#unfortunately they are character foils i think

[astrid-beck]

Bitches will be like I just really like beau and caleb idk why not for any reason. Yeah I am a neurodivergent student why do you ask

#this is about anniken and i #traumatized by education in ways that make them narrative foils <3 #i think about them all the time i need to write a mini tumblr essay about it on here but unfortunately i'm on the clock #think about critical role characters on company time. they can't stop you. #lena watches cr

[jacksintention]

I'm thinking again on the fact that so often comments, criticism and readings on Jack dwell a lot on how he is barely human/a person/doesn't have a personality at the point of the story and, while I somewhat understand these points, I find them so lacking. I find them... ableist? I'm always doubtful to use the word here because I'm not sure if it's applied in this kind (mental health) of context, but something like that. And I find them extremely simplistic.

However, honestly, a big part of the reason for these readings being so popular is that the manga itself words it that way. But that's one of the problems I find in the manga. When I say P.andora Hear.ts is very good but unfortunately it is very manga-like at times, besides the 2000s homojokes and the like, I'm usually thinking about things like this. I feel like often characters and situations that are (potentially) very intricate instead of getting insightful deep overviews often get screwed by the writing itself, which falls into very manga tropes a lot in a bad way (not that every manga has to fall into them, or that every manga trope has to be bad or written badly).

I don't know... For instance, I'd argue R.askolnikov's capacity for love in Cr.ime and Punishmen.t is debatable, but it's never treated as if it made him less of a person, a human being or made him not have a personality. I'd say not even Svidrigailo.v, who is as much a Bad Guy™ as a character can be, gets that treatment by the writing. I'd say that even him or Mikol.ka are written as fully fleshed human beings with their intricate internal lives and feelings. Svidrig.ailov's last scene with D.unya is fascinating for both characters and spins the whole dynamic and makes you question the entire narrative and veracity of not only those two characters, but brings to mind several other conversations among different characters and throws light (and doubt!) on the main plot between R.askolnikov and Porf.iry.

In similar situations, Jack's humanity, personhood and personality are debated, doubted and even full on accepted as vanished. No one reads Crim.e and Punishmen.t and comes to the same conclusions about Raskolni.kov, Svidrig.ailov, Sony.a or Razu.mikhin. The writing doesn't allow it. The writing doesn't allow you to forget that humanity is diverse and multifaceted, that it can be sad and cruel and loving and monstrous, even all at the same time, or that a person may struggle with feeling at all; and one is still a person.

#This honestly is one of the things if not The Thing that frustrates me the most of P.H #I've seen this kind of 'that's not a person/human/doesn't have a personality anymore' readings with The S.tranger by Camu.s #And they were imo also simplistic (and that's coming from someone who didn't like the book) #They were also made by my Ethics professor in college who was from the O.pus De.i #Anyway this is a post because I imagined I wouldn't be able to fit everything in the tags #I should probably delete this later #but I wanted to get it out of my system first. I've been thinking about this a lot again after reading the guides and I got angry again #I don't think manga as a medium necessarily has to treat characters this way #but there's often a big simplification of characters in general in a particular flavour #And I think Jack (arguably Vincent too) suffers from this. The exact same thing happening with Jack could be written slightly differently #and cease to have that shonen manga for edgy teens flavour it gets in like two pages #that doesn't ruin but definitely stains a 104 chapters characterisation that was so well crafted #(especially given most fans take everything at face value without thinking much about anything like vacuum cleaners of text) #I don't know. Despite how this manga is a lot about humanity being able to exist or take place #beyond the conditions of one's existence being “fake” through our actions and relationships with others‚ ourselves and the world‚ #I don't like how characters like Jack are treated in that context #I understand why it's done and what it's trying to say‚ the Jack/O.z foil is super interesting in that regard. I don't even think #the writing fully falls into the mistake of 'thinking' Jack is not human/a person. But I find very unfortunate some of the writing choices #when dwelling on this‚ and even so distasteful at times #And as a consequence many fans just take the slippery slope and make a cardboard mimicry out of some great characters #But the manga/writing concedes a bit with that angsty teen air. And it's frustrating #I talk too much #Trying to pseudocensor words for the first time #to see if this way my 4am soliloquies won't appear in the tags of people just living their lives #Tumblr please let me rant about nothingness that interests only me without disturbing anyone please #I'm already mad I can't tag these at all anymore in my own blog for organisational reasons without them appearing for everyone everywhere

[barrenceallence]

[Image ID:

Tags that read #reblogging this because I was instantly in love with August Heart the second I saw him #and now am looking up Manuel Lago #although unfortunately Manuel Lago seems to be a fairly common name. #really should have added 'comics' but well hon live and learn. #this is a not so subtle request for a primer #COUGH.

End ID]

@benbamboozled I have been summoned lmao

Manuel Lago was a character introduced in Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul’s run for the New 52 Flash series in 2011. he’s there for a CRIMINALLY measly 5 issue arc called Mob Rule.

He’s repeatedly called Barry’s oldest friend — there’s all these flashbacks (THAT ARE CUTE AS HECK) that show Manuel and Barry’s history together, from first meeting in college right up until Barry’s gets struck by lightning. He goes MIA after that and the arc starts off with Manuel barging back in Barry’s life after all this time.

(lichrally flirting idk what to even say)

(AHHH Barry just looks so HAPPY to see him damnit)

He’s got a pretty wild backstory for a character who’s literally only there for 5 issues — his dad was killed in a plane hijacking so his natural course of action was to….join the CIA to track down the hijackers (a group called Basilisk). With the CIA he’s some sort of a deep state operative and subject to some experiments that give him a regenerating ability like a healing factor.

(That James Bond meets Batman line is the funniest thing in the world to me. No wonder Barry gets along fine with Bruce.)

he ends up getting captured by Basilisk after going rogue and they torture him for WEEKS by cutting off his hands and fingers. But those cut off pieces actually fully regenerate into straight up clones of Manuel and they start calling themselves Mob Rule.

(ITS SUCH A RANDOMLY METAL BACKSTORY LIKE oh yeah the dismemberment)

(In which manny is an absent father for his 52 clones)

(I honestly don’t even know what he was trying to do here. As far as he knows Barry is just a normal ass civilian how’s he gonna help you? He literally just wanted to see Barry)

I just really like his character bc I love the potential of what kind of friendship they must have had. They’re a bit of an odd couple but they consider each other ‘family’ and Barry’s actually knows and IS CLOSE WITH Manuel’s mom. The person Manuel calls when he’s got no one to turn to in a dangerous mission is Barry. When he thinks Barry’s dead, Manuel goes into a rage. So there’s this really close bond between that doesn’t get much spotlight besides those brief flashbacks that makes me so curious.

Honestly Manuel reminds me so much of that post that’s like men say they’re fighting their demons and then the demons are just bisexuality.

#this has been an infodump #thank you and goodnight #barry allen #Manuel Lago #finally I have added to this long dormant tag #I just think he’s actually such a cool ass character like HES SO METAL HE LITERALLY CUTS OFF PARTS OF HIMSELF ON PURPOSE #what a mad lad #like he’s such an inchresting foil for Barry as well bc like #Barry’s whole thing is how he’s slow tbh despite his powers and his arc is all about like DOING and RUNNING TOWARDS the danger #for the sake of his friends his and city and the things he’s committed to for love #and then Manuel is out here running away from everything despite being the one who’s always been the one to take action #but he doesn’t wanna face the hard parts of love which prlly namely that ppl die #he’s in deep denial and grief over his dad death I feel like and from then on he made all these crazy decisions #also in denial abt how much he loves Barry and he can’t help but keep reaching out even after he abandons him time and time again #and he just??? commanded an army of his own clones no sweat ?? he’s so goddma. chill about it #prlly a front ? his brain is fried by the Horrors #he’s really Inchresting also to compare to august heart #he doesn’t have a bitchin costume like august unfortunately #but like they have such similar elements in this backstory it’s just smth to think about #dead relative sparks quest for vengeance that shows some tragic character flaw as a direct fool to how Barry also deals with tragedy #the funny thing is I think Manuel might even have a higher kill count than august #okay august killed like 13 people in that lightning strikes back arc #I don’t really see him murderi mg after that first arc tho #but manny was in the cia for YEARS #and then he went rogue to do MORE killing #but his biggest flaw is not that but actually just being a flake #hilarious #also parallels with how Barry forgives them both at the drop of a hat #anyway long ass post and and even longer tags whoops #ye have ignited my dormant fixation on this man

[tovaicas]

'but saint storming the aery was a necessary evil' have we ever considered that maybe estinien gung-ho storming nidhogg's home in force and slaughtering his family in cold blood directly after killing his wife and kids in sohm al, an action that will eventually directly lead to nidhogg regaining both of his eyes and thus his full power instead of just borrowing it from his brother, only further worsens the already really bad tensions between the dravanians and ishgard, makes parleying and negotiating for peace with hraesvelgr an even worse prospect considering he already has no reason to believe the ishgardians are anything other than bloodthirsty, evil warmongers, and directly leads to the war actively getting worse and more bloody. the fact estinien has absolutely no gd reaction to his entire worldview being upended, that he's been lied to again not just by his father but by the thing he fights for, that everything he's suffered through and fought for and the people (family and comrades both) he's lost to the grind of the war has been in service to a goddamn fucking lie and immediately chooses to start killing and slaughtering wholesale as soon as he can even after these paradigm-shattering truths are bluntly laid out for him makes him out to be an utter fucking monster of a person that was not foreshadowed beforehand and never comes up again.

#saint.txt #ishgardposting #estinienposting #i'm sorry I think esti.nien's HW writing is uh. Bad. #also like I said once from a structure perspective killing nidhogg (temporarily) only halfway through the expac #cuts esti.nien's momentum and storyline off at the knees bc he loses all his character motivation instantly #so we just have to find reasons for him to still be here until his plot-mandated possession scene #(in fact we Don't he's just inexplicably here.) #which hits like wet tissue bc we haven't done the legwork to make him an actual foil to nidhogg bc he's not actually an angry character #in a way that's actually a character flaw. #it's unfortunate bc esti.nien was the ONE character in HW that really couldn't afford losing his character momentum #bc unfortunately he's the flattest character here that isn't named ly.se or papa.lymo #it's unfortunate bc done well the aery could've shown how esti.nien and nidhogg are one and the same But It's Not

[barbreypilled]

🚨BABYPOST U HAVE BEEN WARNED🚨 anyway I know west coast district 4 is canon and also the setting im using for the piss but southern district 4 is just so much sexier in my eyes like why do all these ppl from Louisiana have Irish names who knows who cares

#u can pinpoint the time that west coast became canon bc mags stopped talking exclusively in google translated creole…..simpler times #pouring out a shaker of Tony’s for those badly typed accents #unfortunately I think it’s too late to retcon that in the piss now :( #congrats on the irreparable trauma my little wet hamsters enjoy ur fucken clam chowder I guess. #it’s fine actually I need Annie and Calypso to both be Sweater Wearing Bitches in order for them to be effective character foils #just two frumpy women beefing in Oregon. what more could u want #thg

[nicks-beanie]

i am once again wishing d/ual d/estinies had been written with any care or consideration for what came before it

#this time it's about clay #like i actually think bringing in a childhood friend of apollo's was a good call #but the execution was soooo shoddy #not just the fact that we're introduced to him as a body #(although yknow. it also is that) #but making him a Fellow High Achiever really undercuts apollo's characterization in 4 #and makes him a thematic dead weight (pun intended) #clay should've a) been introduced at the start of the game so we could get attached #and b) not been a golden child prodigy astronaut #(i also just take issue with 5's use of prodigies in general but that's another post) #anyway. back to my main point #for one it's implied that apollo had a rough childhood & grew up in the system #and deciding that that environment is a high-achiever factory flies in the face of the data #and perpetuates some really unfortunate myths about adversity etc #while undercutting apollo's characterization as kind of a ruthless go-getter #but ALSO 4 spent a lot of time setting up foils/subversions of ot characters and relationships #clay could've been a larry-style ne'er do well #with the subversion being an earnestness to counterbalance apollo (ruthless) and trucy (performer) #and a genuinely close relationship with apollo where they have mutual appreciation and respect for each other #plus the bandage on his nose would've made infinitely more sense

[moony-2001]

The real-world impact of Lore Olympus

i.e. do your research Rachel

Trigger warning: racism, fetishization, appropriation, mentions of SA

Long post ahead

A while ago, someone told me that Lore Olympus was just a silly little comic written out of boredom. That it was made to be "funny". They told me that "[I] can't hope [for] an extremely [well-written] story when it was just made with the intention to make something goofy" and that if Rachel actually wanted to make something serious like I had, she would write a book and not a comic.

At the time of this exchange, it was past 1 a.m. and I was exhausted. I did not want to argue with this person and it simply wasn't worth my time or energy in the moment.

But looking back at that (mostly one-sided) interaction, I can't help but think that there is so much wrong with that point of view. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion about Lore Olympus, whether good or bad. But Lore Olympus isn't just some silly little nothing comic about nothing important. It is a comic that actively appropriates and erases Greek Culture. It is a comic that has no respect for the actual stories that have been passed down over thousands of years whether by word of mouth or written text. It is a comic that perpetuates a false narrative and harmful stereotypes about characters or certain groups of people. So, no, it's not just a silly little comic.

Incorrect information

Here’s an example of what I mean:

When I was doing research for my post about the 10 year time skip, I looked up Leuce to reconfirm the little information I knew about her. Wanna guess the first thing that popped up about her?

A Lore Olympus Wiki article.

Okay. How about Minthe? Hundreds of pictures of her from Lore Olympus and a LO Wiki article as one of the top 3 results. Both character are horribly represented in LO and unfortunately there isn’t really any documented stories or records that can refute how LO paints them. Because of this, other characters in Greek Mythology like Leuce and Minthe, whose stories have little to no documentation, stand to suffer the most harm from deliberate misrepresentation on Rachel’s part.

Of course well-known and better documented figures in Greek mythology face slander as well. What about Thetis or Leto? How about Apollo? All of their portrayals in LO are HORRIBLE. I have seen people online absolutely drag them to filth not because they're upset about how the character is portrayed compared to their mythological counterpart, but because they have no knowledge of how they are actually portrayed outside of LO. They just assume that's how the characters are. Similarly, people who have either very little or no prior knowledge of Greek Mythology and Culture would look at the comic and go "Yep, sounds legit. It must be true." and go about thinking that what is portrayed in LO is accurate to what was transcribed thousands of years ago.

Creative interpretations and racism/fetishization within LO

Don’t get me wrong. Creative interpretations and artistic liberties can be great. When they’re done tastefully. I personally think if done correctly, a Greek myth spun in a modern way has the potential be very good. But that's not what we were given.

Characters like Minthe, Leuce, and Thetis (all nymphs btw) are portrayed as trashy tramps who put out and are used as a foil sabotage Persephone and/or her relationship with Hades. Compare that to Greek Mythology where in the Iliad, Thetis is very well-respected by the gods, particularly Hera. Unfortunately, other similar characters like satrys (and basically any character that isn’t a god) are usually portrayed as a low-class POC that can be easily exploited, manipulated, or used as a temporary villain/lover/pawn to “get back” at Persephone, our white-coded protagonist who can do no wrong.

Additionally, there is a clear race/class bias against characters like nymphs in LO. We see many cases scattered throughout the comic of gods like Hera or Aphrodite referring to nymphs as "trash" or "low class" or the idea that nymphs do not belong with gods being heavily implied if not outright said. I cannot tell you how often I've seen Minthe be called some variant of "cheap" by the readers of LO. Even Persephone (who created the flower nymphs) treats them with such disrespect. She frequently calls them some variant of "stupid" or "simple" like saying how they're not the sharpest crayons in the box even though she's the one WHO MADE THEM. However, it's so odd not really to note that nymphs like Echo, Amphitrite, or Psyche (who was previously disguised as a nymph) are not discriminated against. This is because they are liked or trusted by the gods they are around and ergo are often portrayed as the "good ones", which is a disgusting mindset to have.

We also see the fetishization of nymphs in the comic that is disturbingly similar to the fetishization of women who are Black, Asian, or Latina. It is a known fact that Hades has a flower nymph fetish. Not only is this implied in the comic, but Rachel stated it outright in an old Patreon post. Nymphs are also generally treated as sex-symbols, disposable, and as a lesser-than. Zeus frequently displays this behavior by abandoning nymphs he knocked up in the mortal realm.

For example, when Persephone finds out Apollo is dating Daphne, she isn't upset he's dating her friend. She's upset he's dating a flower nymph, beings that are generally considered to be "rare", "dumb", and objects of sexual desire. Ew.

Even on the Lore Olympus website (loreolympians.com) nymphs are regarded as "beautiful", "desirable", and "very exotic". And when they're not described in a sexual manner they're say it with me now regarded as "low class" or "workers" for some kind of god/goddess.

Final thoughts

So not only is the characterization of characters like Minthe or Thetis harmful to Greek culture and the stories that are so ingrained in their society, but it is also perpetuating harmful stereotypes about people of color and women who are confident in their sexuality.

Of course, the characters within Greek Mythology had their own issues. Zeus was a serial rapist, many of the goddesses deemed to be "feminist" by today's standards were actually horribly misogynistic looking at you Athena. But 1. that's just how things were back then (but that does not make it right) and 2. all of the good, the bad, and the ugly is still there in Greek Mythology. They're not denying how fucked up it is, but they're also not changing their history to better fit their own narrative or the narrative of the modern world. It exists, it happened, but now it is studied and called out by historians.

Rachel, on the other hand, is doing exactly that. She is actively changing the Greek's cultural history to better fit her fic's narrative. She is constantly sweeping things under the rug or going "No this is how it ACTUALLY happened". Lore Olympus is marketed as a "feminist retelling" yet somehow, it takes allllll the ugly parts from Greek Mythology (rape, incest, problematic age gaps, dubious consent, etc.), mixes it with a majority of the issues we have in the modern world (white feminism, rape-apologists/rape culture, grooming, fetishization of certain minority groups, etc.) and then amplifies the concoction to 20. Lore Olympus cannot be a "progressive, feminist, retelling" and also have characters that are morally apprehensive/come straight from the ancient myths. It does not work. In fact, IMO it makes all the problems from both eras worse.

News flash: actual cultures that are still thriving today are not your toys. They are not "made up". They matter. Do better.

#anti lore olympus #lore olympus #anti lo persephone #anti lo #lore olympus criticism #lore olympus critical #lo critic #lo critical #unpopular lo #unpopular lore olympus #appropriation #greek mythology #if anyone who is actually Greek wants to comment on this or share their thoughts please feel free #I'm not Greek but I have a deep love for mythology/Greek culture so this is just my take on things

[aaroleswapau]

Do you have any swap!franziska art? Wanna see more of her design

i unfortunately don't have any polished art of her bc i think when i drew this, my swap au hyperfixation was starting to wane, whoops! these are just some very quick sketches of what i wanted her new thing in the swap au to be.

(i will be putting old art of her old design if you want to see it under read more pftt [unfortunately not a lot of them bc i wasn't vibing with the old role i gave her so i wasn't drawing her a lot 😔])

oki doks, now time for a lore dump!!!!! (copy-pasting what i wrote on the bird app a long time ago):

ok, so the thing is, i gave a bit of redd white's role to mvk. my reasoning for that is since he's the one who killed gregory (who has mia's role), he'd have to take on that role too. when characters don't have any like, "exact" foils for their roles to be swapped with, i either make them stay the same or hobble some roles together. mvk's case was the latter.

so mvk runs a private eye that's connected to the prosecutor's office (he's corrupt bc have you seen that guy) and franziska happens to be working there.

mvk also happens to be one the people responsible for covering up the details about mia's death.

i wanted to change franziska's job from my first version of her bc she doesn't really have a connection to the supernatural, so i just gave her a job that works closely in the covering crimes too.

but yeah, fran has to meet gregory, and then she gets framed by redd white

and she's furious about it, of course! that fool works under her father, how dare he put the blame on her!

with how fran is supposedly cooperating with gregory, i think mvk would've really wanted her to catch the fall even with how much he cares about his daughter. he's an 'end justifies the means' kind of guy.

i don't think fran realizes until swap!jfa that it was her father who purposely tried to frame her and the one who ordered to kill gregory.

i think she'd feel really torn by that and the guilt with how miles defended her before knowing all that would've ate her up (the fact that gregory is dead, no spirit channeling or anything makes this more fucked up for them i think agfhhjh)

however, i still haven't figured out why franziska would agree to talk to gregory if he's investigating mia's death, and i'm not quite sure why gregory would've been investigating mia's death in the first place bc unlike mia in the regular verse, he'd have no connections to her case at least

(that would probably require some aai duology knowledge that i do not have right now ASKSKS)

my brain isn't fully working right now so i can't fully ramble on about her design, but i did think it was important to make her dress eccentric; and i know that everyone dresses eccentric in aa, but particularly that one point in turnabout sisters where april may should've remembered maya bc she dressed weird? i wanted the same for franziska ASKSKS roast her old-timey gothic looking ass!!!!!

and from my recent drawing of her, i think if i were to draw like, a polished ref for her, i would like to show the fact that her make-up is severe. again, 'eccentric' or whatever pftt

i originally had her be like a witch, some sort of seer who could communicate with the dead through her crystal ball. scrapped that and changed it bc it was just not digging my dudes asdghd a shame tho bc i'm rather fond of her big-ass veil witch hat thingy

#ace attorney #den's aa roleswap au #franziska von karma #aa swap au asks #aa swap au art

[ellesliterarycorner]

Writing Subplots

Who doesn’t love a good subplot? Some of my favorites books are the ones that have super interesting subplots because who doesn’t love hearing about that secondary character development arc or those lovely side characters with the inevitably doomed romance? What’s not to like? But, subplots can often be one of the hardest to write and the most misunderstood storytelling elements. They aren’t part of the main narrative thread, so they can’t overtake it, but they also need to have their own story arc separate from the main plot. It’s a delicate balance that can be kind hard to strike, because subplots aren’t just secondary plot-lines, they have to serve a narrative purpose and engage with the story’s central conflict. 

First, let us define some different kinds of subplots

Mirror Subplot: A subplot where a side character experiences a conflict that mirrors the protagonist’s main conflict and gives the protagonist the insight or motivation they need to resolve their own conflict.

Romantic Subplot: The protagonist’s relationship with a love interest complicates their journey to resolve the story’s central conflict.

Parallel Subplot: a subplot where something seemingly unrelated occurs at the same time as the main plot and then all of a sudden the two plots collide towards the end of the book.

Complicating Subplot: a subplot where a secondary character’s actions actively complicates the protagonist’s journey with the central conflict

Foil Subplot: a subplot where a secondary character experiences the same or a very similar conflict as the protag but wants to resolve that in a different way (this contracts or creates a “foil” that highlights the protagonists qualities and characteristics)

There are a lot more different kinds of subplots, but these are some of the most common, so here are some tips for writing subplots!

Is That Necessary? 

This is the first question we should ask ourselves anytime we add anything to our stories, but especially subplots. Sometimes, authors (meaning me) will get to the end of writing their first draft and realize that they are not anywhere close to their goal word count. To remedy this, they will just throw in a cute little subplot. Unfortunately, friends, this does not work. The best, effective subplots should be integral to a story’s central conflict. If you can remove your subplot from the story without their being a big impact on the central conflict, then the subplot doesn’t really serve a strong narrative purpose. We most often see this problem arise in romantic subplots. Authors will just throw in a romance or the dreaded love-triangle as a subplot for absolutely no reason. I’m the first person to admit I love a good romantic subplot, but I also like it to be there for a good reason. That is why the Hunger Games will never go out of my top five all time books/series because despite what a lot of people think the romantic subplot in that story is essential. Katniss and Peeta’s love story is the reason they both survive the Games which is the central conflict of the book. It works perfectly, and if you want a good example of a subplot done well, look no further.

Keep the SUB in Subplot

Honestly, sometimes the subplot really is better than the main plot. That’s not necessarily a good thing, but I think we have all read a book where the main plot just drags and you just can’t wait to get back to your favorite side characters and their little adventure. But, a good subplot shouldn’t steal the limelight from the main plot. It should enhance the main plot and maybe add a layer of complexity but never overshadow. Going back to my example for the day, the Hungers Games does a really good job of this. I read something once where someone said Katniss’s romance overshadows the Games and the Rebellion, and I was like, did we read the same book? If you go back and read the books, Katniss doesn’t think about her romance with Gale or Peeta all that much. She’s mostly thinking about her own survival and the survival of her family. Both of which relate directly to the main plot. We never forget about the romance in the book because it is important, but in my opinion, it never overshadows the main plot of the Games and the Rebellion even in the first book where it’s more heavily featured. 

But, Its Still A Plot

On the flip-side of that, even though the subplot shouldn’t overshadow the main plot, it still needs to follow its own narrative arc. This is where a lot of new author’s get lost. A subplot is way more than just a short conversation or a quick event that inconveniences or helps the protagonists. All your subplots need their own beginning, middle, and end. Make sure that you definitely developed all of your story’s subplots accordingly. That includes paying attention to all of your characters’ goals, motivations, and the conflict that they experience. Generally when I’m in the development stages of the subplot, I develop it the same way that I develop one of my main plots. While they do not necessarily need the same attention or development as your main plot, developing them with the same goals in mind will only help you in the long run!

#writers #writers on tumblr #writerscorner #write #writing tip #writing tips #writing advice #writing plots #writing subplots #writing resources #writing resource #writing reference #writing references

[verdantmeadows]

Something that really bothers me that a lot of the TOH fandom doesn't seem to understand is that Goldric/Huntric, as a ship, did NOT originate from Edric and Hunter briefly interacting. Goldric/Huntric is one of the oldest if not the "original" Hunter ship. In fact, that's why it's called Goldric!

It was a ship before we even knew Hunter's name, and before Hunter even showed up in the show! We knew that both Hunter and Edric were 16 year olds, and everyone was really hopeful for TOH having an actual M/M romance that wasn't just the gay dads trope (unfortunately, TOH falls short in its representation for MLM).

The ship is a crackship, absolutely, but by no means is it a ship because the two of them interacted for a few moments. It is a ship born out of the hope for an main M/M pairing and a ship born out of the acknowledgement of how these two characters have (unintentional) parallels and foils within their stories.

By no means does anyone have to ship it, but it's frustrating to see people think that it's just a ship because they "stood next to each other" or that it originated that late into the show. (But, to be clear, even if that was the case, there's nothing wrong with it!) The TOH fandom is the first time I've seen in a fandom where people genuinely bash on others for non-canon or crack ships, so I just wanted to clear up the origin of Goldric and explain that it is one of the "original" Hunter ships.

#book of kells #toh #the owl house #goldric #huntric

[kobitoshiningneedle]

I think the tumblr Ace Attorney fandom has a weird stance on Dahlia Hawthorne. Even more so, on her culpability, to the point that some people claim that she was justified in killing Terry Fawles and even Valerie

First of all, we need to consider the main message of the games first and our personal sense of justice second, because Dahlia, as much as any other AA character, operates within the games' own narrative, and has consequences according to it. And Ace Attorney makes it quite clear that any human life is valuable and no one has a right to take it (illegally). This message was accentuated in TGAA mostly, but even in the trilogy we have Edgeworth who says "everyone deserves a fair trial"

And (I think I need to say before someone throws tomatoes at me) I'm not here to defend Terry Fawles and say that he didn't do anything wrong. He pretty much did, and the fact that he started to date his young pupil is pretty horrible and brow-raising, even if it's unclear who initiated it. It's also possible that Valerie was a neglectful sister, and that Dahlia's whole family was abusive and insufferable to her. The most important thing to understand here is that even if Terry and Valerie were all-round terrible people, killing Valerie and manipulating Fawles made Dahlia a criminal. Objectively.

The second point I see people miss is how disastrous was the collateral damage Dahlia caused in her attempts to cover herself. Poisoning Diego. Killing Doug. Attempting to kill Phoenix. Attempting to kill Maya. And the question is: in what way did any of these people do Dahlia injustice? What is their fault?

They didn't have any. By the time of T&T timeline she was pretty much a person poisoned by her hatred and fear. The main tragedy of her character is that she spiraled down from a mistreated schoolgirl who wanted to run away to a malicious woman who would stoop to crime whenever she needs to. I think this is a solid example of an anti-arc, in which Dahlia's fate was indeed shaped by her unfortunate circumstances in many ways, but! She still had agency in her actions, and having agency means having responsibility

To clarify: I don't hate hate Dahlia, even though my disagreement with the fandom lies in the amount of her hateability. I think she's fascinating and is a good foil to Mia. She pretty much IS a tragic character, and we actually have a good insight into her via Iris' recollections before the final trial segment - the person who probably understood Dahlia the most. Realizing that Dahlia was yet another victim of Fey family drama, much like our Maya (even if in other ways) adds some sympathy points to her. But I have a firm opinion that she wasn't exactly redeemable at the end of her criminal path

So, do I think Dahlia's character goes beyond the crazy-psycho femme fatale? Yes, even if the game wasn't really forthcoming about her childhood misfortunes as much as we would want to. Do I think Dahlia deserved condemnation in the end of BTTT? Yes, and I personally didn't expect Phoenix or Mia to pat her head after being responsible for the deaths of 4 people and (the other important part that adds to her hateability) feeling absolutely no remorse towards people that had nothing to do with her tragedy. Having complexity doesn't necessarily mean Dahlia is secretly better as a person, and understanding why a character became the way they are doesn't mean we should sympathize with or forgive them

#ace attorney #aa3 #dahlia hawthorne #meta #ace attorney critical #sorry if it came out preachy #i didn't wanna #and probably i just overreacted #but i think there is much nuance to dahlia even without justifying her actions #i do feel bad for her #but i feel more bad for Maya and Iris sorry

[jackietaylorsversion]

Soulmates.

I was in a discord server earlier, and we got to talking about the Yellowjackets as soulmates, and I thought I'd share those thoughts here, just a nice little put together catalogue of all those thoughts put together. I might add to this, too, as more pairings and relationships come to me.

For the record, I want to point out that I think that all of these characters are soulmates, far beyond ship dynamics, far beyond romance. What makes up the insides of one makes up the insides of the others because they are all the same: teenage girls trapped in either growing or decaying bodies. Their souls are all mated to the others in some way or another.

Tai and Van are a pair. Two separate souls that are a part of a matched set, like socks. They can be worn mismatched, certainly, but they really are at their best together. Tai gives Van a purpose. Van calms Tai's "demons." They can exist without each other, live without each other, love without each other, but they just are at their best together.

Lottie and Nat are that sort of star-crossed soulmates, doomed soulmates. There's a red string of fate but its severed somewhere in the middle. They can be good for each other, laugh and smile and hold each other close. They can be the worst of each other, holding knives to each other's throats, laughing in the face of it. They're the epitome of a missed chance. What kind of missed chance? That's up for you to decide.

Misty and Nat are the kind of soulmates that don't seem like they'd match, but they work so good together. The believer and the skeptic (though who is who changes with the circumstance, the belief, the skepticism). Orange and blue. Salt and sweet. Chaotic good and lawful evil. They're diametrically opposed but in a way that makes sense, in a way that works together. They each feed off of what makes the other their opposite. One is running, the other is chasing. Of course one would die at the hand of the other.

Lottie and Laura Lee are the kind of soulmates where each thinks they are the worshipper while the other is the god. A prophet, a believer, a worship under the sun. Souls that just burn brighter around each other (and that pun was unintentional the first time but very intentional with the emphasis). Both want to help the other. Both want to hold the other. They are belief without boundaries personified. Each is Icarus. Each is the sun.

Tai and Shauna are soulmates in a way that recognizes "That is my person." Two people that have so much in common, who understand each other, who both recognize the want in the other. They have an understanding and a care for each other that's fierce. I see you, you see me, ad it might not be pretty, but we will be honest with each other. Especially as the two of them have aged; time has not erased their understanding of one another.

Jackie and Nat are soulmates in a way that isn't explored a lot in the show but has been discussed, from what I've seen, really well. Foils. Two sides of the same coin. Opposites. Rich girl, poor girl. Prude, slut. There are certain stereotypes around both of them that, from a glance, seem to play out. One only needs to look deeper to really see it. Unfortunately, from the show, we never really see the two of them see past their expectations of each other.

Jackie and Shauna. Two heads, one heart. I don't know where you end and I begin and all that. We've been there, we've done that. We know it by heart. They're not a pair because a pair implies separation, and there is none. You can cut out your heart, and you can even replace it, but it's never the same. They're two shattered halves of the same fucked up whole. When one piece is gone, the hole cannot be filled properly ever again. There are some species of worms that, when worm cut in half, can keep living as two separate entities. That does not negate the fact that it was once one whole creature. They're unhealthy together. They're unnatural apart. One did not live long enough to remedy either of these facts.

(If Jackie's heart was still beating, I know it would beat in time with Shauna's. I hope Shauna ate it to feel it beat with hers one last time.)

#yellowjackets #jackie taylor #shauna shipman #taissa turner #van palmer #natalie scatorccio #lottie matthews #misty fucking quigley #misty quigley #laura lee yellowjackets #yellowjackets meta #I'm sure I'll add more to this eventually #jackieshauna #taivan #taishauna #lottienat #lottielee #mistynat #jackienat

[ashensgrotto]

Poor Unfortunate Souls (Part 1)

Characters: Azul Ashengrotto x Reader

Word Count: 7,398

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3a (You are Here) Part 3b

Per request from @twistedcece and @mermaidfan76 , I finished the third part to my Yandere Soulmate AU - yes, I have officially given it a name now. I think I might do a piece per each of the books in Twst - but I haven’t made any solid decisions yet.

Also - due to this being the third part, hence Octavinelle’s chapter in the game, this next part is going to be divided into two parts. The main reason is because there is a bit that happens and I want to make sure that I take my time with writing everything out for it, never mind that I am covering two overblots - Leona’s and Azul’s - in this section. I am also planning on revisiting part 2 and fixing that up a bit more - and I’ll post an update when that happens.

Now, fair warning, although this is likely not going to be graphic, it does show more of the possessive/obsessive behaviors that yandere characters are known for as well as the underlying threatening behaviors they can exhibit as well. I do not agree with these behaviors that are as follows, but I’m covering my basics.

Every single day

And every word you say

Every game you play

Every night you stay

I’ll be watching you

***

Eyes of pale blue watched from the shadows of the infirmary as their owner kept their gaze fixed on the form of (Y/N). Normally, your delectable skin was smooth and soft - without a flaw in sight; now, bruises and cuts covered every inch of your form - though the blood had been cleaned away and your body had been covered by bandages and medication. You were still healing from the attack by the three Savanaclaw students, but several more injuries had been imprinted upon you.

Another overblot, another battle… another loss.

Leona’s power-hungry drive to prove that Malleus Draconia wasn’t invincible during the spelldrive tournament had back-fired horribly. The students of Heartslabyul as well as the vice-warden of Diasomia and a freshman of Savanaclaw had snuffed out the headwarden's plot before it could take root - halting it before any serious damage could be done. With the plan foiled and the dorm now turning on him, Leona's anger and jealousy had begun to overtake him. 

Azul and several other dorm leaders and their students had looked on as the air became dry, making it difficult to breathe. A creature that took on the monstrous form of a lion had come after all of them - all done with Leona’s powerful magic. It was lucky that Deuce, Ace, Trey, and Cater had been there - as well as Riddle. The five had experienced an overblot before and were the ones that would try to hold Leona back - to snap him out of it. The fool girl that you were, the one that Azul was head over heels in love with, raced from the safe confines of the colosseum, the octomer shouting after you, telling you to stay by his side - it was too dangerous.

You ignored Azul’s cries as you raced to the front lines, your (h/c) blowing in the wind as your eyes squinted against the onslaught of sand that had taken to the skies. As you had done with Riddle, while Leona was distracted, you slapped the headwarden of Savanaclaw across the face. Leona had turned his attention to you as you shouted at him - claiming that you understood what it was like to be "second best," how no matter how hard you tried there was always going to be someone better than you. All watched as the magicless guest of Octavinelle stared hard into the overbloted student's eyes, the eyes of a corrupted prince.

"I feel your pain, I feel your sorrow," you simply said, "and you have forgotten yourself, Leona - you have to remember who your friends are and what it is you fight for. You are more than what you have become. Please - remember who you were, who you will be… who you are."

Azul's eyes widened as the sound of shattering glass echoed across the playing field, Leona slumping forward as the dark creature behind him faded into dust. You, as difficult as it was due to your previous injuries, knelt on the ground beside Leona as the members of Savanaclaw came forward to help the headwarden to his feet - all traces of his blot completely gone. 

Everything had been a haze for Azul following that. He couldn't believe you - his soulmate, keeper of his heart - had deliberately disobeyed him. He told you that the world of Twisted Wonderland was far too dangerous for someone like you, and yet you continuously put yourself in harm's way. What would happen if you got yourself killed? Injuries could heal and scars would remain, but if an overblot happened again and wouldn't reason with you like Riddle and Leona had done? Azul wouldn’t know what to do if he lost you - he would go mad without you.

Something had to be done.

Azul shifted in his chair before he felt the presence of two others. He looked to see a twin set of heterochromia eyes glowing in the dark.

"Jade. Floyd."

The twins appeared beside Azul, Jade on his right, Floyd on his left.

"I assume you've brought what I requested."

"Indeed, several poor unfortunate souls are in dire need of assistance with this year's exams coming up," the older of the two smiled.

"And you might like specifically who signed up for a meeting with you," the other snickered, his sharp teeth baring in the darkness.

Azul took the paperwork from Floyd and shifted through it, one brow arching as he read off the names in his head… only stopping on three names in particular.

"Hehe… it would seem that (Y/N)'s closest friends have their own dirty little secrets," Azul smiled, handing the paperwork back to Floyd, "Excellent work, you two. With this knowledge, I might be able to actually give her a reason to despise them - they won't tell her about our little arrangement anyways, thinking they'll be able to beat my game. How many students have signed up so far?"

"A little over two hundred - all houses and ranges of classes," Jade answered.

"Perfect, continue bringing them in," Azul answered, "I want the headmage to get the message that it's us who run the school, not him - the poor fool. And I have the perfect idea in mind on how to persuade him."

The twins grinned in agreement, Jade asking, "And what of your little mermaid princess?"

"I'll handle her - poor dear will be distraught, but it will work in my favor," Azul smiled wickedly, "Oh, and make sure to keep her in the dark if she asks about this - the other members of the dorm know not to get involved in our affairs; especially after how I took care of the last headwarden."

The tweels needed no further explanation as they nodded, bowed, and disappeared into the darkness again to fulfill Azul’s orders.

Azul stood and walked to your bedside, resting a gloved hand on top of yours, reaching down to kiss your forehead, "Please forgive me - but what I am going to do is only for your own good."

***

You tucked a tray under your arm as you finished gathering the last of the dishes before heading out to the lounge area.

Today seemed awfully quiet with only a few students of the dorm working today - however, there were talks about new staff members joining that had been floating around, peaking your interest. You also noticed how in the next few weeks, your schedule to work in the lounge had decreased even further - making you wonder how you were ever going to pay for the rent in the dorm, which was not cheap. You had some pay still saved up, but you still needed to eat and launder your borrowed clothing, which was also expensive. You looked up, and saw Azul standing with Jade and Floyd on the steps that lead to the entrance of the Mostro Lounge - perhaps you could discuss the issue with them.

You head over as Azul’s gaze shifts from the twins to you, his signature smile greeting you, “(Y/N). How is everything going? You look much better than a few weeks ago.”

“Thanks to your help and consistent assistance,” you smile with a nod of thanks.

“Of course, my dear,” Azul smiled as he approached, resting a hand on your shoulder, “The headmage entrusted me with your safety, after all… until I can find a way home for you of course.”

“Speaking of which,” you say, “have you found a way? It’s been about a month and a half, almost two, since I came here.”

“I’m afraid you have to give me time, angelfish,” Azul answered, “You can’t get something for nothing, you know.”

You nod in understanding, “And, I wanted to ask - my hours at the lounge have been greatly reduced and I was wondering why.”

The twins grinned wickedly, making you shiver a bit at their smiles as Azul came around you, his arm holding you close to his side as the long overcoat of his dorm uniform draped around the two of you, “Why, angelfish - it’s primarily because we’re adding a few new faces to the family, of course! A few boys owe me for using a specialty study guide I created for them that guaranteed a passing grade for the exams that took place earlier this week.”

“It’s that… cheating?” you asked.

“It’s a fine gray area,” Azul answered, “The questions on the exams have been the same for decades - a few minor changes here and there, but nothing worth losing a night of sleep over. I get the answers in a legitimate way and create the guides for students to use at their discretion. In order to get those guides, however, they have to be willing to pay the price if they fail to meet my expectations.”

“Which is what?”

Azul smiled, raising his cane with the pale lavender colored magestone within, “Well, those that fail to make it into the top fifty, of course! But, let me give you an idea of how many and who exactly would take the bait and wriggle like worms on hooks.”

The magestone began to glow and soon you heard shouting and scraping noises out in the hall before bodies of students were pulled into the entryway of the lounge before yourself, Azul, and the twins. There were roughly two hundred, if not more; over half of them were freshmen in the dorms of Savanaclaw, Scarabia, and Ignihyde while several others bore the crests of Pompfiore, Heartslabyul, and Diasomia, several others you recognized as sophomores like Azul, Jade, and Floyd, and there was only a handful of juniors among the crowd. On each student’s head was a sea anemone - teal at the base and purple on the top that waved and wiggled as if being controlled, and very likely was by Azul’s magestone. Several of the students began shouting and arguing, only stopping with a snap of Azul’s fingers, which caused the sea anemones to knock everyone’s heads together.

“Well, well, what have we here? A band of misfortune souls who failed to break into the top fifty?” Azul smirked, “Welcome to Mostro Lounge. I’m sure you’re all WELL aware of who I am, but let’s go over it anyway. My name is Azul Ashengrotto - I am the housewarden of Octavinelle dorm, the manager of the Mostro Lounge cafe, and, as of today… you have to listen to everything I say.”

“You each made a bet with me and lost,” Azul continued, “As per the terms of our contract, you are to devote yourselves to my service until such a time you graduate.”

“Hold it! This is all a huge scam!” a familiar voice called out.

“Ace?!” you asked, eyes widening, “What are you doing here?!”

 “Ace Trappola,” Azul narrowed his eyes on the red head, "a freshman, if memory serves correctly, and a friend of (Y/N). Your accusations are insulting, quite frankly. I upheld my end of the bargain and provided you with a flawless study guide for your exams. If you had used them properly, you should have scored at least a ninety."

"Yeah, I did," Ace growled, "I got a ninety-two. But you never told me you'd given the same study guides to this many people!"

"Ace is right!" Deuce’s voice called out from the crowd as voices murmured amongst each other, "No study guide could help us break into the top fifty with the deck this stacked!"

"When everyone scorin' over ninety, even with my eighty-five, my spot in the rankings is no different than when I was failin'!" Grim groaned.

"Have you boys never heard of client confidentiality?" Azul asked, crossing his arms over his chest, "All of you fools - I mean, gentlemen - all had your own reasons for seeking out my help. Details who made a contract with me, what kind of contract it was, and why it was made… Well, that's privileged data. Who am I to divulge someone's personal information to a third party? I am a man of integrity, thank you very much."

"Azul, please reconsider," you whispered softly, "These are student's lives you're playing with. They had to pay you for the contract, why do they have to suffer the consequences for failing to meet your end of the deal when they had no idea how difficult it actually would be?"

"My dear sweet child," Azul looked down at you, speaking in a condescending tone that you did not recognize at all, "All of these poor unfortunate souls had their chance to make it into the top fifty for their classes. They failed and failed miserably. Some were close, I have to give credit where credit is due after all, but they missed the mark by a mile."

"Azul, please," you say again, "Please let them go."

Azul's eyes sparkled then as a smile spread across his face, his teeth becoming bare as well as his gums - looking more like a predator by the minute.

"Well, I always was a man with an eye for a bargain," Azul answered, "After all, you would do anything for your three friends here, if I am correct?"

You shift your gaze from Azul to Ace, Deuce, and Grim as the crowd looks on, each of the students holding their breath in anticipation. You looked back at your employer and nodded.

Azul shook his head, clicking his tongue before turning toward Jade and Floyd, "Get our newest recruits working - we have a full night ahead of us. In the meantime," he wrapped his arm around you, "I have some business to discuss."

***

You perched on the sofa in Azul’s office as the headwarden pulled one of his golden contracts out of the vault, holding it up for you to inspect. 

"(Y/N), this is the initial contract that you signed with me when you began," Azul spoke, handing the contract for you to inspect, "Per the terms your agreement, I will allow you to work and live within Octavinelle until such a time comes that I find a way for you to return home. Your payment to me, as you have nothing to give, would be any pay you earned within the lounge - I have allowed you to keep any tips left behind and some of the paychecks due to your want for independence. Now, that display you showed for those fools in the lounge has made me… want to reconsider my actions."

You look up from the contract, still begging, "I said I would do anything if you would release them."

"And I will accept that, however," Azul's face turned dark as a wicked smile spread across his face, "would you be willing to accept the price and the deal I have in mind?"

He pulled out another contract, this one blank, and as he spoke, his words spread on the page as if he were writing them himself.

"The deal I have for you is simple: in exchange for the freedom of all of those who signed my contracts for the study guides this term - including the names of Ace Trappola, Deuce Spade, and Grim - you, (Y/N) (L/N), will belong solely to me. Your body, your mind… your everything. You will remain by my side until the end of your natural born life."

You look up at him, your eyes widening in realization, "Azul - this is a marriage contract."

"I would prefer 'engagement', but marriage also works," Azul answered.

"Azul! That's not fair!"

"You're right, it isn't," Azul set the contract down on the table and knelt before you, grasping your hands in his, holding them tightly, "It's not fair for me to give up two hundred souls who signed away knowing what the repercussions would be if they failed my bet. However, I'm willing to do it for you, (Y/N). I would do anything for you. And do you know why?"

When you shake your head in a negative, Azul smiles at you fondly, "It's because I love you, (Y/N). I have searched my whole life for you - looking in every corner of Twisted Wonderland to find you. And when you appeared in the mirror chamber, lost and distressed, I wanted nothing more than to hold you close and I vowed then and there I would do everything in my power to keep you safe. You are… my soulmate. My match."

"Azul, we're… that's crazy!"

"You might think so now, but in time you'll understand, I promise," Azul kept his grip tight on your hands as he stroked your hair away from your face, "Now, about that contract -"

"Forget it. I won't do it."

"But your friends, (Y/N)? You said you would do anything for them. Was that a lie?"

"N-No, but…"

"Well, then, since we seem to be in agreement…" Azul placed the contract before you, spinning his cane around before it transformed into his fishbone pen and offered it to you, "Take a gulp, take a breath, go ahead and sign the scroll."

You hesitantly took the pen and closed your eyes as your name was spread across the dotted line.

As soon as your name was completed, Azul snatched the contract up and smiled, "It's a Deal!"

A glow came from the contract before the light enveloped you yourself, a bubble appearing around you and sealing you off from the world. You slammed your fists against it, shouting at Azul to release you.

"Payment for the deal is needed, angelfish," Azul smiled, "Like I said before - you can't get something for nothing. So, I'm going to take something so trivial you will never even miss it… your legs."

You stop for a moment, fear running through you like a cold shower as you whisper, "My legs?"

"You got it, sweet cheeks," Azul smiled, turning his attention toward you, "I need to keep you nearby at all times - and the thing that separates us is, well, human features. I am by no means human - some have called me a monster because of what I truly am. I was born in the sea, live in the sea… and you will too."

***

Three days had passed by since you had signed on the dotted line… three days since Azul made the announcement that the new recruits were free to leave - all thanks to a selfless individual who would not be named… three days since he took your freedom from you. You hadn’t shown your face to the school nor in the lounge during that time - not that you could - but everyone seemed to get a sense there was something else that now lurked in the large aquariums of the Octavinelle dorm. 

Not that you could blame the guests for being suspicious.

As soon as Azul had told you you would live under the sea, your legs had been swapped out for an ornate fishtail - pale sea green in color with scales of emerald speckled here and there. He kept you confined in the large aquarium that had spread throughout the dorm like a maze, the most open area in the Mostro Lounge. Azul requested that you stay out of sight from the other students, only coming when he called for you - which was often in the evening after everyone had left. When Azul wasn’t around, you were free to do as you wish - which often was raging at him or curled into yourself to try and comfort your poor broken soul. 

You had placed your trust into someone that should never have been trusted in the first place - and you had no one to blame but yourself.

“Well, I guess your herbivores weren’t kidding when they said they suspected something happened to our guest.”

You whipped your head around to see Leona and Riddle looking at you from behind the glass of the large aquarium.

“T-this… THIS IS INHUMANE!!” Riddle looked like he was about to blow a gasket again.

“Riddle? Leona?” you asked, coming forward and resting your hands against the glass, “What are you doing here?”

“I’ll ask the questions,” Riddle shouted, “What in the sevens’ names are you doing in there?!”

“Keep your voice lowered!” you hush, “If he finds out you saw me…”

 “Who?” Leona asked.

You look down, biting your lip.

Leona crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, “I see.”

“What? What is it? Who did this to her?” Riddle asked, “I’ll have their head!”

“Riddle, you’re too quick to jump to conclusions,” Leona turned his attention back to you, “I am assuming this has something to do when several of my dorm members were pulled into Octavinelle a few days ago - as well as some of members from the other dorms, mainly those three idiots you hang around with.”

“What? Deuce and Ace were pulled in here? What for?” Riddle asked.

Leona looked between Riddle and you before explaining, “Deuce, Ace, and the little demon came to me, asking for my help - said that they made an issue and that our magicless guest was in trouble. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now that I’m seeing it…”

“It’s true,” you answered.

Riddle was still a bit lost, “Who did this to her, Leona?”

“Azul.”

“What? Why?” Riddle asked.

“You humans wouldn’t understand what most of us beastmen, fae, and merfolk often experience as children,” Leona answered, “However, I believe I know the reason why. Azul believes that our magicless guest here is his soulmate.”

You and Riddle blinked a bit, “Soulmate?”

Leona nodded, “There are often rumors that spread around about the concept of soulmates - how there is one special soul that is unique to one individual. Everyone has a soulmate - whether they are family, friend, or romantic - but they are far and few in between, a rarity. Those of us who are lucky to even encounter our soulmate will often hold onto that person as if our life depends on it - and in this case, Azul is rather possessive of it.”

Your hands slide down the glass, “That’s why… that’s why he…”

Leona nodded, “And I also had a part in it, too, (Y/N). However, we don’t have time to discuss it. We need to figure out a way to fix this.”

“How?” Riddle asked, “It’s not like we can just… confront Azul about it - he’ll deny it, knowing the sneaky student that he is. Rule breaker…”

“I’m assuming he used his unique spell on this one.”

“Yes, ‘It’s a Deal,’” you answered.

Leona thought for a minute before nodding, “I have an idea - usually I’d ask for some sort of payment, but it seems I owe you twice for everything that has happened to you. Consider this a free of charge gift of mine.”

You blink, “What are you going to do?”

Leona smiled, his teeth bared, “I’m going to teach that cephalo-punk a lesson he’ll never forget.”

#twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #yandere azul ashengrotto x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere x reader #tw yandere #yandere azul x reader #yandere azul ashengrotto #azul ashengrotto #floyd leech #jade leech #yandere #leona kingscholar #riddle rosehearts #duece spade #ace trappola #twst grim #possessive #magic #transformation #twst soulmate au #yandere soulmate au

[bonefall]

How do you feel about "character joins bloodclan" aus? Im curious about ur thoughts since youre really in tune with the themes of the series but personally i just hate them bc its ALWAYS aimed at 'unfortunate' characters and always ALWAYS ignores the fact that bloodclan is a horrible place in-canon and that they're just reflavoring the abuse and trauma the characters qent through to be more emo or goth themed.

Ravenpaw is ALWAYS a prime target for this and its like. Great. You took the character being abused by their mentor figure and is being harmed from the violent culture the clan has generated... and giving them an EMO mentor figure who will inevitably abuse them and harm them as a result of the violent culture the emo clan has generated. Sasha is another one I've noticed- you've put the woman who lost her kit and is struggling to survive with the others while being controlled and abused by someone who sees her as an outsider (aka alone and easy to isolate), and are gonna put her in a faction who specifically separates kin from one another to easily control them and who have canonically tried murdering those who stick with their family. What was gained here.

Like i know bloodclan is revamped in ur au (thank god for it) but in canon bloodclan is HORRIBLE. People ignore that in favor of putting their favs into bloodclan bc bloodclan is cool and killed tigerstar that one time bc of revenge. Ravenpaw becomes Scourge AUS are SO SO SO much worse bc of this too- sure you manage to point out how scourge and raven has roughly similar stories in their youth but you could also do something interesting and make an au where raven and scourge are FOILS and do a firestar/scourge thing, while pointing this comparison out!! Instead you just went "Ravenpaw emo now and is sad about beating up Firestar his friend" and basically kept everything the same.

Sorry im basically venting here but i just dont like how people forget that scourge in canon does NOT look out for the 'little guy', he's a murderer and abuser who wants to keep his subjects afraid and separated so that he alone has power over them. Bloodclan is not the cool strong goth group, its the group where two cats slaughter eachother over a piece of twoleg scraps, only for the survivor to die bc the food was poisonous to cats and no one knew bc theres no cohesive group that can pass that knowledge around. its a fucking horrible place to live. Im not saying that you cant do interesting "character in bloodclan" aus (a Rusty who lives in bloodclan who STILL wants to do good but is shaped by the horrid reality of bloodclan would be fun imo) but its so often used with already traumatized characters as a 'solution' or 'fix-it with some emotional issues involved' that i just foam at the mouth and howl like a rabid animal on principle at this point.

Hmm... I think for me, it doesn't tend to read that way for me when the fandom makes AUs for it. I'm coming at BloodClan from a point of really deep critique and frustration.

BloodClan's not a REAL place, and what that means is, every speck of how horrible it was is a choice the writers made to justify its treatment. It was something they actively decided, because, BloodClan was a tool to suddenly invalidate the previous 5 books of TPB so that the series could comfortably conclude there was no need to upset the status quo.

If you haven't read it before, I recommend this post I made on how Darkest Hour Is A Personal Disappointment, but anyway;

We spend a whole series on how Fireheart challenges a broken society, because he is different. Their xenophobia, how isolationism and glory get people killed, the way that Tigerstar's greatest asset is how respected he is... these are bad things. They're things that Fireheart fights for several books.

But then, in the LAST book, in the 11th inning, they introduce BloodClan. They're just evil. They have no nuance. The narrative bends over backwards to stress that this group of evil foreigners LOVES murder, hates friendship, and doesn't believe in our good god.

Suddenly, the Clan cats have to be EXTRA xenophobic and glorious to kill these filthy, murderous foreign hordes. Clan cat belief in their good god makes them stronger than the bloodthirsty barbarians. Firestar kills Scourge and we can feel happy and triumphant about it, when Tigerstar was killed a few chapters ago and given a tragic sendoff.

So, I encourage you to step back from an emotional response to how Filthy and Murderous this group was portrayed, and look at it as a writing choice.

When Tigerstar, known cat-racist and murderer of mixed-race people, is killed by Scourge in self-defense, he is grieved by Firestar and commended for his "good qualities". (and then they retconned in that it was actually secretly revenge all along, not just self defense, so this killing is extra evil)

When Scourge is killed, Firestar just thinks about how it's cool he's not going to heaven, and how all of the previously ferocious BloodClan warriors look so inferior to the forest Clans.

And so, with all that said,

I'm 100% in favor of how the fandom widely looks at this, says, "fuck that" and just makes them the Cool Goth Group. I'd argue pretty strongly that the least nuanced idea of that is still infinitely better than canon.

There was nothing there. It was literally just Xenophobia-Is-JustifiedClan. They literally hated love and friendship and banned families so that Clan cats would look good in comparison. Banned families. You don't get this level of stupid evil from anything else but an 80s cartoon.

Maybe I just don't see the AUs you tend to see (I curate my Tumblr experience very well and generally hang out in more adult-oriented spaces, I can imagine a place like Amino being mostly kids who tend to be immature. Edgelord Angstpiddle is just a normal part of growing up), but every project I see that gives me a glimpse of BloodClan Ravenpaws and Sashas come with such tweaks already assumed.

Like, these are examples I've seen,

They'll have Raven be involved with the formation of BloodClan

Scourge will actually be a character with some pity and mercy, like how he was in Rise of Scourge when his abusive siblings begged him for food, and he fed them before sending them away.

no ban on love and friendship. Lol. Lmao, even.

More of the social structure will be based around acquiring food for people in a 'harsh' environment, leading to that battle, instead of just Evil Foreign Greed (which canon!scourge only had after being almost killed by tigerstar, because he said "actually, in light of new information that you are a murderer, i need to reconsider our deal.")

BloodClan will be overhauled completely. I've seen this a few ways. Connecting them to SkyClan, or the Oakstar raids on Chelford, or even as a positive entity; a surprise ally. (VERY common with BloodClan Ravenpaw AUs I've seen).

Anyways... (Shrug), I dunno dude, it doesn't bother me that much.

#and remember. BloodClan is 1 of 3 actively hostile evil foreigner groups with no nuance. #4 if you also count Slash's rogues as their own entity and not just a continuation of One's. #This is NOT a treatment ever EVER given to Clanborn cat factions. #Berryh's hate crime club is being treated with more kindness than this. #None of Mud's supporters were punished for attempted murder or treason. Or anything. #And there is only ONE DF trainee who was Dark Forested after his death. #So anon I'm so sorry but I am your worst enemy u_u #We will fight at dawn #I think that one barley map is super awesome and it's the only time I ever really liked canon BloodClan #I like to imagine my own version in my head when I watch BloodClan-related art because canon BloodClan bugs me so bad #The xenophobia in this series is so blatant and yet so overlooked

[damianbugs]

You need to tell us what you think of your favorite Bruce ships. Pls

i should preface by saying i usually prefer bruce (in my own works and others, including comics) to not be in a relationship at all because i can't think of a time he's like ever emotionally stable enough for that. like ever. THAT BEING SAID isn't that all the more reason to throw him into a ship? doomed tragic romance you will always be famous to me

and because i am insane, here are some comic recs to go with my fav bruce ships!!

>batcat

a classic favourite, batcat!!! i will admit i am not the biggest fan of their rebirth stories, and the whole wedding fiasco and most of what tom king wrote about them (and in general) was. not enjoyable. but pre crisis/golden age batcat? MY PARENTS. just. silver and bronze age batcat too. what a refreshing and entertaining couple. the thing that really makes them compelling is at the end of the day they have the same goal; protect the people of gotham. the ways they go about it can be different, and selina especially faces some serious mischaracterisation in order to make bruce look like the "hero" in the relationship, but at their core and simplest expression of love, they share the same dream, and they both know that. it's this selflessness that connects them deeply.

> "The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne" (Batman the Brave and the Bold #197) is, in my opinion, essential batcat reading. a very bittersweet story!

> for a more modern read, "Only Takes a Night" (Catwoman #32) is a delightful read about how hopelessly in love they are. bruce is such a devoted loser.

> ghostbat

every character needs that one irreparably damaging young adult tragic romance that changed their life forever and that is what ghostbat is. khoa is the perfect foil to bruce, in that ultimately, they are two ends of the same spectrum. fiercely stubborn and confident in their own moral code but in the opposite way. this ship is particularly fascinating because even now, the respect and love they have for each other years later is so deeply consuming that it is prevalent in how they interact now. i don't think bruce would have been the person he is without his relationship with khoa pre-batman, in both a good and bad ways. i also really love the hc that khoa is bruce's first heartbreak (refer to: the Snow and Gun incident).

> "Batman The Knight" is like ghostbat religious text. this is all you need. let it destroy you.

> batlantern

no long paragraph about this one because its my silly guilty pleasure. sometimes u need a ship in which they just don't get along except for the times they do. hal brings out such an irritating (said fondly) side to bruce and its even funnier because it works mutually. i think another really wonderful thing about this pairing is that they are really not so different from each other (nothing says romance than being consumed by your guilt and stubbornness), but they both think otherwise, so they knock heads while also begrudgingly respecting about one another in a colleague-friend-crush way. they want to make out so bad it makes them look stupid.

> "Batman: Universe" is a great and short silly story that shows their dynamic really well. amused me greatly. not ship focused though hal is there for like. a single issue unfortunately. but fun!!

> i usually never recommend any new 52 books to get INTO a character, but if you're interested in this pairing and its most 'popular' fanon interation, then "Jutice League (2011)" is the best place to start. you can get to their better stuff afterwards! (there's also an animated movie about it!)

> brutalia

AND BEST TILL LAST. THE BRUCE SHIP OF ALL TIME. ruined my life. CHANGED my life. i wish i could explain how insanely important this relationship is in words. i love my pairings tragic and there is quite literally no other ship quiet as dramatic or poetic than brutalia. talia is often seen as bruce's "one true love" with great reason, and him hers, and despite that they will probably never actually get back together. in a wider lense, the al ghuls and bruce have an insanely complicated dynamic, and this inherent conflict about missions bigger than themselves makes brutalia's forbidden love drama all the more compelling. talia brings out the best in bruce, and bruce respects and loves talia in a way i don't think he does anyone else in his life.

to complain for a moment, it's no wonder that because their relationship (since it's very first introduction) was so irrevocably pure and consensual (they were both so ridiculously obsessed with each other), that Certain Writers had to pull out the most out of character and disgusting stories to make it clear the tone of batman was changing. talia is always a victim to racism, misogyny and just unbelievable ooc writing — most evidently in her stories with bruce, unfortunately.

AND YET. recent comics have realised how truly ridiculous it is to write her as anything but kind and strong, and bruce being anything but hopelessly infatuated. i think my favourite thing about brutalia is that bruce and talia is a relationship that has been separated for actual Decades and so both their characters have been developed to have their own tragic stories and growth. then when we get small moments that bring them back together and letting that past show through the cracks in their carefully constructed walls, it's all the more romantic.

beautiful heartbreaking ship. the kind of relationship historians would cry over. would have the romantic period publishing fifteen books over.

> "Batman: Son of the Demon" is ESSENTIAL brutalia reading. also, if you are insane and delusional enough, it can be the true origin of damian.

> the comic moment that inspired all romance the moment of forever the blueprint even is in the famous "Batman (1940) #244"

> for a more modern take, very recently in fact, is her appearances in Ram V's run of detective comics, starting from #1062. its not brutalia focused, but a great take on how natural and yearning their relationship is now.

#for a guy who is notoriously shit at relationships he sure does find himself in them constantly #but truly is there a single fail loser man that yearns as much as batman #bruce wayne #batcat #ghostbat #batlantern #brutalia #saki comic talks

[mikodrawnnarratives]

OK

Before I talk a LOT (I'm not joking, A LOT)

About this au, how I stumbled upon the idea, story and all in a rushed format,

APPRECIATE THIS

TOOK FOREVER

COMPLETELY out of my general comfort zone in art BUT OH WELL LOOK AT IT :DDDDDDDD

Also serves as a good hook for what this post is about mehehehehehehehe

CUT TO RAMBLINGS

Oh I have your attention?

Excellent.

It started with me thinking and wondering about a specific fic that is unrelated to this post, frankly different fandom, and I was wondering how it would play out in a movie format, but seeing as the fic in question currently is unfinished and won't be for a while I decided to direct my attention to other fandoms, got to DCA fandom, came up with a few cute ideas i didn't write down for unfinished fics, for the record I do think it would be interesting if Solar Lunacy was a musical just saying, and then I started to think about ok what fics ARE fini-

SLEUTH JESTERS HECK YEAH

Unfortunately at the moment I don't have any digital sketches to share for some of these points and the sketches I do have are pretty messy SO I'LL JUST RAMBLE cause I already wrote down a lot of these separately

Firstly, I imagine this kind of musical being in universe kind of au. Possibly an extension of the Actor AU where the original media (tv show? movie?) got so popular it got a musical adaptation

I imagine the actual music, whether the songs or just sound track, would be heavily inspired by Jazz or smthn. Like, the genre of music most popular during the time period Sleuth Jesters is in ish. It would still be musical-like but you can tell the genre they are going for

And before continuing, to get around not actually saying "y/n" on stage cause that might be a little awkward MAYBE there could be some kind of special sound affect for the actors mics that the audience knows is y/n's name?? Half baked tho

COSTUMES

Sun, Moon and Eclipse (at least) would have highly decorated masks to match the original just added onto because they are on stage. Masks, so that there are more options for who to cast. To make up for this, the actors have to make it clear in their body language to make up for lack of expression

in productions with higher budget mayhaps one function could be the eyes have options for what emotion they could express

In most productions there will be sound effects in the background that mimic the noise that Sun Moon and Eclipse make as they move. Or at least be incorporated into the sound track ooooo

Y/n's clothes would have an easy to notice difference in quality compared to the DCAs, which makes the bell and ribbons much more noticeable on stage

Smaller note but I think y/n's make up could be kind of fun with how they show the y and n on their face

Would probably have a wig colored various shades of silver but not required

FIRST SONG FIRST SONG FIRST SONG

Would be the introduction (of course) and depict the first chapter and likely have something to do with "Until Next Time". I think possibly it would have little breaks in the song to fit in the dialogue

Honestly, in an adaptation there might just be more scenes added between the earlier chapters to fill in points in time or smthn

OR (the answer I like better) The first act uses time between chapters to fill in reader watcher on backstories or past's of characters

Actually yeah little hints would be packed in the first half

Any other songs could be filled in for the boys or y/n that could have the potential to return as a Reprise

Now listen Mandatory Eclipse Villain song(s)

this is not optional

Duets Duets DUETS

One duet could be between characters that are foils or mirror each other but it's one of those duets that have different lyrics that still match up musically

Particularly I think the latter could be used for Sun and Moon's complicated relationship with Eclipse but not completely sure where that would be, probably second half, speaking of which...

ACT ONE ends in the chapter that Y/N has to return the favor to Eclipse, where he crashes the party and they go with him, reassuring Sun and Moon that they allways can wiggle out of situations

REPRISE OF THE FIRST SONGGGGGG

Until Next Time Reprise

Which will have a moment of silence after, showing their mutual understanding yet make it perfectly clear sun and moon don't want to do resort to this

Doesn't last to long as it proceeds with the sound track DROPPING in tone as Eclipse stuffs y/n into the car, that is actually just a prop that leads to the back stage

FADE TO BLACK INTERMISSION

ACT TWO (any major costume changes or forever hold your piece) I think would start off with Sun and Moon's dilemmas first before getting back to y/n

WHICH would likely cut to y/n maybe already in the burgundy shirt but meh that's not solid

I think the way Eclipse gives them the burgundy ribbon and bell could be changed in an adaptation of the story since it would be easier I imagine to show it later than in a car set piece

(Admittedly I have to reread these specific chapters to know specifically the order) But when Eclipse drops the bombshell he knows their past, and I think he leaves them alone for a bit after that, SONG TIME (though song could still happen with him there honestly)

Something similar to the theme "I thought I burned everything" and would just

And after that likely more backstory could be cut to depending on what it is and how relevant it is at that point. WOuld be much grimmer in tone but hey it's the second act.

Though if this opportunity is taken, this could be reprised later when Y/N proposes to the boys, with the necklaces to show being more comfortable with their past

More song opportunities with Y/N's trust issues, Sun and Moon's brother issues, etc

Final act-ish, where y/n first runs away after Sun and Moon "find out" and from there would have more focus on the score than any songs that could be fit into that small frame.

My thoughts went kind of to Heather's Dead Girl Walking Reprise and then Veronica and JD's tussle toward the end if songs got implemented there

AND OF COURSE The moment of Eclipse's death is really what makes me think this would be adapted into a musical in universe

Because it does kind of fit the bill for being tragic

You feel bad enough for what could have been

But also remember "Nah that bitch deserves it"

But also.. it's sad

PERFECT FOR MUSICAL ENDING

ish

After proposal, there is possibility to do a QUICK little glance into the future at the end, not unlike Dear Evan Hansen's ending, but maybe not

Ok now Applause section!!

Freddie and Gregory would bow together

I forgot to mention earlier, but the character that is revealed to be a spy for Eclipse at the police station I'd imagine would have hints on their clothing (like burgundy) that would foreshadow their side

Eclipse would bow by himself, flaunty as ever, yet you can still kind of tell the actor is kind of a sweetheart

Sun and Moon would enter, bow together and then welcome Y/n

Who would get to bow on their own, then with Sun and Moon

Then the rest of the cast is welcomed

How the arrangement would go from left to right I was thinking

Law Enforcement and basic background cast making up crowds, Freddy, Gregory, Sun, Y/N, Moon, Eclipse, Michael, Other Aftons and Spy, rest of Law Enforcement and basic background cast making up crowds

AAAAAaaand thats what I've got.

@naffeclipse did you catch all of that?

and @sunnys-aesthetic for their detective au! :3

#ow my hands #musical au #sleuth jesters the musical #sleuth jesters #detective!sun #detective!moon #vigilante!y/n #mafia!eclipse #mafia boss eclipse #moon x reader #sun x reader #eclipse x reader #fnaf sb #fnaf moon #fnaf sun #fnaf eclipse #my art #ramblings #I gotta go eat and get hw done bye #MDN art tag