#trying to write something with them right now to progress their personal plot

[unboundprompts]

hi, i love your prompts!!

can you do prompts/suggestions for revealing a character’s tragic backstory to the other characters? mostly with like hurt/comfort or angst. please n thanks!

How to Reveal a Tragic Backstory

check out these sources:

The Backstory Drip: Helping Writers Become Authors

When Do You Reveal a Backstory of a Character?: Writing Stack Exchange

Writing Character Backstory That Feels Real: Now Novel

1. Establish Context Before the Reveal

Before revealing a tragic backstory, it's crucial to lay the groundwork. Give the audience some clues or hints about the character’s pain or past struggles without fully explaining it. This builds curiosity and tension, making the eventual reveal more satisfying.

Example: Throughout the story, you might show the character having nightmares, flinching at certain triggers, or displaying a particular behavior (like pushing others away) that hints at something painful in their past.

2. Choose the Right Moment

A tragic backstory should be revealed at a moment that feels natural and emotionally charged. Don’t force it into the plot. Often, it works best when the character is vulnerable, perhaps during a quiet moment, when they feel safe enough to let their guard down, or during a crisis when the emotional dam breaks.

Example: The character might reveal their past during a moment of intense emotional vulnerability, like when they think they’re about to lose someone else they care about, or when they are experiencing a setback that mirrors their past trauma.

3. Keep It Uncomfortable

A tragic backstory is rarely easy to talk about, and the discomfort surrounding the reveal can be just as important as the backstory itself. Let the character struggle with the words or try to push the conversation away, only to be coaxed into speaking. This makes the moment feel more authentic and raw.

Example: The character might start the conversation with, "It’s not important" or "I don’t want to talk about it," before finally giving in to the other character’s gentle probing or a shift in the situation that forces them to face the truth.

4. Show, Don’t Just Tell

Instead of simply stating the tragic event, show how it affects the character through their actions, memories, or how they interact with others. This deepens the emotional impact, allowing readers to experience the pain with the character rather than just being told what happened.

Example: Rather than saying, "He lost his entire family in the fire," you could show how the character avoids talking about their family, has flashbacks when they see something related to fire, or even flinches at certain words associated with their trauma.

5. Use Symbolism

The tragic backstory can be tied to something physical, symbolic, or thematic in the narrative. A certain object, place, or even weather can be used to evoke memories of the past, creating a deeper emotional connection.

Example: If the character lost someone they loved in a car accident, perhaps they always have trouble getting into cars, or they wear a piece of jewelry that reminds them of the person. When this item or memory is triggered, the character opens up about the event.

6. Layer the Reveal

Sometimes, a tragic backstory is revealed in pieces over time. A character might not reveal everything all at once, but bits and pieces come out as the story progresses. This gradual reveal can allow you to build emotional complexity and deepen the audience’s understanding of the character.

Example: The character might first mention a loss in passing, then later reveal more details about the circumstances surrounding that loss. In a climactic moment, they might confess the full extent of their pain, perhaps adding a new layer of guilt or unresolved anger.

7. Avoid Making It “Too Perfect”

Tragedy isn’t always a neat, tidy narrative. It’s often messy, complicated, and filled with unresolved feelings. Don’t try to make the tragic backstory feel like it was meant to be "healed" or resolved easily. Characters are shaped by tragedy, and the wounds might never fully heal.

Example: The character might express regret or resentment, even years later. They might struggle with feelings of guilt, or they might have difficulty trusting others due to their past experiences.

8. Don’t Overload the Backstory

While tragic backstories are emotionally powerful, too many details can overwhelm the reader or distract from the present story. Instead, focus on the most crucial parts of the past that shaped the character’s current behavior, rather than telling every painful moment.

Example: Rather than describing an entire traumatic event in detail, focus on how it emotionally affected the character. Perhaps the character doesn’t want to remember, so the backstory is revealed only through emotional reactions to certain triggers or through small, painful details.

9. Use the Backstory as a Motivator

After revealing the tragic backstory, the character’s actions should be influenced by it. Their trauma will affect their decisions, and it’s important to show how it shapes their journey going forward.

Example: The character might reveal that they lost someone to violence, and that’s why they became a protector of others. Or maybe their tragic past has made them emotionally distant, but in the course of the story, they gradually learn to trust and open up.

10. Make the Reveal Matter to the Plot

A tragic backstory shouldn’t just be there to elicit sympathy. It should tie into the character’s motivations, fears, and relationships with other characters. If the backstory doesn’t serve a purpose for the plot, it can feel like unnecessary exposition.

Example: If the character is hesitant to form deep relationships because of their tragic past, this fear will be challenged by their interactions with the other characters. Perhaps their backstory also explains why they’re so skilled in a certain area, giving the plot a practical reason for them to be involved in the current situation.

Writing Prompts Revealing a Tragic Backstory

-> feel free to edit and adjust pronouns as you see fit.

She leaned against the worn table, fingers tracing the edge of a chipped mug, not meeting his eyes. "I didn’t always… I wasn’t always this," she began, her voice thin, strained. He sat across from her, waiting, but not pushing. She swallowed, her chest tightening. "There was a fire, years ago. I was just a kid. My parents—" She stopped, shaking her head, as though the words couldn’t pass her lips without choking her. "I don’t even know how I made it out."

She reached out to touch his shoulder, a gesture of comfort, but he recoiled as if her hand was burning him. His eyes widened, panic flashing across his face. "Don’t," he muttered, backing away, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. "Please don’t." She stared, mouth dry, unsure what she had done wrong, but the way his face twisted as if remembering something painful told her everything she needed to know.

They jolted awake, heart pounding, gasping for breath as the remnants of the nightmare clung to them. The other person, already awake, noticed and reached out, pulling them into their arms. "Shh, it’s okay," they whispered softly, but the words barely registered. "I couldn’t save her," they choked out, voice raw. "I promised, but I—" The sob broke free before they could finish, and the other person tightened their hold, pressing their forehead against theirs. "You didn’t fail," they whispered, offering the comfort of their presence. "You're safe now."

They were walking in silence, the soft crunch of gravel beneath their boots the only sound between them. He kept his head down, eyes fixed on the ground, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Then, without warning, he stopped. "I watched him die," he said, his voice rough, as though the words were hard to spit out. She turned, startled by the suddenness, but he didn’t meet her gaze. "My brother. He bled out before anyone could help." His jaw tightened, eyes distant. "And I couldn’t do a damn thing."

Her laughter echoed in the room, but it faltered when she saw his face. He wasn’t laughing. He was staring, distant, lost in some memory only he could see. "What’s wrong?" she asked, suddenly concerned. His eyes snapped back to her, and he forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Nothing." He turned away quickly, but not before she saw the tear that had escaped down his cheek. "I just... you made me think of my sister."

[valentinebugzee]

Sonic Boom! Agent Stone AU (pt.1)

(This is kind of an outline thing for the fic I plan on writing in the future btw!!)

Chapter 1 posted!

•On one random Tuesday, a coffee shop named "The Mean Bean" appeared in the middle of town, with no construction and no posters for the place, as if it fell from the sky.

•It probably did since it's sonic boom and all.

•Sonic and friends had different opinions on the place, but all of them went in anyway.

•Sonic thought he wasn't really a coffee guy but it wouldn't hurt to try something new.

•Amy admired how beautiful and modern the place looked, unlike the rest of the establishments in their formerly unnamed village.

•Tails questioned how they had managed to construct a cafe that quickly without anyone noticing.

•Knuckles wondered why this bean shop smelled like coffee.

•Sticks, however...had her theories.

•Upon laying her eyes on the establishment, she started coming up with 50 theories per second; her friends dismissed her to get the plot going.

•Sticks's suspicions didn't subside one bit once entered the shop and made eye contact with a grinning barista with the name tag "Stone"

•What really got Sticks paranoid is how nice and friendly the barista was, and how he was the only person working there.

•Stone served them and said their orders were "on the house"

•Sticks refused to order anything, claiming it was a trap and the food had microchips in it to read the villager's thoughts and know the village's most crucial secrets.

•Right in the middle of Stick's yap session, Eggman initiated a very well-timed attack.

•Cut to Shoujo vision-eyed Stone laying his eyes for the very first time on the village's one and only villain (or the only one that matters)

•He quickly snapped out of it, adjusted his clothes, and cleared his throat, then walked out of his coffee shop to greet the villain.

•He had politely asked Eggman to take the fight somewhere further away from his coffee shop and Eggman surprisingly obliged (not without blowing up in Stone's face ofc) (Stone didn't look like he minded) (He actually looked even more love-struck) (weirdo)

•The fight ended, and the gang went back to the coffee shop, where Stone inquired about the evil doctor who almost blew up his shop.

•That was Stick's last straw; she started screaming about how Stone was a government agent who would doom the entire village if they didn't stop him.

•She ran out screaming when her friends still didn't believe her.

•Girl, get better friends.

•She figured that if she was going to foil the evil government agent's plans she needed someone else helping her, another pair of eyes to look out for the village if the government agent decided that she was an obstacle in his way and kidnaps her to a work in a secret underground trees-that-are- actually-spy-cameras-factory.

•And that's when she found Shadow in a cave that he definitely doesn't live in.

•He reluctantly agreed to help her because he was also suspicious about that guy, not that he cared about the village but he didn't like being oblivious about evil happening on his turf.

•He didn't believe stick's microchipped food theory, but Stone being a government agent didn't seem too far off for him...

•They both had their separate attempts at getting answers out of Stone.

•First was Sticks, she set up a trap.

•ofc Stone fell for it because how else would the story progress.

•She interrogated him as he was upside down hanging from a tree outside her home.

•He denied all claims and feigned innocence, claiming he was just a barista that came from far far away to simply serve people happiness in the form of coffee.

•She opted for more efficient interrogation techniques, she turned around and entered her home to..grab a feather and tickle him idfk

•Once she returned outside she saw the net was burnt to crisp and the human was nowhere to be found.

•Now she's sure she's not paranoid.

•She reported her findings to Shadow.

•Now it was Shadow's turn, seeing how Stone definitely had some special equipment/weapons on him the idea of there being microchips in the food didn't seem too uncanny.

•Shadow showed up to The Mean Bean, Sticks intently staring at him from behind the glass doors (creeping everyone in the shop out)

•Shadow thought he shouldn't interrogate him as that would end up as fruitful as Stick's efforts.

•Instead he chose to just behave as a normal customer, he was the ultimate life form after all, if there was something odd about the food then he'd know (I'm pulling this shit outta my ass okay)

•Just like the badger had described him "Very sweet with an evil aura", and something about trees.

•Stone felt somewhat nervous/awkward towards the hedgehog, so far all his customers were either stupid or friendly excluding the badger that kidnapped him because she wasn't a customer at all)

•The Hedgehog chose a cat muffin, glaring at stone the entire time.

•That was the best goddamn muffin he has ever had in his life.

•He slammed the money on the counter and returned back to a very distraught badger.

•"ARE YOU OKAY?! ARE THE RADIATIONS GETTING TO YOUR BRAIN?! ARE YOU BRAINWASHED?! DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR TRAGIC BACKSTORY?! DID THE MUFFIN DO SOMETHING TO YOU?!"

"Raspberry jam..."

"huh?"

[dailydelulu]

"My Girl" Part 1- Bobby x Fem! Reader K-pop Demon Hunters

A/N - I wanted to make this longer, but I promised to post it this week, so this part is a little short and sweet. After seeing so many responses to my poll I had to write it! Not beta read may go back and fix mistakes later. The next few parts will be a bit longer

Note: This part takes place right before the Saja Boys show up when 'Golden' was being released. The story will be about three parts and go through most of the events of the movie

Plot: You're a failed idol trying to find a way back into the industry after a humiliating end to your attempted music career. After being offered a management internship with your favorite group, the Huntrixx, you can't ignore the opportunity.

Trope: Meet-cute

(Bobby being the supportive guy he is)

P.S. Yes, the reader does have something more going on than meets the eye which will be revealed as the story progresses, and may or may not have a secret connection to the Huntrixx by the end

“Stupid. Untalented. Worthless. A waste of space.” 

Words filtered into your mind, gripping every thought as if claws had a hold of every phrase. It was as if a dark voice had wormed its way into your ears, repeating them only to bring up the feelings of shame along with them.  Those exact words had been what your last manager had said to you after your previous millionth failed audition. After graduating from college a few months ago, every day has been spent towards one singular goal- to make it as a professional musician. Yes, it was a silly, unreachable dream for anyone, but you weren’t just anyone. Realism wasn’t anything you lacked, or self-awareness, which was both a strength and a weakness. 

No, you didn’t think you were special or anything. Even though you were aware that the skills you had laid more in your hands pressed to the strings of your guitar rather than singing, you had the determination to make it in an industry as soul-crushing as this. At least, soul-crushing was the perfect way to describe how the last audition ended. Every word had been made to tear you apart, ripping your appearance, talent, and credentials to pieces. 

Too much of a liability- is how the manager you had worked with described you. Maybe your parents were right that a minor in music was a waste of money? Initially, you had pushed for a major in it, until you finally made a deal to earn a financially secure business degree along with a minor in music; otherwise, you would be kicked out and expected to pay for all your college expenses. 

Parents never supported you. Friends never thought the songs you scribbled in notebooks were anything more than a hobby. Professors and teachers gave you A's all while subtly, not so subtly, nudging you towards sensible music careers instead. 

Support. While always unbreakable, cracks seemed to be forming at the surface lately. If one person could give that push of support, then maybe, just maybe, the dream would become something more than a wish on stars outside the bedroom window on cold, lazy nights. If someone, anyone, would give that push, maybe making it wouldn’t be so hard. 

Rubbing the plastic ID card between your fingers, you glanced down at the name printed across it, along with the unflattering photo, reminding yourself it was all real. 

VIP- management staff- Intern- Huntrixx

Really, it was all real. Right now, you are standing amongst the management crew for the idols you’d looked up to for so long at a distance. Screaming from what sounded like at least 10,000 fans rang beyond the curtains. The notes of “Golden” thrummed under the wooden floor, shaking the sound-stage, matching the beat of your heart thumping wildly from nerves. In a few moments, you’d be meeting the manager of the group who’d be overseeing your internship. For a split second, you had peeked through the curtains and could have sworn you saw a near golden spark shimmer amongst the crowd. Probably just an effect from the show, or some of the lighting. 

Lately, sparks of blue and red, like living lines of music, seemed to appear in corners. Maybe it was all the stress you’d been under making your mind play tricks on you. At least, that was the story you were going with for now in order to ignore the feeling in your gut it could say it was something much more. Not to mention the weird purple stress rash that had been forming on your wrists for the past few weeks. Finding a doctor wouldn’t be within your budget right now, but it didn’t seem harmful enough to take any desperate measures like buying those obviously-a - scam tonics sold from that wack doctor. Right now, you had other things to focus on. 

Chatter filled the air as the staff discussed album covers and making sure the lighting was set up for the next hour of the show, all wearing the same matching blue jackets, tour tees, and IDs, you were wearing as well. 

At least the last manager you had pulled a few strings to get you this internship, and before you knew it, you were jumping on a plane to head to Seoul. Luckily, one of your best friends from middle school to graduation was originally from Busan and had taught you enough Korean that holding conversations wasn’t difficult.   Sure, maybe you weren’t on stage, but you’d be an idiot not to take such an opportunity. Working backstage under the manager of the Huntrixx? And your favorite K-pop group? Who wouldn’t take it? Plus, now that you were behind the scenes, you could begin creating connections to find a career somewhere in this industry. Often, making your way onstage required knowing the ins and outs of the backstage area. 

“Get out of the way, newbie,” a passing woman with a clipboard said in a clipped tone, shoving you out of the way.

“Watch it!” you snapped, crossing your arms. Sure, maybe using the usual harsh edge you seemed to carry everywhere wasn’t the best thing to do on the first day, but you’d learned in the talent world that if you didn’t bark first, they would bite back faster.

“Weren’t you told to stay in the back through the show?” She looked you over disapprovingly with a sharp eye, “Your job is to watch, not participate.”

“I’m waiting to meet the manager-”

“As if he has time to see you, managers hardly even speak with their interns anyway, or were you too naive to think otherwise?” She rolled her eyes, flipping a page to a blank one, pretending to read it, “Or what? Did you think you’d get all this extra stuff? Free autographs? Merch?”

Wow, this lady was really pushing your buttons. 

“I only want to do my best job, so meeting with him seemed like the best thing to do,” you responded, trying to keep cool, “I take this seriously.” 

“Water,” she ordered, “Water is your job. Go get some and stay quiet, or do you want to be fired on the first day?”

Panic filled you suddenly. No! No, you couldn’t lose your job on the first day! This was the last chance, the only thread of hope you had left.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around your shoulders in a friendly grip, “Oh, I was just looking for you! Must have gotten lost back here. The stadium is huge, so I can’t blame you.” The person attached to the arm was a guy with curly dark hair, with a friendly smile, who was doing you a huge favor , whoever he was. Not that you cared, because he was getting you out of a jam. 

“Or do we have a problem here?” he added with a faux innocence, while simultaneously giving her a knowing look. 

Fear seemed to cross the woman’s face, “N-No, there’s nothing wrong. I’ll go check with the wardrobe department.”

“Good, good, I thought there was no problem,” he waved her off as she skittered back towards the racks of clothes. The mysterious man brushed himself off, standing in front of you, with a bright smile, “Sorry about that, some of the other staff pick on new members a bit. I’m assuming you’re the new intern?”

“Oh, yes…I’ve been trying to find the Huntrixx manager so I can speak with him.”

“You’re looking right at him!” he pointed two thumbs at himself before holding out his hand to shake. “I’m Bobby, but I already know your name.”

Wait? Was this the manager for the biggest K-pop band in the industry? Sure, he obviously knew how to run things with how he had sent that Karen running, but you were expecting someone intimidating, scary even.  He was also a lot shorter than you expected. Although he seemed to carry a friendly air about him, calming your first-day jitters. 

“How?” Your eyes widened a bit as you shook his hand. Had the talent company already reported a mistake to him?

“Um…it’s sorta written on your ID,” he pointed at the card dangling from the lanyard around your neck.

“Oh, right!” You nervously tugged at it. “Thanks for helping me out back there. You seriously saved my job.”

Bobby shrugged, waving it off, “Ah, no problem. It’s your first day. Mistakes are expected, no pressure.”

“So, you’re like my boss?” you questioned, actually unsure since technically the talent agency working with the Huntrixx had hired you.

“No, exactly your boss…” he trailed off, thinking, “More like here to show you the ropes of management, how to work with an idol group, keeping up with schedules. Follow me, I’ll show you around backstage.” 

Following, you pushed past others rushing about, yelling something about getting the correct shade of green for Zoey’s glitter eyeshadow as you kept your eyes on the man ahead, who walked at a much more energetic rate than you. He spoke over the noise of the music from the stage, pointing out various rooms between sentences.

 “Picking up an intern in the middle of a release isn’t common. Not gonna lie, it’s going to be a lot of work. There are press tours, concerts, and we’re still working out all the details for the choreography, and you’ll have to keep up with the demands, but I’ll be here if you need any help.”

Help sounded nice about now. “Is there anything I need to do now?” you asked, raising your voice over the music.

“Let’s see…” he tapped his chin, “How about you go put some more teeshirts out by the merch tables since they almost sold out before the show. And maybe add a few posters, too.”

“Got it,” you gave a mock salute, then instantly regretted it, realizing how unprofessional it must have looked, until you noticed he seemed unfazed by the gesture. 

Before you could turn around, he grabbed your arm, “Wait-wait! If you stick around a few more minutes, you can meet my girls! Have you met them yet? They’re going to love you!”

“Oh, well, I’m sure they’re busy,” you mumbled, pulling away.  Meeting the Huntrixx was too daunting, especially with the growing swarm of butterflies in your stomach from being on this job. 

“No, they’re coming back here right now for a wardrobe change; it will just take a minute.” Reluctantly, you followed him towards the back where Mira, Zoey, and Rumi were walking backstage. 

Oh no. This was real, you were standing in front of people who you’d listened to on repeat more times than you liked to admit. All the butterflies were now dying in you. 

“Girls, say hi to this year's intern!” he pushed towards them as you gave an awkward wave. What would you say? How did you even approach celebrities???

Mira was giving you a critical gaze, analyzing every move, almost as if she was cautious of everything.  If looks could kill, then you were already 6ft under. Zoey, on the other hand, was the complete opposite, stopping to wave enthusiastically at you.

“Hiiiii! We’re so happy to have you with us! We’ve been super busy lately, so we need all the help we can get!” 

Rumi gave a short nod, managing a small appreciative smile. Even if you’d only met her a few seconds ago, she seemed almost distracted? Not to mention how she was holding her shoulder as if it were injured- Or hiding something. 

“Hutrixx appreciates all its interns, if you need any help, just ask Bobby.” she assured. 

“Oh, we’ve already met,” you gestured between you and Bobby even more awkwardly.

Zoey grinned, whispering something to Mira as she rolled her eyes, “Zoey, your brain is so weird. Don’t get any ideas.” 

Rumi put a hand on each of their shoulders, “Thanks for stopping by, but our cue is soon, so we have to go change.” Her long braid whipped around as she led them back into the shadows of the curtains. Zoey gave one last enthusiastic wave before disappearing. Maybe meeting your heroes wasn’t such a bad thing, considering they seemed a lot nicer than you had expected most celebrities to be. 

“See? I told you! My girls are the best!” Bobby said, while checking his phone to look at what seems to be at least 20 texts in the last few minutes, “No, no, no! Someone forgot to schedule for the interview, Mira’s usual makeup artist is sick, but at least view’s for ‘Golden’ have went up by 12%,”

He took in a few sharp breaths, “Calm down, it will be fine. Everything is fine.”

The manager looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack, combined with a mental breakdown, and a lack of coffee.

“Do you ever catch a break?” you asked, taking in his distressed state, “Seriously, do you need to lie down?”

Bobby shoved his phone in his pocket, “No, it’s fine. All part of my job. I can handle it, but when those social media numbers start to change I freak out. Everything the Huntrixx have relies on making sure they stay on the top of the charts.”

“But it won’t help any if their manager passes out,” you retorted. 

His shoulders slumped, “I guess you’re right, but I don’t know how to deal with it all sometimes. I want to be the best manager possible.”

“I have a feeling that you are.” A bit of tension seemed to leave his face as he smiled widely back at you, well wider than before. Now that you think about it, his actions weren’t scary at all as you imagined, but somewhat cute? No, you quickly shook the thought from your head before letting it go any further. Cute and the new host for your internship were two things that did not need to be together. Keeping this internship was too important after nearly losing everything only weeks before. All of your career was resting on this going well.

“I try my best,” he went on, “Because I want to be the best for them, but I could use a break from time to time.”

“My aunt back at home was a therapist. There was this really good breathing app she would recommend to her patients. I could show it to you,” you offered.

“That’s really helpful,” Bobby handed you his phone, which you noticed was covered in a worn Huntrixx phone cover. Wow, he really was their biggest fan. 

“It’s no problem,” you reassured, handing him the phone back with the app downloading, “She also had this saying ‘It’s just whatever is bothering you, not the end of the world,’”

“It’s just social media numbers, not the end of the world,” Bobby repeated with a sigh,  “I think I feel better already. Thanks.”

“Consider it repaying you for saving me back there,” you responded. 

“Any time,” he answered while checking his phone again, “Oh, and why don’t you add your number to my phone? So I can contact you faster with any tasks.”

“Sure,” you exchanged phones with him, typing your number in with the contact “Intern” before handing it back where you noticed he had put in “Bobby” along with at least three smiling face emojis, “There you go.”

Bobby acted as if he were about to say something else when someone shouted his name, “Got to go, nice meeting you!” 

As he was rushing off, he called out, “Text me anytime if you need any help! I’ll be here!”

Suddenly, the voice who’d been whispering in your ear all week was a bit more quiet. 

[murderbot-moodboard]

I've made good progress on moving out of my apartment, but my body is currently hating me for it, so I'm awake and you're getting some more thoughts about episode 6.

Something I noticed about episode 6 was how relatable all the characters felt to me throughout the episode. (Even LeeBeeBee's motives were understandable on some level, even if I disagreed with them and wouldn't make the same choices right now, who knows if I would make some of the same choices if I'd lived her life.) I don't think they were necessarily more relatable than in previous episodes, but rather that I noticed because the situations they were dealing with were extreme, and they were all having understandable human reactions to them. The way Mensah acted while performing surgery on Murderbot, steeling herself to do something hard and unpleasant by muttering and vocalizing and wincing the whole time, is exactly how I (and I think many or most people) deal with that type of task. (You know, the type you can't totally dissociate from by thinking about Star Trek characters, or partially dissociate from by pretending you're a Starfleet officer gathering samples of alien plants on a planet. Something many or most people would also do, of course.)

And the way the rest of Preservation Aux reacted to LeeBeeBee's sudden violent death was also relatable. I've never been in a situation quite like that, thankfully, but if I were, I think there's an equal chance I could have any of their responses to it. I just think it really speaks to the good writing, acting, and directing that all of the humans felt realistically human, not like they were reacting a certain way just because it was convenient for the plot.

I also think it's interesting how this episode means that in this alternate universe, it's no longer true that Ratthi has never seen Murderbot kill anyone up close (and Murderbot wants to keep it that way). I wonder if the writers thought about that specifically when writing this part, because Ratthi's extreme gut reaction (pun intended) to violence feels completely believable for his character. This change also introduces an interesting dynamic to Ratthi's relationship to Murderbot that we didn't see in the books as such, so I'm really looking forward to finding out how Ratthi reacts to Murderbot after this and whether he still wants to try to understand Murderbot (as he mistakenly thought he understood it before).

The episode really walked an interesting and difficult tonal line, balancing both the comedy and the horror. To me, when Gurathin said, "Now that she no longer has a head!" it struck me as the punch line to an awful dark joke that I wanted to laugh at, but I felt a touch of guilt for considering laughing about it. That sort of describes the whole mood of that part of the episode, and a little bit of the earlier parts as well. We're given insight into one of Murderbot's favorite Sanctuary Moon episodes, which has a ridiculously implausible plot which is simultaneously sad, and yet it's the episode Murderbot finds soothing. There's a discordant disconnect between the values it's learned as property in the Corporation Rim and the values Preservation Aux hold without always understanding why anyone would think differently. Murderbot itself is a contradiction—a killing machine who wants to protect its clients, and a person who denies its need for or interest in connection while still demonstrating how much it actually cares. The jarring aspects of the episode feel appropriate for the way they show cognitive dissonance forming in all the main cast: cognitive dissonance that threatens their ability to trust each other (and for Murderbot to trust itself).

So, basically, I think this episode was supposed to feel like a wakeup call, reminding both Preservation Aux and us the viewers who Murderbot actually is. How everything plays out now will depend a lot on the leadership of Mensah, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[lovckett]

someone dent my head in pls i cant stop thinking about vampire tfone orion except he doesn't know he's a vampire i cant stop WONT STOP CANT STOP WONT STOP UAAAGHHGHHGHHGHHHH

yes writing these are ok . credit is nonmandatory but it'd be pretty neat to have it

TFONE 5 times orion pax looked stupid without context and one time everyone sees his plan in full action and realizes Oh he's kinda smart he just LOOKS stupid

TFP twisted beauty and the beast au . sacrificial lamb orion who's gifted to megatronus either for killing or eating but orion is Not willing to take that shit and keeps plotting to escape in the most unconventional ways . megatronus is trying and failing to explain that No he does Not eat the sacrifices and please get down from the chandelier he doesn't want orion hurt himself and spilled energon is really hard to clean from the carpet . they get along eventually with literature .

TFONE Whatever Job Isn't Really That Bad Until The One Person You Absolutely Do NOT Want Finding Out Finds Out Not Because It's Illegal But It's Really Kinda Embarrassing orion . he picked up the gig because he realized dee was willingly taking punishments by darkwing meant for him and he's given less and less energon rations each day so orion agrees to work for as long as he needs to . many repercussions like drowsiness and dee growing more and more concerned because Why is pax so tired and is pax giving me Extra energon ???? is he starving ??????

TFONE secret orion job but it Definitely Is Very illegal . he sells crack ( synthesized energon ......... hi tfp ratchet ) . orion needing to come up with the weirdest lies to save his aft .

TFONE/TFP orion finds a sparkling and decides You Know What I Can Totally Handle This . suspicious d-16/megatronus until the eventual Oh Shit Got Caught . humorous misunderstandings (" where is the sire?! does he not have the grace to even stay by your side ?!!!? ") (" oh my god you got sparked up???!? pax????? i thought— how didn't i— when?????? ") . no the sparkling isn't b-127 that is a grown man with huge balls .

TFONE orion misusing a word and the aftermath dragging out longer than it should've been .

TFP optimus x MTMTE lost light . after optimus jumps into the well of allspark he appears in the shadow zone with soundwave . theyre very wary and by soundwave's pov especially hateful but learn to get along . lost light suddenly appears to pick them up . i don't know enough about lost light to add anything but it'd be cool to see them both progress . someone give me fics to read pls anything

TFONE orion pax gets cybertronian equivalents to piercings and tattoos . or he USED to wear piercings and he now hides his tattoos . i dunno i just want to see d-16 jaw drop because What What Do You Mean Orion Pax Has Tattoos Excuse Me Did I Hear You Right Hello Repeat That Again Where Even Are They I Need To Know .

TFP extremely ticklish orion pax . except it's the kind of ticklish where megatronus keeps poking him and he slowly descends to the ground clutching himself each time and it happens so much that he grows paranoid of being tickled again so he goes to drastic measures to get Away from those horrifying servos . he somehow ends up on top of one of the archival shelves and can't get down . (" come now, little archivist, i swear on my servo that you will not be deceived! ") ("YOU CANNOT FOOL ME MEGATRONUS. YOUR SERVO WAS ON MY FRAME JUST MOMENTS AGO . I THINK I AM INCLINED NOT TO TRUST YOUR SERVO . ")

TFONE d-16 convinced that orion pax is doing something suspicious and each time he stumbles on orion it's either seemingly incriminating or seemingly innocent .

TFONE orion being a secret fanboy . he laughs at d-16 for his very open admiration toward megatronus but he's so much worse than d-16. he hoards pictures and figurines and posters and drawings of prima prime . he has a body pillow . he knows he can't hide it forever but the secret he will keep to the grave is that he's written fanfiction of him . he is either found out by dee stumbling on his collection of things or orion immediately getting into an argument with someone that hates prima .

TFONE miners knowing about the cybertronian equivalent to birthdays and orion having zero clue what that is . dee asks him when his birthday is and orion's reaction is that he sort of has this slightly horrified look because he has this extremely misconstrued idea of what's birthday sounds like it would be. Um . Dee , What The Frag Is a Birth Day . Is It like When You— vague motion OR he nods very stiltedly and roblox man face smiles and is like Ah Yes the Birthday the Birthday For me Hm yes that's i ah uh haven't decided yet !

[bonsiii-art]

Okay so this has some last of us thing as the plot is about "What if Longan lost their power the same as pitaya dragon and met Anon?"

They could be in disguise - i believe i saw an account made Longan in disguise but forgot who - and just has to BEAR with Anon's jokes!

"Are you a vegetable? Because you're a CUTE-cumber!... Get it?"

"Wanna hear a joke about pizza? Never mind it was too cheesy"

Like Longan have to bear with each and EVERY joke anon is dropping wither it's flirting or bad or a joke they don't even understand. (They don't know much about cookie world your honor they're somehow still a baby).

But with time Longan start, in their own way showing interest - or just trying to find a way to make hearing the 'jokes' more bearable - to the lines and anon themselves.

"Baker trade bread recipes on knead-to-know basis-"

"I get it" longan answers coldly as they walk besides them.

They answer to anon and even asks showing progress in their unknown bond

"A backward poet writes 'In verse'-"

"You don't sound like you get it"

"...sadly i don't 😭"

And after time spending together, Longan start to find some positive - hardly can be called "joy" if it's not offing cookies - things based on hearing the jokes/puns.

"I used to be addicted to soap, but am clean now"

"... Not bad"

Ending:

I thought as a bad end if anon helped longan regain their power back and passed away helping, Longan would keep their joke book with them and read it from time to time. If the book got rugged from age they'll either memorize it or write it in a scroll to keep it for the future generations. (Extra points if Longan was reading some jokes/puns on Anon's grave).

Extra scene:

Remember in my previous ask i said i was listening to "flare" right? The very few seconds it start with us hearing "If you're a vegetable you'd be a CUTE-cumber". I thought: what if anon was offed by an enemy and Longan had this sentence played in their mind over and over since it's anon's favorite line to drop on them.

And as the song builds up, we see Longan just glaring at the enemy who took Anon's life prepare to make them vanish!

I LOVE THIS like I'm imagining this as if it happens after Longan gets eventually defeated at the end of the dragon story. So anon finds someone injured near their home, gets them fixed up and takes care of them till they get better. In the meantime, Longan's gotta make do with no sorcery and no future sight. Just standoffish and awkward >:P

Them getting used to Anon's puns are so cuuute!! (o′┏▽┓｀o) Longan going from completely ignoring them to actually giving a response because now they're actually listening to their cookie companion! I imagine Anon trying to make jokes about dragons doesn't land with Longan (Disrespect by a cookie about their kin, no matter how lighthearted is especially offending to them) so they avoid those. But- " Y'know, something I heard about the Ivory Dragon..." " ! " " Many people got turned into statues by them but the ones who met the dragon and survived say that they were really... ...stone-faced." ".........." " ...Yeah, sorry, that was dark." Longan in their head is just like " That was pretty good."

That ending is so good, I love me that angst. It hurts so good. 〜(￣▽￣〜) I wanna add to that by saying that what if Anon during their time with Longan, made it their personal goal to try and make the dragon laugh? But they died before they ever could. So when Longan is copying the puns into a scroll, they get that sudden moment of realization that here they are, trying to preserve a cookie's legacy, writing down their bad jokes into draconic paper. And they laugh harder than they ever had before ~~like that one pedro pascal gif.~~ It's so laughable and it's so bitter, it hurts their heart.

Also listened to that song and YEEEA I get what you're putting down!! The scenario is perfect with that build up! Also, the tune is pretty good, I like it! :P

[echoreadsbsdfics]

I have decided that I am going to play a game with the characters from my latest fic which is in progress instead of continuing to write chapter two. This includes canon characters and Ocs. If you wanna know the actual hero/vilian outfits you'll have to wait. Jack is an oc made by @softmeetscreatureplz The game is below the cut bc of how long it is.

Dazai: What game are we playing? Me: Guess the identity of certain people, I give you all a hero or villain and you have to guess their identity, however if you get it wrong you get locked up until I make you play something again! Flame: And why should we play? Me: Because I can kill you off with a click of my fingers. Flame: … Me: Okay so, Nakaharas you gettttttt Void!! Chuuya: Why does it have to be that prick? Miyo: Vod? Ryuunosuke: Mama, let's just play, it doesn't matter if it's Void, it's a game. Gin: Nodding silently Q: Do we get a photo or…? Me: Of course. *Photo of a man who is 5'11 with fluffy brown hair and bandages all over him) Miyo: Dazie! Chuuya: Are you sure you wanna pick Dazai? Ryuunosuke, Q and Gin: *Silently watching* Miyo: Yes! Chuuya: We're going with Dazai Me: Are you sure you wanna go with what a five year old says? Chuuya, Gin, Q and Ryuunosuke: Nodding in time with each other Yes Me: Alright, congratulations one point for the nakaharas Miyo: Yay!! Me: Okay, Dazai and Ty, who is Sorrow? Dazai: Sorrow as in the most wanted villain in the country Sorrow? Me: Yes. Dazai: How are we meant to know? That veil he has has gems in it so it blocks our view of his face and reflects light so no camera can catch even a glimpse of his face. Ty: It's Chuuya. Dazai: No it's not! Ty: It is, his voice and his height and build is the same and Sorrow always smells like the coffee from Chuuyas cafe which is why you complain about fighting him since you can never get over to the stray dogs cafe before it closes due to our shift times. Dazai: … Dazai: Is he right? Me: Yep. Dazai: Screeching like a new born baby Me: Jackkkkkk? Jack: looks up and then looks back at his book Me: If you play I'll set up for you and Ty to have your own slow burn romance novel. Jack: Closes the book What's the game? Me: You guess the identity of the person I give you. Jack: Alright. Me: Your person is Torch. Jack: Ty. Me: … Me: How did you? Jack: You don't need to know. Me: I don't want to know. Me: Kunikida!!! Kunikida: What is it, Echo? Me: It's simple, you're playing this game. Kunikida: Who's my person? Me: Hellhound. Kunikida: Do I get a hint? Me: He already participated in one of the first two rounds. kunikida: Nakahara Ryuunosuke. He is the only teen that fits the physical definition of Hellhound. Me: I thought this was gonna be harder for all of you. Me: Wait if you knew why haven't you arrested them yet!? Heroes: Shrugs Me: Fucking dumbasses.

Flame: What about me? Me: Oh, right you exist. Flame: Hurry up. Me: Beast Flame: is it that kid with white hair that's hugging that kid with black hair? Points at Atsushi who is hugging Akutagawa Me: Yes...

Atsushi: Looks up, confused Huh? Me: Use protection Atsushi: HUH!? Ryuunosuke: Extremely flustered Yosano: Whos my one? Me: Ah, Golden. Yosano: As in my wife? Me: Yep. Me: Kouyou, your turn. Kouyou: If it's my wife I will win. Me: No, it's Mara. Kouyou: There's no villain or hero by that name? Me: Its something one of Sorrows know associates are called however they have never been on scene Chuuya: Coughing and trying not to panic Kouyou: Do I get a hint? Me: Yes. She's adorable and you know her. Kouyou: Adorable and I know her? Kouyou: Miyo...? Chuuya: Nodding silently while trying to hide his panic Dazai: Staring at them in shock Me: Okay everyone! Now that we're done, your memories are gonna be wiped so we don't mess up the plot. Dazai: You never said anything about that! Me: I didn't think I'd have to. Flame: Evil woman Me: Thank you <3 Flame: That wasn't a compliment. Me: I know. ^^

[loveselenade]

As a general rule, I self-impose on myself to make sure to do some readings before I open my mouth on here. But I just watched Mizu5, and it's both such a massively sobering experience and such a careful, well-crafted event, I have to write this.

Way before I even felt interested in getting through niigo's story, I knew that Mizuki got outed. I had been wondering this whole time why pick this narrative path, not out of a belief it shouldn't be portrayed, but trying to understand why have the climax of her long, taxing journey to try to trust her friends be co-opted by something so deeply violating. The answers are quite interesting.

Mizuki's conflict to come out to niigo gets introduced right on her first event---out of her belief that to belong in the group long-term, she needs to come out. It's not an entirely incorrect assesment, since she can't share her full interiority without talking about her subjectivity and opression as a trans girl. But it's also moored to her deep fears of her relationships tanking due either rejection or getting othered as a result of her coming out. We see her constantly ping-pong between deeply contradictory stances,her desire to trust and love niigo and her fears. We see her deeply-rooted avoidance coping and rumminating that land her in further isolation and hurt her deeply. Her arc then seems to be framed as a story of self-actualization where Mizuki will come out the other end a more well-rounded person, having trusted Ena (and niigo).

This is the narrative Mizuki herself tells herself. Since Ena took a step forward and maturely showed her patience and kidness, Mizuki has to repay in kind. Because she's always been a "coward", she's stagnate and has never resolved any of her problems. If she wants to be welcomed, keep up with, be of any use to niigo, she needs to step up and learn what she doesn't know, "what lies ahead of just running away". And so, her fifth event starts from this framing to self-growth as progressive and cumulative. She admires the bravery Mafuyu showed when facing her Father, so now she has to step up and not be left behind.

We follow her through the first half of the event as she psychs herself up and remembers the wisdom nuggets we've accrued so far: 1. that in order to live, she has to take that decision and advance wherever her heart and agency will be protected, 2. that she will always have an ally on her side, and 3. that she can allow herslef to imagine a hopeful, positive outcome from taking a risk. She's deadly terrified, but she's making an effort to face her prolems and this is good™ for her. We reach the midpoint as niigo fool around through the school festival. It's a hearwarming showing of their friendship full of fond memories. Once we reach her escape room, we get to see how much they pay attention to her words, how much they remember of her quirks, how much they understand how she thinks. How much they love her, to put it simply. It reassures her to take the next step, despite her nerve-wracking guilt and anxiety. It's all looking up now, we are building to thelong-awaited resolution of this plot thread. And then, the entire train gets derailed in seemingly random, inconsequential ways. And the jarring tone shift comes in part seveth, with the lack of bgm, the frankly boring, yet obscene, boy talk from the randos. Why crash Mizuki's big moment through no-ones that don't even get sprites?

But the truth is that Mizuki never had an ounce of control neither in the decision of coming out nor the timing of it. From her very second event, she's faced with the truth that either she tells them herself or she runs the risk of losing complete control over her own narrative via increasingly intermingling social circles, increasing outings, the pass of time itself. The longer she spends with them, the higher is the risk that the decision will be taken away from her hands. Ena's promise and the fact they're all shut-ins allows Mizuki to stall, but it was always a march towards the inexorable. She doesn't even get a chance to choose the time, as it comes from Ena's completely random whims over whether to attend the fest or not. In the end, a can of seasonings seals Mizuki's fate. While at school, her lack of control gets heightened: she can't control who calls to her or approaches them (luckily, it was just An and Akito), she can't control who's going to be at the reception of her class' event (luckily, it was just Tōya), she can't control who catches sight of her and seeks for her help, who goes to the rooftop, who approaches Ena. She can't even control the final answer of her locked room, despite being the space where she is the safest to conduct her narrative.

She blames herself for getting outed, for not having been braver, for not having said it sooner, for not being able to face Ena. As if navigating the violence she's subjected to were just a matter of her being clever, brave and fast enough to read every social situation correctly, respond correctly, act correctly.

The other thing is that. Mizuki has always framed whether she can be together with niigo long term as a matter of whether she herself can trust them not to other her through the facade of tolerance. But a far more decisive factor has always been whether niigo would be able to navigate the violence Mizuki faces. Not even because they could get hit by proxy but because being able to fully welcome and hold her heart was going always going to involve understanding how precarious her position is, understanding how she's been utterly alienated and othered her whole life and how this affects how she relates to others. Because she's going to have to keep facing this oppression, no matter how much she tries to outsmart it. And if they couldn't help her navigate it, help her heal her heart, then it was doomed... And I think mizu5 really does raise that question by showing Ena be totally out of her depth. Can she even raise to the occassion? Can she work through her clownish cis cluelessnes, can she get past her biases, can she show Mizuki niigo truly is a safe space?

The total, jarring tonal shift reframes her whole narrative away from her personal choice to come out and how that specific event would go, her supposed "responsibility" to be truthful and trust niigo, how clever or brave she was. This was never about her quality of character or her personal growth, whether she could be brave or wise enough, but about a world that has always been bent on destroying her, regardless of how much she tries to bootsrap her way out of being deeply violated.

[miss-eli-starfleet]

I like how WestAllen ended in the Flash with Nora's birth. The part where they're holding hands right before her birth and yellow and purple lightning zaps between them is done really well... Now, I don't particularly ship SnowBarry, but I do find the idea cute sometimes because of the Frost sisters, and how well done the writers wrote her scripts. I'm gonna disregard the whole Khione thing in my comparison of both ships which is canon WestAllen and AU SnowBarry from my perspective.

In a SnowBarry AU, Caitlin would be Barry’s “lightning rod”.

Barry would've been married to OG Caitlin (if you know what I mean) by the time they split in S6. At least following the timeline of how WestAllen generally progressed throughout the show. Like, as in, Barry's proposal of "Running Home to You" would be directed towards Caitlin instead of Iris in S3, SnowBarry marriage in S4, etc etc... Maybe it would be Caitlin SnowAllen if they decide to hyphenate?

Anyways, AU SnowBarry or canon WestAllen, I do wish they gave Caitlin/Frost more screentime especially after they split in S6. I would take the Frost sisters in a heartbeat instead of Cecile or Allegra.

S2 Barry and Jay would be “fighting” over Caitlin lol. Or maybe not. But he would be hella protective when Zoom kidnaps her.

In S3, Caitlin turned Killer Frost does end up working with Savitar.. imagine just how desperate Barry would be to keep her from going all "Frosty" because Caitlin is his fiancee, just as desperate as he was with trying to save Iris from Savitar in canon. I think instead of the focus on Iris, a majority of SnowBarry AU’s base plot line would include Barry trying to save Caitlin from her evil self? Like in that one episode where he spoke to Frost, and allowed her to try to kill him because he knows she’s still Caitlin deep down. OR it could be both: Savitar’s tryna kill her because she’s Barry’s “lightning rod” in this SnowBarry AU instead of them joining up.

Let’s say Barry still goes into the Speedforce in this SnowBary AU. Her heartbreak would be another catalyst/reason as to why Caitlin turned into her Frosty self between S3 and S4 to work for Amunet. In canon 4x01, Killer Frost does come back to the team as Caitlin to help Barry come out of the Speedforce so don't gotta "AU" that part. I know they "balanced out" the whole Caitlin/Frost thing in S4, and that was awesome to watch.

Loved the cuteness where “Caity” and Frost would communicate with each other in little sticky notes. Since Barry and Caitlin would be married by that time, maybe Frost writes sticky notes to Barry too?

Moving onto S5.. How would it go with Caitlin raising Nora alone in the future? Caitlin is a geneticist/doctor whereas Iris is a news reporter.. I think with Caitlin’s doctor/biochemist, I don't think she'd put a power dampening chip inside Nora. Nora would have Frost (split or not) to protect/guide her as well as the rest of the team. Maybe in SnowBarry S5, Nora would've grown up knowing that her father is the Flash from the start. 5x18 would've shown Caitlin and Nora having a better mother-daughter relationship than 5x18 canon Iris and Nora. Would she still go to Thawne then? Maybe so because of godspeed and he’s the only other speedster around and then after what happened to Lia? Maybe so.

Since Nora still wouldn’t have ever met Barry, Thawne could’ve still manipulated her with the whole Cicada dagger thing so she travels back in time. One thing for sure: she wouldn’t be all pissy towards Iris lol. But my poor girl Nora would’ve still vanished in S5 finale :(

When Caitlin splits in S6, imagine how happy Frost would be have her own body, but also to be there to support SnowBarry marriage in person, and be able to interact with both Barry and Caitlin at the same time. Speaking of the Frost sisters, what would Nora call Frost? Aunt Frost? Something like that?

Yep, Caitlin and Frost never dies in this particular SnowBarry AU. It was the only stupid thing the writers did for her character.

[sparklingcamelia]

UPDATE ON THE FANFIC "LOST SPARKS" SITUATION - PART OF THE TEXT

Ok, so here's the thing: I've written about my doubts and struggles, but I also want to share something very positive.

So I thought I'd share short part of fanfic I'm currently writing. Title is still work in progress:

"LOST SPARKS".

What is this part about? It's not a big spoiler about the whole story, just part of the dialogue. This particular scene involves two characters: Nightbird and Jetfire. It's partially slice of life scene, but there are also hints about Jetfire's condition, that will play important role in the plot for next parts of the story...

If you don't want to get to the text, that's ok. So I leave cut here.

If you're under the cut, there is one last thing I want to mention: English is not my first language, but I try to write in it as best as I can. If you will have any advices - let me know! Thanks!

______________________________________________________________

Nightbird sat on the window sill and watched her siblings. She took a drag on her ci-gi and slowly blew out the smoke. Triplets were sitting under a tree in the garden, she could calmly watch them as they did their homework.

It’s so peaceful to know they are safe.

She enjoyed this view from far, mainly cause she didn’t want to interrupt them. She remembered clearly when she and her friends were sitting in the same spot, relaxing after a long day of classes. Sometimes Father joined them, and then they often argue and debate over music, art, movies or just listen to some nostalgic stories from Cybertron…

‘I think even on Cybertron it was considered a bad habit’, Jetfire’s voice was very calm and emphatic.

Nightbird look over her shoulder and smiled. She inhaled again.

‘Well,’ she exhaled the smoke. ‘We’re not on the Cybertron.’

But he was right – it wasn’t something she should be proud of.

‘We’re not,’ mech smiled, but suddenly became visibly sad.

Oh-uh.

‘Hey,’ Nightbird jumped down from the window sill, and reached her hand to him. ‘Come here.’

Jetfire leaned against her and let her hug him.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be,’ his voice was soft, but she felt he was hurt. ‘You didn’t said anything wrong.’

‘I was very indelicate, I should be more careful with things I’m saying.’

‘No, it’s just me… I’m still struggle with anxiety because of state of my mind.’

‘Stop, don’t blame yourself.’

‘But –’

‘But it’s going to be okay, you remember a lot, don’t you?  

‘You know… It’s still weird that I remember how to work in the lab, but I don’t remember things about my personal life, any important informations about current state of planet… I don’t even remember people, I used to know back on Cybertron, faces and names are blurred, and  –’

‘You will, of course, you will get your memories back,’ Nightbird said this with determination. She pulled away so she could look into his eyes. ‘I’m sure about it! Just… it takes time. Trust me.’

‘Ok,’ Jetfire took a deep breath and breathed sigh of relief.

‘Remember, it’s not a problem to have a spark to spark conversation, if you ever need one.’

‘We are having one right now.’

‘Yeah, we do,’ she chuckled. ‘Should we continue?’

‘I would like to, but maybe later, cause your Father is calling you to the lab.’

To be continued...

When? I can't say for sure. I will give you some sneak-peeks from time to time. But as I mentioned in one of last posts: I'm hoping it will be June/July when I will publish first chapter. I will give you update as soon as possible!

[nonverbalnaji]

How I'm writing Regency A/B/O (worldbuilding notes)

My brain latched onto this blend when thinking of a Jayvik scene that is now in Chapter Two of my fic 'Wallflower of Althea and Fir' and with the next chapter being a bit heavy, I wanted to outline some thoughts I've had on meshing these two setting tropes together.

So firstly - general thing of probably not going to be *incredibly* historically accurate, as a note that I will try my best to have the vibes right.

Part of the appeal of this was I quite enjoy A/B/O fics where the plot is about challenging society and stereotypes. A regency setting feels like a pressure-cooker of this sort of challenge, so there's a balance on my end of keeping up the vibes while also getting across both the progressive and rigidity of the society and stereotypes.

My fic is set where the Piltover council is made up of the great noble houses of Piltover, namely all Dukes/Duchesses after the last Monarch stepped down rather than name an heir, forming the first council and bringing about change while maintaining some traditions still (Good ol' King Heimerdinger which just... the name lol). One such tradition was having the social season not just debut omegas and omega-leaning betas but aphas and alpha-leaning betas also.

I like fics where beta's have something that's unique to them too. For this fic, I'm nodding as a reference to this write up by Sweet_peach_tea: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63412462

Particularly, the fact that beta's have a form of gender fluidity is appealing as someone who is non-binary but also it presented an interesting angle for Caitlyn's arc in particular.

I've hesitated to up my fic from Moderate to Explicit until I had a clearer idea of where it was heading. Now that I know a bit more of the non-sexual themes that will be a part of the fic too, I've upped the rating. Particularly once I worked out the worldbuilding around two things: scents and heats/ruts.

So for my fic, here's how it goes:

People are born displaying certain external sex characteristics. There is a general face-value of boxing 'men' and 'women' but there's a bit more flexibility in regards to gender expression even after ones first puberty around the age of twelve. When puberty starts, an individual's body changes and adapts to the external characteristics *but* from the age of sixteen a second puberty begins where ones secondary sex becomes apparent.

Nodding to the reference piece above, there's a difference between scenting and bonding. Family members may scent frequently especially with their children who don't have strong scents as their personal scent begins to develop with puberty with the particular notes of their second sex with second puberty. There's often debate before 16 what their secondary sex is but around 18 to 19 one has a clearer idea. Betas can be harder to place due to their flexibility in expressions, so it's only after an individual has had their first heat or rut are things more certain. Over this time it is expected for people to adapt their ability to surpress and express their scents, more controllable than body odor but sometimes difficult to do during heightened emotions. The restraint of this is the 'polite thing expected' in this regency setting.

Note that the first heat/rut is considered a fever and does not require a sexual partner, in fact not really recommended depending on how much of a change it can be. This is a literal metamorphosis of sorts for an individuals genitalia to be adapted with their secondary sex characteristics which included scents glands being fully developed.

In my fic, the social season debutes Alphas/Betas/Omegas who have had their fever and are now of marriagable age. Dress code includes high necked cravats and long sleeves if not having cuff like bracelets or choker necklaces when it reaches summer. This in particular is to protect the scent glands from being scented during crowded social events as some indications of interest include the brushing of ones fingers over the hand right about the wrist, and while dancing, not having wrists brush over necks.

This is also where the language of flowers has become popular also as a way to use as masking scents, not out of deceit but to aid in making a neutral ground of sorts for the general air when socialising.

Heats and ruts after the first one tend to have heightened arousal, but not to the point of complete loss of mental faculties. While not sexually active, one can experience a fever over a couple of days and may find masturbation a helpful relief. There are two types of medication, scent dampeners and heat/rut suppressants. There is a high popularity in Piltover with the latter in order to maintain regular appearances at social events while scent dampeners can be used by those who struggle to restrain their scents.

Allowing someone to smell your scent (different from scenting) is an intimate thing, and while there's been some improvements in perceptions, some uh "traditional thinking" people may see the source of omegas scenting being caused by them slicking. This has been debunked but some perceptions linger despite facts to the contrary...

[stygiansauce]

sauce, holy crap. i just finished MOE chapter 4 and my god that was AMAZING!!!!!!!

your writing is genuinely some of the best i've ever read, fanfiction or otherwise. the way you write ranchers had me kicking and screaming, their banter is just SO GOOD AHHHHHH

anyways, i am so happy i randomly stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago and read MOE (and then you followed me and i may have lost my mind a bit) who said that, i'm a totally chill calm person! mhmhmhm

the way you wrote the angst for this chapter was so good, and the fact that Tango couldn't look at Jimmy but still tried to comfort him, and their whole flirty scene in the store, and the way you incorporated Tango's guilt for liking Jimmy cause of Grian (i think i remember you saying you were struggling to do that but this worked SO WELL)

and not to mention the playlists, i love them sm, the team TIES one is literally just all music i grew up listening to when my dad played it and yes they would absolutely listen to that sorta music

apologies for the complete chaos that was this ask (i have no coherent thoughts about your fic, it's mostly just happy screaming inside my head that doesn't translate to words very well) (and also this was very long.....i do not know how to do asks very well.....oops....)

wait i need to add one more thing, you're unnamed super hero au????? like hello?????? it sounds so cool!!!!! if/when you ever do anything with it, i will lose my mind even more than i've already lost it (but even just your little posts on here make my brain go "brrrr" lol)

okay, now i'm actually done bothering you (for now) (that came off more threatening than i meant) so, byee!

GUYS! This is my moot Grem, He makes posts about Tango and I know when he wakes up becuase he spams my notifications and I love it. Go follow Grem, we love Grem.

HAAIIII GREM!!!! You could never bother me. Here at Sauce INC. we write long posts back and annoy everyone that follows me.

I am so so so so so so so happy you liked the chapter. she was a labor of LOVE. lots of chatting with Junie (the all knowing beta) and making sure we got Tango to feel right for the obsicals he was facing. Trying to tie in parallels and set up forshadowing. everyone please send a silent thank you to June.

I am so happy you noticed Tango's comfort in the car. one of the last things I wrote for that scene was the gorge analogy because I was stumped on how he would reply to that. Like your crush just dumped all this crazy lore on you, what do you even say to that? how do you react?? (again, thank you June for Tango's line "I don't think thats very fair to you" or something like that)

I loved the store!! It came out of me in like three hours and then I didnt need to touch it. (This reminds me an anon asked to see my writing process and I used the store scene for that. I need to post the stages of scene progression for them)

YES! The anon that reminded me the purpose of this fic THANK YOU. that ask is the reason scene four got the big brown eyes conversation and the flashback to set up future chapters.

The TIES playlist is so silly to me and I think you guys will also love Oli's banger DJ set, but i won't release that until chapter five comes out because spoils. I do love TIES ENGINEERING though because I got on the phone with my dad and we put songs on it together. I'm so glad we could make our blorbos old men at heart.

the superhero AU will be getting a fic...one day. I'm trying to work out the plot but there are like 4 main fics to the MOE verse and I wanna start drafting dealing in dispair too. one day, and I will give you all peeks along the way.

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK GREM WE LOVE YOUUUUUUU!

[nokonomi]

Important Announcment

Hello everybody! This is Nokonomi, and I have a VERY special announcment to share with everybody today. So you’re probably wondering why you’re here today. What’s the special surprise I have planned today?

Well, you asked and you shall receive.

Our team and I have been working on this CreepyPasta Realistic Horror Game for all roblox users and CreepyPasta fans to play on. Our game is still WIP and progressing further once we get the concept art, models and writing the chapters out of the way. But here is something we need DESPERATE help on and we would like to receive!

First off…

CONCEPT ART

We would love for some of the community’s most talented artists to come out and support us on this great project we have planned out for. And desperately we need concept art so we can chose designs for the models, but they need to be CLOSER TO CANON! You can add features such as piercings, earrings and tattoos, but do not change the design.

We will be planning out artists who may be qualified to help us with concept art and official thumbnails for the CreepyPasta realistic horror game. And we would love for CreepyPasta artists to participate in this! Please contact me in the ask box if you would like to participate in this! We will ask for a sample of your art before approving you. Thank you!

Next off…

VOICE ACTING AUDITIONS 🎤

Our game will include something very special, and that is….voice acting! You guessed it by the heading up here. I will create a personal discord server for voice auditions to take place in. You may participate if you would like! But also, please spread this blog across all social media because we need voice actors for our characters that will make a special appearance in Chapters 1 and 2 of the game.

I have a strict set of rules: You must be 16 or above to voice act. Sally’s VA has already been chosen, which is me. But I will inform you all that other characters are available to audition! I’m not sure when auditions will take place but I will make it official. Now these are very serious auditions and we will need all the help we can get on this. We do not take them as a joke and we will look for the right people who will seem fit for the job of the characters.

Auditions will take place in my discord server. But don’t try and audition right now, we are still in progress and when our team asks for auditions, I will make an announcment.

Third…

Our Progress:

As of right now, the team and I are working on writing and plotting for Chapters 1 and 2 and we are working to desperately finish this asap without any rushed points. Our team is trying our best to develop this game and we will make sure it is the best high quality you possibly can imagine! This is dedicated to all CreepyPasta fans. And if you think this is fake. Then I will be posting concept models and art soon enough. Anyways, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE wait patiently. Also, this will be a REALISTIC HORROR GAME. Jumpscares may be included.

But anyways, thank you for reading, our team will contact me to share any more information and I will send that straight to here. Thank you for your time and we hope this project flourishes on roblox.

-Nokonomi

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Hiya! I just read your pinned post, i actually didn't know librarby exist in tumblr and honestly- its really helpful for me as someone who often forgive what kinda plot but don't know what its name is. 👉👈 (Ack pardon grammars)

Also- If its still possible for asked this, do you have any completed fic for undertale sans x reader? :0 or deltarune sans is okay too! I've been wanting to read that has most fluff and slice of life with less angst xD i might found something that i haven't read yet, the long chapters the better, altho its actually not necessary, so its up to you!

Take your time and I hope you doing well!! Thank you for exist 💙

Howdy, thanks for asking! Here are some fics that might fit what you're looking for!

Save Point by JuniperJoy101 (Teen And Up, Complete)

Moving from a backwater town to a city bustling with human and monsterfolk alike, some things begin to change both for the better and the worse. What was left behind comes back to bite at you in the most unexpected times, current progress being put in danger as a result. It's hard to move on, though it's equally difficult trying to stay loyal to what you believe is right. With an adoptive seven-year-old son and the remnants of a recent divorce in your hands, your goal is to move on and adjust to life with monsters, these becoming an important part of your life -- one of them in particular reigniting the spark you thought gone with your ex spouse. • • • The following story is a re-write of the first UT fanfic I ever managed to publish on the Internet. Undertale belongs to Toby Fox. You belong to yourself.

A salting feelings by EvergreenEmerald (Teen And Up, Complete)

You cleared your throat loudly to get their attention; they jumped at the sound, turning to face you. You felt just as awkward as they did. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, though I do owe you for the nice trip you sent me on earlier.” You pointed to the disarrayed suitcase that had been tossed around by your stumbling feet. They giggled as you motioned for them to come inside. They pulled their suitcase into the house, but paused in front of you, turning their head up with an adorable smile. You started to wonder if you had seen this kid before, they look so familiar. Maybe they remind you of one of your parents? *You are a family court lawyer with a dark past that caused you to be separated from your sibling years ago. Now they are placed in your care out of the blue because the government didn't like the idea of a monster raising a human, you have to deal with speaking to your sibling about your shared past and lost parents, the courts who make life hard, new monster friends, and this skeleton that won't stop interrupting you and being a nosy jerk

Curious laughter by SpiffySiffy (Teen And Up, Complete)

Sans is just keeping an eye out on his brother's friends. You have a strange personality and he finds it interesting. Suddenly he finds he's getting more and more curious about you and your thoughts on certain topics.

My Princess by Kyra1416 (Teen And Up, Complete)

(Y/N) was always a shy child. She was slowly to trust others and was scared of almost anything. This made it hard for her to form bonds and keep those bonds intact. She lived on Mt.Ebbot with her family. The story of monsters kidnapping children and eating their souls made her to scared to ever leave the house. Her whole life changed forever the day her parents where murdered right before her very eyes. While running from the killer, she fell into the underground. It was there she descovered her stange powers, and meet a certain punny skeleton.

Winter In Your Bones by cryptid_jack (Mature, Complete)

You're a modestly successful fiction writer living in rural Alaska; just you, your dog, and your horse in a small cabin on a large piece of property in the shadow of a mighty mountain range. You're used the the quiet, enjoy it even, but when you start having recurring dreams of a strange skeleton visiting you in the night you wonder if the solitude might be starting to get to you…at least until you realize you're not dreaming at all because Sans is, in fact, a real, live monster. Friendship, romance, and shenanigans ensue.

[annawayne]

Odd question, though I'm willing to ask. Any words of encouragement for writing a story/fanfic? (Aiming for Aruani as of speaking this.) Were there moments you wrote something, then it got drafted to the side because it didn't feel right with where it was going anymore, losing ton of progress. How does one manage to like.. jump out of that loop and pick themselves back up? Is it best to just say "screw it" and write what you feel is best and not overfocus yourself on a little segment endlessly? I've read some of your work and it's really incredible, inspiring too! So, I just wanted to hear anything to help, if possible? Thank you for taking the time of your day to ask this, I hope I didn't come off bad in any way or jumbled my words up.

Hello anon!

First of all, thank you so much for this ask (and no, the question is not odd at all, everything is fine!), and thank you so much for your time reading my stories and for finding them even inspiring T^T I appreciate and cherish it so much, thank you!

As for your question, I would say there's one good and one bad news. It's the same thing - there's no ultimate way for writing. Good news, is because there's no "right" and no "wrong" ways, the only "right" way is the one that matches with you. The bad news - everyone should find it on our own, since we are all so different, and it's not easy at all.

But! I also think that it gives us a lot of freedom and creativity to experiment and to try new things. One of the best pieces of advice I definitely can tell everyone is - to forget all the books you want to write, not to write a "perfect " book, and all you need to do is just write that one book you're writing now. I think that one of the major problems for all of us is that we KNOW for a fact what's the good literature is, so when we write our own stories we always compare ourselves with the certain pieces of writing, forgetting in the process that we write OUR own story. Not the one that's already written and had such a huge impact on you. That's why, I think, all of us need to just distinguish where the book had an effect on us as inspiration to write OUR own book, and where we desperately want to write the same book - maybe, with another plot, twists and topics, but with trying to reach this level of impact. And this is where this trap hides, when we see something not as an inspiration to give our own story a life, but as something we want to make too, but the truth is, it's unreachable. Not because you're not capable, but simply because this story was written by another person who lives in another circumstances, and that's why your story will never be the same - because you're different person with different life with different experience and with different heart. And this is beautiful!

A lot of people would advise you to read to write better - and it also makes sense and, of course, I'm also in the same boat, however, we have to remind ourselves here that these books - are not ours. What we have - is much more valuable for us because it's our story we want to tell, and no one, expect us, can't do it better.

I think that it's another problem that may be the reason, sometimes, why we are stuck at some particular place without knowing how to move the plot and the story forward - without even realising, comparing our story with something that is already written and looks so mind-blowing.

We see these other stories already as perfect, forgetting one simple truth that every single word written by another writer - it's also a hard work they went through, and, most likely, they also struggled with the same issue as we do, looking at the books they admire and thinking, "Damn, I'll never write something as good as it is". But all we see is a wonderful text, that seems to us just incredible and perfect.

So, I just want to tell you, anon, that your story is already incredible because it's yours and nobody will write it better than you. We're all so different, and our stories - too - and this is the beauty in it, something that is impossible to replace and to imitate.

I guess, that once we can accept that our story won't be the same you admire and not because you're worse - no! Absolutely no! - but only because all the stories are written by humans, and every human - a whole universe, we'll all feel much better. And I think, that, foremost, it's the most important advice to start with, since it leads to everything else.

I hope it was some kind of help!

(And apologies if it didn't... If you wanted some practical advice - please let me know, I'll try my best too if I'm competent enough for it; I just focused primarily on encouragement, so I hope it was some kind of help T//T)

Thank you one more time for asking and for your words about me stories, and remember that your story - is impossible to compare because every story is a living being, and all of us are different, and this is our power and beauty (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

[divergent-paths]

I just want to ask how you came up with the characters and their personalities for the comic. I love them all, but I have a special fondness for Alex. I've never really liked an asshole character before, but I really enjoy Alex. What was your inspiration? Did you base the characters on the game, or did you create them to fit well within the story of the game?

I really appreciate the small details you added in the rewrite that make it feel unique and not just a copy of the game story. For example, the congratulatory photos for Alex and the league card for Max are designed in a way that reflects their characters, making them feel more unique.

it's great to hear that you're finding alex enjoyable, despite the fact he's a bit of a jerk right now~! i suspect the reason you're enjoying it despite the clash in taste is because he's really not a bad kid at heart, just one with some issues going on, and i think that's something most of us can relate to. :') i've also ended up with quite a lengthy answer to the rest of your ask here, so it's all below the cut~

as far as inspiration goes, i started to jot down my ideas and notes for the boys and overall story around the time scarlet and violet were first announced - when it was shown there was a school theme, i knew i wanted to write about the existing young pkmn oc's i had, and the split between max and alex came about when the husbando decided to finally play/start sword for the first time. i opted to age up the boys from their last appearances (they were 12 and 10 in their last non-cameo appearances), giving me some leeway to work in story elements to be discovered over the course of the story.

by the time scarvi dropped, i pretty much had my general ideas/progression set up, and it was mostly just a matter of playing through the games to see what plot stuff i needed to change, and i was very surprised to see how well alex fit into the situation in paldea. so most of what comes out in alex's story was more or less all laid out before the game came out, and although my posting speed certainly leaves much to be desired, the slowness does at least allow me to add details from other media for some extra fun.

as for max, i've long since played through shield so the story there wasn't new to me, but seeing as it's new to husbando, i'm able to incorporate some of his fresh perspectives, as well as look more deeply into galar's story to try and tell it in a more cohesive way. imo, the story *is* good, but it's executed poorly, and has several loose ends that never got tied up. while i'm not able to account for all of the plot holes, i hope to tell swish in a way that helps others see it in a more thought-provoking light.

ultimately, alex's journey is intended as an introspective one, while max's is meant to be extrospective, thus the name of the story/blog. their paths may mirror one another at times, but their journeys are their own to complete.

as for the boys in general terms, if they feel like they could be real people, that's great! i try to write characters to have more than just one-note to them, and that's extending out to main characters such as nemona and hop - charas that many in the fandom have unfairly ragged on bc the games heavily emphasised one trait over anything else. alex, max, and their family carry many irl traits from myself and the husbando, as they're all more or less offshoots from self-insert oc's that we no longer write/draw/use. while carrying traits that make them interesting to write, they still differ greatly from us, so we've had plenty of convos going over 'what-ifs' and debating how they'd react to specific plot points, dialogue, or if other factors would change a normal response into an out of character one. through the course of writing and story talks like that, i've come to enjoy writing these teen dorks way more than any of my adult ocs. alex and max haven't lost that youthful spark, and have way more openings to goof off and have fun unlike the adult ocs.

and whoof, that's a lot of writing, so thank you for reading all the way to the end! i defo could go on for days about all the minutiae of my art/writing/oc choices, but i think it'll be far more interesting to just see it happen as the story comes out piece by piece~

thank you for the ask, and i hope you continue to enjoy the story~!