#should've put would that i in there but i was sleep-deprived because of this lmao

[lizzarts]

I saw this trend and I simply had to. For the record, I did not intend to end up with a worldstate featuring 3 elf rogues, but my wife and I keep getting attached to our boys. We've got:

Nevyth Tabris. He/him. City elf. Ranger. Warden-Commander; Hero of Ferelden; the most horrible little man you'll ever meet. The ciggie is permanently attached. Loves Zevran. Respects two people and two people only: Anders and Shale.

Garrett Hawke. He/him. Human mage. Champion of Kirkwall. Purple as can be. Incredibly powerful, unbelievably silly. Loves Fenris very much, even more than he loves bread.

Arthyr Lavellan. He/him. Dalish elf. Lord Inquisitor; Saviour of Orlais (begrudging); Honourary Avvar. Loves his Mam. Genuinely terrifying assassin rogue (people really underestimate a man with an overbite and a Welsh accent). Married to Dorian Pavus. The Iron Bull is their boyfriend. Cole is his boy best friend.

Lorant Aldwir. He/they. Veil Jumper: originally a city elf from the Starkhaven alienage. The tiredest looking twink you've ever seen. On a """break from their studies""". Definitely not a missing person back home, don't even worry about it!!! Very good at talking his way out of situations; better at talking his way into them. Wants to be Emmrich's controversially young spouse.

(Arthyr and Lorant are not related for the record, Arthyr just takes one look at this sleep deprived 22 year old and puts them straight in the Son Zone. Poor Lorant (a known Old Man Enjoyer) is too busy trying not to call him Daddy to protest.)

Transcript because my writing is small. Top to bottom:

Hawke -> Arthyr: Can I offer you a dog in this trying time? (alt: Rather you than me, man)

Arthyr -> Hawke: would

Hawke -> Nevyth: Oh shit, Anders' sugar daddy!

Nevyth -> Hawke: You should've let Anders do more terrorism

Hawke -> Rook: I can't look directly at you or I think about Varric and start crying

Rook -> Hawke: I can't look directly at you or I think about Varric and my head hurts?

Nevyth -> Arthyr: lmao

Arthyr -> Nevyth: SECOND WORST GUY I'VE EVER MET* I HATE YOU

*The title of First Worst Guy Arthyr has ever met goes to Grand Duke Gaspard.

Nevyth -> Rook: Why are you 12? (derogatory)

Rook -> Nevyth: L + ratio + old + blighted

Rook -> Arthyr: i think i hauve the blight

Arthyr-> Rook: 🎵YOU ARE MY SON🎵

[dipplinduo]

Have you ever scrapped ideas for Sweet & Sour?

Yep!

My process has luckily been more of "transform an idea that doesn't fit" situation for most things, but I'm happy to talk about some of the things that didn't make the cut. Whipping out the notes page...

Lacey was actually meant to be the spotlighted E4 member that gets close to Juliana, not Drayton (hence the focus on her in Chapter 1 & 2). She was actually my favorite at first, and I envisioned her as being a positive, grounding guide for Juliana, and also somewhat of a middle ground influence for Kieran. But then I wrote my spin on the cafeteria scene, and I was like "oh my god wait, Drayton's character is so enticing and flexible, and he's especially fun to insert as an influence in the Kieran/Juliana dynamic". SOOOOOO I quickly decided to pivot and make him the spotlighted one, and have him do more of this brotherly figurer role who was very cunning and comedic. Before I even realized I got overtaken by the iconicism, and now he's just part of my brand in general. Whoops. The "Drayton Being Iconic" tag existed on this blog before this happened so I honestly should've seen it coming LMAO. I do have very important plans for the rest of the E4 and what role they're playing, though :

Don't laugh at this one - it was also early development LOL. I was going to have a party scene where Drayton convinces Juliana to pretend she got drunk (I know) as part of a roundabout and wild way to find evidence that Kieran had a soft spot for her (I KNOW). Kieran was essentially gonna waltz in (to a social event he otherwise never would make an appearance in) and he'd get all flustered as Juliana latches onto him. He would've decided to sweep her away from the party and take him back to his dorm. I ended up scrapping this entirely because while teens do party and all that...yeah, and also we pretty much got the dynamic moments I wanted to portray much better through the chapters where Juliana got sick.

Kieran/Juliana dynamic was also gonna have a moment where Kieran gets it in his head to start flirting with Juliana because he thinks that she’s flirting to get him to put his guard down. And that's where they both kinda were gonna secretly realize their feelings LOL. In hindsight lowkey fire still, but yeah, kinda just didn't have the space for it. We do have flirty Kieran era though, and that's still based.

This one is kinda known already, but originally the Applins were the only stars of the show (hence the name of the fic). I added Ribombee in early on after enough people wanted it and gave it lore/a connection to Kieran and his mother. Before Ribombee was conceptualized, I had different plans for what happened to Kieran's parents (he would still be an orphan regardless).

Briar was originally going to make a "deal" with Clavell regarding getting Juliana to come to Blueberry early, although it wouldn't be revealed until Juliana discovers this later. I scrapped this in favor of something much better because I didn't like the implications it had on Clavell's character, and honestly, only Blueberry is supposed to have the sketchy admin/systematic stuff going on anyways lol.

Kieran was meant to show more obvious signs of sleep deprivation (e.g. falling suspect to illness more frequently, slowed reactions). This idea is still good and realistic, but yeah, ended up leaning more into other symptomology that went well with the toxic chain curse (e.g. irritability, obsessive fixations, self-criticism, overworking himself, fatigue, etc.)

Ribombee was going to sleep powder both Kieran & Juliana in the cave scene of Ch 5. I decided to make it a bit more organic by having Kieran up and reflecting on everything + having Ribombee appearance in a more mystical way. Plus, I thought it would mean more if Kieran & Juliana opted to cuddle up themselves rather than being knocked out. There was a part of me that was worried the dynamic was progressing too fast this way with this change, but it seemed to have landed well! :)

This doesn't really count as a scrapped idea, but related: I 1000% retconned something with the Drayton POV chapters (if ykyk, LOL). But YEP. It's CANON. And frankly it's a decision I personally love that has implications, but also won't screw up the storytelling for where we're at now, either.

There's actually a lot more, too, but like I said: most of my ideas tend to upgrade. And lolololol OMG this is especially true for some major lore stuff. I just don't want to reveal it because I don't want to give y'all hints on where we're going!! LOL.

And also...there are cuter moments I haven't used in S&S and probably won't be able to because I account for what makes sense with the given dynamic. BUT what I do end up doing is taking those unused ideas and putting them into What-Ifs or other stories. There's one I'm particularly thinking of that I was dying to put in S&S D, but I don't think it would trip up the current Kieran as much as it would've in earlier chapters, lol. SO. It's going in The Dichotomy in Our Hearts instead! xD

This was super fun to write, hope it was enough substance for the question! <3

[the-stove-is-divorced]

AND OH, GOOD IDEA, especially with the Keep Reading, lol! It was starting to get very long and confusing!

I know the timing for if he just left is sooo funny to me like everyone knows what to do here, while Debbie and Mark are so horribly lost. But trust, the gems are practically professionals on this. This exactly up their alley. I would kill for Pearl and Debbie interactions, exactly! Even if he does come back, do you want him in your life? Are you ready to let go for you? What do you want, Debbie? It isn't just adjusting to the absence, it's finding what you wanna be without him.

Maybe Steven's checking back in for a little bit, and they stumble into each other because yeah, It'd CRUCIAL for Mark to actually have, like, a role model of sorts. Steven made it, he's learning to be okay, he's been through this, and so can Mark. Lessons on how to not let being needed or Becoming Your Parent consume your soul. They swap numbers and lean on each other, they need it, lol. I think it's decent for Steven, too, someone who actually understands.

LMAOOOOOO. No that's so real, every time I see the Defined Washboard abs I just think passing the mf some water. Or spraying them with a hose. VILTRUMITE DIET CULTURE IM SCREAMING. No, because I literally think about if they're so joyless because it's all about colonizing, do they even have, like, yummy cultural foods? Are they chronically hangry? Dehydrated? Like, it's not uncommon for cults to deprive people of basic needs, sleep, food, etc to literally fog up your brain so you can't think as clearly, I can see that being part of the Vitrum Empire. Like, oh, you need this much water to do this, well I only need this little amount and I accomplished more than you! They're just grind/financial scam + diet culture lmao.

Part of me is utterly convinced Nolan enjoyed Earth because of the food istg. Bro is delighted to travel across the world and pick up whatever. My personal HC he keeps an internal map of different restaurants across the world, he keeps trying new places, keeps stock of menus. This also makes me wonder if powers are especially calorie draining, like flying is resisting gravity, using more strength, etc, and Viltrumites are hangry asf all the time, lmao. Mark gets cranky and irritable and feels like he's the worst 'cause he didn't adjust his caloric intake. Get the man some pasta.

Eve and Steven being separate buddies is SO delightful omg? They truly would bond so nicely. Steven can make non-shield shapes as well, I'm sure that'd be fun for the both of them. Pink buddies. It'd be so funny if neither knows they both met Steven, lol.

AND AAAAAA. THE SPINEL PORTION? Them both thinking it's both their responsibilities only to realize they could just, y'know, lean and help each other instead of putting it all on themselves. Talking about the weight of their issues, and realize they're not they're parents. Both of them having to deal issues their parents left to them, and realizing, yeah that fucking sucks. They should've have done that to them, that wasn't fair. AAAA, need this to be real.

Mark agreeing to go hang out on a beach w Debbie instead of refusing and the beach is Beach City (am now officially thinking too much about this crossover lol)

The way I got caught up on our back and forth I almost forgot this, lol! AND OH MY GOODNESS, IMAGINE? I forget exactly what which point Debbie makes the beach offer, but I’d love when exactly in SU/SUF-timeline they’d go? There’s something so fucking funny to me about them going during the SUF-timeline and always narrowly missing the strange, Steven-shaped mental breakdowns in the back. I know those don’t occur in a single day, but it’s tickling me. How could they miss anything? I don’t know I just think it’s funny.

Though, post-SUF is interesting if Gems can see the similar “world on your shoulders”, Mark has going on! Steven can shunt the narrative in the Gems’ minds, which I think is neat, if I’m not misusing the phrase since the guy’s on the road far away. Or maybe it’s just before Steven goes and they stumble into each other. I’d kinda love Pearl and Debbie interacting, honestly, if they could talk about loving someone who hurt you, hide things from you, even when you thought you knew them so deeply, and they left you to raise a child. Pearl being in a well adjusted space, and Debbie still grieving.

Honestly, the gems could help train Mark, they’re got experience and similar-ish powers in strength, sturdiness, and they can jump/run fast enough for flying to be vaguely similar enough to lecture about, I think. Or Lapis Lazulis, haha! Peridot with her trash can lid! Garnet, I’d love to see if she told Mark anything about his future in vague, well meaning advice. Or even giving relationship advice considering Amber. Or, importantly, how to convince an entire reign to end their colonizing ways, lol. Is Mark perhaps willing to start a war, take advantage of being related to any leaders, or fake his own death to varying results?

In general, there’s something so fucking funny to me about Nolan, in the sake of comparison, being Pink Diamond coded. Like OH, did an important or well respected of the colonizing empire come to earth and learn the beauty of its people and nature, including faking/lying/omitting things about his identity and background to being in, only to feel conflicted when his responsibility still remained, and he tried to free himself from them? Yikes! We’ve been through that before! Like gimme Pink Diamond and Nolan outfit swap rn. This is tickling me so much oh my goodness.

[vinylsoul]

rhodeytony + hozier songs (2 / 2)