#so I didn't get to enjoy my character creation process like I usually do

[dracoangel]

I'm gonna remake my character tonight in BG3. The voice I chose is driving me bonkers. And now that Im not on a 2hr timer I can actually take the time I want to create a character I'm happy with

[zgvlt]

sending your crush a survey form hcs part 4 second years x reader (separate) -> kalim, jamil, silver

general tags: gn reader, fluff + attempt at humor, sfw, not beta read, mix of text and images (for images, alt text/image description available)

other parts in this series

character: KALIM AL-ASIM premise/trope: sending your best friend a crush form. it's mutual but everybody... sort of just assumed that the two of you were already dating already

HOW HE (AND JAMIL) REACTS WHEN YOU SEND THE FORM LINK

Kalim's amused by many things, music one of the more significant interests he has. So, when he learned that he could customize the ringtones and notification sounds he has for all of his friends, he spends a lot of time assigning a tune for each person in his life.

It's why he immediately jumps up and searches for his phone when he hears the song he specifically chose for you.

Jamil gets it for him the second he recognizes the song playing because he's heard it so much it's ingrained in his memory.

(Kalim does not mute his phone unless specifically asked to. Usually for emergency purposes but Jamil doubts messaging you 24/7 qualifies as such).

Jamil checks the message briefly to make sure you're not getting hacked (it said you sent over a link and, well, there's been an increase in MagiCam accounts getting hacked lately...)

Jamil wishes he never checked it. When he gives Kalim his phone, he wants to walk away immediately. He does NOT want to be on the receiving end of the gushing, no way, absolutely not.

Even if it is a little cute, like some kind of fairy tale that he might have liked in his youth, he just wants to have some peace, and peace did not include Kalim yapping about how lovely and cool and amazing he thought you were.

Kalim's talking about how much he loves you and Jamil's immediate instinct is to sigh and ask why he won't tell you instead. You're his significant other or some other label anyway, right?

Kalim blinks in confusion, his fingers pausing the sticker spam he was inevitably doing.

"We're not dating though?" Kalim says. Jamil pops a blood vessel. "I wish we were! We could go on all sorts of cool dates, we could go visit my family, and then..."

Jamil tells him they literally already do that. They go on cool dates all the time. His family knows who you are (partially his fault, he let them know who Kalim spends all his time with these days, but obviously Kalim's fault for talking about you, too).

Jamil exits the room and tells Kalim to read the questions properly. He also says congratulations in advance.

Kalim's not dumb by any means, so when he realizes what the form is all about he's cheering and giggling to himself, like he wants to get his flying carpet to take a quick ride while, simultaneously, go get his drum kit so he could play his sudden excitement out.

His answers are equally excitable as your questions. Though it's mostly just vibes, he does get some really sweet answers out there about how much he likes you.

HOW HE ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS

AFTER HE ANSWERS THE FORM

Your relationship had been a long time coming... At least, that was how you and Kalim saw it. The two of you were so intertwined in each other's lives that spending your futures together just made sense.

For everyone else, they had thought the relationship was already there in the first place, so imagine their surprise when Kalim announces that there was going to be a party, a party to celebrate his new relationship, with you as the guest of honor.

They call Jamil a traitor for not telling them you and Kalim hadn't actually been dating all this time. Jamil wants to explain that even he didn't know, but he decides it's more fun to pretend he was the outlier who knew the truth all along.

He's planning a celebration for you, actively participating in the creation and setting up process because it's important to him that you would enjoy. He's taking into account what food and drinks you enjoy, how much people you want to attend and who should be in attendance, the music you want playing, even the colors of the decorations.

Initially, he wanted the party to be a surprise but he can't resist calling you. He wants this to be a perfect gift for you! He has to make sure you like each and every thing, so he calls you every few minutes to ask about even the tiniest of details.

It also probably helps that he just... really likes talking and listening to you.

Speaking of talking... While he keeps many of the specifics to himself, he's also talking about how nice and great and cute you are for confessing to him that way. It becomes the talk of the dorm, and Jamil won't be surprised if it becomes the modern day love story of their homeland.

Kalim's the one who seeks you out too, picking you up from wherever you said you were to bring you back to the dorm. He's so excited that he's (finally!) your partner!

The two of you spend a few minutes gushing about each other, and then he says,

"Alright, let's go!" He pulls you along with him, grasping your hand in his. "Let's celebrate the start of our love together!"

character: JAMIL VIPER premise/trope: sending your boyfriend, who you miss very much and is very busy, a crush form to remind him that your feelings have not waned one bit

HOW HE REACTS WHEN YOU SEND THE FORM LINK

You're wonderful to him, really, so you have the decency to send the link a little later into the evening, around the time you know he'd have less chores to do, more academics in turn. It's a time you know he'll allow himself to check his phone, and you know your message will go read.

You tell him you don't have to open the link immediately, to only do it when he's free.

Jamil sees the form file name and title and, well, he thinks it's time for him to wrap up his evening immediately. If he's to abide by your request, that is, to answer the form when he missed you... That would mean answering as soon as possible.

JAMIL : I don't know how to react. Should I call you corny or sweet for pulling a stunt like this?

He tells you that, but the reality is that his body has already decided how to react for him. His face feels too warm for comfort (which says a lot, considering he's rather used to the heat already).

He's hiding his face with his hood on the way to his room, and even when he's in the privacy of his quarters he can't help but want to cover up his face a little longer.

Conflicted between immediately getting back to you (at least, sending in his answers before you go to sleep) and preparing for bed, he ultimately decides to save the best for last, getting his heart to calm down as he undoes his hair and takes off his jewelry.

When he reads through the questions, he goes from being ready to pass out to doing leg kicks in bed and burying his face in his pillow (because he changed from his uniform, therefore no more hood).

Jamil answers the questions a little bluntly (with some quips aimed towards you here and there), but since it's something private, something he's sure you won't share with anyone else, he's comfortable giving you the affection you seek (and which he, too, misses giving and receiving).

(He also, just, has a thing for imagining you as flustered as you make him, so he likes to flirt a little bit. Oops 😊😁🤭)

HOW HE ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS

AFTER HE ANSWERS THE FORM

Morning come, everybody notices that Jamil is in SUCH a good mood, so good he can't even hide it.

It's surprising that he's acknowledging anyone at all considering, upon closer inspection, Jamil's eyebags looked... well, noticeable. Especially since he hadn't put on any makeup yet.

Kalim's usually the mood maker in Scarabia, but Jamil's genuine smiles are infectious, and soon enough everyone else is smiling, too, even so early in the morning.

Though they do wish he would talk to them a little bit more instead of spending his time on his phone (another rarity), but overall they're just happy that Jamil is happy.

(They all consider making some kind of prayer or offering to the Sevens now. Whatever or whoever is making their vice dorm leader having a wonderful morning, may it continue to do so forever)

As for Jamil... He knows he spent a good amount of time talking to you last night, but upon waking his natural instinct is to greet you immediately.

You're his treasure, his love, so if he goes to sleep thinking of you instead of dreading the morning come, and wakes thinking of you instead of the pile of work he'll inevitably face, who can really blame him for being visibly content?

JAMIL : I know I said I'd be too busy this week to commit to a date, but I don't think I can wait that long to see you. JAMIL : I'll find an excuse for Kalim, so... JAMIL : Shall we go on a date tonight?

character: SILVER premise/trope: sending Silver the form should have been relatively uneventful... if not for his well-meaning but nosy family

HOW HE (and the rest of Diasomnia) REACTS WHEN YOU SEND THE FORM LINK

The thing is... Silver's asleep when you send the link. That's not your fault of course, nor is it is. However, the two of you just have the most unfortunate timing. Maybe you shouldn't have sent multiple follow up messages, then it would not have alerted anyone else.

Silver's phone has multiple beeps and, well, his fae companions are a little more sensitive to sound than others. It's inevitable that they'd either be annoyed or intrigued by the constant notifications.

Sebek just wanted to mute it, really! However, the screen lights up when he puts it in front of his face, and he sees your name, and he instinctively says it out loud, and then it's all over.

Lilia and Malleus are taking peeks at the small device as well, trying to make sense of the cut-off previews of each message you sent.

Sebek is... trying to be a good person so he's doing that thing where he covers his face with his hand, but leaves a gap between his fingers for him to read the texts.

They want to wake up Silver because SILVER'S LOVE LIFE IS ON THE LINE WHAT IF YOU DELETE YOUR MESSAGES AND DECIDE YOU REGRET YOUR (admittedly unique) CONFESSION.

Lilia's talking about taking one for the team and he activates the face recognition unlock on Silver's phone. He's not going to look through what you sent or anything (yet) but he does send you a text to let you know that Silver's still asleep and to not worry about why he's not responding.

Well, that stops the message influx.

Ironically, it's the silence that wakes Silver up, and he's immediately suspicious when he sees three fae crowd over his cellphone.

When he finds out you've been sending texts he's very apologetic to have kept you waiting, and when he realizes just what you sent he's extra apologetic... and flustered. Not only did you send him such a thing, but his father, Malleus, and Sebek all got a glimpse of it, too.

SILVER : I'm sorry for taking so long. I feel asleep again. SILVER : I have control of my phone now, in case you were worried about... the others being overly curious again. SILVER : I'll answer what you sent and get back to you as quickly as I can.

Silver's answers are serious and straight to the point, but not to the point that it lacks affection. Rather, he manages to weave in his perception and feelings for you rather seamlessly.

HOW HE ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS

AFTER HE ANSWERS THE FORM

He just meant to let the trio outside his room (he knows they're there, they are not being very discrete) know that he was going to meet up with you for a little bit, maybe talk about the next steps of any relationship you could cultivate in person.

However, they're bombarding him with apologies for snooping (he's already forgiven them, honestly) and questions about whether he's finally having his first romance.

Even Sebek, once he says his piece about making sure to allocate enough time for training and academics, gets pretty into it.

Silver clarifies that he's going to meet up with you specifically to discuss what the two of you should do with your mutual feelings, and then they're talking about what courtship offering he could give and what attire he should wear and what song he could perform ad he loves them, really, but it's a little bit too much.

He lets them know he'll leave as he is and that he'll be back for dinner. Lilia jokes that he should cook something special for the occasion and to bring you along to dine with them.

He runs before he can be pressured into agreeing. Malleus and Sebek look like they want to join him instead of facing Lilia's cooking.

You're talking to a bird when he sees you. The sight makes Silver smile.

"The birds have a great eye. Those colors suit you," Silver says. He makes sure the stem has no thorns before he tucks it between your ear. "Perhaps the forest critters have taken a liking to you, too."

masterlist | end notes

[ 1 ] Compared to the previous crush forms (aside from Floyd's), these ones sort of have the theme of getting people involved in the process. I feel like if I were to make or receive one, I would be sharing them or letting my friends take a look, so it felt realistic enough to have some characters actually tell people about the form and not just keep it to themselves

[ 2 ] I don't think I have to say this, but don't violate people's privacy with their phone in real life HAHAHAHA this is for plot purposes only

< special tags >

@merotwst here bestie ito na yung tag mo HAHAHAHA surry napatagal ng post hihi

If anyone wants to be tagged for when a specific character's form gets posted feel free to let me know :> I can tag you too

[fandomworld9728]

Dance With Me, Kiss Me:

"Oh Alastor, stop hiding in the corner and come join the party."

The party in question was a celebration for their victory against the Exorcist Army and had been the princess' idea. A way to thank those who helped in the battle and to raise moral.

Alastor had to admit, it wasn't a half bad idea. The residents' moods had improved tremendously after the rebuilding of the hotel and during the process of putting together this clam bake. It had even turned into an impromptu bonding activity for some of them.

Which is the reason the radio demon was standing in a corner away from everyone, nursing a drink. He had found himself getting a little too close to the King of Hell. Most sinners would give anything for that chance. Alastor on the other hand? It scared him.

Once they started to have an actual conversation, it was frightening how easily Alastor had spilt his guts to the other man. As if they had been close for years. Charlotte was correct in her insistences that the two were similar and would get along if they just gave it a chance.

Their distaste in modern technology, mainly television, was one of the main bonding points. The other... had been their lack of interest in romance and carnal desires. It had led to the deer demon confessing to the fallen angel how much he hated kissing and his horrible experience with the action.

"Then how do you know for sure?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"How do you know for sure if you dislike kissing? All you have to go off of is that one bad experience."

As much as Alastor hated to admit it, and he would never say this out loud, Lucifer had a point. Not that he was eager to lock lips with someone. However, their talk got him thinking. And not just about kissing.

"I am contemplating my next move. Tell me, my dear, what is your stance on our king? Do you believe him to be trustworthy?"

If there was anyone's opinion he valued down here in Hell, it was Rosie's. She was an excellent judge of character (not counting her many ex-husbands) and had a talent for reading people.

"Well now, what a surprise. Finally making a move to add the other member of Hell's royal family to your plans? Let me see."

Getting her teasing out of the way, Rosie let her eyes scan the room for Hell's King. She knew something had been up with her friend since she saw him. And if he was coming to her about it on his own, she wasn't gonna mess with him about it. Not too much anyways.

Finding her target off on his own, Rosie took a few moments to watch him before turning back to her fellow Overlord.

"I may not know a lot from personal experience about our lovely ruler, however, if there were anyone here in Hell to trust... honestly it would be Charlie. That being said, do remember who raised that sweet girl."

~

Leaning against a wall, Lucifer lightly swirled his drink in his hand and took the chance to people watch. It's something he's enjoyed since he first came into creation. Now, the fallen angel was usually the life of the party, but that was because those parties were with the other Sins and upper-class Hellborns.

He didn't want the guests to feel like they had to walk on eggshells when they should be having fun. So, he stayed as a wallflower and made sure no one caused any trouble. One less thing for his little girl to worry about. This also gave him time to think about his conversation with Alastor.

Turns out talking to the radio demon was easier and surprisingly enjoyable when he wasn't intentionally trying to piss the king off. So much so, that the two openly discussed their experiences with intimacy.

"So, you had not so great times with that kind of stuff too?"

"Indeed. A former friend of mine, Vox, showed me how unpleasant and repulsive kissing can be. Not to mention the time I grew up in."

"Oh yeah. Dating culture was a lot different back then. What had he done to make kissing so gross to you?"

Lucifer knew as soon as Alastor hesitated that a line had been crossed. That seriously pissed him off. He had half a mind to go find that piece of scum and handle the sinner himself.

No one deserved that. Not even murderers who cannibalized their victims and seemed to love to poke and pick at the devil to get a reaction out of him. Who has done other horrible things in his life and afterlife. Before he could get too spun up from the memory, a hand came into view, outstretched to him.

"Care to dance, majesty?"

Next >

[pascaloverx]

Strangers?

Part Four

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Author's note: This fanfic is set in the creation of Jenny Han. Conrad Fisher and other characters mentioned in the future do not belong to me. I hope you like this fanfic, depending on how it goes, I'll decide if this fic will have more parts or just this one. This fanfic is recommended for all audiences, there will be no adult content in it, only possible inappropriate language and alcohol consumption.

You and Conrad were basically already dressed appropriately to spend time with Jeremiah and Belly. The couple is putting away all the food that you and they brought. You and Conrad are currently grabbing sticks or anything to start the fireplace. Conrad is silent, as if something is bothering him internally.

"Do you want me to pretend I'm feeling unwell, and we discreetly escape from here?" You say, offering a subtle smile, hoping for a positive response from Conrad.

"And where would we be heading, Miss Y/N?" Conrad says, adjusting the twigs in his arms with a playful tone.

"I'll let you take me wherever you want..." You say, gathering a few more twigs, looking at Conrad appearing excited at the prospect of you two escaping now.

"You shouldn't say that to me, honestly, if it were up to me, you'd be under..." Conrad is about to say something cheeky. You can sense it, perhaps even wish for it. Unfortunately, you both hear Belly calling you to come for dinner.

"I guess you'll have to save that story for later." You say, giving Conrad a peck on the lips, leaving him seemingly discontent as you head towards dinner with Belly.

You both stack the branches and wood you've gathered, and Conrad uses his lighter to ignite the fire. You watch him closely, realizing that he is terrible at making fires but that he is persistent when he wants something. You, Belly, and Jeremiah are already seated, enjoying a mix of soda, snacks, and chocolate bars. Luckily Belly bought marshmallows for you to eat later.

"Well, how did you two meet?" Jeremiah asks as you all eat together this time, Conrad successfully getting the fire going after a few tries.

"Funny story, we met just a few hours ago when I rescued him from some quality alone time contemplating life. But, to be honest, I did it for selfish reasons." You reply, taking a sip of your soda. Jeremiah and Belly seem surprised in some way, but Conrad appears relieved. Did he think you were going to spill about the crisis he was having before you rescued him?

"So, you didn't just bring a stranger to Cousins?" Belly asks, and you feel a bit uncomfortable. Conrad tenses up, while Jeremiah observes his girlfriend's question, clearly coming off as jealous.

"She was already heading this way, and in fact, she brought me." Conrad says in a dry and serious tone. It seems like the campfire atmosphere is no longer as friendly.

"Even so, it's strange that you chose to come here with someone you barely know..." Belly responds, the tension in the air becoming palpable.

"What does it matter whether I've known her for five hours or two years? We both needed company, and that's what we found in each other. And if you ask me, this isn't the strangest thing happening around here right now." Conrad seems more irritated than usual.

"What do you mean by that?" You watch as Belly drops the snack she was holding. Jeremiah, like you, seems to be processing what's unfolding.

"It's obvious that the weirdest thing here is my ex-girlfriend questioning me about coming here with a stranger while she's in the company of her own boyfriend. And, to top it off, he happens to be my brother. Now, Belly, that's what I call strange." Conrad adds, tension escalating around the campfire. The flames of the campfire dance, mirroring the tension among you. The crackling of the fire echoes the discomfort in the air as everyone searches for words to ease the heavy atmosphere.

"Are you doing this to punish me?" Belly questions Conrad, and it seems that before he can respond, Jeremiah intervenes.

"If you want to argue about anything, at least wait until we're not making the new acquaintance feel utterly awkward with your behavior." Jeremiah interjects, trying to diffuse the tension.

"In fact, I think you guys need a family moment or whatever this is. I'll head to my car and see if I can get a signal to call my mom." You say, trying not to let on how uncomfortable the argument was. The worst part is, you're not even sure why it bothered you so much. You get up walking to your car and feel a weight on your chest as if you want to cry. You tell yourself there's no reason to do this and pick up your cell phone to call your mom.

"Where are you, Y/N Y/L/N?" Your mom's tone already signals trouble for you when you get home. What a wonderful day you're having.

"I'm in Cousins, Mom. Don't worry, I'll be home in a few hours." You talk while watching the love triangle talk about something you have no idea what it is from a distance. You observe them calmer than before and from a distance, Conrad captures your gaze, as if he could read your thoughts. His look is intense, and you feel mesmerized for a few seconds until you refocus on your mother, who is complaining about you being out of touch for hours.

"Did you know Noah just dropped by asking about you?" You hear your ex's name, and you automatically feel irritation at the thought of him being around your family. To think he once said dating you was almost like charity.

"Mom, do me a favor. If he asks about me, tell him I'm dead. And don't let him get near my house or you. I just don't want him anywhere near our lives." You speak, trying to maintain a certain softness in your voice, but you really want to scream as loud as possible that you hate him.

"Message received. I'll do my best to keep him out of our lives. But tell me, how are you? Is there someone special, or do you need anything?" Your mother asks with a mix of curiosity and concern in her voice. You're glad to know she cares.

"I'm good and just need some time to clear my head. As for being with someone..." You smile, thinking about Conrad, but try not to let it show too much.

"From the way you answered, I can tell you're already enchanted by someone, whoever that may be. Youth these days, wasting no time..." Your mother uses that tone every mom uses when they want to make a critique without being too direct.

"Not planned, Mrs. Y/M/N. I just happened to meet someone who seems nice. And, to be honest, time is too precious to waste. Before you ask, his name is Conrad, and we're in Cousins. You might remember this place. It's where my idiotic ex brought us to meet his parents." You say as you think about how much you wasted your time with Noah. Your mother sighs on the other end of the call.

"Don't you want to go home and get some motherly affection?" You smile at your mother's proposal, knowing that this is completely out of character.

"Mom, go distract yourself, watch a movie or a soap opera. I'll be fine here, enjoying the beach and the company..." In your head you wonder why you allow yourself to feel all this considering the argument you just witnessed.

"Alright, dear. Take care there, and try to let yourself be loved again." Your mom speaks with a mix of concern and motherly advice.

"Mom, don't go imagining that I'm in some romance. Conrad seems to be... but his heart is already taken, and I just can't deal with that kind of drama right now." You may not be convinced by your own words but what matters is that this is what your brain says.

"If I had thought like you, I would have never met your father. But I'll let you make your own decisions. Call me anytime, and don't forget to eat properly." Your mother says hanging up the call and you turn around, only to be met with a strangely smiling Conrad.

"Did you lose something here, Mr. Conrad?" You playfully ask, trying to pretend you're not dying of embarrassment.

"Fisher. If you're going to call me by name, I think it sounds more charming with the last name included. And yes, I did lose something, actually." Conrad responds, approaching you and gazing at you gently as if he's enchanted.

"What did you lose, Mr. Fisher?" You daringly ask, inching even closer. Your faces are nearly inches apart.

"I lost control over my heart..." He says, holding your waist and kissing you. A spontaneous kiss that makes you lose your balance. Fortunately, Conrad catches you, pressing you against the car door. You allow yourself to get lost in Conrad's lips. When you pull away slightly to catch your breath, Conrad starts kissing your neck tenderly.

"Do you want to get in the car and have some privacy?"You say, opening the door behind you. Conrad nods in agreement and follows you as you get into the car.

[productofaritual]

Tumblr doesn't let u pin multiple posts, so here's some posts I would pin too if I could :D (will grow over time)

Watch me go insane in real time

Crazy? I was crazy once

More about asks

More about me but in the form of a bad joke

Art (and not just art) resources

Intro? Intro. I've decided to actually engage with OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. Sometimes. Occasionally. To talk about my silly little thoughts and silly little writing.

Agender, any pronouns/terms (neutral preferred), Aroace

I'm working on an original book called "Bound By Name". It has its own tag and if you want to know about it, be sure to check out #Bound By Name (intro post about it here) (I don't post much about it but I am in the process of writing!)

Author/fanfic writer

Bilingual (English/Czech)

My ao3

Askbox always open! Speak to me! Also if you have fic prompts or ideas you think I'd like/want me to write, throw them in there too!

DMs always open but say what you want right in the first message because I might not answer or panic block

Spam liking/reblogging/commenting is A-OK. I love to see people enjoying my silly little posts

Moot = can interact anytime all the time as much as they like I literally can't say how much I appreciate all of them

I mainly write SBI and beeduo (yes, in 2024) and talk about random stuff

All of my fics are strictly about the characters! All of them! Every single one!

Way more WIPs than completed works

Expect me talking about discontinued works, unfinished works, or those on hiatus, but I'll only be posting the finished ones on ao3! That's why they're taking so long

I only write for the DSMP fandom but some of my other interests include: Dead Boy Detectives, D&D, Detroit: Become Human, EPIC: The Musical, Project SEKAI, Genshin, Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, The Magnus Archives and maybe getting into the life series

CRINGE CULTURE IS FUCKING DEAD

DNI: Basic DNI, just don't be weirdchamp and we'll probably get along. I really don't think I mind anyone with basic human decency. If I dislike something you do I'll just block

Not siding with anyone on any cc drama ever. All I'll say is do your research and base your opinions on concrete proof and verified facts. I might have my own opinion, but I will not be voicing it.

Blinkies and tag sorting under cut!

Tag sorting (started 22.05.2024 so anything earlier isn't gonna have them. Also I just forget to add them sometimes)

#textpost.bzzt - generic post that I made. Includes asks because I don't get enough of them to justify making a separate tag

#rbees.bzzt - reblogs. Can you tell I'm proud of that pun?

#artbees.bzzt - specifically art reblogs. Can you tell I'm even more proud of that pun? (I tend to reblog art multiple times, only one will be tagged)

#fandom.bzzt - fandom related posts. Can be any fandom. Reblogs won't have it, mainly because I'm lazy

#mootsies.bzzt - anything related to my mutuals

#personal.bzzt - stuff that might be a bit more personal/talking about my personal life. No I'm not doxxing myself, just talking about my pets or experiences or whatever

#writing.bzzt - anything writing related

#onceinafullmoonramble.bzzt - my once in a full moon rambles. They're longer than my usual posts and can be about literally anything

#horizonverse.bzzt - anything related to the fanfic series "Event Horizon" by Hellenite on ao3. Will not be tagged with fandom or fic tags most of the time because I don't wanna spam them. I didn't have any part in the creation of it, it's just my special interest

#genshin dsmp fusion - a random au I post about that features the DSMP as a new genshin region and the members as playable characters! It's not a fic and I don't plan on writing it into one, I'm just rambling about my ideas for it. Also mind this when reading about it!

(Made w https://blinkies.cafe, divider by cafekitsune)

[asmallmoon333]

Hi!!! Just wanted to pop in and say that I love Time Speaks so much and really admire the effort and thought you put into every chapter. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you go about writing and planning? Every chapter is just so well organized and the caliber of writing, plot creation and character study is just amazing, you are an extremely talented writer 💜 💜💜

I'm so sorry it took me so long to answer this. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to say, you asked my Achilles heel :'D

First of all, thank you for loving my writing <3 It makes me happy to write, and happy when people enjoy it!

So here's what took so long lol: describing my writing process. So, the process itself is more like a domino effect than a plan. Or maybe like a growing seed. I know the main "what is going on here" of the world, so I can stay within those boundaries, but the plot itself develops mostly as a series of consequences. Each lifetime has a theme that I have a vague idea of where it's going, but I don't plan chapters out in detail, I don't plan lifetimes out in detail, nor did I plan all the lifetimes in advance. I usually only know as far as what the next life will be like. I also always knew the ending, but there were a thousand paths I could have taken to reach it, because its an ending that is inevitable simply due to who L and Light and everyone else is.

Now, when it comes to the details or character interactions/development, those usually just develop while I'm writing. I sometimes joke in my notes that 'Lawlight made me do it' or 'they wanted to go this way' and I'm partly serious about it. Usually the conversation just flows and interactions just happen as a consequence of them as people. They, to put it honestly, write themselves. One character says something, and the other responds in the way 'they' would respond, and this happens in a world where every action and reaction is a result of multiple character motivations. My plot is not so much planned (outside of the Big Things like where they are and why the loops happen) as it is just growing with and around L and Light.

Basically, in my writing, I follow the 'rules' of the world (unmovable rules, like gravity's existence) and also the 'rules' of each character's personality (Like Light is petty if he can get away with it). We got through ten lives because of who L, Light, and everyone else are as people, instead of who I planned them to be and to become. And we got to our current point because it's what they chose to do. And yes I often know the choice they made and the repercussions of it chapters in advance, so it feels planned, but it's really just.... half-planned I guess? Sorry lol I'm making no sense.

It all feels like a cohesive whole because this was just where they were always going to end up, simply due to them as people + the basic rules of the world I created. It feels like it was planned I suppose cause it was a slow, gradual, and organic change of them as people. L and Light are reacting to the world rather than being led by a plot.

So at its core Time Speaks is the story of "L and Light are in a time loop, and this is how they'd react to that." And then combine that with "This time loop exists because of this reason, and this is how other characters react to that."

The story is just me doing my best to write the motivations and consequences of a whole bunch of characters' choices, again and again and again. And the hardest part is keeping the details straight in my head, while trying not to force the plot to go a certain way. I'm actually quite flexible as a writer and something massive changes happen in the moment cause it feels more organic to go that way instead of following my vague, preconceived notion of where it was going. (This has made me sad sometimes cause I've wanted to write a whole bunch of scenes that never saw the light of day cause they simply didn't work anymore.) Instead, of forcing the plot to go as I believe it should or sometimes even as I want it to, the characters have to be the ones to choose. (Cause I personally would have taken the loop as a happy thing, an eternal playground, and not bothered at all to investigate why it was happening; I would not have cared lmao. L and Light are different.)

My writing at its core is, I suppose, respecting the characters' choices. (And keeping all those choices in mind, cause the details are sometimes so complicated :'D )

So, yup, here's my incoherent mess of an answer, hope it made some sense!

[goatyoat]

10, 13, 24, 30

Hey so I get really long-winded answering these, so I'm going to add a cut to make sure I'm not putting a long-ass post on anyone's dash.

For context: I'm answering questions about art/my art/my artistic process for an ask game.

10. how do you deal with artblock?

well, poorly usually. I'm pretty bad at getting myself to draw on any given occasion even though I love it, so I tend to deal with art block by playing video games. (Though when this is unavoidable due to an assignment or commission, I just kind of,, make what I need to make even though I hate it.) I will say, it helps so much to engage with creative media. Admittedly, I'm pretty bad about getting myself to engage with anything outside of youtube, I'm always trying to be better about this. As a consequence, though, I've discovered that if I'm having bad art block, engaging with anything creative that *isn't* my primary method of creation, drawing, will often inspire me, even if the artblock doesn't go away. Watching a movie usually helps a lot. 13. talk about a wip you like!

Hm, this one is hard because I don't have a lot of WIPs in the sense of actually having anything tangible but unfinished. My stuff tends to either be entirely in my head or i've done it. With that in mind, I've been wanting to make art of me and my dad's Tavs (player characters in Baldur's Gate 3) for a while. I also have a dghda-related project that I'm working on which I *do* have tangible thumbnails for part of, but I'm waiting to share that for a while. As for something tangible yet unfinished that I *can* share...

I got into making isometric art back in June-ish last year. This is art of a building in a campaign I'm running that I never finished. Also, this character art of an NPC in that campaign

24. whats a compliment about your art that has always stuck with you?

this one is really hard to answer because I swear I have a brain like a sieve, but in general I know that I love when people scream in the tags of art I make. I enjoy being complimented on my use of color because that's something I really struggle with.

30. whats something you're proud of about your artstyle?

maybe anatomy? line texture? I dunno, I'm always trying to grow and do different things with my art, so it's hard to be like "I love X!" because it's all so prone to change. With that said, I love drawing noses, and I think that I wouldn't if I didn't like the style I tend to draw them in.

Thanks for the ask! Questions are from this post!

[ro275805]

(Holly crap i still can't believe my favorite tumblr replied to my answer)

I kinda have a lot of headcanons for joker.

Another one i have is that joker has cousins, it felt weird that we never seen any family member besides his parents, so that's where i got it from. They're like besties so when joker was declared missing as a kid of course it's heat shattering to his entire family. Until they're like older (maybe around his age but one of them is adult and have a family?) They started to speculate that joker is jack, their cousin.

Also, i realized i once headcanon that his grandpa has a rough relationship to all his family, especially joker's. Cus he doesn't approve his dad's marriage with his mom.

I still want them to reunite, so maybe captain blue (if you remember that guy) started a conversation with joker and akai (don't ask why i put him there, i don't know either) about his grandpa and stuff

Blue: that's basically about him, how about you? Is he still around?

Joker: i don't know, i didn't get to meet him for years, not even the rest of my... Family.

Blue: ... Meet them now.

So that's basically why he decides to reunite with them... Well not really but uhm.

Hello! If you mean my blog, I'm incredibly flattered, wow... thank you! It's just me posting some drawings and simple thoughts from time to time. I wasn't sure if anyone would really appreciate my KJ scenarios, but I'm very thankful that at least a few people do. My ideas are not for everyone as the things I explore tend to veer more towards dark and offputting premises and exploration of morally grey character psychology (I especially love to explore this in 'good' characters). Still, I have many more things to share, and I hope you might enjoy those scenarios eventually, too. ^^ (My creation process is just extremely slow unfortunately) As for your idea... I've explored Joker potentially having more family, too! This is one of those anime protagonist things that I've otherwise shrugged off, you know how families outside of mother and father don't usually get talked about... one time I explored the idea that Joker had actually been adopted at a very young age, or that there was some kind of secret in the family that Jack would really never know about, maybe in relation to the time-telling goddess, where their family was very secretive and disconnected.

I really, really like the idea that Lupin is Joker's ancestor too, so their entire family is just full of all sorts of secrets. If you're curious about this, I've gone more in-depth here.

I wonder what Joker thinks about all of these secrets and odd little things that he only identifies in retrospect once he gets older? Time naturally fades his memory, but certain things that went right over his head suddenly don't seem as simple as they once were... Did Joker actually ever know his family? If his mom and dad hadn't been taken from him at such a young age, would they have told him more about themselves later on?

I think once he reaches an age where he begins to have these realizations, he would go through a more subtle second wave of grief.

---

But if Joker found out that he had living family, especially if he finds this out when he's older and already a well established phantom thief... What does he think about in such a circumstance? I think his initial reaction is disbelief, because of how many people there are who would want to deceive him. But beyond this, I feel like his reaction wouldn't be as simple as just him being overjoyed once he's convinced it isn't trickery.

Of course Joker is happy.

...But another part of him, the part who thought that he had 'moved on' from that chapter of his past, is terribly conflicted. He went through the steps already. He grieved and moved on and came out stronger.

But now he has family again?

With family comes emotional obligation and also the stress of protecting that family, of the potential grief of losing that family... of connecting with that family being dangerous with his way of life, where hundreds of people would be incredibly happy to hear that 'Phantom Thief Joker' has something that can be used as blackmail. He puts that family at risk.

It's never as simple as being 'overjoyed'.

Not when you're also a boy who's grown up with complicated feelings on emotional vulnerability, where being too vulnerable or too personal is far too uncomfortable, and being too emotional risks him developing weaknesses that will get him killed on heists. (I've talked about this before but I mention it a lot because of how much I think this impacts so much of Joker's actions and his personality, especially with how thoughtless he can be with people around him).

I think that Joker might find his own conflicted emotions offensive to even himself... where he wonders what's wrong with him to some extent, not being totally happy that he has surviving biological family.

What kind of person would he have to be to think that that's a pain, in any way?

Joker isn't the type to dwell on things but he'd stew in it ever so slightly.

For him, family is a more sensitive topic than any other.

[andhaveapleasanttomorrow]

long post about anime which I wrote upon waking up after 4 hours of sleep

I don't watch a lot of anime recently; there is an overall tendency in anime I think that forces you to be detached from reality in a way that I don't care to be. obviously I am detached from reality but it's more granular than that. I'm detached in such a way that I know I don't live in reality but I'm always frantically trying to access what it might feel like if I did, cave-wall-shadows style. I'm obsessed with mimesis.* I think there is a certain type of anime that you can only enjoy if you've displaced yourself so far away from reality that it's not appealing anymore. (how do I explain this without seeming contemptuous or hypocritical? because I feel like I do get that way sometimes, I feel like I might be lying about what makes me different- probably nothing actually makes me different other than my desire to differentiate myself.) I think there is a certain type of anime** that requires you to see the "high school girl" or more specifically the "2d high school girl" not as a subset of human but as some sort of beautiful heavenly creature made of light; a JK is a thing that blushes and squeals and moans and doesn't tend to have any more complex motivations or inner thoughts than maybe "being with friends" or "doing what's right." a big part of the problem I have with certain kinds of anime is that it doesn't "feel real"- obviously I don't need every piece of art to be aimless mumblecore bujalski shit- I mean more like the characters don't feel like actual people, even in stories where they reasonably should be; it's a failure of mimesis, not because it's unsuccessful, but because what it's replicating is not real life but itself.*** so all the tropes and shorthand conventions fold in on themselves and become saturated to the point that it's its own world unrecognizable to anyone who hasn't steeped in it long enough. (try explaining the concept of isekai to someone who doesn't know anything. now try explaining the ways in which certain devices are so central to the genre that you didn't even consider them worth mentioning in the first explanation. now try to get them to understand how actually truly large the genre is.) the high school girl is a species of many breeds, like maybe there's a cat one and a bubbly one and an elegant one and a sleepy one. the personality traits get doled out in heaven and they only get to have two or three apiece. it's comforting, the idea that you can simplify a person into an icon or concept, 3dpd real girls are complicated and confusing and I don't want to try to understand them I want the comfort of knowing that my favourite girl is the Eel Girl because she likes eels and that's all she will ever be. she liked eels as a little girl (another special kind of creature) and in 15 years when she's an office lady (another) she will still like eels and when I die she will be there[4] waiting for me so she can talk with me about eels. I'm not even saying this with as much contempt as you might imagine (although, yeah, it is misogynistic[5]), real life is scary and it scares me and people are scary and I don't want to talk to them, that's why I need to feel like I'm accessing real life through art, so I can see it and understand it fully, it's safer that way- see, it's just a different expression of the same feeling[6]. and then I start to doubt myself, well, is it really that much different from the usual process of character creation? not everything needs to be a perfect recreation of the human spirit, right? even in real life, we simplify the people we know in our heads, whether we try to or not. is it so wrong to have a bunch of characters that are just "types," summed up in three words, so you can pick the one you like most and buy a keychain of her? is it really the miserable world-ending portent of doom you seem to view everything as, isn't it fun? and my answer is, uh, yeah, it is fun I guess. anyway that concludes my review of THE IDOLM@STER: CINDERELLA GIRLS

*as a kid I was engrossed with the concept of a sims-type game where instead of a list of pre-selected actions, you could do anything you could in real life, and have the computer respond to them. this was in the context of only ever wanting my sims to do normal things like make friends and kiss, so it becomes clear that what I actually wanted was to just experience real life, the one caveat being that I'd be interacting with the computer rather than other people (for a long time I didn't consider this a meaningful distinction).

**I'm belaboring this "certain type" verbage because I don't want to seem like the guy who thinks all anime is one thing, which inspires like, "not all anime is bad dude, watch Kaiba" type reactions. I know, I've watched a lot of anime.

***I'm pretty sure miyazaki said something about this once and if I'm right then he certainly said it in a more eloquent and sensical way than I have

[4] ok, the conceptual synthesis of the angelic imagery I've been using is that anime girls in our world are earthly prismatic projections of a kind of Ur-Girl up in heaven, the platonic ideal of joshikousei, so the mimesis is actually of the ur-girl, I lied before

[5] the funny thing though is that I can't even say men are offered the privilege of having inner worlds; in most of the examples I can think of they simply aren't there, or they are intended for the viewer to project onto and thus so lacking in personality as to be basically nonexistent

[6] but so why keep trying? why reach out and get so close I can almost touch it, but not quite? when I could give up on understanding real people, on creating a map of what they are and how they think, and recreate my world in the image of the JK? well I think mainly because I went to an all-girls high school and it disillusioned me towards the whole practice. for one thing no one was feeling each other up all that much and anyway a decent number of us were actually boys

[pocketsonny]

4, 6, 54, & 56 for the ask meme!

Get to know your fic writer!

4) Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Honestly inspiration can come from almost anywhere xD From stuff I watch, play or read usually, or beautiful art...+_+ Talking and brainstorming with friends about ideas inspires me a lot too!! And reading or seeing other's creations as well <3

When I'm really out of inspo I tend to play games a lot. Specially VNs and RPGs it's like recharging a creative battery jaja

6) Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?

Sooometimes? But not very often kjasjas. Though I will sometimes share fic with friends before it's finished/revised to have a second opinion (but not necessarily for revision unless they offer). It HAS helped me a ton to have it beta'd before though, but I know people are busy and I don't want to bother them to beta it all the time xD

54) What’s your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?

Hmm my favorite is seeing it all come together...(?) Like, nowadays I do a vague outline or write down all the ideas that come to mind, but most of the time I end up coming with more or better ideas WHILE writing (and end up changing a lot of the outline LOLL)

Like maybe I didn't know how to connect two scenes before but as I'm writing maybe it comes to me and I can see how the beginning connects with the ending, or how something hinted at before can come into fruition...Or getting to write THAT ONE SCENE i've been itching to write when the idea first came to mind xD

Brainstorming BEFORE writing is a ton of fun but it's exciting to be writing and see how that takes shape! And maybe in ways you hadn't planned for! Often times the best scenes or bits I've written are the ones that go off script :3

So In a way I guess that's also my favorite--how writing can surprise you in the middle of it!

56) What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

Dialogues!! They are one of my favorites parts to write and I think I do pretty good with them :D I really enjoy finding character voices...the ways they talk, words they lean towards / levels of formality, etc. it's very interesting to explore that so I can get pretty picky with dialogue at times XD like "would they say this?? would they say it like THIS?"

[willhavetheirtrinkets]

Hello Musyc! Season's Greetings to you! I have been a part of the Dramione fandom for the past 5 years and have been sending nominations to the DHr Advent for 3 years and I just wanted to THANK YOU this year for organizing such a lovely fest. In true Christmas tradition, it feels like a gift to us readers from the authors and artists we love and follow. I have found so many authors through past advents when I was new to the fandom and it feels especially cool for us readers (read: lurkers) to nominate them ourselves. You are doing such amazing work! I hope this tradition continues forever and that you get the same happiness from it that we do. Have a Happy Holiday Season!

P.S. - A question, what are the trends you have seen come and go through the advents?

Nonny, thank you so very very very much. I truly enjoy hosting the Advent and the entire process of it. It has been a constant for more than a decade, and while it's never entirely smooth, I love doing it.

I start planning in August, setting up timelines and refreshing my files so that everything is ready to go. The posting schedule, the prompts lists, the invitation letters and the FAQs. The joyful acceptances and the "I wish I could" declines from nominees - I make so many charts in a season. :))) Even when I'm staring down the barrel of over a thousand votes to count or waiting anxiously for the last person to accept so I can send out the prompts, I enjoy every minute of getting this fest ready for another year.

Trends, hmmm. Most of what I observe is platforms - I can see the shift from livejournal to tumblr to instagram, and how that has affected nominations over time. I can tell when a new group of people have seen the announcement that nominations are open, because little clusters of votes start to happen. ("Oh, facebook knows now. Oh, I see Filo fans are voting." That sort of thing.)

The typical voter nominates 8-10 people, and the typical nominee receives 5-7 votes. Some voters nominate one, some nominate 20. Some receive one vote, some get double digits. There are always outliers, but the median numbers stay consistent. At least one person every year nominates writers and artists who have been long out of fandom, and it makes me feel warm to know those names are still remembered and beloved.

I make my own little predictions as to who will be nominated (and I know I'm not the only one!) and I'm usually about half right! I try to anticipate who will accept or decline if they're nominated (this year there were three declines - one predicted, one unexpected, and one I couldn't guess either way.) I'm never entirely correct, though. There are always at least two or three in the final list that I didn't see coming at all and I'm delighted every time.

For works, the general trend has been about the same. If you took every Advent creation over the years and put them in a blender, you'd get something T to M rated, fluffy with a little pining (usually from Draco!) and/or non-explicit smut, about 4500 words long for fic/a single brightly colored piece for art, and with minimal additional characters beyond Draco and Hermione. (Ron, Harry, Luna, and Neville are the most popular additional characters in recent years, if they're used.) There are always variations, but this tends to be the most popular sort of set-up.

The wealth of love and affection for this pairing has never wavered, and I know that it will continue. Already looking forward to 2023! :D

[allsassnoclass]

yes good hello!!! may i know about 7, 10, 11, 13, and 25! and i love you sm :) xoxo

@clumsyclifford hi bella! thanks for asking love you too <3

7. What’s a topic you would like to explore? truth and trust! and the intersection of those two! and how to trust someone who isn't truthful and how to tell the truth to someone you don't know if you trust and how to trust someone again when you thought you knew the true them and have been proven wrong.

10. Do you always have a clear image before starting a piece? usually kind of! for fics, i have a general vision and it becomes and increasingly and increasingly clear. i usually know the beginning and the end for sure, with a few touchstone moments in the middle. for moodboards i have a pretty clear image, which can be an issue when i can't find the pictures i want and am not sure how to pivot. all of my moodboards end up looking very different from what i intially envision lol

11. What part of the process of creating brings you the most joy? probably brainstorming tbh! letting plots or ideas come to me and figuring out what's happening and getting to the point where i feel confident enough to start. it also kind of stresses me out because i have so many ideas, but i really like creating worlds and coming up with stories or envisioning moodboards.

13. Is there something you’d like to see created but you know you can’t/won’t do yourself? short answer: no <3 if i can envision something enough to want it, i envision it enough to want to make it myself. i always most enjoy other people's creations when it's something i myself would've never thought of or been able to visualize, such as megs's faking the moon landing fic. i never would've come up with that idea myself, so i enjoy reading it so much more! same with all of my moodboard ideas, with the exception of some moodboards for my fics (like the black coffee and sulfur one that maya made <3) because for my own fics i sometimes draw a huge blank on what should go in a mb, which doesn't typically happen when making a mb for someone else's fic or for my pairings as albums series. if i have an idea for something, i typically want to make it myself rather than have someone else make it

25. Tell us a little known fact about something you’ve made uhhhhhhhhhhh omg. what am i going to say. what have i made that i haven't talked extensively about. OH! in pas de deux harry styles was originally supposed to be a character. i had a scene where michael called him on the phone. they were exes. they danced together at abt. however i wrote him out lol he isn't mentioned in the fic anymore. it just didn't fit.

[meshaamem-li]

ok but like, you know they're not the only people to do it, right?

they're not making a game for the art, not in the same way Dungeon Meshi is made, who - while I'm not familiar with the creator - I assume is working alone or in a small team and is very passionate about her story. genshin is making a game to sell, that is and will always be their primary objective.

you know who else does this? almost every single franchise that is designed to sell. look at my little pony, modern Disney princess movies, isekai anime since the success of SAO, they all share the same problem, because they're developed with profits in mind first, and quality second. does it mean their quality is trash? no, I think mlp is very high quality, especially for a show aimed at young girls, every time a disney documentary comes out about the process of making a movie, you can feel the passion of the writers pouring from every corner of the studio, their main issue is always time restraints, and the first half of the first season of SAO was actually not that bad! it wasn't that good, but it wasn't the hot trash that is its imitations!

it might be hard to remember, since we're getting spoiled left and right by talented creators who are finally getting the opportunity to share their creations with the world, but it's only until recently that we got the chance to see diverse casts in our media. when I was growing up, seeing a dark skinned character was reserved to only the occasional token black guy, asian people were always stereotypes, Jewish characters were just white people with a bar mitzvah, and muslim characters didn't exist anywhere near kids media. anime would always be the default light skinned characters, dark skinned characters didn't exist or were racist stereotypes. we are so blessed to have culturally diverse characters in our media now, and it's only the beginning.

genshin designs are made to sell, there's no arguing that, they're going for the most "visually appealing" body types, best and most colourful designs they can think of, and character kits that more often than not get their use in the meta (unless you're a dori or xinyan fan). their designs follow a few loose rules, like how a character should usually be colored like their element, and their backside is usually more important than their front due to it being seen by the player more. there is a lot of criticism from their audience over some of the male designs being feminine (can't remember if it was the Chinese audience, the korean, or both, but there was a lot of criticism over Lyney's femboyish design), they're pushing a lot of boundaries with the Chinese government as well.

but back to the point, since the main concern is money, adding large ears, large nose, etc, is a potential financial loss first, and an interesting design feature second. if the character doesn't sell, then what's the point of releasing it? and about the skin, I won't lie, I think the main reason is racism. idk if it's from the company, parts of the audience, or something else, but they don't like releasing people of color, also it doesn't seem they get the best kits either. would people of color sell? in the west probably, with people of color almost definitely, can't speak for eastern audiences but it seems like some of them already hate every character that isn't a big titty lady. we don't actually know if poc will sell more overall, but white already sells, so the safe bet is go for slightly tanned white-if-you-squint depends on the context type characters.

and you know why that hurts so much? because they do such a great job with representing cultures that aren't their own! they do their research! people really enjoy seeing their culture on screen! the only insulting part is how the characters just lack a little bit of melanin. 10-20 years ago this game would be praised for its representation, but the standards are higher today.

idk man, tldr: genshin isn't unique with their cookie cutter designs, and it's something that happens when you start a project with the goal of profit. it doesn't make them evil.

What’s your thoughts on Delicious in Dungeons Character Designs?

Ryoko Kui is the best to ever do it.

[bothfeetinthegrave]

| v :: you're there on the shoreline throwing stones at my back |

I've been meaning to do a write-up for an OP verse for ages, so this is that. I like to try to make verses open-ended and flexible so I can write reactively with them / place Eden anywhere without breaking anything important, so nothing I write here is going to be completely detailed or fleshed out. If you end up writing in this with me and want to adjust anything or make a more specific / closed verse that works for your character, shoot me a message.

One single night on a cold island in the north, Eden Muir lived and died at the hands of another without ever having seen beyond the place he grew up. As his short life passed before his eyes, right up to the end when everything was swallowed up by darkness, he really didn't expect for that to eventually clear - to wake up whilst in the process of dragging himself out of the ocean, back up the shore.

In this verse, Eden is the last of thirteen victims killed by the same roving criminal across thirteen islands. Because he was targeted randomly and he doesn't remember much of the encounter beyond its brutality, his attacker's intentions were not yet clear to him - clues to these intentions are few and far between, beyond the extensive but seemingly intentional scars he woke up with and the fact that he no longer seems to need to eat, or sleep, or breathe.

Eden now travels from island to island in search of the man who killed him, currently unsure if his purpose is to exact revenge or to find answers. He holds few long term connections with the living, and since he cannot see or sail on his own he barters passage on vessels that will have him by offering a hand with work, basic field medicine, and - for those willing to entertain it - a kind of weird sightless navigation he can do that's based on the way the waves pitch the ship. Seafaring voyages are not something he's used to or even something he really enjoys, so it takes him a long time to get used to it and to learn to work effectively even though he's afraid.

----

Mechanically, I'm going to run Eden's weird ghost abilities more or less like I usually do. Devil fruit powers are fun, but I'm also tempted to make him just ~like that~. There are already zombies in this series, but I don't want to tie him to that particular arc and I imagine the circumstances of the way he exists are a little different than the corpses animated by the shadows of others.

While what happened to him was possibly also an experiment related to achieving life after death, his actual creation wasn't so intentional. He's not really controlled by a greater power here, and is simply a vengeful spirit powered by the anger of all thirteen victims. That being said, he was still a kind and gentle person in life and that tension between compassion and vengeance can make his existence somewhat uncomfortable.

[flufffysocks]

let's talk about andi mack's worldbuilding

sorry this took forever to make! i've been pretty busy with school stuff and i kind of lost my inspiration for a bit, but i ultimately really enjoyed writing it! i wish i could've included more pics (tumblr has a max of 10 per post), and it kinda turned from less of a mini analysis to more of an extremely long rant... but i hope it's still a fun read!

i've been rewatching the show over the past few weeks (thanks again to @disneymack for the link!), and i’ve been noticing a lot that i never did the first time around. this is really the first time i’ve watched the show from start to finish since it aired, and it honestly feels so different this time - probably a combination of the fact that i’m not as focused on plot and can appreciate the show as a whole, and also that the fandom is much, much smaller now, so there’s a lot less noise. so the way i’m consuming this show feels super different than it did the first time, but the show itself doesn’t - it’s just as warm and comforting to me as it was the first time around, if not more so.

i think a lot of that can be attributed to andi mack’s “worldbuilding”. i’m not quite sure that this is the right word in this context, to be honest, because i mostly see it used in reference to fantasy and sci-fi universes, but it just sort of feels right to me for andi mack, because you can really tell how much love and care went into constructing this universe. for clarity, worldbuilding is “the process of creating an imaginary world” in its simplest sense. there’s two main types: hard worldbuilding, which involves inventing entire universes, languages, people, cultures, places, foods, etc. from scratch (think “lord of the rings” or “dune”), and soft worldbuilding, in which the creators don’t explicitly state or explain much about the fictional universe, but rather let it’s nature reveal itself as the story progresses (think studio ghibli films). andi mack to me falls in the soft worldbuilding category. even though it takes place in a realistic fiction universe, there’s a lot of aspects to it that are inexplicably novel in really subtle ways.

so watching the show now, i’ve noticed that the worldbuilding comes primarily from two things - setting and props, and oftentimes the both of them in tandem (because a big part of setting in filmmaking does depend on the props placed in it!).

one of the most obvious examples is the spoon. it really is a sort of quintessential, tropic setting in that it's the main gang's "spot", which automatically gives it a warm and homey feel to it. and its set design only amplifies this:

the choice to make it a very traditional 50s-style diner creates a very nostalgic, retro feel to it, which is something that's really consistent throughout the show, as you'll see. from the round stools at the bar, to the booths, to the staff uniforms, this is very obvious. the thing that i found especially interesting about it though is the choice of color. the typical 50s diner is outfitted with metallic surfaces and red accented furnishings, but the spoon is very distinctly not this.

instead, it's dressed in vibrant teal and orange, giving it a very fresh and modern take on a classic look. so it still maintains that feeling of being funky and retro, but that doesn't retract from the fact that the show is set distinctly in modern times.

of course, this could just be a one-off quirky set piece, but this idea of modernizing and novelizing "retro" things is a really common motif throughout the show. take red rooster records. i mean, it's a record shop - need i say more? it's obviously a very prominent store in shadyside, at least for the main characters, but there's no apparent reason why it is (until season 2 when bowie starts working there, and jonah starts performing there). a lot of the time, though, it functions solely as a record shop. vinyl obviously isn't the most practical or convenient way of listening to music, but it's had its resurgence in pop culture even in the real world, mostly due to its aesthetic value, so it's safe to say that it serves the same purpose in the andi mack universe.

the fringe seems to be nostalgic of a different era, specifically the Y2K/early 2000s period (because it's meant to be bex's territory and symbolic of who she used to be, and its later transformation into cloud 10 is representative of her character arc, but that's beside the point). to be honest, exactly what this store was supposed to be always confused me. it was kind of a combination party store/clothing store/makeup store/beauty parlor? i think that's sort of the point of it though, it's supposed to feel very grunge-y and chaotic (within the confines of a relatively mellow-toned show, of course), and it's supposed to act as a sort of treasure chest of little curios that both make the place interesting and allow the characters to interact with it.

and, of course, there's andi shack. this is really the cherry on top of all of andi mack's sets, just because it's so distinctly andi. it serves such amazing narrative purpose for her (ex. the storyline where cece and ham were going to move - i really loved this because it highlights its place in the andi mack universe so well, and i'm a sucker for the paper cranes shot + i'm still salty that sadie's cranes didn't make it into the finale) and it's the perfect reflection of andi's character development because of how dynamic it is (the crafts and art supplies can get moved around or switched out, and there's always new creations visible).

going back to the nostalgia motif though, the "shack" aspect of it always struck me as very treehouse-like. personally, whenever i think of treehouses, there's this very golden sheen of childhood about it, if that makes sense. i've always seen treehouses in media as a sort of shelter for characters' youthful innocence and idealistic memories. for example, the episode "up a tree" from good luck charlie, the episode "treehouse" from modern family, and "to all the boys 2" all use a treehouse setting as a device to explore the character's desire to hold onto their perfect image of their childhood (side note: this exact theme is actually explored in andi mack in the episode "perfect day 2.0"!). andi shack is no exception to this, but it harnesses this childhood idealism in the same way that it captures the nostalgia of the 50s in the spoon, or the early 2000s in the fringe. it's not some image of a distant past being reflected through that setting; it's very present, and very alive, because it reflects andi as she is in the given moment.

some honorable mentions of more one-off settings include the ferris wheel (from "the snorpion"), the alley art gallery (from "a walker to remember"), SAVA, the color factory (from "it's a dilemna"), and my personal favorite, the cake shop (from "that syncing feeling").

[every time i watch this episode i want to eat those cakes so bad]

these settings have less of a distinctly nostalgic feel (especially the color factory, which is a very late 2010s, instagram era setting), but they all definitely have an aura of perfection about them. andi mack is all about bright, colorful visuals, and these settings really play to that, making the andi mack universe seem really fun and inviting, and frankly very instagrammable (literally so, when it comes to the color factory!).

props, on the other hand, are probably a much less obvious tool of worldbuilding. they definitely take up less space in the frame and are generally not as noticeable (i'm sure i'll have missed a bunch that will be great examples, but i'm kind of coming up with all of this off the top of my head), but they really tie everything together.

for example, bex's box, bex's polaroid, and the old tv at the mack apartment (the tv is usually only visible in the periphery of some shots, so you might not catch it at first glance) all complement that very retro aesthetic established through the settings (especially the polaroid and the tv, because there's really no good reason that the characters would otherwise be using these).

besides this, andi's artistic nature provides the perfect excuse for plenty of colorful, crafty props to amplify the visuals and the tone. obviously, as i discussed before, andi shack is the best example of this because it's filled with interesting props. but you also see bits of andi's (and other people's) crafts popping up throughout the show (ex. the tape on the fridge in the mack apartment, andi's and libby's headbands in "the new girls", walker's shoes, andi's phone case, and of course, the bracelet). not only does doing this really solidify this talent as an essential tenet of andi's character, but it also just makes the entirety of shadyside feel like an extension of andi shack. the whole town is a canvas for her crafts (or art, depending on how you want to look at it. i say it's both), and it immensely adds to shadyside's idealism. because who wouldn't want to live in a world made of andi mack's creations?

and, while it's not exactly a prop, the characters' wardrobe is undoubtedly a major influence on the show's worldbuilding. true to it's nature as a disney channel show, all of the characters are always dressed in exceptionally curated outfits of whatever the current trends are, making the show that much more visually appealing. i won't elaborate too much on this, because i could honestly write a whole other analysis on andi mack's fashion (my favorites are andi's and bex's outfits! and kudos to the costume designer(s) for creating such wonderful and in-character wardrobes!). but, i think it's a really really important aspect of how the show's universe is perceived, so it had to be touched upon.

[^ some of my favorite outfits from the show! i am so obsessed with andi's jacket in the finale, and i aspire to be at bex's level of being a leather jacket bisexual]

and lastly, phones. this is a bit of an interesting case (pun intended), because the way they're used fluctuates a bit throughout the show, but i definitely noticed that at least in the first season terri minsky tried to avoid using them altogether. these efforts at distancing from modern tech really grounds the show in it's idealist, nostalgia-heavy roots, so even when the characters start using their phones more later in the show, they don't alter the viewer's impression of the andi mack universe very much.

so, what does all of this have to do with worldbuilding? in andi mack's case, because it's set in a realistic universe and not a fantasy one, a lot of what sets it apart from the real world comes down to tone. because, as much as this world is based on our own, it really does feel separate from it, like an alternate reality that's just slightly more perfect than ours, which makes all the difference. it's the idealism in color and composition in andi mack's settings that makes it so unmistakably andi mack. even the weather is always sunny and perfect (which is incredibly ironic because the town is called shadyside - yes, i am very proud of that observation).

the andi mack universe resides somewhere in this perfect medium that makes it feel like a small town in the middle of nowhere (almost like hill valley in 1955 from "back to the future"), but at the same time like an enclave within a big city (because of its proximity to so many modern, unique, and honestly very classy looking establishments). it is, essentially, an unattainable dream land that tricks you into believing it is attainable because it's just real enough.

all this to say, andi mack does an amazing job of creating of polished, perfect world for its characters. this is pretty common among disney channel and nickelodeon shows, but because most other shows tend to be filmed in a studio with three-wall sets, andi mack is really set apart from them in that it automatically feels more real and tangible. it has its quintessential recurring locations, but it has far more of them (most disney/nick shows usually only have 3-4 recurring settings), and it has a lot more one-off locations. it's also a lot more considerate when it comes to its props, so rather than the show just looking garish and aggressively trendy, it has a distinctive style that's actually appropriate to the characters and the story. overall this creates the effect of expanding the universe, making shadyside feel like it really is a part of a wider world, rather than an artificial bubble. it's idealism is, first and foremost, grounded in reality, and that provides a basis for its brilliant, creative, and relatable storytelling.

tl;dr: andi mack's sets and props give it a very retro and nostalgic tone which makes its whole universe seem super perfect and i want to live there so bad!!

[hotgilearsummer]

multiples of 10 koel and montgomerie :) for real this time

Running into some extreme problems here w Montgomerie still being a pre-campaign character w a lot of secrets hdgdhsgdd

10. what inspired this character’s creation?

Koel:

This image. Literally this image. Which is funny because it looks nothing like current Koel, but Wren came first by at least 24 hours. This image and then a joke about a very evil seeming and grim man who was actually just A Regular Guy is what spawned Wren, who went through multiple iterations in my mind before he became a mask for something else (Koel). And then months later they ended up getting used in a Strahd campaign which makes this even funnier

Montgomerie:

Montgomerie is less specific. I needed a character and I had already promised [redacted] for Fleece's new heart game. I didn't want to play my usual "guilty character in mourning" or "✌️😘 (so tired)" types. So I decided to be so [redacted] and make a character who is so [redacted]. Also jessica rabbit a little bit. Really, the name came first and then the rest followed

20. what attracts them to someone—platonically and/or romantically, anything counts.

Koel:

Koel has very broad taste. They love nice and kind and bubbly people so much, but they tend to feel inadequate next to them, so the process of making friends with (and getting a crush on) someone like Nuri is a bit of a double edged sword (and ironic considering Nuri has admitted he's as nice as he is because he doesn't want to make anybody feel bad)

Overall, Koel will cling to whoever is kindest to them. If only one person is being nice to them, that person becomes their whole world. A big part of them believes that they aren't allowed to be choosy, so it really is first come first served with whoever they may end up dating or being friends with, even if it's not healthy for them - the biggest barrier is getting them to understand that they're being flirted with.

Montgomerie:

She also has broad taste, but not because she's desperate like Koel. She'll respond to most people who show an interest in her. She's also attracted by people who seem very fragile. Preferably men, but she's willing to give equal opportunity

30. how do they handle confrontation?

Koel:

Poorly, usually. In a moral confrontation, they're very stubborn and very all or nothing. If they believe you did something wrong, they will stay angry about it until the 'moral debt' is repaid. If they believe that they did something wrong, they will try to withdraw and remove themself from the situation so that they can't cause harm anymore, and then (often dramatically and out of proportion to the original issue) do something 'good' to try and even things out and fix the problem

Montgomerie:

With delight.

40. if you had to remake this character right now, how would you change them?’

Koel:

I wouldn't have set their stats up the way I did. They don't need that 16 in int lol, and they should have more than 16 dex. I would be interested in building a beast barbarian version of them, but I'm also not unhappy with them being a swashbuckler rogue

Montgomerie:

Since she's still in progress I think this is an N/A lmao

50. do they have a go-to beverage, alcoholic or nonalcoholic?

Koel:

Willing to drink anything you give them. Theyre Nasty. But also, theyre more food focused than beverage focused when it comes to preferences, and drinks are more of a survival thing for them. But if gravy counted as a drink, then the answer would be gravy, they love salty and savoury things

Montgomerie:

Enjoys red wine every so often. It's about the only thing she drinks nowadays. She won't drink plain water

60. what do they have faith in? what keeps them believing?

Koel:

Believes that when they have done enough good things, they will feel better and have repaid their moral debt enough to be 'nuetral' rather than a monster. They will never achieve that through the approach they are currently taking, but they're too stubborn and naive to realise that yet

Montgomerie:

Has no faith :)