#my content is designed to be valuable and informative.
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
amrtechinsights · 9 months ago
Text
🌟 Unlock Knowledge with My Articles! 🌟
Are you passionate about Technical Learning, Agriculture & Biotechnology, Tech Updates, and Global Trends in Human Science? If so, my platform is the perfect place for you!
As an R&D professional, I delve into the basics, explore technical aspects, and provide in-depth insights through my articles. Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge or seek solutions in various fields, my content is designed to be valuable and informative.
Join me on this journey of exploration and discovery! 📚✨
🔗 [Visit: amrtechinsights.com] and start reading today! Let's drive innovation together!
TechnicalLearning #Agriculture #Biotechnology #TechUpdates #GlobalTrends #HumanScience #ResearchAndDevelopment #Innovation #ContinuousLearning #Science #Technology #KnowledgeSharing
0 notes
shrimsour · 2 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Introducing my timeskip medhammer Banland Warden Duo au! (BWD)
Tumblr media
🔨⚕️ General info about the au
Tumblr media Tumblr media
🔨⚕️ Read more for more au yappuccino
Tumblr media
This is one of the rare times you'll see me post ship content as I'm usually not interested in them too much.
BWD has been in my head since late 2023 and was birthed from making scenarios to edit audios lmao, it's so riveting to finally visualize it and give it a name, designs and actually write some plot bunnies down.
And I'm so giddy to post this on tumblr bc I can yapp away all I want here 🦐🍋🦾 here's a lil treat for yall bc I love yall sm
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhEtW_IOLsAHh8aKxWBl3aVakPU-Z6but
This is essentially devil may cry 5 meets persona 5 meets adam sandler romcoms meets eldritch horror
🔨⚕️ Recommended to read general info first I won't be repeating myself here.
Content warning for themes of suicide, self harm, violence, body horror.
Yeah as you probably gathered Medkit is not doing too hot, he's pretty unstable while on the run. I'd like to add that Sword knows nothing and as far as he knows Medkit is missing again and probably somewhere dead in the ditch. Medkit sends his care packages anonymously to hospitals and takes zero credit for the people he manages to save. He paints his horns brown to not stand out (in DIH we trust) and trims his antlers branches to make himself less recognizable, this does little to keep the government (SFOTH) off his ass.
Medkit upgrades his gear and makes it so its like one of those all in one survival knives with like a fork and spoon when they fan out yk which ones, except for dangerous weapons. He can transform his suitcase like a rubikscube into a shotgun, sniper, automatic, sentry, minigun, clawed gloves, fucking CHAINSAW. The rest is just stuff that was alr there but he added special handles to keep it in place and better attack with it (so surgical knives, scissors, bandages for binding demons)
He's a sadist and at the same time masochist, quite a terrifying combo.
Banhammer is essentially like: I can fix him. Lol.
Medkit attains eternal youth and life with his crystals, which comes at a price of him slowly detoriating from the inside, his sanity following suit. He cannot heal that rot, it's always present yet he still gets urges, on numerous occasions he tried to stab himself enough times and then heal to get rid of it somehow. One such notorious scene is a scenario I call The bathtub scene. Medkit tries to CARVE the rot out of himself and bleeds in the bathtub (still during the wanted arc) and Banhammer discovers him on the brink of death. This is when Banhammer finds out for the first time abt what's been really going on with Medkit under the hood, as you can tell it's pretty traumatizing for both parties.
Medkit has a bit of hallucinations in the beginning of the wanted arc, and as Banhammer falls in love with him Medkit starts using him. Over time however Banhammer's genuine affection and care strikes a cord with Medkit and yes he slowly gets better!
When Banhammer joins him on his criminal crusade they team up to bust Church of the true eye, but in order to do that they need more information, a plan to infiltrate, and most importantly be real quiet abt the entire situation because of Ban's status. Medkit is convicned there are eye spies all around Inpherno and as such they need to use unconventional methods to travel all the way to Lost Temple and find the main base where all the higher ups are (Medkit was always restricted to warehouses and smaller offices)
They commit ultrakill doom eternal on they asses and Banhammer goes: mom but I love him 🥀🥀 and the SFOTH agree to let the unstable murderous artifical demigod live with the other extremely brash and violent natural demigod who can sort of keep him in reins, while the other does the same and makes Banhammer more empathetic towards mortals who he so calleously mocked before and disrespected. They both learn something valuable from eachother. Atp Medkit is almost 50 years old. Y am I mentioning this since he can't age anyways? Idk for timetables sake.
Medkit is then allowed to make himself public again. He reunites with Sword, but is forced to keep his job secret, he operates under an acronym in his other proffesional life. Medkit becomes pretty famous and is credited for the mysterious great leaps in medicine in recent years, he's invited to talk shows and interviews, all of that ofc in his black death doctor mask, he walks in that in the upper levels of Banland too.
🔨⚕️ Fun trivia
Medkit often pays magazines to write articles insulting his strength compared to his husband so he has an easier time dealing with escapees who make escape plans thinking he's stupid.
Medkit is the brains, Banhammer is the brawns.
Once during spin the bottle everyone tried to guess his job and he was guessed to be a stripper, assassin or government agent. He's a bit of all of them.
Since he has revolutionized Banland's security systems and added a bazillion cameras, Banland has become impenetrable and 99.9% inescapable.
Banhammer can view footage real-time from any of those cameras anytime he wants with the visor Medkit built for him.
Medkit is quite sadistic to terrible people imprisoned in the deepest parts of Banland, and due to them having a life sentence word never gets out how downright freaky and crazy he is.
In the upper banlands word is that those who saw his face never see the light of day again.
As far as the public knows he's very calm, stoic and professional in his work.
Banhammer and Medkit have very different ways of capturing criminals, contrary to popular belief Medkit is more brutal because he straight up murders you and then you wake up in a cell. which is why Medkit is mostly relegated to managing and running the prison while Banhammer does off field missions. It's bad for PR!
Medkit uses hologram tech to change his horns when he needs it.
164 notes · View notes
onyichii · 19 days ago
Text
Wakfu s3 and s4 art books kind of suck (in terms of character art)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I’m going to say it…
I don’t think I’ll like the Season 5 Wakfu art book 💀
💖The season 1 was the best (if you own the whole collection. I own five volumes. I want vol 3 and vol 8).✨
😔 We never got a season 2 art book. 😭 No OVA art book/zine. 🫤 The Season 3 art book was fine. 😐 The Season 4 art book was not valuable to me…honestly maybe season 3 and 4 art books are about the same 🤷‍♀️ HOWEVER, the season 4 art book has adult Yugo (so that's a plus!)lol
For context - I could have bought the season 3 art book. I held it in my hands. But when I looked at it, flipped through it…I didn’t find anything of value to me inside of it.
What is valuable to me? Character art.
Tumblr media
They LACK concept art and sketches. They only have art from the show. Okay, the season 3 art book has SOME oncept art for the NEW characters, but I want to see the concept art for EVERYONE. I want to see the sketches! I wanted to see if they played with Amalia’s look in season 3 before deciding to for that final look. I love her OVA look more and thought that’d be her season 3 look.
Art books are supposed to inspire and inform.
As an illustrator, I didn’t get much inspiration from the season 3-4 art books for Wakfu. They’re good references for drawing the characters if you lack a computer, phone, tablet, library, and WiFi—but that’s about it.
Tumblr media
A part of me wonders if they make these books because it's a decent cash grab. 👀🤷‍♀️
I also wonder if…
they don’t have much to show (I doubt).
whoever puts these together just don’t gather good content for it.
the curator is just bad at putting together art books. Porbably having no frame of reference of TV art books currently out. If this is true they should not be putting an art book together.
Additionally…The designs since season 3 have been lackluster. 😬
Dull. Uninspired. The characters are not giving the ✨..the pizzazz that the season 1 characters gave. Even Amalia season 3 kinda feels like a downgrade. It's a cute outfit that has meaning (the orange leaf) but, I feel it could have been better.
Also that pants comment in the season 3 art book felt like bullshit.
Tumblr media
I LOVED that she was feminine. There is nothing wrong with being feminine. You can be feminine and still wear pants and shorts. It kind of feels narrowminded, but maybe I'm misreading (probably not though). I'd rather them just say that it's cheaper/easier to animate pants and leave it there.
The only good thing about the season 4 art book is adult Yugo references. Am I wrong? 🤔 However, I feel like they could have pushed his design more as well.
Tumblr media
As a matter of fact, my guess is that they pick the dull character designs because it’s easier (and more importantly cheaper) to animate simple designs than complex ones.
A simple design can still be appealing though - Echo, Amalia (s3), Toxine, etc.
Among my TV art book collection wakfu season 3 & 4 books are my least favorite. Books I have barely opened since getting.
Side note: The Dofus film art book is nice too.
85 notes · View notes
maddascanbe-blog · 2 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Pegasus already had a great design too, if a little monochromatic. Season 6 made the browns more clearly separated and the longer ponytail looks awesome. Also love the confirmation that the miraculous can change, the goggles are definitely doing better at hiding his identity.
Onto the redesign and rewrite notes-
When I first posted Max's design I said I decided to keep him at 13 while aging up the other characters. I'm actually rescinding that, were actually also gonna bump him back to 11. Hence why he looks tiny, babes is smol.
In my rewrite, Max is the archetypical kid genius. He joins the school about a week into the new school year, and is terrified. Because he not only doesn't know what to expect from high school, but his friend's are now several grades behind him. When an akuma attack hits and everyone starts panicking into lockdown, Max is damn near trampled in the hall, until Kim spots him. At which point he scoops him up and carries him on his shoulders into a classroom. After that, Kim essentially becomes Max's bodyguard in addition to an older brother figure. Kim ain't the best at school, so together they work through their assignments. He's also the first person Max introduces to Markov.
The gamer's design is very simple, and I didn't feel like adding much would aid anything, so I just gave him a funky techwear jacket. Because that's what Max thinks pro-gamers wear, duh. I almost gave him pajama pants, but chickened out.
Pegasus, as aforementioned, already looks good. But I've been loving giving the characters more unique silhouettes, so wide pants and vest it is. Fun fact, It took me an hour just to do the line art for his hair, I couldn't get it quite right, and so- so many braids. I did give him the longer hair, free to clip through his back to its hearts content. I also added the mint green from Max' transformation sequence instead of the blue because I liked it better for this particular design.
So here is the big twist- Max only becomes Pegasus once.
HEAR ME OUT!
Max is way, way younger than Marinette and Adrien and neither of them are super comfortable with Max being in the field. They let him help in Startrain because his mom was the ones in danger, and he was the best informed on how to stop the train. But neither were happy at all about it.
Now- I do acknowledge that the horse is too valuable not to have a holder. In fact since I see it as the counterpart to the Rabbit, ya know time and space, it's the only other miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir decide needs a full time holder. Especially since Hawkmoth attacks outside of Paris sometimes, someone needs to be ready to get them wherever. So there is a full time horse user, not Max though. I'll get into this when I do my full re-write of Miracle Queen since that's when both get handed out full time.
102 notes · View notes
raguiras · 11 months ago
Text
Burton-fied TWST, kinda?!
aka the Haunted Victorian Mansion AU
Tumblr media
Something entirely different from my usual content for once ^^ Might do a 2nd part if y'all like it! // reblogs are extremely appreciated ~
This AU was created and developed by @althea-and-alcestris and I helped her with the lore! I was also able to include my Yuu OC Allen and his ship with Deuce 🫶
NOTE: The AU description won't go too much into detail for now in order to avoid potentially triggering topics.
About the AU
The Haunted Victorian Mansion AU combines elements from Ghost Bride (my friend's base concept/inspiration for this AU) with ones from Identity V (my influence).
A group of detectives are lured into a haunted mansion in promise of money, other valuables, and secret information on criminal cases if they "solve a riddle". Said mansion is inhabited by the ghosts of people who died tragic deaths and can no longer remember any details about how or why they died.
While they do automatically want to uncover the secrets of the dead, the detectives aren't aware of what the "riddle" on hand is. Nobody told them that if they don't figure out the reasons behind every single ghost's death until sunset, they're going to be trapped inside the mansion forever...
Hint: You may be able to guess why Malleus, Riddle, Floyd and Jade died in this AU based on their designs.
Canon cast
Detectives:
Deuce, Trey, Cater, Leona, Ruggie, Jack, Kalim, Rook, Epel, Silver
Ghosts:
Riddle, Ace, Azul, Jade, Floyd, Jamil, Vil, Idia, Ortho, Malleus, Sebek, Lilia, Baul
♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤
Intro for 2 out of 40+ AUs done! I created more than 20 of those AUs and will likely make many of mine collaborative (= you can officially put your OCs and ships into them), so stay tuned!
I'll likely talk more about the Haunted Victorian Mansion AU in the future if y'all like it, sooo 👁👁
382 notes · View notes
devils-yui · 8 months ago
Text
Cybertronic Wildlife Notes #1:
Cybertronian Snakes & Cyber-Vipers
Tumblr media Tumblr media
If anybody's interested on my random info blurb and mostly what each letter is informative to, just check the "read below" :)
I'm very interested in cybertronian wildlife and its fauna/flora, I'm deeply upset they didn't go into it anymore than what was shown in TF:One, so I'm tossing my own coins into the well here at this rate.
Notes & Details: A) The following subject dedicated to the examination is dubbed, "Morsel", (a cyber-viper owned by Hightop, my other tf oc) a cyber-viper that's been obtained from an underground trading ring for all things "exotic" from living cybertronic wildlife, to valuable resources and materials that require under-the-table methods of obtaining. Morsel is, as the notes proceed, a "cyber-viper", one of the following fauna found upon Cybertron, classified amongst cyber-snakes and cybertronian-reptilians in general. Depending on the cyber-snake you come into contact with, they can be equipped with a multitude of different naturally-forged arsenal of weaponries, ranging from needle-like teeth, powerful muscular bodies and tails, strong hinges located along their jaw to open at around 180 degrees or more, and etc… Depending on the species that's being encountered. They bare a rather decent-level of intelligence (equivalent to an earth cat), and are equipped with very sensitive olfactory sensors and occasionally "pits" that light up, their forked tongues also operate in the same manner, having been used to seek out prey. Their optical receptors also take upon a scope of thermal vision.
Cyber-Vipers in particular are special, mainly because they have a very diverse range of venom, with effects often coming as a result of what they consume.
B) Like most creatures on Cybertron, some cyber-snakes can become just as big as a cybertronians, occasionally dwarfing them in size and only becoming as small as a youngling or a mini-con. Their size may vary from species to species and often coordinate with their designated prey, with some having already grown accustomed to consuming larger cybertronic fauna whereas others may find complacency in consuming smaller ones. Most come as large as they are in order to tackle for stockier prey or bigger prey, but they do eventually cease to a particular limit--only due to lack of resources to absorb and consume , and other factors (think of it like lobsters actually). But for the most part, the biggest cybertronian snake ever recorded have now gone prehistoric and are presumed extinct, assumed to have gone out during the Great Cataclysm or otherwise reduced in size… Or perhaps they are lying dormant elsewhere, surviving somehow, having yet to be found and remain as survivors of such a devastating extinction event.
C) Argonaconda are among the many species of cybertronian snakes among the planet, often found in cybertron's jungles, magnetic marshes, and any damp or moist locations. They're known for their large size and are considered amongst the largest out of many cybertronic serpents, having been sized to about three to four average adult cybertronians when reared and positioned to strike (… As a result of dscovering this, we are now at a loss of one bot). They can be quite intimidating, but, when not in dire need of refueling. They can be quite passive and will leave most alone when it in itself isn't disturbed, often seen swimming within oil rivers or lounging about in tree canopies. Some have been seen also basking upon rocks before after a large meal, assumably with the heat and rays given, the heat helps it digest better and simmer down whatever contents remain in its tanks (perhaps internal solar-paneling mechanics?)
(average sized cybertronians, if I'm considering the height of both human eqivalent and based on tfo…. like 50 feet, so to a human this would probably be like jormungandr or something 😭)
D) Horned Quake-Snakes! One of the more venomous and among the most variants of cybertronian snakes (remember venom needs to be punctured into you from the outside for you to die and, poison is when you put it inside by consuming it to die). Quake-Snakes closely share similar appearances to that of their Earth counterparts (Rattle-Snakes), but with the main fact that Quake-Snakes, when moving their tails, often run their tails against the ground in more of a kind of up and down quick wagging motion, which occasionally cause occasionally small tremors to surround in order to intimidate potential predators. They're a little smaller than the average cybertronian and roughly can be seen to hang around the height of near a bot's hip-plate, but don't let their height fool you. These creatures can pack quite the potent venom in their bites, and are often found in cybertronian deserts or dryer regions of cybertron. Sometimes they will even bury underground during the nighttime to adjoin to an entire nest among others of their kind to keep warm.
E) King Coppera! One of the most dangerous and among the larger cybertronian serpents! These highly conductive and electricity-resistant, King Coppera are actually equipped with solar-panel plating that run along their frills/hoods. They use their solar-paneling hoods to not only intimidate enemies but to charge up intense amount of electricity in their bites before lunging and charging a lethal dose of their concentrated electricity into any unfortunate victim, sending many offline immediately from the intense sensation. They are occasionally and rarely found at the foot of mountains, or in regions of Cybertron where lightning storms are frequent. (personal fun fact: while making this, I was inspired by the slitherfang from horizon forbidden west in relations to the design!)
F) Magnetic Marshes! Not the most prettiest place on Cybertron, but it's occasionally home to a couple cybertronian serpents, like Argonacondas and some cyber-vipers. Some cybertronic serpents love to swim amongst the oil-rivers and can sometimes be seen hiding in them while slithering after prey who decide to evacuate and try to wade through the liquid. Thanks to their more sleeker and flexible forms, cybertronian snakes are more easily capable of swimming through the material than most without much resistance. Some cybertronian snakes, as apart of their diet, even linger around to consume naturally grown electric nodes that come and grow within these Magnetic Marshes. It's a nutritious and valuable resource that makes their diets more diverse and for some small and venomous cyber-snakes, it helps to consume some if their venom revolves around emitting paralysis upon entry into the system of any prey they find.
G) Many cybertronian-snakes have various and particularly designed tails that function with a particular purpose, whether it's for defense, offense, even movement, method of mimicry of prey, or some other. The possibilities are endless. Supposedly, some have been rumored to be able to hypnotize bots with their tail too or certain prey.
H) Cybertronian serpents, especially ones that live as long as they do, have a very diverse diet, even if their main source of energy comes from consuming live prey. For conveniency, most cybertronian snakes will often consume to other matter and material that surround their environment, mainly coming from cybertronian flora, fungi, certain minerals, raw or refined energon, even scrap metal. Every species has a particular energy source they resort to in order to cater to their designs and purpose, with some species, like the cyber-viper, being able to consume a wide-variety of toxic material in order to provide and make up a venom that helps them defend themselves from larger predators or hunt prey. The more "carnivorous" and aggressive variety of cybertronian snakes like the king coppera often come in lesser quantity and are more rare to encounter as a result due to their strict diets. The more flexible the diet can be, the more certain species will become more common and will be able to thrive in various environments. Which is why most "passive" or "neutral" species of cybertronian-snakes can often be found more frequently. With some cybertronian snakes having very sensitive forked tongues, they also bare merit to strong taste-buds of sorts, so in some aspect. Some may even have particular preferences to what they like to consume.
35 notes · View notes
weirdmarioenemies · 1 year ago
Text
Tumblr media
Name: Clamer
Debut: Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Clamer is a robotic clam, and you can share that information with anyone you please! It is a perfect specimen of the "clam with big ol' eyes peering out from within the shell" type of character design, which technically doesn't exist (yet? Leave feedback for clam manufacturers), but I think the niche is filled by cone snails. Their eyes are so silly! And when you get a better look at the truth, the magic is not lost, because you get to see eyestalks!
So yeah, Clamer is funny. Its name makes it even funnier! I would think they would go with "Clammer", but the single M makes it seem like it's pronounced "Claimer". What does it claim? Does it claim you as a tax dependent?
If you jump on Clamer's shell, you will BOUNCE OFF, you goofball! Silly you, trying to defeat a shelled animal by attacking its SHELL! What a KNUCKLEHEAD! (I tried to defeat it by jumping on it) Instead, it must be attacked from the side. But be careful if it's the front side! Clamer's got a little surprise. What is your surprise, Clamer?
Tumblr media
It's Gun!
Do I even need to explain it? It's Gun. Get away from it!
Tumblr media
Clamer appears in Carnival Night Zone, because evidently this is a clam who likes to have some fun! Woohoo! Badniks do not necessarily have to be thematic to their areas, but maybe Clamer is here because it's a beachside boardwalk carnival or something. And I think those serve fried clams sometimes. They do in Bob's Burgers! One of my two favorite cartoons about a Bob who makes burgers!
What do you think a clam's favorite carnival ride is? It might not like rides, it doesn't seem interested in speed. It would probably prefer games. Not just any ol' "throw something at a rigged setup" game for Clamer, though. It would play the Shell Game!
Tumblr media
Get a load of this! Clamer, in Minecraft! New Clamer content 2023! In the Sonic texture pack, Shulkers are reskinned as Clamer, which might honestly be the most fitting reskin of any official texture pack. Two molluscs that open their shells to peek out and fire projectiles! And since Shulker Shells can be made into Shulker Boxes, you now have the option of using a Clamer shell to store your valuables!
In the Sonic games, Clamer's projectiles may not cause you to levitate like Shulker's do, but it could be metaphorical. If you were shot by Clamer in real life, even though it would hurt, you would feel lighter than air, filled with pure glee at the knowledge that Clamer exists in real life. What a wonderful world that would be!
Or maybe not because Clamer is a Badnik that is powered by a captive animal. But surely it wouldn't be too hard to make a robot clam that runs on electricity instead. I feel like that would be easier, frankly.
97 notes · View notes
vincentbriggs · 2 years ago
Note
Hello! I am newer to the sewing craft and hobby. I was wondering if you had any tips or thoughts on your favorite fabrics to use, qualities to look out for, and any other general tips you might want to give to a blooming designer. Most of my work is gonna be more whimsical and less historical, but that doesn't mean I can't use all the help and tips I can get going in! I will write down any valuable information you can give in my notes.
That is a VERY broad question and I don't really know how to answer without knowing more specifically what you're sewing! I do 18th century menswear, and very 18th century inspired everyday clothing, but I have no idea what you're looking to make, so I don't know if we need the same fabrics. Like, when I hear "more whimsical and less historical", for me that would be something like a tailored suit that looks like it's made of leaves, but for someone else it might be a big floofy ballgown.
But to answer the bit about my favourite fabrics - I prefer woven fabrics in natural fibres with no stretch. I use a lot of linen, cotton, wool, and some silk and rayon, with the weight and specific kind of fabric depending on what garment I'm making and what season it's for. Usually they're medium or heavy weight, with the exception of shirts. My favourite thing for nightgowns is thrifted 100% cotton bedsheets, my favourite thing for shirts is lightweight linen, and I like making pants out of heavy cotton and jackets and waistcoats out of wool suiting, but there are lots more materials I've used for these things.
And there are people who like to sew with stretch knits, or who use a lot of shiny synthetics, or lightweight gauzy fabrics! There are tons of different kinds of fabric, and the ones that are best for you will depend on what kind of garments you're making, what kind of wear they'll get, and your budget. (Though I will say that I'm a polyester & acrylic hater. Sometimes synthetics can be nice if you need something sparkly and shiny that can't be done with natural fibres, and I do usually machine sew with poly thread, but polyester fabrics are often a Bad Texture and they don't breathe and I avoid wearing or working with them.)
One thing that might be helpful is going to your nearest fabric store and touching lots of fabric and reading the labels. It's not the same as actually sewing with them, but it should help you get a bit more familiar with the textures of various weaves/how much they fray/etc. (Also looking at the fibre content on the labels of your own clothing, even though these days far too many things are polyester, or some sort of blend, and there are lots of great fabrics people are missing out on.)
I'd also recommend Nicole Rudolph's videos on fabric - she's got ones on wool, silk, linen, cotton, and tailoring supplies, which ought to give you a good idea of the various qualities of those particular natural fibres.
Here's a link to my FAQ, which has some other sewing questions I've answered over the years.
114 notes · View notes
talenlee · 5 months ago
Text
Dev Pile 2025-06 — Starter Kit
Making dev piles is a new experience for the blog in that they are explicitly deliberately timely. Where most of the work on this blog is thrown weeks, sometimes months in advance if it doesn’t fit neatly in a single spot, I am trying to make sure I write any given Dev Pile article covering the ‘week before’ the article goes up. This is a new kind of work for me, and it’s necessitated working ahead.
The week this article is being ‘written in’ is the week after Cancon. I had a plan for this week: I was going to spend the week writing an article developing the game dev I did, at cancon, in the dull periods at the table between the sales. Thing is, this year, that did not happen – Cancon was pretty much completely constant, so much so that the first day I didn’t even notice I never pulled out my notebook and what notes did get taken during the whole event were surface, or sketching out some minor ideas.
Therefore instead of a single intense focus here, this is going to be something of a hello and hey, here’s how to get started article about game making, tools, and prototyping.
Who Can Make Games?
You can make games. I can make games. Anyone who wants to can make games. The access you have to industrial scale production equipment to make the game you’re designing into something that looks like conventional product is a little more attainable than you may think, thanks to modern tools.
The core of you making games is this: Can you explain a set of rules to another player that let them understand how to play the game?
Great, then you’ve made a game. The next step is working out how to make that game the kind of game you want it to be. And to paraphrase what Adam Savage once said, the difference between doing game development and screwing around is just writing things down.
Tools
First things first, if you have a tool you like for any of the stated purposes, then you should use the tool you like. The tools I describe here should all be free, but that can make them less convenient in ways you may not like.
To write rulebooks, I use LibreOffice. This is a text editor in the same vein as Pages and Word, and much like Google Docs. We’ve pretty much solved ‘writing in a document for a computer user to read’ as a format, and that format has been kinda the same for thirty years. Notably, a formal editor like this lets you do tables and give texts formatting entries like heading styles, which means you don’t have to work to translate that stuff to a website like a wordpress content management system. Under the hood, these two things know how to talk to one another.
Notepad is a valuable tool as well for when you need ‘scrap’ text – no formatting, just some numbers or the like, but literally anything will do here.
Almost inevitably any given game design I have will need a spreadsheet. Sometimes a spreadsheet lets me present a skeleton of a game, with say, a sheet of 52 entries that just indicate the information on a card’s face. That means I use LibreCalc, but I only started using that seven months ago, when I learned about the IFS function. The version of Excel I was using from 2007 didn’t have this ‘new’ functionality, and I found that very useful. You may ask: How often do you need ‘IFS’ in game development and the answer is never. There are definitely thihngs I can use spreadsheets for, but these functions are not super necessary.
To do visual editing I use GIMP, pronounced ‘noo-imp,’ because gimp is a silly word to use in everyday conversation and it has worn its welcome out in my tongue. GIMP is a program that takes some getting used to, but the heart of what it is is a powerful photoshop-level program that puts almost everything it has directly under your control, including warp tools, healing tools, stamp tools and other simple filters. I will usually use GIMP to generate a template file or example for how a card should look, and then, when I want to put those cards into a file to make a pdf for printing, I turn to…
Scribus! Scribus is my layout and DTP program that I avoid using in every situation I can. I dislike Scribus interface a lot, and as a result, I route around it – I try to make sure that if I’m doing something in a design that Scribus ‘could’ do, I will ensure that Scribus is the only thing that can do it, and if something else can do it, I’ll do it that way. This is a combination of familiarity and convenience: Scribus is by no means a bad program, I’m sure, but I don’t like using it and it feels very easy to break things, which means when I do use it, I’m probably using it ‘wrong,’ and a Scribus expert would want to correct my technique.
For making simple slideshow videos, where I just show a thing, talk about it, and move on, I use the program OBS, which you can use for rules tutorials or explainers. OBS has its own ability to do slides – which you can make in a slideshow program like Google Slides or powerpoint or Prezi if you like – and then you talk over it, advancing the slides in OBS. It’s a very powerful, very flexible tool, but I can understand if it’s a bit overwhelming to start with.
If you want to record audio for your game, which is a cool thing to do, I use Audacity. It’s a simple audio program if you’re just using it for its basic functions, but it can be great if (for example) you want to record audio diaries of your creation process.
Also, mixed in with this is, cardboard, paper, scissors and glue. Playing cards need a standardised form so you can make a ‘blank’ deck of cards by taking an ordinary deck of cards and putting large, white, laundry stickers on each face, ‘wiping’ it so you can write what you want on the face.
Art Though?
I use free art where I can. There’s a lot of art assets, paid and free over on itch.io, which you can definitely use to make your game work look more interesting than base. And of course…
Bandaid tearing off time,
There are free image generators that you can use if you are comfortable with that. My advice is that you should only ever use generators for ‘zero value’ forms of media; that is, nothing you intend to sell and nothing you intend to use as identifying for yourself; don’t use a generator for a logo for your identity or brand, for example, because that’s uncopyrightable and then someone can just copy it. Even if they don’t, the fact they can undermines the copyright value of designing your own logo and title.
But yeah, image generators are available online. When I need an image for an example, the one I recommend using is dezgo, because it doesn’t require a login, doesn’t require you to pay money, and all it asks of you is time to let it finish working. You’re not going to get timely bulk media out of it, but that means, in my mind, that any artwork it generates is going to be worth scrutinising and editing to make it more appropriate to your needs. This is part of a greater conversation, but for now, the important thing is that if you’re going to use generative tools you need to make sure you recognise what they’re bad at and what they’re bad for.
Getting Started?
Alright, you have some tools to make what you have in mind more possible. What I recommend you do, and I will delve more into this later in the week, is make a prototype, and then, once you have the prototype, look at it seriously.
You’re going to have to get your head around the question what do I like without asking the followup question why at first. What is it about your prototype that satisfies you? What would you change if you could? Why isn’t it satisfying to you, what about it makes you concerned. Are there things you haven’t thought about because of biases you have? Is it a game you can’t play with one hand?
The point is the prototype marks the point you start finding out. You don’t need a perfect game to prototype – indeed, I have a lot of very ugly games as prototypes and I think those ugly prototypes work really well as a place to start working out what to do next.
Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!
19 notes · View notes
thewriteadviceforwriters · 1 year ago
Text
The Write Right Society (My New Tumblr Community!)
Hey fellow writers! I'm super excited to share that I've just launched a Tumblr community. I'm inviting all of you to join my community. All you have to do is fill out this Google form, and I'll personally send you an invitation to join the Write Right Society on Tumblr! Can't wait to see your posts!
Welcome to Write Right Society!
At Write Right Society, we are dedicated to nurturing the creative spirit and honing the skills of writers at all levels. Our community is a haven for those who love the written word and seek to improve their craft. Here’s what you can expect as a member:
Expert Advice: Gain valuable insights and tips from experienced writers and industry professionals. Whether you’re struggling with writer’s block, plotting your novel, or polishing your prose, we have the guidance you need.
Exclusive Posts: Enjoy access to exclusive content, including in-depth articles, writing prompts, and behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process. Our posts are designed to inspire and inform, helping you to elevate your writing game.
Workshops and Webinars: Participate in interactive workshops and webinars covering a wide range of topics. Learn new techniques, get feedback on your work, and connect with fellow writers.
Community Support: Join a vibrant, supportive community of writers who share your passion. Engage in meaningful discussions, share your experiences, and find motivation from like-minded individuals.
Resource Library: Explore our extensive library of resources, including templates, guides, and reference materials to assist you in your writing journey.
Writing Challenges: Take part in regular writing challenges that push your creative boundaries and help you develop your skills. Share your work and get constructive feedback from peers.
Join Write Right Society today and become part of a dynamic community dedicated to the art of writing. Together, we can achieve excellence in every word.
Tumblr media
29 notes · View notes
extra-complex · 4 months ago
Text
The Wait for Chapters 3 and 4: A Comprehensive Timeline
As we grow closer and closer to the release of Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4, I've decided to create a complete timeline of all Deltarune news and status updates from the beginning until now. Hopefully this serves as a cool archive of all the news Toby has given us over the years and serve as a valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn about the development process of Deltarune. I've included sources for every piece of information I could find. If I missed anything, let me know and I'll edit it in!
(This is just a copy of a reddit thread I made yesterday. I figured it'd be worth to post here, too.)
30 October 2018
In a series of cryptic tweets, the official Undertale/Deltarune (UT/DR) Twitter urges readers to return in 24 hours.
On his main account, Toby makes a tweet telling players of Undertale to check the UT/DR twitter in 24 hours.
31 October 2018
Deltarune Chapter 1 is released through the Survey Program on the UT/DR Twitter.
28 February 2019
Deltarune Chapter 1 is released for Playstation and Nintendo Switch
5 July 2019
Toby tweets saying Chapter 2 will release when all other chapters are complete.
15 September 2019
Toby tweets saying the design of the basic story beats throughout the game are going well.
We also get our first look at Welcome to the City and Lost Girl, with accompanied screenshots.
15 September 2020
Toby releases the first Deltarune Status Update. From this update we learn:
Chapter 2 began development in May of 2020 with a belief that it can be completed content-wise by the end of the year.
Chapters 3+ are basically only in the first phase (design) of development, with very little else being complete.
17 April 2021
In a Twitter thread, Toby reassures fans that development is going well, along with a picture of the giant toilet in the city.
He reveals a friend has played the beta version of Chapter 2, and her favorite character is Berdly.
20 July 2021
In the same thread, Toby reveals another friend was able to play through Chapter 2.
8 September 2021
Toby announces the 6th anniversary Undertale livestream.
15 September 2021
Deltarune Chapter 2 is announced for release on 17 September 2021 during the 6th anniversary livestream.
17 September 2021
Deltarune Chapter 2 is released, with a countdown in a similar style to the countdown prior to the release of Chapter 1.
Toby releases the second Deltarune Status Update. From this update we learn:
Chapter 2 is believed to be the largest chapter in the game.
The plan is no longer to release the game once all chapters are finished.
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 will be released together, and they will not be free.
The wait for the next chapters begins...
23 September 2021
Deltarune Chapter 2 releases on Playstation and Nintendo Switch.
16 May 2022
In a Twitter thread, Toby reveals some Deltarune concept art, as well as reassures fans that development is going well.
5 September 2022
Toby reveals that no new chapters will release in 2022, but teases a special event to celebrate the anniversary of Undertale and Deltarune Chapter 2.
15 September 2022
Toby releases the third Deltarune Status Update. From this, we learn:
Work has mostly been done on Chapters 3 and 4.
Reveal of the song "Hometown Day" with accompanying screenshots.
These screenshots are likely from Chapter 4 due to the presence of "ch4" in the filenames.
Reveal of the song "My Funky Town" with an accompanying screenshot.
Reveal of the song "Green Room" with an accompanying screenshot.
This screenshot is likely from Chapter 3 due to the presence of "ch3" in the filename.
Announcement of the $pamton $weepstakes.
The $pamton $weepstakes begin, teasing future chapters of the game. I will try to compile everything revealed/hinted at in a separate post in the future.
19 November 2022
The mailing list opens, with the first issue of the UT/DR Newsletter teased for next month.
19 December 2022
Issue 1 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
Chapter 3 was going to have 4 somethings and 3 (6?) other somethings. But I've reduced the 4 somethings to 3.5 and refactored how the 3rd other something to be shorter and less something-like, while still maintaining the parenthetical (something, something)... or something.
...whatever this means...
31 March 2023
Issue 2 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
The translation process for Chapter 3 is getting close to starting.
29 June 2023
Issue 3 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
Focus is still on Chapter 3, with a few people working on other chapters.
The team is finishing the final main overworld area of Chapter 3, and when it's complete, the chapter will be playable from beginning to end.
Chapter 3 is "shaping up to be a pretty strange one." Chapter 4 will be much more standard.
15 September 2023
Issue 4 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
Chapter 3 is playable from beginning to end.
A stealth focused section was cut from Chapter 3, including a cut song.
31 October 2023
A special Halloween Issue of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
Chapter 3 is essentially content complete, and a friend was able to play through the entire chapter.
People are starting to transition into working on Chapter 4
Chapter 5 will no longer be released with Chapters 3 and 4.
13 February 2024
Issue 5 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
The team is working on the Chapter 3 localization.
An internal deadline has been set for Chapter 4 to be content complete, and Toby has hired a producer to speed up development.
A mysterious Valentine's Card is sent out to a small number of people subscribed to the newsletter.
16 May 2024
A Mini-Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
The team is on track to meet the internal deadline for Chapter 4. 
A somewhat complicated gimmick is nearly complete.
"The release is still quite far"
30 July 2024
Issue 6 of the UT/DR Newsletter released. From this we learn:
All maps are done and all battles are playable for Chapter 4, with some more polish needed in other areas.
Three of Toby's friends were able to play through the entirety of Chapter 4.
Toby is no longer sure if Chapter 2 is the longest chapter.
Chapters 3 and 4 combined are longer than Chapters 1 and 2 combined.
Chapter 5's development is progressing smoothly.
Toby will need readers to help test a new Gamemaker function in the near future.
The "Quest to Release Chapter 3&4!!" is released, detailing the process still needed for Chapters 3 and 4 to release. 
I won't cover everything detailed in this here, but I recommend giving it a read if you're curious about just how close we really are to the release of Chapters 3 and 4 because, well, if this is anything to go by, we're close.
14 September 2024
Issue 7 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
Chapter 3's localization is in the testing phase. This process should be completed by the end of October.
Chapter 3 will likely begin PC testing in mid-October.
The internal deadline of 1 September was met for completing the main content of Chapter 4. 
A preliminary pass of Chapter 4's translation is being worked on.
Chapter 5 will be the main focus of the team going forward.
11 October 2024
In a tweet, Toby mentions that Chapter 3's localization is almost complete, and PC testing of Chapter 3 begins the following Tuesday (15 October 2024).
31 October 2024
Toby announces that Chapters 3 and 4 will 100% release in 2025.
25 November 2024
LTS Testing begins.
8 December 2024
The final LTS patch is released.
18 December 2024
Issue 8 of the UT/DR Newsletter is released. From this we learn:
Testing for the new Gamemaker feature seems to have gone okay.
Professional testing for the PC version of Chapter 3 has been complete.
Chapter 3 features a long section without save points.
Only console related aspects of Chapter 3 remain.
The first Japanese translation pass of Chapter 4 has been placed into the game.
Chapter 4 will begin PC testing soon.
Many aspects of Chapter 5 are in development at once. There is a steady rate of creation.
Reaffirmation that Chapters 3 and 4 will release in 2025.
6 January 2025
Toby posts on Bluesky revealing that Chapter 4 is now being tested by a professional team on PC.
Because he is unsure when the next newsletter will be, updates will be posted on Bluesky until then.
20 January 2025
In a post, Toby mentions that text and implementation for the translation are done and the team is just working on some lasting issues.
He also reveals that save points have been added to the light world of Chapter 4 after testers complained about the lack of them.
2 February 2025
In a series of posts, Toby reveals that translation and PC testing for Chapter 4 is winding down.
Tomorrow (3 February 2025), console testing begins with the goal of testing Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. 
Achievements will be added to the Playstation version of the game.
16 February 2025
In a post, Toby mentions PS5 testing has not yet begun. 
The team also just gained access to the technology that allows demo saves to be carried over to the main game, so that still needs to be implemented, too.
17 February 2025
Pluey
18 February 2025
Pluey is implemented.
25 February 2025
PS5 Testing begins.
3 March 2025
In a Bluesky post, Toby mentions that the team only reported one bug yesterday (2 March 2025), and that over 500 bugs have been reported since testing began on the PC version of Chapter 3 (15 October 2024).
...and that's everything so far. Please let me know if I missed anything, and I'll update this as we get more news and get closer to the release of Chapters 3 and 4!
11 notes · View notes
emmasbadbatch · 2 years ago
Text
Star Wars OC - Ellora Clev
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Welcome! This is a short, temporary information sheet about my OC (I am currently at 13,000 words with various stories and excerpts about her life), Ellora Clev! Please enjoy, she is my pride and joy 💗
Name: Ellora Clev
Species: Human
Born: 42BBY
Designation: Engineering Corps - Geological Division (Former), Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research - Project Celestial Power (Former)
Overview: Ellora Clev was a geologist in the Republic Engineering Corps with a special interest in mineralogy and speleology. Usually based on Coruscant, she would regularly attend field missions for duties such as mapping surveys, sample and core extractions, and navigational assistance. Her research was valuable intel for the GAR during the Clone Wars, which continued to rage on throughout the formative years of her career.
Tumblr media
Ipsi the Tooka: Ipsi is Ellora's tooka. They met on a remote planet named Athol-3. The full story can be read here!
She has very 'I just live here' energy, contenting herself with sleeping and exploring wherever she goes. She doesn't take kindly to strangers, and has an unusual distaste for Crosshair, but cares deeply for Ellora.
Ipsi is small by tooka species standards, only measuring approximately half the average length and height. Her most striking feature is her bioluminescence, which causes her fur to glow a vivid green colour.
Tumblr media
Clone Force 99: Ellora met the Bad Batch when they were assigned to assist her with a highly dangerous mineral extraction mission on a planet named Calyx. The air was highly corrosive and caused weapons such as blasters and detonators to become damaged and explosive. Together, they worked as a team to complete the mission successfully (with some minor major shenanigans).
Ellora and Tech quickly hit it off, becoming friends and enjoying the time they spent together exchanging research notes and learning from one another. Soon, Ellora became friends with the rest of the squad, slowly winning them over with her sense of humour. The exception to this was Crosshair, who elected to keep his distance.
Post Order 66: Following the fall of the Republic, Ellora was inducted into the Advanced Weapons Research unit of the Imperial Army. She found herself transferred to Kamino to continue her role as a field geologist extracting rare minerals. The Empire had taken a keen interest in kyber crystals, and Ellora was paired with the Elite Squad, led by Crosshair, to carry out numerous missions (under the pretence the crystals were for energy research). Here, the pair reunited, but tensions ran high. Under the influence of his inhibitor chip, now at full intensity, Crosshair's cold attitude continued. However, promising signs showed early in Ellora's arrival to Tipoca City. He began to train Ellora in secrecy, teaching her how to fight and to handle her blaster properly. Her lack of combat skills made her a liability to the team, and Crosshair endeavoured to train her so that she was proficient enough to protect herself. Slowly, their friendship began to develop.
Waning Loyalty: Ellora continues her missions across the galaxy to acquire target minerals that are of interest to the Empire. The purposes of her research are kept secret, and any questions Ellora makes are placated with benign studies. Soon, she becomes suspicious.
Her rapidly evolving friendship with Crosshair provides her with someone to confide in, and she shares her concerns with him. Crosshair is confronting his own doubts, with his inhibitor chip now malfunctioning after his injury on Bracca. Before they can investigate further, Ellora is taken off world, back to Coruscant. She becomes panicked, hearing that Tipoca City was destroyed in a devastating storm. Fearing the worst, she was met with a mixture of relief and horror upon discovering that Crosshair was alive, but in extremely poor health.
The pair reunite once more, now working primarily as a team of two. The Empire was choosing to allocate less and less resources to clones, and questions were beginning to appear surrounding Ellora's loyalty. Through all of this, Crosshair and Ellora are a vital support to one another, and they are almost inseparable whenever they aren't attending to their respective duties. Their care and attachment are beyond that of a conventional relationship.
Breaking Point: Missions were becoming increasingly challenging, and it soon became obvious that they were being passively discarded by the Empire. Ellora confessed to Crosshair that she wanted to leave and start a new life with him. At first, he humours it, but soon the thought becomes Ellora's light in the ever suffocating darkness they found themselves in. Crosshair cared deeply for her, and was enraptured by her vivid daydreams. He agrees to help her leave, but realises that going with her will pose a much greater threat to her safety. Knowing that she won't go through with her desertion alone, he attempts to wait until the last moment to convince her to leave by herself. During Ellora's escape, Crosshair tries to reason with her to go by herself, but she refuses. He makes the ultimate decision to force her to leave.
Navigating Alone: Having spent all of her adult life in the Engineering Corps or under the Imperial Army, Ellora found navigating the galaxy alone a formidable task. With few credits and limited equipment, Ellora did what she could to survive whilst remaining off the Empire's radar. This meant sometimes having to make morally questionable decisions. Combined with her grief from losing Crosshair, Ellora struggled significantly to keep going. Ipsi helped Ellora through her darkest moments, and continued to do so.
Ellora's main source of income was selling rare and valuable minerals that she had either collected herself, or bartered from sellers who weren't as knowledgeable on the true value. Through this line of work she met a pirate named Phee Genoa, who valued Ellora's eye for the unique and illusive when it came to crystals.
Arrival on Pabu: Phee and Ellora quickly became close associates, exchanging intel frequently. But in a dangerous galaxy, Ellora keeps her past a closely guarded secret. Despite this, Phee invites her to Pabu after Ellora is badly injured during a run-in with bounty hunters. Shortly after her arrival, Ellora discovers that the Bad Batch are living on Pabu. The squad are still recovering after their recent mission to Mount Tantiss, where they successfully rescued Crosshair, Tech and Omega. Tech was the most severely wounded, still recovering from a fall he took on Eriadu, with Crosshair also suffering significant physical trauma after being relentlessly tortured.
Their reunions were painfully sweet, and Ellora was very excited to be introduced to the newest member of the squad, Omega. Her reconciliation with Crosshair came last, with complicated feelings on both sides about their separation remaining strong. It had been over a year since they had seen each other, but any resentment or contempt Ellora could have possibly held immediately dissolved. It was like no time had passed at all, but they had both significantly changed, and they had a long road ahead of them to recover.
The Future: Ellora is passionate about Pabu, feeling deeply for the cause. Wanting to help other refugees of the Empire find a new home, Ellora became involved in initiatives to help find new places across the galaxy like Pabu. Using her skills in geology, she became a surveyor with a small team, but often undertook fieldwork to chart new planets which would be suitable for settlement by those fleeing the new regime. Crosshair would most often accompany her on these expeditions, and although they never truly enjoyed the life that Ellora had spoken of so fondly, they felt they were helping to make the galaxy a better place.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this introduction to Ellora. Please enjoy some Ipsi content for getting this far :D
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
52 notes · View notes
artsycervidae · 1 year ago
Text
I wrote a short story for @eidolonshiva 's OC Fumiko, because her design is gorgeous and I couldn't stop thinking about her. I vibe heavily with deeply hurt and misguided characters and support women's wrongs.
General Content Warnings: Violence and gore (specifically: dismemberment, dragging, choking, and vivisecting), horror stings/tropes, graphic imagery, on-screen death, cannibalism, and toxic dynamics between the Shabana siblings and Fumiko.
It's under 5k words. Enjoy!
    "Fumiko," Daki pouted, holding her hand out. "Pass me the tanzashi pins." Her fingers flexed urgently. Without delay, Fumiko guided glinting gold accessories into the oiran's grasp.
     "Here you are, Warabihime Oiran," the attendant cooed obligingly. Using that professional alias always prompted the courtesan to don a little self-satisfied smile, and Fumiko's heart lightened a little. "It looks beautiful," she added when Daki turned her head to admire the structure of her bundled hairstyle. "Your client will be stunned speechless."
     "I know," Daki replied, sounding as though she didn't need to be told, though sweet words were the very reason the lesser demon was welcome to her space. She rose to her feet, and Fumiko needed no prompting; she too stood and plucked the black-and-white haori from its stand, gliding the fabric easily over the oiran's arms. Fumiko ensured the wrinkles were minimal by delicately straightening it across the back. A stray onyx lock was ready to spill from Daki's hair but Fumiko discreetly tucked it behind a pin, covering her tracks with a little smile over the oiran's shoulder. "All done. You look perfect."
     Daki watched through the reflection as her friend smoothed and straightened the silk sleeves. She 'helpfully' extended her arm suddenly, catching Fumiko by the ribs and startling the other demon. "Fumiko," she whined, sweetness lacing her voice, "How much do you know about Ukita Haru?"
     Fumiko froze, unexpectedly thrown back into a different time and place. Daki watched how her thick brows lifted, her full lips parting in a ghost of a gasp as the name struck a chord. Bringing up the past was a sensitive subject, but the lesser demon couldn't bring herself to deny Daki anything she asked for. Even if that meant reopening old wounds.
     "Not much, as he wasn't a fellow herbalist," Fumiko admitted. "But his family helped finance various apothecaries and pharmacies, specifically those specializing in natural remedies... I remember that. He is well-traveled across Japan. He'll make for engaging, intelligent company." 
     Pleased with the other's obedience, Daki went on. "I want to convince him to make Kyogoku House an exclusive customer," she revealed. "Likewise, I would like our tea house to give him special attention. His connections stretch across the country, and I'm sure that even if he doesn't have what I seek, he will be a useful asset. What do you think?" Her mouth curled at the corners, ambient eyes glinting with ambition. 
    Fumiko cleared her throat and ignored the tingling discomfort that danced up and down her body; the same crawling feeling that preceded long nights of terrible thoughts. Instead of addressing it, she clarified, "This is the new client, right? The one that used to frequent Tokito House." 
     Daki sighed heavily, like it taxed her to be reminded of droll preparations. "It is. Koinatsu only entertained him twice before, and I don't blame her. He honestly wasn't even worth the effort of stealing. He's so bland, and she's nearly at the prime of her beauty." But Daki would be patient-- Koinatsu's time would come. She was far too early in her career to be harvested now, as a girl like that could easily be an oiran one day... What mattered presently was the target. "Am I wasting my time with this man, or do you think he could provide valuable information? Does he know all there is about Japan's flora?"
     "I'm afraid I never met him personally," Fumiko said. It was an unfortunate convenience; she wanted to be helpful, but... she had a hard time as it was trying to put those things out of her mind. It was difficult enough to get through the night without seeing familiar shadows attached to total strangers. She swallowed down the idea of diving into the memories of sunnier days... it made her crave a smoke. "I'll think about it," she promised the oiran. "I suppose you could ask him such questions yourself during this meeting, and we can compare our thoughts on him. If he doesn't fulfill your expectations, you can simply command that he seek another woman for his appointments."
    Daki huffed, and for a moment Fumiko was prepared to launch into emergency protocol: if Gyutaro were rudely awakened to one of his little sister's meltdowns, his attitude would sour instantly and there would be hell to pay. Even the most helpful suggestion could be misinterpreted as bossing around, and Fumiko feared she had gotten too comfortable. "I hate that!" Daki whined instead. "I hate working to get a man to notice me, only to find out he's utterly useless. It's bad enough he's so plain, Fumiko! I swear, if he tells a single unfunny joke and expects me to laugh for him, I'll open his throat." She crossed her arms, rumpling her kimono layers and undoing all Fumiko's preening. This pouting was performative-- she expected further pampering.
     "Now now," Fumiko hummed pleasantly. "If you think nasty thoughts so early in your work, they're liable to spill out of your head and mouth." She rubbed Daki's back, pressing her sharp nails into the fabric for a comforting pressure. "You don't have to see him if you don't want to." Then she began to tidy Daki's clothes once more. "You're beautiful, sophisticated, educated, and classy. He is just a man, and to hang expectations on him is unfair from the start." With a playful smile, Fumiko teased, "You're completely out of his league." 
     The Upper Rank sighed and shook her head. "You're right. It has to be done, though I deserve so much better." Even with power in her hands, she was dragging her heels through the process of attaining his good graces. She had to tolerate it further. Just until she could find the sharpest knife to strike fear into his heart with, rather than rely on fickle affections. What she really wanted was reassurance that mere compliments couldn't provide. "Fumiko," she fussed again, using that helpless and needy tone that the kamuros often affected, "Stay, won't you? Wait outside for me if you like, but remain close in case something goes wrong. My big brother is still sleeping, and I can't bear to be alone if this all falls through." It was more that she had invested all her time and energy into this project, and she was ready to be done with it. She wanted the immediate gratification of success. If this was a dead end, she didn't want to undo all that work herself. Leave someone else to clean her messes.
     "Of course." No threats, no needling, no persuasion required. Fumiko clasped Daki's fair hands between hers, fondly smiling into the oiran's face. "If anything happens, I'll be there." This was what Daki especially loved about Fumiko: the lesser demon would do anything for her. Without Gyutaro around, there was nobody to scold Daki for taking the easy route and making others do her bidding. But even if he made an unexpected appearance, he couldn't bring himself to pitch a fit about Fumiko's doting obedience. It was her best quality, they both agreed.
    With Fumiko's support, Daki proceeded to meet with Ukita Haru, herbologist and nobleman. As promised, the lesser demon accompanied her as the oiran's attendant. Though she wasn't privy to their personal discussion, she was the one running orders from Warabihime to the rest of the house. Fumiko had learned her new role quickly. Working in a tea house was not so different from running a medical practice, though they had their own forms of customer service; both demanded comfort and cleanliness. She'd hoped that assisting Daki that night would keep her fretful mind distracted, saw no such luck. 
     After delivering the party's tea, she sat by the shoji door and slid it closed. The hallway was empty, if just for the time. Free of observers, Fumiko fled for a private moment. Back when she was freshly transformed, she would have had to find a balcony to scale like a lizard in order to reach her rooftop perch. Now that she was eating more than carrion, it was as simple as stepping from the ground up into the stars, landing gracefully on the shingles. Corpses were human meat all the same, but void of the most potent nutrient any demon needed: stolen life.
     She could vaguely hear the murmured discussion in the room below, as Daki had kindly thought to open the exterior door to the terrace. "What a beautiful night," she heard the oiran exclaim, establishing her motive plainly. But as she returned to her client, their voices blurred together. Fumiko settled comfortably and peered out over the district of glowing lights as she rolled up her sleeves. She wafted her fingers through the air, and her kiseru materialized into her palm. It had been a good idea to carry her incense ball on her person tonight; her hands shook as she packed the pipe. Once sparked, Fumiko took a steady pull from the wisteria-laced concoction, filling her lungs with toxic fumes. 
    Though her biology fought to cleanse itself of poisoning, it never worked quite the way it was supposed to. She closed her eyes, held the breath, then exhaled slowly, allowing her nerves to curl and dissipate like floral smoke. The voice downstairs wasn't all too unfamiliar. But she couldn't muster much beyond a name. "Ukita Haru," she repeated softly. Nothing of use resurfaced, only the memory of someone else's face: a man's dark hair, firm square jaw, and familiarly heavy brows... She shoved that image away, took another hit, and breathed it out. "Ukita... Haru." She tried to remember that name in context of 'work.'
     A sharper image came to her-- her father's hands shuffling aside business notes, moving to see how Fumiko weighed and crushed the ingredients to make a more potent and effective salve. She scrubbed the memory clean and took another pull, this one less steady as she would have liked. She sniffed and dabbed at her eye with her right hand-- she and Daki had spent much time on their makeup, and at least that awareness still stood out to her in this phantom grief. Her left hand tapped the kiseru empty of ashes over the street. She remembered how her dad sounded when he complimented her adaptation; how good it felt, when she saw him make those changes a permanent process.
     If only she could have been so useful all the time. What value was her knowledge of the natural world when it didn't fulfill the needs of those she admired most? Why was it that when Daki needed a simple answer, Fumiko couldn't bring herself to know it? Even as she tried her best, tried to pick through the shards of her old life for something to salvage... in the end, all she could do was sit, and smoke, and listen. It was, in a way, a relief that this was a failure: she could stop looking over her shoulder to what she couldn't go back to.
      She lost count as to how many times she lit her kiseru, only realizing this when she peered back into her incense ball and saw that her stash was down to fine powders. She ran her finger along the side to pinch out every last bit for one last smoke, and it was then she noticed the soft bruise-like coloration under her nails. She paused and rubbed her fingers closer to her eyes... the purple tinge remained. The exterior door slid closed with a snap, startling her. That was early-- or had she lost track of time? She quickly hid her smoking utensils, shook out her hair, and returned to the hallway; but in her haste, she had entirely forgotten to make herself presentable. Warabihime glided out of the room, a contemplative frown on her face at the sight of Fumiko's disheveled top.
     A heavy blanket of dread smothered the atmosphere of the hallway, even when Fumiko swiftly tucked her clothes into place. She had only seen Daki quietly furious this way during vicious arguments with her brother, when the barbs got personal-- she stole an angry glance into the room, daring to peek at the face of a man who dared displease the most beautiful woman in the district. He looked nothing like her father-- he was average all around. Daki had said it best: plain and bland. Fumiko fell into step behind the oiran to her private quarters. She ached for distraction from her rooftop musings, but dare not break the silence until her company did first. "Fumiko," Daki murmured, "a flower is like a woman. She cannot bloom beautifully without the appropriate sun and nutrients." This was not to be debated or discussed. It was the part they played when privacy wasn't assured, the wise and beautiful oiran teaching her pupil a valuable observation. Fumiko couldn't help but indulge the stronger demon.
     "Yes, Oiran."
     "The spider lily," she went on, as Fumiko paid rapt attention, "is especially like a woman. With delicate petals and stamen, it only blooms for a small window of time. When these flowers grow too close together in similar conditions, they compete for these resources and it lessens their beauty. Their survival becomes entangled. Which means the best way to ensure a perfect flower is to focus on the most promising, and nurture it to bloom."
     "Yes, Oiran." Fumiko threw all her presence into Daki's words. She was stronger than she used to be, thanks for these valuable learning lessons. It only made sense that she repay the favor, and the least she could do was nurture.
     "You see," Daki said, "A proper spider lily can only be at its most beautiful when it is worshipped. Ukita Haru said as much. Generous donations of both sunlight and water, more than other species of flora, and all the attention one could--" she noticed when Fumiko's brow twitched upward. The oiran halted in her tracks. "What is it?"
     "I'm sorry," Fumiko said, "I don't mean to interrupt. Did he... tell you that, in those words? About the sun and water?"
     "Yes. He did."
     Well then. A heat prickled at the back of Fumiko's neck, offended on behalf of Daki. "I'm afraid he's misled you, Oiran," she said, disguising the disgust broiling in her mind. She was no florist, but her familiarity with the lily's poisonous nature came from a life of knowledge and experience. "Bulbs rot in too much water. Areas of excessive rain will not help a spider lily thrive."
     They turned the corner, and Fumiko could feel Daki's shifting temperament, like energy in the air before a lightning strike. "I see," she answered slowly. "Regardless-- if an herbalist puts his focus on the less beautiful flower, then perhaps by early autumn, he'll be blessed with two beautiful blossoms. But if he fails, then he will only have dull, lifeless colors. A clump of weeds..."
     Fumiko blinked in surprise. "He rejected you?!" she hissed scathingly. Yes, Koinatsu was an incredible courtesan, but... for Warabihime to offer her time and company was inargubly an improvement! The oiran went out of her way for this man, and he decided he didn't want her? He lied to her, and then turned her away?!
     Daki sniffed as Fumiko opened the door to her room, and the stronger demon stepped inside before opening her arms. Fumiko moved to relieve Daki's shoulders of heavy fabric, but she found herself suddenly seized. She gasped in equal parts fear and pain-- the Upper Rank glared down at her ally, baring her teeth.
     "He's a fool!" Daki barked, her mood erupting once everything had been registered. She squeezed her eyes shut to clamp down bitter, shamed tears. "What does he know about lilies?! How dare he waste my time with meaningless words." And then, her voice pitched into a broken note. "How dare he give me inaccurate information! Me!" 
     Fumiko knew a hissy fit when she saw one. She held Daki in return, albeit with much more consideration and tenderness, nodding erratically to emphasize how much she understood. "I can't believe he mistreated you like this. I won't let it go unaddressed. What do you want to do, Daki?"
      The Kizuki's eyes snapped open, sparked alight with new bloodthirst-- her pupils contorted into their respective calligraphic forms. "Kill him!" Daki commanded. "Before he leaves the district. Kill him before he can even regret what a mistake he's made."
     All at once, Fumiko felt ill. She knew this was where the night would lead, but she had wanted it to happen all the same. The heady feeling reached a point of utter bliss. The back of her head cracked, her hair parting easily as a long, wet muscle swiped the air. "Yes, Oiran." And though she dreaded what lay ahead, Fumiko couldn't ignore the thrum of excitement that resonated in her intoxicated body. 
-----
     Ukita Haru wasn't happy with how that appointment ended. He hoped that after a long walk, he could clear his mind and return to bed feeling more assured. But no matter what he did, he couldn't help lingering in all his bad decisions.
     There was no denying it: he was in love with Koinatsu. He had found a woman who could very well be a future jewel oiran, but he had driven her away with selfish jealousy. She playfully said that if he wanted all her time to himself, he could ask her to marry him. He really ought to have. He should have fallen to his knees and promised her his whole life. But his pride had been tender, and he hated being called on his bluff. He hadn't been a gentleman with his words.
     It was a wonder that she didn't have him banned from her tea house altogether. But it had taken days of petulant pouting to see his good fortune. It felt like he woke up only then, in the throes of discussion with Warabihime Oiran from Kyogoku House, and realized what he had spoilt. As he answered Warabihime's questions about spider lily types and care, he found himself in Tokito House instead. When Warabihime gazed at him, he thought of looking into warmer, deeper eyes. When she laughed, he heard someone else's mirth. Here he was, the very definition of success... and he was unhappy. 
     He could have all the money, flowers, and women in Japan. But without Koinatsu, he may as well be destitute. 
     It wasn't Warabihime's fault. He made it clear that he had a lovely time with her. She was a beautiful woman with an intense aura around her-- too passionate for him, in fact. He didn't want future appointments. He had a lot of work to do, if it meant building trust with Koinatsu again, and he couldn't be distracted. 
     Haru walked away from the busier district streets, seeking a quiet refuge to simmer in his thoughts. He had to start by making it up to her-- no, first he would apologize. A letter. Would a gift seem too much like a bribe, or could its sincerity help drive his point across? No doubt, simply announcing his desire to marry Koinatsu would be the wrong move. He couldn't unload all that onto her just yet. 
    He took another turn and stopped midstep. A woman was directly in the center of the path. It struck him as unusual that she should be alone, and in the dark no less--
     'Ashinuke,' he realized suddenly. A runaway courtesan. She had to be-- he recognized her at least, and he tried to remember exactly where he had seen her before. Tokito? Kyogoku? Somehow, none of them seemed right... How could she have gotten so far away without anyone else noticing? 
     She slowly turned. Before he could get a proper look at her, she exhaled a long pillar of smoke. Though this obscured her face, he had the distinct feeling that she was watching him. He didn't want to get dragged into another tea house's troubles, so he pretended he hadn't seen her, continuing along his path. But when he came to the next turn, there she was again... not a similar woman. Not an illusion. It was her. She was right there, lifting a hibiscus-charmed pipe to her lips like before. This time, she faced him.
      Perhaps it was better to simply turn around the way he came. Though the stranger was just a woman, his skin crawled at the eery emptiness of the roads. He couldn't put it into words: he just had a gut feeling that he didn't want to be caught alone with her.
     As if reading his thoughts, she suddenly sprinted at him. Haru bolted, spinning around before immediately tripping backwards.
     Black sclera and full moon eyes stared him down-- he fell back on his ass, too frightened to even shout. His palms and rear stung with pain, and his wrist especially throbbed when all his weight teetered onto it-- his body was jerked by the throat in a semi-circle, snared by something powerful yet slippery like an oiled bicep. The woman exhaled and tapped her kiseru, the hibiscus dancing, mocking his tremorous gasps. She coyly glanced over her shoulder like she had just noticed his suffering. The more he choked, the more air escaped from his lungs. He clawed at what trapped him to no avail, his tongue lolling out between his teeth. "What?" She drawled, her mouth curling into a cruel smirk, "you don't like the chase anymore?" 
     Haru's vision had begun to blur as his hands pawed with futility at the air, at his throat. "... No?" she taunted. "What if I go easy on you?" She continued to speak, but all meaning to those noises left his mind. "She told me to make it quick. But I do hate such an unfair task. I'll give you a chance to escape." There was no comprehension in his darting eyes. Nothing in his brain but the deafening beat of his heart and screaming of his nerves. All of a sudden, he gasped and coughed-- he fell to his knees, heaving oxygen into his lungs. Saliva dribbled out of his mouth and all down his front, and he realized how nonsensical that was. It wasn't strictly his drool along his throat. His shoulders were nearly drenched with slick fluid.
"Five," she drawled, her thick eyelashes fluttering as she turned away from him. The pink appendage-- a tongue he saw-- leered at him from the back of her head. The gap it protruded from sneered rows of razor-sharp teeth.
     "Four," she said, and he knew he was looking at a futakuchi-onna, and that she was giving him a headstart. He turned and scrambled at the dirt, clambering to his feet as he wheezed. 
     "Three--"
      He drew in a sharp breath to scream for help. But when his other leg swung forward to catch his stride, he found himself collapsing, pain crashing down on him like a tsunami wave. It started with that leg. When he tried to push himself off the ground, his arm crunched and twisted out from beneath him, and he was flipped supine with a ferocious wrench. Then he was yanked sharply by his remaining leg, dragged house after house after house with his skull skipping off the path before his leg finally separated from his body. 
     It had taken three limbs too long before Haru truly understood what was happening, beyond the animalistic fear of death. She lied. She was toying with him. The tongue sprouting from the woman's occipital lobe held his leg in righteous victory, curling and constricting like a snake. Hot blood streamed out at an angle, dripping over her face-- no doubt ruining her makeup, though that was now just an inkling at the back of her mind.
      Her cheeks ached from her smile, blood and adrenaline coursing through her body like a completed current.
     Haru's leg folded and was lowered steadily behind the woman where it disappeared. The demon mouth devoured his flesh with a sickening grinding and cracking that Haru had never known before. In her hands, she held his remaining body parts. He began to scream. But she had taken him so far so quickly that there couldn't possibly be anyone nearby to hear or help. And those who had heard... they knew better than to acknowledge what haunted the dark.
     Fumiko relished the feast as much as the hunt-- her body was in complete control despite the distance of her overthinking mind. Content as a cat, stimulated and engaged with the challenge. Mortals could only live so long while bleeding out from three dismemberments, so she started by pinching the messiest arteries closed. Haru wailed like a baby, although she had spared him death by another few seconds perhaps.
     Since he was being so ungrateful, she decided to flay his body slowly, dermis layer after dermis layer. It kept him awake to bear witness as she picked him apart. He writhed and cried when her nails began to peel back fluffy fat and marbled meat. With the practiced knowledge of an anatomist, she dug right down to the most tender organs, the ones that wouldn't kill him immediately, at least. Already, his movements were becoming softer, sluggish little twitches and rabbit kicks of shock. The only noise in the air was the occasional wet smacking of Haru's full-body flails, and Fumiko's skull buzzing with opium, wisteria, and gore.
     "Well now," a familiar voice creaked, a hot breath puffing on the back of her neck. Fumiko froze, her demon mouth mid-chew, all too aware of the awful mess she was making. He couldn't have woken up earlier, when her makeup had been pristine and her mind had been whole? She lowered her eyes and lifted her sleeve to her face, trying to tidy the blood without being too obvious. "You look like you're enjoying yourself." 
     "Gyutaro," she uttered, shooting a look his way. His heavy-lidded eyes burned holes into hers, lips split into a wild grin. "Good evening. It's kind of you to," she swallowed unnoticably, "check on me." She suppressed her beating heart's wishes, even though she knew exactly where his mind went when it was just the two of them.
     Haru didn't count as being present, due to the fact he was now dead.
    "I heard that someone told my little sister she wasn't good enough for him. She was bawling so loud she could have woken the dead. Imagine my surprise when she said you were already defending her honor." And, after a pause, "You've been doing it again, haven't you?" He didn't sound too annoyed, but Fumiko got a chill anyway. She resisted the instinct to jump when she felt his hand on the other side of her face-- he had reached around her to smear his fingers along her still-bloodied cheek, keeping his face near enough that his teeth could rip out her esophagus. Not that it would end her life. But it made for a powerful reminder.
     "Yes," she admitted, stepping right onto the blatantly marked trap, tipping her face into his hand. There was no use in lying: it would only make him angrier. Her stomach tightened with fear and anticipation both, awaiting the punishment. 
     She was surprised when he only nodded. He was in a good mood. "I heard he tried to pull a fast one on her," he went on, "and that you shut that shit down." Another trap. He would nudge her those little congratulatory herrings before, and she learned not to rely on them. These games made her smarter, and she loved him for it. 
     "I did." Simple acceptance. If she tried to coax any further praise, it would be rescinded just as quickly. "What will you have me do with his body?" 
     "What's left of it you mean?" He corrected. Then his voice dipped into a warning. "You should really ask permission before you eat. What if I had thoughtfully brought you something?"
     "You're right. I'm sorry." It didn't matter if Daki would have allowed it, and probably would have preferred there be no discoverable body. Unless she was given that explicit order, the weaker demon had no defense to stand on. Fumiko needed to be more careful dancing the line between 'ambitious' and 'willful.' "I take full responsibility. How shall I make it up to you?"
     That was what he liked to hear-- and though she wouldn't have blamed him, or even minded if he'd taken his rage out on her, she practically melted when his fingers shifted along her cheekbone in a gentle pat. "Remember that for next time," he advised. It was perhaps the most pragmatic and merciful he was capable of being. "Now get back to the House. There's word of strangely-dressed men in the area," and his mouth quirked into a different smile. It was the one that changed his visage completely, and made Fumiko wish he would be returning home with her instead. "I might as well handle it, since she's already woken me up. Make sure she eats, and that the food locker is guarded, too." 
     "Of course, Gyutaro," Fumiko replied, not arguing when the true Kizuki left her side to hoist up the partial corpse. She didn't ask what he intended to do with it-- that was his prerogative, and she didn't have the authority to demand answers from him. Fumiko turned away and returned home, trailing bloodied footprints down the path, her thoughts occupied with the things she could do for Gyutaro and his sister: the only family she had left.
17 notes · View notes
rlfranksiii · 2 months ago
Text
Welcome to My Blog
Hello, and welcome! I’m Rob—proudly Greek Orthodox, a 33rd Elect Freemason, and the host of the All Square Podcast. I'm also a NW Ohio Yelper, poet, gluten-free foodie, and an active fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I’m here to share my journey, passions, and insights with you.
This blog is an extension of who I am—someone who values tradition, spirituality, personal growth, and community. Whether it’s reflecting on my experiences as a Freemason or exploring the deep teachings of Greek Orthodoxy, this space is where I’ll connect with you on all that matters most to me. From my love for poetry to my passion for living a gluten-free lifestyle, I want to share what I've learned and continue learning with you.
Why am I starting this blog?
This blog serves as a platform to reflect my journey in a holistic way. Through my posts, I hope to foster deeper conversations about Freemasonry, Greek Orthodoxy, and personal growth while highlighting the importance of mental health and community support. I’ll be sharing the valuable lessons I’ve learned from my experiences and my roles in various communities.
As someone who is always looking to grow, I believe in the power of sharing knowledge and building connections. Through this blog, I aim to inspire others who share similar values and interests and give a glimpse into the beautiful intersections of spirituality, personal development, and community life.
What can you expect from my blog?
In this space, you’ll find a variety of content designed to inform, inspire, and invite discussion:
Freemasonry Insights: Whether you’re a fellow Mason or just curious about the fraternity, I’ll share lessons learned, Masonic history, and insights from my podcast episodes.
Greek Orthodox Reflections: Posts on faith, spirituality, and Orthodox practices, with an emphasis on how they influence my life.
Poetry and Creative Writing: I’ll share some of my poems and thoughts on how writing helps me process and reflect.
Gluten-Free Living: From recipes to restaurant reviews, I’ll share how living gluten-free has impacted my life, especially as someone managing Type 2 diabetes.
LLS Fundraising Journey: Join me as I raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, sharing stories of hope, challenges, and ways to get involved.
By sharing these aspects of my life, I hope to not only inform but also inspire others who are on a similar journey of growth, service, and learning. I believe in creating a space where we can all support each other, learn from each other, and uplift our communities together.
Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to connecting with you here!
Fraternally,
RLF III
2 notes · View notes
blindmagdalena · 2 years ago
Note
Did you or do you ever struggle writing character x reader fanfiction? I read it quite a lot but I just can't get used to writing in that format. I'm writing an OC x Homelander story, though.
I had never created an OC before, but I am certainly more comfortable writing a character that has a name, face and backstory of their own than using a generic reader. Particularly when I'm writing about the character's past and other individual characteristics, addressing the reader as you seems so weird to me. It makes me feel like I can't give in to specifics because it breaks the illusion.
Also, I've enjoyed the act of creating an OC. Giving them a name, a story, motivations, designing their psychology, etc.
However, I find it discouraging to see that OC x HL stories are nowhere near as popular as HL x Reader and I worry that I may not find an audience. When I post anything in ao3 it gets like two likes and in tumblr I'm just ignored completely 😢
Could you please give me some advice pls?
oh my darling! i hear you. the disparity in interest between x oc content vs x reader content is undeniable, but it's also inevitable. all the reasons you describe struggling with reader perspective fics is why it's so popular: the lack of detail allows the reader to adopt a nebulous perspective, whether they see their own oc in that situation or their literal selves. it doesn't require them to get to know or become invested in your creation, it allows them to indulge in what feels like their own.
i don't think readers get enough credit for their suspension of disbelief and the mental work they put into filling in the blanks that authors leave. similarly, it's absolutely difficult to tell a compelling story while leaving what is often the perspective character a near blank slate. that said! the fics i get the most feedback on are where the reader does have a stronger personality. people love banter, and even if the reader's voice doesn't always feel like something they would actually say, it always produces much more engaging interactions.
i've definitely had my struggle with this in the past, but i'm still learning. the series i'm working on right now, Guilty Pleasures, features a reader with quite a lot of personality, and i've established things about her that i wouldn't normally go into such detail, and the response to it has been great! your reader perspective SHOULD still feel like a character with thoughts, motivations and feelings. otherwise, the story is going to fall a little flat.
if it's easier for you to write the reader perspective as if they're your oc, you should do that. there's a delicate balance between too much and too little information when it comes to reader fic. sometimes taking liberties really works, and i think you'd be surprised how well readers can stretch that illusion. reader perspective should resonate, but not be so overpowering that the actual person reading doesn't like them.
but you absolutely do not need to force yourself to write a particular style of story if it's not something you actually enjoy. i also write and enjoy oc fic! i honestly think my oc fic Eat Your Ego is some of my very best work. unfortunately, it's rare that any of those chapters ever break close to 100 notes, whereas even little reader drabbles will see 2-3x those numbers, sometimes more.
but i write it because i love it, and it's the story i want to tell. that's what matters! and because of my dedication to the story, people have been kind enough to trust me with their time and investment. oc fic will never have the same broad appeal that reader fic does, but that doesn't make it less valuable. you just have to invest more in promoting yourself and convincing people that your story has something to offer them.
my best advice is just don't give up! i'm horribly erratic when it comes to the creative projects i work on, but i've been writing Eat Your Ego for over a year and it has gathered a lovely little following. feedback on that fic means SO much to me. even though there's less of it, the joy it brings me is immeasurable because that fic is special to me. don't give up on your story! it deserves to be told. 🖤
20 notes · View notes
rumki567 · 4 months ago
Text
Millionaire Partner System Member area and video courses Millionaire Partner Systems.
Tumblr media
Buy now
I recently joined the Millionaire Partner System, and I must say it has exceeded my expectations. The member area is well-structured, easy to navigate, and packed with valuable resources. The video courses are clear, informative, and designed for both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs.
One of the things I love about this system is how it simplifies complex business strategies, making them easy to understand and apply. The step-by-step approach ensures that you’re never overwhelmed, and the actionable insights help you see real progress. The training covers everything from mindset development to marketing strategies, making it a comprehensive program for anyone serious about financial success.
What sets Millionaire Partner System apart is the practical nature of the content. It doesn’t just give theory—it provides real-world applications and success strategies used by top earners. The support from the community and expert guidance make a huge difference, offering motivation and accountability.
If you're looking for a system that provides high-quality training, proven strategies, and a supportive environment, Millionaire Partner System is a fantastic choice. I highly recommend it to anyone ready to take their financial future to the next level!
I recently joined the Millionaire Partner System, and I must say it has exceeded my expectations. The member area is well-structured, easy to navigate, and packed with valuable resources. The video courses are clear, informative, and designed for both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs.
One of the things I love about this system is how it simplifies complex business strategies, making them easy to understand and apply. The step-by-step approach ensures that you’re never overwhelmed, and the actionable insights help you see real progress. The training covers everything from mindset development to marketing strategies, making it a comprehensive program for anyone serious about financial success.
What sets Millionaire Partner System apart is the practical nature of the content. It doesn’t just give theory—it provides real-world applications and success strategies used by top earners. The support from the community and expert guidance make a huge difference, offering motivation and accountability.
If you're looking for a system that provides high-quality training, proven strategies, and a supportive environment, Millionaire Partner System is a fantastic choice. I highly recommend it to anyone ready to take their financial future to the next level!
Buy now
4 notes · View notes