#cuz I have their backstory a bit more fleshed out

[fala-alfredo-pasta]

Just wanted to ask about your talentswap pics for Nagito and Chiaki. Does the Tragedy still happen in it, and if so does either or both of them become part of Ultimate Despair? Also if its only one of them, would Chiaki still die or would it be Nagito in her place. And lastly how are their relationships with their classmates altered in the AU?

I honestly didn’t think anyone was gonna remember my talentswap au much less ask about it in 2023 you have no clue how excited I am to write this lololol

I also wrote a little too much so I’m adding a read more because this got quite lengthy

Okay admittedly though, I didn’t think too too deeply into this au so some of what you asked is what I’m speculating could potentially happen probably.

The tragedy: Does in fact happen ✅ though not in the same way it went down in the games/anime

I’m not sure who will be the Ultimate Despair seeing as what really spurred Junko into becoming who she is was her ultimate analysis talent that basically made everyday life a general bore to her who can quite literally predict 99% of outcomes accurately. The only real excitement she got was when chaos struck and caused disorder in the usual schematics. She learned to thrive in not only her own perpetual despair of boredom but also in the despair in others—becoming the Ultimate Despair we know today. On top of which it’s because of this talent she was able to pull off the tragedy (and most of her schemes) to begin with so if I swap everyone in this au that would include her too. Not sure what unlucky soul would wind up with the Ultimate Analyst talent, but much like how Nagito’s talent greatly impacts the character’s personality and entire backstory, so too would this one. 

What I do know is that Junko would most likely NOT be the Ultimate Despair in this au. Though, that being said, she won’t be an entirely nice person either. I do believe that Junko has a personality type that leans more towards the mean side regardless. Her obsession with despair just made it extreme. (Although if Ryouko is anything to go by, perhaps she is a relatively nice person. ‘Course it’s hard to judge considering that Ryouko forgets everyone within 24 hours and so her relationship with others makes it hard to establish how Junko would treat them in the long term).

Something to note though is just because someone gets the analyst talent doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to be Ultimate Despair. After all, everyone’s getting swapped and maybe a character winding up with a wildly different talent impacts them enough to take up that title instead. Which is why I say the tragedy will most likely NOT go down the same way Junko orchestrated it. Which brings me to my next point:

Chiaki does not get sacrificed. For a couple of reasons: she’s not the class’ beacon of hope as her lucky talent causes Chiaki to become closed off in order to keep everyone in a far enough distance from her so they don’t get hurt. As such she’s more like the class cryptid at best. She’s still kind and values life, and most of her classmate see her like an aloof stray cat they’d like to befriend someday but runs away whenever you get close, but the bad luck she’s experienced has left her rather pessimistic and anxious. Also, since the Ultimate Despair isn’t Junko and might do things differently, not sure how many (if any) class 77 students are going to be sacrificed in the way Chiaki was.

Regardless, SHSL Gamer Nagito certainly wouldn’t be sacrificed seeing as he uh…doesn’t have the best reputation among his classmates. His woefully pitiful social skills, interest in concerning hobbies (*cough*bomb making/playing with literal fire*cough*), and romanticizing of people’s struggles (because he still loves hope in the form of how greatly it shines at the end of a storyline—and the harder the level=the more struggle one faces, the more satisfying and brighter that ending will be), doesn’t lend itself well to making friends irl. As such he wouldn’t be their beacon of hope. Just the creepy gamer guy.

More specifically he’s a rich kid who hasn’t struggled much in life besides his (unintentional) self-imposed isolation from others to focus exclusively on his games that crippled his social skills. As such, Nagito isn’t as humble nor as self-depreciating as OG Nagito is. You probably won’t like him as much as the original because of it. Yet, he’s still just as manipulative—if not more, to get what he wants, and for all his lack of social skills, he does have a way with words when he’s trying to give a “pep talk” to another player—I mean person—to keep them from quitting (if he finds the effort worth making/their storyline interesting enough). He’s grown a little tired of playing games alone (read: lonely and bored).

On the tangent of gamer Nagito though, he really would lend himself well to being a mastermind and perhaps, maybe to some capacity he is one. Or maybe even THE one. One of the ones anyway. Wouldn’t it be fun to see the world plunge into what resembles an apocalyptic survival game and seeing everyone deal with the most unimaginable struggle to date and watching their storylines play out? See who persevered? See whose hope was too weak and died like the disappointing npcs they are? But wouldn’t it be even more fun to be among them, to be player and participant?

Which is why, I feel like Nagito played a great part in the tragedy in that he helped make it happen. Though, I don’t believe he was the only mastermind. This was a team effort. Nagito ISN’T the Ultimate Despair after all. Just their co-mastermind. Because he would really like an immersive survival game experience where stakes are high and there’s much to lose. I really wouldn’t put it above him to request to be turned into a remnant too. After all, he has more fun playing the game than making it—it wouldn’t be fair if he started off with an advantage while everyone else already had the disadvantage of their morals being corrupted right? Course Nagito already had loose morals as is so how effective his remnant transformation is can be questioned. How much is he affected and how much is he playing the part for the sake of the game? Who knows~ A good player doesn’t reveal his skill set right off the bat y’know.

Chiaki, meanwhile, will potentially become a remnant as well. I say potentially because I feel she’d be a sort of in-between the way Original Nagito was. Not fully despair fueled as her other classmates, but also not entirely trustworthy either. This is due to her constant living with despair due to her luck with a combination of her innate kindness that fend off some of the effects of remnant-fication. As a remnant, she goes back and forth between wanting to cause despair and wanting to help her classmates (and the world) get better. In a way it sort of makes her one of the more unstable remnants, in that you don’t know when she’s here to genuinely help and when she might do something in a wave of despair. It’s like a coin toss and you gotta hope you’re lucky and get her in one of her helpful moods.

This has gotten long enough but dang this au really does bring me lots of joy to explore. If I had more time on my hands I would get into other characters and what their swaps are and how that’s changed their backstory but for now take this instead.

[pestercide]

...

[googleitlol]

HOO boy, this is a fun one. This part of the journey is one I've had knocking around my head since the beginning, mostly cuz I came up with it the same time I created Dove's backstory!

Dove Masterlist:

Monkshood

Laughter masks the crackling of the campfire you circle with your friends, the look of confused horror on Tripitaka’s face sending his disciples into three cackling messes, even you can’t help but chuckle at his expression. After hiking through the wilderness all day, your friends had set up in a moderately open space in the wooded terrain you’ve been travelling through.

This will be the last night you have to camp before arriving in the next major occupied space. Another kingdom awaits your group, but first you settle for the night in the seclusion of trees to rest. Cooking the rice a family had given you from a few days ago over the fire, and after some foraging, you all had taken seats around the fire to eat and talk.

Tripitaka sits against Ao Lie, who lies just behind him. “We have been on the road together for so long, and only now am I learning that all of my disciples have eaten human flesh?!”

“Many demons eat people, I find it more rare to meet one who doesn’t.” You shrug from your spot by the fire across from the monk. It does not surprise you as much to learn this, especially since the only vegetarian demons you know of are all in your company at the moment.

Pigsy lets out a sigh. “We are all strictly vegetarian now, even if I do miss the tender flavour of meat every now and again.” He looks into the fire, his eyes almost yearning until you whack his arm. “Hey!”

You offer an unapologetic smirk to the pig demon next to you, Wukong snickers on your left. “Maybe you shouldn’t work yourself up thinking about it, Pigsy.”

“But it’s difficult!” He complains, the look on his face wistful. “I can still remember the taste. I’ve only been a buddhist monk for a few years now, I’m not like you. How many years has it been since you have tasted meat?”

The question gives you a moment of pause. How long has it been now? “I honestly can’t remember if I’ve ever had it. I would have had to have been a child, then.”

A thought crosses your mind, and you can’t help but giggle. “I do remember a very close friend of mine, a boy named Da Jie. I had never met anyone who was so obsessed with food. He honestly could have eaten more than you, Bajie.” You shake your head, it isn’t often you think about those days.

“I highly doubt that.” Bajie snorts, crossing his arms with a prideful grin.

Sandy shoots you with an inquiring look. “Did this boy live in that village you mentioned by Potalaka Mountain?”

You freeze for a second, caught off guard by the question. “No, I knew Jie before I was a disciple of Guan Yin.”

“Before?” Wukong leans over, an inquisitive expression overtaking his features.

The campfire really is warm, isn’t it? You feel yourself sitting a bit straighter before answering. “…Yes, before. I had a life before I joined my master in her home.”

“I had just assumed you lived in that village by Guan Yin’s Mountain before joining her.” Wujing hums to himself a bit. “Where were you from before?”

The heat of the fire is certainly doing its job. “It, uh, it was a small village, not near any commonly-travelled roads. I don’t remember much, but there was a pond Da Jie and I would play by. On the way there he would chat my ear off, prattling about all the different plants we passed on the way and when we got there.” You smile as you recall those nights, and you can’t help but roll your eyes. “His father studied herbs for medicinal purposes, and Jie always had to repeat everything he learned. Sometimes if he found a flower he liked, he would ask his father what it was so he could tell me about its properties.”

“Flowers?” Pigsy grins, nudging you with his arm. “Sounds like more than just a friend.” He laughs, and Wukong reaches over you to swat him away.

He gives his brother a look laced with annoyance. “Stop that, they were only children children at the time–”

“I mean…” You trail off, glancing up at your friend to see his eyes practically bulging out of his head. All of them, in fact, shared the same look of disbelief. Even Ao Lie, who has been quietly picking at the grass beneath him, was almost staring into your soul.

All you can offer them is a shy smile. “You are right, Wukong, we were just kids…” The corner of your lips twitch, and you clear your throat. “…he may have liked me, and maybe I liked him, too. But it isn’t as though it matters anymore, they were just childish feelings. Even if he was still here, I am a buddhist monk, like the rest of you.”

“If it weren’t for you lot chastising me for it, I would have returned to my wife a long time ago.” Pigsy lets out a bark of laughter. “Wouldn’t you, as well?”

You take a moment before saying anything, playfully rolling your eyes and standing up. “I am going to find some more firewood, excuse me.”

Not waiting for a response, you turn to the woods to start gathering more wood. You aren’t entirely sure you will need more kindle for your flame, but it was getting much too hot in that seat. Any excuse for a walk in the cool night air is a welcome one.

Each of you have told numerous stories about each of your respective homes, you all enjoyed hearing about your friend’s life before meeting one another. Though, you guess all you’ve ever told them about was your life on Potalaka Mountain, so it makes sense they all seemed to be surprised you had another home. Still, you rarely ever think about back then, there isn’t much purpose in thinking about it.

Before you get too far, you hear the tang monk calling your name. Confused, you turn back to see Tripitaka hurriedly following after you. “Tripitaka?”

You pause long enough for the monk to catch up, the man glancing about at the shadows of the night. “It really is dark, I almost thought I wouldn’t catch up to you.” He laughs nervously, watching for movement from the corner of his eye.

“What are you doing out here?” You ask, and he turns back to face you.

“I thought I could help you.” He smiles, and you mirror the expression, albeit with a hint of confusion.

You turn to continue walking, the monk following behind. “Shouldn’t you have sent one of your disciples?”

“Perhaps, but I wanted to do it.” He responds. “Besides, I thought we could talk, too.”

“It sounds like you ‘thought’ of a lot of things.” You chuckle over his repeated use of the word.

The man shares your exhales quietly. “Yes, well I do tend to think a lot.” You glance back at him with a smile as he continues. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” You ask, slowing your pace when you find wood for the fire.

Tripitaka crouches down with you to start collecting the materials. “I may not be the most… perceptive of our friends,” you look back at him with a sarcastic smile. At least he can be self aware, “but you appear to be tense.”

You frown at his words, surprised. Are you tense? You do feel somewhat taut, but that might just be because he brought it up. “I think that was the first time you’ve ever mentioned your old home.” You stand as he continues. “I hope none of my disciples were prying too much.”

“It’s alright.” You smile, your voice light as you continue your walk. “It’s all in the past now.” Looking back, you see your friend following closely behind you.

His brows furrow while he readjusts his hold on his firewood. “If that is true, may I ask what happened?”

You stop, eyes focused on the forest before you. “What do you mean?”

You hear him let out an awkward laugh. “I know I complain about the troubles we face out on the road, and even though this pilgrimage is the most difficult thing I have ever done, I also dealt with my own grievances back home. It feels as though, maybe, you understand that feeling as well.”

It takes you a moment to respond, your gaze trailing to the forest floor as you take a long breath. “Perhaps, but I have dealt with it, so there is no need to worry. It–” Your eyes shut tight as you feel your voice almost crack, and you shake your head. “It was all a many years ago, hundreds really. Before you were even born.” You look back to offer him a smile, but the expression is not returned.

“But it wasn’t hundreds of years for you.” His words make you freeze, but you quickly shake it off. Even if he is right, it’s been well over a decade. You hardly even remember it. “I understand that you prefer to avoid these more sensitive topics, but if you ever feel like it would help to share, I am here. I’ve often found that when you ignore the past, it can still find ways to haunt you.”

“I am not haunted by my past.” You turn back to face the monk, surprising him slightly with your tone. Hearing the harshness in your voice, you quickly step back to take a breath. “I don’t think about that time too often, there’s no point in letting myself get caught up in feelings over something that was so long ago.”

He frowns, the look he gives you worried. “That does not sound like ‘dealing’ with it.”

“Well, it is.” You strain your smile a bit before turning. “The past is in the past, Tripitaka. Now, why don’t we collect some more firewood? Come on, there’s more over there.” Without giving him the chance to argue, you walk ahead to continue with your harvest, the monk eventually following to do the same.

A silence stretches over the two of you while you gather more fuel for the fire, and you find yourself glancing over to your friend every now and then. You appreciate his concern, it really is touching to know how much he cares. But you feel it isn’t needed. If anything, hearing the man voice his concerns only served to cause more stress.

Sure, there may be moments where you feel some grief. The nightmares still prod at your mind some nights, but the same would happen to anyone if they were in your position.

The less you dwell on it, the better. After all, it’s like you said. The past is in the past.

~~~~

The sun rises early the next morning, the summer heat quickly warming the surrounding land as you continue your journey. By midday, you and your friends arrive in the next kingdom on your route to the Buddha’s monastery.

It takes some time to navigate the roads within the walls of the kingdom before arriving in the palace. Before passing the gates of the palace, you perch on Tripitaka’s shoulder in your avian form. At this point, it’s become second nature to you whenever you enter a kingdom.

The process of recertifying Tripitaka’s travel documents tends to be easier when people believe there is only one human in his group of demonic disciples. It also doesn’t help that you do not possess any papers of your own, so putting on the guise of a dove was a much simpler solution.

After requesting an audience, Tripitaka is led into the palace walls with the rest of your friends. Your group is led through the halls of the finely decorated home of the king, and you find yourself watching servants and officials pass you from your position on the monk’s shoulder.

Pigsy huffs as they walk down a corridor. “Does anyone else smell that potent odour?” He asks, scrunching his face with a grimace. “It’s disgusting.”

Monkey scoffs at the question. “And here I thought that repulsive odour was coming from you.”

“Hey!” The younger brother whines, which only makes the simian snicker.

Despite their complaining, the smell doesn't bother you– likely due to their senses being so much more heightened as demons. Even without their level of smell, though, you catch sight of what may be the source.

The potential answer comes in the form of a man hurriedly walking past, cradling a bundle of purple flowers in a cloth. Their petals are lobed, almost hooded in shape. You almost want to frown, recognising the plant. Is that… monkshood?

What a bizarre flower to be carrying, and without any gloves? Sure, he has a cloth, but still. He seems to be in a rush… where might he be delivering those flowers?

Maybe it’s simple curiosity that pokes at you, but nonetheless you feel the need to satisfy your question. Taking off from Tripitaka’s shoulder, you follow the man with the flowers in hand. You make sure to stay close to the ceiling, hiding up high as you shadow the man.

He rushes through the halls, stopping only for a moment to hum to himself, then take another turn into a new corridor. You follow until he leads you to an open space within the palace, a fragrant aroma overtaking the scent of the monkshood he carries. Several species of flora greet you as the man walks down a stone path leading further into what appears to be a garden.

It is quite a large space, housing some plants you recognise along with some foreign ones you do not. They all share vibrant colours, some soaking in the warmth of the sun while others rest in the shade of tall trees. On the far side of the garden, a small pond is accompanied by a crimson-painted wooden bridge connecting the stone path from one end of the water to the other.

A man stands alone on the bridge, watching over the water. His robes are a deep blue, embroidered in white intricate patterns. His hair falls down his back, save for what is held in place by what looks to be a crown with a pin. Once the man with the flowers sees him, he rushes to meet him on the bridge.

“Ah, I thought you might be here.” The man bows in greeting while you perch on a tree just behind the pond, hidden within the leaves and branches. “For you, my Prince.” Prince, huh?

You see the royal look down at the flowers, his silence not offering much of a response. With the two men’s backs facing you, it’s difficult to gather much of a reaction until he speaks. “…Is this meant to be a joke?”

The deliverer sounds startled. “I am sorry?”

“Whose idea was this?” The prince throws the flowers to the ground, his voice low.

The man steps back at the gesture, holding his hands up in defence when the prince stands over him. “I-I am not sure, I was not given a name.”

The Prince lets out an angered huff, turning back to face the water. “…You may leave, get out of my sight.” You blink, a little put off by his dismissal of the one you followed here. The man seems more-so relieved at the words, quickly scurrying away once given permission.

What a rude way to react to flowers, even something like monkshood. It is strange, though, who would gift such a plant to a prince?

“What are we watching?” You jump at the voice next to you, letting out a squeak before looking up to find a familiar monkey demon watching the prince.

Calming your racing heart, you return to your human form to give the simian an annoyed look. “Wukong, what are you doing here?”

“I noticed you fly off and got curious.” He shrugs, his voice hushed as he glances back at you with a grin. He's clearly amused by your reaction. “Why are you following some flowers?”

You reply with a whisper, turning your attention back to the man on the bridge. “It’s monkshood. The entire plant is toxic, even touching it with your bare hands is enough to absorb the poisons through the skin.” You frown as you explain as the man leans against the railing of the bridge. What is he doing, sulking?

Why, it can’t be over the flowers, could it? He looked the same before the man upset him with the gift. “Sounds to me like a threat.” Wukong hums, and you feel your frown deepen.

There’s something else about him, but you aren’t sure what it is. This off feeling, one you can’t place. Something you can see, but just can’t reach.

You look back to respond to Wukong before something catches your eye. Farther back, past your tree, you notice movement in the shrubbery of the garden. A crouching figure hidden in the garden looks out over a tall bush of flowers, their eyes trained on the man on the bridge.

The bow in their hands makes your eyes widen, an arrow already notched on the string. You turn back to look at the prince, the man none the wiser to his stalker. The figure takes aim.

You immediately leap into action, turning back to your dove form for a split second to reach the prince before turning back. “Get down!” You tackle the man to the ground, shielding him with your body just as the arrow flies past. 

Taking your own bow, you nock an arrow and jump to shoot where you last saw the assailant. Another arrow flies by, and you duck down just as it lodges into the railing behind you. They’re covered too well, you can’t take proper aim before they’re able to shoot. You frown for a moment in thought before realising what to do.

Taking dove form, you fly into the air. You soar over the top of the tree you hid in before. The stalker looks out in confusion, seeming to have lost sight of you. You turn back with bow in hand, shooting at the attacker before they can tuck back into their place of hiding. Your arrow catches a pinch of their clothing, making them fall back as the arrow pins them by their shoulder to the ground.

Working swiftly, you jump from the tree and run to the attacker with another arrow already notched in your bow. However, when you get to their place of hiding, all that is left behind is their ripped clothing that’s still pinned down by your arrow. You scan the grounds, but whoever had been here, they are nowhere to be found now.

“Guards!” The prince calls from the bridge, and you rush to check on the man. Whether he was hurt or not, he must be shaken.

You run back to the bridge as the prince stands up, using the railing to support himself.  He turns to face you as you approach. “Are you alright, sir? Here, let me soothe your–” Before you can finish, your words get caught in your throat.

The prince looks back at you with wide eyes, eyes you could never forget. Your chest tightens, a strange constriction twisting at your heart. The features of his face, though older, are nearly unmistakable. You take a step back, convinced this is some trick of the mind. It can’t be, it’s impossible. The last time you saw those eyes…

“You there!” You both turn to the voice of a guard, several behind him approaching quickly. “Step away from the prince!”

Shoot. The guards run to you, but before they can do anything, you take to your avian form and fly off. What was that? How– that prince, he looked just… just like Da Jie. Maybe you are only seeing things, making connections where there are none.

 This is not what was supposed to happen. You didn’t want to get involved in anything, you were only curious! If the others hear you were chased away by palace guards, you will never hear the end of it from Sun Wukong–

Wait, where did Sun Wukong go?! He was in the tree with you, wasn’t he? He didn’t even help! What, did you imagine that, too?! 

Nothing is making sense right now. You just need to find the others and get away from here, maybe then you will be able to clear your head. You never should have separated from them in the first place.

It takes some time to reunite with your friends. Navigating the palace from the outside after following the man from inside proves to be a bit of a challenge, but in time you find them at the palace gates. Tripitaka is pacing by Ao Lie while Sandy stands between Pigsy and Wukong.

The Monkey King rolls his eyes at his brother, seemingly in the midst of an argument. “Just keep your mouth shut tomorrow, pig.”

“There she is.” Sandy points up in your direction as you fly down. You turn back as you land, and Tripitaka is the first to approach you.

He takes hold of your shoulders. “Where have you been? We have to find a place to stay for the night.”

Stay? You look back at your friends in confusion. “What, why?”

“Bajie offended the king.” Wukong leans over Tripitaka’s shoulder, much to Pigsy’s irritation.

“He offended me first!” The pig demon argues, gesturing back towards the palace. “He called me ugly.”

“He said he’d never seen a face like yours before.” Sandy reminds him, stepping forward.

Pigsy snorts in annoyance at his younger brother. “That’s another way of calling me ugly, it was all in his tone!”

Tripitaka looks back at his disciples with a sigh before turning back to you. “In all honesty, this king seems to be more, uh… sensitive. I was in the middle of apologising on behalf of Bajie when someone came into the room saying there was something urgent that had to be brought to his attention. They had us leave and said to come back tomorrow.” Oh.

Oh…

Wukong narrows his eyes at you as your face shifts, the circumstances brought to the king clear to you. The monkey demon hums aloud. “You would not happen to know something about this urgent matter, hmm, Dove?”

“…Um…” You glance at the ground, then back to your friends. Tripitaka is slack-jawed, Wujing’s eyes have never been so open in shock. An ever-growing grin stretches across Wukong’s face while Pigsy lets out a bellowing laugh.

“And here I thought Brother Sun and I were the only troublemakers.” He cackles, and you feel your face grow warm at the notion.

Your hands rest at your hips. “I did not cause any trouble! I just… I was curious and– ugh!” Your head droops down, everything is just happening too fast. “I need a second to unravel my thoughts. Can I explain after we’ve found a place to sleep for the night?”

Tripitaka frowns, taking a second of silence before nodding. “Very well, we should go.” At his word, your group leaves the palace grounds in search of a place to stay the night.

While looking, you opt to stay in avian form. It is likely better not to be seen in public while staying here now. You can’t be sure that the prince understood you were there to help, it isn’t as though you stuck around to explain yourself. Running off was probably even more incriminating in those guards' eyes.

You eventually find a post house to stay the night in. Once inside, your friends find the hall your rooms are in and you resume your human form. Wukong is grinning as you turn to face your friends. “I thought you were just following some pretty flowers, how did you manage to cause such a ruckus?”

“I did no such thing.” You send him an icy glare before backtracking. “I mean, I did do something, but I was not the cause!” The Monkey King crosses his arms in amusement, the others sharing a confused look.

With a sigh, you start over. “I was in the palace gardens when I saw someone was in danger. I saved the man being attacked, but his assailant got away.”

Sandy hums at your story. “So, you thwarted an assault?”

“I think so?” Your brows furrow as you replay the encounter with the attacker in your head. “The man called for the guards and I flew away once he was safe with them. I only hope they didn’t assume I was running because I was guilty.”

“If that man you saved knew you were there to help, then he likely would have told them.” Tripitaka does his best to soothe your concerns, and you do your best to believe him.

“Yes… still, it might be better if I stay here when you go back tomorrow. To avoid any more confusion.” You smile sheepishly, embarrassed over getting involved in this mess in the first place. At least you were able to save him, that man…

“You may be right.” The man smiles with a shake of his head. “We should get some rest. I will see you all in the morning.” 

With Tripitaka’s dismissal, everyone goes into their rooms. All except Monkey, who insists he needs no sleep. You enter your room, finding a bed against the wall and a closed window opposite of the door. Finally now with a moment to breathe, you lay back on your bed with a deep sigh.

The moment you close your eyes, you see his face. You must have just imagined it, how could he look so similar to Jie? No, it must have been your mind playing tricks on you. Wukong doesn’t seem to have known about your little detour, your head must be elsewhere today. It wasn’t him, how could it be?

Even so… you don’t want to go back. Staying back will be better. Tripitaka can have his papers sorted in the morning, and you can all be out of here before noon. This will all be nothing more than some bizarre daydream.

~~~~

Knock knock.

You turn when you hear a knock at your window, the morning light trickling in while in the midst of brushing your hair. “Monkey?”

“Ready for a rude awakening?” He cocks one brow up from his seat on your window sill, arms crossed and one leg crossed over the other.

The Great Sage always knows the best way to greet a person. “Good morning to you, too.” You offer a smirk as you finish with brushing your hair.

“Two palace officials came into the post house this morning.”

The brush drops from your hand, and before the demon can blink, you’re pulling him into your room by the lapels. “What?!”

Wukong is completely unbothered by your panic, laying limp in your arms with that same smirk. “I noticed them heading towards yours and Master’s room. If they haven’t come to you yet, they’re likely talking to him.”

Your head whips back to the door, and you drop your friend in your rush to get to it. He grunts when he hits the floor, but you pay him no mind. Opening the door as quietly as you can, you peek your head out to see Wukong was telling the truth.

Two men stand at Tripitaka’s door, the monk facing them with a nervous expression. “We were told that you entered this post house with a bird that turned into a woman. Would you be family?” One of them asks, your heart dropping to your stomach.

Tripitaka nods hesitantly. “We are travelling companions… may I ask what business you have with her?” He glances over to your door from the side of his eye, his brows shooting up once he sees you poking your head out.

The other official follows his line of sight, his eyes brightening once he catches sight of you. “Ah, you there.” You glare at the monk, who shoots back an apologetic look. “You must be the archer from the palace gardens yesterday, correct?”

Reluctantly, you step out into the hall as they approach, trying your best not to look nervous. “Uh, yes, I am.” There isn’t much point in running, it’s not as if these two would pose any problems for you if it came down to a fight. These two are innocents, though, and you don’t want to cause any more problems than you already have.

All you have to do is explain yourself. “I hope there was no confusion with what happened yesterday, I was only–”

“You saved our Prince Jian Yu from an assassination attempt.” The first official smiles, making you blink a bit in surprise. So they do know? That’s one good thing, at least.

Tripitaka looks between you and the two men in surprise. “That was the prince?!”

The second official turns back to face Tripitaka with enthusiasm. “Yes! The prince was quite stirred by her courage, nobody has seen him in such high spirits in a long while. We have come on his behalf to request the woman’s hand in marriage.”

The silence that follows his words fills the hall as you and Tripitaka share an expression of utter bafflement.

The monk trips over his words, suddenly forgetting how to speak. “I-I-I am sorry. D-Did I m-mishear you? Did y– Did you say m-marriage?”

“Yes.” The man smiles, too content to notice the horror that invites itself into your stomach, or your other companions exiting their rooms. “The king has already sent for a matchmaker, and would like for the woman to return so that she may be made presentable. After all the arrangements are made and the two are married, your papers will be recertified and you can be on your way with the rest of your journey.”

Tripitaka lets out a nervous chuckle as Monkey comes out of your room. “Ah… but, you see, she is actually meant to be on this journey with us.” He tries to explain, only for the two men to look back at each other with a frown.

“Surely you and your demon disciples will be alright on your own, no?” The first one reasons, gesturing to your friends who seem to be confused over what is being discussed. 

Other than Wukong, who you are sure has been eavesdropping through your door this whole time. “I am sure she will enjoy the comforts of the palace in comparison to braving the wilderness every night.” Can they stop talking as though you aren’t standing next to them?!

“She gladly accepts!” Everyone turns as Wukong gives them their answer, pushing you towards them as your jaw goes slack from shock.

Everyone looks to your simian friend, the demon grinning proudly at each bug-eyed face that stares back at him. Never have you ever sent such a sharp glare to a person in your life. “Wukong?”

The damage, however, is already done. “Excellent! If you would join us, miss, we will take you back to the palace with us. You will be shown where you will be staying for the time being once we arrive.” The first official practically radiates with joy, taking your one hand while his partner takes the other.

“Wait, hold on–”

“Prince Jian Yu will be thrilled to hear you have accepted.” The other official hums, seemingly ecstatic at your nonconsensual acceptance to the offer.

You look back at your friends as you're dragged away, Wukong snickering as though this were some amusing joke. You glare with a burning anger you have not felt in ages, the familiar fire of hating that stupid simian rising up through the depths of your soul.

Immortal or not, you will find a way to skin that monkey.

[friccafracc]

I'm assuming that Strandy is from the 50s-60s Era, or at least that was when he was human. I haven't finished TMA yet, but from what I've seen, there are a few ways that one can become an avatar; through actually dying or their humanity dying/"symbolically dying." Did Strandy actually die or just a part of him? And was it because of the Cold War or other reasons? Cuz it seems like he is still partially human.

surprise! he was not a great person while he was still human. TECHNICALLY he is still partially human, like he's still got a bit of humanity left in him (god knows how the hell he managed something like that given how long he's been an avatar.) If you're looking at this and thinking Patrick Bateman, you're correct! He's my main character inspiration for who Strandy was as a person and how he went about navigating the world. He's the embodiment of the "every white man looks the same" joke, as people constantly mistook him as someone else no matter what he did. To his credit, he did try to live as normally as possible. Perhaps a little too normally. The type of normal where people can tell you're trying. His transition into a fear avatar was gradual, but still purposeful. Chipping away at his humanity and individualism until the mask came into play.

I'll write more about his backstory and flesh him out a bit more if i have time later! :D

[tshortik]

Hiiiiiiiii 👀 👉👈 thats SUCH a cool redesign for Zariel, it got me so excited to DM a DiA campaign. Any tips for running it? I LOVE YOUR ART ITS SO AMAZING AND THE COLORS ARE SO PRETTY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT OKBYEE

Aww thank you so much! ❤❤❤ I LOVE Descent into Avernus, but my love is a complicated one. I do think it is a really good, albeit difficult module, to learn how to become a better DM, though... I will explain.

The lore in DiA is pretty flat and the campaign is pretty railroady by design. If you have a roleplay-heavy group, I think it is best to heavily alter the module and incorporate things in there, that are very relevant to your players. That is also its magic though, because you can make the conscious decision to just use DiA as a base and structure, that you then heavily alter. The premise of the main quest is cool and imo easy to follow, so taking that and shaping everything around it can be pretty neat. I don't think I would have learned as much as a DM, if I had just used a "perfect" module that already did everything for me. If that is not what one looks for though, that's also understandable.

Tips:

In DiA, the characters start in Baldur's Gate, which is imo the absolute worst decision I've ever seen. Elturel's fate is integral to the story, so I recommend having your PCs at least see what happens to Elturel. I recommend the oneshot The Fall of Elturel for that, where the PCs become witness to Elturel's fate from afar. It will also cover the low-level sessions in a neat way. Having at least one player character with a connection to that city also really helps. Otherwise, your PCs will just go "Oh wow how terrible. Anyway, I'm not from there anyway, don't know anyone from there, never been there, whatever lmao."

Some people cut out the Baldur's Gate part, but my group enjoyed that area a lot, so you can use it for roleplay-heavy sessions and fleshing out the lore. It is also a great sandbox to figure out how you as the DM will implement your characters goals and backstory into the plot, before venturing forth. Having a player character from Baldur's Gate or with a connection from there is also perfect. SPOILERS: Same thing with Candlekeep as well. It is a wicked cool location that is not explored in the module at all, but it might end up a very interesting mini arc for your PCs if you approach it on your own terms.

To flesh out the lore and make everything feel more lived in and logical (note: there are some very silly bits in the module, that would make a thoughtful player immediately go "that makes NO sense lol"), I recommend checking out the Alexandrian Remix. It can go on huge tangents that are unnecessary for your own means though, so don't feel like you have to stick to it 100%. It does have some really neat ideas and fixes for the lore though, and I have ended up using it more than the actual book lmao.

Avernus as a Sandbox is also great. In general, if you find a way to give your players choice in where they go in the Nine Hells, they will probably have a good time. I think they should def feel pressure and know of a goal, but also make sure that they have power over what road they take there, you know?

I mentioned Candlekeep – Elminster's Candlekeep Companion is also an amazing resource if you wanna flesh out that location. I have also heard of some people adding adventures from Candlekeep Mysteries in there, but I didn't do it myself cuz my players felt time pressure.

Contrast the evil, awful and depressing with moments that are nice and calm, even if it's just roleplay opportunities. Otherwise everything will feel like a drag. On the other hand, don't be afraid to then overwhelm your players by throwing a bit too much at them afterwards. High tensions and emotions are perfect for the setting imo, but you need to design it with ups and lows as to not overwhelm.

I have completely rewritten some of the Forgotten Realms lore, changed characters' genders and names and races in the book (Ravengard is a woman in my story, Reya is a dragonborn, etc.) especially about the deities. Don't be afraid to make the story your own. I also incorporated the player backstories heavily into the plot, which makes them sometimes go on completely homebrewed sidequests. Embrace that and don't be afraid of it!

Sometimes players also see connections where there are none, or they speculate about super wild stuff – and this might be controversial – but sometimes it is really neat to take some of those ideas (not all! otherwise there is no surprise) and make them actually relevant, even if they weren't before. If your players are engaged, that is always the best possible situation. Making some of their thoughts true can be on one hand extremely satisfying for them, and on the other hand they will make your own made-up-world much more interesting, because they collaborated unknowingly in making it so much richer and complex.

It really helps the flow of the campaign to have at least one PC that is: Morally dubious, or interested in deities, religion or lore. If not, you as the DM can attempt to make them more interested until they actually get to Avernus, through new goals or revelations. The themes of the Nine Hells have a lot to do with corruption and betrayal and emotions, so having characters with themes that go into that direction will make it easier to keep your players engaged.

This is my own opinion, but maybe play a couple devil npcs with this motto: There are certain good deeds only a devil can commit. Devils are the enemies, but they also have to become your allies. Your characters will be literally walking through a plane that is inhabited primarily by devils, and they will have to speak to some of them or parlay, if they don't want to be ripped to shreds immediately. Devils are smart and cunning, and many would prefer to talk it out, instead of risking their lives in the Nine Hells. This can also be an opportunity to explore corruption or redemption arcs, or to explore fiendish pacts. Both can flesh out the story tremendously. 👀

The setting gives you the opportunity to explore some esoteric and theological concepts. IF that is your jam (it is certainly mine), think about how you make that digestible to your players. They could find lore in a library, find strange ruins, meet a powerful deity, get visions by other deities, be manipulated by archdevils, etc. You don't have to leave it all as subtext, because devils and angels and otherwise literally become a central point of the campaign. Also don't be afraid to get weird about angels and devils. They are from a different plane – making them a little alien, letting them have absolutely wild opinions about the universe, not needing to fit them into our ideas of science – that is rly interesting stuff to explore as a PC and also DM. Resources (optional)

Flee Mortals by MCDM, Tome of Beasts (2023), Tome of Beasts 2, Creature Codex have really awesome monsters

Encounters in Avernus

The Encyclopedia of Demons & Demonology by Rosemary Ellen Guiley is a book that I own privately for some creative projects, but I got some neat inspiration from it for my campaign too!

A lot of the lore in Dnd is very questionable, but especially in the older versions you can find some wild and creative shit (and also lots of problematic rubbish you can just filter out lmao) that is mentioned once and then never again. Little nuggets like that usually inspire me the most and a simple sentence can spawn an entire lore or mission idea for me. Some books that you might find interesting (try to find a pdf version online cuz they aren't printed anymore) are Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (3.5), Guide to Hell (2e), Manual of the Planes (3.5).

[kudzucataclysm]

OKAY SINCE NOBODYS ASKING BUT AT THE SAME TIME EXPRESSING INTEREST I will give a barebones rundown on these 4 until i do the powerpoint. BE AWARE that each’s backstory is under heavy reconstruction due to the fact that theyre moving over from another wip entirely but their base personalities should be the same-

Dorian: hes from the UK. his hair is BLONDE, NOT WHITE. hes an arrogant spoiled loser whose family just took a beating down the social ladder so hes got all sorts of hubris and an unfounded sense of superiority. was sick a lot as a kid and so becuz of that was isolated from others…he can certainly be a jerk/bastard/ignoramus but he truly does experience empathy and cares abt people (cuz of certain Events in his Youth), he just doesnt really know how to…express that ig. hes currently stuck in america as the photographer for some storm chasers. germaphobe. afraid of homeless ppl

Raleigh: a 7 foot tall bioengineered supersoldier of sorts from Louisiana, where she spent half of her youth as an oil pirate in the gulf of mexico and the other half under the care of a catholic priest in deux orleans. shes super cool and chillax, loves helping people, has an interest in fungi, so why is she a storm chaser? i dunno yet but she does provide a pretty good layer of security for the team when theyre traveling through the southeast and the plains. has all the energy in the world and probs the most competent/trustworthy person to meet ever….umm she is also very blunt and reckless. she does not value her own life a lot so she is always getting injured. erm…tramsgender

formerly-osea: i am still figuring out his new name leabe me aloen…uh he is an aspiring revolutionary of sorts. hes def a stereotypical twitter leftist of sorts and likes to talk abt burning down police stations and walmarts but doesn’t do any of that. he reads a lot of theory but doesnt practice. he also has some anger issues and struggles a bit with his roots as the son of asian immigrants in america…hes very selfish and has an inferiority complex but hes super optimistic and charismatic so thats cool…he and raleigh r very mischievous. hes the radar tech

West, formerly Windsor: this guy is from the western US hence his name, but he never tells anyone where hes from exactly or what he used to do. as of rn im thinking like, former militant for some terrorist organization lol. hes done a ton of shady shit and war crimes…hes always bored and tired. always likes to listen in on what people r talking abt and what theyre doing. hes not very good at making friends but he is like, super reliable and down to earth. he does a lot of driving for the team and helps with navigation…also tramsgender 🙂‍↕️

AND THERES MORE PEOPLE ON THE TEAM BTW!! i just have to flesh them out…so theres like 8 or 9 peeps on the storm chaser team plus one pygmy goat. i will have a post for them as well hopefully

[3motionally3xhausted]

Kiss Kiss Fall into another old hyperfixation

Anyway, I randomly wanted to redesign the main cast of Ouran in my style/ with headcanons and my own embellishments

Here's a screenshot redraw, I'll put all the redesigns below the break bc I did all the main characters & wanna talk about the choices I made. Also I made up that uniform redesign on the spot bc I when I was doing the characters I just put them in casual clothes lmao

(I might do some others later, like Renge, Kasanoda, Yasuchika, Benibara, etc.)

Going in order of my least favorite to top favorite. And dont mind that I didn't color the clothes, that's not whats important here lmao

Mori is only at the bottom because I don't like the drawing that much, I still think the design is pretty good. Though, like right when I finished coloring, I decided a bun/top-knot would look better so it's a bit disappointing there. In my head, Mori is kind of struggling to figure out who he is & what he wants to do, which is why he follows Honey around and doesn't talk much. He does genuinely like being around the other hosts though.

Also, the undercut because A) he has the reputation for being the scary one & it kinda suits that, B) uh do I even have to say it? ...its hot He does lowkey look like Sokka from Avatar tho, especially with the blue accents

(edit: I accidentally deleted Mori's file so now this is the only copy so 😭)

Honey is next because again I think the drawing itself is a little off and the design is pretty close to Basil from Omori, which i didn't notice until it was too late lmao. One of the main things I didn't like about his character in the show was obviously how childlike he was & how girls still flirted with him even though he looked and acted 6; So now he still acts a bit childish but doesn't play it up as much & definitely has a more normal voice, not a fckn child's.

Haruhi! I definitely had to keep her glasses cuz they were really cute and kinda sold the whole 'commoner' thing in a way. But other than that I mainly wanted to balance out her femininity and masculinity to make her more androgynous/nonbinary/gender-fluid since she definitely has some of that going on in the show as is. I also gave her dark circles under her eyes to kinda show that she worked really hard to get into Ouran with low status.

Next up is Tamaki of course, getting into the characters I'm most happy with the designs of. One small thing I tried to do for each of them was give them varying hair tones; so even though Honey and Tamaki are both blond, I went very platinum-blond with him. When I started drawing him, my only real thought was "he has to be a pretty boy" so I dont have much to say about my choices, but i do think I succeeded. Don't mind the modern mullet thing, I can't stop it

Kyouya is definitely one of my favorite characters as is, seeing as he has one of the more fleshed out & heart-wrenching backstories in the show. I think the only thing I really wanted to change was getting rid of the Anime Bangs, so I just gave him this kinda sleek, kinda messy pushed-back look with a blue tint. Even though it's simple, I really struggled to come up with anything, until I found a page from the author saying smth like "I don't like the idea of him wearing neat clothes" with a picture of him in like a track suit so I did kinda the same outfit

My absolute #1 favorites, Hikaru & Kauru. They're honestly the ones that started it all because Kauru has been my favorite since I first saw the halloween episode (iykyk).

I don't know why, but I wanted their hair to be fluffier/curly and more of a natural(?) ginger color. I knew I wanted Kauru's to be redder and Hikaru's a bit lighter/blonder, but only subtly. I also gave Kauru a scar on his cheek from that time in Karuizawa, but most notably, I gave them blue and pink eyes as their signature colors. Lastly, their expressions are slightly different, because no matter how much they are in sync and try to match each other perfectly, Kauru's a much gentler soul than Hikaru, so I made Hikaru's smile a bit more snarky while Kauru's is soft.

Thank you for looking at my art/ reading my thoughts, here's an extra little design edit & comparison

(lol, I think they're mimicking Kyouya in this panel idek) (Also here you can see I tried the bun hairstyle w Mori, I think it looks good, but this is a really simple drawing so.)

[robotlesbianjavert]

what would you say are horikoshi's biggest strengths as a writer and what are his greatest weaknesses?

ooh that's a really good question that i've had to think a lot about. it's difficult cuz while i've read his tenko oneshot and the original my hero oneshot, i haven't read his other two multi-chapter works (oumagadoki zoo and barrage) (though i have seen the raw scans of his other oneshot shinka rhapsody thanks to @codenamesazanka). boku no hero academia is obviously his work i'm most familiar with, and it's difficult to use mostly that as a metric for his skills overall.

on the other hand, bnha lasts for so much longer than his other works and is also so much more recent, so it's the main work that has to show off how growth or lack thereof as a writer, as well as his biggest challenges due to how punishing the manga industry can be and how it would have forced him into situations he may not have experienced with his past works. so in a way, bnha kind of has to be judged a biiit separately from the rest?

anyways with those caveats aside. his greatest strength is always and forever his art, which in manga is at least half of the writing. he has this special little touch with physicality and emotion that like. it's hard to describe how exactly it's different from other artists, who are also often great with physicality and emotion! but horikoshi's art often has that extra bit of weight to it that really sells it to me.

like i've said previously, i also think that he does have a knack for character writing that shines best when he's working with complicated, rough around the edges characters who aren't straightforward goody-two-shoes. shigaraki and bakugou i've already said are great examples of this. endeavour can get more difficult to talk about in this context due to the baggage around him, but i'd maintain that a lot of the series best writing does go to him, shouto, and the rest of the todoroki plotline (although it struggled a bit at the end there). twice, while ultimately a really nice guy, is still a very complicated criminal who gets theeeeee best development in the series. obviously there's toga, normal cute girl of all time.

a lot of that extends to horikoshi's affection for his minor/side characters as well. while i don't think he always nails it with integrating them into the story (fucking shouji. also vigilantes honestly did parts of this better), he does obviously put a lot of thought into them even when he doesn't get to use it. this is part of why i adore spinner so much, because he's that very typical minor side character who could easily be written out but instead gets a fleshed out and evocative role of his own.

i also think that horikoshi has a really strong instinct and potential for great horror/horrific material. again, this is where shigaraki proves himself horikoshi's best character - everything from his initial character design with the hands, the hints and insinuations about his backstory dropped over the first and second acts, all culminating in the beautifully gruesome shimura family massacre that just hits every single fuckin time. i honestly think it's one of the greatest payoffs in the series, basically bar none. (i know people try to give that title to the dabi reveal, but i keep getting taken out by how abrupt that particular instance is) it's the horror moments that make his art especially shine, he comes up with great scenarios, and honestly when he mentioned wanting to try his hand at a horror work after bnha i'm like, all in.

but that kind of segues into my biggest criticism of his writing - he holds back. he gets meek, he doesn't go all in. he had some interview where he admitted that the yakuza arc took a lot out of him because of how dark it got,

this extends to the entire series, especially in how the third arc has shaken out. deku and all might are really big victims of this, where there is absolutely a lot of complex development and criticism you can do with the way their characters are set up, but the story backs down from that to go "well maybe they're just. too heroic sometimes. self-sacrificing. that's an issue right." the 'dark deku' arc is a joke because while deku does extend himself beyond his limits, he never gets to the point of causing real harm to himself and those around him before class 1a swoops in.

i also have my conspiracy theories about hawks and how the fallout of his murdering twice was soooooo weak, where i think the popularity of hawks and his status as a hero scared horikoshi off of doing anything more critical with him, instead feeding that overwrought backstory as a distraction and giving the whole "government sponsored murderer who is wracked with guilt and bitter about the hypocrisy" to nagant. who again he didn't go hard enough with because then deku would have like, something outside of shigaraki to actually deal with. and would have to question the society that he's protecting. whatever.

he's also been so half-assed with the critique and deconstruction of hero society that he's set up, only to hastily and clumsily reconstruct it because superheroes are too cool to reeeaaaaaally say anything about, and also hero society has too many parallels with real life modern society, which might be awkward to critique in a youth magazine meant to satisfy as broad an audience as possible.

and then there's the heteromorph arc. goddamn the heteromorph arc. if you follow me you've probably read this but @stillness-in-green's conclusive write up of heteromorph discrimination as it's been laid out throughout the story and how that arc failed, which i think really signifies either the ways that horikoshi doesn't dig as deep into the concepts he brings up as he should, or doesn't realize how deep he needs to go with them.

i don't know if part of the way that horikoshi holds back or lands on the most boring resolutions for some of the ideas the story brings up is in part due to not wanting to rock the boat culturally, if he doesn't want to accidentally turn readers away after he's worked so hard to get to where he is now as a mangaka, or if it's the workload wearing him down, but it leaves the story half-formed.

i also think his other greatest weakness, which is a brutal one for shonen, is that he kind of fucking sucks at interesting fight scenes. like how much stuff ends with deku giving a big punch. it is my honest and greatest opinion that it should have been iida fighting muscular and uraraka fighting stain either alongside or in place of deku - their characters just had so much more to gain there. but i can also imagine all the fanboys who only care about power stats sneering and asking what iida and uraraka could have possibly done, which i think really speaks to a lack of creative thought not just in the fanbase, but in the writer. horikoshi can spin up all these cool and unique powers, but struggles to do anything really engaging with them. given that shonen fight scenes double as big character moments, it leaves a lot to be desired. big punches can only be inspiring so many times.

anyways. there's probably a lot more i can say. but that involves retreating more of the story than i am willing to do so right now. so alas.

[crithaus]

I wanna make some things like very clear to the new Vox Machina fans coming from the animated show to our humble home. Really I wanna settle some of the score about my best girl Vex'ahlia.

Now I know, I know that with so incredibly much source material to try and condense into just 36 22 minute episodes naturally some stuff is gonna be cut out or missed or edited, and TLOVM is it's own canon true, but what with it being Vox Machina but abridged it makes sense to me that it can be directly compared and perhaps found a bit lacking in regards to its source material, and so here I go.

They're not treating Vex with total fairness to be honest. A lot of her best early moments in VM are taken out or given to other people in TLOVM, like her first brush with death with Delilah in the Briarwood arc (it was her that got attacked by Delilah and almost died, not Keyleth, but like this one I get ig. The Twins and Percy held like the campaign record for being down and hurt the most like Sam had to deliberately change that so this wasn't hours of the twins just being near death like I'm not happy but I get it), or season two changing how she found Trinket (Vax was nowhere near her when she ran into those poachers) and mainly the portrayal of Vex as this snippy, mean, jealous, callous, unfeeling bitch without any of the uncertainty inherent in her or the tender moments to flesh her out.

Like in VM proper she's rude and a little snippy sure but that's borne of an established backstory of emotional neglect and the crushing trauma of poverty and Vax literally being the only other person who genuinely loved and cared for her after the mother who's arms she was ripped from was burned alive, (y'know after Syldor the worst dad god ever created literally abandoned them with their mother for 10 years while they were dirt poor (but happy, Elaina is the best mom to live ever), dragged them away from her for 5 in which time he destroyed her and Vax's self esteem, let the whole racist ass town he was ambassador of harass them along with harassing them himself and forced them to be the perfect quiet little doll heirs he only decided he wanted after 10 years of no 'true blooded' kids of his own) and then when they ran away, saw their mother had been murdered in her home by a fucking dragon had to spend the next several years at only like 15ish stealing (in Vex's case haggling and hunting) to survive! Like Vex's hangups around money are from the period in her life where she as controller of her and Vax's meager finances was in charge of making sure they didn't starve to death in the woods somewhere, at 15 she and Vax had to keep themselves alive with no help from anyone but each other, her haggling any and everyone down is a direct response to that.

And oh boy Syldor? Syldor? And his bullshit expectations and neglect are the reason she's so chronically unsure of herself and so desperate to keep being Vax's favorite. You think Keyleth is unsure of herself? Buddy you have seen nothing. Vex's confidence in herself is a facade and literally the longer you know her the more obvious that becomes. She's so slow to let other people in and equally slow to trust cuz she's been hurt so brutally and the few times she relaxes enough to do something for herself (side eyeing the broom incident), she gets narratively punished for it! Bro, the night before meeting with Syldor Percy finds her in tears obsessively polishing her armor cuz she's so desperate even after all this time to prove to Syldor that she is someone, that she isn't the diluted little half-breed Syldor always looked down his nose at (and then Percy, who never again was fooled by her false airs and stepped up to do The Sweetest thing god ever created), like...she's fucked up! And lonely! And wants nothing more than a stable home and people who genuinely like her.

Them leaving their home in when the conclave first attacked Emon drove her to tears because it was the first home she'd had in so long and now they had to leave it. She's got so much depth and she is so endlessly kind too. Every time she sees someone whose circumstances mirror her own she doesn't hesitate to open her purse for it. (her freeing those kids??? Anyone???) She's no Keyleth or even Pike to be sure but she's so sweet. Keyleth goes tearing off up the Sun Tree, Vex follows. Grog gets swindled by some punkass merchant? Vex goes tearing off after him, all her interactions with Vax to be honest she might have Little Sister disease but still, she is so endlessly kind and good and it's not as overt as Pike's genuine goodness or Keyleth's earnestness, it's slightly more subtle but always present. She's the beating heart of Vox Machina, she encourages them all, (just look at what they tell Pelor I mean.... And and I could go on and on about how the fact that she's the champion of the god of Life, Light and the Sun means so much narratively but I mean I doubt I need to I mean it's Pelor), They all look to her and Vax for guidance, look at what they do to fucking Saundor for him merely taunting her, (yes it's more deep than that I know), they literally get stuck in hell and wait there, in the middle of HELL for her cuz they can't/won't move on without her.

She's brilliant, and clever, and broken and 'greedy' and a bitch yes true, but she's so much more than that, and I'm not even gonna tell you to watch the podcast cuz fuck Orion tbh and y'know I am a hater and a gatekeeper both and am totally fine being in the little niche of of vox machina likers, but if you want substance, if you want all of her because god is she compelling, then take your cues from the podcast and not the show.

The show is new, and still ongoing, and I hope they start letting her shine as she was always meant too in later episodes, but she is the heart and soul of Vox Machina and y'all better put some respect on the name of Lady Vex'ahlia De Rolo, Champion of Pelor, Baroness of the First House of Whitestone and Grandmistress of the Grey Hunt, Coinmistress and Treasurer of the Tal'dorei Council.

[mugsy]

Good god I haven’t actively posted any art for this fandom in forever. Ummmm hi I listened to Prison of Plastic again recently and it infected me with brain worms. Oops! Anyways I took those worms and decided to revamp an old ee oc of mine so: here’s Collin! I changed quite a bit about his whole backstory and aspects of his personality and now he feels more like a fleshed out and likeable character to me! Yay!

One aspect that used to exist for him was like. He was a childhood friend for Sylvie? Or smth? I decided to change that bc Sylvie would never have friends SO now it’s like. They’re basically strangers that went to the same school but they were in different classes and they didn’t really know each other? But they were both NERDS so they ended up getting compared every now and then. I think it’d be incredibly funny if Sylvie was specifically still holding a grudge over a time when he was like 7 and he lost the spelling bee by one (1) point cuz he got all flustered. And it’s like something that only resurfaces when he sees this guy’s face it’s like a sleeper agent awakening with the express purpose of acting so incredibly childish and petty over a loss from when he was a CHILD

Even funnier to me is the idea that Collin barely remembers this guy. Anyways here have a comic I spent an excessive amount of time on

[yonpote]

how long have you been playing ffxiv for? what class/es do you play? :3 i love seeing other phannies play ffxiv!

i started playing on free trial in 2021! i was free trial until literally this month cuz i just really wanted to play with my friend but didnt wanna wait for the servers to let in free trials again after dawntrail lol. i still only have the starter pack and i havent played in a bit and my sub runs out in literally two days so idk when i'll resub. (i should at least play today....)

i play two characters, one on primal and one on dynamis.

this is my primal character, arc! hes basically a memey catboy that i made just to fuck around before i thought i would get invested in this game. he's mainly a bard but rn im questing darknight cuz i thought it would be fun to learn how to tank and i heard the storyline for drk is really good. my joke narrative for arc has always been that he's a catboy who wants to transition into a bunnyboy (for ppl who dont know u cant play as a bunnyboy on free trial.) i only bought the starter pack so i still cant be a bunny cuz male vieras are only available in endwalker i think? so we stay catboy until i can afford all the expansions lmao. i think when i make him a viera i want him to have a more fleshed out backstory :)

this is my dynamis character, mori (also they both have goofy ass hats on leave me alone im msqing and job questing not upgrading fashion) he is a demon dragon boy who i basically wanted to be where i channeled all the edginess into, i havent exactly figured out the lore behind him cuz i need to do more research on the au ra race tbh lol. ive been kinda double classing as scholar and ninja, i wanted to have a casting class cuz my left arm is really shit so moving around a lot in game genuinely takes a physical toll TT but i am just more used to dps cuz i was raised on action games and not mmo's so i also picked ninja cuz i wanted to fulfill my naruto dreams....

[moonshine-nightlight]

Being sick for the past week meant that I had nothing better to do today than lay in bed and refresh tumblr waiting for chapter 34, and seeing it at the very top of my dash was the highlight of my day! The wait was definitely worth it, my health for the duration notwithstanding lol

SPOILER WARNING FOR PAST CHAPTERS IDK HOW TO PUT READ MORES IN ASKS I'M SO SORRY

You made the right call taking the extra time to edit this doozy of a chapter—figuring out how to share Dale's exposition in a way that made sense and fit into the events of the story while maintaining tonal consistency must have been quite the process, between the restrictions of Sana's POV, regency genre conventions, and the story's (heh) natural climax being Dale's identity "reveal" followed by the wedding. I'm very curious if you currently have any ideas for how you're going to tackle this exposition in the novelization, or if you're inclined to handle it differently at all!

@weasellyferret

i hope you're feeling better! i'm so glad you enjoyed the new chapter!

i hav no idea if u can even put a read more in an ask anymore and i can't hide it now but my answer will be under the read more

thanks! i think some people really underestimate how helpful even self editing is to make things coherent, especially for a long chapter like this one that covered so much but also was literally just two ppl talking to each other (ppl lov to say they'll take any update, but lik, thats cuz they dont knooow lol and i dont just want it to b passable, i want it to b good).

with lore/backstory like this i also have to make sure it makes sense to readers who havent read any of it before nor know any of the even more info that I know because there's even more worldbuilding and dale backstory that wont end up in the story.

i'm glad u think i pulled it off to any degree because i was still pretty nervous when i was posting it that it did make sense, fit in the world, was followable, interesting but not just exposition monologue, etc

yeah, chapter 30 where they have the reveal convo is the primary climax of the story and that's also 'just talking' in a sense so its interesting to write this story in that sense lol

while i had the broad outline of the world and dale's backstory from the beginning (i did a little exercise where i sketched out a sort of Dale POV of chapter 6 to get into his mindset which was super helpful) as I wrote the story a lot more of that info became fully fleshed out/defined. so for the novelization, i'll probably try to work more of the info in earlier or have better allusions to it, which will make some of the info in chapter 34 more of a quick confirmation than the exposition itself

ie i might add a chapter with more detail on Sana researching with Dale's books that Bilmont smuggles and plant suspicions of what went wrong with the summoning; i might adjust the chapter after the attack to be more of a convo about the assassination that the grandparents interrupt where Sana can suspect more of Dale's past etc and generally spread out what i can so its more foreshadowed/natural - things like that

other aspects sort of have to be told to Sana because its POV limited, evn when it is updated to 3rd POV. i'll probably do a straight POV swap and minor edit ; then take a look at it as a whole, reassess things on my own, run those ideas by some writer friends/betas and get their thoughts, and finally my editors (who i used for DSM) are also very good with making sure worldbuilding fits in right and so their advice will be helpful - especially since they will only get the draft i giv them without knowing how it was and what changed etc

once chapter 35 is out (which i'm still writing because smut is a challenge to right and i write it more slowly than other things) i'll start slowly editing and passing along to betas the rest of the story (i've got thru chap 11 done and betas who only read those and who are chomping at the bit - u think u've had a long wait? lol) but it will be spring by the time i do any big edits/revisions and then i'll giv it to the editors, who i already lik, semi-lined up for that time period and idk how long they will take because its a long book and then i'll need to process their edits too so it'll be a lengthy process, but i hope everyone knows it will 100% b a novel and i hope they enjoy it!

now back to stabbing away at the smut writing ;)

[britcision]

So one critical trap I see people falling into in their writing and role play is wanting to skip ahead and keep the emotional impact

Which, vibes. I have absolutely written scenes out of order to get to the good shit, it’s great. But the thing that really really matters, especially in rp where you’re building the story live is going back to fill in the in betweens

You know exactly what you want for a scene and how you want it to feel; great! This is important! And if you want other people to get there with you, there is a bare minimum build up you need to do

Note: not everything needs much, or even any build up, especially if you’re just scatting or posting prompts! You can only do the scene you care about!

(Although you might wanna at least sketch anything you need to have happened before to make the bit work)

And honestly, if you don’t wanna put thought into the whys and wherefores, you can deadass just lampshade it a lot of the time with something like “because of The Reason” or “idk why on we go” because that gives a level of honesty, and brings us with you on this instantaneous emotional journey

It tells us the idea isn’t fleshed out, isn’t done, and isn’t meant to be, and I respect that one fuck of a lot more than a vague hand wave

Cuz this is something one of my players had a LOT of trouble with in sessions too

They had scenes they wanted to do, and they wanted to do them the second they thought about them

Whether it made sense for the game or not, whether they’d even mentioned anything similar before or not, whether it directly countered their own backstory or not

They explicitly closed themselves out of the main action and group scenes in major moments because they wanted a specific Alone And Tragic scene (and it works super duper well if you’re gonna miss a session! Free excuse for absence!) or “the character wouldn’t do that”

(I fucking hate that phrase it is so lazy just say “I don’t wanna think about it”)

But the thing you really need to remember, and I’ve mentioned it before:

If you want other people to go on the emotional journey with you, you need to build the moment

If you’re presenting a finished lil chunk of writing, you’ve gotta finish it. You’ve gotta go in between the first cool scene you want and the last cool scene you want and actually flesh out the middle some

Cuz the readers can tell when you don’t care and didn’t think about it and just slapped sentences together

When you’re roleplaying and want a really impactful scene, every single time you gently foreshadow it you can add to the emotional impact, and when you just slap it down out of the blue? People are gonna be confused, not whatever you’re going for

Writing is hard, improv is hard, and there’s nothing wrong with admitting you’re not interested in a chunk and avoiding it when you’re just fucking around

You’re just also not gonna get the same impact you could get by taking the time and building up the moment

And if you want that impact, if you’re gonna be hurt or upset or confused if you don’t get the response you’re going for, holy fucking shit you NEED to build up the moment

[bombontheevilcat]

Tactics Ogre Reborn: My Little Anecdotes Turned Accidental Character Rant?

(wall of text warning)

Recently finished my first playthrough of Tactics Ogre Reborn and I feel the need to gush so enjoy this as I throw it into the darkest depths that is my tumblr. I (kinda surprisingly) really enjoyed this game (honestly I love tactics games and story-heavy games so I really don't know why I was so surprised in the first place ^^''), I wouldn't call it perfect by any means, I do have quite a few issues I'd like to touch on (Palace of the Dead say hi) but like it is really good, def recommend (also out of context spoilers?)

Having just completed the main story’s chaos route with the princess ending (I think it was called that), it’s a lot to take in. I think the story and characters really shined in chapter 2 and chapter 3 but I was a little bit disappointed in the resolution in the final chapter (4), A lot kinda happens but there is a lack of character drama since protag-boy Denam is mostly alone and it being my first time through a lot of the bigger plot points felt a little lost on me (kind of my fault though cuz I got burned out in chapter 4 because of the amount of side-content and especially *The Palace of the Dead*, I’m getting to you). One really nice detail I think is the character notes you get after every battle or cutscene, it doesn’t just add details about your characters but villains, antagonist and just generic units you have to kill (say Yay!). It really gives you the sense that everyone has their own life and it makes it that much more painful when you have to take others.

Character-wise I enjoyed the cast a lot, I both like and dislike the fact that you have to go out of your way to learn about the side characters though. It did make every detail more rewarding and memorable but at the same time I would have liked *some* indication as to how I was suppose to know beforehand? Like, take Arcylle’s backstory with Leonar being locked to in-battle dialogoue which can be missed or just accidentally cut short if you finish the battle too early, and that’s just one of many. This is not the game for people who need a perfect playthrough cuz you will lose your mind. 

My personal favorite characters were the Four Phorena Sisters (especially Cistina and Sherri), Arycelle, Hobyrim, Cressida and Catiua. I kinda desperately wish we had a proper resolution to the Sisters since they are kinda built up in chapter 2 and 3 but nothing ever happens, they never get to talk with each other once they’re finally together again, that would have been a great ending scene instead of just three silent characters and one pursuing the main character, which didn’t really add anything (other than sequel-teasing I guess? Whoops). I wish more time could have been dedicated to those kinds of interactions, I would have loved a support-like system, or just more optional scenes thet aren’t obscured, to flesh out the characters even more. Still I think it’s impressive how they manage to make you think so much about the characters and want to learn more about them despite the lack of dialogue or story around them. Also not saying I want more dialogue for dialogue’s sake but I want to see proper resolutions to character arcs that were teased throughout the story.

Similarly I think Catiua deserved better. She’s a really interesting character being led astray by insecurities and being kind of selfish, only really caring about herself and her family, but I think that makes her a very human character. I think the moment with Denam where she realizes just how strong their bond is, “blood be damned” is really sweet but 4 her character development does a 180* way too quickly. It feels a little unearned having her “queen persona” yap on about duty and people when she herself didn’t learn anything about that in the story we see. It would have added more to her character if she was allowed some agency when she joined the dark knights, kind of like Vyce’s pathetic walk to doom.

I do wonder though if some of my complaints will be rectified in other story routes cuz it could definitely be possible that they split up some story events or things change so much that some characters become more relevant in the main story? (but in that case just take it as a complaint about the Chaos route specifically idk)

I almost forgot to rant about the palace of the dead which is a 100 floor dungeon (which is ridicolulsly long, 24 hours, I’m no christian but jesus christ) that I walked into blind, proceeded to lose my mind cuz it was never ending, only to find out I was 50% through it and got to stubborn to quit so then I dropped the game for like months (only really doing a few battles every now and then) but I finally freed myself this week, it is no more, never attempt this. Your one reward for beating the boss is one 30 second ending scene being alterted (anything for you Cressida <33 //but not really) and an item that skips the dungeon which…thanks would have liked that beforehand but I will take it for the postgame dungeons.

Also slight note but having looked up some character details I found out the naming of the characters is based in goetia mythology (specifically the names of demons) but not all characters match their derived demon. Arycelle starts out as air-based in the game but her name is derived from Alloces who is associated with fire? smhsmh

[jaynovz]

for the fanfic ask game: what work of yours do you feel is the most underappreciated/do you wish got more attention? could we have a small sample of a bit you like?

Okay I thought about this for a long time, cuz I WANTED to say the FlintMadi series or maybe hanahaki or petplay ot4. honorable mentions lol.

But I think the True answer is the John Silver backstory aka a stained glass variation of the truth.

I knew when writing it that like maybe a handful of ppl were EVER gonna engage with this for multiple stacking reasons: the dark subject matter, the underage archive warning, the huge amount of OCs, the Silver/OMC. Lotta death knells for readership lol

but guys I'm SO fucking proud of it and I've read basically every other Silver backstory and mine sort of stands alone in being the most extensive and focused example, by which I mean it doesn't venture into canon events, it tells its own story and is a true prequel (perhaps another death knell lmao) but yeah I'm just really proudddddddddddddd of that okay, I did SO MUCH historical research and historical WRITING isn't my strong suit but I killed it

oh also just to like, clarify, I subscribe to the "all and none" Silver backstory mindset. Meaning that, anything we can dream up could be correct and also there's no answer, these facts exist in my mind simultaneously. What they did in the show, leaving it up to the viewer, leaving it implicit? Yeah that was some fucking MASTERCRAFT and I don't mean to say that one *needs* a Silver backstory per se.

So yeah me writing it wasn't some be-all-end-all statement, but it Was an intensive character study exercise for why I thought he might turn out the way he did.

Anyway, I do not expect this answer to get literally anyone who hasn't already read it to check it out but there it is! thank you for asking <3

and yes here's your excerpt--

The voice John knew well raged inside--venomous, accusing.

Weak. He had to rescue you because you are weak. And now he’s dead. Just like everyone else.

Belatedly, John realized Solomon had been his friend. He had cared about John beyond his usefulness or their alliance. For as skilled as he was at reading people, sussing out their wants, their needs, their tells like the hidden flesh in a mollusc… John had utterly misread Solomon. In the moment, it had seemed so clear-cut, but in retrospect...

He remembered months spent joking warmly, sharing the toil, taking meals together, playing cards, privately mocking the worst of the crew, and telling lie after extravagant lie to one-up each other. They’d been set apart from the other boys, both too clever by half, opportunists who understood each other almost too well. Solomon was always teaching John--how to scale the rigging, the nautical knots, the best hiding places on a ship. He remembered the easy affection the older boy had expressed and the wedge it had driven between them, that John had put there. The recollection pained him and he slapped the side of the ship in anger. As usual, John was too late to recognize and appreciate anything good.

No. A rational voice pushed back. Solomon was a fool.

A mistake. It was a mistake to care about him, it was a mistake to care about anyone but yourself. Solomon had cared about John and what had been his reward? To die, to be forgotten, to be filled up with water and subsumed into the abyss.

In the end, boys like John, like Solomon, mattered to no one. Not to the crew of this ship, nor to the ferocious, unknowable sea, nor to the machinations and fates of the larger world. Boys like them had to make their own safety--carve a spot for themselves by whatever means necessary, be it force or duplicity. He'd learned, many times over, that caring too much for the well-being of other people was wholly incompatible with this goal.

I won't make their mistakes.

The next day it was business as usual for the crew of the Bridgewater; the storm had calmed and they weighed anchor. The drunken man who'd attacked John went unpunished. Indeed the entire event went unremarked upon, as none of the other crew asked after the missing cabin boy.

John had a surreal sense of deja vu; again, it was as if it hadn’t happened at all.

And isn’t that easier? To let it fade into irrelevance?

The other boys eyed the empty spot next to John, but said nothing. They were meek shadows, poor beaten things, colorless compared to all that had been his friend. Numbly, he completed his daily chores, all too aware of the heaviness of the workload. That which used to be split, yoked over two sets of shoulders to lessen the burden, was now his responsibility alone.

Tom. Scrap. Ollie. Lizzie. Mary.

Solomon.

Despite his best efforts, it was yet another name he would try and fail to forget.

[lesbiansheosmith]

serial experiments Iain first impression+ review[?]

mild spoilers warning

show has: suicide, drugs-like substance mention, shooting, very light and brief sexual themes, not light and brief stalking[?] during masturbation, blood and possible misophonia triggers

[this isnt a professional overview of the thing at all, i watchd it oncr and just wanna have some record of my thoughts on it el o el]

i loved lain. it was certainly a very odd and reminiscent experience, bare bones plot and very unclear direction of the episodes was something i didnt expect at ALL from something i was holding off for a long while. simplest way to say this is that sel is an exploration and very active pov of experiencing stuff like did, schizophrenia, autism, social anxiety, hallucinations, short/long-term amnesia, suicide, derealization and dissociation as a whole, mixed with oversight of nihilistic, omnicidal technological influx on society.

i dont think lain tries to represent something clearly. its natural and off-putting in blood, giving an unusual perspective of a person who is actually going through all the shit forementioned. it doesnt have an outer opinion or commentary, nor self-awareness enough to lay it out flat for the viewer, which is sick ! it might be borderline uncomfortable to watch sometimes, but i really resonate with what lain and people surrounding her say and do, how they act and go forward from point a to point b. i understand and relate to their experiences, and its not very often that it feels so first hand, not just through dialogue and noise but the whole picture. its not easy to analyze lain because its themes are blurry and undefined, but highlighted and somewhat brought into focus.

i mentally compared sel to yume 2kki/nikki in my head since the first episode cuz i prefer interpreting overhead noise and buzzing on the streets as sensory regularity for lain, who isnt exacrly human i think ?? she is said to be software near the end of the show, but i dont know how i perosnally feel about it. lain can be both a metaphor and a very direct showcase of mechanical abomination, which is — lain.

everything, all art in lain is weird as fuck. it is what makes me think of 2kki and what drives close to home, but still staying so weird and unwanted. non-metaphorically at the end of sel, she erased herself from all memory, yet she still keeps popping back in, as a vague figure and hologram in text boxes, and at the very finish, she seems to just ,, appear in a timeline as herself, with time has passed but her just the same. curiously, arisu recognizes lain still, and it really seems like lain is not real, with how she cant be forgotten.

really loved the ending itself because it reminded me strongly of ddlc, plus the evil lain is there i guess. i actually have barely to no thoughts on that character[?] because i have no idea what theyre supposed to represent. literal malicious lain like a virus who fucks shit up in the wired?? alter ???? artificial puppet that god created to fuck lain up ? bug ???? maybe all at once and maybe none. i stick to my headcanon of lain having did and schizophrenia [and more] so it just makes a bit more sense if they were a split of lain consciousness, but i dont have a specific reasoning as to why they would be so mean-spirited

the omnipresent ruler of wired and all he is in the show. i think his character was meant to be a manic god complex engineer who wrote himself into his work of wired to live forever and be a god. i guess ? show doesnt explain it any better ok

he created lain, told her shes software and essentially broke her just because she asked for that stupid fucking navi which is dumb lain has cardboard standees of parents and much fleshed out but still neglectful sister who has some backstory which is always nice. she lives in a weird world with very odd activities and excessive wires and a cute girl arisu. i think lain is lesbian so they two should totally kiiitthhh

gorefest overview: 0/10. there is no viscera or excessive blood in lain, and i mean . like at all. there is some sweet body horror in two or three final episodes, but thats as close as it comes

blood meter: 0.5/10. faint blood splatters and drops. in sel i think it focuses more on death itself than flesh, which i can sliiightly tip my hat to

will be updated l8r cuz i got sore throat and a fever rn(⁠个⁠_⁠个⁠) live love lain