#lordoflies

[fall3n1]

♠︎I think perhaps I will always hold a candle for you - even until it burns my hand. And when the light has long since gone... I will be there in the darkness holding what remains, quite simply because I cannot let go.

- Ranata Suzuki

[meant2beestudios]

(Headphone user warning) (also this is an ACTUAL scene from the game) shoutout @lacydigital for the idea lmfaooo

[matteohudson]

Now Listening: Palaye Royale - The Bastards. #palayeroyale #palayeroyalethebastards #littlebastards #massacrethenewamericandream #anxiety #tonightisthenightidie #lonely #hangontoyourself #fuckingwithmyhead #nervousbreakdown #nightmares #masochist #doomempty #blacksheep #stay #redeemer #lordoflies #2020 #2020album #artrock #rocknroll #glamrock #garagerock #indierock #nowlistening #nowplaying https://www.instagram.com/p/CBOAXaAiKhU/?igshid=vsjke4nrkdw3

[papa3slut]

Did this piece based on the excellent fic “Cypress and Wormwood” by LordofLies. Please read it, it’s so good! CW: Dead Body.

[anakinthetrashking]

BnHA One-Shot Fic Recs (pt1)

Making some fic-rec posts has been on my to-do list for a while and I’m finally doing it, yay! Currently I have 6 word doc pages full of just BnHA recs. So I’m splitting them up by length and completion, so first up is (part one of) one-shots! Let’s go!!!

Lets start with some classic Izuku and DadMight!

Pictures, Posters and Tender Beauty by ProPinkist (tumblr: @dazais-guardian-angel ) Rating: G    Category: Gen   ~4,400 words Summary: Izuku has virtually every All Might-themed item out there, and prides himself on all of it, as Toshinori is well aware. However, somehow, the boy still decided that there was something vital missing. This is fluffy and very cute. No one truly appreciates All Might as much as Izuku does, but 1A comes close. All Might deserves all the love, and this fic truly provides!!!

Dear Mr. All Might by QuizzicalCrow (tumblr: @quizzicalcrow​ ) Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~5,000 words Summary: As the #1 hero for decades, All Might has collected a lot of fan mail over the years. Toshinori tracks down a series of letters that only now, years later, does he appreciate for their significance.  I always love the thought of All Might looking through his fan mail, even if he can’t get to all of it. This was a wonderful glimpse into that AND it was made to be so, so personal and sweet. Go have some heart-healing fluff.

Growing Pains by LordofLies (tumblr: @theangelofchildren ) Rating: G   Category: Gen    ~5,900 words Summary: Izuku finds himself changed by his encounter with the Hero Killer, but changes of a more physical kind are in store for him as he begins to truly accept One for All as his own. Once, he would have been thrilled to look more like All Might, but now those connections are as much a source of anxiety as they are of pride.Or, Izuku wakes up one morning and sees the world through different eyes. Izuku having anxiety and Toshi being there to help him through it and calm him down? Sign me UP. Its also a pretty cool take on how One for All is able to change things about it’s holder. Could this happen in cannon? Who knows.... Regardless, it was a great read!

I’ll Carry You Home by Renesvetta Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~2,700 words Summary: While training with All Might, it wasn’t uncommon for Izuku to be so exhausted at the end of the day that he unwittingly fell asleep without regard for where he was. It consequently became part of All Might’s routine to help his young protégé home. During that time, Izuku may have let loose more than one sleepy confession towards his mentor.  Yes, it is as adorable as it sounds. Its tagged with “self indulgent Dad Might fluff” which is both accurate and appreciated. In other words: Superb you funky little writer!

Simple Gifts by QuizzicalCrow Rating: G    Category: Gen   ~6,700 words Summary: One year ago, Izuku received the greatest gift he could ever imagine. Now he’s determined to return the favor for the one responsible for it all with a gift of his own.  First off, I love the idea of Izuku and Toshi quietly celebrating the anniversary of passing on OfA from All Might to Izuku. Even just taking the day to hang out with each other. It’s a really precious idea. But there’s not just fluff! Izuku finds himself in a fight, again. (cool villain quirk, too!) I love all of the small details that are in this fic (and in Crow’s other works, too!) anyway its exciting AND very heartwarming, so go read it!!!

Affectionate by Sevi007 (tumblr: @sevi007 ) Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~2,600 words Summary: Toshinori starts to show affection very easily around his students. The  reactions he gets for that are not quite the ones he had anticipated - well, not all of them, at least.  Toshi is LOVED, APPRECIATED, and 1A feels like HOME. how many times can i say “cute” and “heartwarming” on this post?? bc these are some amazing writers, whom I adore, and their writing makes my heart WARM. AND. FUZZY. i mean, even just the first few paragraphs of this one just, really sets the scene of what i like to believe the 1A dorm is (on a good day, lol). its a really nice read, so go treat yo’ self by reading it.

paint me in trust by dinomight Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~6,400 words Summary: The first mark Izuku gets is a slight brush of green across his temple. It’s the soft touch of a mother holding her son for the first time. Inko has one to match, the same shade of green staining the tips of her fingers. Hers is more noticeable; Izuku’s tends to blend into his hairline. He loves it anyways. He has to. It’s the only soulmate mark he has. (Or: how Izuku goes from just green to a rainbow, UA-style.)  Ok, so this fic sort of plays off the idea of soulmates, and does not fit in with soulmates in the usual form of the trope. First off its completely platonic. Its categorized as Gen and sticks to that. Also it doesn’t seem to be as obligatory and permanent as you would think it would be. It seems to be more of the universe telling you who has the possibility of being important in your life. I really really loved this, it was so adorable and gives you that sweet, sweet Izuku angst, before healing your heart with the power of friendship and found family!!!

The Die Has Been Cast by ChiwiTheKiwi (tumblr: @chiwithekiwi​ ) Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~5,400 words Summary: “There’s something about that kid you aren’t telling me, isn’t there?”When no answer meets him, Shouta tries again.“You know something about Midoriya’s quirk that you haven’t shared with me. Is that right?”(Or: A canon "What If" surrounding the latest manga events and focusing on Aizawa finally making a connection.) First off, this fic has spoilers for the manga, so dont read unless you’re past chp212! I loooooooove OfA reveal fics, especially when it’s Aizawa that finds out. He deserves to know!!! its kind of important!!!! This fic chooses a great moment to work off of, and does a great job with Aizawa’s character. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t keep myself from going back and reading it just now LOL

These last two are actually two-shots, but it makes it an even 10! also Izuku and dadmight, so we can continue the theme here...

Some Unspoken Thing by LittleKy Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~7,900 words (2chps) Green, Toshinori has always thought, is the color of life anew.(Or: It's time for Yagi Toshinori to finally accept that he has a son, now, in all but blood. It's time for Midoriya Hisashi to accept that as well.) YES ALL MIGHT! ADMIT THAT IZUKU IS YOUR SON! great portrayal of the characters and really hits the nail on the head for DadMight. and Izuku in this story is just the smallest green floof that you wish to give a hug. NEVER MIND ALL MIGHT, YOU TOOK TOO LONG SO IZUKU IS MY SON NOW AND IM NOT GIVING HIM BACK ( no but seriously i want to hug this fic its so cute TTuTT )

LAST BUT NOT LEAST! I See You by BirdAntlers (tumblr: @aarymk )

Rating: G   Category: Gen   ~15,400 words (2chps) Midoriya Izuku is a quirkless child, blind from birth. Yagi Toshinori is the most powerful man in the world, loved by millions. They could not be more different, and yet their loneliness is the same.   (From a pair of AU posts on Tumblr that got way out of hand; I wanted to put it here because it turned into more of a fic than a "what-if." Basically a vessel for me to vomit as much Dadmight as I can.) Hey, you! Yeah! You! Do you want to cry? Do you want to start sobbing in a public space?? Do you just want to be destroyed with words and be left there kneeling at the feet of a writer who has torn out your heart and stomped on it before they gently wipe the tears from your face? Yeah?? y oU Wan NA D IE??? READ THIS AND GET REKT.  you’ll thank me later

(under the cut is just me rambling, i kept all the important stuff up here, ur welcome)

Now that the actual recs are over I can rant here- look i really tried to slim my recs down, but i have almost 300 bnha fics bookmarked,some of them are “to read” or theyre in progress, etc but i managed to get this list sorta slimmed down? a little?(to only 58!!!) but as i was gathering this post together it felt like i dont have very many Dadmight recs on that list??? but i havent rechecked all the other fics i was just going through the oneshots. i... kinda read a lot more fics with AIzawa in it instead. it be that way. DadMight content is SO GOOD. but my fav is aizawa im sorryyyyy anyway i have another SEVENteeN oneshots to put in rec posts and that does NOT include the mulitchapter and friikin series and stuff... and like i said this is aaaaaaallllllllllllllll BnHA. batfam fic posts will come after, and then star wars, and then maybe star trek? we’ll see. i have a very specific taste in ST fics and that is Tarsus IV whump. which. i have not read in a while. when they say “that trope came from ST” for sooooooo many tropes, you WISH other fandoms had tarsus as a trope, holy crap it is TOP TIER angst fodder. if you love to write/read whump, angst, and h/c i would HIGHLY recommend that you take a bit of time and explore the content and stories there. heck maybe i will make a ficrec post for just tarsus angst. ok.

my INTENTION is to edit these posts later with little links to the other fic rec lists so that itll be easier to find. but., its me, so itll either happen in painful detail or not at all

asdjkdgh its 2:30am and i need to sleep and not be rambling incoherently again I WILL SAVE THIS AS A DRAFT. 

[08279]

do you have any dad might fic recs?

Shelter by LordofLies

Always Welcome Here by teaandtumblr

An uneventful day by Gentrychild

Some Unspoken Thing by LittleKy

dad days by heyhamlet

five things Midoriya Izuku knows about his soulmate by SkyGem (I almost made a fic with this premise because I love this fic so much)

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

A collection of fics I’ve read (/reread) and thoroughly enjoyed in the past week-ish from all kinds of fandoms and genres.

BNHA

✩ Replacing Atlas by JustWaitAndSee

It’s a simple plan: Distract Midoriya long enough for the UA results to come out.

What All Might forgot is that no plan survives first contact, especially not when it's coming in contact with Midoriya Izuku.

. . .

"I’m not going to UA."

My Hero by penguinchick88

Class 1A gets an essay assignment to write about their personal heroes. Some of the students decide to write about Midoriya Izuku. Unfortunately for those specific students, Aizawa doesn't just let them turn in the papers. He makes the entire class read their essays out loud.

Lies in the guise of truth by Jeanemon

All Might is the world's #1 hero, the symbol of peace, the pillar that the world knows they can stand on. He dominates every room he's in, from press conferences to his Hero Agency.

It's pretty easy for everyone to overlook Yagi Toshinori, All Might's 'quirkless secretary'. But he's still there.

✩ From Muddy Waters by HLine

- but the sleeve of his tracksuit was bulging, tearing and ripping and a mass of twisted flesh, nearly as big as the boy himself and nauseatingly familiar (the arm of the man that had torn a hole in his side with a grin and left him a frail shadow of himself) swung forward and slammed into the flat face of the giant robot.

Izuku wants to be a hero more than anything.

A Family Trait (We All Share) by baltshake

It wasn't like Shouto was suspecting his family of intentionally running into Izuku but the fact that it was happening so regularly was starting to give him some sort of sign.

OR: 5 times the Todoroki family conspired to get Shouto into a good relationship and 1 time Shouto decided he could do it himself thank you very much.

flare guns go off in my head saying not to call you this late by youreanovelidea

Midoriya beams at him and Tokoyami is suddenly hit with the urge to look away. “So bright,” he mutters under his breath, low enough that Midoriya can’t hear him.

(or, Midoriya is a problem child who just really loves his friends)

We Start Believing That We Belong by FictionalFeather

Hizashi knew what desperation looked like--tears, panic, begging, crying for help.

He knew it could also look like a tired kid who showed up unannounced one night, asking for his teacher.

Growing Pains by LordofLies

Izuku finds himself changed by his encounter with the Hero Killer, but changes of a more physical kind are in store for him as he begins to truly accept One for All as his own. Once, he would have been thrilled to look more like All Might, but now those connections are as much a source of anxiety as they are of pride.

Or, Izuku wakes up one morning and sees the world through different eyes.

Good Omens

Eziraphael's Gifts: A History of Queer Faith and Longing, by Natasha Marie Johnson (Beacon Press, 2019). by actualbat

"If Eziraphael has come to be known--in today's language--as the 'guardian angel of sad queers,' then it makes sense for him to have shown up more regularly in the past once that became a recognizable historical category."

Natasha is really glad that she's given this talk enough times to be able to do it on autopilot, because those two funny-looking men in the back just made the most absurdly astonished faces.

(Or: Not all historians ignore gay subtext, and not all immortal celestial beings have their shit together. Also, voodoo.)

Stranger Things

✩ it's a risk, it's a gamble by nondz (pinkjook)

“I think we should pretend to date,” Robin says.

"What?" Steve answers.

Marvel

Mr. Parker Declined to Comment by apisdn

The events leading up to the embarrassing moments during the Doomed Field trip, and how Peter Parker accidentally ended up in charge of things. All the while the political machine moves on, the Avengers do not kiss and make up, and the future draws ever closer.

Progress Report by sameuspegasus

Part 2 of Glowy Green Slime

Ms. Warren has some questions for Tony Stark regarding the exact nature of Peter's internship. She gets invited to the lab to see for herself.

[autumngracy]

Hi! I just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work that you put into AROS. It's such a lovely fic with great characterization and the slow burn is just fjfjdlslklll;;;; I'm so happy that these two dumb old men are finally getting it :''') do you have any favourite Valvert fics?

Hello dear, sorry to answer this so late; I’ve been away from my pc for awhile and it would be impossible to compile the recc list I wanted on mobile! Thank you so much for your kind words~

*crosses fingers that Tungle.hell lets these links work right*

A selection of some of my favorite valvert fanfics:

A Fine Thing For A Cold Night by jumponvaljean (whoatherejavert)

A Good Officer by hoc_voluerunt

A Hunger Artist by Anonymous

A Very Javert Christmas Carol by KChan88

Agonies of Conscience by LordofLies

All Men Will Have Their Reward by pushingcrazies

All the Effects of Intoxication by Cinaed

all we are is skin and bone by carnival_papers

Already three parts dead by EllaMason

Amid the Thorn by Esteliel

An Other Christmas Carol by Chrissy24601

Angel of Mercy by Chrissy24601

Attendance is Mandatory by Kaleran

Benefit of the Touch by Chrissy24601

Between the Dog and the Wolf by AmZ (Boanerges)

Book Four: The Seine by L'Ael-Inire

Complicity by AmZ (Boanerges)

Covert Letters to My Lover(‘s Daughter) by spacehound

Don’t You Fret by velvetcat09

Earthquake in Suspension (or, A Love Story in Three Acts) by Kaleran

Fall as Lucifer Fell by fengxiaoj

Flowers of Autumn Days by madame_le_maire

Gentle Strength by Waistcoat35

He Says You are Sublime by bazemayonnaise (Ninjaninaiii)

Her Favorite Color by Pygmy Puff

Inspector Javert and the Empire of Death by Esteliel

It would take forever by Menthe

It’s a Wonderful Life, Javert by Sarah1281

It’s Empty in the Valley of Your Heart by akatonbo

Juniper and Camphor by Esteliel

Les jours s'en vont jede meure by mothi

Life Drawing by drcalvin

My heart lies buried like something dead by Cinaed

Not Like A Tree Where The Roots Have To End by ConstanceComment

Not Your Guardian Angel by Ragnelle (8Daenerys8)

Pas-de-Calais: Summer by esteven

Per Ardua ad Astra by TheLifeOfEmm (a Potterverse crossover fic)

Relief by Zarabeth22

Ripples in the River by TheLifeOfEmm

rough mind, gentle heart by evocates

Show Me Heaven by Chrissy24601

Stitches by The_End_of_the_Chase

Surrender byChrissy24601

Take Shelter from the Storm by Chrissy24601

The Basin ofPilate by Esteliel

The Beginnings of Sight by drcalvin

The Indescribable Dawn by iberiandoctor (jehane), Sir_Bedevere

The Inspector and the Mouse King by Esteliel

The Last Duty by Pygmy Puff

The Reconciliation of Javert by ClassicalOboist

The Song of Angry Men by fightingthecage (Unfinished work, likely abandoned)

There’s Something I Must Do by LisKin

To Tempt the Wilderness by Esteliel

Toil Until the Old Colours Fade by drcalvin

Tomorrow is Ours to Win or Lose by TheLifeOfEmm

Un Chant de Noël by TheLifeOfEmm

Upon This Rock – Sir_Bedevere

Watching You from This Side of Heaven by Pygmy Puff (ppuff)

When Old Men Plant Trees (TheChestnut Remix) by Esteliel

When the ending is not the end by Lilith_the_ancient

while the world is stretched we grow by icicaille

Years gone by, and still series by esteven (An Aubrey Maturin/Les Mis crossover)

You by Sir_Bedevere

[ironinkpen]

Any good fic recs for dad might? I'm always a wreck for found family and its just so goooood

hell fuckin YEAH you came to the right nerd anon

Ongoing:

Yesterday Upon The Stair by PitViperOfDoom (405k) - A quirk!Izuku fic where Izuku has a quirk that lets him see ghosts. This fic is really just a total fucking legend. Features lots of Dad Might being concerned about his spooky son. There was a scene in a recent chapter that took my breath away, god

Bloom In Winter by e_va (132k) - In which Hisashi Midoriya is a villain (and a dick) and Izuku is forced at a young age to help him and the organization he’s part of with their evil plans. I literally can’t emphasize how much I love this fic already. The characterization is awesome and the villains are so hateable, it’s amazing. Also comes with a bonus heap of Dadzawa.

Burn Your Wings by oWhiteKiwibird (136k) - Izuku inherits both of his parents’ quirks but swears to become a hero without ever using his father’s power after what he did to him and his mother. When All Might swoops in and offers him another quirk, it’s the chance of a lifetime. This fic is. So good. And has such a good message about moving past trauma and saving others without destroying yourself. (warning for child abuse!)

Ne Plus Ultra by ItsClydeBitches (48k) - A drabble collection about All Might, Aizawa, and the 20 students they’re coparenting. All the chapters are super cute, but if you want Toshinori with Izuku specifically, I’d check out chapters 3, 5, 22, 27, and 30 (psssst read chapter 19 too)

A beacon in the dark by NohaIjiachi (302k) - Izuku goes blind when he’s four, but slowly learns that he’s maybe not as sightless - or as quirkless - as he thought. Just. A fantastic fic. So fun. There’s a little romance in it (it’s TodoDeku, if it matters to you) but I’d say the bulk of the fic focuses on Izuku and Dad Might, and beautifully, too. Also, it’s illustrated! Make sure to read the notes at the end of chapter 15 :)

Complete:

Dis(associate) by BeyondTheClouds777 (283k) - Izuku is born with a quirk that lets him “dissociate” from his body. He thinks it’s a useless at first, but it starts surprising him (and everyone around him). This fic is full of Dad Might and is exciting and fun and just! amazing please read it!!!!

Stickers and Stars by aloneintherain (1.9k) - Izuku gets deaged and All Might has to watch him. This fic gave me a cavity.

Dear Mr All Might by QuizzicalCrow (5.9k) - After a classroom conversation about fanmail, Toshinori tracks down the fanmail his students sent him as kids. And finds a series of letters he can only appreciate the significance of now. Too cute.

Affectionate by Sevi007 (2.5k) - Toshinori spends a relaxed night with his students and doles out some affection. Soft fic. The softest of fics.

If I’m losing again, quiet me down by Sevi007 (8.6k) - After the fight with Stain, Izuku hits his emotional limit. Luckily his teacher’s always there to help him pick himself back up. Hit me with that supportive All Might god damn

Breaking It Down by Sevi007 (3.8k) - Izuku has a nightmare and Toshinori comes to the rescue. I am a sucker for the “character A has a nightmare and character B comforts them” trope so this hits all sorts of happy spots for me lmao

The best cure by Sevi007 (4.7k) - Toshinori and Izuku deal with injuries, years apart. I just. Really love Sevi’s fics okay

Call by Clarobell (1.4k) - Toshinori gets a call in the middle of the night and assumes the worst, but it turns out he didn’t need to worry. Featuring some rowdy kids and their good ass dad.

Growing Pains by LordofLies (5.8k) - Izuku wakes up and sees things a little differently (pun intended). 

Growing Pains by teaandtumblr (1.4k) - Izuku is in pain and Dad Might freaks out and it’s cute. It’s so cute. what the fuck

One Phone Call Away by saltandburnit (5.2k) - Toshinori gets a terrifying phone call and Izuku just wants some comfort. This fic’ll hurt you but everything works out I promise!!

Hold by BeyondTheClouds777 (1.3k) - Toshinori holds on, and so does Izuku.

A Shared Consequence by GuardianLioness (2k) - The cold is a bitch when it comes to old injuries. Toshinori realizes that Izuku knows that too well. Dutiful son takes care of pointy skeleton dad.

Lullaby by Miilky (.5k) - A phone call before the provisional exams. A cute little snapshot.

Ikelos by likestoimagine (2.9k) - Toshinori wakes up in the middle of the night to find Izuku on the dorm couch. Platonic cuddling is best cuddling.

Growing Like You by Guardian Lioness (2k) - Izuku starts having trouble staying on his feet during training and Toshinori offers some insight as to why. Short and hella sweet.

Tie Yourself Together by The_Button_Harlequin (.5k) - All Might helps Izuku tie his tie. But the tie is also a metaphor for emotional stability. 

Secret Bentos by DreamingQueen (4.7k) - Toshinori starts finding bentos on his desk. #LetThisSkeletonManEat2k18

NIghtmares by DreamingQueen (4.2k) - Set in the same ‘verse as Secret Bentos. Izuku has a rough night. #GiveThisBoyAHug2k18

Those are all the ones I can think of right now but I’ll probably add to this later! And hey,,, if anyone has any recs,,,,,,,

[skygemspeaks]

bnha family fluff recs AO3: Being a Hero by Minatos_Legacy, United We Stand Divided We Fall Series by Karu_Ambrogio, What A Hero Wants by ServerPanda, A Subconscious Typo by MidStarlight, Growing Pains by LordofLies, A Hero Like You! by PolearmPolaris, Walking Backwards by HyperHazerdious, The Love of a Child by Border__Damage, the impossible son by multifascinate (talkativelock), Dorm Life by Blacknovelist, The All Mighty Family by Magical_Awesome_Kid... Most of it's Toshinko & DadMight stuff.

 A Hero Like You!

A Subconscious Typo

Being a Hero

Dorm Life

Growing Pains

The All Mighty Family

the impossible son

The Love of a Child

United We Stand Divided We Fall series 

Walking Backwards

What a Hero Wants

Thanks so much for all the recs, my dear! I’ll be sure to check them out!

[meant2beestudios]

Lord of Lies Devlog #1

September 9th, 2023

Hey hey, it’s Joy! (Flowersforjoy)

Note: This Devlog is split into sections, so feel free to take it all in or skip to what you want to know. If you read any Devlogs at all, you’re a blessing (also you’re hot).

Without further ado let’s talk about my #Once Upon A Time VN Jam Entry:

(Credit to mikalogo for this gorgeous logo!)

What is “Lord of Lies”? A good question, but before we can talk about “Lord of Lies” we need to talk about: 

Okay? What the hell is “Princess Poison”?

In short, ‘Princess Poison’ is ‘Lord of Lies’. In many ways they are the same story, but in many other ways they are two different things.

‘Princess Poison’ was actually my first full length novel I ever finished back in 2019 *gasp*- it is a 60k word, half dark fantasy/adventure, half lgbt romance novel. Written back when I was a young aspiring novelist.

‘Princess Poison’, was a story about Lawrence Bane, a 25 year old man born with a ‘witch power’ the power to track any living thing, given he has DNA to do so. He’s hired by the leader (who only goes by the code name: King) of a witch hunting group known as: “The Noble House Witch Hunters” hence, the code names for the members being: King, Queen, Prince, Princess… etc. Lawrence is hired by King to track his second in command “The Princess” and what they find when tracking her, changes Lawrence’s life forever. Sending him on a wild adventure full of danger. 

The entire story is available here on AO3 (I was bold lol).

Note: I don’t actually like the original story nor do I think you should read it, unless you have way too much time on your hands and/or morbid curiosity. I posted it here mainly to prove that it does in fact exist. For me, this story only serves as a way to gauge my growth as a writer in the last 5 years. 

The Problems with Princess Poison

What’s wrong with it? You may be asking.

Nothing especially egregious outside of just being the first full length piece I ever wrote. Most of it’s problems stem from the fact that it was an ambitious first attempt.

Princess Poison’s biggest problems were, (to name only the major ones):

Too many characters in the main cast

Villain was predictable and very cartoon-y

Too much dialogue and exposition

Poorly written fight scenes galore

No sense of time progression

Lackluster/nonexistent world building

A poorly explained power system

Complicated, jarring plot twists

Plot holes

Character arcs that amount to nothing

In short, it was a total mess. I had finished the story but, it was too much, and not enough. I was 19 when I wrote it originally (I’m 24 going on 25 for reference) it was a lot for a new author to write a story with so many moving parts. 

I was proud of myself for finishing it, and finishing it in a 3 month period. But what I was left with was a mediocre end product. 

Not to mention the actual writing for the story was lonely and torturous. I forced myself to get up at 5am and write, I forced myself through scenes I didn’t even like (but thought I needed).  It was after I finished writing it that I had a bit of crisis in regards to if I wanted to write again at all because the experience was so miserable. And what I came back with wasn’t even worth the struggle. Worst of all, I was forced to face the reality that I may not like writing as much as I thought I did although I had known I wanted to be a writer since I was 8 years old.

In order for ‘Princess Poison’ to work it would have to be completely rewritten and twice the length.

RPG Maker, The Pandemic, and Mistakes 

Okay, so after writing Princess Poison initially I took 3 months off before I decided to continue working on it. I still wasn’t sure if this was what I wanted to do. But I had convinced myself that writing is the only passion I ever had, and that this was just how it had to be.

How naive I was.

So I got to editing and enlisting beta readers. I actually have always enjoyed this process, it feels good to share your work with others (even if they are critiquing it. At least you know that you are making moves to improve your work.

And as we established this story definitely needed improvement.

The common feedback I kept getting were all the problems I listed before. My solution to these problems…I needed to rewrite it. 

But I didn’t wanna rewrite Princess Poison, I didn’t want to write a whole other novel, because it wasn’t just a couple things that needed to be tuned, it had to be built from the ground up.

So…why not make it into something that wasn’t a novel?

Enter RPG Maker.

Why RPG Maker you may ask?

At this time in my like I’d been a humongous fan of Dan and Phil for many years. And one of my favorite videos on their conjoined gaming channel, one I would rewatch a lot, was this gem: 14 YEAR OLD PHIL’S GAME - Dan and Phil Play: The Mark Of Oxin!

Basically the video is the two guys: Dan and Phil playing a game Phil had made himself when he was 14 years old in RPG Maker 2000 (I think?)

Something that stuck with me about this video was how Dan was so impressed by Phil making a game so young and finishing it. 

Phil’s game made me feel a little better about Princess Poison was it good? No. But, it existed, it was finished and best of all I’d done it all by myself, that alone was impressive. 

Had Phil kept making games, he’d have gotten better. What mattered though, was that he had fun. He shared it with his school friends, then Dan as an adult, and then the world. 

So again, why not make Princess Poison into a game?

I mean let’s go back to some of those bullet points.

Too many characters in the main cast

Perfect for RPG 

Too much dialogue and exposition

If the dialogue was optional, it would add to the experience, not take away.

Poorly written fight scenes galore

Didn’t need to write any fight scenes, you could just play through it.

No sense of time progression

The time progression in game feels a lot more tangible.

Lackluster/nonexistent world building

The world I’d be forced to build, the environments, the people that lived there, the culture, etc…

A poorly explained power system

The power system could be the battle system!

There were still obviously plenty of story related problems that still needed to be fixed, but if I wasn’t being bogged down by descriptions of environments and the logistics of fight scenes, I’d have more time to focus on the characters and plot.

So I’d started learning RPG maker, somewhere in late 2019-and all throughout 2o20, the perfect time to learn it since a little thing went around, that you may have heard of… 

COVID 19 and the pandemic! I had gotten my first apartment and had ample time to learn the program.

And boy did I! It became my hyper-fixation I put in easily 500 hours in the coarse of a couple months. I learned, and then it was finally time, nearly a year and half later to make-

Princess Poison: The Game or PP Game as I childishly called it…

At first when working on the game, I kept pretty much everything the same, whole scenes from the book put into game format. It was fun figuring out how to translate the world in my head, to a visual space. The environments especially. Then creating my characters in RPG Maker MV, developing their classes and fighting styles, etc…

I was having so much fun! More fun than I had writing since I was a middle schooler. I’d worked, and worked, rewriting a good portion of the story putting so so many hours into the game.

But I made a mistake, one many devs/game makers know to avoid.

Backup your builds.

I hadn’t, a file got corrupted, and just like that. All that work- POOF!

Gone.

All my hours, for nothing.

I was devastated. I was so angry, so tired. I mourned the loss of the game I loved so much.

I took another break, but- only for a month.

Because unlike novel writing, I did enjoy working in RPG maker, and though I’d lost basically a third of the total game. It wasn’t all lost.

I just had to work again, but this time smarter.

So I did. I somehow managed to push my grief aside, and work again.

I backed up every save, every time I made a huge addition.

I organized my maps better, I made the story more concise, I worked tirelessly until I was able to catch up where I was, and surpass it.

But another thing happened. 

Not as tragic as before, but another thing all devs know.

Burnout.

I was exhausted, I got to the point where opening the build was enough to make me feel ill and I’d close my laptop. I couldn’t stand it.

Not to mention, had I not lost the initial build. I might have been done by now.

It was 2021, and I worked on it but very slowly. Almost not at all.

I wanted a change. I had to do something else.

While looking for assets for PP Game (yes we’re still calling it that), on Lemmasoft forums, I discovered some forum posts asking for visual novel writers. I’d applied, created discord, starting using itch, and fell into the world of VN dev.

I’d done some contract writing for other studios and solo devs, but nothing really ever came to fruition, frustrated I decided to join a jam, met a programmer, and started to make my own visual novels. A boy’s love story you may know as ‘Tattoos and Tulips’, something simple for Yaoi Jam 2021. 

I failed initially with Tattoos and Tulips development and so put that aside, and turned my focus back to Princess Poison.

I worked slowly on Princess Poison for a couple more months, leading into 2022, before rebuilding a team for Tattoos and Tulips. 

I’d finished writing TNT (a story with more words than Princess Poison somehow lol) in a 3rd of the time (I wrote TNT in 3 weeks). And the kicker… I adored writing TNT, and the final product (back when I only had the script). I had realized I did love writing stories in a novel format. It was possible!

So after I had finished writing TNT I continued running the team and when I had some free time I decided what Princess Poison needed was what I had with TNT- it needed a team. 

So I started building one, a small one. Tattoos and Tulips had artists, composers, beta readers, etc…  Princess Poison had only me. So I hired an artist, I got a co-writer, and I brought on a composer, and unsurprisingly I fell back in love with it. I was going to finish Princess Poison the game finally, and under my new studio! It was all going to work out.

But then one last thing I forgot to account for happened. I backed up my saves, I took needed breaks, and had others to share my enthusiasm and breathe fresh life into the project, but life happened. 

My mental health took a horrible turn, (I’ve dealt with panic disorder since I was 6 years old and have been medicated since I was 17) I didn’t know it then, but I had stupidly avoided my medication for so long that I had started to go through withdrawals, very strong withdrawals. Leaving me anxious, depressed, and laying in bed most days for 3 months. In addition, my teammates had their own mental health issues, and personal life interferences and they had to abandon the project. I was all alone with Princess Poison again

I didn’t start to feel better until the start of 2023, I didn’t work on anything during that time other than my own health, and at that point I’d gotten a full time job. 

It was starting to feel like, even if I wanted to work on my games, I didn’t have the time. This proved to not be true. I wrote all of Crabs and Cocktails in February. Then got really involved in the indie dev scene during Otome Jam 2023, releasing Tattoos and Tulips during in April. 

I was finding my footing as a studio and dev for the first time.

I met other devs, played their games, and fell fully in love with the community. I was constantly inspired by those I spoke to and worked with. 

My development with Tattoos and Tulips, Cassie, and Crabs and Cocktails just felt for the most part second nature to me. So the problem might have been that solo developing a game just wasn’t for me…or was it?

Once Upon A Time VN Jam

Then a little jam came to town sometime in 2023 and I knew immediately I had to join, mainly because it was ran by two extremely talented and wonderful friends of mine Chimeriquement and Len. 

This jam’s premise brought up old feelings however, though Princess Poison was never a Fairy Tale or even a retelling, there were many allusions to Fairy Tales in Princess Poison, and a little seed got planted in my head. But I pushed it back, I’d tried so many times to make this project happen and it wasn’t happening. It wasn’t meant to be. So I wanted to participate but with my own new original fairy tale story.

But for some reason my brain would not leave Princess Poison. And I hated that.

That original fairy tale story got shelved, and I wondered if I was going to participate in OUAT at all…

But… I am the type of writer that goes where my heart leads me. I learned from TNT that if I wrote what my heart wanted, it would go well. 

So I did a crazy thing. I decided, I won’t do something original for this jam.

I’ll give Princess Poison one last chance.

I work a lot. And my job is the perfect place to brainstorm and one afternoon I got a lot of stuff together. 

It was as if all my years of experience writing, deving, living even- helped me develop a story that was much better than the original. Sharing a lot of it’s foundation, but with a whole new structure.

The ideas were firing on all cylinders, the characters were making sense, the plot was compelling, exciting! My playlist I made for the story made more sense now? What was going on?

The story changed, a lot. Some of the key things were the same, but so many things were different. Better.

The title even changed. Princess Poison was too juvenile, too edgy, too misleading- not what this project was.

I outlined the story, and though not perfect it was the best it had ever been.

The main thing that changed, and is directly responsible for the biggest changes in the story is the protagonists’: Lawrence’s power. Instead of tracking any living thing, he could tell verbal lies with 100% accuracy. It was the missing piece, after that everything just worked, and “Lord of Lies” was born.

Redemption Arc/Plans Going Forward

So why do you think its going to work this time? Put simply, I don’t. I am taking a leap of faith. I am solo developing this project, the only outside help is an artist I commissioned, and the support of my friends (and potential beta testers). 

It’ll be the first project under Meant to Bee Studios that isn’t made by a team. And that’s terrifying for me.

I think I am a decent writer, I can cast voice actors, I can even market a game. But to have practically everything else be my responsibility. To be creating alone again…

Except I am not alone, I have so many dev friends, many of whom solo develop themselves: Snakkiez, Lacydigital, Chattercap… and so many more! They don’t feel alone, I can learn from them. I have what Joy of the past didn’t have.

Now that doesn’t mean it will be smooth sailing.

I’ve joked on Twitter and among close friends that I feel like Lawrence- thrust into unfamiliar territory with a couple tools to guide me. I’m a young knight leaving their village to slay the dragon.

The jam is generous at 3 months, but this is a really big game. Even with all the stuff I have from last time, lots of it has to be rewritten or taken out completely so in some ways I am working from scratch. 

The cast is still large, and I worry some of them may slip through the cracks.

I’ve never balanced and RPG before.

I have to make sure the story takes as much precedent, if not more- than the mechanics and gameplay.

It’s nerve wracking and I honestly question myself every day if this is the right thing to do but, something in me is just saying it is. 

That this time will be different and that, if I just apply all I’ve learned from this journey I can finally put a cap on this project for good. 

I can beat this boss.

I’ve succeeded with every other project I have worked on, but Princess Poison was the one that got away. 

It has the most potential now than it ever has. I’ve spent so much time with these characters, so much time in RPG maker, so much time time managing, running teams, making/playing games, talking to people, living life.

If I felt like Princess Poison/Lord of Lies was beyond hope I’d have dropped it in favor of something else but I can’t. I have to see it through, I have to finish it for my own sanity. 

((I do want to note that it’s fine to give up on projects- some you just outgrow and that’s fine.)) 

But this story has grown with me: this most recent outlining process came together in a way it never had and I loved it again. For the first time, in a long time I believed in this project! And the theme, which I cannot say for sake of major spoilers, is the biggest reason this project must see the light of day. This game has the potential to be my best story to date. And that’s saying a lot since all my stories are super near and dear to my heart. But Lord of Lies can outshine them all, only time will tell. 

So here we are….

For the past month or so I have been working on this project, I have character concept sketches, in game maps, a full outline. Now I just need the strength, time, and willpower to see it through to the end. So I decided, let’s make a devlog, let’s document and make others aware of this project, let’s hold myself accountable. In addition, I’ll be reaching out to friends, streaming in discord servers my work process, and having fun with this project.

Because, in addition to some of the mistakes I had made, the biggest one dev’s make- is not having fun with what they are doing, myself included.

It’s good to get things done, there is a culture that is romanticized of ‘the grind’, and yes working hard is great! But it’s not sustainable, it’s not conducive to a project filled with passion. At least for me.

I cannot create my best when I don’t love my project. So I am going to love Lord of Lies in a way I never loved Princess Poison. 

I’m going to have a memorable 3 months with this project and right my wrongs.

I hope you’ll follow my journey, and soon playthrough Lawrence’s journey on December 31st 2023 the official release day for Lord of Lies!~

Next Week’s Devlog Sneak Peak

For next week’s Devlog; we will be taking a closer look at what Lord of Lies is, now that I’ve talked about my journey with it’s predecessor: Princess Poison is.

Next week I’ll be talking about the cast, world, mechanics, etc… in a non spoilery fashion. Giving you a glimpse into what to expect from this LGBT Romance/Dark Fantasy/Grim Fairytale/Adventure Visual Novel/RPG.

If you like the sound of that please check back in every Saturday from now until December 30th for all devlogs during development.

Credit to the wonderful: Gisselle! My sprite and CG artist! You’ll be seeing more of this cast and her work next week!

Final Note:

Unrelated but still important! Crabs & Cocktails my yaoi/bl kinetic visual novel just came out! It’s full of sex jokes, beach puns, and a silly/flirty romance between a lifeguard and a bartender! Please go check it out if you’re interested!

Until next Saturday!~

[christianityoriginal]

*#hellofaquestion #hellhistory #lordoflies* The *original Bible has no Hell.* (http://ChristianityOriginal.com/HellHistory) Various words like Sheol/Hades [Grave] & Gehenna [A neighborhood's name] have been mistranslated as Hell. So *how did hell fire and eternal torment creep into Christianity?* The first question to ask would be - What did ancient pagan religions believe in terms of death and afterlife? 1. *Pagan ideas of a fiery netherworld* date back as far as Egypt's Nimrod. Way before Christ, in the 6th century BC, *Zoroaster taught the Persians of a Lord of Lies* who lived in the dark reaches under the earth recording the deeds of men as debits and credits. After death, souls went to be judged, and if found evil, would be doomed to torment. 2. *By the 3rd century AD, many biblical doctrines were corrupted as the church started allowing such pagan theories* to blend with the original teachings of the disciples. Read more: http://ChristianityOriginal.com/HellHistory https://www.facebook.com/ChristianityOriginal/photos/a.763724020337694/2550530021657076/?type=3

[witcherfic]

LordofLies June 06, 2020 at 06:33PM

by LordofLies

As Geralt sits in prison awaiting his judgment, Regis flies north to seek the aid of an old friend.

(A missing scene for the Dettlaff-Lives ending of Blood and Wine.)

Words: 4052, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, Priscilla (The Witcher), Jaskier | Dandelion, Zoltan Chivay

Relationships: Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Dettlaff van der Eretein & Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy

Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Blood and Wine (The Witcher 3 DLC) Spoilers, Alive Dettlaff van der Eretein, Geralt is in jail, Friendship, Reunions, Priscilla and Regis would be BFFs

[captainkirkk]

I was wondering if you know any fanfictions where Izuku gets black eyes like All Might. I know that I have read a few but for the life of me can't remember them. Any help would be awesome!

Actually I recced one in my last weekly fic round-up. 

Growing Pains by LordofLies