go into my re-read, more im convinced the starks, and the north fit much better as non-white lol.

[judgeanon]

Don't Look Back in Anger - BATGIRL #7 Review

For the first issue after the opening arc of their new BATGIRL series, Tate Brombal has recruited Isaac Goodhart for a mission. The objective: to tell the definitive Lady Shiva origin story.

Here's a recap and my own lengthy-ass thoughts on this first half of it, transplanted from the other hellsite that shall not be named:

The issue begins with Cass taking a train to the West with a mysterious envelope in her hands. Inside the train, she gets a little flashback to the events of a few issues ago, and it's extremely nice to see that Goodhart is following Miyazawa's lead and drawing Shiva with visible age lines and such. I really love that look for her, even if Spicer mixed up the coloring of her coat.

Cass' surprise gift turns out to be a book with two cranes on its cover and a walkman, of all things, which contains a tape recorded by Lady Shiva, who explains that the book is her "life story." Awful nice of her to include an audio book version for Cass, although Shiva's self-pitying "dead, perhaps even for the better" and her talk of legacy already rub me the wrong way.

Although Puckett heavily implied that Shiva had grown tired of her violent life back during his Batgirl run, and Gabrych explicitly had her say that she had Cass at least partly so that someone would be strong enough to kill her if she ever became a monster, I'm just not a fan of that kind of Shiva. I find the whole remorseful assassin looking for a way out thing more than a little cliche, and more importantly, I don't think it fits her Taoist inspirations, her spirit of living purely in the moment, without attachments to the past.

But whatever, I'm sure this will be the only thing I disagree with in this issue. Right?

The meat of the story begins with a flashback to Shiva's childhood with her sister and their parents, nomads travelling the Himalayas. Shiva's narration mentions "blue moons" and "hidden worlds" in the stories her mother told her, maybe suggesting a connection to the Unburied.

Just as importantly, it introduces her sister, who Shiva describes as being her other half.

Violence arrives in the form of an army of red ninjas straight outta GI Joe who butcher the girls' parents and stain young Shiva's face in their blood, planting the first seeds of revenge. And alone but together, the sisters reach the door of a monastery, where one quick timeskip later, we see how that has gone for them.

Shiva, who we now learn was called Ming-Yue, is training with the monastery monks while listening to a very interesting lecture by the abbot. Particularly notable are the two middle panels of the page, which seem to foreshadow Shiva's eventual role as a challenge, an "agent of suffering" meant to help others find and overcome their obstacles. And some always welcome multi-armed imagery to boot.

It's a pair of panels that'll make any longtime Shiva fan smirk knowingly, and it's very cool to see some actual Hinduism slipped into her new backstory, but I think it only tells half the story. Shiva is not just a destroyer, but can and has given life back to those she chooses to help. I know Brombal is aware of that, so I hope he includes it later.

The next scene shows a bit of the sisters' life in the village surrounding the temple, and this is where I started to notice what Brombal and Goodhart are doing. Compare the first panel of that page:

... with the opening panel of BATGIRL #73, which was the last time someone tried to do a comprehensive origin of Shiva:

One of the greatest strengths of this issue, to me, is how Brombal & Goodhart have taken a handful of panels from a few pages of an issue that's almost 20 years old by now and extrapolated an entire personality for Mei out of that. Whereas Carolyn barely had hints of a personality, those hints are here full blown elements of her character. The cute smiles Pop Mhan gave her are now a bubbly, cheerful demeanor that carries on through almost the entire issue.

And that is something that this issue does a lot: it takes what Brombal has certainly identified as the key elements of Sandra and Carolyn's story, the parts that he considers important and worth keeping around, and removed all the specific details to build a new origin around them. More on that later.

For now, we have the introduction of some familiar bad guys: a mob of bandits called the Blood, which are obviously meant to be connected to that neatly-dressed Wu Lin fellow from the previous arc. And we get to see what a GREAT time Goodhart is having drawing kung fu badassery.

After the fight, there's a nice page that pours some water on that seed of revenge from earlier, while also planting a new one: Shiva's drive to be perfect. It's a perfectionism that we know she will pass on to Cass, but here, is tied to her sister, born from a deep love for her.

The next centerpiece scene is another of those connections that Brombal makes with BATGIRL #73, this time not with its art but with its writing. Gabrych in that issue described Sandra & Carolyn's fights as a "dance":

... and here Brombal & Goodhart make that fairytale metaphor real:

And although the setting of the scene is a callback to BATGIRL #73, the double page spread of the sisters dancing is also a callback to the last six issues of Brombal/Miyazawa's newest run, using the same double page spread structure they've used so far for fight scenes. But where Shiva & Cass' spreads were tableaus of violence and chaos, this one is a soft, flowy performance, all swooping motions full of strong character expression.

All the while, Shiva's narration gushes about her sister in a very sweet way that's also a bit poignant when you consider this is the world's greatest fighter talking about the person she herself once looked up to, not just because of how she fought but because of how she moved. It's a moment of understated vulnerability for Shiva, describing her sister like this, begging Cass to understand just how good she was. The use of movement as a descriptor in particular lands particularly well, considering that's how Cass would really get to understand a person.

But once again, an army of red ninjas shows up to crash the party, and the parallels with Shiva and Cass are made even more evident:

Where Shiva struggled to make her daughter even listen to her, she was perfectly able to communicate with Mei without even a word. And what hits about this particular callback is how it shows not only what Shiva has lost, but also maybe what she's trying to recover: a connection, someone she can communicate with as clearly as she used to be able to talk to her sister. And as we already read in previous issues, Shiva does see a lot of Mei in Cass.

The next pages quickly introduce a bit more of the Blood's backstory and powerset, but more importantly, their leader: a brawny shirtless fellow who turns out to be the sisters' uncle, who speaks of a forbidden love union and promises to grant them their birthright. If I had to bet, I'd bet a few bucks that Shiva's father was of the Blood, while her mother was a member of the Unburied, and they had a bit of a Shaw Bros Romeo & Juliet going on.

But here we get another of those little remixed moments, as our big baddie notes that Mei is holding Yue back, both physically and metaphorically. This is maybe the most overt reference to BATGIRL #73, and big bald ninja fellow is clearly echoing David Cain's intentions from back then.

Hell, it's probably not even intentional, but #73's narration made references to sparks and fanning flames, and this issue does have a village set on fire so...

Fortunately, the sisters are saved by their master and escape the burning village, putting an end to this first chapter of Shiva's new origin. So... what's good about it?

Goodhart's art is VERY good, for starters. I knew the man could draw from CHRISTOPHER CHAOS, but his work here is rock solid and full of beauty. The panels are gorgeous, the shadows are evocative, the action's delightfully dynamic and Spicer's coloring brings everything to life. Although speaking of colors, here's a small detour:

Throughout this issue, Mei's color is yellow, perhaps as a nod to her colors back in her first appearance in KUNG FU FIGHTER #2. But also, we've seen Shiva wear a yellow crane on her back. And the book that Cass is reading has two yellow cranes on the cover.

So it's not a stretch to assume that yellow is a color that Shiva still associates with her sister. And wearing different animals with that color on her clothes is her way to metaphorically carry Mei on her back at all times. It's a small touch that highlights how much of Mei still lives in Shiva's memory.

Writing-wise, I appreciate Brombal's approach. You can see which parts of BATGIRL #73 he thought were important, the parts that spoke to him and that he chose to build from, and it's neat to see him remix them, adding new settings & events but mostly going for a "Yes, and" strat. However, this new origin already runs straight into one of my big pet peeves about any Shiva backstory.

Whether it's being raised in a village of assassins or just being a child prodigy at karate, I've always found the idea of Yue/Sandra being raised to be a master fighter a little limp. On some level, it feels like a lack of confidence -- like nobody will believe a completely normal girl would be able to turn herself into an invincible fighter with just a few months of training. No, she has to have been raised to be Shiva, she has to have been special from birth, she has to have (apparently) ancient warrior clan blood that may or may not turn into swords.

She HAS to be DESTINED to become, at the very least, something like Lady Shiva. But I find the idea of Sandra being someone who had never raised a hand in anger before Carolyn died to be a thousand times more powerful than that.

It's not something that was ever explored in previous comics (and I'd argue it doesn't have to be), but Sandra turning her back on every single part of her being except her desire for revenge, then getting that revenge and finding herself unable to just become Sandra again, is the journey that gives her backstory weight in my opinion. It's the story of a woman deciding to turn herself into something else to achieve a goal and finding herself unable to return to who she was.

If Yue/Sandra was already special, if she was already halfway to becoming Lady Shiva when her sister dies, then she's not really turning her back on nearly as much than if they had been normal girls. There's less emptying of the self involved, less destruction of Sandra and less creation of Lady Shiva. And in a way, there's also less agency involved.

Sure, Sandra was very much tricked into trying to kill Richard Dragon back in her first origin, but turning herself into a jump-kicking death machine was very much her choice, as was to continue being Shiva once her revenge had been completed. Once you establish that she was always special from birth, then her decision to become Shiva carries less weight. Because it's no longer someone erasing their nature to create and embrace a new one, but someone whose nature was always there deciding to shake hands with it.

Which is not a bad story per se, but it feels less unique. Any attempt to make Shiva pre-Carolyn's death special, to me, always has the unintended effect of making her less special. That's my main beef with this issue, and maybe with the entire idea of writing a new Shiva origin. What I personally consider the key blocks of Shiva's origin are all post-Carolyn's death, while Gabrych and Brombal place them before that death. To me, the key is never so much Shiva's lust for revenge, but what she does with her life once she gets that revenge.

My secondary beef with this issue is the general atmosphere of Shiva still being haunted by Mei's memory. For the same reason I don't like a remorseful, self-loathing Shiva, I don't like a Shiva who's still tortured by the spectre of her sister. I think Shiva is far more interesting as someone who by all means should be haunted, should be burdened by this tragedy, but who has detached herself from so much of the material world that it's become a thing that happened, a thing that created her, but that no longer affects her. Shiva, to me, works best when she's living exclusively in the moment, closer to the Zen ideal of a life lived without regrets.

All that said, I do enjoy how much character Brombal gives to Mei. I'm aware of how I sound when I say that the most important part of Carolyn's character is dying, so I like that Brombal has taken these little hints of personality from the BATGIRL #73 flashback and crafted practically a whole new character out of them. And I'm especially excited to see her in the next issue, hanging out with Ben Turner and Richard Dragon.

Back in that original run, Carolyn was turned into a damsel in distress and a woman in a fridge with ghastly speed, so getting to see her actually being a character is bound to be cool, even knowing where it's gonna end.

To wrap things up, like the best parts of this run so far, I can see Brombal's vision, and I appreciate it, even when I disagree with the direction he's headed. I don't like this self-loathing, blood-destined, haunted by the past version of Shiva, and I probably never will, but I really value the craftsmanship and thought that's been put into this story.

I imagine #8 will be more of the same, with a few guest stars, but I'm interested in two things: First, just seeing what Brombal's going to do about the big white-haired elephant in the room he himself teased in the final page. And second, I'm interested in seeing if maybe, just maybe, having this definitive origin of Shiva around will help writers become less interested in her past and more in her present, and hopefully her future.

I'm really tired of Shiva only ever appearing in relation to Cass, and while this week has shown us how much of a colossal Monkey's Paw that can be, I'm hoping this will somehow provide a foundation that more people can feel comfortable building on. That's all, y'know, wishful thinking based on nothing.

It's entirely possible that this will just usher a whole new era of stories about Shiva's past or something equally pointless, but a fan can dream. Maybe someday, maybe soon, the "Book of Shiva" will be more than just the name of a mini-arc in her daughter's book.

[ghostly-omens]

Anyway Quackity was one of the people on DSMP who was most involved in and invested in lore. Las Nevadas and the Butcher Army and the Red Banquet and everything with L'Manberg. He clearly loved telling the story he wanted to tell and playing on a roleplay server.

But a lot of creators have pointed out that the most fun they had on the server was when they were doing improv, when they were reacting to things that happened and building the story naturally that way. When things got scripted, when creators had to come up with and write and execute their lore basically on their own, when it stopped being playing and started being acting, that's when you got players disengaging and losing interest and motivation. By the end, literally every bit of lore was scripted. Most of it was prerecorded just so it could end up telling a complete story, instead of starting a dozen plot threads that had to be abandoned when the other people involved didn't answer your DMs or the big lore day that was meant to move the whole server's story along didn't happen. The last big, whole-server lore event only happened because Technoblade was dying. Communication was so bad that was the only thing that could get everyone to get organised enough for a single day of lore, a story event that had been set up for months.

And so when Quackity comes up with his own server, he wants it to have a strong roleplay element (if that's what the other creators involved end up wanting). Quackity loved his roleplaying on DSMP. But he wants it to be fun for the creators as well as for the fans, and the way lore was fun on DSMP was for it to be improv, not for it to be creators acting out a script. But things got scripted because once they set up a story, it had to escalate in a specific way in order for it to be narratively satisfying, which made it less fun. A single arc is fine, but things just won't work for more than that without at least a loose script. By the end DSMP wasn't roleplay, it was acting. Some creators managed to tell satisfying stories, but it wasn't the same as when it was a bunch of friends messing around doing Hamilton Breaking Bad improv because it was fun. The DSMP, for a good chunk of its life, was not fun to play on. So people didn't.

But how do you set up satisfying, coherent stories over a long period of time while also maintaining the fun roleplay element? Someone needs to guide them and develop them, but it can't be the creators on a server if you're going to keep the fun roleplay element.

Hence the admins, and their role not just maintaining the server, but in developing and guiding the story. Their role is basically a GM, in tabletop roleplaying terms, and the creators get to be player characters roleplaying in reaction to that. Creators don't know much more than we do; how many times have creators said they don't get told shit, have they been told to log on and been faced with huge big developments they didn't see coming and have to figure out how to roleplay that? QSMP works kind of like Dungeons and Dragons but in Minecraft. Keeps the story consistent and escalating, without the need for creators to sacrifice their own enjoyment of their content.

I don't know how stuff like Karmaland works, maybe Quackity got it from there. But as a former Dream SMP fan, I see Quackity taking the best part of DSMP and finding a way to make it work for something a lot more sustainable and ambitious, keeping it fun and enjoyable for both fans and creators.

[flamedraco]

I want to rant about them. Buckle in, this is a long rant.

I want to just say that I love TNT Duo. Just as a whole. In whatever form they take. These stupid little men and their stupid little rivalries and tension.

I am not a "DSMP" fan in most senses of the term. I never really got into the story all that much (though the lore was cool and more well thought out than most people give it credit for) and there wasn't much to really keep me interested. But these two characters. These two.

shakes them

I love them. I love how Wilbur is emotionally unstable even on his best days and his entire arc of going from a leader that others looked up to slowly devolved into a man driven mad by his own legacy. Writing Arsonist's Waltz made me really take a long look at his character and how I wanted to write him in that fic and it really made me think about how young the character must've been when he died and how tragic that is. I think about him a lot. He's my favorite blorbo to torture for a reason he's the perfect character for tormenting really. And it's so easy to write him with a strained relationship with his family, seeing how Phil did the bare minimum for him and his mother is either a Fridge or The Goddess of Death depending on how you interpret the lore because personally I don't see either as being wrong. Or him being married to a fish (Sally go brrrrr). Or canonically being the one to give birth to Fundy. And the idea that he was usually such a doting father but the second Fundy needed him most he was just gone and the complications that brings to their relationship. I love him and how it's so easy to either make him just a guy or some eldritch FUCK. I can make him BIRD. I can make him FREAKY and INHUMAN and I love to torment him.

And then Quackity. Fuck let me talk about Quackity. This is the BEST EXAMPLE of a FALLEN HERO character I have EVER SEEN in my LIFE. And if you know me you know I am WEAK for Fallen Hero shit.

C'mere shrike bitch we're talking about you now!

(just picture me grabbing him by the back of his stupid little button up and holding him like that, I've scruffed his dumbass)

This FUCKER went from being one of the most goofy, joking, just fucking around and having a good time person, to one of the most well thought out and interesting character arcs in the ENTIRE SMP if you ask me. This man went VILLAIN no matter how you want to slice it and that idea of someone who GENIUNELY tried to see the BEST in others deciding "fuck it, I've had enough of this" is just. The best kind of Fallen Hero to me. I love his entire casino theme. Gambling is one of my favorite aesthetics, and I love how when I came into this fandom despite the overwhelming amount of Duck Q stuff I found I managed to find ONE PERSON who made SHRIKE QUACKITY and it was SO PERFECT FOR HIM! Like there's nothing wrong with Duck Q and I recognize why that's the most common thing in the fandom because obviously the fucker's name is QUACKity and he has his whole thing with ducks but like. Shrike Q tho. The leader of the Butcher Army being a Butcher Bird. One of the most violent songbird species known for brutal kill methods and eating other birds being reflected in the man who ATE THE FUCKING HEART OF HIS EX. Like C'MON. (Yes other birds will eat other birds all the time but I'd like you to point me at another songbird species that has the absolute BALLS to attack something so much bigger than them) ((seen a video of what I think was a loggerhead shrike attacking a duck once)) (((though if you can find more aggressive songbirds like this I would LOVE to see them and learn about them))) ((((FUCK I LOVE BIRDS)))) It's perfect. I don't care. I love him. I love him and his Loggerhead/Northern Tendencies.

I love him for all the ways he didn't START violent and cruel but BECAME that way because he felt like he HAD TO. His arc is SO GOOD. The way he manipulated others he perceived as being "forgotten" like him to try and join him. I just. This man. This man. I'm going to shake him. I'm going to put him in a jar in the /affectionate way.

And then THEM TOGETHER. There is so much APPEAL to this ship in how you can write their dynamic in any way you want. From the more playful early days of the SMP where they were clearly friends and enjoyed each other's company to those stolen tense moments of Pogtopia to the eventual EVERYTHING that was LAS NEVADAS. You can write them on some of the best kind of healing arcs, with the idea that no matter what you did or who you were that you can still find love and forgiveness with the right person. You can have them heal together and learn to love again after so much tragedy. Or you can go down the route of making them ABSOLUTELY tearing each other APART and making each other WORSE. They can be absolute BASTARDS to each other but keep coming back to each other because they are the only two people on the server that have seen SO MUCH of the other person and the paths they went down.

These two characters just. Scream a level of UNDERSTANDING with each other that they wouldn't GET with other CHARACTERS.

And can I talk about how flexible they both are when it comes to AUs? I'm going to talk about them in AUs. They are FASCINATING TO ME in AUs. HEAR ME OUT OKAY!

So as someone who's been in a lot of fandoms there's a keen difference between being into a fandom for the content itself of the world, and being there for a specific character or groups of characters. I was into BNHA because of the lore of the world, not really an attachment to the characters themselves even if I did love them. Persona 5 was driven, again, by a love for the world and also the aesthetic of the game itself (and also a bit of the characters, I'll admit they changed my brain chemistry a little). Danganronpa, in contrast, was something I got into for the driving force of the characters and the murder mystery aspects. Assassination Classroom, obviously more character driven. Fairytail, also more character driven than anything else.

I got into DSMP specifically because of TNT Duo and my friend introducing me to them. But I've discovered something interesting about TNT Duo and why my hyperfixation over them has been lasting for so much longer.

Because they're easier to pry out of their world than other characters are. Which is why I was so surprised when I found so much more Canon Divergence AUs and less AUs in the sense of other universes. Like when I came to this fandom there was: No flower shop AUs, maybe a single coffee shop AU or two, not a single dragon or naga AU, and maybe one Siren AU. And the rest of it was mostly canon divergence! Which felt weird to me because these two feel so adaptive to other AUs you put them in!

While other characters feel, in some regards, tied to their original universe, these two don't feel as heavily weaved into their world. When I try to take them out it doesn't feel like I'm ripping them out and damaging them as I do. I don't feel tearing seams or fabric ripping, they just kinda...pop out. Which let's me take them and throw them into any roles I want, any AUs I want, and what I've noticed is that people do this a LOT with SBI and that they don't feel tied to the universe they originated from either. And I feel like that's in some part due to how the characters have lore from previous SMPs, previous worlds, previous experiences, and even future ones where the characters flow and adapt to fit whatever situation they're put into.

Some people might argue that I'm misrepresenting the characters in my fics or characterize them differently from the original source material, but that's because these are characters heavily formed around their experiences! Which makes them SO COOL for AUs! Because obviously the experiences are going to be different in an AU versus the source material! Making them a superhero or supervillain isn't the same experience as starting a country from the ground up! Making them a prince or king is different from elections and surviving from the land. Or dying and getting revived. Or overcorrecting into becoming a villain so nobody can ever hurt you again. AUs bring different experiences and that's why the characters are so fascinating to put in different AUs. And obviously some characteristics will carry over, but it's up to an author to decide what they carry over from the source material. Usually I carry over Wilbur being related to Phil, Techno, Tommy, Kristin, and sometimes I'll carry over Phil and Kristin's divinity which sometimes makes Wilbur an angel or demigod. Some authors usually carry over his mental instability, I like carrying over his sense of individuality. I like that he's stubborn, good at leading but not always enjoying it, yet always having the qualities for it. For Q? I like to carry over his general gambling aesthetic because I write mostly Las Nevadas Q since that's kinda who I know best out of all of Quackity's characterizations in the DSMP. Which means I write him as a manipulative little shit most of the time, who sometimes has second thoughts but usually pushes through for what he sees as the best outcome. And for their relationship usually what I carry over is this sense of tension or opposition between them. Hero/Villain, Angel/Demon, Human/Fae, Hunter/Vampire. This sense that they are on opposite sides, but not so different from each other when they look deeper than surface levels and titles.

They are such interesting characters. And I love them so much. They give me so much brainrot. So many ideas because they can just. Go anywhere I throw them!

I think I'll write more about them later. How I like to characterize them based on what I know about them from DSMP. Maybe rant more about why I think Q is definitely a shrike and that Magpie Wilbur is the only correct option. I feel like talking about them. I want to talk about them more.

Talk to me about them. I like hearing other people's thoughts about these fuckers.

[anarchy-and-piglins]

https://www.tumblr.com/anarchy-and-piglins/772595793282711552/anything-u-post-in-relation-to-fireworksduo-haunts?source=share

I am begging you to tell me more (whenever ur feeling up to it). I will offer you my bones and third born in exchange.

Keep your bones and children, I need no payment to yap about AU ideas!

Okay so the original AU is called 'Empty Vessel AU', trigger warning for suicidal ideation as part of the premise.

The base idea is that Phil does not stay on the server.

After killing Wilbur, Phil - caught in grief and hurt - takes off basically just as quickly as he arrived. Maybe he doesn't even realize Techno is there too, or maybe he's too caught up in it all to really mind. Phil fully leaves the server. This means Techno does not have Phil's support in the initial fallout of November 16th, which is a negative for his mental health (think the angst arc ccTechno wanted for his character before ccPhil ruined it by being like "hi m8, let's build a house :D" /lh).

Techno does not build the cabins in the Arctic, his base is more like a ravine/hole somewhere. He's miserable, but he stays trucking. At least until the Butcher Army happens - because it still does happen in this AU, just slightly differently than in canon since Phil isn't around. When returning to his 'base', Techno also doesn't find Tommy living there (because Tommy in this AU did not stumble upon Techno when he ran away from exile, since the cabins don't exist).

Now, Techno is the Blood God's conduit, as well all know. The Blood God is basically parasitic in nature, latching onto a mortal to serve as its conduit until they die and it must find a new vessel. The Blood God can control its conduit's body only with consent.

Techno, who is not doing too well mentally after everything that's happened, being treated as a disposable weapon or active threat by everybody, having no friends and only Chat around, etc, decides he doesn't care anymore. He'd do anything to just... not have to think for a bit. Not have to deal with all that's happened. So if the Blood God wants to use its vessel, it can.

Techno 'dies' in a sense.

More accurately, his consciousness goes into a sort of coma - completely senseless and all - while the body is left behind as an empty vessel the Blood God can puppeteer around. This is Not Good because a mortal body is not meant to contain a god so there are some negative effects. Including that the Blood God does not experience hunger, exhaustion, or pain, and it damages Techno's body by being in it. It's a ticking time bomb situation. If it stays inside Techno for long enough, Techno's body will also die.

Also, other people have to deal with an eldritch god so that's fun kekw. The Blood God is a bit of weirdo, but it does latch onto people around it as long as they promise to let it shed blood for them.

The original version of the AU was rivalsduo-centric as mentioned. Dream would have been the first person who ran into 'Techno' and clocked pretty quickly what's going on (it's not exactly subtle) and initially he thinks it's something he can exploit maybe, but then over time he realizes how dire it is and he does care enough about Techno to try and undo what's been done.

Now I'm just thinking of an alternative where it's Tubbo or Quackity (or both?) who encounter the vessel first and have to deal with that whole thing. Would they also be happy at first? Disturbed? Would they feel guilty or nah? And ofc how different it would be for them to try and get Techno back. Throw in other L'manburg members maybe and Tommy? I can assume stuff like the Green Festival would also go very differently in these circumstances.

[katandroofics]

⟡₊ ⊹WELCOME TO OUR BLOG⟡₊ ⊹

Hi!!

about this blog/us:

our ao3

our twt

our carrd

our strawpage (for anons/drawings) (will only post these on twt)

we use the tag #dsmpr and #dsmp reimagined for our fics/art/info posts!

roo🐇:

im part of a duo where we are in the middle of writing an entire dsmp rewrite (called D.S.M.P. Reimagined, or DSMPR for short), from before the beginning and after the end. it will most likely be just me on this blog as kat is terminally offline. we post every friday!

Kat🐈‍⬛: I am the second half of this duo! We also have an Editor but he is more offline than I am—thankyou Quezz for your diligent work though you will never see this—I don't use any social media whatsoever so this blog will pretty much be run solely by Roo. I'll pitch in to answer any questions we get about our fan-fiction work, though, so expect some appearances from me. I'm a massive c!Wilbur fan and quite enjoy c!Dream's villainy. I could talk for hours about how much c!Technoblade isn't an Anarchist whatsoever and how deeply flawed his ideology is, but instead of doing that here I am writing that into D.S.M.P.R.! I hope everyone who reads our work enjoys it, or if you don't, please do criticize it as much as you see fit—everything is appreciated equally.

more about our dsmp rewrite:

dsmp reimagined is a series of fics focusing on re-writing the entire canon of the dream smp, starting and ending before and after the events of it (which are of our own design and completely non-canon, we will not be delving into smplive or any other smp with the same characters in any capacity). this is NOT an au, but a retelling with several elements of canon altered, outright removed, or expanded upon.

our main goal is to tell a more grounded and realistic version of the dsmp's story, while still keeping the charm and humour that made it so special. we want to do justice to the serious themes and ideas that the dsmp presented and attempted to convey, but ultimately failed to with the proper respect and tact necessary.

these fics WILL be violent, they will be uncomfortable, they will not pull its punches and it will, ultimately, attempt to rectify the mistakes of the dsmp, tap into the lost potential of many of its characters, and provide an alternative for fans who wish to engage with the media but do not want to, or cannot, watch all of the archived livestreams.

our fic(s):

334 Days (Completed)

Three Hundred and Thirty Four Days is a mildly canon divergent retelling of the exile arc. it follows tommy as he spirals and becomes isolated by dream, and explores his relationship with community, family and religion. it is basically a character study as tommy loses more and more hope, similar to the canon story, except this one takes place over a span of a year and delves deeper into his psyche.

main themes: isolation, family, religion, betrayal, grief

characters: tommy, dream, tubbo, quackity, phil, wilbur (past/memories), ghostbur, fundy, niki, ranboo

main relationships: tommy/dream, tommy/tubbo, tommy/wilbur, niki/wilbur

75k words

Welcome Home, Theseus (Updating)

Welcome Home, Theseus is a retelling of post-exile to The Disc Saga Finale, covering The Butcher Army, exile recovery, Doomsday and more! this is a multiple point-of-view fic which has tommy and tubbo as the leads, followed by technoblade, niki, quackity and more!

main themes: betrayal, reconciliation, recovery

characters: tommy, dream, tubbo, quackity, phil, wilbur (past/memories), ghostbur, fundy, niki, ranboo, jack

main relationships: tommy & tubbo, tommy & techno, tommy & dream, niki/wilbur, niki & fundy,

90k+ words

(MANY MORE TO COME!)

(all gifs sourced from sad-ist on youtube)

[basu-shokikita]

Thinking about Toki's character arc in Metalocalypse...

Now that Metalocalypse is officially over, or so it seems, I wanted to go over what Army of the Doomstar means for Toki's growth.

Warnings for spoilers for, well, the entirety of Metalocalypse.

So, over the course of the show, we see Toki repeatedly trying (and failing) to form a meaningful bond with several living beings, people and animals included.

Analysis under the cut ⬇️

Season 1

It starts with a dying little girl called Juliette Sarmangsadandle in Dethkids (S1E16). Toki is upset over being misunderstood aka his public image being associated with kids and vehemently fights the idea by adopting an edgy personality.

When he watches Juliette's video, about being a child that longs for violence, it speaks to him and his childhood. Toki feels seen by this little girl and imagines his child self singing with her.

Sadly, when he goes out to meet her, she's already dead. Here goes Toki's first attempt at connection, utterly butchered.

In the following episode, we're introduced to Rockzo in Dethclown (S1E17). Toki brings his clown friend over and everyone pretty much almost instantly dislikes him. Not to mention Rockzo tries to betray Dethklok for drugs. Still, he sticks around for the remainder of the show as Toki's friend.

Though it's important to mention how much of that friendship involves Rockzo abusing Toki's kindness and generally being a shitty person. He's not exactly someone Toki can rely on.

It is not that significant but I'd also like to give a shout out to Dethwater (S1E02), where Toki is locked in an oxygen chamber and sings to the fishes and creatures in the sea. It's an early episode, but already portrays Toki's friendly nature and colorful life outlook.

Season 2

In season 2, we have Dethlessons (S2E02). After having a disagreement with Skwisgaar's teaching method, Toki meets Dimneld Selftcark. Though initially wanting him as guitar teacher, it's clear Toki doesn't actually intend to perfect his craft and more than anything appreciates his company. Toki even refers to him as 'a father friend'.

However, as luck would have it, Selftcark is ill and dies in Toki's arms after Toki gave his first recital.

Then there's Dethdad (S2E15), where Toki learns that his dad is dying of cancer. Toki is very much visibly affected by his parents' abuse towards him, though he still decides to pay his father a visit. When Toki finally gains the courage to see him and bond one last time, his father requests to see the cottage he was born at before dying.

Unfortunately, Toki steps and slips on his way there, dropping his father into the ice. Toki watches his father die and is unable to do anything about it.

This boy is really just collecting traumas all the way, huh?

Season 3

Dethhealth (S3E03) has Toki adopting a cat he found at a concert. Although he is not the best caretaker of the animal, Toki is very obviously fond of his new pet.

But, of course, the cat was dying, solving the mystery of who was the person dying within Dethklok. Toki is so devastated that he faints and then proceeds to have an elaborate dream sequence for closure.

Fertilityklok comes three episodes later (S3E06) and we find a Toki jaded with casual sex encounters. He decides he wants to meet a partner whom he can have children with. Though initially facing Dethklok's indignation, Toki goes forward with the idea and lands in a dating agency.

They find the perfect partner for Toki but nothing ever goes well with this guy and the lady in question disappoints Toki both in looks and personality. To make things worse, the agency wants to force him in a relationship with her and for Toki to impregnate her, even.

Toki manages to escape the whole charade and decides he's better off with sluts. This one is not so tragic as much as it's just another total failure at forming the connection Toki so desperately craves.

Season 4

Diversityklok (S4E04) and Bookklok (S4E05) feature Toki's interpersonal problems within the band so I figured they were mentioning as well.

In Diversityklok, Toki complains about feeling constantly left out by the band, so he forms a 'special persons invite club' to gain agency over his friends. He still ends up being forgotten by them at the end of the episode.

In Bookklok, Toki has a fallout with Skwisgaar after being denied a solo and writes a book denouncing his behavior towards him. In modern lingo, he essentially cancelled Skwisgaar. He fails to consistently maintain the fans' approval as he flunks the solo he so desperately wanted. His fight with Skwisgaar is not resolved (at least, not on screen).

Finally we get to Dethcamp (S4E07), where Toki's erratic behavior conflates with the mainline plot. In the search for friends, Toki goes to the Rock-a-Rooni Fantasy Camp, where he's almost killed by one of the campers. He's saved by Dethklok's former rhythm guitarist, Magnus Hammersmith and they subsequently become friends.

Good ending? No, Magnus stabs and kidnaps Toki over Roy Cornickleson's funeral, his fate being unknown as the season ends.

Doomstar Requiem

We finally learn how Toki joined the band. He showed up late to Dethklok's auditions and had a guitar duel with Skwisgaar, where he eventually lost. Defeated, he was abandoning the premises when Skwisgaar says that nobody made him play as well as Toki did, inviting him to join the band.

From then on, it's all rainbows and happiness for Toki as his life finally takes a turn for the better. He has found a family and a home. He loves his brothers and his life. Current Toki is on the brink of death and thinking about Dethklok is his only solace.

I might be biased in saying this but the sequence from 'I Believe' feels like the peak of the movie, and I don't think this is incidental.

While Toki is rescued at the end of the movie, we don't get to see a proper reunion.

Army of the Doomstar

Cut to 10 years later, Army of the Doomstar releases and while the plot is much about the end of the world, we get to see post-DSR Toki.

First of all, at the start of AOTD it is stated that Toki (as well as the rest of the band besides Nathan) has forgotten about what happened during Doomstar Requiem. However, his attitude towards the band is very loving, stating he's happy to be back with them.

He's especially fond towards Skwisgaar, attempting to hug him multiple times, worrying and being generally attentive of him. Toki shows both verbal and physical affection towards Skwisgaar over the course of the movie, finalizing in the bridal carry during the before last scene. Compared to the show, it's a huge contrast to their relationship, where Skwisgaar and Toki behaved as rivals, with Toki feeling simultaneously admiration and envy towards Skwisgaar.

But what are you trying to say with all of this, Basu? Well, essentially it's the following:

At some point, Toki started feeling neglected by the band and began seeking love from outside sources. The childhood companion he never had (Juliette), a father figure (Selftcark), his actual father, a pet, a girlfriend and finally...an actual friend he could rely on (Magnus). All of the aforementioned failed, eventually landing him in an even worst situation where he started.

However, being stuck there, wounded, malnourished and dying is what reminded him of the best time of his life. Of the people most important to him. And even if those memories were seemingly gone, the feeling prevailed.

Sure, Dethklok is massively flawed and there's lot of work they have to do with regards to interpersonal relationships, but they're his family and his life. Perhaps the lifestyle or his need for ego/power (Skwisgaar plays a big hand in this) made him forget about it for a second, but he knows it now. He doesn't need to look for love from strangers, he already has it in them. They're everything he's always wanted and he's going to cherish them for the rest of his life.

And if you're wondering why the special emphasis on Skwisgaar, my theory has to do with the age regressing that was confirmed in the movie. While it mostly happened over the Ishnifus funeral, I think Toki has generally gone back to the emotional state he was in when he joined Dethklok. A young, easily impressionable man happy to finally have found a family.

Which means he holds Skwisgaar in special regard, considering he is the guy that accepted him into the band. Not Nathan, Pickles or Murderface, it was Skwisgaar.

You could almost say that Toki might view Skwisgaar as his hero, given that he is the reason Toki has everything he has right now. So I think Toki's gratefulness is expressing in that almost overwhelming affection. Just like Toki's not going to let himself forget his feelings for the band, he's not going to let them forget about his feelings, either. It might not be easy, but Toki's priorities are clear now. His heart is with Dethklok.

In short, even if Army of the Doomstar didn't address Toki's issues the way we would've wanted, it's still a happy outcome for him and I fully believe he'll have more than enough to work on them. Metalocalypse is, at its core, a story about found family. This is specially true for Toki.

So, I really believe that Toki is eventually going to heal and be happy with the band. :)

[victoriadallonfan]

Hi, since I haven't seen anyone mention this on reddit or tumblr, I'd just like to say, as someone whose first language isn't english, Worm's cape names are fucking weird. Are all of them words? Who knows, i read Worm and Ward without knowing Eidolon and Brandish are real words and not made up words. Or they are words i know but idk wich meaning is? Is March like the month or like the organized walking verb? So do all cape names mean something, and say something about the one who chose them? I refuse to google them at this point, but Anelace? Cinereal? Myrrdin? Couldn't they pick more known 2 word combinations? Do parahumans get a discount on thesaurus? Thats all I wanted to say, thanks. PS. Wildbow, the fuck you doing using Califa de Perro as a name, couldn't you ask any Spanish speaker?, i'll kill you.

BIG ANALYSIS INCOMING

Eidolon = spectre, phantom, and idolized object/person

Brandish = to flourish and wave about an item, usually a weapon. Also an epitaph for Athena

March = to move in a uniform manner and derivative of the roman god of war, Mars

Anelace = double-sided dagger used by civilians

Cinereal = grey matter of the brain and nervous system

Myrrdin = Too many to count but generally tied to Myrddin Wylt, prophetic folklore bard and a facet of Merlin (genuinely more work than I can ever give on the topic of how insanely intertwined those myths are)

The thing about Wildbow's cape names are two-fold:

In the 80+ years of superhero genre, a LOT of cape names have been chosen and used already. Taylor mentions this to Armsmaster as a meta-joke in the first arc (ironically, DC also has a Skitter, who debuted in 2011.... the same year as Worm), so he has to be creative and sometimes creativity is simplicity.

He loves giving character names multiple meanings.

To go down the list:

Eidolon's name is ironic, because he notably not idolized (and pushed out of the spotlight compared to Legend), and he ends up becoming one of GU's spectres.

Brandish creates weapons, yes, but there's connection to Pallas (brandishing) and Athena accidentally killing him while distracted to Victoria accidentally caving her head in while distracted. (There are several story iterations, including one where they had a parental relationship).

March is about how she organizes her megacluster like an army or marching band, but also reference to her civilian name (May), the Mad March Hare from Alice in Wonderland (which her entire fight with Vista is a huge reference to), and the Ides of March (notorious for the stabby stab stab of Julius Caesar)

Anelace is a master of weapons, but he's notably reluctant about that fact, and is noted to have a healthy civilian life by other characters

Cinereal is the grey matter of the brain. She is the Atlanta Protectorate leader that turns things into grey matter (ash)

Myrddin = See the King Arthur and various clusterfuck of mythos

Even his main characters have this: Taylor tailor makes her outfits and is a silk Weaver, Khepri is an Egyptian god that bring a sunny morning... and she debuted on Gold Morning. Victoria is a Roman Goddess of Victory (Contessa uses her to find "the Path to Victory"), Antares means "Anti-Ares/Rival of Ares/Anti-War" and is the constellation "heart of the scorpion" which is Victoria inside of the wretched forcefield. We can even stretch this to Khepri and Antares: Khepri is a beetle that carries the sun on to a new day. Antares is a binary sun system (with one sun being invisible to the naked eye). In the slaughterhouse 9 fight, Taylor and her beetle (khepri) carry Victoria and the fragile one (antares) to safety (to live another day).

WE CAN EVEN GO FURTHER: Atlas is the man holding up the sky in Greek Mythology, which Taylor names her beetle. Victoria's PHO name is Point_Me_@_The_Sky (which is also a Pink Floyd reference). In Worm, Atlas holds Victoria up in the sky.

Its really fun to analyze.

Califa seems to be a simple goof. Or maybe Taylor just butchered his name.

They can't all be winners.

[ghostly-groves]

me and my friends are always locked in debate about this one, so:

rb for a larger sample size!

[skullivander]

I love my boys and this is my favourite AU I have for them!

Medieval Knights AU

Remiguisz (Regillus), or Remik as his companions call him, is an orphan of Polish immigrants, brought up in his Lord Seraphin's manor in France to be a knight. He is back from partaking in the Sack of Constantinople where he was exposed to horrors he was unprepared for.

Vaughn (Volusius) is a knight through nepotism. While skilled in his own right, he is pompous. He recently fled his home; his cousin, with help of English lords, killed his father and took his land. Sir Seraphin has put him in charge of taking care of Remik and his delicate mental state.

--

July, 1206

West of Cherbourg, Normandy

The summer air was hot and heavy, nightfall brought no relief. The French soldiers and knights returned to camp, some on foot, some on horseback. Despite the heat and bloodshed there was an almost jovial feeling in the air.

The battle was over and the victor was clear. Sir Seraphin's army had slaughtered the English forces, the few surviving fled like dogs as the sun set. Sir Vaughn stood sweating in his armor at the edge of the battlefield watching the others. He was searching for one man in particular. Vaughn's eyes darted from face to face, disappointed each time. He turned to look out across the bloody field.

There was Sir Remiguisz, meandering far into the field without his helmet and with his sword in hand. Alone.

'The hell is the mad man doing now?' Vaughn thought. He set a quick pace as he walked out to Remik. Vaughn struggled with his helmet, but managed to remove it.

"Remik!" He called out. He desperately wiped at the sweat on his forehead. There were more bodies this far in. "Remik, the battle is over!"

Remik paid him no attention. His eyes were cast down, searching. All at once he seemed to lock on to something and moved with great, quick strides to whatever it was.

Vaughn watched as a shaking hand rose up from the filthy bodies in the field, weakly defending itself. Remik's sword came down in an arc and landed with a sickening whack, like a butcher's cleaver going at a side of pig. There was a gurgle and then silence.

Vaughn was still for a moment as he watched this. As Remik crossed himself, it was like it unfroze Vaughn and he all but ran to Remik.

"Remik! Remik, come now!" Vaughn was at Remik's side and grabbed him by the elbow. He tried to gently ply him. "We need to go to camp, everyone will be waiting for us. The men in the field will succumb on their own, God will see to them."

Remik's eyes stayed on the field and he pulled against Vaughn's grip. He shook his head.

"No." Remik spoke softly. "No, I can't. No suffering. I can't let them suffer. No more pain."

Tears rolled down Remik's face, leaving clear trails through the grime of the day. Vaughn's chest tightened and he let his hand drop. The blonde man moved forward, mumbling prayers of penance under his breath.

Remik continued his work of mercy all though the night, Vaughn following after him like a loyal hound. As dawn illuminated the east, they were the only men alive on the field.

[wettbewerberrr]

c rivals duo

Head Like A Hole by Nine Inch Nails (The Duel arc)

The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails (The Duel arc)

Little Dark Age by MGMT (Post-Duel)

Hunter's Moon by Ghost (Prison Break)

She Knows by J.Cole (Exile arc, specifically when cTechno is hiding cTommy from cDream)

HURT by 1 800 PAIN (mix of The Duel arc and Doomsday arc)

Comfort in the Grave by Vision Video (Prison Break)

Dangerous by Joywave (Butcher Army arc and cDream helping cTechno escape)

Bang Bang Bang Bang by Sohodolls (i may be projecting Archangel Effect cRivals in this one)

Boogie by BROCKHAMPTON (mostly vibes but to me it gives Doomsday)

In The Blood from the HADES soundtrack (post Prison Break)

Hold Me Like A Grudge by Fallout Boy (once again may be projecting AE rivals)

Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes (i feel this one is self explanatory)

Revolution by The Score (Manberg Revolution)

Street Fight by Adam Jensen (Duel arc)

The Champion by The Score (Duel again) (its not my favorite arc thats crazy)

Godhunter by Aviators (absolutely projecting AE rivals duo here)

spent the whole day with this playlist, didn't have enough brain cells today to process the lyrics unfortunately, because the whole day was kinda ass, but at least the music was really good, thanks for that Echo :)

i like how a lot of these would be very good for some epic animations, and it's how it supposed to be tbh. also love the drop in energy in the post-duel Little Dark Age in comparison to the duel arc songs. and i feel like i would really enjoy Godhunter once i regain them brain cells

also i wonder what your fav c!rivalsduo arc is afterall

[writing-domain]

It's time to share my addition to the hurt/comfort exchange 2025!

This year, the collection gathered over 300 works, including mine - I created not one, not two, but three works for the exchange! How cool is that! From three different fandoms at that!

I wrote for All For The Game, DSMP and Original Work.

CWs can be found in the end notes of all works.

There's Fire At Will, a work from the fandom All For The Game by Nora Sakavic. It's hurt/comfort, an AU focused on what would happen if Neil was the only one picking Andrew up from the hospital. It's fairly short, a little over 1k. Has some swearing, and references to canon-typical violence. I really enjoyed writing the tension between the two.

Andrew’s fingers drummed on the handle, but held the door open for Neil until he safely made it onto the pavement. “Did you hit your head too when you let yourself get beaten bloody, or is the staring a fun side effect?” To an onlooker, Andrew’s voice would sound completely level. Neil detected an edge to it he wasn’t sure how to interpret. “Let’s go.” If he didn’t know Andrew, Neil would say he sounded scared.

✨✨✨

I wrote for the fandom I've been in on and off for a few years, but never written anything for, DSMP. Gold is in the eye of the beholder follows Philza around the Butcher Army arc, and is a canon divergence around that time. It's a bit over 1k. Loved writing a miserable Phil, since the story focuses mostly on his POV during the streams.

On the day a guillotine appeared on the town’s square, Philza’s captors found his almost-finished tunnel. The young President waited for him in the basement, all fake smiles and disdain boiling under his skin, with two of his most trusted followers in tow. Both guards towered over the man – the boy, he was just a boy wearing a skin of a grownup – yet no one could mistake him for anything less than a fearless leader. His eyes tracked Philza’s every move, too weary to belong to a child. In the quiet moments, Phil mourned the death of the President’s innocence.

✨✨✨

Then we have Reflecting on stars, an original piece I'm really proud of, since I had to come up with the whole new world and flesh out the characters. It's sci-fi, but more down to earth. Its main character, Salem, is a retired general that's been sent to a distant planet, Lem. The story is character driven and there's a lot of angst. Really hope to write more about Salem and her love interest, Mar. The story is almost 4k and it's F/F.

Salem woke up in an unfamiliar bed, sweat dripping on the rough bed sheets. Over her head, there’s a lone window illuminating the mess she’d left on the floor. Were she still a private, her superior would tear her to shreds for leaving muddy boots near her bed. Then again, in her youth there was no mud to sully her soles, neither was there a Colonel to yell profanities at her for not cleaning the dirt that has already crusted on the wood floors. A pang of longing makes Salem look outside, where the Suns have yet to set. The twenty-hour cycle of the planet would take a toll on her, she heard when her feet first touched down, blood still fresh under her fingernails, but it would feel much better than the Federation’s strictly regulated day-night cycle. There was one word she heard Naturals call such situations, and Salem thought it described the situation she’d found herself in quite well. Hell.

✨✨✨

Congratulations to everyone who participated this year! It was a blast 😊