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sgiandubh · 7 months

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When clueless, silence is golden

I was just browsing around while looking for something completely different and stumbled upon this quintessential Mordorian POV:

Disclosing a username is crass and I usually never do this, unless really necessary and relevant. So spare me the ad hominem argument you usually fumble around with, Disgruntled Tumblrettes. Yet, for all its intellectual paucity, this is interesting dissection material, since clearly this person hasn't got the slightest idea of what she is so confidently talking about.

First scenario at play: The Tasting Alliance, 'a company no one has ever heard of', booked and paid for the suite.

Not necessarily booked, nor necessarily paid, madam. In the real business world you are so clueless about, these arrangements are seldom - if ever - monetized. It's rather all about barter.

That company no one ever heard about - except, perhaps, #silly and totally irrelevant Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2023/04/13/the-tasting-alliance-and-reserve-bar-are-set-to-launch-top-shelf/?sh=b45f7085f6f1) - is the parent company of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), largely acknowledged as at least one of, if not the world's leading spirits award contest. Google is your friend, you should try it some time:

The operative info here is that this evaluation comes from the Beverage Trade Network, a professional portal for spirit dealers. Having determined this, Tasting Alliance's IG number of followers is completely irrelevant, since we are talking about two very different targets, here. Its real leverage and weight on the global market does not really need the boost of an aggressive social media presence and the kind of events it hosts are not your favorite junior hockey league or elementary school cake and bake sale.

Let's look a bit further. It takes one click to get on the Tasting Alliance's website (https://thetastingalliance.com/). Granted, not all the information you need to understand its business model is right there and I had to go dig a bit (not without some help - merci encore!) to even get a grip on how these wheels are really turning.

The way they sell themselves is sober and confident. And completely disinterested in social media impact, to be honest:

So, in lieu of glitz and sequined bras, we have a success story in its own right, which started in Frisco in 1980, then continued in 2000, with the addition of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Further expansion followed in 2018, with the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition and 2019, when Dias Blue set a firm foot on the emerging Asian market, with the Singapore World Spirits Competition.

I doubt an explanatory drawing is needed as to the why of this expansion choice: it's all about baijiu, the old/new Chinese sorghum spirit and the everlasting love of the Far East for anything fermented. Lao-lao, the unspeakable Laotian homemade rice whisky, comes immediately to the mind of this blogger: the last bottle I saw, somewhere along the unexploded ordnance ridden Route 13, had a plump snake inside, as a naïve Viagra of sorts. Took a mouthful and thought I was going to die - but when spending the night in a longhouse with the Tai Lü people, you can't afford a faux-pas, can you? /end of travel memories intermezzo

By all my estimations, The Tasting Alliance is very profitable business. Let's unpack ( for current fees, see source: https://callingallcontestants.com/contest/2023-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition/):

Considering the 500 USD fee /entry (550, in 2023) in the competition and the fact that in 2022 there were approximately 5000 entries in the Frisco spirits' competition, we have a very rough turnover estimation of 500x5000= 2.5 million USD. That figure is just for one of the spirits competitions, mind you, and does not take into account what the winners probably pay for the right to mention their medals on their bottles (I am yet to see them on the SS gin bottles, btw), nor the multiple sidekick profit (e-shop sales, consulting and/or other distribution deals, etc). So, at the end of the day, I would comfortably multiply that base by 4, assuming a similar scale for all the other events they organize, which takes the yearly turnover at around 10 million USD and keeping in mind this is very probably a conservative estimation. I also assume costs are negligible, taking into account the discretion with which major players traditionally operate on that particular niche. Real expenses are probably limited to the activity of a handful of offices, sparingly and intelligently staffed. Advertisement is probably bartered and social media, well... you just saw the effort, haven't you?

But then there's the brand's real power on that market and this is the right time to talk about influence and impact. Perhaps this recent (2021) Men's Journal article will help us see better: https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/inside-the-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition

With a bit of luck, this could happen:

Sounds familiar? Of course and I bet that was S's strategy. If you imagined him doing the same exhausting booze tour every year (groping on top and seriously cringe on the sides), I think you might want to reconsider. I told you Sassenach Summer was a sandbox for more serious things to come and until now I have no reasons to change my mind. He did it for a reason and, mind you, that reason is not that the booze did or does not sell. It does. Restaurants start to feature it. Podcasts are being produced. The press starts to mention it (that recent New York Times article is evidence enough). This is not Lucky Luciano dealing in bootleg alcohol during the Prohibition and making obscene money over a fortnight. This is a serious business project that was delayed by COVID. That's all. And it takes time and patience and consistence. We know he has all those aplenty.

We also have the totally inane take on production costs for that podcast. It suddenly made me remember again my media expert past. It is with complete and educated confidence that I tell you: a potential 5K USD extra cost for renting that damn suite for the day is peanuts, even for a two-minute clip (let alone, in reality, a podcast interview, and I stand corrected if wrong), if such costs are covered by The Tasting Alliance. But my money is on a barter with The Shutters on the Beach, which would be, again, common business practice.

Second scenario: 'Shutters comped the room for free promo (...) for an actor most people haven't heard of.' You can throw timelines down my throat as many times as you wish and tell me he already stayed there several times and yell and screech, but here is what I think. Shutters didn't comp that suite for S, an actor most people haven't heard of, a decent, hard working start-up entrepreneur. If so (I doubt it), it would be logical to think Shutters comped that suite for The Tasting Alliance, which has a long documented history of partnerships with hotels that host their competitions:

So Shutters might have comped that room for a major player of the alcohol lobby world, happy that S, a returning client, picked them out of several possible options, because it was convenient. I don't believe for a second he stayed there.

This guy knows what he's doing and C's gin success completely depends and I bet will rely on that relentless networking effort. If anything, the Keepers of the Quaich recent development is only confirmation of all the above. But that's another story - very soon on this page.

IYKYK. The rest is uneducated cackle. But Mordor people were never the brightest bulbs in the fandom's chandelier, were they?

#BoozeWars

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atticsandwich · 9 months

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more than they can say

pairing: mephistopheles / gn!mc

established relationship (with mephisto), implied poly!mc, mostly fluff [+ slightly suggestive themes (nothing explicit nor descriptive), with a touch of angst at the end]

seeing your skin decorated with the sigils of seven of the most powerful demons in the Devildom instills a bubbling array of emotions within him, and he finally gives in to fully showing his commitment for you.

[set in the OG timeline, pre-nightbringer]

a/n: a part of this mentions how many years it has been since the start of the exchange program, it's a rough estimate, so if you think i'm wrong pls just ignore it lol

btw, my requests are still open!

Mephistopheles' office in the newspaper club room is a quiet respite from the chaotic hallways of RAD, and usually he'd keep the peace for himself, too engrossed in his own work to care about Levi's yelling at Mammon to return his wallet, or the shriek of terror when Raphael rains down spears when he gets pissed. You hold a special exception, however, and use that privilege as often as you can, casually barging in during lunchtime - to annoy him again, as he would accuse - but never with any bite as to actually deter you from coming.

Despite stepping down from being club president some time ago, he's still very much active in the club, as shown by the multiple drafts and article proposals strewn across his desk. You'll often read some of them for him, and most of the time he'll roll his eyes, take the proposal from your hands, and crumple it before tossing it to the bin - his standards are high, as always.

It wasn't always like this though; you and Mephisto had a rough start on your... friendship, and it really wasn't until you became a member of the student council that he started warming up to you, before inevitably falling for your human charms, as Asmo would call it. Initially he took that phrase literally and seriously thought you cursed him with some infatuation spell, and it took Diavolo laughing at his face to realize that yeah, he was kinda stupid for thinking that - Satan's words, not his. You followed him when he stormed off the student council room that day, and you remember the flush of his cheeks when you confronted him at the gardens, how you implanted in your memory the very first time you felt his lips on yours, his hands desperately holding onto you as if the moment he'd let go, you'd run off elsewhere.

Mephisto is a prideful demon - proud of his status, his strength, his influence, his family; he takes great care in cultivating and maintaining his public image, only acting beyond what is needed during pressing matters. It's why he thinks the concept of pacts goes directly against his values, and for that reason, deems it sacrilege; maybe it's the thought of someone having complete dominion over you should they choose to act as such, or the thought of being bound to another until their souls gets harvested by the reapers - either way, he's never given it a passing thought, even when some high level witch or sorcerer called upon his name using some rudimentary summoning circle.

You asked him about it once, from before you established a relationship with him.

"Pacts? Let me tell you this ahead, human. Those brothers may have willingly given themselves to you, but do not view me the same way you do them."

You've never brought it up again, respecting his feelings on the matter.

"Hey," your thoughts come back to the present with sound of his voice. Turning to him, you cast a questioning glance.

"Yeah? Did something come up?"

"No, nothing like that," he rises from his table, piece of paper in hand. He hands it over to you, signalling you to read it. You eyes quickly scan through the paper, an article proposal of some sort.

"Hm?" you raise your brows in interest. "An interview about having pacts with the demon brothers?"

"Initially, I wanted to toss it aside, but considering that ever since the exchange program, more and more demons have been interested with pacts and such," he explains, although you sense hesitancy in his voice.

"So I assume this interview would be about me?" you inquire.

"Well, yes. Solomon does have a pact with one of the brothers, but I think the student body is more interested about the human who has pacts with all seven of them."

You pause, giving the idea some thought. On one hand, it could prove to be helpful in helping other students understand how pacts function, at least in your case. On the other hand, pacts in general seem to be a very touchy subject for some demons, having polarizing opinions across the board.

"Of course, you are in no obligation to accept. Don't feel like you have to do it," he assures, giving your head a little pat.

You shake your head, a decision already formed. "No, no. I'll do it. I think the pros outweigh the cons enough."

He quirks an eyebrow up, intrigued. "Well, if you're sure about it, then..." he pauses for a while, hesitant. "...I'll have your interview scheduled. I'll text you the details tonight."

It isn't long after you return home to the House of Lamentation that your D.D.D. lights up with Mephisto's name on the screen, a detailed text sent about the interview.

Friday, after class, newspaper club room. Interviewer: Mephistopheles

You send back a quick reply, thanking him for the information, although you have to wonder if he pulled some strings to be the one interviewing you. It'll be a more personal confrontation, so you wouldn't be surprised if the noble demon insisted he be the one to record everything, despite the proposal not being his in the first place. Regardless, you don't dwell on the thought for long, and go on with the rest of your day.

When Friday comes, Mephisto shoots you another text, reminding you about the interview. You assure him that you'll be there, although a bit later than expected as Lord Diavolo asked you to help you sort through some files in the student council room. He puts up no complaints and urges you to finish as fast as you can, to get this over with, as he says in the text.

"I've heard from Mephisto that you'll be interviewed today regarding your pacts?" Diavolo inquires while the two of you go through some documents. Barbatos is somewhere in the corner, arranging some more files for Lucifer to go through at a later time.

"Yeah, I thought it wouldn't hurt to do," you answer. "Plus, there's been a lot of interest lately regarding my relationship with the brothers lately, so I thought it'd be better to go for it now rather than have some random rumor go around."

"Hm, you do have a point," he takes a sip of tea from a cup right next to him, thoughts elsewhere rather than the stack of papers in front of him. "I must admit, even I'm curious about how you went through with it. I only know of Lucifer's since I asked."

"Nothing special, for the most part, really. Although funnily enough, Lucifer helped me out with Mammon's," you laughed, recalling the entire Goldie-in-the-freezer debacle.

"Hah, it sounds like a good story. I'll be looking forward to reading the interview!"

The newspaper club room is empty, save for a lone demon steeping a select brew of tea. The smell indicates that it's your favorite, and a smile graces your lips as you approach the demon from behind, careful not to alert him of your arrival. You feel him freeze for a second the moment you wrap your arms around him from his back, but he immediately relaxes once he realizes who the perpetrator is.

"You're late," he chastises, but there's no bite to his voice. You release him from your hug and approach his side, eager for the tea he's brewing. He catches on fairly quick.

"Go take a seat, I'll bring the tea over once it's done, then we can start the interview."

You hum in acknowledgment, shuffling your way to one of the room's lounge couches. It's rare that the club's main room is this quiet, as usually there's always someone else typing away at their keyboard, or cursing at the printer for not working. Mephisto follows not long after, placing the tea set at the table, pouring you a cup before he does for himself, and takes his seat on a chair in front of you. He stations a recorder in the middle, taking a notebook and flipping through its pages, landing on what you assume to be the pre-prepared questions.

"Whenever you're ready," you signal to him. Nodding his head, he clicks the record button on the recorder, clearing his throat to start.

The start of the interview goes without a hitch - Mephisto introduces himself and you, and he asks fairly simple questions to start. You answer all of them in stride as he jots down any important details in his notes. A little while later is when the heavier questions come in.

"Since you've joined the transfer program roughly three years ago, you've made your own mark on the Devildom. Among such achievements was gaining pacts with all seven avatars of sin. Can you tell us how you went about it?"

"Well," you pause, in thought. "My very first pact was with Mammon, who was assigned to take care of me when I first arrived. Truthfully, I gained his pact in more or less a bargain involving a credit card. It's a long story," you take another pause to laugh at the memory. "Next was Leviathan, who made a pact with me after I beat him in a TSL trivia contest."

You then recount how you made pacts with all the brothers as accurately as you could, refraining from going off topic, as much as you wanted to tell the story of how Satan and Lucifer switched bodies.

"Finally, Lucifer made a pact with me on the last day of the exchange program," you end with the eldest, softly reminiscing that night in his study. "It was... a night I would never forget."

"I see..." Mephisto doesn't miss the tone change of your voice when you say that, and it took all of his willpower to prevent his emotions from showing on his face - keep it professional, he chastises himself in his head, but the more stories you recount of how you got your pacts, each one just as significant as the last, the more emotions start to bubble in his gut. He swallows it all down, pretending to be unaffected, and proceeds with the interview.

"How very... insightful," you notice the slightest bit of bitterness in his voice, although you chalk it up to your hearing, unaware of the mental turmoil going through Mephisto's head. He breathes in, clearing his throat to compose himself.

"Was there any particular reason why you wanted to have pacts with them?"

"Hm..." another pause. You're aware you have to be careful on how you answer this, as the incident with Belphegor has never left the walls of the house.

"I was... trying to help a friend out, initially," you construct a reason while also trying to be truthful. "But eventually it went from that to my pacts being a symbol of who I am to them, and them to me."

"Could you elaborate further?" he presses.

"The brothers are important to me, and I to them. Having pacts with them means that even if we're realms apart, we are always connected. At least, that's how I view it," you smile softly. "I can't control how other humans use their pacts, but to me, it transcends having a demon on your beck and call. It's a two-way street grounded in communication and mutual understanding."

"I... I see."

The air is silent for a moment, the quiet ticking of the recorder being the only backdrop. You glance questioningly at Mephisto, who seemed to be deep in a daze.

"Mephisto?"

"Ah- Sorry," he composes himself, fixing his posture. "I got lost in thought for a second, I apologize."

"It's okay," you assure him. "Do you have anymore questions?"

"Y-Yes," he drifts his eyes back to his notebook. "Your... uh, pact marks, do you keep them visible?"

"Some of them are pretty easy to hide," you start pointing at different areas of your body. "But they're pretty easy to hide with magic. Solomon taught me how to."

"Is there... a specific reasoning for the placements?"

"For the most part, yes. Although... when I made my pact with Mammon, it was a bit haphazard, so we didn't really get to think it through."

The demon across you nods, his eyes fixed on yours. As if in a trance, you hold the gaze along.

"Last question."

He inhales.

"If... If another demon were to ask for a pact with you, how would you respond?"

"Well..." you start, formulating a thought. It's an odd question, and you can't help but think there was some underlying meaning to it. "...It depends. Unlike Solomon, I'd rather only have pacts with demons I... hold with personal importance."

He nods silently, although you don't miss the way his shoulders release from tension, almost in relief. He reaches over and clicks stop on the recorder, signifying the end of the interview.

"Thank you for your time. It was... an insightful interview," he stands up, patting his school coat down.

"Is there... something else you wanted, Mephisto?" you inquire, noticing the way he keeps glancing and looking away from you, sensing hesitancy in his person. He responds with a sharp inhale, walking over to stand in front of you, kneeling down to your level.

"Mephisto...?" flustered and confused, you allow him to take your hand, his temperature chilly. You can tell he's nervous about something.

"May I... May I see your pact marks?"

You didn't expect the question, and for a moment you stare at him in surprise. His eyes though, are transfixed to yours, sincere in his request.

"I... I don't mind, but may I ask why...?"

"It's simply... out of curiosity. I won't push you if you're uncomfortable with it."

"No, no, it's fine," you assure him again. Slowly, you start unbuttoning your school coat before he assists you in taking it off, folding it neatly to the side, all still while kneeling in front of you. You roll the sleeves of your inner shirt, unbuttoning the first few buttons, unsure if you should continue. You look at him, his face flustered, as he mumbles a soft "you don't need to take it all off." Laughing lightly, you take his hand, chanting the spell to undo the concealment of your pacts. One by one, they appear across your skin, as he glances upon each one as they show.

The marks span scattered across your entire body, from your arms, to your chest, to your back. Mephisto takes his finger and traces around them, being particular about not touching them. He furrows his brows when he comes across a prominent mark - Lucifer's, easy to tell with its commanding presence on your skin. You shudder when he encircles its perimeter, still careful not to actually touch any of it. He stops when he reaches your wrist, grasping it lightly with both of his hands, before bringing it to his face as he plants a kiss where your pulse is. If your face wasn't already red - your entire body is now, too.

"Mephisto...?" you whisper, yet his eyes still linger on the space where he planted a kiss.

"Would you... would you laugh at me if I asked you to make a pact with me?" his voice quivers, hesitant, yet clear. He raises his head to meet your eyes, and you chalk it up to your imagination when his looks fiercely verdant, even more so than usual.

You take your free hand, cupping his cheek. He leans into your touch, but his eyes don't waver, anticipating an answer.

"Why would I laugh?" you finally respond.

"I've told you before why I deemed pacts unnecessary... Yet, when you speak about yours, I can't help but long for a stronger connection with you. I fear it's... quite unbecoming of me to feel this way," he breathes out, as if he's been holding it in his entire life. Leaning forward, you kiss the space between his eyes, and he hums in gratuity.

"Mephisto..." his eyes return to you, as the grip on your hand becomes firmer.

"Would you like to make a pact with me?"

His response is wordless, taking your wrist he's been holding this entire time. Bringing it close to his face once again, he closes his eyes, as you feel the familiar surge of magic seep into you when a pact is formed.

"From now, until the end of our days," he whispers, setting your hand down. A new sigil on the wrist pulse where he kissed makes itself known to you, his fingers mindlessly tracing it like a familiar memory.

"I am yours," he finishes.

When you lean down to meet his lips in a desperate kiss, you feel him smile, and he tastes the tears that run down your face from his bold profession.

Mephisto is, as usual, at his desk in the newspaper club room. It's one of those nights that demanded his full attention, deadlines fast approaching, so he works overtime, going through and proofreading every article before gaining his final stamp of approval.

He stands up stretching, eager to take a break from his workload. Noticing the empty teapot on his table, he takes it to brew another batch of tea. He scans his options until he lands on a familiar brew - your favorite. Smiling to himself, he takes said brew, preparing to steep it to accompany him on the final leg of his work.

That is, until a sharp jolt passes through his chest, prompting him to drop the pot into countless pieces as he keels over in searing pain. It's unlike anything he's experienced before, almost as if something is being ripped off of him.

It's then that he finally notices.

Initially thinking of it as a trick of light, he hurriedly rips off his gloves, to where his pact mark with you was etched - on his wrist, the same space where he gave you his mark.

It's gone.

It's gone, and he can't feel you.

Scrambling to his feet, he races back to his desk, uncaring of the mess he's making, throwing the documents across the room to finally, finally get to his D.D.D.

Before he can even open the thing and dial for your contact, the screen lights up.

Lucifer's calling.

He's thankful that the hallways of RAD are completely empty at this hour, as the moment he hangs up on his call with the demon of pride, he lets out the most anguished, distressed scream the academy's walls will ever know, your name buried in echoes.

a/n: after rereading i realize the ending might imply you died, but no i promise it's just a cheeky little way to connect to your disappearance in nightbringer help

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me mephistopheles #obey me mephisto #obey me x reader #obey me mc #mephistopheles x reader #obey me fanfic #mephistopheles x mc

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monsoon-of-art · 3 months

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What’s daily life like for the main three hero ocs?

(i love all of your ocs so much btw they’re so fun to learn about!!)

this was a fun little thing! I put it under a read more, note these are probably rough time estimates!

Olivia (Dragonfly) wakes up around 9 am, feeds her pet insects (still TBD), and starts her day job of being a coding freelancer. She eats a healthy breakfast and checks the news while she works, to make sure nothing super crazy happened while she sleeps. At noon she takes her lunch break and watches TV with Clay and talks to her friends over text. At 3 she clocks out to exercise and train. If it's one of her Yoga Days, she'll go to the rec center to do yoga with her gal-pals, and maybe get coffee after. She'll kill time until the sun sets by checking her gear and the police radio. Once the sun sets, she begins patrols as Dragonfly. She'll continue patrolling and stopping crime until around 4am, where she'll try to retire to the evening to get some sleep. If there's problems she'll obviously try and stay awake.

Clay's schedule mostly revolves around Dragonfly; waking up with her, helping her make breakfast, watering the plants. When he has downtime, he'll "study culture" (watch television) or looking up words in the dictionary/thesaurus. He stays home when Dragonfly goes out, but when she's ready to go patrol, he follows. He sleeps when Dragonfly sleeps as well.

Cornelius (Hayday) wakes up at 6am, showers, gets dressed, and has some coffee. He then walks to work. He works full-time as a cashier, so around 8 to 5pm. He walks home, maybe buying groceries if needed. He cooks dinner for him and his Ma, and the two watch television together. He waits for his Ma to to to bed (Around 6-7pm), and he tinkers with his broom in the meantime. Once his Ma is asleep, he leaves out his bedroom window and the fire-escape to do...Hayday things lol. If the night is uneventful he tries to return home around 3am, and he crawls into bed.

#myocs #dragonfly #clay #hayday #theyre very busy people #neon hero

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insertdisc5 · 1 year

Text

Devlog #10: Questions and Answers

Hello everyone! Welcome to this month’s devlog!

If you just stumbled upon this, I am Adrienne, also known as insertdisc5! I’m the developer, writer, artist, main programmer, etc of the game. The game being In Stars and Time, which is the next and final game in the START AGAIN series, following START AGAIN: a prologue (available here!). You can find out more about In Stars and Time here!!!

LET’S GET TO IT. This devlog is all about questions!!! So many questions!!! I’m gonna answer them all!!!

Happy 2023, everyone! It’s the year of In Stars and Time! In Stars and Time will release sometime this year on PC and Nintendo Switch! I hope you’re excited!!! In the meantime…

Nothing much to talk about this month! I am still fixing bugs, playtesters are still playing, etc. So… here’s another Q&A (Tumblr asks edition)! They're mostly characters/story based, because that's what Tumblr is all about. No spoilers though, I promise!!!

(PS: you can ask me questions whenever on tumblr btw teehee)

Anonymous asks: Hi!! Thank you for making such a wonderful game with lovely little characters!! I spin them in my head like microwaved macaroni. Can I ask what everyone's hobbies are? And their deepest fears? (If that's not too spoilery) Also have a good day!!

Siffrin likes to do wood carvings! Isabeau likes fashion, designing clothes, sewing them, that sort of thing. Bonnie likes to cook! Mirabelle and Odile both like to read- Mirabelle is a horror fan/YA type stuff, while Odile prefers non-fiction.

As for their fears, most of them are spoilery, but Odile is really afraid of heights.

Anonymous asks: I am DYING to know what that rope is on Mirabelle's outfit is, it's sometimes visible and sometimes not and I don't know what it's attached to?? I want to draw her but this rope!! Is getting me

It’s a rope that works as a belt! It goes around her waist, not her hips. It’s so her dress isn’t all flat and boring

Anonymous asks: oh DOES Sif like wearing slippers?? They seem like a slippers guy. Also what small things ticks the characters off?

YOU FELL INTO MY TRAP!!!!!!!!!!! Siffrin prefers socks. Mirabelle is the one who wears slippers.

Hm… I think saying those would be spoilers also, so I’ll just say that Odile hates when people keep secrets from her.

Anonymous asks: What is each party member's favourite season? While we're at it, what's their favourite kind of weather?

Hm… I think Siffrin is split between winter and summer (they have a good cloak that works for all kinds of weather!). Mirabelle’s and Odile’s are fall. Bonnie’s is summer (coastal kid!). Isabeau hears everyone say every season except spring and picks spring.

They all prefer sunny weather for different reasons. Siffrin because it’s easier to travel when it’s nice outside. Bonnie because they like the sun. Mirabelle because she likes to read outside under a tree, same with Odile. Isabeau because “being under the sun gives your skin a healthy glow!”

Anonymous asks: Questions! Do you have a rough estimate for how long the game will be? If this isn’t a spoiler, how did the gang all first meet? And if it is a spoiler then… what’s each of the gang’s favourite colour?

I don't want to give any numbers just because playtimes will vary drastically depending on the way you play, but I can confirm ISAT is SIGNIFICANTLY longer than START AGAIN: a prologue!!!

For the gang meeting, first Mirabelle went traveling to try to save Vaugarde, then she met Isabeau in Jouvente, then they met Odile while traveling, then they met Siffrin, and then they met Bonnie. The nitty-gritty details aren’t really that important so I haven’t thought about it much. Most of the details on how they met will be found early in the game, so you won’t have to wait hours to know!

As for their favorite colors (Looks at the game. The game is in black and white) Think you’re funny, huh? HUH!?!???! NEXT QUESTION!!!!!

felikatze asks: how did siffrin obtain their fantabulous hat? and who is your favorite character to draw?

Siffrin was born with this cool hat. Popped right off with it on. And Siffrin is my favorite to draw, with Mirabelle a close second. Bonnie is my least favorite to draw within the gang but I still love them dearly. The King is my least favorite to draw period

inverts asks: why does siffrin wear gloves? what's loop's favourite food? what's the KING's favourite food? teehee

Bunch of reasons, but really the two main ones are 1. Looks cool and 2. Keeps them from biting their nails.

Thank you for the Loop question. No one asked about Loop!!! If Siffrin asked them their favorite food, Loop would say “bananas”. But is it true? Yes. But is it? Yes, for sure. But? Yes.

The King’s favorite food are uuuh (I go through my rolodex of foods) carambolas. Yeah

Anonymous asks: what are the gang's favorite hot cocoa toppings?

I don’t know enough about hot cocoa toppings to answer this, so have their favorite nonalcoholic drinks instead. Siffrin doesn’t think they have a favorite drink but really it’s sugarcane juice, Mirabelle’s is either tea or orange juice, Isabeau’s is probably milk or something, Odile’s is tea (but it’s gotta be expensive), Bonnie’s is pineapple juice.

Anonymous asks: whos the shortest (besides the kid) and tallest of them all?

Within the crew, Siffrin is the shortest (besides Bonnie), and Isabeau is the tallest! The real tallest is the King, of course.

Jovial-gender-jester asks: did the kid & their sister ever cook together?

Their sister taught them how to cook, so yes!

Anonymous asks: will we learn more about how Siffrin damaged one of their eyes?

Yes :)

Anonymous asks: what’s your opinion on speedrunning isat/saap from a lore perspective? as in, what do you think goes through siffrin’s head when they decide to do it?

>:3c teehees evil-y (⬅has added an item and lore made specifically for speedrunners)

Anonymous asks: is the gang gonna be okay. are they gonna be happy

>:3c I teehee evil-y once more

Anonymous asks: Is there a map of the world? Where are things exactly (e.g. where is Ka Bue compared to Vaugarde (?) ?)

Have this map I drew early in development of the countries around Vaugarde. The story doesn’t really need me to know about The Whole Map so I didn’t think about it. I only figured out two neighboring countries’ names too so I could say other countries’ names for Worldbuilding Reasons (as in, to show Vaugarde is a country inside a world, and not just The Only Country In The World), but I do see Vaugarde as being surrounded with many other ones. Could’ve figured out more country names, but two is a good number. Ka Bue is on the other side of the world- Odile has been traveling for A While. For country sizes here, think European countries!

jovial-gender-jester asks: is it alright to ask how you came up with craftonomy? it was cool realizing it's different from craftology, and maybe has no bearing? the concept's fascinating!

Welcome to insertdisc5’s brainstorm theater

Hi I am insertdisc5 and I am making the prologue> ok i need a magic system for this world > fuck i can’t use basic fire water grass because one of my puzzles is all around finding a fire > ok well every magic system in rpg games is just rock paper scissors really > so… why not… just… rock paper scissors > ok but what kind of world comes up with that tho > so maybe it’s all around Creating Things… you can make all kinds of art with rock (sculpting) paper (art, writing) and scissors (uh… idk cutting things) and i kind of like the idea of magic being something similar to art, so let’s call it Craft > ok now i need to create events with every fucking thing i added to the maps, and also explain the world a bit more > the study of craft… craftonomy > hey you know how you have astronomy (studying space) and astrology (adding meanings to constellations, horoscope) so it’d be funny if it was the same, it would be a funny joke > craftonomy (studying craft) and craftology (“if you’re rock type you’re probably very strong but gullible hehe”) are born

Punkitt-is-here asks: How is RPGMaker treating you ⬅(best wishes)

Rpgmaker is my little cat that stays on my lap cutely and doesn’t even scratch me anymore. This is in big part thanks to my programmer who takes care of the really hard code for me teehee (THANK YOU ISABELLA!!!)

hummingcrows asks: How do you stay motivated!

I genuinely don’t have a helpful answer for this, I don’t find it hard to stay motivated to finish things in general… The few times I felt discouraged, I just either went “ok what’s like A Small Thing I can finish today, so this day isnt a total wash” even if it’s just doing one sprite, or “what’s one thing that would make me really happy to add” like a small scene or something, or just making the chairs’ backs rounder for Lore Reasons, and then I do it, and I am happy, and I am motivated

Anonymous asks: what was it like converting the character designs to game sprites? did they transfer easily or was it difficult?

Pretty easy! Outside of Siffrin (who already has a very simple design), I knew I would have to convert them into sprites, so I knew I couldn’t go too detailed with them. Even with their first concept art, I made sure to doodle them as sprites as well so I could make sure they would look distinct from one another!

(Very First Concept Art for everyone except Siffrin. Got their faces first try! (Except Bonnie))

Honestly the main problem was with their height… In the prologue, they all are very small, since I used a 48x48 size, and Siffrin has a MASSIVE hat that takes almost half his size, so all the other characters had to be drawn relative to Siffrin’s size, which meant I couldn’t add as many details as I wanted. I’m glad that for In Stars and Time I found a way to make the sprites taller (they’re 48x96 now, but I’m not using the full height), so now they are all cute and not squished.

(Some of the first sprites I did for the prologue. Look at how squished everyone looks!)

(Profile sprites for In Stars and Time)

roebeanstalk asks: Have you run into any mechanics you've been excited about, but have decided it's better to save them for a future project to keep this one going? Kind of a "kill your darlings" but for game mechanics?

I’m very happy to say that I’ve managed to add all the things I wanted to add to the game! It helped that there weren’t that many mechanics I wanted to add in the first place lol. I even had time to add one I scrapped early in development because it wasn’t that important! But it made me happy to add it so it’s in now!!!!

galaksyz asks: how many siffrins must be stacked on top of each other until they overtake the eiffel tower in height (ok i just wanted to give you the mental image of the Siffrin Pillar)

actual question: once the game is released, what part of fan reactions & creations would you look forward to most/what would you hope for most?

i think it would be awesome to see fan comics or animations, or OST remixes, or YT playthroughs, analysis/essay videos, maybe AUs... if you had to pick just one of those sorts of things, what would it be that you'd like the most?

212.9 Siffrins. Thank you for asking

And I genuinely love every single fan reaction/creation I've seen so far!!!! I have many folders filled with everyone's reactions/creations that I love to look at when I feel down :')

Fan comics definitely have a special spot for me in my heart tho... Those were always my favorite kind of fanarts to make, as a fanartist myself. The comics I’ve seen from the prologue already make me so so so happy!!!

And also, people just writing about the game… Like, just about things they like, things they’ve noticed, or theories they have, there’s also been a few and they just make me so happy. My brain goes on a loop of “yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah”. This is why I love the theories channel on the discord so much hehe, I tried really hard to add little breadcrumbs so it makes me happy when people pick up on it!!! And someone made a post that was just a list of everything they liked about the prologue and it made me so happy it felt like I was floating for a week hehe

pixxyofice asks: I am always curious about gamedev struggles. So... how hard is it to fix bugs for this game in particular? With the time looping I bet it would be hard to figure out maybe.

Uhhh and also what are each member's favorite colors?

Not that hard! I haven’t done a lot of Big Weird Code inside of rpgmaker, so any bugs are usually because I messed up a switch or variable, so it’s just a matter of figuring out the problem and changing one (1) thing. As for finding out there’s even a bug, that’s what QA and playtesting are for!

Bugs related to the time loop mechanic have (FOR NOW?!?) all been taken care of, so the bugs now are mostly related to choices, since some choices appear/disappear depending on where you are in the story. So sometimes I get a playtester like “hey Adrienne, i don't understand this choice i'm getting here”, and it’s because i messed up and it shouldn't be here yet. OOPS!

As for their favorite colors (I look again. The game is STILL in black and white. I try to run towards you but I'm held back) lemme at ‘em, LEMME AT ‘EM– (a few minutes pass, I calm down) Ok. What's the last question?

itr13 asks: what's everyone's favourite colors?

…..

Mirabelle’s would be a warm pink, Siffrin’s black, Odile’s dark green, Isabeau’s sunflower yellow, and Bonnie's black (but really, light blue). ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!?!?

That’s all I have to say for today! Let me know if you have any questions, or if there’s any aspect of the game development struggle you’d like me to talk about! See you next time!!!

AND DON’T FORGET TO WISHLIST THE GAME ON STEAM ALSO IT REALLY HELPS BECAUSE STEAM’S ALGORITHM IS MORE LIKELY TO SHOW OFF GAMES WITH A HIGH AMOUNT OF WISHLISTS THAT’S THE REASON WHY GAME DEVS ALWAYS ASK TO WISHLIST!!! OKAY BYE!!!!

#devlog #in stars and time #start again start again start again #ask tag #this is very long!!! thank you to everyone that sent a question!!!! thank you!!!!!!

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hatredmadeofgold · 7 days

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I'm a terrible person with words, but here I go. (using a translator, my English is a little shit when it comes to writing and a little bit when it comes to pronunciation, ha!)

I would like to say with ALL my heart that I love your work and the writing in "Sing to Me", my heartbeat even accelerates when I remember the existence of this work of art and how wonderful the sensation was, the euphoric feeling of read each chapter and see all the care and dedication put into it. I have immense affection for Raiden, Sam (and Monsoon :)). Seeing how complex they are in the story brings me immense satisfaction, and I just wish all the positive recognition for you, it's impeccable.

(There's a lot I'd like to express, like my hyperfocus- but hey, I'm a terrible person at showing appreciation and affection, I hope you got the message anyway :))

hugs and kisses from a Brazilian! 🇧🇷❤

Oi, não se preocupa! Não sou falante nativo, mas entendi muito bem. Da próxima vez, você pode me escrever em pt-br (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Thank you so much!! I am really happy to know that you enjoy my work 💕 Honestly, every time someone tells me that they enjoy Sing to Me so much, I am getting really happy. This fic means a lot to me and gives me lots of strength and stability, although on the outside it might look that I am not doing much for it for the past year (I do, it's just background work that I can't show T_T massive spoilers and so on). But I mean, I kept saying that each time somebody came to my inbox about it for the last months.

And I am so glad to know that you're feeling like this for each chapter you've read so far! This fic in itself is really complex and long, I could give you a rough estimate of around ~100 Chapters for the main story (Those would be just arc 1-3, the series, however, has 6 arcs in total excluding the 2 AUs). Sooo... let me say, you've got a lot to look forward to, I suppose :3

Also I hope that you'll be curious about the revisions too. Chapter 5 and 6 will have a darker tone than their current version that is on AO3 at the moment, but also will be much better in quality. Chapter 6 will have major changes I think, especially the second halve of it. I am all giddy and excited myself whenever I think about all the plans I have for this story. The drama, the comedy, the (bitter-) sweetness, but also the chaos, the pain and the darker parts of this fic. I wish I could go on a ramble but it's so many spoilers lmao And I don't want to take that away from my readers. If anything, I might drop a few essays about Raiden and Sam that I've got on my to-do list at some point, that in some cases will directly tie to Sing to Me as well.

The series also goes in great detail about Sam's past and who he is as a person because I was a bit dissatisfied with how most fics for this pairing at least that I've read didn't come up with much for his past (but I still liked all of them regardless), hence I went a little bit insane about him. To the point that Sam is technically my OC now (according to my beta reader) lmao

Jsyk, this is my current graph view of my Obsidian vault for Sing to Me and all the dots that connect to him:

My vault is an absolute mess still tbh because the program is a bit overwhelming when you don't know where to start, so this is far from how complex this fic actually even is.

What I can tell you pretty much spoiler free is that the series is complex because timeline wise, it starts in the year of 2001 and ends (technically) in the year of 2026. I say technically because ARC3.5: The War in Heaven goes a bit crazy with science fiction elements and time is... let's say, "relative". The main fic spans from 2019 until 2023 btw.

The prequel (ARC0: I Come with Knives) is entirely about Sam's past, from his POV entirely, and a collaboration with @thatthereneverwas since he originally requested me to write it. Basically adding more Sam lore that we definitely need :3

Please don't hesitate to come to my inbox or DMs if you want to chat about Sing to Me, samuraiden or just Sam or Raiden with me! I don't bite :] Monsoon is also my favourite from the Winds of Destruction aside from Sam, so I get you! I've been thinking of maybe including him in the fic as well, but it's uncertain how so yet, and if it will just be a flashback of some sort 🤔 But I take notes as I go, we'll see :3

Beijos pra você também 💞

#polastrieve #ask #samuraiden #Jetstream Sam #Raiden #MGR #my writing #Sing to Me

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