#the story has been a lot of fun plotting and such

[mareastrorum]

This is only half a thought so far, but maybe other people want to chime in.

I’m doing Watch Machina (currently at episode 15) and Nein Again (currently at episode 21) while I also keep up with current Critical Role content (Age of Umbra episode 4) and something that bothers me a little is Matt’s current method of narration.

In C1, Matt’s style is very informal with regard to the narration. There’s little added drama via his tone, pace, or choice of words. “Toothy maw” became a meme pretty quickly, but the point of every description was to efficiently set the scene so the players could start their RP and choose what to do. There wasn’t as much precision with his descriptions, and of course that is a talent that takes a long time to hone when you’re describing lots of different things over the course of several hours. However, the narration was far less formal and calculated than his NPC dialogue, so (in combination with voice acting) it was very easy to determine when Matt was in character or not. It wasn’t a bad thing; Matt’s very casual narration and formal dialogue leading up to the Chroma Conclave’s attack on Emon was excellent because it was so sudden, leading the players and the audience to experience the exact same shock the NPCs would have. It’s not a bad way to narrate. If anything, it made the heartfelt moments so poignant, especially at the end of the campaign. That description of snow drops would not have been nearly as impactful if Matt had narrated that way all the time.

In C2, Matt started getting more descriptive and slowed down his narration to match. As Aabria would put it, he “paints a word picture” and includes more environmental storytelling for the setting itself, not just things for the characters to expressly interact with. I think this is part of what led to the Nein interacting with the set dressing more: Matt mentioned it, so it must be important! This led to some fun hijinks as time went on, and it gave Wildemount a different feeling than Tal’dorei. I couldn’t tell you that Emon had a particular vibe to it other than it being a big city, but howdy do we know that Berleben is full of nosy, bored people in a smelly swamp, and we sure know that Zadash is a bustling city with stark class segregation while Nicodranas is a beautiful trade hub with a mixture of different cultures. I think part of that may have come from working on the source books (they have similar language for the plot hooks and location entries). However, that method of narration was mostly limited to first descriptions of a new place or events (“cutscenes” like the attack in Zadash). Within a scene, Matt was still fairly casual in his discussions with the players.

But currently in Age of Umbra, and with a good chunk of C3, Matt’s narration is far more deliberate. There is a consistently slower pace compared to earlier campaigns, usually only speeding up in combat. Part of that may be for production purposes (easier for transcriptions and closed captioning), but it also impacts the pacing of the game itself. There’s also that presence of a new character: the narrator himself has a voice, and that is now part of the story. It’s extremely noticeable when the cast gets Matt to “break character” as the narrator to only be a DM. It requires a baseline level of formality for that to happen, and Matt committed to it in nearly every scene, regardless of the context of the scene. While that doesn’t feel all that strange for Age of Umbra (it fits well with the soulsborne style of game), it does make me realize that it’s part of why C3 felt incongruous. Like, sorry about the dead horse, but I was expecting C3 to be pulpy, which very much benefits from the narration style of C1 rather than the formal narration style Matt prefers currently. Punchy, informal narration sets a player expectation of “you’re here to get something done and I’ll tell you if it works,” while the current style instead lends itself to “you’re part of my story and this is the tone.” The former is great for fast-paced roleplay and the latter is suited to unhurried storytelling—which wouldn’t feel as mismatched if C3 hadn’t been a story where the PCs needed to prevent a second calamity within the course of a few weeks.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this was a mistake. Matt clearly enjoys how he narrates currently, and every DM is entitled to their preference. However, I think there’s a lesson in here that varying the narration style to match the purpose of the scene and story would benefit the players and the audience.

To be fair here, Matt is not the only DM who doesn’t mix it up very often. Brennan Lee Mulligan (Dimension 20) is far closer to the C1 style of fast, informal narration with very limited, specific instances where he would slow down for drama; there is no “narrator” character in his players’ story. D20 has a far more casual tone to its seasons than CR does in its campaigns. Luis Carazo (Tales Unrolled) narrates similarly to Matt, with a focus on instilling an emotional reaction for the players to deal with, and the players collaboratively join Luis as the narrator for their own characters; it’s a back and forth where the DM and players contribute to that additional presence. Tales Unrolled is on the opposite end of the spectrum from D20, with a clear feeling that it is a storytelling experience.

Again, choosing one narration style over another isn’t necessarily a flaw. However, I think varied narration is a tool that most DMs underutilize. If used carefully, adjusting narration styles within sessions on the fly could enhance the experience of an Actual Play campaign for everyone involved. It could be used as a signal to the players for what type of scene this will be or when a scene is shifting. It could also signal to performers in a show for pacing within an episode (hijinks are over, time for some drama; time to cool down from the tension).

But, as always, it’s easier to point stuff out like this than it is to do it in practice.

[mumbeau]

mumbos s10 plotline is soooo incredibly compelling to me ive said this again and again and reiterated on the suicide aspect of it hard in posts but that's only a piece of his whole deal. hes gotten caught in this weird space where he believes killing himself, watching himself die, is the only way to live forever. he loves the ever changing world he's a part of so much that he wants everything to stay the same. he refuses to die on anyone else's terms but his own, so much so that... he ends up aiding in his own death on somebody else's terms anyways. mineds trap is working. he's become so invested in his own demise and preservation of life that his judgement on what he's doing has become so deeply clouded and his perception of what hes doing has warped. the way he's gone from calling the mumbot "me" to "it" to "him". He has this idealized version of his own shady plan that's been set in his mind ever since the idea came to him and that's been, in my eyes, consistently reinforced by mined that "i'll do this and then ill be this and then ill live forever with no problem!" and is unable to see the downsides past his fear because of the perceived time limit that's been imposed on him with his rapid aging. his s10 plot is driven by fear and nostalgia and success and failure that i feel is obviously a translation of some of olis own feelings as he reaches 30 and as he's kind of turned over a new leaf in his career in the past few years. it ties a lot of the smaller less groundbreaking aspects of cmumbos character that are so natural to him they often go unnoticed together into a single story. his impulsivity his suicidal tendencies his anxiety his sentimentality his love of technology and new and fun things his fear of the unknown his draw to the unknown. his will to live and his urge to die. his love of preservation and his love of destruction. his intricate multi step season plan with no consideration as to how this will be the last. everything about this plotline is a pile of contradictions that highlights itself with each passing video and its just so good It's so peak i will NEVER stop being annoying about mumbos s10 nothing can compare

[whimzycle]

Hi, I've never read a jackrabbit fic but I'm definitely willing to give this ship a go! Do you have recommendations / favourites?

Oh! For sho'!

It did not occur to me how daunting this list is LMAO,,, But also in my defense, I was not given a set limit. So apologies in advance for going ham on the recs LMAO

Here's my favorites

Prelude to Time Feelers by atimefeeler

Really, you should not be surprised that I'm recommending this. It's my favorite rotg fic. The plot and the lore is exquisite. Also, Jack and Bunny's dynamic here is amazing, it's down right phenomenal how great the slow build is.

Under the Mistletoe by touchinghearts

This was, I think one of the first fics I started reading about this ship? Either the second or the first but this fic had me sold on shipping these two. Their banter is entertaining and their conversation is very heartwarming. Also, Baby Tooth is unintentionally hilarious in this fic.

Enticing Contrast (series) by Curious_Bun

I like this series, a lot. It's like an introspection about their attraction it each other. I like Aster's pov because it's just straight up denial and it's never not gonna be hilarious. They're pretty short fics but they contain multitudes!!!

Can I Offer You a Nice Egg in these Trying Times? by avearia

I love this fic LMAO. It's literally just Jack helping Bunny on Easter during the pandemic, really, what more do you need? I always like it in fics when Jack helps around at Easter, idk, it's sweet. Especially in this particular fic, because Jack is the on inspiring hope on Bunny and it's sweet. I love it, it's great.

Flustered by HoneyLemon_Writes

Jack bullying Bunny (affectionately) the fic. It's always fun when Jack annoys Bunny lmao. It's a staple in their dynamic. This fic is adorable ASDFG please I love it to bits.

Could You All Be Serious? by chuuchuug

OUUHH I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH!! The first chapter already has me hooked, I love how playful Bunny is here, like an actual dork (affectionate). Also, I genuinely love how Jack reacts to the spirit world's Fandom, it's hilarious how criticizing and judgmental he is here.

The MASH Gods Have Spoken by Kayasurin

Tooth cheats at MASH and Bunny isn't normal about it. That's it, that's the fic. This one is entertaining because of how down bad Bunny is here BAHHAHA. Actually no, both Bunny and jack are absolute messes here and it's hilarious.

Fly me to the Moon by Kayasurin

OOUUGHHH!! I LOVE THIS ONE!!!! Jack is Bunny's unpaid bodyguard while they go to a party + him being overprotective is always fun. Bunny has social anxiety and I love it for him, get help king. Also I love how straight up indulgent Jack is in here, it's very sweet. It's not very romantic, again it's pre-slash, but it's still sweet if you look at it platonically.

There is Such A Boy by kay_cricketed

I love this one!! One of the first fics I read about this ship that immediately has me enamoured. This story focuses a lot about Jack and his place in the guardians as well as his developing relationship with them, the Jackrabbit is on the side but that's appeal of it lmao.

Floriography by Icka M Chif (mischif)

Hanahaki au!! sort of! All I have to say for this fic is that it has single-handedly the most romantic line I've ever read in fiction ever. “I’ll drape you in garlands of blossoms and teach all the meanings to you.” LIKE?????? I adore this fic so much you don't even know

Weather Phenom by Icka M Chif (mischif)

This one isn't really romantic, it's more familial/platonic but I didn't get to recommend it last time and that's a crime because this fic is great and I love it to bits LMAO. it's literally just 20k words of Bunny and Jack being friends and really what more do you need?

Forgotten Lights by Icka M Chif (mischif)

There's not a lot of fics that utilizes the fact that Bunny can grow extra arms and I've been in shock that this was the only thing I find lmao. ALSO!! Book lore!!!!! I love me some good book lore!!!!

Senses and A Distinct Lack of Sensibility by Icka M Chif (mischif)

In which, Bunny is an idiot but he's lucky Jack likes him LMAO. Or in which Bunny accidentally made his love life a slow burn because he's stupid. I love this, mainly because this is how I think it'd be like if these two would date. Traveling the world and wonder at it's sights and be in the moment lmao.

Hitched by Icka M Chif (mischif)

This one is just plain sweet and hilarious. Love a good ol fashion sleep deprivation lmao. You'll see what I mean, this is mostly just amusing.

Only a Crazy Little Thing I Read by Icka M Chif (mischif)

Not entirely romantic, it's pre-slash and the Jackrabbit is side-lined but like. I like the plot LMAO. Also Peter Pan is evil in here (yes Peter Pan is here). Also: Bunny snapped his jaw shut, holding up a finger before storming over to one of the couches. He picked up a pillow and started screaming into it. Phil stepped up behind Pippa and silently put his hands over her ears. She glanced up at the Yeti, then put her hands over his, pressing them tighter to her skull as the cadence of Bunny’s swearing changed. Love this part, very Bunny thing to do LMAO.

Hope On Your Lips by Icka M Chif (michif)

This one's more sensual but not explicit, I think lmao. Jack is Bunny's chocolate taste tester and Bunny has a weird way of confessing his feelings BAHHAHAH. Either way, this one's sweet.

Ask Me Tomorrow by Icka M Chif (mischif)

This one's just straight up cool honestly. There's Dark!Jack but not to the point that it's disturbing for me (well, it's dark!jack, there's bound to be something disturbing). It's more corrupted Jack honestly. I like this one because there's fairy tale elements in the way it's written. It's a really cool fic.

Bunnymund Holmes (series) by Eastofthemoon, Icka M Chif (mischif) and Ladynero

Au in which Bunny is Sherlock Holmes and it's the highlight of this series LMAO. First of, this series is fun. Bunny being Holmes fits surprisingly well for his character. 13 fics in total, with vibrant lore and intriguing plots. It's not only about Jackrabbit, there's fics about North and Bunny having the best bromance ever, one that's just straight up about Tooth, and one where Tooth and jack are bonding by smacking each other with their respective weapons. It's great, it's fun I love this au very much.

The Crux of It Is by olrinarts

In which, Jack is the stupid this time and tries to get Bunny laid with anyone but himself. That's it, that's the fic. Your honor they are idiots and I'm not willing to defend them.

I've Loved the Stars Too Dearly by olrinarts

This was fun!! It's a fairy tale au!! Where Bunny is a human here but gets cursed into a rabbit and he doesn't really mind it all that much. This was a fun au, mainly because of how it's written like fairytale stories. Immediately had me immersed in it lmao.

Long Live the Bun King by olrinarts

Where Bunny is surrounded by, well, bunnies that won't leave him alone and likes to tamper in his love life. Very light-hearted fic! purely fluff!! Also I love it when Bunny is fond of rabbits, like, c'mon. Tell me with a straight face that he isn't.

Calefaction by rin0rouke

Call this 'that one fic where there are 4 chapters of plot and the rest of it is Jack and Bunny doing the equivalent of the potato baby school project but permanent'. I actually adore the plot of this fic lmao. Mainly because it uses book lore!! It makes me giddy when people use a bit of book lore. Also Jack is a thief here and I'm sure it'd make for a very interesting 'how I met your father' story.

April Showers Bring What Again? by rin0rourke

Another fic that uses book lore!! Golden age never fell in this au and makes me so happy cuz there's very little rotg content about the Golden Age and it sucks because it's so interesting. Jack is a mage and works in retail here!! Not really romantic but I love this fic nonetheless because lore LMAO

Sing, Sing, Sing by Melissae

Soul mate au!! The name on wrist and heartsong thing. The vibe of this fic is pretty melancholic but it's worth it in the end when they finally figured it out. Forever loving the scene where Bunny sprouts flowers for Jack to witness the start of spring. I love it, it's great.

Believing is Seeing by Melissae

Modern au where Jack is mortal and skates short track speedskating for the Olympics and is friends with the Easter Bunny. It's a really sweet fic!! Especially cuz the Guardians were watching and supporting Jack in the Olympics. I love this fic oouughh. Jack being into speedskating isn't something I considered but it fits him a lot lmao.

Blood of the Covenant by Melissae

Hurt/Comfort my love!!! Love love love the bonding of Jack and Bunny here. It's really sweet, found family feels and you know that I'm an absolute sucker for found family feels.

The Age of Not Believing by Melissae

The one where the Guardians has to act out Beauty and the Beast for Sophie ft. Bunny as Belle and Jack as the Beast. Love this fic, it's more of a Jamie fic and the Jackrabbit is background stuff but still. I adore this fic so much. Also can you imagine how amusing it would be to have folk tale icons act out a fairytale story? I'd be rolling on the floor laughing.

Kiss Cam Universe (series) by WritLarge

Human Au! Where Jack retaliates on his shitty boyfriend and kisses the guy next to him on the kiss cam. And that guy happens to be Aster. I love the second part of this series because Jack gets to meet the rest lmao. Also love it when in human aus, people add Pitch into the guardian's friend group as this really eccentric guy that gives you the creeps. Like how Pitch is in rufftoon's comics lmao, that's the only pitch I'll ever accept in any human Au ever.

Seriously Considering Magistricide by WritLarge

Another human au! Where Bunny and Jack bonds over hating their respective kid's shitty teacher every monthly parent meetings. This was fun, I love how it doesn't have a lot of drama (really the only drama is whatever is happening with Jack and Bunny). Pretty easy-going fic.

Morning Blues by iJacques

The one where Bunny can't sleep and Jack tries to help him. It's pre-slash and more platonic, not really romantic but I like it. It's a very down to earth fic, I just love the vibe it gives off. Also the idea of walking in a room and just have Bunny laying down on the floor like a rug would either have me burst out laughing or think he's dead LMAO.

The Rabbit Case by RarusScript

This one's a human au! Wherein Jack is a detective and Bunny is the guy he's trying to look over. I love the fact that Bunny was an apparently annoying case for others but when Jack took over, the roles switches BAHHAHAHHA It's an amazing fic, very intriguing!

[heyhoneyfox]

Writing advice from a 17 year old caffeine-dependent ADHDer who has been writing ever since he could hold a pencil:

First and foremost, write that outline. Figure out exactly what you're going to do with your story before you do anything else. Write down all the important plot points first, then expand on them as needed. Write your main characters (at least their basic traits), do some worldbuilding, and once you have that foundation, THEN start writing the actual scenes.

Talk to people about your stories, especially if you're in a group with other storytellers. This gives you the opportunity to hear how others process and view your work, which can help a lot with your confidence in your writing, your motivation to write, and your own understanding of your writing. You can also request a specific type of feedback (questions, constructive criticism, compliments, blunt criticism, etc.) so you get responses that will actually help you.

DO NOT USE AI FOR WRITING NO MATTER WHAT. "But I just use it for-" I DO NOT CARE, YOU ARE STILL USING A BRAIN-EATING, CREATIVITY-KILLING MACHINE THAT WILL ONLY HARM YOUR WRITING. I used to use AI and it stunted my growth as a writer so greatly that I had to commit myself to never using it again, and I know that sounds scary for those of you still using it, but it will have to happen eventually if you want to grow as a writer. It will not do you any good, no matter what you use it for. "But it makes it easy for me to make stories!" Write more oneshots. Write outlines. Write short stories. Fucking daydream at least. "But I use it to proofread!" Proofread your own damn work. It's not hard, and it's way better for your mind and the story itself. "But—" DO IT YOURSELF OR ASK A FRIEND, A HUMAN BEING, TO HELP YOU. IT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY A HUMAN OR IT WILL BE STRAIGHT ASS. THAT IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE. I hope I drilled that in well enough.

I get it, sometimes you're low on energy, so you need easy ways to develop your story. If you don't know how to do that without AI, because you CANNOT keep sucking robot dick for the sake of instant gratification, here are some easy ones (depending on your skillset): draw your characters and settings, write fake text conversations between characters, use picrew to make your characters, make Pinterest mood boards, or just turn off your phone and daydream about your story! There are a million ways to work on a story without actually writing it, so don't feel too bad if you only have the energy to plan out that one scene in your head instead of writing it. And who knows, maybe doing these little things will actually give you the motivation you needed to write.

Write when you feel big emotions, if you can. You'll pour your heart and soul into your work, and not only will that benefit your writing, but it will also benefit you by helping you process your emotions in a healthy manner.

Finally, give your brain lots of good associations with writing! Have your favourite tea with you and your favourite blanket around your shoulders while you write, or have your favourite instrumentals in the background while sitting in your favourite lighting, or pretend to be a renaissance scholar with a candle and a nice outfit while you write if that's what you need. Make it fun for yourself so your brain will get excited about writing, even if you only do this sometimes!

The most important advice I can give is just. keep on writing. Your stories are a blessing. Even if people criticise your work, even if you feel completely unmotivated, even if you feel like you're not good at it, keep writing for as long as it brings you joy, and share it when you can, because it will bring so many other people joy too, more than you can ever know.

[katboykirby]

The game itself is NOT what is being crowdfunded. The goal of the Kickstarter is NOT "to fund the new game/app"

This has been stated very clearly by the OM Team, and has been re-explained on the official OM accounts multiple times now. The crowdfunding campaign has NEVER been to fund the development of the game itself, the new OM game has already been in development since long before the announcement back in May.

The Kickstarter is purely for bonus rewards, extra content, and celebratory merch. This is very clearly explained on both the official OM accounts and on the Kickstarter page itself. They go into great detail breaking down exactly what the crowdfunding is paying for. Absolutely 0% of it is being used to make the game itself. It's so very easy to just...go onto the Kickstarter page and see it all spelled out for you.

It is a completely separate, independent thing.

As for the expensive Reward Tiers, particularly the newer ones that were added a few days ago - yes, they are very expensive. No, not everyone will be able to afford them. I definitely can't afford them. Neither can any of my friends/mutuals. Does that suck? Sure. I think everybody on earth wishes that they had more money to spend on the things they like.

But the reason those expensive Reward Tiers exist? People were absolutely clamoring for them. It's important to understand that when the Kickstarter first went live, all of the limited-quantity Rewards instantly sold out in less than a minute. The OM Team absolutely obliterated their donation goal and blew right past it in a matter of minutes. And quite literally hundreds of people were already begging them to add more Reward Tiers. Within ten minutes of the initial Kickstarter completely selling out.

They added more Reward Tiers because it is just simply what hundreds of people were begging them for. It's not any more insidious or complicated than that. There's no secret plot to extort players out of their money just for fun. They are quite literally meeting fan demand by giving players exactly what they were asking for.

And again, yes, the newest Rewards are very expensive. That's objectively true. It's a damn shame for anybody who wants them and can't afford them. But the thing to remember is that not only can crowdfunding Rewards very commonly cost several thousand or even tens of thousands of dollars (this is a normal thing that happens often, it's not unusual or unique at all) but OM's Rewards are targeting a very specific and wealthy demographic. If you're unaware, it's a very well-known phenomenon that there are a LOT of exceedingly rich single men and women in places like JP/CN/KR, etc, who regularly spend (the equivalent of) hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars on host clubs/hostess clubs, girlfriend bars, and in more recent years, gacha games. Just look at all the fabulously wealthy single women in CN who are spending obscene amounts of money on Love and Deepspace every single month. This is an entire demographic/audience in and of itself, and those are the people who are going to be buying OM's expensive Reward Tiers.

And in the end, I'm extremely happy that those Tiers exist, and I'm glad that rich fans will buy them. Because that is literally putting more money into supporting the game. They are the ones paying to make sure the dev team meet their stretch goals and add more and more free content into the game. It is OBJECTIVELY making the game better for absolutely every single other player. If you don't spend a single penny on the Kickstarter or on the game at all, you will still be getting 100% of the benefits that the crowdfunders are paying for. It is a complete win-win scenario.

Seen right here:

The next goal they want to meet? Having full, proper voice acting in the main story. THAT'S why those super expensive Reward Tiers exist. The funding costs for that much VA work, especially when it's a huge amount of voicework that wasn't originally planned for, will be incredibly high. It's going to be EXPENSIVE to make that happen. But it's something that literally EVERY SINGLE PLAYER will get to enjoy, completely for free, entirely thanks to the people paying for those high-tier Rewards.

And so will the production of a completely new Image Song. And so will the development of new game content like in-app cameras and photo modes. These all cost a LOT of money - especially when you remember that the OM Team is not getting the same level of funding from NTT Corp that they used to.

THIS is why those Reward Tiers exist. Do I wish I could afford them? Absolutely. Am I mad that they exist? Definitely not.

I have been bitting my tongue because I don't want to be a party popper or anything (not that It matter because this has always been a vent blog to me, not a fandom blog) but since they released new tiers that aré ridiculously expensive on Kickstarter AND we have less than two weeks for the crownfunding to end I can't anymore:

I just don't understand how succesfull this campaign currently Is when we know basically nothing about the game, I was waiting for AX for them to say anything but they decided to expand the tiers Instead of y'know... Promote what the game Is actually about...

Everything about this Is so... Vague... The goal of the Kickstarter Is to fund the new game/app... But we know basically nothing about it

[midnight-mourning]

Midnight's DCA MerMay (update post)

Hello! This is a brief post to serve as a bit of an update on me & also my mermay plans. Will try to be quick to save both time & effort for everyone

First off, I've started writing the multi-chapter story (and having a lot of fun with it), and look forward to sharing it with you all in May! My goal is to have the entirety posted in May, but you know how that goes, still, I think it'll be very good and I hope you all enjoy when it comes out ^^

Speaking of schedules and such, my intent is to post requests every other day in May, and scatter the story throughout. Regarding requests, I'll be opening them soon! Looking at sometime end of this week or beginning of next (please don't request anything until after that point, thank you), so be on the lookout for that! When that post comes out I'll go over rules and other such details as per usual then

Something I did want to open up now though like I mentioned in the Valentine's post, is that I'm looking for artists to draw things for both the main story and the requests! I've had a few people reach out (which, thank you very much for that) but this is an opportunity for any others who may be interested. To keep it simple:

i'll share the finished requests/story chapters (as I write them) with the group ahead of posting

you pick a request or chapter/scene you'd like to make a doodle for 

can be anything you like in terms of involvement, from a simple doodle to something more detailed (again whatever your preference is)

this is low-commitment/volunteer-based/for funsies, there's no pressure to make something, it's just meant to be silly and fun if you want to! if something comes up or you change your mind, it's no worries/big deal

ideally you would post your doodle when the story/chapter is posted (again tho, if something comes up and you need more time, it's no worries, very flexible)

if you're interested simply let me know, and I'll invite you to the discord server I've made ^^

if you're not an artist but are interested in beta-reading (again low commitment) let me know! Would mainly be checking for grammar and spelling 

if you're not an artist or interested in beta-reading please consider sharing this post so it gets to a larger audience who might :)

Last thing I'll say is a brief explanation for what i've been up to recently. I know it's been kind of quiet from me here and that's because I've been busy! Work & school have been keeping me tied up, and I just haven't had the time nor urge to be on Tumblr, I have been writing and taking some time for myself tho! And am generally doing well/excited to share things sometime in the near future

that's all for now, bye!

P.S. I went through all my writing posts and added the tag #midnight mutterings to them, so anything i've written will include that tag (if you were looking for things and were unsure), working on updating my masterpost sometime soon as well :)

[deoidesign]

Ray of sunshine

(pre-launch page for their comic)

[donelywell]

It's been a year, so here's the wrap up!

I actually haven't posted a lot of this art- or other art that I've made this year haha. Took a major break from going online and even Sonic as a whole for a few months even.

I feel like I haven't changed my style that much, but I did change a bit. I don't color the whites of eyes anymore, I figured out how to make things glow, and I sometimes color my lines too!

[mihai-florescu]

Nothing i find funnier than accusing dead classic authors of stealing ideas from contemporary games. I know shakespeare is rolling in his grave regretting he didnt make romeo and juliet lesbians too like enstars did

[cupcakes-and-pain]

Shoutout to my siblings for putting up with my neurodivergent ass. Just now I remembered how multiple times I tried to convince them that we should roleplay a complex trading system between towns and/or nations. I wanted no plot, one dimensional characters, and all the focus on trade. It's a miracle they didn't tease me more lol

[sunsetsover]

i be enjoying the fuck out of a pit babe episode and then BOOM pete/chris scene

[ohsweetflips]

on the one hand i love harping and moaning over missed opportunities for previous dragon age companion cameos bc sometimes bioware really whiffs it (i long for the world where merrill is the eluvian expert instead of morrigan) but. on the other hand. sometimes it’s like. why would that character show up. answer quickly. the answer can’t be that it’s because you like them. it feels very reminiscent of having to accept that our wardens will never make another appearance.

[wow-an-unfunny-joke]

I miss having an ask blog, that was so fun!!!! I just don’t have anything to ask blog about. Like I guess I could do a bsd ask blog, I have some neat ocs I’ve been wanting to yap about (Jim Butcher, Robert Louis Stevenson, James Herriot. Authors, but as bsd characters) but they’re all unfinished and I haven’t made anything for them yet (hopefully will start working on fics for Stevenson and Herriot soon). Also I get suuuuper nervous when interacting with other blogs.

But it was soooo fun while it lasted, and I soooo miss that

[paperconsumption]

from the feedback i got in creative writing class today i’ve realized that enstars has improved the way i write dialogue like an insane amount

[leafpool-loves-ashfur]

calling it now people are going to ship Flipclaw and Podlight

[waywardsalt]

oh yeah i’ve got a bunch of loz aus that i haven’t really talked about. a few of them are listed and slightly explained in this poll and explanation reblog but i haven’t gone out of my way to actually list the aus i have and really explain them. so that’s what this post is for. here are some... decently simple explanations of my major aus and what they're generally about

i have two kinds of aus: original aus (loz aus that are set in their own kinds of worlds with their own stories and twists on character roles) and then crossover aus (we all know how this works i just mash loz and a thing i like together)

original aus: (many currently dont have actual titles, so the titles will often just be concept shorthand)

in the court of the crimson king/crimson king au: probably the most developed and closest to being written out. it's got one of the longer premises; set in a industrial-esque hyrule city, following linebeck as the main character, as the adoptive older brother of link and aryll, living with them and their grandmother as the only one able to reliably make money to pay for rent and food, leaving every other week to do jobs, but he moonlights as the 'demon of the gray moon', a masked persona he'd created as a child that had long since become a city-wide urban legend, anonymously taking unsavory jobs from whomever can contact him and offer pay, often working directly for bellum, a childhood friend, the one who enabled and trained him to become the demon, and one of five anonymous leaders of the city. linebeck effectively lives a double life, and tries to stay out of too much trouble to avoid drawing attention to himself or making his adoptive family worry, but he gets dragged into more and more danger as bellum becomes curious about the identities of the city's other leaders, and linebeck falls in love with a man named ganondorf, suspected to be one of those other city leaders. ive got a few posts related to it already: this one being another vague concept descriptor, this one being an actual scene i have written out.

'gimmick' au: i cannot explain the gimmick without spoiling the au. put simply, in this au, hyrule as a whole has been at war for ten years, every race and kingdom taking sides in a conflict that seems to be going nowhere. link joined the hylian army young, and has made his way up the ranks to become trusted by queen zelda herself, and things in the war take an interesting turn as he and zelda discover a new faction, unaligned with any particular kingdom and with unknown motives, and zelda decides to set out to the different parts of hyrule, link and a chosen group of trusted allies in tow, intending to try negotiation one more time before things take a turn for the worse.

sci-fi/space au: the fun one that probably would need to be done in a visual medium. it takes place in a solar system of a few planets, link growing up on the planet hyrule and occasionally traveling to the others as a knight specializing in investigating and taking down dangerous bounty hunters, working for zelda as a friend. he and zelda uncover a plot by the yiga clan to accumulate a number of highly dangerous research and weapons held by each species as they aim to resurrect a demon to wreck havoc on the solar system- the b plot being about the top bounty hunters in the solar system screwing around, eventually colliding with link and zelda's a plot as it begins to involve them.

murder mystery(?) au: one of the older ones, maybe one of the oldest that i still stick with. this might actually be one of the first ones i tried writing. the plot begins when zelda returns to hyrule city years after her father- the former mayor- was murdered, finding that he has been replaced by ganondorf and that while things seem fine enough on the surface, random and organized crime run the show, and she begins a private detective agency as 'sheik', a masked young man, and with the help of impa, and old friend and confidant, she moonlights as sheik and uses her daytime identity as zelda to help chip away at some of the city's biggest problems and finds herself drawn into a long string of murders that appear to be anything but random violence.

ruined hyrule 1: i have two au’s with the premise of hyrule being ruined. neither of them have more specific names yet. this one begins with the majority of greater hyrule's population having long since locked themselves in hyrule castle town in order to escape the increasingly dangerous wildlife. zelda, a young girl at the beginning, becomes curious about what lies beyond the city walls, and makes friends with many other children within this sheltered hyrule, and as they grow up together, aim to eventually venture out into the wilderness to see what may have caused the outside world to become so incredibly hostile.

ruined hyrule 2: the other ruined hyrule. set in a devastated hyrule, roughly ten years after the royal family was killed, link failing to save them or hyrule in the time since. he now resolves to set out and indiscriminately destroy every demon that plagues the ruined hyrule, meeting and bringing along various allies, each of which has been uniquely affected by and have different lived in this altered, dangerous shell of hyrule.

modern (school): i also have two modern aus. this one isn’t plot driven, just a concept i have, would work best as little vignettes or something. essentially just the idea of a group of loz characters hanging out together in a modern high school (or college?) setting.

modern: this is the one with an actual plot. follows the general idea of zelda characters living in a modern world only for the typical legends to begin resurfacing and heralding dark events. plot specifics are murky, but that's the general idea.

dark mage: this is the au that where the seas meet the sands takes place in. basically just ganondorf x linebeck shenanigans in this alternate hyrule while actual plot sneaks up on them. named 'dark mage' mostly because the initial idea behind this au was that linebeck would learn magic.

horror au: doesn't have the best name, and it's ended up just being a personal sandbox for me. constantly changing, with the cast and setting often altering if i find that something isn't working or sticking. it's an au i've considered (and even briefly tried) writing in the past, but it's still too fluid, and writing horror effectively is difficult. it's a fun au, though.

mecha au: spawned because i watched neon genesis evangelion. a lot of this au's basic concepts can be found here: x but the short version is that hyrule is being besiged by massive monsters, but each race has created their own mechs to combat them. link is just a farmer who happens to have a strange knack for being a mech user, so is brought in by zelda as a gamble to bolster their chances, and he is tasked with working with a new and less-than-trustworthy crew to help fight those monsters.

'amnesia link' au: an au that sprang up in about a day and hasn't gotten too far since. basic premise being that three years prior to the story, link and a group of allies has faced off against ganondorf and, despite their best efforts, lost, with link being presumed dead by their enemies. now, link has woken up from his coma, his memories gone and hyrule taken over, and, with guidance, must once again travel across hyrule, aiming to rediscover his allies and try to face ganondorf once more.

A quick list of crossovers: I won't explain these in length, since they can range from having their own plot to just being a fun mental concept. So, the things I have made crossover aus with are:

Warrior Cats

Batman

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Persona 5

Pokemon

(there are other, smaller ones, these are just the ones i consistently pay attention to)

So! These are the majority of my legend of zelda aus, some of which I may write, some of which just exist in my mind for fun, all of which I wouldn't mind talking more about if anyone is curious!