#i haven't gotten around to reading it yet but i hope its of some interest to you all!

[tr4gictea]

I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS FOR REQUEST BUT I DON'T WANNA OVER BEAR YOU SRRYY

What about a teen gn reader who looks average (in term of strength) but could OBLITERATE a ruin guard in like,, one punch

How would the characters react to that???

genshin + weak looking but strong!teen!reader

❥Masterlist

Tags: slight fluff, mention of injuries

Including: Xiao, Dehya, Lyney

word count: 1,203

A/n: Heyyy, guess who's not dead! sorry I haven't been around for like a year or two things for me have gotten busy but things are slowing down for me right now so I'm gonna be focusing more on writing now! I hope you enjoy :D

You had always heard stories of adventurers finding new civilizations, fight cool monsters, and traveling around the world. You were gonna be like one of those strong adventurers and be marked down in the history books. Though your training and honed your skills to your very limit yet your body stayed the same, growing at its normal pace. Sure you could punch through a brick wall but, you also looked as if you spent your days reading inside. But after a while you had come to accept that you would remain average size until you joined the adventures guild.

The adventure’s guild always had interesting commissions, from the mundane to the deadly. You joined looking forward to getting super hard missions where you could explore a abandoned temple and fight the spirt that lives there! Or a commission about a missing person who has been kiddnap by dozens of treasure hoarder and you have to fight your way through them! As Katherine hands you your first commission you read the page telling you to deliver mint to some guy. 

You look up at kathrine with a “are you joking” face. She only smiles at you and asks if you have any questions. You insist to kathrine that you are a strong individual and you can handle your own. She shakes her head saying that this is the best commission for your skill level. You went back and fourth with Kathrine about the commission before she gave up and gave you some hillcurl camp to clean up on the west side. Snatching the commission out her hand you rush off to complete it. 

It wasn't the intense adventure you hoped for but it was better than nothing. So you head out to the camp and when you get there you spot three hillchurls, easy enough. When you finish off

the last hillchurl you heard the sound of gears churning behind you. 

“WATCH OUT!” a mystery voice calls out. Quickly turning around you are faced 13 feet tall ruin guard. It lifts up its giant geared hand attempting to slam it down on you, you dodge out of the way by jumping back. This is the first time you've ever encountered a ruin guard and there was something you wanted to try with it. 

Throwing your weapon to the side you take a running start at the ruin guard. You can hear the stranger yell at you to get back when you leap into the air lifting your fist up pull it down right on the machine’s head. It flies back into a rock wall 12 feet away from you. Landing on your feet you watch as the ruins guard light flickers for a second then goes dark. Turning to the mystery person you are met with a look of…

Xiao: Shocked but doesn't care that much

Xiao was patrolling the area around Yaodie Valley when he came across you fighting hillchurls. You had an adventurers guild uniform on but you looked far too weak to be fighting such monster, and at such a young age. But you looked to be holding yourself well so he didn't bother you. Until he saw out of the corner of his eye an old ruin guard started to shuffle and activate. 

He yelled at you warning about it but to his surprise, you dropped your weapon and took off running towards it. He was about to intervene when you sent the ruin guard flying into a wall. He stood there for a second spear still out and in his fighting stance but, confused as hell. How did such a weak-looking child punch that machine like it was a stuffed animal. 

“Uh, Mr. Adeptus?” You said trying to get the man's attention. “are you okay?” Snapping out of his trance he circles around you checking for wounds, none were found except for some red on the fist. And without any word he disappears. 

Dehya: Worried but Amazed

While traveling to meet her newest client she stumbles on you collecting stuff off the ground while a ruin guard towers over you. You looked no older than 18 and even tho you had a weapon didnt look like you could fight. She shouts a you watch out and unsheft her claymore. As she is running towards you she sees you turn around send the metal heap flying into a stone wall with a singular punch. Stopping her in her track Dehya looks at the scene before her with her mouth agape.

“Hey kid!” she yells at you. “Are you okay?!” She began checking your body for injuries. That was quite a punch but she needed to check that you didnt break anything from that. 

“If i move your fingers like this do they hurt?!” She asked while bending your fingers slightly upwards.

“No ma’ma,” you resond 

“I've just never seen someone knock out a ruin guard with one punch! How did you even do that without break your hand?”

“I drink a lot of milk.”

Lyney: Excitement

Today was a day Lyney had all to him self, much to his dismay. Lynette was off on a solo mission and Freminet teaching some of their siblings how to dive. Lyney would have joined but those lessons were too slow paced for him and he'd end up getting board and leaving the group behind.

So now he was outside of the city walls looking for something that could entertain him. When he saw the slashing of a weapon out the corner of his eye and turned to see a teenager fighting a couple hillchurls. They looked skilled enough to take on a couple monsters but, defiantly not strong physically.

He was about to head out and look for something more interesting when he heard the gears of a ruin guard turn. He spun around to see you face to face with one of these machines. He saw you jump back nearly missing the hand crushing coming down on you. As he got out his bow to shoot the thing down he stopped himself as he saw you run and jump off a rock and landing a punch on top of its head sending it flying backward.

You turned to face him and his bow was still in his hand with a shit eating grin on his face.

"My archons that was amazing!" He exclaimed while throwing his hands up and trotted right up too you. "How did you manage to do that?" He was lifting your arms up and down like he was trying to find something to tell him how you knock the guard out in one punch. "Or is it just raw strength... Punch me."

"What?" He said that as if it was just a normal request.

"Punch me right here in the stomach, I wanna see something."

"Sir I just knocked out a whole monster and now you want me to punch you?"

"Yes, I don't know what's so hard to understand. you can take down an ancient machine with one punch but you look so... normal!" Rude. "I don't mean that in a bad way but I want to see how this is possible." for the rest of the day he spent it with you testing out your strength on different things. He should have more days to himself if it's gonna be like this one!

Requests are now open again :D

[halfpricedpages]

intro post (finally)

ive debated making an intro post because first off ive been on tumblr for two years and I never got around to it and secondly I am really really horrible at talking about myself because what is to much info and what it to little info and the cycle continues but im giving it a shot because I feel like my mutuals have no idea who I am lmao

HAI my name is Charlie im 15 (18+ I dont mind if you follow me but please dont dm me thank you :]) I use jasper as an online name kind of (at this point its just reserved for my best friend ace but I dont mind if other people call me jasper since I still love the name)

my pronouns are he/him but im also perfectly comfortable with common neopronouns (it/its xey/xem) if you wanna get funky with it.

im a self diagnosed autistic and ARFID (if you dont know what that is its an eating disorder where certain factors make you avoidant and restrictive of the food you eat and it has nothing to do with physical appearance. for me its linked to my autistic sensory issues(ALSO OCD NOW?!!? WHAT THE FUCK?!!?)) I have depression and anxiety and the only reason I mention this is because I relate my mental health to my fav characters in tv shows and books and stuff so if you see me posting about them like everything is connected lol

(my a03 is ghostwithfeet if you want to see me be silly and project my weird life onto fictional characters (I am the most inconsistent updater in the world please expect nothing from me if you even ask about a project it will scare me and like I turtle I will crawl into my shell never to see the light of day again))

my interests really vary about current hyperfixations but heres the master list

current hyperfixs

stranger things specifically Byler but mostly mike wheeler (this has turned into a special interest(I DO NOT support Noah schnapp or another of the other cast members who are in support of the inhumane actions the Israel government are doing. I am pro saving innocent civilians. I know that this can be controversial to be such a big fan of this show and honestly I have a lot of complex feelings on the matter but im autistic as previously mentioned and its my special interest and It won't leave my brain even if im not directly interacting with the media so im gonna yap about it on my blog thank you.))

also just Finn wolf hard for some reason (check out his band the Aubreys its awesome. also check out a recent movie he was in called when you finished Saving the world. it means a lot to me)

donna tarts the goldfinch book

old special interests/hyperfixs

the percy Jackson universe specifically nico di Angelo

the IT universe specifically reddie and Beverly marsh but more leaning towards richie tozier (see what I mean with the Finn wolf hard thing)

dead boy detectives !!

doctor who (I haven't even finished David tenants doctor yet so please no spoilers)

Alice oseman content (never read loveless or iwbft but ive read all of her other stuff)

paper girls graphic novel

other interests

the good place tv show

Kathleen Glasgows book girl in pieces

the walking dead comics including the clementine spin off graphic novels

um yeah thats all I can think of for now

my fav musicians/bands

florence and the machine

indigo de Souza

Kevin Atwater

searows

the Aubreys

sadurn

the cranberries

soccer mommy

runo plum

nep

lala lala

the smiths

hospital bracelet

Chappell roan

AURORA

Madilyn Mei!

Elliot smith

(my music taste is all over the place and is also very seasonal and I have a bunch of underground artists I dont listen to but I am here to give good recs I promise my playlists are fire)

we've gotten to the part of the intro post where im wondering if this is way to much information so sorry if I overshared idk but hope we can be silly mutuals or friends if you want (never be scared to shoot the friendship shot I would love to yap with y'all)

also since this is taking over my other pinned post I just want to put this as an honorary spot and let everyone know that my old pinned post was a quote from radio silence and that Aled last is me and I am him and the February Friday plot line is actually me and it makes me sick how much I resonate with that book

[dailyadventureprompts]

Dear Dapper, I've hit a bit of writer's block, and was hoping you might have some ideas to help push me through... I have some pieces, but I can't quite figure out how to put them together.

My players are entering a region where all I've established is: Church-ruled Theocracy worshipping a god of fire (fire -> light, hearth, crafting), but I've also hinted at a dark, oppressive Inquisition force (burning away sin). The PCs are going there to steal a holy relic/larger plot MacGuffin before the bad guys steal it themselves.

I was thinking a heist (I've read your Heist guide) - perhaps going to a cathedral town under the cover of a pilgrimage, or infiltrating a huge congregation of gathering priests. Stealthily try to explore this cathedral complex looking for where the relic is held and its security, while its otherwise full of people.

Any ideas on fleshing out this land, cathedral, or situation they would have to infiltrate in order to set up some interesting hooks & challenges for the PCs (or rival group) as they approach this heist? Any elaborations on your Heist guide, as it might relate to this set up?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Oh I've ABSOLUTELY got ideas.

If you haven't settled on this fire church's deal yet I'd suggest stealing a page or two from the lore of Tharmekhul.

The gathering of clergy is specifically a ceremony of renewal held every few years (3-7 I'd say), where the priests burn a symbolic token representing their last years of service and have a new one bestowed upon them. This serves as a retirement ceremony for those who want to give up their office and lead a more relaxed position within the church.

Somewhere on their way to this region they encounter a friendly but dottering old priest who's on his way to the convocation. His attendants have all gotten royally sick from eating bad food on the way to the convocation meaning the old man is going to be late unless he gets some strapping adventurers pilgrims to help haul his luggage. This provides the party their in to the convocation, as well as disguises (as the priest's attendants) that give them access to different parts of the temple. Weapons and armour will of course need to be kept to a minimum.

While my heist rules are great, I'd also suggest running this with the help of my "how to infiltrate a fancy party" ruleset. This gives a lot more opportunity for socializing and to get an understanding of just what's going on. Indicate different times throughout the night when things will be blocked off/unguarded/watched closely and let them plan around that.

There should absolutely be a rival group working for the badguys but I'm not having much inspiration on them. They've managed to find a secret entrance into the temple and are doing an ACTUAL heist while the party is paling around.

Just as soon as the party get their hands on the relic the doors slam shut and people start to panic. This isn't because anyone has noticed them, it's because the inquisition is here: They've grown tired of the indolence and graft of their fellow clergy and are here to conduct a purge. The Inquisition is armed and backed by a mob of their most devoted zealots, who have orders to capture the highest ranking clerics and make an example of anyone that resists ( An example here meaning: Beaten and Burned alive)

Now you've got some delicious options for what happens next: If the party fight, they'll be knocked out and wake up in a prison separate from the captive priests and also from the Relic ( now in the hands of the inquisition). The party could escape with the relic but leave the priests (including the one they befriended) to their terrible fate... or the enemy thief team could get away with the relic leaving them completely in the dust. Regardless, you've now introduced an even worse set of villains, who from this night on will be consolidating their power in the fire-worshipping region and be growing into a major threat that the party will have to contend with at some point in the future.

(also just because It's related to the prison I mentioned, consider using "Justicar Illien" from this adventure prompt as the head of the inquisitors. It leads into a great subplot about a demon bound beneath the prison with themes about how evil can confuse sadism with righteousness)

[2af-afterdark]

Hi hello it's your local long-ass walls of text anon! I hope you're doing well (depression is a bitch and I'm kicking its ass)! I also wish there was a way to know if tumblr ate my ask or not without having to bother you 😔 But in the hopes that it did not, in fact, eat it and you simply haven't gotten around to it yet... Lemme add something to my thoughts about Yandere!Beelzebub because I have a love-hate relationship with that man and he keeps haunting my thoughts.

Basically I came to the conclusion that out of all (currently known) kings, having Beel fixate on someone would probably be the worst-case scenario for that person. Because, well, just think about trying to escape the clutches of the man that:

• Has the ability to make clones of themselves and control said clones separately;

• Is considered the strongest in terms of what he can do;

• And can fucking smell you out like a bloodhound.

How do you even run in these conditions? There are who-knows-how-many clones to avoid, there's the fact that Beel can do whatever the fuck he wants and it's not like there's anything that can really stop him in his pursuit, and the sheer fucking terror of the fact that there's no way to know for sure if he can smell you or not (he most likely can) and if he's quite literally chasing you down at this very moment while you're catching your breath.

I'm pretty sure the man can tell what and when you ate, what deodorant you used, who you interacted with and, most importantly, where you were, all from a single sniff. Yandere!Beel is also a terrifying concept because he doesn't strike me as the type to act directly with things like breaking ankles or using cages. He'd probably use his charisma (and maybe something added into his deceptively tasty food) to mansplain manipulate manslaughter his way into getting those grubby hands on whoever was unlucky enough to catch the attention of the wandering king. He'd fuck them up emotionally and make it seem like they are the one who need him.

Basically, if Yandere!Beelzebub sets his sights on you, you're fucked (in every way possible). And I have no idea if that makes me love him more or hate him more. What a deliciously complicated (I'm strangling him) and multifaceted (I'm bending him over) character.

— 💛

Alright, 💛 anon. I have been sitting on this ask for days, really thinking about it and chewing on the idea. I have to start by saying that I love yandere and will gladly take any yandere headcanons. Me, personally, I read Bael as having slight yandere tendencies based on some of the things he's said, but Bell would be interesting if he fell into that trope as well.

However, I disagree with him being the most terrifying yandere (at least upfront). I think he would probably be the kind that isn't actually scary to his Darling because he doesn't show them his worst self. Is he scary? Oh hell yes, but he would ensure they never see that scary side of him. In front of MC, he always wants to come off as the type of person who is chill and easygoing, a little flirty and always ready for them to give into their urges at the drop of a hat. He needs to be a safe, comfortable presence for them if he wants them to be relaxed with him. Because of that, I think he would be more likely to hide his darker tendencies or use them against other people when MC isn't watching. This is why, like you said in your previous example, he was immediately violent to Minhyeok until he learned his bad behavior could get back to MC through him (and MC would take him seriously).

Or, he can endear himself to MC by always being there when they need someone the most. As you said, he has clones that he can control separately. That means he can always be there whenever MC may need him, no matter how unlikely it was he would be around. And he would know when they need him because he's always watching them. He is, as you said, more manipulative and enmeshes himself to his Darling rather than holds them in a cage. He makes his Darling dependent on him in some form; likely for release and freedom, in a sense.

Point, is... You will never know you've walked into the spider's den with him. I know he's a fly, but I only have so many metaphors to work with

[lordisitmine]

TTNBD BLOG: PART ONE

I'm doing something different with this story. I always have much to say in the notes of my fanfiction and I'm usually bursting to talk about behind the scenes/commentary stuff, so I've decided to do blog posts to correspond with the updates of this story. I don't know if I'll do one for every single chapter, some of them may be grouped, but I hope people will find them interesting just the same! This post is to cover the first update, that being the prologue and the first chapter. Obviously, spoilers for those if you haven't read them yet.

INTRODUCTION

My writing process for a fic usually starts with the nagging vision of a single scene. It might be an ending, a beginning or a middle, but if it burns in my mind long enough that I have to write it down, that usually means that it will continue to stick around until I've done something about it.

Such was the case with To the End of Everything. In the late summer of 2014 (August I believe), I was on the bus, going to work, day dreaming (I can't read or watch videos in a moving vehicle, I'm very prone to motion sickness). I had recently been re-reading the first few arcs of the Kuroshitsuji manga and had finally gotten around to season two of the anime. Seeing Ciel as a demon gave me about six hundred thousand emotions, and so it was on my mind at the time.

Suddenly, a scene started to play out in my brain, and it was genuinely like watching a movie. I could see it all clear as day. It was Sebastian and Ciel, both demons, in twenty-first century London, standing at the grave of Ciel himself, on Ciel's one-hundredth-and-something birthday. Sebastian was holding a giant bouquet of roses and Ciel was rolling his eyes and pretending not to be totally charmed by the gesture.

This, of course, is the epilogue of TTEOE. That one scene dug its claws into me so completely that I spent the next four years writing an entire novel to explain how it was that the two of them ended up in that situation in the first place.

Fast-forward to the fall of 2018. It's almost Halloween, and I'm finally, finally, putting the finishing touches on the final chapter of TTEOE. Ciel and Sebastian are standing in the ruins of Phantomhive manor, which has been destroyed (again). The man who killed Ciel's parents has been defeated. The great evil has been vanquished. The contract between Ciel and Sebastian has come to fruition, but instead of Sebastian consuming Ciel's soul, he has transformed it. Ciel has been transformed into a demon, and he and Sebastian are even more irrevocably bonded than they already were (more on that later).

There were, however, still a few loose ends. No ending is ever truly clean, not in real life. And sure, this was fiction, but I like to leave room for my readers to imagine what might happen next for themselves, and also give myself a little bit of breathing room as an author, in case I ever do decide to write a sequel. But when I wrote the lines about Sir Arthur's followers still being out there, I didn't have any concrete plans to do anything about it.

Until about ten months later.

August, 2019. What is it with me and August? Well, whatever it was, it got me again. The same cemetery, the same grave. Only this time, it wasn't the twenty-first century. Ciel's death was still fairly recent in the grand scheme of things. And instead of Ciel standing in front of his own tombstone on his own birthday, it was Lizzy, bundled up in the cold, carrying out her grieving ritual, even still, visiting Ciel in order to wish him a happy birthday and to tell him she hoped he was in a better place.

And then an immediate hard cut to Ciel and Sebastian in Paris having wild sex. Here, let me quote my own outline document, which is the first thing I write for any fic, the place where I messily scribble down everything I want to happen in order to then break it down into scenes and fully write it later. I wrote this back in 2019.

"Lizzy visits Ciel’s grave. She tells him about her latest life update, how med school is going, how her friend Sybil has invited her to go to Paris for the holiday, and how excited she is that her parents said yes, on the condition that she take the servants with her to keep her safe. They've become super extra protective ever since the business of Ciel’s death and all that. Lizzy seems to be doing better, as the last time she visited Ciel’s grave was months ago, and we are led to believe she used to come here all the time. She ends the visit by telling Ciel that she might not be back for some time, and that she truly hopes he’s in a better place.

Cut to Ciel, who is indeed in a much better place- namely Paris, in some ridiculously lavish bed in a ridiculously lavish apartment, getting his ass eaten and his back blown out. It’s his birthday after all, and Sebastian won’t let him forget it, even if Ciel thinks birthdays are a foolish thing for demons to celebrate. It’s also their anniversary though, of the day they made the Bond, and Ciel doesn’t mind celebrating that one so much."

So, yes. I've been sitting on this sequel for some time.

The problem this time, unlike with TTEOE, was that I had no idea what to do with these two scenes. They were obviously the beginning of something, but the beginning of what, I had no idea. With TTEOE, I had elements from canon to draw upon, and an obvious goal- tell the story of how Ciel got his revenge and became a demon.

But here, any conclusion I might have was more vague. The cult was still out there, so maybe something happens that brings Ciel and Sebastian back to London? But to what end? Ciel is supposed to be dead, so it's not like he can just re-enter his old life.

I knew for sure I wanted the story to focus on Lizzy as well, to give her a narrative arc of her own, and maybe a romance (a sapphic one, obviously, because that's how we do things in my house). Would she know Ciel was still alive? Would she be a victim? And who would be the villain? Who had taken over in Sir Arthur's stead, and what was their even worse, even bigger plan that the gang would have to foil?

Obviously, I now have answers to all of these questions. But of course, those answers are for me to know, and for you to find out.

So, over the course of the last few years, I've been coming back to this story, adding random pieces in by bursts of inspiration, building a Frankenstein's monster of sorts. Trying to create life. And then a year ago in December of 2022, I decided I was ready to flip the switch, summon the lightning, and actually sit down and write this son of a bitch.

I really did intend to have it done a lot sooner than this. I was, in retrospect, a bit premature in announcing my intentions. However, one of an author's biggest motivations is their audience, so I think it was good that I knew people were waiting for me to do it, even if it did cause me to stress myself out more than a few times. But that;s completely on me, not on you, the reader.

I won't get too much into my personal life, but a number of things happened this that contributed to creative drought and periods of business that prevented me from writing. But I had encouragement from you guys, and I'll always be grateful for that, because it got us all here!

PROLOGUE: COUP DE FOUDRE

TTEOE had an epilogue; TTNBD has a prologue. There are several through-lines in this story (and oh boy has that been a BITCH to plot out, I hope it will be worth it) and a couple of those through-lines start years and years before the rest of the story, so I sectioned them off like this. Also, having a prologue makes me feel a little fancy.

Original characters are a touchy subject in fanficiton for some people. I personally don't read a lot of fic with OCs, which is wild because I'm currently writing one. But whenn they're executed well, some of the best fics I've read have had OCs play a major role. Of course, self-insert OCs are their own sub-genre, but that's not what is happening here. There were holes in the story I wanted to tell that needed characters to fill them, and none of the existing characters could reasonably be stretched to fill those holes. So original characters it was!

There are three original characters in this story; Sybil, who plays the most major role, who you met as a baby in this chapter and who you'll see as an adult in the next one. Then there's her father Simeon, who you've met as well, and another character who I won't mention by name yet because they're going to be introduced in next week's instalment! Both Simeon and this other person play lesser parts in the story, but they're important. I will be doing drawings of them this week, so you'll get to see what I picture them like alongside their descriptions.

EDIT: December 19/2023. I realised a couple more things I forgot to mention when I was chatting with my translaor van_Dort, for whose work I could not be more grateful! Simeon's name comes from the Bible, specifically the Simeon spoken about in the New Testament book of Luke, in Chapter 2, during the story of the birth of Jesus.

In Luke CH.2, Simeon was an old man living in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus's birth; he had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. When Jesus was brought as a baby to the Temple in Jerusalem to be blessed, Simeon got to hold him, thus fulfilling his life's purpose.

The parallels between this Simeon and mine aren't meant to be super direct, but in TTNBD, Simeon's purpose was to father Sybil, and in holding her when she's born, he sees that purpose fulfilled. Also, as Van_Dort said, having a demon with a biblical name is just pretty cheeky and fun :>

Alois and Claude are here too! Season two of the anime is so juicy, with so many good elements to it, I just couldn't resist bringing these characters out to play. I can't wait to get into Alois's absolutely busted head and his wicked toxic dynamic with Claude. I feel like their relationship is a great foil for Ciel and Sebastian's, especially in this fic with the tone I'm going to take. I'm excited for you to see my representation of some of the events of the anime's second season.

CHAPTER ONE: A FAR, FAR BETTER REST

Ten or more years ago, when I was very, very involved in this fandom, much more than I am now (I'm like, here lurking but I wouldn't call myself active) I came across a piece of fanart of an older Ciel and Sebastian, and Ciel had this long hair, and it was so beautiful, and it changed my brain chemistry forever. I've never forgotten it, but I've also never been able to find it again, much to my chagrin. Maybe I'll try to recreate it now that I have the will and the skill to do so.

NEVERMIND! I just took a break from writing this to go search for it one more time and I actually found it! This is a repost on DeviantArt, The notes on the post say it was taken from 4chan but I can't seem to find the original source which sucks but I found it! I've been thinking about this picture for years!

So yes, this specific picture is 99% of the reason why Ciel has long hair in TTNBD. If anyone by some miracle knows the original source, please do share. That and growing out one's hair is symbolic of starting over or time passing or whatever thing you learned in your high school language studies/literature class. Also I think it looks pretty. This is exactly how I imagine him, I've been trying to capture this hairstyle in my drawings, I need to tweak his bangs a little I think.

Also, kudos to those of you who noticed that Ciel's fake name- Gespenst- is German for phantom! I couldn't resist the fun little reference, both to the name Phantomhive and to the fact that Ciel, for all intents and purposes, is a dead man. Also it sounds cool! Bonus!

ANYHOW, onto other stuff. Namely, let's talk about the telepathy thing.

My guilty pleasure is those middling to badly written romance fantasy novels where a nineteen or twenty year old girl gets taken away into a fae realm and falls in love with some hot strapped fae prince or whatever and then finds out that he's her Mate *gasp* and they're *bonded*. If you're reading this and thinking about A Court of Thorns and Roses, then you're thinking of the exact series I was obsessed with when I was writing the end of TTEOE.

In ACOTAR, Feyre and Rhysand have a mating bond that includes a telepathic link. I already knew I wanted the ritual that turned Ciel into a demon to form a tangible bond of some kind between him and Sebastian, and I was reading those books at the time and it just struck me upside the head. Mating bond! Duh! It plays perfectly with the possessiveness that's already inherent in their relationship and the fact that they're supernatural beings with supernatural abilities- and I also happen think it's pretty ~hot~ oop.

To be fair, it's not just ACOTAR's fault: I've been big into Star Trek since I was a teenager and if you know what T'hy'la means and the absolutely legendary fandom mythology that surrounds it, you know where all of my obsession with mates and bonds and stuff really comes from.

I hope I've done a good job of laying out sort of how it works between Ciel and Sebastian, but just to be clear- I don't see it as being like, the ability to read/hear every single one of each other's thoughts. it's more like a link that they can use to sort of "speak" directly to each other, or if one of them is thinking about something very intensely, they can pick up on it.

To me, the vibe of these two has always been "power couple in a crowded room at a party, having a silent conversation with their eyes about how they're better and prettier than everyone else here" and I guess I wanted to make that a reality.

Also it's a great trick to be able to use during sex scenes.

Which brings me to my next point: as you will see, there are a lot more sex scenes in this fic than there were in TTEOE! And they're a lot more... how do I put this... graphic? That's Partially because Ciel and Sebastian's relationship is established, and they're demons, so they're just horny most of the time- and partially because it's been so many years since I wrote TTEOE! I'm just more comfortable with this stuff now and I know my way around it better from a writing perspective.

I wasn't even twenty years old yet in 2014 and now I'm staring down the barrel at thirty, so I've just grown up a lot and developed more as a person, as well as a writer. I feel like I've gotten better at writing in a lot of ways and one of those is definitely my ability to write porn. Not to brag or anything. I know it's a weird skill to be proud of, but in fandom it's a skill that's kind of worth its weight in gold.

Speaking of writing improvement, the honest-to-God biggest challenge for me this time around has been matching the cadence and tone of the writing in TTEOE. Having taken such a long break, and my writing voice having shifted like it has, I have to be deliberate about keeping it all coherent. I hope I'm doing an okay job.

Last but not least, Abberline's back! It's everyone's (my) favourite oblivious detective! I love outsider POVs and so I had a hoot and a half writing him in TTEOE, so of course he's back to investigate crimes and always be about one or two steps behind until the truth turns around and backhands him in the face! What will he do, where will he go, who will he see? Who knows! It's always an adventure!

Like Lizzy, Abberline has had his own response to what happened to Ciel. He's changed in his own ways and his place in life has changed as well. You'll be seeing more of him soon, along with everyone else.

Okay! I think that's all for now! Thanks for reading this... very long post! Feel free to ask questions, I'll be camping out near my inbox, and I'll see you again next week!

-lord_is_it_mine

[kiefbowl]

Finally another person that hates HIMYM as much as I do. There isn't a show that I hate more tbh, like there are shows I dislike, but that damn show is something else. Just like you I hate what they did to Robin(and she's the only character I kind of liked; I liked Ted when he wasn't trying to be like Barney and when he would actually call Barney out, which sadly wasn't too often)...and I hate how more often than not the show treated Barney's treatment of women as a joke, or rather the show rarely called him out, and i especially hate the way they ended his character arc, I was like "oh now he'll see women as humans" *eye roll*-- I hate that trope so damn much. The show had potential, and the premise was interesting, it's just that the show was filled with the worst tropes and some of the worst characters on today's tv(or ever, really). I just cannot for the life of me understand its popuplarity.

Also, oh my god yes, I totally agree with you on that final season. What the hell were the writers thinking?!

>"I liked Ted when he wasn't trying to be like Barney and when he would actually call Barney out, which sadly wasn't too often"

one of the most unaware things the show does is pretend Barney is a foil to Ted when Ted and Barney are extremely similar in their views of women. The difference is that Barney is always on, and it's always a goofy heightened reality, while Ted will be written fairly straight wrt wanting to sleep with women.

>"I hate that trope so damn much."

a baby daughter fixed me is definitely one of the worst tropes and also is sooooo fucking lazy. they didn't build a story around Barney in which him having a baby girl in the 11th hour would feel cathartic, that's why it feels so cheap. If he had conflicted feelings about his life and about fatherhood at all, it would still be a lazy and misogynistic choice, but it would at least follow some story logic. it's like a big ass trifecta of shit: Robin and Ted endgame, mother dead, Barney has a fucking baby.

Writing that reminds me that they have Robin "fail" both of her love interests by not being able to have children since children are obviously the one true ultimate goal in this story. A child fixes Barney, and Robin wouldn't have ever been able to do that for him. Truly ridiculous. But anyway I haven't gotten that far yet.

>"I just cannot for the life of me understand its popuplarity"

I have thoughts on this, looking back on old subreddits I think a lot of people hand waved unpleasant parts of HIMYM because they wanted to believe the set-up they were seeing was intentional. Most of it was not as intentional as believed and it ended up being poorly done for the actual planned ending. Case in point: the internal life of Robin is clearly not something the writers cared about. But because the story is focused on who she loves and wants to be in a relationship with, fans thought 'well the internal life of Robin is being treated seriously, so I will read into the subtext'. I think this also comes off because Cobie cares about Robin's internal life. I don't think the writers ultimately know why Robin loves Barney, but I think Cobie knows. I wonder if the writers ever really cared what the actors believed was true about their characters. There needs to be some give and take on this even if writers ultimately gets to decide how the story plays out.

Additionally, I think the five leads are very charming and elevate a lot of material, they all have exceptional physical comedy chops. People liked the characters when they were good, tried to close their eyes when they were bad, and hoped the good parts were leading somewhere satisfying.

[lancerious]

now I ask YOU questions! >:3

40, 46, 29, 23, and 31

YUS more questions >:D

Q: Favorite memory

A: Um. Uh. Ok I have a lot of "favorite" memories which nullifies the meaning of the word lol, BUT considering how a huge part of my online presence is me obsessing over Lancer, I'll mention a memory that relates to him :>

The memory is...simply my first playthrough of Deltarune Chapter 1! I knew a decent amnt of the game at that point, including the general plot lol, but I wanted to see what the game was truly like. I know I played it in either my junior or senior year of highschool, can't remember which one it was. I also believe it was on a school break, whether it was summer break or a smaller one

ANYWAY, I played the game in the dead of night, everyone else at home was asleep. I had to play quietly as to not wake up anyone lol, and...oh my GOD, I fell in LOVE with the game even MORE after that, its characters included! Actually PLAYING Chapter 1 made me love nearly ALL characters SO MUCH more, ESPECIALLY Lancer. I kid you not, I remember laughing at every single line Lancer had, he was just so therapeutic for me. I have such a vivid recollection of my first playthrough, and there's TONS more I would say but then this post would be a goddamn novel & I'm still only on the first question lol

But yeah, I still adore this memory, and I always come back to Deltarune Chapter 1 if I ever feel down, because man, it works WONDERS <3

Q: What my last text message says

A: It's a link to a page for tickets to watch Coraline in theaters this August. If links don't count, my last text message is...literally just "Ok", that is actually it lol

Q: Favorite film(s)

A: YESYESYES I was hoping for this one!! I have two fav films, one animation & one live-action

My fav animated film is...Coraline, who would've guessed! I do prefer the book but the film is GORGEOUS, and it's in stopmotion which I also love! Coraline as a whole is such a wonderful story & has a very important lesson in it too, hidden behind all the pure insanity the movie has. It's just so great <3

My fav live-action film is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children! It's based on the books of the same name, and while I DO have the books, I haven't gotten around to reading them just yet. Therefore, I don't know how accurate the film is, but I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. The movie NEEDS more attention it is hands-DOWN my favorite fantasy movie! It's not perfect, nothing truly is, but I absolutely ADORE it ^-^

Q: Fear(s)

A: I have a fair amnt of these! I'll list a bunch here

Any sudden sounds, ESPECIALLY if they're loud. A couple notable examples are the fear of balloons popping, alongside fireworks! I LOVE both of them, ESPECIALLY fireworks they are SO beautiful, but I'm always worried of the inevitable loud sound that will follow. For balloons I'm much more wary bcs I don't know WHEN the balloon will pop, whereas for fireworks it's mostly a concern of how LOUD each firework will be

Broken glass! The reasoning for this fear is that I cut the big toe on my left foot when I was a young kid from a broken glass shard from a shattered lightbulb. Ever since then I've been SUPER nervous around SHATTERED glass. I'm fine if the glass is intact, but once it's shattered I stay FAR away from it

Being forgotten is a big worry of mine. I think a decent amnt of people can relate to this. I've had past experiences where this occurred, so I'm extra sensitive to this, even if I don't show my worry outwardly

This somewhat goes with number 3: being rejected. I do NOT mean this in a romantic way, this is purely platonic. I have had SO many instances where I was rejected in some way & I don't have a lot of tolerance for it anymore

Overloading is another one. This primarily focuses on me bombarding people with the things I'm interested in, which has resulted in a few people rejecting me, see fear #4. This causes me to intentionally hold back EVERYWHERE, even in places where going on positive rants is encouraged

Finally, to end this list on another relatively "goofy" fear, there's bees, wasps, hornets, anything that stings! People have different reasons for being afraid of these insects, but mine is simply the fact that I have NEVER been stung, not once. I don't know if I'm allergic or not; I'm mostly afraid of the pain it could cause me as I have a VERY low pain tolerance. I literally panic every time a stinging insect comes into my field of view

Q: 3 random facts

All right, time to bring out the randomness in me >:D

When I was VERY young, probably toddler age at most, my head got whacked by a tree/branch, it was definitely some part of a tree at least lol. I got a tiny bump on my head as a result, it's still present to this day :P

I DESPISE melted cheese. It's obscene. Get it out of my sight. IhateitIhateitIhateitIhateitIhateit

My favorite candy bar is Kit-Kat! Funny enough, that's actually my nickname to some people bcs of how much I love them

Bonus fact bcs I felt like it, I've written stuff, Ik some people know this already lol but still. I have abt 10 rotating ideas constantly in my mind that I've never put to paper but I hope to do so someday <3

TY FOR THE ASK <3

[gu6chan]

Aaaa I'm so happy you wanna hear the ramble! Fellow Caionard minds united,,,, here goes:

Leonard -> Caim "To love you is to sacrifice myself, to become the cage locking you in, to be the leash you pull on. If I can direct all of you into myself, no one else has to get hurt." Plus the belief of being unworthy of receiving any positive emotions, and Caim's love, no matter how twisted it is, is more than he feels he deserves, yet it also serves as a punishment for him for all his crimes (some sorta "you are a cruel but just punishment" thing's going on here)

Caim -> Leonard "You are weak, and pathetic, and naive and loving like a child. Like a naive child, a child I used to be before everything turned for the worst. I hate the reminder of who I could've been, of what I was before I was forced to change. A mirror into a happier alternate me. Weak, foolish, and stupid. And kinder than I have ever been. Kind enough not to push me away, even if it is your way to punish yourself. You would take my hand made of swords? You would embrace my bloody and tainted heart? Though it hurts you, the blood you bleed warms us both. Only for a moment, maybe, but it is warm nonetheless."

OKAY first of all anon i am so sorry its taken me a couple days to reply, for the longest time i had no idea HOW to really even begin because???? when you said ramblings I was EXPECTING peak but like i clearly was NOT fucking prepared for it BECAUSE?????? HOW DID YOU COOK SO HARD??????? literally im going to be thinking about this for the rest of my LIFE i havent stopped thinking about it since you sent it i told my bud about it in private when i first got it i was SO flabbergasted like??? and like even now i still dont really know how to respond in a way that like,,,, really encapsulates just how fucking FERAL this made me to the point i feel a bit bad about responding at a time im exhausted and can't think right kashfgksdhbjfj but hopefully these screenshots of me rambling about it to my friend help encapsulate just how INSANE this made us like

so to break down:

anon, the caionard community (3-4 people including me and you) are obsessed with this and hope you have exactly what you need tomorrow

my buddy says they owe you their life and that they think you're the GOAT (this is true!!!!!!!!!!)

i really don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said other than that this HAS gotten me through work since the day you sent it in and it's getting me through work tomorrow and also definitely the day after that

you DID mention that you never got around to making art for this and im CERTIANLY not the strongest conceptual/metaphorical(??? i dont know how its called) artist, but like.... if you'd be okay with it and i admit i might never get to finishing it myself i would LOVE to do a doodle or so of or based around this concept like im insane im INSANE over this i love it so much........

anon by any chance if you write fanfic or so this alone would go hard as FUCK on AO3 i will be your biggest fan and make t-shirts and little caionard baseball caps with this whole rant on the brim written in your honour, i really wish i could say how much i love this and your writing.................... "the blood you bleed warms us both. only for a moment, maybe, but it is warm nonetheless" i hope you know im like a whole different person reading that i am NEVER going to get over that and have been cycling it around in my brain since the moment you sent that in............. im going to DIE

is there anything else i can say that i can reasonably put into words...... i think to cap off, the idea of leonard feeling undeserving of ANY love, even if it is as "punishment" coming from the hands of someone he is so inherently REPULSED by (I refrain from saying hates, i feel like that's part of it but oversimplifies it too much lmao) is such an interesting concept i haven't considered the psychology of and it INTRIGUES me ive also been spinning that concept around in my head since you mentioned it...... i havent drawn any strong "conclusions' or, again, any coherent lines of thought from that idea, but i am OBSESSED with it and will be sure to yap about it either via a reblog or its own separate post the SECOND i get anywhere further than "woagh.......... cool................................ :0" either way, thank you SO much for sharing this anon, your writing is fucking amazing and i havent been left this shell-shocked in a LONG while, this was so refreshing in a way i cant really describe but you are lifting the whole caionard community on your shoulders, and are ALWAYS welcome in my home <3 thank you so much again for choosing to share this with me, anon, it's an honour QwQ/"

[gamerdog1]

Devil May Cry Review

Last year, I adopted my little PS2 from a Value Village. I lovingly took it home, gave it a gentle bath, and spent at least a dozen hours carefully swabbing it's insides of dust. All this, so I can get the experience of playing popular and longstanding game franchises, like God of War, and Metal Gear Solid, where they began. The things we do for love, I guess.

Since then, I've been on a bit of a side-quest in life, sort of. A quest to discover why popular pieces of media got so popular, by experiencing them first-hand. I have this drive to learn about what is beloved, to join in the fun of fandom with others, and so when I saw a lot of fanart of white haired brothers with magic swords, I got curious. One thing led to another, and after many, many hours, I have some thoughts.

Devil May Cry, for the PS2, is a very interesting case. For one, its the accidental sister to Resident Evil, as it was originally intended to be the third installment in that franchise during development. Yet the two could not be more different, in terms of gameplay style, visuals, and execution as a whole.

Where Resident Evil is all about forcing the player into difficult situations , Devil May Cry feels a little more lax. Resident Evil makes the player slowly take in the atmosphere, learn about the lore, and use their knowledge of the map to their advantage, while Devil May Cry prioritizes snappy combat over exploration and puzzle-solving.

The focus on combat is what everything in DMC revolves around, for better or for worse. There's a variety of visually interesting moves you can pull off, and more to unlock by trading in currency gotten by killing enemy monsters. More upgrades means more cool moves, means more interesting combat, and more ways to tackle bosses.

At times, though, the complexity of the combat system left me feeling overwhelmed. This is one of the few games where I had to read the manual in order to play, as there isn't any tutorial, and combat can be punishing in early stages if you aren't fully familiar with Dante's moves.

Even after learning the ins and outs of the controls and combat, I still got my ass handed to me by the first boss, and every one after that. Each one felt like a massive hurdle, and forced me to really learn how they worked in order to even stand a chance. In the moment, I was frustrated, but looking back now, I haven't had to work this hard with a boss in years. Spending hours sitting on my couch, going over the attack patterns, it was almost meditative (if not for the occasional shouts of expletives here and there on my part).

Devil May Cry, as a whole, isn't incredibly difficult, as long as you know what you're doing. The game is about figuring out your enemies' weaknesses and the best ways to exploit them, not just rushing in and hoping you'll live. Figuring this out is the first challenge, the second is the underwater controls.

Apart from gameplay itself, DMC is pretty interesting. The gothic architecture is a bit of a far cry from Resident Evil, but carries over it's grim tone and atmosphere. Colors are muted, music is oppressive and heavy, and everything lends to this feeling of grandness and fantasy. It really makes the player character stand out, which is great when you're getting ambushed by ice lizards, or something equally monstrous, in one of the many grand halls.

This review also wouldn't be complete without talking about the main character, who is a delight to be around. Honestly, Dante is the reason I picked up this game, and the reason I kept coming back to it, even after countless GAME OVER's. His snarky attitude, stylish coat, and cockiness make him a fun character to see interact with others and his surroundings, and really help him stand out from the holier-than-thou demons he faces. He's always got something to say, isn't afraid to speak his mind, and just wants to have fun, and really, who can blame him?

The story of the game, though, left a bit to be desired. Yes, its epic, and gets better in the second half of the game, but for a while, the game felt aimless. Why do I need to get these magic items, to unlock these doors, to do these tasks the game sets as mission objectives? In most games, they usually directly tie into what the player character is doing, and help facilitate a progression of story. For example, when Jill finds Richard in RE1, and has to get him an antidote before he dies, its not just a fetch quest; it teases the snake boss, establishes Richard as a character in the game's world, and depending on whether or not you save him, it affects future gameplay.

In DMC, though, each mission feels like homework, an assignment to do before a deadline or else. Sure, its a good way to show players the next objective, and as a neurodivergent person I love having clear and concise instructions, but it kills the mood. I never felt like I was exploring the castle, discovering new things and furthering the plot. It felt like I had a to-do list from the game devs, full of tasks that rarely were related to the plot, and usually just meant 'go here, get the thing, bring it somewhere else'. It would've been nice if the quests explicitly furthered the plot, but at least they told me where to go.

Don't get me wrong: I don't hate this game. I actually liked it, but there were lots of issues I had with it that soured my experience. Unforgiving bosses, overly complicated controls, and a lack of story immersion made me feel like this game was an experiment with this style of gameplay on Capcom's part. If this had a bit more polish, or maybe a tutorial, I might try playing on a higher difficulty. For now, though, I'm excited to see what's new in the sequel. I've heard its... rather infamous. Exciting.

[tired-biscuit]

i've just seen your posts on dash biscuit and its so sad you're feeling like that :( If i'm to tell you the honest truth biscuit, I don't remember how I found your account but i remember being so intrigued and hooked immediately - I went on to read your War General Kiba (to somewhat expose myself.. I am War General Kiba anon from around a month ago) bc your writing itched my brain so fuckin good !!

It makes me so sad that uni started recently for me and I have been so caught up I haven't gotten around to reblogging war general kiba because I haven't gotten the moment to write my thoughts regarding those:( they're sitting in my drafts. I decided I would read every single one of your fics a month ago (unfortunately I haven't been able to yet) - including the naruto thirst you elaborated on for me, and though I haven't gotten time to read it, THANK YOU SO MUCH BISCUIT for taking your time out to do that :( <3

You deserve every single one of those likes , but you deserve them alongside an equal amount of reblogs :/ i sincerely hope that these followers and whatnot pull their heads out of their ass and start reblogging - because if they don't, they're not going to have anything to read. bc biscuit you are such an amazing and talented writer, and it always blows my mind we get to read your masterpieces for free. FOR FREE!!!! that is so crazy like, this is stuff that could get you MILLIONS and we have the blessing from you to type a few words onto our screens and read it! like WOW thank you so much <3 🍁 anon

oh my gosh, you’re so sweet; imma start sobbing!

listen, you don’t have to apologize for not being able to read my fics; i get it, life happens and we get busy as people and fanfiction definitely is NOT everything there is to life! so please don’t say sorry for that because there is literally no need for it, like i said. YOU’RE GOOD!

it just grinds my gears that i’m not allowed to vent on here about this particular topic because some people will INSTANTLY jump the wagon to call me ungrateful. i get it, i get notes, but people usually don’t understand that likes don’t mean shit on here and that the majority of those notes are just that: likes. sure, i get a little notif that someone liked my story, but i have no clue what they thought about it based from that heart. i have no clue if they’ve even actually read it. to make matters even worse, it makes the post just straight up fucking die.

i spend hours and hours and hours writing, editing, rereading, tweaking the same story for ages. i could just not post it and keep it to myself, sure, but i enjoy interacting with my moots and my followers in general, and giving people that share my interest in the same characters something to read about, because let’s be real; kiba is niche af. i like feeding the kiba girlies because i barely had anything to eat a couple years back when it comes to him and i’ve worked my fucking ass off for those notes over the years, SO OF COURSE I APPRECIATE THEM, OK?

this debate, or whatever you wanna call it, has been circling around here for ages and it’s useless at this point, i think... writers, artists, creators of all sorts say “please say thank you for my creation that i made for YOU after you’ve asked, i beg” and people call us ungrateful or stuck up or whatever the fuck. i mean, do people seriously think i enjoy self-reblogging all the time and begging for interaction like that robin hood meme with the cup???????? no, i do it because it is the only way people will see my work before it disappears into the ether once again, ffs!!!!!!!!

ANYWAYS, i will write a drabble for your war general!kiba ask when i have the time, i promise! i just want to actually make it good and write like a proper story instead of just my thoughts because he is very dear to me and i am a perfectionist when it comes to my royalty AU and it makes me overthink and just… yeah! he has been sitting in the back of my head, clanking his heavy weapons impatiently, lmao.

I LOVE YOU!

[aelaer]

About the fanfic trope ask game, I think I need to ask for Time-Travel 👀

There's of course the Time-Travel Fix-it (which I think is the most prevalent type?) but also the Time Loop subcategory... 🤔👀

Hah! You, asking about time travel? Who would have thought?

B+

Time travel's an interesting one because it's more prevalent in some fandoms than others. My three main "fanfic" fandoms over the years were LOTR, BBC Sherlock, and the MCU, with small doses of Dishonored (a video game) and Harry Potter.

Of those five, the time travel trope seems most prevalent in the MCU. I imagine it's definitely around in Harry Potter, but I didn't encounter it too much as most of my HP stuff was with crossovers. But generally speaking, I didn't have much experience with time travel until the MCU. The closest it came to in LOTR was reincarnations in the modern world (a couple of which were just awesome... I need to find those stories again and see if they were as good as my memory thinks they were. Sort of afraid to look deeper into it just in case I end up disappointed though).

Anyway!

A lot with tropes are less about the trope itself and more about its execution. I don't tend to comb AO3 for tropes or pairings, but characters instead, for instance. But when I see this tag on a Stephen-centric fic, I'm usually really interested. I only duck out if it's a "Tony's the center of the universe and he's never wrong" piece, which unfortunately accompanies this trope fairly often. Where the fuck are my time-travel Avengers as Family fix-it pieces, people? And yes, I mean *all* of the OG! Stephen's just now a part of them.

(They exist in very small numbers, which is why I'm writing one myself, once my current series is finished. Expect it around 2026 at my current rate of writing.)

I'll take both the time loop and time-travel categories. Again it's totally about execution rather than the trope itself.

Some favorites include:

The asker's own fucking masterpiece, which must be finished if you want me to live a happy and healthy life, no pressure.

Born Of The Same Impulse by GwendolynStacy (she only wrote Stephen like, once, and I just thank God that she decided to do so as this is still in my top 3 long fics to this day)

By the End of Today by Imagined (here's an author I hope is inspired to come back to the MCU one of these days - one of my favorite "wrote more than a couple MCU fics" authors, but alas, she's been devoured by another fandom)

Shout out as well to The End of Infinity by FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls for being an over 900,000 word time-travel IronStrange fix it, combined with Team as Family dynamics. It's honestly too long for me to read fully but I've skimmed it and it's good if you like the tropes it presents. I might read it in full once it's finished (yeah, it's *not finished*), but for now it's a bit too much. Her shorter works are good, too--and a wee bit more manageable haha. Recommended.

There are a couple newer IronStrange WIPs that I want to add here, but they haven't gotten to Steve Rogers and the Accords yet, so I'm waiting to see how the authors handle that. Neither of them are tagged "not Steve friendly" currently, but if say that Steve was trying to kill Tony in Siberia and terribly wounded him in their version of canon and left him to die, I'm gonna politely ask that they add the not Steve friendly tag and be very sad that they went that... let's say fanon route. So we'll see. (And yes, I have an excellent essay on why that's not canonical for Steve and thus not Steve friendly, thanks for asking ;-) ).

But yeah. That's all about time travel and the slight rant that accompanies it.

Original: Ask me to grade a trope.

[hitechlatte]

if you're still making the visual novel thing, do you have any advice on starting one? I really want to make one, but don't know how

Sorry for the delay in my response on this! Wanted to take some time to collect my thoughts and it took longer than expected!

So yep still working on on my game, but I have some bugs that I haven't been able to fix, so no updates yet. Hopefully I'll get some free time to work on those soon! And for the advice, I'm happy to share! Click read more to see my thoughts:

Tip 1 - Paper Prototype/Design

So especially if you've never made a game before, I'd recommend sketching out your game before making anything. This could be with actual paper or just in like a google doc or slideshow. This way you can detail out how you want the game to flow, so you don't spend a billion hours trying to make something just to find out it looks bad or won't work. (TOTES didn't learn this the hard way) For a visual novel specifically, I would recommend maybe just writing out the story in a google doc, like write out the story with possible "stage notes" referencing what may happen on screen so you can more easily determine what art assets you would need! Here is an example of the sketches I made before I started working on my coffee shop demo:

Tip 2 - Start SMALL

Start SUPER small, especially if its your first game. Like come up with your idea and then CUT IT IN HALF maybe even a third or by ten! Like keep cutting away until you have a super basic idea you can test out and then after getting the hang of it, then I'd recommend doing something longer.

For example, if you wanted to do a visual novel where you bump into a love interest at a library and you see them every time you study for a month, chop it down to just one day and test out a flow to see how the idea would work.

For example in the game I'm currently working on, I'm just starting with a single customer on a single day and testing out all the features with him before I start moving to random NPCS or multiple days.

Tip 3 - Plot out your branches in a visual way

If your visual novel has branching options, make sure you have some way to check the flow of the story so you don't run into dead ends without an ending and to make sure you can check for plot holes.

For example if one branch the player decides to be mean, it wouldn't make sense for the character they are talking to to suddenly go down a branch where they say something super nice.

If the program you're using to make the visual novel in has a flow to view that's the best way to do it, but if not, then I'd recommend drafting it out in something like Miro (which is free btw, just requires an email sign up), or some other program where you can draft out flows. I mean if it's super simple branching even google images could work.

Tip 4 - The program doesn't really matter

Especially starting out, it doesn't really matter which game engine you use. The only thing that really matters is finding something you can learn quick so you can start getting your hands dirty.

If you don't have any engines in mind and would like some recommendations for free software, I feel any of the following would work:

Godot

Good for beginners, especially w/o programming experience from what I've heard

Heard it has some limitations if you want to do anything more complex

I haven't used godot yet, but I've heard nothing but great things! (I'm hoping to try it out soon, so I'll let you know once I get around to it!)

Unity

Require you to code, but it's usually pretty simple to get started as far as code goes.

The tutorials people have online are pretty awesome, and usually pretty good to follow along, and if you want to branch into more complex stuff, you'll have already learned the Unity basics.

I started learning game dev in Unity and have been using it for years so I always recommend it, but that's just what I've gotten used to.

Ren.Py

I don't know a ton about this program, but its what the Grunkle Stan Dating Sim was made in, and that game was super awesome.

And also this is made for visual novels so it should have a lot of useful tools and features.

Yarn Spinner

So this isn't an engine, but it's something you can add to Unity or Godot to help you with adding in the dialogue.

I haven't had a chance to use this, but I've been meaning to mess around with it. I've heard nothing, but fantastic things.

Tip 5 - 80/20 Rule

I always use the 80/20 rule when making games, to help prevent stress and burnout. 80% percent of the stuff I add to my games, I know how to do, while 20% is the new stuff to learn.

Now since this is your first game, you might be like Yo! I don't know 80 percent!

But to that I say HUMBUG! You know more than you'd guess! If you've ever written stories before, then bam, the story writing is part of your 80%. Just make sure to stick to a simple story that you know you'd be able to write!

Do you doodle? Bam some of your 80% is art! Stick to making art assets, only as complex as you've drawn before!

Obviously this is more a guideline, so the TLDR just make sure to focus on learning one or two main things and then keep everything else easy, so you don't burn out!

Tip 6 - Free Shit is AWESOME

Don't know art or can't make music? Use assets from online! There are tons of free assets people post stuff online that you can use.

This way you can focus on this harder stuff and get some of the easy stuff out of the way.

Some free resources I use are as follows:

Game Assets: https://itch.io/game-assets/free

Audio Files: https://freesound.org/

Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/2

If using Unity, they also have an asset store. Also I think steam and humble bundle have free stuff you might be able to use too.

There tons more sites out there too, these are just the one's I've used in the past.

I will mention too, I'd recommend not paying for anything in the beginning. Because you may buy all these programs and then never use any of them again, and there is tons of awesome free stuff to use while starting out. That way you can figure out what areas of game dev you like more and buy programs as needed.

Tip 6 - Chaos is inevitable

Everything will eventually blow up in your face.

You'll spend two hours screaming at the same bug to just realize you forgot to hit save.

You'll delete files by mistake and lose hours of work.

You'll spend two weeks plotting out a story idea to realize it doesn't make any sense.

You'll spend a month working on a game idea to realize you hate the concept and it's not as fun as you thought.

You'll show your game to someone else and they won't get it because you didn't make the controls easy enough to use or understand.

You'll KEEP finding spelling errors in your dialogue after vigorously spell checking everything.

You'll get frustrated and want to swear off making games/visual novels and just abandon project after project.

BUT

THAT'S

OKAY

Art isn't easy in any form and game dev is just art with math so it's the perfect storm.

So don't be too hard on yourself when you inevitably fail.

And know too, all your failures will make you smarter and you'll get better so when things click, you'll make something you're super proud of.

I have a graveyard of games that will NEVER see the light of day. Games I fell in love with that I'll never finish.

And that's okay.

Just like with exes, no matter how bad or messy things get, we can be grateful (most of the time), because we learned something about ourselves and we can grow from it.

So TLDR, don't be too hard on yourself and enjoy the journey! Make games that make you happy and just take developing at whatever pace works for you.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk and I wish you the best with whatever you make!

(Also if you need someone to play test I'd love to check stuff out <3)

[atmymercy]

Hi! I would like to participate in your valentine’s tarot game as well! Thank you! 💗

I choose Q3: will you finally get your beau? -C

hello c! omg! of course! welcome and ooh you picked a # i haven't gotten to do yet! i'm excited! let's see!

for you & #2, i got the 3 of cups, 7 of swords & 5 of coins (reversed).

oh this is a rollarcoaster... okay! settle in while i tell you about how you get the beau and don't all at once! oh geez all i have to say is your spirit guides are planning a pretty epic valentine's day for you! this is crazy! so you're going to have more a galentine! you're going to have some fun with some friends and loved ones! maybe eat a bit of sugar and get that good old sugar rush! you're going to be having such a fun time and flying high on that sugar that when you least expect it your galentine is going to turn its head upside down from a galentine to a valentine! your spirit guides are going to be sneaky sneaky and get you some little message of love that you were not expecting, honey! oh my! i'm tingling! are you? because you should be! your luck in love is about to turn around. ho ho ho!

hope you enjoyed it! please give feedback or buy me a coffee when you can! if you want to explore this further, please consider a private read as well. also thank you for sharing with me!♡

love & light!

-tea

as always, my rules & info are in my pinned post if you're interested in a reading of your own!

[livingfictionsystem]

BOOK REVIEW: 8/10

This novel takes you into the spellbinding world of Red London, mostly from the POV of a young orphan named Kell, an Antari, who was handpicked to serve the royal family as the right-hand man to his best friend/adoptive brother, Prince Rye---Oh, wait.

Hold on, got turned around. Let's start again.

This novel takes you into the spellbinding world of Castellane, mostly from the POV of a young orphan named Kel, a Sword Catcher, who was handpicked to serve the royal family as the right-hand man to his best friend/adoptive brother, Prince Conor.

So, yes, it does seem that Clare was *heavily* inspired by V.E. Schwab's Darker Shades of Magic series. It isn't the first time she's been accused of doing this, and she might have even gotten away with it if she'd changed the name of the protagonist or the color-scheme. I wonder if Schwab is annoyed or flattered.

That being said, I still heavily enjoyed the book and it did manage to hold onto its own unique vibes. Kel, rather than being inherently magic like Kell, was chosen based on his coincidental resemblance to the prince and spends most of his life learning Conor's mannerisms, tastes, and patterns just to serve as a shield and a decoy. That brought forth an interesting POV. There was a lot more subterfuge, subtlety, and social politics in this series. Even passive-aggressive bickers amongst aristocrats had me invested and cursing under my breath. Clare's writing really makes you feel as if you're part of the scene.

Kel's inner dialogue usually beheld witty observations and exasperated fretting, so his was a fun mind to poke around in. The Ragpicker King was darkly fascinating; I can't wait to learn more about him. There are two romances blooming within the chapters and only one of those, I'm invested in. This is the first book in the series and I do believe it has a lot of potential, despite some... appropriated details. This book has fair queer representation; seemingly not trans *yet*, but give it time. The book even has Prince Conor flipping through pictures of potential male suitors, though there's no canonical queer relationship so far. At least not one that's focused on. Cassandra does have a habit of relegating queers to the background and the B plots, but I could be biased.

I did find the magic system a bit confusing. Supposedly, magic was banished due to a historic war, but some magic is still there and laying around in artifacts?

Overall, yes, there are stolen elements, but still give it a chance. The atmosphere is definitely different from Shades of Magic and it was an enjoyable read.

MAJOR TW for death of a child, by the way.

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT.

I feel like the romance between Lin and Conor is awkward, going from hot to cold to hot again fast enough to give the reader whiplash. I'm sure they're going to wind up being end-game, but they haven't really fleshed each other out enough to be torturing each other the way they do. Kel and Antonetta, however, have a lot of chemistry and have clearly known each other for a while.

Whatever is going on with the King is eerily fascinating. Any scene with him in it is daunting and suspenseful. I also love the idea that the criminal king and the actual king have had an odd sort of alliance.

And that cliffhanger with Lin, claiming to be the Goddess reborn was *too* good. The way she'd timed her 'magic' just right---that was ingenious. I do feel like the character of Lin around Conor is way too inconsistent. It's a roll of the dice to figure how she's going to react to him breathing at any given time. Somewhere between an intense kiss or a brick to the face. I hope they develop more chemistry. Or that Lin's magic rock can figure out the fantasy equivalent to mood stabilizers, whichever comes first.

-Rune

[golden-gypsy]

Oh Tumblr is an amazing place when find your people. Sometimes it takes a while but I'll bet you'll make lots of wonderful friends. I have and I can't imagine not having them in my life to talk to.

I don't write sadly. I have never been blessed with the creative gene but I love to read. That's fantastic that you want to write a novel eventually and what a smart idea to start with fic! I will be sure to read yours when time allows.

And this is auch a fun idea and a great way to get to know others. The holidays can be so hectic so it's nice to have one small thing that is just about bringing joy to someone else.

The novel you plan on writing, what genre will it be?And other than writing and music so you have any other interests? I love your url btw. May I ask what it is in reference to?

Until next time

🤶🏼

Hello! Thanks so much for the lovely ask!

Have you been on tumblr long? I'll admit, I have a bit of a social media phobia 😅 so I kinda surprised myself when I started this thing. Thought doing this secret santa would be a good way to come of my social media shell 😊.

Yeah, I thought it would be good practice to try to write a mulit-chapter fic before attempting the other idea I had 😂. For all I know, I could be a horrid writer 😅. I got an image of a scene in my head when listening to the song Rearviewmirror by Pearl Jam and just kinda started writing a story around that. It was originally with all OCs, but then I rewrote it as fanfiction to post. Wasn't originally gonna post it, but I figured that would be good practice too haha. I actually haven't even gotten to the original chapters I wrote in the story yet...

Oh and don't feel obligated to read my fic at all! I love readers and feedback, but don't feel like you have to read it ❤.

The idea I have for the novel... I guess I would say it's more in the fantasy genre, with some romance in it. I've written down alot of ideas for it, characters, general plot, etc, but I havent started writing it yet. Fantasy is my favorite genre to read (my fic is not that genre though). What is your favorite genre to read?

Well, I like reading, playing video games when there's time. I have an art degree and recently got a job teaching. My areas are drawing and painting. What are some of your hobbies?

Where did golden gypsy come from? Of course you can ask! But, its not really anything too creative I'm afraid haha. Golden is a reference to type of dog I have. Gypsy is from the Fleetwood Mac song (they're one of my favorite bands).

Yes, the holidays can be so busy, but I love it. Do you have alot of shopping you do for the holidays? I'm not done with mine yet, but I hope to finish next weekend.

Thanks for your lovely messages so far! I hope you have a great weekend!

And... sorry if I was too wordy. That tends to happen sometimes.

[give-me-stuff-to-watch]

Watching Stuff Day 9 - 7/15/2023 - Current Streak: 9

Decided to open this up from just watching thing to consuming new media in general because I have a few volume 1s of mangas that I haven't gotten around to reading yet. For today, I decided to read the first volume of Dorohedoro.

Visually, I thought it was done really well! The environments are very detailed but still contrast the characters well. I really like the character designs for both the default humans and the transmuted humans, I think they were all quite striking and unique in their own way. I've found that sometimes when manga go for a grittier style, it can make things feel more cluttered and difficult to read visually. Dorohedoro avoids this and manages to make everything understandable and clear to read. It also does a really good job at showing action and having the choreography flow well from panel to panel. I was rarely lost when reading the fight scenes. The use of panel flow and the individual panel shots themselves are also handled great on their own too. Overall, really solid visually!

For the plot and characters, I found it really interesting that it just throws you right into things mid-fight against some sorcerers. It still managed to introduce the characters and some rules of the setting naturally for the most part while doing this. I really liked that, it felt more natural and intriguing than what some series do where they dedicate the first section of their pilot chapter just setting up the characters and world before action starts, it was refreshing how it was able to mesh those two things together. It gave just enough info about the characters, the world, and the powers involved for you to understand the events of the first volume, but still leaving you with so many questions about how things came to be and how they all connect to make you want to keep reading.

I really liked the main character duo of Caiman and Nikaido. I liked their dynamic and thought they had some cute bits together. I really hope they both live to the end of the series, I feel like this is the kind of manga that wouldn't shy away from killing one of the main characters. I kind of like how they don't seem to have some sort of grand ambition so far outside of them trying to just kill any sorcerers that come across their path, it allows there to be more focus on them just living their everyday lives in the messed up world they live in. Speaking of the sorcerers, I really enjoyed that we got to get a view of their world and some of its innerworkings. I feel like it gives oppurtunity for the reader to become more interested in (and even empathize a bit with) the antagonists on an individual level. The whole preparation-for-dinner/dinner-meeting section does a really good job at this. Overall, I'm really interested on where things progress from here. Given how long the series seems to be, I have to imagine some wild stuff/twists happen along the way. Definetly going to keep reading when I can get my hands on more volumes, so no spoilers please. Maybe I'll make update posts whenever I finish a volume, idk.