Monday, March 31, 2025

Wait. How Do I Stop My Plot Points?

Est. Read Time: 20 min
This Month's Font: Playpen Sans

I had been debating with myself for over a week on how to start this update. I probably would have had this published days ago, but I just could not get started. I had the middle. I had the end. But not the opening.

And, boy howdy, is that ever a metaphor for my writing as a whole lately.

I come up with a cool scene, but it makes no sense without set-up, and that's the part I can't seem to figure out outside of a generic exposition dump like the text-crawl at the start of Star Wars movies. Or I have an opening, and I know how I want to end it, but what happens in between? What's the actual plot? 

This right here is why One and the Same hasn't gone anywhere for years. I know how I want the middle to go, and I know what I want the end to be, but I can't seem to get the set-up - the opening act - to make sense. For Seduce with Caution, I have an opening couple of chapters I'm happy with, and some cool scenes throughout the rest of the story, but that connective tissue between those scenes still alludes me. I even have two nearly-finished chapters that just sort of abruptly start in medias res and feel short without a proper opening to transition into the scene I wrote.

Like... how does one start things????

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No one I've talked to about these struggles in the past really had any answers. Likewise, there's crickets on my Discord server channels where I talk about my writing.

So, naturally, I decided to add another WIP to the mix... that'll help, right?

I mean, Linda Sejic created Punderworld as she stepped away from her main comic Blood Stain in an attempt to shake herself out of writer's block. So, maybe this WILL help? I hope so.

If you've been following my LycoRogue's Reading Corner updates - or if you've simply read my blog updates in 2024 - you're aware that I've been reading a LOT of isekai stories lately. Also, as I frequently talk about, these portal fantasy stories tend to come in 3 main flavors.

The first is your standard portal fantasy. A person from the real world full-on teleports into a new world. Various examples of this type of story includes: 

So on, and so forth. I hope you get the idea. For this category, I'd also include the multitude of isekai-adjacent stories that have been prevalent lately: the "Main Character gets trapped in a video game via their VR headset" genre made popular by stories like Sword Art Online and Overlord.

The second concept is the reincarnation isekai. A person dies in our world and is reincarnated in a fantasy world, but retains all of their memories and adult intellect from their previous life on Earth. I personally haven't come across this style outside of Japanese stories, and even so, this isn't the main genre I watch. That said, I have watched at least three animes within this subgenre of isekai stories:

There's also those stories adjacent to the reincarnation isekai, where the main character is TECHNICALLY reincarnated in this new world, but they are "rebirthed" fully-formed in their "adult forms" like Athena or Aphrodite from Greek myth. Some examples of this would be My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1 or the delightfully absurd Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon.

The final flavor of isekai is transmigration. This one is my current pet genre to watch/read. If there's an isekai on my reading list, you can bet that it's a transmigration story. Basically, a person from our world ends up possessing a fictional character. This could be because they died in our world, but they don't HAVE to have died. 

While most reincarnation isekais (that I know of) seem to be predominantly male protagonists, the transmigration stories seem to be largely female protags. The fictional characters in question (that the main character possesses) tend to be from romance novels or dating sim games. This is where the ever-increasingly-popular subgenre of villainess isekai stories grew from. 

An adjacent subgenre is the pseudo time-travel transmigration story, where the main character dies, but their spirit then possesses a younger form of themselves so they can relive their life. Again, this is largely a female-dominated subgenre, but one of the more popular reincarnation/transmigration isekais - Re:Zero - does have a male lead, and takes this trope of "possess your past life" and cranks it to 11! (Also, death time loop stories like Edge of Tomorrow are tangentially part of this subgenre, I'd suppose...)

Now, why did I give you yet another primer/refresher on what isekai stories are? Shouldn't I save this for LycoRogue's Reading Corner? Well.... as you've probably guessed, this does indeed relate to my writing.

As I mentioned last month, I had come up with a little transmigration isekai story idea where a pair of lovers unknowingly transmigrate into the same fantasy world and re-find each other. Well, a little over a week ago, I came up with another one!

For those who haven't read this month's LRRC yet, I started reading a new isekai: I Am The Villain. The long-and-short of this story is that Lucy ends up teleported into her friend Sena's romance novel. Originally, both the readers and Lucy believe that she transmigrated into the body of Sena's villainess Lucia, who looks identical to Lucy. Meanwhile, Sena has become her protagonist Claire, who is Sena's self-insert character. The added complication is that (a) Lucy and Sena don't know that the other also isekai'd into Sena's story, and (b) the original novel version of both Lucia and Claire are still their own people, essentially creating two of each character within this story's world. Sena wrote Claire to look exactly like herself, so she easily stole Claire's identity and stepped in as her story's protagonist. Meanwhile, Lucy unintentionally usurped Lucia's life when the real Lucia went missing, and her brother thought he found her when he came across Lucy.

Going back to Sena as Claire, however, that is what sparked my latest story idea.

Sena is in awe that she gets to walk within the world she built and among the characters that she created. She marvels at how much more handsome the male cast is compared to what she even pictured. She notes how real they all are, but then casually laments that one character has to die so soon within her plot. Meaning he is not long for this world. 

That would kill me if I were Sena! I have a hard enough time causing physical pain to my characters. I struggle to leave lasting scars, let alone maiming/dismembering my characters, causing them to become physically disabled at all. To kill them?! I'm getting choked up just thinking about it!

So.... what if the main character of an isekai is a writer like myself, but teleported into their story like Sena? As of right now, I'm picturing the main character as female. Mostly because (a) that's just common for this genre, and (b) I'm a female, so it's easier to write.... I don't have a name yet, so I'm gonna call her MC (for Main Character) for this.

Introducing MC, an introverted writer vastly lacking in personal connections. She's chronically online, getting her socializing done almost exclusively behind anonymous internet handles on social media.

She loves her fans, and enjoys doing meet-and-greets with them, but she doesn't have too many actual irl friends. They all drifted away from her as they aged. She became more engrossed in her fans and the worlds she builds to compensate.

Sometimes, she gets so engrossed in her WIPs that she goes radio-silent as she spends nearly every waking moment either researching or writing her latest story. People have gotten used to this, so no one (including fans) really bats an eye if no one has heard from her for weeks at a time. As long as she still checks in at least once a month and she hits her deadlines, everyone simply assumes she's hyperfixating and is otherwise fine.

She's a bit of a prolific writer, but her most popular stories are all within the same regency fantasy franchise (think Bridgerton). Franchise title TBD.

One night, MC is particularly worn out. She had just published the latest installment in her franchise, but way overworked herself to get it done by her deadline. Due to her hyperfixation with her story, she hasn't been eating well (if at all), has become very dehydrated, and has been pulling way too many all-nighters. Her poor self-care has caught up with her. She's feverish. She's all alone in her small apartment. She's weak, but assumes she just needs to finally rest. She falls asleep fantasizing about being pampered and nursed back to health like one of her protags. (Yes, I swiped this idea from the inciting incident of My Housemate Sano-kun Is Just My Editor!)

She is rudely woken up the next day as someone whips open the curtains in her room. Except, she's not in her room anymore! She's in a queen-sized canopy bed with intricately carved posts. The sheets are the softest fabric she's ever felt. The mattress is so cozy she never wants to leave. And the woman who woke up MC is dressed as a regency-era maid. She greets MC pleasantly but a bit sternly, as if expecting MC to be in that bed; as if she recognized her. However, she doesn't call MC by her name. The name DOES sound familiar, though (I'm thinking maybe Olivia???). The maid verbally encourages MC to get out of bed and greet the day, rattling off that day's schedule. When MC complies, the maid instantly starts getting MC ready for the day: fetching water to wash up with, laying out her clothes, helping her get dressed, doing her hair, etc.

Upon seeing herself in the mirror, MC realizes why she recognized the name the maid called her. She has transmigrated into her self-insert character within her story franchise! Understandably, MC assumes she's having a fever dream brought on by thinking too much about her story lately, and enjoys the pampering.

...Except... Would a fever dream include uninterrupted bathroom breaks? Or uneventful meals, no matter how delectable the food is? Or the boredom of filling a slow evening post-supper?

It soon dawns on our MC that this is no dream! Somehow she ACTUALLY transmigrated into her story franchise as her self-insert character! She now has a comfortable life of luxury and all the free time she wishes. Writing might prove more difficult without the aid of a computer to type or research on, but that's a small inconvenience for everything she just got! Easy trade! Best yet, it's not like all of those typical transmigration stories where the main character becomes the villainess! She's her self-insert, who is just a minor character in her franchise! She has little-to-nothing to do with the plot. Just an extra body to fill in a few scenes to make the world feel more alive. She can live a cozy, cushy life of an aristocrat just on the outskirts of drama. (Aaaaand I swiped this part from Her Wish to be Isekai'd. Don't steal the whole crown, but feel free to steal some jewels to make your own crown....)

It's not long before MC is invited to one of those high-society parties that her character was created to help populate. She delights in getting dolled up and rubbing elbows with the nobility within her world. She is gobsmacked at how real and alive her characters all are. They're more elegant than she could picture, and their outfits more intricate and gorgeous than she could imagine. They are cunning and witty and playful. Just as she designed each one to be. She tears up a little, like a proud mama watching her grown children.

Then, she bumps into one particular character. He's a sweetheart to her. He's exactly as gentlemanly and noble as she wanted him to be. As he walks off, she reflects on how many people would have died to have been able to interact with such a fan-favorite character. She then starts tearing up, realizing how relieved she is that she had the chance to actually meet him before he was brutally killed. It had pained her to do it, but the battle just didn't feel realistic or as impactful if there weren't some named casualties. "For the story," she had wept as she wrote his bitter death scene.

But he's right there! He's alive and well! Oh, lord! He's destined to die, and it's all her fault! All of these lovely people are about to Go Through It, and it will all be by her design! No! Her precious characters are all living in their lovely Status Quo. How can she stop the plots of her novels from kicking off??? At the same time, though, there WERE some satisfying endings where characters were able to find their true loves and villainous characters got their comeuppance. Can she still get that to happen without too many of the tragedies that she had worked in????

There HAS to be a way, right? She created the plot, she must be able to influence it, right???? And it doesn't have to be entertaining anymore, just effective. It doesn't matter if a battle doesn't seem impactful or threatening. The attackers can be pushovers that are easily captured without a single casualty. Who is she trying to entertain anymore anyway?

With the same hyperfixation that got her in trouble and isekai'd in the first place, she is determined to direct her characters to their fated happy endings, and stop her villains (maybe rehabilitate them???), all while avoiding death and bloodshed, if possible. Problem is... she's not the author anymore! She's just a silly little side character now. A lower noble that the main characters rarely interact with. How can she affect anything????

Also, you KNOW I have to have my own romance subplot. I'm thinking at least one knight or noble or royal or whomever starts to fall for her, but she's so fixated on saving all of her precious characters that she is OBVILIOUS to the flirting and romantic advancements. Those are a distraction! Maybe there's a popular crack ship of her self-insert side character with one of the secondary love interests of the main plot? All of the fans wanted him to find someone after the story's protag chose the other love interest, and thought the MC's side character would be a perfect match for him. The MC never understood the ship, especially since she never actually had the two characters interact. However, he is definitely paying more attention to her than the protag he was SUPPOSED to be wooing, dammit! Were the fans right all along????

Lastly, I think it would be important for her to finally form a social group. She starts awkwardly doing so as a way to garner more influence over her characters to try to protect them, but it becomes a legitimate and caring friend group. Problem here is that she falls into the same pattern she had on Earth: she becomes too focused on her work (in this case, saving her characters, as opposed to writing her novels) and starts to isolate herself again, assuming none of her friends truly want to spend time with her anyway.

As for the broad strokes of the plot, that's all I have right now. More than I thought I had, honestly. And the rabbit hole goes deeper, but I'll get to that. 

When I first thought of this story, I only had a basic elevator pitch:

Instead of the person possessing the villainess trying to change the plot to avoid her death, my protag would be the transmigrated author now going, "OH SHIT! HOW DO I STOP THE PLOT POINTS FROM HAPPENING! EVERYONE MUST LIVE HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER!"

Problem is, this author's self-insert character was just a side character with little-to-no authority over anything....

Aurora Morgen jumped in and told me, "I like it. 10/10 would read. That problem is a good plot element. Makes it that much more exciting when they do figure out how to stop the plot points."

That was all the encouragement I needed. After thinking about it a couple more days, I decided the plot bunny had stuck around long enough to talk about it here. I started writing up the above synopsis, unsure if I was going to give more than that original elevator pitch. But then more just kept flowing! I'm definitely more locked-in on this idea than the "lovers re-find each other" plot bunny I shared last month. I'm super excited about this. If I can't break my current writer's block over my Miraculous Ladybug fanfics, maybe I should spend next month focusing on this instead. I mean, there's still some pretty key things that I need to sort out.

  • What is the main character's original name?
  • What is her self-insert character's name? Do I lock in Olivia? I did a quick search for regency-era names, and found this link. There isn't a single O-name listed for females. Does that mean Olivia won't work? Should I make that the MC's original name instead? (I'm kinda feeling Olivia for her one way or another....)
  • What is the name of her regency-era franchise?
  • Should her franchise be more like Bridgerton and be based in reality? Or should I lean into most of the fantasy worlds used in these villainess transmigration stories? Add some magic/monsters/attacking demons?
  • What are the plots of her books that she's trying to prevent?
  • Who would be the main characters she's trying to save? And which one(s) would be her love interest?
  • Did she die from her illness and now lives the rest of her days as her side character? Or is she in a coma, and she has the option to return to her real body at the end of the story? If the latter, does she???

Lots to think about.

In the meantime, I already had a nice glimpse into how my main character thinks. How she plots out her stories, poking holes in her plans to make sure they're strong before committing them to paper.

*Note, the next passage would all be presented in the story as the main character's thought process as she problem solves.

The main character comes up with what seems like the obvious solution to explain away why she knows that bad things are coming, and to convince her characters to listen to her advice. She'll tell everyone that she's clairvoyant! Duh! She can see the future!

Except... she never established in her stories that this character is clairvoyant. She never even included foresight/fortune telling in any of her novels. For all intents and purposes, this kind of thing isn't real/believed by sensible folk. How does she convince everyone?

She has to let a more mild plot point come to pass and let people know about it. That will prove that she has The Gift... but why would it start NOW, when she's in her early 20s? Why wasn't she clairvoyant earlier in life? What changed?

A HEAD INJURY! She could get a minor bump on her head, ham it up to make it seem more serious. Then claim it did something to her mind and she can see flashes of the future now!

There's a montage of her orchestrating minor head injuries.... only to be protected from them each time. (yes, I did steal this failed head injury plot-point from At Your Mercy) If the main character keeps trying to seemingly get a nasty head injury it will become obvious that she's doing so on purpose.... She needs a new plan....

A CURSED ITEM! Perfect! She can start having visions due to this item, and then, once the plot changes enough that she doesn't know what will happen next, she can get rid of the item to explain why she can't see the future anymore! Why didn't she think of this first?

OK. So, she has to find an ominous-looking, mysterious jewel from an "disreputable" source that is still appealing enough that it feels organic that this side character would not only buy it, but would want to keep it with her. How is she going to manage THAT without raising any flags???

After a few more antics and shenanigans (TBD), she manages to find the perfect jewel to play the part of her mysterious cursed item.

Except, in the process of trying to fake a head injury and then acquiring said item, she's already changed more than she realized. She goes to showcase her first premonition by claiming something unexpected would happen to a specific noble during this exact social gathering....

... and it doesn't happen ...

People wave it off as her having a very weird and vivid dream, and think nothing more about it.

She sighs. Back to the drawing board.... Only now she's unsure if she even can still predict the plot enough to stop the more distressing plot points from happening!

Man! Look at everything I already thought of for this concept in about 10 days!!!

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Edited by LycoRogue

I keep thinking, "man, I haven't written in a while. I'm not getting any writing done. Do I even remember how to write? Why is this so hard for me? Why am I slacking?" And yet, I seem to have something new to tell all of you fine folk every month! So, I guess I'm doing better than I thought. 

One of the benefits of having this blog is being able to see that. To properly reflect and see my writing for what it is, as opposed to how I feel or think it is.

Speaking of, I actually got another comment on Could Your Paradise Also Be Your Hell? Despite that story being one of my most popular ones - 2nd in kudos and hits, 3rd in bookmarks, and 2nd among my one-shots in comments - I haven't had a new comment on it since September 2023! What's even more fun is that I had included a dumb little The Road to El Dorado reference in my story, and this reader not only picked up on it, but joked back about it. Man, I love that!

She really needed that cold splash of water now, and certainly couldn't share this bed with that man. Nope. Can't do it. Not today. - The Stars not in alignment?

Also, the love for You Pretended Not to Care is still pouring in. Usually, it's just one new kudos, but I have had a couple of days where 2 or 3 people left kudos on it. I also get at least one kudos notification per week for this story, and that's with it being nearly a year old! (Good golly! It's almost a year old!)

The weirdest thing for me, however, is that I Think I Like You (Maybe More Than I Should) is getting relatively significant love again. As much love as YPNTC throughout March. Huh!? That story was published last May. It's over 10 months old! That's practically ancient in the flood of ML fanfic. There is just shy of 76k different stories within the fandom's tag on AO3! Out of that mountain of content to read, the VAST majority (62,938 stories; 83%) are written in English and aren't crossovers. That is a LOT of competition for older stories to push against. And yet, both Could Your Paradise and I Think I Like You are managing! Since both are spin-off stories of fics that MostLovedGirl wrote, I hope that means her stories are still getting flooded with love too.

Maybe that's what's happening. People are still reading MLG's stories, and my fics are listed as "inspired by" at the end of her work. People find my stuff that way. I mean, I'll gladly take it. I can't think of many other reasons for my stories to be found and read now, months and years after they are published. Then again, I haven't started watching the latest season yet - although, we FINALLY have an air date for EPISODE 1 finally! - so maybe something happened in canon that also relates to my stories somehow? And that's why people are finding them so late???? I guess I'll find out once I catch up after April 26th....

Getting back to that flood of stories, however. I had looked up how many total works on AO3 were in the ML fandom last Thursday. When I looked it up again today to update the above numbers, FIFTY-FOUR new stories had been added in the last four days! 

Comparatively, there's One Piece. Specifically, the manga/anime fandom, as opposed to the sub-fandoms of the live action Netflix show, the video games, or a D&D web series within the world of One Piece. The manga started WAAAAAY back in 1997, and the anime started in 1999. BOTH ARE STILL GOING! This is a much-beloved series that has been around for over 25 years! There has been PLENTY of time for fans to write fanfics for the show, and yet it "only" has 88,086 stories on AO3 (66,221 stories if you're only looking for non-crossovers written in English).

HOW DOES THE MIRACULOUS FANDOM - which has "only" been around for 9 years - NEARLY HAVE AS MANY FICS AS ONE PIECE???

Prolific. This fandom is filled with prolific writers. They are insane. Bless them all.

I know I've poked at this idea in the past, but I'm starting to finally have enough confidence to really believe it is a factor. The reason I get so lost in the shuffle within the fandom is (probably?) because I don't write as prolifically as the Big Name authors. I don't post something new daily or weekly or even a couple of times a month in order to stay towards the start of the fic search results. When I do post, it's generally a chonker of a story. Easily 4500+ words. Not the shortest/easiest fics to read and digest quickly between classes or while commuting on the bus or while taking a lunch (or bathroom) break at work. Stories 4500+ words long can be intimidating. Especially when you have 20 stories under 3k words that you could read instead.

It's basically the same mentality as those who can binge 4hrs of TV episodes, but can't sit through a 2.5hr movie.

Which is a lot of people, to be fair....

So, maybe that truly is my problem.

  1. I don't publish frequently enough to be towards the top of search results
  2. My stories are too long, and
Sweet Brown/Ain't Nobody Got Time for That meme
(yes, I'm still using a meme from 2012. I'm old. Leave me alone)

Maybe if I found a platform that wasn't so crowded I could find space to plant my flag. Nothing's really had a chokehold on me the way Miraculous Ladybug does, though. Not since I got introduced to the show, at least. So, who knows?

In the meantime, I'm gonna keep reading my isekai stories on WEBTOON, and hope it helps inspire me to keep working on my latest plot bunny. Or, maybe one of the stories will take hold the way ML has, and I'll have a new fandom to spread my wings into. Keep your fingers crossed!

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Before I go, though, it's time for March's blessing. It feels like I'm cheating, especially since I've done this two months in a row now, but I think I've already talked about what I'm thankful for in March. Namely, that I not only found inspiration for a new story, but also that it's an original story - instead of fanfiction - and that I thought of so much of it already with barely a week to ponder.

I mean, let's let that second bit sink in for a moment. Aside from Scum & Villainy or D&D plotlines, I have not thought of an original story since I wrote Blame Fate for This for Ronoxym's 30th birthday back in 2019! Five years! Actually, closer to 5.5yrs since my brain was able to come up with an original story!

And yet... boom! Two new story concepts in as many months! And one has a decent structure started already. I'm having so much fun with this concept too. I'm really excited about seeing how much more I can develop it. It's been AGES since I've felt THIS excited about writing. So.... yeah... may be a bit of a cop out since this was also the main topic of my update this month, but I don't care. My blessing is definitely my Muse returning to me on the back of these endless isekai/transmigration stories I've been reading.

Thank you, Muse, for stopping by to chat for a while. I hope you enjoy your stay and decide to extend it.

In the meantime, I'll catch all of you peeps in about two weeks for my next LycoRogue's Reading Corner!

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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

LycoRogue's Reading Corner: March

Est. Read Time: 42min
This Month's Font: Pangolin

Welp. There goes my goal to get this posted on the 15th.... Again....

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I thought I really had it this month, too. I didn't have terribly too much to say. I got started about a week ahead of time. I was keeping a good writing pace. Then, just like last time, I tripped at the finish line.

I just couldn't find free time to work on my writing for more than a few minutes each go. I'd get a paragraph or two done, then get interrupted. Then a few more. Then another interruption. Then I'd work on editing a few lines of HTML to help format this post. Then interrupted yet again.

Rinse and repeat.

It probably doesn't help that yesterday was my first "true" day off in nearly a month. My coworker went on yet ANOTHER two-week-long vacation to Disney (and she has at least two more trips already lined up before autumn). After working sixteen days straight, my first day off (a Friday) was spent driving across state lines to visit my family. My husband proceeded to get my mom addicted to the Karate Kid spin-off show Cobra Kai, and we largely binge-watched that whenever I wasn't visiting people around my hometown. I also celebrated my godson's birthday, and then celebrated my sister's birthday. My sister, myself, and our husbands all collectively annoyed my mom as we played an exceptionally long game of Phase 10. Then we binged more Cobra Kai. I did multiple loads of laundry (we were in desperate need; Mom offered her laundry room; it saved me laundromat money). Then, that Monday, I drove back home. 

It was nice to have some downtime (and I did use SOME of it to do at least one major chore), but I didn't really have ME time to work on writing/my blog. I even muted my writing group Discord server because I didn't have time to really read through it. I was also away from home, so it wasn't like I could use my four days off to catch up on chores there. It was nice to visit my family, but the four days I was there didn't really feel like "days off" per se.

Then it was back to work for seven days to get us back onto our normal work schedule routine.

I was at work 23 out of the last 28 days. Normally, there's enough downtime at work for me to poke around a bit and write. Having SO MUCH time at work made me think I could easily chip away at this update, but, sadly, that was not the case. I mean bully for us that the store was busy, but, it was kind of a chaotic busy. And six of those 23 days were with my vacation-crazed coworker.... who LOVES to talk during our downtime. So, trying to concentrate on ANYTHING at work is a bit of a chore on days my manager or I have to work with her.....

Having to work with her the 12th thru 14th is largely why I had that trip at the finish line....

That doesn't matter, though! Because this post is up now! Slightly off of "mid-month", but still LARGELY a mid-month update (it's posted before the 20th; it counts). Either way, I still have a LycoRogue's Reading Corner update in March. So.... WIN! Which means I'm both three-for-three AND fully successful within Q1 of 2025 to have these updates live (around) mid-month! Go me! I consider that quite the win. The fact that I've been keeping up with reading (almost) each night before going to sleep is also a win. I'm definitely in a bit of an upswing! Woohoo!

That said, I think I've more-or-less met my max number of stories to rotate through at any given time. You see, I've - surprisingly - only added one new story to my rotation this past month. On the flipside, though, I'm also just weeks away from concluding others. Seems like a good time to recap some of those stories then, eh?

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There continues to be no updates on any of Zenmisery's stories. Again, no shade. I get that other things in life have likely taken priority. I'm also still actively avoiding the Miraculous Ladybug fandom, since episode 1 of season 6 STILL hasn't even gotten an air date! So, no fanfiction for me. Which is fine, because I do still have my 17+ stories on WEBTOON that I've been keeping up with.

Oh! Yeah! It's up to at least 17 stories now. Tis March, which means I have finally put Maybe Meant to Be back into rotation! That now makes my current reading list look like this (organized by Daily Unlocks first, and then by update day):

There are still a handful of stories that I didn't include on that list. First of all, I didn't include either Lore Olympus or Mythic Item Obtained, both of which I need to get back into, but I haven't quite yet. Then there's the Avatar: The Last Airbender comic, which I've only poked at a few times. Finally, I have put my read of The Prince's Private Servant on pause. The creator FranX6's updates are just way too short. While they are relatively frequent, it still really chops up the flow of the story and doesn't make the series terribly enjoyable to read. I didn't really have this problem as I read the first season because, by the time I got to the series, all of the episodes had been released for season 1, and I could just binge-read. I mean, it was still a BIT of a problem to have things cut up in such small bites, but you only had to wait a couple seconds as you advanced to the next episode; not days. So, I'll probably wait until season 2 is complete, and then binge again.

I've also shied away from the Comikey app for more reading content. I don't know why. I just get this mental block whenever I go to open that app. For some reason, it just feels like more work to use Comikey?????

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How about some quick (for me) spoiler-free recaps of how each story has progressed and my current thoughts on them?

I Abdicate My Title of Empress

I am 82 episodes in. The series just concluded this month. There are 94 episodes within the official story, but an epilogue episode dropped last week. There may be others. Marry My Husband had 10 spin-off (epilogue) episodes after the conclusion of the main story. My main non-spoiler thoughts of the series 87% of the way through are:
  • Emperor Karl becomes more delusional and unhinged and clearly has NO point of reference for what love actually is
  • His mistress Diane is irredeemable, but she's starting to try her hardest to at least gain sympathy points from us readers
  • Diane's older brother Lennox is a Grade-A idiot
  • Karl's uncle Duke Despone is more power-hungry than I imagined. I don't personally see the appeal in ruling over an empire (puppet-mastering Karl) if there are no citizens alive to rule over, but... sure....
  • Karl's older half-sister Duchess Elisabeta Grande and Lionel's older brother Duke Theseus Baldur are both precious and badass and amazing allies and I want them to have their happily ever after!
  • Adel continues to be her badass self. She is how you write a character who is capable of anything she puts her mind to but still has hardships weighing on her (without making the character seem like a Mary Sue). Basically, she's like those employees who know how to run the business better than their bosses, but their hands are frustratingly tied by their lack of authority.
  • Lionel just personifies Precious Loyal Puppy. He is PERFECT for Adel. He lifts her up. He comforts her. He's strong enough to take point if something is too much for her. He cares nothing about his honor but will die for Adel's. He will do anything to stay by her side, except go against her wishes.
  • CAN ADEL AND LIONEL JUST HAVE THEIR HAPPY ENDING AND LIVE QUIETLY TOGETHER ALREADY???? PLEASE????

Divorcing My Tyrant Husband

I am currently 76 episodes into a concluded 103-episode series. Basically 2/3rds of the way through. There are 3 seasons. The first is from episodes 1 thru 55. Second season is 56 thru 77 (I can unlock the season 2 finale tonight). The final season is episode 78 thru 103.

Starting with season 2, the artwork changed. It's not clear why. The creators didn't leave any author's notes to explain the art shift. There doesn't seem to be a new illustrator. It's definitely a noticeable shift though, and none of us (me & the people leaving comments) really think the change is for the better. What do you guys think?
Photos taken of panels from episode 1 vs episodes 62 and 63
from Divorcing My Tyrant Husband 
I fear the artwork change might be because the weekly upload schedule might have gotten too much for the artist. They needed to simplify the art so they didn't take up as much time drawing each panel, maybe? It would also explain why each update also feels shorter than they were in season 1.

Regardless of the reason for the art shift, the story is still decent. I should probably track down the original webnovel by Oh Youn Ha to see how the adaptation compares. For me, the main draw of this story is seeing Emperor Alexandros taking two steps forward and one step back with regards to his relationship with Robellia.

He notices when she is hurting, and genuinely wishes to do whatever he can to ease her pain and comfort her. He even successfully does so a few times. However, whenever Robellia still rejects him and asks for a divorce* he becomes possessive, finding new ways to trap her in the marriage. He doesn't hide his jealousy, constantly growling about Robellia spending time with Caleb - one of the slaves she rescued - despite Robellia constantly reminding Alexandros that she thinks of Caleb as a younger brother. When not getting jealous over Caleb, he's grumbling about Robellia spending time with Duke Norman Schwarzkov (although Alexandros didn't seem at all put-out that Norman was one of Aisha's closest allies originally, and spent a great deal of time with her).

Also, it was revealed - in one of the more recent episodes that I've read - that Alexandros has a bit of a chip on his shoulder because his mother was the previous emperor's 17th consort. Both Alexandros and his mother were largely neglected by his father, and his mother died alone to disease. Just as the original novel version of Robellia had. Not the BEST look for us readers to find out that, in the original novel's narrative, Alexandros did the same exact thing to his wife that his father did to his mother.... oof.

*Robellia no longer seems to fear dying of disease the way the original novel version did, but she still wants that divorce. Mainly because her new goal is to simply find a quiet place out in the country to live a humble, peaceful life.

It feels pretty clear, based on "screen time", as it were, that Robellia and Alexandros are meant to reconcile and truly fall in love before the end of the story, but it still feels like a rough road for that to be convincingly achieved in the back third of this series. Especially when there are at least two other suitors vying for Robellia's affections (yes, that would be Norman and Caleb.... doesn't justify Alexandros' jealousy, though). We'll see how the remaining 27 episodes play out. Then, mid-April, I'll have to find a replacement for this story.

You Can't Kill Me: The Secret Bride of the Black Wolf

This series is still relatively new. It just started up its second season with 50 episodes total released. I'm only up to episode 32. There's so much story to tell, and I am so dug in. Whether or not Hwita and Yuta are actually the same person is still a mystery to me. Each time there seems to be evidence to confirm that they are indeed twins there's a new episode with evidence that again suggests that they are two souls within the same body. Yeonwu is also starting to spiral a little, unsure who she can trust. Understandable, given her trauma. We also get to see someone's guardian animal take over, forcing them to fully transform into their animal form. So... that was neat. Felt vaguely Fruits Basket.

Not much more to say quite yet. The artwork is still gorgeous. I am rooting for Yeonwu and Hwita to be open and honest with each other and live a happy life together. I'm curious as to how much Yuta truly knows (he implied recently that he knows of Yeonwu's past lives). Two updates ago, Yeonwu full on decked someone, and I'm itching to see how much more this woman can kick some ass. The story has me locked in and excitedly awaiting 9pm every Sunday. 

A Savage Proposal

Another new series. There's only 26 episodes in total released, and I'm 20 episodes in as of this past Sunday. Much like with You Can't Kill Me, that means I don't have much story to talk about yet without including spoilers. I do still enjoy the dynamic between Princess Liene and Lord Tiwakan*. Both the readers and Liene are still questioning his motives, but he at least SEEMS to genuinely care for her. There's some hot-and-heavy moments between the two of them, but he either pulls away first - unsure if it's what she truly wants - or he'll comply without complaint when she pulls away (consent is key, kiddos!). He'll even do wellness checks to make sure she's OK or ask if he did something that caused her to be uncomfortable. He'll still put on some bravado and act as if he's this Alpha Male she'll be forced to submit to, but he does it in a way that actually feels more like flirting? Especially considering how quickly he submits to Liene instead. (The man literally sprints to wherever she is when she requests an audience with him, so.... there's that....)

We're a little over a week away - story wise - from Liene and Lord Tiwakan officially getting married. I'm excited to see how much closer they grow within those 10 days, and how much more her own people plot against her!

*OK, it does bug me that we STILL don't know what the dang lord's given name is! Again, since his army is referred to as "The Tiwakan Army" or "Tiwakan Barbarians", I doubt his given name is "Tiwakan". That is most likely his tribe/family name. He's only ever referred to, though, as either "Lord Tiwakan" or "My Lord" sooooooo....

At Your Mercy

This one is still a bit rough. Another relatively-new story, only 29 episodes are available and the 21st just unlocked for free-reading Sunday night. Ji-an, while possessing Delinda, is still desperate to convince people she's not "a fool" (read: neurodivergent) anymore. She's a quick study, but is struggling to get the word out among the nobility that she is now literate and capable of learning about the history and culture and finances, etc of the realm. In the free episode unlocked last week, some noble ladies at a tea party heard about Delinda getting injured. They instantly mocked that she must be disabled now and therefore even MORE of a burden on her poor father. Truly disgusting behavior. At least this time it was presented as petty, disgusting behavior. But also, it was presented as appalling and petty not because being injured or disabled doesn't automatically make you a burden on your family, but instead the behavior was uncouth because it was vastly incorrect. Delinda has been "cured", actually!

*sigh and painfully exaggerated eye roll*

There's also Prince Iskan. He was the highlight of this story. The shining beacon. The redeeming quality that kept me reading. That is, until Ji-an (as Delinda) remembers more of her first transmigration into Ruyan via a dream. In this memory, we see a young (as in, maaaaybe 10?), neglected Iskan (although, Ji-an can't recognize the kid as Iskan, for some reason.... Again, are we sure DELINDA is the fool?). Ruyan, who is an older teen/young adult, is the first and only person to show young Iskan kindness. It's clear why he fell for her, but also... that age difference! Ooof! After Delinda dreams of young Iskan, we cut to current Iskan. He's reflecting on the similarities between Delinda and Ruyan. There is no longer a doubt in his mind that she is the same soul (which is correct). It still feels so sweet and loving when he thinks things such as "No matter what form you take, I will recognize you instantly," and "You were the one who filled my entire life with light," and "In my lonely, weary life... you were the only one who made me feel alive." BUUUUUUT then we also get lines like "...Ruyan. You always wanted to run away from me," and "...if your memories return and you attempt to leave me again... I'll only make you suffer."

Like, COME ON! Did the author really need to give him such large red flags? I LIKED him!

So, I'm back to wondering if this story is worth continuing my read through....

Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story

Friends!!!! We are so close to this one finishing! I'm 85 episodes in. There's 95 available. The story isn't concluded yet, but it HAS to be close. So many plot threads are tying up. The Author has been revealed. The final condition for Edith to unlock has been revealed. There were three episodes recently unlocked for free-reading that gave the backstory of the villainous author, how they came to be in charge of the story, how the conditions came to be set, what happened with the previous Edith possessions, and who was truly responsible for the attacks against the Edith we, the readers, know and love.

Gang, I want to gush about this series sooooo much! The artwork continues to be gorgeous. The story is moving and exciting and makes me want to keep proverbially turning the page. Killian's character arc from being disgusted by Edith to being a devoted and loving husband is just peak. Edith being able to outsmart the Author and the plot system effortlessly, simply by being her self, is absolute goals. I can see myself binge-reading this series as much as possible before it gets locked behind Daily Pass unlocks. Even so, this series may be what convinces me to just put money towards the app so I can outright buy it.

If it ever gets a physical publication I will definitely be picking that up!

Seabird and the Wolf

Such a good series. Still relatively new, yet again. There's a total of 38 episodes so far, and I'm up to 26. I will tell you, though, a lot happens in those 26 episodes! The world-build is really cool for this series. Especially with all of the maritime lore that Lott is learning as she goes. Also, it's like playing an RPG and gaining more and more gear for your character as us readers watch Lott become more and more "pirate-y". First, the Black Ocean crew lends her some clothes: the pants, knee-high boots, jacobite shirt, and sash with belt. Then, she's given two swords she can dual-wield. Next, Keyelo notices Lott shivering one night, and offers her a coat he had outgrown. So she now has this elegant, blue, flowing coat.
Official character reference sheet posted by Kisai Entertainment
I haven't quite gotten to the point of Lott getting her earring yet. A lot of readers are fearful that she ends up somehow losing her pet bird Balca, and the feather is in memory of her. Considering Balca is the titular Seabird, I don't think us readers have anything to really fear in that regard. It will be fun to see what motivates Lott into turning one of Balca's feathers into an earring, though.

There's also the little mystery as to whether or not Keyelo figured out that Lott is hiding her true gender. Plus, of course, their VERY subtle romantic vibes. LOTS of readers are equating Keyelo to Captain Li Shang from Disney's Mulan. I mean, Keyelo is the son of the Black Ocean pirate captain, and is therefore a vice-captain. Shang is the son of General Li, and is therefore given command of his own troops. Keyelo takes a particular interest in Lott similar to how Shang took to Mulan as she was presenting as Ping. Plus, we have this nearly exact parallel from episode 17 when Keyelo thanks Lott, post-fight, for saving his life.
Ten is the name of Keyelo's pet wolf, not a reference to Key treating Lott like a child
Panel from episode 17 of Seabird and the Wolf
Shang trying to compliment Mulan after she saved China from invasion.
Screenshot from the end of Disney's Mulan
While it is clear that an EVENTUAL romance is intended between Lott and Key (much like one formed between Shang and Mulan), that isn't the main push of the story. The main plotline is about Lott saving her sister, and the Black Ocean pirates taking down the Woohoppiage pirates.

My Husband Changes Every Night

Having read the 101st episode Monday night, I am now less than a week away from concluding this series. Much like Leveling Up My Husband to the Max and Answer Me, My Prince, some weird time travel shenanigans happened right at the end of the series. I don't know what it is about fantasy romance manhwas that this seems to have been everyone's go-to in order to wrap up their stories. Did everyone paint themselves into a corner, making the trials and tribulations for their main characters too difficult for the author to come up with a happy solution otherwise?

The time travel stuff does feel like the story kind of fumbled at the goal line. However, the overall story is still enjoyable. One other critique, however, is that, as the series went on, I feel like the characters' personalities changed. Not the way Killian did in NYTRS. In this case, there didn't seem to be story arc reasons for these changes. It felt more like the author forgot the characters' original personalities as they better developed them into what they needed the characters to be. Kind of like going back to long-running TV shows, such as Friends or The Big Bang Theory or The Simpsons, and seeing the original personalities the characters had before the show really "discovered" the "true" personalities of the characters. Ya know? No arc involved to explain the change, just have it done under-the-table over the course of the story. Done in such a way that the writers hope it was stealthful enough that no one notices. And, for the most part, no one does, unless they go back to those original episodes for a rewatch. Same vibe. Unless you go back to the first couple of episodes of My Husband Changes Every Night, you might not notice the change between Teri's or Rivanfel's personalities. 

Anyway, I have enjoyed reading this story, but I'm not terribly sad to see it go. It does mean I'll have a free reading slot on Mondays open. There's so many in my subscription list that also update Mondays. It will be fun to pick a replacement.

Office Romance from Hell

I was surprised to discover how close to finishing this series I am! I feel like I just started reading it! It is a short series, though. Only 64 episodes long! And I'm already up to episode 56. In a little under two months, I'll be done with the main storyline. Much like Marry My Husband, however, it does have a few spin-off (epilogue) episodes, so I'll have at least another month's worth of epilogue content to get through after I complete the main plot.

I still love the artwork for this series. The main character Jineon is adorable and spunky and honorable to a fault. Seeing the relationship between her and Lord Yeomra blossom has been lovely. Although, I am still fearful, given that one of the Reapers was punished for falling in love with a mortal. Instead of allowing his beloved's soul entry into the reincarnation cycle, her soul was transformed into a field of flowers that smell like spilled blood, and he must tend the field daily.

I'm itching to know more about that story. Specifically, why were they punished? It couldn't have just been because a mortal and a deity fell in love, could it? This isn't some City of Angels sort of BS, right? They must have done something else to warrant the punishment! Or, if it was simply because he was a Reaper and she was a mortal, the punishment couldn't actually be as bad as everyone made it out to be when they told Jineon about it. Right? RIGHT?! I mean, if the punishment truly is as bad as it seems, and for as simple of a transgression as is implied, then how can the readers root for a happy ending between Jineon and Yeomra? Letting them live happily ever after while doing the exact thing that condemned the Reaper and his beloved just feels cruel, no? On the flipside, we certainly can't hope for an equally depressing punishment for our precious Jineon and the loving Yeomra! I'm torn, peeps! There HAS to be something more to the story!

Thankfully, that's the lore drop we're teased with at the close of this week's free release, but that means I have to wait until next Tuesday to find out more! Gaaah!

Lock Me Up, Duke!

As I've mentioned before, this is a new series by the same people as Seabird and the Wolf. The art is just as gorgeous. The story is just as interesting. This one is definitely more humorous, though. More focused on the romance as well. A lot of sensual dream sequences between the main couple! They haven't actually DONE anything yet, but they are clearly thirsty for each other. They just don't know how to say so, especially since they each believe the other isn't interested. Whoops.

I'm also barely into this thing. Only 13 episodes! A lot has already happened, though. The pacing is pretty quick, just like in Seabird and the Wolf. The biggest difference for Lock Me Up, Duke!, however, is that Kisai Entertainment and Gleecat have released an additional FIFTEEN! episodes that you can read if you pay to unlock them via Webtoon coins, which are roughly $0.10 per coin. That's still over $10 for me to buy enough coins to unlock all of the available episodes though, so I'll just stick to being three months behind.... I'll just sit with my adorable slowburn between Jayna and Theo.

The Dragon King's Bride

Another series that looks like it just ended. The 100th episode is listed as the series finale, but it's also not marked as being a completed series. Maybe there's some spin-off/epilogue episodes in the works? Or it's not marked as completed until the series finale is free-to-read? Either way, I'm on episode 92, so I still have a couple of months before I'm done reading this story.

It's hard to say how I feel about this series. It was so much fun watching Lucina come into her own. To grow and evolve into a confident leader in a way that we didn't really see from Teri in My Husband Changes Every Night (Teri just BECOMES a confident leader; no character arc involved). Seeing Hakan and Lucina fall in love, and all of those hot make-out sessions, and Hakan's reluctant pulling away out of fear for Lucina's safety? Yeah, that was the good stuff.

Back then, the villain was Hakan's widowed sister-in-law Giaret trying to sabotage - or possibly even kill - Lucina. That way Giaret could birth Hakan's heir instead, and become queen once more. I loved that early story arc. Lucina is trying to get acclimated to this new kingdom. Her and Hakan are starting to fall for each other, but Lucina is still unsure if she belongs by his side. Giaret is trying to get rid of her, so it's this power struggle between the women. Meanwhile, part of the reason Giaret even has a leg to stand on when it comes to bearing Hakan's child is because she knows she can, whereas no one knows if it's safe for Lucina. There's this drama about whether or not Lucina and Hakan can even consumate their marriage, let alone conceive and bear an heir. Sprinkle in Hakan's mother being seemingly driven mad with grief, when, in fact, she was being cursed with black magic as a way to keep her under control.

GAH! That was all so good!

But then, that story arc was resolved... and yet the story persisted. The true villains, the Shifters/Dragon Hunters, were introduced. The romance between Hakan and Lucina took a backseat to the war story and the doppelganger-invasion story. It is revealed that just about everything we were told about Lucina was a lie! There's twist after twist after twist. Lucina can't use her healing powers when they're needed most. Lucina's place as Hakan's queen is again questioned. There's like two episodes where Hakan and Lucina break up just to add more drama, I guess? I dunno. The whole Shifters War story arc felt less polished than the first arc where Giaret was the villain. I don't know if the author was convinced to extend the story when they only meant to tell the Giaret arc????

Also, to further stress the writing shift for the War arc, Hakan and Lucina make some really distressing decisions when it comes to time management during crucial time-sensitive points in the story.... I just want to throw that out there.

No worries. I think I've finally made it past the War arc, and I'm, hopefully, back to the romance story that I signed up for. 

Oh! And the author seems to have completely forgotten about Lucina's faerie friend Puka??? We haven't heard from him in ages and he would have been pretty helpful in the last story arc or so.... Here's hoping the author explains what happened to him.... 

I Will Live the Life of a Villainess

Ah, the first story that sent me down this fantasy romance/isekai rabbit hole. I've been reading this story the longest out of all the ones listed here. How am I only 67 episodes in (out of 85 released)???? I guess some of the others that I've read had more free episodes available that I could binge through before hitting that weekly update wall???? 

When I first started reading this story, I did originally praise it for taking the time to build up the characters and focus on Elena's support system of fellow independent female nobles. Then it transitioned into a lovely romance story between her and Lloyd. Then it spent what seemed like an almost punishingly long time (14 episodes; over 3 months real-time) with Elena away to help curb and cure a plague. Now that the public health scare is sorted, we're back to Elena and her Girl Squad. 

I mean, yeah, the author made sure to still sprinkle in some sweet Elena and Lloyd moments, but I'm missing the romance. It's listed as a romance story. A lot of readers joked in the comments of those early-series episodes that they forgot that it was supposed to be a romance, given that nothing romantic seemed to happen most of the time. From about the 50th episode on, I feel it's been the same way: "this is a romance? I forgot, because romance hasn't been the focus for so long...." 

I am still enjoying the story, though. If you want a wholesome Female Empowerment period story that happens to also have romance elements and some supernatural mystery (how soul transmigration even happens within this world), then this is probably a good pull for you. 

The Age of Arrogance

Despite it being the third one I started to read, I feel like Age of Arrogance will be my second Lemon Frog adaptation that I'll finish, after The Duke's Cursed Charm. I'm 74 episodes in - as opposed to 84 for NYTRS - but I also feel like I'm close to the end. There's 81 episodes available, and the story isn't listed as concluded, but I truly don't see the plot going for much longer than where we're at now. 

GAAAAAAAAH! THE ARTWORK IS GORGEOUS AND THE ROMANCE BETWEEN ASHA AND CARLISLE IS SO SWEET AND SUPPORTIVE AND AAAAAAAAH!!!!!! I love these two! I'm going to miss them. I also 100% foresee myself just going back through and binge re-reading this story once it's done. The dance Asha and Carlisle do around each other is soooooo gooood! It's just like in Lock Me Up, Duke! where they are both crazy for the other, but they also don't believe the feeling is mutual, so they try to hide their feelings best they can. 

Actually, this describes the dynamic between Adel and Lionel in I Abdicate My Title of Empress as well.... I guess I have a favorite slowburn trope: idiots madly in love with each other who try to hide their feelings because they can't imagine their love interest could actually reciprocate their feelings. I mean...  I don't know why this realization surprises me (or took so long to happen). This dynamic is just the Love Square. Duh. 

Anyway, I love that their romance blossoms on the battle field. Asha is far from the traditional depiction of feminine, and Carlisle loves her all the more for it. I think I've talked about this before, but there is a scene where an artist is hired to paint the official royal portrait of Carlisle and Asha, and the artist is inspired to paint the two of them bloodied and smiling among a pile of corpses on a battle field. And it PERFECTLY captures their marriage! 

Much like NYTRS, I am itching to get to the end of the series so the main couple can have their Happily Ever After. However, I also know that I'm going to miss them dearly once their tale is done and there is nothing new to discover. I probably would have felt the same way about Carhel and Lena - in fact, I do, in part - but their story seemed too abrupt. I haven't read the original webnovel yet, but the adaptation of The Duke's Cursed Charm felt too fast, especially compared to these other adaptations: NYTRS and The Age of Arrogance. I am hoping for a satisfying ending that doesn't feel as rushed, and I have faith in the pacing displayed thus far. 

Maybe Meant to Be

AAAAAH! We're back, baby! Gah! I missed these two idiots! 

As of this series' Thursday, March 6th update, I have decided there's enough of a backlog - 16 episodes - for it to be safe to get back into this story. So, I started up season 2, and was not disappointed. Right out the gate, Jia and Mincheol are just absolute nerds in the most adorable way. Jia opens by re-introducing the main characters of the series to catch everyone up. When she talks about Mincheol she calls him her husband TWICE in the span of a single sentence! 

"...My husband... Mincheol Jin / Age 32 / Programmer at a midsize company... My husband." 

I mean, that could have been an editing error. The editor may have missed the repetition. I like to believe it was intentional and Jia is just a dork about Mincheol being her hubby. And he's equally a dork back, stealing a kiss from her to try to cheer her up while out on a fishing trip with her parents. 

Naturally, because this story remained just as unhinged as the first episode, their fishing boat gets caught up in a massive wave, marooning Mincheol and Jia alone on an uninhabited island. Because, why not? 

I'm so excited for this season, but I'm trying to behave myself and only read one episode every Thursday. That way I can preserve my backlog of free episodes for when I come across a cliffhanger where I HAVE to know what happens next RIGHT. NOW! 

My Child Will Have a Different Father

I know that the title kind of stresses that the main character Princess Hinael's whole drive is to become impregnated by her new husband Prince Lutz. Despite that, I'm still pleasantly shocked at how quickly things have progressed between Hinael and Lutz. I'm only 19 episodes in (30 have been released), and things have already gotten hot and heavy quite a few times between these two! 

This story right here is probably the closest thing I read to those stereotypical romance (read: smut) novels seemingly popular among middle-aged women. Like... I sometimes need to get a glass of water after reading the episodes. 

Again, like some of the other stories I've mentioned above, I'm still too early in the story to really talk about it without giving spoilers. I will say, though, that I love the dichotomy of these characters. 

Hinael presents as a frail damsel-in-distress, but she can (mostly) hold her own, she's determined, and she is willing to fight (sometimes literally) for a future where she can meet her child and raise them safely. 

Meanwhile, Lutz presents as this cold, almost brutal or animalistic foreign force, only marrying Hinael as part of a peace treaty. However, he accepted her offer to pick her as his princess prize near-instantly, despite having better options for leverage over Hinael's home kingdom of Salle. He's also surprisingly gentle with her, masquerading it as "I don't want your parents or the people of Salle to worry about you. This is for peace, after all." Even when they're alone, though, and there is no one to mask for, he's quite gentle with her. He's protective as well. As I mentioned when I first started talking about this series, he saw how nervous Count Chetaire made her, and tried his hardest to insure that she wouldn't be alone with him. Also, Lutz's aftercare during those more intimate scenes with Hinael is just peak. Despite putting on this bravado of "I hate everything; I'm only tolerating you; don't expect much from me as a husband" he is just this absolute puppy towards Hinael. Not a lick of aggressiveness. Quite the opposite, actually. He's constantly checking in to make sure he isn't or hasn't hurt her. The one time he did - accidentally scarring the back of her hand when they first met - he apologized profusely.  

Plenty of green flags with this man, despite himself. Reminds me of Lord Tiwakan from A Savage Proposal.

The Fateful Invitation

Right. This one. The artwork is still very pretty. However, 75 episodes in, I'm up to the season 2 finale, and I still can't stand the main character. I'm purely here for Emperor Ebenezer, his half-brother Nathan, and Nathan's secret twin sister Larina. (Pardon the minor spoiler there...) Give me more of the siblings. Toss everyone else. I really don't care. 

Since the season 2 finale just published on Friday, I'm not sure how long the pause will be before the series comes back for season 3. Honestly, I'm okay with putting this story to the side for a little while. Maybe I'll be more interested once it's back. In the meantime, though, it does mean I have an opening for more Friday-updated stories.... 

Obsidian Bride

AAAAH! I am still OBSESSED with Obsidian Bride! There's so much world-building lore that gets sprinkled in as you read about a dating show for nobles. It's so cool. The dynamic between Lueri/Obsidian and Kane/Moon Owl is just... *chef kiss*. 

I sensed some minor attraction between them the moment they met, but he had this emotional wall up while around her. Plus, he told her to play along and pretend that she was the missing Jewel Box participant Marianne. After telling Lueri what she was tasked to do within the Jewel Box, he displayed an image of her nearly jumping off of her bedroom balcony while alluding to his inability to help her if she didn't agree to keep Marianne's disappearance and Lueri's true identity a secret. She had nearly jumped only minutes before at this point! The fact that she was seconds away from committing suicide was a fresh wound for her, and he shows her at her lowest moment less than an hour later, after telling her to play along as Marianne. He never once threatened her, but it was definitely strongly implied by the way he presented that image specifically. So, none of us readers (or Lueri, for that matter) knew if we could trust Moon Owl.

But, he's a producer and director of the dating show Jewel Box. He is a master of manipulating footage to tell a specific story, even if it isn't true. In a later episode, he tearfully swears to Lueri that he'll keep her safe, and the readers are led to believe that he used this masterful manipulation of footage - showing her nearly committing suicide to imply "Bad Things" would happen if she didn't agree - to convince Lueri to stay and play as Marianne. There was never the threat of her being sent back to her horrid life or for her life to be threatened at all if she didn't play along. He just needed her to BELIEVE she had no other choice if she wanted a happy life. 

EXCEPT! One of the other Jewel Box participants - Alexandrite - strongly implies to Obsidian that she cannot trust Moon Owl. He tells her a story of how the royal family once had a body double - a decoy - for the second prince, and disposed of the decoy once he was no longer useful to the Emperor; highly suggesting that ANY body doubles used for ANY royalty have to be disposed of once their usefulness is complete. Does this mean that the Emperor and Moon Owl are planning on doing the same with Lueri when she's no longer needed to pose as Marianne????  

There's also the "mystery" of who was Lueri's first love. I say "mystery" in quotes because it was revealed to the readers, but I won't spoil that here. Lueri still has no clue, though, and highly suspects that Alexandrite may have been the boy she shared her first kiss with. Moon Owl, on the other hand, stresses to her that Alex cannot be that boy, there's too much of an age gap between Alex's real identity and Lueri. Can she believe Moon Owl, though? 

There's this emotional tug-of-war between Alex and Moon Owl for Obsidian's heart. Meanwhile, Platinum is still trying to win her favor, but that's because he's convinced she's Marianne. It's hard to know if he actually sees Lueri behind the Obsidian persona the way Alex does. Also, Amber is in a weird spot as well. She wants to win Platinum's heart - and you can see that he's oh-so-slowly falling for her - but she also wants to pave the way for Platinum to be with Obsidian, if that's who he truly wants. It's heartbreaking to see her care so much for Platinum, and for him to see how much she cares, but also push those feelings aside because he's still so fixated on Marianne/Obsidian. 

While it was exciting to see Obsidian flirting with Sapphire, Lueri admitted to Moon Owl that she only did so because she thought it was maybe him. She suspected that, similar to how Lueri is pretending to be Marianne, Moon Owl might have snuck himself into the show (perhaps to help Lueri's performance to keep it convincing). But, no. Sapphire is decidedly a different person than Moon Owl. As Obsidian started to emotionally pull away from Sapphire, Pearl started to really connect with him. I'm so happy for that, because Pearl and Sapphire are just a fun couple to watch. Although, I do miss seeing more of that sibling dynamic Pearl formed with Garnet. 

Speaking of, Amethyst and Garnet is the other couple that is fantastic to watch. While adorable, I am still a bit torn with these two. I mean, I was rooting for them since episode 1 or 2 when you could see how quickly Amethyst fell for Garnet, and how gentle and patient he is with her (which is part of why she fell so hard and so quick). The part that gives me pause, however, is that Garnet didn't seem to start having a romantic interest in Amethyst until circumstances forced her to reveal her true identity. Some minor spoilers here, but Garnet is from a highly militaristic kingdom. Meanwhile, Amethyst is a saint from a papal state. She has healing powers - which is why she revealed her true identity - but only if she remains an unwed maiden. Also, she must be magically blinded as well. Garnet is instantly intrigued by the idea of a great healer being part of his kingdom's royal family. How many soldiers could they save and heal with that kind of power? Then he realizes that if he and Amethyst end up as a couple via the Jewel Box and get married, she will have to renounce her powers as a saint, and she won't have her healing ability anymore. Her eyes will be magically unsealed though, allowing her to see again. So there's that. 

I know the author presented that fork in the road for Amethyst specifically to dissuade readers like myself from thinking that Garnet is simply interested in Amethyst's healing ability. However, the point of the Jewel Box is for participants to fall in love without knowing what their beloved truly looks like or any political advantage the union might bring, and yet Garnet knows both those things. He knows that he can't bring home a saint with the ability to heal, because she couldn't be anyone's bride if she still had her powers, and vice versa. He also knows exactly what she looks like - minus the color of her actual eyes, due to them being magically sealed shut - and is in awe of her beauty. But he still didn't seem interested in Amethyst BEFORE that.... 

Either way, they are still adorable, and I am still rooting for them. I hope that Garnet proves himself worthy of Amethyst completely uprooting her life, giving up her powers, and regaining her vision in order to be with him. He has been adorably attentive towards her, even braiding her hair as they talk (a braid she then kept in for a few days). In one of the more recent episodes I read, Amethyst lets Garnet know that she cannot do anything intimate, including kissing, while still a saint. That said, she is willing to be punished for her transgressions if he wished to kiss her.... The PANIC this man had on his face from the thought of his actions causing Amethyst to be punished in any way! GAAAH! They're so cute!

I do want to learn more about that second prince decoy, though. We also recently learned a little of what happened to Marianne, but not why she disappeared in the first place. I can't wait to learn more about that. We also learned why Kane picked Lueri to be Marianne's last-minute replacement, even if she didn't seem to fit the bill. I want to learn more about the royals though. The new emperor (or is he still the crown prince? I can't recall) is presented as this sweet man when we're first introduced to him. One of the Jewels in the original Jewel Box airing. The more we see him, though, especially when he's interacting with Kane, the more I'm wary of him. There's something about how he's drawn that makes him seem sinister. So, I'm waiting for the second shoe to drop. 

I know this is silly to say because it's the weekend and just about everyone can't wait until Saturday, but, man! Saturdays (when Obsidian Bride updates) can't come fast enough! 
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Phew! Okay, some of those recaps felt longer than others. In part, that's because I'm further into some stories than others. In part, it's because talking more would be dropping major spoilers, and I already included enough spoilers in that last section when I talked about Amethyst's real identity. In part, it's because I just genuinely enjoy some of these stories more.

Speaking of stories that I enjoy, I do have that new series that I started reading. This time it was one that I grabbed from my subscription list: I Am The Villain
Working hard is supposed to take you far - but into the world of your best friend's novel? For Lucy, being whisked into a life of ballrooms and picnics isn't exactly what it's cracked up to be; at least, not when everyone has mistaken her for the villain flagged for death. To escape this fate, Lucy must transform from modern workaholic to high society schemer if she even has a chance at returning home. Will she make it? Or will this world of beautiful outfits, strawberry desserts, and dashingly handsome gentlemen seal her fate?

    - Official Webtoon Summary

The description wasn't kidding when it mentioned "dashingly handsome gentlemen". This series is lousy with them.

So, you have Lucy, who has no clue how she somehow isekai'd into her best friend Sena's novel. However, none of us readers are sure about Sena, considering she designed the novel's protagonist Claire to look just like herself (seemingly a self-insert style character), and the novel's villainess Lucia Aurelius to look exactly like Lucy. Plus... ya know... Lucy... Lucia... quite the leap to connect those two, I'm sure....

It really does feel like maybe Sena had some hidden resentment towards her supposed bestie. For one, she did indeed design her villainess based off of said best friend. For two, she then gave that villainess a first name suspiciously close to her best friend's. Third, she wrote a story where the protagonist - who resembles herself - steals Lucia's fiancé, resulting in Lucia's complete disgrace. And four, Sena had the villainess of her story, who is designed based off of Lucy, not only lose her fiancé and dignity to the protagonist, but she was also unceremoniously executed! Not. Cool. 

Anyway, what IS cool about this plot is that poor Lucy was a busy medical student in her former life. She was excited for Sena to have both written and published her novel, but Lucy didn't have the time to actually read it. She looked up spoilers and recaps online to get the gist of the plot, but is more-or-less still going in blind. While Suna Choi from NYTRS, Lim Jeongah from Divorcing My Tyrant Husband, and Yuna Jeong from I Will Live the Life of a Villainess all knew their respective stories well enough going in to know which plot points to look out for, Lucy is mostly clueless.

She remembers that Lucia was adopted by Duke Aurelius when she was a kid, but still older than the Duke's biological sons Alexander and Theodore. The Duke adored his new daughter and spoiled her to the point of neglecting his sons, causing them to resent her. Oddly enough, though, the Alexander that Lucy meets doesn't seem cold and distant from his sister. If anything, he seems protective of her. Theo, on the other hand, seems far more aggressive and disgusted by Lucia than Lucy had expected.

Then there's Lucia's fiancé, the crown prince Arthur. In the novel, Lucia was absolutely head-over-heels for the prince. Arthur, on the other hand, had no interest in Lucia, and actually found her annoying. He was happy to be rid of her in the novel, marrying Claire instead. Because of that being pretty much THE WHOLE POINT of the novel, as far as Lucy was concerned, she figured she'd do the same thing so many of these transmigrated villainesses do: break things off with the novel's male lead so she's no longer in the way of the main romance, and therefore won't be considered the villainess.

Which is fantastic, because the creator Sejji showcased Lucia (Lucy) going over her plan to via the Gru's Plan meme.

Panels from the 2nd episode of I Am The Villain by Sejji

So funny! The whole series thus far has had humor like that. Also, check out that artwork! So neat, right? A unique style, and I love the softer colors.

Speaking of the humor, I just love how Sejji gives Lucy/Lucia such bold expressions. They are hilarious and evocative. I won't explain what the crown prince did wrong here, but, this is a prime example of what I'm talking about.

"Murder" literally written in her eyes kills me! (excuse the pun)
Panels from episode 18 of
I Am The Villain by Sejji

The angry smoke just billowing off of Lucia. The angry, pulsating veins (that's what 💢 is supposed to be; forehead veins that become visible when angry). The sharp, pain lines from Arthur's hand as Lucia tightens her grip around it. The nervous sweat marks from Arthur paired with the shaky left arm. The man is rightly terrified of her! It's a shame she decided to break things off with Arthur and/or that Arthur is written to be destined for Claire instead. Because it would be amazing to have someone strong like Lucy/Lucia there to rein in the king to make sure he doesn't let his ego and power go to his head! 

Continuing with both the struggles that Lucia (Lucy) has to navigate and the other "dashingly handsome gentlemen" that will join her life. Crown Prince Arthur has a younger brother, the second prince Leonardo. Since she didn't actually read the story, all Lucy knew of Prince Leo was that he's nicknamed "The Crimson Lion" and that he's a "cold-blooded general." As Lucy recounts in episode 4, "He was a side character in the story and was rarely mentioned. But I remember him distinctly being described as a ruthless man. A fierce warrior and protector of the kingdom." 

This is far from the Leo we - both Lucia and the readers - meet. The readers are first introduced to Leo as he's helping to train new recruits. He's having a one-on-one battle with a young soldier/knight, and giving him pointers on his fighting style while also complementing the young warrior. He's then berated by the head maid after Leo dodged his lessons to be on the training ground. The whole time, he's joking around and commenting on how he doesn't need to know all the political elements of being a royal since that's Arthur's job as the crown prince. Finally, Leo spots Lucia as she's climbing a tree in her elegant dress in an attempt to rescue a trapped cat.

Leo is there to catch Lucia when a branch snaps and she falls out of the tree. He then teases her a little bit, but is stunned into silence when Lucia lets him know that she just discussed breaking off the engagement with Prince Arthur. You can tell he's conflicted. There's definitely a connection there, and you know he's sad that Lucia will no longer have a reason to come by the palace, let alone live there. He's losing his connection to her. But also, now he doesn't have to worry about her being married to his brother. It's pretty clear the moment he sees Lucia that he's smitten with her. He won't have to worry about being in love with his sister-in-law, but she also won't be in his life anymore.

Then we get this heartbreaking scene as he escorts her back to her carriage to head home, and asks if she's okay after the break-up with Arthur.

Scenes from episode 4 of I Am The Villain by Sejji

That lingering shot at Leo's hand as Lucia pulls hers away? Him staring at potentially his last bit of contact with the woman he cares so deeply for? Ugh! My heart! It hurts! Oh, I instantly started shipping these two together. They had such lovely chemistry. He clearly cares for her. He's playful. Plus, it would be so fun to stick it to Arthur - who we all know is going to fall in love with Lucia now that he can't have her - if Lucia goes from his fiancée to his sister-in-law.

The thing, though, is that I Am The Villain started off as a Webtoon Canvas series, but was then picked up for an official Original release. I didn't know this. I therefore didn't know that Leo isn't supposed to be the main love interest. I figured that out when the true main love interest showed up at the end of the next episode and the top comments all screamed out the character's name.

Panel from episode 5 of
I Am The Villain by Sejji

"NOAH. OUR MAN IS FINALLY HERE"
"NOAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUU"
"REPEAT AFTER ME: 🗣️NOAH 🗣️NOAH 🗣️NOAH / Our man is here"
"NOAHHHHHHHH!!! Our Knight in shinning armor is here!!!"

I think one of my favorite comments was, "The way the artist pays so much attention to the BG. Also finally our white haired ML finally goes into the foreground after making small bg appearances!!"

It's so true! There really aren't any other white-haired characters, and Sejji makes sure that each character has a distinct look, so it was pretty easy for me to notice him continuously popping up in the background. He actually made his first appearance in the second episode, while Lucia was traveling to the castle to meet with Prince Arthur. Considering how much commotion he was causing in the comments now that he was officially introduced, I was surprised more people didn't scream about him showing up in the background of earlier episodes.

As far as I am in the series - 24 episodes in out of 69 episodes (plus a recap episode between seasons 1 and 2) - those are all of the main characters:

  • Lucy/Lucia
  • Lucia's adopted brother Alexander
  • Lucia's younger adopted brother Theodore
  • Crown prince Arthur
  • Second prince Leo
  • Noah, who becomes Lucia's trusted knight (aka personal bodyguard)
  • Claire, the novel's original protagonist

There is a twist, however! Spoilers for episode 11 of the series, but I had never come across this trope before - despite it apparently being an old trend within transmigration stories - and I absolutely love the extra layer it adds.

Theo gets a letter from Lucia... the REAL Lucia... the one originally from the world within the novel! Seems she was kidnapped while on her way to visit Prince Arthur a few months prior. No one noticed Lucia had gone missing because her kidnapping happened the same time as Lucy isekai'd into the novel!

Yeah!

Lucy didn't possess Lucia! Lucy full on teleported into the world of the novel, and, because her friend Sena had designed Lucia off of Lucy, she was a perfect doppelganger! Despite appearing in the novel-world while in her 21st century clothes, everyone confused her for Lucia, and Alexander carried the unconscious Lucy back to the Aurelius estate. When Lucy woke up in Lucia's room with no knowledge of how she got there, and she saw Lucia's picture on the wall, and everyone kept calling her by Lucia's name.... she naturally thought that maybe she was dreaming that she transmigrated into her friend's novel. When she stubbed her toe - something we see in the opening of the first episode - and the pain makes her crumple to the floor, she realizes that it's not a dream. The only explanation she had was that she must have somehow ACTUALLY possessed Lucia since the two look identical. She never meant to steal Lucia's identity. She was under the assumption that she was forced to live it.

Getting back to the original Lucia, she was trafficked to a northern portion of the empire. She managed to escape, but quickly collapsed from the strain of everything she went through. Thankfully, she was rescued by a man named Aaron.

**Side note: Sejji seem to have a thing for male A-names; kind of like how I am with male J-names....

*ahem* So, Aaron nursed Lucia back to health over the months that Lucy was unknowingly taking Lucia's place. Once she was better, Lucia sent a letter home to let everyone know that she was alive and well. She also married Aaron and is staying with him up north. She asks her father and brothers to please let Prince Arthur know that the engagement is off. She was sure the prince would be elated by the news that he is now free of her.

Well, at least Lucy got ahead of Lucia's final request. Also, good for Lucia for finding happiness, especially when we saw how cold Prince Arthur could be towards someone he believed to be Lucia. I do feel bad for Leo, though, because the woman he truly was in love with is indeed married to someone else. RIP.

But, man! I love that twist! The person the main character thought they were possessing is actually still alive and well within the story, so now there's just... two of them! Also, now Lucia's brother Theo knows that Lucy isn't actually his sister, but an unintentional imposter!

The only thing that bugs me about this whole scenario is that the real Lucia apparently has this large scar that runs the length of her left shoulder. After this reveal that Lucy isn't possessing Lucia's body, NOW is when people are starting to notice that the scar is gone.

In order to keep up appearances, Lucy has had handmaids dress her daily and prep her for baths. She has also been living as Lucia for about two months by the time Theo got this letter. HOW HAS NO ONE NOTICED THE MISSING SCAR BEFORE???? Especially Lucia's head handmaid, who does indeed note that her scar "must have healed" while helping Lucy dress for the royal picnic. The picnic where, within the original novel plot, Prince Arthur and Lucia officially celebrate their engagement; the start of the novel. However, this time, Arthur is SUPPOSED to announce the annulment of their betrothal at the picnic.... Anyway, the point remains that, presumably, Lucia's head maid would have been present during any of Lucy's prior dressings and/or baths, and yet she's only just now noticing the scar is missing? Now that we have the reveal that Lucy isn't inhabiting Lucia's body? Feels like a plot hole that no one noticed the absence of such a prominent scar sooner. Maybe we'll learn that Lucy did originally have the scar when she first arrived and was playing the role of Lucia, but the scar has faded over time the more Lucy diverges from the original plot???? That would be kind of cool.... Guess I'll have to keep reading to see.

The story is currently on hiatus, but it's set to update "every Thursday" normally. And, since the update days are based off of Korea's time zone, that means...

I FINALLY HAVE A WEDNESDAY-UPDATE STORY!!! Woooo! I did it!

Hacker Girl
Facebook sticker
by Birdman, Inc

And, with that, my reading schedule now looks like this:

  • Sunday:
    • You Can't Kill Me: The Secret Bride of the Black Wolf
    • At Your Mercy
    • A Savage Proposal
    • Daily Pass Unlocks:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • As much of I Am The Villain as I want. At least, until I catch up
  • Monday:
    • Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story
    • Seabird and the Wolf
    • Daily Pass Unlocks:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • I Am The Villain
  • Tuesday:
    • I Will Live the Life of a Villainess
    • The Dragon King's Bride
    • Office Romance from Hell
    • Lock Me Up, Duke!
    • Daily Pass Unlocks:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • I Am The Villain
  • Wednesday:
    • If I can resist, I could wait and read I Am The Villain only on the designated update day.... but, until I'm caught up and it's back from hiatus, I think this will still be my only day that I don't have a weekly-update story to read.
    • Daily Pass Unlocks only:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • Catch up on any missed episodes thus far that week
    • I Am The Villain
  • Thursday:
    • The Age of Arrogance
    • Maybe Meant to Be
    • Daily Pass Unlocks:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • I Am The Villain
  • Friday:
    • The Fateful Invitation (on hiatus)
    • My Child Will Have a Different Father
    • Daily Pass Unlocks:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • I Am The Villain
  • Saturday:
    • Obsidian Bride
    • Daily Pass Unlocks:
      • Divorcing My Tyrant Husband
      • I Abdicate My Title of Empress
    • I Am The Villain

Now to see if I can find a story that will take the Tuesday slot soon vacated by My Husband Changes Every Night, as well as the temporarily vacant Friday spot, left available due to The Fateful Invitation being on hiatus. I also need to decide if I'm still invested in At Your Mercy.....

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Until I catch you all again at the end of the month, Happy Reading!