cinnaster

[cinnaster]

I think the funny thing is that you could never ever in a million years finish my story with AI in a way that makes sense or is satisfying. You can't do it. It can emulate the wording I use, at most. But this story is too human and too advanced for a machine that regurgitates half-digested data slop and cannot meaningfully synthesize media to understand. The love and soul would be utterly lost.

It's also too advanced for someone using AI to understand its themes to give it a prompt close enough to what I'm going for anyway. Choosing to use AI means you're unimaginative and someone who doesn't understand values and themes in creative works in the first place.

[cinnaster]

!!! IMPORTANT NOTICE !!!

I have made Radiant Souls and all of my other important fics (like that Draxum X Reader one-shot) private on AO3 — that is, only registered AO3 users can view them. I will also be privating all fics in the future until further notice.

A few reasons why I have decided to do this:

AI scraping on AO3 and wanting to protect my work from that.

My audience is primarily going to find it through my socials or AO3's search itself, not search engine traffic, so privating fics doesn't matter in that way.

I figure if someone is an avid fanfic reader and truly cares that much about reading on AO3, there's little reason for them to not have an account. It only takes a couple of weeks or so to get one, and the only thing really required is an email.

Kids often browse AO3 as guests because their parents monitor what accounts they have. Considering I'm a little more comfortable with my readers being fellow adults regardless of if it's gen fic or not, this won't be hurting me. (Not that kids reading my gen or non-smut fic is bad, but kids online might misbehave or misunderstand more frequently.)

I unfortunately can't use invite codes (I think AO3 stopped that function a long time ago to prevent spam). But if any of my readers would like an AO3 account, I encourage you to sign up for one! It does take a little bit of time, but if you're patient, you'll soon have an account and be able to see works from others again.

I hope my lovely readers continue to stay with me! ♥

[cinnaster]

I guess I never really officially showed off all of my Rise OCs I've thought up of so far, huh? Some don't have full body designs yet but that's okay. Here we gooo!

Dallas Walker

Human, cis bi man, he/him, 44 years old in the apocalypse timeline (born in 2000). He is mixed east Asian, of Vietnamese and White descent.

Dallas is Krow's/Casey Jr.'s biological father. He went M.I.A. shortly after Krow was conceived, so he was unable to be a father to Krow and husband to Kora (Cassandra). Dallas has somehow survived and is still kickin' it in 2044, just not in NYC. If you poke and prod enough, he may tell you what happened from 2026 to 2044. Though in his words, "It ain't pretty."

Dallas is a former Resistance soldier and a self-proclaimed bad boy. He is bold and takes risks in battle. He is surprisingly social given his lone wolf look, and tends to come off as a nonchalant slacker. Underneath his cool guy persona, he is a sweet and caring man who is fiercely loyal to those he considers worthy.

He does not have any mystical powers, and instead he typically likes to use non-tech weaponry. He is a chain smoker and has some disabilities from the war.

Voice claim: Troy Baker (sort of like Joel in The Last of Us games except imagine a Brooklyn accent instead of a Texan one)

Theme song: Time - Hootie & The Blowfish

----------

Cedrus Draxum

Sheep Yokai, cis gay man, he/him, 653 years old at the start of the series (2018).

Cedrus is Baron Draxum's older brother. He is a politician and is a lead speaker of The Order of Mystica Praesidia. The Order is an elite guard within the Radiant Souls AU that serves as protectors of the Hidden City as well as liaisons between the government and citizens.

He is typically a very calm, mature individual with a warm, welcoming presence. He is a natural leader with a traditional mindset. Cedrus takes great pride in his work, though he is very concerned about honor and social status. Being the eldest Draxum, Cedrus is a perfectionist and often mothers his younger siblings. While he is stern and tries to cover any flaws as best as he can, like his brother he is quirky and a bit dysfunctional.

While warm and welcoming on the surface, Cedrus has been known to use his skills in interpersonal relations, speech, and persuasion, as well as his political/social power, to manipulate others into doing what he wants or orchestrate situations. He views everything he does as for the good of others and a means to an end. Cedrus sees himself above that of a common, dishonest politician who blatantly lies, but those who know him well might disagree.

Currently (as of 2018), Cedrus finds himself bored with his wealth and power, which might lead to some interesting developments. He has considered leaving his job and living a simpler, cleaner life, possibly running away to the surface world. His plan on how to do this, however, may be flawed.

He has a powerful mystic ability to grow trees and manipulate wood. It is rumored that he can create a house within a day, something he neither confirms nor denies.

Voice claim: George Sanders (Shere Khan from Disney's The Jungle Book), Thurl Ravenscroft for singing (Tony the Tiger and singing voice of You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch)

Theme song: Frozen Pines - Lord Huron

----------

Leporyx Lagolune

Jackalope Yokai, enby sapphic, they/them, 540 years old at the start of the series (2018).

Leporyx works in the same elite guard as the Draxums as the Defense Commissioner of Historical Sites. Their job is to maintain barriers and security around important historical and sacred sites in the Hidden City, such as the Crying Titan. They are Baron Draxum's colleague, and they share a mutual hatred of each other.

Leporyx is a witch and alchemist who is known for being talented and highly secretive. They keep out of the public eye as much as possible and seem reclusive. They are a serious and hardworking individual with firm ideas on the way things should be or the way things should work. Leporyx is slightly emotionally closed off and is often blunt or dry-witted. However, they are not cruel and practice kindness. At times they are even quite caring and protective, managing to get along with most kind people. They probably need to take a day off, learn how to have fun, and open up more.

They have a goal to create the Elixir of Life, a legendary substance said to give the user immortality. For what reason they are trying to create the elixir and how they will accomplish it remains unclear.

Leporyx's mystic powers are related to the moon. They wield a giant hammer called Moonhammer which is powered by moonlight. Considering that down in the Hidden City they receive no moonlight, Leporyx has to rely on other spells most of the time.

Voice claim: Wendy Powell (voice of Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist and Phyllis from Ancient Magus' Bride)

Theme song: Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven, Tina Guo

----------

Murdina

Kelpie Yokai, enby lesbian, she/her, 487 years old at the start of the series (2018).

She is a slim bipedal teal horse with a shark-like tail and a wooden-like horn on her forehead. She has sparkly scales and long jet black hair that is always covered in algae. She typically dresses like she is a Celtic bog witch.

Murdina is a dear friend of Leporyx's and, unbeknownst to her, Leporyx's crush. She is ill with a mysterious mystical disease which prevents her from living the way she wants to.

Despite her name sounding like the word "Murder", Murdina is very kind, quiet, and soft-spoken. She is often whispery, sort of like Fluttershy, partly due to shyness and partly due to feeling weak. She is often confined to her bed or the care center that she is staying in, and usually needs mobility aids like a cane, walker, or wheelchair to get around.

She has a love of the ocean and the oceanic body of water within the cavern of the Hidden City. She enjoys collecting shells, sea glass, and other such things. In her youth she was an avid surfer and swimmer. She has a few mermaid friends who enjoy visiting her and giving her little gifts.

Murdina does have mystic powers related to water and mud, but her powers have become too weak to use much.

Voice claim: Helen Shaver (Little Foot's Mother in The Land Before Time)

Theme song: The Bog Bodies (Dorm Demo) - Rabbitology

----------

Selene (Relatively new OC!)

Pegasus-taur Yokai, cis bi woman (formerly thought she was straight), she/her, 570 years old at the start of the series (2018).

She is a white centaur-like horse with giant feathered wings on the back of her lower half. She loves crop tops and gold jewelry.

Selene is Cedrus' ex-wife. They divorced due to Cedrus finally realizing he was mlm and couldn't be sexually attracted to her like he wished he could be, so they stayed on amicable terms. Cedrus still regards her as one of his best friends outside of his political sphere, and Selene also regards him as one of her best guy friends.

Selene has a kindhearted, well-meaning white suburban mom vibe to her. While nice, she may have a limited understanding of certain perspectives. She is known for her beauty and elegance. Selene is feminine and loves shopping, indulging in girly things, and thinking about romances. She appreciates the finer things in life and has expensive tastes. When they were still married, Cedrus was all too willing to indulge her. Fancy restaurants, wine tasting, going to concerts, shopping for pretty diamond necklaces... you get the idea.

She worries often about being seen as old, so she tries to stay hip with it by sometimes talking like she's a teen instead of a mature woman, much to others' chagrin. She invests a lot in things like anti-aging skin creams, makeup, and buys into a lot of health beauty scams. She'd be the sort of mom to be on TikTok.

Voice claim: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Laurel Lightfoot from Onward and Elaine from Seinfeld)

Theme song: Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Ray

----------

Esther (Relatively new OC!)

Hamster mutant, cis bi woman, she/her, 17 years old at the start of the series (2018), 34 years old when she gets introduced to Krow and the Hamato in the fixed future timeline way later (2035).

Friend and eventual love interest for both Krow and Yukito later on when they're all in their 30s.

Esther is your typical cute bookworm. She was once human and was mutated when she was 21 from a stray Oozesquito, which despite the Mad Dogs' best efforts have not gone extinct and are still roaming around NYC. She now works in the Mystic Library as a library assistant.

She is a kind, pacifistic, curious soul who loves to learn. She is an average 34 year old nerd: eternally online, loves reading fanfiction and playing video games, and loves anime (especially shojo and slice of life). Esther sometimes worries about being a plain or boring girl, especially after meeting the Hamato. She is often so quiet that sometimes people forget that she's there, but she uses it to her advantage to listen in and soak up information.

Esther's mystic ability is Cheeks of Holding. She has pocket dimensions in her hamster cheeks that she can use to store anything she wants. She is completely chill with her role in any group she's in as being the keeper of items.

A quirk of hers is that she loves wearing weird earrings, and every day she has a new set of funny earrings to wear. (Sort of like Mabel Pines' sweaters or Ms. Frizzle's dresses!)

Voice claim: Kimiko Glenn (known for roles such as Kiff from Kiff, Niffty from Hazbin Hotel, Horse from Centaurworld, and Izzy Moonbow from My Little Pony: A New Generation)

Theme song: HALO HALO - Shawn Wasabi (feat. Chevy)

----------

All of these characters are OCs that I roleplay sometimes! I don't mention them too much because most of their writing and characterization happens in private Discords. But I think they're pretty neat and it's about time I shared them :D

[cinnaster]

Dear video essay creators. A video analysis is when you analyze a piece of media. No no look at me. A summary, no matter how thorough, is not an analysis. An analysis requires you to draw conclusions about the media such as authorial intent, real-world parallels, discussion about themes/worldbuilding/character motivation, and so much more. You have to stop summarizing something and saying that’s analysis. The Gaylors are doing more critical analysis than you. Is that who you want to lose to? The gaylors?

[cinnaster]

One of the things that Radiant Souls, my Rise AU fic, really hits on is how going through trauma and grief can make your behavior unpleasant, and not in an endearing way.

Trauma and grief can sometimes make you irritable, short-tempered, short-sighted, impulsive, closed up, and selfish. Even people without a hint of mental illness or disorder prior to the trauma/grief often experience this. Those who have mental issues will experience worsening symptoms when trauma and grief happens.

It's probably one of my favorite themes, actually. The more mundane but realistic effects of trauma and grief (beyond the more obvious and typical ones like depression, numbness, dissociation, and PTSD flashbacks) don't get explored as much in fanfic, but I wanted to explore them in these characters.

This is partly because of my own experiences with trauma and grief. When I was 16, my dad passed away. Dealing with the death of a parent at that age is extremely difficult. I felt unlike my peers. I was unable to emotionally control myself and, in my grief and trauma, would lash out at people close to me or make poor decisions that hurt myself or others. It wasn't a fun time, but looking back on it, it's common behavior in grieving, traumatized people.

I draw upon that experience of what trauma or death of a loved one feels like at that age and apply it to the characters. Krow gets hit the very hard by this, having lost everyone and being haunted by the younger versions of those he loves that are those people but aren't. Jett and Ace in particular also struggle a lot, too. Ace with feeling like it's all his fault, and Jett who's still reeling from the losses suffered in previous months from their battle with the Shredder. But TBH, everyone in the family struggles.

Well, except for one: Isyris Draxum, our dear protagonist and foil to the others. He's someone who did not go through what the others have and has little understanding of it, therefore is more nonchalant and dismissive about some things or thinks he knows best. (This is on top of naturally being unpleasant because he is in no way fully changed from the man he was. It's been less than a year since he allied with the family. Gonna take many years for this man to internally change in a more meaningful and genuine way.) He is not in the know of what everything the reader knows, and it's shown in the little things he says or does.

But perhaps, as of recently published chapters, he'll begin to take things more seriously and have a slightly better understanding about what truly happened to everyone and the effects of it. One can hope, anyway. The things he does in Ch. 12 and 13 to try to help illustrates a better understanding about safety, though he'll certainly still have to deal with being on the receiving end of others' upset feelings.

Things are complicated. In RS, the feelings of all the family members are justified, but they all are struggling to figure out what is ultimately the right call to make, and this leads to conflicts.

If you ever think at any time while reading RS, "Wow, these characters are kinda being jerks and getting focused on the small stuff", that is absolutely the point and I put intentional focus on it. Will they overcome this? Only time will tell. :3c

[cinnaster]

⚠️ NEW RADIANT SOULS CHAPTER UP!! ⚠️

Chapter 13: Angels in the Homebase

Excerpt below cut.

“Grah, stupid thing!”

A foot-long cylindrical object was chucked into the air and flew into a stone wall. There was a loud CRACK, but the portal key remained unscathed. The brick it had been thrown against, however, had crumbled.

Isyris stood in the center of the living room, sweating and panting from exertion.

A small, round figure stood in the room’s archway, leaning up against the stone. Masaru silently watched with an amused smile as the sheep aggressively continued to throw, slam, and pound the key in a fit of unrestrained rage.

After a minute, he finally spoke. “Having trouble?” he asked, his smile splitting into a wide grin and voice dripping with smug delight.

Isyris jumped, startled. He had been so focused on unleashing his anger that he had not noticed the other was there. Voice nearly an octave higher, he looked away in embarrassment. “Er. Masaru—”

“Oh, would you look at that? He does know my name,” Masaru teased and approached closer.

“Do not start,” Isyris huffed. “Of course I do. It is just a habit.” He picked up the portal key once again and held it up. “What is with this thing?”

“It is in one ear and out the other with you,” Masaru grumbled. “Did you not hear what I said earlier? It is indestructible.”

A look of mild disbelief crossed the sheep’s face. “Yes, but… this indestructible?”

“Seems so.” The rat sidled up to the sheep and sat down beside him on the floor. “Have you tried anything else that I have not?”

Isyris looked down at his hands. “Can’t. All out of magic juice, I’m afraid.” He looked up at Masaru with a worried gaze. “I barely managed to get me and the kids out of the subway. Jett was too attached and was making things difficult. Had I not been able to push through it, we would have been found.”

He let out a weary sigh, looking Masaru in the eyes. “I am currently running on fumes, so to speak. I do not have much more I can give.”

[cinnaster]

HEYOOO I'M OPENING ART COMMISSIONS! CHECK IT OUT!

⬇️ MORE INFO IN LINKS BELOW ⬇️

HOME || ABOUT || TERMS || PRICING || EXAMPLES

TWITTER || BLUESKY

I'M IN AN EMERGENCY RIGHT NOW SO I'M DOING 5 SLOTS FOR A FULL BODY COLOR + BACKGROUND FOR $50! SOMETHING LIKE THIS ⬇️

DM ME IF YOU'D LIKE A SLOT!

I will also take any lower-priced comms as well if you'd like something less! But the $50 ones will take priority just to quickly meet my goal to cover this emergency.

I hope to draw your characters/favorites well! :3

[cinnaster]

Breakfast with the Baron

Breakfast is always more enjoyable when you share it with someone. Today you shared one with a certain large, pink sheep man who stole your heart and has the ring to prove it.

Mood music for peak domestic romance

Figured I'd try my hand at writing Gender Neutral X Reader/self-insert story to accompany the art! (First time ever, ended up being much longer than I thought because of course it is, this is me you're talking about. ~1500 words under the cut.)

WARNING: Story has mild, silly suggestiveness at some points. (It's very PG-13, but just in case loving and goofy descriptions of sheep men's bodies are not your cup of Dad Fuel.)

Enjoy!

Edit: Fic is now up on AO3, you can read it there too!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Sunlight streamed through the window in your bedroom, its rays falling on your form, and you stirred from your dreamland. Too early. You shifted so that you were facing away from the blinding light. But it was too late, you were doomed to be awake now. Bleary-eyed, you scanned your room and noted that you were alone. Not a large pink sheep man in sight. But the delicious scents coming from beyond the room indicated he was home, and that was enough to make you rise from bed.

After going through your typical morning routine, you found him exactly where you thought he'd be. Baron Draxum considered himself king of the kitchen, both at work and home, and he was wholeheartedly committed to feeding you well. Early on in your relationship with him, you wondered if he was spoiling you with so much home cooking. In time, you understood that it was his way of caring for your well-being—a love language. Now he made roughly half of your meals and you did not complain.

It was the weekend, so Draxum had gone all out even though it was early. Both of your favorite breakfast foods were on the menu. It was no wonder that you cartoonishly floated into the kitchen by following the waft of tasty smells. In addition to the meal, coffee was already brewed. A steaming hot novelty coffee mug that read "DAD FUEL" sat on the counter while Draxum cooked. Judging by the droopy eyes and a croaky, mumbled “good morning” when you entered his domain, you were sure that he would be drinking most of the coffee pot whether or not you had any for yourself.

Before you sat down at the dining table, you peered out one of the nearby windows. It was a gorgeous sunny day in June, just before the sweltering heat hit hard. These cooler summer days were precious, so you had the urge to have breakfast outside in the garden.

While the old Yōkai had finally adjusted to life on the surface, he still wasn't particularly fond of bright sunlight, as he had lived underground for much of his life. You could already hear his complaints about your idea before you even started. Still, you two had been together long enough that you knew how to effectively persuade him.

Draxum was nearly finished cooking everything. He was working the stove and had his back turned. Even from behind, his unkempt appearance was attractive—nest hair stuck out in all directions, his robe rumpled, the way he tiredly hunched over his workspace. He was like this on weekends when he didn’t have to groom himself and rush off to work. While he cleaned up well, his natural state was just as stunning. You gingerly wrapped your arms around his waist from behind, nuzzled his back, and suggested your idea. Your face was buried in his back so you weren’t using puppy eyes, but you sure were using a puppy voice, a wholly unnecessary “pretty please with a cherry on top” kind of beg. His head tilted as he thought it over. A small smile graced his aging face when he looked over his shoulder. He agreed with a nod. Your loving expression worked like a charm.

Minutes later, the sleepy sheep shuffled behind you, breakfast in hand, to a big wooden picnic table that was partly in the shade of nearby trees. Your bountiful feast was spread out, more than enough for two. Books and other entertainment were also brought along, as you planned to camp out there for the rest of the morning.

With an old man grunt, Draxum plopped down in a white chair on the far side of the table, and you sat opposite him in a matching chair. You couldn’t help but smile at the ways he was handsomely growing older. You wanted to lightly tease him about sounding as old as he looks, but you bit your tongue. With his back toward the sun, it illuminated his form and made him look ethereal. Disrupting the tranquility seemed like a crime.

Draxum was one of those people who didn’t care about much of anything too early in the day. He wasn't much of a conversationalist either, at least until the coffee kicked in, so he did not chat with you at first. Seemingly stuck in a lingering daze, he wasn’t even swatting away the gnats circling him, but every so often one of his ears flicked on reflex when one got a little too close. Again, downright adorable, but you bit the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from making any comment that would change his awareness. It was a miracle that the man managed to make breakfast as good as he did considering his state. Maybe he put in more effort to be attentive earlier, and now that you were sitting down he was letting his mind wander.

Not wanting to disturb him, you eagerly dug into your food, trying to keep your sounds of pleasure at a minimum. No words were exchanged, but none were needed. The peaceful sounds of nature accompanied you as birds sang their hearts out, squirrels scurried up and down the trees beside the table, and bugs lazily buzzed above your heads.

Perhaps it was the warm gentle breeze or a subtle movement that did it. However it happened, when you looked up from your plate, something changed about him that your eyes fixated on while you mindlessly chewed. You weren't sure how much time had passed, but you snapped out of it when you finally heard his gentle baritone rumble, still a tad raspy from overnight disuse.

"What are you staring at, love?"

Carnelians glistened with curiosity when his eyes met yours. He sipped on his coffee and did not break eye contact, more alert than before. But the tone of his question was adorably dopey and sincere, so it seemed he was still not as aware of the change as you were.

The sheep was so groggy that he failed to notice that his robe had slipped from his left shoulder, revealing half of his ample, plush chest. A nipple and scars underneath his pecs invitingly poked through. Even though you were well-acquainted with his body, the accidental half-reveal somehow made it sexier. Fortunately, there was a table between you and him. If there wasn’t, you might have been tempted to sidle up to him and bury your face in his cotton candy pillows.

It was difficult to avert your gaze from such a magnificent sight, but thankfully something else caught your eye. The wedding ring on his finger sparkled when it caught a ray of sun. It was a pleasant reminder of the promise he made to you: I am yours and only yours.

Married life with Baron Draxum was interesting, to say the least. Though he was an aggravating man at times—his vices could be counted on more than one hand and his flaws on more than two—his love was strong and steadfast. Underneath all that pride and sass, Draxum was a soft man. He liked to challenge you—your mind, body, and soul—yet never made you feel like you weren’t enough for him. Whether in word or action, in his eyes there was no one on Earth as lovely and unique as you. He had quirky ways of showing it, but he always made it known in one way or another.

Despite his, he more than made up for any of your smaller grievances with endearing moments like these.

You took your time to swallow the food you were eating, set down your fork, and think of what to say. A coy smile inched its way across your face. You leaned back and waved your hand. "Oh, nothing. Keep eating."

The old sheep squinted at you. Whether or not he could sense your playful lie, he was still too out of it to probe further. He simply responded with a soft grunt into his coffee mug, set it down, and dug back into his food.

The cotton candy pillow continued to hang out all breakfast long. Either he did not notice at all, or he did and didn't bother to fix it. If the latter, who knew whether it was out of pure laziness or because he knew giving you an eyeful was a treat. Regardless, you were not eager to point it out and ruin the fun. It was hard to call it a wardrobe malfunction when the warrior's robe seemed to be functioning exactly as the universe intended in that little moment.

A sweet domestic life with Baron Draxum was never bland. Ordinary days and regular routines were marinated with the spice and zest of the love you shared. It was your secret hope that flame would never extinguish.

You had woken from your deep slumber from the night before. At least, you thought you had. But that morning felt so heavenly and blissful that you could never be completely sure it wasn't a dream.

[cinnaster]

the issue with writing for yourself is that you will get sucked into rereading your own fic over and over and pretend it’s “editing,” but really you’re just reading because it’s exactly what you want to read. because you wrote it. for you.

[cinnaster]

A new chapter is up, yippee!!!

First time reader? Start here.

Little excerpt below cut.

Chapter 12: A Turtle Tank Named Krangstine

Honey scanned his creator-father from head to hoof. If he was being honest, the older man didn’t look too good either. Honey had seen it before when he first started down the path to the good side: he was out of magic juice.

“But what about you?” Honey asked with concern-filled eyes.

Isyris faced away from Honey. “We will find another way in.”

“Dad, you didn’t answer my question,” Honey asserted.

Isyris’ ears flattened as he was called that word. The kid always pulled out the parental names when he wanted him to do something. He knew this, but the pressure to appease the youngest rendered him more pliable than he would have liked. More sentimental types might call it ‘going mushy’. Like many times before, the ornate box turtle molded him like clay. Isyris inhaled loudly in annoyance. “If you do not use your Ninpō, then I will not use my mystic powers either. Deal?”

Honey’s eyes brightened. “Deal!”

[cinnaster]

Do you know Radiant Souls AU by @cinnaster / @holopossums??

Learn more about the AU by clicking here!!

Reminder!! Submissions are open!! You can use the submission form or the asks!! ^^

Submission Note: Thank you for running this wonderful blog! ♥

Thank you for submitting <33 -☆

[cinnaster]

We learn as kids how light splits in a rainbow to create many colors. But a rainbow doesn't form in the dark. It needs light and a medium it passes through that bends it just right. So how do you form a rainbow in darkness?

That is what this story about our teenage turtle heroes, a couple of teenage humans, an old rat man, and one big old pink sheep is about, in a way. But there's much more.

Communication and togetherness has, since the beginning of time, been a part of what keeps life going. And it keeps our beloved characters going, too. Connection and contact is the true progenitor of life. Something contacted with something else, making a new, changed thing. And that new, changed thing comes in contact with other things, which also become changed from the contact. Atoms smash into atoms to create new elements, DNA replicates, microbes mutate. Even our beloved characters mutated when coming into contact with certain things and people that forever changed them.

We are born on Earth, and we die and decay to become earth again. This connection and contact changes us, but is only temporary. We are still tethered, woven into the fabric of the universe.

Everything is connected, and it has always been connected. But you can only see a sliver from your tiny view of this vast universe. You don't know how it connects, and you can't see past yourself. Perhaps the only way to transcend yourself is to become as transparent as the rain that drenches your soul.

In the meantime, you're concerned with more pressing, earthly matters—the very things raining on your parade. The government is terrible, illness plagues your loved ones, people want you dead or at least locked up forever, credit card debt sucks. And goo. There is so much goo. What is the goo? It must be connected, too. But how or why, you don't know. You might spend a lifetime before you figure it out. The mystery doesn't get any easier to solve.

And the blame. On ourselves, on others. We're all in our own little worlds when we grieve or feel shame. Loss and missteps change us, too. Maybe we are not really so connected and together after all. We mope. We lash out at the ones closest to us, even about things that should be insignificant, when our world is falling apart. But we don't mean to hurt. We never mean to hurt. Why do we hurt?

That connection and contact is important to stop the hurt, and you know this. But how do we reconnect? I want to reconnect. Maybe you do, too. But you're not saying so. I'm not saying so. We say a lot of words, but all of them miss their mark except the ones that we aim in desperation to either close or widen that chasm between us.

But eventually we stop hurling our desperate words and ask the questions, of each other and ourselves. Why are you here? Where are you now? Are you okay? Am I okay? How can I right my wrongs? My loved ones need me, but I am in chains. How do I break free from these chains? How do I show them how good you are, how good I am?

How can I have hope when the world goes dark? When the darkness consumes us, when the world roils and writhes in suffering, how do we make it stop? Someone has to stop it. If no one does, the suffering will never cease until nothing remains.

What is a hero? How do we help, how do we protect, when what we're up against is so much bigger, terrifying, and monstrous, than we could have ever dreamed? What do we do? How do we emit our light? How do we shine for others to see? Is it possible, in the darkest, deepest black of terror, to still have a lantern of hope? Can we?

In that darkness, we bend and break. Our exterior gets skewed and our angles are all off. But these are qualities that make the perfect prism.

The power of love, the power of a loving sacrifice, speaks of endings and new beginnings. Does the light of life flicker, smolder, and snuff out? Would the universe grow cold, dark, empty, and dead? Not just our insignificant light, but every light. Is there an end to all things? Or can entropy be defied? Is there true power in the love, light, and hope that is woven into the universe's illustrative tapestry? Is it a steadfast, eternal flame? Or is this just our wishful thinking, our pipe dream so that our insignificant lives feel meaningful before our inevitable end?

We learn as kids how light splits in a rainbow to create many colors. We easily do this in a place full of sunlight, and this is neither difficult nor unpleasant. But we don't learn about the cosmic, existential terror of trying to make a rainbow with no light at all.

A radiant soul is the keeper of the eternal flame—the wellspring of light in a dark world—who faces that cosmic, existential terror with a courage so bright that it dazzles and inspires forever.

watch me try to not gnaw my arm off while i go feralcrazyinsane over the themes and symbols in my own AU and how i wish i could tell you all what i plan but i caaaan't i cannot spoil my own tiny audience who i love so much. but i GO CRAZY. THE SYMBOLS. THE THEMES. AAAAAA.

[cinnaster]

...you know what, screw it. i'm going to write something. it's vague but i need to write something poetic before i implode. hang on.

watch me try to not gnaw my arm off while i go feralcrazyinsane over the themes and symbols in my own AU and how i wish i could tell you all what i plan but i caaaan't i cannot spoil my own tiny audience who i love so much. but i GO CRAZY. THE SYMBOLS. THE THEMES. AAAAAA.

[cinnaster]

watch me try to not gnaw my arm off while i go feralcrazyinsane over the themes and symbols in my own AU and how i wish i could tell you all what i plan but i caaaan't i cannot spoil my own tiny audience who i love so much. but i GO CRAZY. THE SYMBOLS. THE THEMES. AAAAAA.

[cinnaster]

I keep seeing people making fun of using growled, hissed, roared, snarled etc in writing and it’s like.

have you never heard someone speak with the gravel in their voice when they get angry? Because that’s what a growl is.

Have you never heard someone sharply whisper something through the thin space of their teeth? Or when your mother sharply told you to stop it in public as a kid when you were acting up/being too loud? Because that’s what a hiss is.

Have you never heard a man get so blackout angry that their voice BOOMS through the house? Because that’s what a roar is.

Have you never seen someone bare their teeth while talking to accentuate their frustration or anger while speaking with a vicious tone? Because that’s what snarling is.

It’s not meant to be a literal animal noise. For the love of god, not every description is literal. I get some people are genuinely confused, but also some of these people are genuinely unimaginative as fuck.

[cinnaster]

The reason categorizing fanfiction by tropes works is because there's already an established setting, cast of characters, and theme in the original work, so when people write fanfics they're building sand castles in pre-existing beaches, but when you advertise your book as "sci-fi enemies to lovers where there's only one bed and also they're gay" it says nothing about what the premise is, who the characters are, or what the book is actually trying to say. That's not to say that books containing stuff like "sci-fi enemies to lovers where there's only one bed and also they're gay" can't be absolutely fantastic books, but if you only advertise by listing off tropes that are inherently cookie-cutter then you're implying (whether intentionally or not) that there's nothing interesting or memorable about the book besides smashing tropes together like you're playing with action figures.

[cinnaster]

A new Radiant Souls chapter is up, whoop whoop!!!

First time reader? Start here.

Chapter 11: Black Body Goo Part Two Electromagnetic Boogaloo

Excerpt below cut.

The projector was flicked on and Jett clapped his hands together twice, causing the lights to dim. He cleared his throat and quickly surveyed the room to make sure all eyes were on him before beginning his slideshow presentation. A small capsule was in his hand. When clicked, its end extended into a purple lecture pointer, which Jett waved around. “Tests revealed that the composition of the black goo is mostly leukocytes and a substance of unknown origin with bizarre physical properties.”

The first slide on the screen showed a somewhat blurry picture of the nasty goo. It looked as if it was a teeny tiny black hole swallowing up his workspace. Many unnecessary hand-drawn doodles, notes, memes, and tacked-on emoji were scattered across the presentation slide, hastily added while the turtle was in his sleepless stupor a couple of hours before the meeting.

Ace raised a hand with his good (but sweaty) arm high in the air, slightly dazed. “Hey J-Bomb? My brain’s, like, totally mush. Can we be a little shorter on the words? Maybe less Jett-speak and more Aceman-speak, please?”

Jett glared at his twin for a moment, then crossed his eyes and pulled a goofy face with his bottom jaw jutting out. He spoke caveman-style in a mocking, dopey voice, making gestures every time he slowly enunciated. “Black goo bad. Ace and King have black goo in blood. White blood cells in black goo. Do you understand?”

The red-eared slider glared back at first. After a moment, he played along and mirrored Jett’s silly Neanderthalic expression, responding, “Ooga booga, Ace understand.”