#i initially wanted to write a short ramble but it ended up being this long lol

[arcanegifs]

On Gifmaking:

So season 2's coming soon, and I wanna reflect on making gifs ever since I came back to Tumblr. I can't believe it's been 2 years of making gifs for this show!!!!! Look at how large my folder is lmao

And those are JUST gifs lol

Anyways, over time, my style has changed, especially how I color edit Arcane gifs. I kind of strayed away from a stylized filter color into just something that looks a lot more "natural" and works with the original scene.

Initially, I thought I'd save time, but I ended up not using my old arcane preset PSDs and resulted to coloring almost every scene manually. So in the end, it takes even longer to make them HAHAHA. It takes around an hour and a half for me to make a 10 gif set, basically. It also helps that I have a photography background, so coloring/editing is a lot simpler for me.

Here's a lil before and after of a dark scene (hiiiii viiiiiii <3)

Arcane is a REALLY dark show, but it goes for most of TV shows. Many of them are darker and harder to bring up the lights to make stuff look nice as gifs. Some people don't like to color their gifs, and that's okay. I personally just like color edited gifs more.

I've started learning how to upscale scenes myself, so that I have a better resolution and leeway to make things look "HD" more.

If you're wondering why my stuff look so "crisp", it's a combination of the scene's lighting, my sharpening settings on Photoshop and knowing how to upscale everything into 4k resolution. Of course, doing this needs an extremely beefy pc, which I am very lucky to own one.

Here's another before and after of a nicely lit scene. These are much, MUCH easier to do than all the darkly lit scenes because of shadows and lighting (caitlyn kiramman truly the rizzler <3)

I've been very lucky to be able to essentially take a nice, long break for like a month doing nothing after being so damn busy for the last year and a half, so it's nice that I was able to make a ton of gifs and be chronically online for a short while LMAO.

It's been so fun! But it's time to go back to reality lmao. I closed reqs for a bit because I was just so swamped with them the last few days, and I wanted to gif scenes that I like this time. I've done like 2 weeks worth of gifs. And you will see Vi a lot bc she's on my mind a lot heehee 🥰what can I say, she's such a babe <3

Here's a lil sneak peek, just look at herrrrrrr 🥰🥰🥰 and yeah, 4k upscaled resolution really helps making these tight crops, it's why i never went back to 1080p lol. It's how I’m able to make zoomed in gifs look decent (like the kirammountains gifset lol)

Thank you so much for all the support, likes, reblogs, and the nice tags you guys give. Yes, I can see and read all of them (both the nice and nasty ones lmao). If you have nothing good to say about the characters or my editing style, or anything related to the edit, please I beg you, just write a separate text post about it <3 If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it in my edits.

Lastly, thank you to the people who share my stuff outside the site and credit the blog and link them back here. I see you and appreciate you <3 You guys don't know how much I appreciate shoutouts and link backs, because people stealing my gifs is something that I've dealt with after making them for like a decade.

Tumblr is sadly not what it used to be in the 2013-2015 era. There’s definitely less activity as time goes by, so I appreciate all the people who credit and link back to this sideblog. Unfortunately, there’s more people who just repost them and it gets wayyy much more traction in other soc med sites. Yeah, ofc I get a lil jealous, but eh what can you do 😞 can’t really stop em.

I also don’t like putting watermarks because it personally looks tacky to me, but I understand why other people do it.

Anyways, if you reached at the end of this lil rambling of mine, thank you! I sadly might be busy during November because that's usually busy season, but I'll try to make time for making gifs of Season 2! Thank you and enjoy your stay on this lil sideblog :)

[quinngefail]

I’m having a very very bad Christmas. Can you please tell me some sweet and fluffy chainshipping stuff? What do you think they’re doing for Christmas?

Well first off I'm sorry to hear, and I hope everything ends up alright :(

So uh even if it helps a lil bit, here's some Christmas things that came to mind! Absolutely putting a cut. Because it is Yap City down there 😩

So just to preface (and just really explain this in more depth for the first time), the way I'm writing them is with my timeline of the Bathroom Trap in October of 2004. The two eventually go back to their lives after being separately released from hospital care. They (Lawrence) do periodically get in contact with (Adam) one another, just to check in and all that… But as time goes on, they (Adam) stop answering each other's (Lawrence's) calls, and they completely drift apart. It's not until about a half a year passes (so June or July of 2005), when Lawrence happens to encounter Adam again, and it's immediately clear that things have gotten bad on Adam's end. Not that Lawrence isn't suffering himself, of course, but it's very apparent just how bad Adam is doing.

From there, they begin to shakily reconnect, and realize that they're the only people in the world who can ever truly understand the particular horror that they went through... And it slowly becomes clear that there is something still very much lingering between them. An ache, a desire, a yearn that has never left either of them since that day... Which brings only more to this difficult road they're already attempting to navigate.

...So with that established, I'm just gonna fast forward to December of 2005, where they've been together for a few months now, and have become close enough to want to celebrate the holidays together :)

(Quick note that Alison and Diana are physically out of the picture at this point in time, that's a whole other ramble for another time- in short, they got the fuck out of Saw City a good few months back, and are doing their own thing to recover from that day)

So WITH THAT ALL LAID OUT, here's some First Christmas headcanons:

First off, with Adam's dysfunctional ass family (whom he's also only sparingly talked to over the past seven-ish years), I just cannot imagine he's ever had a 'normal' Christmas. It "doesn't matter though", as he's declared for years now that he doesn't give two shits about this "Commercialized Crap Holiday for Brainwashed, Bible-Humping Idiots" ("The term is 'bible-thumping', Adam"). While initially he wears this attitude around Lawrence, he decides to just sorta ease up on it for now- especially after Lawrence expresses this simple, genuine want for the two of them to just have a nice celebration together.

Lawrence, meanwhile, has this lingering complication with the holiday from his upbringing- but he's definitely not at a stage where he's ready to get into all that with Adam. However, what's more important to him this year is just wanting to provide a nice Christmas for the both of them. He's really not fussy about all the 'Traditional Christmas Stuff™️' and genuinely just wants nothing more than a pleasant time with the person he cares so deeply for. Besides, it's only been a little over a year since the bathroom trap- and while things have gradually gotten easier since then, there's still a long way to go for the both of them. He knows that they both get stressed and overwhelmed rather easily, so he's more than fine with something that is just simple and laid back.

I think too, after he hears about Adam never having even one good Christmas, it's important for him to just. Provide that experience, y’know,

(And not in a WE NEED TO CONVERT YOU INTO LOVING CHRISTMAS 😤😤😤 sort of way lmao, it's more just like Hey it's that time of year where we take time to express love for one another, we just also happen to bring a tree into our house and cover it in decorations Iol. And I simply want to express love for you, while I happen to have a decorated tree in my house)

((Okay but speaking of trees I can fully imagine Lawrence being the type to have fake trees, but like dude my family has been doing the same for years lmao. I think we all just collectively got sick of the mess and I feel like he would be the same way HSJRJGK))

Anyway. Adam initially has the idea of putting together this collection of photos for Lawrence, as well as burning a CD for him with a very intentional selection of songs; both with the goal of just sorta expressing the things he struggles with actually saying to Lar. He has a very hard time with vulnerability, but finds it comes easier to him through art. However, it does not take long before a little voice in his head is hissing that it won't be enough for Lawrence, someone who he assumes is 'so accustomed' to 'high-class luxury'. This will be nothing compared to all that. Still, he goes through with taking photos of things he finds as captivating as Lawrence, and narrowing down a small selection of important songs that just make him think of Lar, their relationship, the difficult feelings Adam is grappling with, and anything between (he even tries to stay within that sappy shit Lawrence is so into, just to be extra sure that he'd like the music)... All while that critical voice in his head just grows louder and louder. Finally, a few days before Christmas, he has that breaking moment of like I CAN'T GIVE THESE TO HIM,

He scrambles to try and find a different gift- something big, fancy, and expensive- but quickly realizes that he cannot possibly afford anything that feels 'good enough' for Lawrence. This, of course, culminates on Christmas. But y’know before they do gifts and stuff, it is just a nice, quiet celebration- just staying in together, having a good dinner, and enjoying each other's company. Nothing too crazy or overstimulating, and more just romantic than anything. Like they got that low lighting, candles lit and shit, they got the mf Yule Log™️ on the TV of course with the instrumental Christmas tunes going, ALL THAT JAZZ

But uh when it's inevitably gift time, the very thing Adam had been dreading all evening, he begrudgingly hands over the photos and CD- but with about 50 million disclaimers over how I KNOW IT'S NOT MUCH, IT WAS A STUPID IDEA, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T DO MORE, YOU GOT ME ALL THIS STUFF BUT ALL I HAVE IS THIS FOR YOU, YOU CAN JUST THROW THEM OUT, ETC ETC ETC...

But obviously the gesture and intention behind them mean more than anything else here, and Lawrence is absolutely touched by it all. In fact, they could even listen to the CD right now, because one of the things Lawrence got him was a new Walkman 😊 !!

(Which like either the one Adam has is on its last legs and only works about half the time anymore, or he had to sell it among numerous other things to make ends meet during the time he and Lawrence weren't in contact post bathroom trap)

Adam loves it, of course, but the idea of listening to that CD with Lawrence definitely gets him all embarrassed lmao. But, after a bit, he relents- again, with the 50 million disclaimers of I MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE HIGH WHEN I PUT THIS TOGETHER (he wasn't), I'M SORRY IF IT SUCKS, I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING WITH INCLUDING THIS SONG (he knew). Lawrence assures him he won't laugh or judge or anything.

So with Adam's worry quelled just enough, they sit back on the couch and get close, share a set of earbuds, and listen to it together :)

(And y’know it would be fun to actually put that playlist together myself for the immersive experience HSJGK....)

And I just have the visual in my head of Adam, arms crossed over his chest, eyes squeezed shut, rapidly bouncing his leg, heart pounding out of his chest, just being like this sucks this sucks this sucks this sucks this sucks this sucks this sucks this sucks this sucks he hates this he hates this he hates this he hates this he hates this he hates this-

Lawrence, meanwhile,

THERE'S EVEN A FEW BEATLES SONGS IN THERE...... LIKE OOKAYYY, 🥰😭 (which y’know they may sound rather fucked with the both of them only getting one earbud, but THAT'S OKAY 🙌)

(💥 This has been a Beatles left/right sound channel mixing joke 💥)

But yes when the CD ends, Lar is over the moon lmao. Happily going on about how much he loves it, this is going in his car and he'll love listening to it again; and these photos must be framed and hung up as soon as possible- this one here especially is going in his office, immediately- while Adam sits there, just silently staring at him,, and feeling himself finally just relax.

(For now at least huhehghgh)

But of course, they share that very tender kiss and embrace. So all in all... It's a good night :)

So uh!! I got a bit fixated on just that whole moment here, but I hope you enjoy regardless hehehehh

And I hope you all had a nice Christmas yourself, if you celebrate!!

[kogameh]

anyways uh. longass teal mask thoughts with spoilers ofc.

the story is....tbh its nothing to write home about, and i doubt it'll get the same amount of praise as the base game's story at all. in fact it EXACTLY had everything (minus one thing but i'll get back to that) i predict it'll be with ogerpon and the momotaro trio's design. so i'll spare from spoiling that if you had the exact same inference as me because, believe me, they're not hiding what the pokemons' role are in the slightest.

tbh i already had my expectations down knowing the base requirement to play this DLC is to just "start your treasure hunt" (read: literally when you're done with the game tutorial). so they did exactly what you expect from that as well--theyre not gonna address you being a champion, nor anything with the fact that youre already friends with nemona/arven/penny and all that endgame jazz lol. frankly this is my biggest disappointment with this DLC because i love paldea's cast a lot and this DLC barely gave me that...but ah well.

the stars of the show are DEFINITELY kieran and carmine. to the point other characters are just...There to deliver NPC quests or something or only give story hints to the next DLC and not much else. (briar is def the most sus still)

but back to both of them; carmine is one i didnt expect to be someone two-faced lol. she legit called us a weirdo and bunches of other insults, i think this is the closest we'll get to a rude rival-kun in this game (unless you wanna count when arven being an ass at first when we were total strangers with him). ofc she eventually warms up and accepts you and all but she still slips into this haughty side of herself very often and i love that lol. and she also DOES have her reason of being Like That, nothing too deep, but it fits her and she's a fun character to have all around.

kieran on the reverse (:)) side though, uh, oh boy. i grew REALLY fond of him at first when he was shy and unsure about calling us a friend. but then the Angst™ part hits and...yeah, as i've said, the writing really doesn't do it for me once they showed kieran's "motives" and reasons for adoring the "ogre". basically MC and carmine hide the fact they met ogerpon from kieran and he?? basically compared himself to the ogre who got demonized as an outcast in the kitakami village with that?? just because of his sister not telling him a secret??? uhhhh. i wish they'd give him a backstory of being estranged by his classmates or fellow villagers or something and hence why he felt so #relatable to the ogre stemmed all the way from his childhood would make sense that way because this conflict just feels too much of a reach for me to sympathize him in this part ^&%^$^&%^#

also uh, i did said ONE thing i was also expecting from the trailers is kieran going apeshit. in fact i was thinking "damn kieran suddenly going angst would make more sense if he was possessed by the evils or smth" and i was REALLY disappointed that that was the only expectation of mine that didn't happen...until....uh....................until the VERY last scene in this DLC happens. and they're implying that he IS going apeshit. with a cliffhanger. HOLY FUCK.

anyways kieran is VERY unwell please help him (but i still love him)

also uh, the kitakami region itself? personally i had fun with it. I LOVE the matsuri the most and im so happy we get to explore a rural Japanese area in pokemon like this. in fact there should be more video games with such areas actually (yes i preordered the physical ver of the shinchan game already) however, uh, the map *is* quite small in comparison to the base game and sadly the areas like mountains and forest, etc? dont expect an improvement in graphics too much even with the smaller map. so just a note if thats your priority in exploring open worlds like that yeah.

and uhh, ive said that the "plot" with the pokemons were predictable and all, but the "quest" to reveal their lore was amusing and never boring to me so that's something. i especially like how they presented ogerpon's side of the story (albeit it was a short bit).

overall. yeah. was the story anything spectacular? not really. did i had fun with it? oh definitely.

frankly on its own the story isnt anything special (i really only cared for kieran/carmine/orgepon really) but it DOES serve as an interesting bridge for the next DLC...which...now i have higher expectations for, thats p much my conclusion with it.

is it worth the price tag though? uh. idk yet. if you're on the fence with that i suggest waiting for onions on indigo disk. thats as much i can recommend.

so yeah. i had a good time with it. and at least thats more things to feed my scarvio brainrot

just finished teal mask

THE FUCKING CLIFFHANGER AT THE END MIGHT GIVE WHAT I WANTED TO SEE IN THIS DLC EXCEPT IT'LL BE IN THE NEXT ONE???? YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[des-no9]

For the fic ask game! What about 2 and 22? :]

From writing asks here!

talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Oh boy. Endlessly. I'm very much a writer that goes in and just....writes? and lets the characters take the lead. It's not often I have a set narrative/outline because I know that doesn't happen or work. That restriction on something creative is where much needed structure falls apart for me.

I write a lot of shorter pieces, not much in the way of sprawling novel narratives, so maybe this doesn't come up as starkly as in long form writers. It's probably more smaller and nuance for short form writers (n my experience anyway).

Well actually a big one narratively for Vanquish was I didn't want her to die so soon, or at all mortally (another narrative thread) when she joins Voss, the githyanki and frees herself from Nezarr. But I think she just kind of told me when I was figuring out her narrative and end that no, she was ready to die then. She was tired, sore, but happy.

I feel the same for Voss, so their endings just kind of aligned to me and felt right after she kind of told me "this is what I want". After living two very long lives (relatively) basically for someone else, they get to have these short last years as theirs and they don't need anymore.

It felt really poignant especially for Vanquish as her whole initial fear was her mortality, death and her loss of control over it, and its what got her in such a horrible situation. So it just feels right and nice and makes me emotional haha.

Sorry for rambling like fuck and getting very emotional lol.

describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

Hah oh boy okay.

Okay well, fellow neuro diverse and mentally unwell writes may understand your head also just constantly being on fire with ideas and narrative threads and characters.

The reason I pick a certain one can be anything from: catharthis, just the need to write, spite, horny, prompt, unexplored part of a char, what if what if always what if (why I love rare pairs and side chars), and ofc just the general exploring the fucked up and unknown.

Okay first of all I need: music for the vibe of what I'm going to write. Lately actually ambient 10hr background noise audios have been saving my life. Particularly these two. Cyberpunk 9hrs rain. Cozy cyberpunk loft in the rain 10hr. They've been constant lifesavers for writing lately. I've been finding a lot of lyric songs overstimulating and distracting for writing. I need tea if I'm going to settle in and write something longer. Always.

I often write my shorter things these days in StimuWrite, just opening it up and going for it. For me it has the same feel of writing directly into the tumblr text box which increases my output somehow idk. Having no spellchecker is insanely helpful for me hah. Otherwise I consistently use g-docs, for better or worse. It helps me because I have 4 devices then I can write on, and I can write anywhere on any position (chronic pain wahoo).

I edit as I go in everything I write though (not always catching the spelling mistakes tho, that's different). Constantly editing structure, word choice as I go. It's just easier for me. I'm not a 1st draft, 2nd draft person. All my work is essentially one draft, edited as I go, then as I finish I go over it again before posting.

I usually write linearly because the things I usually write are quite short. But often lines for future scenes, moments etc will just appear as I'm writing a current one and I just quickly write that at the bottom of the document. That happened twice past two days. I wrote a flashback in the cyberpunk AU fic and the ending of it wrote itself while I was writing the opening, so I just wrote it down quickly a few spaces down, then continued writing, editing it slightly into the context of what I ended up writing that followed.

Exact same thing happened writing an Orpheus/Voss yesterday. Ending few lines just wrote themselves as I was writing another line so had to throw them down. Then I wrote the rest of the fic.

For longer things I won't always write scenes in order. Sometimes I'll just write things and shuffle them around. I don't need constant 'seamless scene transitions'. I'm confident enough im my writing and my readers that they can understand what's happening. And this fic is a series of vignettes anyway. Snapshots of various people's lives. It fits the vibe.

When something's finished, if it's something longer, or something professional or for a zine, I'll let it sit for a few days, longer. I need to step away from it to come back with fresh eyes. It helps me edit more objectively, critically, and just help notice dumb shit I did that I maybe wouldn't have if I didn't give myself that break away from it.

For shorter things though, often I just write, edit/proof, immediately post. Sometimes I know there are things I just need to get out there and not worry about, just get out my system, just be stress free, or things I need to stop looking at and let it go.

Thank you so much for the ask love!!! This was very fun !! <33333 sorry it's so long omg hope you enjoyed reading

[hazywazysmind]

Spend the day with me || Ellie Williams x Reader

Summary: You spend the day with Ellie, which turns to a steamy confession

Content Warning: 18+ mdni, initial fluff, turns smut, smut with plot, boobie appreciation(obvi), fingering, Ellie existing(god I love that woman)

A/N: Ok ok… originally I had planned to do a total fluff fest piece but um… well my mind drifted elsewhere lol. I attempted to write smut but at most points I think I rambled to much. Also I feel like the ending is a bit lack luster… I always struggle with endings. But anyways… I hope you enjoy!💛

˜”*°•.˜”*°• … •°*”˜.•°*”˜

You stirred in your bed, the soft streaks of sunlight dancing on your skin, a sign of your day coming to a start. It was a nice spring day in Jackson, with a soft breeze, and the dew still settling from the early morning. It was nothing short of ethereal, your breath was soft as you stayed in slumber, your body relaxed and unbothered.

Knock Knock

A soft knock rang through the small space of your room, a visitor waiting outside your door. You didn't react at first, too entranced in the comfort of your sleep, warranting another knock; louder this time. You groaned as you slowly blinked open, losing whatever dreams were floating in your head. “Hey! Sleeping beauty…” Your sleepy gaze traveled to the door, your ears soon filled with a familiar voice, one that made you smile even in your annoyed sleepy state.

Ellie sighed as she waited outside your door, she looked at her hands, the only sound being her foot tapping against the porch and the birds singing in the air. She looked up before readying herself to knock on your door once again, her action cut short as your door slowly creaked open. Her heart stopped a bit, taking in your sleepy features; hair messed, eyes fighting to stay awake, and your tank top hugging you snuggly. “Well well well… look who finally decided to join us in the real world.” She spoke softly, letting herself in as you moved to the side. You chuckled hoarsely, your throat still not quite warmed up to speak. “I mean is it so bad that I would actually want to sleep in on my day off?” You questioned, watching as Ellie dropped her bag on the chair accompanying your desk before falling onto your plush bed.

You studied her from afar watch as she laid there comfortably, staring at your ceiling before opening her mouth to speak. “No no… nothing wrong with that, but-” she stopped mid-sentence, her soft green eyes meeting your own, a smirk creeping on her face as she started again “wouldn't you rather spend the day with your favorite person in the whole world, princess?” Her voice finished, that cheeky smirk still adorning her freckled face. Your face grew red at the nickname Ellie always used with you, at first it was used as a form of teasing, you hated when the word slipped off her tongue but know it seemed to make your stomach do flips and twists. “What exactly did you have in mind? This won't warrant us getting into trouble with Maria right? I refuse to do more cleaning as punishment…” You grumbled soon walking over to your dresser to slip on some pants, not even noticing Ellie’s gaze practically burning into your skin. “I mean not if you manage to get us caught… I was able to sneak Shimmer out of the stables, she's packed up at and waiting on the East side of town.” Ellie stated before sitting up, still watching you closely as you wiped your face and combed out your hair. You nodded, brushing through your hair one last time before walking to the door slipping on your boots and grabbing your bag.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• … •°*”˜.•°*”˜

It didn't take long before you and Ellie were outside the secure walls of the town, trotting along the soft ground, and holding Ellie close so you wouldn't fall off the rear end of Shimmer. You breathed out softly enjoying the serene moment, taking in the flora and fauna of the forest around you. “Penny for your thoughts?” You were pulled from your concentration, eyes shifting to Ellie. It was hard not to stare at her, the light streaming in through the dense trees capturing every part of her perfectly. “I'm just enjoying the calm, it's been so long since I've been able to just enjoy the environment, without having to worry about patrol.” You spoke out softly, smiling as you grazed your cheek against Ellie’s back. Ellie chuckled and nodded, almost as to say she agrees and feels the same about your claim. She gripped the reins, twisting them in her hands before halting Shimmer. “Well, let’s not waste any of this time off… we're here,” Ellie spoke before hopping off Shimmer; after balancing herself, she extended a hand to you. You looked at her before gladly grabbing her hand, slipping off the horse, and landing firmly on the ground. Ellie walked around to tie up Shimmer and dismantle her bag from the saddle. You took this opportunity to stretch your body, looking around and having a small content smile on your face. “Ah as annoying as you are Els, I could never deny your ability to find a little oasis in this broken world…” You teased, looking at Ellie as she scoffed, acting hurt at your comment. You giggled before following behind her, watching as she cut through an opening, revealing a lush plot of land with grass and flowers; looked like a painting placed right in front of you. 

Ellie stopped in the middle of the field before throwing her arms up and exclaiming “Isn't this amazing!?… I found this little spot on patrol with Jesse… I just knew I had to bring you along.” She smiled before setting down her bag. You smiled always enjoying the softer side of Ellie, she didn't show that side often; she was always rough and serious to others. You watched as Ellie rummaged through her bag before pulling out a blanket and a paper bag. “My My… if I didn't know any better I would almost think we were on a date darlin’…” You spoke out in a poor southern drawl as Ellie sat on the blanket, a small blush forming on Ellie’s face as you teased her. You enjoyed teasing Ellie with simple flirts and notions to the unnamed relationship you both had.

An outsider could look at both of you and think; surely these two are a happy couple. But they would be mistaken, seem as obvious as you and Ellie were about the attraction you both garnered for each other; neither of y'all ever seemed to make that final move. The final decision was to be together, but today was going to change that. Ellie had mulled over the thought, every day for the past week; no doubt annoying Jesse and Dina in the process. She wanted to make sure she did this right, she wanted to make sure that you would return the feelings, and that she wouldn't make a complete and utter fool of herself. So here you both were, sitting down on a plush blanket and enjoying each other's company. Ellie reached for the brown paper bag which had been placed in between you both, she reached in and pulled out two sandwiches. “Are you hungry? I made them this morning…” She spoke softly, holding out the sandwich; a simple chicken sandwich. You nodded, thanking Ellie before grabbing the sandwich and immediately digging in not realizing how hungry you were. Ellie watched you, the air becoming thick with silence, she cleared her throat before speaking “Y/N… so-” She stopped as your eyes met hers, focusing on her speech as you swallowed your previous bite. She couldn't help but stop her thoughts, snorting as she held in her laughter at the sight. Your eyebrows furrowed, confused as to why the Auburn-haired girl was laughing, completely unaware of the mayo that very obviously rested on the other corner of your mouth. “You have a little something on your face…” Ellie spoke before scooting herself closer, her hand grabbing your cheek before letting her thumb swipe away the glob of mayo. Your hand had instinctively grabbed her wrist softly, as your heart began to beat at what seemed like 1 million beats per second. You stared at her, she was so close, and even after doing something so mundane as cleaning your face, you found yourself choked up. Ellie seemed to take notice of your hesitant state, a small smirk forming before finally breaking the tension with her lips. A gasp slipped out at the sudden action, you were caught off guard but ultimately allowed the kiss to deepen.

Ellie leaned into you more, her lips moving with a fervor; her tongue soon finding its way into your mouth. You had graciously let your body melt to her touch, ready to let her mold and shape you for her own pleasure. Your hands had found their way into her hair, your nails scratching her scalp gently as you gripped. She leaned into you deeper, as her body guided you to lay back. You were in total bliss, becoming drunk off of Ellie’s actions, your underwear growing wet with the thought of her taking you how she wanted. Ellie’s hand soon found its way to the hem of your tank top, her calloused hands slowly snaking their way under to graze the soft skin. You moaned at the sudden contact, the noise caught Ellie off guard; her mouth soon leaving hers. You stared at her as your face grew with a melancholic expression. She noticed your face and quickly shook her head, grabbing your face delicately between her hands “No… no, I didn't mean to pull away Y/N, Believe me.. I desperately want you but this wasn't how things were supposed to go, well I mean yes I want you like that… it's just… well I-” You stopped her babbling, your sad expression being replaced with a smirk before giving a soft kiss to her lips. “it's okay El…” You spoke gently against her lips, soon guiding her hands back to there previous position. Ellie gladly took your invitation, immediately finding her way to your boobs, grabbing and squeezing them softly; a groan erupting from her mouth. “Gosh princess… you're so perfect.” She spoke out, her kisses soon traveling down your jaw. You couldn't help but moan at the use of the nickname, what was once peaceful fun was now used to praise you.

Ellie nibbled at your neck gently, leaving small marks here and there as she began to remove your top. You lifted your arms, the breeze of the spring air causing your nipples to perk right up, and Ellie pulled away from your neck. She looked at your body, admiring every curve and marking; a dumb smile littered her face as she realized you were giving yourself to her. She was quick to pull you back in for another kiss, her other hand quick to unclasp your bra; she tugged on your bottom lip causing a whine to leave you. You were spent, your body hot and your mind racing as you watched Ellie’s movements; a moan soon left your lips as Ellie’s mouth clasped around your nipple. Your back arched, your clothed pussy grazing against Ellie’s thigh sending goosebumps all over your body. You can't remember a time you felt this good, at least not with yourself or with any previous partners; you wanted to revel in the pleasure, moving your hips to get some kind of friction so you could reach your peak. Ellie seemed to notice the desperate ruts of your hips against her thigh, she smirked before pulling away and looking at your flushed face “Aww.. Princess I've barely touched you…” she started before going near your ear, “and you're already so needy for me. Tell me, what do you want?” She whispered before nipping your earlobe. You whined softly at the action, the words suddenly stuck in your throat but you managed to get something out “Touch me…” You said desperation laced in your voice. She nodded, leaving chaste kisses, making her way down your body; the sensation was tingly as her kisses traveled, and soon felt her hands unbutton your pants. You gladly, and almost too quickly lifted your hips to help Ellie remove them. Once your pants were gone, she started at your underwear cooing at the very evident wet spot. “So wet for me… I love it…” She mumbled faintly, her pointer finger grazing your pussy softly causing a moan to erupt from you. “Ah… E-El... No teasing…” You spoke almost in a whisper as you reached for her wrist. Ellie wanted so badly to tease you, but that wouldn't be fair to you or her at this moment. She needed you, wanted you.

Ellie left more kisses peppered along your things, leaving marks in some spots so you'd know she had been there. She stopped at your underwear before slowly moving them to the side, exposing your pussy; the air has the same effect as it did on your boobs earlier. She took two fingers, sliding them down your slit, coating them in your slick. You were a mumbling mess, your head reeling at the fact that Ellie had such a tremendous effect and she hadn't even made you come yet. You were lost in thought before quickly being brought back to reality “F-Fuck…” You moaned out as you felt Ellie’s long fingers enter you. She filled you so well, slowly pumping her fingers and enjoying watching your writhe in pleasure. She continued a steady but hard pace, her palm hitting your clit deliciously “Mm… look at you princess… you take me so well…” Ellie praised you as she gave more attention to your boobs again. Your back arched enjoying the way Ellie fawned over your body, your hand gripping her wrist; nails digging in sure to leave a mark.

“E-Ellie… faster please… fuck me faster…” You begged her feeling your orgasm approaching. Ellie chuckled softly, surprised you were this close already and so soon but she acknowledged your request. She picked up the pace, curling her fingers which in turn had you arching your back. You moaned loudly, most likely startling any wildlife surrounding y'all. Your hips were eagerly rutting against Ellie’s fingers to get to your peak faster; words slurring and becoming incoherent. “You gonna cum for me princess? Hm? Come on baby… cum for me…” Her voice rang in your ears as your body began to tremble; you threw your head back as your orgasm soon washed over you. Your breathing is heavy and quick as any tension built up slowly left your body. Ellie continued slowly pumping her fingers, helping you down from your high. You opened your eyes, your gaze soon meeting Ellie’s; she smiled at you soon removing her fingers and giving you a soft peck before speaking. “You did amazing sweetheart… who knew I could make you scream like that…” She teased you, which cause you to slightly hit her arm. She chuckled and laid back, pulling your naked body close to hers, tucking stray hairs out of your face. You hummed and watched her, a soft smile on your face as you spoke up “Hey El… can I say something?” She looked down and nodded with a soft hum, awaiting your response. “I love you… you know, more than friends…” You spoke out as you placed your hand on her cheek. She smiled from ear to ear, “I love you too Y/N…” She responded softly before placing one last soft kiss on your lips. You both lay there, completely content in each other's arms.

[tadpolesonalgae]

Is there any other small/significant storyline that you changed from the original plan you had for cbmthy? Only if you want to share of course! I'm so in love with the fic I think about it constantly, can't get enough of it!!

Also, would you be willing to write drabbles once the fic is done? Like an Az pov, or an alt version of the events?

I hope this doesn't come off as me being dissatisfied, I'm just curious! In the end, it's your story and you know what's best!

(((I absolutely love what you've done with it)))

You're so sweet for asking this anon <3, thank you :')

(be warned I ramble quite a lot below)

the major pathway:

So I might repeat some I've already said, because I can't remember too well which once I've spoken about before, and most of the time I forget there was ever an alternative pathway until someone says something that reminds me of it! That being said, possibly one of the more extreme alternate pathways I briefly (not entirely seriously) considered taking the story along was that when Azriel takes the arrow and reader panics, thinking she's killed him, that instead of her sole intention being 'call for help' when her magic detonates, instead her intention is still to kill herself so she doesn't have to live with the guilt of murdering Azriel and that turns her magic malicious enough to result in Azriel's actual death! And almost reader's, too. I think I actually still have a draft tucked away somewhere for that potential ending, with reader living on in between worlds, thinking only Nesta can see her but pretends she can't (Nesta thinking she was seeing ghosts and becoming ill again, and trying to work through it), remaining trapped in the room where she killed Azriel, until Rhysand, filled with grief and misdirected hatred, turns her to mist for taking his brother :) Obviously, having it typed out, you can see why that didn't happen :)

The CBMTHY au, Slaughterhouse:

There was also a kind of au I was considering while thinking about reader possibly becoming a negative presence? I was thinking about writing something called Slaughterhouse, set a century or so after cbmthy! The rough outline was reader was deemed dangerous enough to be locked up in the prison after her initial outburst that tears through the magic of Prythian and sent the island into nuclear winter (thank you, Frozen), and then, all these decades later her cell is finally unlocked and the story follows as her and Azriel try to find the rest of the IC after the Prison fractured and Prythian was overtaken by the immortals once again! I still might write that one day as an au because while I despise horror and angst, I love me a good post-apocalyptic setting (thank you, tlou part 2)

Drabbles/aus

I think your idea sounds nice! With potentially writing short things once the story is completed? I have a few ideas that I just don't think would fit into the actual story so it would be nice to still get a chance to write them down afterwards if people enjoyed cbmthy's actual ending enough and found it satisfying enough to remain interested in it? I also think it would be a lot of fun to potentially write some of the cbmthy from Azriel's perspective once it's done, like what he thinks of Bas, how he felt when she ran away to autumn, what was going through his head when she kind of confessed to him in chapter 1 in the library? Those would definitely be drabbles I'd have to think long and hard about though, in order to get things right

And thank you for asking!!! It makes me so happy whenever anyone seems like they want to know more about cbmthy since it takes up such a large part of my mind now :')

Thank you for being interested in it <3

[blackbloodteeth]

4 Years, and then some

Since I've never really mentioned it in detail anywhere, allow me to share an idea I deemed unable to write because it was just too long, and the main reason for this is that the story itself takes place over the course of about four years, give or take a few months more. Most likely would've been named after the amount of years that pass initially.

It should be noted that this is somewhat long, clocking in at around 3.2k words. It's somewhere between a ramble and traditional writing, but there's really no better way to convey an idea like this, and it's just another form of storytelling. Either way, here it finally is.

————

The start of it would've been after said four or so years where Soul and Maka are contemplating the decision to make a long trip, knowing it will be daunting for them both. Maka has become dead set on going through with this, and Soul will always go where she does.

You now get to see where this truly starts, four years prior. It was a regular assignment, or as regular as taking on a witch gets. Maka appears to be holding her own – she is wielding Soul, after all – but it is soon revealed to have been a distraction to the witch's true motive: A powerful spell that shakes the earth itself.

Something doesn't go quite the way it was expected, however. The witch disintegrates on the spot. Maka falls to her knees, not because she was harmed, but because she felt something so visceral it made her drop Soul and wretch: The day the world fell silent.

And that's the name of this chapter.

After consoling his meister and helping her back onto her feet, slowly they start to assess what really happened. The witch – not even her soul – was nowhere to be found. The soul responses or bodies of anyone in the surrounding township was nowhere to be found. The soul responses of anyone, any living person, in as far as her perception would stretch without hurting her further was nowhere to be found.

Everything was silent.

It's a lot to take in when you can feel the presence of everyone around you, even if you don't think about it, and suddenly they're all gone. Soul has her try to sit down for a moment, let her rest for even just a second while he tries to rationalize all this. Television only somewhat functions, and of course there's no news on this – can't if there's no one to report it. Radio's a bust, but it was worth a short. He decides to skip telephoning once he can understand Maka enough to try mirroring home.

Except... nothing happens.

He tries again. And again. And again. And no one answers.

The world has fallen silent. And they're the only ones left in it.

It's a lot to take in when you realize the world suddenly ended without knowing it. Soul, however, doesn't want to think about it. He's still here, he has Maka, and she's upset. He might be upset. But he has to look after his partner.

Electricity is still automated enough that it hasn't shut down yet by this point. Cars are deserted, many left on and in places that were caused by inertia, sometimes into each other. Buildings are obviously abandoned, and that makes this the perfect time to hit the store – They can do whatever they want to get their minds off of everything until she's calmed down, and if it helps jinx it so everyone appears again to get them in trouble, then it's a win-win, right?

Freezer's definitely going to go first, so: Ice cream. Try whatever flavours they want, break a few rules, make her laugh while he can. It was fun, forgetting for a moment. They could pretend things were normal, like everyone was just hiding and they were a couple of goofy, reckless teens causing trouble. Maybe mess around and see who would end up in jail more than the other for how much stupid crap they did.

It was a day he would still remember vividly every time he thought about it again.

The next chapters aren't so concrete.

Over time, Maka got used to her perception being underworked, to the point she could feel the faintest signals of life from insects if she focused. Most animals had also vanished, but some – like birds and fish – still remained, settling into this silent world as if it almost hadn't changed.

While she can sense Soul at all times, Soul wasn't as unlucky and eventually devised a system to help keep track of each other as they later needed to separate (out of sight, but still within earshot) or in the event something other than them somehow becomes a threat. Maka wore lightweight but noisy enough items when exploring, and the both of them had bells in case they needed to locate each other faster. If the two ever needed space (which was rare, all things considered), they would keep each other updated and make sure to check in at designated places.

As for the world itself, electricity did inevitably fail. One by one, the unattended grids shut themselves down and the two had spent much of the time beforehand preparing to survive without the necessities they'd grown up with. They'd raided most of the stores for goods – water, clothes, lights and batteries, etc. – and made a "home base" of sorts where shelter and temperature would be the least likely to be an issue. It turned them into decent scavengers, both having at least some on-the-field survival skills and fairly good wit, and of course teamwork to coordinate the window they'd been gifted to prepare.

Then... came afterwards. Surviving.

It should be known now that they weren't in Death City when this happened. Could've been halfway across the country to fight that witch. Speaking of, they did actually go back and attempt to figure out what the spell was. What remained was all in the witch's native language, and with her vanished that knowledge no matter how studious Maka was – Whatever really occurred with the spell, intended or not, was most likely irreversible.

It was going to be a long four years that the witch left for them.

For a good portion of it – they stopped being able to keep track of days accurately after a few months – they lived in the town where it had occurred. Had a pretty good setup with what was left behind, but eventually they knew they'd run out of resources, and gasoline does expire after enough time. When the time finally came, they took all of their preparations with them and learned not to grow too attached to anything that wasn't necessity.

They didn't carry much with them on themselves; There were a few backpacks, and even a couple of wagons they could wheel behind them, but for the most part they traveled with what they needed and that was it. Always hope for the best in the next place, but prepare for the worst on getting there.

Mind you, they did keep at least a few comfort objects – They were human, after all. Maka always tried to read up as many books as she had the time for since she couldn't take them all with her, save for a couple she found to be her favorites, and throwaway journals that she could write in but abandon when no longer needed. Soul had the guilty pleasure of spending some of their batteries on cassettes and keeping his most replayed on hand in case the quiet creeped in too much. He did eventually also make use of journals too, just never shared what he wrote. That was okay.

Living on just their own (quite literally) was the hardest when they started to think about it.

In the weeks, months, years that passed, many conversations came and went, but some were almost a necessity of their own. Heavy weight that the mind can only carry for so long, and truths that could never truly remain lies even if they hurt.

They were alone, but at the same time they also weren't. They slowly eased into letting out the harder stuff of living in a world that wasn't the one they grew up in, piece by piece opening up and processing it together. Soul and Maka missed home. They missed their friends, the families they once knew, people. Death City was a lot like Schrödinger's Cat in that they knew that everyone would be gone, but in their minds they were still alive, just far away with them not having seen it since that day. Maka didn't have the stomach to go back home and prove the cat existed. Soul didn't have the heart to think of what the answer would mean for them.

Then there was the important conversation. They were the last two humans on Earth, the last living relics of what the world once was as it slowly becomes reclaimed by nature. Soul and Maka would carry on that last memory, hold onto it for what it was, but for as long as that too would last, "souls" would end with them.

Four years is a lot of time to process, and at the same time it isn't enough. Neither of them really knew much about each other in retrospect, but slowly they would learn, even it would never be everything. Sometimes Maka would hold Soul in his scythe form again, just having whole conversations between their heads. Sometimes Soul would cry at night because he regrets not seeing his brother and could no longer hide it. Whenever they set up a new place to sleep, they'd gather as many pillows and stuffed animals as their surroundings allowed, and eventually found it much safer and easier to share the same bed. At times, things weren't so lonely.

Four years is a lot of time to pass, and at the same time it all blurred by in the end. And so returns the beginning.

Returning to Death City to finally put the question to rest was something that weighed on their minds the longer it sat there. Maka had been opposed to it more than Soul had for obvious reasons, but four years and a few months since the day the world fell silent, Maka decides that it's time to be okay with knowing. It was on this morning that Soul unhesitantly agreed to see this journey through, and burned his last journal before the sleeping sun fully rose.

The trek will be a long one. They may not return, depending on if there are no more supply stops before traversing the desert. It's a risk, almost as reckless as she was in the before days. but it was a purpose. To be alive is to know, even if the answer was the end of everything.

It's unknown by this point how long the trip takes. A couple of wayward souls making their way back home on foot, through the woods of towns and fields of roads, hand in hand towards uncertainty. The desert is at least a little more forgiving in autumn, and what would a journey be without its destination – Maka was born here, Soul was one of them. They were strong even as the horizon of the city's silhouette was empty.

In a way it almost hadn't changed. Streets were still recognizable beneath the sand, rust and hardy plants making a living among the buildings, and birds could sometimes still be heard echoing through the quiet of nothing. Neither of them needed to find the apartment.

Soul and Maka find themselves at that old staircase again, her hand squeezing his. She hasn't said anything more so than usual, but that was never unexpected. What is, though, is the little feeling that passes along through his hand. They need to see what's in the still heart of the Academy.

Up the steps, Maka almost doesn't pace herself – They've left everything behind by this point, save for a few remaining drops of water between the two of them. It's sundown by the time they've made it to the top, but there's no time to rest, not truly until they've seen this through to the end. Their flashlights still work as needed, and Soul even ends up lightly bringing up how unsettling it is walking through these hallways again. Still was never a fan of the dark.

It's been a while, to say the least, but Maka still remembers where the halls lead. Classrooms that used to be all she could think about slipping past them, a layout that almost doesn't make sense to those who were never born with it. And finally... the Death Room. She still knows where to find it.

She needs to remember how to breathe before even setting foot in front of the door – Soul offers for them to take a break with how much they've walked, but they're already here, just need to... finish this.

It'd be almost nostalgic, in a way; Like that lifetime ago when she'd failed to reach the goal she set for the both of them, one that mattered more than herself at times. But now, this is it. This is the end of everything.

All there is is opening the door.

The Death Room looks so much stranger in contrast to the rest of the memories that have led up to this point – Instead of a endless blue sky, its like an infinite void. Not even the walkway leading up to the platform remains, just a little space to walk in, and the steps leading up to something dark floating in the exact center of the room.

It's... dormant. Maka can feel it, could the farther they moved into the city. It doesn't feel dead, but it doesn't feel alive either, just... exists.

Was this... Lord Death?

Maka doesn't know how to answer that.

They both look at each other, never having let go of each other's hand. Both think of reaching out to it – nothing left to lose, maybe? – until something very bright and jarring slices through from the ceiling and lands directly in front of it. Needless to say, both are ready to have a heart attack.

After enough cursing passes to raise the rating, the light – a sword? – suddenly bursts into another show of light, revealing it to be none other than the Holy Sword Excalibur of legend.

Being the last audience members on Earth, let's just cut to the chase: Excalibur recounts that he avoided whatever had occurred that day by cutting through the very fabric of time and space to preserve himself, and that, coincidentally, this has left a hole between then and now that he could help Soul and Maka return through if they played their cards right. As shocking as this information is, would they have ever said no?

It was the biggest gamble of them all, Soul reckoned. Going back in time and stopping this from ever happening was indeed dangerous business. And yet, maybe it's because Maka still has that old sense of adventure still burning in the embers of her soul, reassured by Excalibur's telling that the persistence of these two left just a shred of order still lingering in the world.

A chance to truly lose everything for the second time was horrifying beyond comprehension, but to fight to save that last piece of what was left of the world, how it should be... perhaps that was the most human thing they could think of.

And so, hand firmly in hand, they take ahold of the Holy Sword's hilt, and let its shining light engulf them as they don't dare to ever let go. The threads of time and space pull on them even as they felt completely weightless, the sheer existence of Everything passing them by but too much for them to perceive. Soul and Maka were both nothing and something between it all, just souls that held on to hope and the memory of what they knew and the pure light keeping it together, until finally eternity grinds to a halt of 60 seconds per minute as the blade of the Holy Sword pierces straight through the witch's heart.

Four years and many months prior to before the spell could activate.

As Soul and Maka caught back up to time and space and gravity, Excalibur stood watch as his light had saved them from both the fabric of reality and the overwhelming sensation of souls being in the world once more, a feeling so strong that even Soul could feel it right through his bones after having spent so long in silence. And they looked upon the way they came from, the opening of Everything tying itself back up just as quickly with the threads that had been pulled through it.

Order had been restored. The world was no longer silent, now exactly as it had been on that day. The two look straight to each other – Their younger selves weren't here, but they were still around? Were they going to disappear now that things were back to normal?

Excalibur slammed his cane down like a gavel – Nay. Order had been brought back to life. Soul and Maka are Soul and Maka, the two souls carrying the threads and needle through which the world needed to realign itself. They now carry the stitches of having fixed a part of Everything, but what's done is done.

For once, what Excalibur said made almost complete sense. He then tips his hat farewell, wishing to return home for the day, yet departs his wisdom that they may take as much time as they need now that normalcy is as it was (and that they may visit him again as they so wish).

Deciding to take his advice, the two take a breather as Maka readjusts to feeling soul wavelengths again, and Soul lets it sink in at least a little at first that they can now call back home when they're ready even if they aren't sure what to do with the witch's soul.

The mirror call home was jarring, to say the least. Everyone they remembered was exactly the way they were four years (and many months) since Soul and Maka began surviving on their own, however they themselves had noticeably aged, much to the confusion, and eventual concern, of even just those in the Death Room. It was strange seeing it so bright and lively.

The witch's soul would be dealt with at later point. What matters now was getting them back home safely, and taking care of their needs – It had been a long four years, and now they could finally rest. Make sure their physical and mental health needs were met, letting them readjust to other people, and eventually reintegrate their daily lives back into society, one step at a time.

Soul even decided, when they were comfortable enough to be more apart from each other, to return back home to his family. See his brother again and let him know how much he meant, even if it was hard being a little older than he should be. After Maka had similarly made peace with both her parents – having had time to process how difficult it was, and being at least a little more okay with neither of them being perfect – she took a trip to visit and meet Soul's family, his nana being especially welcoming in hearing what they both went through.

It was a long number of years since the goals they once strived for as weapon and meister mattered. It wasn't a hurried decision, but they decided to lay that part of themselves to rest for good – Not because they had died all those years ago, on that day, but because they were given a second chance at life, and they wanted to find their own ways on living it to their fullest.

They both went through with finishing schooling, graduating, and as the years passed again – not surviving, just being – that silent world faded into memory, with Soul and Maka waking every day thankful that no matter where they go from here, they were together throughout all of everything.

[olderthannetfic]

With all this talk about AI, the one perspective that appears missing from the discussion is that of someone who actually uses AI writing tools in production of their fanfic. So here I am, stepping in to provide my (anonymous) two cents.

I've been using a generative AI program especially made for creative writers for several months now. Initially, I had a lot of the same reservations I'm hearing form others, but I was curious about the tech and wanted to try it for myself. I quickly discovered that it's insanely useful, and I truly believe it has improved my writing. 

I also believe these tools will become commonplace among creative writers in the near future. In fact, I've heard that generative AI is coming to a writing software near you (MS Word to be exact), and I suspect that that once more people have actually tried it, use of AI will begin to seem no more remarkable than the use of spelling or grammar checkers does now. 

In the meantime, as you can see, I am staying anon, and there is absolutely no way I would tag my fanfic as AI assisted given the current environment. People are very quick to make assumptions about what a statement like that means, and are all too hasty in reaching for their pitchforks.

As far as I can tell, the main concern seems to be that Ao3 will be flooded with 'bad' fanfic as a result of AI use. But 'bad' fanfic has been a thing for as long as I've been in fandom (decades, at this point), and in my experience, human beings are perfectly capable of writing poorly without any help from machines. Readers are, as always, advised to curate their own reading experience. The 'back' button works the same as it always did, and someone's possible use of AI changes nothing about that. 

But the general assumption that AI input automatically leads to 'bad' writing seems rather short-sighted. Yes, obviously if someone were to go to ChatGPT and tell it to write them a fanfic in 'x' fandon about 'x' pairing, the output would be bland, generic and probably a bit rambling. AIs are not great storytellers; they can't maintain narrative logic. 

If this hypothetical person then copy-pasted the unedited output directly onto Ao3 and called it a story, the result would most likely qualify as 'bad' fanfic. Whether it would be worse than a story the same person might have written on their own is debatable. Our hypothetical protagonist obviously decided that the output was good enough as it was, and chose to post it without bothering to edit, which suggests (at least to me) that they would have similar standards about a story they'd written without an AI.

Since the above seems to be the scenario everyone has in mind when talking about "AI fic," I would like to point out that what I just described is not the only way to use AI in one's writing. My own use is more akin to using an online thesaurus; a very powerful thesaurus that can make suggestions for things like phrasings, descriptions, dialogue, and so on. The key there is that it makes suggestions. 

My AI assistant is smart enough to 'read' the scene I'm working on and tailor its suggestions to the mood, style and context of what I'm writing. But it's still my story. The AI doesn't write it for me. I'm the one who sifts through those suggestions, takes the bits that work, and shapes them into useful text. Sometimes the AI comes up with amazing things. I wasn't kidding when I said it's improved my writing - and my rewriting. It knocks me out of those mental ruts we writers tend to get into, coming up with descriptions and turns of phrase that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. 

But it's still just a tool, and at the end of the day, I'm still the writer. The words that end up on the page do so because I chose them. Those writerly choices are what make the story mine, regardless of where the words might have originated from. And whether they came from my brain or the AI, they are still subject to the same standards of rewriting, editing and proofing.

So no, I don't think I'm going to be tagging my fic with an AI disclosure statement any time soon. Not until the current moral panic dies down to the point where people don't read that and automatically assume it means 'copy-pasted from ChatGPT.' And for anyone who's curious about AI... I suggest you try it for yourself. Play around a little and find out what it's about before making judgments. I think you'll find it's a tool like any other - and just like any tool, it can be used well or it can be used badly. That's entirely in the hands of the human being using it - which is one thing that hasn't changed, and never should.

--

Yeah, I fail to see any major issue with more sucky fanfic getting posted. That's just the default for big fic archives.

The actual problem problems we're seeing are with paid markets with open submissions that get flooded beyond what staff can handle and big corporations replacing humans they already try not to pay.

The main potential issue I see with other uses of AI is that it may end up with samey suggestions, but it's hard to know how much that's 1. a thing and 2. an actual issue when writing genre stuff that often sounds samey on purpose and where that's a desirable characteristic.

[agoodficforchii]

♡A Gift From The Heart♡

♡Fandom: Genshin Impact

♡Pairing: Ayato x Reader

♡Summary: You want to be Ayato's Valentine. How are you going to do that?

♡Word Count: 1480 (it's a bit long)

♡Warnings/Extra Notes: Kind of suggestive near the end, slight cuss (one I think), Lmk if there's more!

What could you possibly get Ayato? Normally a lovely bouquet or some chocolate would suffice, but not when every other person would be getting him something similar. Ayato had his fair share of admirers, being one of the most sought out men in Inazuma. To be fair, he was the head of the Kamisato clan and the Yashiro Commissioner. It also helped that he had a pretty face and a charming personality to match. And like so many others, you developed a huge small crush on the Kamisato. But unlike many others, you were somewhat close to Ayato. You and Ayaka were friends, prompting your “friendship” with Ayato. 

While you initially tried to make sure Ayaka wouldn’t find out about the feelings you harbored towards her elder brother, she had figured it out herself and there was no point in denying it. Ever since then Ayaka was determined to help you confess, going to some questionable lengths for her cause. Everything she had tried up to this point had failed, mainly because there was no way you would confess to the Kamisato Ayato, but she was certain that this would work. What was her plan this time? You ask Ayato to be your valentine. A very simple task compared to everything else she came up with. Except the problem now was, what would you get him? What do you get the man that could have anything he wanted? You ended up deciding to make him his favorite drink, bubble tea, with heart-shaped tapioca pearls to be festive. You had made a special cup that had the words “Can I be your Valentine?” which could only be visible after he finished the drink. 

You were proud of yourself for being able to pull this off since the other option was locking yourself in your house until death greeted you. Initially, you had planned on handing the drink to Ayato himself and you were still going to! Until you saw him walk out of the estate and suddenly you had something very important to do at some place very far away. Seeing him had heightened your anxiety and you opted to just place the drink on his desk. Praying to whatever archon was listening for him to let you down easily. 

Ayato had only gone out for a short break and was walking back to the estate when he saw you rushing out. He was about to greet you but noticed your fast pace and anxious mood. He decided he would let you be and ask Ayaka if anything had happened. While yes you were Ayakas friend, Ayato couldn’t help but be a little interested in you. In fact, you caught his attention by being Ayaka’s friend. He loved the fact that Ayaka was making friends, especially ones that seemed to truly care for her. As time went on, Ayato grew to enjoy your company at the estate and found himself wishing you were there more often. Walking back inside, he noticed Ayaka wasn’t there. He came to the conclusion that you had left to go find Ayaka.

Walking towards his office he wished you were still here, it was too quiet without you rambling about some new obsession you had. Letting out a long sigh, Ayato entered the familiar room with the stacks of paperwork neatly laid out on top of his desk. Approaching his desk, he noticed something he could swear he didn’t have before. With a tilt of the head, he picked up the cup and saw a tag attached reading “From [Name]” With a small smile, he admired the drink for a few seconds before starting to drink it. He quickly realized you probably hadn’t been there for Ayaka and his smile got a little larger at that fact. After a little while he sadly finished his drink and only a tiny bit of his work, (his work wasn’t his priority) but he noticed some writing on the cup. Processing the words written on the cup Ayato couldn’t control the lovesick smile that had slowly started to form on his face. 

Later that evening you decided to visit Ayaka, seeing as you couldn’t just avoid the whole estate (or the whole family). Walking down the halls, you couldn’t help but peek into Ayato’s office to see he was there. To your dismay, while he wasn’t currently there, he certainly saw your message judging by the empty cup on the desk. Taking the empty cup and empty room as being rejected, you decided you couldn’t handle seeing Ayaka today. The familiar scene of you rushing out of the estate played again, except this time you bumped into something firm. Catching yourself before you could fall you started apologizing before slowly looking up. You wished you never looked up. No, you wished you died ten seconds ago before you looked up. The thing, or person, you bumped into was none other than Kamisato Ayato, the man you were currently trying to avoid. While you were dreading this, Ayato was relieved to have caught you before you left. Noticing the small smile that played at the corner of his lips, you had temporarily forgotten why exactly you were upset.

“Where are you off to in such a rush?” He asked, crossing his arms.

Snapping out of your daze you responded with, “I uh… I forgot I left my oven on! Yeah, so I’m kinda in a rush. Again I’m so sorry about bumping into you.” you finished with a nervous laugh, slowly starting to walk around him.

The look in Ayato’s eyes told you he didn’t believe you but the smile he wore said he would humor you.

“Why don’t I go with you? I had something I wanted to discuss anyway.” He said, walking toward the exit himself.

Horrified you rushed next to him, “No! Ahah there’s no need for that. I couldn't trouble you for this. And we can always talk later.” you tried to reason.

Ayato looked back and tilted his head, “I don’t think you should be standing here trying to convince me to stay while your house might burn down.” 

God you hated him and that stupid smirk he wore. Realizing there was no way out, you started to walk ahead of Ayato toward your house. After a very long and slightly awkward walk, you finally reached your front door. Not wanting the embarrassment of being caught in a lie (he already knew but that doesn’t matter) you told Ayato to stay outside while you turned off your oven. You were honestly going to shut the door and never go back out, but a small part of you wanted to hear him out and so you reluctantly went back outside.

“And here I thought you had died in the fire,” Ayato said as soon as you shut your door.

“What fire…” You mumbled under your breath, “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“I’m sure you know what,” Ayato said, approaching you slowly, “The hearts were a cute touch, I enjoyed your gift.”

“You did?” You asked, backing up.

“I did.” He said, now leaning towards you.

You’re now trapped between Ayato and your front door. He was so close to you. You could practically feel his breath on your face. The proximity was making you short-circuit and you couldn’t find the right words to continue the conversation. You hoped he would say something about the message. The delusional part of your brain was screaming that he would accept and the logical part was currently not working. So deciding your only option was to ask what else he had to say, you did exactly that,

“Um. Anything else you want to say?” With how close he was all you had to do was whisper.

Ayato smirked at this, “No? Am I forgetting something?”

“J-just wondering… Did you notice anything on the cup?” You stammered out.

“Oh, about that…” Ayato started quickly glancing at your lips.

You were so close to crying. This is the part where he rejects you. You were trying your hardest to not push him away and run inside. You just might if he doesn’t finish his damn sentence.

“If you want an answer to your question, you should ask me right now, love.” He finished, looking you in the eyes.

If you thought your brain stopped working before, then you’re currently brain-dead. What kind of sadist was he? Making you ask out loud, face to face, only for him to reject you. And calling you love? He wanted you dead, you were sure of it. You've had enough and you were getting a little impatient now, resulting in your newfound confidence, so you asked,

“Can I be your valentine?”

This time the smile Ayato had didn’t seem teasing or deceiving. It seemed genuine. 

“I’d love that.” He whispered before leaning in.

Note: Very very very very very late Valentine's post. I've been busy and only recently got around to writing. I was planning to do other characters (will be shorter) not sure if I can get them out before February ends though. THIS IS SO RUSHED TOO I'M SORRY

[cxrveaux]

Because my dumb bitch ass binge watched CBS ghosts and ended up getting so into it, I made an ENTIRE SELF INSERT OC. (help me.) but now that I’m here on tumblr I might as well rant about said character to anyone interested 💔

His name is Elijah Anderson and he’s some 14 year old from 1999 who had been living in the Bronx before being abandoned on the property by his parents and dying of hypothermia 15 hours later. He’s elusive and has trust issues due to being abandoned by his parents and spent 25 years in the forest around the mansion hence why nobody is really aware of his presence except for Flower who has seen him a couple of times? But she’s kind of ditsy and not entirely there so she doesn’t really bring up/remember to mention him. The way the others probably find out about his presence is due to the fact that Flower was rambling and randomly mentioned “the kid in the woods.”

At first the other ghosts + Sam thought he was a human kid due to his lack of response to Flower’s presence (which wasn’t true, Flower would typically approach Elijah but he’d end up talking her out of being near him because of her short term memory)

But when it became apparent that Jay couldn’t perceive him, the others decided that this definitely was some ghost kid who had been on the property without the others knowing. So, the other ghosts would probably try some wild ass confrontation tactics on him which would probably just drive him away further from them (since he’s already very untrusting)

Eventually they were like “Pete getcho ass out there, you actually worked with children at some point” and even though Elijah was initially weary of him, Pete managed to get some sort of explanation (ex. Him hiding in the forest for so long) and long story short just came back to the mansion. (Got a bit lazy on this part, but it’s 2 am and I’m a sleep deprived 13 year old who doesn’t know how to write, bite me)

BUT…I did end up writing every single one of his relationships with the other characters so we’re gonna put that on here too 💔

Alberta: She’s surprisingly protective and almost motherly towards Elijah. She’s entertained by him poking fun at people (bonus points if directed at Isaac), and takes pride in his enjoyment of jazz music.

Pete: He’s probably the nicest to Elijah out of everyone. He’s very understanding of his trauma and helped him get more comfortable interacting with the others.

Trevor: They have a fairly strong bond with each other. Elijah is a bit disinterested in his whole “omg women” shtick, but they definitely pull pranks on the others together.

Hetty: She thinks Elijah is a bit abrasive and tries to avoid him mostly, which gave him the idea that she flat out doesn’t like him. This also makes her fall victim to a lot of his and Trevor’s antics.

Isaac: He’s an easy target to Elijah, and probably nothing more (because he’s gay and smelly 💔). However, I did think of an idea of Elijah being a closeted bisexual and turning to Isaac for advice.

Flower: Flower is pretty oblivious to his presence for the most part, even though she was the one who found him while she was frolicking outside. However, I don’t feel like Elijah would pick on her as much? Mainly since he thinks she’s really nice and doesn’t want to deal with Thor.

Thor: He’s definitely the most annoyed by this bitch ass child and would not think TWICE about throwing Elijah out the window. No silver lining, he’s just annoyed by this kid. He consistently also does this thing where he puts him on top of the fridge so he can’t get down unless he jumps off. The only thing I can see those two getting along about is watching bugs.

Sasappis: They probably just tolerate eachother. Sas occasionally will also partake in Trevor and Elijah’s pranks? But Elijah has too much damn respect for him to throw daggers at Sas (also because he knows that Sas knows how to insult people back and doesn’t want to risk that because he’s emotionally unstable)

Nigel: They’re cool with eachother? Like they both enjoy watching bugs (and they both like Spice Girls) but he also probably looks to Nigel for advice.

Nancy: Elijah is TERRIFIED of Nancy along with the other cholera ghosts. If homeboy had the choice between reliving freezing to death and going down into the boiler room, he’d choose death.

and to conclude here’s some extra headcanons about him because I have NOTHING but time.

-He’s constantly trembling uncontrollably as a side effect of being out in the cold for so long.

-His breath fogs up everywhere he goes

-Regardless of whether someone’s a ghost or not, just him being present is like “ayo did it get colder in here?”

-Any living that passes through him becomes inexplicably cold for a short period of time.

-He tends to communicate through ASL because he’s semiverbal anyways and his voice is permanently nasally.

-He is autistic and dyspraxic.

-He REALLY likes Garfield. Like he has encyclopedic knowledge on that damn cat.

[ambrosiagourmet]

hiiiii i have a quick question about no reason but to starve: when does it take place relative to the postcanon labru comic? i ask partially so i can integrate this knowledge into my understanding of laios & kabru's dynamic in nrbts, but also into my understanding of the diplomatic relationship between malini and kakha brud

(i love your fic so much thank you for your gifts to dunmeshi fandom)

Oooh fun question, thank you!! I assume you mean this comic?

This ended up being longer than intended lol, so tl;dr short answer: it would take place after the comic, though the comic is not necessarily 100% canon to it.

More details and rambling below the cut:

So, in general, I'm trying to write in a way that is compatible with, but not strictly canon to, any post-canon content we've gotten.

In part tbh that's because I had WANTED to construct the timeline with the Kensuke extra in mind but then I totally goofed it and like the story basically takes place at the exact same time that the Kensuke story would. So it ended up more being like handshake meme thematical/character similarities rather than strictly canon.

Also I don't want anyone who hasn't read the extras to have trouble following anything (which is actually why I had to go back and add a bit about the situation w/ KB during editing lol. In the rough draft it was just like yeah yeah the reparations we've all heard of them).

That is all to say the story does more-or-less take place after this comic. The way I'm thinking about it, the initial negotiations referenced in the comic sort of laid the foundation for (relative) peace and cooperation, but there are still lots of specifics to work out - that's what the current delegation is in town for. It's probably less combative then the initial, uh... conversation... but I imagine there's still a fair bit of a "wring everything we can from these people" attitude from KB, so it's a slow process with a lot more smiling and nodding and going back to grumble privately later.

In terms of Laios & Kabru I think the story fits well after the comic for their relationship too... The group of them & Marcille are very much A Unit in the point where the story picks up (with Yaad also included, but not necessarily as close as the three of them). They all have been working together for a little while now, and are all committed to the work. They know a bit about how to navigate each other, and have some rhythms they've fallen into (like Marcille checking w/ Kabru about her hair, or everyone knowing that things are tense between Laios & Yaad wrt Marriage Talk).

What's still left unsaid is a lot of the deeper, more sensitive things. Part of the reason the fic opens on the question of Laios' Political Marriage (TM) is because I think it's a good example of a thing that WOULD remain buried for a while. Laios seems to not have given himself much room to think about romance, so it's something that hasn't been addressed out in the open. But they've got to deal with it eventually!! They have a life long task ahead of them all, and shoving skeletons into closets only works for so long.

(Laios romance tangent: whether or not you read him as aro or ace (and I personally put him somewhere in some grey zone there), I don't think that's a thing he would have realized yet in canon. Repression =/= happily uninterested, and I personally think Laios has repressed that shit hard.)

Anyway, the same goes for various things with Kabru and Marcille, as well. They already trust and care about each other, but being vulnerable with other people is a long, messy process. Especially with all the baggage they have. It's something they still need to figure out!

It is also, conveniently, very fun to write about :3

[fermentingheart]

Ace Attorney 4 Ramble

I just finished AA4 today (like 2 hours ago as I am writing this) and I have a whole world of complex feelings on it that I desperately need to get out.

Spoilers Ahead for all of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

ALSO this ramble is like. Super long. (sorry....................). ALSO ALSO. I def have grammar and spelling errors in here.. forgive and forget </3

I've been a fan of Ace Attorney since my 9th grade year of high school, when I first started the Phoenix Wright trilogy. I completed it over my entire school-career there, so I have a soft spot for the games. When I beat AA3 I was super emotional, but excited (and worried) to know there were 3 more mainline games waiting for me.

My initial anxieties came from the way the fandom talks about the Apollo Justice trilogy. To my understanding, the same writer that made the first 3 games is not responsible for these one, and it has kinda led itself to be a bit of a stepdown from its predecessors. That was disappointing to hear, but I don't try to let others opinions influence me too deeply without experiencing something myself.

Overall, I though AA4 was good! It didn't wow me, not left me with deep sentiments like AA1 or AA3, but it is definitely better than my least favorite game so far, AA2. It does have its faults, which, as far as I can see, are mirrored by most AA fans.

My biggest complaints is that the game feels like it bit off more than it can chew, and that it is sometimes pretty tedious to play.

The writers had to juggle a big task of explaining the backstories of Phoenix, Apollo, Trucy, and Klavier. Unfortunately, I do think Apollo and Klavier get the short-end of the stick, and I largely sum that up to that being the fault of the hook of the game.

Our former player character, my most beloved guy, Phoenix Wright, lost his attorney badge due to forged evidence, and hasn't been a lawyer for 7 years !? I'll admit, I was sucked in at this premise. I knew it wasn't as it seemed. It would be widely out of character for Wright to ever do such a thing, but, the Phoenix we meet seems so foreign and distant to who we once knew. I wanted to know answers, and luckily or unluckily, the game explains everything.

It spends so much of its time talking about Phoenix, and later down the line, Trucy, that I do agree with the common sentiment that Apollo feels a bit shelved in his own game. Phoenix is enveloped in the mystery of the whole game, that I never really bothered to question what Apollo's deal was. He is great character, but not distinctive enough from Phoenix that it made question his motives as a defense attorney, or how he even grew up (I mean, we don't know much about Phoenix's prior life besides tidbits from his time in primary school). It wasn't until the twist with Apollo, that he is Trucy's older, half-brother, who inherited the Gramayare special ability, did I stop to think about how this game could have benefitted from shifting its focus onto Apollo.

I don't think that it would have been impossible for the game to balance Phoenix and Apollo's backstories, seeing as they both connect to Zak Gramayare's trial. If the reversed the chronology of how they presented their information even a little bit, I think they could have gotten away with this balancing act they were going for.

Ultimately, I do believe the game would have done best with another case that could help set the story up (or like. Change Turnabout Corner to something else. I thought that case was fun but if you think about it, it is painfully out of place with the other three...), because I still think that in a magical world where my suggestions were implemented, Klavier Gavin still would have been sidelined.

I really wanted to love Klavier Gavin. He was like a hair away of itching my brain just right that he would become all I talk about for the next 6 months. Unfortunately, he was given to little to late. I think the game believes it gave Klavier a bigger character arc than he actually had. His confrontation with Kristoph, is good, but no where near as satisfying as it could have been if anything about his relationship with his brother was established before. In a series that rides on sibling relationships, I was looking forward to potential Dahlia and Iris, or even Edgeworth and Franziska. We can piece together what their relationship must have been like by their few interactions and how Kristoph was 100% fine with screwing Klavier over to win a case, but ughhh. I wanted more, and I feel so sorely disappointed with what I got.

AA4 is also tedious to an extent. Although I don't hate Turnabout Serenade as much as everyone else seems to, it does amplify some of the issues the game has. I think the logic of this game in particular was pushing it, even for Ace Attorney standards (how could Tobey of ever been the killer...) and some of the things we have to prove to pull different cases back on our side was. Absurd. Ace Attorney rides on the fact that its legal system is only vaguely defined so we can't really complain too much about it (and the story's constant theme of corruption also absolves it from too much criticism about how nonsensical the court in sometimes). I love this as much as I hate this. I might have not cared as much if they weren't setting up this "big change" in the legal system that would seemingly improve upon these court issues. I'll keep it simple. I think the jury system in application to the game was underwhelming, and shouldn't of just been a plot beat.

I know this long rant may make it seem like I don't like the game, but that's not true at all! I think I'm critical on AA4 because I know how good the series can be. Still, there is so much I loved about the game.

The art and animation is the first thing I noticed as a huge improvement from the prior games, which is already incredible since I think the Ace Attorney series is one of them best when it comes to its visuals. All the sprites are more vibrant than before, but the character seem all the more harmonious with their setting. The court especially looks gorgeous. I love the beautiful browns they use. Also? All the character designs are bangers. So are their reactions. Ace Attorney is known for their character "breakdowns" and AA4 did no disappoint (my favorites are Ogla when she is still pretending to be a random Russian woman, Alita, and Kristoph).

The new mechanics brought into the game have got to be my favorite aspects of it. The "perceive" ability has to be my favorite. I think its very concept is such a good progression from the prior games, I was disappointed it was implemented more. Speaking of, Ema's forensic sciences! I always felt that not bringing back her mechanics after AA1 was such a shame, so I was thrilled that not only were most of the evidence we got observable in 3D, but also that she had little mini-games to make the investigations that more engaging.

Another place where AA4 succeeds for me is its character directions. I think I could go on about all the characters besides a handful of them, truly, but as to not make my ramble any longer, I'll focus on a select few!

Apollo is a fun protagonist. I do think he stands in Phoenix's shoes for a little too long, but the more I played as him, the better I was at finding where he diverges from our previous protagonist. I think he is so silly, and I hope we get to spend more time in his head.

I hold similarly sentiments about Trucy. I'll be honest, I was getting tired of the quirky side-character/assistant trope, and was hoping for someone different when I got into the game. Even though Trucy still fits the outline, she is adorable in her own ways. Her magician bit surprisingly didn't get old to me. She's super loveable and stands out from Maya in her own way.

I adored Ema! Her backstory is honestly so realistic (and depressing??). Seeing her loose some of her spark after life didn't go out as planned for her is devastating, but it makes her all the more relatable, honestly. It was satisfying to see her progressively become more amicable throughout the game, however subtle that was, and even experience her warming up Apollo and Trucy. By Case 4, I really feel that some of "old Ema" has finally returned to her, and I couldn't be more happy.

Oh and finally... my evilest of guys.... the worst ever... my most beloved loathed....

Kristoph..... Gavin.................

I don't think Kristoph is an extremely complex character. He is petty, pompous, and vindicative, but I think his simplicity allows him to shine in that manner. He makes such an impression in the few moments we see him. He's genuinely menacing and pretty intelligent to boot? I think his plan was a bit contrived, but it was so fun and again, extremely petty that I can forgive him of all he has ever done wrong. He said it himself, he is an evil, horrible man, and I love that it is as simple as that. He felt wronged because he couldn't get notoriety off of a sure to be famous case, and so he killed 2 people, attempted to kill 1 other person, and committed like several other crimes on top of that. He sucks and I think that's beautiful.

AA4 doesn't live up to the hype that AA3 left me with, but I am satisfied with the game overall! Despite my complaints, it was such a fun time, and I am thrilled to get to the next games and see how they build upon it. Now if you excuse me I'm going to look at Kristoph for a prolonged period of time.

[thatndginger]

Y’all remember that idea I said I might share a little about yesterday? Well hold on to your butts because I’m about to ramble about the latest project spawned of the Shifter!verse.

I’ve been low-key obsessed with interactive fiction/novels (usually just abbreviated to IF) for a long time. If you don’t know what interactive novels are, this website has both a helpful explanation and a bunch of IF you can play :P Anyway, I like IF. A lot. And pretty much since the moment I started writing Shapeshifter, I’ve had the thought in the back of my head about writing an interactive novel for it. However, because IF tends to be high on wordcount and also I’d have to learn how to code and shit, that thought usually gets shoved waaay back in the brain cave until the next time it claws itself back.

But now, thanks to @touloserlautrec I have not only come up with a basic plot idea, I have the beginnings of the npcs too. And since I was a good gremlin and hit my wordcount goals yesterday, I’m gonna talk about it ^.^ Under the cut, of course, to save y’alls dashes.

Ok. So. Basic plot of what I am now calling Shapeshifter: Shadows - 

Player Character is a tourist who comes to visit Moressau for [unspecified but short amount of time]. PC has no idea what they’re actually getting into chasing magic and mystery, and quickly find themselves over their head when a particularly pushy and unpleasant vampire called Soran takes a shine to them. PC manages to escape Soran - temporarily - with the help of a shifter named Aurora who happened to be nearby. Aurora introduces PC to her small cadre of friends who help PC explore Moressau and have a good time - while also protecting them from Soran when it becomes clear Soran is not going to leave PC alone. I’m thinking different branches based on which characters the player chooses to hang out with most. The throughline plot won’t change, but certain scenes could change based on who the player has been favoriting. Obviously there’d be the option to romance certain characters, and that will affect which ending the player gets. The ‘basic’ endings would obviously be either PC escapes Soran and returns to their normal life with some wild stories OR Soran finally makes good on their threat of turning PC into a snack. More endings could include Soran being taken care of and PC deciding to stay in Moressau long-term, being turned into a vampire *without* getting eaten, or deciding to become a witch if they have an affinity with magic. Also, obviously, romantic partner endings.

I thought about making PC a supernatural from the start, but I think it’s more fun - and also easier - to make them a regular human being thrown into the world of the supernatural. I don’t want to make them a shifter because there’d only be a limited number of options for which animal they could turn into and depending on the kind I’d have to completely alter certain scenes and…. It’s just a lot of work. So. No. And turning them into a vampire would defeat the whole point of the plot. A witch might work, but it's more fun to have them discover a magical affinity over the course of the game, I think.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are the basic sketches for the major characters I’ve figured out so far:

Soran - he/him - a vampire and a complete asshole. Doesn’t take no for an answer because he thinks that being a vampire and having a vampire’s powers lets him do - or have - whatever he wants.  Aurora - she/her - a shifter with no clear allegiances who helps PC escape Soran’s initial advances, then takes it upon herself to show PC around Moressau and introduce them to new people, sights, and experiences. Short, sweet, and utterly terrifying when she wants to be; she refuses to let the bad experiences turn her into just another jaded resident of the smuggler city. David - he/him - a shifter who has a massive chip on his shoulder and a very simple color scheme: black. Jaded and prickly, he doesn’t want to get mixed up with *anyone*, let alone a clueless tourist. But he can’t just let PC stumble blindly into death either. Secretly a bit of a softie beneath all the black and leather and broodiness. Rune - they/them - a witch and friend of Aurora’s. More than happy to help show PC the hidden corners of Moressau and kick some vampire ass. Fairly relaxed and laid back but with a mischievous streak hidden just below the surface. Intelligent but a little clueless emotionally. Celia - she/her - a vampire and acquaintance of Rune’s. Keeps her cards close to her chest and it’s rather unclear why she agrees to help PC with their Soran problem. Playful and teasing, a bit of a thrillseeker, has some *great* stories. Dress style spans like 3 different centuries and you never know what she’ll show up in next.

So... yeah. It’s a thing. I’m gonna shove it back to the far corners of the mind cave now, since my goal is to finish Into the Storm before I start anything else. But I am now significantly more inclined to learn how to code and write IF now than I was.

[kvetchinglyneurotic]

For the director’s cut thing, do you want to share just generally how you came up with the idea for The Hedgehog’s Dilemma and if the story changed from your first idea?

Despite the fact that THD is set in season 1, the initial idea actually came from the Wembley hug scene and particularly comparing it to Jamie's reaction to his dad's abuse in 1x10. I figured that a) his ability to put himself back together after these types of incidents probably historically relied on no one witnessing or really acknowledging what had happened, and b) my issues with the way that Wembley was addressed after the fact in the writing aside (ie that it wasn't addressed at all), in universe, the fact that being forced into this moment of extreme vulnerability in front of basically everyone he knows didn't make him lash out or withdraw is a testament to the progress he'd made as a person. Which led me to the question at the heart of THD: how would Jamie have reacted to a similar incident in season 1, when he's still prickly and defensive and doesn't have much by way of actual friends on the team?

The other major part of the fic is the flashbacks. James, Georgie, and Jamie's relationship in this fic was essentially the product of me trying to fit everything we find out about them into a cohesive whole, and a surprisingly big part of that was finding an explanation I liked for the strange set dressing in his childhood bedroom: asides from the Keeley poster, which he probably got in his mid-late teens (she would have started modelling when he was 12-13 but probably didn't become popular enough to have posters available for another couple of years), it looks like the room of a fairly young child. The THD version of Jamie's backstory isn't like. my one definitive take, though there are some I will die on this hill, going to be part of the backstory in anything I write elements. (I won't get into it now because this answer is long enough, but I'm always willing to ramble about my Jamie backstory takes if anyone wants to hear them).

As for how it evolved... After I published the initial one-shot, I wrote chapter 2 to wrap up some loose ends by establishing that Jamie didn't get sent back to Manchester and showing him reconnect with Georgie, but I figured since I was already writing the chapter and he needed time to recover from the concussion in-universe, I might as well also write about him rebuilding this relationships with the rest of the team and with Nate. Chapter three was supposed to be a short epilogue about Jamie taking care of Roy after his knee injury, but that got me thinking about James coming to see the final match of the season and Jamie having to tell him he was transferring to Richmond, and it spiraled from there. And then the epilogue also spiraled and became Flightless Birds, which just hit 20k.

[eighteenoheight]

Baker Incident Report

I 100% believe this little piece of content in RE Village has massive implications for the next game and also started my main theory for what's going to happen in the future. But also upon rereading I have a lot more questions and I'm just excited about it leave me alone. Probably long so gonna put in the read more thingy.

I numbered all these screenshots but can't exactly remember why they're in that order and structuring stuff has never been my strong suit. I'll work it out as I go and probably do a lot of repeating. Let's get into this bitch. Only got screenshots of stuff that really stuck out to me so it's not everything.

I think this has at least two points of hmm resident evil 9 hints?? First is what's going on with the BSAA and/or other players in this situation which I'll go into later on but I think I'm starting with the second thing, which is Miss Zoe Baker.

My theory/wishful thinking that Zoe will be the next protagonist or at least have a role in RE9 is reinforced by this whole thing and ties in really well with what happened at the end of Village. Chris Redfield and Zoe Baker seem to be on the same page when it comes to the BSAA at this point. I'm pretty sure the corruption of the BSAA will be a big plot point, and perhaps this report is giving us an insight into who will be at the centre of this story.

Maybe I'm looking into this a little too much, but getting details on a character like Zoe who was a supporting character in the previous game is a little strange to me. Should probably dive deeper but RE has a lot of single appearance characters that are never brought up again, so why are we getting this info for a character who was only playable in a short DLC? Whatever, the detail of being a reporter gives me lightbulb moments like playing as a reporter would work so well in a Resident Evil game with gathering files and collectibles. I can imagine a lot of fun gameplay elements like writing information in a notepad or something, maybe more emphasis on finding certain files to progress. Also puzzle solving for someone whose job is investigating all the little details. If she's not the playable protagonist she could have a role similar to Ingrid Hunnigan where she's on call to find out stuff to help the player navigate through whatever nasty shit is going to happen in RE9. Outside of a new character, I could only imagine Zoe being the protagonist for the sake of the survival horror. A civilian with limited combat experience would be better than Chris Redfield who has plenty of experience and resources to fight.

Okay that's that on that for now until another ramble happens. Something I'm super ready to get into is what's the BSAA up to???

Initially I didn't pay much attention to this part, and due to bad reading comprehension I'm still unsure of the meaning. In my mind this is either explaining that the Baker incident was another outbreak to happen. Or... Something potentially darker, is that it was one of many coverups that we don't know about. I'm leaning more towards the latter because the BSAA is widely known for combatting bioterrorism so this would be a useless piece of information, and finding out that the BSAA has other indiscretions lets us know that something fishy is going on and has been going on for a while.

Oh great, back on the ramble. No I'll keep it brief. Another maybe hint that Zoe will lead the next game, she's going to see her investigation through to the end. Okay done.

The main point here is allegedly (don't sue me BSAA) someone doesn't want any of this getting out, and have tried to stop Zoe finding out the full truth. What I want to know is whom. The BSAA isn't the only bitch with something to hide. This could just be referring to them, but I can't help but wonder if The Connections have a hand in trying to cover up everything going on. Also would like to know HOW Zoe's been impeded in her investigation.

So what we can gleam from this report is:

The BSAA has been aware of The Connections for a while

They failed to prevent what happened in Dulvey despite having the opportunity

They covered up the Baker incident in an attempt to avoid responsibility

The biggest thing here is they knew The Connections were up to something in Eastern Europe, which brings us into the next thing, and also a huge red flag.

For added context because putting everything here would be a chore, which I'm glad for because Tumblr is struggling with these screenshots. This is Ethan being interviewed by someone from the BSAA, relocating the Winters' because of what happened in Dulvey.

Now bitch, we know the BSAA was aware of The Connections' activity in Eastern Europe. So WHYYY send the Winters' there for their "protection" when that's almost guaranteed to have negative consequences. That raises some questions, and none of the answers are particularly good. So either the BSAA planned on using Ethan and Mia as pawns to draw out The Connections. The other thing is a little conspiracy theory of me but I just realised what else could be happening. What if they were hoping The Connections would eliminate the Winters' so the BSAA wouldn't have to. It's less likely but it's been established that they are willing to do what it takes to look as clean as possible while getting their hands mega dirty. Something I believe needs to be answered is why this happened. Why send Ethan and Mia to Eastern Europe where you know The Connection are operating?

We already knew but this makes it clear that Chris is not involved in the questionable choices the BSAA is making. And it seems that he is actively disregarding the BSAA at this point. This I think is one reason why I wonder if the previous little conspiracy theory might have some weight. Why are they so concerned that Chris is in Eastern Europe? Is it because they knew he would do what it takes to protect the Winters'? Another little flat-earth moment from me is the one part of harsh language is in regards to Miranda. Keep it professional, especially with someone who basically created the BSAA. Did they already know who Miranda was perhaps? Were they shocked that Chris knew about her? This goes into my theory that The Connections and the BSAA are more... Connected... than we think. Pun not intended because I think it's a stupid one but what other word can I possibly use? I can't help but wonder if the BSAA was infiltrated by The Connections at some point, and that's why they "failed" to get rid of Eveline until she escaped the control of The Connections. In this report was a series of comments by civilians at points, and one did stick out to me. Probably could have added a screenshot of it but hindsight is four years ago. Essentially people knew about the shipwreck, though dismissed as conspiracy theorists. Apparently there were satellite photos of the massive cargo ship. In the three years of it being sat there in the bayou why was it never investigated, unless someone already knew about it and had it covered up... Who else has been involved in concealing the truth to the public? The BSAA. What if they already knew and were monitoring Eveline's evolution? May explain how they arrived so quickly when she turned into that huuuuge mold monster. Again conspiracy theory brain, maybe they were just inept? Maybe it was The Connections hiding this.

Great yet again, this also contributes to my belief that Zoe is going to reappear in the next game. Why else would someone send her a copy of the BSAA letter?

Bigger question for me here is who sent it. The actual answer is probably Chris but I don't really buy it. Especially looking at his actions towards Ethan from Village, he doesn't want innocent civilians getting involved. He would probably know that Zoe is desperate to uncover the truth, so why encourage her in a way that could endanger her life? I think there are plenty of options for who sent the letter. I don't have a clue who. Could venture Ada Wong because that seems like her vibe. Despite popular perception of being a self-serving villainous type, she's always down to help those in need (such as helping Sherry and Jake in 6 just because she could). Also I do believe she will be involved in The Connections plot as she was supposed to be in Village. There are also BSAA agents who may have access to their communications, such as Jill, Barry, Rebecca, a member of the hound squad. Perhaps someone close to Chris who could access his mail like Claire Redfield. Could be someone with an axe to grind with the BSAA, or maybe someone, perhaps a secret company or a counter-terror organisation, who intends on leading Zoe to her death to tie up loose ends......... Spooky stuff.

If anyone does read this I apologise. I've been stuck on stupid thanks to this series and desperately trying to work out what happens next even though I could simply wait until RE9 is announced. It started off as fun and now here were are looking like that meme of Charlie from Always Sunny in front of his conspiracy board. That's me. I already have a whole thought train about Mia Winters and wtf is going on with her. The fixation doesn't have an end in sight.

[mandalhoerian]

bruh my comment was too long to post under the new chapter so i’m sending an ask. saw the ao3 notif and scheduled to read it this fine evening, good thing i was like “lemme scroll on tumblr and see what’s up” because SJFKDJLXBZB the face i made when i saw i was tagged and followed BY YOU? also ma’am 🤚🏻wdym nobody comments like i do. like what do you mean. i have a concerning relationship with receiving praise so i advise you to stfu (affectionately).

my poor girl vera can’t catch a break, loss after loss after loss in such a short period. i just want to give her lots and lots of hugs (consensually). on another note i love that she clocked ada’s intentions right away bc capcom wtf is that writing. one person taking down a whole organization is like sending only one person to save president’s kidnapped daughter (laugh track). let me tell you i have been waiting for this 🤌🏻 vera and ada interacting 🤌🏻 leon being there all charming and naive and trusting people easily 🤌🏻 shai you just get the dynamics of all the characters *so right* 🤌🏻

sorry for the excessive amount of parentheses and emojis let me just find another obnoxiously annoying emoji to spam about the intimacy between leon and vera. 🤧 it’s this one but i’m wiping my snot away from crying about it. the small touches between the two are so tender in this fucked up world 🤧 vera’s hand on his forearm… leon collecting her in his arms, comforting her 🤧 his arm on her shoulder 🤧 i could cry and get a headache from thinking about them. i’m so serious.

(gnawing at the bars of my enclosure) JILL VALENTINE MENTION???? VERA KNOWS HER? WHAT IS THE LORE? I NEED TO KNOW.

how does one end a delirious comment. uhhh. so yeah. i love nttd and vera so much and i’m so happy that it’s back babyyyy.

Ofc I followed!!!! I don't remember why I didn't in the first place like but like ???? ur making it sound like I'm some big shot but like pls im a loser who's writing oc fanfiction on the internet and is so lucky and grateful to get people invested in it!!!!! AND YES nobody comments like you do! You're the dream of a fanfiction author ON GOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH

ramble below to keep your dashboards clean:

I think we talked about this over on ao3 but honestly re2r's ada just doesn't make sense to me. The FBI cover is logical (when you first think about it), but the way she's immediately pulling a gun on Annette the minute they see her and DECLARING her intentions isn't. She then proceeds to reveal her target is Annette, and then her going with the FBI thing becomes less logical, bc why would Annette hand over the G-Virus sample to the feds, either? It's entirely a shock factor thing revolved around Leon, she's only fooling him -- or maybe, she's fooled Ben like this, too, and was forced to stick to her cover when shit went down, we don't know 😭 why did they do my girl ada like that... (ngl re4r ada supremacy. period.)

But either way, un-truths she would throw as a bone to a "civilian" like Leon would of course be caught by Vera, nugget by nugget, while still making her think "mayhaps the FBI is misinformed????" -- I didn't want to ruin that fine line by Ada going on about Annette making the virus and her being the most dangerous of all "g-virus g-virus g-virus" or whatever because 1) WHY WOULD A SPY DO THAT???? 2) it would surely make Vera go "yeah NOPE" 💀💀

it's so much fun for them to try sussing each other out, Light and L mind games over there while Leon is happily frolicking. not one thought behind those eyes 😭

ALSO LIKE YES THE TOUCHES!!!!!! It's Leon initiating all of them for me 👹👹👹 physical touch taking over when words can't. my favorite thing of all UGGHHHHHHHH THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME IN MY MISERY

ALSO totally not going "actually 🤓☝" as I'm saying this because it's been HALF A WHOLE YEAR + the fic is over 100K words -- Vera knows Jill from post!mansion incident - pre!outbreak, in that ephemeral "investigation" phase of Jill's. I do mention it in the fic that Vera supplies information to Jill (as around that time she's trying to get rid of the weight of all she knows and trying to pass on the "hero's job" to someone else) and they exchange their findings while trying to be careful not to get caught by ppl Umbrella put on Jill's tail. I think I wrote it in passing that Vera was disguised as a secretary and sat back-to-back with Jill on a booth in one of those occasions? She's loosely connected to re3r by having a brief appearance in carlos' police station section in my head, entrusting Jill to him and all and promising to meet up with them in the station once she talks to her dad about it ☹

"delirious comment" WDYM ITS MY LIFEBLOOD THANK YOU 😭