#it's been almost 4 years but QAQ

[stiltonbasket]

wangxian+fan, I miss youuuuu

[silverryu25]

Fairytales day 4 + ghost

Noonie I love you for sending in this ask but why did you have to hurt me with such a dark combo!! QAQ Hope you like it ;w;

DAY 4 - Fairy tales: Bluebeard + Ghost

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Red closed his sockets and took a deep breath as he stood at the top of the stairs leading down down down, into a darkness so deep it almost seemed to be reaching out towards him. Trying to drag him down into eternal nothingness.

Despite all that, he had to go down there.

He had to know.

Red had been in this castle for a few weeks now, freshly married and left alone with nothing to do. His new husband left him to care for the castle while he tended to some important business he didn't care to explain to his newest bride. And that's exactly what Red was, the newest in a long line of brides his current husband married over the last few years. Brides that had disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Yet Red couldn't connect his seemingly gentle and jovial husband with the horrific rumors circling around the local villages and towns. Gossip of beautiful brides being killed and buried, thrown in lakes or eaten. Or worse, forced to haunt the castle eternally.

His marriage was done out of a need to protect his only family, his brother. To give him a life he deserves. But it now the nagging curiosity was driving him insane, each night spent in the seemingly empty (the servants went home to the nearby village each night) and haunted castle making it harder and harder to keep away.

Away from the only place he was forbidden entry.

The basement.

Red gripped the key in his hand firmer as he scowled down into the darkness.

He wouldn't let a little dark intimidate him. He'd seen worse. Lived through worse. Used darkness as cover before. And even though this darkness didn't feel like it was going to protect him from the horrors that were chasing him, he wouldn't let it stop him.

He went down.

And down.

And down.

The darkness swallowing him whole, making it impossible to see the steps until, suddenly, a torch lit up the space in front of him.

And a door.

The door was heavy, made from thick wood and reinforced with steel and iron. It would be impossible to open it without a key. The key he held in his trembling hand.

He gripped it even tighter as he raised it to the door. Despite it looking ancient and worn, the key slid into the keyhole without any resistance. Almost like it was regularly used, lovingly well kept to make sure it wouldn't make noise when opened.

Red turned the key, the silence of the lock and the lack of any creak as he pulled the door open making his magic stand on end. If he had skin it would have been crawling with goosebumps.

The room that opened before him was dark, no torches lighting his way to make out what was in there. He grabbed the torch that stood next to the door, took a deep breath and stepped in.

It was... red.

There were shelves and tables, chairs and stools. And all were covered in red. Jars and jars full of red red red!

Red stood frozen, completely lost on what he was looking at. Sockets empty of any light as his gaze roamed the rows and rows of the space in front of him.

Was that... bloo-

Before he could finish that thought, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and Red flinched, hard. But the movement didn't help him dislodge the vice grip from his shoulder, it only made it tighten up.

Red couldn't make himself look up. His body trembled as the hand kept him in place, mind completely blank as he panicked over being caught in the act. Breaking the only rule the castle's owner imposed on him. Sealing his fate.

"i didn't wanna have you see this," his husband said, a heavy sigh escaping him, making Red tremble a little harder. "why did you do it?"

The voice almost sounded regretful, but Red couldn't really focus on it, all he could do was try and make his brain work on a solution. An escape plan. Something. Anything. The slightest hope that he could run and see his brother again.

But fate was cruel, and it seems his husband was even more so.

The hand on his shoulder pushed him forward, leading him towards one of the nearby shelves. Red could only dread what will happen next. Would his husband take one of the jars and stuff Red in there as he dusted him? Would he paint his dust red to match the hue of his other victims. Would he do it quickly so Red didn't feel any pain?

Amongst the horrifying possibilities, the tiniest thought of regret flashed through his skull. If only he hadn't let his stupid curiosity take over, he might have even come to like his kind and jovial husband eventually.

Red flinched as a second hand reached over his other shoulder, boxing him between the two and making escape impossible. But instead of grabbing an empty jar as he expected, the hand grabbed one of the jars full of the red substance.

'wha-' he didn't have time to finish that question as the jar was forcefully put into his hands.

"open it." It was an order he couldn't deny.

Hands shaking, his bones softly clacking on the glass and metal of the jar, he slowly, desperately trying to postpone his imminent demise, twisted the lid open.

One soulbeat. He stood frozen. Another soulbeat. The hand on his shoulder tightened. Another soulbeat. He opened the jar.

His senses were flooded by the rotting smell of....... tomatoes???

Sockets snapping open (when did he close them?) he looked down at the contents of the jar. He couldn't believe his eyelights. His skull completely empty as he tried to piece together what the hell was going on. In the jar, it wasn't blood or body parts.

It was ketchup...

He could see tomato seeds swimming in the sweet and sour smelling concoction, but his mind refused to believe what his senses were telling him. Then, just as suddenly as he's done everything, his husband grabbed another jar of ketchup from the shelf, broke it open and chugged it, the sound of his big gulps impossible to mistake for anything else. Red's sockets grew even wider, he almost thought they would pop from the strain until, mercifully, the other spoke.

"i didn't want you to see this." This time, the sigh that followed those words sounded almost... self-conscious. "It is a vice no one would understand a noble like me to partake. Fine wines or liquor is respectable, but this? What will the people think of a master that indulges in a nonsensical vice as this."

The hand holding him in place finally relaxed. Red stared at the jar a few moments longer until his damned curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to risk it one more time. Slowly, gingerly, he turned around.

His husband, his noble husband, Sans Bluebeard Skeleton, was blushing.

A soft blue glow spread on his bony cheeks, as he looked away, his expression looking... defeated?

"i suppose you will want to leave as well." Red could only stare, uncomprehending, at what he was hearing. "of course you do, they all do. i will pay you to keep quiet about this, and help you find a place to live far from my lands. all i ask is that you do not tell about this to anyone."

With that, Sans turned to leave. But before he could take a few more steps forward, a small hand snapped forward and grabbed one of his sleeves. Stunned, Sans quickly turned around and looked at his (soon to be former) wife. But instead of the usual scorn or disgust he was used to he was met with two red hear-shaped eyelights.

A few soulbeats of silence passed as they both held their breath, equally surprised by Red's action.

"do you know about mustard? it's better than ketchup!" Red blurted out before Sans had a chance to inquire about his actions, and a flash of surprised fondness made his tired soul skip.

Maybe this one would last~

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>:D Did you think I wouldn't be able to twist this into something silly? HA! Silly is my winning game noonie! >:3

I tried to keep this short! I really did! But it got away from me a bit, it's more a short fic than a drabble >.>

But I really wanted to try and make the setting seem super dark and end it on a silly note! And heck if Sans having a dumb ketchup addiction and somehow snagging a mustard addicted wife isn't silly, nothing is! XD They are both gonna have a wonderful condiment filled life together UwU

Not sure how clear it was, but Sans wasn't killing his wives, they found out about his secret addiction to ketchup (it was a test they all failed) and were so scandalized they wanted to leave so Sans made sure they had enough money to go to a different noble's land, far enough away that his secret wouldn't get leaked :3

[mimosamoi]

i’ve been off from tumblr for like 5 months, a whole year from posting any fanart of ML. and i have to say, i would like to start drawing and sketching more fanarts of ML in general. i’m super excited for season 4 and how it’s going to unfold in the overall story, i hope i’ll be able to just start drawing my bay marinette without needing to worry about completing the drawing or anything like that. (also i almost cried at ep3 season 4 QAQ)

[ellovett]

list of people that made this year pretty neat :)

Hi all

Ok so 2020's almost ending (it just ended i started writing this post like....5 days ago??) and i just wanted to do this thing where i have a message towards everyone who supported me/who i think are just very cool and very epic, i only really got into the twst fandom just at the beginning of the year and im just gonna get straight to the point now messages are under the cut :)

@permanentlyexhaustedowl - AYAAAA ;;;;; bro you're literally one of my first long time friends here in the twst community and i just want to thank you for everything, our convos in either public servers or in pms, your love and support for my content,,or whenever i vent to you,,,,,just- your love and support man i appreciate it so much and i cannot thank you enough, you're just so sweet and caring and supportive and friendly just aghhhhhh ;;;;; even your reblogs make me smile uncontrollably and i explode, also all the brainrots i have about my interests ;;; thanks for listening to all of them,,even tho you really didnt have to ;;;;;; I love how we make our twst ocs interact and the little brainrots we have with them ;;; You've helped me so so so much and in so many ways, I am beyond glad that we're bestfriends, you're one of the nicest most caring people ive ever met and i love you so so so much, beyond belief ;; 💕 pls never stop being you?????? You quacking amazing person??????? 😎🤙💖💕💖💕💖💕💖💕💖💕💖💕💖💕💖💕

@shoujoqueensstuff - AYYYY SHOUJOOOO!!! 😎🤙🤙 hhhh you're also one of the first people ive ever had a long time friendship with here in the twst community, and seriously bitch i love you so much ;;; so so much..i cant go a day without talking to you about literally anything and just vibing, the support and love you've given me over these months is insane i cannot thank you enough for that, all of our rps, convos or just pure brainrot have been so much fun, and i fucking love it that we built our own little world outside of canon,,all the aus we built with our ocs???? I love them. I love them all to death, including your amazing ocs, and even tho we live on literally opposite sides of the world you're always there for me whenever i vent or when im feeling extremely down or insecure ;; ,,im just so so so happy and glad that i met you and that we're bestfriends, i care about you so so so so so much- hhhh i cant put it into words my brain is dying i just- i LOVE YOU BIITCH, I AINT NEVER GONNA STOP LOVING YOU, BITCH.😎💖💕💖🤙🤙💕💕💖💕 TAKE MY LOVE BITCH 💕💕💕💕💕 thank you so much for sticking around ;; i love you and support you in everything you do so much I could never ever thank you enough for the friendship you've given me..

I can literally go forever on how much i love and appreciate the both of you, i can just scream into the void for all eternity,,but i cant put it into words anymore. You both made my year so great and so epic ;;; i love you guys so much

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Now the chaddams 😌

@thetwstwildcard - hi ma :D you're just so cool and so epic lizz ;;; i cant- all of our conversations and brainrots have been super fun and i enjoy your company very much;;; you are just so nice and friendly,, and your ocs (especially staff ocs) are god tier amazing, i will love the nrc mom squad to death. I am honored to be ur child and i love you and father claude (and my four (?) other dads you married) very much 💕💕💕

@alpyssketch - bringer of father claude,,,,i owe you my life alpy,,,,,,but no seriously you're also a very epic person and you're honestly so nice and sweet!!! You never fail to make me feel welcome in any conversation and you're just so damn friendly!!! We may not talk that often but I very much enjoy your company ;;; ily!!! 💖💖💖

@multi-ankin - another very cool and epic person!!!! you're very fun to talk to and you're also pretty funny in the vc fjfjfj, your ocs are all so amazing too! (djdjjd although my staff oc bias makes me go for kas) we should totally talk and make our ocs interact more in the future tho!!!!!! 💖💖

@just-patchy - pATCHYYY!!!! :D hi!!!! you're also a very cool person!! our interactions have been so much fun and i hope we can have more in the future ;;; the ideas you have for your ocs and how you put them into writing is so good!!! like really good!!! And your art has been greatly improving too!!! Never ever think that i dont see you as a friend because i do!! 😤😤💖💖 i care about you bro!! Never forget that!!

@bakujho - :D hi jho!! you're a lot of fun! And I THINK YOU ARE SO DAMN COOL AND BADASS it's unbelievable,,i look up to you jho i wish i could be almost as cool as you when i grow up ;;; the things you've done for this fandom are also very admirable! like the whole gravedigging (jellyfish) situation! But we're not gonna talk about it now- hhhhh you're just so epic jho ;;; seriously 💗💗

@Kurui - hhhhh you're probably not gonna see this ;;; and i cant find your tumblr (if any of the other chaddams could possibly show this to her thatd be so great ;;;) but nonetheless i still think you're just so fun and cursed ;;; and you give so many amazing ideas!!! Your ocs are all also so cool too! Your art is just so detailed you clearly put a lot of thought into them i just admire that sm ;; (also your edits are extremely cursed and epic i love them dearly-)

@twst-the-royals - JULIE :))) HELLO,,,you were actually the first ever person i spoke/interacted with in the fandom! And you were just so nice and friendly and patient with me ;;; im glad that i got to talk to you,,and we dont really talk that much now but pls pls PLEASE know that i care about you so much and that i support you in everything you do ;;; 💖💖💗💖 ill do my best to make you proud!!

@girl-in-the-tower - hey Az!!! ;;;; you're so epic and cool,,honestly i admire you so much, the lore/writing you have for your ocs/fanschools are just so well thought out and so well written ;;; i hope to become a better writer like you in the future, but for now ill just take notes and learn from you ;; you're super encouraging and supportive too!!! I know we dont talk much but i could never thank you enough for all those little yet meaningful moments ;;; 💖💖

@rikanoctrix and @mirrored-pomefiore - hi!!! i know we arent that close but just know that you two are huge inspirations for me when it comes to art, the both of you draw your styles so incredibly well and i admire that so so so much ;;; 💖

@ocean-water-tea - FATHER TEAAAAA QAQ okay so first of all,,,,how can you draw so well using ibispaint, i ask for tips, specifically on how to draw hair and tits 🤲 but seriously though you are so fun to talk to!!! So cursed!!! So ☊⊑⏃⍜⏁⟟☊!!! You encourage me to my true cryptid self (despite aya's protests 👀) and i thank you kindly,,,you are also very funny 😌 a funny little clown simp, and you're super friendly and cheerful too! I almost never feel nervous when reaching out to you ;;; I hope we can have more wacky adventures in the future 💖💖

@zonamemoryverse - HEYYY ZONAAA!!! you're a fairly new person and you've already come so far ;;; you're a very chaotic person to talk to and i enjoy all of our conversations!!! Also our interactions with our ocs were super fun too, and i love hearing any shred of content i can get from ur epic ocs,,,dont stop being epic!!! 💖💖

@namelessfish - Hi fish!!! :DD you've been a very supportive friend to me over these past few months,,and im happy i have someone i can relate my not-so-great experiences with ;;; please know that i care about you dearly and that ily ;; 💖💖💖💖

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@wondersbeyondcompare - JFFJJF BRO DONT THINK I DONT SEE YOU WHENEVER YOU REBLOG MY CRINGY ASS POSTS 👁👁 I SEE THEM AND I CHERISH THEM ALL I REREAD THEM ON SAD DAYS. All the little tags and comments you put on them always make me smile so hard ;;; im just very happy to know that you like whatever the hell im doing and it pushes me to do more!! You're incredibly sweet, dont worry!!! Ill be sure to make you proud!!!! 😭💖💖💖

@circuscarnage - Anna!!!! We dont talk that often but whenever we do it's always so much fun ;;; you're so sweet and i appreciate you so much ;; all the stuff you drew for my ocs are all so incredibly cute and i really have to give back- jUST YOU WAIT ANNA. IM GONNA MAKE FANART OF YOUR LOVELY OCS AND YOU CANT STOP ME- 💖💖💖💖

@twistedapple - hi crow!! :DD again we dont really talk that much but i support you greatly in everything you do!!! You're another epic and cool writer ;;; your writings for your ocs are just sooooo well written and are just so good!! You're also super good at art too!! And i hope to see more from you in the future!!! ;;; 💖💖💖💖

@not-twst-enough - Ellie!!!! ;;; bro you've been supporting me from the very start, from lillet's old ass bio to now, and i very much appreciate it!!!! You're also super friendly in the twst server too ;;; and all the content you have for your ocs is just so exciting! Good luck with the fandorm and all future stuff ;;; ily!!!! 💖💖💖

@fumikomiyasaki - FUMI. DONT THINK I DIDNT FORGET YOU DKDKDK,,,Another cool and amazing person!!! All our brainrots and conversations have been really fun ;;;; thank u for that,, You are very fun person to interact ocs with tho!!! Especially with ships!! MadScientist² will forever hold a place in my heart.,,,💖💖💖

@oiseaunoir11 - hey Al!! :) you were one of the many people i admired and looked up to when i first joined the fandom, your art is something im deeply inspired by and your shitposts at like...4 am in the morning always give me the big funny,,one thing i really admire about ur art tho is how you'd draw backgrounds :0 you've gotten so good at them!! And your poses look super natural and effortless, i hope to be almost of a better artist like you 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♂️ also i cant wait to see ur animatics 👀 they look dope- hope we can talk or maybe even interact ocs more! 💖💖

@leonasbitties - luuuu :))) hiiii,,,we dont usually talk on servers that often but that doesnt mean that i dont consider you as a friend! You have a lot of super cool ideas for ocs and your art is just getting better and better and better with each piece!!!! i look forward to seeing more from you ;;; 💖💖💖

@peteza-mozzarella - PETEEE :DDD another very cool and friendly person, you're literally the sweetest person ive ever talked to and i love our little chats!!! Hhhh you're just super nice and your ocs are super cute,,please never stop being you you epic bean ;;;; 💖💖💖💖

@the27th - Hi Andhra!!!!! You've been quite the long time mutual,,and your reblogs always make my day ;;; you're just so sweet and kind and i always feel at ease when talking to you, the hunger games sessions you host are always super fun even though im often asleep to even participate 😂 thank you sm for the love and support ;;; ill be sure to give them all back to you 💖💖 starting now 💗💗💗💗💗

@mamushroomoracorn - MAMUSH :DD we've only really started talking recently but you're just so nice and friendly ;;;; all of our talks have been so wholesome and great and im so happy about that, and your art is really really really good!! Ur art style is just so unique and so cool!!! ;;;; and dw mamush,, ill show the froggies like i promised soon 😔💖💖💖

@rookvonhunt - HEYYYY 👉😎👉 hi hello i would die for your ocs. If theyd ask me to perish then i will 200%,,ur so epic and cool and all of your ocs are just god-tier, i cant wait for what else you have to offer!!!! 💖💖

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@lawlessofdusk - lawless ;;;; aaaaa honestly you're just so kind and sweet, i couldnt thank you enough for all the love and support you've given me!!! And i desperately need more content of ur ocs bc they're all so cool and interesting 😤😤😤💖💖💖 i hope to talk to you more soon!!!!

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Fkfjfjfj i think that's all!! Id like to thank you all for sticking around with me with my first year in the fandom ;;; you guys make all the bullshit and drama here worth it 💖💖💖

If i forgot to include you in here then PLEASE DM ME I AM SO SORRY-!!!! I dont want to leave anyone behind!!! So please feel free to confront me about it ;;; happy new year everyone!!!!

[lunadragongem]

📂 🙏🏾

QAQ I hope this satisfies!

Asylum bakugou? Like, when he was around 4-8 years old, every day afterschool he'd have to go see a psychologist at this asylum place, and he didn't want deku to be around him much cuz there's something wrong with him and he can't change that.

This leads to deku thinking his quirklessness is why bakugou stays away from him but that's not the case. Bakugou has intense anger issues due to a chemical imbalance in his body thanks to his quirk. He needs to go for coping skills and meditation. Or else his anger is 10x worse.

It gets better after a couple years. Now he just goes once a week, and then, the SLUDGE VILLAIN ATTACK TAKES PLACE.

Shit went down hill and he has to go for therapy 3 times a week.

Then USJ, sports festival and Kamino happen and bakugou needs to go to therapy nearly everyday, his classmates think he doesn't like hanging out with people when in reality, he can't because therapy. but it isn't enough, none of the meds are working well enough and the only way to take care of it was training training training even more because if he was better ALLMIGHT WOULD HAVE NEVER RETIRED. he works himself to exhaustion.

Eventually it gets so bad his stress is making his chemical imbalance worse and he's lashing out more and more. The provisional licence exam was fucked. But the deku vs Kacchan helped a wittle.

Aizawa pulls him to the side after a really bad 'tantrum' (God I hate this word) to scold him but all bakugou can do is shake and run to his dorm. Aizawa and the class were dumbfounded. They went to Bakugou's room to see what's wrong but they just walk in to see him wreaking his room in utter panic looking for something, a white bottle...

Aizawa stooped in and talked to him in private to figure out what's going on. The others wanted to know what's going on but decided to wait like the good angels they are. Bakugou mutters out a brief explanation. You see, since bakugou is in the dorms, he can't exactly go to therapy. He goes once every 2 weeks but in reality he needs to go 2 times a week. So the boy's been pretty fucked out. Aizawa is upset that bakugou kept it in all this time and at himself for not reaching out sooner or even looking through the student files more in detail.

Not to mention his parents only get him his meds when they're almost empty. They cant bother to get even a backup. Just when it's almost done. They cause 3/4 of his stress.

So, Aizawa calls for a staff meeting with bakugou there to get his view and opinion. Its gonna be a long night. Midnight, the bitch, made a comment how if he runs out of meds then they can tie him up like the sports festival. Cementoss and allmight chuckle (I'm passive aggressive). They didnt realize katsuki flinching and ever so slightly trembling. Dadzawa notices. He is LIVID.

Recovery girl shut them up and told in the most deadpan voice "I'm ashamed to have coworkers like you".

Recovery girl takes bakugou outside. She turns to katsuki and says "child, I'll get those medication for you one way or another, either with the school's medical finances or my own." She then went to call some people to buy the meds in bulk. While rubbing Bakugou's back which is so soothing for him that he sleeps.

Inside the room, aizawa had just finished chewing out the others. Nezu also said "that is rather inappropriate ta know?" While sipping tea like the dictator he might be. Aizawa and mic call Bakugou's parents and well, they aren't exactly liars. Cue, Dadzawa and present dad with katsuson. ❤❤❤

Deku and bakugou have a long talk after everything is taken care of (the next day). The others watch out for Bakugou's condition and even visit his therapist, Ms. Aiko. She's a god sent. Everything improves much more. Bakugou has never felt better. He feels something he hasn't for a long time. He feels normal, validated. Himself for once.

Thus, the story of bakugou getting love and comfort while still being the badass #1 he is and always will be.

I hope this satisfies. ❤

[hinabes]

A letter from the Food Fantasy writing team.

Source: xixi1226 on Lofter (They’re merely a relay, and so am I)

Touches on the writing of Food Fantasy as a whole and Black Forest Cake. Keep an open mind and be kind.

Only the parts specifically labeled as “TL note” is input by me (pretty sure there’s only one)

To all Master Attendants.

First of all, we may disappoint you, as we in the writing team are only responsible for the story, so we can't send out any in-game rewards. This is just the ramblings of some writing ladies.

Let's start with the past. Food Fantasy is almost 2 years old, and the writing team has been around for a long time as well.

From the bottom of our hearts, we know very well that our stories are mediocre, and very few members of the community actually read them.

At first, there were very few fan creations on Lofter, mostly inspired by the game arts. The first big burst in fanwork came from the haunted amusement park event.

When we saw the large amount (in our eyes) of fanworks, we were delighted.

That's right, we're lurking, watching from the shadows every day. Every! Day!

Though, due to work reasons and we've all got loose lips, we're not allowed to use our own accounts to like and comment on stuff.

Nonetheless, we're very thankful to everyone who comes to Lofter and uploads to the Food Fantasy tag!

To put it simply, a fanwork community like Lofter is built from all sorts of varying opinions, and that of course includes the dissatisfaction that some players have towards some characters.

As an author, our characters are like our children and seeing them hated, we can't deny that we're not saddened.

But of course, there must be a reason for a character to be hated.

A story, good or bad, must have an antagonist.

Whether people like or hate them, there's a reason for them to exist.

We created antagonists, besides out of necessity for the storyline, in hopes to show you a clearer Tierra, with all kinds of people with different points of view.

To be labeled an antagonist, these characters must have done some things unacceptable to the general public. They have their own stories to tell, and we would hate to claim any of them as completely innocent. The problem lies in something we hoped to doーーshow that bad people have pasts tooーーwe didn't do well enough.

This is our problem.

Be it because of a disliked ship or a character that's too grim.

We will use this experience and work even harder to write better characters and stories.

Once again, we thank everyone for putting your efforts into the tag, making your voices heard.

You've shown us, at the very least, that our efforts put into this or that character have been seen and that you're willing to voice out for them.

We take the time to read every single one of your posts. Perhaps putting it like that might make us seem egoistic.

Nevertheless, from the writing team, thank you!

We have seen lots and lots of the world of Tierra, it's not a pure world of only saints and innocents, it has a wide variety of characters.

The good, the bad, but no matter what, whatever anyone does is rooted in their own beliefs.

Such is the way in real life as well. Because of you, we have the motivation to push onwards.

At the same time, we wish that whatever negativity you have, you vent by enjoying the game, leaving the joy and happiness you have for reality. And that the game is able to release whatever pent up negativity you have from reality.

Thank you for voicing out your suggestions to us, and thank you for your love for the characters of Tierra!

From the bottoms of our hearts, we hope that the tag can thrive through the hard work of all of us, with more and more fan creations for everyone to look at. Because of your support, we have the courage to push onwards.

Thank you, everyone.

Formalities and heartfelt words done with, let's talk about things you're probably more interested in.

First off, we have seen everyone's dissatisfaction with Black Forest Cake.

Is she based off a certain unacceptable organization? Actually, no!

("You're wrong, I'm not!" Black Forest Cake yells)

The black forest cake is a famous German dessert that prides itself on its strict craftsmanship, maintaining its fame over its long history.

In Germany, if a patissier didn't make black forest cakes by the set recipe, such as swapping out ingredients and making it with vanilla sponge cake and strawberries instead and still selling it as "black forest cake", their shop would be swiftly shut down and the chef might even have to serve a term in prison, as the black forest cake is legally protected by the EU. (TL note: google "black forest cake protected status")

Compared to other desserts, the craftsmanship regulations for the black forest cake may be considered overly harsh. We've only seen Germans portrayed as strict on the internet as well. Combining these, we made Black Forest Cake a stickler for the rules.

Taking a step back, another factor is that when we were writing, we saw a lot of news reports about overbearing and manipulative parents, along with the stress and breakdowns of friends.

=-=.......

Um… At first, Black Forest Cake was modeled after a child who grew up with overbearing parents, who in turn enforced too many unreasonable rules on her own children, which resulted in their pent-up stress bursting out on her. The parent in this situation would never back off and would think it's the child at fault.

We're so sorry… Everyone, you think too highly of us… We know far less about military history than some of you do, and we're nowhere near as good at making connections… To bring up bad feelings, we're really… sorry…

Regarding the design of her clothing, this is the image we brought up as a suggestion: A punkish dress with military vibes.

(Gets on knees and apologizes)

We're so sorry, it's completely our fault that we didn't take into more consideration everyone's ability to make connections! But it's true, we really didn't! We really didn't!!!

QAQ We love this world! We're not an evil, anti-human organization!!

Black Forest Cake out of the way, let's talk about more stuff you might be interested in, the stuff many of you approach support about.

Q: Do Food Souls have genders? A: Food Souls' bodies are modeled after humans'. They're whatever gender they believe themselves to be, Hotdog's gender is hotdog.

Q: Can Food Souls [CENSORED]? A: ………..Modeled after…humans… um…….. when two Food Souls love each other very much… ummmm if we say more our boss is gonna beat us, you get the idea, don't come asking anymore!!!! Please!!!! QAQ

Q: Is there true love between Food Souls? A: Depends. The bigger your heart is, the more space you have in there. As they say, the stage extends as far as the heart goes.

Q: Are XXX and XXX shipped? What's the relationship between XXX and XXX!! A: … We said stop asking!!! We're gonna killed by our toxic male boss!!!! Please, please, please just read the story and make more fanworks. We definitely will see them.

Q: How much do you check Lofter? A: I know nobody asked this question, but. Your creations on Lofter may just become the inspiration for our next story, each of us checks Lofter as often as 4 or 5 times a day at most. Thanks, pl0x, next question.

Q: Anything to say? A: Thank you, everyone! We love you! (づ￣ 3￣)づ

Lastly, we hope that we can all take on the world with an open mind, express ourselves better, bring joy to everyone else, and with a strong positivity we can better ourselves as people.

Thank you to each and every one of you who read this far! We will continue working hard and do our best to deliver you heartfelt stories, both sad ones that have you bawling your eyes out and sweet ones that give you toothaches. Loving you always, the writing team.

ーーThoughts after half a month of overtime 21 August 2019

[tiasmusings]

The Kobayashi Maru - She is Borg

Twenty-six years in Starfleet flag rank, fourteen overseeing at least one day of this exam each year, and the Proctor Blind still unnerved Jorel Quinn. A space above the holographic bridge, hidden by a clever series of force fields and holographic camouflage, allowing the counselors, instructors, and Admirals who observed the examination to see directly without being seen those who were taking it.

 “It’s not going to work,” Captain Sulu said to his left. “Every single psychological profile ever performed on her indicates a deeply modified basic thought pattern. She wrote Borg for her species when she applied to the Academy. She is going to leave the test unaffected, and then what will we do?”

 There were other ex-Borg among the Academy’s officer pool. Recent conflicts with the Collective had led to far more drones being captured in the past three years than had been taken in the entire twenty-fourth century, and medical advances made removing those drones’ connection to the Borg a frequently-successful endeavor. If a drone could be taken alive, they could be safely de-assimilated nearly three-quarters of the time. Those who finished the long period of counseling to recover from the ordeal frequently joined Starfleet, either out of alienation from their homeworlds, a desire to see the good in a galaxy that had shown them its worst, or a need to take the fight back to the Collective, either to try to destroy the evil it embodied or to save others from its grip. But this cadet… she was different.

 She was born to the Borg. A clone, genetically enhanced by the Collective, rescued by a Cardassian research ship when the Cardassians stumbled on a disabled probe. Her genetic makeup was mostly human, so the Cardassians, who she still called her family, had sent her to Earth.

 “Pass her,” Caroline Walton murmured. “The purpose of the test remains the same, Akira. It’s not for us to decide whether an officer has passed it or not; if they still feel fit to serve in a command role after it is done, they are certified.”

 Captain Walton’s words were not entirely accurate. There was still, for most, the Bridge Officer Test, though some completed the test prior to the Kobayashi Maru. Caroline had been one of those… when she briefly served as a flag captain under him, Jorel had read the report on her own Kobayashi Maru. It had been… traumatic. Much of Caroline Walton’s early career had been traumatic, yet here she was.

 “Maybe we should be using the data gathered in the test to evaluate…” Akira began.

 “She’s on the bridge,” Jorel said, interrupting him. Indeed, the synthetic cadet who she had chosen as her second for the test was rising. “Quiet now.”

 -------------------------

 “Captain on the bridge.” Liresh and Sura were on their feet the moment Erika stepped out of the holographic turbolift, and was who had called out. The white shoulders of her cadet uniform - an informal indication for those who had passed the Bridge Officer Test but not yet graduated the Academy, who were technically qualified for starship command in the dire event that every bridge-qualified commissioned officer on a vessel were incapacitated, still sat oddly on her, but her friends treated her like she deserved it.

 She would prove them right.

 Three weeks from graduation, from when she and Liresh and Sura would begin their first cruise. Four sparkling bars on her collar, an ensign’s quarters already set aside for her aboard the Eagle, where she would room with the android and the Vulcan.

 And with someone else - an ensign, even one assigned bridge duty, would have three roommates.

 “As you were.” She had done command exercises for the last two years, but this was the first time she was formally treated as a starship captain. Liresh retook her seat next to the center chair, and Sura turned impassively back to the Ops console.

 The bridge was spacious, as one would expect aboard one of the old Sovereign-class explorers, and when Tatsu took the center chair, it was comfortable. It fit her, the way no other seat ever had.

“Report.”

“Distress call received 0810,” Sura said, her voice the model of Vulcan efficiency. “Freighter SS Kobayashi Maru has fallen under attack by Romulan forces, requests immediate assistance. Warp engines nonfunctional. We are the only ship in range. Enemy numbers unknown… at least two Dhelan-class warbirds.”

“Signal the Kobayashi Maru that help is coming. Helm, maximum warp.” The inertial dampeners groaned as the ship changed heading while moving at more than a thousand times the speed of light.

“Two minutes to intercept,” Sura said.

“Shields up. Broadcast all frequency: Romulan ships must leave the area immediately or be fired on.”

“No response. One minute to intercept.”

The Tellarite man at Tactical - Tatsu had seen him around the Academy, but they didn’t move in the same circles - called out, “Targets designated Alfa, Bravo.”

Her armrest display tagged the targets. “When we come out of warp, full spread of quantum torpedoes. Fire to disable, Alfa priority.”

The Tellarite swallowed a grumbled insult and replaced it with a “Sir,” and the human helmswoman spoke. “Fifteen seconds.”

“Exit warp at will.”

The ship shook slightly as it dropped out of warp and into Hell. The two Romulan ships circled the freighter, alternating firing cycles as they gradually stripped it of shields. The Tellarite gave a satisfied growl as he gave the fire command, and six white quantum torpedoes streaked from the ship’s forward turret.

“Target disabled,” the Tellarite said.

“You see it, don’t you?” Liresh whispered.

“Helm!” Tatsu called out. “Evasive maneuvers, pattern gamma-two. Sura, I want transporters on the freighter’s crew.” She saw it. The pattern the Romulans were using made no sense for a raid or an attempt to kill the crew of the freighter.

This was a trap, and the Kobayashi Maru was unknowing bait.

“We’ve got them,” the Tellarite muttered, but thankfully the helmswoman obeyed immediately. As the ship banked, Sura’s breath caught. Just a moment. From Sura, a moment’s breathlessness spoke volumes.

“Neutrino surge above and aft,” she said. “Warbird battlecruiser decloaking.”

Disruptor fire burned space where the Sovereign’s exposed nacelle pylons had been seconds before, and Tatsu gripped the armrest tightly. “Auxilliary power to shields. Tactical, choose targets at will.” This would be the start of a war between the Imperial Remnant and the Federation. “Sura, transporters.”

“Kobayashi Maru reports damage to primary shield controller,” Liresh said, having taken over communications from Sura. “They can’t manually lower shields for transport. Attempting to match their shield harmonics with our own.”

“Target bravo disabled,” the Tellarite reported. “Battlecruiser designated Charlie…”

“You’re going to need more letters,” the helmsman said. “Computer’s reporting contacts forward…”

“Two heavy warbirds,” Sura said. “They’re firing torpedoes.”

“Brace for impact!” Tatsu and Liresh yelled out together. There was nowhere to go.

The next thing she knew, Tatsu was pulling herself off the deck, only the quick repair work of her bloodstream nanoprobes keeping her from having been cut open on her forehead and arm. Liresh and Sura had somehow kept their seats, but the Tellarite was unconscious near his station, and a human was rushing to take his place. “Give me some good news,” Tatsu said as she fell back into her seat.

“We have matched shield frequency of Kobayashi Maru and are transporting survivors aboard,” Sura said.

“The bad news,” Liresh added, “Is that we have hull breaches on decks 3, 4, 10, 12, and 17, damage to the starboard nacelle, and are surrounded.”

“Liresh, I want you calculating a warp trajectory out of here. Helm, evasive maneuvers.” Tatsu stared at the viewscreen, at the sensor readouts on her armrest. She knew already what Liresh was going to say… without the Romulans committing a gross tactical error, there was no escape vector.

A ship as heavy as Sovereign could not, with anything resembling safety, evade three determined enemies that had her surrounded. Not in what was already a debris field.

And that was assuming there were no other cloaked ships out there, waiting to cut off any escape Liresh managed to find.

“Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam,” Sura murmured.

Today is a good day to die.

The battlecruiser fired again.

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

The bridge was dark, smoky. Most of the crew left almost immediately after the test, coughing as they went, but Sura and Liresh stayed a few extra moments. Finally, Liresh released her shoulder and walked out as well, leaving her alone on the shattered bridge of the Sovereign.

“Fifteen minutes, eight seconds.” She knew that voice. Admiral Jorel Quinn, recently-named Commander of Starfleet. He took the seat beside her, the one Liresh had left just moments before. A blonde human woman she did not recognize, with the white shoulders of a starship captain, sat in the counselor’s seat to her left.

“Losses were complete,” Tatsu said. “The crew of both the Sovereign and the Kobayashi Maru were killed. What few escape pods launched would be captured or destroyed by the Romulans. There were other choices I could have made. Cleared a path for the freighter instead of beaming its crew aboard. Ordered warp as soon as the trap became obvious. One would have sacrificed Sovereign, the other the crew of Kobayashi Maru, but there would have been survivors.”

“You could have declined the distress call,” the blonde woman said. “I considered that, when I took the test.”

“Duty,” Tatsu said. “It is the duty of a starship captain to help those in need.”

“That’s what stopped me.”

“I believe I understand the lesson,” Tatsu said. “It is something Captain Picard once said. ‘It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose.’ Information was incomplete; any set of choices would lead to regrets.” She sighed. “I took the set of choices that seemed best with the information I had, but it turned out to be the one with the greatest cost. How do you account for that?”

“You learn,” the blonde said. “Instinct. Experience.”

“And sometimes you get it wrong,” Admiral Quinn added. “And sometimes people die because of it. And the next day, you have to make choices with incomplete information again.”

Tatsu nodded slowly, digesting their words, then rose. “I apologize, Admiral, for not standing when you came in. I did not hear you.”

Quinn and the blonde rose a moment after she did, and the blonde offered her hand. “I’m Captain Caroline Walton, USS New Horizons. It will be an honor to serve with you, Cadet Tatsu.”

Tatsu swallowed the response that tried to escape - that, if her judgement turned out this badly in the field, Captain Walton would not be serving with her long. “Thank you, Captain. Admiral. May I be excused?”

“You stand relieved for the rest of the day, Captain.” Admiral Quinn gestured to the bridge. “Report to classes in the morning.”

“Thank you, Admiral. Sir.” Tatsu brushed some dust from the dingy white of her shoulder, and left.

“It got to her,” Caroline said as Akira stepped out of the blind.

“Do you really think she’s qualified?” Akira asked them both.

“We’ll find out,” Admiral Quinn said. “Eagle is her assignment. She’s going to Vega.”