#legit about to go on and orphan it lol

[the-arson-author-gamer]

What's the main character of Arcburn: City of Sins like now? Is her backstory, personality, and design (if you have one lol) any different? Also I could've sworn her name was Diana but apparently it's Cassandra so maybe my mind is being stupid 😭

OH BOY, HERE WE GO! Time to cringe at my past writing myself!

I guess by breaking this down means I'm also going to be revealing spoilers but I don't give a shit I just really enjoy talking about my ideas!

Arcburn has had multiple different changes over the past few years I've been working on it. Currently, it's taking the backseat for Voided Hearts & Wicked Sunflowers to shine, but it's still great to talk about!

The biggest change was actually a giant rework of the entire plot and characters, and of course that consisted of my main character. So in fact, you are right by thinking Cassandra's name was originally Diana because it was originally Diana!

To make this clear, I'm going to differentiate my first version of Arcburn (which is on AO3, but I need to orphan that thing because why the hell would I ever publish that monstrosity) by calling it A1. And my current version of Arcburn by calling it A2.

So in A1, we have Diana Peregrine as my MC.

Whenever I'm creating a character, I typically always have a concept before a name, so I had the concept of Diana in my head and went with a name that both sounded good and made sense. Diana has relations to being considered goddess-like or divine. Looking back, that was not the name I should have picked for symbolism for a more rugged and asshole-ish main-character. The stupid thing that I never thought by giving her a very Greek name was not making her Greek? Which was pretty dumb of me, and something I decide to rectify later on in A2.

A1 had a completely different power system which at this point I have reworked twice over so she had completely different powers to what there is now.

The original power system was very magic based, which is a little weird for a superhero story, but I rework that obviously much later on. But right now this is 2022, and I haven't considered religious symbolism as a concept yet. Nor had I considered how governments actually work, which is prevalent in my writing back then. (goodness why did I ever think half the shit I pulled could have worked?)

So Diana has pyromancy, which as you already know is essentially fire powers, (the Azula allegations never stop) and she was born with this magic like everybody else. But with this power system you could train to use a different magic type, which is what Diana uses to cover up her identity and connections to her parents. Said different power type is telekinesis which she actually is pretty good at, but she trained that power extensively.

Her backstory was so fucking basic: Orphan? Check! Want's revenge? Check! Has Money? Check!

So the orphan thing is because when she was 7, her super villain parents who were trying to expose the evil government got exposed and killed by heroes and she witnessed it. Thereafter she was tossed around the foster system while she tried to mitigate her connections to her parents while stewing about how the government killed her parents. She then gets a bit of an excuse to go apeshit because in an inheritance she is given the start-ups of the plan to expose the heroes and rather than being intelligent about it, she gets a bit trigger-happy and drags her friends into it.

My writing was... something for her. I do enjoy pulling out the sarcastic asshole card for my MC's. Which is pretty generic considering my actual type of favourite characters are much more complex in comparison to asshole with a heart of gold.

Which are, of course, women on a mission of revenge, and it doesn't matter if it destroys her in the process + confidence and sheer skill that are hiding an inferiority complex or sheer fear of losing or death. (Something which I am actually writing about now in Voided Hearts & Wicked Sunflowers, thanks C!Clownpierce for being a little freak)

Her personality in A2 actually hasn't changed toooo much, maybe a bit less of an asshole and more stubborn? It's more obvious to the reader now that she's an ass because of strategy and plans, not because she's "secretly sad". I think she's much more angry and lacks 10x less the morals that Diana has. Which is funny, because A1 Diana is already fucked morally. So the women out for revenge at the destruction of herself type begins to play in more later.

Her actual design at the time looked like this:

(Sorry for the piss poor quality lol, picrew by potatolord)

I did in fact later keep certain design choices like the glasses and short brown hair, but those are pretty basic features in comparison to the final or current product of what my MC is now. Which is one of the more drastic changes since it also ties into the power system (which is still pretty "magical" all things considered, but it feels very different than just slapping a magic label on it).

Also, another thing that I never considered at the time was weaponry, which is a big thing in A2 in comparison to A1. Which is weird for me because I always drag weapons into the equation whenever I am reworking stuff like my TOA AUs from years ago or writing stuff now (pspsps weapon symbolism with scythes). Like Diana had no weaponry? Other than like a dagger, which is fair for like the first chapters, but beyond that it felt like nothing was there.

Really, the entirety of A1 feels so mish-mashed and unplanned in comparison to A2. Like look at this:

These are side-by-sides of my planning for Arcburn Version 1 (left) and Arcburn Version 2 (right). Note that in A2 that isn't even all of my plans on my whiteboard app or in-ellipsus document planning either.

Which gives into starting with my current version, A2, with my MC as Cassandra Peregrine! (I'm considering on changing the name again to Kairos, holy shit).

The noticeable thing I did not change was her last name, which is because:

I liked the name, I thought it sounded cool

Has the obvious bird symbolism for freedom, which multiple other characters have bird-related last names

Peregrine falcons represent freedom, victory, overcoming, and rulership, all of which have something to do with Cassandra so it remained fitting to her character

Cassandra means to excel or shine, which is certainly something that Cassandra does. But also has association with the Greek myth of Cassandra attempting to tell people of her prophecies, but nobody listening or believing her. Which ties into the corrupt government thing.

The other name that is currently in considering replacing Cassandra is Kairos. Kairos has a figurative meaning of "the right or opportune moment", which also ties into the plot of A2.

This, of course, is another Greek name, so I decided to make her Greek by result. But I figured to create more tension between her connections with her (alive!) parents, I decided to make her father Italian and represent an air of Roman mythology. So her mother is Greek and her father is Italian.

One of the biggest changes I made, as already stated above, is that Cassandra's parents are both alive. With 10x the drama and trauma! This is specifically due to her mother, who attacked her as a young child when she seemed to be blessing-less (I'll get to that in a moment) and not a perfect heir to her #1 hero empire (reminds you of a certain someone from MHA, huh? That was actually unintentional). Her father was attacked by her mother before Cassandra's birth due to her brother actually being blessing-less (oh yes, there is a brother now too).

After the attack, Cassandra was sent away from her mother and adopted by a rich family, where she grows up for most of her life. But she hates the parents because they are afraid of her (get into that later too) and emancipates at 13 (which shouldn't be allowed, but the government is fucked and attempting to get their grabby hands on her as a weapon).

To break out the very revised power system. I went from a magic at birth, to essentially a ripped off MHA quirk style power system, to a concept I call blessings. Blessings are like superpowers given at birth from either angels or demons. Which reside in completely different realms and enjoy meddling in human affairs, giving blessings is the main way to do it. Cassandra and both sides of her family have extensive connections to the demons, meaning that both her and her brother should have gotten blessings, but her brother didn't (Cassandra did get a blessing, but I'll break that down later).

The extensive connections to the demons come from Cassandra's grandfather, who is a demon, and is in fact a high ranking individual in the demon society (which isn't fully established, but there are ideas). He has the ability to actually come to Earth and meddle around in a more personal way, and does by meeting up with Cassandra's monster-fucker grandmother. Who then has Cassandra's mother, making Cassandra part demon.

Cassandra's grandfather is the kind of person who just fucks around, (so Cassandra probably has a lot of second-cousins) but also he just does what he wants meaning when Cassandra hits 8 (if I remember correctly it's been a while since I've thought about Arcburn to be honest) she gets kidnapped with her brother that she ISN'T biologically related to and realizes she has had a blessing this entire time: analysis.

Which probably from the name kind of breaks down her surrounding area, tells her extra details, points out connections, and gives her result predictions for her ideas. Let's say she wants to fight somebody, analysis will break down the best way to beat someone in a matter of seconds. It also comes with heightened intelligence.

Her grandfather sees her annihilate her kidnappers and goes, "hey you got potential to do me favours later in life how about I give you a SECOND blessing"

Second blessings are supposed to be super rare, like only the best of the best get them so it's a pretty big deal for over the course of one night for Cassandra to think that she is without any abilities to suddenly having two. The second ability which doesn't have a name (one form of the ability has a name: eldritch) but it boosts what Cassandra doesn't have which is physical capabilities. But what she is given is essentially her mother's abilities, which is both cruel (because Cassandra hates her mother) and powerful.

Anyway, here's her general design:

Of course the biggest change is the demon horns, tail, and red eyes. Since she is quarter demon, I wanted to show those traits, if I wanted to be more realistic I probably should have dialed it back a bit but I don't give a shit. Also I can just say demon genes are more prevalent than human genes which is why even though she is quarter she is displaying a lot of those demon traits.

The jacket stays, I like cool jackets. But her outfit is supposed to make sense for the climate, Arcburn is in northern Manitoba, polar bears reside not too far away (I want to utilize this at some point I just haven't decided where exactly)

Weapons wise, I definetly did more thinking. Beside her blessing Cassandra has got weapons up the wazoo. Her best weapon, one that isn't depicted here is an axe. Not like a huge war-axe but like a small wood-chopping one. This is because it's both easier to handle and easier to conceal. It's not necessarily the handle can't be big but rather the blade. Handles can be extendable, but the axe blade would be harder to deal with.

At one point in my life I was a huge scythe fan (and still kinda am because my two fav mcyters have canon scythes as weapons at some point) as a weapon, despite their lack of practicality. But my attention of impracticle weapons has switched to axes on chains (thank you Gyomei from Demon Slayer). So Cassandra has an axe on a chain as her main weapon.

I think one of the biggest changes was the colour scheming. I went from teal-ish blue to a deep red for colour theming. Both of which convey completely different messages.

Teal is supposed to be calming and practical, but a darker red like this holds symbolism for passion, aggression, and adds a sense of foreboding patience unlike a brighter more fiery red.

I think Cassandra from A2 is much scarier than Diana from A1. Really because I wanted her to be scary in a sense. She's the omen of her mother's downfall and by proxy the government.

I think I should mention that her morals do improve as time passes, she's less likely to chop off heads Jason Todd style and show some mercy (occasionally).

Overall though, Arcburn has improved dramatically from what it once was. Really it started off as imaginary little scenarios in my head of my favourite characters and evolved over the past three or so years till now where it is a fleshed out story (still in my head but there's a plot now rather than disconnected scenes).

What I would say I'm on right now is a hiatus from Arcburn, I figure I will return to it at some point and probably revise the entire damn thing again but it's slowly getting closer to what I want it to be. This is more of a hobby project than anything. And of course I have other projects like Voided Hearts & Wicked Sunflowers (Shamelessly plugging below because I'm a little shit) and I have other sick ideas that I'll eventually act upon (dystopian/apocolyptic killing spree?).

Thanks for reading my ramble about Arcburn @thekingofthenameless, I'm always happy to talk about it!

[wundergeek]

Into 5.1 of my Shadowbringers/Endwalker replay

Lyna, the orphan G'raha raised to be his daughter and the head of the Crystarium's guard just pulled me aside to be like 'hey, so every since you came back he's been... Happy? I think? Idk I've never seen him happy before, but... Should I be worried????'

and hhhhhHHHHHHhhhhh

Think about what this means on a world like the First, where people have been living with Despair About Living Through The End Of The World as just. You know. That's just one of The Horrors we deal with every day, you know?

Think about what that does to the suicide rate for a second. Think about how fucking common suicide would have been in that world up to the conclusion of 5.0.

Then think about Lyna worrying about the Exarch after coming back from something he didn't expect to survive, and he's weirdly chill? And happy? Like all of the things that weighed him down her ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE are gone? And her wanting so badly to believe that her adoptive dad is just. Actually. Happy???? But having to make sure that this isn't the false happiness that happens after someone decides to kill himself??????

And the palpable fucking relief when you're like "no he's legit happy it's fine he's fine" and Lyna immediately has to be talked out of staying away from him because "what if she reminds him of sad stuff", like. I know you were raised by G'RAHA, but are you fucking kidding me right now?

Meanwhile, Exarch G'raha, the poor deluded dumbass, has to be slapped into not threatening to kill himself every ten seconds as a means of returning the Scions to the Source. And when Lyna asks to talk privately to the WoL about her concerns, Exarch G'raha literally SAYS 'oh she's just worried because I tried to open a letter with a fish the other day, probably just worried I'm going senile lol'.

Like. Fully not realizing that it would be profoundly affecting for your daughter who clearly loves you very much, who just low key drops shit like "I've never seen my dad happy"... To see him actually be able to conceive of a future that actually contains joy????

And just jump straight to "I promise I'm not senile for mistaking that fish for a letter opener".

I CANNOT BE NORMAL ABOUT THIS MAN

[diminuel]

Doffy joining Cross Guild means that they 1000% need an HR department.

Doffy's constantly flaunting his abs to Crocodile, bending over to pick up pencils he keeps "clumsily" dropping, and tongue-fucking whatever they're snacking on during meetings. Less egregious, he also habitually asks about Crocodile's kids, offers to babysit, and regales him about all the orphaned kids he's raised.

Meanwhile, Dragon is still a little bitter about their one-night-stand and is eager to flaunt his status while also seeking to figure out what parts of Doflamingo are appealing?! He drops off lunch for Wani with all their kids (including Doffy's) in tow and engages in faaar too much PDA with Wani during the handoff, uses the urinal beside Doffy at work events to see how they measure up (this turns into a legit pissing contest), and creates strong enough breezes to pluck Doffy's pink coat clean.

Now they need a HR department? I think it was a highly inappropriate workplace even before Doflamingo was "recruited" *lol*

I don't think Dragon can visit every day to drop off lunch just to glare at Doflamingo, considering that Cross Guild's territory and the Revolutionary Army's Headquarters are probably quite far apart. He does trips to Cross Guild though, so he can always make sure to glare at him then X'D

But Dragon potentially rounding up Luffy, Sabo and Ace (and Mini-Mingo and other kids they may or may not have) to go visit Crocodile is funny too. Is it strategically wise to leave the RA without its leader and second in command? No. Does Luffy want to hang out with Buggy and co when he could be having adventures? Not really. But Dad promised that there would be meat so.......

Though I'm not sure Dragon is actually the jealous kind or even sees any need for it. He knows he's already won ;3 He just needs to make sure that he and Crocodile don't get into a breakup worthy argument again *lol*

[whoseyscientist]

BEST BATMAN FICS I’VE READ 3 BRUCE WAYNE FOCUSED

Hihoo Here’s some more crazy good batman fics with a particular focus on the sad angsty man in the bat suit because I love him so! Mix of gen/batfam and shipping stuff cause I just wish him well in life c:

As I was making this list I realised alot of them were one-shots huh the more you know- mix of mainly one-shots and the occasional epic lengths lol

= General/ Batfam =

Nominal

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8613352

Don't ask why Batman is sad unless you're willing to give him the time to consult his spreadsheet.

(legitimately?? funniest batman fic I’ve ever read, one-shot) 

The Jason Project

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19899613

Jason had just wanted to see his autopsy report, he had only wanted to know what information Bruce had about his death. And when Bruce hadn't given it to him, he had stolen it. He hadn��t meant to stumble upon the bucket list of a dead child and the footage of a grieving father crossing one item after another off the list.

(^ short, sweet and very emotional)

More Precious Than Gold

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13273611/chapters/30371190

Most dragons sleep on their hoards.

Bruce's hoard sleeps on him.

Or: Bruce is a dragon. Predictably, he hoards orphans.

(so, so goddamn cute, two shot)

Manor-Dad lets me drive the Batmobile

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19002637/chapters/45125308

Bruce had two options when Dick found the Cave. 1) Tell him the truth. 2) Go along with Dick’s excited “You’re dating Batman!” until he figured out the truth.

Several children later Bruce wished he’d gone with option 1) or he wouldn’t have to deal with all his kids believing he and Batman were separate people. Yes, even Damian.

(Unfinished but still so very funny, crazy good fic)

dad time

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434550

five times the justice league misinterpreted batman's actions + one time they absolutely did not

(Bruce just proudly showing off his kids in League business is so canon lmao, one shot, also this author in general has some quality batfam content legit)

Cingulomania (Sometimes, Dad Needs a Hug)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29690424#main

‘Right,’ Tim said, in the voice he used on missions, ‘we’re going to have to call in an expert.’ * ‘Hey guys!’ Dick said, voice slightly crackly over Tim’s phone speakers. ��What’s up? I’m not supposed to visit until tomorrow - is something wrong?’ - Something is seriously not right with Bruce. They’re a family of detectives and no one can figure it out. It’s kind of embarrassing.

They’re all starting to get worried. - (Sometimes, Bruce needs a hug.)

(^ Feeding my bruce is touch starved agenda quite nicely, one shot)

A Hero Lost

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40358904/chapters/101096682#workskin

When Jason Todd died on that fateful April day, Bruce was tempted to just... stop. To let the world know he was Batman, and that it'd just lost a hero in Jason Todd.

And so he did.

It didn't keep him from mourning the death of his son.

Or: Bruce quits being Batman in the wake of Jason's death, tells the world who he is, then retires to Montana and slowly finds healing. And when Jason comes back to life six months later, and Talia tells him 'you remain unavenged,' he can't find any evidence to support that, so he goes home.

(^ Truly, truly beautiful, it’s a short read but very much worth it)

In For a Pound Series

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17558375/chapters/41378861

25 is too young to be a Dad. That's what Bruce thought when Talia dropped off this baby she claimed was his. Add to that a jealous 11-year-old Dick, and Bruce has his hands full. What does one even do with a baby? Why does this baby scowl so much? And when on earth is Talia coming back?

(^ Very good series with some very fun batfam shenanigans)

Matches

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8074405

What in the hell kind of name for an alias is Matches?

(one-shot, silly, very funny dialogue- bruce is so awkwardly charming I love it)

= Shipping =

Whoever Falls First

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7679041

"There's more kryptonite out there. When the Superman returns, there's going to be an all-star battle royale in the criminal underworld. Every megalomaniacal freak will want a piece of it so they can get a piece of you. And some of them will manage. They'll weaponize it and won't hesitate to use it against you, and when that happens I will not have you flailing around like an idiot."

aka: Bruce teaches Clark how to fight.

(have I recommended this before? I can’t remember, either way it’s immaculately written, superbat one-shot)

pull out the pin

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42361755

Revulsion curled in Clark’s gut, instinctual and sudden. He knew, without knowing how, that the creature wearing Bruce’s face was not Bruce.

“Oh boy,” Not-Bruce cracked its neck, turning its grin on the rest of the group, “You do not want to be in this head, let me tell you.”

(superbat and sooo good, also do yourself a favour and just read all of this authors stuff, its always a banger)

Dilectus Meus Mihi...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/301669/chapters/482974

Clark Kent has lost all his memories of being Superman, and Bruce Wayne must retrain him in the use of his powers. But his super-powered identity isn't all he's forgotten...

(two shot, fun and sweet, just superbat falling in love again <3)

my body is an orphanage (we take everyone in)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12683415

He can stand in a room with the League members and receive surreptitious glances from each one of them individually, each one of them trying to communicate with the intensity of their eyes some sort of camaraderie with Bruce, us against the world, which would be funny, would be far less bitter and ironic, if he wasn’t so desperate to affirm with each of them in turn, yes, you are my friend, for better or for worse.

So he lets them have sex with him because it seems like that means a lot to them.

(^ ace bruce!- incredibly bittersweet with a very sweet ending, poor bruce man :c)

ship-to-ship combat

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39666915/chapters/99302841

"Clark. What the hell is this," Lois asks, staring at Clark's Bruceman WIP folder. Clark's first instinct is to fly away, but that would still leave his fic on display for her to see. His second instinct is to blast a hole straight through his laptop screen with his heat vision, which isn't much better.

Clark, in an attempt to make some spare cash, unintentionally stumbles into the world of superhero fanfiction, becomes a prolific writer for Gotham's OTP, and tries his best to fend off rival fans who want him to convert to superbat instead.

(^ i really just assume everyones already heard of this one cause it’s just- really well written but its superbat and bruceman(LOL) it’s un-finished but hilarious and surprisingly real and emotional)

as to which may be the true

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7880368/chapters/17998981#main

It isn't difficult to go on in the wake of Superman's death. His resurrection, though, poses a problem—especially when it turns out there's no such thing as the right moment to explain that Martha Kent's obnoxious billionaire friend? Is also the man who tried really hard to shove a kryptonite spear through Clark's face.

(I love post resurrection content it’s so good, superbat)

Nine Tenths

https://archiveofourown.org/works/426785

In which the man who's faster than a speeding bullet is pretty slow on the uptake. Bruce corrects this problem the only way he knows how: by being smarter than the average bat. Stark is more than willing to lend a hand.

(this is so cute, gotta love some jealous superbat, also Clark being the one that hates a random hero for literally no reason is fucking hilarious I love it everytime lol)

Remembering Normal

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11494842/chapters/25786338

Hal Jordan is a totally normal alpha, and definitely NOT gay. At all. Like, even a little. Except there was this once. . .

(steamyy, this author has such an insane grasp on bruce and hal as characters its actually insane, their lvl of dialogue is something I aspire for, batlantern)

Late Night Talks

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34941634

Two-face's new partner looks a lot like Bruce Wayne. Surely that doesn't mean anything...

(Twobat, oneshot and the first introduction I’ve ever had to two face/matches malone)

[urmumsstuff]

I don’t know if you do asks but if you do does your ittw eventually go to lego monkey kid and if it does what are your reader’s thoughts on MK and the crew and does she know about lmk before hand and does she go mom mode.

YES I do asks!! I love asks

Okay so I don't know if it will yet but I have thought about it. Like off and on it would change some stuff in how the story goes. Mostly with macaque. Again not cannon still very unsure if I do want it to be cannon

But no reader knows nothing about LMK but I feel like her sisters kids loved it and had toys but that's all she knows about it cause she bought them the lego sets lol. Her sisters kids got every single LMK set plus beyblade and other Legos.

As for her thoughts on MK and going full mom mode

Yes it would happen but it's not an instant thing it would mostly happen during that time Wukong leaves to deal with stuff on his own. She doesn't have many thoughts on anyone else. She kept herself mostly unknown if completely unknown.

But Mk is kinda like the kid they didn't have but wanted without expressing verbally they wanted a kid. She cares for orphan monkeys to fill that want with Wukong but yeah Mk gets babied by her and given snacks and stuff. She mostly that weird aunt who knows weird facts about the most random shit.

She like Tang is a regular human and accepts that limitation it doesn't stop her but she finds the crews dramatics amusing and reminds her of her family but with less pranks..

She thinks Tangs obsession with JTTW is weird but also can't comment because of her own Hamilton phase she refuses to admit happened. She does think he should tone it down because he's an adult. She was a teen when that cringe happened. (She is still cringe get her to talk about the history of automobiles and transportation she's just as bad as Tang legit not room to talk)

She likes Sandy's chill nature. That's her only comment on him. He's chill. He makes her miss her cat a lot.

Pigsy she isn't sure how she feels about. Like she gets the suspicion he has about wukong. She get it but also likes the food and is easily swayed by food and he cooks good.

Mei. Is the girl boss reader wishes they were and once was back home. It makes things a little weird when she talks to Mei but she mostly moms Mei like Wukong Dads MK.

Both have their super powered child and she doesn't want Mei to get into a situation where she's heavily handicapped without a way out. Like reader is with her arm after macaques attack. Which later happens when Mei breaks the family sword in S4. But Mei comes back from it and Reader is very proud of her and MK.

[zmediaoutlet]

Excuse you very much, I love the Belgariad! So nostalgic.

#41 and #55 for the writing ask pls.

hey, I'm not saying the Belgariad's not fun! But it did ruin fantasy for me as a genre, lolol. Oh, look a Chosen One orphan on a farm who falls for the sassy magic princess? With a wise older mentor to boot? Like --

41. what is the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

oh man, I feel like either my definition of weird is completely broken or I'm really just not weird at all. Probably b. I guess as far as strange-for-fandom there's the idea I had where Bobby had been SAed by his deadbeat dad as a kid and had some wires crossed as a result, and now was doing his absolute best not to follow those same patterns with Dean. It's one of those fics that absolutely no one wants to read, lol. So weird on that front. Similarly a J2 fic where Jared had a heavily disabled kid and the stress made him get divorced from his wife, and he was now the 'deadbeat dad' and meets Jensen and they have a lot of sex about it but primarily it's about stress and grief. No one wants that either, haha. Why can't I have fun weird ideas like "and then tentacles fucked him in exciting and mysterious places"? That would be way easier.

55. do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

oh... lots. I guess a common feature is being longer than traditional one-shot length -- like once something gets over 10k, I start to get really diffident and self-defeating about the amount of effort going in compared to perceived return. Like -- I'm stressing about this for an hour every night for three months and what's likely to happen is 200 people maybe clicking and maybe 20 of those people clicking the heart button and one person going "loved this!", haha. (I know you're supposed to "write for yourself" but if anyone actually did that they'd keep it in private diaries. Let's be real here.) I also get VERY mired down when there needs to be a legit Plot. The plot should always just be "and how did they fall in love? oh look they did! aaah big kissies time muah muah the end." Once you have to build in intrigue -- ech. I am not John Grisham, let's put it that way. ...Like in a number of ways I am not John Grisham.

[queenpiranhadon]

Act 2, scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet Rewritten!

Mercurio- Yo, is Homeo around to hop on Fortnite w/ us? Benvolio- Nah bro, blud’s prolly not at home rn M: Man’s such a simp for Rosaline- got no time for his bros B: Oh snap Tybalt sent a snap asking Homeo to Bloxburg battle Romeo: Wsg brothas M: Bro you suck, mates before dates fr fr R: Man, you capping. What are you going on about? B: Ifykyk R: I got my own stuff outside of Fortnite, blud M: Dudes not even preppy, you’re gonna get banned from Sephora now. B: Stopppppp you both be calling fr fr R: Ayo, check it out. Some old chick is coming over. Nurse: What’s up guys, Peter give me my fucking fan you rizzless orphan M: Lmao yeah bro, James Charles needs your fan N: Anyways good morning lmfao M: Nah you tweaking, it’s after noon already N: Bro you capping, dudes legit not skibidi at all R: Yah he sucks, dudes not the Rizzard of Oz lmao N: Truth for real, you know where Homeo at? R: That’s me lol N: Kk, home girl Julie wants your rizz lol R: Sweeeet, tell my bbg ilysm N: Sure, wtv

LMAO FR

[sobredunia]

can you tell me about Noah again bro, I forgor her lore, but i remember her, i just wanna know about all of your oc's i will be honest about that

Okay I'm legit surprised and confused you know who noah is bc i don't think i've ever mentioned her ever

oh wait i just remembered the zombie au i told u abt. nvm lol

This is the only rendered drawing I have of her in digital. I made it 2 years ago. god damn

lore under the cut

okay so noah has the cringiest orphan backstory. you know that thing that went on in japan a few years back where women who didn't want children put them in coin lockers? yeah

her last name is Shellby because Coin Locker Baby -> CLB -> Shellby

at first she was at an orphanage and got kinda bullied but then one time she got a pink eye and made it so her hair covered it and this one other girl kinda digged the look at became her friend, and she kept the emo bangs for years after that. she also died her hair purple to look cool

(creator's note this is bc originally her design was much different and i made it when i was fucking around with a character creator. but then evolution happened and her design changed drastically but i still wanted to be somewhat close to my roots so her younger self design has that)

The girl she befriended was friends with the rebel gang at the orphanage and one time they convinced her to do arson and she burn an entire building down. so she got sent to one of those jails for kids. idk the name

there she met a kid who wasn't from that jail but he liked climbing trees so she saw him often enough through the concrete walls, and she fell in love and they begun to date!

Then, that kid actually pushed her to start bettering herself and try to get out of jail with good conduct to live the rest of her life free from crime. or at least arson. slowly the kid showed up less and less until one day he wasn't there anymore, but oh well

she's still in kid's jail but they were working on this program to make kids in kid jail with good attitude go to schools early so their studies wouldn't get damaged much and they could be reintegrated to society better. noah was one of those people. they did have to send her to a class two years younger than her bc she dumb as bricks lmao. and also she hadn't been to proper school in ages so yeah

and in that class she made friends!! :D

[lost-girl-2021]

The Walking Dead

Okay, so I have (yet another) new obsession and I can't deal with it. Guys, I am so scared of zombies and scary stuff, but I love this show. And you want to know why I started watching it? I saw an edit of a fanfic. Is it over 200,000 words? Yes. Have I read all of it? Yes. I quite literally refresh my Ao3 page to check for updates every day (said fanfic is Future Ghosts by dieasthedevil on Ao3).

(Now, I promise I will finish Days Into Decades, I just also need to rnat about this new fic idea)

So, I usually don't do OC fics anymore, because I feel like they aren't as popular on Ao3 as they are on Wattpad and I prefer Ao3 (and feel like more people 14+ use Ao3 instead of Wattpad). And I legit skip half the zombie scenes because I only care about the plot (I'm being 100% rn). I also started at season 9, because I wanted to see Daryl and Negan on the same(ish) side and see the kids grown up (ish). (I promise I'm gonna watch it from 1-11 next, but I was too hyped to watch what I've already read in fanfic lol).

Anyways, despite my best efforts not to, I've started writing a new fic for TWD with an original character. And, I personally think it's not half bad. Idk where I'm going with it, but I do know it'd be set in season 9ish (also, nothing romantic between the oc and any of the characters, but maybe something between the oc and another oc, though I'd honestly prob kill him off eventually). So, for anyone still with me, here's some of what I've written so far.

— (snippet 1) —

“Are you tanning during the apocalypse?” A curious voice called out, startling her from her daydream. Jerking herself up, she had one hand on her knife and she turned to face the intruder.

He was kind of cute. If it wasn’t for the sweaty, blood-stained clothes and the eyebags. He could probably do with a shower too, judging by the state of his hair. She smiled over at him anyways, relaxing her grip on the blade.

“Might as well have some fun, right?” she asked, propping herself up on her elbows. “Can’t all be doom and gloom.”

“It’s— it’s dangerous to be out here.” He insisted, taking a step closer.

“Do you see any freaks?” She glanced around, nothing and nobody in sight.

“Not yet. But— but, it’s still dangerous. You shouldn’t let your guard down.”

“Who says I have?”

The man (barely, he was probably only a little older than her) looked lost, opening and closing his mouth like he couldn’t quite figure out what to say.

— (Snippet 2) —

“I should’ve locked you out.” She snapped. “Or, I should’ve let you in and then set the place on fire. I never should’ve trusted you, never should've helped you.”

“When have you ever trusted anyone, Skipper?” Carol asked, voice soft despite the accusation.

Her eyes darted to Daryl, thinking about quiet mornings spent hunting and the shared thread of orphaned siblings. She shook her head anyways, pushing back good memories of the cabin and the short time when she was actually happy in the end of the world. Who was she to think about any of these people as hers?

“I’m leaving at dawn.” She said in lieu of an answer, looking away from the both of them. “Will you keep an eye on P.J. for me?”

“You don’t need to leave— “

“I should, though.”

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

Rambling Anon with another thought for you

So the title of Separate Ways I think it's interesting that's the way they translated it (because in Japan, Ada's campaign is called The Another Order). But, I like it.

I think a lot of people (especially the antis) see those words and think separate as in "opposite" and "disconnected". Leon's line in the remake, "This is where we go our separate ways" I think some see that as Leon telling Ada they're heading in opposite directions. That they're paths cannot align. Leon is going to go rescue Ashley and get her home and Ada's going to do... whatever she's going to do.

But we know that's not the case. They continue to meet in every title they appear in. Even though they're choices give them different paths, they're heading in the same (or at least similar) directions. Like parallel lines, but not entirely. Because their paths do continue to cross and then split again.

Separate Ways is Ada's path through 4, but it is not unconnected from Leon's path. Leon and Ada start is different locations, but they end up in the same location at the same time several times. Always they split up, even if this goes unnoticed by Leon most of the time, Ada is always looking out for him. Throughout every title, they travel similar paths to arrive at the same destination and then split back up again in a seemingly never-ending loop.

Yes their paths are separate at times. That is the key. At times. Those two are deeply connected to each other, they could never be completely separate from one another, not after Raccoon City. Leon's line does not reflect a complete end. It marks a temporary one. I feel like there is an unspoken "but" there that some don't pick up.

"This is where we go our separate ways, but..."

"This is where we go our separate ways for now."

Yes, they go separate ways when going about their jobs, but its important to note that despite these separate paths they take, they continue to reunite. Over and over.

hello!!!! my dear

yes, separate ways was always called another order in japan, that's also how data miners were able to find it.

another order also implies that it's just another way of doing things, whereas separate ways could just be interpreted as another way of doing the same things, which is clearly was og separate ways was, since there were many instances when playing ada that you can see leon in the background but it prohibits the player from seeing leon

"i can't let leon see me here"

i actually kind of hate the separate ways line, not because of the "angst" but because i hate whenever media does the whole marvel, we need to spell out something that's a thing that's coming

like we KNOW separate ways in another campaign..-

the people who think that ada is just fucking around during re4 (both) are SO FACTUALLY WRONG THAT IT MAKES ME LEGIT GO NUTS

separate ways is JUST ADA MAKING SURE LEON DOESN'T DIE

(let me be clear, her "having to do her job" does not supercede the fact that she DOES NOT NEED TO BE HELPING LEON. she is ACTIVELY CHOOSING TO HELP LEON) (this is more for people who do not understand how choices are made lol)

"This is where we go our separate ways for now."

this MAKES sense because they've written leon to be quite angry and resentful in re4r. like he's LEGIT ANGRY at so many things (which is fair) and i hate the argument that leon's depressed in re4r because of ada, BITCH DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE WAS ALIVE AT THAT MOMENT. he was depressed about raccoon, the government, the training. and then further into the future, the fact that his units ALWAYS END UP DYING AND HE IS LEFT AS THE LONE SURVIVOR. he has MASS amounts of survivors guilt from his family dying and him being orphaned.

but YES

leon and ada have specifically been written together for +25 years, even at capcom, they are paired together for things like menu items lmao.

re4 aeon has always been my least favourite aeon tbh, so that opinion has not really changed in re4r. re6 aeon will always be superior to me lol

[eruden-writes]

How did you go about publishing your own story through Amazon? I'd like pointers for future reference. If you don't mind!

Amazon offers a self-publishing option! I used it back in 2014 to make a few ebooks and, since then, they expanded to print. Which I wasn't aware of, until I started poking about in self-publishing print books.

However, to self-publish a print book, you have to wear a lot of hats. And that means...

A lot of research.

There's a lot to know to format your own books. And remember, traditional publishers have editors, cover artists, typesetters, and so much more at their disposal.

Also, you'll have to do separate formatting for a print book vs an ebook.

If you're ready for the long answer, there is a lot:

First: Plan out your sections.

There's "front matter" and "back matter" sandwiching the "text body" or the story.

Front Matter is stuff like: Title, Copyright, Dedication, Introduction, etc. (This is also where you'd add things like a Table of Contents or maybe a fantasy map.)

You can find a copyright template for self-published books easily!

Back matter is stuff like: Author's Note, Acknowledgement, Other Books by the Author. (You could also add appendices of Characters here [or in the front] or excerpts to another book.)

The text body itself will have formatting for chapter headings and scene breaks (like if you use images or * * * to break up scenes in one chapter.)

Second: Learn about paragraph styles and page styles.

A paragraph style setting makes it easier to change all of your font with one click. Especially if you get fancy with your chapters.

A page style setting will help with things like tweaking margin sizes for multiple pages.

Either find or make yourself a template in whatever processing program you use. (I used LibreOffice and I'm working on making my own template.)

idk if it's just me or what, but these things are still finicky for me. So, I'll have to do more research on how to make them behave. lol

Three: Don't be afraid to google something!

BUT double-check that the information is relatively recent. I did keep finding stuff from 2011 or 2012. The self-publishing market has changed a lot since then. (You can bypass this, usually, but adding 2022 or a similarly recent year into what you search.)

Reddit was a great source for me during this process. They literally have sub-reddits for self-publishing. So, when you put in your question in google, add "reddit" at the end. You'll often find threads filled with answers for you, whether that's one agreed-upon one or various takes.

There's a ton of stuff that's up to personal preference, but it's nice to see what your audience might take notice of.

Miscellaneous Things:

Bye bye "by:" For your covers or title pages, ditch "by" in front of the author's name. Seen as a beginner mistake.

Research widows and orphans in typesetting. This is something I still need to decide on, but for now I left them in my book unless it was a line by itself on a mostly blank page.

Larger books need larger gutter margins! (ie the part of the book, closest to the binding.)

Some people think if a self-published author's name is comparatively small on the cover or binding - compared to the title - the author doesn't have confidence. I, personally, hate when the author's name is the same size or bigger than the title, especially if the title is literally another name. Which is the author and which is the character? 😖 But that's me.

Decide if you're going to buy your own ISBN! An ISBN is an International Standard Book Number. Most countries give them away for cheap or free, but the US has 1 purveyor of "legit" ISBNs and they charge $125 for one or $395 for ten. Amazon (and other self-publishing companies) can provide you with one of their free ISBNs. This just means those ISBNs can't be used outside of their services, but you can still publish elsewhere.

Don't forget your page numbers! There is an "add page number" function for the headers or footers, but if you want it on the outer sides on opposite pages, you'll have to do some finagling. (This gave me a ton of guff.) And consider if you want your name and book title in the headers. That's an easy-to-overlook detail.

Covers. Canva is what I used to piece together mine. I also used elements from Pixabay, if I couldn't find something I needed on Canva.

There's still so much I could say. I did so much googling and waffling between what I wanted to do. And, honestly, I've probably rushed the process quite a lot and have more googling and learning yet to do.

But, yeah. I hope this helps some people out there!

[the1975attheirverybest]

Like actually, and I know I'm not the only one who has been struggling with writing,legit have been stuck on a fic from a fucking month ago because all of this is stressing me out. Harshing my vibe to quote matty.

There have been several points where I've considered just orphaning my fics and going to just using the account to dm and stuff. Not to mention the constant drama cycle kicking up way too many hate anons. The environment is like so not vibing.

Anyway before I stress myself further.

How are you today lovie?

No cuz same. It’s kind of draining when every time I log on here there are three types of messages on here: hate anons trolling, weird unhinged takes on Matty/the band, rumors that everyone’s freaking out about.

And then by the time all that is addressed I neither want nor have energy for posting fanfics or writing or concepts or whatever.

Then when I do post, the fics get a lot less engagement and sort of get lost in the shuffle of messages about other drama.

I literally have to take mini-breaks between replying to things lol

[seancamerons]

jem is seriously such a fun cartoon!

YES! I was in my 20s in college when I first heard of it, lol. my bus buddy, whose name was ed, told me about it. I watched it shortly after, and the rest is history. 😊

what's not to love? its got catchy 80s bangers played by a pastel pink haired front woman who is a hologram who turns out to be an alter ego of a girl by the touch of an earring.

to paint a picture, it's like if hannah montana, julie and the phantoms and a barbie all had a baby in an animated series 😆 it's truly outrageous! even for the 80's. the combination of drama with a rivalry, jerrica's secret identity, evil banger playing rivals the misfits who commit multiple felonies with little consequence on the regular ie: kidnapping, vehicular manslaughter, arson and more, heartwarming orphans, evil record exec, a love triangle, glamor, glitter, fashion and fame all wrapped in a pretty pastel package. all in all, it's got something for everyone. jem was created just to sell some off brand barbie dolls during a saturday morning cartoon time slot. genius.

if i ask most women in their late 30s or 40s who grew up in the mid 80s about jem, not only do they know jem, they get all nostalgic and legit happy at the mention. example, a colleague at work had the dolls. my boyfriends older sister dressed as jem for halloween. a college classmate who was my age, and i bonded over jem. this show had girls in the 80s dreaming and thriving. evidently, with streaming, it's accessible. i believe it's free on youtube its now on tubi.

honestly, jem isn't just for girls or children. let’s be real. cartoons aren't just for kids. usually, look to disney, shows like simpsons, fururama, and family guy for comparison, some of these are clearly nit for kids. disney primarily has jokes that go over kids' heads, but can get mom and dad to crack a smile or bust out laughing. same reason parents and kids like bluey.

we don't discuss jem and the holograms (2015) not the same, not even close. looking at a fella by the name of scooter braun, (guy isn't liked by swifties either, might I add if you know you know.) who consulted fans of the og and made it a dumpster fire by not taking any of the suggestions and ideas he asked us for. i don’t even think he took some the suggestions from the creator of jem, he simply thought he knew it all that's the impression i get. to top off he took it out of the 80s and made it gimmicky, wannabe teenybopper shit. it was off. i didn't get that far.

FUN FACT: jem and the holograms (2015) received a 22% on rotten tomatoes.

I didn’t exactly expect a movie like that or one that was more true to jem from 80s to be perfect or win an Oscar by any means, but they could have made it a bit like tongue and cheek, like similar to og jem, or even deep at times like barbie (2023). We likely won't get a redemption or a new one, but it was a shame the reboot didn't do it justice. The girls of the 80s deserved a live action of their childhood favorite! I mean, look at transformers (2007) for the boys. Why can't we have nice things?

Thanks for the ask. 💌

[figurativepieceoftrash]

you're one of my absolutely favorite fanfic others. ever since i realized you delete some of your works, i have been aggressively downloading and backing up your works. i felt real terror when i saw some of your fics disapear. your works are amazing and if you feel the need to distance yourself from them at least orphan them (pretty please? i almost cried when you deleted the sequel to ascension).

when i see you update, i legit drop everything i'm doing to go read whatever you posted. you write tropes i usually hesitate to read and everytime i'm blown away by your works. whatever you decide i just hope you'll be happy with your choice. (sorry i don't coment on your actual fics, it's the social anxiety)

That's very sweet of you to say, I'm definitely trying, lol! Also not commenting due to social anxiety is super understandable, I usually only ever interact with stories as a guest for the same reason, so no worries! You reading and enjoying my stuff is already way more than enough <3

After sleeping on it, I've decided I'm probably orphaning two of my fics, but because one of those is Apotheosis, I was wondering if you'd like me to republish the two Armageddon chapters that were up previously and orphan the two works as a series? Not sure if that'd actually keep them associated tbh but it'd definitely make the sequel available, at the very least

Oddly enough even though I only ever received maybe three(?) comments on Armageddon and fifty or so kudos prior to its deletion, I've seen a ton of people express disappointment over its removal here and in the Apotheosis comments section? I'd actually prewritten maybe 80k words for it prior to release so I was super sad when it flopped. It did make sense in retrospect though, the writing in Apotheosis definitely wasn't my best so it'd be very strange if people were excited for the sequel

All that to say that if you would like the Apotheosis sequel re-uploaded I'd be happy to do so lol, just reply to this post or send another anon and I'll get around to it! Thanks for being so nice about my writing fjjfjfhfhchcujf

[sunshinexlollipops]

Hello! Hope not to bug you, I just read acw for the first time and WOW. It was by far the most beautiful, intricate work I've ever read in my life. Really, you are a novelist. I noticed that it hadn't been posted in about 3 years and I was wondering if it was orphaned? Just curious, no hate! Absolutely love your works, thank you!

help there anon!

sorry my notifs always get fucking eaten on this app and I'm inept too which doesn't help, bUT I just wanted to say that in general, ACW isn't abandoned!

I know it's been a hot minute since I have written anything but I've had a lot go on since the start of 2020, as you can imagine. not only in the world but personal life. and it just carried over into 2021. and 2022. and now into 2023. however, I am A LOT better now than I was at the start.

not trying to personally dump because there's just too much to summarize on this app, and some things I'm just not comfy sharing, but I got diagnosed with things like ADHD and depression, and not only am I working on treatment/management with my psych and therapist, altogether it's been a process of adaptation after knowing why my brain do what it do.

slowly I've been getting back into creating. bc I didn't. for all the time I was gone, I didn't produce really...anything. writing, art— nada. I've made some good progress esp since late 2022 when I started to come back to some things, but it used to be I wouldn't even read fic, watch movies/shows, engage with things... I was basically in a massive depressive episode. so I've been slowly reconnecting with art and in turn just that side of me.

I'm sure people who follow me/pay it mind (and it's okay if you don't lol) have seen recently I've been making and posting art I've made since I got back from LA a little bit ago.

I haven't drawn or been artistic like that in a long while. and while I've created things here and there, it was usually for someone else/social things I was doing. I struggled even with that, so it probs happened altogether less than 10 times over the last few years... this is the first I've just been creating and enjoying myself since then.

there's a lot that is still changing for me. and there's some major things shifting behind the scenes for me still that are playing out. I still intend to finish ACW, I'm just having to handle myself, and overall, I'm coming back into what used to feel like second nature.

so apologies for the wait. in a way, I kind of have been stuck with y'all during the hiatus. I got as much out of it as y'all did, lol. but I'm hoping with this continued improvement, and once things settle a bit more on my end, that writing will come back to me more and more. I've been able to do things here and there, so I'm hopeful.

also, another issue is google. my old acct ran out of space so anything I have made is completely locked up. I can't even EDIT my old docs. it's bad. I've tried to free shit up but it's like google replaces what I delete somehow and I'm always at my limit. so that's been a hassle in and of itself and I am working around that too.

fingers crossed this ship finally leaves the harbor I've docked it at for some time. I love ACW. I see what y'all write. and I know I don't often respond to comments but I read them. I see them. and I'm honored my story has had the impact and love that it has. ACW legit is one of my most beloved works by both myself and its readers. so thank you for that.

but I hope everyone does know that even if it may take me a while, I plan to come back and complete it once I'm properly able! and thank you for your understanding and patience w me. 💕

[universestreasures]

One of my new favorite developments (because there is always something new going on in this AU that never will stop expanding LOL) in the ongoing epic known as the Nobles of Nature AU with myself, @abysseeker @extremebattler and @moonlitmarquis that I just need to gush about for a sec is that of the Eden House's main family consisting of the head Lady Eve, her dragon husband Adam / G.O.D. Eyes, and their two adopted dragon kids: Olivier / Prominence Glare & Phantom / Yuji (since we have anime Yuya in this verse too, written by Crix, we decided to give Phantom/Manga Yuya a different real name in this verse to distinguish the two).

I just l love this idea of Eve and Adam, these individuals of two different people who fell in love and work so hard to stay together despite the cruel world they live in, adopting not one but two orphan dragon kids and giving them legit the best home in the world. Seriously, these two got the best upbringing out of the cast IMO, a place where they did not have to hide their dragonic nature and got well taken care of, educated, and able to travel as they pleased. Eve and Adam are best parents y'alll. ;;;;

And their two kids repay that kindness by becoming two of the major antagonists in the plot but you know....I blame that on their baggage and childhood trauma on that than Eve and Adam's parenting

Plus, their set up makes them further tied to everything due to Eve's familial connection to the Akabas (she is sisters with one of the three women Leo had kids with, meaning some of them, aka Ray, Yuzu, Serena, and Rin, are cousins to Olivier and Phantom.), Phantom being Yuya's long lost twin brother (that only Zarc and Yuto know about because PLOT), Olivier's connections to Aichi, Jaime, Takuto, and Kourin.

Nobles continues to become more in-depth and complicated by the day (especially as we all add more muses LOL) but that's the fun and challenge of it. A good time that I'm thankful to Crix and the gang for developing with me!

I really gotta make more lore posts and a timeline to keep all this new stuff straight one of these days because this is becoming Game of Thrones levels of complex LOL