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shepherds-of-haven · 4 months

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Happy New Year, everyone! I thought it would be fun to do a little retrospective on the game's progress over the last year... Shepherds of Haven has grown so much from the little demo I posted in January 2018, and it continues to steadily build and flourish in so many different and exciting ways! Here's a look at just some of the things we accomplished in 2023!

I added 143,151 words to the game (2.5 main chapters, 8 new character interludes) in 2023: the equivalent of writing the longest Lord of the Rings book in one year! We also broke our huge 1 million word milestone—without including code—meaning Shepherds of Haven is now officially twice as long as War and Peace, and almost as long as the entire 7-book Harry Potter series... and all in a single game!

A lot goes into game creation behind the scenes, including the coordination and creation of visual assets for the game—like character cards, codex entries, maps, portraits, and backgrounds—fun stuff for the fans (like the MC info template we created), and songs for the official soundtrack. As the game creeps slowly and determinedly towards its initial completion, that also means learning new things as a solo developer to prepare for the future, like learning to build an official website, researching business and tax practices, and beginning to think about how to conduct testing, publishing, and marketing down the road. Much of what I enumerate here hasn't been made public yet and will continue to cook in the background for a while, but I'm very proud of the work I've gotten done this year and will be excited to unveil more in the future!

And of course, for even more Shepherds of Haven content, I've added and completed even more stories for our little library on Patreon (which also has sizable word count at this point): The Bridge of Bones (a Trouble and Riel murder mystery), O Happy Dagger (a dark adventure featuring Briony, Chase, and Red), and The Hunt (a wild tale involving Tallys, Halek, Shery, and new kinds of spirits, fey magic, and Elves) were all serial stories completed in 2023, while Some Kind of Virus is a cyberpunk zombie apocalypse AU that will continue to be updated with new chapters monthly.

A full list of the Shepherd short stories and serial novellas (with links) can be viewed here!

I hope you enjoyed this session of Shepherds of Haven Wrapped! Honestly, this doesn't actually cover everything I've been working on, but some things can't be packaged and listed out neatly, or otherwise won't seem very interesting to anyone else but me! 😂 As we inch through Chapter 9 and get more interludes done (only a few more main chapters to go), I'm hopeful that I'll also be able to find time to work on my next novel, but we'll see if the Shepherds schedule ends up ramping up or settling down as we work steadily towards finishing the main story!

One important thing before wrapping up is to acknowledge your guys' role in this wonderful, wild journey. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contributions to the development of Shepherds of Haven. Whether you took the time to share links to the game, supported its growth on Discord or Patreon, left encouraging messages or asked interesting questions, reported bugs, or showcased your remarkable works of fanfiction or fanart, I am sincerely thankful for the unwavering support from this amazing community! Your collective efforts have played a pivotal role in shaping the world of the game into what it is today. Words cannot adequately convey my gratitude for your support, and I am truly blessed to have such a passionate community surrounding this project.

As we step into 2024, I am filled with anticipation for the developments awaiting Shepherds of Haven. Big things are on the horizon, and I am so excited to share these experiences with you! Thank you for being an integral part of this journey, and here's to the continued growth of our shared little world. Cheers to 2024—may it be a year filled with creativity, adventure, and joy! 🎊

#Shepherds of Haven #milestone #update #short story #short stories #Patreon #alpha build #alpha preview #year in review #wrapped #recap #2023 #master post #master list #happy new year #long #long post

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violetasteracademic · 11 days

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My Two Cents on the People Magazine Article (and Elriel coming home!)

I'm sure this has already been dissected to death and I am potentially late to the game here (I only just saw the article this morning!) but I would like to share some thoughts and insight!

While by no means am I saying this to claim I am *the* expert of all experts, I would like to share that my background and previous career was in entertainment. My twenties were spent in Los Angeles, and (some of you other current or previous LA/New Yorker's may identify with this) you really learn how the sausage gets made and exactly how much money, planning, and prep goes into what we are meant to perceive as "natural." I don't mean to take the shine off of it! Just sharing my experiences. I can't share everything because some of my friends were under NDA's at the time of their employment, so I'll just give a brief overview.

Example: Late Night talk shows and many other major "live" productions that have "live" interviews are, well, not actually live. They typically film in the early afternoon even if they are set designed to look like its nighttime. And while it is in front of a "live" audience, the audience is instructed on when to clap, when to laugh, ect. This is because the interview has already been planned out, and questions approved ahead of time. This is why, even though it seems totally fresh, there are things the "host" received ahead of time. For example, all of the baby pictures and sweet photos of Sarah and Josh and then all of the staged "walking and talking photos" for the MASSIVE Today Show interview and article. And yes, this is the article where we got this absolute banger:

That "felt" like a live interview followed up with a giant article to accompany it, but was actually a full on pre-planned production. Seriously massive for Sarah. And if there's time, you can even do multiple takes and use the best shot for the "live" show. I've seen people comment on thinking Sarah seemed "not excited" in that interview and she was worried HoFaS would bomb, but I'm telling you guys, I don't think she has ever that much pressure or "lights, camera, action" on her before compared to her usual casual "chat" style interviews. Babes was nervous, and she crushed it.

Now to breakdown the new People Magazine article:

This article is being presented as "Everything You Need to Know" aka "we are your trusted resource on all things Sarah J. Mass."

People Magazine, while serving as your "trusted resource" for the world of ACOTAR, would not say the protagonists of ACOTAR are the sisters for zero reason whatsoever. What's interesting is both Lucien and Azriel get small nods, but very little otherwise and zero mention of the ship. Just Elain, baybee dolls. This further cements that this designed to portray the Archeron sisters as the leads of the series.

Now, taking a look at the author of this article to see if she specializes in anything, she really doesn't. Miss ma'am writes about everything under the sun!

She also did the Ultimate Guide to Emily Henry's books. (Major Emily Henry Stan over here. Who is dying for Funny Story to come out?!)

This is a Northwestern University journalism grad who has been with People for a few years. She certainly understands what it is that needs to come from these articles, and that is interest, clicks, money, and trust.

There is simply no reason for major networks like Today and People to invest in these thorough and in depth articles and interviews, on screen and on page, with Sarah and continue to hint towards Elain or questioning the mating bond if it will serve no purpose in improving their reputation or generating interest in the plot of the books. That is simply not how this works, and is antithetical to keeping the gears of these machines well oiled and functioning as intended.

If you read this whole thing, wow! You are an MVP. With nothing but respect to you all, I'm not sure how long I will keep this post up or how much I am willing to talk about my time in LA. I unfortunately had some experiences I am still recovering from and already feel a bit anxious putting this much information about myself out there. But for those who catch it, I hope you enjoy and can feel comforted that this is all a part of the plan. There's a reason you see repeats of themes and conversations in all her articles. It's because they are pre-planned and executed with the goal of reputation and selling books in mind.

*** Thanks to Sara Anne (@SaraAnneReads on Tiktok) who shared her insight from working on the marketing team for a magazine in 2019 that adverts have to share if an article is paid for in someway, no matter how small. Thus I have removed my statement on *this* article potentially being part of their paid marketing budget, as there is no indicator of that on the article itself which is required by law.

However, this could be what is called "Earned Media" where a marketing/publicity rep for SJM and/or Bloomsbury *could* have reached out to people magazine and basically said hey, if you want to write about this, we have an announcement coming up soon so it could be relevant and worth talking about. To which the rep for People would say to the rep for SJM, hey, thank you so much for the heads up. There is no exchange of goods or currency and no promise verbally or in writing to do the article so the ethics stay above board, but all parties benefit from earned media. Sarah's team has now earned additional buzz for the upcoming story, and a news outlet has articles out on a trending topic. However, earned media does not have to be disclosed and therefore we have NO way of knowing if this occurred here or not!

She also shared with me People's statement of integrity where People state's their high standard for ethical practices and journalistic credibility and accountability. (I mean we know they are the kings and queens of "a reliable source close to the individual," but still)

She also caught with her eagle eye that Bloomsbury explicitly states the detailed marketing plan once books are announced, including details like year-long social media campaign, arc readers, ECT. So with Sarah already posting about the next ACOTAR, we can safely assert that is part of the existing laid out marketing plan, and assume additional articles surrounding ACOTAR are all to further generate buzz.

Analysis: Elain's book announcement is coming SOON and marketing is already underway!

#elriel #elain x azriel #pro elriel #elriel endgame #elriel supremacy #azriel x elain

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minas-linkverse · 4 months

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Ngl I was going to ask about Breath of the Wild but I’d thought you’d get a million of those asks lol. I was also torn between asking about Wind Waker, so whichever one you want to answer more is chill!!

haha yea I thought I'd get a million asks too! Somehow even now this remains the only botw ask, I guess people just figured it must've been sent already 😅

Now to actually share my thoughts on botw... Man I hope people don't get mad at me.

I did not like it!. The first play through I had was mildly exciting simply due to there being a whole unknown world to see, but after a while that gimmick wore off. I knew that if I made my way to the cool looking mountain or interesting abandoned building I'd just find a bokoblin and/or a chest with a gem. Whats the point of a gorgeous expansive world when all I find is the same...! 😫

Oh wow! A town with a whole new atmosphere and culture I sure wonder what I'll get up to h- Ok they have the same shops with slightly different items. Ok cool. There's like a few small quests for more inventory filler I don't really need. Cool cool.

I understand that the game is really fun for some people, they'll do quests just to get to play more of the game. They want all that extra stuff to upgrade armour and really get into the nitty gritty mechanics of the game... But I did not. It was not for me.

Also ouugh the puzzles...! My favourite part of Zelda games is the puzzle solving, but these were in no way satisfying and often more fun to just break. Why would I bother even trying to get into the devs heads when A) I could just break it and B) I have too many options to consider! I can't possibly get a clean eureka moment when everything from monster guts to just climbing could be the solution...! Where's the engaging simplicity of knowing exactly what you have and following the devs' clues to reach the solution!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa--

I also disliked the story, all the interesting bits in it happened a 100 years ago and I feel like I arrived late with a starbucks. I also will not get over the weird ending cutscene!! After countless fascinating memories of Zelda having very complex emotions at Link... What do you mean you're just going to have a vaguely romantic "Do you still remember me?" YEAH I DO, I thought u disliked me! Which is a fascinating story direction I would've loved continued but OK! I guess we're ignoring that! Women cant be angry that makes them less cute and marketable, I guess!!!!

I... Sorry this is so ranty, I've been holding it in a long time. I think there's a lot to love in botw and I wish I wasn't so sour about it. Other people's love and excitement for it is wonderful and I hope they keep making the art they love. If its your first game in the series and got you into it, that's nothing to be ashamed about. I'm just a grumpy old man waving at cloud /ref.

Honestly I think botw could've been wonderful if it was a new IP. It feels all the Zelda stuff was sort of glued onto a concept that wasn't prepared to carry that mantle. It would've been better off with a new exciting world and cast of characters. It still wouldn't be a game I much care for, but the freedom that could've granted the developers would've been a treat to see.

It's worth adding that even though I dislike botw, I want to treat the characters of that game with respect and care in my comic. I may not love them in game but I can see the passion others have and I am committed to make something worth their time. Your special guys are safe with me. I have 0 desire to dunk on them, and instead wish to honour the love you all have. In a way I'm learning to love them myself through that.

#Ask #Game Reviews tm #Long Post #Please dont hurt me Im just a little lady

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mayajadewrites · 4 months

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Levi Ackerman x Reader - Almost

Chapter 3: Taste

Modern AU Levi Ackerman x Reader fanfic I've been dying to write! Levi is my latest hyper fixation so this was bound to happen. There will be other AOT characters in the mix, but remember this is a modern AU!

Chapter Summary: Levi stops in the coffee shop again to ask reader out on another date. We get a bit of Levi's POV and some backstory!

WARNING: SOME SMUT AHEAD

ao3 link

The next day you wake up with butterflies in your stomach and an intense feeling of anxiety in your body.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Your alarm read 6 AM. You have to be at work by 7, and you'll probably walk in to the 9-5 crowd.

To be honest, you barely slept. You kept replaying last night over and over in your head until you eventually nodded off to sleep. Seeing Levi's name on your phone screen made your heart soar, so you knew you needed to push your feelings down. Levi is not the type of man to show PDA, or even tell you he likes you.

From what you can tell, he definitely at least tolerates you.

As you got out of the shower, you saw your phone screen light up.

Levi: Good morning. I hope you slept well.

Levi Ackerman texts like an old man. But its cute.

You: Good morning, I slept like a baby. How did you sleep?

You lied. Obviously. You didn't sleep because you were too busy thinking about the very man you were texting.

Levi: I didn't.

You: ??? You didn't sleep?

Levi: No. I rarely do. I'll see you soon, brat.

It's not very surprising that Levi doesn't sleep much if at all, but that still worried you. Sleep is very important when it comes to basic life functioning, and you know Levi's life is filled with stress.

You put on your uniform and put your hair in a half up, half down style. One day when you own your own coffee shop, there won't be any uniforms.

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

"I can help who's next." You look up from the register, only to see your favorite pair of eyes.

"Medium black tea please." Levi peered through his jet black locks. His undercut looks freshly done, he must've done it after our date last night.

Date? Hang out?

"Will you ever try a new drink?" You smile at him, tapping the numbers in on the iPad.

"No. I like what I like and it hasn't done me wrong yet." Levi handed you his card in between his pointer and middle finger. "Are you busy this weekend?"

"I'm not actually. I have the weekend off." You slide his card and hand it back to him. "Any exciting plans for you?"

"Maybe." Levi shrugged, putting his card in his sleek wallet. "If you say yes."

This caught you off guard. Levi wanted to hang out again? So soon?

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕ LEVI ☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

I'm not good with communicating my emotions. That is unbearably obvious. I have never been the type to step out of my comfort zone and confess my true feelings to anyone.

This all started with my mother. Of course.

After witnessing her die, I did not want to speak ever again. She was everything to me. Not only was I a child, but I was an only child. A child is not supposed to lose their mom so early on in life.

I honestly rarely have feelings for anyone. I have... 2 friends. Erwin and Hange. So 1 and a half.

I currently see a therapist because I'm 30 years old and I'm getting the feeling that I want to be settled down soon. You know, kids and all that. I'm already a CEO, I have the house of my dreams, but I'm missing someone to share it with.

I've tried dating. No woman ever sticks. Either they just want sex, my money, or attention. They never want me.

When I met her, I felt a tingle in my chest. Seeing her face every morning and getting my tea for me gives me the same feeling every day.

So, my therapist told me to step up and ask her out.

It took me 6 months - but I did it.

Our date, if we want to call it that, since I'm not sure what she thought of it, went perfectly. Her personality meshes with mine in a way that it's written in novels. I can be rather dry with my sense of humor, but she gets it. She gets me.

I didn't kiss her last night, or even hug her, but God do I want to. I'm not sure if I get a taste of her if I'll ever be able to let go.

An image of her was playing over and over in my head as I was showering last night, her black dress clinging to her curves. Her thighs peeking out of her stockings drove me crazy. But I kept my composure.

Obviously, I had to relieve myself. In the shower. Thinking of her.

I haven't even touched her yet and she has me like this.

My therapist said that it's okay for me to feel this intensely, that it's 'normal'. Who even decides what's normal anyways?

I haven't told Hange or Erwin about her yet, and I don't plan too until if and when we decide to actually be together. I don't need their opinions or Hange's excitement rumbling in my ear.

"If you say yes." I sip my tea, looking at her. Her eyes were doe-like, which made the pit of my stomach feel hot.

"Let me know what you wanna do, I'm yours this weekend." She smiled, helping the next customer in line.

Does she know that my dick is hard right now because of what she just said? How little she just said?

I lifted my cup and left the cafe, heading towards my car to go to the office.

Bzzzzzz.

"Ackerman, can you come in earlier? A few people want to meet with you about a project they want you to fund." Hange almost screamed into the phone.

"4 eyes, I can hear you perfectly fine if you talk at a normal tone. Yeah, I'm on my way."

"Well I can't control the volume!"

"You actually can. Goodbye." I hung up, starting the car. I glanced at the window of the coffee shop, watching her smile at customers and hand them their drinks. Her smile warmed my cold heart, slowly defrosting the ice that encases it.

Does she know she's all I can think about?

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕ BRATTY BARISTA ☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

You cannot believe you just told Levi Ackerman you were his this weekend. Did he think you were a slut? Did he think you were gonna put out?

That thought left your brain when you remembered who you were talking about. Levi Ackerman is a gentleman before anything, which he's shown you.

You heard your coworker Nina call your name, who also happens to be one of your good friends.

"Did that fine ass man ask you out this weekend?!" She leaned against the counter, smiling. "I knew he wanted to get with you!"

"Yes, we went out last night too actually." A blush blessed your cheeks as you washed your hands.

"How was the short king? How were his lips?!"

"We didn't kiss." You looked at her, hoping she wouldn't drag the conversation further.

"What?! So was it even a date? I usually go way farther than a kiss on a first date-"

"Did you date Levi Ackerman?" You tilted your head, emphasizing Levi's name. "I'm not rushing anything. I enjoy his company."

"I'm just saying, he looks rather kissable."

"Obviously, Nina." Your eyes rolled so far they could've gotten stuck in the back of your head. "Trust me, I want to kiss him. I would love to jump his bones. I want to every time he walks in here."

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

After your shift, you were relieved you were off for the weekend. You worked the regular 8 hours today and needed to decompress from all of the customer service.

Bzzzzz.

Levi: I was thinking we could grab a coffee tomorrow morning and head to the flea market. Not a coffee from your job though. Thoughts?

Was this man in your head?

You: That sounds amazing, actually. What time is my chariot arriving?

Levi: 8 AM. Not like you're not used to seeing me early in the morning anyways.

You: Ay-ay captain.

You've never dealt with a man that made plans for you. The fact that Levi suggested quite literally your favorite morning activities for a date made you swoon.

You spent the rest of your afternoon/night cleaning your apartment and finishing the lastest novel you picked up. Nina sent you outfit inspo for tomorrow but you were not in the mood to show off your tits at 8AM.

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

Wakeup call was 6 AM so you could make sure you were ready for your Range Rover chariot to wisk you away. Your shower helped wake you up, even though your anxiety has kept you up most of the night.

You opted for a pair of straight leg barely ripped jeans, an oversized crewneck, and platform white converse. You accessorized with various layered necklaces and small gold hoop earrings.

Makeup with your usual small winged liner with glowy skin and glossy lips. By the time you were done with everything, it was 7:45. You sprayed your favorite marshmallow vanilla perfume before grabbing your purse and checking your phone.

Nina: Good luck today! Kiss those perfect lips!!

You: I'm about to send you a video of me rolling my eyes.

Bzzzzz.

Levi: I'm early again. Your chariot awaits.

You smiled at your phone, grabbing your coat. You saw Levi's car through your window, his eyes glued onto your door. Once you walked out, Levi got out of the car and opened the passenger door.

Levi was wearing a casual outfit himself, black jeans with a grey (cashmere?) sweater, and loafers. God, he smelled good too.

"Good morning." Levi closed your door, getting back in his seat. "You look cozy."

"Thank you, so do you." You smile at him, memorizing every inch of his face. You wanted to lean in and kiss him right then and there, but you did not want to make the first move.

You weren't going to.

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

Once you parked, you walked to a coffee shop that's in the midst of the flea market. Part of you wondered why one of the richest men in the city would shop at a flea market.

Levi pressed his hand to the small of your back, ushering you out of the coffee shop. His touch sent sparks up your body.

You and Levi strolled through the different vendors, sipping your drinks and talking. You caught Levi looking at your hand a little too much, especially when you threw out your cup.

More people started to show up to the flea market, causing the crowd to get larger. Levi looked more tense, darting his eyes at every exit.

"I didn't know it would get so crowded." You try to break his thoughts, looking up at him.

Levi took your hand in his, slowly intertwining his fingers with yours. "I don't wanna lose you." Levi said so casually. You know he meant he didn't want to lose you in the crowd, but you also felt that he meant that in another way.

"Do you want to get out of here and head to my apartment? It's getting too crowded to walk." You suggest, pressing your hand against his.

"Yes please."

You've learned that Levi Ackerman does not like crowds, partially because it forces him to do PDA.

☕︎⋆˙⟡♡☕

You are thankful you cleaned your apartment yesterday. Everything was in it's place, and it smelled good. Not that it didn't usually, but you live alone so if you don't clean it, no one else will.

Levi took his shoes off at the door with you, taking in his surroundings.

"You have nice taste." Levi helped you take off your coat, hanging it in your closet.

"Thank you. I try." You smile, turning to face Levi. "Thank you for this morning." You inch closer to him, watching his eyes search your face.

"Thank you for every morning." Levi leaned in, bringing his hand to your cheek gently.

For what felt like years, you and Levi looked in each other's eyes. You had a full conversation with just your eyes.

Levi eliminated the space between you and pressed his lips to yours. His lips are pillow soft and taste like mint. You slowly wrap your arms around his neck, dragging your fingers along his undercut.

His lips moved in rhythm with yours, sliding his hands down your curves to your ass. You smile against his lips, pressing your chest to his.

"If you want to stop, I-" Levi pulled away, looking in your eyes.

"Levi, please." You almost whimper, bringing his lips back to yours. You lead your bodies to the couch, straddling Levi's waist. You open your mouth as he's kissing you, letting his tongue in. His fingertips softly dragged down your back, making sure to squeeze your ass every now and then.

His tongue slipped in your mouth, exploring every inch of it. You sucked on it gently as you felt your core start to pulsate, begging for attention.

Levi moaned quietly against your lips - you could barely hear it but it happened. Your hips started moving in rhythm, his erection pressing against his jeans.

Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzz.

You pulled away from Levi, staring down at his pocket.

"I'm gonna kill whoever is calling me." Levi pulled his phone out of his pocket, rolling his eyes at the screen. "I'm sorry, it's Erwin. The President of Ackerman Inc. I have to take this, he doesn't usually call."

You nod and roll off of him, your core needy as fuck and your lips missing his.

#levi #levi fanfic #levi attack on titan #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #attack on titan fanfic #levi x reader #levi smut #levi ackerman smut #captain levi

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ladytabletop · 8 months

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Game Roundup 2023 - Part 1

So I made it a mission to read through the games I've gotten in various bundles in the past. And it's uh... an undertaking.

But! I've read a lot of cool games and encountered a lot of new concepts.

For reasons (namely that I have a few thousand games) I am not going to mention every game in these posts, just ones that caught my attention for one reason or another. And in keeping with my reflection on ratings earlier this year, I'm going to refrain from critiquing the stuff I mention here - I may say "this one isn't one I'd personally play" or "there was some unpolished stuff in here", but I'm going to focus mainly on the positives and why the game grabbed me.

So, here we go!

Blades in the Dark by John Harper

Yeah, yeah, I know, this game is talked about a lot! But consider me a recent student of TTRPG history outside of d20 systems. I got the chance to play this game for several sessions and read the rulebook cover to cover. The stuff that works, really works. The stuff that doesn't? Bogs the whole thing down. But I find clocks to be such an intuitive mechanic, and downtimes is really a delight to me. There's a whole ton of Forged in the Dark stuff that toggles a bunch of the game's switches on and off to make things more streamlined. Was very glad to read this one.

Lumen by Spencer Campbell (GilaRPGs)

I made it a mission to read SRDs this year. I want to understand the how and why of the games I've been reading: why are they built the way they are, what is accomplished in building them this way, and can I build games this way myself? Spencer has a really solid handle on what he wants his games to do. They're power fantasies with little if any chance for failure. It's not about whether you do the thing, it's about how. I ended up having the chance to meet Spencer at GenCon, and I'm really excited to see Lumen 2.0, which is going to be completely diceless. Power fantasy games aren't my thing typically, but I really appreciate the intentionality of this system's design.

Are My Wings Even? by Sadia Bies

What a lovely, simple game that lets you play dress-up! This one isn't necessarily as polished as some of the others but you can tell it was designed with so much care and personal meaning. I love a tactile game. I love dressing up. This one has so much potential to be really tender. It won't be for everyone and that's okay, but I really adore it.

Sprouts by Julie-Anne "Jam" Munoz

This game came to me in a bundle for Trans Rights in FL, but I actually dug into it when I was looking for RPGs to play with kids. You draw your character on a post-it, and it's just a silly little guy! It has a pretty simple roll mechanic and advises a "get from point A to point B" adventure style, which takes place in actual 3D space in your home, because didn't you know? Sprouts live in your home, like dust bunnies! It's got really great language for children and emphasizes cooperation, and that you can't mess up your drawing - sprouts are sprouts.

The Wildsea by Felix Isaacs

I know, I know, I talk about this game too much! But really, it's been the gateway into other games for me. I think technically I probably read this last year, but I had to brush up for GenCon this year, so I'm counting it. Lots of folks have compared the tracks in this game to Blades' clocks, but they sprang up parallel, funnily enough! It has some definitely shared DNA in its design, and it rewards you for things out of combat more than things in combat, if that's how you want to play. The setting is lovely, the community is lovely, and really it was a joy to read, even as long as it is.

I'll do another of these soon, I imagine.

#the lady rambles #game roundup 2023 #well I had more to say than I thought #trying to grab some big stuff and some small stuff

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sserajeanspics · 1 month

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sakura weverse update

Thankfully, I was able to spend my birthday meaningfully, so came here late 😭😭 Once again, thank you so much for congratulating me on my birthday, FEARNOT 🥹🥹🥹🥹🩷 Wow!!! I'm 26 years old!!! I've already been an idol for half my life!!🤔Very surprising... It's amazing... When I first started as an idol, I never imagined what the future brings. I always thought life was unpredictable, but I've been able to continue this far because of the people around me who always support me. I'm so grateful for that :) When I was young, my birthday was a happy day when I could receive gifts and eat what I liked. It was a day when I felt like the arrow was pointing towards me, so I always eagerly waited for my birthday feeling excited. After turning 20, I started to feel a bit anxious about birthdays... 😅 Honestly, I felt a little scared that my time as an idol was getting shorter... And recently, especially this birthday, it became a birthday with a slightly different meaning for me. I realized that birthdays are not only about receiving congratulatory greetings, but also about being able to express gratitude to the people around me. It's a bit embarrassing, but for the first time in my life (excluding my school days), I wrote letters to each my family members and gave them as gifts for my birthday this year! I felt grateful knowing that my family was preparing gifts because we could spend my birthday together with them after a long time. I wanted to express my gratitude to them as well. As I wrote about how grateful I am for giving birth to me and raising me for 26 years, many emotions have overwhelmed me, so I was writing the letters while holding back tears... 😅 And seeing my parents shedding tears while reading the letters that i gave, I felt a mix of emotions. At a young age, they've been worried endlessly about their daughter entering this world, living far away where she isn't within easy reach, likely feeling lonely... I felt sorry, but still, seeing my parents shedding tears while sincerely supporting my dreams made me think this way. Latelt, I've actually been feeling that there would come a time when the effort I keep putting in for myself will reach its limit— like the effort, if it's all just for myself, might exhaust me, reaching some sort of emotional limit. But seeing my parents, I started to feel that maybe working hard for someone else could be another way.

If I think that all my efforts are for myself only, I feel like I might lose strength when I detach from that passion, and it would be even harder when results don't come. But when I think about supporting my parents who sincerely cheer me on, and for FEARNOTs who support me as passionately, and for the members and staff who share the same dream, strangely, I feel energized. These are just my thoughts, but I believe that to be able to continue something for a long time, perhaps this kind of mindset is also necessary :) I received so much love from many people on my birthday this year. It made me truly happy to realize that there are so many FEARNOTs around the world celebrating my birthday and supporting me. The online world continues expanding and may not always spread positivity every day, but I'm still grateful for the internet because it allows me to know that there are people who like me and celebrate my birthday😊 I remember my mom saying once on my birthday, "I hope you become an idol who, just like your name which holds the meaning "may good things bloom," receive congratulations from many people.' Following my mom's wish, I was able to become an idol who is indeed loved by many people. I have experienced many failures and I'm learning various things as a person, but I've come to think that I'm happy with who I am now. Everyone has imperfections and areas where they are still immature, but I believe that's how we can continue to grow. I’m still in the process of learning a lot about myself, and every day, I strive to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday, continuing to reflect and improve along the way. The world may sometimes be noisy with negativity, but I still believe that there are many happy, positive, joyful, and precious things in this world. Despite its flaws, I still find this world beautiful. It's not all good, but it's not all bad either. I wish to be the kind of person in your life who brings even a little bit of positivity and goodness. :) Thank you for celebrating my 26th birthday with me, and please continue to support me in the future as well☺️

#sakura #le sserafim #miyawaki sakura #lesserafim #le sserafim updates #le sserafim weverse #240321

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kosmicdream · 2 months

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the way i think of the "3 arcs" in ffak (i am not sure i will end up with 3, btw, its possible i might cut one in half or something else..) is basically that.. arc 1 was the unplanned improv adventure that developed everything, taught me how to draw comics, write a story, ect. arc 2 is the ~actual~ story that i "originally intended" to tell with FFAK (although a lot of that is also in ARC3 too), before it was made into this big sprawling story - and has developed all this time and taken me years to write and prepare for. so im excited and interested in reactions to that. and arc 3, well, arc 3 is something else entirely, but i don't want to say too much about it yet.. it is weird to have the entire story written out though. it feels both big and so small vrs the days id spend building up more and more for the world. i don't think about it like that anymore, even though i think about it a lot every day still. I feel pretty satisfied with how the first chapter of this arc has gone and I hope the next four of this arc will also go well too. yes, im only planning this arc for five chapters. can i do it? idk. it wont be a big deal if it needs more. in a weird way, it means more to me to finish the 2nd arc than the entire story as i've waited so many years to draw the scenes in it. its kinda amazing how long it takes just to develop a story, and in a way 10 years does not seem that long at all. before FFAK, i basically gave up my dream of making comics/writing because of how "disorganized" and crazy my ideas felt.. it has always been the story that FFAK was kind of something i threw myself into, but since it worked at all i was not going to ever let go of it. Still haven't.. yet. But i feel ready to let go when its time. Now, I feel like the work of making a comic its not all that hard even if it is very tedious. sure id love to draw and write better, but that feeling will always be there. I am just grateful to see the ideas come out at all feels a lot better than being creatively constipated and feeling miserable about it, like its bad to have "too big" of plans and be "too ambitious" like its a negative thing, cuz it might not be achievable - what? i love to try. just a sad place to be as an artist, to shame yourself for your own natural creativity and curiosity and pity yourself for not being good enough to make a fool of yourself for trying. pride is such a stupid thing to stop yourself from drawing your own ocs LOL. either way, id rather have it out than just have them sit inside and not ever be shared or seen for myself. every time i think i could have done something better, in the end i just feel relief i managed the miracle of making it at all. its weird to think that i can see an end to this story too and im still getting used to that feeling. i can see all the stories i want to get to beyond it, but Im patient and i know they can wait. i am going to really enjoy my time with it while its all still here. Just felt like sharing some of my feelings as this chapter gets closer to its end and i finish the first step of this new adventure of FFAK!

#ffak #feast for a king #webcomics

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optiwashere · 24 days

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WIP Wednesday

Holy shit, it's actually on a Wednesday this time?

I really wanted to do one of these this week since I've gone a bit rabid on a few WIPs.

I'll post a little bit about each of those WIPs later, some snippets and a blurb about why I'm so excited. But first! Folks to tag! Since I'm so excited for these, I'm gonna tag a lot this time.

If you have anything you want to share WIP writing-wise, please do... @quitefair @bottombatch @siyurikspakvariisis @causticcontemplation @jasminethetransvampire @underworldobsessed @assarivanguard @amorficzna @funwithnix @askweisswolf @linka-from-captain-planet @tief4tief

If you don't want to do this, or have nothing you want to share, feel free to ignore. If anyone else wants to do this, please feel free to consider yourself tagged. Now, onto my obsessions.

WIP 1: New chapter of Nightsongs

After spending some chapters in a kind of angst zone after the relatively light (relatively) first 4-5 chapters, this next chapter is going to be a kind of upswing. There's lots left to do with the AU, so I'm expecting to chug along and write more and more as time permits.

This AU is a lot for me to handle, especially after having so many chapters ready to post and then... falling way behind on writing the chapters afterwards. But it's fanfiction, and we're having fun here. So, who cares? The game's fandom heyday is already over, so at this point I'm just writing whatever feels best to me.

This chapter is mostly done, I think. I'm giving it a few days/a week to sit before I go back to edit it with fresher eyes. Also, we return to Ash's POV!

Lae’zel walked into Ash’s back office without a word on the seventh day and Ash nodded her way without looking up. Papers sat in strewn piles all over the desk, a handful of old incident reports and assessments that still needed working for Wulbren’s accountants. The absolute worst part of the job remained for the year – paperwork – and Ash intended to get them caught up in the hours that remained of her day. It was a useful, meaningful task. It gave her something else to think about. Anything other than green eyes. “We should talk,” Lae’zel said, sitting down without being offered one of the folding chairs in front of the desk. “Aren’t we doing that?” Ash scanned the paper in front of her and quickly jotted down her signature. [...] “You begin working on a van,” Lae’zel said matter-of-factly, counting off on her fingers as she spoke. “You talk to a pretty girl. You suddenly work more often on that van. Then, you disappear inside yourself and act bitter all day because suddenly the girl no longer shows up. There is more to it than you say.” “I think this might be the first time you’ve spoken more than five words to me, you know that?” Ash chuckled. “Am I that obvious?”

WIP 2: New chapter of Blades in the Night

The need to write more plot for this has been burrowing in my skull for a long time. I initially stopped myself from writing too much of it because I wanted to do Nightsongs first in its entirety before getting to this, but I think I'm just too impatient for that.

I also love the fact that this fic turned from a simple PWP one-shot into this much more expansive, plotty story that's now pretty important for what I want to do with my babies post-canon. Something about that makes me smile.

Plus, you know how I've been lamenting my inability to write happy endings for certain characters?

Either way, this isn't really complete, but the hardest part is complete and now I just have to start connecting the dots and filling in the blanks. I'd say it's about a third done?

The room filled with the same aura of a distant gaze leveled their way that Shadowheart had felt back in the cloister. Asheera had made an oath to protect Shadowheart then, and the flooding of a dense, real presence had nearly swallowed her whole in the cloister's barracks. A weight of importance sunk down on her shoulders there in Hobb's Hovel as well. A smell like molten metal cooling lilted in the air with a lingering, acrid tang. It tasted of blood in Shadowheart's mouth, as if the forging was tainted with some other foul presence in the mixture. [...] Little could have compared better to that feeling of a weight lifted from her shoulders. Worry disappeared and gave way to earnest joy in Shadowheart, and she thrived on it. She hadn't felt such keen happiness since she'd been so readily accepted into Asheera's family by her parents.

WIP 3: Gauntlet of Shar fic

Wow, I know! I've been talking about writing this fic for so long that it's almost become a sort of mythical never-to-be-slain beast for me. I'm not normally someone that talks about my ideas too often, I just write them before they can flee me.

I tend to also get in my own head about what I "should" be writing in the first place. Frankly, I'm getting kinda tired of writing so many ships, though fear not - I'll still have ideas that can only work with ships that aren't Shadowheart/Asheera. It's just that, for a while, I want to focus back on my loves.

This fic is one of those that I've wanted to finish for months. I know that at this point in the fandom's life cycle, I'm pretty much writing just for the dedicated, lovely folks that still read my stuff and I'm extremely happy to have y'all around! Maybe this will make Light Casts a Shadow ring a little more true for some, maybe it will be just another fic that I post, who knows.

Also, one thing I'm planning on experimenting with for this fic is alternate endings for Fun. This is a fic where the ending hinges on choices that Shadowheart makes in the game, so it's only fitting that I explore what would happen if she made those other choices.

But anywho, enough blabbing. Excerpt time!

Those touches and more, Asheera cherished. She watched in silence as Shadowheart turned her devotions to each of those tasks. Perhaps it was the nature of clerics to give themselves entirely to seemingly mundane tasks much the same Asheera felt compelled to consider her oaths in nearly every conversation, battle, or even moments like Shadowheart carefully buckling a cuisse to her leg with straps of leather at the backs of Asheera's knees. Fingertips trailed against her clothed skin, and Shadowheart stood up once more. "There," she said, "all's taken care of, then. Tell me, how's my handiwork? Be honest. I can handle the criticism." Asheera brought her balled fist to her chest in an arm curl. She flexed the elbow out and tested her shoulders, knees, ankles, and hips for motion. None of the plates caught on one another, and none of the straps across her hands, arms, knees, or chest restricted her. "Perfect," Asheera said at last. "Marvelous work." Shadowheart offered a quick smile. "I'll take a Gondian's compliment on such things any day." "Can't say I would've done a better job." "Ah, there's the honesty I was waiting for. Truly, where would you be without me?"

#random rambling about writing #bg3 #shadowheart #shadowtav #shadowheart x tav #oc: asheera #my fic #nightsongs au #amongst other things................

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swampstew · 2 months

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1-800-GRANDLINEBLING ♥ Call Me On My Shell Phone

To celebrate 1K+ followers, I opened up phone lines to the crews! Part 2 of 3 ~ X reader with Robin, Law, Shachi, and Zoro for @yamat0 @lady-of-endless @fandomsallthetime94 @zoros-sheath Part 1 | Part 3

You are now being connected to...

Purururu purururu puru—

Robin: Hello my dear, it's so good to hear your voice. The days are long but not as long as the time I've spent away from you. We'll be reaching land very soon and I would like to take you away for some quality girl time. I just know that you'll love what I have planned for you - we're so alike how can I not know your heart's desires? See you soon, sweetie!

You intended to meet Robin at the dockyard to pick her up, but the weather decided to turn before you could step foot outside your house. Unsure of how to meet up, you were pleasantly surprised when a knock on your front door revealed your girlfriend standing under an umbrella big enough for two. Her presence in itself was a present.

The sky itself seemed to shift in mood as the dreary clouds slowly shifted away to reveal a partially clouded sky and a slight rainbow over the bridge in your neighborhood.

"My my, I shouldn't be surprised that the weather would clear up for my beautiful partner," Robin cooed with a wink that made you weak in the knees.

She reached out to hold your hand, bringing it to her lips where she pressed a soft kiss to the back of your palm.

"Let's change into something more comfortable so you can properly enjoy the date I'm going to take you on."

Law: Hey, how have you been? Have you been keeping up with the research papers I've been sending you? Good, I wanted to talk to you about the results of one test for PTSD that I wanted to explore more in depth. That said, we'll be on dry land in a day or two - will you be free to meet up? Tch, just because we're dating doesn't mean I shouldn't ask and check in to make sure that's all right! Well good! I'll see you soon - don't forget to keep up with your training, I've been practicing too.

“With the woman in my arms who was supposed to be my enemy, I closed my eyes and let the darkness engulf me.” ― J.C. Böhme

Shachi: Hellllloooo my beloved! I'm sorry it's been 197,523,685 minutes since I've talked to you. Being in a submarine makes it hard to do long distance calls, I know you understand yet I can't help but feel bad about it. You know what will cheer us both up? If I visit you for a week or so...YEAH? I'm glad to hear that excites you - I'll be making port in a few days so I'll be at your door with the spoopy goods. See you soon my love!!!!!

She was like a fire, and despite the danger that I could see, I ran straight toward it and plunged into the flames without a second thought. My mind tricked me into thinking that the dangerous heat was comforting and secure. I could feel the heat singe my skin. I was lost in its beauty and danger, completely consumed by the flames ― J.C. Böhme

Zoro: Woman, for the last time I AM NOT LO-- *horn blaring* *announcer mentions drop off at a port in the opposite end of your residence* TCH. I TOOK A DETOUR! For reasons! That I am not telling you until I see you! No I don't need to be picked up, how else can I uh-surprise you with my gift? You can't! SO! I'll see you in....a day. Fine, I'll share my location when I'm on my way so you don't have a stroke - sheesh. *grumbles affectionately* Yeah I love you too. See you soon.

You were actually surprised when Zoro knocked on your front door, on the exact day and around the same time he said he'd be at your home. In his hand, a bouquet of your favorite flowers - flowers you knew weren't quite in season and now it made sense he was in a different port. Unless of course, he was there by accident and used the flowers as an excuse. Nope, not gonna dwell on that.

You invited him in for some lunch you carefully plated on the long wooden table in your dining room. He spent time telling you about his adventures, the loot he gathered, and the things he came across he thought you might enjoy. As the sun set behind your bay window, Zoro let out a yawn before bending down to pick up the orange cat nuzzling his leg.

"I'll be here for a while until the Captain decides to leave. Until then, how about you and I spend some quality time together? Starting tomorrow, we can go down to the spring lake and eat lunch, I can exercise and you can read and not ogle me like you pretend to," Zoro said with a smirk.

You playfully smacked his bicep, "I can ogle you anytime I want, HUSBAND."

#1-800-grandlinebling #call me on my shell phone event #follower milestone event #one piece fandom #swampstew events #straw hat pirates #heart pirates #trafalgar law #den den mushi customizations #nico robin #devil child nico robin #robin x reader #x reader #trafalgar law x reader #one piece shachi #roronoa zoro #pirate hunter zoro #roronoa zoro x reader

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dazaiaiko · 9 months

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Hello! Hope you are having a good day/night. So sorry to bother you, could you write about Fyodor and Dazai (separately) meeting and dating S/O who is a young mom? Sorry if it’s weird and sorry if it makes you uncomfy.

its been a long time since I've written (college is a bitch) but i actually watched a movie about a single mom a week back so i might be doing something with this.

Note: I have yet to post Fyodor's part as it is a work in progress and I have named our S/O as her name is part of the story I have written, apart from this, everything is pretty similar to your request. Hope you enjoyed it<33

Characters : Dazai x fem!reader (young mom), tags : suicide, depression and death mentioned frequently

The recent talk of the neighbourhood circled around - a woman living alone with her toddler in a rundown apartment.

"who knows who the father of that child is...!"

Our subject of this rumour had applied to the quiet yet popular cafe Uzumaki.

Quite obviously in her early 20's, she sat in a corner of the cafe as the old couple took her interview. The afternoon was a quiet one, with two customers quietly sipping away their coffee in shared silence. The neighbourhood outside, quiet, as the streets basked in the afternoon sun. Summer was approaching..

She could make some miso soup for her daughter today and perhaps take her out for a evening walk. Breaking away from the daze, she returned her focus to the interview as she assessed her future employers.

The cafe owners were an old, childless couple. They had already made up their minds to take her in after the rumours travelling the streets reached their ears. However when catering to an organisation as special as the ADA, special measures were to be taken.

"So.... you know how to make coffee, bake goods, manage a register....have you learnt self defence perhaps?"

As she was about to answer, a hoarse voice spoke out behind her, from one of the tables, as a man in his 20's donning a brown coat spoke without moving his gaze from the open book in his hands,

"I believe the lady here has learnt how to wield a knife efficiently, Perhaps Judo when you were young, although I can tell you're out of practise." He looked up from his book to flash a bright smile as he made his way to their table.

"Dazai, Dazai Osamu. And You are..?"

"Hana Shinigami, nice to meet you. And yes you would be totally correct if not for the fact that I am in-fact not out of practise, just out of posture." She flashed a professional smile as she returned her attention to the old couple.

"Ah it seems I judged too fast. However! you bear quite an interesting name! 'Belladonna' pales in comparison!"

Hana - Kanji: 花 means withered flowers often associated with funeral/death

Shinigami - Kanji: 死神 means Goddess of death

"Should I be honoured? My parents were funeral directors so death is quite well imbued in a family like mine. Although, I wouldn't be wrong to think you are way too excited to be encountering someone associated with death, would I?" She giggled as the thought itself seemed ridiculous.

Having seen her parents being ridiculed their whole life for naming their daughter with such an ominous name, she couldn't help but laugh at the childlike amusement of the man she had just met.

"Death is to come to us all, so why fear it and to some the sweet release of death is what keeps them going."

"I see......oh! look at the time, I need to pick up my daughter now then, please excuse me."

"Surely yes, You can join work starting tomorrow and since the cafe is empty and quiet most of the time, you can even bring your daughter here. It would surely liven up the atmosphere."

She nodded at their requests while she said her farewell and went off to the distant as Dazai's gaze remained in her direction. It was the first time he had not called someone Belladonna. How could he when her mere name was a poetic mesh of words he longed for.

The next month passed in a flash as the cafe brightened up by their newest addition- Aoi Shinigami. Her laughter and giggles filled the cafe as she ran around in her little dress, falling and crashing into the legs of the customers.

ADA's recent activities had involved playing with the little star as she hid under tables and chairs, complained about her mother to them all while small jewel like drops fell from her eyes when she expressed her anger and sadness. Her crying would make these renowned individuals come running from their desks to attend to her needs.

Yosano and Kyouka dressed her up in cute outfits and took pictures of her (the pictures adorning their desks as we speak) , Atsushi dropped her off to her preschool and picked her up while Hana worked her shifts, Ranpo even shared his secret snack stash with her and spoke to the oblivious child about cases as she happily gobbled up the sweets (according to him, it helped him think better), Fukuzawa might have added her to his "new kitten" collection on his phone with countless pictures of her curled up taking a nap (a picture of her playing with the cats lying in his phone), Kunikida became her unpaid teacher as he taught her hiragana and katakana in his spare time (he even attended her PTMs) and the siblings became her unofficial babysitters.

How could they let her be when she looked at them with those round hazelnut eyes and dark hair, mumbling incoherent nonsense, whenever she stumbled upon a problem too big for her little hands to handle.

These days you could see the agency transmigrating their office downstairs to the cafe to keep an eye on their little angel sprightly playing around and talking about her friends from school, babbling and muttering about worldly issues and falling asleep in the most random places. Once they found her curled up under atsushi's desk with her head resting on his shoes. What a sight to behold.

Recently they even went to her annual sports event, clicking pictures, cheering for her (even more so than her own blood mother) and taking her for a treat when she did well in her little tests. Hana couldn't be more satisfied with her life. The Uzumaki owners had offered their downstairs floor to her after learning about her living condition, for a cheap rent of course.

Her daughter's days were filled with intellectual people who doted her unconditionally. Her life was simple, quiet and filled with laughter and summer this time seemed more warm than the past four summers.

Dazai too, adored the little star however his attention could be found more focused elsewhere. His eyes followed Hana everywhere with his mind always on the topic of their conversation. Their conversations were witty banters and philosophical debates on the way of life which was quite unusual but they quite enjoyed it over a cup of coffee.

Slowly but surely this unusual union of two people would start opening up to each other.

The evening Hana had opened up to him about her past, they were drinking on the rooftop while the rest were watching a show with her daughter downstairs. The show must have been funny as their laughter could be heard every other minute.

Feeling comforted in the cold night, with laughter and giggles drowning her words, she began her short yet tragic story, overcome with liquid courage,

"You know, I was infatuated, with a man 11 years older than me: Aoi's father.... I was immature and in love. A dangerous combination."

Taking a sip from her whiskey she continued, " He worked in the special armed forces. 'A reckless but fulfilling life', in his own words.

My entire pregnancy, I saw him 8 times, 8 times and then never again. Around that time during my third trimester, my parent's funeral house closed, as they went under debt... They jumped off a bridge with not so much as a final goodbye to their only pregnant daughter.

Not so much as an apology for what they were about to commit or even a second thought. Perhaps they thought if they embraced their death, they could embrace my namesake.

Not much later, came the news of his death, his body never came home. He was compromised abroad so the government refused to acknowledge him as their own.

This was the glorifying death he always talked about, dying in service to his people. Yet it would have been better if he had stayed. In the end he cared for the strangers on the street more than the mother of his child. It would have been better if he had just....stayed And the funniest part? The father of my child and my lover had forsaken all his money after his death to the mother he cut off years ago."

"It was never love, It was an arrangement of sorts, he really never cared."

"Yet here I am confessing my struggles to a man who is obsessed with the idea of imminent and painless death. I guess people's names really do determine their future."

No words were exchanged as the mere act of consoling her would be too harsh from someone who could completely resonate with the thoughts of her parents and lover in the moment of their deaths.

But he moved closer to her, still not uttering a word. Taking the glass of whiskey from her hand, he caressed her cheeks. The scarred bandaged hands moving across her face comforted her, it stopped the tears at the very least. Dazai didn't dare move, he glided his arms around her waist, pulling her slouching body from the chair in to his chest.

Then,

He kissed her. He sprinkled tender kisses on her closed eyes, her lips, her rosy cheeks, her cold hands, her shivering neck. He left no part untouched yet she didn't stop him. She reclined back into her chair with an arm around the man as she let it happen. The night passed in silence as Hana received not consolation but the physical presence and reassurance which she always had craved for,

not the sweet whispers of "eternal love", "being in their hearts" but their raw presence and Dazai offered it to her like a sweet drug she couldn't refuse.

She satisfied her addiction time and time again, The feeling was so sweet and intoxicating that it had become a vice and a blessing, yet she didn't think of it, she didn't let herself think of it when the moments passed.

Soon, he too started talking. He started talking about buried emotions, stories, friends and the distant past which kept lingering with an ominous shadow in his future, and his fears of the unknown for there was little unknown to him and she only listened with closed eyes and lips holding his hand in the deadly silence of the night.

This went on for over a year when their feelings, an entangled mess of emotions and desires as they refused to talk about it until the eventful day:

"Papa!" A noise called out from below as Dazai picked up the toddler.

"Whom are you calling, Aoi?", she pointed her little fingers towards him as she exclaimed gleefully, "Papa!" and ran off towards her mother working behind the counter in the wee hours of the morning.

Dazai, bewildered at the child's declaration, let out a uncontrolled laugh as glances were exchanged between him and the woman who plagued his every waking thoughts as one longing look was all they needed to label what they had, to build on what they had created and resume what had already begun.

THE END

Calling ☎: @nullified-kiss @jessbeinme15 @shinys-bsd-world-1 @nameless-shrimp @missrown @ravenina14 @ikin-y0u @staryjordan85 + navigation post

the rush i felt from writing this was immense. I'm sorry if my writing has become a bit dull from not writing for so long. Signing out- Byee

#bsd #[aiko posts📜 ]#bungou stray dogs #[ziel’s library 📚]#[ziel's library 🖋]#dazai x reader #bsd dazai osamu #dazai osamu x reader #dazai x reader angst #[aiko asks ❓]

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meowzilla93 · 4 months

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5 Years - Title pending....

I mean, i did promise to at least provide snippets of my little rewrite of OLBA with my MC August when i felt like i got something i wanted to share!

i am 100% rewriting this out of order and its coming to me in stages

regardless, this is a snippet of the walk August and Baxter share in Step 4, and gives hints towards Augusts' personality and issues she dealt with when Baxter left;

Cold confectionary in hand, August and Baxter start to walk back to the happy couples home. It suddenly struck August that for the first time in a long while, the two of them might actually be able to talk. So many questions race through her mind as she considers what she wants to ask; Did he still dance? Why wedding planning of all things? Why Rock only? But out of all those questions, only one truly demanded itself to be asked. Only one that has been eating away at her for longer than she cared to admit.

" I… Baxter I need you to answer honestly. When you walked away that summer, when you… Was that because of me? Was I 'too much'?"

Brown eyes snap to hers, wide from surprise at her question,

"What? 'Too much'? What do you mean?"

"When you compare me to Charlie, and well, Cove and the rest, one would call me a touch, outlandish. I'm excitable, loud, energetic, a big personality, the list goes on. When I was younger I simply thought that I had a great track record of adopting people into my circle that just needed that dose of 'August' in their lives; Too quiet for their own good and needed some excitement. Then you came along and changed that…"

August fiddles with her popsicle, quickly taking a moment to lick some of the wayward drips before they dropped onto her hand and continues.

"You seemed to not only thrive but… you responded to my energy, in kind. The banter and teasing and… well anyway. No one I've met has really been able to do that, but you did."

A gentle smile appears on her face before it disappears, "And then you left; Life moved forward, I met other people. I had relationships with them but… they all ended; When asked why, they all said the exact same thing to me. I was too much and they couldn’t deal with that"

Baxter continued to simply stare at August with wide eyes, not speaking a word, waiting for her to continue.

Using her free hand to rub the back of her neck from her own strange awkwardness, she continued,

"I… I just want to know, was it the same for you? Was I too much? Is that why you wanted nothing to do with me. At least then I can know if I am the probl-"

Taking a few quick strides to get ahead of her, Baxter steps in front of August stopping her in her tracks with a firm look on his face.

"August, I do want to be entirely clear: you are wonderful. Never doubt that. What happened with us, I do exactly… that to everyone who unfortunately crosses my path. The acquaintances I made at college, dancing partners, the friends I had since childhood; My parents, though, that’s is an entirely different story."

He waves his hand in the air as if to remove that last comment,

"The point of the matter is, excluding those I interact with regularly due to work, I have no relations whatsoever. That’s simply the way it goes."

He looks deep in to Augusts' eyes, honeyed brown eyes demanding that she trust the words that come next,

"You truly are wonderful. There was never a moment of 'too much' with you. The time we spent together… I enjoyed every moment. The reason for me leaving never had anything to do with you."

Unable to stop herself, August scoffed, "Enjoyed every moment? Baxter, your last words to me where 'If I could take back the time we had I would!' How… how did you not think…?" Augusts' voice trails off, unable to complete the sentence without her voice shaking.

Baxter's face falls, embarrassment and disappointment flashing across his features as he swears under his breath. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breathe in, before exhaling and looking directly at August once again.

Lifting his free hand, he gently brushes a lock of hair that has fallen on Augusts face behind her ear; So gently, like he almost scared to touch her skin directly because he would get burnt.

"It would seem that I wasn’t only dramatic but also moronic when I was nineteen. I know that you have no reason to believe me now but, I would never take back that time, not for anything in this world. It was truly the most remarkable, most magical summer I have ever had, I could never…"

His hand lingered near her face, hovering just near her jaw, before he pulled his hand back, clenching it into a fist and putting it back into his pocket. Whatever vulnerability he was able to share in that moment ended. Turning away, he made his stance on this conversation clear, that it was finished. His eyes linger on Augusts' for a moment longer before flicking away to stare ahead himself, resuming his task of eating his ice-cream.

He slowly starts to walk onward, and Augusts' heart is racing. She was a bundle of nerves and emotions and she couldn’t decide how to unpack what Baxter had told her. While he did answer her question, he created many more that remained unanswered. But one thing she knew for certain:

She wasn't too much for everyone.

Picking up her pace to catch up to him, she decided to continue the conversation with a softball question,

"So, rock huh?"

As surprised laugh left Baxter, his eyes narrowed on August with his signature smirk in place,

"Out of a hundred questions I anticipated to follow that conversation, asking about my penchant for choosing rock in 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' was certainly not what I had expected"

Without hesitation or resistance, a responding smirk found its way on Augusts' face in reply,

"What can I say, I like to keep people on their toes. Now spill. Why do you only choose rock?"

As a chuckle left Baxter, August felt a warmth build up in her heart, realizing how much she missed the sound. While she listened to his explanation for such a committed stance to have, August embraced the more relaxed atmosphere that had settled around them. Perhaps it was only her, but August felt that despite the intensity of the problems between them, being near each other was beginning to feel more comfortable again. And as their conversation continued, she hoped that Baxter felt the same way.

#our life beginnings and always #baxter ward #olba #our life #olba baxter #baxter x mc #our life headcannons #meow fic!#olba mc

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focusontheheart · 6 months

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Meet the Team - Bookmancer

You can also find her on: Twitter @ bookmancer_myth IG @ bookmancer_legendarium AO3 @ Bookmancer_Legendarium

Hello, Bookmancer here! I had no idea that when I played the robot dinosaur game, my life would be divided into two phases: before Horizon and after. I discovered Horizon right around its release. I was fascinated by the trailer and captivated by the Tallneck, which is still my favorite machine. I'm continually awed by the storytelling, visual beauty of Horizon's world, and depth of its characters. HZD actually got me into virtual photography because it’s the first game that really encouraged me to pause, look around, admire the world, and fiddle around with how to capture its beauty. Because I do so much VP, I always like to look at paintings and photos to try and replicate them. I started in the fandom through VP before indulging in my love of writing to share fanfic - and now this dating game! I’m always awed by other content creators in the Horizon fandom and out. They think of such creative things, and everyone is very encouraging. I'm excited to further explore Seyka's story in FOTH and Horizon 3 and am fascinated by her as a mirror to Aloy's stubborn compassion, but flavored by tribal connections Aloy only just made through her found family. But for the near future, I want to write more deep-dives into the psyche of the characters, their hopes and insecurities, and how they play off of each other. I’d also like to draw more and take more shippy VP!

See the Q&A with Bookmancer below the cut!

Q: What is a favorite piece of work you've done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept)?

I've written some fanfic for Horizon - some published that I really like and actually came out how I wanted to, and some that's still living in my brain and I have to pay its rent in the form of chanting "I should write this already…" But I'm pleased with my fic "who can take my hand in the flood?" and want to write more of the ever-growing GAIA Gang being happy and healing. I’m working on a Seyloy fic of her getting welcomed into the gang.

Q: What are some of your favorite tropes to write, draw, or read?

I love friends to lovers! Also, star-crossed lovers, opposites attract, fish out of water, rivals learning more about each other and coming to a powerful understanding, and bodyguard AUs.

Q: What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?

I've got a language learning club going with some friends so we can pool resources and offer encouragement. I love learning about absolutely anything, and I'm getting into crocheting. Outside of FOTH writing, I write fanfic for various fandoms. I do a ton of VP and it's probably doubled my playtime in HFW. I love swimming, and I can only whistle by inhaling, not exhaling.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about working on this project so far?

I've loved seeing the outpouring of creativity, the fandom uniting for something that's so beloved to so many, and learning a metric Horus-ton about… well, a ton of things! Every day, I'm amazed over and over again, and I'm so thrilled I to get to see this come together up close. Everyone is incredibly talented and inspirational, and every bit of it has been collaborative and uplifting.

#focus on the heart #foth #foth dating sim fangame #foth visual novel fangame #horizon forbidden west #meet the team: artists and writers #writer: bookmancer #aloy x seyka

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le-sserafims-blog · 1 month

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🌸 Thankfully, I was able to spend my birthday meaningfully, so came here late 😭😭

Once again, thank you so much for congratulating me on my birthday, FEARNOT 🥹🥹🥹🥹🩷

Wow!!!

I'm 26 years old!!!

I've already been an idol for half my life!! 🤔 LOL

Very surprising...

It's amazing... When I first started as an idol, I never imagined what the future brings. I always thought life was unpredictable, but I've been able to continue this far because of the people around me who always support me. I'm so grateful for that :)

When I was young, my birthday was a happy day when I could receive gifts and eat what I liked. It was a day when I felt like the arrow was pointing towards me, so I always eagerly waited for my birthday feeling excited.

After turning 20, I started to feel a bit anxious about birthdays... 😅

Honestly, I felt a little scared that my time as an idol was getting shorter...lol

And recently, especially this birthday, it became a birthday with a slightly different meaning for me.

I realized that birthdays are not only about receiving congratulatory greetings, but also about being able to express gratitude to the people around me.

It's a bit embarrassing, but for the first time in my life (excluding my school days), I wrote letters to each my family members and gave them as gifts for my birthday this year!

I felt grateful knowing that my family was preparing gifts because we could spend my birthday together with them after a long time. I wanted to express my gratitude to them as well.

As I wrote about how grateful I am for giving birth to me and raising me for 26 years, many emotions have overwhelmed me, so I was writing the letters while holding back tears... 😅

And seeing my parents shedding tears while reading the letters that i gave, I felt a mix of emotions.

At a young age, they've been worried endlessly about their daughter entering this world, living far away where she isn't within easy reach, likely feeling lonely... I felt sorry, but still, seeing my parents shedding tears while sincerely supporting my dreams made me think this way.

Latelt, I've actually been feeling that there would come a time when the effort I keep putting in for myself will reach its limit— like the effort, if it's all just for myself, might exhaust me, reaching some sort of emotional limit. But seeing my parents, I started to feel that maybe working hard for someone else could be another way.

These are just my thoughts, but I believe that to be able to continue something for a long time, perhaps this kind of mindset is also necessary :)

I received so much love from many people on my birthday this year. It made me truly happy to realize that there are so many FEARNOTs around the world celebrating my birthday and supporting me.

The online world continues expanding and may not always spread positivity every day, but I'm still grateful for the internet because it allows me to know that there are people who like me and celebrate my birthday. 😊

I remember my mom saying once on my birthday, "I hope you become an idol who, just like your name which holds the meaning "may good things bloom," receive congratulations from many people.' Following my mom's wish, I was able to become an idol who is indeed loved by many people.

I have experienced many failures and I'm learning various things as a person, but I've come to think that I'm happy with who I am now. Everyone has imperfections and areas where they are still immature, but I believe that's how we can continue to grow.

Im still in the process of learning a lot about myself, and every day, I strive to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday, continuing to reflect and improve along the way.

The world may sometimes be noisy with negativity, but I still believe that there are many happy, positive, joyful, and precious things in this world. Despite its flaws, I still find this world beautiful.

It's not all good, but it's not all bad either.

I wish to be the kind of person in your life who brings even a little bit of positivity and goodness. :)

Thank you for celebrating my 26th birthday with me, and please continue to support me in the future as well. ☺️

#le sserafim #weverse #le sserafim sakura

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cuubism · 1 year

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wip update

since I have a good number of actively-posting WIPs that some lovely people have been very kind about and invested in (and which I am very slow in updating), I figured it might be only polite to post a little update on where those are.

the melting press of the sun (dreamling) - Never intended this as a longfic, there may or may not be more than the 2 chapters it has now. I have a bit more written but it's disjointed and incomplete. I intentionally didn't leave any brutal cliffhangers on what I did post for this reason. We'll see if that one comes back.

Deja vu, Deja connu (dreamling) - The slowness in updating probably belies how deeply emotionally invested I actually am in this fic. Chapter three is just a major challenge--it's very long, covers a lot, has lots of fluff in the first part (fluff is kinda my Achilles heel, though not quite as much as wedding scenes, which this chapter also has) and a lot of heavy content later. But I have the whole fic outlined, a bunch of chapter 4 and 5 written in advance, and I'm super excited about the stuff that comes later, so it will definitely be finished, just... slowly. At least for this chapter.

In Waking Dreams (dreamling) - My current priority for an update. Chapter 4 just hit 10k and will probably hit 15k before its done (god help me), and I feel somewhat obliged to finish chapter 5 as well so I can post them in quick succession. Chapter 4 necessarily ends on a cliffhanger as it catches up to the events of chapter 3, but I feel bad about two cliffhangers in a row. But that one soon, I hope. (chapter 5 has a lot of the juiciest, long awaited scenes promised by the fic's premise, so I hope you will like that one when it's finally done 😅)

IRL (malec) - Fic that I have a tendency to get stuck on for 15 months, then write a ton of all at once, repeat. But I actually picked it up again the other day for the first time in ages, and I think I know all of the events of the chapter now, so who knows! Maybe I'll actually manage an update!

Subject: I Love You (malec) - Fic that I shamefully left with ONE CHAPTER remaining for a full year now. Honestly not sure why. Someday I will pick it up tho, I swear to god, or maybe I'll just cut the chapter short and make it an epilogue. (Actually maybe I do know why. It's another damn proposal/wedding scene. My absolute weakness and failure, I should stop writing them entirely)

mind & heart, body & soul (malec) - This fic haunts me, it follows me around 24/7 like a vengeful spirit that can't find rest. I can't wrangle it back into making any sense in my head, but for the sake of both my own sanity and the story's frankly frightening number of readers (I love you but you scare me), I've been trying to do one final chapter to offer some kind of wrap-up. Hopefully I can manage it.

Leviathan (malec) - My long held passion project that I have, in classic form, not touched in months. In fact I've been stuck on the same chapter I'm on now since probably 2020, when I first started writing the fic. This particular middle part of the fic is just vexing me to no end. At some point, I will decide on a course of action, inevitably flawed, and just power through that chapter (I say, for the 2nd year in a row). Why did I give this story two big villains again? Or think having a whole separate story arc in the middle of the fic was a good idea? Ah well.

in the palm of your hand (malec) - The one and only multichapter I finally caved and marked abandoned. I learnt my lesson with this fic about letting a oneshot expand into a completely unplanned longer fic. Boy did I...

----

I feel like I don't express it enough, but I really appreciate everyone who's ever read one of my fics, commented, kudos'd, chatted with me about them on tumblr, made podfics or art or translations, shared headcanons in my inbox or your own fics with me... I'm always blown away by the kindness and interest, and love getting to share little (or big!) stories with you and am so happy when you enjoy them ❤️ I love doing fandom with you.

#i'm bad at expressing emotion ack #my fics

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phdmama · 4 months

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im not sure if this is the right place to ask this but do you have any advice about writing or posting fic after nearly a decade? the last time i posted fic it was a very different fandom and i was 13 ish. what i am struggling with specifically is that last time i wasnt really thinking about including themes or accurate characterisations etc. and the new fandom i want to write in is much smaller and has some incredible writers. the prose is so good with incredible diction, different styles and literary techniques.

so essentially i've stalled because im so focused on trying to incorporate these things that i just end up not writing anything. i think its also a general lack of confidence maybe?

thank you :)

Hi pal! Sorry it took me so long to answer you - I spent yesterday shoveling and today at work!!

I feel like there are maybe two different things in your ask here? There's the issue of writing (especially in a new fandom) and then there's the issue of posting and wanting people to actually read your stuff!

I know this is such a cliche but I really do actually believe this, which is - when it comes to writing, YOUR VOICE MATTERS! Sure you can absolutely emulate the work you're loving (and there's nothing wrong with that! I've certainly done it, I think a lot of us have, especially in the beginning), but it sounds like you're maybe forgetting the most important part. Which is this, in my opinion. Your story is valuable because it's YOURS. No one else can tell it. That's where all the stuff about "write what you want, for you" comes in.

What would you write if you could let go of all of the expectations you're burdening yourself with, to live up to other people's writing, and just let yourself write?

In part - it's so much easier to edit than it is to write (at least that's true for me, my fellow writers, PLEASE feel free to add on to this). The first draft is just for getting it out of your head - from there, you can focus on the craft part of it (if you want to!), really honing your narrative and characterizations and whatnot. But write the first draft and let it be ugly.

In terms of breaking into a new fandom, especially a small one, well. I dunno, but for me, I do love some very rare pairs and when I find something new, I get really excited! So I'm betting there's an audience for your work - it might be small, but dang, I bet it's enthusiastic.

For connecting with people, well. @allwaswell16 has really great enthusiasm for self-promotion (and I'm so bad at it, but she's NOT wrong) - write your fic, make a fic post, post it and reblog it. Tag it!

I know for me, I'm probably too shy to reach out to people and say hey! pls read my fic? But if you haven't made some fandom connections as like, a fan, that might be worth doing as well - not to get people to read your work, but to have other fans to celebrate with! I've made some incredible friends simply by shrieking in the comments on the fics and then stalking them on Tumblr to yell at them some more about how much I love their work. (All in complete sincerity too.)

I am pretty bad at Discord and writers groups and stuff, but maybe there are people there to connect with as well?

And like, a thing I want to be really clear about is, it's 100% okay (and like, super normal?? I think??) to *want* people to read your stuff! I write for me, I share it because I want other people to like it too. it does take time to build up those connections usually, but again, I'm guessing that people who love that pairing are going to be excited for someone who's excited to join in.

Anyway, just some off the top of my head rambling - please please feel free to come back if I can be of any other support? xox

#fic writer problems #writing

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