#she's arguably my fave oc at the moment !

[gleamer]

eve's room bc i didn't do it justice the first time 💔

[wisp-of-chaos]

Meet the OC - Rerki

Oh boy here we go. The one and only. My probably oldest OC in the pit. My beloved sharkrat and problematic fave. There is so much to tell and unpack here ... you know the drill, OC lore under the cut for ease of scrolling!

... where to start, though. The best course of action would probably be at the very beginning.

Rerki was never meant to be likable or appealing to anyone. My very first thought upon creating her back in the day (in GW1 no less!) was like “… she thinks she’s helpful. Not because she’s a good person but because her logic is somewhere along the lines of Dead people don’t have any problems. Therefore if I kill someone, I help them with solving their problems, which in turn makes me helpful”

And thus, Rerki (aka Kairi Yiuan aka Ritari aka Ruannskr) was born and has been stuck in the folds of my brain for over 10 years now. She has grown a lot; changed appearances and names and even races and transcended fandoms but deep down she always stayed the same.

She kind of developed herself, to be honest; grew a will of her own and stubbornly refused to budge or bow to anything else than her own will. Whenever I tried to do something with (or to) her she didn’t like, I heard that snarky little scoff in my head like *Excuse you? No.” and had to agree that, yes, Rerki was right, and I had to change something instead of her.

Another core idea for her has always been her affliction with white, that each and every design and incarnation of her would be void of any colors and absolutely pale. Which, I think, springs from my very own belief that necromancy (and being tied and connected with the afterlife) is a highly draining ordeal and that life will sooner or later be seeping out of you. Which includes your hair, skin and eye color. For myself, white will forever symbolize death and necromancy far more fittingly than black, and since Rerki started out as a necromancer, that settled that.

Another integral part of Rerki is her necromancy, and I blame this one solely on Guild Wars for introducing me to this class/idea in my youth and absolutely captivating and fascinating me with it. Up to this day, I am utterly enthralled by necromancy and will always pick it as my playing a class in any game if possible.

So much for some overall facts about her, now to get into more specific detail …

Rerki has arguably more bad character traits than good, which was a decision I made on purpose, because as I said before: She was never meant to be liked by people. (Yet here we are, apparently).

Rerki thinks of other people as a bothersome annoyance far below her own intellect, and in most cases she’s right. Given that she’s an asura, she’s a born smart ass and loves to rub it into everyone’s face whenever possible. She is also very fond of “I told you so” moments and will relish them with a self-satisfied smirk and a pointed look.

She loves to learn and study but doesn’t have the greatest patience (read: almost none) and wouldn’t go out of her way to explain something to you. If you don’t get it, that’s on you and it’s not her job to teach you anything so you better look closely and figure it out on your own or get lost. Don’t make the mistake to nag and annoy her about it. You will regret it. For the rest of your life.

Rerki will listen to your stupid ideas. Once. And if you’re too dumb to see the signs of her growing annoyance, she will let you feel her fists with zero hesitation and the only one to blame is yourself.

She is rather standoffish and often comes across as rude and uncaring; tossing around harsh words and sharp truths without sugarcoating anything. The world is a chaotic, unpredictable place and you better grow up fast and develop a sturdy backbone or face the consequences.

Rerki prefers to stay on her own and conduct her experiments and studies but will take the lead if the situation demands it to get things done. Properly and swiftly with whatever means necessary.

Her morals are dark gray at best and she often gets into troubles with the law, but personally doesn’t see the issue in herself. In her eyes, it’s the law that’s wrong.

Rerki seems cold at first glance, but that doesn’t mean she has no heart. She has her very own little moments of vulnerability and tenderness, even when expressed in her very own raw, unique way. The only people allowed to see those moments however are her family and closest friends aka her merry band of unfortunate souls and misfits she collected over the years and which has become some sort of second family to her.

Despite her dismissive attitude, Rerki is very observant and will notice the smallest change in behavior patterns and unusual bearings. She may not always comment on it but will remember it. And possibly use it to her advantage, if pushed into the right situation.

Rerki doesn’t have many friends, but once someone has gained her trust and acceptance; she will do whatever she can to keep them safe and sane – even if that means kicking her friend’s own asses if they need it.

On the other hand, she tends to neglect herself a bit; forgetting to eat and sleep in favor of continuing with her studies and experiments. She also has a habit of throwing herself in harm’s way just to prove a point and is more than just a little bit reckless. (Which was far worse in her youth but as she grew up, she’s become calmer and more levelheaded. She still loves to headbutt idiots to shut them up, though)

Her usual treatment of idiots (or most people in general) is the silent stare of “Are you serious?”, followed by detaching her prosthetic arm and slapping some sense into them. And if that doesn’t help … well, let’s just say she knows how to scare people off. (And how to make them disappear. Permanently, if necessary)

Rerki has a habit of collecting and keeping little trinkets from her hardest battles and most vicious enemies – often in the form of severed and conserved limbs or organs or weapons.

She also has a severe fear hatred for white rabbits. No, she will not elaborate and if you keep pressing the matter, she will end you. For your own sake, never mention it again.

The only living members of her family are her bigger sister Errube and her cousin Dillyn; who work alongside her and the pact as co-commanders. (In the GW2 alteration of her and her story)

One of her most treasured possessions is a human skull she found as a child when she accidentally fell into a hole and ended up in a cursed ascalonian crypt. She claims is speaks to her and guided her out and back to her uncle and sister but nobody ever heard the skull so much as whistle in the wind.

And that … is that. That’s my beloved gremlin girl. She also exists in the BG3/DnD universe as a pale tiefling going by the name Ritari and I may create her siblings there as well. Perhaps. If I have the time and energy to do so. But for now, that is all I can think of at the moment.

Thank you for passing by and reading! And if you have any questions, don’t be shy and let me know, I do so love to talk about her~

And, as a little treat, have some visuals of her:

Firstly as her GW2-self

and secondly a wonderful little artpiece of her tiefling incarnation done by the wonderful @unaarista

[frozenwolftemplar]

Tangled ask game: 🎀, 👗 and 💕

Three good picks! Can't wait to dive into these!

OCs: Oh, so many! At this point, I think I've written for more TTS OCs than canon characters. Some favorites (most of which I think you may have met already, but here they are anyway):

Captain Williams, Cap's predecessor for Captain of the Guard. No one's ever put a label on it, but he's basically the third member of Cap and Cass's little family: a mentor/father-figure for the former and a grandfather for the latter. He has a great sense of humor and cares so much about them both; I love writing for him.

Romulus, Cap's horse for most of Cass's childhood who is arguably more preoccupied with the honor and prestige of being the Captain's Horse than is good for him. Also Atlanta, the little palomino mare with a mischievious streak who becomes Cass's mount once Cap deems her old (and tall) enough for a horse. I have a bunch of horse OCs, but these two are my faves.

Peder, Cass's favorite of the stableboys and essentially a big brother to her. Despite being the definition of a gentle giant, he once had aspirations to join the Guard, however a fever robbed him of most of his hearing, so he had to settle for stableboy (which frankly, he prefers, the main draw of guardsmanship for him being the fine horses). Next to Captain Williams and her dad, he's the person Cass is closest too.

I have one more who only lives in my drafts at the moment: Mariah, the elder daughter of the merchant Cap's father was stablemaster for and whom he was close to growing up. She's dutiful but also harbors a lively spirit; Cass would have liked her.

....whoops, I think I got *a little* carried away....😅

Favorite outfit: Cass's final one, at the end of the series, the green adventurer outfit. I like it best for several reasons, not the least of which is how *this* is the outfit she wears when she is finally, truly herself and no one else: not the miserable lady-in-waiting, not the frustrated aspiring guard, not the disenchanted servant with her arm and sense of self withering away under concealing armor. This is Cassandra, and this outfit really, to me, shows that. Plus i really like the green/gray/black color scheme for her, as well as the cape!

OTP: New Dream! Rapunzel and Eugene are easily one of my favorite Disney couples; they love each other so much and show it in so many little ways that give me the warm fuzzies. 😍

[halfmaul]

oc masterpost ig. I never make content but theyre in my heart and mind always. It’s long!

i am rotating these idiots in my mind, they are in situations in my head etc

The Crew

These four!! These four. They had a real DnD style meet-cute (all arrived to catch the same low-level bounty at once, shenanigans ensue they must make it out through the power of teamwork) and have been inseparable (stuck together via Circumstances (TM) ) since. They’ve been debating on what to call the group approx. a year now. No agreement in sight.

They essentially started off with a little gun of a ship and big bounty-hunting/freelance-whatever dreams and uh. Have ended up trapped on coruscant for repairs. Half of the income they make doing odd jobs goes to the docking fees for the ship while they wait for (and to afford) the parts needed. Despite the incredibly rocky and stressful start they’ve managed to grow quite close, and work well to balance each other out. They can be seen getting up to shenanigans, getting paid (usually via at least dubiously legal means) and general silly business.

One night they met a lightly stabbed Hound in the lower levels and took em to their ship to try and patch them up. After failing to steal adopt Grizzer they went for Hound, to which Hound said “you’re all fucking gremlins, i have enough insane siblings”. They might admit to a small soft spot for the idiots upon pain of death. No familial bonds here at all. Definitely not.

After this the crew do a lot of information (or rumour) gathering for the guard, and will try and source supplies where they can.

They also has matching nicknames/fake ids because  they’re just Like That.

Gunne (AKA Thor or Boom)

Gunne (She/Her) is a Devaronian with a flair for the dramatic. Big ‘grumpy medic(/nurse)’ energy. She’ll look after the misfits well but also be really vocally unhappy about it the whole time. She loves fashion and WILL refuse to wear gear if it isn’t made into A Look. Her fave sesh glasses are some of those red-tinted flame shaped things. Yes she has a collection. One of her horns is broken, and she often wears a gold prosthetic tip on it. She’s slow to trust, but once you have it she is ride or die to a fault. She has spent a lot of time as the only medical professional in remote areas, and when it comes down to it she’s tough as guts and will make do with what she can (and do a bang-up job of it).

They haven’t met BUT I think her and Wolffe would be the best of worsties. Bitches add a double letter and an e to words and be like yes this is the perfect name.

Pandora (AKA Dora, Score, Zoom)

Dora (She/Her) is a Pantoran who is sweet and adorable in the way a feral kitten is. She will deny any force-sensitivity, but will also have Moments which result in (usually disconcerting) comments on the future. Or probable futures. Either way it can be a little startling to hear a grim prophecy delivered, but doesn’t her smile and positive demeanor make up for it! She’s also a demolitions expert! Great at sourcing weapons and explosives, and even improvising them in a pinch. Loves to pull the old ‘oh I’m just naive and innocent you should help me I’m not at all a hired hunter’ ruse. She’s one of the main reasons the crew even came together in the start instead of trying to cut each other down, and isn’t above reminding the rest of them of this when feeling a little smug.

She also card counts for fun and profit. Mostly fun. She has absolutely no poker face.

Selene (aka Luna, Sweetie, Gloom)

Selene (She/Her) is a Mirialan who is a bit of a jack of all trades, and keeps the group together and alive a lot because of this. She’s the best pilot, moonlights as a sniper when needed, and can be relied upon as a level-headed voice of treason reason in a pinch. Those who don’t know her well think her stance on her companions was “long-suffering (affectionate)”. In reality she has a cutting wit and will take any opportunity to stir the pot. She’s also the best (and arguably only) person in the crew at acknowledging when help is needed, and then going ahead and asking for it. 

While she was born on Mirial, she only spent her early childhood on the planet. Her father specialised in heavy-ship repairs, and they spent most of their time living on the massive docks and stations/hamlet-towns that grow from them. After her father was injured in a workplace incident when she was in her early teens, her adolescence was spent being supported and taught by the eclectic mix that was the station community. As much as she loved her extended family, she felt like if she didn’t try and experience something new soon she’d be stuck in the same place doing the same thing her whole life, so made the (slightly impulsive) decision to hitch a ride on a cargo ship and find something new. She keeps her dad updated on the ship repairs (and costs), and he is growing increasingly despaired at their choice of transport.

Remy (Aka Gremlin, Lucky, Doom, rat bastard)

Remy (They/Them) is a member of a species from the outer rim that is little known and I definitely didn’t just make up. They’re purple. They have big ol ears. They’re maybe for sure a space eshay. They’re 130cm tall with a head like a brick. They are actually so unlikeable.

Remy loves to act like they’re nothing but the hired muscle of the group. They do a great job of putting up a front, and really embody the short, dirty-fighting, rat dog mindset. Behind the scenes Remy is also the one who is best at balancing the budget, is too smart for their own good, and has a knack for the cut-throat politics of coruscant that is mild-to-moderately disturbing. While the youngest of the group, they definitely have the most experience at hunting, though this is sometimes to their detriment. They could have easily gone down a path of more sinister organised crime. They had started to, in fact, before a particularly harrowing experience that knocked some sense into them and their worldview askew. They’re learning to lean on the others slowly, and maybe become a little bit of a better person.

Hound is of the opinion that introducing Remy and Fox will either save the galaxy or doom it. They haven’t been game enough to try. Or introduce any of the crew really. That way madness lies.

Wow! Bonus pics in The Highest Android Quality.

[fanfictrashdump]

Universe in a Jar - Phase 4 fic

OK. I did something. A few days ago I reblogged this post about the magical trio. And then my brain went off on a monumental tangent and this happened. It’s not my fault, really– Loki is my all-time fave, Wanda could murder me and I’d thank her and Stephen is a smart, sassy bitch... all wins.

So, here, y’all can have it. I might leave it there or I might continue depending on my mood. 

Characters: Stephen Strange, Loki, Wanda Maximoff, OC

Rating: T? Language!

Summary: Baby-sitting beings arguably more powerful than him goes awry for Doctor Strange. He knows one person who can possibly keep them isolated and out of trouble. Well, he knew someone who could... he hasn’t seen them in decades and for stupid reasons.

XX

"Wait here. No funny business."

Doctor Stephen Strange half-dragged himself upright to deliver the warning. The portal-hopping and timeline clipping involved in the last twelve hours–if he could even call them that–of his life had really taken it out of him. Who knew fixing tears in the time-space continuum was so exhausting? Doctor Who made it look like a breeze!

Setting his companions with one last threatening glare, he walked up to a faded, run down apartment door with a crooked six hanging just above the knocker. In all honesty, the place looked even worse than what he had anticipated when the hospital directory gave him the address. Still, he knew he had made it here for a reason, despite the fact his stomach was roiling and begging him to reconsider. This was his Hail Mary. Tightening his jaw and frowning himself into another set of early wrinkles, he pounded the wooden entrance so hard the six righted itself.

A minute or so later, the door swung open, a woman filling the empty frame just long enough to lay eyes on the doctor.

"Nope."

The door slammed shut with a noisy shudder just as Stephen opened his mouth. He swallowed the dozen or so expletives that were threatening to wriggle themselves free from his throat. Instead, he straightened his hoodie, loosened his neck with an audible crack, and took a deep breath before the side of his fist struck the door four times.

Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound.

Silence.

Stillness.

His companions beginning to titter in the background because for all his pomp and attitude and the timelines are not to be meddled with–I am the Sorcerer Supreme, he could not get a single human to open the door.

Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound.

His teeth ground together harder in annoyance. "Seph! I have absolutely no problem in staying here all day. Making a fuss. Screaming at your door. Waking the neighbors. Being a nui–"

The door swung open, then. Stephen was met with a frown and eyes dark as storm clouds and for just a second he forgot why he was doing this. "What the fuck do you want?"

His expression softened under her glare, if only minimally. There was a reluctance in his frame that refused to give up even as he said the words. "I need help, Seph." His eyes flittered briefly over his shoulder and it was just long enough for the woman to notice that the sorcerer was not alone.

Standing on her tiptoes, she looked over his shoulder. Just down the harshly lit hallway, two figures–woman dressed in dark red and a man in an all black suit–stood watching the interaction and chattering among themselves. Her expression lightened just a fraction. "Who's the cutie?"

Stephen looked back, furrowing his brow and taking careful inspection of the other two before directing his attention back to the woman at the door. "Which one is the cutie?"

"Take your pick," she challenged back and even though his initial instinct was to roll his eyes and scoff, a little smirk tugged at his lips.

He whistled, gesturing the door with his head. His companions perked, if only due to sheer curiosity about this new person. "Wanda, Loki, meet Dr. Persephone Hale." He sighed, shoulders slumping in anticipation for what was to come out of his mouth. He gathered the most sincere look he could muster and held her gaze. "Please?"

A million expressions fluttered through her features, including a peculiar twitch of her nose he knew only happened when she was about to do something she really didn't want to. He tried not to celebrate the victory too soon. She was, after all, making him wait for it. After a moment of internal deliberation, she stepped aside and Strange signaled in no uncertain terms that the two needed to step inside.

"Thank you for having us. I'm sorry if we're intruding." Wanda looked tense as she spoke, like they had already had plenty of doors slammed in their face. Or perhaps she was just sensing the thoughts and emotions of their host and fearing the worst.

Seph waved her in. "It's not a problem. I am glad to help an Avenger and… an alien god." She offed them both a forced smile. "Where'd you leave the horns?"

Loki chuckled, straightening his suit. "They didn't go with the outfit. May I?"

"Of course. It's him I'm not crazy about."

The smile on Loki's face grew as he sidled past her, leaving Stephen to glare at them both. "Seph–"

"I don't care. I don't care about whatever excuse you're about to give me–"

"I'm sorry! I can't do anything else other than apologize."

"Yes, you're right. Why would the Sorcerer Supreme even bother with the lesser mortals?" With an icy glare, she turned on her heel and stomped into the apartment, though she left the door open in invitation.

Drawing a long sigh, Stephen reconsidered turning time back just ten minutes and foregoing this whole disaster before realizing he had no other choice, and so he followed her in and closed the door behind him.

The entrance hall of the tiny Bronx apartment melted away after a few steps, replacing stale summer air with a crisp country breeze. Faded blue flower-patterned wallpaper was familiar at first sight, as was the well-loved wooden stair banister, worn in places where the steps were squeaky from nights of trying to sneak in after curfew. Knick-knacks and pictures crammed into every possible space brought back memories that he had long since locked into the back of his mind and forgotten about. Everything within his line of sight brought with it a prickle and tingle of a life past but still haunting him, and he loved and hated it in equal measure.

"Who devised this portal? The work is rather formidable," Loki remarked, breaking the silence, in the closest thing to awe that any of the others had ever heard.

"Oh, i-it’s nothing impressive." Seph quipped, brushing away the compliment.

"So you studied alongside Strange, then?"

"No. Not magic, at least." Persephone gestured with her index around the room. "This is the only thing I can do."

"A feat like this without any of those silly rings that he needs? Impressive." He paced around, touching invisible seams and humming to himself. "With a little training you could do very well for yourself." Neither doctor could decide whether the tone he was using was encouraging or threatening.

"I don't think so," she replied, fidgeting in her oversized cardigan. "I was put off early on."

Despite the fact he was pointedly looking out the window, Stephen could tell Seph's gaze had fallen onto him. There were a million other things he would rather do than have that conversation–a root canal with no lidocaine, for example. He, instead, forced his focus on staring at the house sitting a couple of hundred meters away. The red trim of the roof was looking faded and the gutters were a little loose but it did not seem like the house was in total disrepair.

"I haven't been home in ages," he muttered, off-handedly.

"Oh! Weren't you born and raised in Manhattan? At least according to the Times, anyway." The sarcastic tone Persephone used made an uncomfortable weight press down into his stomach. He opted to count how many missing shingles there were on the roof.

"Ah, so there's history. That explains the dread at having to come to her door," Loki announced genially, clearly in need of some entertainment. "Wanda, you've lost our wager."

"Loki," Wanda warned, taking the time to fix him with a look before gesturing at the other two. They seemed to have been fighting a war entirely through stares.

"Which door leads outside?"

Seph rolled her eyes. "Which fucking door do you think leads outside, Stephen? I thought you were this hot shot genius doctor!"

"I am asking because that door," he gestured at the front door, "leads to the middle of nowhere in the Bronx."

"Then maybe don't take the door that leads to the Bronx, then, jackass. Or better yet, do. Until now, you've never had a problem finding a door away from me."

"That–" He killed the retort before it had a chance to meet the air and instead pivoted his questioning. "Is the key still under the mat?"

"I don't fucking know. Where did you leave the key twenty-whatever years ago you last graced your own doorstep?" With that last remark, she stormed off and up the stairs, cardigan billowing behind her, while Strange wrenched the back door open and threw himself into the field between the houses.

Wanda and Loki shared a look before making themselves scarce, elsewhere.

XX

About an hour later, Wanda opened the door to what she presumed was the main bedroom and peeked inside. Persephone lay with her limbs splayed out, dark curls smushed on one side, blinking blankly at the ceiling. With a sigh, she opened the door a bit more and let herself in.

"I hope you don't mind. Loki and I made some tea. And he might have eaten a whole sleeve of Oreos."

Seph laughed despite her gloom and shuffled to sit up against the headboard. Wanda smiled, offering her an extra mug in her hand, steam billowing from the top invitingly. "Sorry. I've been a terrible hostess."

"You're more hostage than hostess at the moment. I don't blame you." Wanda sipped at her tea for a minute in tense silence. "So, when did you and Stephen date? And how did he fuck it up?"

The responding snort was heartfelt and led to a long laugh. "No. Stephen and I have never dated."

"But there is history."

She ruffled her curls back into shape, out of nervous habit more than concern, and sighed. "Hard not to have when you've known him all your life. He grew up in that house across the way."

"I assumed as much." She gave her an encouraging smile, like a mother coaxing her teen into conversation. It worked exceptionally well on Seph. "Come on. We were neighbors growing up does not cover the level of tension from earlier."

Seph shrugged. "We both wanted to be doctors. I followed him to the same schools, undergrad and med school. We were pretty much our own support system. His sister passed, and his parents, my mom. We always figured it out together–"

There was a bit of confusion in the witch's face. "OK. That sounds really sweet, though."

"–and then one day I told him a secret. I told him I could make doors go to other places and I showed him, and I haven't seen him since."

“Ah, right.” Wanda winced. "That… sucks."

"Yep." She popped the 'p' before sipping at her tea.

"But when he got into magic, surely he–?"

"Nope." She swallowed at a lump in her throat and pushed away the ball of emotions that thinking on that day was dredging up. "That day he said I was crazy, that I drugged him. I've never heard an apology but he somehow gets to be Sorcerer Supreme."

Wanda sighed, taking a long draw from her tea before adding. "Jeez, what a dick."

"I'm assuming this scrawny, little thing is him," Loki remarked from the door, startling both women. He held out a framed picture of four children. "I am assuming he was bullied on that haircut alone."

"No worse than being the only Black kid in school in a small town in rural Nebraska," Seph retorted with a wry grin. Loki considered and shrugged, sitting at the bottom of the bed with what appeared to be a pack of saltines. "That's his little brother, Victor. He's the taller kid. The girl is his sister, Donna. That's the last picture we took before Victor died."

"Didn't his sister die, as well?" Persephone nodded. "So, they've all died. Seems like he's a harbinger of bad luck. Maybe we'd do well to stay away," he quipped, tossing the picture onto the mattress.

"Yes, tell us about harbingers of bad luck, Mr. I've Died More Times Than I Can Remember," Wanda sassed back, much to the other two's amusement.

"I have a question, Lady Hale."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Seph is fine, Loki."

"These portals, can you make them go anywhere?"

She shook her head. "Only places I've been to, sorry. Can't send you back to whatever planet you want to run off to."

He tsk'ed. "Well, it was worth a try."

"What did you two do to get stuck with the magic police?"

"Created a whole new reality by escaping my first arrest" "Held a whole town hostage in a fake TV show." They replied simultaneously.

"Fuck. No wonder he's desperate," Seph muttered to herself. "Why doesn't he just keep you in the fancy sorcerer place?"

"Too many artifacts to play with." "Too many books with dark magic."

"OK. He's clearly in over his head. No wonder he came here. There's no way he could keep you both controlled and contained without the..." She gestured around the room to signify the magic of her bubble.

"It's nice to let him pretend." Loki offered with a wink. "It's endearing."

Persephone laughed, sparing a passing thought to the idiot who didn't know what he got into. "Well, if you're stuck here, anyway, there's plenty of bedrooms. The bathroom is down the hall. Make yourself comfortable and relax. I'm going to go get dinner started."

Wanda smiled, stretching happily. "I'll take you up on that. I need a shower and some sleep."

Loki smirked. "I'll join you in the kitchen, if you don't mind."

XX

When Stephen returned, a long while later, he was immediately drawn to the familiar smells permeating the house and warming him from the inside out as much as the soft, honeyed whispers being exchanged in the dim light of the kitchen. He found Loki and Persephone at the stove, speaking in hushed voices, closer to each other than he would have deemed appropriate–definitely flirty. Loki had changed out of the black suit into a pair of joggers and a dark green tshirt and seemed downright at home bantering with the human over the simmering pot. His ease made Stephen's left eye twitch immediately, some long-forgotten jealousy roiling in his chest and clenching his fists on their own accord. He cleared his throat loudly to pull their attention.

Seph rolled her eyes and turned back to the pot to stir, though Loki lingered close for a few extra moments before taking half a step back.

"I guess the fun police is back," she muttered under her breath and Loki chuckled.

"Loki, could you go check on Wanda, please?"

"Wanda is sleeping, so no." He turned back to his companion, whispered something into her ear that made her giggle and turn to face him, bottom lip caught between her teeth.

The way his eyes trailed from her lips to his gaze made something snap inside the sorcerer. "Just get lost, will you?"

Seph craned her neck, fixing him with a glare. "Leave him alone. This is my house." Loki grinned, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek with a smug glint in his eye.

"I need to talk to you."

"Funnily enough, I heard all I needed to two decades ago, so…"

"Persephone, I am not playing here, I–" His demand was cut short by the flickering of the walls. Invisible curtains dividing this world from the little ratty apartment in the Bronx were faltering. Just beyond the constraints of the space, a whole new area, neither New York nor Nebraska, was reflected for just a second before it flashed back.

"It's alright, darling. He knows he has no authority here. Settle down, dove," Loki cooed cautiously, eyeing their surroundings with caution. "Do you want me to give you a moment with him?"

Seph sighed, studying Loki’s expression before nodding reluctantly. "Like I have a choice with this idiot."

"Very well. I will make myself scarce." He inclined his head at her, a gentle smile attached. Once he turned, he gave Strange a dirty look with a multitude of silent warnings and retreated to the living room.

Stephen snorted. "What did you do, bribe him?"

Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the stove. "Nope. He was hungry. I fed him. You'd be surprised how much less surly he is when he's full."

He frowned. "We ate before coming here."

"Hm… what's your excuse, then?" After a minute of silence, she glanced over her shoulder to check he was still there. He was. Unfortunately. "Besides, he eats three times as much as you do. Whatever you had wouldn't have made a dent."

"How do you know that?"

She let out a single laugh. "It's this revolutionary practice called talking. You wouldn't know about it, scalpel jock."

"Here’s a thought. How about you let your disdain for me go long enough for us to have a conversation."

The spoon in her hand slammed into the pot with a splash, driving bits of stew everywhere. Reality flickered within the portal and time dilated just long enough for him to notice before everything went smashing back into place. She was good at repressing these feelings, he knew. She must have spent their decades apart trying to control herself, unaided, and now it was his fault that she was losing control.

"How can you pretend that the single worst day of my life is just water under the bridge, Stephen?" She turned from the stove and he noticed her eyes glowed faintly in their intense hazel. "You accused me of drugging you, of deceiving you! I was grieving, my life was a mess, and I suddenly opened doors to places I hadn't been to in years, entirely by accident." She began to close the space between them, rounding the kitchen table. He felt like he should make a hasty retreat but found he lacked the ability. "I was terrified. I needed you! And you left me! I had no one!" Her voice cracked at the end, eyes filling with tears as she did all she could to retain the glare she was directing at him. "And after all that shit, you find magic and you–you didn't even have the decency to come and talk to me until you needed something."

"I didn't understand what had happened, OK? I opened your closet door and stepped into my childhood bedroom, Seph! How was that logical?"

"How did you think I felt, fucker? I was the one doing it!" Her voice rose to a shout and Stephen was quick to match it.

"I'm sorry! OK? I am sorry. I shouldn't have left. I should have reached out to you sooner. I should have helped. I am sorry. I'm s o r r y, but I was a dumb kid and the girl I was in love with could make distances shrink into nothing and I panicked!"

"You should've stayed gone, then," she replied, icily. "Because the boy I was in love with died when you left me alone in that room."

Cold filled his veins, and his spine quivered at her words. This was pure hatred, plain and simple. He couldn't find it within himself to blame her, to logic his way out of his role in her misery. Every excuse he could offer could be countered with 'yes, and it was happening to her, too'. She had been his one support through every bit of rotten luck he ever had. And he left her to her fate in a strange city without a lifeline. He never imagined he would be back to have this conversation, to pick at the scabbed-over wounds he had inflicted long ago.

"Persephone… Seph…" His hands tentatively grasped for her shoulders and gave a squeeze. She flinched, but did not pull away. "I am so sorry." With a little more coaxing, he had enveloped her in his arms, his nose pressed into her hair and inhaling the familiar scent of coconut. "I'm sorry. I am sorry," he chanted, feeling the front of his shirt dampening with her tears as her shoulders relaxed and molded into him. "I am going to make it up to you. I swear."

Persephone sniffled, pulling away from his frame. "I've waited a lifetime for you to come back for me." She blinked and tears streamed down her cheeks. "But I don't want that, anymore.” She made distance, wiping at her eyes and steeling her resolve. He wanted to pull her back to him. She needed to understand his point of view, though it suddenly occurred to him that he never bothered to understand hers. “You're welcome to stay as long as you need. But this isn't fixable, Stephen."

After a tense moment of staring at each other, she skirted past him, ignoring his protests and pleads to talk, opened the pantry door and disappeared through it with a ripple. 

“Stellar job, Strange. Now we’re stuck until she gets back,” Loki commented as he slipped into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of stew and sneaked back out. 

For once, Stephen did not argue.

[nagisasstunningpersonality]

The Character As A Tool: Why Your Fave Doesn't Get More Screentime

Please refer to this post

REMINDER THAT ALL VIEWS HERE ARE MERELY MY OWN OPINIONS 

In truth, one of the most common complaints I see within this fandom is the treatment of side characters. Meaning, in short, a fair amount of the fandom are less connected to what’s going on with our main group of Nagisa, Karma, and Kayano, and instead relate to some of the less obvious choices. Now, there’s no problem with doing this. Hey, if you see something you like in a less important character, then absolutely go for it!

What We Do Know

I discovered for myself, whilst making my About Ass Class series posts, that absolutely some characters’ actual canon information is very dry. Matsui gives everyone a few bits here and there in both the Roll Call book and Graduation Album. If you’re lucky, there’s further points you can pick up just from watching/reading.

Now, and this I want to emphasise I’m stating as an opinion, Matsui actually gives us quite a lot to go from. Even if not every character is highly developed, there’s still a genuinely very solid starting block to go from with your own headcanon. Perhaps it can be argued that it’s not the reader’s job to supply that, but I’d counter that it’s actually kind of fun to not be fed every piece of information. Though more facts and a deeper dive into interpersonal relationships would be admittedly nice, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us as a fandom coming up with those ideas on our own, using the pointers Matsui does give us as a starting point. Honestly it would take the fun out a little if there was too much information, and we’d have less possibilities to play with.

Why Certain Characters Exist

I’m sorry to tell you, but one of the first things you’re taught in any kind of writing or literature analysis class is that characters are not people, they’re tools. This may feel a little harsh to say, and I’m aware that many people get attached to characters and have genuine feelings towards them. And that is totally valid! Definitely not on the same scale, but I too enjoy when people have real emotions towards my OCs, so I get it.

(rest under cut) 

To put it plainly: characters exist within a story as either a plot tool, or a message tool. A plot tool is someone who, as it sounds, exists to move the story along. Characters that need to exist in order for the story to happen as it does. Now, don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to have planned this out. You don’t need to specifically introduce Hara, for example, for the sole reason of her upping the stakes in the first Itona/Shiro arc. Characters existing for filler is still, in a way, a plot tool. It’s like… you set up a chess board. Sure, you might use the knight or the queen piece the most, but the pawns are still an important and useful piece, even if you don’t always utilize it for every move, or they don’t always stand out. Message tools are when a character doesn’t really do anything, but they help to assist in the message you want to send with your art/writing. There’s not so many examples of this in ass class, the best I can think of is either Yuuji or Sakura, who don’t do much at all but are beacons for what Matsui wants to say with them (which if you think about it is just ‘don’t do drugs kids’ and ‘stay in school’ :’)).

So free bit of writing advice for you: your character is your chisel. Once you’ve picked them up and started to work at carving out the story you want, then you can start adding all your fancy upgrades and personality points, which is what ultimately makes your character stronger. You grow attached to them when you’re done? Totally fair. Just… don’t go through this process the opposite way.

Without going too in depth with them right now, Nagisa Shiota is a plot tool. He is a plain easy to follow narrator whose observation skills intentionally mean the reader can see things clearly through his eyes. Where he loses relatability is when he displays his talent, but at that point he’s been so clearly introduced that it doesn’t matter as much, we can hear his voice. Him being more plain makes his talent more effective and shocking as it is. Karma Akabane is a plot tool. He exists so we have those somewhat comedic moments, and so we can have these big bad ass mental/physical fight moments. I actually think him not being the protagonist is something that makes Ass Class hugely stronger (and less cliché) as a series. Kayano Kaede is a plot tool. Admittedly, less so, but she has a lot of function as a back up to Nagisa, and then later is the catalyst for Korosensei’s backstory. The story starts to come to its climax due to her arc alone. As an aside I think a lot of criticism for Matsui isn’t that fair within the fandom, but I will openly say his treatment of her post reveal was not the best at all. He kind of lost control of what to do with her.

So, let’s talk about archetypes. I intend to write a whole meta about why Ass Class is predominantly written as a comedy series, but for now just take that statement as my opinion. Honestly, I do think Ass Class, with a few tweaks, could have worked with a bunch of unnamed characters. I’m instantly going to follow that up with: I’m very glad it didn’t. I love that it feels more like a large ensemble with a variety of characters. So instead of just plain filler, Matsui kind of makes good use of archetypes. You know, such as Takebayashi and Fuwa as otakus, Hazama as the dark occult girl etc. etc. All of this for comedic purpose, more than anything, which we really see in something like Koro Q which is more directly comedy. You might argue this is one dimensional, and I’d agree, but in this situation it’s achieving an effect. It’s genuinely better than having nothing. And honestly, they all do stuff. Some characters are far more effective and entertaining as a background character (i.e. Terasaka) than carrying a bunch of weight themselves.

Matsui Actually Does This Comparatively Well

Honestly, try and name another popular series in a classroom setting, with this many characters who all have individual personalities. Genuinely, the only one I can kind of think of is BNHA, and that’s not a fair comparison given the difference in story length. Comparatively to most series, Ass Class actually has really good side characters. If they were completely uncaringly written, nobody would stan them as hard. For the most part, I’d certainly argue everyone is memorable. Given that we’re juggling at least 30 people here (including teachers, Gakushuu etc.), I’d actually argue that’s kind of impressive.

And the thing is, Matsui does care. He cares enough to give everyone designs, hobbies, and personalities. A good portion of them have an entire chapter to themselves, although relative to the story as a whole they might not do so much (example: Kimura). Matsui could have been lazy with it, but he was not. I don’t want to invalidate anyone’s feelings with this, but I do argue here that those who think the opposite might be a little wrapped up in the character they stan. And I can totally understand that rightfully, you want the character you love to have more screen time. However, just because you happened to fall in love with them (figuratively I mean), doesn’t change the purpose they were originally created to fulfil.

It’s an unfair criticism that not giving every single person a huge arc makes Matsui a poor writer. Honestly, if everyone was equal without a few main characters getting a greater amount of the attention, the entire series would be a hot mess. It might be fun to reimagine the series that way, and go ahead in your own time, but as a series from start to finish, as a first time consumer, it would be genuinely very hard to follow. Not without changing the entire structure and many many plot points.

I do intend to write more about this too at a later point (because I will admittedly need to do more research), but in my opinion the biggest issue with Ass Class, and the cause behind the problems I have with it, is the genuine lack of time. It’s a relatively short story, compared to a lot of manga, and thus there isn’t the space to contain everyone’s story in deep way. I’m absolutely certain, had there been 50/100 chapters more, every character would have had a stand out chapter to themselves.

So thus I bring up the fun and stimulation that is headcanon.

The Issue with headcanons

(this point will go much quicker, I promise)

Ass class ended a looong time ago, let’s be fair. Whether you’re newer or older to the fandom, there’s still been quite a while since any kind of new content (Korotan D being the last official piece, Koro Q manga being the last anything, though I could be slightly wrong with that). That means, especially if you’ve cared about this series for a while, that we’ve considered the series to death.

Playing with headcanons is great! It’s fun! But, I do fear that especially when it comes to perhaps the more popular of the minor characters, a lot of us are getting wrapped up. It needs to be kept in mind that whilst these headcanons may have been around for a while, they are not directly correct to the source material. As a quick note, since I have seen people within the fandom getting kind of bothered over opposing opinions to the things they assume as canon. That’s not really anybody’s fault, but it does warrant saying, I think.

A Conclusion

Basically, loving a main character is great. Loving a more background character is great. You’re not a better or worse, more intelligent or more basic person for whoever your fave is. The point is, you see something you like in a character and you relate to them, or else just enjoy them. But as fun as that is, characters are tools. They exist for a specific purpose. Sometimes, that purpose doesn’t warrant them having a huge stand out character arc.

But hey, that’s totally okay because we’re fortunate enough to have such a community (arguably, I’d say a genuinely active one too) where we can dream that up ourselves. We can pretty much endlessly explore these possibilities. So, perhaps instead of negativity complaining about certain narrative issues we find (just putting this here: it’s fair to do this, but I don’t think it should be the FOCUS of conversation), we focus on driving that energy into creation. And there’s a lot to play with and create. And honestly, seeing HC posts and all sorts staring these more minor characters is great, and I’m pretty sure the majority would agree with me on that. I fully realise and accept that I have a platform here, and going forward I personally want to be a part of that. In a constructive way, rather than ‘deconstructing’ (yes, there’s a pretty big different as I see it).

(I realise that this last part comes off a bit call out post like, and I want to ensure that it is not intended to be that. I just have a general sense of some attitudes towards things floating around in a very generalised way right now)

[thenerdcommander]

whos your fave oc and why?

At this current moment in time?  Jingk.  Being able to roleplay and talk about and daydream about a problematic goblin mom that’s actually allowed to make mistakes and learn the ways of the world alongside the rest of her party is cathartic for me.  Especially since she lacks worldly experience and sometimes acts childish but is STILL treated by the party as an adult with worth and value and are willing to help and guide her through her fears and trauma as she learns to integrate herself into human society just.  It gives me so many feels.  On her own she’s pretty unremarkable as an individual (aside from a very obvious trend I’ve noticed with her where everything she does has very positive accidental resulting effects from doing literally anything [including bullshittery]) and I have other characters that could (and arguably should) be my favorite but it’s her dynamic with the people she surrounds herself with, how much she’s grown since day 1, and the direction her character is headed that puts her above the others.  She has gone from absolute rock bottom and she is growing to being badass and powerful in her own right and it’s *chef’s kiss*.  I wish so much that I could share what the projected outcome is for her post-campaign based on what’s happened so far because it’s just.  I can’t explain it.  “Good” is such an understatement.  I love my chaotic goblin momma so much ;u;

[master-sass-blast]

Fanfic writers ask #17 to 26 ;) that should be enough to keep you busy hehe

YOU ARE THE BEST AT HELPING ME PROCRASTINATE XD!!!

17 (Favorite AU to write): Honestly, I’ve got a lot. Idk. I like the all for different reasons. My current faves right now are:

Mafia/Crime Boss AU.

Mermaid/Mythological Creature AU.

Royalty AU.

High School AU.

And, most recently, as discovered with @leo-writer, SCOOBY DOO AU. LIKE, SO UNDERRATED. SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STORY TELLING CHALLENGES AND WHOLESOME MOMENTS! IT’S AMAZING!!!

18 (Favorite Pairing to write): Three way tie between Piotr Rasputin x Reader, Frank Castle x Karen Page, and Alexandra Rasputina and Nikolai Rasputin.

WHICH LIKE, I GET I AM THE ONLY PERSON INVESTED IN PIOTR’S PARENTS, WHICH INVOLVES BASICALLY TREATING THEM LIKE OCS. I DON’T CARE. I LOVE THEM. YOU CAN PRY THEM FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!!!!!

19 (Favorite Fandom to write): Tie between the Daredevil/Punisher Netflix series universe and the Deadpool Movieverse.

20 (Favorite Character to write): Currently, Alexandra Rasputin. Close seconds are Piotr Rasputin, CHC Reader (she counts and I refuse to hear otherwise), Illyana Rasputin, Frank Castle, and Karen Page.

21 (Least Favorite Character to write): Tie between Nathan Summers and Wade Wilson, only because I feel like I’m never quite “on point” with them. I love them, but they’re a struggle for me.

22 (Favorite Story you ever wrote): Oh Lord, what even...

Uh, Salt of the Earth, Myshka, Waking Dreams, Sweater Weather, Raking Duty, Treats Best Left Uneaten, Meeting the Rasputins, all the wedding/engagement fics, and Hunter and Hunted are all favorites for various reasons.

23 (Least Favorite Story you ever wrote): Currently, the one I’m working on because it’s taking forever to finish and I jUST! WANT! IT! TO! BE! DONE!

24 (Favorite Scene you ever wrote): The scene where Piotr proposes. It’s basically almost two years of hard 2realized for me.

25 (Favorite Line you ever wrote): The one where Wade calls Frank Castle “Spank Me Daddy.” THAT WILL BE MY MOST PROUD CREATION UNTIL THE DAY I DIE!!!

26 (Story you’re most proud of): I’m proud of all my stories for various reasons, whether it’s because they capture the spirit of what I was going for, or because they flow well, or even if I wrote them during I time where I wasn’t doing good but I didn’t give up.

Questions and Answers does top the list, though, just because of how much planning and work went into that baby. Arguably, it’s the best story I’ve ever written in the whole serious. Maybe not my most favorite to read, since I do like a little action and drama in what I read, but definitely the best written one.

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Writer’s Questionnaire

tagged by @galadrieljones! Thanks! :)

Short stories, novels, or poems? I write a lot of short scenes, but I prefer reading novels as well as writing them. It’s so fun to see how your character grows and changes, how they develop, and how things you thought would happen don’t, or happen in a way different from what you imagined. It’s wonderful, though difficult. (Constantly I have to ask myself have I used this turn of phrase in the story before?)

What genre do you prefer reading? Looking at the books that caught my interest of late, (and in general) the stuff I read has some sort of family dynamic present. More often than not, there’s also a love story. Typically my favorite books are sagas that take place over different generations. (thorn birds one of them, and when I was younger and read a lot of Sidney Sheldon, one of my favorites of his was Master of the game, which took place over fifty years of family. my older self though now really likes Rage of Angels...I would love to like modernize that story...) My dream is to write a long family saga one day.

What genre do you prefer writing? there’s no contest: Romance. I was once very adamant about not using that word due to the stigma behind the romance genre, very keen on...a story about two people who happen to be in love! But you know..it’s romance. I’m just endlessly fascinated by the different ways people can fall in love, and how their love manifests and effects others. 

Are you a planner or a write-as-I-go kind of person? Hmmmm.....a little of both. With Our Immortal longings I made an outline of events, but things changed, shifted around, or flat out didn’t happen. Back in the day I was very strict on following the outline I wrote, but now I’ve finally found the happy medium of following it but understanding the story is going in a different direction. I think one of the reasons my modern AU is stagnant right now is because I didn’t make an outline.

What music do you listen to while writing? Usually I don’t. However, there are a few scenes I have written throughout my resume where there was a song I replayed over and over again, because it just fit the mood. So now when I listen to one of those songs, all I can think about is the scene. :)

Fave books/movies? Hmmm I have books that have meant a lot to me over the years. East by Edith Pattou (which now has a sequel. Like..wha?) The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCoullogh, Phantom by Susan Kay. I also love so many plays. Of course Shakespeare, but also Anton Chekhov. 

Movies: Howl’s Moving Castle is arguably my biggest inspiration. And when I watched gone with the wind when I was 12 I swear it changed me. I wasn’t used to seeing female characters being so unapologetic, and while I certainly don’t idolize Scarlett O’hara, I find her endlessly interesting as a character. Some other favorites are The Sound of Music, That Hamilton Woman, Wuthering Heights(1939), Bridesmaids. And I saw the new A Star is Born and it’s on my eternal favorites list.

Any current WIPs? My DBH fic has become my main focus, Our Immortal Longings. (Which I would really love to shorten to Immortal Longings but hey what can you do.) I also have a post blight fic with cullen, that details the relationship he develops with one of the chantry sisters. I also have a modern AU with Cullen and Lydia. I like the fic in theory, and I was experimenting away from the romantic feel of my previous work to something blunter and more realistic (for lack of a better word.) But I just feel for Connor’s character when I played DBH, and I really wanted to tackle how he would deal with falling in love. In the process I seriously became enamored with my own OC and the dynamic she has with him. Odd because I was never interested in robots or stories about robots before...but now...well....look at all the possibilities! 

also I had a MGIT story about a Shakespearean actress. I’m sorry to those who liked the story, but I’m not going to continue with it.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be? A pink colored sundress decorated with flowers, and ballet flats. My hair is big and curly.

Create a character description for yourself: She was alive. That was always good, though perhaps not in the best of her appearances with her glasses on, face unmade and hair in a messy bun. She was also wearing one of her dumpy nightshirts. But again, she was alive, and she was writing. Every single word she wrote was a victory. 

Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing? Bits of them sure, not blatant insertions to where people I know would know. Maybe just a wink.

Are you kill-happy with characters? Well, people do die IRL and in my writing. But I wouldn’t say I’m kill happy. IWD had two causalities. Will OIL have any? Well....I can’t answer that. Some of my favorite movies/books have poignant deaths, and I will admit the one major death scene that happened on screen in IWD was very cathartic and powerful for me. 

Am I George RR Martin kill happy though? no. 

Coffee or tea while writing? Morning: coffee. Night: Tea.

Slow or fast writer? I’m reasonably fast, though it certainly depends. sometimes it takes me a while to start. 

Where/who/what do you find inspiration from? Everything and anything. I always have my eyes peeled. When I was in Disney I came up with so many scenarios for Connor and Sophie, and yesterday doing sparklers and fireworks with my family I imagined a Cophie new year, lol. 

mainly though? Music. Definitely music.

If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be? In my best life I’m a bard that follows along an adventurer and becomes their companion as they travel the the world. 

Most fave book cliche? Least fave book cliche? I’m a sucker for a lot of romantic tropes. The dance of romance, forehead touches, died in your arms, (Is that morbid? lol I’m sorry I just find it so dramatically satisfying.)  I love broody guy, gentle girl and variations of that trope. Friends to lovers. in fact I view my two OtPS a variation of the above. I probably have more too. Bedsharing too. I did bedsharing back before I knew everyone else loved it too :)

I’m of the opinion that most things can work if done properly but least favorite is by far the whole liar revealed story arc. at best I tolerate it, but...no. Just no. I’m getting a little tired of “we can’t be together” story lines and love triangles too. I also have tropes that I think are okay but everyone else loves: fake dating. (I know, I know. I even have my own fake dating story too. mostly I wrote it because I wanted to see if I could grow to like it.) and dramatic height differences. but this is mostly because I’m tall, and when I read young adult fiction as a youth, the LI was always so much taller than the herione...and I’m salty ok? lol. 

OH on young adult books: I’m tired of the heroine that “isn’t like other girls because I’m tough and reclusive and I don’t like makeup or whatever” (BELLA SWAN) I would like 2019 to be the year that I say you can be a powerful female and still like things that are traditionally feminine, and there should be no shame in it. I love writing characters that draw their strength through their femininity, because guess what...it’s not inherently weak! 

Fave scenes to write? I love scenes where the characters just talk. I love grand romantic gestures. I love moments of reflection. And of course, I love a love scene. :p

Most productive time of day for writing? When the muse strikes. 

It’s also strange to me that I most want to write when I’m in a crowd of people. maybe sometimes I feel like people are talking without listening and I feel a bit lonely so I imagine my characters, because they make me feel less lonely. 

Reason for writing? I always have in some way. The simple reason? I like to. It’s my therapy and my art. I just do :)

this took a long time for some reason! tagging @bitchesofostwick @negotiator-on-site @inquisitorsmabari @fourletterepithet @whatsherfacewrites @laraslandlockedblues @out-of-the-embers @ladymdc