solaslow74

[solaslow74]

@olnfweek2024 Day 2 - Sick Days / Fantasy

MC - Ariel

Note: This fic takes place in December 2012, around halfway between Step 1 and 2, and assumes that Qiu hadn’t transitioned to different pronouns yet.

It was winter in Golden Grove, and Ariel could feel it. Throughout the rest of the year, the chill could be kept at bay with just a scarf or jacket, or it retreated into the mountains altogether. But on a day like today, that chill was all around, and seeped into every opening it could find to reach Ariel through their heavy brown coat and red earmuffs. Even the tupperware container of hot chicken soup in Ariel’s hands couldn’t keep them from feeling a bit numb.

It wasn’t all bad, though. There were some things Ariel quite enjoyed about winter. The feeling of the air, cool and crisp in their lungs; the crunching of the snow beneath their boots as they trekked across the cul-de-sac; the colorful glistening of lights strewn across the front of the Baumann house as they marched up to the door. Ariel took care not to slip on their way; their backpack was the most packed it had been since winter break had begun last week, and would make for a nasty fall.

Granny welcomed Ariel graciously, and gave them a chance to shed the outermost layer of snow-encrusted clothes before heading upstairs to see their neighbor in her room. Mrs. Baumann didn’t come with; she and her husband may have been quite healthy all things considered, but their age still made infection more of a risk than it might otherwise be.

So it was Ariel alone, still carrying a bit of the outside chill, that knocked on Tamarack’s door. “Tamarack?” they asked timidly, clutching the strap of their pack. “May I come in?”

After a moment of waiting, the reply came. “Yeah..”

It was the least like Tamarack that Tamarack had ever sounded. Ariel gently entered the room.

It was easy to recall some of the first times they’d ever seen this room, a couple years ago now; the way that Tamarack would bound towards her guest, and happily show them all of her favorite things in it. It was supposed to be a pit stop, a place for a day of fun to have its humble beginnings before the adventure inevitably spread into the forest behind her house. But today, things weren’t the way they were supposed to be.

Tamarack sat very still against her pillows, and the small smile that appeared on her face when her eyes met Ariel’s was a shadow of the beacon it would normally be, fading as she glumly turned her eyes back downwards. Her nose was flushed red, and even her hair seemed to sparkle less than usual. Used tissues filled a wastebasket sitting at her bedside, and a box of the unused variety sat on her nightstand.

Her voice came with the same weakness, softness, and nasally quality as her initial reply. “Hi, Ariel…”

Ariel pushed through the gloomy miasma of the room, which a fan was struggling to keep out of the air. “Hi, Tamarack… I missed you. I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t the level of energy they had wanted to bring with their greeting, but what else could be expected? It was a sorry scene.

Tamarack laughed, though with less unbridled mirth than usual. “You don’t have to be sorry. You didn’t get me sick. And I missed you too.”

The last few days had apparently been even worse; Mama and the Baumanns had agreed that Ariel couldn’t visit, that Tamarack’s cold was at its most contagious. Their heart ached to think of how miserable and lonely Tamarack must have been- the queen of the forest consigned to live alone in her tower, and during break, too. But they were here now, and they had to help her feel better.

So they took a breath, and then held out the tupperware, with a plastic spoon balanced atop it. “My mama made you soup, and I helped. She says it's good food for feeling better when you’re sick. So please have some.”

Tamarack’s eyes seemed to lighten a bit more. “Omi says the same thing. She made me some yesterday. I’m kind of- I mean, thank you.”

She accepted the gift with weak hands, and sat up a little straighter. Eating food in bed, especially of such a potentially messy variety, would never be tolerated by Granny, but these were dire times indeed. And besides, Tamarack wasn’t as wild as she used to be, even when she wasn’t sick. She was twelve, almost a teenager; she wouldn’t spill her soup, she was too mature to do that.

Ariel began to pull something out of their bag, another tool to help their ailing friend. It was a book, a big one, with a man on the cover. His bright red coat, and his funny-shaped hat, were instantly recognizable. The Night Before Christmas, the title read in big curvy letters.

Tamarack suppressed a smile, but not before Ariel could see it. It was enough to encourage them to continue with an explanation of their plan.

“I got this at the library, and a few others. I know you can’t go out and have fun in the snow right now, so I wanted to bring the winter fun to you.” They paused to gauge the reaction of their audience of one, then continued. “Plus, I don’t really know these, since my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. So maybe it’ll be fun for me to read them to you.”

Tamarack laughed, though it came out with a bit of a wheeze. “Ariel, that’s…”

It was kiddy. That was what she thought. Tamarack didn’t always act her age, but having a picture book read to her was too much.

But looking at her friend’s face, she couldn’t say it.

It was a weird feeling. She could hardly remember a time where she didn’t want to say what she was thinking. When did that change?

“Okay, okay… we can do that,” finally came her response, before she had to grab a tissue to sneeze into.

So, Ariel pulled up a chair to the bedside, and read. It was a poem she’d heard before, but Ariel’s voice made it extra nice to listen to, and so did their occasional commentary.

“Now, Dasher, now, Dancer, now, Prancer and Vixen, on, Comet, on, Cupid, on, Donner and Blitzen!” they read, before grinning. “Now, I thought I had heard of this part for sure! Isn’t Rudolph supposed to be one of the reindeer?”

Tamarack laughed. “Not in this story! Maybe Santa didn’t hire him yet, when they wrote this.”

She could’ve said that earnestly when she was a bit younger, but it was definitely a joke.

The achiness and stuffiness were still ever-present in her body, but Tamarack felt like she could be distracted from it a little more with every silly joke Ariel made, whether it was poking her while reading about Saint Nick’s “nose like a cherry”, or making little motions acting out “a wink of his eye and a twist of his head”. She did have fun, even though it was so silly; so she didn’t complain when they pulled out the next book and began to spin another familiar tale.

“Usually I’m the one with all the energy,” she said unexpectedly, after Ariel’s inspiring rendition of the Grinch’s redemption. “Is that why I’m sick? You took all my energy?”

Ariel smiled at her joke. “Maybe it’s just the Christmas magic finding its way into my heart.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ariel, that’s not real.”

Their smile changed a little bit, in a way that was hard for Tamarack to read.

“Yeah… I know.”

A sigh. Then…

“I just want to help you feel better. I couldn’t help you at all until now. So I had to plan something, and make it good. Because I know it’s hard.”

“Yes. It sucks!!” It was the loudest Tamarack had gotten since Ariel came over, maybe since she had caught the cold in the first place. She couldn’t sustain it, so the next part came out weakly. “I hate being sick. Being inside. Being alone. It sucks…”

The mood was low. Just like it had been when Ariel first got here. But it didn’t have to be, not for long.

“I’m here now, and we can have a little fun. And when you’re better, and I bet that will be soon, then we can have a lot of fun. I promise.”

Tamarack looked at Ariel, then. Their golden eyes were full of warmth that radiated out through their glasses.

She smiled weakly. She didn’t believe in Christmas magic, and little by little, she was starting to doubt herself, too. But she would believe in her friend- in that promise.

Autumn laid on his side, staring at the white world outside. Usually his bed was a place of comfort and familiarity, but it didn’t do much to relieve the awful way he felt- the soreness of his throat, the aching in his head, the weakness in his limbs. It had only been a matter of time; plenty of his friends had caught the seasonal sickness. He’d figured that he might be one of the ones left standing- but that had been stupid to think.

Darren had been one of those lucky few, which was why he and Qiu had planned to get out and enjoy the snow today. That obviously didn’t happen, in the end. But Autumn had refused to explain why he had to cancel their plans. It was probably obvious, but he couldn’t bring himself to let anyone else know that he was sick.

If people knew he was sick, they’d worry. And that was his job, not theirs- even if that job was getting more and more tiresome to keep up with, these days.

It was fine. He’d carry the burden alone. Until he felt better, until he had the energy to act like he normally did, Qiu would tough it out without worrying anyone else.

Eventually, those thoughts began to drift, and the aching began to fade. Qiu did nothing to resist the call of sleep as he was pulled into a feverish dream.

Qiu woke groggily to the sound of music. The sight before him was unfamiliar, but somehow, it didn’t strike him as strange.

Lit from above by the moon shining through a skylight, dozens of partygoers dressed in finery danced gracefully across a ballroom floor. All of them were dazzling in their attire, but none more so than a young golden-haired lady, adorned with a leafy crown, spinning wildly with her dancing partner, a similarly young noble. The pair’s merriment made them stand out despite their small stature. But then, the noble’s bright eyes met Qiu’s, and after excusing themself, they made their way over to him. They knelt before him, offering a hand.

“You’re awake,” they enthused. “I was hoping you’d join us!”

Autumn hesitated, then accepted the hand, standing with the noble’s help. A pang in his head accompanied the movement, though, and he winced. That was right, he remembered- he was sick, wasn’t he?

“I shouldn’t join you guys,” he explained to the noble. “I need to get some rest-”

“Come on, dance with us!” exclaimed the girl with the crown, who had bounded over to join them. “You’re our friend, so come on!”

Another twinge in Qiu’s head- this time, of annoyance. He was trying to be considerate, to not get them sick, and she couldn’t get that?

“I really shouldn’t. Besides, you two were having fun on your own, right? Leave me be.”

The pair just looked back at him with frowns. The girl shook her head, huffed, then grabbed at his arm suddenly. “Don’t you care about us? Come on-”

“NO!”

The shout that came from Qiu surprised him as much as anyone else, but he didn’t back down.

“Why is it such a big deal to you? Why can’t you just leave me be?”

With each word, his friends seemed to get smaller. Everything did, actually- until Qiu was taller than any of the guests. The music ceased, and confused dancers were stopping to look over at the scene.

The noble with the bright eyes gaped up at Qiu. “Autumn, we’re your friends-”

“Then why don’t you GET IT?”

His words came out with a booming roar, and a spurt of hot fire. A mix of shame and anger filled Qiu as everyone watched him with horror. He didn’t ask to be here! It wasn’t his fault!

He needed to get out of here. To find some peace and quiet, where nobody would look at him like that. Frantically looking for an exit, his gaze settled on the skylight. Without thinking, Qiu sprung from where he loomed over his friends, and with wings he hadn’t realized he had, soared up and out through the glass. Scales protected him from the shattered skylight, and flying higher, he was finally alone. With one last look back towards the royal estate he had escaped, Qiu soared away, leaving everyone behind, as the light of the moon guided him to the mountains.

[solaslow74]

A short and simple fic for day 1 of @goldengroovy's @olnfweek2024!

Prompt - Soulmates/First Meet

MC - Jin

It was quite fortunate that it was a plastic bowl, and not a glass one, that Mrs. Baumann was ladeling her freshly made soup into, as the sudden and repeated ringing of the doorbell might’ve startled her into dropping it.

It didn’t, of course- she’d already started adjusting to that sound announcing the arrival of her granddaughter, so she didn’t even spill a drop- but really! Imagine the mess!

But there wasn’t time to linger on that- somebody needed to get the door and stop that ringing, for heaven’s sake.

“Ernst!” called Mrs. Baumann, setting down the filled bowl and beginning to dole out soup to another. No response came, so with a huff, she left the task at hand to go and let her granddaughter in. It was with an exasperated expression that she set to unlocking and jostling the door open. But thoughts of how little help she gets around here flew out the door with the same whoosh as the blur of glittering gold fluff that flew in.

Unlike the ringing, which ceased with the opening of the door, this did startle Mrs. Baumann, and she turned as if spun around by the gust that followed the sparkling, jingling shape inside.

“And what’s got you in such a hurry, little lady?” she asked of the not-so-mysterious intruder. The blur known as Tamarack finally slowed, already a step up the staircase. The force of her sudden stop left her noisy bag swinging back and forth. She answered the question with a wide grin.

“I need to write something down, Omi!”

That was odd; the lively youngest member of the Baumann household wasn’t really the journaling or note-taking type. She trusted her good memory to keep track of anything important, and with the kind of spontaneity she had, writing down plans in advance was a foreign concept, too. But Mrs. Baumann hardly had time to wonder about this uncharacteristic event before Tamarack was stomping up the stairs again.

“Well, dinner’s ready, so come down soon!” she called up the stairs. “And bring Opa with you while you’re at it!”

She may as well have saved her breath on that pair of requests, though, because neither her husband nor her granddaughter appeared until Mrs. Baumann marched up the stairs herself. After retrieving a remorseful Mr. Baumann from the master bedroom- he had laid down for a “short” rest and may well have slept through dinner without her- Dorothea knocked on Tamarack’s bedroom door. A moment later, it swung open to reveal Tamarack with a gleeful look and a pair of colored pencils clutched in her hand. Her supremely-important task must have been completed, as she came down for dinner without complaint.

She wasn’t yet out of surprises, though, as she broke the contented silence of everyone enjoying her Omi’s soup with a question.

“Omi, what’s a soulmate?” Tamarack asked with a genuinely quizzical look, giving no indication that she found the inquiry at all unusual. Mrs. Baumann made a small sound of amusement, while Mr. Baumann’s expression hardly changed as he continued his methodical eating motions, though his gentle eyes were keenly fixed on his granddaughter now. With no forthcoming context from Tamarack, Mrs. Baumann took a moment to consider her answer, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.

“Well, it’s like someone’s true love, dear. A person they’re meant to be with, like your Opa is to me. There are lots of stories about what it means to be a soulmate, but that’s the idea.”

Tamarack listened earnestly, her cheeks rosy but her expression unabashed. “Wow. I thought so.” And that was all she said about that. Mrs. Baumann could only chuckle to herself and wonder what had prompted the question. But just as quickly as the topic had come up, it shifted again, as Tamarack began to chatter about the forest fun she’d had that day.

That didn’t mean the topic had left her thoughts, though. In fact, it was the first thing on Tamarack’s mind when she returned to her room after dinner. Soulmates, true love- those magical concepts danced around in her head until it felt fuzzy, like when she had taken one too many spins on the tire swing. And the music they danced to swelled to a crescendo as Tamarack began to finish the page she’d been working on.

The two simple figures drawn onto it in all her favorite colors might’ve been recognizable enough by their hair- a sparkling gold on the left and a sky-blue on the right- but they were labeled, just in case. The first was “Me”, and the second, in careful lettering, was “Jin”. The pair of smiling kids held hands above a big blank space, which Tamarack (the real one) now began to fill out, alternating colors with every letter she wrote. The letters got smaller as they went, as the space began to run out at the end of the page, but not one was left out. So, Tamarack finally dropped the colored pencils back into their case, and admired her handiwork.

“SOULMATES”.

Not a label, perhaps, as much as it was a wish. After all, Tamarack had only met the boy depicted on this sheet earlier that day, and a “soulmate” sounded awfully serious. But that warm feeling that had sprung to life on their first encounter had lasted all day. It was real! And writing it down, taking that feeling inside her and putting it down on paper, where it could be seen, made it more real than ever.

Not that it should be seen by just anyone. This was special, and secret. Not because her crush was anything embarrassing- Tamarack would shout it from the rooftops if needed- but because a secret wish was all the more likely to come true. Clutching the paper to her chest and squinting her eyes, Tamarack wished so hard it felt like she might burst. Jin was ten, he was new, he liked the forest- please let him be the same about this!

“They’re both ten. They’re both new. They both like the forest.”

Mr. Qiu Lin tapped a finger to his other hand with each new fact he related about his two new neighbors. Then he put on an expression of total surprise for the next one, his hands spreading in disbelief: “And you won’t believe this, but the girl, Tamarack- she’s been here a week and I hadn’t seen her once!”

Qiu’s dad laughed, the busy task of cleaning up the kitchen after dinner not distracting him from his son’s account. “That is unbelievable. You keep a pretty good tab on the other kids around here.”

“I know!” Qiu cried in dismay. Then, the drama hanging in the air dissipated, and Qiu’s arms fell. “But this is good. One new neighbor kid would be exciting, a pair of new neighbor kids is something really expection- uh, exceptional.”

A finger went to the side of his face as he thought. “If I was new, I’d want friends. So…”

With a whoosh, his notepad and pen came out of his pocket, and he began writing furiously as he spoke. “I’m gonna invite them to walk with me tomorrow, and I’m gonna let them join the club!”

Mr. Lin, the one not scribbling into a notepad, leaned against the counter, giving his son a grin. “Leaving your wheels behind for the sake of the new kids, huh? That’s noble of you.”

Qiu shrugged it off, though the smile tugging at his lips showed the praise didn’t go unnoticed. “I can always see if they’ve got bikes later. Besides, it’s been a while since I walked to school with friends. It’ll be good.”

As the evening winded down, with chores being finished, teeth being brushed, and Mrs. Lin even declaring “lights out”, the two new neighbors were still on Qiu’s mind. Hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling, running through that funny set of circumstances that had led the two mystery kids to his fort.

Tamarack was too funny, and she needed to see all the coolest parts of Golden Grove. Jin seemed shy, kinda like Darren could get, so he would love the invitation to the club, for sure. And there was something about the sight of those wide eyes, which seemed even wider thanks to his round glasses, peering up at Qiu from the foot of the backyard fort. It made Qiu smile then, and even now, he couldn’t resist a grin. Thinking about it, all of it, that first meeting had been something special- something he didn’t want to forget.

Pausing for a moment to listen for footsteps outside the door, Qiu sat up and leaned over to his nightstand. He had to stretch a little bit off the edge of the bed to reach his notes and pen, but it was no trouble. His eyes had already adjusted to the dimness of the room, so after a second to collect his thoughts, Qiu began to write.

Usually, he was in such a rush to capture the important details that a whole idea could be reduced to a few words, but this was different. It had been unique, and he wanted to hold onto that memory, of the shy, bespectacled boy chasing a paper airplane mystery, and the golden-haired girl who’d been hidden in the forest for days. The things they’d said, and the way they had acted. It ended up taking a whole page and then some- but that was okay. Qiu could always get a new notepad.

Once it was done, and he was back to laying down, Qiu tried his best to clear his thoughts and get to bed. Tomorrow, he’d get to see those kids again, and they’d meet his friends, and join his club. This was gonna be great, so the sooner it came, the better.

[solaslow74]

so excited!!

(AAA I NEED TO LOCK IN)

1 Week until OLNF Week starts! (i am so not ready THIS ISNT FUNNY!!!)

(Art by @squishlien <3)

[solaslow74]

all your olnf mcs are so CHARMING!! are they all existing at once or completely seperate? and also if theyre all children of opal? i'd live to hear more abt them!!

ahh thanks so much! im glad you like them :]

as for whether they coexist… it kinda depends! i do have a lot of ideas about how they’d all get along with each other over time in a shared setting, but in the context of their individual story with qiu and tamarack, they’re separate. for the same reason, i think of each as opal’s kid, but i don’t think of them as siblings, if that makes sense!

so when i write them on their own, they’re always opal’s only child. if i write a scenario where they coexist, then they would have different families and not be related.

thanks again for the compliment and the questions!!

[solaslow74]

time to wrap up character introductions! these will be the final three of my seven olnf mcs, to be featured in my olnf week submissions. feels like just yesterday we began this journey… which is strange, because it was actually, like, a few days ago.

without further ado, let’s bring this one home!

When Andrea Mitchell first arrived in Golden Grove, she was rude, judgmental, and generally unpleasant to be around. A deep anxiety around other people led her to push away those who might otherwise have been friends. Most pursuits she took interest in, like music or art, were abandoned quickly. After all, she knew she couldn’t keep up with others- why try?

But that’s the thing about kids- they grow up. Andi never woke up one day and decided to be someone new, but things shifted over her early teenage years. Day by day, a little kinder, a little slower to judge and berate, a little quicker to accept and love. Attribute it to personal effort, the good examples she had around her, or both- Andi changed, like leaves in the autumn.

The anxiety never left her, but she did get better at identifying and coping with it. She can still be shy and a bit awkward, but no longer does she lash out at others to deal with her inner struggles. In fact, thinking of the way she used to be is a real point of embarrassment now. Sometimes she worries that she already threw away her chance at the life she wants.

But, of course, Andi’s story is only beginning, and she’ll have to learn that she has to embrace her present, not dwell on the past or stress about the future. She may have let potential friendships and hobbies slip her by before, but now she’s set on a new course, reaching for the life she wants with everything she’s got.

To Tamarack Baumann and Qiu Lin, Andi is just a neighbor. But things are changing.

Don't let Jin Morgan's large stature fool you- he's as harmless as they come. Timid as a mouse, Jin goes through life cautiously. Few can convince this blue-haired boy to do anything more daring than stay inside and study; he’d rather keep his adventures confined on a screen or between pages of a book.

Lots of things come easily to Jin, like schoolwork or playing music. But reading people can be much harder than reading musical notes, and while he’s endlessly polite, making friends is tough for Jin. His sweet and funny side takes time to emerge, and many don’t ever see it.

But if anyone can consistently get Jin out of his shell, it’s his next-door neighbor, Tamarack. She certainly made an impactful first impression when they first met as fellow newcomers to Golden Grove. Her striking personality drew in the shy boy as much as it intimidated him, and the friendship that blossomed between them became something that both can count on, through the good times and the bad.

The future can be daunting to Jin; it’s a big world out there, and growing up means new responsibilities just as much as it means new opportunities. But the tight-knit community of Golden Grove is here to support him, and he’ll surely find his place in it as the seasons change.

Golden Grove is a rather ordinary town, and Acorn Road is a rather ordinary place. You’d be forgiven for thinking that its young new arrival is an ordinary kid. You’d also be dead wrong, because there’s nobody quite like Celosia Valus.

They’ve known that since they could talk in complete sentences. Demonstrating it to everyone else, including Mother- that’s a work in progress.

Celosia is prideful, snarky, and all around something of a brat. Their priority is attaining a life of luxury, success, and adoration, and they’ll step over others to do it. They must work the hardest, be the best, to achieve their ambitions, whether that’s in school, dance, or social circles. And while everyone is a potential rival to Celosia, one person stands out- Qiu Lin.

Pretty, athletic, and popular- Qiu seems to have everything Celosia wants, and that just won’t stand. Not if they have any say in it. Celosia’s gonna one-up their insufferably cool neighbor, you can count on it.

The only thing standing in their way is the big, fat crush that they’ve accidentally developed.

and for those keeping count at home… that’s 7 out of 7! a lot of mcs, perhaps, but i just couldn’t bear to leave any of em out (not even rowan)

thanks for comin along with me and meeting this silly bunch. feel free to ask questions or tell me about your own mcs, as usual! but as for me, i’ve got olnf submissions to write >:)

take it easy yall!

[solaslow74]

what are soleil and rowans relationship with qiu and tama? ^^

thank you for the question! :]

In Step One, Soleil’s already energetic and happy-go-lucky disposition is as untamed as it’s ever gonna be. For this reason, she’s very drawn to how fun-loving and unpredictable Tama can be! They’re best friends, and in the game’s terms, Soleil is Contesting, Praising, and Accepting towards Tamarack.

They might butt heads as two strong-willed kids who both wanna have it their way, but to Soleil that’s more of a fun game than something that causes strife. What she looks for in a best friend is someone who can match her energy and liveliness, and ten-year-old Tamarack is a perfect fit.

Qiu, while maybe not quite as close, would definitely be a valued friend, and soon thereafter, a crush for Soleil. See, while she’s happy to take the lead for her friends and be the driving force of a group, what draws her in romantically is someone who can one-up her in that aspect. So, being the popular, effortlessly cool Mr. Qiu Lin that he is at ten years old, Autumn would definitely be her crush. Also, Soleil’s really into being physically active, so she would love biking with him and respect his efforts in dance. Her relationship with him starts as Contesting, Praising, and Admiring.

While we know less about what exactly the leads are like after Step One, I think Soleil would probably be less close to both in Step Two, seeing them as regular friends. She’s still somewhat kiddy even as a teenager, so the more down-low vibe they have going on would not click as much with her. But she would see it as a breach of loyalty to truly drift away from her childhood friends, so she’d never really be indifferent or hostile with either one.

By Step 3, I think things would return a little more to the way they used to be- not only is Soleil more mature and cooperative by then, but it seems like the leads break out of their teenage funk. Soleil gets less tomboyish with time, no longer pushing away “girly” pursuits as she gets older, so I think tea, walks, and gossip with Tamarack would become appealing to her (even if such things would’ve put her to sleep as a kid). As for Qiu, their revival as Golden Grove’s resident cool charmer would bring back those romantic feelings of youth, albeit on a deeper level by that age. She’d mostly just be really happy to see her two friends really come into their own after some awkward years!

Regarding Rowan, he’s already pretty set in his ways as a kid, so he’d be Contesting, Teasing, and Doting with both of the leads in Step One. He’s also very much a romantic even when his understanding of romance is very simple, so he’d have a crush on both leads quickly, if not right away, by sheer virtue of them being his age and friendly to him. He’s dazzled by Qiu’s people-pleasing and somewhat dramatic nature, and delighted by Tamarack’s wild spirit.

With Tama he’d be more content as an observer than a participant in most of her forest fun, since he finds its dirt and creepy-crawlies off-putting. Where Soleil would be happy to jump in and get messy right alongside Tama, Rowan would rather sit back and cheer her on. Conversely, Qiu’s dancing is far closer to Rowan’s interests. Music and on-stage performance is right up his alley, so he’d be happy to be right there alongside Autumn in that activity.

Rowan becomes less contesting and doting towards the leads in his teenage years, having real respect in addition to the affection he already harbored. However, he’d also be quite jealous over them, as realizing “I’m not as singularly exceptional as I thought” makes him more protective of the good relationships he already has, not taking them for granted as much.

And as Step 3 rolls around, he’ll end up really cultivating healthy romantic feelings towards Tamarack and then Qiu, not just the self-indulgent crushes of the past. Rowan is never gonna be a truly humble person, but he does get less selfish as he becomes an adult. As for individual dynamics, I’d say he puffs himself up, and Tamarack is happy to be direct in knocking him down a peg, but always playfully. Meanwhile Qiu is a little more willing to let Rowan indulge; he can be their adoring prince, and they can be his loyal retainer, so to speak. Qiu is confident enough in themself that a little pompous attitude from Rowan is more fun than grating.

And Rowan is gonna be my poly character- while it’s not something I identify with personally, it is something I appreciate being there and want to see play out in the final game. So ultimately, he’ll end up being both Qiu’s and Tama’s partner.

sorry if this was an overly long response, but it was really fun to answer :) thanks again!

[solaslow74]

it’s that time again!

this is the squeakquel to my last post, where i introduced two of my olnf mc’s. today, i offer you two more!

Ariel Vance is one of the most polite and level-headed kids you’ll ever meet. Though they’re pretty tall for their age, their soft-spoken, thoughtful demeanor gives a very understated impression.

Ariel is the mediator of most situations they’re in. They’ll do their best to always find a solution that makes everyone happy, and let others lead. Even upon their initial arrival in Golden Grove, Ariel is quick to let Tamarack’s strong will and Qiu’s confident leadership direct the group’s path while they watch over everyone in their own quiet way.

But things won’t always be sunshine for this gentle soul. Their intentions might be pure, but they can tend to look down on their friends, seeing them as kids they have to take care of. As Ariel grows up, they’ll have to learn to let others take care of themselves- and to finally look inwards and seek what they really want, not just what everyone else wants of them. But through this process, they can count on their best friend, Mx. Qiu Lin, to give them a hand.

Ariel is the bookish sort, preferring time spent reading and writing over being active in the great outdoors. And though they’ll learn a lot from their studies, Golden Grove has lessons to teach that can’t be learned from a book.

Suffice it to say that my next MC doesn’t have the same problem.

Mira Scarlet has always been the quiet type. But what that long, dark, unkempt hair hides is that it’s not born out of shyness- it’s born out of an intolerance for other people’s BS. If you’re around when she finally does speak up- duck for cover.

Mira is reckless, confident, and independent to a fault. She’s quick to anger, which isn’t always a bad thing- she’ll stick up for her friends in a heartbeat when they’re slighted.

Mira lives her life in the fast lane, and if you can’t keep her pace, she wants you out of the road. Golden Grove is far too sleepy of a place for her, and she can’t wait until she’s old enough to fly out of this town on a motorcycle, never looking back.

Even without much outward interest in making friends, her strength and spirit does draw some to her, and those she calls friends receive her fierce support. If anyone can convince her to finally take it slow once in a while, it’s her best friend, Tamarack Baumann.

Mira isn’t interested in trying to deal with the consequences of her recklessness, but no matter how fast you can go on a bike, life always catches up to you. She’s gonna learn that, one way or another.

“wow, sola! you weren’t kidding, that WAS two more olnf mc’s!”

thanks, friend! i hope you enjoyed learning about em! feel free to ask questions or share the deets on your own lovely characters! let’s all revel in the olnf brainrot together ❤️

[solaslow74]

greetings, people of earth!! it is i, sola, newcomer to the our life community and to the platform, doing what everyone knows is the first step to integrating into an online fandom: oversharing identifying information about my children!!

my olnf children, of course! i’ve been cooking up some short fanfics starring these mcs of mine for the upcoming olnf week, and thought this month or so leading up to it would be a good time to introduce them!

so let’s take a walk along the street, and i promise everybody that you meet, will have an original point of view:

And in this corner of the ring, we have Soleil Bridgeford!

She’s cheerful, she’s energetic, she’s set on becoming the best her she can be! As the protagonist of most other video games, she’d be using the power of friendship and hitting things really hard to save the world or something; but as fate would have it, in this story, she’s just an ordinary kid in the peaceful town of Golden Grove.

But that’s not gonna stop her from being The Hero™! She’s gonna give this town her all, being EVERYONE’S friend and solving EVERYONE’S problems, especially when it comes to her two precious neighbors.

Of course, Soleil’s gonna have to learn that sometimes, handling personal struggles and the ups and downs of friendships is something you can’t always approach with the force and subtlety of a charging bull. And what her neighbors really need from her isn’t a superhero- just Soleil as she is.

Soleil loves sports, food, and all things “awesome”, but as she gets older, she develops a bit more nuance to her tastes, as well. She’ll find that her endless passion can be suited to more pursuits than just the physical.

Though her childhood crush on the cool and confident Qiu Lin fades as her neighbor grows harsh and distant in their teen years, who’s to say what sorts of feelings might blossom as the two grow into adulthood? But one thing’s for sure- no matter how much changes, Soleil’s gonna be there for her friends.

but, moving on… what good is the strong female MC without the pathetic male MC?

That’s where Rowan Cordovi comes in, of course.

Full of himself and with an utter lack of self-awareness, Rowan thinks he’s God’s gift to Golden Grove. But even if he sees himself as the star of the show, he’s more than happy to welcome in co-stars. After all, it’s not as if others can’t be amazing- it’s just that he already is!

While he works hard in the hobbies he loves- music and theater most of all- Rowan is more than content to take it easy in most other areas of his life. After all, once his natural talent and beauty is recognized, the success, friends, and admirers are sure to roll in. They haven’t yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Surely.

Golden Grove might be a little too slow and quaint for this rising star, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. After all, since the first day he met his neighbors, Rowan has known that they’re special. That magic between them can only be one thing, Rowan’s favorite part of the fairy-tale stories he’s fond of. That’s true love, baby! And you can bet he’s gonna get a good grade in romance, something that is both normal to want and possible to achieve.

Rowan has a long ways to go. It’s a good thing he’s got people around him who are gonna help him grow into a more well-rounded adult. But until then- watch out, Golden Grove!

and… those are my first two mc’s! i have seven in total, which is perfect for the seven days of prompts for olnf week, but starting with just two seems appropriate. you’re already awesome if you read through both of these! i’ll probably post about the remaining five in sets of two and three sometime soon!

feel free to ask any questions, or tell me all about your characters! (and also kindly let me know if i made any first-time tumblr gaffes, this is my first ever post!) i know plenty of you are just as normal about your olnf mc’s as i am about mine, so let’s all be normal together >:)