Can we get over the "they leaked lore stuff" thing like it’s not as if ex admins had been going around revealing lore secrets, they exposed how some of the organisation problems and admin mistreatments had translated into lore inconsistencies like :

-Admins not knowing about the eggs disappearing and for how long it would last

-Narrative arcs being dropped/interrupted by other things because the higher ups wanted it

-Pomme being set up for another disappearance as her admin was being sidelined

-Pomme being switched with Egg A1 as it was getting too late for the french ccs to take part in that story

-Prison happening randomly as it was a last minute decision by Quackity

Yeah, above all, these are examples of mismanagement and abuse. Which the ex employees are absolutely allowed to share, especially when no effort has been made to contact them and hear them privately.

And yes, these instances of mismanagement do vary in severity, and some might not look that big of a deal, but they all deserve to be acknowledged regardless.

Like for example: yes, ultimately, it's not that big of a deal IN THE LORE that egg A1 exists to replace Pomme in that one scene. But it means that:

1) quackity didn't plan ahead for this event/lore stream to happen earlier in order for the french ccs to be connected (or he wasn't aware they'd even be involved)

2) he wasn't willing to reschedule that scene another day with a better timing (or no one told him that there was a schedule problem to begin with)

3) the story Lumi likely planned around this death was trashed because either quackity or a higher up decided that it wasn't worth the trouble

It's all mismanagement and lack of respect for the volunteers.

Hey!! Just as a heads up, when i draw sbi (and twinsduo) it’s not in any way shape or form supporting him/his music/lovejoy. They’re my oc’s and have been seperated from the cc’s for ages now okay bye.

omggggg your crying child is sooooo cuteeeeeee more of him pleaseeeee

I’m glad y’all liked his design! I hope to draw him, and the other ghost kids more

Regarding my SBI/DSMP Fics

TW: Abuse, Trauma, and Mentions of Suicide.

With all that has happened, I did want to come out here and make my stance clear. I will always stand with Shelby (Shubble) and all of the victims who are speaking out against Will Gold (Wilbur Soot). If you still support that bastard, unfollow me and leave my blog and whatever small community I made.

I've already stated this is my Discord channel, but I want to put it here too.

For me, c!Wilbur is so far removed from cc!Wilbur that I don't connect the two. The characters are vessels for my own characterizations and stories. It's a bit like writing Supernatural*, Twilight, or Hazbin Hotel fanfics. I don't support the guy, monetarily or otherwise, he does not interact with fanfics, I have plans to be very vocal that I'm on Shelby's side no matter what/make it clear that what Will did is wrong, and I don't use his real life events as plots in my stories. At least, I certainly don't try to. It's why I typically change traits about the characters. (I.e. Tommy is shorter, Phil is taller, Techno is bulky, and Wilbur always has golden/hazel eyes.)

I'm aware that it's a tad different because it's rp and not something like a full on book or an actor in a movie, but DSMP has also been over for over two years and the characterizations I make for SBI are not at all based on the CCs. Real life Techno isn't a literal terrorist, Phil ain't a father married to a goddess, Tommy is not a traumatized child soldier, and Wilbur isn't suicidal and blowing up countries.

I think I'll likely focus more on Techno, Tommy, and Phil for a while, but I'm not gonna let one dude ruin a fandom and things I've made for myself. Nothing I write is ever made for Wilbur, as I've seen people saying. Additionally, Wilbur was not the only writer. Technoblade, Philza, TommyInnit, and so many others made that story what it was. Not him.

However, if any CCs come forward saying they don't want their old characters interacting with his, I will respect that.

Though I do think there is a tendency to take real life events (i.e. Techno's cancer, LJ's music, Tommy's real life parents, etc.) and put them into fiction about DSMP. I, however, don't try to do that and have stated before that I don't feel comfortable doing so. The truth is that we have not gotten any genuine SBI content outside of DSMP for years. The dynamic in real life is very different from what was presented in the DSMP. Did personalities still bleed over? Yes, I'm not going to deny that, but I'm not going to act like they're exactly the same between character and person either. We've had that conversation like in 2021, it's why we have C! and CC!.

The rather sad truth is, SBI is what got me really into writing and it's a comfort for me that nothing can compare to. Obviously, I don't think it's appropriate to be writing certain types of stories right now or to be involving characters made by CCs outside of the DSMP. I think it's up to everyone else to decide on what they want to do, however, rushing it also isn't the way to go either. Give yourself time to heal and think it over first instead of throwing away something that gives you comfort and has not been associated with by the creators for over two years.

Anyways, fuck Will Gold. Fuck the fact that he hurt so many people, and fuck that he lied and manipulated his way around the damn internet. ESPECIALLY fuck the fact that he tried to diminish what he did and not take proper accountability.

Go and support Shelby so so much, she and everyone who spoke out really deserve it. I'm glad silence on these types of issues is not being normalized.

Here is a list of (American) resources for DV help:

TNLR

RAINN

WOAR

Love is respect

The Trevor project

Futures without violence

National domestic violence hotline

Resource on what DV and abuse looks like

*Changed it from Harry Potter to Supernatural because Harry Potter is a significantly worse and more problematic franchise, even just within the content of the books. It'd be better left in the dust. I've talked about it before, but it was the first thing that came to my mind at the time and was a poor comparison on my part, I'm truly sorry for that.

I have so many thoughts surrounding what Fit and Bagi discussed about Phil on stream today, then Fit's realisation it might be the Ender King.

First of all; FitMC, you chef above the rest, you fucking cooked today.

Second I think Fit was our best chance of that connection being made because he is the one Phil has confided in the most besides his own kids. Fit was the person he grabbed when he was convinced he was seeing things. He told the anarchist about the birdhouse plot. He brought him *again* when he saw things his kids didn't see.

Fit, is quite possibly, the only one outside his immediate family that knows the most about the crow and he knows something is wrong.

And of course this is happening the moment before he is also being dragged off to his own mission, but he can't help but worry about Phil's kids alongside Ramon and Pac.

Because Chayanne seemed genuinely worried and Fit took it seriously. He knew something was wrong the moment he saw the duckie-wearing dragon child and how he was snarky but sorrowful with responding where their father is. Tallulah told him she's had better days, and you can tell the moment he focuses up.

[And its delicious. Whenever those cc's focus in, I sit up straight cause its so impressive.]

Fit has some of the most regular content on that server. He sees things and records them, filing them away for later in case he needs that knowledge.

So the moment it clocks in that Phil is being weird enough his children are being outspoken, he engages. They took him aside, especially, and opened up more to their Tio Fit than I have ever seen [except maybe Tallulah with BBH, who now has amnesia, and Bagi, though misguided has a good heart (thinks Phil is a Federation experiment)].

And he's made the best connections using his past knowledge and experiences.

Bagi helped with showing the crying obsidian and comparing it to the markings that spread across Phil's shoulders and back where the backpack hung, and I think that's when it clicked for Fit.

But he didn't want to tell Bagi because he isn't certain and perhaps he remembers Phil stressing this 'him' is dangerous. But the similarities have started to snap into place; especially with crying obsidian being a marker of the End Dimension, or at least drawing his thoughts that way.

Basically at the end of all of this; Fit had the best damn shot of making the connection based on lore from months ago and I am so fucking glad he did cause at least another Islander finally has a name for the fallen god chasing their crow.

I hope to God he or Ramon share this knowledge with another trustworthy source if an emergency comes up [Hoping on Bagi, Etoiles, Cellbit and Pac]. I have never been more proud to call that beautiful bald man one of my streamers, Veteran's Duo understand each other on a level no one else comes close too.

Yes they have their own important secrets. But, when they are themselves, they will trust one another to protect anyone effected if it becomes dangerous. It's been them since Day 1, between the regular visits and missions Fit is the closest brother in arms Phil has.

Despite the crow believing no one will care nor want to get involved due to the danger, Fit, Pac, Bagi and their families are all ready to prove them wrong. Phil sees himself as removed from the rest because he can be rather blind to affection and fondness, his self-blame not allowing him to acknowledge he is cared about.

But he is. And by Goddess will that server prove it, with Fit and Ramon at the front of the pack.

Rockstar Eddie Munson x fem reader head canons (feat Steve Harrington)

Adult content ahead. Only 18+ no minors

(This is my first time posting a fic for the Stranger Things fandom on tumblr. Reblogs and feedback/comments are much appreciated.)

ao3 link for the fic

Corroded Coffin had fans everywhere and people who knew and loved heavy metal became lifelong fans.

Eddie loved to crowd surf, stage dive at any show, and even get into the pit. He was well known by concert promoters and club owners/staff alike.

The first time you saw Eddie play live he connected with you instantly and when it came time to meet the fans he made sure to ask you backstage. Out of all the groupies or fans he could've chosen he picked you.

When Corroded Coffin was the headliner he would put 110% into his performances and you would be sure to take pictures of him and CC because they were the best live band you had ever seen.

Once you got on Eddie's tour bus with your VIP all-access pass he played some unwritten songs and covers for you.

You of course bought all of the band's merch and loved all their designs.

Your job for the band was to help run the soundchecks and sell the band's merch and of course, get big tips from some of the fans.

You loved Eddie for so many reasons and him being a rockstar was just a small part of it. When he was onstage you loved to see his energy as a frontman and lead guitarist.

Most tour dinners were nothing special mainly fast food or easy and fast microwaveable food from the local grocery stores. Sometimes though Eddie took you out to dinner and it was romantic.

Eventually, you and Eddie decided to get matching tattoos of a coffin and his band's logo on your right shoulders.

Neither of you were heavy drinkers but wouldn't turn down free drinks and shots. Eddie's favorite drinks were whiskey and vodka but he loved the occasional beer.

Corroded Coffin toured with some amazing bands including Autopsy, Carnivore, WASP, and Napalm Death.

When you were watching shows with him he would either crowd surf or get into the pit. On occasion, he would hold you during the slow rock ballads.

He may have had a bad boy image to the rest of the world but he was more than a rockstar to you and you understood him completely and he loved how down-to-earth you were.

What started as you being a groupie soon turned into a relationship. It was spontaneous and he was the best mix of gentleman and rockstar.

When guys would look at you he was very protective and made sure to leave his mark and let them know you were his girl only. He would mark you up with hickeys or kiss you and hold you close to him.

You got an "I'm with the band the rules don't apply to me" shirt you would wear to some of the band's shows. He of course got an "I'm in the band the rules don't apply to me shirt" he often wore during some of his shows.

Most of your wardrobe consisted of black clothes and ripped jeans, Corroded Coffin shirts, metal tee shirts, and low-cut tops and fishnets along with platform boots. Spiked jewelry, chokers especially, and spiked bras are also a turn-on for him. Eddie would especially love it when you wore all black and when you chose to pair fishnets, a corset, a leather jacket, and heels together- he almost couldn't resist the urge to rip your clothes off.

He usually pairs a Hellfire Club shirt with cutoff and ripped denim jeans together as well as a denim jacket and Converse chucks or Vans tennis shoes but he always looks good.

He wasn't too much into cover songs but on occasion, the band would be known to cover Metallica and Black Sabbath.

For their headline Halloween hometown show you cosplayed Elvira and he loved it. Eddie went as the devil complete with mask, pitchfork, and cloak.

Neither of you have a particular preference for the type of fan/groupie to hook up with but most of the fans wore dark lipstick and were goth/alternative with low-cut black clothes. He was a sucker for women with pretty eyes though.

So many women threw themselves at both of you and took their tops off at his shows but this was just the normal every-night rockstar occurrence. Bras and underwear thrown at him on the stage happened at every show.

Sex on the tour bus was wild. Whether it be with just Eddie, other girls, men, or couples, you still had a wild and crazy time.

One of your favorite partners was Steve. Even though he was a jock he loved going to Eddies shows and supporting him and he loved to see you. After a few drinks and a joint or two, you and Steddie were fucking in the back of the bus in every position.

All the times you fucked other people together were one-night stands. The important thing was that Eddie was yours and all the sex you had with other people was protected.

He got off on seeing you go down on another woman and please her. For his birthday you let him watch and film you fucking 3 other women. He loved it and came so hard just by jacking off to it.

Being with Eddie and other women on the bus you would either fuck on the couches or in the back room and you could pretty much get them to do whatever you wanted. Being with a rockstar came with its privileges after all.

Sometimes you would just have groupies on the tour bus to suck Eddie off and film them as they did so. They were always willing and eager to please and the whole time Eddie would look right into the camera and smile.

Leather, whips, and bondage were some of Eddie's favorite things as well as pegging and you were willing to oblige and sometimes you were even his dominatrix.

Some of the concerts you attended as VIP because of his rockstar status were Ozzy, Judas Priest, Metallica, ACDC, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

In the recording studio, it was quite the experience especially when he laid down the vocals. He even had you do guest vocals on the album by recording your moans as he fingered and fucked you.

Most of the time you get a chill and relaxed day off just to go do something fun like paintball, play some Dungeons & dragons, go hiking in abandoned places, go to the roller skating rink or the arcade.

Most days after the shows he takes you to the local bar or strip club/burlesque club and tip the dancers very well, have a few drinks, and bring a girl or two back to the bus.

Dustin and the rest of his gang including Will and Eleven go to the local shows and ones that are all ages of course to see Corroded Coffin and Eddie even gives them a special shoutout and side stage access/VIP treatment.

For a while, he had been thinking about getting another guitarist and he decided to hire you. The gift that he presented when you were going to get asked to be in his band was a Fender electric guitar that was purple. He had been teaching you for a while and giving you lessons and would teach you more.

What you saw as most fitting for his next birthday would be a new electric guitar and you got one for him custom-made with his initials and it was blue. He of course loved it and told you it was the best present anyone had ever gotten him.

For his first big band photoshoot, he made sure you went with him and he posed with you scantily clad but very tasteful. You both had your guitars and posed together.

Once Corroded Coffin had made it big you and Eddie got a place of your own. For so long he wanted to be able to move out of the trailer park so he did and you got a nice place that was decorated with so many rock n roll posters, a King sized bed, silk and satin sheets, and curtains/drapery, a music room, a sex room, and even a small custom recording studio.

The new place was missing something and you decided you wanted to get a pet to adopt so you sat Eddie down and talked it over and it wasn't difficult to convince him to get one. Later that week you went to a cat and dog rescue shelter and found the cutest cat that was a tabby.

When you were on tour either Steve and Robin or Dustin would take care of the cat and you and Eddie made sure to bring home lots of toys when you got back.

Once Eddie's band got their big break and finally played a bigger venue and as headliner, he decided to propose to you onstage.

After being newly engaged to Eddie he had a chance to be in a music documentary and brought you along with him for being his biggest muse.

Being with Eddie and in a touring band was what was the best thing for you now and whatever came next you would be ready for it.

tagging @corneliuswatkins @keeryatmosphere @chrrymunson @xxhellfirebunnyxx @bimbobaggins69 @reidsbtch @babygorewhore @inourtownofhawkins @lokis-army-77 @imyourdaninow @ali-r3n @harringtonfan4 @koskeepsake @munson-mjstan @bunnsandroses @take-everything-you-can @eddiemunsons-missingnipple @steveslittlesunflower @emsgoodthinkin @jadeylovesmarvelxo @lofaewrites @zestychili @s6raphic @probablyin-bed @corrodedcorpses @dollalicia @hopsgirl

lemme know if you want to be added/removed

Finally decided to write up a proper post on Bad winning the island popular vote, because it really is such an impressive feat by him. And, obligatory disclaimer, this isn’t to discredit Forever or Etoiles at all, my blog is just here to hype up my streamer. 

Q!Bad started on this island without a family. He’s a single dad, he didn’t receive any connections to other people, and there was barely any unity between English speakers. The trust he built up between him and the islanders is wholly through his own efforts. While a big reason he lost the community vote was because his community is smaller, another was that he had difficulty communicating what exactly his platform was to a wider audience. And that’s what makes his creator vote win even more impressive: the islanders voted him despite a good chunk either disagreeing with his platform or not knowing exactly what it was. 

Bad won that vote through his merit. Yes, a lot of people enjoyed his ideas of anarchy, especially after Gegg and Baghera were eliminated, but I don’t think Bad ever needed a good platform to garner votes. Spawn was completely redone into a warp system by him. He’s the first to babysit an egg, the first to gift totems, armor, or anything else a person asks for. He’s always talking to everyone, hell, everyone wants to talk to him. If the election had been solely based around who the islanders wanted as president, Bad would’ve won. And he would’ve won while still throwing his own two votes towards his biggest competitors. 

I know cc!Bad was disappointed with how close he got, and I hope he knows how impressive it is that he won in two out of the three categories. Now, maybe he can demonstrate why the islanders maybe shouldn’t have voted for him, and unleash the bloodthirst inside him lmaoo. 

Q!Foolish and Q!Cellbit's convo was interesting...

NOTE: All ppl mentioned are the characters not ccs! And all of this is simply interpretation :)

The whole Foolish and Cellbit convo was super interesting, because you can tell Foolish has a different reason for asking his questions. Foolish is super cryptic when he wants to be, and usually likes testing the waters when it comes to doing future actions which is what makes this conversation so interesting! What makes it better is that Cellbit definitely knows theres something behind Foolish's words and questions, but wants to also know more about Foolish in general to kinda predict what he may do in the future in connection with the feds.

FOOLISH: "When I helped you with the castle.. (...) Was I a bad guy for that?"

This question is so interesting, at least for me. Because this means Foolish is curious what Cellbit's morality is, what he views as right and wrong. This also may shed light to Foolish's own moral compass, and also implies him trying to comprehend what others think about certain actions that may consider as controversial. He's trying to find out what others may think if he did something similar, helping a dubious figure that is considered a 'bad person'. This also maybe him trying to confirm Cellbit's full opinion on the federation, especially in terms of someone working with them, whether to infiltrate or side with them. He further tries understanding Cellbit's POV even more! Asking him that despite him fully knowing that Cellbit was a part of the feds, would that consider him bad? Cellbit answered with no, telling Foolish what he thought of him, telling him he thinks Foolish didn't necessarily knew the full consequences of his actions when arresting Pac and Mike, and was simply doing it for fun.

Technically not wrong, but not fully right. He was definitely doing it for the shits and giggles, but also for Mr. Mustard, even more is that he's always curious how people and the feds will respond to certain actions. He definitely knew some of the consequences but not all, especially the intense revenge of Tazercraft.

FOOLISH: "But, what if I do it again?" ('it' being arresting people or doing other tasks for the feds) CELLBIT: "Uhm... That would make me sad" FOOLISH: "Hmm, yeah, I figured as much"

Hmm, even I'm wondering why he's asking Cellbit this since its pretty obvious he wouldn't like it. Maybe to figure out how others including Cellbit will react to him doing something with the feds again, if that would jeopardize another friendship. It's interesting since he clearly knows how suspicious he sounds, but because of how unpredictable he can be, its hard to know if this implies he would work with the feds again or plan on doing severe action again.

FOOLISH: "Do you think its impossible to play all sides?" CELLBIT: "Eventually, It will" FOOLISH: "Yeah, yeah, and you know what? I think I agree with you there, sadly"

What an even more revealing question and answer! Foolish definitely tries to play all sides, since both sides have benefits whether socially or in a more security reason. Foolish agreeing to this is scary and even more dubious, because that means he acknowledges he might need to choose a side soon, knowing that he will eventually be forced to do so. By knowing how Cellbit and majority people may think, he can weigh in on the benefits and disadvantages with both sides. His choice remains a mystery at this point, because of his neutrality, its a hard decision to make.

CELLBIT: "Let's hope you make the right choice when the time comes, right?" FOOLISH: "Hahaha, listen, listen Cellbit. I might be stupid, but I'm not an idiot"

That line goes crazy btw- and reveals even more about him! This implies that he may do some dumb things sometimes, but that doesn't mean he's fully ignorant of people's intentions and actions. He isn't ignorant of the feds manipulative ways, if anything, he's capitalizing on it! He knows he's being manipulated and thats what makes it interesting to him. I think he said this to make sure that Cellbit doesn't underestimate or look at his decisions on the surface level, look deeper, think deeper. Yes, he might be silly at times, but that doesn't make him unaware of what surrounds him. He's signaling this Cellbit because he knows the guy's smart enough to read between the lines.

This convo was so interesting in both perspectives. They're dancing around a topic they know that they will eventually have to face each other off. This'll be interesting to see... I'm excited which side will Foolish inevitably choose!

🐴Once Upon A Time In Chestnut Ridge: A Bachelor Challenge

Meet Dakota Blue Heron, Chestnut Ridge's most eligible bachelor!

Dakota is 29, stands 6'3 tall, living on Crow's Head ranch, primarily a horse ranch that is open for guests in the spring and summer months. The ranch is owned and operated by the Heron family, being passed down through generations for over a century. Kindly, Dakota's parents have allowed the ranch to be used this season, in hopes that the show's popularity will help bring in more guests and customers.

Dakota accepted the network's offer to be Bachelor in hopes of finding a life partner, having little time to meet new people in his regular life. Also because, in his words, "this seems fun!"

Here's a few things he wants potential contestants to know about him: he spends his days working in various different parts of the ranch (in the horse stalls and gardens especially), he grows most of his food and whatever he doesn't grow he sources from local and ethical producers, he loves being surrounded by people (especially those he holds dearly), occasionally hunts (deer and invasive species mostly). He speaks navajo, navajo sign language, english and spanish, and is a tribal member of the navajo nation. Dakota wants kids and is looking for a partner with similar desires to start a family.

Keep reading below for more info!

Likes: fellow animal enthusiasts, physical contact (his love language), his grandmother's cooking, gardening, spending his days outside, being with family, cinnamon, old hollywood films, people who are connected to their families or communities, fry bread

Dislikes: being cooped up inside, snow days, musical theater, cilantro (he's got the soap taste gene), sudden loud sounds, stand up comedy, cold showers, people who don't like getting dirty, cops, cigarette smoke

GUIDELINES:

8 contestants will be accepted

contestants should have at least 5 likes and/or dislikes

contestants have 15 skill points to distribute as they wish

contestants can have 3-5 traits, except for unflirty or romantic, do give them at least one negative trait, it's more fun that way

unfortunately, only human contestants for this one. YA and adult only, any amount of story/backstory, any aspiration except for romance related aspirations, any gender (pleaseeee give them pronouns). include all this information in your entry please.

any cc and outfits, though try to keep to 1 outfit per category. maxis match or maxis mix is fine EXCEPT for alpha hairs, no alpha hairs please.

Download can be private or public, up to you, BUT please include ALL cc in the download!

i own most of the packs except for some of the kits, but i do have the ‘kits made bgc’ so i can replace stuff if needed

i will be changing skin details and giving them more outfits, if you submit a sim you are consenting to have them be changed to fit my sim style. honestly i highly encourage everyone to use sliders and custom presets, i think sims look a lot better with those and i dont love how vanilla presets look tbh

if you do not have the horse ranch pack but would like for certain skills, traits or aspirations from the pack to be used on your sim, let me know and i will add it in game!

tag me in your posts and use the hashtag #chestnutbc

UPDATE:

NEW DEADLINE: AUGUST 14

PLEASE READ:

As stated previously, Dakota likesmasculine-leaning sims. No strict gender preference, but I am looking for masculine contestants. Be it women who are more butch, masc leaning non binary, cis or trans men on the masculine side of the spectrum. Dakota's type tends to be people with muscles, masculine-leaning, who look like they could pick him up and throw him around. Dad types are a plus too. He prefers people who aren't very skinny, who have some meat on their bones. Strong types, protective vibes, and obviously people who can and are willing to work on a farm and live and deal with animals every day, it's not easy work!

Hey Dutch what is your opinion on crises core reunion ? I had few ca tell me it didn’t do anything for zack and aerith relationship it just made things worse ? I don’t know we’re they get that belief from but it’s there opinion. Did you think the story was ok and gave good context on what they mean to each other?

People give too much flack to Crisis Core. I only played the original CC back on the PSP so I can't say anything about whether or not Reunion made it better or worse, but I enjoyed the original. But part of that is because I simply had lower expectations for portable games than I do for AAA pc or console titles. I won't deny that the game has a bunch of stuff that could have been done better (Cough, genesis, cough), but it had its strong points as well. I think some of the basic concepts of Crisis Core are good in principle, like theme of hopes and dreams, and watching how Zack through adversity unwillingly becomes the hero that he always wanted to be. But the execution was often lacking. I love the idea of watching a several friends slowly break, and I think there is potential in tying that story into them being "monsters" and exploring what it really means to be a monster vs being a hero. But again. The way it was handled made it rather ridiculous and overly obtuse. The constant quoting of Loveless, ESPECIALLY without it ever getting a clear meaning that allows the player to connect with it, Angeals random dramatic self-pity, and a bunch of other stuff just made it so that storywise a lot of the bad overshadowed the good. But I played CC for Zack and Aerith, and they were perfect in my opinion.I loved seeing Aerith like an actual 16 year old girl and how her time with Zack rubbed off on her and caused her to start living every day to the fullest. I still think that the scene with Aerith hugging Zack from behind is one of the most romantic scenes in FF, simply because of how viscerally real it is. Her trying to make small talk, him just being there, choosing to mourn in the presence of the woman he loves, not needing to be consoled, but just needing her presence. And then that hug "sometimes you don't need words to tell a person how you're feeling" indeed. This is also a part of the reason I am convinced Aerith was still projecting Zack onto Cloud at the end of Rebirth "our place", "the church", Yeah right. For Cloud and Aerith the church is just a place they happened to spend about 5 minutes at one point, not even the place they met. Meanwhile Zack went there to see her for I think about one and a half years. He goes there instantly in intergrade, he goes there in Rebirth, we see him waiting there for Aerith at the end of rebirth, the core visual for Crisis core was changed to TAKE PLACE IN THE CHURCH. But the Church is Cloud and Aeriths place.....yeah right. Either that is an intentional hint that Aerith is still projecting, or the writing has fallen off a cliff. Then we have the other character moments, Cloud and Tifa pining for each other, the parallels between Cloti and Zerith. Zack promising Aerith he'll come for her underneath the water tower. And my favorite Aeriths "23 tiny little wishes", all encompassed in the one with to "spend more time with Zack". Which is then ultimately fulfilled via Cloud in the OG/rebirth. And then of course there is the ending, my favorite ending of any game ever aside from Nier:Automata. Man I bawled my eyes out. So yeah, I like Crisis Core, it's messy, but it's messy with a lot of gold in it, and for a portable title I think that's not half bad.

hello! quick question about your lore thing (and what would happen after) that you posted on tuesday-

do you believe any of the YHS and EVO stuff is affecting current HC9 Grian in any way? Like, anything he's done so far? Or has he moved on from the memories, the bad things, do you think?

(sorry if this is complicated lol- I'm just honestly curious)

hi! firstly, a big BIG thank you for the question, it absolutely made my day. the thought about someone enjoying the lore to the point where they want to go out of their way to know more warms my heart so much :) secondly, it's all connected. from YHS to HC9 and SL, it is a long story where previous decisions and experiences affect the present. Grian is in a constant growth as a character, so it is likely that YHS and EVO memories don't mean that much (like your memories from 6-8 years ago probably would), but he's human, after all, and we all use our past as a solid base where it comes to our actions and judgments. Grian is an anxious person (it is a fact about cc!Grian revealed by himself, so I think it can be implemented into the lore), and he's got an awful lot of bad experience from his first friendships, so-- in my opinion, it would be hard for him not to worry about his close friends now. it's like an emotional trauma, where the conflict might be gone, but the general view of the world stays. since you might want an example for this... do you remember the whole arc of rivalry with Doc?

the reason why Grian did everything what he did to Doc is because his friendship with Mumbo was involved-- in a very hurtful way. imagine having no good or kind friends in your past, meeting someone like Mumbo, doing everything to keep it all together even through all the tough stuff, wanting to be his one and only best friend and doubting wether you can even be considered one, and then... getting this punch in the face?

Grian was so stressed in this episode. he thought he's ruined everything, it was hard for him to speak after the entrance to Mumbo's base blew up. but he did not say a word about his emotions or his feelings: the only thing he said is that no one can play with their friendship.

you can see that Grian is a reserved person when it comes to emotional bounds, he rarely speaks about it to viewers or -- especially -- to the person directly. the only way to analyze it is through his actions. I think his lack of communication skills in terms of emotions might be something from YHS or EVO, where he swallowed all the bad stuff and hid all his weak spots from others. but he's still very protective of what he might have, and this is the part where everything with 'don't let them push you down' shows.

SORRY FOR MAKING SUCH A LONG ANSWER. I have a feeling that I barely said anything. I only wanted to give you one example of how it might show in the present just to calm your curiosity down a bit, but there is far more of what I can tell about this matter.

I think, either my co-author @bc-jpeg or I will write about S6-9 and Traffic Life SMP's in this lore. stay tuned!

while you're waiting, I recommend: 1. watching LL and LIL POV's from Martyn Inthelittlewood, and then his watchers' lore streams (links: the first, the second). It stems from EVO and it is the main theory for our lore, if you enjoy this nerdy stuff and haven't watched it yet, it is worth it! a lot of content in the fandom is based on it, too. 2. if you enjoy our lore, I suggest reading the otherside disc theory, there is someting about Grian and Mumbo too :)

Love vs. Fate

ACOTAR foreshadowed the whole love triangle with this

Which I believe is the background for this part of this interview - where sure, Sarah may try to play things off:

But I find that interesting, because TOG's ending clearly said this (Kingdom of Ash, Ch.98)

And CC's ending said this (House of Flame and Shadow, Ch. 98)

So isn't it funny that all of SJM's books are all about defying Gods, Odds, and Fate through acts of True Love, aaaand people still think that Elain, Azriel, AND Lucien are just going to do what everyone and that corrupted Cauldron expects and tells them to do in the end because "Sarah's a fated mates author", and because that's what they've been doing their whole lives prior to encountering each other?

Can't people connect the dots and see the real pattern of her books? Because it's pretty frickin' obvious to me.

"What if the Cauldron was wrong?" is just the beginning of fighting for that HEA.

And I am sorry, not sorry, because as of ACOFAS, ACOSF, and the bonus chapters, there's not a single hint of Elain wanting to bridge the gap with her Cauldron-given mate... But rather a lot of her initiating the bridging of a gap between her and a certain Shadowsinger/Spymaster who confirms in his very own POV that he has feelings for her, but has been trying to stay away because he struggles with feelings of unworthiness - especially because a damned Cauldron gave her to another on top of that.

So if Elain's choosing anyone, it won't be because of any mating bond. No, Elain...

I may be primarily pro Elriel but I'm also pro-Lucien, so I want him to be happy too. I just think he deserves someone who readily wants and chooses him back, mating bond or not... So I am pretty sure he's asking the very same questions Az is asking. Sure, Elucien can still happen -there's just going to have to be a great deal of retconning, including ignoring all the build-up and crumbs Sarah has scattered throughout her books to make it feel unforced. But just like with Rhys' or Tamlin's etc. parents, not everyone accepting their mating bond is going to guarantee a HEA. And once Lucien finds out about his true parentage and the truth about the Cauldron, now that he's an exile with no High Lord to submit to... I'm pretty sure he's going to start finally fighting about what he truly thinks is right and his own freedom to choose and to love - something he didn't get to do for Jesminda. And no, it wouldn't be through a Blood Duel for a mate that was "thrown at him".

So there's no need for "I just want ______ to be happy" or "_____ doesn't deserve ______." Because none of these 3 are going to end up without a HEA in an SJM book where a character can barely stay dead for longer than 3 minutes.

HOSAB SPOILERS!!!

So we know that SJM herself said that CC3 will set up the next acotar book.

I think it’s clear with the events of CC3, it’s going to have an impact on the next acotar book, it just makes sense. & I think that the events of acotar 5 will take place after the events of CC3. And we know it’s going to be a time jump from acosf to CC3, but Im not sure we know the exact timeline.

We know that with CC3, it picks up like almost right after CC2 and SJM has changed her stance on whether or not you should read acotar when it comes the CC series and she now has said yes, you will want to read acotar before CC. And if she’s saying that about CC then she might want readers to read CC before the next acotar book as well. Could be wrong tho, but we’ll see once we read HOFAS.

And I think that it’s clear that SJM wrote CC & acosf around the same time. She uses the same wording in certain parts of both stories and I think acosf directly connects to CC the most out of all her books so far.

With this recent teaser we see once again, Nesta and Azriel are being pushed in front when it comes to the acotar characters in CC3, especially since we’ve seen that Nesta and Azriel are a part of a bonus chapter with Bryce. But if you read acosf, I think it just makes sense why Nesta and Azriel are in the forefront. A lot of people keep freaking out about Cassian, saying where is he. He’s probably around but just not with Bryce, Nesta, and Azriel. That doesn’t mean any thing bad has happen to him.

It’s just that Nesta & Azriel’s plotlines are directly connected to CC already, more than Cassian. More than any other acotar characters in my opinion.

Nesta’s story arc is the one that really connects acotar to CC. We heard about the daglan from Rhys in acosf and SJM confirmed that the daglan and the asteri are one in the same.

In acosf Nesta went against a daglan/asteri, Lanthys, in the prison and killed him with her death sword. We also know that the sword gwydion in acotar is the starsword Bryce now has, which was dipped into the cauldron so I also think it’s considered a death sword since that’s where nesta got her power from.

We know that Nesta still has death magic in her. So I wonder if she can still create death swords to help Bryce in some way. Or maybe what if the asteri/daglan can be killed by death magic and that Bryce uses trove since they were cauldron made too and they are also death magic?

Also, the 8 pointed star. When Nesta & Cassian made a bargain, it appeared as a 8 pointed star on their bodies. The harp in the prison sat on top of a 8 pointed star when nesta went to go retrieve it. Bryce has a 8 pointed star on her chest. We got more about the star in CC2 but I think SJM will tell us more about it in HOFAS as well. But this is what Rigelus said about the star:

That star on your chest—do you know what it is?” “Lets assume I know nothing.” Bryce said grimly. Rigelus inclined his head. “It’s a beacon to the world from which the Fae originally came. It sometimes glows when nearest the Fae who have undiluted bloodlines from that world. Prince Cormac, for example.” “It glowed for hunt,” Bryce shot back. “It also glows for those who you choose as your loyal companions. Knights.” “So what?”Bryce demanded. So that star will lead us back to that world. Through you. They overthrew our brethren who once ruled there—we have not forgotten. Our initial attempt at revenge was foiled by your ancestor who also bore that star on her chest. The Fae have still not atoned for the deaths of our brothers and sisters. Their home world was rich in magic. I crave more of it.”

We see that Bryce’s bloodline hails from prythian. And the fae are originally from there. And the asteri want to use Bryce to get back to prythian. Rigelus is also speaking on the war that went on when Enalius, the Illyrian in acotar who fought against the daglan to protect that black stone on top of ramiel. The asteri wants to go back to Prythian to slay the illryians and the fae.

I personally believe that Bryce, Nesta & Azriel are in the prison in the teaser. I could be wrong because obviously illryia can come into play because the Asteri/daglan wanted to get to that black stone so bad during the war for some reason. But here’s why I think they’re going to the prison:

“Danika realized that the shifters are Fae.” Bryce blinked. “What?” “Not your kind of Fae, of course—your breed dwelled in a lovely, verdant land, rich with magic. If it’s of any interest to you, your starborn bloodline specifically hailed from a small isle a few miles from the mainland. And while the mainland had all manner of climes, the isle existed in beautiful, near permanent twilight.” (CC2, 762)

Rigelus is talking about the prison isle. It’s an isle away from the mainland of the night court. We know that the prison isle was there before high lords existed. And we learned that the daglan/asteri were in control before the high lords became a thing until they were slayed by both the fae and illryians. I’m pretty sure Bryce would want to go there to get some answers.

“You are Starborn, and have the Horn bound your body and power. Your ancestors wielded the Horn and another fae object that allowed them to enter this world. Stolen, of course, from their original masters—our people. Our people, who built fearsome warriors in that world to be their army. All of them prototypes for the angels in this one. And all of them traitors to their creators, joining the Fae to overthrow my brothers and sisters. A 1000 years before we arrived on Midgard. They slew my siblings.” (CC2, page 761)

So I wonder if the other fae object is the harp that helped them into this world. We’ve seen that it has many strings and can open doors to places. It makes sense for the harp to be used for them to get into the CC universe. And I of course think that Bryce’s horn is the fourth dread trove. And we see here that rigelus says that they created fearsome warriors that were prototypes for the angels in CC, who are fearsome warriors that already have wings in acotar? The illryians.

Now with Azriel, we know that truth teller is the twin knife to Bryce’s sword. Just for that alone he’s connected to CC. I now believe that Azriel would permanently give Bryce the knife. I just don’t see any acotar characters leaving prythian to go to Bryce’s world. They would literally be out of their element and the knife completes the prophecy in Bryce’s world.

Especially when at one point SJM said HOFAS was split in between prthyian and CC (and I know that could be subjected to change) and I don’t think the acotar characters need to take up many more page time in this story with so many open plot points from the other 2 CC novels that need to be solved.

But anyway, Azriel is an Illyrian. Rigelus (the asteri) himself stated that he and the other asteri bred fae & the demons from Hel in CC to make the illryians. We see that the demons in Hel had leathery wings and so does Apollion, the 7th prince of Hel and that’s why Bryce thought she was in hell when she saw Azriel because of his leathery wings.

We see that the illryians were the prototypes for the angels in CC. And that the asteri want to go back to Midgard and pretty much slay the illryians because they turned against the daglan/asteri in the war and aligned with the fae to take the daglan/asteri down. And the daglan/asteri were trying to get to the top of ramiel for that black stone, which is sacred to the illryians.

The illryians & Illyria are obviously a plot point for CC & could be for the next acotar book. The asteri literally created them. I might be wrong, but I could have sworn I saw some where that SJM pushed back the illryian storyline in regards for Azriel’s story, I could be wrong, but it’s clear that is in unrest in illryia with what happen with the war in acowar and how they’re not happy. Then Cassian and Azriel having illryians come and watch the valkryies in the blood rite qualifier and we know how they feel about women being warriors, and then the valkryies being thrown into the blood rite, the illryians aren’t going to be too happy and I can see a rebellion happening with them.

And if CC3 sets up the next acotar book then to me it’s just seem more likely that’s its Azriel’s, especially since he’s literally going to be in it with nesta, helping Bryce.

Azriel Backstory Theory

Break line because it's long

I try not to get into these ACOTAR/TOG/CC theories too much because it just creates a lot of discourse, but I do want to explain my theory on what I think is Azriels lineage, and why I think his mom is from a powerful/old Fae line, and that he and Rhys are not brothers.

First lets just move Rhys to the side for a moment (sorry bb.) If Az was in fact the High Lord’s son with another woman ,and Az was an illegitimate threat to the future High Lords throne, why not just kill him? Why keep him in a dungeon AND THEN train him to fight AND THEN be cool with it when Rhys becomes close to him? If Az was the High Lords son, he'd either be a threat and killed, or just disowned and thrown into the cold with his mom. Keeping him around makes no sense, especially when he does not have his shadow singing powers until age 11.

(And before we go anywhere else, I am 100% an Elriel, that doesn’t come into play but I just need to make that clear)

So we know Azriel’s family relations are: Illyrian mom, Illyrian Lord dad, step mom, 2 half brothers.

The fact that Az has someone who is in title a “step mom” suggests that his father is with/or was with this person at some points during Azriel’s childhood. The existence of the step mother also suggests two reasons as to how Az’s mom ended up pregnant with the Lord’s child 

Az’s mom was actually his mate and he was with her on the side (unlikely)

Az’s mom was the victim of the Lord’s SA 🙁 (unfortunately likely)

A few points to keep in mind

It’s said in (I think) ACOMAF that his step mom was mean, and so were the half brothers, hence the burning of his hands.

A place called Rosehall was mentioned in ACOFAS and that Az goes there over Soltice

Az’s mom is still alive

Ok so we have to remember that Az was locked in the dungeon from a really young age, until he showed his shadowsinger powers at age 11, when his dad dumped him in an Illyrian war camp. So why was he locked up?

Step mom jealous of her partner's mating bond with Az’s mom: Maybe?! I forget where it’s said but it was the SM and the half brothers who were particularly cruel to Az, maybe it was because the SM was jealous of Az’s mom being the true mate to the Lord and took it out on their love child.

A couple problems: we know males rule in Illyria, so if Az’s dad wanted his mom I doubt already having a spouse would stop him. Also if Az’s dad loved Az’s mom, why would he allow for his sons physical torture, and his mates psychological torture? And if he was mated to the mom, but truly didn’t care about either her or Az, why not just have them killed? Or just disown them and throw them into the cold of Illyria?

2. Az’s mom was SA’d by the Lord: few reasons this could be the background. 1) Illyrian Males, according to Az and Cas, are assholes. 2) Az’s mom comes from a powerful Fae lineage and she is being held captive by the Lord/family

So to sum this up as easily as possible, I think Az was held hostage/tortured in the dungeon because the Lord was using him to control his mother. “Stay here, you get to see your kid once a week.” Easiest way to control someone is to threaten someone they love. If she is from a powerful family, but couldn't leave because of her son, it may explain why Az was in the dungeon. As a pawn in some sort of feud/war. I will also explain the connection to ROSEHALL farther down. 

So when Az gets his shadowsinger powers and is dumped in the camp, why does mom stay? Probably because the other parent is a lord and can easily have someone kill Az? Also shadowsingers are rare and giving him to the High Lord (Rhys’ dad) probably carried a lot of favours between the High Lord and Illyrian Lord. 

So where does Rhys’ mom come in? I think Rhys and Az’s mom’s are related, either sisters or cousins. So Az’s mom is able to get a message to Rhys’ mom saying her son was dropped off at the camp and to look out for him, which is how Rhys’ mom comes to taking care of Az. She was the mate of the High Lord, she probably had some sort of protection, or could protect herself and Rhys/Cas/Az when in Illyria. She would be a good friend/relative to have.

Loose ends:

Rosehall: I think this is the name of the fortress/palace/house where Az’s dad and his step mom and brothers live. As of ACOFAS, I think Az is permitted once a year to visit his mother here over the Solstice, who is still being held hostage/stockholm syndrome at this point. If she was a free woman, why would Az not go see her more often, or it be mentioned that he’s in Illyria more? Is this why he doesn’t go to Illyria because he can’t save his mom? 

Rhys’ dad having a special interest in Az: in ACOWAR, it’s mentioned that the High Lord does not let Az leave his side, it’s because he has rare shadowsinger powers, not because he’s the High Lords long lost son. If the High Lord doesn't let Az out of his sight as an adult fully trained to kill, I doubt he would have been nonchalant about Az in the camp when he was a kid who couldn't even fly.

So that’s just what I think. It’s obviously not perfect and there are some holes, which makes sense because Azriel’s backstory is a giant gaping hole, and we’ve been using a teaspoon to fill it in all these years later. And do you know who is going to be the main character in ACOTAR 5 when we learn the actual backstory? His mate. Elain.

(I lied, she came into play here because ACOTAR 5 is HER book and she is going to slay)

EDIT!

A very valid point was brought up about Az's mom (who I wish we had a name for) was just a servant in the Illyrian Lord's house. in ACOFAS Rhys references after the potato incident about how Az's mom was treated poorly as a servant. My thoughts on this:

Her being a servant does not negate coming from a powerful line, or that she is being held against her will in the household. Just like Sigird in HOFAS (sold to the astronomer), her parents could have sold her/gave her to the Lord as some sort of payment (or tithe) if you will.

If she were truly just a household servant of nothing, and Az is the result of a relation (consented or not) between her and the Lord, why lock him up? Again his shadowsinger abilities had not manifested yet, not to mention he's dropped at the camp when they do. If she were just a simple servant, and Az a biproduct of her and the Lord, why would the Lord/Step mom again not just kill him or toss him out?

excuse me while i ramble on q!philza's lore [pt. 1 of this server has me in a chokehold help me pls]

SO MUCH APPLAUSE TO PHILZA MINECRAFT AND THE REST OF THE SERVER FOR ABSOLUTELY DELIVERING THIS PAST WEEK OR SO

I think this is the first time I've been able to be really invested in QSMP streams, and my gods has it felt like one thing after another, completely nonstop action [which is crazy impressive when you think about, especially considering how I know I'm not even caught up on what's happening which every active character!].

BUT CC!PHIL

YOUR MIND >>>

I'm still caught on how Forever and Philza went out-of-character on their way to the Favela, before their lore interactions PEAKED with q!Forever showing q!Philza the noticeably fake Richarlyson...

LIKE Y'ALL cc!Forever laughed, hopping on that teasing train of cc!Phil having to do lore! Most people know how cc!Phil is good at doing lore, but it's usually not his cup of tea if other things are on the table.

AND YET HE CONTINUED TO BLOW US ALL OUTTA THE WATER WITH EACH STREAM, TOPPING IT OFF WITH THE RETURN OF THE BANGER LINE "A CAGE FOR A CAGE" AND HIM AUDIBLY CRYING-ISH IN DISBELIEF THAT THIS WAS NEVER MEANT FOR HIM TO FIND HIS CHILDREN, CHAYANNE & TALLULAH

i gotta hold my head in my hands y'all because ALL THE DOTS ARE CONNECTING it's so crazy

Religion in the Empires: Fae Squad Edition

General disclaimer that, for the most part, the religions in the empires are not analogous to Christianity at all, beyond the general inevitable flavors that come from both the ccs and myself originating in culturally Christian environments.

The exception to this is a little bit the Rivendell siblings, as the way that was set up in canon and grown in the fandom does lend itself to some very Christianity-oriented looks at religion and religious trauma and, at least to an extent, that will be playing out. It will not be a major theme in anything most likely, but it’s there.

And reminder that the modern western approach to religion is historically unusual.

Katherine:

As Guardian of the Overgrown who is able to communicate with the Spring, Katherine culturally functions as a sort of priestess/conduit for Nature. Its actually a similar role to the one Pix holds in Pixandria in some ways, while being distinct because the Spring is less of a god in a pantheon (like the goddess of death that Pix is connected to) and is instead The Overgrown itself.

House Blossom is only one of the Fae Courts but all of them are more animistic than their more mortally-aligned neighbors.

Smajor:

The reform method of dealing with religious trauma. Is genuinely very religious on a personal level and so is kind of the default royal for presiding at religious events that Xornoth is technically ineligible for (elaborated on below)

On a more general level, Aeor’s church is one of Scott’s favorite places. It was the one place he could hide from his parents during the worst years and even the priests generally didn’t bother him there. When he’s mad at Xornoth it’s where he goes because he knows he won’t be followed. So aside from any religious aspects the church building is a Safe Space for him.

That being said does have some deep-running trauma from the fundamentalist practices and ideals that ruled during his parent’s reign and his childhood.

Xornoth:

“I will face god and walk backwards into hell.” Has a literal god living in their head and refuses to do what any god wants ever. Especially the one in their head.

Their relationship with Aeor is extremely complicated, mostly because they (Xornoth and Aeor) are in a weird sort of stasis where they can’t be openly hostile to each other because that would make Exor happy and Scott sad, which they’ve sort of reluctantly concluded are both things neither of them want to happen, to varying degrees. Xornoth avoids Aeor’s church, Aeor leaves Scott alone and continues to bless Rivendell with the usual level of protection and prosperity and they sort of continue through life ignoring each other.

Xornoth was officially labeled as a blasphemer by the high priest of Aeor under their parents’ rule, technically that was never rescinded but the current high priest doesn’t enforce or draw attention to it. (The main reason it hasn’t been rescinded is equal parts it is technically theologically accurate and Xornoth finds it funny/is very proud of it)

Shrub Berry:

As an inter-dimensional refugee they spent some time existing in a sort of religious limbo. The gnomes were very much about casual worship of the local patrons and she doesn’t know who protects the Undergrove for quite some time. Meeting the Mother Wolf is a huge relief for her, though the close connection that the Mother Wolf initiated was a bit of a shock.

-

Ocean Alliance

Wither Rose Alliance