#i'm still really just working on my original story

[mortalityplays]

I love the practice of requisitioning, remixing and reworking books, comics, movies etc. through any means you like, but I hate hate hate the way so much vocabulary that used to be rooted in individual creativity has been taken over by this kind of fucked up deference to mainstream publishing and ip.

easy example: everyone calls the characters they work up for their projects 'OCs' now. that genie is out of the bottle, I'm not even going to try and cram it back in. it's universal terminology. but I do want to reflect - why is the default position to assume that when someone says 'my characters' they mean something derivative, unless they specify 'my Original characters'?

similarly, all character relationships are 'ships'. but what's wrong with that? you say, it's just short for 'relationship'. and you would be right, by merit of completely ignoring the fandom ancestry and common understanding of that term in order to win an argument. because you know as well as I do that 'ships' aren't 'relationships', they're hypothetical romances that the speaker is rooting for. so why do I keep seeing people talk about shipping their OCs? why is a hypothetical relationship entertained and enjoyed by the creator of the work described using fan terminology?

I have for real no joke seen people talk about their 'headcanons' for their own characters, in their own stories. that's not a headcanon babe, that's canon!!! that's YOUR WORK. moreover, why are we even talking about the canonicity of your personal original writing? this isn't the star wars extended universe, why are international franchise IPs setting the baseline for the relationship you have with your writing and the terminology you use to conceptualise it?

tbc this is not a 'fandom brainrot' post. because I don't think it's fanwork that's the root of the problem. I think it's the insidious creep of capitalism and the ever more draconian weaponisation of copyright law that has rewritten our capacity for talking about creative work so that it revolves at all times around ownership and precedent. there is a deep learned anxiety about describing fictional works as fictional properties, that echoes in our vocabulary as we constantly make clear what is owned and what is not, what has been established on the record and what exists in the realm of speculation.

the reason 'fandom brainrot' is such a compeling stand-in for this issue is that it's really just one step downstream from all that voracious rent-seeking behaviour by publishers. if the only things you ever read or watch are in the milieu of those franchise copyright lawyers, that is the understanding of fiction-as-property you develop. if you're not exposed to a broader spectrum of art and artists, living and dead, who talk about their work as work - as expression, as experimentation, as a personal process and as a shared space with their audience - you will quickly be alienated from your own creative practice by design.

the point i want to make is this: going off the beaten track, exploring outside the franchises and bestsellers and box office babies, is not just a matter of good taste. imo it is a necessary act of solidarity with artists who still live, work and speak as individuals. it's a healthier environment for you as an artist. you deserve a relationship with your own work, not a ship.

[f1cflcfic]

The Prophecy (SMAU ft. Lando Norris)

pairing: lando norris x singer!reader (y/n)

summary: what happens after the break-up that noone saw coming? as Y/N L/N gears up to release her next album, each song reveals a little bit of the past, present and future of her relationship with Lando Norris. Inspired by a curated playlist built around "The Prophecy". note: this is RPF and is obviously in no way, shape, or form reflective of real persons. Also, this story is angsty with a happy ending - it does not contain any smut or suggestive themes. [A/N: This is my first SMAU and hooooooly shit did I totally underestimate how much work it is, and how things work within Tumblr to make it look alright. If you have any tips, let me know lol. I had to split it up in pieces, but i've got all the content written out already, so will be updated soon with the next part!]

♥･*:.｡ ｡.:*･ﾟ♡･*:.｡ ｡.:*･ﾟ♥

December, 2025

February, 2026

[Excerpt from red carpet interview at the Grammy's with Y/N]

How are you feeling tonight? You're up for 3 awards, one of them Album of the Year for All I Ever Needed - that's huge!

"It's so overwhelming, to be honest."

Even when you've gone through this experience before? This is your fourth time attending, second time as nominee.

"Yeah, maybe even more so! It's a great chance to hang out with friends and meet new people, but it's also really prestigious still. Being nominated - I try to act like it doesn't matter, because awards always involve politics too - but at the end of the day, you do want it."

And who're you most looking forward to seeing tonight?

"Honestly? I came alone tonight, so I can't wait to find Sabrina [Carpenter] and Jade. I'm gonna need my girls."

Your friend Miley is also up for an award tonight in the same category, what's that like?

"Ha, if the Grammy's do the right thing tonight she'll win it - I know I voted for her!"

You'll also be performing one of your songs - Ruin My Life, can you tell us a bit about what to expect?

"I really wanted this to be visually interesting, but it took me a while to get the right concept for it. I think it's because to me this album and song already feel sort of far removed, and lived in? I'm in a different phase of my life right now, so I had to find a new way to still connet to it. I was really grateful to work with a great art director to bring a different version to the stage."

March, 2026

July, 2026

[SkyNews excerpt]

Lando Norris wins Silverstone GP, dedicates his 20th podium win to his family

The man of the hour is none other than Lando Norris, who’s just gone on to claim his 20th victory at his home race. You’re reading that right, his home race! While he still owns his apartment in Monaco, Norris revealed today that he’s been living back in England for the past few months. “I just wasn’t in the right headspace anymore and wanted to live closer to my family. Especially now that my brother’s kids are growing up, I just like knowing I could drive over – rather than having to fly across countries.”

Speaking on the importance of his family being present, Norris shared that it means everything to him. “In this sport you need to have skill, talent, trust and investment from your team, but also you need that stable sense of safety from the people you love. If your mindset isn’t there, you can’t be competitive.”

Norris has been vocal about mental health in the past, and has advocated for more access to mental healthcare facilities and professionals across motorsport.

“Especially in tougher years where there’s just a lot of noise and turmoil, it’s nice to have a professional coach you to mental fitness as well.”

It was the only notable reference to Norris’ private life, which ended on a low note last year after splitting from long-time girlfriend y/n l/n. The two were originally thought to have had an amicable split, but recent reports hint at a different story, with Norris unfollowing his ex and her friends unfollowing him in return.

August, 2026

September, 2026

♥･*:.｡ ｡.:*･ﾟ♡･*:.｡ ｡.:*･ﾟ♥

Part two following soon! likes, comments, reblogs are always very much appreciated ♥

[tuesday-teyz]

Butterfly Reign chapter 40 😧

Hi!

First of all, I just wanted to say how much I love Butterfly Reign—your writing is incredible, and I’ve been absolutely hooked from the start. I think I started reading when there were only about 10 chapters out, which feels like a lifetime ago!

I just finished chapter 40, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the direction the story took, particularly regarding Theseus and Wilbur. Their relationship has been such a complex and emotional journey, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing them work through their issues. Honestly, it’s crazy to think back to when I first started reading, and how I would’ve been rooting for Theseus to get his revenge, but now, with everything that’s happened, I didn’t expect the story to take such a tragic turn.

While I’m still deeply invested in the story, I’m curious about a few things—particularly the choice to have Wilbur die. I’ve been wondering, how long have you had this planned? I noticed the MCD tag from the beginning, so I’m wondering if this was always the direction you intended to take their characters or if it evolved as the story developed?

I’d also love to know your thoughts on Theseus’s actions here (without giving away any spoilers ofc). In the context of the story (obviously not condoning murder in real life 😭), do you think Theseus did what he had to do? Do you see him as someone who is still redeemable, or do you think that this was a mistake in his journey? I ask because, even though I’ve been the number one Theseus defender (his rights and wrongs) throughout the story, I found myself struggling with this moment. It’s the first time I’ve felt so conflicted about his character. I’m really curious about your perspective as the author, especially when it comes to the moral complexities in his decision.

Thank you so much for sharing this story— and I can’t wait to see what comes next! (even though i'm not yet willing to except that it shall continue BR!crimboys-less) at least give me hope for Br!discduo if nothing else

Hi, thank you for the ask, it made my morning!

To answer your questions, it's a little complex when exactly the decision came about. In my original outline back in 2022, this whole scene did not actually involve any fire. Instead, it was Theseus and Fundy stranded on the lake as ice begins to crack. Wilbur gets Fundy to safety first, and then when he comes back for Theseus, they fall through. From there on, there were two versions of this scene that I fluctuated between: one, Wilbur cuts the rope connecting them and lets himself drown, and two, the same happens but both of them get saved by a third outside force. This is followed up by Wilbur falling into a coma and being absent for the rest of the fic, sans the epilogue where we see him awake. Simply put, it was never my plan for Wilbur to be present in the final arc; he simply has no place there. His story was always meant to end in this chapter.

However, as time went on, I realized that using a coma is a very cheap (for the lack of a better word) way to write off a character, and his death by sacrifice did not feel right. As I mentioned in another post, br!Wilbur was, off and on, for nearly a decade, br!Tommy's abuser. To have someone who caused so much pain for him die saving him didn't sit right with me. Tommy was working for so long on accepting his past and unlearning the behaviors Wilbur brought up in him that it felt like an injustice and a poor message besides to basically say 'oh well he loved you at the end of the day'. And exploring his death from the point of view Tommy being relieved by it and feeling guilty at the same time is too repetetive of the story itself from when Wilbur ran away the first time. That's when the decision for Tommy to kill Wilbur was born.

So short answer: Wilbur's story was always meant to end at this moment. The idea for murder hatched during the travel arc.

I could not tell you exactly when did I realize that the plot was heading towards Tommy killing Wilbur, but I very firmly stand by the point that it's something that has been brewing up in the background unbeknownst even to me. The thing, Tommy has always been a killer. You have always known him as one (Clara was killed by him 3 years into the past), even though you didn't know his full backstory. An important part of this arc in its entirety is that it's Tommy unpacking and healing from the trauma he experienced 6 to 3 years ago. When Tommy gets sick and Wilbur takes care of him – that's 11 year old Tommy getting closure from Wilbur leaving him behind, and trading their family for the life of a commoner and a family of his own. It's not about them learning to be different in the future; it's about them mending the past. At no point at all this was meant to be about redeeming Wilbur.

Off to the next question: was this necessary? Did Tommy do what he had to?

Not at all. I address that in the chapter itself. I believe it's three different times that an image of Clara tells that Tommy must do it, meaning kill Wilbur, but the only time Tommy voices that thought himself (after the dialogue with Warden), the must changes to can. It's him taking agency over his own choices and acknowledging that he has this option and it's his decision to proceed with it. He tells Wilbur not to make excuses for him for Clara's death, knowing he's about to commit the same crime again.

As to how to feel about his actions – that's entirely up to you. You're not meant to feel a certain way about any of the characters, and especially not Tommy, but I am curious to hear your guys' thoughts and analysis. What do you think?

[bunnakit]

{cross posting from bluesky}

i feel so silly crying bc i'll no longer be writing fic but i feel like i'm grieving my fics i worked so hard on. today's update will be the last of any fanfic update from me for the foreseeable future.

what really solidified it for me was i put a sex scene in my recent fic update, it made sense for the story and what was going on but it didn't NEED to be there, i had put it in just to see if that would get more people to read it.

and it worked. i got several replies on my posts saying people were interested now. why did it take sex for you to be interested? it's a story full of rich world building and a complex plot about what it means to be 'human' but you wouldn't read it unless there was some dick in ass? that's not what the story is about.

so that really just frustrated me and made me realize that what i'm trying to accomplish isn't something well suited for a fanfic space that is largely just meant to be self indulgent fluff and porn. (at least in kpop fanfic spaces)

but yeah. i'm not doing it anymore. sorry for leaving these stories half finished. i'll probably just leave Buried Treasure and Afterimage on ao3 for now. Afterimage might get reworked into an original story and once it does i'll probably take it down but it'll be there for now.

i really appreciate anyone that supported my fics, even if it was quietly. i just don't think i fit into the fanfic space anymore or maybe i'm just too sensitive or not built for it idk.

thanks for having me. i'll still be around reading fanfics here and there but prob not to the same degree i used to.

all this being said, i'm not quitting WRITING. i'm just moving onto original works only, so you'll still see me being annoying about stuff and posting my writing, it'll just be 100% either from my own brain or an off shoot of a world my friend has built that i've been assisting with.

[genericpuff]

Do you have any big plans for Rekindled this year? Like specific moments/events/developments? Also, would you ever consider going back to a weekly upload schedule?

welllll as for stuff that's like, in the immediate near future, we're gonna be tackling a VERY famous scene in LO that I have some fun ideas for that will hopefully make it feel familiar but with its own twists for y'all to enjoy. Considering the current roadmap the story is on and what's been established over the past few "days" within the story, I'm sure y'all will figure out pretty quick which scene I'm talking about ;333

But in the long-term over the course of this year... I don't wanna speak too soon, but I think this is the year that we're finally gonna enter the biggest turning point of the story, so big that it literally diverts LR's plot away from the blueprint of LO and we end up in truly new territory. Granted, there are still some elements of the original LO present after that point, but what we do with those elements is entirely different. I think it's gonna parallel well, because while LO's S2 era took a massive turn away from everything it had been building up towards throughout S1, LR's "second season" will be taking a massive turn towards those setups and outcomes that were clearly abandoned (or just not thought of entirely, even the stuff that was like... plainly obvious to anyone who was paying attention lmao).

I'm hoping that after we've reached that point, the path that LR walks will feel way more satisfying for the readers like myself who felt that everything beyond S2 of LO was a complete misfire and lost potential. Again, it will hopefully feel familiar to those who remember that era of LO - but still refreshing and interesting to really drive home how this is meant to be an interpretative rewrite of what could have happened if LO hadn't gotten distracted and had actually stuck with its original plotlines and themes. I think the biggest one of those themes that was present in LO but never fully realized will be everything concerning "Persephone" herself, the Act of Wrath, and everything that led up to her moving to Olympus.

It is a little nerve-wracking, because it'll be at that turning point where I truly have to carry this story's progression for real and can't use LO quite as much to guide me through the dark, but I'm also excited because it's where I finally get to loosen a lot of the limitations that were set from the foundation of LO and really go wild with everything that I had been hoping LO would be. It's when I'll really get to write some proper payoffs to the things that I've been building up to from the foundation of the original comic as my starting point. It's where things are really gonna start to feel truly "new", at least in my opinion!

As for what that massive "turning point" is... I'm not gonna say specifically what happens, but you will absolutely know it when you'll see it. Obviously there are already a lot of differences between LR and LO in terms of the plot threads and how everything is being progressed, but this one turning point in particular is a huge one that fundamentally opposes one of the biggest flaws of LO that would define its downhill decline in its storytelling for the rest of its publication.

But for now, until we get there, I'll leave the rest up to your imagination ;3

---

As for the update schedule, I would honestly love to be able to return to the weekly schedule again, but currently my work-life balance is just not gonna allow for it :'0 For those unaware, when I'm not making Rekindled, I'm also working my day job as a contracted tattoo artist which comes with its own load of responsibilities and obligations, many of which are what I need to fulfill in order to do things like pay my rent and, y'know, not die LOL In terms of the work-life balance, even when I'm not working on Rekindled, there's still a lot of work taking up my life LMAO (including a second retail job that I've been doing a seasonal position for, though it's wrapping up at the end of the month~)

While I love making Rekindled and spend as much time as I can each week working on it (and I wish it could be like, the only thing I had to worry about LOL) it is still just a fanfiction project that I create for free, and so it just can't be at the top of my priority list, at least not without sacrifices from those other obligations - but those other obligations are, again, what I need to do in order to not only survive, but to ensure that I can afford to keep making Rekindled, even if it's at a slower pace than I would like.

That said, Rekindled is still a very high priority for me! It's just a matter of balance, and changing to a bi-weekly schedule was part of maintaining that balance. It was either that, or stick to weekly and make the episodes shorter, but I ultimately settled on the former option because it allowed for a healthier work-life balance (which is still not even super healthy but I'm working on it lmao) and because the rhythm of my writing wouldn't have worked as well in shorter doses, especially not with many of the plotlines we've been tackling as of late. It can be a drag to wait every two weeks, but it means I can bring y'all episodes that are fully realized to their full potential, rather than hacking them up into tinier portions that might not read as well and would require a drawing schedule that wouldn't fit well with my current circumstances.

All in all, while I do wish I could be back to making episodes on that weekly schedule, it's really only because I would love to bring you all more of the story more often, because there's a lot that I'm really excited to show you all! But the bi-weekly schedule is currently more viable for both myself, Banshriek, and the comic as a whole, because it means we get the time we really need to make every episode feel special with every update <3

[wishfairies]

1. Meghan Markle already expressed fear of being stalked

2. A lot of cooking tv Shows are filmed in sets or stage houses (do you really think celebrities are going around letting the world know how their houses look like?)

3. Considering how fast people found the stage house where the show was filmed (i think i saw it the same day as the trailer or the next one) i take it as proof that not doing it in her house as the smart choice

Also a stage house is protecting both her and the kids privacy as not showing where they live or what is their window view so stalkers can't find them

4. Meghan is a public figure. She *CHOOSE* to be a public figure 1st by becoming ab Actress and again when she said yes to Prince Harry, the kids did not

5. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are 5 and 3 they have no idea what a public figure means and don't even know they are Royals (There's a story on how Prince William and Princess Catherine only told George when he was 7, why would the Sussex do it diferent?)

6. A Cooking show where you hang out with your friends is not a original idea, there's millions of this type of shows. Meghan did not copy either a Black or a White woman by having her show

Also for the comments i have seen on Twitter : Feminism is about woman having choices. They can choose if they want to be "homemakers" or "boss babes" just because Meghan's new show is more home-y it doesn’t mean she is not a feminist anymore also there's a big chance that the show its being made to promote her Lifestyle A.R.O brand (and having a Netflix show it's still a form of Working)

(Also if you’re one of those people who fell the need to send me hate on anon everytime i post about a woman that the Internet hates -> unless i'm in the mood for arguing, which i'm not, your ask will be deleted. This is my blog i share MY OPINION here if you don't like the block button is free and way less work)

[laminy]

a short Roy/Jamie fic for @mccorky, who wanted Roy showing off his dance moves for Jamie in the kitchen.

Jamie’s taken up more of the cooking, thank god. Roy always ends up staying later now, and he was getting tired of coming home to Jamie sitting on his arse, looking at TikToks, wondering where dinner was. Or worse, eating takeaway that was not meal-plan approved.

When he comes home after training tonight, Roy’s ears are immediately assaulted by— he doesn’t even know what, just loud. “Christ!” he exclaims as he walks into the kitchen. “This might sound half decent if you fucking turned it down.” And now his eyes hurt too. Jamie’s been cutting onions, he can tell.

“What’d you say?” Jamie waits a moment for a response, and then he sticks his tongue out.

“The cheek on you.”

“Right here,” Jamie says, and he turns his arse towards Roy, who rolls his eyes and gives it a light playful swat anyway. “Now give us a kiss.”

“Fucking hell,” Roy says, but he’s not-so-secretly happy to do it. He wraps his arms around Jamie’s waist, and snuggles against his back, kissing his neck. “What are you making?”

“White bean chicken chilli,” Jamie says, snuggling back agains Roy. “Saw it on YouTube. It’s got—” He puts his spoon down and starts counting on his fingers. “Chicken.”

“And white beans?”

“Shut up.” It rolls casually off Jamie’s tongue, no heat behind it, and he continues. “Onion, jalapeño, corn, and avocado.” He turns around in Roy’s arms, so they can actually get a good look at each other, and he bats his eyes. “Sound alright?”

“Sounds fucking delicious.” Roy gives him an actual kiss, and Jamie practically melts against him. “I missed you,” he murmurs.

“I saw you two hours ago,” Jamie says, kissing him again. 

Roy pulls back. “And?”

Jamie smiles. “I missed you too.” Then he steps out of Roy’s arms and turns his music back up. “Now fuck off, old man, I’m busy.”

“Nice welcome home,” Roy says. It’s really not so bad, since he can take a step back and watch Jamie’s hips sway to the rhythm of the song. Even if it is still way too loud, it’s a pretty sight. 

Roy grabs a beer from the refrigerator, and drops down at the kitchen table. He takes a drink, and settles back in his chair. “You looked good out there today.”

Jamie glances over his shoulder and winks. “Yeah, I know. You too, Coach.”

“Hmm.” Roy takes another drink, and chuckles as he watches Jamie start tapping his feet to the music, like he’s trying out some fancy footwork. “You going on Strictly?”

“I’d fucking win it too,” Jamie says, and he does a dramatic spin before settling back in at the stove, his feet still moving. “If you distract me, dinner’s gonna be late.”

“You’re the one distracting me,” Roy says. “What are these moves?”

“Uh, I’m an amazing dancer,” Jamie says. “You’ve seen me. Remember NSYNC?”

“How could I forget,” Roy says. He keeps watching Jamie’s feet, and he laughs.

“Fuck off,” Jamie says. “It’s not like you’re any better.”

“Fuck off, I am,” Roy says.

“I’ve never seen you dance,” Jamie says. Roy doesn’t say anything, so Jamie turns around. “Have I?” Roy shrugs, amused, and Jamie’s eyes widen. “Royth. Why haven’t I seen you dance?”

“Because I don’t like to show off.”

“You fucking love it, egotistical prick,” Jamie says.

Roy gestures towards himself with his beer bottle. “You’re talking to me?”

“Course I am,” Jamie says. “You’re saying you’ve got secret moves?”

“I am.”

“Let’s see ‘em.”

“Not so secret then.”

“I’ll give you a handjob later in the bath.”

“You were gonna do that anyway.”

Jamie sighs. “Please, Roy?” he asks, voice all quiet and soft and goddammit he’s playing Roy like a fiddle but it’s working. “It’d mean an awful lot.”

“Oh fuck off,” Roy says, and he pushes his chair back with a loud scrape. “At least turn the music down a fucking little, please. I can’t think.”

“Okay,” Jamie says eagerly, and he turns it down. He also checks on the chilli, then takes off his apron. “Let’s see then.” He takes Roy’s hand, and looks down in shock when Roy puts his other hand on Jamie’s waist. “Uh—”

“I’m leading, you twat,” Roy says.

“Whatever.”

“What are we even listening to?” 

“Aaron Burr.”

“The vice-president?”

“Yeah.”

“Fucking hell.” Roy squeezes Jamie’s hand, and smoothly begins, stepping to the left, then back. He really gets into with it a rock step, and then he’s off, with Jamie stumbling to keep up.

“What the fuck is this, Roy,” Jamie says. 

“The cha-cha.”

“When the fuck did you learn the cha-cha?” Jamie keeps looking down at their feet, in confusion or awe or maybe both.

“Twenty years ago,” Roy says. “Needed help with my footwork.” He does a spot turn, leaving Jamie staring at him. “Thought you could dance.”

Jamie rolls his eyes. “Not like this. Shit, Roy.” He starts trying to mimic Roy’s footwork, matching some steps but missing others. He laughs in delight and surprise, and Roy smiles back. Nice to know he’s still got it. “You have to show me.”

“You need to finish the chilli.”

Jamie rolls his eyes. “We can get takeaway.”

“No, we fucking can’t.”

“Fine.” Jamie glances back at the stove. “I’ll finish it. But do another turn for me?” 

Roy does just that, and Jamie’s on him in a second, arms around his neck.

“That was fucking hot, Roy.”

Roy gives him a quick kiss. “Chilli.”

“No fun.”

“Naked cha-cha later?”

Jamie light ups. “Very fun. Deal.”

“Deal.”

[starrysharks]

hotel manager

[thanakite]

I see where you both are going with all of this, but Katarina is popular beyond just the game's love interests and the other characters connected to them, like there are SO many people she's become popular with, Frey, Ginger, the other princes and their fiancees, a decent number of her other classmates (like the ones we've never met before who accompany her joyfully through the school festival or the ones who share food with her in the library and insult Ginger later, in part because of Ginger's cold attitude to Katarina), the household staff of the Claes family, etc. (not even getting into the Ministry and the people she meets through that, Maria's home town, the sea town they go to, etc.)

All of which added together is like way beyond the scope of "I had some other nerd friends plus my 1 best friend" and I truly believe it's also beyond the scope of just programming from the original game(s)

Like this is actually a thing that happens in real life, doing something weird when you are considered unattractive or plain often just results in people thinking you are weird and that results in fewer friends and such a lot of the times, who are people who are also thought of that way or are willing to look past that kind of stuff or don't care about it (or who like that stuff in particular too), but when you are considered conventionally attractive those same weird behaviors get thought of as funny, cute, quirky, etc. Way more often and by much more people, which we see in how Katarina is received by others (a significant number of people vying for her attention/friendship/etc. a decent amount of the time) vs how she was received in her previous life, because even if she had more friends than we see it's still nowhere near the level of Katarina, which is still accurate to life, as plain and not conventionally attractive people still generally have friends no matter their personality type because people are varied enough that you will find people like you and who believe what you believe, but people who are conventionally attractive will almost always have MUCH more leeway with this kind of stuff, which then results in more friends, better opportunities, and the like as well

Really though, the bigger question to me is if it's intentional by the author or not, as I'm not sure about that, and since as it currently stands that hasn't actually been addressed, but does hover in the background fairly often, BUT because this is generally how life tends to go, it could 100% be unintentional as subconscious awareness of these things can easily slip into something you're working on

But ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ either way I do think it's an important thing about real life that the story touches on, whether unintentional or not

My Next Life as a Villainess provides an interesting commentary on how appearances do change the way people perceive you, but it doesn't feel intentional

Because the Unnamed girl who reincarnated into Katarina has the same personality she had in her previous life once she regained her memories and that obviously is a huge part of what draws people to her, but we literally only see her with one friend in her previous life, when she's less conventionally attractive (she's not even unattractive, she's just like plain)

Yet in her new life everyone wants to be around her and be her friend (or her significant other) and it's not her personality that's different in this, it's her appearance

And literally the show, manga, and light novels don't go into any of this at all really, it's just there lurking in the background

Which is fascinating in its own right as it makes it difficult to tell if it's because it's unintentional on the author's part or if it's intentional but not something they want to deeply address, either way, I still think it's important overall

[icewindandboringhorror]

finally finished all of one character's entire quests/optional dialogue/questions/etc.... 100,000 words... .... aughhh

[nightmun]

I've had Otta for a while and finally decided it's time I show her to the world via this template (made by @emo-hermit)! I also decided that since Haniel does become a patient at some point in their story I could also use this as an opportunity to rant about them more. So get ready for a big ol block of text about these two under the cut:

Otta:

So as the template states, Otta was a pediatrician who worked in a town not too far from Middlesea. She had worked there for a quite few years, but unfortunately she was laid off from her job. After that happened, she started to look for a new job, but with little success. She had always had issues with SVT, but the stress she was under (as well as a lack of sleep from said stress) started to cause it to act up a lot more. This came to a head one day while she was passing through Middlesea in order to get to an interview the next day in the next town over. While boarding a bus, a particularly bad SVT attack caused her to faint and end up in Middlesea Hospital.

Early on in her stay there she is absolutely not a happy camper. Her premise initially was that she is the one person who really questions a lot of the strange happenings around the hospital. Especially at first, she is very much not okay with how weird the hospital is. She sees the guys with swords (one of which can take their head off like it's no big deal), musical treatments, and an intern that is literally just an arm that snakes around the hospital and she's like "nope this place is insane I hate it here." She wanted to leave as soon as she could but she ended up having to stay after her SVT symptoms kept returning. During her first week there she spends a lot of time holed up in her room, refusing to leave or interact with anyone (except Ada, she's the one person that Otta can tolerate at first because she seems to be the most normal person there).

She does eventually start giving the hospital a chance after comforting the now human Haniel during a breakdown but it takes her a while to really warm up to anyone or anything. In the past she had had a lot of bad relationships with other people so she really wasn't too keen on interacting with anyone outside of the bare necessities. But over time she became more and more willing to talk with the people around the hospital. She's still very closed off though, rarely opening up to anyone about anything. The only person who really gets through to her ever is Haniel after the two of them begin to bond (Haniel is pretty much an unrelenting positive force so they eventually wear her down and get her to open up more).

Haniel:

As you may already know, Haniel started out as the Handtern in their early days at the hospital. But after a particularly strong encounter with connectifia abortus, the virus somehow changed them into a human (why? Who cares logic be damned). After this happens, they go through a bit of an adjustment period for a while before they eventually start to get the hang of being human. When they do, they focus a lot on the rhythm defibrillation system, being the main person to run it while Ian and Ada are focused on other tasks.

A bit later on though they end up learning that Edega is pushing Ian to create some sort of "miracle cure" upgrade to the system, putting a lot of strain on both him and Ada since Ian's working day and night on the system leaving Ada to be responsible for the patients. After hearing this, Haniel offers to start helping out with more than just the system, taking on any and every task they are capable of handling. At first it goes pretty well, but when the tasks keep piling up, they start to sacrifice sleep (or any real rest for that matter) in favor of working in order to keep up. The last thing they want is to put any more work back on Ian and Ada's shoulders, so they are more than willing to practically work themself to death to do so.

Eventually the constant strain starts to become a problem, and they start to experience chest pains. They had one particularly bad episode while treating Hailey, who went and got Ada to help them. After that they had to have their heartrate monitored like the rest of the residents in the hospital. They were not very happy about this since they didn't want Ada and Ian to have to worry about them (the last thing they wanted was to add more work to their plate).

At some point they have another encounter with connectifia, and when this happens they find out that the virus has a very negative effect on them now that they're a person (likely a side effect of the virus having been what them human to begin with). Even being in proximity to it can cause them to become sick, and their heart with race and glitch similar to the insomniac when this happens. Interactions with the virus cause them to be pretty delirious for a period of time, where they will talk as if they think they are still just the hand (making comments like how they can see their hand despite there being no mirrors around or how they can't stretch it as far as they should be able to). Their eyes will also glow a faint purple color when they're sick. These effects last a varying amount of time depending on the strength/duration of the encounter, but they do wear off after a while.

Anyways that's all the ranting about them I'll do for now. At some point I plan to go a lot more into these two (both the ongoing story they have going on and their relationship with each other since it plays a pretty integral role in said story) but that's a rant for another day. I hope you liked reading this little bit about these two though! Also I am planning on opening asks on these two later today so if you want to learn more about them absolutely take advantage of that!

[brynn-lear]

I never got too deep into enstars but there are days where I miss Mama 😔

[circlesroundthemoon]

diska just ended????

[dayurno]

Devastating that you had ten peaceful years to get into Jean and Jeremy but you only became interested in them when your headcanons got an expiration date... Like yeah Ill always keep smoker Jeremy in my heart no matter what Big Canon tries to sell me but it is a lowkey hilarious turn of events for you. Here you dropped this *hands you a cardboard L*

BAHAHA (takes the L) thank you............................... to be honest ive always liked jean and i never really cared for jeremy beyond his friendship with kevin and those opinions haven't changed so much as they have evolved. i still don't think much of jeremy beyond that he's funny and a good man, and i'm glad he's a good captain for jean, but there's not much investment here. perhaps the new book might make him more worthwhile to think upon, but truly there's very little about jeremy that makes him interesting or engaging to me beyond the amusement of his dynamics with jean and kevin. i daresay that as a protagonist for tsc he'll be the weaker end

BUT YEAH IT'S TRAGIC. it's all very tragic. i'm not looking forward to ten years of fanwork getting disproved or rendered useless, and to me, that's the most awkward part about the timing of tsc's release. i don't think there's anything anyone could do about this, or if there was any way nora sakavic could've timed it better, but i guess it's just still a little sad to think about. personally i'm not excited for the influx of post-tsc release content that suffocates the fan content made in the past ten years

[irhabiya]

today sucked the life out of me ya Allah

[deviousdiesel]

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