#just a blank slate for your self or your oc insert

[lyra-estelle-starz]

they all playing uno :D

[merbear25]

Twisted desires (Caesar)

A budding flower of newfound interest quickly grew into full bloom the longer she spent with the man who hired her. Two damned souls with different purposes in life, and yet their paths couldn’t have entwined more perfectly, intersecting at just the right moment. Getting close to a man like Caesar Clown would require a bit of persuasion as Lucille came to realize. However, that wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.

a/n: This is a trade for @luci0elle. I was so excited to do this trade with you! I had a blast writing it. Thank you so, so much for suggesting it. I hope it lives up to your expectations!

CW: NSFW, MDNI, fem!OC/self-insert (name used for reader), dubcon, drug use, alcohol, vaginal penetration, pegging, cumshot

Wandering behind the buildings of the labs she couldn’t justify calling home, the alleyways paved her road to a future where she’d be offered a blank slate. No ties to the government and none to Vegapunk, instead it would be left up to her full discretion. 

The sun had long since set and the dark clouds casted over any possible navigation by starlight, meaning the pipes that ran above were her only chance of finding a way out of this maze. With residue oozing from the pipes, the dripping substances only further engrained the life she saw for herself.

Ducking out of sight, evading others, eyes set on the target as the sound of rushing water filled the air: Lucille made a break for it just as a security guard spotted her. A leap of faith sent her hurtling into the waters below where her title of government property washed away with the tides.

Since then, she stuck to the shadows and offered the lethal skills infused in her DNA as a service. Although a couple of customers made the mistake of double crossing her, the result was more or less the same—a clear message of what would happen if others tried the same.

Even with operating behind the scenes, word spread among those who were in search of such expertise. Spoiled with choice of who she deemed worthy of her time, someone only familiar by name caught her eye—Caesar Clown. It was an offer she couldn’t refuse. Be it led by morbid curiosity of genuine interest, the deal was made and their fates were merged if only by their signatures.

Neither of them were what the other had expected; the dashes of personality that contradicted word of mouth were both refreshing and worrisome. Finding out who they really were while being in such close proximity wasn't something to be taken lightly.

His suspicious sideways glances, countered with her playful energy sent his reservations towards her for a loop. The evident want she expressed to be around him when she wasn’t off on a mission was…unnerving. 

What did she have up her sleeve? was the question that wracked his brain more often than he cared to admit. But still, the bubbly and apparently genuine interest she took in him was received well. After all, how could he resist being fawned over by a deadly force such as herself?

“Come on! I want you to test out one of the cocktails I made!” Luci tugged at Caesar’s coat relentlessly.

His eye twitched in irritation. “I’ve already told you I’m very busy and—”

“You’re always ‘very busy’!” She grumbled.

“And what? I suppose you’re going to say ‘it won’t kill you to take a break’?” He mocked her typically playful tone.

“Is that a challenge?” Luci’s face showed a glimmer of mischief as a coy smile spread on her lips.

A hue of pink dusted his face at his own slip of the tongue. He huffed at her persistent nature, reluctantly surrendering to the silver-eyed woman cocking an eyebrow at him. “Fine. Show me what attempt you’ve made.”

As she led him to the kitchen, his amusement in the confident strut she had made it difficult to suppress even the faintest grin. 

“Take a seat.” She gestured to the sofa.

“You’re going to serve me too? Seems I’m getting the royal treatment,” Caesar chuckled. She gave the concoction in the drink mixer a few more good shakes, while sticking her tongue out at him, earning herself a couple more laughs.

Gently, she placed the fuchsia alcoholic beverage in front of him. The swirls of edible glitter danced even under the fluorescent lights.

“Adding something as gaudy as glitter to the drink? Must have looked atrocious beforehand.” He teased, bringing the glass up to his lips.

“I just know how much you can’t stomach a real drink, is all,” Luci whispered. She leaned in, showing the bit of cleavage spilling out of her top.

His cheeks reddened, so he turned away from her and threw half of the drink back in one gulp. There was lust peeking behind her sultry stare, making him chug the remainder of her experimental talents.

She shifted closer to him, her leg now pressed up against his without letting up on the rising want in her demeanor. “Well?” Her voice trailed into his ear. “What's the verdict?”

The assassin's cool tone as she awaited his critiques was faintly nerve-racking. She gently brushed her chest against his arm, when he began stumbling over a response. “It was deceivingly strong…just a tad though.” He added so as not to give Lucille the satisfaction of being right about his intolerance to hard liquor. 

Clearing his throat, the feeling of her rubbing up against him was causing his mind to go fuzzy. He couldn't think straight, only being grounded by the redheaded beauty's touch. He rubbed his temple, trying to regain focus.

“Did…did you put something in that drink?” He tugged at his clothes, which were beginning to feel like they were uncomfortably snug.

Luci gave him a helping hand by unzipping the front on his body suit. Revealing his chest and slender stomach, she ran her hand over him greedily. The dampened skin heightened her longing to see more of him, to feel more. The shaky pants that passed his lips grew more and more needy as her touch became more assertive.

With no say in the matter, the drug forced his body to release pheromones laced in a nearly sickeningly intoxicating aroma. A deep sigh escaped her as the desired effect took its course on her, as well.

“You drive me wild. You know that, don't you?” Her fingers aggressively tugged down his boxers, revealing one of the side-effects. 

The sharp inhale of his throbbing cock meeting her firm grip only made him more irresistible. Her pupils dilated as she watched the subtle shifts in his facial muscles: reluctance, embarrassment, and finally surrender. The hands of a killer could do more than stomp out the light in her victims’ eyes—capable of bestowing unimaginable waves of ravishment throughout them just as skillfully.

“You want more, don't you?” Lucille nodded, coaxing the same out of him. With a dark smile, she swiftly derobed.

Standing in front of him with smug confidence, the slick arousal between her legs made his heart race. As much as he knew he shouldn’t want her, there were other forces at play, which made his better judgment take a backseat.

His cock twitched as she traced his jaw with her delicate fingers. “I’m going to let you feel every ounce of pleasure you’re burning for, don’t you worry.” A temptress in her own right, he didn’t stand a chance against her dark charm.

She guided him to her bedroom, a domain where she had home field advantage. As she climbed onto her bed, the arch in her back put her wet pussy lips on full display. A suppressed whimper could be heard behind her as she bent over in front of him. His long, lanky limbs caged her small form in. The tip of his cock pressed against her aching core. The close proximity caused the emitting side-effects of the drug to waft over her, causing her patience to wane at an alarming rate.

Unable to wait any longer, she eased herself back on him as far as she was physically able. Tingling sensations of overbearing fervor pushed her into a frenzy. Bouncing up and down his length, the leverage of her on all fours gave each of them rush after rush of pure bliss. Stretching herself out from his girth had her clawing at the bedsheets in a desperate attempt at seeking stability as she plunged him deeper and deeper inside her.

Choked sobs from above gave her more than enough encouragement to keep the fast pace. A large shaky hand gripped at her hip. “F-fuck…” Caesar moaned.

A growl rose from her throat as she slammed her dripping core roughly against him, causing his balls to slap against her clit. With the overpowering erotica flooding his senses, the room began to shift and spin. His body trembled and grew heavy, causing him to slump over on his forearms suddenly. He could barely keep his weight above her.

Cupping his tired face, an unfamiliar warmth emanated from her hand. “You shouldn’t have downed your drink so quickly,” she teased. He groaned from the way her body was still wrapped around him. “Shh, don’t worry. I’ll make things much easier on you.”

When she crawled out from under him, he collapsed on the inviting comfort of her bed. Breathing heavily, the drug's effects were making it impossible for him to ease his swarming thoughts. He watched Lucille carefully, craving more of her but unable to decipher whether it was solely due to the drug or not.

She snuck around him, letting both her hands caress the sides of his hips and waist. His body responded instantly: quaking from the unexpected tenderness in her touch and yearning for sweet release.

“You want it so badly, yeah?” She cooed at him.

He buried his face into her pillow, the scent of her driving him further into madness. A deep gravelly groan was forced into the pillow as he nodded slightly in response.

She chuckled softly. Grabbing a spare pillow, she wedged it under his hips, leaving him in the perfect position for what was soon to come.

While focusing on inhaling the faint scent of Lucille’s shampoo in the fabric of her pillow, the chilled lube caused his body to tense. Her calming voice rocked him back into a trance, and as her slender fingers pressed inside him, his eyes rolled back.

The tip of her strapon buried into him. His hands tightened their grip on the sheets, and he bit her pillow as his body was being forced to accept it at a much faster rate. Strained huffs and cries of euphoria were music to Luci’s ears.

“I didn’t think the potion would have worked this well,” she grunted, wasting no time pounding into him.

The curses dripping from his quivering lips were laced with remaining toxins of the elixir. Caesar cried out for her that further fueled her motions, making each thrust more and more intense. He was close, teetering on the edge.

She reached down to stroke him, rendering him helpless to the paradise she’d bestowed upon him. Each jolt of pleasure raptured his body. The skilled tugs of his painfully carnal urge to give into the temptress who’d successfully had her way with him ate away at every fiber of his self-control.

A wanton soaked shriek was muffled into her pillow as he spilled every last drop of fervor into her hand. The overflow of the pent-up sin cascaded onto her bed and splashed on the other pillow. Choked whimpers were soothed by the tender hand of his hired assassin. Soft hushes and light kisses along his shoulder eased him down from his high.

“If things continue this well, you’ll be ready for more soon enough.” There was a sadistic pleasure she took seeing him completely spent and knowing that she’d get her fix in due time.

He groaned and nodded. Having just experienced an explosive orgasm, there was a part of him that just couldn’t be satiated. Damn her for having made such a lascivious test subject out of him. His eyes rolled back as he began hardening again. He thrusted against the dampened pillow, groaning from the overstimulation. Damn her and the spell she casted on him.

[inu-bis]

I feel like canon x oc and canon x self-insert really fits in Cult of the Lamb. I mean, obviously ocs and self-inserts are completely valid in all fandoms, but it seems to lend itself particularly well in CotL. You know, the Lamb themselves is basically a self-insert for the player. They’re a blank slate of a character. And the cult followers are also very customizable.

You can always just make your oc a follower and it makes perfect sense. None of the ships are really the “true” canon. It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure. Traits are all randomized. Even Narinder can be quite sweet as a follower. It’s a real fun and versatile game, especially for fan characters and yumeshipping.

[strunmah-mah]

So I saw this interesting post discussing the bashing of otome heroines, and the person i saw it from had some tags comparing the OBSCURA and Touchstarved mc's and the different fan response to them. Which go me thinking, but reposing to it there felt like it would have derailed that post, some I'm putting my thoughts here instead.

Basically the tags were an observation that OBSCURA's mc gets treated as their own character (Vesper) whose popularity is comparable to that of all the different love interests. Meanwhile Touchstarved's fandom doesn't seem to rally around one singular MC with everyone having own OC instead. This despite the fact that their both gender neutral blank slates you never even really see.

I'd noticed that too and got thinking of why that is, so here's my theory.

Name. Notice that I referred to OBSCURA's mc as Vesper, but didn't give a name to Touchstarved's mc? When asking what your name is OBSCURA auto suggests a name. There's a not insignificant number of people that when given an auto suggested name won't go to the effort of changing it. (ex My first time playing a Legend of Zelda game it didn't even occur to me to change Link's name despite it definitely being an option.) And despite still being a reader insert just the act of giving them name makes Vesper feel like a more defined then Touchstarved unnamed MC does.

Origins. Vesper is Vesper. Who they were before the start of OBSCURA doesn't really matter, no matter what you might hc they were like before the start of the story, they still enter the mountain with the skill set no matter what. Touchstarved's mc is deliberately fluid. They have three different possible backgrounds and which one you pick does effect the mc's skill set. Make your own oc is literally built into the game.

Presentation of information. Touchstarved is very upfront about their mc's motivations. You are cursed. It's very isolating and has caused you to hurt others unintentionally. You are looking for a cure. What your curse is is never really a question. That's a very different experience from playing OBSCURA. The games hook is "people don't go under the mountain unless they have a good reason, unfortunately you have a great reason" it does not say the reason, it's a great hook. So you play the game, you go under the mountain and you find out what you're looking for is . . . blue moon ichor. You have no context for what that is, it's not initially explained, but it makes people pity you. It's not until you meet one of the LI's that it's revealed you want the ichor. You only only learn about Vesper's motivations as they chose to reveal that information to others. It's an interesting story telling choice. For me, it was more engaging to have Vesper being just as much of a mystery as everything else, than Touchstarved approach of giving that information upfront, but it comes at a cost. The MC's are both supposed to be self inserts, but hiding that information puts distance you and Vesper again making them feel more like their own character than a self insert.

Choice. Atleast as far the demos go Vesper's choices matter more. Your choices change who you meet, if you get a partner to help you face the future, or if you fail to achieve your goal chapter one. The Touchstarved mc makes choices too, it gives you slightly different dialog and you then you move on with your day. The TS MC is a vehicle to meet that game's LI's, your choices change what side of them you get to see. In Obscura your choices affect Vesper first and fore most, which again gives Vesper a stronger sense of character.

Just to be clear, I don't want this to sound like me dunking on RedSpringStudios and say they can't make good characters. Boy can they! All five of their love interests are full of character and intrigue. It's like I said in point two, the "build your own oc" approach seems very purposeful. It's a fan response they've encouraged, even releasing bio templates that match the official bios of all the LI's. This is what they wanted.

What amuses me is that RottenRaccons did not seem to realize what they had done. They seem very surprised but pleased by how much fans are latching onto Vesper as their own character.

[adzy-drawz]

YOOOUUUU PAW OVER YOUR OCS AND LORE NOOOWWW

SIR YES SIR 🫡

so since i have a lot of original media ocs that require further context i'll just talk about my tadc ocs since i havent been able to anyway

LONGGG RAMBLE POST UP AHEAD!!

this is dr. clack (he/him), he was a therapist and he has tired dad energy as the second image of doodles says. he's based off of those bead mazes in doctors offices. hes less developed than my other ocs so thats basically all ive come up with for him. he doesnt like to curse and as soon as he pulled up and vaguely got to know all of the others he came to the conclusion all of them are mentally ill. 🥰 he also took forever to name himself so they all just called him doctor for a while until jax called him dr. clack because of the sounds he makes whenever he moves around, and it just stuck.

this is oapy (she/her), her story is so undeveloped but shes super optimistic and takes longer to process things than others. she doesn't really know whats going on half the time but shes trying her best. shes great at dancing and loves being the center of attention but she also manages to be the most calm, kinda acting as the grounding person in the group.

this is sophie (she/they), i included two random images of wooden mannequins cuz well- thats what she looks like. she's one of the basic blank slate NPCs and she gained sentience due to a glitch one day. jax ended up finding her after he bumped into her on purpose and she actually reacted, which the mannequin NPCs dont do. he ended up being the one to name her and befriend them and basically teach them what emotions are what and all that (which he did a surprisingly good job at given his track record). the group keeps her hidden from caine because after the gummigoo incident they're more than certain he would get rid of her in a heartbeat. shes generally really curious, but other than her curiosity they're just a really quiet/shy and sweet person and enjoys just observing the others sometimes. they're also quite blunt since they just say what first comes to mind all of the time.

and ofc last but not least we have my bbg greg (he/him). hes my tadc self insert and if you know me you know him. hes not exactly me of course, he's a completely different version of myself, but we are very similar. hes very nervous and fidgety and has a sort of wont speak unless spoken to kind of mentality when he doesnt know a lot of people in a group, but once he gets comfortable he gets talkative and is a really nice and chill guy, though he's still kind of always nervous and fidgety regardless. he is pretty self indulgent soo- him and caine are dating. they had a sort of enemies to friends to lovers very slow burn kind of thing go on. he always tries his best to be as nice and understanding as he can with everyone.

heres all of their relationship chart thingies with the canon characters!

and heres two doodles with all of them because they're silly

thanks for asking! sorry this post is so violently long. i'll post all of their ref sheets once i make them 😎

[shinjisdone]

If you are still doing the Fem mc can you do a one with Floyd or Idia

Floyd is forever A tier man. Also I have been thinking of being a bit more self-indulged with these fem mc and friends asks since they did begin as self-indulgant fics for my oc lol. I find myself being able to write more creatively - trying to have a fem mc that everyone could insert themselves in or see any kind of interesting changes in is hard because frankly, the only thing about such a blank slate is that they are female.

while my own OC is also female and that does play a part in the little shenanignags, I also add a bit of her own personality and thoughts to make it a bit different (and as i said self-indulgent)

Plus, I honestly really struggled and disliked the riddle one, where I tried to not put any characteristics of my oc in there to make it more 'appealing' for anyone. But I found this just doesn not work for me.

I will do this one request with my OC in mind if that is okay!

Fem!Mc And Friends - Floyd Leech

Everyone, run! Before you get squeezed.

Floyd Leech is a weird combination of predictable and unpredictable. It can be expected to be looked down upon, threatened, challenged and squeezed by Floyd, yet when it comes to whatever he decides to stick with and spend his time on, he is a wild card.

Unfortunately, you are one of the many things he has decided to spend his time with. The little, jumpy 'Shrimpy' he came across.

And while he seems to stick to others and 'affectionately' refer to everyone with ocean-related names, he still seems...especially attached to you...

When You Spend Helloween Together...

Why would you spend Helloween with him? Are you crazy?

This is probably Floyd's favorite holiday on land. Dressing up as scary things (aside from himself) with the intention to terrify the crap out of anyone who crosses him? And he can get away with it? Who cares about some treats when he can carry out some tricks?

Even if you try to stay far, faaaar away from him Floyd will be sure to find you~

Where's Shrimpy, Shrimpy, Shrimpy~? Oh, are you dressed up, too? That's cute. You think you're gonna scare anyone with that?

Nothing scares Floyd and he still has the same kind of opinion of you since day 1. A meek, tiny shrimp. So he doesn't think you could pull any tricks anyway.

On top of that you are magicless and just a little girl in his eyes. Sounds mean but try as you might, he will never acknowledge you as 'bigger' or 'taller' even if you are.

Will first show off his costume (isn't it neat?) And threaten to terrify you right after (there's enough bandages to bind you down into a coffin).

Floyd always and I mean ALWAYS loves to mess with you but on this special day he feels like going all out. Scaring you, popping out of nowhere, acting like a real Zombie and like a bite from him could kill you??? You tell him off but he also acts like he believes what he says???

You may be a lot of things but no Zombie.

Hehe, you sure? Wanna try it out :) ?

He especially likes to tease you with his nickname for you. There's just something about it when you startle and jump up like these cats on land while he spooks you :) why can't Helloween be everyday?

Also your scared expression are just *chef kiss* to him. Will try every trick in the book to just...indulge in these shrieks and screams of fear.

And when he finds out you have a fear? Scared of the dark, spiders, thunder or oooohh zombies? Hehe, you're never getting rid of hiiiiimmm, Shrimpyyyyy!

Floyd would especially love it if you let out girly yelps or shrieks. He is surrounded by dudes in NRC so someone really girly is just interesting and more fun to tease.

Stuck in a haunted house with Floyd? Haha, help. Seriously, call for help!

Floyd is not stuck in a haunted house - the haunted house is stuck with Floyd. And you are right in the middle.

It feels like each scare and trick is being terrified into submission by him. The guy gets quickly bored out of his mind that he decides to spook the entire house. But besides that, he sticks with you and loves watching your reactions.

You will wish for the protection of Malleus and Deuce, because Floyd will not lift a finger to help or comfort you. He'll hang over your shoulder with that stupid, gleeful grin on his face (and the fangs near your flesh!) And laugh at your misery.

:(

But I feel like if something truly awful were to happen to you - maybe someone took a trick too far or made you cry - Flyod maaaaybe could become scary to everyone but you. Huh? Hey, you cannot terrify his Shrimpy that much. That's his job. Look what'chu did. Better get out of his sight.

When You Watch Him At His Club...

Oh boy. You can expect a lot "Hey, Shrimpy! Hey, hey! Over here, Shrimpy! Shrimpy, over here!"

He most likely threatened invited you to his basketball Club, no matter if there was a game or practice session.

It isnt thaaaat bad...Ace and Jamil are there too and they are miles more mellow than Floyd is if you ever need someone like that.

Ace will be a bit confused on why Floyd would invite you while Jamil is just hoping the guy will actively play for once in one go. Not when he feels like it.

Yet when you arrived, there Floyd was, taking you into his arms so tight you were lifted off the ground and squeezed so hard you thought you couldnt breathe.

Floyd is so happy to see you! Did Shrimpy come just for him and watch him play? Huh, did'chu, did'chu?

Also he would still hug you if he was covered in sweat and would not care. It'd be even funny if you were grossed out by it.

However...against all odds, Floyd would actually play - and go all out!

Even if it were practice, he is brutal. After each shot, he'd spin into your direction with arms shot up. A huge grin on his face. He's expecting you to watch him and only him.

Though if your attention is somewhere else, he'd pout and tell you to watch him! Look how much he's destroying the others!

In fact, you're supposed to cheer for him! Be Floyd's 'cheerleader' as he says. There's bunch of games where there's a girl cheerleader team that hypes up the audience and players! Do that for him! You got no choice if you don't wanna get on his bad side

Ah, should he get you one of these 'pom-poms'? You'd be so cute with them!

It just feels kind of special when the only girl in NRC is cheering for him. It's like in one of these movies!

Say a cheer that just consists of his name. Just that! Don't mention anyone else!

If you do pay attention or cheer for someone else, Floyd will not like it. Observing the other player like a hawk and leering at them with his classic 'huuuuh'? Even if they are on the same team.

Will do his best to kind of get your attention back on him. That can go from fouling the other player to telling you in your face to watch him. Him.

It can cost them the victory but Floyd wouldn't care. The sole reason why he even decided to come is because he dragged you here.

Ace is weirded out and Jamil's trying not to fume in anger.

When You Are Stranded On An Island...

Well. This isn't anything...novel for Floyd.

He IS from the ocean so a beach isn't something that would surprise or unnerve him. The sight of sand, the ocean, palm trees and the lovely sunlight...is rather boring to him.

Islands like this exist everywhere. Why should this one be any different?

Well, you are here for once.

And so are people like Crabby and Goldfish! This is sure to be fun!

Floyd will drag you to every place he finds interesting. Beaches are familiar to him so he can show and teach you anything! He's an expert in a way!

Collecting things is actually a dull activity to him. If you show any interest, he will just...drag you off. Maybe haul you around. If you say they are meant ad souvenirs, he still wouldn't budge and tell you these are boring trinkets instead. He knows much better stuff, come on!

His favorite thing to do is swimming for sure! Expect to be thrown into the sea and him quickly following after you. It doesnt matter what you are wearing, he will force you to swim with him.

Floyd will turn into his eel form and just drag you further and further into the seaaaaa~

Ace is getting worried and Riddle is screaming at him to return at once! You are supposed to find a way back to NRC!

It's kinda akin to a horror movie.

And since you two are so far out, you'll have no choice but to cling to him~!

Don't worry though, as much as Floyd teases and messes with you, he will never put you in any harm. He knows the sea better than anyone else.

He just likes having your arms around him and vice versa!

Floyd especially likes it when you're just a taaaaad biiiit scared and cling to him as if you'd never let go. It's just twice the fun and extra cute.

But hey, if you are already out here, why not explore a bit? He can hold you as you dive into the deep blue and catch some fish or anemona, spook some crabs or get some souvenirs from there! Anything down there is way better than on some beach!

You could be like a mermaid then! Don't you wanna try it?

Just act like your legs are fins and maybe let your hair open - oh, ya don't want to?

Meh, fine.

On another point, Floyd is not used to wear these vacation...swim...beach wear or whatever. But he guesses it's neat. Especially the sunglasses.

He would really like it if you wore ocean-related clothes or things. It just looks good on you.

Swimwear or bikini though? It's interesting wear but also...intriguing?

He's never seen something like that, the closest thing he knows are from mermaids. But well, they are half fish.

But on you...it looks good. Floyd would stare at you. Not shamelessly but more so out of curiousity. Shrimps don't usually look like that, you know?

Just wants to have fun with you.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I love your work and enjoy your theories, so I thought I'd pop up and ask a question, my question being; why do people like yuu so much? They don't really have a point in the story and stuff-this kinda sounds like I hate yuu but I don't I'm just curious on why they're liked in the EN Fandom so I apologize if I used the wrong choice of words or anything, also why is yuu called 'the therapist'?

Rather than saying “the EN fandom likes Yuu”, I think it’s more accurate to say “the EN fandom likes the idea of Yuu”. Yuu is not a character in of themselves, but is an easy proxy for anyone and everyone to self-insert (be it the player themselves or an OC of theirs) because they are so loosely defined. This makes it very easy to “project” (ie insert whatever traits you want) onto a blank slate on an individual level and to be more personally invested in the events related to Yuu.

In an ironic way, Yuu not having a major impact on the story encourages fans to create their own alternate tellings and scenarios (typically substituting their own interpretation of Yuu or an OC into their role) to change things. This, in turn, heightens the attachment to Yuu because of the time and effort being devoted to this insertion. Over time, the feelings can grow stronger with each repetition, and it forms a sort of bond and all the affection that may come with it.

This is in part why the self-insert and OC culture of TWST is so strong; Yuu is practically designed to be projected onto. Even the name may be a reference to this—Yuu as in, “you”. They’re meant to be “you”, so many people become attached yo Yuu because that is essentially a representation of “themselves” in the world of TWST (especially when you consider that one’s imagination amplifies this relationship).

Brief aside for a second, I want to emphasize that this is a phenomenon that is specific to the EN fandom. The JP side also has Yuusonas and OCs, but they are often not as fleshed-out as the ones you’ll see from the EN fandom. Most of the time, the Yuusonas/OCs from JP are more generalized (less individualized looks, far less details in backstories, etc.) so that any onlooker can still insert as the Yuu. Meanwhile, the Yuusonas and OCs from the EN side tend to go into a LOT of detail about their creations. I believe this reflects a fundamental cultural difference between JP and EN (more specifically America/Canada): collectivism vs individualism, conforming to a group vs standing out from the crowd. (I discuss other differences I’ve observed between JP and EN in this post.)

The “Yuu is NRC’s therapist” line is a joke from the earliest days in the fandom; this was way before most of the main story had come out and no one knew how little of a role Yuu would actually play in the overall narrative and changing the characters’ lives, nor the fact that the OB boys would get treatment from an actual therapist (a detail revealed in book 6, I believe). The therapist role was likely derived mainly from something Crowley says in the prologue about how Yuu can be the one that teaches the boys how to get along with one another. However, the more main story content released, the more it became apparent that what Crowley said was just flat-out untrue. (I go into more detail about that in this post.) Nowadays, I think that the term is used more ironically.

[13leaguestories]

I think that completely blank main characters that have the least number of preset traits or any preset personality at all are better for IFs in general bc it allows for us not only to self insert but also to envision other original characters completely different from us if we want to. But I understand it may be easier to write a character when you already have an image of how they behave.

Main characters with an already preset personality, attitude, and history make it feel more like a traditional book where we just witness the story presented and have no input or agency at all. I think freedom of choice over the main character is the most important part of any IF, because if you take away the choices, then what's the difference from a normal piece of literature? Preset MCs may also make it harder for us to connect and identify with them since their personalities can be completely different from ours if we're self inserting or if we envision something else for them, not to mention they can do and say things we don't expect, or agree with, or even account for, which could make some of us even upset at our own characters for doing something rude or completely different from what we intended or meant to.

Blank canvas main characters can be fun too, writing the MC being sweet or shy or bold or serious or comic or hostile, etc, in response to a given situation, or towards another character's flirting, for example, sounds extremely interesting to me, not to mention it's always the best part when we're kind and understanding to a character and they react accordingly by being affable in response, or when we're rude and cold and they get angry at us, it's interesting to see how some of them get more attached and close to us because we're alike and agree on most things, or because we're always gentle and loving in general, while others will get annoyed by it and push us away bc we're too soft or bc we disagree on everything or treat them contemptuously.

But all of that is harder to see if the main character goes ahead and makes the choices for us, or if they're naturally too nice and trusting or too reclusive and aloof. I guess it's better when we get to choose what we are through our own choices and actions or when the other characters start seeing us in a certain way because we nearly always behave that same way towards them?

Anyway, this is just my opinion on preset vs blank canvas MC, but this is a very interesting topic to discuss and all ideas are valid!

Okay, I asked this a while back and saw your response just never got to answering.

I dig all of this and thank you for telling me your point of view. I can agree with a lot but then also disagree. Blank characters for me are just that, too blank. I love the idea that one can headcanon to their heart's content but then the story/work just feels emptier.

I'm going to use Our Life (visual novel, guys check it out if you haven't) as an example because I think it does a good job at giving you this really blank character that you can control. I have an OC that gets into trouble growing up but that's never really shown. In the game you're never really given the ability to be a troublemaker or someone who struggles with anger or something like that. Again this is just one example, I'm sure folks can come up with hundreds more.

A game that kinda takes your hand and says "hey, this is who you are" takes that ability to say "oh my person is a troublemaker" because we obviously just told you that you're not, away. And I think I like that more. Maybe this is why I like novels more than IF's. I'd rather be told "hey this is who you are and though you have some agency, this is you" versus "you're a blank slate and anything you want goes" cos then I feel like the character I created actually belongs there. Stuff that makes them, them is talked about and addressed versus me just imagining it all and probably having to resort to fanfic.

But again, this is just me. And I do get your viewpoint and can't argue with some of the points cos they're true. And thank you again for telling me your mindset on it.

[kamitv]

Your writing is so lovely and brings me so much joy since it feels like a more mature and well done version of indulgent self insert fics

Good self insert writing is so hard!! Finding the line between a blank slate and just an OC isn't something that many take care to find but everytime I open one of yours I know im in for a treat regardless if there's smut cause I KNOW there's going to going to be an amazing plot that also explores characters in ways that feel so passionate

Anyways sending hoards of bees to all those sending hate your way 🐝

- 👍

I love y’all sm omfg, every time some negativity comes my way you guys just spawn in and throw me enough positivity to bring me back to a sense of genuine peace & or happiness. 💗💗

Anyway, thank you sm for this, ik it was just a compliment on my writing but Lord knows I need the positivity rn cause everything around me feels so gray. <33 I’m happy to continue writing silly lil stories to keep peeps like you entertained & included 🧚

[riddlerosehearts]

Okay now EYE must ask you - how are you liking BG3??? How far are you?? Tell me about your Tav!!!! (Please and thank you <3)

hi!! 💖 i only started the game a few days ago and it was an impulse decision i made after having previously told a friend of mine that i definitely wanted to play it but that it'd probably take me a while to get around to it (and, because i thought i wouldn't play anytime soon i hadn't really been trying to avoid spoilers). but, i have the PC version and while it generally runs just fine, my computer is kind of slow and the game is so big that it took hours to download and install. so i kind of went ahead and started to come up with a whole character idea during that time LOL. sorry if my explanations of things get a bit too rambly/disorganized. i'm actually not very far in the game at all yet, i've been spending a ton of time doing stuff in the druids grove and i'm supposed to go find halsin but i haven't even gotten karlach in my party yet! i've recruited all the main companions except for her but i am excited to meet her. gonna put the rest of this under a cut for length.

my only background with DND is that i listened to the first campaign of the adventure zone and i've watched the legends of vox machina show. i also have a friend who's super into her own DND campaign and another friend who's told me a lot about dimension 20, specifically fantasy high--and i've considered trying it out for her but haven't gotten around to it yet! i think she actually told me the same thing about the episode lengths making it easier to get into than critical role, because i had tried critical role and it was just so long that i couldn't stick with it. but, yeah, i've also looked at the forgotten realms wiki a bit but i've never actually played DND. i have played skyrim and final fantasy 14 and some other similar RPGs with customizable blank-slate protagonists, and in those types of games i always have to make OCs to roleplay as--usually i'll think up a basic idea to start with and then flesh the character out as i get into the game. they're never really self-inserts but i do often project onto them a little.

so, in games like these my first character is usually an elf that specializes in elemental/destructive magic. idk why, that's just what i've always liked. in ff14 i started out as a black mage without knowing it was the hardest class to play LMAO. soooo i went into this planning to create a high elf sorcerer, but as i started writing out ideas and thinking about what to do, i ended up creating a half-high elf bard. they're transmasc/nonbinary and in my head they use he/they pronouns, but i picked the nb option in the character creator and that causes npcs to actually use they/them in dialogue which i think is so cool. i love that the character creator is so inclusive in regards to gender.

anyway, i named them elenion, which is something i took from the lord of the rings universe because i'm a huge nerd. in LOTR it's an elvish word that basically means "of the stars". here's a couple screenshots i took when i first started. let's just ignore the fact that this hairstyle clips into elf ears (and also that the face preset is from a mod i downloaded).

i didn't really give him a tragic backstory or even the most interesting story haha--i'm wanting to do something bigger and angstier with another character on a second playthrough when i'm more familiar with the lore and world of the game. and i'll probably also end up changing or expanding on some things about this character later, but for now i just kind of made a normal guy with normal problems. i had this idea that his father, a human who attracted the attention of a beautiful elf woman, was also a bard and was a very successful musician in his youth. so elenion has always shared his father's passion and dreamed of being like him, being able to effortlessly tell incredible tales and inspire crowds of people through song, but no matter how much he studies and practices he never feels good enough. if he seems confident it's usually just because he's gotten really good at faking it. he's also pretty reserved and often avoids having to talk about himself by asking a lot of questions. see, i kind of wanted to specifically find a way to not roleplay the usual sort of loud, flirty, goofy bard, lol. not that i dislike those kinds of characters or anything though!

however, bards are meant to be super charismatic, witty, and persuasive and of course the game strongly encourages that with the dialogue options and skill bonuses you get. so my way of explaining this is to have elenion be a bit like raine from the owl house, in that they may be shy, but they're very firm in their ideals and are no pushover when it comes to protecting themself or their allies. they're clever and have a snarky side to them, and they're genuinely friendly and caring in a way that gives them a sense of quiet charisma. which reminds me that one of the spells i gave them at the start was sleep, and it's made me imagine that when they were a kid they tried calming a crying baby by playing a lullaby on their lute and accidentally ended up casting their first spell.

oh, and, i also wasn't really sure at first where in the world i wanted elenion to come from but i decided on something pretty quickly after getting multiple of those dialogue options suggesting that the protagonist is baldurian! i pictured them growing up in a somewhat small town with their family but moving to baldur's gate as an adult, hoping that if they left the comfort of their home and started to journey out into the world a little they'd eventually find their spark and become the bard they wanted to be. unfortunately they've had little luck so far because even after all this time they can't see that maybe their whole fixation on trying to be just like their father and achieve the exact same kind of success that he had is holding them back. the fact that their father died the year after they moved away hasn't helped either. and now, in the middle of traveling to a historical site that they'd wanted to see in person and use as inspiration for a song, they've been abducted by mindflayers and are struggling with the massive upheaval that this has brought into their relatively mundane life.

so. yeah. my tav for this first playthrough may not be the most unique or exciting character but i like him! i like figuring out what kind of choices he'll make and thinking up new ideas for what he likes and how he sees the world. also, i find it funny how in your reply to my ask you said you thought you'd be into gale but then you fell for astarion--because i thought that i'd be all over the edgy, brooding, snarky vampire man, but it turns out gale is so charming and funny that i'm probably going to romance him first. i'm also pretty intrigued by shadowheart and wyll but i'm so early in the game that i can't even say who i think my overall favorite companion will be because they all seem so interesting!! even karlach despite the fact that i haven't actually met her yet, i've seen a bunch of cool gifsets of her and my brother told me he's been romancing her on his playthrough. i really need to go find her soon.

i'm sure you can tell from everything i wrote here that i am definitely enjoying the game LOL. i can already tell that there's just so many different things to do and see, that i will both need and want to do a lot of different playthroughs and that it's going to be something that sticks with me. nothing wrong with using guides and walkthroughs btw! i do it too because i'm worried about missing too many things and have the world's worst sense of direction even with a minimap. honestly i probably need to look up some guides for certain mechanics that i don't feel like i've really figured out yet. there's a sarcophagus trap in the ruins early in the game that got me SO stuck and got my whole party wiped and then i looked up a video and found out you could turn off the whole trap system by pushing a switch... i felt so stupid askjdfgf.

anyway, i think this got to be way too long of a reply so i will stop here! but if you ever wanna tell me more about your tav or anything definitely feel free to and i hope you're having an awesome day!

[siilvan]

ahhhhhh, my guess is it'd be makarov! and this is why i think so💆🏻‍♀️ petra struggles a lot with her mind in the way that she knows he's the enemy, someone who's done questionable things to say the least. her loyalty to her team and righteousness refrains her from letting herself feel freely. makarov on the other hand as much of a ego he has he probably doesn't care as much as petra, he knows he shouldn't be feeling that way but he's not gonna fight as hard as her to deny it at some point, he's just a rebel man🫣🤭

also on a side note you're super amazing, the enthusiasm you show when replying to our asks is beyond heartwarming🩷 not many people give this much attention and respect to their replies you are splendid!✨

guess we’ll have to wait and see if your guess is right… i will say that you DO have petra’s reservations and makarov’s lack of reservation down to a T, though 😶

i wanted to make petra/reader a very “good” character – loyal, righteous, headstrong, and willing to do whatever it takes to “save” the world. she’s kind and fair, which are obviously ideal traits for someone in her field, but these traits can easily lead to self doubt and struggling with her actions, since she tries to see all sides of a situation and hunt for the “best” solution. gaz was my inspiration for some of this, as he’s another character that suffers with moral dilemmas on occasion.

petra is loosely based off my oc with the same codename (bravo 0-7 in my other fics, too), but this is, obviously, still intended to be a reader insert story. i’m trying to keep petra as much of a blank slate as possible for people to insert themselves into, but i feel like a reader who’s willing to do some questionable things for the sake of what’s best (like working with the enemy), but is still very righteous, is ideal for this series!

and aaaaaaa thank you!! 😭 you guys are so sweet, i don’t get how i’d reply with any less enthusiasm! it’s all the asks and love from the readers that motivate me to keep writing and, i’ll admit, i’ve almost cried a couple times over all the love you guys have given the series so far 🥹

i know this has been a super ramble-y response, but i also want to say that i know the update is taking a while (currently working on two higher priority fics and schoolwork lol), but i’ve got the next 5 or so chapters outlined, so there is plenty more coming 👀 y’all are gonna love chapters 9 and 10, that’s all i’ll say about those 🤭

ah but thank you again!! i hope you and everyone else keep enjoying the series as much as i’m enjoying writing it!! 🫶🩷

[ahaura]

my thoughts about character/reader fics are as follows:

firstly want to preface this by saying my feelings may stem from 1) growing up primarily on ffnet where certain types of formats were not allowed iirc (ex: second person POV, choose your own adventure) and so if people wanted to make a self-insert they had to make an oc like everyone else 2) it possibly being a genuine new creative wave that i am not familiar with or 3) following/coming alongside the implementation and popularity of tiktok or 4) something else

secondly i want to say that i have been writing for years & wholeheartedly support OCs whether they're general OCs or self-inserts i think for the most part if there's a sandbox you can build castles in go for it yk?

thirdly i do. wholeheartedly. and entirely. understand wish-fulfillment. i am not a wish-fulfillment or fantasy or fun-having hater. im genuinely not

HOWEVER. it feels like in the last few years? couple years? last year???? there has been a MAJOR uptick/flood of reader/character fics in literally every aspect of fandom like you simply cannot escape it. it's in every single tag for almost every single movie for so many characters. which. like. is annoying for people not into it but i'm not saying, like, it's harmful. annoying =/= bad.

i love my fellow writers i love people reading i love people having fun etc etc etc

all those disclaimers being said. i am SO unbelievably tired of them in a way i have not been tired of a trend in fandom in a very long time. (and im talking about a trend rather than a serious issue.)

i DO think that it requires effort to write reader/character fics. however my beef with them is that they are effectively one-size-fits-all cardboard cut-out wish-fulfillment slots. the goal SEEMS TO ME to maximize engagement. to fulfill the wishes and fantasies of as many people as humanly possible. but the thing is... there is no one-size fits all. there are undoubtedly people who cannot squeeze themselves into the cutout made by the writer.

and moreover i don't think that is the funnest thing to write. is it WRONG to write it? no. is it BAD? no! but i simply wish. that more people would not focus as much as pleasing as many people as humanly possible with their writing and instead do what fulfills THEM. and i don't mean in the "how many comments/how much engagement" you get. i mean, what creatively stimulates you.

that doesnt mean this doesnt require creativity or that some people dont geuninely enjoy writing them. im not saying that.

what im SAYING is that i am SICK of seeing it everywhere and i would ENCOURAGE these writers to TAKE CHANCES! i personally do not find a blank-slate cutout appealing!!!!!! i love, love, love OCs!!!! whether they're general or self-inserts! i love it when writers take chances, when they give their characters defined/explicit traits and personalities! im sick to death of this "y/n" bullshit give me a name give me a general appearance give me an attitude give me a past give me SOMETHING - for lack of a better word - REAL!!!!!! something with meat! something i can chew on!

I WANT WRITERS TO COMMIT! NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE IT BUT NOT EVERYONE IS MEANT TO! ITS OK TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT SOME PEOPLE WONT VIBE WITH! that's just how art goes!!!!!!

i have personally tried to get into it. and it's not for me. i can say that too, my POV is definitely influenced by that. that's whatever. im not trying to make a moral argument here

second person POV is fun to write in! you can write (OC or not) in it if you want to! it's atool like any other! use it!

i am just. SOSOSOSOSOSO sick of seeing it EVERYWHERE and while im sure it is genuinely creative and stimulating for some people it just feels so. game-ified like those tiktoks that are like "POV: im you're s/o" or whatever like there's nothing WRONG with it but i DO think that sooooo many people are missing out on both the reading And the writing aspect! stories are not SUPPOSED to be "one size fit all!" the goal of art, IN MY OPNION, should not be to maximize engagement! and also WHY is it in every tag cant you guys like make a separate sight for it. ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steelycunt]

your tags on regulus basically getting popular bc people were getting bored of r/s... you are correct! look, obvious disclaimer, #notALLregulusstans etc. etc. but the interest in the character is so fucking shallow from a lot of what i've seen. he's a generic blank slate you can project any personality and persona onto and ofc he has to be hot and involved with an established canon character and it is so goddamn boring. and it ruins!!!! what we know about regulus too bc he's nothing but a self-insert to a large amount of the fandom. so we get takes where people are like "regulus had NO support system and was so lonely and vulnerable and only joined the death eaters because he had to" but ALSO he was the most popular guy in school with a great group of friends who had no supremacist leanings themselves whatsoever and he obviously had all of Sirius's friends falling over themselves for him and like??? how does this character make any sense??? what is the appeal here except to live out a fantasy all with a timothee chalamet fancast???? add that to garbage takes on child abuse and also rampant misogyny and just weird apologism for a character who does not need it and it's like... no wonder jegulus is slowly dying and the fandom is getting more and more superficial and interest in regulus is slowly fading. a good portion of you guys did it to yourself. #makeregulusaninterestingcharacteragain

hi! yes! i dont have too much more to add honestly i agree with you totally n i think you've said it all...i think the way you put it actually highlights the two different parts of the whole Regulus Thing that i don't get. the first one being i don't really get why people feel so deeply for a character with no actual canon appearance or personality traits (although as i said in the prev ask i understand the appeal of a blank slate oc that can easily be inserted into canon situations) which is more of a personal preference, and the second one being that i don't really like what fanon (and as you say, obligatory #notallregulusstans disclaimer here) has chosen to do with said blank slate oc. and i do agree that a lot of what could have made him interesting has been stripped from him in order to turn him into a justifiably likeable and morally-sound remus derivative (and also to justify a world in which canon james could possibly have any sort of relationship with canon regulus, which i personally think just makes...very little sense frankly and again in a lot of cases just speaks to people being bored of r/s and wanting a new refurbed version of r/s which isn't r/s but is adjacent to it). but yeah lol i mean. i can't speak much to whatever the Latest Discourse in the jegulus community is seeing as i am not in it but i definitely agree with ur interpretation of what has been done to his character by popular fanon.

[procrastinatorproject]

So, I was just mercilessly roasted by @regionalpancake, and it reminded me that I had opened tumblr a couple hours ago to write a post about the exact same thing she roasted me about -- but then I was good and put tumblr away because i need to do SO MANY UNI THINGS 😱

But now that it's come up again, I'm gonna just write this and then get back to Productivity™

Basically, I have this huge collection of semi-finished, mostly plotless Star Trek: La Sirena whump stories. And I do mean huge! On the order of 200k+ words, in fact. None of which I ever intended on sharing, because it's all daydream-adjacent and OC-centric (because my daydreams are pretty much exclusively self-inset. 'tis how the brain rolls, and always has).

If I ever wanted to share any of them publically, first of all, it would require a whole bunch of editing and/or added context to gloss over the parts where you'd need about ten years of daydreamt worldbuilding to understand what the fuck they're even talking about! And even with that smoothed over, there is still the issue of having a non-established and somewhat non-descript original main character, which can really put people off. And while I primarily write for myself and only secondarily for my friends, if I put something out into the world for others to see, I do wnat it to be semi-decent, so I do think about these things a lot.

But I've been rereading these stories, and goddamnit, there is some excellent writing in there! And some of it has already showed up in some of my main feed fics, but a lot of it hasn't, and actually, I really want to share it!

So, now I'm faced with a conundrum, because my choices basically are:

Only slightly edit the existing stories to smooth over the bits that really need additional context to make sense to a reader who hasn't lived in my head the past decade, but otherwise leave them as-is

Only take the best bits and pieces from the existing stories and create new original stories out of them that feauture canon characters (or maybe one or two OCs but make them fully-fleshed characters by including the required establishing passages to bring new readers on board)

Search-and-replace the OC with a canon character and do the required editing to make it work.

And I'm honestly torn 😅 Because I've been attempting approach 2 over the last few years, and nothing has been happening. Approach 1 is the "Fuck it, I write for myself and have a right to archive those stories, too!"-attitude I aspire to, but it's also fucking scary 🙈

But coincidentally, I was re-reading one of these stories earlier, and my brain kept going "Hm. If you shuffle these characters around a tiny bit and then make Agnes the main character, you'd only have to do some minor editing here and here for it to work really well for her, actually 🤔"

And just now, when I lamented to Pancakes that I really want to write more Agnes, her devastatingly accurate reply was: "Just search replace some of your whump with Agnes! That should fit, right?"

(Which... There is a reason I identify with Agnes so hard it makes it difficult for me to actually write her 🙈🙈🙈)

So yeah. That's what I've been mulling over this fine November day.

Serious question: Would you read a story that is fairly clearly marked as "OC main character with minimal establishment" if it containted characters and tropes you enjoyed? Or is that a huge No-no for you?

And second question: can you tell me why you feel either way? Is it nice to have a more-or-less blank slate to slot yourself into? Does it feel too personal if you suspect you're reading a writer's self-insert, whether they confirm it or not? Do you not care as long as the characterization of canon characters and the whump are good? Is it "I'm going to fanfic so I don't have to do the hard work of connecting with new characters"?

And if it were a properly established OC, i.e. not just "this person exists, already slotted into this crew, don't worry about it", but "this fully fleshed-out character has a backstory and a history of how they met these characters and they will be introduced accordingly" (like, say, Xyr in A Night at the Opera), does "OC" still make you think "must be self-insert and thus must be shit?" 🤔

[dwellordream]

have you ever struggled with the stigma against writing oc or reader fic that can exist in fandoms? it’s something I personally get self conscious about and I’m not entirely sure how to overcome it, besides therapy lol

I think a lot of the stigma against reader insert fics on tumblr comes from them clogging up the main tags for fandom. On ao3 I think there's decidedly less pushback.

Regardless, I used to be very averse to writing any kind of Self-Insert, and then I decided to write one for fun while I was out of a job and had a lot of free time, and I don't regret it. I don't handle it the same way I do my more 'serious' OC fics, but I still find value in writing it and people have enjoyed it.

As far as original characters... I've never had any shame about that. I think I'm a good writer and I think my characters are strong and usually mix well with the canon cast.

My main goal is not creating infallible perfect goddesses who everyone loves on sight, as well as not creating eternal victims who are just there for the audience to pity and feel bad for. You can depict tragedy and abuse without your character being a blank slate who never makes any choices of their own.

[impishtubist]

can you tell us more about those marlene and dorcas and evan and barty opinions ? i've prepared tea

Well, far be it from me to deprive you of something to go along with your tea!

My hot take is that they're popular nowadays because they're essentially OCs. I mean, Marlene and Dorcas got one mention in OOTP and that's it, and honestly I had no idea Evan was even from canon until someone pointed it out to me. I thought he was an OC. It's fine if you write about those characters because they're basically OCs and blank slates and also because they're an excuse to write thinly-veiled self-insert, it's just not what I read fanfic for. And again, I do not actually care what people write about, but I do reserve the right to complain about it on my own blog because this is my sandbox and I can do what I want. I would never go into someone's fic and bitch about them writing these characters or pairings, that's just plain rude 🤣

Oh wait and another thing I don't understand why Evan and Barty Jr. are always cast as Regulus's friends???? Makes no damn sense to me. Regulus would never.