#i can't say i'm back from hiatus but i finally had some inspiration and decided to go hogwild with it

[squadrah]

La Squadra in detective fiction

Giving a variety of flavors for each, I've been absorbing Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie stuff like a sponge lately.

RISOTTO

As a detective: One of those grimy hard-boiled types who has to get his hands dirty in more ways than one to get his evidence, though when it comes to obtaining information, his intimidating stature and demeanor get results very quickly. When he makes his interest in the case known, only the most hardened culprits stand a chance of not keeling over from heartburn on the spot, leading to fast results.

As a mere suspect: Interrogating him is like trying to squeeze blood from a stone. He's not very observant or judgmental in general, so unless he had a grudge, it's difficult to get his opinion on anything or anyone, and his taciturn nature compels him to stay quiet if he thinks that what he knows can't possibly have any bearing on the case. He's mostly right there because he spends too much time in his own head.

As the culprit: Too obvious, say the sleuths, especially if the murder was violent, so he's often taken up and dismissed with the feeling that his being the solution sounds too easy. It would take spending time with him to realize that he has a very smooth touch and doesn't need his brutal strength to get the job done, though that depends on the victim. Would only do premeditated murder born out of a grudge.

---

FORMAGGIO

As a detective: He's one of those street-smart freelancers around town who can't resist a fun challenge when they have nothing else to do, especially if there is some tangible incentive (money or sex will get him every time). He knows a lot of ruffians about who may help him in the investigation as a favor, and gets a kick out of bullying the culprits while he figures out what authority to pawn them off on.

As a mere suspect: Unless he really liked the victim, he will not take the case seriously and may end up throwing unnecessary suspicion on himself by making tasteless jokes and sounding rather careless about it all. When his past comes under scrutiny, he will either come up perfectly harmless or having engaged in something petty that complicates the case, but had nothing to do with the actual murder.

As the culprit: He can live down a lot of things, so only monetary gain could truly induce him to take a life. He's quick and dexterous (think him tossing that tiny car into his victim's drink in the anime) and would probably add poison to the victim's drink, reasoning rightly that nobody would ever profile him as a poisoner without tangible evidence and the less he interacted with the victim, the better.

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PROSCIUTTO

As a detective: He's the classic type who needs to be propositioned and well compensated throughout, and in return he always gets clean-cut results. He'll consider the clues and employ his powers of deduction for the most part, but at critical junctures, he will expose himself to danger in the knowledge that he's perfectly capable of wrecking his opponents until they are only too glad to be arrested.

As a mere suspect: Probably the most reliable witness on the premises because he'll stick to the point and doesn't care to embellish the details, so he can come across as rather crude. He's just uncanny enough to arouse some doubt initially, but the more other people are interviewed, the more his honesty shines through. He will resent being pestered beyond the first interview, though.

As the culprit: Let's face it, he would murder for any number of reasons, personal or otherwise, and he would keep it very simple with a shot to the head. Being so thorough and technical, he could probably make even a spur of the moment crime seem premeditated, and if he were to commit a premeditated crime, chances are he would never be found out because he knows when to leave it alone.

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PESCI

As a detective: I could picture him as a low-rank police officer who goes to process the crime scene, spots something small or out of place that puzzles him but has been overlooked by others as seemingly irrelevant, and keeps dwelling on that one point until he gets the wind up the investigators and they check on his line, only to solve the case and take the credit because Pesci's too shy to step up.

As a mere suspect: One of the worst mumblers you've ever met, and the more he's questioned, the more flustered he gets until he starts misremembering details. You would have to calm him down and reassure him continuously to get the full story, but it's worth it because he's an excellent observer and tends to eschew speculation or personal opinion in favor of what he's absolutely certain of.

As the culprit: There are two ways he would commit murder - it would either have to be in the heat of the moment, half passion and half accident, or because he had been pushed beyond his limit and something finally snapped inside. He would either panic afterwards and make mistakes, or cover it up with a lot of cold common sense; whichever way it happened, he would only confess if broken down.

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GHIACCIO

As a detective: Every episode would center around his compiling a conspiracy board and ranting to himself like he's Charlie raving to Mac about Pepe Silvia. As he rants and storms we would get brief flashbacks or enactments of whatever event or connection he's dwelling on until the board was complete and the mystery solved; last scene he's beating the shit out of the perp in a parking lot.

As a mere suspect: He's incredibly high-strung and way too loud, and he goes off on such violent tangents that it's hard to keep him to the point, and even then he's too opinionated to be of any real use. He teeters between focused and accurate (if he was invested in some particular detail at the time) and completely unreliable (mostly blinded by anger or overwhelmed just trying to manage himself).

As the culprit: No premeditation about this one; it would honestly stress him too much to plan out anything. If he killed, he would lash out and keep going until he spent his wrath, and then dispose of the body as quickly as possible. He's small and vocal enough that he would probably get overlooked as someone incapable of this much brutality, surely, but his temper would eventually give him away.

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MELONE

As a detective: He's like if Jane Marple was a transmasc scene girl; he'll get involved in a murder and next thing you know he's getting his hair dyed at the local salon and getting every bit of gossip out of the suspects' weed smoking girlfriends, and then typing it all up at a café until he's satisfied in his mind about who did it and how. Will then drop some hints to whoever's in charge and go on his merry way.

As a mere suspect: He cannot stop going on tangents but in quite a different way from Ghiaccio: he usually has some interesting trivia or specialized knowledge to share, and gives the investigators plenty of food for thought. Loves to talk and can be consulted over and over, but he will get more and more abstract as time goes on and share his own theories based on blood type and horoscope, so be careful.

As the culprit: Being an invalid, he would often be treated as frail and incapable, but he has a very calculating mind and decent mobility, so if he decided to murder, he would probably stage a convincing accident to happen somewhere away from him. In a pinch he might resort to weaponizing his medication as poison, hoping that suspicion would fall on someone else with knowledge and access.

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ILLUSO

As a detective: I could see him as an accidental detective/informant - he's nosy and loves to dig up dirt on people, but sometimes this leads to his uncovering something that should have been left well alone, and then he has no choice but to quickly pass all his material over to some competent authority before anyone might come after his snooping ass. Justice is honestly an afterthought for him.

As a mere suspect: He's always pegged as a shady character and rightfully so, but he is surprised and offended every single time it happens. He's somewhat defensive, especially when he gets nervous, but where he feels safe, he will unload a lot of sordid details about the victim and everyone else involved, and insinuates as much as he can. Will then make the investigators swear they didn't hear it from him.

As the culprit: He would prefer to premeditate, not only to indulge in the fantasy of retribution and his own cleverness, but also because it seems safer to have a plan of action. He might stage an accident on the spot and then give a sob story when interrogated, or go with a good old fashioned overdose of whatever, but if he were cornered, he would strike impulsively out of fear, not caring what method he used.

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SORBET

As a detective: This one is a slow and quiet thinker. He will take a gander at the crime scene and address questions to those involved, but seems to involve himself as little as possible on the whole, and thus ends up surprising everyone when he finally divulges his plausible theories and more than plausible solutions, mostly based on first impression, psychology, and focusing on the money motive.

As a mere suspect: He's balefully apathetic and uncooperative, always asking if he could go now, and often insists of having seen and head nothing. Underneath it all, he's either neutral or contemptuous of those involved, or deeply attached to the culprit and boldly, if placidly, covering for them every step of the way. Has very little regard for human life and infinite regard for an inheritance.

As the culprit: One of the few who would have no qualms about choking their victim with their bare hands, and it's always about money one way or another. He would make a very thorough clean-up and face the interrogation in his usual manner, possibly laying the apathy on even thicker than usual. You could only get him with damning evidence, and even then he would never own to it.

---

GELATO

As a detective: He would be such a jolly fella, just a funny little guy grinning widely and asking the most uncanny questions, and tapping you on the arm as he made a joke about hanging you based on what you had just told him about your relationship to the victim. Will casually hound the suspect all friendly like, and then cook their goose at the public barbecue for the entire world to marvel at the roast.

As a mere suspect: His degree of familiarity with the authorities would be quite jarring, and he would keep asking questions instead of answering them, not even for the sake of evasion but because he's excited about the crime and wants to hear what the sleuths think. He will appear to know too much without actually knowing anything, and let's face it, he'd probably be the second person to die because of it.

As the culprit: He will do nothing by halves, and if he wants to commit murder, then by damn it will be a freak show with weird props and arson and plenty of red herrings scattered about to keep the investigators on their toes. He would never get away with it simply because everyone's testimonies would line up about what a lethal trickster he is, but he would go down as a sensation and love it.

[alto-tenure]

River, River, I actually believe you owe me a RWBY rec list anyway, so....

yeah ok I did say that. fair enough!

I've separated these fics into a few distinct eras, because I think the show's long-running status has impacted characterization over time -- not to say that older fics aren't still worth reading, but there might be some things that are different (e.g. pre-V4 there was a lot of speculation that Blake was an orphan, pre-V8 there were a lot of V7 ending fix-its and such). Tossing you in the deep end with ship names sorry you're going to have to figure it out yourself <3

BEACON-ERA (V1-V3) - publication dates from July 2013-October 2016 (when V4 started releasing)

clinging to a little bit of spine by rwbyfics | T | Monochrome | 10.9k

Blake was the black water lake where people went to drown, she was fifty stones in each pocket and breezeblocks strapped to broken ankles. Sinking wasn't an option for Weiss, and it never would be.

A heartfelt exploration of Weiss's and Blake's relationship as it stood back in the Beacon arc.

Loyalty by Texan_Red_Rose | T | Monochrome | 59.6k

When pressed, will Weiss use her head or her heart?

AU - the Huntsman system is more militaristic, among other things.

V4-V7 - publication dates from October 2016-February 2020 (when V7 ended)

Celebrity Matchmaker by Texan_Red_Rose | T | Blake/Weiss/Yang/Pyrrha | 29.4k

Weiss, this season's lead on a reality show, has made it to the finale, where she must choose to marry one of three finalists. Then, Remnant gets to approve or nix the union, and that SHOULD be the hardest part of this. But when the choice is between Blake, Pyrrha, and Yang, how can she decide?

A funny Bachelorette-esque AU that chooses to sidestep love drama in favor of the polycule.

The Fairest by periferal | T | Calichrome | 42.3k

Mirror mirror, on the wall, am I the fairest of them all? And if I'm not, who will it be, please oh mirror, show her me- Blake finds a girl standing alone in the woods.

A great use of the fairytale allusions.

V7 hiatus-V8 - publication dates from February 2020 to March 2021 (when V8 ended)

like punching in a dream (wait, i don't ever want to be here) by nirav | T | Bees Schnees | 6.6k

Her ribs ache from the explosion in the desert, the one that sent her careening off target and let her mark get away, and she knows that Weiss and Yang will surely be home soon enough, if only to burn the evidence of their relationship to the ground. There’s no telling which of them had set the charges that nearly blew her up. Yang was the engineer, but Weiss was the planner. Even odds.

And from here on there will be a lot of Bees Schnees on this list! Kicking this off with a bang. Technically a sequel to another fic, part of a larger Mr. and Mrs. Smith inspired AU.

Books & Behaviors by GreekLetter | T | Monochrome | 65.3k

After an unforgiving life event, Blake Belladonna decides to move away from the town she's lived in for years. Taking a job in Vale, where she knows no one. As she sets out to make a new life for herself, she knows there's two things she needs. A good coffee shop and the perfect bookstore. Maybe finding a pretty girl at the bookstore isn't so bad either.

A slow burn modern AU that I enjoyed a lot.

The Official Ace-Ops Communications Channel by HopeStoryteller | T | Gen with various relationships | 10.6k

In light of the Amity Communications Tower project, General Ironwood decides it may be a good idea to have a communications channel among everyone working on it. Nobody really wants to talk about what happened the last time the Ace Ops had a group chat. Whatever it was, it won't happen again. Probably. After all, it's not going to stay just the Ace Ops.

Minor pairings include: Fair Game, Frosen Steel, Renorarc, Bumbleby, Schneewood Forest, and Elm/Vine (name I can't remember rn).

every siren went silent by lescousinsdangereux | T | Bees Schnees | 11.9k

“You are so smooth, Weiss,” Yang breathes and — god help her — her lips brush just so against the shell of Weiss’s ear. “Good to know that you aren’t affected by Blake bending over to line up her shot right now. Or by the fact that I wanted to keep you in my room for several more rounds, that morning you left.” Oh no, Weiss thinks.

Everyone's sports in this AU are very well chosen, though I wouldn't have expected some of the choices made for the characters -- it still works.

tell me what you mean when you scream by nirav | T | Bees Schnees | 10.6k

“They were your best friends once,” Ruby says, momentarily gentle. “And they’re still some of my best friends. Just-- one day, okay? No bachelorette party, no rehearsal dinner, nothing like that. Just stand up with me, be cordial to them, and then you never have to see them again.” Yang whines, slumping back against Ruby as she’s shoved out the door, half for show and half because she has six months to prepare herself for being in the same room as Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee for the first time in ten years.

A fun chaotic rom-com esque AU.

here i sit like a beginner beginning again by nirav | T | Bees Schnees | 52.5k

She turns her back on Yang and busies herself with the backpacks, leaving Yang with half a cup of coffee and an unfamiliar feeling in her gut, half the long-standing apprehension of trying to find her family and half something new and scalding and tied exclusively to the way her hands want to reach for the guarded set to Blake’s jaw as much as they want to reach for the familiarity of Weiss’s hand in hers.

Bees Schnees The Mummy AU. Fascinating in its worldbuilding and its portrayal of the character relationships.

jigsaws and pieces we made to fit by FaultyParagon | T | Fair Game | 41k

Clover is not a father, nor does he ever intend to become one. Then, he meets Qrow Branwen, and suddenly he finds himself with eight surrogate children, all with a different name for Qrow- a different bond. What he doesn’t expect to find out is that Qrow never wanted to be a father, either, but now he’s in it too deep. So… Clover’s got eight kids too now. Oops. -aka Clover falls for an oddly loving, domestic, awkward duncle!Qrow and doesn't know how the whole step-dad gig is supposed to work when they're not officially dating or anything. V7 domestic FairGame.

Exploration into chosen families that makes me soft.

All Together (Together) by KatQuasar | T | JNPR Berries | 28.2k

After everything, JNPR move into a house together as a team and two established couples. But things are a bit more complicated when there's feelings under the surface that are suddenly dug up when frictions arise between them individually. What happens when everyone's in love with each other?

A sweet fic set in a softer universe. Minor Bees Schnees.

sing for me, my meadowlark by FaultyParagon | T | Gen | 10.3k

Roman Torchwick is confident that he will one day reign supreme. Being a father was never in those plans. He’s always been weak for ice cream, though; and if he can make his ward smile on top of that, then he shall do whatever it takes- even if it kills him. -aka Roman and Neo’s relationship from Neo's childhood till V3, explored through a series of vignettes.

A note on canon compliance -- this pre-dates Roman Holiday and thus is not compliant with that (and Neo's backstory as portrayed in those portraits, which is essentially a summary of the novel).

she's got a halogen heart by hittingonallsixes | T | Weiss-centric RWBYJNPR polycule | 8.9k

The summary was fighting me and didn't want to paste, but TL;DR: Weiss goes out for dinner with her partners, slice-of-life chaos.

The Gang Kidnaps A Child by Kablob & mylordshesacactus | T | Gen | 10k

Summer, Taiyang, Raven, and Qrow would normally never stay at a place as disgustingly Atlesian as this. Unfortunately, it's nearly midnight and they don't have time to find another hotel to—hey wait a second, is that a fucking kid?

AU where STRQ adopts Cinder. (You'll note that if you look in the tag around the time this was published there are a lot of AUs where something changed for Cinder, whether it be STRQ adopting her or Rhodes just being less of a dick.)

The Lucky Merman by TheCraftyNinjaCat | T | Fair Game | 39.7k

Beloved by everyone and leader of King Ironwood’s prestigious Ace-Ops, Clover seems to be the luckiest merman in the ocean. His only secret; his unwavering interest in the human world, the bane of the king’s existence. At least he's good at keeping it a secret, and his friend Robyn is always down to help him indulge. He has nothing to worry about.

Then he rescues human prince Qrow Branwen from a sinking ship, and things get much more complicated.

An enjoyable TLM AU.

Hereditary by Riggy_Minus | T | Gilded Rose | 173.6k

Ruby Rose, a girl who always wanted to be a huntress, finds herself elevated to Beacon Academy two years early. With no real friends save her sister, she does her best to adjust before the machinations of those plotting against the peace that the world of Remnant has known her whole life become too much to handle.

Incomplete series, but some enjoyable plots and dynamics between the characters. I especially enjoy the Lancaster slow burn dynamic.

Volume One: Winter & Spring by tkss | T | Gen (hints of Catmeleon, Freezerburn, Monochrome) | 120.6k

Crimson Silver was raised in Evernight, taken in by Salem after being found missing one of her silver eyes on the night her parents were killed. Weiss Schnee failed her trial against the Arma Gigas and instead applies to join the Atlesian military. Blake Belladonna goes undercover as the human Dusk Nightshade to infiltrate Haven Academy and spy for the White Fang. Yang Branwen is the bandit princess of her mother's tribe and possesses the power of the Spring Maiden. Team WYCD arrives at Haven Academy, each member with ulterior motives -- but doubts and hopes alike work to change the course of their future, and the future of Remnant. Or: the WYCD AU. Ruby is a servant of Salem. Weiss followed in her sister's footsteps. Blake never left the White Fang. Yang was raised by Raven as the Spring Maiden. None of Team RWBY ever made it to Beacon, yet Team RWBY still formed... albeit under different circumstances.

Fascinating that Weiss would, in most circumstances, be the worst leader for team RWBY -- but under these circumstances, she has to be.

Post-V8 - publication dates from March 2021 to present

A Marriage Masquerade by Victorious56 | G | Hummingbird | 13.2k

Miss Summer Rose is to marry her childhood sweetheart, to the delight of all who know them. There are only two problems. Summer is no longer a biddable child, and the Honourable Taiyang Xiao Long is not her sweetheart.

A fascinating period piece featuring a ship that isn't typically my cup of tea, but makes it work nonetheless.

it's cooler than a knife, at least by bandiits | T | Bees Schnees | 8.9k

It starts with Ruby, who buys Weiss a sword, and goes from there - to a shrine on the wall, to gouges in the floorboards of a shared apartment, and confused feelings in the name of Athena. Or, you can buy a girl a sword, but you can't make the fools she's in love with realize they're in love right back.

modern AU + swords my beloved!!

show me everything and tell me how by ProfessorSpork | T | Gen (minor Bumbleby) | 20.1k

The second thing Blake notices about Sun Wukong isn’t his kind smile, or his concerned expression. It’s the way he wears his shirt open, proudly displaying the top surgery scars that accentuate his pecs: an underline in bold, declaring all that he is. Without thought, without fear. Blake’s never had that kind of courage in her life. - [Or: Blake & Sun & gender] [Or: How Blake Learned to Stop Worrying And Love Herself] [Or: Maybe the real they/them was the friends we made along the way] [Or: come for nb!Blake, stay for yearning bees]

I sent this to a friend of mine back when it was published who has never seen an episode of RWBY in xyr life, and it still managed to resonate with xem. I don't think any note I have to add to this can endorse it any more than that.

across the stars by CorvidFeathers | T | Bumbleby | 16k

Blake, running from her past and harboring a dangerous secret, would go anywhere the solar winds are blowing, so long as it gets her away; so she barters passage on the first solarship heading for the Outer Moons. If the Crescent Rose’s first mate is the most beautiful woman she’s ever met, that’s coincidence. Mostly.

Woooo okay we've gotten to the BBB fics I bookmarked from the 2021 event!! This was a really sweet and interesting AU.

back to places you run from by gayxiaolong | T | Bumbleby (minor Schneekos + Rainbow Quartz) | 42.4k

2 years, 8 months, 12 days. That’s how long Blake spent planning the heist of her dreams. It’s also how long she spent in jail. Now that she’s out, she gets to work. She’ll need a team of the best criminals she can find, a way to convince Yang to be her partner-in-crime again, and… a way to get back to how they were. Infiltrating and robbing the most exclusive event of the year might be easier than getting Yang to fall in love with her again. *** or, an Ocean's 8 au

I really enjoy heist fics, and I love the amount of thought that was put into this.

beyond this town lies a life much sadder by nirav | T | Bumbleby (minor Schneekos) | 25.4k

Yang Xiao Long has lived and died and lived again more times than anyone can count. She's spent centuries living a life in the shadows with her family and has never wanted anything more than that, until she wakes up one day from a dream that leads her to Blake Belladonna-- a new immortal unknowingly on the run from people hunting for the secret to her immortality-- and, for the first time since before written language was invented, finds herself wanting something for herself.

An interesting exploration of immortality and what forever truly means.

Caesura by Probably_Momo | T | Bumbleby | 19.8k

When up-and-coming cellist Blake Belladonna fired her manager, Adam Taurus, she thought she was finally free. But Adam’s obsession ran deep. During a botched attempt on her life, violin prodigy Yang was also gravely wounded. In the aftermath, Blake’s music was gone, silent. Her public reputation in tatters, Blake fled.

Three years later, Blake’s found her music again, jamming with friends and composing indie game scores. Her world is carefully rebalanced— until Sun shows her a viral TikTok video. There is Yang and her shiny yellow prosthetic arm. There is Yang covering the main theme from Blake’s latest project. [What can she do but play along?]

Music AU! A subject close to my heart.

Craving the Sky by najio | T | Bees Schnees | 205.2k

If it weren't for her grandfather, Weiss would have lost her wings at birth. If it weren't for her mother, she would have lost them as a toddler, when she was still too young to remember them. If it weren't for her sister, she would have lost them as a child, the moment she was old enough to be afraid of them. Weiss arrives at Beacon still counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, when she will finally get rid of them for good. It's the obvious next step. Until, that is, her team does what they do best, and makes everything a whole lot more complicated.

The word count probably seems intimidating, but I promise you it is worth it. (I was keeping up with this fic as it was updating, so...uh...it wasn't as intimidating when I started, whoops.)

I posted about this fic a while ago too.

[twstgameplay]

Hallo hallo I'm I'm here to ask help about trying to reach sss in battles and stuff~ y'know just girly things 💅✨

I have been playing since the golden age of not much eng translations and even up till now I don't know ,

S H I T

about what I'm doing in twst even after coming back from a hiatus and be a dedicated grinder once more with much more English translations about the game I still can't reach that sweet sweet SSS

In my tests and exams I get an A-SS at best

So far when it comes to fighting against fire elements I use

SSR Kalimba,Dorm Uniform Jamil

Fg Leona Cockblocker who made me waste gems in the first released of fairy gala till twst decided to reveal Savanaclaw is gonna have a rerun banner and Jack Howl was the first

Lillia Nye The Science Guy, VAMPIRE VIL

Against Water Units

SSR Kalimba,Bday Jamil,Bday Alpha Wolf, Sr robes to hide his alpha form, Halloween Cater (I'm planning to Upgrade Leona 🤬 and VIL 😍 and their 2nd magic level and Buddy magic before replacing one of the Bois since I just recently got Vil...after getting Leona from the new year roll with sebek)

Against Nature (The hardest element I have to fight against especially in chapter 6)

SSR Ultimate Mommy issues! Dorm Jamil and SSR Kalimba, New Year Cabbage Head, Lab Azul

Against Voids

The lawfully legal wedded Scarabian duo in their dorm uniforms, Fg Leona,Little baby red man and Canadian dress Groom (alternatively I'd have Vampire Vil and Lilia Nye the Science Guy)

Finally for Omni I'd have

You guessed it KALIM AND JAMIL AS ALWAYS IN THEIR DORM UNIFORMS,Fg Leona, Vampire Vil, Halloween Grandpa Lilia or alternatively if I were to higher their levels, Leona Cockblocker Dorm Uniform and New Year New Cabbage Hair to replace Fg Leona and Halloween Lilia

I'm planning to Upgrade Malleus soon to utilize him in Omni and Voids but I'm unsure about the team comp if I were to do so

Also gotta love how there's a Tumblr for Twst Gameplay and stuff since the only eng translations I would find back in my day were eng translations of the main stories, so it's really nice to check out the new game mechanics I missed out on especially the guest room, I feel like a grandma who got sent to the retirement home and when I return to the new year suddenly a buncha youngsters decide it would be fun to trash the guest room and rearrange stuff for me and expect me to understand the new technology the added that I'm in denial at how much time passed that I can't keep up, it's confusing for me to understand so it do be noice of y'all to give helpful tips and such like keep up the great work ⊂⁠(⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠)⁠)⁠⊃!!!

Heya~ Man, that takes me back! I’ve been playing since launch and boy, I’m not surprised you came back! I’ve had my little mini-breaks here and there but always got back on like some clingy-ex, not cool 🙄 You could say it's a necessity, much like my magicam account 💅

STOP you’re making 3 years sound like it’s been decades like we’re bout to expire soon 😭 But foreal, our mods have been #MVPs, helping those in need for the longest time #Inspirational #NobelPrizeNominees

And gurl, I feel ya. Let’s be real, who doesn’t want ✨SSS✨? It’s a well-deserved #flex once accomplished, totes post-worthy on all your SNS!

Before we dive in, just making sure you are aware of the two different types, basic and defense tests, right? If not, here’s a link that explains it! Let’s get to the main stage-☆

Fire Basic: Your current team of 5 is honestly pretty solid having 4 duos with decent atks. Just MAX out your ATK buddies and your skills if you haven’t done so already, especially all the DUO magics and Kalim’s M1 so he boosts FG Leona’s Duo, which should be your finisher! If you are invested in FG Leona and want to increase his level with perfumes or by friendship level, I would also recommend adding Rook into your team build as he increases Leona’s atk. (FG Leona at lv110 does 3x10k+ on his duo with Rook in the team, which is HUGE for a defense card)

Otherwise, you could try replacing Robe Lilia and SM Vil with Dorm Riddle and GM Ace. His atk/DUO is a lot stronger than FG Leona for sure, so forming a team around Ace-kun as the finisher is also a good idea. If you have the resources, do consider raising him! He’s my #1 go-to for fire basics (although Dorm Ortho is very close to dethroning his seat if I can get his level closer to Ace’s)

Fire Defense:  Since this isn’t part of the current JP tests, I’ll just quickly go over team building. Basically, you want a team with high HP, and with heals? Even better. Ideally, you want a team that can defeat the enemy in your first move of T5, so if you find that your team is too weak to defeat at the end, consider changing out one of your boys to a strong atk card with water elements!

Some good cards you have on your list are: SSR Dorm Trey, Dorm Deuce, SR Robe Ortho, Lab Idia, Lab Ace, Lab Lilia. But be mindful not to have a team with more than 1-2 flora elements in your team.

Water Basic: Since you’ve recently got Dorm Vil and Leona, those two are a match made in heaven for water basic. So you’d be cray-cray not to add them to your team! Also, consider adding Dorm Jack to your team! I know his M1 is Fire but his base atk is strong and he also has an atk buddy boost with Leona! So very good synergy between those 3 cards together 😎 He’s way better than the Robe Jack you have in your team currently. Once all 3 of their levels and skills are raised, try to mix and match your current team with them. But honestly, the key to a great score in water basic is having Dorm LeonaVil’s magics maxed out

Water Defense: Dorm Trey + Halloween Cater!! Also, I hope you collected enough event drop items to level DW(Dancing and Wishes) Idia’s magic cause he’s very useful in water defense, especially when paired up with Robe Ortho. Idia increases both Dorm Trey and Robe Ortho’s HP, and Ortho also increases DW Idia’s HP. Aaaand Blooms Jack in the final spot as he’s Halloween Cater’s HP buddy as well as his DUO.

Flora Basic: My only input here is to replace NY Sebek with Robe Cater, and no, it’s not 'cause of bias I swear! Dorm Riddle would be your finisher so it’s good to have Riddle’s atk up buddy in your team to increase the finishing blow 🔥 (Also he goes pretty well with your Dorm JamilKalim duo, as Jamil is Robe Cater’s atk up buddy)

Flora Defense: Dorm Trey is still a great card to have in your Flora Defence team, even if his M1 is water. His massive heal and tanky HP are just way too good! A possible team you could use with him is by adding NY Sebek, Beans Jade, Dorm Jamil, and Lab Kalim. Not the greatest synergy-wise (only 2 buddy bonuses), but still has a decent amount of fire spells and 2 heals. Trey's heal should be used in the last turn, but if your team isn't strong enough to KO the opponent, adjust your team since you really don't want Trey to take damage after using his heal.

Aside from that team, you can also use Tamashina Leona + Halloween Lilia since they're both healers, and use Dorm Jamil, Lab Kalim, and NY Sebek.

Omni/Void Basic: Both tests could use the same teams, cause you want BIG damage overall. Just make sure you have a good range of elements in your Omni test as it’s all based on ✨luck✨, so pray that the RNG gods are nice to you.

I hope you do end up giving Dorm LeonaVil some TLC cause they will also be very useful in these tests and will do better dmg than the Scarabia duo, which you could switch over later and replace FG Leona with any Cater or Azul cards, to either activate Riddles Duo or boost his atk. I do like how you make teams with DUOs in mind though! And your current teams are fine ^^

PSA though, void is super hard to score well!! SS is the best we can get so far, and even that is very hard atm unless you are a whale (or extremely lucky with your pulls). But who knows, with M3 and the boosted stats of limit broken cards, it could change later!

Omni/Void Defense: For void, try out Bloom Jack, HW Cater, Dorm Trey, and Dorm Scarabia duo. They have good synergy and high HP! But maybe not for omni tests cause there’s only one fire spell and too much flora…aha 

Anyway, I hope this helped you out somewhat! Happy grinding ☆ cause it never stops

~ ♦️

[bi-bard]

From the Vault - Taylor Swift Writing Challenge (Masterlist)

**AS OF 7/7/2023, THIS WRITING CHALLENGE IS ON AN INDEFINITE HIATUS!**

**FOR AN UP-TO-DATE EXPLANATION, CLICK HERE!**

Here's a masterlist for a writing challenge involving the "From the Vault" tracks from Taylor Swift's albums!

I hope you enjoy this! I plan to update it as Taylor releases more albums!

Special Note Concerning Red: I will not be writing an imagine inspired by Ronan out of respect.

FEARLESS

You All Over Me

But No Amount of Freedom Gets You Clean; I've Still Got You All Over Me Jess Mariano X Reader (Gilmore Girls) (Y/n) tries to live in a world where their ex is with someone new before they even get a chance to breathe. That only gets worse when it's the only thing everyone can talk about.

Mr. Perfectly Fine

Hello Mr. "Casually Cruel" Robert Chase X Reader (House M.D) Robert can be an asshole... in a variety of ways to a variety of people. Especially when he's trying to prove a point. (Y/n) doesn't put up with his shit.

We Were Happy

Goodbye's so Much Harder 'Cause We Were Happy Conrad Hawkins X Reader (The Resident) (Y/n) gets their dream job. The only catch is that it means moving away from the best relationship they've ever been in. Conrad is heartbroken, but he wants to support the person of their dreams.

That's When

I'll Let You In Castiel X Reader (Supernatural) After gaining his memory back, Castiel has to leave to go help the Winchesters. (Y/n) promises to leave the door open to him. They weren't expecting him to actually come back.

Don't You

You Don't Know How Much I Feel I Love You Still Spencer Reid X Reader (Criminal Minds) (Y/n) wasn't upset that Spencer moved on. They were upset that Spencer was acting like nothing the happened between them mattered.

Bye Bye Baby

Feels Like I'm Becoming a Part of Your Past James Wilson X Reader (House M.D) Maybe James should accept that he's the reason so many of his relationships have failed... or not. Pushing away blame is much easier.

RED

Better Man

I Know I'm Probably Better Off All Alone Oliver Queen X Reader (Arrow) After coming back from his five years in hell, Oliver is seeking to fulfill his father's wishes and correct some past mistakes. He just wasn't sure how difficult that was going to be.

Nothing New

And Will You Still Want Me When I'm Nothing New? Emily Prentiss X Reader (Criminal Minds) (Y/n) was only confident in their abilities for so long before they felt like they were no longer important. What happens when someone feels like they're on the verge of being replaced?

Babe

I Hate That Because of You, I Can't Love You Ed Nygma X Reader (Gotham) Ed is confronted with someone that looks alarmingly similar to someone from his past. The shock allows him to step too far and make an irreversible mistake. He wants (Y/n) to forgive him. They just can't shake it.

Message in a Bottle

You Could Be the One That I Love Claire Novak X Reader (Supernatural) Claire was a great hunter... but had shit social skills. This led to a complete lack of subtly when she developed feelings for someone. Granted, (Y/n) wasn't really disappointed about that.

I Bet You Think About Me

But Reality Crept In, You Said We're too Different Thea Queen X Reader (Arrow) Thea was known for being the rich party girl that could get pretty much anything she wanted. Too bad that people are less likely to do what you want after you've wronged them.

Forever Winter

I'd Say I Love You Even at Your Darkest Dean Winchester X Reader (Supernatural) Doubt and guilt creeps in and convinces Dean to run for the hills. (Y/n) refuses to let Dean believe that they would ever be happier without him.

Run

We Can Go Where Our Eyes Can Take Us; Go Where No One Else Is Eleventh Doctor X Reader (Doctor Who) The Doctor keeps running into the same person during his trips to Earth. He finally decides to try and convince them to follow him around time and space.

The Very First Night

I Miss You Like It Was the Very First Night Andrew Garfield X Reader After they end up sitting together at an award show, Andrew and (Y/n) spend most of their night reminiscing about their past and what they used to have together.

All Too Well (10 Minute Version)

I Remember it All Too Well Sam Winchester X Reader (Supernatural) The story of the two hunters that lasted far longer than they should've. Each chapter shows that Sam and (Y/n) were either meant to last a lifetime or fall apart at the seams.

DEBUT (TBA)

SPEAK NOW (TBA)

1989 (TBA)

REPUTATION (TBA)

[mycheriejubilee-blog]

10:12 PM | May. 6 | 2019 | I am back!!

I don't think any of you missed me but... if any of you did, I am here so you don't have to think about when I'm coming back anymore!! A lot has happened while I was on hiatus.

So school-wise I did quite a bit. The week after I went on hiatus I had state testing. So, I completed 5 tests in 3 days. It wasn't very hard, but I really need to get better in science. I basically just skimmed through science in the 1st semester so I didn't really remember anything I learned. Plus, they brought up topics from 1-2 years ago. I was really struggling in my 1st and 2nd years of online school. So I barely focused and just rushed to get it done.

Other than that, the other tests were fine. I saw a cute boy with curly hair. It seems like 90% of guys with curly hair are cute. But he was probably like 17 or 18 so it would be pretty much illegal if we were together and all that. Very unfortunate. T-T

There was also this boy in like 5th or 6th grade that had a full on cowboy outfit... like that's cool but we were testing, so I didn't really understand why he was dressed like that. He had like a fedora hat too. But,,,,, I shouldn't judge people like that so just forget what I said about him. His outfit was nice.

OKAY BUT. Really good news! I'm going to public school after summer break!! I'm... actually going to see and interact with people!! Physically!! I have felt so lonely these past few years. Everyone says high school is terrible, even my dad said it was the worst of the worst. Is that true? I feel like it's true but I also don't want to assume everyone is annoying and stupid.

I had a choice to decide to go or stay in online school. I was mixed between feeling deep fear that everyone would judge me or something bad would happen to me and feeling excitement because I might actually find friends there...? I had only a few days to decide. But, of course I said yes to going to public school. I truly want to see what it's like. It's only been 3 years but it feels like it was an eternity of being alone. So much has happened... and I've changed so much.

So my mom enrolled me in the high school. I get to see the campus and get a tour on Thursday this week!! That's why I wanted to come back. I wanted to start posting before I went.

I also completed tests and an essay while I was gone. Currently, I actually need to do this essay. I haven't even begun to do it yet. I hate when I procrastinate. It's not even hard, I just would rather not do it! But other than that, I'm caught up. I can't fall behind at the end of the year.

Now starting from now, I'm not going to talk about anything related to school.

So, I got to play with the boy. It was actually really fun and still his voice makes me weak,,,. Like- I was waiting for him to get back online and suddenly he talked into the mic and his voice was like so much deeper I just-. It's such a blessing to hear his voice I'm not joking. T-T

ANYWAYS. I am finally caught up on the bnha manga! I wanted to catch up for weeks but I just didn't do it. Plus, it would kind of be useful for my story. I can't believe the 4th season still hasn't come out and there's this much going on in the manga!!

So, I have watched some animes. I am on the last episode of the 2nd season of Bungou Stray Dogs. It's so good!! Just a few more episodes then I will be all caught up on the anime. Then I'll have to wait a week for the next episode like everyone else. I also want to read the manga too.

So, we're actually almost done with Naruto, then we should be watching the Shippuden. I finished season 2 of free! And I am currently on season 3. I haven't gotten to it because... of school stuff. I watched like 5 minutes of Noragami. But I know I'll watch it once I finish free! I also need to start watching Demon Slayer. Thankfully, the anime just started so it won't be much to watch.

I started another anime,,, I told myself I wouldn't watch more than 1 anime at a time but,,, I lied to myself. It's called Servamp. I was searching up... stuff for my writing and I found it and watched the 1st episode. It's decent so far.

Speaking of writing, I really did get a lot of inspiration for my story from the manga and some songs too. AND! I was right! I estimated Tomura's age to be around 20 and it's canon that he's 20 currently!!

[ This paragraph below has spoilers for the bnha manga, don't read if you haven't caught up completely on the manga, or read Tomura's origin! ]

It also seems that the theorists were right about him killing his family as a child. Unless AFO messed with his mind and he actually killed them, y'all were right. I really feel like I understand him more as a character than ever!

I also came up with some more OCs and quirks they could possibly have. I have no intention of sharing my story but... if it turns out decent maybe I will.

I'm playing mystic messenger. I'm on Saeyoung's route!! There's so much drama! It's so good! And he was kind of mean at first but now he's really sweet and cute! I mean he was always cute but y'know. What happened with his family is so sad. :(( Thanks Cheritz! We don't deserve y'all!! Not being sarcastic either!!

Not last yet, but so far I have done a water change for my goldfish! They're doing really well right now. :)

Lastly,,, I have come up with a plan to better myself before public school. I intended on doing it "later" but it seems that I should geniunely start my plan now. I've had this in mind for months. Now is the time! It's really late for me now though. I'll post my plan later this week! But it should be before Thursday! There's no guarantee though.

If you read all of this, thank you! I had a lot to say since so much happened.

~ Valentina ✨🕊

[sharkbaitsekki]

Cin, do you have any tips on writing? Specificaly about how to finish? I've been working on this project for years but it seems like I always stuck at the same part over and over again. I always notice the flaws, plot holes, and all of those things that I can't ignore. Like I have to do something about them before I finish the whole thing, because gosh, rewriting +80k words is hell. Thank you in advance. I'm sorry for troubling you. Your writing really inspires me.

Sorry for taking so long to answer, I’ve been thinking about this for a while!

Okay, so there’s a few things I can tell you from my point of view, as someone who is also a huge perfectionist and who cringes every time someone comments on an old fic and says it’s the best thing they’ve ever read. 

Don’t re-read when you’re done writing: At some point, I became so exhausted with editing and rewriting that I was becoming stressed and uninterested with fanfiction writing. That led me to take an indefinite hiatus, and I only got unhappier because I’d just lost my biggest hobby. When I came back to fanfic writing, I stopped re-reading and “beta”ing myself after finishing a chapter. I wrote as much as I could and posted, and if I had to re-read my work before posting, it was because I’d forgotten what happened and needed a refresher. Not because I wanted to edit stuff. 

Low-key re-read after posting: Applicable if you’re posting chapter-by-chapter rather than a whole work at once. Once you post, even before you get the first hit, go back to re-read your chapter, or at least, skim over it. It’ll help you see the finished product and decide if the mistakes you caught are worth fixing right now or not. A spelling error is fine. I spot spelling errors after my first re-read and I never fix them unless they affect comprehension of the text. Minor details are fine, too. But let’s say you realize in retrospect that you have a huge logistic error, you can fix it before anyone else catches it. Posting before re-reading helps you control the urge to nitpick because it’s kind of a tedious process to go back to the editing screen (especially if you’re on FFN lmaooo). 

Re-read and edit after a few days: I say a few days as a general rule, but I only ever re-read and edited the first 5-6 chapters of CML three years after they were posted. At that point, you’ve forgotten then tiny details, so you can take a look at your work with a fresh eye and actually overhaul it as needed. I firmly believe that overhauling your work shouldn’t even be an option, as the first draft is always the final one for me. However, I understand that a lot of people like to make several drafts before their final version. It really depends what your writing style is. 

Make a list of things to rework: List off the stuff you feel you need to rework. Ask yourself; am I being a nitpick? Are these actual plot holes or details too big to ignore? Are these things aspects of the fic that I can’t control because I’m not far off in writing it yet? Answer all these questions, and write down your answers. Visualize what you feel about your listed items. And then, don’t fix them. It might be hard, but don’t go back and retouch them, even if you’ve identified them. Keep moving on, and you’ll always have that list and your identified solutions for when you actually do go back and edit your work. But don’t do that until a few days later, at least. 

Get a second opinion: I like posting chapter-by-chapter because receiving feedback from fellow fans of the series is so important to me. Feedback, ranging from “I love it!” to “I think you could fix this” to “This fic isn’t for me” is extremely helpful because it helps me be adequately critical of my work. Praise helps soothe my self-consciousness and criticism helps me better myself. Summary-type feedback helps me get a new glance at the way my work is interpreted, and theory-type feedback helps me get inspired for chapters to come, and serves as a sort of suggestion box for things I can include in my next chapters. If you’re not getting feedback from fellow fans, then maybe get someone who can read/beta your work? I know that showing people a work in progress can be intimidating, and downright uncomfortable, but if you want to stop being nitpicky over your own writing, you absolutely need a second opinion. Publishing companies have editors for a reason. Scientific journals do the same thing, and it’s called the “peer-review” system. All types of writing rely on outsider feedback to help improve, and you shouldn’t consider yourself exempt from that rule. I don’t like betas, but I sure as hell couldn’t function without fan feedback to my writing. 

Don’t rewrite: Sounds vague, huh? The only part of your ask that actually makes me agitated is the idea of “rewriting 80k+ words”. For someone who writes 30k chapters, rewriting 80k sounds like actual hell. Spare yourself. Love yourself, my dude, don’t rewrite. Rewriting entire chapters is like enabling yourself in an unhealthy loop of “I’m not good enough and therefore should always start from scratch”. Editing is absolutely necessary, but rewriting? Rewriting is a tool, not a method. If a passage makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, rewriting is necessary. But rewriting should not be your go-to method of editing your work. 

Push forward!!!: Don’t allow yourself to dwell over what you’ve already written, and just keep writing. Consider your entire story a first draft, and don’t edit it. Just write, keep pushing forward, even if you are conscious that huge problems exist within it. Don’t censor yourself through early editing because that’s only a recipe to make you frustrated with your own writing and to keep you in a writer’s block forever. You never know what type of creative ideas you’re erasing by stopping yourself before you’ve even finished. Push forward, push forward, push forward, always. Writing is something you do with your brain, but also with your heart. Trust yourself; if you’ve written something to get this far, then surely, it must be good enough for now. 

Tl;dr: Don’t edit until you’re done. Get an outsider’s point of view on your work. Don’t re-read your work. Type until your fingers are about to fall off before you stop to go back. 

This comes from someone who’s been writing since the teeny-weeny age of 12, and who’s gone through all the steps to becoming a writer who can be proud of her own work. I’ve gone from absolute word-diarrhea-type stories to convoluted stories with plot twists I can hardly imagine myself. I’ve gone through the feeling of being on top of the world, to being ready to quit, to being frustrated with my inability to write. I’ve been accompanied through my entire process by fans of the series I adore and readers of my works, and I’ve been nurtured by their feedback and their support. Like I said earlier, writing is something done with your brain, but mostly with your heart. Creativity is not something you should keep on a leash. If you want to finish your stories, try to turn your brain off for a while and just write, write, write like your heart is about to explode unless you put your feelings on paper. I know I’ve spent too much time listening to my self-conscious brain to ever try to hold my heart back ever again.