#Hourglass is one of the main characters of my story and one of my favorite characters I ever came up with

[hamliet]

Derry Girls: A Masterclass in Detailed, Thematic Writing

Several years after the end, I finally watched Derry Girls, and it's become one of my favorite shows. Not only for the way it captures the absolutely unhinged aspects of Irish families (askmehowiknow) but for the sheer writing skill.

The vast majority of the episodes are laugh-out-loud hilarious, while also offering insightful commentary on the Troubles and on humanity's foibles as a whole. The characters are allowed to be human and act in unlikable, unsanitized ways, and to still be human and come back from that. (Almost like a metaphor for the Troubles or something.)

The story is also incredibly detailed; for example, when the girls are accused of killing a nun and Erin points out the nun was like, 98 years old and askes "might that shed some light on the situation?" there's an hourglass behind Sister Michael--emphasizing the idea that her time was up. Even more than that... the window is behind the hourglass, literally shining a light on it.

But that's a micro level. On a macro level, I also appreciated the way the story discusses the political backdrop that is part of its premise. Even as Erin, Michelle, James, Clare, and Orla grow up in a place that's been in a state of low-level warfare for decades, they live full lives. In fact, that's kinda the point.

Case in point: episode 4 of the first season, wherein Erin gets an exchange student from Chernobyl. The way the Northern Irish in general treat the Ukrainians is hilariously awful and patronizing, believing that they are giving them a respite from the troubles "over there" while Northern Ireland isn't in a much better state. But, as Sister Michael assures the Ukrainian students, the Irish troubles don't matter because "we're the goodies."

This line gets to the heart of what the episode is saying about political divisions and the way people view an "other." Everyone sees themselves as the "goodies." Because of that, they don't self-examine and wind up hurting the people they see themselves as wanting to help/save with their ignorance. It's a paradoxical egotistical (and frankly teenage) worldview that is also unwilling to look critically at oneself. The focus on their own perceptions over focusing on the actual humanity of the other results in ruining gifts that could come with cross-culture interaction, as seen in how Erin's misunderstandings and petty jealousy of Katya leads to her literally ruining a surprise gift Katya had prepared.

And the end of the episode also comments thematically on the story. One of the Ukrainian boys turns out not to be Ukrainian after all--he's actually Irish and from just down the road. He just didn't know how to say that. The ironic message is clear: despite differences in culture and views, they are actually all human beings, and assumptions make it hard for people to speak. If they could actually talk openly and without presumptions about who is "good" and who is "bad," they could prevent and solve a lot of problems.

This kind of background, symbolic commentary on the Troubles continues in just about every episode of the series. For example, even after the ceasefire, season 3 has an episode where it's discussed how negotiations are stalling, and the entirely of the rest of the episode takes place on a train that stalls between two separate places.

The Troubles are always something affecting their lives, but the only time the Troubles ever become the main story is in the finale episode. Which is also an episode that makes everyone cry. Michelle's brother is finally mentioned for the first time the entire series, yet it doesn't feel like a retcon so much as a recontextualization, and again mirrors how a lot of society (and Michelle's own family) have treated those who murdered others during the conflict.

Erin and James' relationship also works as a metaphor for the Troubles--an Irish Catholic girl and an English boy. Earlier in season 3, after they finally kiss, they're told they can't be together, that it's wrong, and that it'll create problems for everyone around them. Michelle doesn't want things to change. And Erin agrees that it's not good to pursue something.

But, in the final scenes, as Erin prepares to vote in the Good Friday Agreement and talks to James, she directly states she thinks things can't stay the same forever--thereby countering what she said to reject James earlier:

There's a part of me that wishes everything could just stay the same. That we could all just stay like this forever. There's a part of me that doesn't really want to grow up. I'm not sure I'm ready for it. I'm not sure I'm ready for the world. But things can't stay the same, and they shouldn't. No matter how scary it is, we have to move on, and we have to grow up, because things... well, they might just change for the better. So we have to be brave. And if our dreams get broken along the way... we have to make new ones from the pieces.

Symbolically, also, given that we know the outcome of the Good Friday Agreement, I think it's pretty clear Erin and James end up together even if we're not directly shown it.

That the last shot of the episode (besides the funny epilogue) is Grandda Joe, one of the eldest characters, helping his youngest toddler granddaughter Anna leap over a threshold as they leave the voting station, is also incredibly clear in its symbolism.

Erin: People died. Innocent people died, Grandda. They were someone's mother, father, daughter, son. Nothing can ever make that okay. And the people who took those lives, they're just gonna walk free? What if we do it, and it's all for nothing? What if we vote yes and it doesn't even work? Grandda Joe: And what if it does? What if no one else has to die? What if this all becomes a--a ghost story you'll tell your wee-un's some day? A ghost story they'll hardly believe?

I dunno, I think this is a sentiment we need more of in the world. A peaceful future means taking risks and accepting that punitive justice will not be perfectly doled out; however, if you allow more people to be hurt, is that not also injustice? It's a paradox that the story leaves us without a dogmatic answer to (for example, we never find out if Michelle's brother gets released), but it's also hopeful--because we know that the Good Friday Agreement largely worked.

(For further analysis of the final scene, I recommend PillarofGarbage's analysis on YouTube!)

[weirdplutoprince]

Cat now you have to share your favorite vilainess isekais the people need to know

GOD ok hmmmmm. In no particular order but here are my favourites and its strongest qualities:

Beware of the villainess

Pros: Very funny, sympathetic to original female lead and villainess alike. Very self aware and critical of common tropes of the genre, specially regarding shitty male leads. Rare example of non subservient maid as well. Can't miss it with this one.

Cons: Male lead is boring and a bit annoyingly protective. I wish it was yuri. At least he's pathetic so there is that. Only character of colour is an agressive werewolf iirc so not great.

2. Death is the Only Ending for the Villainess

Pros: Condemns shitty male leads, very sympathetic to the original villainess. Very cathartic in the 'shaming your abusive family' way. Good kind of pain and suffering. I find it very satisfying.

Cons: I don't like any of the male leads. Theres a yandere-esque guy, which is game ending for me but maybe not for you so, eh.

3. Milady just wants to relax

Pros: Very satisfying and pleasant to read. She's fairly self sufficient at the start, and it avoids having the guys constantly rescue her. It's been a while so I dont rememeber details, but I gave it a high grade. Male leads have very fun furry designs.

Cons: Male leads have very lame human designs. They start doing annoying things like picking her up randomly later on. I dont know how it ends.

4. The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass

Pros: Great revenge story. Main character is actually a villainess and gets to do shady, fucked up things. I don't hate the male lead. I personally find her very cute and I like inherent tragedy of her relationship with her evil ass sister.

Cons: I dont have a problem with that personally but her revenge has basically no bad consequences for her so dont expect this kind of depth. Still think its cool.

5. I Became the Stepmother of An Irrevocable Dark Family

Pros: This one is kinda mid actually and I only read the novel BUT it has my favourite mother and child relationship in these. I found the kid genuinely very cute and endearing.

Cons: The guy is a fucking idiot and it has one of the most convoluted, stupid isekai reasons I have ever seen to justify that.

6. I want to be you, Just for a day

Pros: Focused on the female lead and villainess and their deeply complicated relationship. Sympathetic to both of them and actually bothers with their feelings and struggles inherent to their positions. Revenge story. Very intense but cool.

Cons: Really dark in terms of abuse, violence etc. I don't know if the shitty male lead guy is end game or not so beware.

I like some others but they're not villainesses or at more mid so. There you go.

[lxdymoon0357]

Ayyy! Assign your mutuals as some of your favorite manhwas!

I ALSO WANTED TO DO THIS!!!!

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Remarried Empress: @d10nsaint (know, yes I know this manhwa is quite overrated, but the art-design is very aesthetic and eye-pleasing and the characters are quite well developed as compared to other manhwas and the villainess is absolutely kissable like you <;3)

Beware of the Villainess: @rouecentric (I absolutely loves this manhwa and I still do! It's my second most comforting manhwa. The characters are quite well developed and the art style is very comforting and the memes are top-tier. Also you have an absolutely kissable and huggable, wolf, softy male lead!! I love HIM and YOU!!!!)

The Villainess Is A Marionette: @dxmoness (A beautiful art-style, just like you! Also you have a bunch of beautiful characters, whom are all horrible, but at-least they're pretty? Also the main characters are amazing and gorgeous, but more than you, but still very beautiful!)

Death Is the Only Ending For the Villainess: @imbouttasue (Another one which has a good art-style, with an amazing strong female lead and horrible male leads....It's okay cause the beauty of the female lead and other female character makes us forget the shitty brothers and father, also the plot is god-tier and goddamn amazing!!!! With a hot, blood-thirsty, little-meow meow, crown prince!!!!)

The Villainess reverses the hourglass: @fuoon (A strong Female lead and another one with horrible family issues, but the female lead's parents are absolutely simpable....They total milf and dilf materials...sadly....Also the villainess was thrown the wrong way about commoners by her dumbass maid...amazing art-style, strong female leads, puppy male leads)

Siren's Lament: @honestly-oceanie (An amazing story about heart-break, sirens and water...-3-..I love water....<3 Also the story includes some of the cutest characters and an amazing plot about a girl, her crush and a siren friend who shares his siren curse with her and whom helps her find a way out for both of them! My no. 3 comfort manhwa)

Who made me a princess: @yonokomizuka  @myearts-uwu (Both of them are my older moots, from the Rashta/Jennette lover, Rashta X Navier and Jennette X self-love times...Good times, but this manhwa was the first every manhwa I ever encountered...It has a good a good art-style, with amazing women in it!!! Diana, Jennette, Penelope, Lily, and Myra!!!! All are amazing and this manhwa describes these two the best, for half-their content is this manhwa only and the 'who made me a princess' tag is only surviving thanks to these two! Love you!)

I became the Hero's Rival: @mayuisyuki (Mayu, me dear summer child. Though we don't talk often, your comedy is top-tier, also I have a feeling you freeze when you get into contact with the opposite sex...No matter, how hot they are....Also your sweetness might pull in a hot pair of siblings, yet also jealous competition...Love you tho<3)

Father, I don't want this marriage: @meenasmagic (A beautiful ass, female lead with a hot ass father and male lead...The art work does confuse me from time to time, but it's amazing! The female lead's father does love her but he hides it so nothing happens to her, and he regrets it and after the time has been reset, the father and the daughter are both out to make things right!!!...Wrong explanation, I know!)

Miss-not-so-sidekick: @parad0xang3l  (my No. 1 comfort manhwa. An amazing female lead, who knows her way around using memes and acting, her hot mage husband and a hot knight and one prince, with an obnoxious female lead who thinks she's all that...Yes I enjoy such female leads, especially when they lose everything and also, Yoko is my comfort teddy.)

Your throne: @dion-s-lawyer (A powerful female lead with her Lesbian friend and annoying and possessed prince fiancée...I love this manhwa, but it's quite complex for my dumb little mind...But the power of Lesbians in this really overpowers everything, her brother is hot as well and so is her childhood friend...)

The marronnier farm near the imperial palace: @sidra-29 (An adorable manhwa, fit for our baby Sidra. The female leads owns a farm right in the imperial palace and wins over everyone's heart with her amazing cooking skills and though she has jealous fans, she gets past those as well!!! I love this manhwa, but it's not complete...:(((( ...)

The way to protect the female lead's older brother: @that-one-pretty-bitch (She's deadly, beautiful and amazing...What else does Oliara need in her life? Oh right! A beautiful yet shitty family and an equally handsome and gorgeous husband!!! Also an obsession with blood and beauty!! Can probably seduce everyone, the art-style of this manhwa ais just as deadly, cause once you start reading this, you can't stop...)

0397.. : @broken-mandolin0357 @nana-hiki (My manhwa!!! Not introduced to the world yet..but still want to give you all a sneak peek of what's inside. The story if of a girl with her twin brother, who's stuck inside a lab which does illegal experiments on kids and so it's upto her and other kids whom she ahs never met before to escape this place, into a place, while they train to be amazing assassin by the girl's father figure and family figures!!! Not good at explaining, but still love it!)

Tsundere delinquent Bully: @ramblehour (not a manhwa, but deserves a special mention for staying in my mind 24/7 and stop me from thinking of anything else..I'm not lying I constantly have thoughts of this and at-least I have someone who shares this same obsession with me!!! Love you Moki!!)

The first night with the duke: @honeyandbiscuitandtea-cafe (Love this manhwa, it has enough amount of angst and enough amount of action for me!! This is the type of manhwa, which you don't get bored of reading because it has some good scene and it has a calm setting, not to actiony, not to angsty, not too funny, just enough of all the good things!!! Love this manhwa!)

Limited time extra: @meow-meow-potato (the moment I saw the art-style I fell in love, the story does include a horrible family, but it also includes the power of art and talent, also a cute love-story between the female lead and her fiancée! Also a bit of heart-break, but I love this!!!)

[waywardsalt]

I am humbly requesting your thoughts on Linebeck

Oh I have a LOT of thoughts on Linebeck but I'll try to just get some major points down bc it would take me ages to spill all of my thoughts on him.

(plus i do have two general headcanon posts [ 1 2 ] a post abt headcanons about him being autistic [ x ] and a weird post about his coat [ x ] as well as pretty much anything in my linebeck tag with my excessive tagging of some reblogs and my original posts + whatever writing or fanfiction i have done/will do with him included so. bonus reading for headcanon-y stuff or a look at how i portray him)

added a read more bc this is long bc of course it is :) i hope it's in the right spot :)))

Linebeck is... a good fucking character. He's probably my favorite character period, and has been pretty much soon after I got Phantom Hourglass. He feels unique compared to other Zelda characters as a companion character who offers less direct support and is more just of a constant character who changes throughout the course of the story and is... well, a companion, not really a helper. He falls more in line with the types of loz characters who are more rude or antagonistic towards Link, but develops out of that, and also technically counts not only as a boss but a final boss, putting him as the only non-villain character to be a final boss, so uh good for him.

Just within the context of the games he's got a great design and a great theme (which is only heard about two times before the final boss but has a recognizable enough motif for it to be noticed in the final boss theme) and an interesting role in his game and just has one of the best character arcs and one of the most interesting places within the story as a whole. Linebeck's arc is very... natural in how you see his attitude change within both story beats and in his overworld dialogue, but at the same time seems like it stutters when he deals with Ciela's criticism and upholding his own reputation, I think his character arc is very fascinating if you consider the entire context of his character and what he interacts with, since a majority of the characters he directly interacts with seem to deny the idea that he's any more than a useless coward.

The fact that pretty much the rest of the major cast in Phantom Hourglass has basically no faith or respect for Linebeck is so fucking fascinating to me. This guy has to be doing so fucking bad over the course of the game. In relation to Ciela specifically, an idea I've been thinking of and trying to work into some of my Phantom Hourglass oneshots is that having to be around and interact with her so frequently wears Linebeck down pretty badly as the game goes on.

This guy is undeniably mentally ill and that's also something I have a specific fic planned out for but that's probably not going to see the light of day for a while. It's basically five chapters of Oshus being Linebeck's therapist or something each time Link goes to the Temple of the Ocean King.

I particularly enjoy how the game (at least twice) plays with your expecting him to be at the ship all of the time by having him be in a different spot on an island. His dialogue for islands and his overseas dialogue are fun, it gives off a sense that he much prefers exploring and is a bit less guarded overseas. His dialogue during the ghost ship fight is ESPECIALLY fantastic, the specific line of 'I'm fighting right there with you this time, kid!' not only offers some very interesting insight to his attitude towards link and his own role, but kind of also stings when considering the events of the final boss and is also a quote I took a screenshot of while reading the text dump for this game.

Phantom Hourglass is by no means an exceptional game and while the story is fine it's nothing fantastic and even most of the characters are... ok, but Linebeck is without a doubt the best part of this game and I really feel like he's the main reason why people still give this game a chance and despite everything he's easily one of the best characters in the entire series even if his game isn't one of the better ones. He honest to god steals every scene he's in, even if he barely has any dialogue- he's animated with such distinct personality and I love it. He doesn't speak at all until the end of the spirit of courage scene and yet is so fucking distracting with his fruity fucking posing and movements in reaction to what's going on.

I'm also personally a fan of the near-complete lack of backstory we get for him. The most we get is some vague implications but everyone can read the given information in different ways so it's really not much. Phantom Hourglass's general lack of lore is great for me since I can just fill in the blanks however I want. I kinda honestly don't want Nintendo to revisit this game because I don't really want them to add anything new. Just port it or something don't change it.

That's about it for surface-level specific-to-the-games Linebeck talk... on to everything else.

Linebeck is literally the reason why I found out I was autistic. I wrote this loser and realized I was accidentally making him kinda autistic and THEN realized I was also projecting and then decided to look into that. He's fun to write and he always ends up a little out of character and at this point I barely give a damn because this bastard is masking or keeping up a facade or whatever the fuck in most of his scenes anyways. Linebeck's arc feels to me more about him being most honest and open to and about his own emotions and actual personality so honestly writing him a bit out of character doesn't bother me too much.

He's my favorite little guy, and when I plan out Zelda aus he always gets a major role to the point where a lot of the twists to my aus all end up being similar. For a few of them I've had to forcibly alter his role so that I can't include him constantly. He's very interesting for different kinds of aus because he's an interesting character for different concepts and situations. His relationships with characters in Phantom Hourglass lend well to au stuff; specifically with Link, in one au they're adoptive brothers, in one they're something akin to rivals, in one their mutual fixation on each other propels the plot. I've even expanded on interactions and possible dynamics with Bellum in aus (Bellum is honestly fun since he's kind of a blank slate in canon but there's just enough there to build off of but keep it relatively the same original character).

I have a few ocs that used to be au versions of Linebeck that ended up becoming their own thing because the aus in question worked better as original stories.

With Phantom Hourglass-centric ideas, it's a lot of fun to poke around and explore stuff with Linebeck's past, his mental state, the kinds of things he enjoys or hates, pretty much anything the game doesn't elaborate on. With all of that blank space and the fact that I've known about him for a few years now, I've gotten down a whole backstory and deeper details on Linebeck, most of which I'm probably going to end up expressing through writing.

Just a few of the baseline ones are just along the lines of him being gay, autistic, touch-averse, intersex, a cat person, someone who highly values his freedom, half Gerudo, interested in music- some of it can be supported with canon (he really comes off to me like a closeted gay man, and he does have some generally autistic vibes) and some of it is really just for the hell of it (in particular the idea that he’s of Gerudo descent has no backing but is so interesting for story stuff and is generally fun) (I also enjoy ignoring parts of canon. I have not played Spirit Tracks and I do not want to play it so if I don't look at it I can ignore it).

I have a lot of fun fleshing him out in different aus or in scenarios before or after Phantom Hourglass, since there's just enough there to allow for further reasonable exploration, and his being just some normal guy actually helps with that since it forces you to keep things relatively normal and comparable to kinds of things you can experience in your day-to-day. I've more or less figured out a (mostly) full backstory for him, I've decided on a full physical description of how he looks so that I have a baseline if I want to change stuff in an au or just so that I know how I figure he looks as well as have an idea of how some physical traits can lend themselves to other aspects of how I write and portray him (for example, I figure he has long fingers, which goes right with the idea that he enjoys music and is pretty good on a piano, and also that he's good with tasks that might require a bit more finger dexterity as well as generally helping a bit with pick-pocketing or thievery)

I figure that, along with the general idea I have of him valuing his freedom, he's not particularly interested in following rules or laws and hates seeing too many of them put in place, and especially values his own identity even if he doesn't express it as much as he'd like. He likes being able to go wherever he'd like and he likes being able to do what he wants and express himself how he wants and that stuff gets bogged down when he plays into that image of someone he's not that he hides behind and doubles down on in a good bit of Phantom Hourglass.

Linebeck is fun in general he's a good character he's fun for aus he's got enough groundwork to spend ages pouring into possible avenues for his personality and background and whatever potential he could have in different aus or roles. He's surprisingly fun and interesting to use as an antagonist since you can't fall back on easy villain-writing ideas and have to get a bit more creative with it.

I think I struggle to write him in-character but it's backed up a bit by my specific interpretation of him suggesting that a lot of what you see from him is forced or fake. I still think he's a greedy piece of shit, though. He sucks and it's on purpose. I lean into him being rude and cold and a bit quieter overall.

He just... for some fucking reason when I decided to play this game Linebeck struck a chord with me whether or not I realized it at the time so he's just very interesting and entertaining and important to me and it really doesn't help that either Phantom Hourglass as a whole or just Linebeck is my special interest.

Linebeck stands out in comparison to other Zelda characters and has a very unique and fascinating role and arc and is just so fucking good.

He feels like he could be used as an example of how good character writing can save a piece of art (not that ph sucks but like. god damn he elevates it) just because his inclusion makes the story more interesting as you have this selfish asshole tagging along next to your little goody-two-shoes protagonist and fairy friend, and his arc, though not entirely the focus of the story, is another reason to keep progressing. His dialogue is funny and has some really good in-character tips every so often, he adds character to traversal and adds stakes as a character to care about and protect and is just fucking fantastic.

He's a character that can work as comedic relief but at the same time can be taken very seriously and I really enjoy that while he seems to be in the role of comedic relief a lot it never seems much like it's diegetically intentional and it still allows room for him to be taken completely seriously. Him knocking over stone Tetra is funny but there's so much character in that entire string of animations that while it's a fun background gag it also provides even more insight into Linebeck as a character.

Essentially he's my favorite character ever he was probably my gay awakening and I want to steal his gender and I think about him more than I think about my ocs.

[orange-orchard-system]

thank you for recommending The One Within the Villainess in tags you left in a reblog!! I immediately went to read it and it's genuinely such a nice story, thank you for making us discover it!! ^_^

I'm glad you liked it!! It's a very enjoyable story, I think, due to the unique motivations of the main characters. I originally just got into it as a revenge + villainess reincarnation manga, but I think now my favorite part of it is just how genuinely it takes the concept of, well, plurality, though I don't know if the author knows it's a real thing or not. A fair amount of reincarnation stories I read don't really delve into these kinds of possibilities, so it's quickly become one of my favorites.

If you enjoyed that story, I'd also recommend With One Day Left, I'll Break All the Destruction Flags, which takes a very different direction with the plurality in it (in fact, just saying plurality shows up in it is a spoiler – hope you don't mind!), so be prepared for something a little darker if you read it. There's also The Old Man Reincarnated As a Villainess, which has some similar themes to TOWTV, though last I checked it's more along the lines of plural-adjacent or possibly some complicated median system situation, depending on how you view it. In terms of general reincarnated villainess comics, I can't recommend The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass enough! It's an excellent manhwa*, even if I haven't found any plurality present in it (yet; never can tell what future updates/chapters I haven't read yet will bring!).

There are other stories of this kind I read from time-to-time, but I'm awful at remembering the names of them

*Korean form of/term for this kind of comic; compare to the Japanese manga and Chinese manhua

[honeymouthedtales]

manhwa anon - omg didnt expect to get a special cla rec list thank you!! 😭🩷 i cant really describe what tropes are my favorite because i am a total newbie but from the few i’ve read: i also LOVE villainess tropes, esp. those with smart and cunning fl (im currently reading villainess turns hourglass, obsessed with the fl she’s so evil and smart, and not really a villainess but think navier of remarried empress- her brain is just so huge ugh im in love)

another aspect i like is when the story focuses a lot on imperial politics and high society strategizing etc, i find it really fascinating!! basically the heavier, more dramatic stuff, as opposed to light topics & fluffy romance all throughout the story :3

if you have any !!must read!! recs for beginners pls also share, even if they dont fit those tropes!!! 🫶

sorry this took a lot but my mental illness went downhill these days

i've already mentioned my faves i think but i can go a little further. you've already mentioned navier who's a real queen, but when it comes to scheming main characters I can mention:

The Villainess Is A Marionette: the setting is a bit all over the place with the inspiration but the art is gorgeous and both she and her twin brother are schemers and tbh even if he is the villain sometimes I feel like siding with him ahah. There's a lot of intrigue and court factions in it!

The Way To Protect The Female Lead's Older Brother: i am in love with this webtoon, not only the art is gorgeous, everyone in it is kinda insane. The fl doesn't want to be a villainess but has to become it in order to survive and isn't she an amazing villainess? I also somehow really love the male lead, I like when they deviate from the buff guy stereotype, he has a very youthful vibe (and I loved that he was a prisoner of the fl's family at the beginning of the story). I also love the other male lead and I normally despise the second guy very bad, but tbh as someone who read the ending of the novel I personally wouldn't know who I was really hoping to win in the end. Anyway, if you like gothic and a little gory themes and a lot of scheming this is also very pretty.

The Broken Ring: I really like the female lead so much, she's one of my favorite in existence. When you read villainess webtoons, most of them are just normal girls who end up a villainess and conquer everyone with their charm/sweetness, but in this case she is a girl who gets to live her life for the third time and after suffering in both the previous lives she is quite tired and just wants to marry her 'no thoughts in that pretty head' chosen husband and live on her own. There's not that much of a plot with adventures and kidnapping but I love that it has a very mature feel.

The Villainess Lives Twice: if you like the fl of villainess turns the hourglass you will also like her. The plot does sometimes get a little unbelievable but there's a lot of politics and intrigues and going to ballrooms to make connections, I definitely recommend but don't expect a very how can I say refined plot.

I tamed my ex husband's mad dog: I thought it was a little strange at the beginning bc it's one of those adopting a very cute weak teenager and then he grows up to be my knight who loves me and I can't control him anymore damn, and when they meet he's 16 and she's 25, but ACTUALLY I'll put the spoiler after a few lines bc idk how to write it in white so you can avoid it ;;

apparently the guy is a isekai returnee as well? So he was just pretending to be a child after reincarnating?

Do of this what you want. Anyway they're both kinda selfish and trying to use the other for their selfish reasons in the end.

The Princess Imprints a Traitor: this is also one of those stories that are about a returnee who comes back and tries to change the past. She's absolutely not a villainess, but I like how smart she is, how she protects her people, and how she goes hard into politics because the only way to save everyone would be becoming crown princess and changing things herself. Also the plot is very unique, with magic and alchemy and spellbound servants who serve their masters in bed? Although she's too noble so she refuses lol

Isn't Being a Wicked Woman Much Better? I live for people who become a villainess and decide to keep living as a villainess. She's smarter than everyone, she's rich, she has power, I just hope she can leave everyone penniless and enjoy herself forever.

I'll be the matriarch in this life/I shall master this family: she's not exactly a villainess but after returning from the dead Florentia is the most scheming and business savvy 5yo and then 8yo and then 12yo in existence. I've been waiting for her to grow up for two seasons and I can't wait for her to show me what she can do in the next seasons as well. It's more light-hearted compared to everything I've recced until now but I think it's a top read and I love the fl <3

This got very long but if you send me another ask I might do a part two!

[canonicallyanxious]

sarah's non-comprehensive Shortbox Comics Fair rec list

hi hello have you heard about the Shortbox Comics Fair? It's an annual digital comics fair that runs through the month of October and showcases over 100+ amazing shortform digital comics from a whole host of supremely talented comic artists which means it's about to end in like A DAY. Pls go check it out if you haven't, this tableau is seriously kickass and it's fun and good to support rad indie artists!!!!

anyway to show my appreciation for these amazing stories i wanted to pull together a quick rec list of some of my favorites of the ones i've picked up, although i just want to say i honestly and wholeheartedly loved every single story i picked up and also dearly wish i had the budget to pick up more! i truly believe this fair has something for everyone but hopefully this list can serve as something of a starting point [mind the content warnings]:

Adversary by Blue Delliquanti - Minneapolis, 2021. Curtis is newly out, single, and ready to take his life in a different direction. Anton is a mysterious young man who recognizes Curtis from their pre-pandemic lives and reacquaints himself in a way Curtis isn’t entirely prepared for.

Hoo baby this is an intense one but so incredibly worth it. The visual storytelling through the coloring and the shading is chef's kiss, the characters so fully realized in such a short space, the story so darkly compelling and yet with an current of hope under the simmering rage and hurt that's practically leaping off the page with every incisive line of dialogue. definitely one of those stories you need to sit with for a bit after you finish it. [i also highly recommend the completed webcomic O Human Star and the YA graphic novel Across a Field of Starlight by this author, they're one of my faves!!]

Between Sand and Sea by C.A.P Ward - A call to the sea, a call to the shore, a call home. When their family leaves the coast, a youth struggles with life away from the only home they know. Their longing calls the sea inland until a choice must be made, tide the changes this brings, or chart an uncertain path to find what it means to come home.

god what a gorgeous coming of age story from start to finish - beautiful art, beautiful writing, beautiful characters, a beautiful resolution, just everything about this!! i love the mythic quality of the storytelling and i love the quiet yearning for home and belonging and meaning that suffuses the whole narrative. and you know a bitch is weak for sea metaphors of birth and belonging!

Chamber by Chamber by Ryugere - An executioner grapples with the guilt of killing an old friend as they take care of an abandoned child.

Yes all the characters in this comic are snails. No none of them have faces or facial expressions. Yes it completely fucked me up regardless. Highly recommend for the subtle but gutwrenching world-building, the expressiveness of the characters [turns out you don't need faces to accomplish this to devastating effect jesus], and the complexity of morality the main character grapples with throughout the story.

Cynosure by Jessica Peng - If two women were trapped on a spaceship and one was a malfunctioning AI and the other is trying to kill the former with a hatchet would that be fucked up or what?

oh you know this is exactly my type of shit. it's the doomed narrative and the homoeroticism of antagonism and the two lonely people reaching for each other despite everything of it it all! i LOVE the way the story of this relationship unfolds through the story through the alternating povs, each chapter somehow throwing everything that came before it into a new and startling light.

Hourglass by Barbara Mazzi - The Hourglass is called many things: the perfect machine, the source of all life, the fountain of youth. It promises immortal comfort to the privileged, but it also looms over its creators, making them slaves to its tics and gears. Martel knows that there are other simple, inexplicable things that give life meaning, way more valuable than eternity. A system built on rejecting such principles is beyond fragile - it is a ticking time bomb.

The richness of the world-building in this story, my goodness. it really ticks all my boxes: impeccable steampunk vibes, searing social commentary and portrayal of structural inequality through fantasy allegory, endlessly charming characters from two vastly disparate worlds forming a fragile but profound connection. And that ending! What a read!

I Am Of Two Hearts by Val Wise - Emissary Thresa will be executed on return to his King. Before his death, he visits the temple of his birth

I don't want to spoil anything but this one. it really hit me somewhere tender and aching. Thresa is a thoroughly captivating protagonist and following his emotional journey through this comic honestly left me breathless. i'm going to be thinking about this one for a long while.

[coco-bean-1218]

⌛️ [Hourglass] How long have you been working on this WIP?

📚 [Books] Is this WIP part of a series or standalone?

🎀 [Bow] How many named characters are in this WIP? How many do get a POV?

💖 [Heart] What is your favorite moment in this WIP?

‍🎨 [Palette] If your WIP was a color, which color would it be?

🔒 [Lock] Would you let your family, friends, or other people you know in real life read your WIP?

Hello! Thank you for the ask!

⌛️- I first came up with WBWNMH when I was a sophomore in high school, so 2020-2021. I was intimidated to write because I was so young and figured no one would want to read a story by a 15/16-year-old, so I would just write in a notebook and keep it for myself. When I was a junior I started creating more things, like moodboards and the story cover. My senior year was harder for me to write because I was so busy with all the senior year stuff. And then over the summer I really started writing chapters.

📚- I’m thinking of making it a small series. I’d either have 3 “books”. One would be from June 1942 to June 5, 1944. Two would be June 6 1944 to going home and Three would be post-war. Or just 2 “books” where I would combine the first two and then have the post-war “book”.

🎀- So, besides, of course, the Easy Boys, I have 5 OCs. Claire is the main one. Benoit and Sean, we don’t meet until Easy goes to war. Noah and Peyton are very important background characters and are important to Claire’s story. The story is in third-person POV and is about Claire’s story. I’ve debated on putting a couple of her or Grant’s POVs but I’m still deciding.

💖- Definitely when Claire and Grant first meet. We love sassy Claire and Grant just being awestruck.

🎨- In some parts dark red like blood red, in other parts, maybe a cornflower blue.

🔒- No. LMAO

[carcass-confessions]

Just for organization (and funsies because it's only 1 am and I'm bored) I wanna make a list of all the (magic) characters I have so far for this unnamed magic school story. Also idk if bullet lists are a thing on tumblr so like don't judge me if the format is weird jfshfjjsjs

Humans:

-Claire Celeste Estrella, the Amber Star Witch (the main character, 1/3 of a prophetic trifecta of witches, the character my friends ask me if she's written on purpose to be autistic, to which I say idk I write her like I'm writing myself so like)

-Heather Dean Forester, the Limelight Hydrangea Witch (Claire's best friend, he calls her by celeste, honestly he's kind of a boring design but I'm in love with him he's literally Just a guy who likes plants)

-Nova Éliane Jones, the Pink Sun Witch (lowkey starts off like she's the Mean Popular Girl trope but that's only because she's another 1/3 of a prophetic witch trifecta and she's charismatic and tbh just has great fashion sense, and Looks Like the queen bee of her friend trio,, tl;dr she's intimidating because she's popular but she's actually nice)

-Pippa Jane Owens, the Dandelion Witch (my DAUGHTER, in my top 3 favorite characters even though I haven't even written her yet, I just think she's neat. She's in Novas friend group, and I'm considering the idea that she somehow went to preschool or elementary school with Heather and Claire)

-Halia Ka Hiwa Kapule, the Red Hibiscus Witch (the third member of novas trio, if the Heathers were nice then Nova would be chandler, pippa would be mcnamara, and halia would be Duke. Not toxic, just in the sense that she's extremely perceptive and smart and easily on par with nova in popularity and intimidation from it. Idk I really like her outfit, leather coats over sweaters look DistinguishedTM)

-Divya Deshmukh, the Hourglass Witch (hrngh purple and gold color palette,, them and another character are the rebellious seniors who know all the Campus Secrets and Gossip, I love them very dearly, and their existence provided me a neat piece of worldbuilding so I appreciate that)

Non-humans (people native to the ~other world~ that the school takes place in; if not specified, assume they're an ElfTM):

-Daphne Rosa Clover, the Lilypad Witch (Claire's love interest, one of the few people in this world that is interested in the science behind magic rather than just what it can do. I love her dearly, pastel green and pink is one of my favorite color palettes)

-Sock Elm Dragonfly, the Feather Witch (the other senior that messes with freshmen alongside Divya. They're lowkey dating, idk. This is the one character I didn't name myself, but Sock is a better name for them than I probably could've come up with, I likely would've defaulted back to plant names since THEYRE ALL UNISEX TO MEE)

-London River Knight, the Lavender Moon Witch (the last 1/3 of the prophecy, also he's a werewolf? I haven't actually decided whether he's a Classic Werewolf or just a kemonomimi like some other characters. He's a pale lanky emo boy with grey hair idk what else to say, I just think he's neat, one of my favorite characters fjshhfsh)

-Serra Mun, the Cherry Witch (the VERY FIRST character I created for this story like 5 or 6 years ago. He's a catboy, of course. Frenemies with London, and as much as I want to ship them I fear the cliche of cat x dog but god dammit it's funny watching the way they bicker, especially since that's their first introduction from the pov of Claire and heather as their roommates, another one of my absolute favorites <3)

-Welwitschia Gloska, the Teapot Witch (well this is interesting. According to the laws of symbolic magic, she shouldn't exist, since a student by the same name and symbol just died the previous year. Perhaps there's more types of magic that can touch the soul, where symbolic magic cannot?)

-Bela Briar True, the Wisteria Witch (at the time of writing this, the most recently created character. They also probably shouldn't exist according to what people believe they know about souls, death, and the recycling and reincarnation of symbols. People tend to think of their existence as world breaking. It'd be like if it was discovered that gravity wasn't real and everything we know about modern science was completely wrong. They fully lean into this reputation though, and purposefully sneak around and generally act like a freaky little gremlin)

Non-Students:

-Professor Adriata Sweetweb, the Lavender Witch (the underworld necromancy teacher. I'm going to put it here first that every professor is a huge weirdo, so just imagine every professor I mention unless otherwise specified as being balls to the walls Extra in design and personality. As eccentric as humanly possible, and then more because none of them are humans)

-Professor Edith Dire, the Purple Foxglove Witch (the kitchen witchcraft teacher. It's basically a cooking class but with magic food, drinks, etc. She had her entire body turned into a wooden puppet so she could consume magic food containing her own symbol of a Foxglove, because otherwise it's poisonous.)

-Ewa Gloska, the Silver Moon Witch (1/3 of the previous prophecy 400 years ago, believed to be deceased)

-Ursa Elara, the Golden Sun Witch (1/3 of the previous prophecy 400 years ago, deceased)

-Altair Tahtinen, the White Star Witch (1/3 of the previous prophecy 400 years ago, deceased)

-Prastopé, the Lamb (one of many deities of the underworld. Also one of the friendliest ones, as her domain in the underworld is a vast meadow under pink skies, full of lambs that act as her eyes and messengers, meant for the souls of children. Underworld necromancers that wish to enter the underworld or simply speak with any deity tend to aim for Prastopé, as she has a reputation for being the most understanding and the least wrathful)

-Flutyx, the Ferrywoman (every underworld deity has at least one ferryman that brings the right souls to their domains in the underworld. Flutyx is the wife of Prastopé, and her only ferryman. While not as visibly soft and bright as Prastopé, being draped in black fabrics and dark colors, souls tend to feel at ease in her company. If Prastopé is the shield for the souls in her domain, Flutyx is the sword.)

-Paris insert last name (the actual first character I made, but he wasn't made FOR this story and is really just a super old character I completely forgot about and suddenly remembered and wanted to bring back. Anyways he's like in charge of what is essentially TSA for interdimensional travel lmao)

Characters I need to make but haven't yet

-all the other professors, too lazy to copy paste the list of classes I made rn

-more deities for both the underworld and over-overworld

-way more students as side characters but I unfortunately get way too attached and have to give everyone a Story

-the non-magical characters like yknow. The FAMILIES of the students lmao

-the Principal? Headmaster?? Of the school. And the one before them because it's important for the Lore

-some more characters related to the folklore of the world because history is a big aspect of this story and the characters arcs

-there's a character I accidentally retconned out of existence who was once named Barley and I really want to find a way to implement him back into the world because Heather deserves a love interest tbh, also it's needed for his ArcTM

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Taming the Rake by Erica Ridley

Lords in Love by Erica Ridley

 Mixed feelings on this one…I had trouble relating to the main characters, the people that raised them, the expectations of the era, and how it all went so wrong in one evening.

 What I liked:

* The writing style and premise of the story

* That Gladys was resilient enough to survive when cast out by her family

* The growth shown by the lead characters by the end of the story

* That Gladys and Reuben had more in common than they realized

* The idea that seeking revenge does not always provide what is hoped for or the satisfaction expected

* That there was an eventual happy ending for the couple

* The activities the couple enjoyed in the timespan of the hourglass

* That Gladys was and was not naïve when she came back into Reuben’s life again

 What I didn’t like:

* The insecurities both Gladys and Reuben had due to the way they were raised

* The way Gladys’s family turned their back on her and how her sister fared in comparison

* The callous disregard Reuben held for women, and perhaps himself, and that he seemed so immature and clueless more often than not

* That the five-year leap in the story left out a great deal that would have given insight and depth to the characters and story

* Feeling unsettled and questioning the believability of the story when I finished the last page

 Did I enjoy this book? Not a favorite of mine by this author though well written

Would I read more in this series/ by this author? Yes, not every book by an author will be a perfect fit

 Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 3 Stars

     BLURB

 Enjoy a fiery, passionate enemies-to-lovers revenge romance from a New York Times bestselling author! All her life, Miss Gladys Bell was a wallflower whose parents despaired of her ever attracting a suitor. Then she met the man of her dreams, who said she was the woman of his. One passionate night later, Gladys awaits a marriage proposal that never comes. Reuben Medford, the ton’s most notorious rake, doesn’t even remember her name. Thanks to his cold-hearted callousness, Gladys lost her reputation, her dowry, and her chance at love. But now she’s back, and bent on revenge. He’s trifled with the wrong woman: This wallflower has thorns. Once Gladys holds that damnable rake’s arrogant, fickle heart in her hands… She’ll crush it, just as he did to her. This time, he’ll remember her name.

[whimsicaldragonette]

Audio ARC DNF Review: Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim

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Add to Goodreads

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Synopsis:

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game… Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first. Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass. Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart. Even if it means giving up her own.

My Rating: ★

*My Review below the cut.

My Review:

I was really looking forward to this one because it sounds amazing. I love reading books grounded in other cultures' mythologies, and Korean mythology is one I haven't really had much experience with. The cover is gorgeous and promises a magical fantasy adventure. The synopsis brings to mind stories like Six of Crows. Sadly, the execution fell far short. The writing could use some polishing. Everything is described endlessly, using the biggest words possible and five where one would do. It's sprinkled lavishly with curse words that just feel unnecessary. I'm all for cursing, just, it has to make sense. Our 'living breathing weapon' and skilled assassin of an mc just isn't. She reads much younger than the stated 18, is constantly getting herself in trouble with her impulsive actions (partially forgiveable because of trauma), and never actually does any killing or shows any skill, only talks about how awesome she is at it or gives a brief overview of things she's done in the past. The closest she gets to showing her skill is entering a building and opening a chest. And not even a human chest, before you ask. Like. That's about as much effort as she puts into the 'steal the priceless tapestry' escapade. Walk in, notice the dust, info dump a bit, open the chest, walk out. Mission complete. (yawn.) She doesn't get along with any of the other women. An awfully lot of time is spent describing how she started / continued smoking. Yes, this leads into memories of her trauma from her family dying but... it's still sort of weird and abrupt. The first-person present tense is my least favorite to read but it can be done well. Sadly, I did not find that to be the case here. She just reads as annoying. Also the moment she described her "shit-eating grin" I knew it was not going to improve. And it didn't. The instant the eventual love interest enters the scene you can clock him as the love interest. He might as well come with a flashing neon sign proclaiming it. If the detailed description of his appearance wasn't enough, there's the bad boy sarcastic sense of humor and the enigmatic interaction and disappearance. Like what even was the point except to go 'hey, love interest here!'? The narrator was ok, although her male voices were not very believable and her reading of the main character made her seem younger than she was supposed to be. I maybe enjoyed her performance less than I would have enjoyed reading the text as I was unable to skim the info-dump-y bits or the places where the descriptions dragged on. I do think that anyone who loves Sara J. Maas' romances - ACOTAR especially - will probably love this. It seems to be much more focused on the romance with the fantasy used more as set dressing. It also gives major ACOTAR vibes which could be part of why I reacted so negatively to it - I enjoyed ACOTAR initially but hearing about it over and over in facebook book groups and spending some time reflecting on it lowered my enjoyment of the series dramatically. After thinking some more about what it was that didn't work for me here, I think I've figured out why I was so disappointed with this book. The cover, narrator's voice, and initial writing of the main character all led me to believe this would be a middle-grade fantasy adventure with the narrator being around 11-12 years old. So the swearing and the smoking felt really jarring when I encountered them, because they definitely wouldn't be in a middle-grade book. And then it took a hard turn into fantasy romance with some major ACOTAR vibes which my initial impression of middle-grade fantasy did NOT prepare me for. *Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for providing an audio arc for review.

[flowiehowie]

Tales of Heroism OC Profile #1

So about a year ago I started the Masks: A new Generation tabletop game with two of my friends. The premise of the game is basically Super heroes DnD. It was fun but didn't last as I was the only one between us with interest in super heroics and the story we were making kinda turned into an Urban Fantasy setting. However I still had deep love for my super hero characters so I kept adding to the world I was making, making a Google Doc of character profiles and plot ideas.

Now since this Quarantine has me loosing my mind I decided to post them. I dont know how many I will do, but I have a lot of love for these characters and this setting I made, so if you happen to see this, I hope you enjoy them too! Please ask me questions! If you have your own super hero OC tell me about them! Super heroes are cool. We need more of them.

SOCIETY OF CHAMPIONS HERO DOSSIERS   HERO ID: M-19T-M34 HEROIC ALIAS: Hourglass CURRENT RANK: 103 FULL NAME: Aaliyah Curtis SEX: FEMALE HEIGHT: Imperial: 6 Feet 10 inches. Metric: 208.28cm RACE: African-American HAIR COLOR: Brown EYE COLOR: Black Sclera, glowing green iris.   ANOMOLOUS APPEARANCE?: Yes. Across the left side of her face, her chest, her shoulders, and her lower back and upper thighs, she has small green stones embedded in her skin. Cracks of green energy may also appear near these stones. Her left arm has been completely replaced with a long durable spike of this green stone. DATE OF BIRTH: July 10th, 1953 (Note made by Kelsey B., Archivist; Despite knowing her DOB, the age of Hourglass is constantly in flux due to the nature of her powers. Refer to Professor Scath’s medical reports for further analysis and data regarding this) NEXT OF KIN: N/A POWER OF ATTORNEY: Cassandra Clark ORIGIN OF POWERS: Mutation( ) - Inherited Genetics ( ) - Forced Experimentation ( ) - Cybernetic augmentation ( ) - Cosmic Force (X) - Extraterrestrial ( ) - Extraterrestrial experimentation ( ) - Divine Force ( ) - ORIGIN OF POWER NOTES: Archivist Kelsey Bernard. I have spent an hour with Hourglass trying to record the exact origins and circumstances of her powers, however she was frustratingly dismissive of my attempts. All I could gather is that when she was young she somehow fell into the dimension she refers to as the ‘Eternal Epoch’. May I personal suggest that is a ridiclously pretentious name. Just call it the time zone or something. These heroes and their silly names. Anyways she fell into the ‘Eternal Epoch’, a dimension of pure time, whatever that means. Time is an illusion everyone knows that. It was there she gained her powers, and had the green crystals embedded in her chest, stomach, face, and where she lost her arm. And gained the cool sword arm. God how cool would that be having a sword arm? Randy wouldn't steal my lunches if I had a sword arm. I wonder if Hourglass could threaten Randy for me. I mean shes a hero and he is a vile criminal that keeps stealing my grilled cheeses so... POWERS:   1.) Personal Time Manipulation: Her base power and theme she based her name on. Given to her from her time trapped in the Eternal Epoch dimension. She can speed herself up or down, and any object(s) or person(s) in her line of sight. She can’rewind’ a person(s) or object(s) movement to up to a minute. 2.) Expounded attacks: A variation of her Time manipulation ability. Hourglass can manipulate the feeling of one of her attacks, and replay it rapidly. As such if she punches you once she can make it feel like 100 hits. She can do this for other physical sensations as well.   3.) Time Healing. A variation of her time manipulation ability. Hourglass may use her abilities on any wounds to regrow and repair damage. There seems to be a limit to this as Hourglass can not undo limb lose, or to heal internal injuries. 4.) Physical boost: As with all Meta Humans Hourglass has increased durability, endurance, strength, and speed. How much of this is related to her Time Manipulation ability is unclear 5.) Portal manipulation: Hourglass is able to open portals to the Eternal Enoch. It seems she can enter and exit the dimension at will. It seems as if she can be pulled into the dimension unwillingly as well. When asked  about this Hourglass simply replied “What can I say,when you time travel you learn to prank yourself in annoying ways”. PHYSICAL ABILITIES:   1.) Experienced Boxer. 2.) Basic fencing and swordplay skills. PERSONALITY AND TEMPERAMENT: Observed and documented by Archivist Kelsey Bernard.In my time spent with Hourglass one would label her as laid back. She relishes any moment to sit and rest, and will usually respond to any threats and calls to duty with a sigh and an eye roll. Despite this she seems to enjoy being active in her encounters with the League of Rouges.  More than that she also treats the villains she comes across with familiarity. In a battle I witnessed between the speedster Constance Motio AKA Motor, Hourglass would ask about her family and school life. Motor seemed happy for the talk, and even asked Hourglass for life advice. In turn Hourglass likes to involve the Reporter Cassandra Clark in these conversations as well, which leads me to Hourglass’ relationship with the reporter. Why is it heroes are always drawn to reporters? Is it like a universal law? Cassandra Clark, or as she likes to be called Cassie, was one of the first to discover Hourglass. The two seemed to form a friendship, and are never to far apart. I observed Hourglass spending much of her free time with Cassie, and despite officials of the Society asking her not to, will regularly involve Cassie in ongoing investigations. WEAKNESS: Does Orange soda count? Or as she calls it ‘Sody-pop’. Jeez showing your age a bit there Hourglass sweetie. It is fun to say though. Seriously she chugs those things. All the time. More professionally though, I have observed no physical weakness. You will need to refer to The Umber Knights Combat files. As to her powers I observed that the more she uses her time manipulation powers cracks of energy appear on her skin. She tends to not think ahead and is very reactionary in the moment.  It is easy to provoke her, and she is quick to loose her temper. Especially when dealing with Ricky Delaney, AKA Stalemate. Whenever Stalemate is involved she tends to act very petty and rash. She is also unable to assume a secret identity due to her anomalous appearance, though she does not seem to mind this. CLOSING NOTES: Archivist Kelsey Bernard. God am I glad no one really reads these general profiles. I wouldn't have nearly as much fun with them. Hourglass is hot and may I just say I totally ship her and Cassie. Am I allowed to say that? Imma do it anyways. Next time she comes in to collect her stipend I am going to ask her to go knock Randy’s head into the fridge.

[euterpessi]

Romance Manhwa/Manga Recommendations:

Historical Manhwa/Manga:

Death Is The Only Ending For The Villainess

I’ve reincarnated as the reverse harem game’s villainess, the one and only adopted daughter of the ducal Eckart family.

But the difficulty just has to be the worst!

Everything I do will only lead me to death.

I must be paired with one of the main male characters from the heroine’s harem before the ‘real daughter’ of the duke family appears!

Two older brothers who always pick a fight with me on every little thing.

The insane crown prince whose route will always lead to my death.

‘I only see the heroine and no one else’s wizard, and also her loyal slave knight, too!

‘First, let’s take some of them which I see no hope in, out of the list!’

“I didn’t know my place up until now. From now on, I’ll live as quiet as a mouse so you wouldn’t care the slightest bit!

But why do their interests in me keep on rising every time I draw the line?!

The Villainess is a Marionette

Cayena, the Imperial Princess, was known as the most beautiful woman in the Empire. She was a woman who knew nothing but evil and luxury.

However, she was destined for ruin: she would be used as a chess piece by her younger brother to secure his throne and killed by her crazy husband.

“I’ll make you the Emperor.”

“… Sister, are you referring to me?”

“In exchange, give me freedom.”

She had to change things before she became that Cayena.

The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke’S Mansion

Poisoned to death by her own betrothed?! Eunha didn’t wake up in a novel’s story just to get killed off again as an unfortunate extra! To change her story she needs a cover… 6 months pretending to be the fake fiancée of the novel’s male protagonist, Duke Noah Wynknight. But will this cold-hearted, angel-faced demon of a man really help her avoid another ill-fated ending?!

Your Throne / I Want to Be You, Just For A Day

The story follows main characters Medea Solon and Psyche Callista, who become archenemies after competing for the position of crown princess of the Vasilios Empire. On the day of the Yearly Prayer, Medea and Psyche accidentally switch bodies.

The Remarried Empress

Navier was the perfect empress, however, the Emperor wanted a wife, not a colleague. And so, the Emperor abandoned Empress Navier and placed an enslaved girl beside him. That was fine until Navier heard the Emperor promise the slave the Empress’ position. After many ups and downs, Navier decided she would accept being the Queen of the neighbouring country and remarry.

Kill The Villainess

Eris Mizerian was the villainess of a novel. The only daughter of a marquis, she got executed after scheming against the pure and lovely protagonist, Helena. My only goal, after possessing her, is simply to leave this world and go home. I am prepared to face even death, but the laws of this world keep stopping me.

A changed Eris begins to draw the attention of three men who once loathed her; the Crown Prince, the High Priest, and the Knight.

"It doesn't matter. I will never be able to love this world."

Even if the only way out is death,

even if the only way out is make a deal with a witch...

I will absolutely leave this world!

This is the story of the villainess who defies fate, Eris, and her escape from this world!

The Way To Protect The Female Lead's Older Brother

I accidentally took possession of someone in a 19+ reverse harem novel.

The problem is that I became Roxana Agriche, the older sister of the sub-villain. My damn father kidnapped the heroine’s brother. Now, is the only thing left to meet a terrible end from the vengeance of the heroine?

But what if I can avoid that horrible development?

“I’m also interested in this toy.”

“I’ll protect you until you can get out of here safely.”

The heroine’s brother, Cassis Pedalian, will definitely be able to pay me back later.

Shadow Queen

“Can you be my daughter for me?”

By his offer, Elena became Duke of Franceschi’s fake daughter.

She became the queen and gave birth to Crown Prince’s son.

Then suddenly, Princess Veronica who was assumed dead came back.

She was only just a toy.

But eventually, Elena gets her son taken and is murdered.

However, she went back to the past.

“I’ll destroy all of you.”

I’ll never live as a toy again.

Elena decides to seeks revenge.

Under the Oak Tree

The daughter of a duke, the stuttering Maximilian, married a knight of lowly status at her father’s coercion.

After their first night, her husband departed for an expedition without another word.

He comes back three years later, this time as a famous knight in the whole continent.

How would Maximilian face him on his return?

"The more I think of you, the more lonely and lonely I become. I don't know why I can't quit even though it's so painful."

I'm Stanning The Prince

Angela’s fanfic became such a sensation that it even reached the Imperial Family, leading her to get arrested on charges of treason. Nevertheless, her fanfic improved the First Prince’s image, and his sister, the Princess, decides to take political advantage of this and keep Angela by their side. 

The heroine who can now fangirl to her heart’s content, and the Prince who doesn’t know how to act around her. As they bicker back and forth, they start growing closer…

Miss Not-So Sidekick

Hyejung loved to read to escape her daily stress. But that’s before she woke up inside the bizarre world of her favorite novel! Instead of the main heroine who courts three eligible men, she is now Latte Ectrie – a minor villain that everyone hates?! One way or another, it’s a chance to live out her most beloved storyline, with popcorn in hand to watch all the drama! Taking charge of the narrative takes on a whole new meaning!

Even Though I’M The Villainess, I’ll Become The Heroine!

I wasn’t able to overcome the harassment and took my life, but I was reincarnated with the perpetrator? The perpetrator is the heroine, Florre, and I am the villainess, Dahlia, who’s going to die horribly.

“They said you are a villain with neither blood nor tears, but unlike the rumors, you often shed tears.”

“Your Highness must believe all the nonsense the idiots are talking about, huh?”

Grand Duke of Cervian, the half brother of the Male lead and who will be punished for treason afterwards. He approached me. I can’t lose the man who will be my greatest ally.

“Your Highness, would you marry me?”

“Now…… what did you say?”

“And take revenge together.”

A similar situation, a fixed ending. The heroine is not the only one who knows the ending of the novel. I took a long and arduous path of revenge.

Who Made Me A Princess

The beautiful Athanasia was killed at the hands of her own biological father, Claude de Alger Obelia, the cold-blooded emperor! It’s just a silly bedtime story… until one woman wakes up to suddenly find she’s become that unfortunate princess! She needs a plan to survive her doomed fate, and time is running out. Will she go with Plan A, live as quietly as possible without being noticed by the infamous emperor? Plan B, collect enough money to escape the palace? Or will she be stuck with Plan C, sweet-talking her way into her father’s good graces?!

The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass

With the marriage of her prostitute mother to the Count, Aria’s status in society skyrocketed immediately. After leading a life of luxury, Aria unfairly meets death because of her sister Mielle’s schemes. And right before she dies, she sees an hourglass fall as if it were a fantasy. And just like that, she was miraculously brought back to the past.

“I want to become a very elegant person, just like my sister, Mielle.”

In order to face the villainess, she must become an even more wicked villainess. This was the new path Aria chose to take revenge on Mielle who murdered both her and her mother.

The Evil Lady's Hero

Junipe Magnolia, a villainess friend of the heroine in this novel called Rael Cania.

The Junipe inside the novel has always loved the male lead, Iseed. To the point where she harassed Rael out of jealousy because she's loved by Iseed.

And thus, Junipe is destinied to die in the hands of the male lead of this novel.

But one day.

"Why did I become Junipe?!"

But let's think about it, it's still one year away from the time Junipe is going to get killed by Iseed. So, I have to meet Iseed and Rael first, I'll be able to find a way out of my death if I do so.

Yeah, let's meet them first!

But, this man is just so tender-hearted and kind. Would Junipe be able to escape from this man?!

I Tamed a Tyrant and Ran Away

God gave me a chance to relive my life. Before the rebirth, I had been used for the past 400 years as the empire's sword. And so, I swore to destroy the empire. I found the young prince of the country and became his teacher. I taught him how to become a tyrant and asked for the country.

"I will do the lady's will."

He conquered the whole empire for me, and I ran away.

"I came to take you, Charlize Ronan." Dylan became a perfect tyrant and searched the entire empire for me.

"You tamed me, so why did you run away?"

Untouchable Lady

“Please, Hilise. Please die in place of Gabrielle.” My always dignified brother begged me for the first time. He wants me to die for our stepsister, whom we don't even share a drop of blood with. “For the first and last time, I ask you this.” I've always been miserable, and there is no exception this time. The seventh time that I was betrayed and killed, I was completely free of lingering feelings. “I'm glad that you're a scumbag until the end.” I won't be swayed by love anymore. It's my turn to abandon them first.

I’ll Live On As A Villainess

I reincarnated as the villainess in a book!

The one who dared to commit attempted murder on the heroine is the owner of this body?

Let's just live in a quiet place where we have fun and eat! That's what I thought for a while.

It was so, so, so cold here in the north, where I was kicked out as a punishment.

Before I froze to death, I called the Great Demon of Fire and set fire to the fireplace but...

Why isn't he going back? If you've done the job, shouldn't you go back?!

I was flustered to find out that I had signed a life contract with a demon just to start a fire but to think that I'd be responsible for relieving his desires!

The bickering romance between a big puppy demon and a small villainess lady!

It Looks Like I’Ve Fallen Into The World Of A Reverse Harem Game

When I opened my eyes, I was in a different world. I had become the game’s villainous princess who was feared by all. Not to mention… Completely naked men I didn’t even know were approaching me left and right! “Are you cold? Shall I warm you up with a hug?” “Oh? Have you not had enough yet?” Seriously, what’s up with this situation? And just how the hell am I going to get out of this freaking game?!

Father, I Don't Want to Get Married!

I’m Jubelian? The daughter of the duke and the villainess of this novel?

I managed to avoid my death with some previous knowledge about my life, as this was my second time at it. Now, I should be able to live a peaceful life!

“I’m not going to marry a man unless he has everything. I want the most wealthy, famous, and competent man there is.”

I dreamt of a glamorous life as the daughter of the duke, but my father tells me the Crown Prince who is known to be a lunatic is to be my husband! As an extraordinary measure, I couldn’t help but start a contract relationship. That is, with a handsome side character that looks better than the main one.

“Why are you trying to avoid being engaged to the prince?”

“He’s scary. I heard that he even kills his own entourage if he doesn’t like them.”

A few days later, the prince sent a terrible letter to me.

“I will not kill you.”

Oh no, did I set up another death trap for myself?

Like A Wind On A Dry Branch

"Hi, You."

Count Casarius fell victim to a plague and died suddenly, leaving behind a will stating that Rietta, his beautiful young widow of the manor, whom he tried to use as a concubine, be buried alive alongside him. Just before Rietta is buried, Archduke Axias, rumored to be a cruel tyrant, arrives at the funeral to collect the enormous debt Count Casarius still owes him.

“Everyone here seems to feel sorry for her, and I still have a debt to collect from Casarius… If I take her instead of debt, I think all of you here should be happy," he smiled.

"Hello, Temptress."

Everything was a Mistake

Roa Valrose reincarnated as villainess in the book. In order to avoid the fate of being burned at the stake, she approaches the hero, Nocton Edgar.

It hurts every time she gets closer to him. Nevertheless, for her survival, she does everything he wants her to do.

“Come again, Valrose.”

The mysterious Nocton unexpectedly sought her out every day.

Then one day, her friend for 10 years says something unknown to her.

“Actually, I have a dream. The Duke of Edgar is a terrible villain!”

He is not the hero, but the villain?

As soon as she realized that she had misinterpreted the role, she decided to get away from Nocton.

“Let’s not meet anymore.”

But the villain’s reaction was strange.

“Don’t go. You’ve always been special to me.”

She was suspicious of his sudden change of attitude.

Will she able to get rid of Nocton safely?

I Became the Tyrant's Secretary

I became the secretary of a tyrant in place of my clumsy brother to survive.

But I have so much potential for it. I’m so darn good at my job. Because I served the tyrant so well, ‘Everyone has a happy ending’.

Well then, shall I quit being a secretary and live a leisurely life now?

“Rosaline, tell me what you want.” He asked as he stepped down from his chair.

“I want to quit.”

His eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Do you want to die?”

Your highness, you never hold on to people who want to leave, so why’re you being like this to me?

Seduce the Villainess Father

After being in a bus crash, I woke up to the world of my favourite web novel.

Not only that, It was before the protagonists were born, to their parents’ world!

To stop the incoming multiple bad events.

I tried to prevent the kidnapping of the sister who is pregnant with the female lead!

But I got kidnapped instead?!

It's depressing to be kidnapped, but my body couldn't handle the mana and became a sunfish-like state

But... if I am next to the emperor who kidnapped me, my body becomes normal!

Right! The way to save that man from marrying a witch and getting killed by his son, and for someone who is vulnerable to mana such as myself to live, is for us to get married!

The Villains Savior

Set on a path to tragedy and misfortune from a young age, Aseph Randell is doomed to die a villain. That is, until the mysterious Elzay Tiathe appears in his life with a promise: "I can save you." After having vivid visions of him for so long, can Elzay untangle the twisted fate tied to Aseph... or will they both be dragged down together?

Contemporary Manhwa/Manga:

Night Crying Crow

This woman; who is she?

If something was action, it'd be action. If something was romance, it’d be romance. The A-list actor Cheon Woo Kang, who's great at every (genre), had his heart stolen away by an unknown woman who’d broken into his house!

“We'll meet again.~"

Woo Kang contracted an over imaginative illness as he drew the woman, whose name he didn't even know. In front of Woo Kang, she reappeared as the police officer Park Tae... Could the shadow of the crisis that appeared in front of them be a coincidence?

Raise wa Tanin ga Ii

Yoshino Somei would have been a normal high-schooler if not for the fact that she is the granddaughter of the leader of the Osaka-based Somei Group, the Kansai region's largest yakuza organization. One day, Yoshino hurries home after hearing of the news about the unification of Kansai and Kanto's biggest syndicates, the Somei and the Miyama groups. This, according to the article, will result in a marriage of the leaders' grandchildren—one of whom is Yoshino herself! Despite her best efforts to annul the arrangement, Yoshino has to go to Tokyo to visit her fiancé, Kirishima Miyama, who is unexpectedly nice and charming.

During their first meeting, Yoshino is swept up in various events and becomes unable to refuse moving to Tokyo, which is why, half a year later, she now lives with the Miyama group. At school, she soon realizes that Kirishima is very popular, so her relationship with him garners the hate of his fangirls and subsequently results in bullying. To make matters worse, Kirishima could not be further away from her prince charming since he, after all, was born to be a yakuza member.

Raise wa Tanin ga Ii follows Yoshino and her new life in Tokyo that is filled with nothing but troubles connected to the underworld. However, though she wishes to be as far from it as possible, this isn't Yoshino's first time dealing with the world of the Yakuza...

Positively Yours

To Hee-won’s dismay, the BFF she crushed on and her other BFF are now dating! Seriously bummed, Hee-won decides to go wild just one time, and find solace with a handsome stranger. A very satisfying one night affair has now turned into more — she’s pregnant! Fate brings them together again, and now the regimented Doo-joon is determined to do the right thing and marry her. But they’re basically strangers! Except... their bodies have been very intimately acquainted. What’s this mother-to-be to do?

True Beauty

After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy comic book fan masters the art of makeup and sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl overnight. But will her elite status be short-lived? How long can she keep her real self a secret? And what about that cute boy who knows her secret?

Cheese In the Trap

Hong Sul is a ordinary college student. Yoo Jung is the school's most popular upperclass man. He's good looking, rich, smart, and even nice. However, Hong Sul thinks there's more to Yoo Jung than what meets the eye…

SPY x FAMILY

The master spy codenamed has spent his days on undercover missions, all for the dream of a better world. But one day, he receives a particularly difficult new order from command. For his mission, he must form a temporary family and start a new life?! A Spy/Action/Comedy about a one-of-a-kind family!

Doppio Senso (18+)

“What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about a guy.”

KyungHyun stopped in the middle of a deep kiss and sighed. His lips began to form a smile, but his fierce glare said otherwise. Possessiveness and jealousy spread across his sculpted face.

“Will you tell me his name?”

His easygoing and languid voice reached her ears.

“Why?”

“So that I can shoot him down.”

[terramythos]

TerraMythos 2022 Reading Challenge - Book 12 of 26

Title: The Hanged Man (The Tarot Sequence #2) (2020) ***RE-READ*** 

Author: K. D. Edwards

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy,  First-Person, Unreliable Narrator, LGBT Protagonist

Rating: 10/10

Date Began: 06/05/2022

Date Finished: 06/26/2022

Rune Saint John's teenage ward Max has a troubled past. Things come to a head when the sadistic Lord Hanged Man tries to kidnap him due to an old marriage contract. Lacking the resources of a true court, Rune cannot go after the other Arcana directly. In order to protect Max from a terrible fate, Rune investigates the disappearance of Layne, another teenager targeted by the Hanged Man. But Rune soon discovers just how deranged the other Arcana is-- as well as a secret that could throw New Atlantis back into war with the human world.

He was surrounded by no great houses. His rule on his court was absolute and unchallenged. He was a monster to monsters, even in a city like New Atlantis.

But I’d survived monsters before.

Review, content warnings, and some book/series spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings: Depicted-- PTSD, violence, death, mass death, gore, body horror, suicide, mind control, drug addiction, self-harm, animal abuse, human trafficking/slavery, stalking  Mentioned—Warfare, child death, r*pe, torture, dehumanization, abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, p*dophilia, grooming, past traumatic injury, recreational drug use, child marriage, forced marriage, cannibalism, mild suicidal ideation 

Dear lord is this review late. I finished the book, started a new job, then had surgery, then promptly had my life consumed by Nirvana Initiative for a while. So this review might suck a little bit! Oh well!

The Hanged Man was an enjoyable rer-ead. I stand by my earlier statement that The Tarot Sequence as a whole vastly improves from this book onward. As fun as The Last Sun was to re-read after the revelations in book three (and as… unexpectedly packed with hints and foreshadowing as that book is), it certainly has its weak points. My most prominent complaints about the first book, like its repetitive pacing and complete lack of women, are for the most part addressed in this second entry. There’s a focus on murder-mystery and subterfuge over the generic action of the first book, which I think strengthens the story considerably. We also get several intriguing female characters in this story, such as Corinne, Anna, and Lady Death.

One trend I like in both The Hanged Man and The Hourglass Throne is their heavier lean into horror elements. The Last Sun has an undead thing going for it, but it’s generic fantasy action stuff. But in The Hanged Man we have the creepy ghost ship infused with time magic to torment the victims of a slaughter. There’s a lot of emphasis on the main three exploring the ship and uncovering all the horrible shit the titular antagonist did to these people. I think Edwards does a great job making the whole thing feel genuinely haunted. Lord Hanged Man himself is also particularly eerie and horrible. I hope The Tarot Sequence sticks close to horror as a secondary genre, because I think it’s a great addition to otherwise standard urban fantasy.

I remember being shocked on a first read that Rune claims his throne so early in the series. It definitely feels like an endgame thing, or at least a “conclusion to the first trilogy” thing. While still a surprising development, the lead-up into it is pretty entertaining once you know what’s coming. Ciaran continues to be the funniest character in the damn series. There’s just… so many lines/reactions/etc hinting at his true identity. He’s definitely grown into my favorite supporting character. I love that he presents himself a self-interested prick while genuinely helping and caring about other people—a trait that’s quite relevant in The Hourglass Throne.

Much of my general series praise, to no one’s surprise, stays the same. I love the dynamic between Rune and Brand, and the additional context from book three makes certain lines and situations hit different on a re-read. Particularly all the times Brand gets mind controlled for one reason or another, and how Rune responds to that. Addam gets a lot of development this book and shapes into a more likable character (like, he’s not BAD in the previous book, but I didn’t feel much about him compared to the other two). There’s also a heavier focus on the main three and their dynamic together. This pays off BIG TIME in The Hourglass Throne. Though that being said, I would like to see more one-on-one interaction between Brand and Addam. I’d… be pretty surprised if that doesn’t happen, considering the book three development.

Beyond the main three there’s a lot of new characters introduced in this entry. Lady Death is probably my favorite of the Arcana, and I’m glad she plays a prominent role in this and the next book. It seems like she’s being set up to be a sister figure and/or BFF for Rune. I’m totally down for that, she’s really fucking cool. The Dawncreeks are central to the series going forward, particularly Anna, who becomes Rune’s heir. What the fuck is up with Anna? Who fucking knows! I sure don’t! Someone tell me!

Foreshadowing is a little less blatant than in The Last Sun, but it’s still definitely present. There’s lots of little lines and character reactions that just hit different on a re-read. My favorites are the “landmine” lines put in to SPECIFICALLY fuck with people re-reading the series. Always a treat and an excellent source of psychic damage. Re-reading is DEFINITELY a handy tool after The Hourglass Throne, particularly regarding the, uh, new dynamic between the main three. Doing so has resolved a lot of the ambiguity, often in ways that make me go insane and text my sister for three hours straight.

There’s still a lot of hanging mysteries I’ve got no clue about. Why is Anna so scary powerful? What the fuck was that bit that switched to present tense? Come to think of it what’s with all the DIFFERENT bits that switch to present tense? How was Lord Tower able to talk to Brand through the Companion bond? There’s also the Mystery Woman who saves Rune in The Last Sun (and makes a guest appearance in The Hourglass Throne). While I don’t know her motivations, I have a working theory about her identity that I’m 95% sure is correct based on my re-read. Incidentally, this ALSO made me go insane and text my sister for three hours straight.

In all I genuinely don’t have many criticisms about this series. It’s not perfect, but a re-read has made me appreciate it more. I love the characters, the worldbuilding, and the many layers of mystery surrounding the series. My main beef is that we’ll probably have to wait a few years for the next one at the rate they’re coming out. Alas.

[waywardsalt]

For the fanfiction asks

1, 2, 12, 21, 23, 27, 51, 72, 73, 78,

Thanks for the asks! This ended up being long, so I put it under a read more.

1: I do a whole lot of daydreaming, and I don't usually put anything to paper unless I get really inspired, or until things are concrete enough in my mind. Not to mention, I don't always have access to the way that I write, so daydreaming is my main way of keeping things in mind before writing.

2: Honestly, a good majority of the ways that I come up with Zelda fics is the thought process of 'haha it would be fun to put linebeck in this situation', for the recent oneshots, it's more wanting to practice and expand on how I write him and other certain things. I have a few crossover aus in mind, and those are usually a mixture of 'I really like this piece of media' and the usual 'haha linebeck in fun situations'. Honestly, linebeck is the main driving force for my Zelda ideas. But for non-Zelda ideas, I usually need room for creating my own story within a set story; for example, the Warrior Cats world has plenty of room for me to create my own characters and stories. But overall it's the loose string of 'hey this would be cool' that very quickly becomes it's own thing.

12: Most of my older stuff was just planned straight out of my mind, but recently, I've been planning out future projects in ways that fit said projects (a calendar for post-ph, an excel document for a convoluted fic, and simple footnotes for a shorter five-chapter fic). Oneshots and less complicated ideas usually just stay in my mind. More emotionally-driven or abstract ideas will also just stay in my mind (vent fics, a horror idea I'm considering). I'm not strict about planning, but it keeps things coherent. Detail also varies; for example, the fic outlined with excel requires more detail than post-ph. I tend to stray in small details, but try to stick to the big story beats.

21: Overall, I'll say multi-chapter. I get more time and space to linger on worlds and ideas and characters, and I can practice with longer character arcs and writing tools and stuff, and my more wild ideas are easier to pull off when they're longer.

23: Writing beginnings of anything is hell for me. Endings are similarly difficult, but it's a lot harder to smoothly get into something rather than transition out. The middle is easiest; things are already flowing, and while it can get hard, I don't have to worry about big introductions or setting the scene.

27: Dialogue. I've gotten compliments on my dialogue, and I'm very particular about dialogue in bother things I write and things I watch or read; it's very easy to pick out 'bad' or unnatural dialogue. I don't have trouble making dialogue between characters seem natural, but exposition is tricky.

51: A bit. When I write, I'll try most any genre since I consider it a test of my abilities, if I can handle writing within that specific genre. I usually reread old books and stick within fantasy or related genres, so there is a fair bit of disconnect between what I read and write. Even with in the sphere of fanfiction; I write a lot of Phantom Hourglass fanfiction, but I don't actually do a whole lot of reading when it comes to new stuff.

72: I don't really think I have a specific compliment that's my favorite... I'll take any compliment, really, but I guess it's just nice to see if people like my stuff or not.

73: I'm not sure about this one, mainly since I didn't get many varied readers before joining Tumblr, and even now it's still limited... But I think even outside of fanfiction, I get the most compliments on my literal writing? Not story or character of dialogue, just... stuff being well-written, like well-phrased or something. Specifically in fanfiction, though, I think I've gotten the most compliments about my portrayals of characters, mainly in my recently ph oneshots.

78: It's half wanting to see my ideas fully-fledged and to write about my favorite characters, and half hoping that people like what I write; since I started writing fanfiction, there's always been the desire to write for a fandom that doesn't get a lot of fanfiction, so part of my motivation is hoping that there might be someone who's been looking for something that I write. It's definitely a 'if you want something done right, do it yourself' kind of deal, since ph fanfiction is generally rare, and I decided to quit waiting and start writing for myself and whoever else wants it. And, yeah, the feeling of solidifying my ideas. It's just fun to write, even if it gets rough.

[clavis-baby]

The (possible) Downfall of Obey Me

5-16-21 (when writing this the event toys out)

(Tbh this post is just be trying to be naïve towards Solomare and at ever aspectthat I mention you have every single right to be upset and mad)

Okay so it’s no secret that Obey me is making bank and is very very obviously trying to make us money on the game with even trying to make us spend money with original stuff that was free to now secretly changing some mechanics behind our back

Here’s a post by @thalfox https://thalfox.tumblr.com/post/653994972840919040/i-just-noticed-a-little-bit-ago-that-the-barbatos that dose a really good job at explaining everything that has changed

(also this isn’t a hate thing fox has actually done a great work explaining everything to good detail of what has changed)

With all the changes I don’t think that it’s shocking to say that players are leavening the fandom because of many reasons to the games getting stupidly harder to even the game development

This is just a heads up this in no way is a post saying “hey this is why you shouldn’t feel this way” I kinda just wanted to see from a business standpoint and be naïve of what’s happening you have every reason to be mad at Solomare because even me I’ve been playing sense week 2 of game released and I’m only on lesson 42 every counter argument that I’m going to make I have complained about at some point

Arguments

(P.s grammar is really bad it’s sort of turned into more of a rant I wrote this at 5 am without any sleep so sorry)

1. Obey me is marketed as a free to play game

First there are many reasons people are mad this main thing that I hear about is from a lot of people is that is a “free game” which lets be honest is ridiculously hard

But still it is still essentially a “free to play game” I personally feel like the main prolog is lessons 1-20 to introduce all the characters to understand and getting the just on how to play the game

Okay and now here’s where I sort of stand with obey me, the gatcha rates are kinda ridiculously lucky when you play for the first week you luck is so amazing and is in my experience with gatchas the best luck I have ever seen for games so it’s not really hard collecting the cards

Now are they the best absolutely no, this I feel like is where you might have to spend money unless they up the skills on the Nightmare A

But what Obey me is technically trying to do is obviously making you pay by releasing your favorite demon card every 2 week which…aren’t essential they are really just hoping that you love your main demon enough to pay

With the high increase on the gatcha rate there really isn’t a pity unless you count the card pieces (but I’m not going to count that because you are more likely to roll your UR before completing the pieces)

Now after lesson 20 once the huge break I feel like Obey me almost expecting the players to keep logging in any doing jobs and some players did do that and boy did it pay off

But those players have not needed to spend a single dollar and are all caught up

Now for everyone else who didn’t the game was so difficult it’s unimaginable and because for that a whole lot of players left the game and personally I don’t blame them because of how much impact the next lessons were

Now sort of like Mystic Messenger you really just have to grind you ass off log in everyday and do JOBS :D and grind but as hard and long as it is you are still able to be a f2p but where obey me fails is that when grinding Mystic Messenger grinding was a lot more fun for me it took about a whole year to just get 550 hourglasses even when I purchased and same with Genshin Inpact it takes a while but with obey me there isn’t really anything else to do once you get to a certain point which I think obey me really lacks and could be part of a reason why people left. Grinding just is not fun (now I do think that on a phone there is so much you can do with a app game but I feel like there could be a bit more they could do)

Personally I’m just going to come out and say it don’t spend your money for one UR card for your favorite demon it’s really not worth it now im one of those Mammon stans but if I ever wanted a specific card for instance the Mammon bunny card when it first came out I wanted it so badly and didn’t get it but I also knew there would eventually be a revival so I saved and did not spend any DV(demon vouchers) until the revival

The events

Some people complain about getting the cards in the events onestly for me this one kinda makes a bit of sense I noticed the first change when the Vampire even came out and how it wasn’t as easy to get the second card but if you think of it it makes sence why

When the first event came out (Santa event) you only had to collect about 30,000 gingerbread compared to the 100,000 in event today but when the first event came out no one was at high enough levels for the AP required and you would every day when times rest to gain gingerbread as well as there was only one part to the story so when people kept leveling up their AP Obey Me had to higher the bar so it wouldn’t be so easy to get all these cards and have a actual reward system but eventually they also added another story lesson starting at the Ruri Chan event

Second thing about the events is that one there started just getting plain out boring.

When lesson 20 finished and we were all waiting for season 2 I was still loving in everyday and logging in at 12 and 8 for the free 30 AP because I didn’t know what else to and would participate in the event but eventually what I think that all otome games that have constant events like Ikemen Vampire and Ikemen Revolution they just start getting repetitive and getting real boring so I stoped playing until there was something more interesting

The last thing that some people complain about the events is that you can’t keep up with the story and the events now I can’t find it but I believe that @0beyme said something about the events a long time ago about how you have to pick between the event and moving through the main story which I kinda think isn’t really the games fault and more just a discussion on maybe missing a event

Add ons

Okay so they did this from day 1 you spend a certain amount of Devil point that you guaranteed don’t have and get out a card

Now this is just spelling out a disaster

Yeah so for the first Charge Mission is when you log in which everyone had but essentially what they want you to do is spend $100 on a game that you just logged into and never experienced or played I don’t really understand what they were even thinking with that but it must’ve worked for them to keep doing them

The second time they did it was when the break was over and season 2 came out and they celebrated by doing another charge mission which was the Lucifer and Simon card which would cost again $100 again I really don’t understand what they were thinking

And now this is I believe the fourth time they have done this for the 1.5 anniversary where they know that Mammon is obviously a favorite for many Obey Me players and where smart to put it on the really stupid charge mission but the difference is, is that instead of it costing $100 it would cost almost $200(same with Levi’s) for one thing I don’t understand

But one thing that you do have to remember is is that this isn’t apart of the main gameplay it really just is a mini game if you would even call it that of dress up and optimization so still I guess would be just a add on that has no effect on the actual story and game so you could I guess still call it a f2p game with really really stupidly high priced add ons

VIP

Umm so I am the first one to call myself out I have bought the VIP package first when season 2 happened and I knew how much I loved the game so personally it was worth it to me to support the developers and gain something out of it

Now I haven’t really seen much complaints on the VIP because people more use it as a “hey the game is impossible with out VIP” but the people who say this ive noticed never bought it

For $9.99 each month it is 100%

IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!! Out of everything you get which honestly isn’t much you get some extra free space in jobs and really that’s it and if you choose to use all your job slots for the highest paying you get around 30,500 about a 10,000 difference not really worth it in my opinion

With VIP you also get other things like higher chance of gifts from Jobs which you will not notice one bit, and +20 AP (which if you play the events is sort of useful) as well as extra packages exclusive to VIPs so after paying $9.99 per month you also get more things to buy and that’s about it for VIP now if you really want to get more grim just use your AP and spend it of normal lessons you will get more AP that way

The Story and Kids

This could be all me just complaining and a theory by I wanted to include it anyway

Obviously many people are not even caught up or even playing but as more lessons went on the less interesting the story became to me I don’t know if it’s a me thing but season one was absolutely amazing the once season two came out it was good but not anywhere as good and one

One reason why I think that it to me became almost bland is the amount of kids that is on the app and how sensitive people were if anything bad happens

It’s no secret that the Japanese versions a lot more non-kid friendly for hell’s sake the characters don’t even swear as well as all the colors I feel like to a American audience bright colors is usually marketed towards kids but in other countriesI think many understand that that is not always the case for instance a lot of people will thing in America that anime is all for kids but I mean look at Attack on Titan or Tokyo Ghoul you would not let kids watch that of literal people getting brutally murdered you just don’t see things like that in the West where something looking kid friendly could also be very adult like

Also wtf dose this in the App Store say +12 with Ikemen Vampire and a lot of other games if you have a game rated +17 then there will be a actual pop up that says something along the lines of how “thier could be violence acts and sexual act are you sure you want to instal”

Now the story I’ve seen people point this out but there isn’t really much character development for instance Beel he dose not have a actual personality his personality (fight me on this one) all you really know about him is that he likes food and his family now I could be wrong cuz I’m on lesson 42 but still not much and this is kinda with all the characters except the special ones where the devs really favor and love for story

Some one mentioned how the developers hold back a lot which I agree with 100% they said how when there is character development they all the sudden pull back and never will almost talk about it again like ???? So there’s this constant bland story

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Honestly if you liked this I might do more cuz as much as this post made me especially at the end I kinda liked ranting so...yeah there is also many other things that I want to rant about but I’m tired soooo

feel free to comment your opinions btw

Bye ima go sleep now