I did art of the mafia and Tommy, I was wondering tho if there are any of the others you want art of cause I’m in a vagabonds mood

First of all, I've seen your artwork. Love all of it. It will be getting linked in the next chapter. Yes, this is a threat.

(Also, the card idea was really cool, loved that so much! And the little details you added in were awesome!)

As for others, the vigilantes would be great! If you want a more detailed description for anybody, just lemme know!

Although, you may wanna wait til next chapter. We'll be getting some new characters. :D

Would it be ok to make an animated version of vagabonds? I’m not sure if I’d ever actually commit to it or finish it, but I absolutely love this fic and have imagined it as a cartoon ever since I started reading lol.

(Id credit you obviously)

...I'm, like, genuinely astonished that someone would want to do this.

I would be genuinely honored if someone were to actually put the time and effort into doing something like that.

So yes, I am absolutely okay with that, and I'm glad that my work means that much to you. :')

ur tubbo seems like the kinda guy to send tommy fnaf game theory videos at 3am

...this made me cackle maniacally, and you are absolutely right.

Tommy is ground zero for whatever Tubbo's hyperfixation of the week is.

What are you all time favourite books, or fanfics? Because you’re writing style is so cool—honestly Vagabonds has the best plot and pacing I’ve ever read in fan-fiction—and it inspires me a lot, so I want to find out what inspires you <3

Beta: *shakes aggressively* RAVEN CYCLE!

Uhhh, I dunno, I read a bunch of junk as a kid. A lot of sci-fi and fantasy. I loved Mysterious Benedict Society, that was probably my favorite book series as a kid. I think I read the prequel book like three separate times.

Ooo! 39 Clues was a favorite!

I dunno, most of these are, like, middle school level reading (even if I did read them in high school, shut up).

I did read (but did not finish) Lunar Chronicles. (I swear, I've started the series twice and just keep dying half way through). That inspired a couple things in Vagabonds.

Another inspiration was the web series Worm, which is part of the Parahumans universe. Really good web series, pretty dark, very complex and intricate characters. (Again, didn't finish it, because I have commitment issues.)

If you just wanna just dig through my bookmarks, that's probably a better idea. Don't judge me. I don't really do romance, if that's what you were hoping for, you won't really find much. Uhhh, lot's of fandoms? Assorted treats? Take your pick if you dare.

i am so so normal about vagabonds, i promise. i am very normal about it. anyway, take this art i made of tommy and michael,, dkdnldndks

also!! i made a lil comic about what could be a funny scenario in chapter four. do i really think it will go this way? prolly not. do i think it would be funny if it did? yes, yes i do.

...I'm linking this in the next chapter. >:)

Also, Beta loves your Michael.

Beta: LOOKATHISLITTLEEVERYTHINGHE'SHOLDINGTHEBEARI'MGONNASCREEEEE—

Scorpio: Aaaand my headset just shorted out. Be right back.

How long till the new vagabonds chapter. Is it perhaps-*waves box of thin mints seductively-soon?

..................how do you wave— actually wait, nevermind, I don't wanna know.

I'm more surprised you knew that I like thin mints. Is it my personality? Does my sense of humor just radiate 'thin mint supremacy' to you people?

What even?

it's been months since i read braided realities and i still get ptsd from it, especially as a science student we need to use the word 'delta' a lot. and damn the flashbacks.

this fic gave me more emotional trauma than anything ever did lmao

Love both of your fics A LOT. thanks for writing something so incredible

As a math major, I laugh at your torture while ignoring my own. xDDD

if i may ask- do you mind if we make podfics of your works? i’ve been yearning to make a podfic of vagabonds for a long while, myself,, and the only real thing stopping me(aside from a lack of free time and other stuff) is the fact that i feel like i should ask permission,,, dkdmkdmd. i’ve never made a podfic before, so- i don’t really know the etiquette for making one, if asking permission is required or needed, but still- asking is polite! regardless of your answer, i hope you and alibi have a great rest-of-your-day/night! ^v^ — 🌌

DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT—

Beta: Bro.

Scorpio: sssshhhhhHHHHHHHHHHH—

To specify, ANY kind of creative content you guys wanna make? GO FOR IT! That would make our day more than you could imagine.

(As long as we're credited. Please give credit.)

Hey quick question, is vagabond! Tommy a good cook? We already know he’s a great baker but is he a good cook?

I mean, as good as anyone who can read a recipe is?

Unlike some people I know. *looks at Ali~Beta*

Beta: It was one time!

Scorpio: Hair in the casserole, plastic in the oven, not noticing meat was rotten, burning a soup—

Beta: SHUT UP!

Scorpio: You're a hazard to society.

Beta: At least I can cook, Ramen-boy!

Scorpio: We just established that you can't. Also, ramen is the mana of the gods, you rescind that offense you heretic.

(Yes, Tommy can cook, he just doesn't do it often.)

Will we ever see Punz chuck a book perfectly at a shelf ever?

...............we'll get back to you on that.

I have created a tumblr acc for two reasons: one, because I thought I should have one, and two: to ask this q (with an identity).

So like I was re-reading your legend of a fic for the fifth time, as one does. when I noticed something; we don't know who the second joker is, and I was naturally curious, AND also had a lack of a tumblr acc, now, idk what other people would do, but I looked at q's people asked and the answers to them, and I came across a q asking about the second joker fam. Now, I looked at the answer and you said that you 2 hadn't decided. so, have you decided? and, if not, please consider someone from business bay. I think it would be really fun to see, imagine, and read. if not, that's perfectly fine, but, I would still absolutely love some action with business bay, even if it's just like, Tommy meeting Deo on the streets when he was nine or something. Just an idea/request though! have a good day/afternoon/night!

We HAVE actually decided on the other Joker family! You'll actually get to see them in Chapter 4! :D

I'll say this now: they will NOT be Dream SMP creators. We've decided to pull from other MCYT creators. We've already refenced several in passing, but they'll slowly start playing bigger roles.

So look forward to that!

(I don't think it'll ever come up in the fic, but Business Bay does technically exist. It's an unofficial 'shopping district' in the West End of the Lower, which is a little less...uhh, let's say 'wartorn' than the East End. Tommy spent a lot of his childhood wandering around the Lower, and that was a frequent stop. So Deo and them do technically exist in his backstory, we just don't know if they'll ever come up.)

When are you updating braided realities!!!!!!!!

......oh crud, we never mentioned that, did we?

Uhh, it's not abandoned! Sorry! Just been busy with Vagabonds and...life. Yeah.

But it will come back, in the not-so-near foreseeable future!

As soon as the current Vagabonds chapter is posted, we'll move on to Braided. Might also work on a little unrelated project after that, but that remains to be seen.

me: how much trauma can you fit in that?

*sees the list*

me:... at least the cannibalism box is unchecked, right? we can skip over the others *nervous laugh*

*a conversation with my friend over braided realities!tommy*

I traumatized myself with that list, not gonna lie.

Finished writing it, sat back, and had to honestly go "Am I okay? Or is this a problem I need to address?"

Spoiler alert: I never addressed it. >:D

Is chapter 4 going to be longer than the other chapters by much? Just want to know how much emotional damage I should prepare myself for.

also, Fun fact the word count for vagabonds is currently looking to be 232,411 at the end of all 7 chapters (not taking into account that the chapters are of different lengths) Anyways love the fic! It's got to be one of if not my favorite fics I've read. Keep doing you and always put yourself above random internet strangers 👍

Ehh, this chapter is mostly Techno and Wilbur getting emotionally shredded, so if you're attached to them, then I guess watch out.

You should be more worried about Chapter 5. Tommy's gonna go through the absolute wringer. :D

It's also gonna end on a cliffhanger, so.... ;D

As for length, it's probably gonna be the same as last time. Which is still fifty thousand words but y'know...

reread the vagabonds fic recently, and I gotta ask,, was there a hidden reference to SOA abridged, ("oh dont think i cant do both, i am quite the multitasker") or is that a common phrase,, idk man this has been eating me up, I must know if my hyperfixations have crossed.

The wires have indeed crossed. You are seeing sparks.

Hehehehehehehe

Hello author, don't mind me if I borrow your beta for a bit to ask a question if they see this-

Hello author's beta! (Alibi :D) I saw in one of the ask answers that world building is your jam, bread and butter (I've been stuck here for too long help me/j) anyway, I wanted to see if we could borrow some of your jam wisdom. (Can we have worldbuilding tips?)

Ps: love you author I love advice from you as well please don't hurt me-

"Okay...alright, so basically I have like two types of worldbuilding. One that's like history world building, which we'll get to in a minute, but the other I like to call Band-Aid world-building. *chuckles* So basically, for history worldbuilding, like let's say if someone were to look at earth, our worldbuilding would be history. And I like history! So this is fun! Making fake history? Awesome! So [for Vagabonds] it was like, finding things we refer to historically in real life and giving them like, Vagabonds...painting(?). Like how we can say...just say 'the pyramids' and you know what I mean. The same way they say 'the Archives' and you know what they mean. How we will casually refer to World War II is how they refer to their Civil War sort of thing. Just casual pieces of history that appear in our everyday life, how would that translate to a fictional world? And that's basically it. And just having like how [Scorpio] did before, just having those little references can eventually build into something else. So we don't even fully build a history, we just make little references, and if we need a history, we can go back to those and be like 'oh, let's expand on this'. Which is basically what we did. So basically this type of worldbuilding is just to add a little spice. You think there's dimension, but no, it's just a greenscreen. It's meant to make your world feel fuller. More lived in without having to make up years of complex historical shenanigans. Anyway, but Band-Aid worldbuilding is my favorite, okay? Because it's basically just like...built a story! Story has plot holes? Band-Aid worldbuilding over them! That's how you fix all plot holes: worldbuilding! Uhh, so like, Tommy has to help people that are hurt. Why can't he just call an ambulance? Well, obviously...there are none here! Band-aid, BAM! You see what I mean? That's...yeah, that's basically the two types. So basically, my advice would be not to focus on worldbuilding? Just build your story, use worldbuilding to fix any little issues, then throw in some historical references." (Another thing that I like to do (that I know isn't for everyone) is making fake religions? *nervous laugh* It's a weird thing to say out loud. 'I like to make fake religions like a good cult leader!' Yeah, but...just like we see that religions are, like, vitally integral to all things history, ever? And nothing makes a world feel more lived in than seeing how their religion has kinda grown with them? In a purely metaphorical sense. Am I making sense? [Nope! :3] Anyway, I also enjoy the thought experiments of picking little pieces of real life religions and mashing them together and shoving them into a story for my own enjoyment. And this hasn't shown up in Vagabonds yet, and it's important not to be too heavy-handed with it, but it's a good way to give a set group of people the same motivations and morals, I guess? [You'll see more of this in Vagabonds later on.])

xD And that's all they wrote.

I would also like to clarify, this is not the only way to do it? Obviously, I know, but like...I doubt this sort of thing worked with Tolkien. Everyone has their own method, their own process. This is ours.

It also helps that someone takes eons to write, which let's the worldbuilding marinate for eons. Hehe...

i’ve been rereading vagabonds for the umpteenth time,,, as one does(think i accidentally got myself burnt out of it for a while, took me a whole month or so to get past chapter one,, starting to think rereading this fic over and over has some drawbacks /lh fknfkfnfk),,,,, and-

looking at the first section of chapter two,, and,, i just realized,,,,,, at first i thought micheal just couldn’t see tubbo when tommy asked him to opened the door,, but i’m just now noticing how micheal’s eyes tracked something entering the apartment. before reading chapter three, i, along with what i assume to be everyone else,, just assumed micheal was confused on there being no one there, but now i’m seeing that maybe he was just wondering how tommy knew the other was there(unsure how much micheal knows about tommy’s power,, so this might not be the case either, or maybe not completely, or- something idk i’m losing my train of thought findkdjd).

anyway basically what i’m saying is that there was clever foreshadowing there that i never noticed and i applaud you 👏👏. love rereading this fic and seeing all the stuff i missed + stuff that can be seen in a new light with what we learn in new chapters. love seeing all the unloaded chekovs guns littered throughout the words, just waiting to go off.

(Strollin' up a year late to answer this woooo!)

Anyway, read this and figured I should, uhh, clarify.

First of all, super happy that you're enjoying the story!

Second, uhh...

We retconned the Michael part. Completely.

I originally wrote that before we had completely decided on how Michael's Powerless-ness would work, so originally, Tubbo's power did work on him.

And then while writing the next chapter, after we had better established world mechanics, we saw that and went 'ohhhh, plot hole....welp, good thing Ao3 has an edit button!'

So yeah, um. You guys didn't misread that or anything, we just changed it after the fact.

(Also we felt bad that people were giving us credit for 'clever foreshadowing' when that is not at all what we did, so uhh formal apology go whoo!)

Thanks again for reading, if you're, y'know, still here a year later oops.