#this is what I've got until i decide to refine it

[1birdsofafeather]

Extremely quick tim drake gun batman sketch

[onlycosmere]

Brandon Sanderson on the length of Wind and Truth

PumkinFunk:  I appreciate Brandon being self-aware about the fact that he will struggle immensely to keep the word counts down for this series.

KiwiKajitsu: If only he had a better editor

PumkinFunk:  I know this has become a common criticism since Rhythm of War after Moshe Feder retired, but I don't think it's true. One of his editors for his books is Devi Pillai, the head of Tor Publishing Group. The Secret Projects were edited in-house and generally were good. He has a lot of people giving him feedback, both in-house and outside.

jmcgit:  If Brandon wanted to work on revisions for an extra 6 months to refine and streamline the book, he could do it. This is a Brandon thing, not an editor thing. What was Brandon working on up until the last minute before he had to turn the book in? He was working on making the book bigger, squeezing in more content that he wanted to add. Brandon will tell anyone who asks that he likes to write, and dislikes revising.

When an author gets big enough, the publishers and editors lose their ability to rein in the author or make certain demands. Brandon will do what he wants, and if Tor doesn't like it, they can cancel his contract and Brandon can self-publish.

Brandon Sanderson: I realize it's difficult to see behind the veil of publishing, and much is opaque, but this isn't what I was doing during the last few months--I was cutting the book significantly. However, rough draft didn't include Interludes or Epigraphs, which is why it got longer after I cut it down. This draft lost over 60k words, but then I added in the interludes and epigraphs (along with a few key scenes I decided were needed.)

So, let's be clear about a few things. No editor has ever--in my life--cut my books down. It's not what they do. They largely haven't suggested it. Every editor, Moshe included, has always suggested things to change or add--they don't do much trimming. That's all my job, and always has been. Yes, there is a line edit, which does help trim--but I haven't stopped taking those suggestions, and usually go much, much further on a page-by-page case than they suggest.

I dislike revision, which is important for me to explain because I want people to understand that even for someone who loves their job, there are parts I don't like. But I DO it. I do A LOT of it. It's the part I have to force myself to do, but I am very good at it--and if you follow my stories about learning revision, you'll find that I very clearly explain that I didn't get published until I mastered the thing that was hardest for me. I consider my it, perhaps, my greatest strength as a writer--my ability to look at feed back and apply it to improve books.

If they get long, it's not because I've lost an editor. Moshe's strong suit was always diction, not trimming--and Gillian (who does that job now) is quite accomplished at both. She's Joe Abercrombie's editor.

I realize it's odd, because "to edit" means to trim, but an editor doesn't usually trim books--they offer suggestions for changes on the larger scope, and sometimes do a line edit pass to clarify.

Stormlight books are not big because I can't stop writing. You can pick any number of my shorter novels and see I'm quite capable of doing something at a normal book length. Stormlight books are big because that's the art I want to make--and they are not, and never have been, out of control. I am perfectly willing to accept that the story I want to tell has not appealed to some in the last installments! But don't blame my editors. This is an artistic choice of mine, and their job has never been to change the art. I get the same amount of editing now as I ever have--and I take largely the same amount of their feedback.

Note: don't take this as a direct condemnation of you or some of the things /u/KiwiKajitsu said above. It's more that I want to be very clear about my goals, and the process. My stance is one of explaining, not arguing against your opinions, as those are valid and perfectly reasonable ones to hold.

I realize that a long comment reply isn't the best way to prove I can be brief, but I sincerely think the trope of "He got big so he lost the ability to be edited" is not one that I fall into--I am, if anything, the most edited person at the industry, and see more criticism and feedback of my books prepublication than any other author. Editors and beta readers collectively wrote some 800k words of feedback for me over the last two years, which I incorporate. Not just the, "Add this" but also the "this sequence feels slow or unengaging." I am extremely passionate about listening to, and incorporating, editorial feedback.

It's fine to not like what I do. But don't blindly make the argument that I write it, kick it out the door, and don't pay attention to the revision process while ignoring editors.

jmcgit: Hey Brandon, I appreciate the insight! I regret that my post may have come off as if you carelessly "write and kick it out the door", as I know how hard you and your team have been working on the book over the past months and years, and how passionate you are about getting it right.

Brandon Sanderson: No problem and no offense taken! I just see a lot of confusion about these things.

I am edited far, far more now than when I was when I started and nobody cared. Though, admittedly, I think the most editorial scrutiny I ever got was on A Memory of Light a decade ago. I probably get less now, but I also have way more extensive beta reads.

It's just a complex process. And, you also ARE right in your initial post that I could go over it again and again, and some authors do. I'm middle of the road on the number of revisions I do, by my experience. Not as many as someone like Pat R. does. More than a lot of authors. I do not subscribe to the Heinline philosophy of only editing when required by contract that is very popular these days. (This philosophy believes that your initial artistic instinct will be right, and you shouldn't undermine it later on. I am not a fan, even if some people I respect follow this philosophy.)

Anyway, your initial post wasn't far off; I just wanted to offer some more context for this thread.

[yumeka-sxf]

I would have included this scan with my recent miscellaneous collab scans post, but I decided it deserves its own post, not just because it's one of the loveliest official Twiyor illustrations I've seen, but also because the story of how I got it is...interesting 😅

This image is from the chara fine graph (which is basically a framed picture) that was included as a preorder bonus for buying the complete season 2 blu-ray set from a shop called Rakuten Books (together with badge pins of the same designs). I briefly mentioned it back in October of last year when season 2 was airing, along with preoder bonuses from other shops like Animate and Amazon. I only wanted to get this one though, so as per my usual process of trying to secure rare SxF goods, I made a note to myself to keep an eye out for when it released. Rakuten, which I believe is the main company for Rakuten Books, has their own proxy buying service, and as the season 2 blu-rays were released, I saw them appearing there. But as noted on their main site, the condition for them to send you the chara fine graph is that you must preorder all of the three season 2 blu-ray discs from them. Once you buy the third one, if they know that you've already bought the others, then they'll send you the preorder bonuses along with it.

I was concerned that if I bought the discs via proxy, they wouldn't know that I bought all three and would cancel my order at the end! I would be devastated if that happened after waiting months and spending all that money on the complete set. I knew people would sell the chara fine graph second-hand as soon as it released, so I decided to wait until then and try to find it on Mercari.

So the months went by and eventually I found out that the final blu-ray volume of season 2 would release on April 17th, 2024. I made a mental note to check Mercari for it then, but unfortunately something else released around that same time...CODE: White in the US, which had its first screening on April 18th. Admittingly, I got distracted by the CODE: White release and had seen it twice by the following weekend. I did do some preliminary searching for the chara fine graph, but not with my usual refined search terms. It wasn't until the 21st that I finally sat down and really started searching for it. And while I did find a few listings, they had already been sold.

I was hopeful that more people would sell it, since it had only been less than a week since release. But I guess I underestimated how popular this chara fine graph was because, after the initial five listings I saw that were sold within the span of a few days, none appeared after. I had, like, ten Mercari tabs open on my browser with different search terms that I refreshed many times a day, but nothing was showing up. I would groan whenever I'd see the preorder bonuses for the other shops like Animate and Amazon pop up, but not Rakuten Books. I did finally see one new listing of someone selling just the badge pins, but that was sold within a few minutes, which made me even more nervous. I would also be nervous getting up in the morning since I didn't want to see that a new listing was posted and sold while I was sleeping! Thankfully I work from home so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience for me to refresh the Mercari tabs on my personal computer whenever I had a minute. But as the days went by and I didn't see any new listings, I started getting mad at myself that if I had only started seriously searching for it right on release day, I would have had at least five chances to get it and could have saved myself this hassle. I even sent a message to Rakuten Books via their online form, asking (in Japanese) if they could somehow sell it to me and ship internationally, etc. But their response was pretty much what I expected...a polite "no."

But then, on the evening of May 4th, I found a new listing and immediately bought it! What should have been a red flag though is that the person was selling it for $30 (with the badge pins included), while everyone else had been selling it from around $80-$100. The title they gave to the item was weird too; they simply called it "Spy Family" instead of "Spy Family Chara Fine Graph" or "Spy Family Rakuten Books Bonus" or something descriptive like that. But the seller had a decent rating so I didn't think there was a problem. After I got the email from Buyee (my proxy service) that they successfully bought the item, I thought I was all set. I closed out all my search tabs and went to bed feeling satisfied.

However, when I got up the next morning, my heart sank when I saw that about an hour after I had gone to bed, Buyee sent me another email saying that they refunded and cancelled my order! The reason they gave was "due to the convenience of the seller" 😫

But what was most frustrating about this is that, when I checked the searches again, I saw that the same seller had relisted the item, with a higher price and more descriptive title, and it had been sold already. What probably happened is that the seller realized they made a mistake with the title and price of the listing and wanted to change it, which Mercari apparently allows them to do even after it had already been sold and paid for!

I was furious with Mercari for allowing this. The least they could do in a situation like this is give the original buyer, like, one day to buy the item again with the increased price before the seller is allowed to relist it again. I wanted to write to the seller and/or Mercari, but I wasn't able to make a Mercari account since it's restricted to Japan. I was also internally yelling at myself that if I had just started searching for it within a day or two of release instead of procrastinating, I could have avoided all this. So it was back to square one, but I wasn't going to give up! I opened up more search tabs with even more refined search terms. I also expanded to other proxy-supported shops like Surugaya and Yahoo Japan Auction. I even got my mom to help me, since she's often up in the middle of the night and can check in case anything is listed during that time while I'm asleep. I downloaded the Buyee app too so I could check listings even if I was away from my computer. With all this, I was hopeful I'd be able to buy it again, though it was more of a question of "when" than "if." With second-hand collectibles, you never know when they could pop up...I could find a new listing the next day, or not for a year or two. But I just kept up the searching, and finally, after another month went by, on June 3rd (June 4th in Japan, so technically Twiyor day 😁) I finally found it again...on Yahoo Japan Auction of all places!

I had never bought via auction before so I was a bit nervous I'd get outbid or something. But I immediately clicked the "pay buyout price option" (which was only a few dollars more than the original price) and, thankfully, a short while later Buyee informed me that I successfully won the auction! But after what happened before, I was still paranoid that it could get canceled for whatever reason. But that didn't happen, and after waiting for shipping, it finally came~

I always like to add a "lessons learned" in these situations, so I'd say the lesson here is don't be blasé or procrastinate when it comes to something you really want. And of course, being persistent pays off more than not!

[lucybronzey]

dream big, big dreams - lucy bronze

pairing: lucy bronze x fem!reader warnings: none? no proof reading done. author's note: please note that i'm dyslexic & non-native english speaker - i make mistakes! feedback is very welcomed! enjoy! NO MINORS! 18+ READERS ONLY!

(Y/N) had always dreamed of making it big in the film industry. From a young age, the allure of the silver screen had captivated her and she spent countless hours honing her acting skills, taking on small roles in indie films and theatre productions. Her dedication and talent were undeniable, but the breakthrough role that would catapult her into the limelight seemed elusive. That was until she received a call from her agent that would change everything.

"Y/N, you might want to sit down for this," her agent said, voice trembling with excitement. "You've been shortlisted for the lead role in a major biopic."

Y/N's heart raced. "What biopic?" she asked, barely able to contain her anticipation.

"It's the story of Lucy Bronze," her agent revealed. "Her journey from grassroots football to the World Cup final in 2023."

Y/N was stunned. Lucy Bronze was a living legend in women's football, known for her tenacity, skill and inspiring journey. Playing her on screen would be a dream come true, but also a tremendous challenge. She knew she had to give it her all to honour Lucy's legacy.

The audition process was gruelling. Y/N immersed herself in studying Lucy's life, watching countless matches, interviews and documentaries. She worked tirelessly to replicate Lucy's mannerisms, her way of moving on the pitch and even her accent although she had no issue with maintaining it as Y/N already had a northern accent. When the day of the final audition arrived, Y/N felt a mix of nerves and excitement. She stepped into the room, ready to give the performance of her life.

The casting directors watched intently as Y/N delivered her scenes with raw emotion and precision. She portrayed Lucy's early struggles with poise, her triumphs with genuine joy and her moments of doubt with vulnerability. When she finished, the room was silent for a moment before the casting director spoke.

"Thank you for coming, we will give your agency a call when we have decided the outcome!"

A few days later, Y/N received the call she had been waiting for: she had been cast as Lucy Bronze.

Filming began in earnest and Y/N was thrown into a whirlwind of training and rehearsals. She worked closely with a professional football coach and team to ensure her skills on the pitch were up to par, striving to embody Lucy's athletic prowess. The transformation was intense, but Y/N embraced every moment, knowing this role was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As part of the preparation, Y/N was scheduled to meet Lucy Bronze herself. The production team had arranged for Lucy to visit the set, providing Y/N with the chance to get firsthand insights into her life and personality. Y/N felt a mixture of excitement and nerves as she waited for Lucy to arrive.

When Lucy walked onto the set, Y/N was struck by her presence. She was even more impressive in person, radiating confidence and warmth. Lucy approached Y/N with a smile, extending her hand.

"Hi, Y/N, you alright? It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucy said, her voice friendly and genuine.

"The pleasure is all mine," Y/N replied, shaking her hand firmly. "I've been looking forward to this."

They spent the day together, with Lucy sharing stories from her career, her training routines and her experiences on and off the pitch. Y/N was captivated by Lucy's dedication and passion for the game, and she found herself deeply inspired. As they practiced football drills together, Lucy offered tips and encouragement, helping Y/N refine her technique.

"You've got a great footwork, but obviously needs some clearing and smoothen," Lucy remarked, watching Y/N manoeuvre the ball. "Just remember to stay light on your feet and always keep your eye on the ball and your team members."

Y/N nodded, absorbing every piece of advice. "Thank you, Lucy. I will take down the note from you."

As filming progressed, Y/N and Lucy developed a strong bond. They often found themselves laughing and chatting between takes, sharing stories and insights. Lucy's presence on set was a constant source of motivation for Y/N, pushing her to give her best performance.

"You've done an amazing job, Y/N. I can't wait to see the final product."

Y/N could see a mix of emotions in Lucy's eyes. "Thank you, Lucy. It have been a massive honour to portray your story."

Lucy smiled, though it was tinged with a hint of introspection. "You know, some days it's a bit weird to think there's a biopic made about me. It's surreal to watch someone else live out my life on screen."

Y/N nodded understandingly. "I can imagine. But at the same time, your story is so inspiring. It is a proper privilege to bring it to the world."

Lucy sighed softly, then grinned. "Yeah, it is exciting and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my journey. It's just a lot to take in."

With the film completed, the next phase was the press tour. Y/N and Lucy were both excited and nervous about the media frenzy that awaited them. They spent hours preparing for interviews, discussing how to present the film and share Lucy's journey with the world.

One evening, after a particularly long day of interviews, Lucy suggested she and Y/N grab dinner together.

"Let's some well-deserved take a break from all the madness and just relax," she said with a smile.

Y/N readily agreed and they found a cozy, dimly lit restaurant nestled in a quiet corner of the city of Manchester. It was the perfect escape from the flashing cameras and relentless questions. They were led to a secluded booth by the window, where the soft glow of candlelight cast a warm, intimate ambiance.

As they settled in, the waiter brought a menu filled with an array of delicious options. They decided to share a few dishes, opting for a mix of comforting favorites and adventurous new flavors. As they waited for their food, the conversation began to flow naturally.

"So, tell me, Y/N," Lucy said, leaning forward with genuine curiosity, "what inspired you to become an actress?"

Y/N smiled, appreciating Lucy's interest. "I've always loved storytelling. From a young age, I was captivated by how films could transport you to different worlds and make you feel so deeply. Acting allows me to be a part of that magic, to bring stories to life and connect with people on a profound level."

Lucy nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that passion in your performance. It's incredible to watch."

The waiter arrived with their first course, a beautifully presented array of appetizers. As they dug in, their conversation shifted to the film and its impact.

"Playing you has been such a transformative experience for me," Y/N said between bites. "It's not just about football - it is about perseverance, resilience and the power of dreams. It is about making the world of football or sports in general for the girls and women better and more accessible. Your story is so inspiring and I hope the film does its justice."

Lucy smiled warmly. "Thank you, Y/N. That means a lot - sometimes I still cannot believe it is all real. Watching you bring my journey to life on screen has been surreal, but also incredibly moving. You have managed to capture so much of who I am or was."

As the main course arrived, they continued to delve into deeper topics. Y/N was struck by Lucy's humility and openness. Despite her fame and achievements, Lucy remained grounded and genuinely interested in those around her.

"What is next for you then?" Y/N asked, curious about her future plans.

"Well," Lucy began, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "I'm looking forward to continuing my career in football until my knee says no more, but I also want to use my platform to advocate for women's sports and inspire the next generation. There's so much more to achieve, both on and off the pitch."

Y/N admired Lucy's vision and commitment. "That's amazing! You are already making such a difference for others."

As they finished their meal and ordered dessert, the atmosphere grew even more relaxed and intimate. They shared stories about their families, their favourite books and films and their dreams for the future. Y/N found herself drawn to Lucy's genuine warmth, feeling a comforting sense of safety and acceptance in her presence. The way Lucy listened intently, her eyes reflecting sincere interest and understanding, made Y/N feel truly seen and appreciated. The ease with which they connected was almost magical - conversations flowed naturally, punctuated with shared laughter and moments of mutual introspection. It was as if they had known each other for years, their bond forming effortlessly amidst the backdrop of shared stories and common passions. Y/N was captivated by Lucy’s authenticity, her ability to be both a global athletic star and a down-to-earth, empathetic individual who cared deeply about those around her.

"You know, Y/N," Lucy said softly as the evening drew to a close, the soft glow of the restaurant's ambient lighting casting a warm halo around her, "I've really enjoyed getting to know you. It's rare to find someone who understands and appreciates this journey so deeply, even though met like only a few months ago."

She paused, her gaze locking onto Y/N's with an intensity that was both tender and sincere. "Throughout my career, I've met countless people, but very few have taken the time to truly understand the nuances, the highs and lows, the sacrifices and triumphs that come with this path. You’ve not only portrayed my story with incredible accuracy and respect, but you've also delved into the heart of it, grasping the emotions and the essence behind every moment."

Lucy leaned in slightly, her voice filled with gratitude and a hint of awe. "It’s almost like you’ve lived it with me, feeling every victory and setback as if they were your own. That kind of empathy and dedication is rare and it's made this entire experience profoundly meaningful for me. It may sound way too selfish of me, but you've shown me parts of my own journey that I hadn’t fully appreciated until I saw them through your eyes."

Y/N felt a warmth spread through her at Lucy’s words, a deep sense of connection and mutual respect. "I've enjoyed getting to know you too, Lucy - more than I ever expected. Portraying you has been an honour and getting to know the person behind the legend has been an incredible privilege."

Their hands brushed against each other on the table, a silent acknowledgment of the bond they had forged, one that transcended the roles they had played and touched something deeper within both of them.

They lingered a while longer, savouring the some of the last moments of their evening together, but never knowing what future was holding for them. When they finally left the restaurant, the city lights twinkling around them, Y/N felt a deep sense of connection and possibility. She knew that their bond had only just begun to form into some sort of notion and electric sense and she was excited to see where it would lead, but never expecting anything serious to happen.

As they walked side by side through the city streets, Y/N's thoughts drifted to her own personal journey, a path marked by self-discovery and inner turmoil. For years, she had grappled with her sexuality, wrestling with the fear of rejection and the burden of societal expectations.

Growing up, Y/N had always sensed she was different, but it was not until her late teens that she began to understand her internal feelings and sense of herself. She realised she was bisexual, a revelation that was both liberating and terrifying. In the years that followed, she had slowly come to terms with her identity, but the fear of not being accepted by her family and the world at large loomed even bigger now than ever.

Now, thrust into the spotlight with the success of the biopic, Y/N felt the pressure more than ever. The media attention, the upcoming public appearances and the constant scrutiny made her anxious. She did not want to be labeled or pigeonholed, fearing it would overshadow her talent and the hard work she had put into her career. Yet, she also yearned to live authentically, without hiding a crucial part of who she was.

The bright city lights blurred into streaks as they continued their walk, Y/N’s mind swirling with thoughts. She remembered the nights spent in quiet contemplation, the moments of doubt and fear and the gradual acceptance that came with understanding herself. She had grown to know herself intimately over the years, recognising her bisexuality as a natural part of who she was. However, the fear of the world’s reaction lingered.

Her family, though loving, had traditional and rather conservative views, and Y/N worried about their acceptance. The idea of disappointing them or facing rejection was a constant shadow. Despite this, Y/N knew she couldn't keep hiding. The authenticity she craved in her professional life mirrored the honesty she sought personally.

As the evening wore on, Y/N felt a mix of vulnerability and determination. The journey ahead would not be easy, but with each step and breath she took, she felt a bit more courageous. The connection she felt with Lucy gave her hope, a reminder that she didn't have to face her struggles alone. The bond they were forming was more than just a professional connection - it was a source of strength and support, illuminating the path ahead with newfound clarity.

Their bond only deepened as they continued to work together on the press tour. The long days of interviews and appearances brought them closer, each shared experience reinforcing their connection. They laughed together, supported each other through the nerves and stress and celebrated their successes. Their chemistry became palpable, not just to them but to everyone around them.

One day, they received an invitation for a high-profile interview with Vanity Fair, a prestigious opportunity to showcase the film and their unique friendship. The preparation for the interview was meticulous, involving multiple meetings with their publicists, stylists and the Vanity Fair team. The excitement was mixed with a touch of anxiety as they both wanted to make a lasting impression.

As the day of the interview approached, Lucy's playful nature resurfaced, a welcome relief from the intensity of their schedule. They were in the dressing room, surrounded by a flurry of activity—hair and makeup artists, wardrobe assistants and photographers capturing candid moments.

"Everything okay? Ready to charm the world, Y/N?" Lucy teased, giving Y/N a wink as she adjusted her outfit in front of the mirror.

Y/N laughed, feeling a rush of warmth at Lucy's playful confidence. "Yeah, a bit anxious and only if you are by my side,"

Lucy grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Always! We make a great team, don’t we?"

Y/N nodded, their eyes meeting in the mirror. There was a moment of shared understanding, an unspoken agreement that they would support each other no matter what. The camaraderie between them was evident and it was this bond that they hoped to convey during the interview.

The Vanity Fair team arrived shortly, setting up the scene with an elegant backdrop and perfect lighting. Y/N and Lucy were seated side by side on a plush sofa, the atmosphere both professional and relaxed. The producer, a seasoned journalist known for their insightful and engaging style, greeted them warmly.

As the cameras started rolling, Y/N felt a surge of nerves, but Lucy's presence was a calming force. The producer began with questions about the film, their roles and the process of bringing Lucy's story to life. Y/N spoke about the intensive preparation, the challenges and the honour of portraying such an inspiring figure.

Throughout the interview, Lucy’s playful nature shone through. She recounted anecdotes from the set, shared behind-the-scenes moments, and teased Y/N good-naturedly. "There was this one scene where Y/N had to do a particularly tricky defending on the pitch," Lucy said, laughing. "She nailed it, but not before a few hilarious attempts!"

Y/N blushed, joining in the laughter. "It is true, yeah, I had a quite few epic fails before getting it right. But Lucy was there, cheering me on and giving me tips."

The interviewer smiled, clearly charmed by their dynamic. "Your friendship is pretty evident and quite heartwarming. How has working together on this film influenced your relationship?"

Lucy glanced at Y/N, her expression softening. "It has brought us incredibly close. Y/N has not only portrayed my story with remarkable authenticity but has also become a dear friend. We have shared so much, both professionally and personally, and getting to know each other each day."

Y/N nodded, feeling a swell of affection for Lucy. "This journey has been transformative for me. Lucy’s support and friendship have been invaluable. I believe we have formed a some sort of incredible strong hold that goes beyond the film."

As the interview continued, they delved into deeper topics, discussing the impact of Lucy's career on women's football, the challenges they both faced in their respective fields, and the importance of representation and authenticity in storytelling. The conversation flowed naturally, punctuated with moments of laughter and introspection.

When the interview finally wrapped, the interviewer remarked on their palpable connection. "You two seem to have a special kind of relationship going on I see. What's next for both of you?"

Lucy looked at Y/N, her expression filled with a mix of excitement and determination. "Well, I think we have a lot more to explore, it depends obviously in what certain areas but we shall see about it."

Y/N smiled, feeling a sense of anticipation and happiness. "I couldn’t agree more."

As they left the interview and had another sort of video shoots to do (game-like), the studio lights and the buzz of the bustling Vanity Fair office faded behind them. Lucy and Y/N stepped into the cool evening air in MediaCityUK, the soft glow of the city lights in Salford casting a gentle radiance on their faces. The excitement from the interview still lingered between them, a palpable energy that made the moment feel almost electric.

Lucy turned to Y/N, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint. She reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against Y/N's hand before clasping it firmly. Her touch was warm and reassuring, a physical reminder of their connection. As they walked side by side, Lucy’s grip on Y/N’s hand tightened just enough to convey her affection.

They strolled down the sidewalk, the city hum creating a soothing backdrop to their conversation. Lucy's playful demeanour took on a more intimate tone. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a soft, flirtatious whisper.

“You know,” she murmured, her breath tickling Y/N’s ear, “you looked absolutely stunning in there. But I have to admit, it’s hard to focus on anything other than how good you look right now.”

Y/N felt a shiver of excitement at Lucy's proximity, the warmth of her breath mingling with the cool evening air. She turned slightly towards Lucy, catching the glint of her eyes and the teasing smile that played on her lips. The affectionate gesture and the whisper sent a rush of warmth through Y/N, mingling with the lingering adrenaline from the interview.

In that moment, Y/N's heart raced uncontrollably, a flurry of butterflies erupting in her stomach as if they were fluttering wildly in an unrestrained dance. Her breaths became shallow and the adrenaline from the interview seemed to intertwine with the new, heady sensations stirring within her. It was as though her emotions and hormones were performing an exhilarating ballet, twisting and swirling in a whirlwind of delight and anticipation.

Every touch and whisper from Lucy felt like a jolt of electric current, igniting a cascade of warm, tingling sensations that coursed through her veins. The gentle squeeze of Lucy’s hand was both comforting and thrilling, creating a potent mix of affection and attraction. Y/N’s senses were heightened - her pulse raced and her skin felt hypersensitive to Lucy’s closeness.

The butterflies in her stomach were not just fluttering but performing somersaults, sending waves of exhilaration through her body. It was as if every nerve ending was on high alert, responding to Lucy’s playful and flirtatious demeanor with an unspeakable rush of emotions. This heady cocktail of feelings left Y/N breathless and dazed, swept up in the intoxicating blend of connection and attraction that made her heart skip and her mind reel.

In Lucy’s presence, Y/N felt a thrilling uncertainty, a thrilling mix of vulnerability and excitement that was both exhilarating and disorienting. It was a moment charged with possibility, where the boundaries between professional respect and personal desire blurred, leaving Y/N with a deep, almost overwhelming sense of wonder and anticipation for what lay ahead.

As the evening drew to a close, Y/N and Lucy decided it was time to head back to their hotel. They ordered a cab, the cool night air brushing against their faces as they waited for it to pull up. The city lights sparkled around them, creating a magical backdrop for the end of their enchanting evening.

When the cab arrived, Lucy opened the door for Y/N with a playful bow. "After you, my lady," she said with a charming grin. Y/N laughed, feeling the warmth of Lucy's humour and the closeness they had shared throughout the night.

Once inside the cab, they settled into the backseat, their knees brushing together in the confined space. Lucy’s hand found Y/N’s once more, their fingers interlocking in a way that felt both natural and intimate. The soft hum of the cab’s engine and the gentle sway of the ride created a cocoon of comfort around them.

Lucy leaned in, her voice low and inviting. "I have to say, you looked absolutely radiant tonight. It’s not just the lights—there’s something about you that just... shines."

Y/N felt a delightful flutter in her stomach at Lucy’s words, the butterflies she’d been feeling earlier now a more insistent dance. The close proximity and Lucy’s soft, flirtatious tone made her pulse quicken, each moment heightening the sense of excitement and attraction between them.

Their conversation continued, punctuated by soft laughter and meaningful glances. They spoke about their favorite moments from the evening, the highlights of the interview, and their mutual admiration for each other’s efforts. Every touch and glance was charged with an unspoken connection, making the ride feel like a continuation of their earlier, more intimate exchange.

As the cab neared their hotel, Lucy’s gaze lingered on Y/N with a look of genuine affection and playful mischief. She gently squeezed Y/N’s hand, her thumb brushing lightly against Y/N’s skin.

“It is going to sound a bit silly, but,” she said softly, her breath warm against Y/N’s ear, “I am truly glad we got to share this evening together again. It has been one of those magical evenings that I will remember for a long time.”

Y/N’s heart raced, a rush of emotions and hormones swirling within her. The blend of Lucy’s touch and her words created a thrilling mix of vulnerability and excitement. “I am glad too,” Y/N replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “Tonight has been insane and incredible.”

The taxi pulled up to their hotel, the building’s lights casting a welcoming glow. As they stepped out, Lucy took Y/N’s hand once more, guiding her towards the entrance with a gentle yet purposeful touch. The night was far from over and the sense of anticipation for what lay ahead was palpable.

As they entered the hotel, Y/N and Lucy walked towards the elevator, their steps in sync but their thoughts racing with the anticipation of the evening’s end. The soft hum of the elevator echoed in the quiet lobby as the doors slid open. They stepped inside, the confined space amplifying the sense of intimacy that had been building between them all night.

Lucy pressed the button for their floor and as the lift doors closed, they were left in the small, intimate enclosure, alone with their thoughts and feelings. The tension between them was available being cut with a sharp knife, the air thick with unspoken words and emotions. Y/N could feel the electricity crackling between them, each heartbeat seeming louder than the last.

Lucy turned to Y/N, her eyes meeting Y/N’s with an intensity that made Y/N’s breath catch. There was a moment of stillness, a charged silence that seemed to stretch out as they stood so close together. Lucy’s gaze softened, her lips curving into a mischievous yet tender smile.

Before Y/N could fully process the shifting energy, Lucy closed the distance between them. Her hand gently cupped Y/N’s cheek, her touch warm and reassuring. Y/N’s heart raced in a very fast pace, almost like having a heart attack, her senses heightened by Lucy’s closeness. Then, without warning, Lucy leaned in and pressed her lips against Y/N’s in a quick, surprising kiss.

The contact was brief but electric, a jolt of sensation that left Y/N's head spinning. The softness of Lucy’s lips and the suddenness of the kiss were both thrilling and overwhelming. When Lucy pulled back slightly, their faces remained inches apart, their breath mingling in the confined space of the lift.

Y/N’s pulse was skyrocketing, her emotions in a tumultuous whirl of excitement and longing. Her lips parted in a breathless whisper, her voice trembling with desire.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered, her eyes locked onto Lucy’s with a mixture of hope and need.

Lucy’s eyes sparkled with a blend of surprise and warmth at Y/N’s words. Without hesitation, she leaned in again, her lips meeting Y/N’s with a deeper, more lingering kiss. The world outside the lift seemed to disappear as they lost themselves in the kiss, the gentle pressure and tender exploration of their lips creating a sense of connection that was both exhilarating and profound.

The lift continued its slow ascent, but inside the small space, time seemed to stand still. The kiss deepened, becoming a dance of intimacy and passion, each touch and caress conveying the emotions they had both been feeling throughout the evening. When they finally pulled apart, their breaths were quick and uneven, their faces flushed with the intensity of the moment.

Lucy looked at Y/N with a smile that was both affectionate and full of promise.

“I’m glad you said that,” she murmured, her voice low and sincere. “I have been waiting for this moment to happen.”

Y/N smiled back, feeling a rush of happiness and excitement. “Same words, likewise.”

As the lift reached their floor and the doors slid open, they stepped out into the hallway, their hands intertwined within a mere second. The shared kiss had only heightened the sense of anticipation for the rest of the evening or future. As they walked towards their rooms, Y/N could not shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something truly special, a night that would mark the start of a deeper connection between them.

[crackedpumpkin]

Hi! May I request rottmnt turtles (separately) meeting a reader who has Spiderman abilities and they show up randomly, to give the turtle a gift, then leaves without saying anything?

Hello anon! I hope you enjoy this, I've been struggling to write for Donnie, Raph, and Mikey since I don't know their characters that well yet :") Regardless though, I hope this is alright!

His swords clatter to the ground, looking around in disbelief once he spots the neatly wrapped box on the table beside him.

"Wha- When??"

Leonardo turns in a circle, eyes darting to check every corner of the room he's in. He picks up the box nervously, reading the tag attached to it.

'Saw this and thought you might like it.'

Your familiar handwriting is messily scrawled onto the paper, and he chuckles before holding the box up to his ear, giving it a shake. It rattles, and he hums in curiosity.

When did you even get here? He wonders, untying the ribbon on the box and opening the lid. Once his eyes land on the item inside, he gasps excitedly, almost squealing.

He picks up the comic, almost too afraid to hold it as his fingers brush against the front cover of the first Jupiter Jim comic, still in its original sleeve! Oh, he'd recognize the art anywhere.

It's a national treasure, well, in his opinion, anyway. But how on earth did you even get it?

Maybe you knew the vigilante that helped stop a robbery at the comic book museum in which the comic is stored. If so, he has got to connect with them through you.

"Okay, who took my tools?" Donnie looks around with narrowed eyes, scanning his lab with an annoyed sigh. Did his brothers wander in and decide to distract him once again with their shenanigans?

However, he spots his tools decorating the wall, laid out in some form of abstract art as they stick to some form of spiderweb. He walks over with a skeptical gaze, staring at the box between them.

He taps his chin in thought, deciding whether or not to open the unfamiliar object until he sees a piece of paper with messily written words on his desk. He picks it up, scanning it with raised brows.

'Hey smartass, Happy birthday or whatever, thought you might enjoy it.'

He gasps, looking back at the box that contains his gift. "For me??" He all but squeals, grabbing it and taking off the lid. His eyes widen in disbelief, filling with pure, adulterated joy as he lifts up a warm purple jacket, a broad grin on his lips in place of his usual refined bad-boy demeanour.

"Oh, I love it!!" He gushes, immediately putting it on and feeling the soft fabric settling on his arms as he does a quick spin to admire it. He doesn't even care about how he'll get his tools off the wall, with the web fluid only dissolving in two to three hours.

You eye the turtle sitting on the couch with his comic book, grinning as you secure the teddy bear in your grasp. You had spotted him eyeing it last time you went online shopping, and of course, you had to get it for your friend.

You slowly crawl down the wall, the bare skin of your fingertips practically glueing you to the hard brick. You make your way down to him, tapping his shoulder from behind. He turns in surprise. "Yo, what's up, Y/n?"

You stifle a chuckle before pulling out the teddy bear from where you position it behind your back, and the comic book slides out of his hands as his jaw drops. "Is that-"

You nod, handing it to him.

He gingerly takes it from your grasp, eyes already watering before he hugs it tightly. "Thanks, Y/n! You're the best!"

You give him a silent yet playful salute, crawling back up the wall as he continues to gush over his gift.

"Ouch!" Mikey groans, landing hard on his face as the shattered remains of his skateboard fall to pieces around him. You gasp, hurrying over to where he cradles the broken remains with eyes full of despair.

You rub his back in sympathy before an idea occurs to you. You had bought his present a couple months early, and maybe it was the perfect time to give it to him.

You crane your neck. Where had you put it…? You recall hiding it in a tight spot between a shelf and other stuff in the lair, spotting it peeking out from the wedge. You aim and fire some web fluid at it, and it attaches itself to the gift wrapping before you tug it toward the both of you.

It lands safely in your hands, and you offer it to Mikey, who glances at it curiously. He sniffles, taking it from you and hesitates, only to open it after you nod encouragingly. He inhales sharply, lighting up when he unwraps it to reveal a brand new Skate3000 skateboard, looking at you in glee.

"Is this real?" He smiles cheesily, wrapping you up in an unexpected hug before whooping and scurrying up the ramp's edge to try it out. You watch with a smile but gather your things to leave when you remember you have a class in ten minutes.

"Thanks, Y/n! You're the best!" He shouts from behind you, and you smile and shrug in response, glad he likes your gift.

[miniimapp]

Robaire - Underneath the Tree

Gen ;; Fluff - Drabble/Short Story

Warnings ;; None

Proofread + Edited ;; Briefly run through grammarly because it's Christmas and I wanted to treat you all <3

Auth. Note ;; WELCOME TO DAY 2 OF THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN, ALSO KNOWN AS DAY 21 OF ADVENT !!

can you tell that this one had to be written real quick because i've been at work all day ?? either way, enjoy <3

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Wrapping gifts is an art form. There's a delicacy, a grace, to the way you fold the paper. A practised confidence that comes from years of refining your wrapping skills. And while you don't expect everyone to have the same level of skill you’ve managed to cultivate, you had liked to imagine that everyone had at least the basics down: fold, tape, no present peeking through.

Until you met Robaire, that is.

Despite his outstanding prowess in seemingly every other field, your partner has never quite managed to pin down the art of present wrapping, and it somehow leads you to the same absurd scene every year: Robaire knelt on the floor, wrapped up to his elbows in tape and trying desperately to fling it off, as he pulls at the paper, creasing it in some places and irreparably tearing it in others.

And that’s what you stumble upon today as you walk through the door, welcomed in by a cacophony of colourful curses that could make a sailor blush.

You last maybe a second before the first peel of laughter is ripped from you as Robaire flings one of his arms around, growing evermore frustrated as he tries to loosen the clingy tape. Fond amusement warms your chest as you watch him wrestle with a particularly difficult strip of tape; you’re beyond trying to figure out how he gets himself into these messes, and instead focus on getting him out.

Eventually, you’ll have to step in before he gets around to begging invisible forces to strike him down, and as you hear him begin code-switching into French curses you decide now is the time.

Pushing off from the doorway, you saunter into the room with laughter already bubbling up again in the back of your throat. “I think it might be time for an intervention, don’t you?”

Robaire turns to you, expression indignant. “Oh, do you think so?” he asks dryly, his voice drenched in sarcasm and eyes rolling, “And what exactly does this ‘intervention’ entail, mon amour?”

“How about teaching how to wrap presents properly?” you offer as you saunter closer

“Or maybe I could just stuff the presents in gift bags for the rest of forever, maybe get some tissue paper and make it look all pretty to hide the fact that I’m a failure,” Robaire grumbles, his tone petulant.

“Lose the attitude, babe,” you chastise softly, “And sit tight because I’m about to turn you into a wrapping extraordinaire.”

You kneel next to Robaire, setting out the wrapping paper and placing the paper on top of it. “Alright, you ready?” you ask, turning to face him.

The moment you receive a nod from Robaire, you gently take his hands in yours, fingers ghosting over his as you demonstrate the proper way to wrap the presents. “It’s all about the way you fold the paper; if you’ve got that down, you can wrap anything.”

“And the tape, by the way, is your friend here, not your enemy. You just gotta get on its good side,” you add, “Go slowly and carefully, that way you can fix any mistakes while they’re still manageable.”

As you continue wrapping together, Robaire’s frustration slowly melts away into curiosity and then awe as following your instructions quickly develops into understanding. You pull your hands away after a while, watching over him as he continues. Robaire’s still a bit clumsy, his finger fumbling over the folds and awkwardly placing the tape, but he’s trying and he’s succeeding. You can’t help but feel proud.

“See, you’re not a failure, you just needed a bit of instruction, and who doesn’t every now and then?” you say, voice filled with encouragement. “You’re getting the hang of it so quickly now.”

With a small but proud smile, Robaire nods. “Thanks.” He pauses slightly, dropping his head sheepishly, “I guess might have been making it more complicated than it needed to be.”

You playfully raise an eyebrow at him, “Oh, you think so?” 

Robaire rolls his eyes in return, “Yeah, yeah, okay, I’m dramatic, sue me.”

“Hey, you said it, not me,” you defend, raising your hands in surrender. “But, we all have our weaknesses, right? It’s what makes us human, you know.” you continue, your tone altering to become more reassuring and sincere.

As you continue to wrap gifts together, the room begins to fill with laughter, gentle corrections, and the quiet rustle of wrapping paper. A shared affection that drowns out the previous frustration of the evening, setting you up for a peaceful and loving Christmas.

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[a-student-out-of-time]

5 Years Later

So...I admit I didn't really have anything big planned for today ^^;

But today- September 12th, 2024- is the 5th Anniversary of when A Student Out Of Time began. I started this blog based on a simple whim, after I'd completed playing 999 with a friend and read H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Out Of Time. I asked myself "Hey, what if Hajime went back in time and tried to prevent the Tragedy?"

Now, this wasn't the first story blog I'd ever written. I had a couple early ones that I'm a little too embarrassed to share or discuss, but my biggest one was The Starship Hope, which also began on a whim all the way back in 2018. I was on a walk through the second neighborhood I lived in back in California, and I asked myself "What if the V3 Cast were actually in space?"

While I still have some fondness for that one, I don't believe I really found my footing as a writer until we got deep into this one. I had a tendency to just write whatever sounded cool or I got a little too shippy about some things. Then I really sat down and started planning out arcs, and we built things up from there...

...And now here we are, five years later, and I'm still doing this. Not only that, it's become so much bigger than I ever thought it would. Early on, I had one anon tell me that they weren't convinced that this blog would never last, because story blogs like this never do. I still think about that person now, and I really have to thank them because that was when I decided I'd commit to it.

Thanks to that, I've met so many new friends, been introduced to great things, inspired others to pursue their own stories and creative ambitions, and we even have a whole set of pages on TV Tropes. Almost 1,200 have decided to follow me, and that's not even counting how many have read this story and simply not made their presence known. In short, it really has helped change my life.

It hasn't been easy, and there have been times where I've thought about quitting or deleting the whole thing. There have been some dark moments, some bad arcs, some ideas that didn't pan out as I'd hoped. But even so, I always took them as learning experiences and chose not to quit.

More importantly, I've helped inspire people to check out one of my favorite series of all time, I've given them a work they can enjoy, and all this has in turn helped me refine my own writing skills and figure out the sort of writer I hope to become one day. Seeing people enjoy what I do or just curious to hear what my thoughts are, it really does inspire me to keep going.

It's also so wild to see how much Danganronpa has evolved as a series in time since I started all this. I got involved in the DR Tumblr fandom back in early 2016, before Danganronpa 3 was even out yet. I remember how much we were clamoring for it and V3, how controversial their story decisions were, and how many people didn't want it to end. They wanted to tell their own stories and do their own spins on the concept, and that's how we got so many different fangans in so many mediums- other games, videos, instagram, fanfics, and some here on Tumblr.

Danganronpa Another, SDRA2, DR: Rebirth, Despair Time, Blowback, TheAfter, Rocky Restarts, DR Mauve, DR Lapse, Brave DR: Coward's Paradise, Eternal Endings, Shattered Hope, Heartless Deceit, Eden's Garden, Antebellum, and so many others.

I got into both Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files, both great series in their own right. And now we have another SC game on the way, The Hundred Line- Last Defense Academy, which looks pretty interesting too.

In short, it's been a long 5 years.

Do I plan to keep going? Uh, yeah. We're nearing the conclusion of Season 2, and I have many ideas for Season 3. I intend to keep doing this as long as I'm able and as long as people want me to, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

More than anything, I'm just happy people enjoy the work I do. The support I've received over this last half a decade have been nothing short of inspiring, and I'm glad that people are always happy to see me update no matter how long it's been.

My life has had many ups and downs in the time I've been doing this, but being able to look at all this and say that I helped create a community and inspired people to pursue their own ambitions? It makes it all worth it ^^

What happens when it does all eventually conclude? I wouldn't worry about it. I do have an ending idea in mind, but we're nowhere near that yet. Season 2 has had some of our best arcs so far, and I think Season 3 could even turn out to be even better, but I won't get too ahead of myself.

I'm glad I'm still doing this, and I'm glad for every single person who decided that this silly little Danganronpa fanfiction blog was worth their time to get invested in. When I get things together a bit more and I start publishing my own original stories, I hope you'll follow me on my journey there as well.

Thank you guys for everything!

Here's to another 5 years ^^

[gorgonstaringcontest]

Dog has been getting fussy and picky about the food I was giving her. Nothing's wrong, it's just a natural consequence of her life up until now.

The first night she was with me and for the first couple of weeks, I cooked her food myself to get her eating comfortably and up to a healthy weight. Then tried introducing actual pet foods because I was worried she wasn't getting exactly the right nutrients.

The brands swapped around because of availability and finding better options and did my best to smoothly transition between them. In the meantime, I'd give her things just for the joy of seeing her try things for the first time - chicken, roast lamb, blueberries, egg. She loved them all.

Then, she really started eating a lot. So I did what I thought was logical - bought in bulk of the food she liked. She'd tried a lot different things by this point so the newness was dying down, but about 3/4ths the way through the bulk food I bought, she just... Stopped being interested.

She went off the wet food first, and seemed to only want dry and to drink more water. Seemed fine. But then, she got sick of the dry food - only eating it begrudgingly after I'd eaten like "well, if this is all there is". So I bought different dry food, and it was okay for like a week and a bit and then, meh. Tried mixing the wet and dry together (actually mixing not just in the same bowl) and that was apparently the worst of both worlds.

So... Dog is apparently a gourmand now. She has a refined palate, and seeks new experiences.

According to advice I could find on the matter, the suggestion was to mix new things into the existing food to spice things up a bit.

I bought things to do this today, and she just... Didn't eat her lunch. Not interested, but kept doing the "feed me" things. So I decided that if it was a flavour sensation she wanted, she'd get it. And this way I could see if she didn't like any of it and could cull it from being mixed in in future.

Now we all understand dogs don't taste things the way we do, which is good, because although each individual thing is something I eat, the resulting mix was a bit more adventurous than most people would be. I made a plain rice congee, roasted off some sweet potato, pumpkin, and carrot, steamed some peas and corn, and sauteed some beef strips and - the real star of the show - liver. Topped it off with a few blueberries and some diced dried apricot as well and decided to really spoil her with a drizzle of peanut butter.

Dog was ecstatic. Ate her whole dinner. Licked the bowl clean. And then came and gave me lots of attention, very clearly pleased with the evening's offering, before going back to lick the bowl again in case a single molecule of flavour was left behind. She licked my hands, because I can only assume they smell a bit like the food from cooking it.

Every time I go NEAR the kitchen, she goes and sits by the fridge, because she saw that I cooked multiple meals worth of food and put the rest in there - the mana from heaven is trapped in the food prison, as far as she's concerned.

So I'm heading to bed now and, and she's curled up in her bed with a full tummy, which makes me glad. Aside from the extremely deadly liver-tinged dogfart that she perpetrated that is going to lead me to sleep with the windows open even though it's like 13°, I feel like I've achieved responsible dog parent status.

And for those wondering - liver is something I've eaten since I was a kid, no it's not because of rewatching Hannibal, yes I was tempted to see if dogs can have fava beans but no didn't actually check.

[indigos-stardust]

Fs pony art and lore

@shadylink I'm never really gonna refine and post these as their own thing but I figured u might be interested, most of these are just really bad finger doodles, cuz I hadn't drawn ponies in such a long time-

Btw in this au I decided to rework mlp's magic system, so basically each type of pony has their own type of magic ofc

Pegasi get flight , unicorns get spell magic, and earth ponies get strength that's the norm

But basically I'm deciding to see this as like, percentages.

Basically unicorns can do things like transformation and warp spells, pegasi can fly at high speeds skillfully and create gusts of winds, earth ponies can lift like 9x their weight and be more resistant to natural poisons/have less chance of injury because of a really dense coat and stronger bones -

but this is after specialized training in their areas and requires like years of practice. This is like 100% of the potential of those specific things, like Olympic athletes

most ponies just use like 50% of their capabilities so for unicorns that's just like refridgerating spells, light spells, levitation - pegasi is just flying over distances and being able to walk on clouds- earth ponies lifting like idk 4.5x their weight

so just normal skills that aid them in day to day life

i was thinking what if ponies could be half of two types?

so instead of just 100% magical capacity for a specific quality, 50% of their magic will be from one type and 50% of the other.

So if an earth pony and a unicorn had a kid, then MAYBE, (the phenomenon is a bit more rare but not unusual) they'd have the basic earth pony strength and the basic unicorn magic. HOWEVER, if that kid wanted to say, learn a warp spell, they wouldn't be able to do so.

Full unicorns would have longer horns and earth ponies would have stronger more vibrantly colored hooves that an earth-unicorn would.

Full pegasi would have fuller, stronger, sharper wings, while a half pegasus would have softer and smaller ones.

Alicorns would have the full magical extent of all three, essentially giving them 3x the magic of others. That mix could probably create even more magical potential.

For obvious reasons, there aren't any pegasi-unicorns because they'd look too much like alicorns design wise. I'm gonna say that their magical energies just oppose too much, while earth ponies, being so tied to the natural world is more able to mix with both.

Link was originally an earth-pegasi with a bit of extra strength and the ability to fly in general. His battle style is mostly sharp fast cuts with quick brief escapes to the air and then back into battle

also I've decided to give them clothes

when Link split into four, the types of ponies they were depended on their parents genetics

So green's a full pegasi, blue's a full earth pony, red is a earth-unicorn (this is why he uses a fire rod, he wouldn't be able to do a fire spell that strong on his own, but a fire rod would enhance his natural magic) and vio is a full unicorn

Anyways shadow is kinda like stealing king sombras vibes, he looks earth pegasi like link was but his wings are hooves are all shadowy lol

also links cutie mark was a sword in front of the triforce

after the split, each of their cutie marks turned into the four sword in front of their respective element

enjoy lol, u can do whatever u want with this info, hope you like it

EDit: also I fixed their swords so they can actually hold them with their mouths properly enough to correctly aim

oh I also forgot!

basically a little tidbit from my brainrot is that red actually got the hang of his unicorn magic really well, but vio just struggled even being able to start it up to levitate a pebble

he ended up being able to use his magic only after they almost got crushed by a rock slide and vio was able to raise a crystal sheild

he got bad magical exhaustion from that tho and still struggled to control his magic until shadow helped him later

green originally thought he was link because he was the only one who had wings, but because he wasn't earth pony and their cutie marks were just the elements they realized there wasn't an "original" but rather a split four ways

it takes them some time to realize that the type of pony they are isn't connected to the elements, but rather genetic probability

also when they first split vio had no idea he was a unicorn and while he was trying to figure it out the others were just like

listening to him ramble about how their types don't make sense!

how does earth relate to the water element? and if its a genetic thing, then why is red the only unico-

and then he's like why are u staring at me like that???is there something on my face?? and then he just has a whole freaking 100% unicorn horn and he's like well f*ck

anyways I also forgot to mention-

basically if a pony were to engage in battle stuff, some little tricks as a last ditch attempt to creat espace between themself and the enemy include:

Earth: stomping the ground so hard that your opponent loses balance

Pegasi: Creating a guest of wind to blow your opponent away

Unicorn: stab with the horn <3

[wings-of-ink]

Hi! I just wanted to say I love your writing so much!! I found God Cursed the other day and I’ve been obsessed. I love all the characters and the world building omg, the world building is absolutely amazing. Once I caught up I realized the world codex was filled with so much background and interesting info. Thank you for all the effort you put into this game. Do you have a patreon or a kofi? Id love to support it if you do. Also can I ask where you came up with all the design for the cursed symbols? Theyre really beautiful. I hope that you have an amazing day because someone who brings so much creativity to the world deserves it!!

Welcome, my new friend!

I am thrilled that you're enjoying God Cursed so much! Thank you for appreciating the codex too. It's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping to get more of the lore in there as things develop.

I currently do not have a Patreon or Kofi, but I have been thinking about it a lot lately. I've had some encouragement to to make them, and I have several ideas cooking on how I could make it fun. I've got ideas for extra content, future projects (other than the 2nd IF I'm going to plan soonish), and I would love to be able to add character art and such to the game as well. If and when anything is decided, I will post about it here and maybe run some polls to see what sorts of things people want out of those types of subs.

The curse symbols were a combo of my noggin and Canva. Some of the marks I had firm visions for, some were more vague. So, I played around in Canva until I could match the vision in my mind for them. I have no talent for drawing of my own, so that was my best bet for getting decent images. That's another thing I would love to hire an artist for to remake and refine those (thinking a tattoo artist would be super cool to use).

Thank you for the kind message, my dear! And I've had a pretty good day over all as a matter of fact. ^_^

[jasontoddiefor]

Absolutely begging for the trans WWX who’s living her best life as Lady Mo, I’m obsessed with this au

(Also I just want you to know there is now a crack version of this incredible au in my head where upon meeting “Lady Mo” playing Wangxian for Sizhui, Lan Zhan has a full on falls to his knees clutching WWX’s going “you’re as beautiful as the day I lost you” alla HTTYD 2, gets a dramatic (to Sizhui, read confused for WWX) “Lan Zhan!?” in response and the Lan Zhan (in an actual miracle of being able to communicate) goes “I raised A-Yuan all of these years for you, I’ve raised our son into a wonderful cultivator” (the miracle has ended, and WWX is currently bluescreening trying to connect the dots of teen I am traveling with is baby I loved what do you mean our son ooo wait Lan Zhan thinks I’m pretty!)

And thus creates the misunderstanding for Sizhui that “Lady Mo” is actually his apparently not-dead mom who’s apparently been vibing as a wandering musician for the past 13 years. Sizhui goes through the five stages of grief before settling on “I can work with this” as a-niang starts showering him with affection and apparently thought he was dead and thus began Sizhui’s grand scheme of luring his incredibly oblivious mother into marriage with his father and it becomes “unstoppable force vs unmovable object, second times the charm on baby trapping, right?” adventures.

This doesn’t matter but it’s important to me that you know this popped into my head. This au is absolutely incredible and there is so much comedy gold. NHS has been left alone in the group project but he still manages to scramble together enough to pass decently, good for him)

1 (Ao3) | 2 (tumblr)

aaah I'm flattered to hear that!! and tbh, it's not so much that NHS has been left alone in the group project but that he decided on the project and then didn't call anyone to do their parts. never got to write it but i figured the whole reveal would go sth like this:

Gusu doesn't look like Wei Ying remembers it, but it has been decades since her attendance. After the war, well, for all that Lan Zhan had asked her to visit, she'd never accepted it.

And look at her now! Going to the Cloud Recesses voluntarily, accompanied by Lan Zhan's little juniors. They're good kids, polite and inquisitive and opinionated and so very alive. She wondered how much Lan Zhan must have changed in the last years to raise them this well.

What if Wei Ying doesn't recognize him at all? No, that can't be. Lan Zhan was too memorable for Wei Ying to ever forget a single detail about him.

"Just ahead now, Lady Mo," says Lan Sizhui. "I'm not sure if my father is home. He's taken to traveling more...."

He trails off, his face splitting into a smile as he looks ahead. "He's there!"

Wei Ying expects some unfamiliar Lan, but no, standing there is Lan Zhan. He looks older, refined, and happy at their return.

Oh, thinks Wei Ying. I always want him to look at me like that.

Playing the dizi isn't always for pleasure, especially chenqing, summoning all kinds of evil, but the song Lan Zhan taught him is like homecoming. Wei Ying watches in delight as Lan Zhan's eyes widen in recognition, she thinks.

The juniors look at her in wonder, but Wei Ying pulls the dizi from her lips with a smile.

"Lan Zhan!" she calls, "Lan Zhan, I heard you're walking around, clearing my name!" And then, just for pleasure, just for herself, she calls his name again. "Lan Zhan, I've been traveling! I've seen the world and it's alive."

I'm alive, I'm here, won't you ask me to come with you a final time?

Wei Ying can't place Lan Zhan's expression until it breaks into something hopeful, something grieving, something lost.

"Wei Ying?"

[thirdreverie]

valentine's weird shading not-a-tutorial tutorial

let me preface this by saying that i am not very good at tutorials, hence the "not-a-tutorial" in the title. let me continue prefacing this by saying that tumblr's search function is still shit and ass, making me incapable of trying to find the post i wanted to and forcing my hand into making my own instead. if anyone has the link to the post i'm talking about feel free to send it to me or something. anyway let's get into it

so the one thing that helped improve my art's lighting and shading drastically is, instead of thinking shadows being additive, is to think of light being subtractive instead. again emphasis on the words "my art" so this might not work for you personally + this probably also only really works in a digital medium, but like. what do i mean by that?

enlisting the help of that one sketch of ghost/ray i drew once, i've slapped together a few pics that may or may not help make the point i'm trying to make clearer. i dunno, but either way you're gonna want to decide where your light source is coming from first before you start. ok let's go

anyway, this is what i like to call "shadows being additive" or in layman's terms basically just drawing in your shadows by hand instead. this is probably how you've been taught to shade, and it works fine if you know what you're doing! however, since this pic of ghost just Standing There is pretty simple it makes shading this way relatively easy, but if your composition is more complex, you have a bunch of things blocking the light source, and/or you have weird perspective going on; then it might start getting pretty difficult. it sure as hell did for me in the past anyway

but. what if i told you. that there's a different way to approach shading

now introducing: "light being subtractive" aka drawing in your lights instead. in the real world, objects are naturally shrouded in darkness until a light source is present. this fact is then reflected in this shading style by having you begin with a layer filled with your shadow color before erasing the areas where your light hits (then refining it later). this style probably works better the more your knowledge of how objects reside within a 3d space is, but either way i personally prefer this shading style bc of how the shadows feel more organic to me + it works fantastic for dramatic lighting as well

honestly your layer mode doesn't even need to be set to multiply either. in a visual novel i released a while ago under a time constraint i chose to shade my sprite using pure black set to normal mode because it was faster to me than actually having to worry about the colors that come with using a multiply layer

but uhhh yeah either way that's how i got good at shading i guess by changing the way i approached doing it in the first place. hopefully this helps someone out there. idk man i'm not a professional artist or anything i just do this stuff for fun

[danielt1985]

Learning To Love Minecraft Again (A Thread)

Written by Daniel T. Gaming

I've been recently falling in love with Minecraft again. After so long of not playing it. I decided to pick it back up & play it again, and It has been one of my favorite things to play in SO long. However, I did a few things to spruce up my newly found interest.

1. A Fresh Client I had decided to switch over from the tradition Minecraft launcher to the ATLauncher, a mod-eccentric client. And while it may look a tad confusing, it's actually very handy. I am now able to save as many different versions of Minecraft I wanted without my save files or mods controlling one another, unlike the official Minecraft launcher. on top of that, the official launcher also installs a bunch of useless Xbox junk because, well, Microsoft.

2. Bringing Back The Old With the ATLauncher's ability to save as many versions of Minecraft with their own dedicated files & saves, I am now safely able to play older versions of Minecraft as my heart desires.

Right now, I'm playing 2 different versions, Beta 1.7.3 (A version regarded by a LOT of people as one of the best versions of Minecraft to play today), and Release 1.5.2 (The first ever version of the game I EVER played back in 2012). I will still pick up & play Release 1.20 cuz I do like a lot of the new decor pieces & things, but if I ever just want to play a standard game of Minecraft, I have these 2 versions to keep me occupied.

There's also the old legacy versions from Consoles that people are coming back to, but I haven't gotten to those yet, but planned on them soon.

3. Making My Own Goals

My mind has always saw that "Beating the Ender Dragon" was the ultimate goal of Minecraft, and that once it's done, it's done. And while a part of me still feels that way, I'm slowly moving away from that, because that mindset has literally KILLED so many of my past Minecraft maps, and I deeply regret it.

So I started to make my own goals & my own rules. My current survival map never had a bulk smelting machine, so I added one. I never got to refine my mine & make it more like an actual mineshaft, so I got to go & do that.

I don't just want to make Minecraft a point A -> B kinda game. I want to make it a game about creating as much stuff as you can. There are people in this world who have been able to build worlds that have taken them over a DECADE to finish... so why not give yourself that same level of encouragement?

4. Playing With Friends I recently managed to get a personal Minecraft server going on an old PC. And playing with my friends has been an AMAZING experience. It's actually pretty cheap to run a server nowadays, and Bedrock editions now have general multiplayer support, so playing with friends is now becoming even EASIER than ever before.

5. Modding Makes The Difference Although I haven't got to do this one yet, I *am* planning on it, as it's been talked about by a LOT of people. There are actually a handful of mods out there that are not just for entertainment, but for bringing fresh vanilla-eccentric changes to Minecraft to keep its charm that it had in its early stages. Two that I have heard of are ReIndev & Better Than Adventure. Both of which actually run off of Beta 1.7.3 too, so that's neat!

I think personally, what these two mods are doing are GREAT, and I cannot wait to play them.

6. Making It Personal

Personally, I've been handling the game on a more personal level, and not too personal to where it's overbearing, but I mean as in I like to just do traditional fan things that I've done long ago. Watch Minecraft videos, pull out the old Minecraft merch I had from when I was young, listen to the soundtrack, etc.

I haven't felt this attached to Minecraft in SO long, but I am glad it's coming back. I might make this whole thing into a video, but until then, I wanted to make this thread to tell you all how I managed to finally get back in touch with Minecraft.

[ikemenomegas]

Any thoughts to shake loose on any of your Naruto guys, Io? I like your mun-name!! 💕

From the notebook

Loose leaf ideas:

I'm so sorry, I have no idea what a mun-name is but thank you anyways 😅. Also sorry it's taken so long, I was trying to do the Make a Wish prompts, which I've finally gotten mostly bullet pointed out. Lucky thing because I all but finished one of the last two and then lost it due to my own stupidity... so I've been sadly trying to rewrite it /sigh. I decided to finally shake free those ideas in the mean time, since I haven't posted any writing in a while

Yamato (Tenzo, but this name is for private use)

Because he was raised in Root, he mostly emotes via micro expressions so his Alpha has learned to be really good at reading those looks. His Alpha can literally stare at his face for hours while they talk. Yamato stares right back. Please ask for a booth if you go to a restaurant with him. Everyone thinks you're making bedroom eyes at each other when you're figuring out your next week's meal prep. Actual bedroom eyes are near lethal levels.

He's a pretty tall guy so when you first started spending time at his place, all the cups and plates and things are also really high up. He barely used any of his lower cupboards. When you first move in together, he asks you where all of your stuff is and you think he's joking until you realize he genuinely doesn't check any of those cabinets or drawers that he doesn't use...

All of his furniture is handmade, as in through the wood style. It's all very functional, lots of squares, but elegant. If want different shapes he's really willing and eager to learn how intricate he can get with his jutsu. He's got a remarkably artistic streak, despite his serious demeanor. You'll never have to buy a new bookshelf again, he'll just make them.

Yamato likes quality time and gifts as his receiving love languages. He works really hard for the village and having someone focused on him and appreciative of his hard work and attentive to his needs is key to being a good partner for him

You can't go wrong if you show your appreciation by making him things that he likes, ie a craft, homemade item, or really involved food. He's also not opposed to an evening of pampering where he has your full undivided attention after a day spent sight seeing.

Gaara

He doesn't make the first move in a relationship, which leaves him in a fun lil' stalemate for a while with his eventual mate, because you can't make moves on the Kazekage and he's thinking "I'm the Kazekage, it would be an unfair power dynamic to tell them I think about them every time I write poetry lately..." On a trip back to Suna, Temari takes one look at him and you and then scolds Kankuro because "I can't be the one to manage both kinds of diplomatic relations. Please do something to make my life a little easier." Kankuro then attempts to organize scenarios for you and Gaara to meet. These go poorly in the way of all comedic anime interludes but do result in the two of you bonding more closely.

Gaara was raised to be the leader of a military nation, but he winds down by engaging in more traditional artistic pursuits. All three of the siblings actually have a talent in at least one area of the more refined arts. Gaara is very accomplished at calligraphy, and I'm not kidding about the poetry, he really does compose different works and a lot of them are very good. He even worked hard at some point during his courtship to create a public stone garden in the village which he sometimes alters during festivals so it has different designs.

He is very responsible when it comes to Kazekage duties. He's also been performing them since before he turned 15, and has almost no penchant for mischief. However, he can be easily coaxed away from his office in the name of training his children/students, where he can be further tricked into simply enjoying himself. He's actually a really patient, insightful teacher.

He has an unfortunate habit, only slightly curbed by age, of being willing to drag everyone into a goal he decides is worthwhile. While he mostly used credible threats to get what he wanted as a child, he's since become very adept at manipulation. Mostly, he's genuine and persistent, but he also knows how to get other people to want to follow him. This includes knowing the exact Look to give his mate whenever he wants something.

I think you could easily write him as demiromantic/aromantic. He isn't romantically attracted to anyone right away, and if he does develop those feelings they aren't all-consuming, but there are certain people he can see himself partnering with for the rest of his life, and certain triggers for kicking those feelings off with his alpha.

Nagato

The more I research him, the more it is clear his canon outcome is the bad-end version of the shonen trio trope. Yahiko and Konan were in love with one another, and Nagato was the one who loved them both enough to follow them to the ends of the earth. Nothing in any world was ever going to deter him from that, so his Alpha needs to be pointed in the same direction, ideally devoted to Yahiko and his original Akatsuki as well.

Nagato is the one who guides his Alpha in believing in the ideals of Akatsuki. Before the original trio falls apart, this is done without any ultimatum or ulterior motive. Nagato genuinely believes in the dream Yahiko has, and felt very motivated to bring that hope to his Alpha. It was only afterwards that he truly started to fall in love with them, although that was the original spark.

He likes to read, although he seldom has the time or opportunity to do so. Jiraiya's taught all of the Ame orphans to read and write. He truly enjoys ready philosophical treatises and dialogues. He is a fan of fiction but very slow when reading these because he prefers to experience the world himself first hand, interacting with people and places. He once dreamed of traveling throughout Amegakure and the surrounding nations as a kind of pilgrim.

Nagato nearly died after he fought Hanzo for the first time, not because of his injuries, but because chakra depletion left him unable to sense his Alpha. Believing them dead while he was near delirious, he himself nearly died from the grief of losing Yahiko, and them on top of this loss, despite Yahiko's final wish.

In a version of the world where his Alpha does not survive Obito's slaughter of the original Akatsuki members, Nagato recovers their body and turns it into the Preta Path of Pain, appropriate given the path's callback to possessiveness and desire, and representation of the Hungry Ghost Realm. In the version where his Alpha survives, Nagato becomes very possessive over them, only willing to let them take missions for the Akatsuki alongside Konan, alone, or preferably not at all as you three nurse your grief within Amegakure.

Shisui

You know I love those Uchiha men. They just have a vibe... Shisui in particular. His appearances never make me think first of his death, but of his kindness and his protectiveness over the people he cares for; he dies smiling. Unfortunately, Shisui's path really only works in a non-massacre scenario, since he is approximately sixteen when he dies, which is too young for him to have a mating bond, although I do HC him as considering courting someone at the time the coup starts to take over his life. The with-massacre scenario is one in which Itachi is able to get Shisui out of the village, possibly that he secretly survives the fall thanks to his summons.

Shisui's parents were either not ninjas, or are individuals who have had to retire for the corp for some reason. What we know about him says he was the family breadwinner after he was made a jounin, which leads me to lean towards non-ninja parents. This is particularly interesting for Uchiha clan members, since we don't get to see what the civilian members of clan families do in the Naruto world and most assume the Uchiha clan is shinobi-dominated. It's doubly intriguing when we also know the famous Kagami Uchiha was his ancestor (likely grandfather > great grandfather if we base off other known generations). Since we don't have canon confirmation of this stuff, I guess it counts as a HC?

Given the above, he's the most likely of the Uchiha on my list to willingly and happily take on a civilian Alpha. While I haven't totally fleshed out the background for this pairing, I have toyed around with the idea of an acid-tongued relative of someone from the Daimyo's court whom Shisui met on a mission catching his attention. This oc is a bit of a tsundere with an infamous temper who only Shisui with his notable empathetic and pleasant demeanor is immune to. They become one of the Land of Fire ambassadors and Shisui travels with them on a sort of long-term assignment before they eventually settle together in the village.

The reason they settle in the village is that Shisui decides he wants to have kids and knows that the Uchiha will never risk the sharingan passing into the control of another family or political body. His alpha has to sign a bunch of paperwork relinquishing their ability to inherit anything that might give their family power over their and Shisui's children, but enjoys arguing enough that they remain an ambassador even after settling in Konoha so they can wipe the floor with anyone who has anything to say about Shisui being the reason for their departure.

In the survive-the-fall scenario, Shisui remains blind, retires from being a ninja, and lives with his Alpha in a civilian city, where they help hide his identity and spoil him as much as he will allow. There's potential in this scenario for a path which probably fixes Sasuke btw. There's a lot of options here.

Sai

He intentionally emotes more than Yamato, however while Yamato mostly keeps his facial expressions hidden, his reactions to his Alpha are almost always honest. Sai explicitly cultivates his ability to make facial expressions because he was trying to fit in with normal people, throw them off guard, and do his job as a spy better. This makes it more difficult for his Alpha to tell whether Sai is actually showing that he likes something or not. It takes a long time to figure it out. Eventually, his reactions naturally start to correspond with his emotions around family and friends so it's easier on everyone.

His Alpha thinks that Sai really doesn't like them at the beginning. Although he doesn't necessarily understand why, he picks up on this very quickly and tries to fix the situation throughout the next few months, to varying degrees of success. Eventually, he decides to show you how he feels by painting a portrait of you as he sees you. It's exactly as intimate as you'd think it would be. For better or worse, Sai eventually has to come out and say he can't come up with any courting gift more genuine than the portrait to show you how he feels about you personally, which will tip his Alpha off that he is interested in them.

Because he has difficulties showing his emotions, and also in understanding the nuances behind others' reactions, he likes straightforward methods of communication. He trusts his Alpha implicitly and is incredibly perceptive so he is able to read their responses to him. He enjoys words of affirmation the most and appreciates when his Alpha takes the time to talk through things with him. He also likes physical contact, craves it even, but can quickly become overstimulated depending on the situation. He genuinely wants people to like him and to have sincere connections with the people he meets by acting like himself. Although Sai works hard to "earn" his place among the other people in his generation, it takes him a long time to see that everyone has already accepted him, and to understand that relationships take time and hard work.

For many years, he believes he physically can't have children because Root made all of its operatives starting about 5 years before Sai joined infertile. This insights conflicting feelings in him. On the one hand he never has to worry about accidentally becoming pregnant, which is very nice when he starts navigating his physical desires with his mate. On the other hand, he will never have the option and that hurts, because so much was taken from him in the way of choice and this is another one of those things. The procedure may be reversible in some members because I can see Root forcing long-term operatives to have families with their targets to get closer to them, or being gross enough to try and breed operatives, but Sai doesn't know this.

He likes swimming. He has a favorite swimming spot on the Konoha river. It's the kind of activity that sincerely has no purpose, and he finds a serenity in it, in a similar way that lots of people find a zone of focus when running.

[mdhwrites]

I've seen a fair share of posts speculating about what Amphibia would be like if, instead of having strictly Anne as the main character, it made Anne, Sasha and Marcy all main characters. Specifically, the Calamity Trio being given equal screentime.

I've loved pondering over this myself, and I was wondering what you think would change if Amphibia was written this way. I know you said more screentime for Marcy in season one would be pointless, given her lack of a supporting cast or growth as a person, but what if the writers could make it work? e.g. Marcy making actual bonds with the newts in Newtopia and getting over some of her issues (while of course not getting over her biggest issue, that being her fear of losing her friends, until season three)

Do you think Amphibia would be better or worse for being the story of the Calamity Trio rather than the story of Anne? How much of what was set in stone in the original canon would have to be changed to make a more purposeful story? Sorry, this is kind of a handful of questions, I just get carried away thinking about this stuff.

In short, what kind of story would Amphibia be if the Calamity Trio were all main characters? And if it could be just as good or better than canon, how do you think that could work?

So this kind of like anytime someone asks for a major change to TOH's plot and why I assume the S3 we got is at least structurally the same to any sort of S3 we would have gotten for TOH (and why it's BS that a full S3 would have fixed the show). Writers, at least good ones, don't make decisions randomly. Who they decide to focus on, how they focus on them, the roles certain characters take, etc. like that is all important to how a story functions at a basic level. That doesn't mean we can't make unintentional mistakes or have unintended choices by how we frame things but that any truly major shift like this presents a very, VERY real problem.

Is this still recognizably the story that was being told in the first place?

This is why people have asked me how I might rewrite TOH to try and fix its split identity issue but I can't. Not in good faith at least. The split identity is still part of the story's identity and that combination of elements is still part of what people enjoy about the work. It was still a choice that makes the foundation of the work. Deciding to spread the focus is a lot like this for Amphibia.

The story is of a big city girl not just getting teleported to a different world but as different as is potentially possible. Not only are these not humans but they're farm folk. There is no way for Anne to properly have a foothold amongst them to begin with and that's part of why she has so much to learn from them and why it takes so much for her to connect with them properly. The contrast, both in magical and grounded ways, is part of what makes Wartwood work so much better as a setting than Newtopia where it's a little too close to what Anne is used to and you can feel that in the tales being told. Some of the wonder and friction is missing, especially as Anne treats it more as a comfortable place to be.

And comfort is a major driving force behind both Sasha and Marcy's places in the narrative. Marcy is still in the big city and actually gets a level of prestige and respect that she's never had before. She is quite literally friends with the most powerful man in Amphibia. Meanwhile, Sasha spends a while in a cell but she can roll out the red carpet for Anne because the toads ADORE HER. They may be less refined than the plebeians she's used to manipulating but they're still dumb and give into base desires, both traits she can exploit, just like she did with Anne.

These are stories that can be told mind you... But they're also the stories we got already. Marcy's flashbacks still give a good grasp on how easy of a time she had it in Newtopia. Sasha's two episodes in S1 are quite literally all we need to understand who she is, why she was able to take power so effectively and sell us on her being someone who's really good at manipulating others, especially the lazy and hedonistic. They could be expanded but...

With Sasha, anyone giving her friction actually starts harming Anne's character. The more unstoppable we think she is as a manipulator, the more we are allowed to fill in the minor gaps in our knowledge with Anne's beliefs, the more she comes across as a genuinely dangerous antagonist. The more we believe that she can control an army of toads, change things with their regime and be the one who knows how to potentially pull Anne back into her worst habits. That she could take what was earned and with one hard yank make it all come tumbling down. More time with her would very easily become detrimental. As a note: This is why big bads don't often get a lot of episodes where they're doing things, instead of their cronies, because the more they're challenged, the weaker they look.

So that's one character who's story being expanded can very easily damage the very foundation of the MC's character arc while also cheapening that character's skill set, what about Marcy? She is a bit more complicated. See, she is actually far less harmed by more time with her as she has plenty that she can learn and the like as a person... But Newtopia doesn't want a person. They want a mind. And not just the Core. Even Olivia makes it clear that she only treasures Marcy for her mind. The other advisors are friendly with her but not friends. They just... don't care about her.

Worse yet is that from the perspective of Marcy as a main character, Newtopia is a TERRIBLE setting for the sort of stories that Amphibia excels at or tries to tell. She is literally friends with the King. She is smarter than almost anyone else in the city and not pushed to really interact with its populace, just the city itself. She also shouldn't be actively seeking its populace because Marcy is not a people person. She wants Wartwood to like her because they like Anne and she doesn't want to be a weird outside compared to Anne there. She is still liked in Wartwood though so without someone ushering her out the door... What is Marcy doing?

And I can come up with things. I could tell you that the way to make Sasha's story work with more time is show different forms of her manipulation as she gains a band of loyal toads. You can give Marcy a non-royal friend who's interested in the oddity and come on, don't you want to see the non-shiny parts of Newtopia and Amphibia? But that's adding more and more to their stories while taking away from the core.

Because suddenly, you have one girl in their element just flexing on everyone around her while another big city girl is... In another big city. You are now spending much less time on the big city girl coming appreciate different, substantially different viewpoints, realize their way of life is just as valid as her lazy way of life, growing and changing into a better person who genuinely values those around her instead of just wanting someone who lets her have fun and do as little else as possible, etc. like that.

For the sake of the trio... You're losing Amphibia.

That is a big sticking point for me and why I still refuse to call Sasha and Marcy main characters. They're important supporting characters, don't get me wrong, but the story is about Anne and Amphibia. Anne and Wartwood. The choices to spend the VAST majority of our time with her and these settings is not an accident. It's not like Matt chose to just devalue the other two main characters. They were used incredibly effectively, they do a lot to help highlight Anne and her growth and act as milestones for it effectively, and Sasha has a LARGE impact on who Anne is at the beginning of the story.

But it doesn't make them main characters because this isn't their story and there is no way to tell the story of Amphibia with them as the main characters. Focusing purely on the friendship and needing to repair it, or destroy it, is likely going to reinforce different themes, or at least different elements of the themes. After all, you can still talk about change but paradoxically, focusing in on the trio like this, even if it means spending more time in different parts of Amphibia, excludes the community element that is so important to Amphibia. After all, now you're splitting focus between three communities and focusing the story on the arcs of these three human girls. That's going to require a lot less time fleshing out these side characters. Diminishes the impact any of them can have on any character. The Plantars do a lot for Anne after all but we understand that it is WARTWOOD that changes her, not just the Plantars. Would we get that if you now had to split the focus this much?

Also, we lose Reunion in any way it is right now because with Marcy taking a more prevalent role, S1 HAS to end with a confrontation of all three. The first time they meet together. To leave any one out would be to diminish their role. Marcy isn't as important, especially to Anne's character, as Sasha is in the version we got so it's fine for her not to be present for Reunion. But... How do you handle Sasha's arc if all three have to come back together at once?

And to justify having brought up TOH earlier, how likely does all of this start a split personality problem for Amphibia? With Anne as the focus, you only get a handful of episodes that aren't genuinely Amphibia. Capital letter Amphibia. You know know what to expect and you know what sort of story is going to happen and that creates a nice, fun, comfortable status quote you can enjoy from week to week. Now imagine if Marcy's writing is still weaker like it was in the show, or the toads fail to be compelling because in order to keep Sasha as the antagonist of the group, they keep just setting themselves up to be knocked over by her and by the third time, it's getting kind of boring? Suddenly, one third of the show is causing friction with someone, especially since all three, due to DRASTICALLY different settings, would cause inherently very different storytelling just because the sorts of issues are so different. This is part of why the vibe of S3B is so different because finally we are not at peace, we are at war. Even the shifts from a guard tower that exploits people, a big city where the MC is treated as effective royalty, and a small farm town is enough to cause some amount of friction to happen between settings.

I'm not saying that this story is literally impossible to tell well but... Man, it'd be INCREDIBLY hard. And, of course, it still wouldn't be Amphibia. It would look like Amphibia, some of the notes would sound like Amphibia, but it would just be a very, VERY different story.

Because like TOH found out after Yesterday's Lie, you can't just change who your character fundamentally is without MAJOR consequences to your storytelling. Splitting your main character three ways is going to yield similarly discordant results without writing the entire thing from the ground up.

But it's not the same story and as I LOVE the story we got, I would say trying to force Amphibia into this mold would only make it worse, if I could compare it at all.

======+++++======

This is by no means a comprehensive list btw of all that would potentially be lost, need to be changed, etc. like that so as to even make this sort of shift for Amphibia work. Like someone in my Discord when I mentioned this ask brought up how the impact of Sasha coming into Anne's life and the tension of Reunion would kind of be lost if we already know Sasha fairly well. It is... Complicated to put it mildly.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past.

I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead.

If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[lucas-deziderio]

Dezi reads Pact

I am a newcomer to Tumblr and have just found out about liveblogging books. It seems pretty darn fun! So I decided to try my hand at it to both exercise my literary analysis muscles and to maybe make a few friends in this site. And I've decided that my first subject on this will be John “Wildbow" McCrae's web serial Pact.

I've been a huge fan of his other work, Worm, for years now (though I do have a couple issues with it). And I'm also a big fan of urban fantasy stories with well designed magic systems, so the premise of this book is already very appealing to my tastes.

I have actually started reading through it before but put it on hold for a while. I am currently sitting in the middle of Signature 8.7 and will be picking up the story from there. I'll try to post once I finish each chapter, sharing my overall thoughts and analysis, and maybe once I finish each arc to stitch them all together and make predictions about the plot.

The road so far

Here are some assorted thoughts I've had on what I've read of the story so far:

Blake Thornburn is definitely a protagonist of all time. This little wet blanket of a man has successfully fled his toxic family, survived homelessness and got adopted into a found family of queer artists only to then be dragged back into his family's issues. And the skeletons in his grandma's closet want to eat his soul.

Also he totally fumbled a threesome. My dude simply can't get a win.

Rose Thornburn is a character who is completely devoid of any trans subtext, thank you very much. At the beginning I thought she was an excellent addition to the story, being a tool to get Blake to externalize his thought process and opinions. The first arcs would have been really dry without her. But she has grown so contrarian; convincing her to help is now an additional step Blake has to do every time he comes up with a new plan of action. I suspect she might become an antagonist even before the end. Is it just me? Is it some kind of ingrained misogyny?

Evan is the best character in the story. He's such a ray of sunshine that every line of his is like a breath of fresh air in this dark and gritty narrative Blake is trapped in. Please, let him become a fire bird. I beg you. He's just a cinnamon roll too pure for this world.

The magic system is maybe the best I've ever seen and is definitely what makes the story stand out. It feels like what I, almost instinctually, always imagined magic should work like. But defined and refined to a point where it actually becomes a usable set of rules. Everything from true names, binding, spirits, demesnes... It's ugh, so good! I will probably dig more into each of those elements as they come up in the next chapters because there's so much to chew on.

The monsters. The author has this amazing ability of grabbing well-known concepts of mythological creatures and giving them their own spin while at the same time seemingly distilling them to their core appeal. After meeting Wildbow's goblins, that's how I expect all other goblins to be like. The same goes for demons, fey, ghosts... As with the magic system, I'll dig into each of those as they come up in the next chapters.

During the discussion of the binding contract, the imp Pauz has mentioned some “inviolable rules", which caught Blake's attention for a second but were not clearly explained. This has been living rent-free in my head since then and I am very sure it will come back later.

Isadora, the sphinx, could step on me. Also, she has mentioned the fact that in the classical Greek myth Oedipus actually gave the wrong answer. I've been dying to know what is the true answer the the classic sphinx riddle, but unfortunately I don't think it will be revealed...

The way they defeated Conquest was, to me, a total copout. I couldn't fully follow Blake's plan until it was all over, and I can't understand why Conquest needed to travel into the mirror world to catch Rose when previously he just pulled her out of it like it was nothing. It just felt anticlimactic to me.

Also, please, can we actually just give him an actual arsenal of stuff he can use? I know Wildbow likes to keep his protagonists as the underdog but this is getting ridiculous. This magic system allows for basically anything but still our main man only has two or three tricks up his sleeve at any time and is constantly losing resources as fast as he can get more of them.

Last time I saw Blake he was swallowed whole by an ontophagic demon, being completely erased from reality as we know it and leaving Rose to steal his life. I know he'll come back, he's the protagonist after all, but I'm really excited to see how it will play out. Will he fight his way out Hell itself? Like Kratos??

The spoilers I already got

I don't care that much about spoilers, but still would like to avoid them if possible. I decided to list here what I could already gather from the future of the story simply by osmosis from the fandom:

There will be a mermaid called Green Eyes who is super cute in a “bite your face off" kind of way.

Blake will become part tree(?).

The ending is bittersweet at best.

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