#fs-chapter update

[fallen-savior-mmz]

Fallen Savior Chapter 3;

As long as he's safe...-

X stood by Zero’s capsule, watching him as he slept.

The last conflict he had had with Omega left him needing longer repairs than normal, and their opponent would not wait for Zero to recover.

X knew what he had to do, but now being faced with the task at hand, he was having trouble finding the courage to do so.

“Axl, I’m sorry to ask you to do this.” X started, still looking down at his sleeping husband, his new armor looking so different than he was used to, yet still somehow fitting. 

Even with almost an entirely new body, he was still Zero.

“But you need to take Zero and run. You have an hour, gather everything you need, anything you absolutely have to take with you. You can’t stay here, and neither can he.” X finally looked to Axl, the young hunter staring in shock at him.

“X, are you crazy? Omega will kill you, and if he doesn’t, the Dark Elf will. You can’t stay here by yourself!” Axl exclaimed, incredibility written all over his face.

“There’s a chance that the Dark Elf could possess me, and use me to destroy everything. Zero is the only one who could stop me at that point, and I won’t be responsible for everyone’s deaths like that. Yours included.” he turned to face the reploid that he called family.

“I can buy you and Zero time to get away, to hide so Zero can repair himself, and so you can repair yourself too. But you have to leave now Axl, find somewhere remote, somewhere far away. You can’t tell me where you go, they could use me to find you. Leave here and save yourselves.” X finished, his heart breaking with every word.

Axl put a hand to his head, trying desperately to think of a way out of leaving, “X, I can’t leave you here, you’ll die! There’s gotta be another way, when Zero wakes up we can-” 

“AXL, THERE’S NO TIME!” X’s shout startled the young hunter, staring wide eyed at his father figure.

With a shaky breath, he walked forward, hugging Axl against his body.

“Axl, I’m not commanding you to do this. I’m not asking as your mentor, your leader, your father. Nothing like that. I’m asking you as your friend. Please, take Zero and hide, don’t return until it’s safe.” X stepped back, looking into the young reploid’s eyes.

Axl’s eyes watered, but he nodded, stepping towards Zero’s capsule to begin getting it loaded onto a transport for them.

X turned to leave, unable to watch the two people he cared about most in the world get sent away.

“X, what about you?” Axl called after him, his voice uneven as if he was trying to keep from crying.

X straightened his back, pulling himself together before turning to look at Axl one last time.

“As long as you both are safe, I’ll be fine.” he spoke with conviction, willing to do anything to ensure their safety.

As long as he’s safe.

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

X cried out as he slammed into the ground, his armor sparking and melting where Omega’s plasma saber had sliced him.

The reploid with his husband’s face grinned wildly, holding his hands out to each side.

“X, why can’t you see what I’m doing? I’m trying to save you! Every single being on this planet is capable of sin and evil, you all cause pain and suffering!” Omega spun around, facing the setting sun.

X tried sitting up, his body protesting as he did. He just had to keep Omega monologuing long enough for his self repair to kick in, give him time to escape.

“If I kill everyone, no one can hurt anymore! You won’t hurt anymore X, I can free you!” he looked back at his opponent, his face split with a smile of pure glee.

“I AM THIS WORLD’S SAVIOR, X, I AM YOUR SAVIOR! I AM THE MESSIAH! LET ME SHOW YOU A GLIMPSE OF THE WORLD I HAVE ENVISIONED!” Omega called out to the sky, his head tipped back as he laughed.

The Dark Elf revealed herself above him, spreading her “wings” and opening her eyes.

X watched in horror as she opened her mouth, her scream piercing through his head. Everything felt like it was on fire, the pain so great that he thought for sure it would kill him.

He didn’t know when he had lost consciousness, merely realizing it when he finally opened his eyes.

Omega and the Dark Elf were gone, X was laying on his side in the dirt and rubble of whatever city this had used to be. It was well past midnight at this point, judging by how dark it was.

With a groan, X sat up, unsurprised to find his body protesting any movement at all.

“Alia? Are you there? I need a status report, where did Omega go?” the android pulled himself to his feet, his head throbbing from residual pain.

He trudged forward, not heading in any particular direction. He just needed some shelter, to get himself repaired a bit while he waited for evac.

X waited for a response, but was met with silence.

“Alia? Come in Alia, I need help.”

Nothing.

Panic began to rise in his chest, Alia was always there when he called!

“Maverick Hunter HQ, please respond, I need assistance.”

Silence.

X shuddered, his panic getting harder and harder to push down.

“....X….come in X…”

A voice came over his comm, not Alia, or a voice he recognized, but a voice nonetheless.

“Yes! Yes, I’m here, please, I need a report, what’s going on?” X was almost breathless with relief, leaning against some shattered remains of a wall.

“X? Oh thank god, we need help! Omega did something, we’re getting reports of mass casualties!” the mystery navigator sounded tearful, their voice breaking over the radio.

“W...what do you mean mass casualties…?” X’s words shook, panic taking hold of him again.

This couldn’t be happening. 

Omega’s words rang out to him, letting X see a glimpse of his world.

Was this what that meant?

“Hunter casualties are at ninety five percent, they’re all gone, they’re all dead! The commander, all the navigators, everyone’s dead! We’re getting reports of civilian casualties too, the numbers won’t stop going up! Reploids everywhere are dead!” the voice broke down, sobbing as they exclaimed their horror.

X fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

Dead?

Everyone?

Where was Signas? Or Alia?

Did this person really say all navigators?

“What’s the percentage of casualties all together…” X whispered, unable to make himself louder.

There was silence over the line for a moment as whoever else was there gathered themselves as much as they could.

“Reploid casualties en masse are at eighty-seven percent, they’re still going up.” The voice was small, clearly just barely holding themselves together.

“X...what do we do?” the voice asked.

X didn’t answer. How could he? What could he say? 

“X….please….”

Axl....Zero...did they make it out? Were they okay? Nothing felt real, it had to all be a lie. Omega and the Dark Elf couldn’t have killed that many people remotely...could they?

In one agonizing moment, X realized that not only could they, but they did. Everyone was dead, they were all gone. Alia, Layer, Palette, Signas, Douglas, Axl…

Zero.

X fell forward and screamed until he couldn’t scream anymore.

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Was that a dream...or a memory? He couldn’t be sure. All he could feel was the pain of the memory as he floated in some void of awareness.

X drifted in and out of consciousness, hyper aware of the pain his body was experiencing in the moments of lucidity before blacking out again

He could feel someone touching him, something that made his mind recoil in disgust and rage. He didn’t want anyone to touch him, never again.

X really couldn’t do anything about that however, his body refusing to move. He supposed he would have to handle it once he could move again.

If he could move again. This might be the last time he was even alive enough to care. 

Only time would tell.

He drifted back out of consciousness.

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“Damn...that kid looks rough, is he the one you pulled out of the ocean?”

A voice woke X this time, his pain receptors flaring up to remind him that he still was very much NOT okay.

“Yeah, he is, and I’d show a little respect, Doigt, that’s no kid. That’s Mega Man X.”

Another voice, this one much closer. He must be the one touching X, another fact he was being made unfortunately aware of.

“Holy shit...that beaten up reploid is X? What about the one we saw makin’ that announcement this morning? Was that not X?”

The first voice, Doigt, sounded astonished. X wondered what he looked like right now to make them not recognize him.

“Cerveau...what does this mean? What are you going to do?”

A female voice this time, she sounded so solemn. 

X wanted to say something, to move, to do anything.

He wanted Zero.

“Z...ze…” his voice was hoarse, words not forming properly. It seemed that the beginning of his husband’s name would be all he could manage, as his mind faded into blackness again.

He didn’t hear his rescuers' responses.

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

X’s eyes blinked open slowly when he woke this time, adjusting to the light directly above him. He didn’t feel as immediately panicked as he had when he woke on Weil’s lab table, but the fear was still there.

He turned his head as carefully as he could manage, trying to gauge his surroundings in case he needed to make another run for it.

He was met with a reploid’s face looking back at him, having the appearance of a middle aged human.

X grimaced for a moment, trying to get the pain in his head to dampen for a moment so he could attempt a conversation with this person.

“Well, good morning to you too.” the man huffed, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“What are you...doing to me…?” X’s voice was scratchy, either from trauma or misuse, he didn’t know.

“Saving your life, trying to put your organs back where they belong.” the man spoke, a note of sympathy lacing his voice.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say someone was trying to strip you for parts, and while you were still alive.”

X winced, sucking in a sharp breath at the memory of Weil’s hands pulling him apart. The memory felt too fresh in his mind still.

“Hey, shit I’m sorry, that wasn’t very smart of me. Look, my name is Cerveau. I’m an engineer from the lower districts of Neo Arcadia.” The reploid, Cerveau, drew the conversation away from X’s memories, bringing him back to the present.

“It’s fine. Just don’t touch me anymore. I don't want to be touched.” X mumbled, his face still tight from the phantom feeling of being opened up.

“Right, how am I supposed to repair you from here on then? You may be the legendary Mega Man X, but you aren’t immortal, and right now you’re a mess.” Cerveau snorted, looking X up and down.

X pulled a face, not particularly enjoying this conversation.

“I don’t want you repairing me, I want to be left alone. Go away.” X knew he was acting immature, but something in him really didn’t care. He was tired of being nice when he was uncomfortable.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. I don’t care who you are, Rocinolle and I can’t just let you walk around half dead. You need repairs.” the reploid reached for his tools, clearly ready to get started repairing X again.

“Don’t fucking touch me. I mean it.” X seethed, glaring at Cerveau.

“Look, I’m not real fond of you right now either. Your policies on mavericks and what classifies a maverick got some of my friends killed. A lot of reploids really don't care whether you live or die lately, but…” Cerveau trailed off, looking away from X for a moment.

“I can’t in good conscience let someone die when they’re clearly in need of help. So shut up and let me repair you.” He reached again for his tools, but gave pause when he saw X’s face.

“What do you mean by my policies on maverickism… ” X’s eyes were wide as he looked at the engineer, mind racing.

He hadn’t put any rules or legislation into place on Mavericks, he hadn’t done anything like that in over a century, not since the Maverick Hunters were still around.

Something wasn’t adding up, and X had a nagging feeling he knew who was behind it.

“Any reploid found participating in suspicious behavior was to be brought in for questioning and possible retirement under suspicion of maverickism. It’s been happening for a few years now, but it’s been steadily getting...worse…” Cerveau hesitated, watching X’s face morph from confusion to horror to sickened realization.

“Oh my god, you didn’t know did you...you had no idea this was happening…” The reploid sat back, his tools falling from his hands.

X turned to face the ceiling again, tears falling from his eyes,

“I’m such a fucking fool. This was happening right under my nose, and I was so wrapped up in my own pity, I didn’t even notice.” X hiccuped, his body pulsing in pain from the seal and Weil’s tampering.

Both reploids sat in silence, stewing in their own thoughts. Cerveau was the one to break the unpleasant void they had found themselves in.

“Well shit, there goes my justified anger. Guess we’re all fools then.” Cerveau chuckled darkly, moving to stand up again.

“If you won’t let me repair you, let me at least get the tools you need to do it yourself. I tried to patch out whatever virus that was that's tearing up your code, but nothing would work. I just patched the firewall that was messed with instead.” He explained, walking around the room and gathering various tools and pieces of metals.

“Whatever that thing is, it’s nasty. I’m sure you can feel it breaking you down. It’s gonna keep doing that until it either rewrites your code entirely, or kills you. It’s going to cause you a lot of physical pain, but I can help you fix th-” 

“No. I can’t mess with it more than you already have. I’m the only thing keeping her at bay. I’ll survive until I can get the original code back.” X interrupted Cerveau, sitting up and reaching for a soldering iron.

“You idiot, did you not hear what I just said? It’s going to kill you, after putting you through hell and back. Is that what you want?” The engineer grumbled, pushing the equipment closer to X and turning it on.

“Yeah, I heard you, I just don’t give a damn right now. I just need to focus on getting back to the sanctum and fixing all of this.” X grunted, beginning to solder down the wires in his arm, one that had been shredded by the grenade. The wounds looked so old, hadn’t they just happened a day ago?

“How long has it been since you found me in the ocean?” X asked, wincing as the metal and wires began fusing. It wasn’t the first time he had done this, but considering the amount of pain he had been through recently, and the Dark Elf’s influence still harassing his code, he really didn’t find himself caring too much about the sting of heat and metal.

“It’s been about seven months, I honestly thought we were going to lose you there for a while.” Cerveau faced away from X, searching for something.

X paused, processing the absurd amount of time. Seven months? Had he really been gone for so long?

“I’ve...been gone seven months? And no one’s noticed my absence?” He turned to face Cerveau, his mind racing.

In all that time, the Dark Elf’s seal remained closed, how had Weil not busted it open at this point?

“They have a very convincing body double for you, X.” The man shook his head, his own world view being thrown.

“That bastard...I hate him.” X’s voice was dripping with venom, anger flowing through him. Weil truly was something else, and X wasn’t sure how much damage he had let the man get away with at this point.

“We’ll worry about that later. Since you won’t let me help fix you, and I’m guessing you won’t let Rocinolle help either, the least I can do is craft up some new armor for you. You can’t be walking around naked like that.” Cerveau stood, walking towards the door.

“Don’t make it white...I hate white.” X called after the engineer, earning himself a chuckle.

“What, should I make it red? Like the legendary reploid, Zero?” Cerveau called back, looking over his shoulder. X felt his whole body tense up, his husband’s name something he couldn’t say out loud.

“Don’t. Don’t say his name.” X’s voice was barely above a whisper, his hand clenched tightly around the soldering tool.

“Make it blue...I like blue. I miss it…” he wouldn’t look at the engineer. Tears dripped down his cheeks, landing onto his bare lap.

“You got it, blue it is. Your hair is really long too, do you want Rocinolle to cut it for you?” Cerveau’s voice was soft, clearly taking the hint that Zero was a big no-no subject to X.

“No, I want it to stay long. Thank you though.” X reply was final, willing his tears to stop so he didn’t make more of a fool of himself

Cerveau said nothing as he left the room, closing the door to his lab with a quiet click.

X put his tools down, reaching up with his one functioning arm and wiped his tears away.

I swear, I won’t let you make me cry over you anymore Zero. I will not cry over the past anymore.

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Dim electronic lights hummed and crackled overhead, the energy crisis becoming more and more dire everyday. The spartan lab turned personal quarters felt cold and unappealing, dirty silvers and muted greys covering most of the room. The only splash of color was the former leader of Neo Arcadia.

X rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the pain there. It had been a while since the last flare up, the Dark Elf continually finding ways past his firewalls.

He hoped that nothing would happen today, their last few missions going a little rougher than he had intended.

Cerveau and Rocinolle had done a fine job creating new armor for him, his chest covered in a deep blue vest with an X on the front. His greaves and gauntlet-like armor had been replaced from that irritating white to rolling deep indigo. 

X was grateful that his helmet had once again survived the changing of armors, only slightly changed to remove the wings that Neo Arcadia had put there. He had made it a point as well to let his hair stay down, the long black locks drifting down between his shoulders. His bangs were so long that they fell from the front of the helmet, falling over his nose and peeking out from the sides of his face.

It felt right, donning blue armor again and letting his hair fall where HE wanted it to.

He stood, looking around the room. 

Maybe it was silly, for an ancient hero like X to have formed a resistance group against the people he was supposed to lead, but Neo Arcadia had forced his hand.

After months of recovering, gathering supplies and rescuing humans and reploids alike, he now had a safe haven for anyone fleeing from Weil and Neo Arcadia’s tyrannical ways. X’s departure from the city had opened the floodgates for even stricter and crueler rules against Reploids, to the point now where even some humans had begun to question the shady behavior.

X shook his head. There wasn’t really anything he could do to change that right now, his main concern was getting people out and getting them the help they needed.

Cerveau had begrudgingly become somewhat of a field medic, assisting Rocinolle in keeping any refugees healthy and in working order. Doigt...helped when he could, X found him more useful in helping run supplies through the base than at Rocinolle’s side. He was a fine budding engineer however, and definitely helped keep Cerveau from drowning in projects, X being his constant headache.

X regretted letting some reploids pick up weapons, but they needed to defend themselves, especially on rescue missions and raids. Young men like Colbor and Milan helped him with missions. It made him sick letting them fight.

He used that anger he felt as fuel to push through the pain of the Dark Elf and his still-healing body, determined to save as many people from his mistakes as possible.

With a huff, and an adjustment of his vest, X retrieved his buster from the table of his room.

He strode briskly through the hallways, lights flickering and the smell of dust filling his nose. Few reploids scurried around, attending to their own tasks to keep the Resistance base in working order. The single elevator in the middle of the base led out to the surface and below to the engine room.

X selected the latter, letting the mechanism lower him deeper into the base. If he wanted to, he could slide down the walls of the elevator shaft, letting the boosters in his legs help him descend faster like he did when he was younger. The thought instead left his legs aching, grumbling to himself that he was too old for that kind of crap.

The elevator stopped with a metallic groan, the doors opening with a squeal. X sighed, he supposed he’d have to look at that and make sure the damn thing wouldn’t fall apart with some unfortunate reploid still inside. 

He strode through the engine room, looking over the supplies, doing last checks before their mission. A young woman walked up to him, her long brown hair pulled back by a red headband.

“Master X, I have the latest information from the scouts, the refugee targets are three reploids, one child repoloid and a human girl.” The woman spoke, reading out from a small datapad in her hands. 

“What? A human girl? Why would a human be with a group of reploids to be executed?” X faced the woman, his brows knit in confusion.

“I don’t know, she was seen holding the little reploid girl, and she appeared to be trying to protect the other reploids. One of the Four Guardians apprehended her, according to reports.” She shrugged, looking distraught at the mention of the Guardians.

“Thank you Rouge, I appreciate the reports. I’ll be heading out soon.” X watched her leave with a dip of her head and a look of gratitude on her face, wincing at the subtle spike in pain in his body.

“And when you return, I’m taking another look at your back, Master X.” A voice chided behind him.

“Cerveau, I’m really not in the mood to hear you lecture me about this again.” X grimaced, turning to face the man as he walked out of his lab, Doigt trailing behind.

“Regardless of whether you’re in the mood or not, Old Man, you are still healing, and pushing yourself like this will only get you killed. After this mission, we’re looking at your back again.” Cerveau crossed his arms, the only one in the entire base brave enough to talk to X like that.

Probably because he had basically brought him back from the dead.

X sneered lightly at being called ‘Old Man’, but let it slide.

“I’ll get to my back when I damn well please, Cerveau. And if it kills me, then good, maybe then I can rest for a while without someone breathing down my goddamned neck all the time.” The android sassed back, turning and walking back towards the elevator.

He could vaguely hear Cerveau insult him before the door closed, Doigt waving goodbye and smiling sheepishly next to the engineer’s angry shouts.

X knew Cerveau was right, but he couldn’t really stop to care about himself now. There were too many innocents suffering because of his mistakes, and he would fix them even if it put him in the ground.

The elevator rode up the shaft, taking him to the Trans-Server room. When it opened, X made a note in his head again to make sure to look at it at some point when he got back and moved away from it.

Milan, the ever faithful young man, jumped up from his spot on the floor, the other reploids following suit, when they saw X step out.

“Commander X! We’re ready to deploy, Joan already gave me our report.” Milan trailed behind X, going over their own details of the mission they had received. 

X was reminded momentarily of Tria, walking him through their patrol route before being murdered in cold-blood in front of his eyes. That wasn’t a fun thought to have before starting another mission.

“Thank you Milan. I want you and your squad to deploy first. I’ll follow behind and get to the captives. Keep them busy.” X spoke, his buster humming as he prepared it for battle. He didn’t look Milan in the eyes as he gave him his orders, best to keep him at arm's length.

Milan nodded, signalling to his other squadmates to head through the Trans-Server. He watched them as one by one they deployed into Neo Arcadia’s holding cells, ready to engage with his city as ‘terrorists’. 

Once all of the reploids disappeared, X stepped forward, readying his buster. With a sigh, his boosters in his legs hummed to life, ready to dash immediately as he arrived.

“Transfer!”

A beam of light struck the android, and in a split second, he was gone.

[acerola-tree]

finally learned how to buy manga in japanese online everybody cheer

[runerapier]

With FS 2 finally out I wanted to share some of my thoughts, I think it would be fun to talk about the possible mental state Angeal is in around this time in his life and subsequently how it reflects Sephiroth, as well as the meaning behind Angeal's dream sequence.

Since a lot of the details of Angeal’s backstory are hidden in external material, I’m going to use it as a point of reference. Crisis Core has a lot of content they were not able to include at the time of it’s release, so it will be fun to see if they follow up on these things they wrote about but couldn’t include in game.

We already see from the get go that Angeal is serving as a contrast to Sephiroth’s outlook, demeanor, and manners. Angeal’s energy and passion he has for teamwork, his comrades, and genuine care he has for doing his job all directly contrast Sephiroth’s whatever attitude. Even small acts of chivalry are made to highlight this, showing Angeal going the extra mile to help Alissa across the bridge vs Sephiroth’s refusal to engage with anyone socially. Sephiroth was brought up to function independently, made to be a one man army, no use for friends, families, or allies. Especially with the recent loss of friends, he is going to be distant.

This is extremely important for contrast with Angeal, who has likely recently left home and is missing his family, not to mention he is someone he deeply values his connection to others. There is no set age for when Angeal left home, but it is likely within the last 2~ years. His sword in game is listed as type 90, this is comparable to Zack’s sword in CC which is type 99, the type number likely reflects the year the sword was created or the year of when that model was created. Assuming that it's updated every year, leans towards the fact they've been in SOLDIER since at least that year. Meaning Angeal likely left home at 14~, which is closer to around the age Zack and Cloud left home for SOLDIER anyways.

Angeal is someone very sentimental, he is very defensive of his home and his family. CC showed us he was quite nostalgic about Banora on several occasions. This is another contrast to Sephiroth, who doesn't have a hometown or a family. According to the CC ultimania, Genesis was one of the motivators for Angeal to leave and find a better way of living. The new chapter confirmed Angeal left home because he wanted to help pull his family out of poverty. In CC, Angeal's father was said to fall sick from overwork to pay off debt from the buster sword; however, the ultimania mentions an important detail: his father has always been weak and sickly. It’s partly due to his father being chronically ill/disabled that they aren’t able to make a lot of money. The buster sword isn’t the sole cause of his death but rather an extension of working in a system that likely exploits disabled people. Genesis might have been the push Angeal needed to leave far away from home rather than staying and trying to take care of his sick father.

Which gets us to Angeal’s dream, there is debate on how much of it is real because Sephiroth’s wasn’t real. In my personal opinion, the dream being real is a very important contrast to Sephiroth. We know that whatever Alissa is, she is preying on the desires of them. Especially in the case of her being Jenova, who uses memories of her victims to her advantage. Angeal doesn’t need to make up a scenario of his family loving him or being proud of him, because it’s already a reality, Sephiroth doesn’t have this luxury. Angeal's father pushed himself to the brink just so he could support his son in his endeavor, there is no doubt his family loved and supported him. So, what is Angeal's actual desire then? In CC it is never really specified when Angeal's father died, but in Gillian’s profile in the ultimania, it mentions his father died shortly after Angeal left for SOLDIER, even the dream is hinting towards something bad happening on the horizon. Angeal's dad is probably already dead and it is mirroring Sephiroth wanting to see his mother. Possibly reinforced by the fact he is already refusing to use the buster, while it's not confirmed if he didn’t use it all because of his cheapness, I think his father's death added significant value to the sword, making it irreplaceable. They are two kids who just want to be with their parents again, one's desire being entirely fictional and the other's being in the past. It is another contrast between them with their dreams: Sephiroth's being all he lacks, and Angeal's is all he had, but left behind. Both unattainable but in a different sense.

This dream is likely some of the last stability Angeal had before leaving home, along with possibly being one of the last times he saw his father alive which is probably why he is yearning for it. I think if the dream itself symbolized only wanting stability Angeal wouldn’t mention leaving for SOLDIER, I don’t think he wanted to leave home to provide for his family if given the choice. Instead "Jenova" is preying on something that is tangible. However, there is still a possibility it is exaggerated a bit with Angeal having the money for donations and plenty of food. I don't think this is true either, the dream implies Angeal was already working at this age to support his family, so it’s not entirely out of the question he uses what little he has to give back or that he helped with saving for Gillian's birthday party. In contrast nothing in Sephiroth's dream was real besides the fact he lives in the Shinra building, we know Angeal has loving parents, we know he is a hard worker, we know he left for soldier, and we know he loves his village and his family, more was real than just the setting. Also, I think there's a point that this is a special occasion, they could've opted to save up for her birthday. It really didn’t feel too wild to me that one day in particular they had extra food, especially considering they live in a farm village. When and the exact reason why Angeal stole when he was younger is honestly not clarified at all. He could have been afraid of asking for extra food, it could have been during droughts, or even when his father was too sick to work. It is very common for poor families in remote villages to grow their own crops, we even see people in Gongaga growing their own supply, so these things are not really out of the question. I think if any of these details were fake Angeal would be confused or surprised by having these things like how Sephiroth did to make it clear to us as the viewer, but that didn’t happen. The dream closes with remarking his desire to provide for his family so they live happy and healthy… and we know that didn’t happen, which is the point. I think it's also worth mentioning there are some small discrepancies in the localization. He isn't just giving out expensive equipment to multiple people individually, instead, it's a donation that is meant to be shared by everyone. Angeal is building community with farmers who might also be struggling, and I feel like this is an important detail that's missing.

(small disclaimer: I'm not fluent, I only know basics, but I did my best to break down the sentences to make sure these were accurate)

I think it’s clear Angeal isn’t yearning to be rich (or someone else that’s not even relevant in the current narrative… especially when their focus currently is to compare and contrast him with Sephiroth). If Angeal wanted to be rich or famous why isn't he chatting up the PR guy to hope it gets him more attention to the point of promotion? Instead Angeal cares about doing his job and making sure it’s done right, he even gets angry at Bachman and tells him his priority is the rescue mission. Angeal cares deeply about protecting and caring for the people around him, especially those important to him. The dream is only reinforcing this. They even made his gameplay reflect his narrative by being the one to provoke and tank damage for his team, which shows how he views his role as a leader. I want to preface this with there being nothing wrong if the dream ends up being exaggerated, I think regardless it is a good insight on Angeal's character. He loves his family and friends, he wants to support them and make them happy. It shows how they were a positive influence on his life and how they affected his motivations. I think narratively speaking though, Angeal having something that is at very least somewhat more real is another important contrast with Sephiroth, especially when a point of contention between them is how they grew up in different worlds. I think the turmoil of Angeal’s father being most likely dead is going to carry a lot of weight for this story and is meant to parallel Sephiroth's desires for wanting family, it possibly being how they find common ground. While Angeal did grow up in a loving household, he is going through a lot right now with his father's passing. The focus on the Buster sword is incredibly important since it is going to represent why Angeal fights. To protect and to care for what he couldn’t back home, for what his father wanted for him. A dream of a better future and to not lose sight of his morals.

In my personal opinion, it makes a lot of sense that Genesis might not be joining for this section of the story. It's shining a light on some of two most iconic swords in gaming history, and how Angeal’s outlook related to his struggles is going to shape Sephiroth. Angeal’s character and his trauma shape the foundation of the Buster sword and future wielders, and it shaping the Masamune too will be an extension of that. He is the heart of SOLDIER, and I am excited to see this story continue to reinforce that.

[essjujutsu]

PROLOGUE : THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

masterlist | next " i myself am , strange and unusual . "

a month later ...

you let out a deep sigh, stretching your arms overhead as you looked around the small one-bedroom apartment that you were renting. the air was still and quiet, a contrast to the lively bustle of your old place. being in the middle of nowhere, it lacked the charm and familiarity you had once known. as you took a moment to absorb your surroundings, the reality of your new life began to settle in.

you had hung up most of your decor from your old place, crystals lining up on a shelf hanging next to your bed—your posters and tapestries making the bedroom feel at least slightly more homey.

a buzz broke the calmness as your phone vibrated on the bedside table beside you.  you picked it up, seeing a text from your soon-to-be boss.

you set your phone down once more after sending a quick reminder to update your cousin after work tomorrow. you felt grateful as you thought of shoko, the one who had introduced you to this opportunity. even though she was nearly seven years older, she had always been more than just a cousin, she was a close friend, a constant person in your life as you both grew up.

while walking to the small kitchen, you thought on the co-worker you would have. nanami mentioned he was around the same age as you, which was nice you supposed. still, a hint of anxiety tugged at you; making friends had never come easily.

you decided you would try your best, after all now that you were living in the countryside it would be harder to meet new people. honestly, you hadn’t had many friends in the city—if any at all. if shoko was here, she would tell you that you had to branch out of the small comfort zone you always found yourself living in.

after you ate, you went back to your bedroom, turning off the lights as a calming darkness took over the space. laying down in bed, you set an alarm for the next morning, then turning on some music and drifting to sleep.

notes / extras :

i mentioned this in the tags, but yn & yuji are around 19-20, shoko & nanami are 27-28

in later chapters yn's backstory will be described more, but her and shoko grew up very close and she was staying with her a lot when she was in hs

shoko lives farther away now in a town an hour away from the city where yn lived, but now she lives around 3 hours away

yn was definitely playing cocteau twins (favorite band plug in) to sleep but i didn't know if i should've added it in so its here!

nanami texts wayyy to formally for an almost 30 yr LMFAO hes lowkey unc

sorry this chapters short its just cause its the prequel, the next chapters will be longer fs

taglist : ( ask/comment to be added ) @brideads @stillnotherapy @solaqes @chososcamgirl @yuu-via @mikikkoo @gumims @hel-lhound

[altocat]

'Bout to head off to bed. But some good news before I go.

We won't have to wait long until the next chapter. FS updates again in December. So we'll be eating well for the rest of the year.

Anyway, 'night you guys. Not much longer now. Here's hoping it's a good week ❤️

[hppjmxrgosg]

Heyo, I really like your very competent and independent spiderman in Death before inaction. Do you have any fic favourites that have the same vibes that you would recommend?

Thank you for all the stories <3

Hey! Sorry this took me a minute to get to. Here are my spider-man fic recs 🫡

Incomplete. This one was a HUGE inspiration for me in writing DBI. Very tragic, very beautiful. Peter is very much doing it on his own in this fic, though, he has a bit more help than my Peter does (though probably not from who you'd expect)

Complete. This one is very good and part of a series (that is incomplete, unfortunately). I have only read this one out of the series. This one had me HOOKED when I read it on live updates. Peter is an adult in this fic, but very much living his "veteran vigilante" lifestyle.

Complete. Supercut is a series of works that was also a big inspiration for DBI. I am still working my way through all of them, but they are fantastic! Like DBI, the author has taken some...creative liberties with the MCU timeline. However, where I went back, they went forward.

Complete. Female Peter Parker. Super fun read! Competent Spidey fs, though perhaps a little more "familial support" and a little less "avenger bashing" than DBI.

Complete. Oh Kidnapped Peter Parker our beloved. And this time with friends!

Complete. That's right. MORE kidnapped Peter Parker. Put that guy in a situation. Let him beat people up. As a treat.

Series, Incomplete. I've only read some of these and it was many moons ago but from what I remember they were FUNNY. Definitely a touch more lighthearted than some of the other recs on this list.

Sorry this isn't a very long list, just the ones I could think of off the top of my head!

[blackcatreadstarot]

Charles Leclerc Future Spouse Tarot Reading Update For 2025

Will they meet in 2025? knight of wands, the moon: it's uncertain. Sometimes the knight of wands card can indicate travelling, so maybe there's a problem with travelling / moving to another country, for example. What is the problem? What is the obstacle on their way to meet each other? king of cups, 3 of wands reversed: 1) he's in a relationship; 2) one of them can't travel or move to another place (city / country / continent / ect.) (and I'm inclined to think that this part relates more to FS) Why can't FS to travel / move to another place? the chariot, 7 of cups, ace of wands, the lovers: so FS completed everything they needed and now the big question is where to go. Here are two cards that indicate a choice: 7 of cups and the lovers (yes, sometimes this card indicates a choice). I think that 7 of cups point to her not knowing what to choose, where to move. There are too many choices where FS can start a new chapter of their life, where they will have a new beginning. Is FS in a relationship right now? the sun reversed: no What is going on in FS life right now? king of wands, king of pentacles reversed, the star reversed: it's a very energetic and exciting period in their life, they are full of passion and enthusiasm. Yet, I think the whole moving abroad or to another place thing scares them a little, they don't feel enough stability in their life. FS is not 100% sure that things will work out. 9 of cups, queen of swords reversed: they are very very excited, all their wishes came true. FS achieved their aims and dreams and is very satisfied. All that excitement turned their head, so FS can't think rationally right now, they are way too emotional. 10 of cups, queen of wands: they are really happy right now. 10 of cups card is an amazing indicator of emotional fullfilment. Queen of wands points to FS having a lot of inspiration and passion. What cards are able to tell about FS personality? 8 of pentacles reversed, page of cups reversed, 7 of swords reversed, the sun, 3 of cups reversed, queen of cups, knight of swords reversed: most of the time 8 of pentacles card in reversed position indicates a lazy person, who doesn't treat their job with needed level of dedication, concentration and responsibility. But I don't feel it about FS. Part of the reading above (and also previous reading) tells me that FS is a hard worker. Here I think you can interpret this card as FS not being satisfied with their work? Like there are type of people who always think that they could have done better no matter how good the result is. Or maybe FS themselves do not like lazy people, who are irresponsible and not committed to what they do? At least I have this vibe here. FS doesn't like liars, manipulators and cheaters, FS doesn't like relationship without commitment, they are not into situationships. And I think that has something to do with their previous experience in a relationship: 3 of cups card in reversed position can be an indicator of cheating. I think that in previous relationship FS was cheated on. FS doesn't like rude and arrogant people. FS is very kind, caring, loving, sweet person, they are feminine and compassionate. Tarot deck: tarot de luz

[bluestarjay]

Kind of a part 2 of genius/"chronically online" deku 💀💀

Idgaf about the timeline/setting of the show, so in my head, he was a typical weird kid. When he wasn't doing quirk analysis stuff, he was drawing creepypasta fanart. He was watching Markiplier play fnaf and stuff, yk? He was a Tumblr kid.

His queer awakening was probably Eyeless Jack or Ben Drowned 💀💀 And Shinsou was fs also into creepypasta, but he was more into Jeff the Killer and Smile Dog.

I love that so many people have agreed that deku writes/reads fanfic bc that's actually so funny like ik that when the bullying at school got too bad he'd start daydreaming about being taken away to the slender mansion 😭😭😭 tbh that's really sad ik but it's trueee

"Sorry for the late upload for this chapter, guys!! I actually broke both my arms, including my fingers, and fractured my leg :( Im all better now, tho!!" And then later on, "Heyyy, sorry again about late updates, I actually had to infiltrate a Yakuza organization and save a little girl :) lmk what you think of this chapter!!!" And everybody is like HUH

When he first found out that fanfic was a thing, he read a lot of x reader stuff ❤️❤️

Ohhhh, he was probably a gacha kid, too.

He watched a gacha video with "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry and was like, "Girls can like girls???" And found himself down a rabbit hole of queerness 💀💀 he watched the "Little Game" by Benny glmvs, LMAOOO AND "Stand Out Fit In" BY ONE OK ROCK yk the ones where everybody was like, yeah, I'm a girl, and I skateboard. What about it?? 🤨✊️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈" THE PRIDE MONTH SPECIALSSSS LMAOOA

Edit; I'm reading a fic rn in which aizawa and deku watch Iron Man (fairly minor, not a huge plot point or anything, but I can still give link 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️) and I'm realizing that like,, holy shit he would love Marvel. He would resonate with Spiderman SO MUCHHHH and he n Sero can be buddies who talk about the MCU together and he'd start crying bc Peter and Tony are literally him and All Might (If I had a nickel for every time an older rich guy adopted a teenage boy who was (somewhat) poor I'd have two nickels <33)

[tinypandacakes]

I saw that message about the update and I’m sry :( I’m so excited for the next trapper keeper fic as well ❤️❤️ but you should definitely focus on yourself FIRST. Surgery will fs go well, so no need to stress. Thank you for all your time and effort, especially in trapper keeper 😼

Thank you! I definitely appreciate the patience and support. I’m super excited for my fic too!!! I daydream about it all the time!! And of course I wish I had been able to make an update happen but… it takes a lot of time and energy to write (some days it’s easier than others). I’ve learned that pushing myself too hard especially when I’m not feeling well just makes me feel awful, and I’m never happy with the quality of the output.

on top of that, I want to be a present parent and wife, as well as focus on my own health and other hobbies/responsibilities too…Even though I’m still unemployed atm, my days are still filled with things I need to do and take care of 💕

Thank you for recognizing me as a person and not a robot who can spit out 10-15k chapters like it’s nothing T.T

[crisiscutie]

Just finished the new chapter and omg it was exactly as you predicted. They did nothing but walk around and learn about the history of wutai. They also seem to be trying to get Sephiroth and Alissa together, while throwing angeal in the mix. I really don't want any love triangle fuckery. The only good part was the last bit with Sephiroth and Lucrecia (Jenova). It really put in perspective why Sephiroth does what he does. I unfortunately feel that Sephiroth will fall for Alissa and something will happen, he has a soft spot for her and the cameraman even calls it out... oh man... poor Sephiroth 😭

Saw some of it myself. I expected little and still rather somewhat disappointed with the lack of plot development.

Love how the second Lucrecia dream soft-confirmed my headcanons of Sephiroth being clingy with a mother figure.

Sweet boy refuses to sleep because he thinks it will waste the precious time left he has with her 😭

Also FUCK how they are making these fights in the chapter so damn difficult just to bait people into sticking around longer. I hate every little thing about this predatory gatcha game the more I think about it.

It's painful to know that aside from 7R3, this shitty gatcha game will just be the sole source of FF7 content...

I bet that next month won't be a FS chapter. Yet again another OG or CC update. They are going to keep this on for long as possible.

[yenqa]

GLUE SONG!!

synopsis : love songs were definitely your favorite song to write. but with little experience it’s hard to get the right words out, so you search left and right for any opportunity. until you realize, he’s been hiding in plain sight all along.

warnings : mentions of stabbing (not actually),

ignore timestamps!

008 : im super shy super shy

back masterlist next

YENQA > i really said im back in the last chapter then went on hiatus… erm idk if we’re back but ill slowly update fs 🙏

taglist : @nicholasluvbot @latriii @wtfhyuck @wonqr @enhastolemyheart @luvistqrzzz @jiawji @miu-koi @fakeuwus @xharisrealm @yeokii @xrvrqs @wonfied @redm4ri @keikeu @melsjy @enhaz1 @wvnkoi @noascats @mrchweeee @collectaed @noirxraa @jakeists @sngvhs @yuemvi @delulu4-life @envirae @heelover5 @kjrcrz @darly6n @girlokarina @artstaeh @txtlyn @astrae4 @memooooca @luvmura @teddywonss @jungwon-real-gf @spilled-coffee-cup @jayujus @calumsfringe @samudan @nomniki

sorry if i missed you (if i did dm me!)

[fallen-savior-mmz]

Fallen Savior Chapter 1;

Prologue-

Neo Arcadia stood silent and intimidating in the raging sea below, its glowing tower and high walls protecting the last remaining humans and reploids on the decimated planet. The silver moon shone its dim light on the city, casting the stark, white and gold buildings in an eerie light.

Standing at one of the windows, overlooking his bone-white city, Mega Man X watched over the crashing waves with a silent eye. He had never truly felt at home here, hiding out in the waves with only trains and lonely highways being their connection to the land.

The ocean was somber, as if it was in mourning for its fallen comrade in the form of the Earth's soil.

So many lives had been lost, landscapes devastated, entire continents wiped from the map. X had seen it all, had lived through every disaster, and had been utterly powerless to stop it.

Omega, and the Mother Elf, cursed with the power of destruction, had descended onto the peoples of earth like a shadow of death, the accursed reploid wearing Zero’s face personally seeing to some of X’s greatest nightmares. They still didn’t know where the monster had come from, and why the newly named Dark Elf had been with him. X hadn’t had time to contemplate the idea either.

90% of the Reploid race, the very beings that X had helped create centuries ago, had been wiped from the planet. If they were an organic race, that would mean extinction, with not enough individuals being able to keep the species going.

60% of the humans had been lost, and they were avoiding extinction by a mere thread. X honestly wasn’t sure if the humans were quite out of the woods yet, only time would tell he supposed.

X shied away from those thoughts, they never helped on nights like these, where the stuffiness of Neo Arcadia forced him to his window, longing for his home and his friends.

With a huff, X pulled at his hair, adjusting the ponytail he was forced to wear at all times. He had never had hair long enough to pull it up like this when he was younger, he honestly hadn’t even thought it was possible for his hair to grow, seeing as how that was typically a trait of beings of flesh and blood. His father always left him with surprises however, and as the Elf Wars went from weeks to months to years, and the time for silly things like personal care went away, his hair had grown with the time.

Now, his raven black hair drifted past his shoulders when he let it down, and if he didn’t tuck his bangs into his helmet properly, they drifted over his nose, almost into his eyes.

X found he liked it down much better than when it was up. The ponytail pulled at his head and felt uncomfortable in his helmet, as inconceivable as that was. The armor already caused him great distress, like many things that the inner council of his own city forced him to do and wear. His armor was to be worn at all times, and his helmet could only come off when no one was around. 

“To keep up appearances, Master X! The people need to see their savior as perfect at all times!”

The android shuddered, remembering that particular conversation.

Halfway through the wars, following a particularly nasty conflict with Omega, X’s armor had been utterly destroyed, the shining blues and silvers being shredded and turned black with wear. New armor had been created for him, a push from what little governments had survived the fallout, giving X a more...ethereal feel. 

His blues that he had lived his entire life with were gone, a silly thing to mourn, but stripped away among the rest of everything X held dear. It was replaced with whites and golds, a false promise that X could save everyone, like some kind of angel or savior for the world.

It made X sick, this falsehood and promises of salvation. As if X was anything but a failure. His armor had been designed to adhere to his body as closely as possible, and had been polished to a shining white, like some beacon of hope in the plains of desolation.

Zero would have said it suited me…

X shook his head at that thought, the idea of his partner’s soft affirmations being the thing to finally tip him over into despair.

He supposed he wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

“Greetings, Master X.”

There came another headache. Mega Man X cursed under his breath, turning away from his sulking window to face the largest stretch of a “human” that he had ever had the displeasure of meeting.

Dr. Weil approached him, one of the key members of Neo Arcadia’s parliament, and the oldest living human left on the planet. 

Living is not how I would describe him…

X schooled his thoughts into place, letting the tiny spark of pettiness well up and subsequently die inside of him.

“Good evening, Doctor. Is there anything I can help you with tonight?”

X spoke evenly, vaguely aware of the headache pulsing under his tight pony. He would do anything to be able to rip it out and let his hair flow over his shoulders. But, Weil would surely report his “Master’s” disobedience to the Council, and a lecture would surely follow. So much for being the leader here.

“Ah, I just wished to run some paperwork by you, there have been more and more reports of rogue mechaniloid and pantheons along our foraging routes. I know it is informal for someone as esteemed as yourself to take charge of patrols, but it may be necessary. The energy crises grow ever more dire, and the seal on the Dark Elf won’t hold forever.” Weil’s twisted grin remained on his face throughout his report, the paperwork in his hands holding more stress and dread than the man perhaps knew.

Or maybe he knew just enough, being the one who always seemed to be the bearer of bad news, and finding joy in his role.

X knew Weil enjoyed testing the android to see how far he could push X’s limit of stress management. Why he did, he would never know, seeing as how X’s survival and health were directly tied to the Dark Elf’s seal.

X had always kept the man as far from him as he could, but there was only so much he could do.

“I see...and this couldn’t wait until the morning? I’m aware of the good doctor’s rapport for diligent work, but I ask that the evenings be saved for myself.” 

X chided as professionally as he could. God how he hated this.

“My apologies, I was aware of your...nightly activities, but I felt that this should be brought to you immediately, seeing as how your duties have been shifted tomorrow so you can take lead patrol.” 

Weil dipped his odd, encapsulated head, his eerie grin piercing through what little remained of X’s comfort.

“I’m sorry, did you say my duties have been rearranged? Without any consultation with me? Forgive me Doctor, but you are aware of how dangerous it is for me to leave the city.” 

X grit his teeth to keep from yelling. His adopted way of speech driving him insane, he wanted to scream and shout about how absolutely ludicrous the idea was. 

Weil only shrugged, dipping his head again.

“Forgive me, Master X, but the decision is final. We feel it would be best if you protect the salvage teams tomorrow from any..stray threats.” 

With that, the doctor bid X farewell, and left.

The android remained standing at his window, his uncomfortable armor pinching his “skin” and his back aching from remaining ramrod straight.

This didn’t feel right, everything in X’s being was screaming at him that this was wrong. The further he was from the Dark Elf, the more strain on the seal there was. For safekeeping, he had remained solely in the inner sanctums of Neo Arcadia, putting as little strain on the seal as possible.

But now, every day, the Council seemed to be pushing their luck, forcing X farther and farther away from Yggdrasil, with Weil always being the one to give the final push.

This seemed too far. Much too far, this was a risk that they shouldn’t take.

What X would do to have Zero here...to have anyone here...

Mega Man X inhaled sharply at the thought, his disastrous thoughts finally doing him in. He would do the patrol, if only to shut the Council up. Maybe then, he could get some rest.

He retrieved his helmet from the sill of his brooding window, placing it on his head and waiting for it to properly come online. The helmet was the thing least modified about his body, even with the addition of little wings on it, the one thing that had remained a constant, the azure metal comforting in a way he hadn’t had in a long, long time.

If he was to leave Neo Arcadia, and possibly get himself into a fight, then he needed to be fast, and accurate. This meant a trip to the shooting range.

With one final glance, he turned from the ocean, heading inwards into the sanctum to prepare for his first trip out of the city walls in years.

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

“I delivered the message. He has been informed of his schedule change, and is leading the first patrol out of Neo Arcadia. Be prepared, we have one shot at this.”

“Approximately how long until he reaches the agreed upon point?”

“It shouldn’t take him more than half a day, if the convoy keeps its speed.”

“Understood...and Doctor?”

“What is it?”

“Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Master X has been as diligent as he can be to help humans...are we sure this is what’s best?”

“X has been humanity’s protector for a very long time. Using the Dark Elf, we could finally give him the utopia he has strived his whole life for. We just need to break the seal.”

“Ah...understood sir, thank you. We will move forward with the plan.”

The line disconnected as the doctor smiled, his plans falling seamlessly into place.

Soon, Omega will return, and the Dark Elf with him. I can finally achieve what I have been striving for since the start of the Elf Wars.

Foolish X...I can’t wait to see your corpse...

[undertale-museum]

Skele

Comic - Fanfiction - Video

Honorable Mentions

[Last updated 11June24]

——————————————————

1. Poetax Stories

@/poetax

Also @/theskeletongames

a. Bitty, Basic and Bara

Red, Blue, Sans

Bitty, normal, Bara size

b. How to Greet a New Pal

Red, Sans

Sans in Underfell, Red’s his captor/babysitter

.

2. New Map Stories

@/newmap

a. Unforgettable

Gaster, Sans

b. Unwelcome Reuinion

.

3. His Story

@/comyet

Ink (creator), origin story

.

4. Papyrus Asks About S3x

@/goodegg

Papyrus, Mettaton, shitpost

.

5. Zu Stories

@/zu-is-here

a. Trapped

Error, Blueberror, Core Frisk

Mature themes

b. Fallen Guardian

Cross x Shattered Dream, Dark Cream

Mature themes

c. Post Dark Cream

Cross, Dream, Aim (ship kid)

d. Aim

Aim, Ink

e. Studio

Cross Dream

Underverse actors

.

6. Xxtha Stories

@/xxtha-blog

a. Fellswap X

Sans-Centric / Papyrus-Centric / Parts

Fs!Sans, Fs!chara, Fellswap ensemble

b. Chancetale

Original AU, Sans is a magician

.

7. Grinning Kitten Stories

@/grinnningkitten

a. The Killing Kind / Tumblr

Geno—>Error x Reaper

b. Goth, Reaper

.

8. Horrortale

@/horrortalecomic

@/sourapplestudios

Chapter 3: context for Undyne/Alphys

Ch4 P2: Sans Enters the Lab

Ch4 P10: Body Horror Incoming

Ch4 P21: ch5 back to Aliza

.

9. Underlust Creator Art

@/nsfwshamecave

Visual smut

.

10. Unu Stories

@/unu-nunu-art

a. Connected

Template, Pale

b. Somewhere Else

Template, Error

.

11. Passive Nm story

@/nozapuns

Passive Nightmare, Nightmare, Reaper

Reaper x Error Comic

.

12. Throne

@/skumhuu

Dream, Cross, Nightmare, Killer

Suggestive, smut, Dream x Nightmare

.

13. Depressive AU

pushtidarling

Ink Sans, UTMV ensemble high school

Dark themes, sui*cide attempt, self*harm, parental a*buse

.

14. The Candy Chronicles

enderparty101

yandere!Blue, Swap Sans, Horror Papyrus

.

15. Blurry Photos

Amoredem

Killer, Dust, Cross

.

16. Perserverance

Skesgo

Reset!Swap Sans (Blue)

.

17. ( ’-’)tale

by [UT Fandom]

UTMV ensemble

.

18. Christmas Party AU

by loverofpiggies

UTMV ensemble

.

19. Bedtime Story

by utbarista

Nightmare (Dadmare), babybones (Error, Horror, Dust, Killer, Cross)

[powertaco]

Writing Update and a Poll

Grimm Tale's next chapter is the uh penultimate and likely to be longest for the first part of the series so it's taking a bit more to get through it. In other news there's a mega rare pair and trio challenge so Imma ask what +1 would you want to see with WR for it. The only rules are there have to be less than 25 fics of that trio on AO3. So FS would be out as would DWR (rip), but Hailstorm, Crimson Snow bunnies would be in.

Like, and subscribe, buy my merch, and ring the bell. Or just reblog so more people can vote. Idk man.

(the joke is that i didn't put in cinder and listed it as background character I think I'm hilarious)

[retellingthehobbit]

I went to read your comic on Ao3 and I noticed you'd started back in 2020. Aside from your clear and beautiful art progression, what can you tell me about the timeline of your comic?

Thank you! And yes, started this webcomic in January of 2020. “I sure hope nothing bad happens in 2020 that will hamper my ability to focus on a large personal project!” — me in January 2020 with all the naivety of youth. Top ten images taken minutes before disaster. This comic is like a deeply personal diary of my mental state, complete with the long empty hiatuses that are sort of like that part of Twilight where months of depression are represented by blank pages.

One of my favorite things about webcomics is how you can often see an artist’s style grow organically over time. I think it’s something that’s getting lost in the age of “Webtoon Originals,” where people are starting to expect webcomics to be produced by an actual production studio with a team of artists behind them and to maintain a consistent highly curated art style throughout. These professionally funded comics are fun, but they do lose the messy personal organic growth that used to separate webcomics from traditional print comics? But i could go on a whole tirade about webtoon haha 😂 !

The Hobbit is partially a story about someone learning how to express themselves. Bilbo starts the story as this stuffy little guy who is repressing a lot his own personality; he ends the story as a skilled artist writing elaborate prosy poetry about his adventures. I deliberately chose to start drawing the comic before I went to college, knowing my art style would change a lot of over that period!

Anyway here's the timeline as I remember it: Pre-development: I was working on sketches of the comic itself as early as 2016. Chapter 1 (A Bedtime Story/Tooks and Bagginses): (Posted on Tumblr in January 2020, on Ao3 later): Published shortly before I went to college. I was drawing in Paint Tool Sai, and hand-writing all the words instead of using a font. I set out to adapt at least the Unexpected Party chapter, but thought I'd probably adapt the entire novel within a year or two. ("It's a webcomic Michael. How long could it take? twelve months?") Chapter 2: (A Very Respectable Hobbit): Posted like a week after Chapter 1. This was when I still thought I could post a ten page chapter every week, haahahahahahahahahaha Fs in the chat.

HIATUS #1: DANCE BREAK: TIME FOR A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. The exact timeline of 2020 is a blur for obvious reasons, but I do remember the updates became very sporadic over this period. Chapter 3-5 (Very Old Friends and An Unexpected Party chapters): there’s a global pandemic. During Spring Break my college abruptly kicks us all off campus and sends us home. I keep looking at the “post dates” on these chapters like what??? Really? I posted that at thAt time? But there was a global pandemic happening and I was so busy and overwhelmed with college???? When did I have the time? I have no memory of drawing these. My memories of all 2020 are so blurry. I think these chapters just manifested spontaneously.

The weekly/biweekly update schedule has been tossed to the wind, never to return. Alas. Chapter 6 (An Enormously Important Dwarf, aka Thorin’s intro): I was back “at college” during our “hybrid” year, so in practice I was extremely isolated. this was posted during a year after the first chapter, in 2021. I would never have found the motivation to continue if I wasn't so excited to draw Thorin! I also joined a "comic club" at my college which was comprised mainly of awkward video calls with like three people. On a weirder note, this chapter was posted a few weeks after the January 6th attempted coup. I was drawing in a a weird headspace.

DANCE BREAK #2: IT’S TIME FOR A YEAR LONG HIATUS:

I've started to often dislike the word “burnout” when it’s applied to art. It implies that the problem is that you were drawing too much or that you can’t find inspiration, when often the problem is much bigger than your art-- it's wider economic anxieties and social circumstances outside your control. It is very hard to think clearly and create things when you are worried about your future, about work, about housing, about a global pandemic, about constant demands on your time, and about being extremely isolated. In hindsight, I wasn’t “burned out”— I was in a situation where I could not think clearly or produce anything. Chapter 7 (The Lonely Mountain): posted a full year after chapter 6. For a while I considered having this be the “last chapter” of the comic!

Changing art styles was a thing I was really motivated to do, and was my last “bucket list” item for the comic.

HIATUS #3: I get really busy with junior year of college! I grow more and more disillusioned with Tolkien as I learn more about The Hobbit Law crushing labor unions and worker's rights in New Zealand, and how Amazon takes advantage of that. The Tolkien Estate also releases a statement saying they disapprove of any unauthorized use of Tolkien's works for profit or not, which isn't really legally enforceable but is also just an act of pure contempt XD. Chapter 8 (A Tangled Web): I get sent to the emergency room in an ambulance for Reasons and begin drawing this in the weeks after, as I realize I don't care about the Tolkien Estate or Amazon or Warner Brothers or whatever hollow marketable products they produce under the tolkien brand. I think this is the weakest chapter of the comic, both in writing and art, and in hindisght think the comic works better without it pacing-wise. However!!!! I was drawing it in a weird mental state, so. XD

Also, at this point I am drawing entirely in Photoshop. Chapter 9 (Ash and Smoke): Back at college for senior year— time for dragon! The comic starts updating with something that resembles a "regular schedule!" this year had more and more people on campus in person, and I started to slowly make college friends :). Also, at this point I am the President of the comic club, and we are now meeting in person and rebuilding our comic empire. Chapter 10 (The Heart of the Mountain): Some funky bits of writing I'd like to revise at some point, but I enjoy the art in this chapter. Chapter 11 (Polite Nothings): If I were to do this all again I'd shorten this chapter and combine it with chapter 12. One important note is that originally, I tried to keep all chapters under ten pages. This made it easier to post them to Instagram and Tumblr, because tumblr still had a “ten image limit” at the time. However at some point I realized that was more trouble than it was worth, and really made the pacing difficult/slow as I struggled to split the story into ten page chunks.

A lot of webcomics often fall into what I call a “wheel-spinning” phase, where the author is so focused on finishing smaller updates that they lose the pacing of the larger narrative—- and so the story stalls out. I feel like I dealt with a lot of “wheel-spinning” while I was at college, both in my life and in my comic XD. Chapter 12 (The Quest): My internship company gives me an offer to work full-time, which I accept. in the last semester of my last year of college, I take the most helpful elective class I have ever taken: a class on using 3D models in blender to aid with blocking out illustrations. This is the first chapter where you see one of those backgrounds! From this point on my background art will improve dramatically. I also have lots of internet friends and college friends!

As I grow more confident in my art I also make the decision to change the character designs, something I’d wanted to do for a while. Chapter 13 (The Necromancer): I graduate college! It's time for some Lotte Reiniger art. I stay in my student housing until my lease ends. The art starts to grow more elaborate as I have more time to spend on it. Chapter 14 (Terms and Conditions): my summer is free, so I spend it drawing gay little hobbits. I move up North to live with my grandmother until my work start date. This is the very last “normal-sized” chapter of the comic, where I hold myself to keeping it under 10 pages. I also think this is where my new more elaborate character designs actually start to look a lot better XD.

I was finishing up apartment-hunting at this time, so both Bilbo and I were goin over contract terms. Chapter 15 (Unattached): summer free time!! More gay little hobbits. I move into my New apartment and sleep on an air mattress for a while. I have a lot of time to draw and the art gets far more complex; this chapter was also twice as long as my usual chapters. I am still proud of this chapter, honestly, even though it's gotten less attention than Chapter 16/17-- it's one I'd been excited to draw for a while. A lot of this chapter was drawn on my beautiful powerful beloved air mattress. Air mattress, my beloved. Chapter 16 (the Song of the Lonely Mountain): I start my new job! I get a BED. Lots of exciting things are happening. I was really excited to draw and post this chapter, because it’s one id been dreaming about drawing from the beginning-- it was surreal to see it "posted" because part of me never thought I'd get this far. I even started a tiktok and posted the chapter there, certain that people would enjoy it. However, tiktok basically ignored it, alas! This is why tumblr is the only social media site. Chapter 17: I continue my new job. My roommate surprises me with the news that they will move out at the end of our lease, making me realize that months have somehow passed. I make a post asking for anyone looking for roommates in Milwaukee to contact me via dms (that offer is still open, if you’re looking to move here in early June.) I privately am very confused about why anyone would ever want to leave a comfortable settled home to go off on an adventure and then realize that I am behaving exactly like pre-quest Bilbo Baggins.

Chapter 18: the chapter I am working on now!!! Another chapter I have been excited to draw forever!! It’ll feature studio-Ghibli-inspired backgrounds, exciting landscape art, and so much fun! I’ve also started a Patreon where, if you want to see “one page a week” instead of “twenty pages every Mystery number of Months” you can subscribe there. (The first page of Chapter 18 has already been posted!)

But yeah! The TL:DR:

I think the moral of all this (to me) is that it’s hard to make art if you’re just not in a position to do it, and you have to allow yourself time to grow and change as a person XD. Sometimes you need to spend a few years thinking and getting better before you're ready to go on an Adventure. I started this comic when I was very Young and Naive to the Ways of the World. The quality (and dips in quality) reflect my wildly fluctuating mental/emotional states while trying to draw each chapter in the midst of a global pandemic. My art has improved a lot lately, and I think a large part of it is really just being in a situation where I *can* improve— having a decent job, not being in the middle of a global pandemic with no vaccine in sight, not needing to live in constant fever-pitch anxiety, having friends, etc etc. I am completely different person now than I was while drawing chapter 1.

Not to be dramatic, but I think you can see there’s a lot more joy in the recent chapters than there is in some of the older ones. It's weird to look at your art and realize you've gotten happier. XD

[altocat]

alto i am really nervous what if they choose to not release a chapter this month and it’s in december

While that is certainly possible (and I'd be extremely angry if they chose to do that), I don't think it will happen. They have not made a Chapter Update since August. If there were no chapters this month, that's the longest the game would go without a content update. And I don't think they'd go for that at all.

The devs were all talking about FS coming out after the anniversary so I'm putting my faith in them to deliver. I think it will definitely be this month. We'll probably get an actual date tonight. So don't lose heart, anon! Just a few more hours and we'll see.