#novel locs

[dahliaindaze]

'causeㅤㅤ sheㅤㅤ wouldㅤㅤ rather ㅤㅤㅤkill ㅤㅤherself ㅤㅤthanㅤㅤ ever ㅤ𓇼𓏲 ㅤbe ㅤㅤㅤwith ㅤ||ㅤyou ㅤㅤagain *　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　✦　˚　ㅎㄴ

and ㅤㅤyou ㅤㅤlikeㅤㅤ me ㅤㅤwhenㅤㅤ I'm ㅤsilent,ㅤㅤ silent ㅤㅤbutㅤㅤ I'mㅤ deadly ˚. . ★⋆. ࿐࿔ .   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　✦　˚　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　 　　 　　　　 　

[doloresdisparue]

i think most people saying ANYTHING about the lolita musical should really pipe down because i'm willing to bet 95% of you have not seen the actual final script. If you're basing your opinion on secondhand knowledge here maybe think for a second about what the current average secondhand knowledge of the WIDELY AVAILABLE BOOK is and swallow that hot take you formed based on 2 tiktoks and 38 seconds of a podcast

[k1rsos]

[dumbas-writes]

Part 1

Acceptance of his absence was always entrusted within my soul until yesterday. Been a year, sadly only a year and memories were still fresh like that day only we said goodbye to each other before leaving our town for future. Supposedly we weren't meant to meet each other but destiny have other plans.

He was standing right infront of the place we always used to hangout with our friends. Like the central character, he wore my favorite colour pink but never knew about his new addiction of cigarettes. For a split second something happened within me. I shivered internally, I never knew he could affect me that much. We crossed path, probably he hadn't seen me there then. I sat next to our old friends and internally cussing myself why at the first place I agreed to meet for the reunion not something grand. I was hoping he won't be here, but his presence is always felt. I remembered my town and a big part of it was him. When I smell this place, I can smell him quite vividly.

Felt a heavy gaze on me, not like I wasn't looking at him but it was for split second to search for all the changes he adopted when he wasn't with me. His lips got darker, his gaze more thicker and probably his charm remains the same. Our eyes met, it was not supposed to though. Not for a silly second but as before and as now, his stubbornness remains the same. "I'm glad you came." I thought this to myself, when did he get so mature to approach me first after all that we went through but me simply smiled.

We talked with ourselves and with our friends. It wasn't that heavy the way I thought it would be. Until we left alone by the crowd. It was just us like it used to be the only difference was the feelings are changed, people are changed and some memories are fade away intentionally. Neither him nor I was speaking, we were at peace in a chaos amongst ourselves.

[ampleappleamble]

haven't seen this on here yet so:

in case you don't want to slog through the shitscape that is the bird/letter website, take a peek beneath the cut (shamelessly copied from the something awful forums dungeon meshi thread)

- Her first memory of video games was watching her father playing Wizardry on Famicom, also Dragon Quest, Ultima, and Fire Emblem among others.

- She was a difficult child so her parents didn't let her play. Wizardry is a boring game to watch, but the monster illustrations on the walkthrough evoked her imagination and made her keep watching.

- She only started becoming a serious gamer after the serialization of Dungeon Meshi was locked, for research purposes. Before that, she read fantasy novels such as The Neverending Story (Michael Ende) and The Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien).

- The international title for Dungeon Meshi: Delicious in Dungeons was decided by her editor.

- D&D popped up a lot when she researched the history of video games, so she read the rule books, replay novels, and games inspired by D&D.

- One of the first games she studied was the Legend of Grimrock (game's 80% off on Steam atm). Originally, she wanted Dungeon Master (FTL Games) which was famous for "RPG with meals" but hunting down the game and machine was too much.

- She didn't like games other than turn-based RPGs at first, but she decided to stop being picky and play anything that piqued her interest.

- She played Zelda: BotW and TotK on a borrowed Switch from her editor due to the console's scarcity at the time.

- She enjoyed Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War for their stories. RDR2's incredible attention to detail had Kui engrossed so much that she asked her editor and other mangaka to play it so she could discuss it with them.

- Kui praised The Witcher 3 localization as something only possible with full support from the developer. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of her all-time favorites.

- Papers, Please was her first taste of indie games.

- Disco Elysium is the perfect game for her due to the lack of fighting, intriguing story, charming character interaction, and top-down perspective. She tried playing it in English at first due to an unlikely chance for JP loc, but it was out of her ability. Thus she is forever grateful to Spike Chunsoft for localizing it.

- Kui played Baldur's Gate 3 from the time it was in Early Access. Again, she's grateful for Spike Chunsoft's JP loc. She hoped BG3's success would bring the possibility of JP loc for other titles too, such as Pathfinder: wotr

- She likes games with top-down perspective because they have narration text for monologues and scenery description. Even if the graphic is lacking, the texts show the atmosphere and each character's behavior and psyche. Also, characters that react to your choices.

- She praised Unpacking and House Flipper for being able to tell what kind of person lives there only through their belongings, and that there's no right or wrong for the placements; she would make the best arrangement and then enjoy her hard work while sipping tea.

- The biggest inspiration for Dungeon Meshi was the Cosmic Forge pen from Wizardry VI. With improved graphics from its predecessor, now it could show broken farming tools in the background and many more details that made exploration so much fun.

- At the time of the interview (Dec '23) she still hadn't watched DunMeshi anime, but she attended the recording sessions. She's embarrassed that the dialog she wrote now acted passionately by professionals. Marcille's screaming was wonderful but also made her want to flee.

- Kui was anxious about the CP2077 anime adaptation, but she was relieved it was the Night City she knows and loves.

- Other than minor adjustments, she left it to TRIGGER as to how to adapt

- She's happy that Mitsuda Yasunori was chosen as the anime composer, as she used to play Chrono Cross and rewatched the opening many times.

- Her anticipated games in 2024 are Cloudpunk, Nivalis, and Avowed.

- DunMeshi would be hard to adapt into a game because in the first place, what Kui depicted in the manga are parts that are omitted in games for the sake of brevity.

- If DunMeshi game was Wizardry-like, it'd be told through Laios' perspective and eating was essential not to die

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Aisha Character Profile

(WIP)

Basic Information

Name: Aisha Ailani Terinus

Race: Fairy | Merfolk Descendant

Age: 20

Gender: Female (She/Her)

Height: 5'8 (173 cm)

Unique Features

Locs

Royalty engravings on her back and arms

Education & Background

Education: Alfea

Year: Transfer Student

Concentrated Study: Diplomacy & Leadership in Fae Realms

Minor Studies: Enchanted Visual Arts | Diplomatic Negotiation Strategies | Elemental Combat Techniques

Favorite Class: Introduction to Mystical Movement

Birthplace: Kingdom of Terra, Andros

Relationships

Family

Mother: Niobe Terinus

Father: Teredor Terinus

Sister: Layla Terinus (Deceased)

Aunt: Ligea Marinus

Uncle: Neptune Marinus

Cousins: Tritannus, Tressa, Nereus

Friends

Tecna/Bloom (Winx Best Friends)

Sky/Brandon/Helia (Specialist Best Friends)

Love Interests*

Nabu

Personality Traits

Brave: Aisha doesn't shy away from challenges or difficult situations, always facing them head-on.

Risk-Taker: She is willing to take calculated risks when necessary, unafraid of the unknown.

Passionate: Her passion fuels her actions, pushing her to excel and make a difference in what she cares about.

Strong Sense of Duty: Helping others isn't just a choice; it's a fundamental part of who she is.

Stubborn: Once Aisha has made up her mind, it's challenging to sway her from her chosen path. Her strong beliefs and principles make her resistant to changing her opinion or stance easily.

Tenacious: Aisha stubbornness often serves her well, especially in difficult situations where relentlessness is required.

Extroverted: She thrives in social environments, drawing energy from interactions with diverse personalities.

Adventurous: She actively seeks out novel and thrilling experiences. Always eager to learn and discover, she has an insatiable curiosity about the world.

Skills & Abilities

Proficient in staff-based martial arts/defensive techniques

Excels in water magic

Able to manipulate Morphix

Understands most languages of the sea

Can hold her breath underwater for a very long time

Can use Morphix to assist with breathing and swimming underwater

Hobbies & Interests

Water activities

Dancing

Exercising

Studying Oceanography/Languages

Meeting new people

Traveling to new places

Apart of a Quadrathlon Team

Apart of a Debate Team

Quirks & Habits

Follows a Pescetarian Diet

Goes for a swim or run every morning

Loves running bubble baths

__________________________

Winx Rewrite Master Post

[choiceofgames]

New game! On the Run: Rogue Heroes, by Alyssa N. Vaughn.

We’re proud to announce that On the Run: Rogue Heroes, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, Android, and on iOS in the "Choice of Games" app.

On the Run: Rogue Heroes is 33% off until March 28th! 

Awaken your powers and save your friends! Uncover the secrets that the military has been hiding about Activated people, about your family, and about you.

On the Run: Rogue Heroes is an interactive teenage-superpower novel by Alyssa N. Vaughn. It’s entirely text-based, 200,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

For decades, everyone with special powers like super-strength or flight has been forced into lifelong conscription in W.I.N.G.S.: the Weaponized Individual National Guardian Services. Most of this military branch’s activities are secret—except for the daring exploits of heroes like Ms. Midnight, Phantom Phaeton, and Sergeant Smash.

You and your older sister grew up living with your grandmother, who cared for you, provided for you, and sheltered you from the truth. She knows what they do at W.I.N.G.S., she knows what happened to your parents, and she knows about the deadly genetic disease that you and your sister both carry.

Now, you and your sister have finally Activated your powers, W.I.N.G.S has arrested and conscripted your sister, and you've fled with your grandmother, on the run from psionic government agents with abilities just as powerful as yours.

But you’re not alone! There are people out there trying to fight back against W.I.N.G.S., people who could be your friend—or more than friends. There's Micah, a long-lost friend with shoulder-length locs and a big secret to protect. Alex, a pickpocket/con-artist has illusion powers and a lot of eye makeup. Then there's Knockout, a vigilante with a red-brown ponytail and homemade costume, including a mask and cape.

While your scrappy little group races against time to save your sister and yourselves, your own powers are growing stronger every day. Outrun cars on the highway with super-speed, pull down telephone poles with your super-strength, let out supersonic cries that can shatter glass—or just turn invisible and sneak away from it all. You’ll need every bit of your power and your smarts as you uncover secrets that could change the lives of every Activated person on earth.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, or asexual. • Choose your portfolio of powers: super-strength, super-speed, heightened senses, supersonic shouts, or invisibility! • Befriend or romance a childhood sweetheart, a scrappy con-artist runaway, or a powered vigilante with big golden-retriever energy. • Discover the truth about your family and rebuild your relationship with your long-lost mother—or leave it all behind and seek support only with your friends. • Fight back against the government’s control of Activated people, join their secret organization and become even more powerful yourself, or make peace between opposing factions.

Who will you trust? Who are your parents? Who will you date?

[bokujou-monogatari]

So about this series and localization;

Ok, to start this off let me say I do not work in localization. It's not my department. I -do- work in video game development, but in production management and quality. That said, I work -with- loc teams, know people outside of my workplace that do loc, and have mad respect for the localization profession within the industry.

And, this is all a personal perspective again! I mean no ill intent in what I'm about to say. It's merely observational, and I could have an incorrect understanding and I own up to that in the circumstances!

This is probably going to get a little long, and it's a bit of a nuanced conversation. I appreciate everyone who reads to the end though!

Well, where to begin?

The 90s and early 2000s produced media in which culturally relevant aspects were largely changed to suit the audience taking in the media....but in some cases, that didn't hit the mark at all.

Are you familiar with jelly donuts? A long time example in infamy, Brock Pokemon's Jelly Donuts were a product of a time when localization efforts in western media were wholly focused on providing a digestible media experience to a western - rather, American-focused - audience. (Another example that was shown on the big screen was the original Digimon Movie!)

"But wait! Isn't the point of localization to make things relatable to the target audience?!"

Yyyyes! But there's an asterisk here.

In this case, breaking it down:

Bad localization = "Jelly Donuts", and the art remains unchanged.

Good localization = "rice balls", and the art remains unchanged.

Good localization = "Jelly Donuts", and the post processing changes the art to jelly donuts.

Bad localization in this example strips the intent of the media by pigeonholing a westernized regurgitation without respect to the origin and attempting to call it by another name -- erasing the cultural significance that it provides. Let me explain; A food item that may be a staple in many American (specifically Asian-American) households for ages... Do those households call them jelly donuts? Of course not!

90s and early 2000s media was largely at fault of bad localization with a movement based around the idea that a western audience needed those westernized concepts for the audience to be able to fully relate and immerse themselves in what they were digesting.

In essence, it was easier at the time for someone depicted drinking ramune to actually be "drinking a Coke" in dialogue, because everyone knows coke is a soda/fizzy drink. (That's only an example, and I hope it's understandable!)

On the other hand, -Good- localization either provides an equally significant replacement (such as replacing the art with actual jelly donuts) or calling things what they are outright as they represent a culture portrayed.

To reiterate, good localization does justice to the original tone, atmosphere and intent by either substituting an audience society-based equivalent that makes sense contextually OR by telling the audience exactly what is going on in the media's world context using words that can explain it to the audience while preserving that cultural significance.

"OP I'm not seeing how this relates to Bokumono..."

Well, this series was created in 1996, and localization began in 1996-7. And unfortunately, California-based Natsume Inc. was not exempt from those weird "sanitize it for the American audience" views. In their attempt to "make everyone happy...", there were many things that contributed to a less than ideal localization per game from Natsume.

For a long time, Natsume localization was done largely in part through an outsource localization company called Pole to Win. If you're in the light novel and otome venn diagram of fandoms, you'll know that Pole to Win is pretty damn infamous for its bad loc, cheaper labor based on underpaid and over exploited workers (largely based in SEA), and the heavy usage of and reliance on Machine Translation. Some loc work on games leading up to 2012 was done in-house, but a large reason why we have so many Natsumeisms is due to lack of quality and care in the localization process.

Alongside poor localization efforts and the drive to sanitize content for an American audience, there was extra effort in making the content "family friendly" by removing anything that was "out of the norm" for the time. I don't think I need to explain what that means, but it's what led to things like the removal of the Best Friends system (girl x girl marriage) in DS Cute and Julius in Animal Parade being "a man of average height" in the English dialogue. This family friendly movement applied to other media as well in the same time period, but for the sake of being on topic it largely applied to Natsume's approach in localizing the series.

"So what was lost?"

Well, in addition to what I just said above...

Names which were meant to reflect specific cultures referenced in the games based off of existing world cultures were changed.

For example, a Chinese-based character in Sunshine Islands; English Players know her as Lily. Her true name is スイレン Suiren. (Suiren is the name of a famous Chinese hero of legend, as well as the name of a species of Water Lily!) The name was derived literally, instead of staying as Suiren to reflect her heritage; Lily was the "easier" and "more digestible" translation.

I recently posted translations of Grand Bazaar characters with their true names. Grand Bazaar is VERY largely Danish, with Nordic/Baltic influence from Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and some bits of Mexico, Greece, Austria-Hungary, and France sprinkled in.

As a result, the names given to characters were from those particular regions. Ivan's true name is Juris (the J is Germanic, pronounced with a Y like You) for instance. The average American isn't going to meet someone called Juris often, however, so the name was changed to "fit".

I'm largely of the opinion that names are sacred and innate parts of the Character Core. A name was given to them for a reason, and it would be like going up to Sasuke from Naruto/Boruto and saying "hey man, I'm just going to call you Steve, ok? Cool."

Since we have changed Localization companies to XSEED, Marvelous' English subsidiary, the quality and care put into the localization has drastically improved.

Names are (usually!) 1:1 counterparts - as in romanized - or their very closest equivalents.

Examples being: Cam from Natsume's Tale of Two Towns loc, who is actually カミル and was localized properly in Story of Seasons 3DS with his true name as Kamill / Dudley from the Friends of Mineral Town remake - whose original name is ダッド (Dadd) and was Doug in the Natsume Loc.

Dialogue throughout the game now reflects original tones and intent with some embellished flair here in there, but never to remove - only to add!

I'm not going to get into a conversation about censors and ESRB ratings at this time (Blue Bar to Cafe type of example), but I'm so glad that we have reached a point where we no longer have totally misrepresented cultural aspects in the games.

[creatingblackcharacters]

the main character of my fantasy novel is a black girl with locs. there is an important scene where she gets them cut to be much shorter - can you tell me about the process of cutting locs so i can be more accurate? (the world has no modern technology though!)

also may i say your blog has been a wonderful resource for me, i learned about bonnets/loc socks and will definitely be adding/mentioning her wearing them now!

I assume your fantasy world has scissors lmao? You just cut them the same way you would any other hair. Though, to help the ends bud neatly after a wash, cut at a downward angle. Otherwise the ends will frizz up. I've cut mine multiple times and that's what was suggested to me.

Keep in mind that if she cuts them dead across, they'll all end up growing back in different lengths. versus when they're cut like "layers" where they're all the same length, but based on the position of the loc the ones near the crown of the head will look "shorter" than the others. Does that make sense?

I'm glad to hear it! Thank you for applying what you've learned!

[dearunreliablenarrator]

Writeblr Interview Tag

thank you, thank you to @sableglass for the tag, you can catch their original post here!

Short stories, novels, or poems?

Novels! Sometimes, I think the ideas i have are too large to stay as short stories or that i couldn't capture what's needed for poems.

What genre do you prefer reading?

I've found myself dabbling a bit more into psycho thrillers now a days, otherwise the toes are buried in sci-fi, romance and the occasional philosophy book.

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

Girls/Guys/Theys', I couldn't plan a thing and stick to it if my life depended on it. I try to do both, just for consistency sake, but I often go off line anyways, but the most important scenes are always written first.

It does make editing a bitch though.

What music do you listen to while writing?

I honestly write in silence (scary i know). Otherwise, Kitchen Nightmares or Hell's Kitchen reruns are on in the back. And unless, I've already curated a playlist for what's being written, there's nothing in these ears but air.

I guess the easy answer is it depends!

Favorite books/movies?

The Menu (2022)/Bottoms (2023)/EEAAO (2022)

Song of Achilles/ A Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires/ Act Your Age, Eve Brown.

Any current WIPs?

Cherries Under the Sun! A new branch of writing for me, I always kinda felt like I had to stick to romance and burnt myself out. So here, we have a exploration of relationships with God and life (in both destructive and favorable manners) and the horrors of which one would go to achieve what they believe to be a righteous way of living.

I don't know...religion makes people do some weird shit in the name of their god and that something I want to explore. Did I mention there are vampires?!

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you what would your standard outfit be?

wide legged pants or leggings, oversized t-shirt and pair of crocs. although, a lot of the time; i'm winnie the poohin' it.

Create a character description of yourself: 

a fluorescent beige girl with copper sister locs, tortie glasses and a slew of patchwork tattoos with facial piercings. of average height, and my clothes probably have a layer of cat hair on them. i'm probably lifting weights or somethings.

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

Lol yes, but half of the time its not even on purpose. kid you not, in the first chapter of Where the River Bends, i've actually had a man say that to me; and that was after I wrote it. (might be a soothsayer yall) Quite the experience!

Are you kill happy with your characters?

I have yet to kill anyone, but its in the plans. ugh, its gonna be an old lady. i'm sorry in advance; but yall might not even like her so *shrugs*

Coffee or Tea while writing?

don't shoot me! but i think dr.pepper is the ultimate answer. someone should make a dr.pepper tea. 

it might be too country of me to ask for it to be cold with lots of crushed ice.

Slow or fast writer?

I'd say i have my spurts of fast writing, but i think the slower i write; the more I get out.

Where/who/what do you draw inspiration from?

Real life, i think is the most agreeable answer at the moment. I like people watching or taking my own life experience and stories I've heard over the years and not replicating them but retelling them from my lense on life; which is very...dramatic and mystical to say the least.

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Oh, theres so many options for this...but a cook/pub/tavern owner would be the first thing. I love feeding people and making sure they have a place to get warm food, and it'd be pretty cheap too! Or, house staff to some hoity-toity family, maybe get their son or daughter to fall in love with me so I can get some inheritance...but daddy, i love them kind moment

Most fav book cliche:

nerdy girl gets the jock

Least favorite cliche:

misunderstandings/miscommunication; oh god shoot me now! or the "she's hotter without her glasses" move (9x/10 the glasses are what makes them hot!)

Favorite scene to write?

Lore dumping scenes! They may be long and a little tedious to get through but they give so much insight into the smaller behaviors that characters have.

why does character A pick their nose comfortably in public? cause once upon a time; their grammy said it was okay and it's better than having it hang in there all day with people noticing!

I think my favorite so far though, is Warren and Sabryna's talk after a disastrous dinner. It was something in that moment, that they both really needed. Tough conversations equals great rewards in this case.

Reason for writing?

Cause I can! I mean; I'd really come to hate myself if i didn't let these ideas meet the paper or the keyboard in this matter. I think its very freeing to create something of your own, just getting past what others may think is the hard part.

and yall i cant draw for shit besides doodles so i guess writing is it for me.

no pressure tags below! sorry if you were double tagged! @rumeysawrites @inadequatecowboy @lady-grace-pens @tito-sober @shepardsherd @dyrewrites @goldfinchwrites @caninecomplex

[ask-a-bot]

Remember, Optimus. Your idea of fun may not be Megs’ idea of fun. Please be considerate of that.

Hmmm… Well, for me, I like to go somewhere quiet and peaceful to rest and relax. I frequent this small city/town that is nestled in the forested mountains (next to a massive lake) where I live. I’ll pretty much walk around the area or sit somewhere to relax and enjoy the scenery before me, listening to the lake’s ripples and taking in the beautiful forested mountains. You mentioned you liked reading as a hobby. Perhaps you could find a peaceful place (maybe the loc ness lake?) and read a fun novel or just quietly enjoy the beautiful scenery? Only if you want to, of course.

I find it... difficult... to read for relaxation when I have a lot to read for work purposes. I... it is difficult to explain.

So do something else.

Leave me alone! Last night was not fun. I did not enjoy the rides. I did not like the dark or cold. Let me be.

What about-?

Leave me alone!

[the-perihelion]

The Murderbot Diaries so far

You know that feeling when you’re at work, and you’ve had enough of people, and then the boss walks in with yet another job that needs to be done right this second or the world will end, but all you want to do is go home and binge your favorite shows? And you're a sentient murder machine programmed for destruction? Congratulations, you're Murderbot. Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you’ll read this century.

—Tordotcom

As we approach the release date of Systems Collapse, the much-anticipated newest entry to the series, new readers might wonder: where should I get started?

Here's an overview of books in the series so far, which are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook. The series is snappily written and easy to blow through: the majority of the series is novellas, with two free supplementary short stories, one full-length novel, and another novel to come. Links to retailers can be found on each page, courtesy of TorDotCom.

The novella quartet:

#1. All Systems Red, published May 2017.

I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

#2. Artificial Condition, published May 2018.

It has a dark past—one in which a number of humans were killed. [...] But Murderbot has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

#3. Rogue Protcol, published August 2018.

The reason I was wandering free and Dr. Mensah was on the news was because GrayCris had been willing to kill a whole bunch of helpless human researchers for exclusive access to alien remnants... If Dr. Mensah had proof of that, the investigation against GrayCris would get a lot more interesting. Maybe so interesting that the journalists would forget all about that stray SecUnit. Getting proof wouldn’t be hard, I thought. Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas? Sci-fi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is back on a mission.

#4. Exit Strategy, published October 2018.

Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right? Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit. But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue? And what will become of it when it’s caught?

The full-length novel sequel:

Spoilers, but the PUOMANT registered ship Perihelion is in this one. 🚀 Icon by ChimaeraKitten.

#5. Network Effect, published May 2020.

I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are. When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action. Drastic action it is, then.

The stand-alone novella, set prior to Network Effect:

#6. Fugitive Telemetry, published April 2021.

Murderbot simply wants to binge-watch its favorite soap operas and protect its friends from being killed by the powerful and nefarious corporation they've angered. But then a human corpse turns up on Preservation Station, and Murderbot leaps to action with security forces to help to solve the murder. "There's a scene in "Network Effect" where Murderbot shows Thiago a video clip of an incident when it stopped an assassination attempt on Dr. Mensah, with the help of Preservation Station Security. In the clip, Murderbot has a good working relationship with the Station Security people.  So I wanted to go back in the timeline a little and show how Murderbot's relationship with those characters developed, the rocky start when Murderbot was still getting acclimated to the station, and how the people on the station got acclimated to Murderbot. And I've always loved murder mysteries, so that seemed a fun way to do it." —Martha Wells, interview with Space.com

AND COMING SOON:

#7. System Collapse, release date November 2023.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize. But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!

THE SHORT STORIES

There are two short stories officially connected to the Murderbot Diaries universe, both of which can be found for free online.

Compulsory — published 2018, by Wired.com as part of "The Future of Work" collection. Takes place prior to All Systems Red, sometime after Murderbot has hacked its governor module.

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory — originally given free with preorders of Network Effect. Takes place after Exit Strategy, from Mensah's point of view, as she grapples with post-traumatic stress and Murderbot's refugee status on Preservation.

There's some debate on whether book 6 should be read in publication order or chronological order, but where to start the series is easy: start with All Systems Red and continue with the novella quartet, and if the adventures of the sarcastic, anxious, hypercompetent Murderbot capture your imagination, this post can help you decide where to go from there.

[ink-flavored]

📂 x6?

SIX!!! and lucky for YOU, the OC Roulette spun...

Justice, from P&J

The first thing he ever learned to cook (as in, it wasn't a pile of char at the end) on Earth was French toast.

They don't need hair care or hygiene, he and Kindness would replicate the necessity of wash day after watching humans do it. She would help with his locs sometimes. It's something he misses about being in Heaven.

He doesn't need to exercise either, but he runs through his sword drills regularly to keep them sharp in his mind. The more human he gets, the more he does it for exercise too.

If he had regular access to a harp, he would absolutely be the guy that covers pop songs and makes them all ethereal.

The instant he found out about "sharks are smooth" he tried it on Pride and it worked. He'll never let him live this down.

If you ever go into his room, he's going to strategically stand in front of his collection of werewolf "romance" novels.

[send 📂 for a fact about one of my OCs]

[merlot-and-chardonnay]

A Lark Among the Wolves and Dragons: Chapter 51

Masterlist

Chapter 50

Just a heads up, I plan to incorporate a couple scenes from the Lady of the Lake novel from the Witcher book series in this chapter. Which if you're not familiar with the books, that was when Ciri was in the realm of the Alders against her will and....long story short she was kinda sorta blackmailed/coerced by Avallac'h into sleeping with the late king Auberon with the hopes of producing a child with the Elder Gene. Obviously that never came to pass and Auberon passed with Eredin taking up the mantel as king. 

I'm mentioning that here as a content warning for DUBCON in those sequences.

------------King's Landing: Flea Bottom-----------

A man of unknown history wonders the streets, fresh off the boat that had just sailed into the Blackwater Bay from Novigrad.

He keeps his hood over his head as he makes the secret knock at the door of a house at the corner. He was let in. The stranger took a seat at the table. Across from him sat the White Worm dressed in a calming dark shade of blue. She poured tea into a cup and offered to the stranger.

"I bring word from the Continent," the man speaks, "envoys from the Northern realms as well as Nilgaard are gathering as we speak. At a place called Loc Muinne. These are the names of expected participants. The list was confirmed by the Redanian spy Sigismund Djikstra."

Mysaria had a incredulous look as she accepted the list, though in truth, she knew The Redanian count's spy network to be effective and reliable, much so that she had spies of her own stationed among Djikstra's lackeys so as to keep tabs on the major happenings on the Continent (Mysaria admittedly couldn't help but smirk at the irony of an expert spy unknowingly having a spy network spy on his own).

She quickly skimmed the contents of what she read. Her eyes widening when the rest the last name of the list. "Well, well," She says in response, "It would be the little lost daughter of the Rogue prince has finally been found."

--------------Vergen-----------------

"Geralt!" Jaskier calls out as the aforementioned witcher and Iorveth run into the Bard as well as Zoltan. "Saskia disappeared," Jaskier informs, "the people are getting riled up." "Dwarves too," Zoltan adds. 

Having learned earlier what really happened, having learned that the spell Phillipa used to save Saskia's life had been modified so as to put Saskia under Phillipa's influence- and also realizing Aemma was affected by that same spell when the sorceress had ciphoned Aemma's power to make the spell work- Geralt and Iorveth now had to make the trek to Loc Muinne so as to break the spell.

Geralt made the choice to inform Jaskier and Zoltan of the situation. "But how- How did Aemma become part of Phillipa's control?" Jaskier balks. "Remember when Aemma used her gift to help with the spell?" Geralt points out, "she must've become affected by the spell's influence the moment Phillipa used her magic to channel Aemma's gift into the spell." "So...Phillipa wanted to control Aemma along with Saskia?"

"I don't think so," Geralt admits, "it was clear Phillipa wanted to bring Saskia under to influence, likely to hold more sway at the Loc Muinne summit. I think Aemma being caught in Phillipa's web was a side effect. An accident." "Collateral more like," Jaskier growls, realizing his niece was in trouble again, "that witch is going to pay for this. I should've known something was off. I saw the way Aemma looked at Phillipa when she seconded for Dethmold to be put to the sword. Just moments ago Aemma had persuaded the mob to spare Stennis so he would have a fair trial, so for her to agree with Saskia to execute Dethmold without so much as a trial? A gesture for Phillipa is all it took!"

"That bastard deserved it," Zoltan mutters. "I wouldn't be surprised if Zoltan had ordered it," Jaskier continues, "as vengeful as he is, but Saskia...?"

"Where did they go?" Zoltan demands. "Phillipa has taken Aemma and Saskia to Loc Muinne," Geralt answers, "I'm going after them, with Iorveth. Everything suggests those responsible for Foltest's death will be at Loc Muinne."

"Some still say you killed him," Zoltan points out. "I've gotta stop that drivel," Geralt nods, "don't have a choice. But you do."

"The elite of the North is gathering at Loc Muinne," Jaskier informs, "I couldn't forgive myself if I wasn't there...especially when my niece is in trouble." "She's not the only who will be there," Geralt subtly hints, "no doubt envoys from the North will be there, that much I can agree...among those is the king of Redania."

-------------the skies over the Continent------------

Vhagar made some low growls as she continued to fly, almost as if she were in mourning. Aemond had to wonder if it was her reflecting his feelings at this moment, or if she was genuinely sad to part ways from Aemma again.

The two did share some memories when Aemma was a child whenever she would go riding on Vhagar with Laena.

Now here they were flying away, back to King's Landing without the one person they were supposed to bring back in the first place. Aemond couldn't help but wonder what his mother would say.

No, he keeps shaking his head. He needed to go back. He couldn't just leave without Aemma, he needed to go back and make her see reason. This was not her home, this was not her place. Her true place was back at the Red Keep at his side as well as with his mother and his siblings. Aemma needed to support them for that inevitable day when the king would finally pass and Aegon would ascend the Iron Throne as king.

Aemond couldn't risk any of Rhaenyra's ilk making to the Continent to find Aemma and poison her against him, leading her astray to support his treasonous half-sister and her bastard sons. She needed to understand the stakes.

Aemond was about to direct Vhagar to turn around and return to Vergen with the intent of retrieving Aemma, even if he DID need to drag her back every step of the way. If he had to he would use Vhagar herself to threaten to burnt he village if only it would force Aemma to see things his way.

As he was about to give the command, the air suddenly turned cold. I mean, yeah it is cold, he's flying in the sky on a dragon not a damn airplane, but it was colder than usual. Aemond saw his own breath as he exhaled. He saw the sky darken and snow begin to fall. Something wasn't right. This change of weather was not natural, it should not be this cold enough for a snowfall. Vhagar seemed to sense something was off as well as she became increasingly agitated.

Aemond gave Vhagar a few pats, trying to keep her calm. Internally, it made him concerned that the largest dragon in the world would be put off by this supernatural phenomenon.

Suddenly a massive portal opened in the sky above them, making Vhagar roar in shock. The jerking movement she made forced Aemond to cling to the saddle for dear life. Out from the portal came forth a dragon of black and gold. It was on the smaller side compared to Vhagar, but Aemond could see who the dragon was and recognized her right away.

"Cirillia!"

The dragon in question did a corkscrew turn as she made a nose dive past Aemond and Vhagar. As she did so, her dorsum became visible to where Aemond could see Cirillia's saddle. Astride it was a woman with green eyes and ashen hair. She wore clothing similar to Aemma and had a silver sword strapped to her back...just like Aemma.

The ashen haired woman turned her gaze towards Aemma, making eye contact with the man as Cirillia continued her descent. Cirillia called out, Vhagar calling back in response.

Vhagar then turned towards where the younger dragon was landing. Vhagar!" Aemond clings to the saddle. The air felt colder then it was before-thinner, a sense of foreboding and dread filling the atmosphere. Aemond looked up to see the portal in the sky was still open. What looked like an army of horses and warriors in black armor came through. The helmets these soldiers wore were almost skull-like in appearance, as if to incite fear into whomever would dare cross their path.

Aemond felt himself becoming scared, much like that night he lost his eye. These beings had to be ghosts of some kind. Vengeful wraiths conceived of the darkest magic, darker than what his ancestors of Old Valyria would have ever dared to mess with.

Vhagar shared the sentiment, jerking more in her movements as she landed on the ground in front of Cirillia, almost if the older dragon was planning to protect the younger one. The ashen haired woman in question was nowhere to be spotted. Did she turn out to be an apparition?

Aemond kept his hand on the sword, ready to face these monstrous wraiths if for some reason the threat of dragon fire would not be enough to deter them. 

The haunted army turned their direction towards the dragon as they made contact with the ground.

Cirillia tried to go around Vhagar to confront the Wild Hunt, but Vhagar stopped her, getting in the way. Vhagar kept her gaze on the Red Riders, making warning growls. The leader of this army removed his helmet, revealing a face with raven hair and pointed ears. "Fucking elves," Aemond mutters under his breath, having had his fill with their kind for a lifetime at this point. Eredin only made a villainous smile as he gazed onto the largest dragon in the world along with her current rider. "Zireal!" he shouts, seemingly to no one, "you cannot hide forever, daughter of Lara Dorren! Not even an army of dragons will keep you safe!" 

Vhagar made an offensive snarl in response as Eredin dared to move the Riders closer. Aemond noticed the way these elves were not even deterred by this obstacle in their place. Who were they that they could just brush off a dragon's threat with little caution?

"Hmph," was all Eredin said as he shouted in his native tongue for the Red Riders to charge.

"Dracarys, Vhagar!" Aemond commands. Vhagar did not even hesitate. Despite the threat of dragon fire looming, the Red Riders kept their pace. Caranthir raised his staff, shouting incantations to create a beam of ice to counter Vhagar's fire. Aemond went wide eye when he saw what the elf mage was capable of.

Grabbing his sword, Aemond dismounted, with the intent of charging Caranthir and destroying his staff. Before that could happen, another horse bound elf, Imerlith, charges towards Aemond with a club in hand. Aemond was quick to dodge the attack. Imerlith dismounted and kept his assault. Aemond knew dodged each blow, making certain to time his counter attack when the moment was just right. There didn't seem to be any weak spots he could exploit. Aemond then attempted to block the next attack with his sword, but Imerlith's swing was enough to knock it out of the prince's hand.

Imerlith had a wicked smile on his face, "you thought you were more than a match for me, boy?" Disarmed, Aemond turned to retrieve his sword, but Imerlith was quicker and grabbed the prince by the hair, yanking him back. "Now, now," the elf tuts, "what's the hurry, boy? Stick around, and we might make you one of our slaves. Despite your d'hoine blood, I know some pretty elven women at Tir na Lia that would take an interest in you for one night." Aemond grunted from the pain of having his hair pulled, but even the mere thought of being forced into a similar position he was in on the Street of Silk for his thirteenth nameday was more than enough to make his heart race even more than it already was. 

"Leave him alone, Imerlith!" A female voice called out, gaining the elf's attention. Looking up, a surge of light forced Imerlith back, forcing him to release Aemond from his grasp.

The ashen haired girl appeared right in front of Aemond sword in hand, ready to defend him. "You..." Before Aemond could finish saying anymore, Ciri charged at the elf. Ciri dodged every attack Imerlith threw at her, though she managed to get a few blocks and parries here and there. 

She was quite fast and light on her feet, Aemond noticed. It was really starting to hurt his pride at this point that he was knocked his feet not once, but twice this whole time he's been on the damn Continent and he's needed to be rescued first by his cousin and now a complete stranger. 

Cirillia finally managed to get around Vhagar, who was still distracted by countering Caranthir's ice beam with her fire, and charge at Imerlith, directing her own fire, to which the elf wisely dodged. 

Caranthir now created a magic barrier to shield the Red Riders from Vhagar's wrath. He now directed his ice beam at Cirillia, who cried out in agony when the icy frost struck her in the face. "Cirillia!" Aemond calls out in concern for his cousin's dragon.  Looking behind her, Ciri knew she was outmatched even with two dragons aiding her in this fight. Now all that remained options wise was to escape. Ciri muttered incantations and grabbed Aemond right as she created a portal to escape the Wild Hunt.

"You can't forever Zireal!" Eredin calls out as the portal closes in front of him and his warriors.

Ciri panted, now taking time to catch her breath, exhausted from all the running and fighting, before she turned to face Aemond, who was laying on the ground and still reeling from the fact he was whisked through a magic portal two minutes. Ciri turned to kneel so she could be at eye level with the prince.

"Where is Aemma?" She demands.

--------------Vision Sequence: Tir Na Lia----------------

Aemma stood before the giant doors, feeling tense as she steeled herself to open them. Why she felt this way, she could not say. Something was supposed to happen...

No...she was supposed to meet someone. Who? A king? Yes, that had to be it. It wasn't her uncle King Viserys, she knew that. Aemma looked around. The palace was incredibly beautiful, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Even the elven ruins on the Continent could not compare to its splendor.

But it didn't explain how she came to this place. One moment she found herself in a tower...the Tower of the Swallow. Next thing she realized she was trying to make her way out to go find Geralt and Yennefer and the Lady of Larks....no....no, that's not what Aemma was doing.

The doors slowly opened and Aemma walked inside. She still couldn't figure why she was feeling so tense. What was supposed to happen?

"You'll be free and may go wherever you wish," she heard a deep voice speak in the back of her mind, "Assuming you don't decide to stay...with the child."

That voice....Aemma recognized it. It belonged to a elf she saw once in her vision many years ago. What his name? Avallac'h! But why did he send Aemma here? No, not Aemma...Ciri...

Aemma looked past the expansive, luxurious, room and towards the balcony. There sat an elf enjoying the view. He was tall, possibly taller than Avallac'h, a lot more slender looking. Aemma thought back to the elves she encountered in her recent vision, Eredin and Caranthir, they both had more meat on their bones than this Aen Elle. He had long hair that reached down to his shoulders, like Aemond, but the color was pure white...almost like Geralt's.  When the elf turned to stare at her, Aemma was taken aback by eyes. Grey, aglazed, almost as if he'd been taking fisshtech recently. This elf had a young man's body...but his eyes made look old, ancient beyond his years.

This was Auberon, king of the Alders. The forebear of Lara Doren, and the one whose child Aemma was to bear....

No! Not Aemma! It was Ciri! 

Auberon then speaks towards Aemma/Ciri, "Zireal...thank you for coming...."

----------later that evening---------------

Aemma sat on at a table dinning on a simple salad for her meal. Or at least she tried to, but found she had no appetite. She was wearing a different dress to what she had worn for her first audience with the Alder king. Now here she was dinning with him for the evening...before they...

Aemma now found herself babbling, her nerves on edge, but these words were not her own, nor was this voice hers. She was talking through someone...or was it the other way?

Aemma, or perhaps it was actually Ciri, then began to recall to Auberon a story from her time in King's Landing, when she was brought to the Red Keep with the Lady of Larks, when she befriended Rhaenyra, and had sworn to the Lady Lark's daughter.

"Fascinating," was Auberon's response, "I have to wonder, whatever possessed you to style yourself as the child's protector?" Ciri found herself stuttering. Why? Why did she do that? She thought back to her time in Kaer Morhen, when Aemma was born. She thought back to that vision of the blood wrym, how that vision became a reality when the Rogue Prince invaded and threatened to have his dragon burn the place to the ground if the Lady of Larks did not hand him his daughter and return to Westeros with him.

Ciri then proceeded to tell Auberon what had transpired at Kaer Morhen and the events that followed. Part of her was stretching the story out as long as she could, possibly with hopes of delaying the inevitable. Why, though? What was the point? Ciri needed to do what needed to be done as soon as possible so as to return to her world and reunite with Geralt and Yennefer and (y/n). She needed to keep her word and help (y/n) reunite with the daughter that was ripped from her arms.

Ciri owed the Lady Lark after all for helping her escape King's Landing even though (y/n) was left behind and left to be tormented by the Rogue Prince.

Auberon had nothing more to say. Instead he got up from the table and approached his bed, "Get undressed please," he directs.

Eyes wide Aemma suddenly found herself standing up as well, doing as she was told. It felt like forever. So many damn buttons and hooks to undo. This could not go any faster. She needed to get this over and done with. The sooner this bargained was made, the sooner she could leave this horrible place and return to her family.

It annoyed her to no end how the elf seemed to be in no hurry whatsoever. Auberon was a lot older than he looks, he probably has wasn't. A hundred years is little more than a blink of an eye to their kind.

Finally Aemma stood before the Alder king naked as the day she was born. She felt completely self-conscious, hands covering her lady bits as Auberon looked her up and down as if she were some broodmare being examined before being sold to the highest bidder. Aemma felt her cheeks flame hot with embarrassment and a hint of anger. Why did she need to do this in the first place? Was the undressing really necessary. All she needed to do was lay on the bed and spread her legs and let him do his thing.

At least that is what she keeps telling herself as she climbs onto the bed, laying her back and waiting for him to join her. Auberon lays right next to her, not bothering to shed his own clothing.

He reached out to touch her, but Aemma grabbed his hand. "Why are you doing this?" "...I'm afraid I don't understand the question," Auberon tells her, "this is what we agreed to." "NO!" Aemma pulled away, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around her.

Next thing Aemma knew she saw Ciri laying on the bed, naked as she was. Auberon laying next to her, touching her in ways that are meant to be pleasurable, but only made the girl uncomfortable. Aemma found herself trying to contain her embarrassment of this scene, realizing now why Ciri was in this position in the first place. 

 "This is wrong! Ciri didn't agree to this of her own free will, she was blackmailed! Can you not see how fucked up this all is?! What is wrong with you all?!"

The scene began to change, become distorted, almost as if there was an overlap. On the other side of the bed, Aemma saw two figures materialize. As they became more visible, Aemma recognized them to her mother and father. She saw Daemon shove (y/n) onto the bed, her mother having a look of terror in her eyes as Daemon pressed her down on her belly, pulling at the laces of the back of her dress, practically ripping them. "Father, what are you doing?" Aemma calls out, though he did not seem to hear. "Father, stop!" Aemma pleads, "YOU'RE SCARING HER! CAN'T YOU SEE MOTHER IS FRIGHTENED OF YOU? LEAVE HER ALONE! FATHER!"

"You must choose..." Avallac'h's voice sounded, causing the two scenes to freeze in place. Eyes wide, still wrapped in the mink fur, Aemma turned to see the aforementioned elf, a look of regret in his eye. "You..." "You must choose when the time comes," the Elf sage speaks once more, addressing Aemma directly, his voice becoming distorted by the joining of a more feminine voice, one that Aemma recognized to be her cousin Helaena, "hand turns loom. Spool of Green, spool of Black. Dragons of flesh...weaving dragons of thread...."

"A Dance of Dragons," Aemma heard Cedric's voice, "you must learn to understand this power to possess...it will help you understand your past, as well as determine the course of your future, and the future of your family, especially if any of them are to survive the Dance that is to come."

Aemma saw a brief flash of a woman with long silver blonde hair and violet eyes. Aemma recognized her to be Valyrian, A Targaryen even, but Aemma did not recognize her. Surrounding the Targaryen were three dragons, one black, one green, and the other golden white. "The mother of dragons," a faint voice whispered, which was more than enough to scare Aemma.

"I don't understand!" Aemma exclaims in confusion, "I...I don't even know what this Dance is! No one has even been able to properly exclaim my gift. Why I can see peoples' past, why it keeps connecting me to Ciri! WHY AM I LIKE?!" 

Aemma now saw the the scene before her fade away once again until her vision turned white. Aemma became scared and turned each way she could. 

Then her vision turned black Aemma saw no more.

-----------end of vision sequence-----------------

Aemma bolted up from a bed.

Why was she in bed? When did she go to sleep?

Last thing Aemma remembered was she and Saskia following Phillipa through a portal, Phillipa having every intention to take the two to the Loc Muinne summit. Aemma could still remember Phillipa talking to her telepathetcally, going over what demands were going to be made at the summit, which included the recognition of Upper Aedirn as a separate governance and the restoration of the Conclave that was dissolved 16 years ago following the Thanedd coupe.

Aemma knew Phillipa's reason for that was so the Lodge of Sorceresses would be acknowledged and given the power that was due to them.

But she doesn't remember anything after that.

"What...where am I?"

"It's alright, princess," a male voice catches Aemma's attention. Aemma turned to see a man dressed in royal attire, having chestnut hair that reached down to barely the top of his shoulders.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you princess," he speaks, "I had hoped I would've been able to meet you six years ago, that is if your father had agreed to my terms for a betrothal." "Betrothal?" Aemma frowns a bit before it clicked. Six years ago when she remained in King's Landing while her father's family flew across the Continent without her. One of those places included the kingdom of Redania.

"You're...you're the king of Redania."

The king makes a small smile in response, "King Radovid V," Radovid introduces, "you're the oldest daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen...by the Lady of a Larks."

"You...you knew my mother?" "I had the pleasure to meet many years ago for a brief time," Radovid tells her, "I was a fan of her work...I was also a great fan of her brother's work.

Your Uncle Jaskier."

Chapter 52

[adracat]

yes, hello. I’d like to attack you with unrelenting happiness for the next few minutes of your time. it’s a feedback loop originating from and re-projecting back to you.

first of all, seeing your deconstructions after stumbling upon your ao3 makes me regret missing out on the live updates from you and the community here (aniwave comments are dogshit)

thank you for your posts. they let me think critically about and appreciate g-witch that much more from novel analysis perspectives. reading back a bit, especially to your take on scenes such as ep10’s communication clear up, and seeing these pieces given the gravity and respect they deserve, is taking the bite off of the series’ conclusion.

speaking of treating the sulemio shaped hole in the networks from now on, a red tempest is the kind of fic one wishes they could distill and take intravenously at maximum drip.

it won’t be for everyone, and you think law of causality is your best (haven’t read it yet), but it feels like you’re writing professional grade work just for me with how it seemingly doesn’t miss or waste a line. you present a tight ship regardless of whether that’s how you run it. the story feels compact and layer woven yet flows along seamlessly and with that wonderful sense of OC unlimited potential, dropping shadows here and there but keeping me fully on my toes. still in the rising action, but hopefully multiple full arcs…? (worth!)

the spots of canon that you spun into a universe feel weighted, alive with the way your voice gives an inherent gravitas even to small supporting details, and nothing is more alive than your characters.

you do them so well, it’s impossible to stress enough. regardless of where they’re going in the future, where you’ve had them come from and be is so genuine and, in most cases, compliant/paying close homage in their personalities. your dialogue is a breath of life. eri and chuchu particularly, and prospera especially.

there are small things that are subtle like suletta being a bit less anxious at the start, and there are larger things that are less subtle like all of prospera— yours of whom I love— but everything’s working believably and in sync as you craft this beautiful story. my only complaint is that I think the next release is gonna be a sulemio heavy chapter during the job’s sudden distress, and it isn’t this weekend’s release date yet.

there’s a lot else, like the many juxtapositions, the slow burn, and other emotional/literary devices, but while I’ve already spent too long trying to put just this much of a review/praise bomb together, I’ve gotta jaw on a bit more about your fantastic perspective work with clear voices for each heroine. it’s so exciting getting into the younger couple’s heads when it comes to each other. you’re probably going to slaughter me with elnora and notrette, but ch11’s suletta and mio are already doing it with their pining.

thank you. it’s a joy and a pleasure. I hope to read you for a long time to come. I’d ask to share some of your brain chemicals, but reading the product makes mine just as happy. I hope that means we share a brain cell; then I could rise and meet the caliber. o7

That’s so sweet of you! And absolutely; sending you spiritual braincells 🤗 I put a wealth of thought into all my works but something about Sulemio and Prospera✨ sends my brain into overdrive. Law of Causality and A Red Tempest are passion driven works that I’m happy to share with likeminded people. If you ever do decide to give AASB and its sister works a try you may find interesting connections. ART is a bit of a spiritual sequel in a way. Though admittedly ART Prospera may be a rascally devil but is intentionally more likable than LoC ‘Prospera’. I decided to make her pathetic in ART for funsies 👏

Thanks so much for the kind words ❤️Encouragement gives me wings to confidently move forward—just like our merry cast!