Written Musings

Bardic • Adult • Xennial Local Bard / Plural • Spoonie Author

[bardic-tales]

About | Written Musings

I am currently offline to navigate a sudden family crisis and will be away for the next week. Please respect my need for complete silence during this time; I will return when I am able.

30-year Experience with Dark Fantasy, Grimdark, and FFVII Research and Fic Writing.

✍️ AO3 Archive | 💻 FWC Hub | 📖 FAQ

The Essentials

Age: Xennial

Identity: Married Adult (@armchair-pirate) | Mom | Druid | Demibisexual | Sapioromantic Demibiromantic

Writing: Retired Author | Dark Fantasy | Fic Writer | Horror | Grimdark | No Comfort.

Cognitive Style: Monotropic Flow | Highly Systemizing | Structured Communicator | Neuroatypical

System: Lunar Eclipse System (Median/Spiritual).

Fandoms: Final Fantasy VII | Original Works

Shipping: Exclusive Private Self-Ship | OC × Canon | Multi-ship | Villain ships

Shipping & Interpretation Policy

Please be aware that I am a multi-shipper. If you are someone who stans one specific ship and cannot handle seeing other interpretations or pairings on your dash, Written Musings might not be the right fit for you.

Selective Self-Shipping: I am selective with Sephiroth self-shippers. Please see my notes for mutuals at the bottom of this post.

F/O Status: The only characters I consider true Fictional Others (F/Os) are those created or played by my husband. These connections are strictly non-sharing.

Canon Characters: All canon characters on this blog are used purely as creative muses, comfort characters, and anchors for OC x Canon writing. I am completely open-sharing for all canon figures.

Interacting & Boundaries

DNI: No stans of critiqued interpretations. No parasocial/weird behavior.

Triggers: Full Squicks. Strictly Do Not Mention Me or DM In: Sephiroth Romantic Self-Shipping, Pregnancy/Infants, SA, or Non-Fictional Abuse.

Medical: I live with C-PTSD and complex chronic conditions. Read My Medical Mandate & Communication Style regarding slow replies and brain fog.

Current Status

Requests: 🔴 CLOSED. Request Policy.

Roleplay: 🟡 Only Through Asks (Mutuals only). RP Policy & Arcs.

Schedule: Monthly Content Calendar.

Quick Navigation

Tag Directory | FWC Character Studies | FWC Fan Fiction (Tumblr)

FWC Feedback | Advice, Writing, and Analysis Meta

F/O List | Other Blogs / Websites | NL Answers | My Answered Asks

💌 Note for Mutuals: Shipping Tags & Filters I love having you around and want to support your dashboard presence! However, to keep my main feed comfortable and tailored to my filtering needs, I have a specific boundary regarding romantic shipping content. ⚠️ What Needs a Tag (Please DM or Ask me your tag): If you engage in serious, deeply romantic self-shipping / self-inserts with Sephiroth (where it is explicitly you/your persona in the world rather than a distinct OC), please use a specific, consistent ship tag for those posts and let me know what it is so I can filter it out. ✅ What Does NOT Need a Tag: Casual appreciation, aesthetic posts, light crushes, or general screaming about how cool, beautiful, or hot a character is are completely fine. No special hashtags are needed for fandom behavior.

[prismaticpichu]

✨ UPDATE ✨

I might actually hop back to my old username LMAO I honestly thought that I’d grow comfy w/the change, but there’s this lingering awkwardness that I can’t quite shake off??? I’m not sure if that’s because it’s not easy to mentally shift gears when you’ve grown attached to a specific aesthetic/character for five years, or because I mainly wanted to make the change on YT and really wanted to make things match up, but…. Idk lol! ’Twas definitely a good test run!…

(I think I also, just. Love Pichu too much dhdhdhdhv MY PRECIOUS ELECTRIC BEAN 💖)

[bardic-tales]

Honestly, there is absolutely zero shame in boomeranging right back to your roots. 💙

Five years is a massive chunk of time to build an identity, an aesthetic, and a vibe that feels like you. When you’ve lived in a certain creative skin for that long, trying to force a new one can feel like wearing shoes that are just a half-size too small, you know? You keep waiting to break them in, but the awkwardness just lingers.

Think of it this way. It wasn’t a fail at all. It was just a successful experiment. You gave the new aesthetic a fair test run, realized your heart wasn’t fully in it, and now you get to return to what makes you feel comfy and inspired.

And let’s be real, my friend, who could possibly compete with the precious electric bean?! Pichu is a top-tier, and if that’s where your joy is, embrace it.

[prismaticpichu]

Shdhdhdh I’m actually gonna cry AHHH this is so healing to hear 🥺❤️❤️

Thank youuuuu, Bardic!! For your beautiful insights, and for everything! 🫂

[bardic-tales]

Aw, pass the tissues, because now I’m tearing up. You are so welcome. Never underestimate the power of what feels like "home" creatively.

I'm always in your corner, cheering you on through every change, every word written, art drawn, and every return to what makes you shine. Rock that classic username, and thank you for letting me be a part of your creative journey. onward and upward, Pichu. Onward and upward.

[bardic-tales]

I am procrastinating on this world-building, but I need to get it done. It's key concepts for the world, such as the population splits, etc. If I don't answer DMs, I will get to them tomorrow, since it's like 8:30 here and I wanted to get this section done today.

[prismaticpichu]

✨ UPDATE ✨

I might actually hop back to my old username LMAO I honestly thought that I’d grow comfy w/the change, but there’s this lingering awkwardness that I can’t quite shake off??? I’m not sure if that’s because it’s not easy to mentally shift gears when you’ve grown attached to a specific aesthetic/character for five years, or because I mainly wanted to make the change on YT and really wanted to make things match up, but…. Idk lol! ’Twas definitely a good test run!…

(I think I also, just. Love Pichu too much dhdhdhdhv MY PRECIOUS ELECTRIC BEAN 💖)

[bardic-tales]

Honestly, there is absolutely zero shame in boomeranging right back to your roots. 💙

Five years is a massive chunk of time to build an identity, an aesthetic, and a vibe that feels like you. When you’ve lived in a certain creative skin for that long, trying to force a new one can feel like wearing shoes that are just a half-size too small, you know? You keep waiting to break them in, but the awkwardness just lingers.

Think of it this way. It wasn’t a fail at all. It was just a successful experiment. You gave the new aesthetic a fair test run, realized your heart wasn’t fully in it, and now you get to return to what makes you feel comfy and inspired.

And let’s be real, my friend, who could possibly compete with the precious electric bean?! Pichu is a top-tier, and if that’s where your joy is, embrace it.

[jonathanssweatercollection]

loving the lord of the rings so far

[handmed0wnart]

[prismaticpichu]

(gonna make a proper list at some point lmao!)

Until then :3c

favorite OC of the blog???

Rainbow the mocha-charged Lycanroc 💙🐺

Priz the purple-scarfed Pichu 💖🐁

Muffin the Gongagan dragon (& Zack’s favorite plush) 🧡🐉

Ifrit the plush Ifrit (Sephiroth’s cherished gift from Zack) ❤️🔥

Pizza Crust the hermit crab (from (“Withdraw”) 🦀🐚

Remaining time: 23 hours 18 minutes

[bardic-tales]

Pichu! No all of the above? 🥺

I am going with all of the above, even if I chose Muffin, as I am a rule breaker.

[prismaticpichu]

AHHHH you’re so right!!! Honorary All of the Above Button ❤️❤️❤️

all the above??

Yeeeeee!

Yeeeee.

Remaining time: 23 hours 21 minutes

[bardic-tales]

[prismaticpichu]

(gonna make a proper list at some point lmao!)

Until then :3c

favorite OC of the blog???

Rainbow the mocha-charged Lycanroc 💙🐺

Priz the purple-scarfed Pichu 💖🐁

Muffin the Gongagan dragon (& Zack’s favorite plush) 🧡🐉

Ifrit the plush Ifrit (Sephiroth’s cherished gift from Zack) ❤️🔥

Pizza Crust the hermit crab (from (“Withdraw”) 🦀🐚

Remaining time: 23 hours 18 minutes

[bardic-tales]

Pichu! No all of the above? 🥺

I am going with all of the above, even if I chose Muffin, as I am a rule breaker.

[a-silly-poll-side-blog-yay]

have you ever went offline for like a few days in a row

yes

no

results

Remaining time: 6 days 23 hours

[bardic-tales]

Me: Proudly stares at a pristine, empty ask box. "Oh. It hasn't looked like this in months. Now, I can take a nap. Surely, nothing will happen."

My inbox 1 hour later: screaming for mercy

I'm totally kidding. Honestly, seeing it full again makes my day.

[scourge-lover]

Tiny pigeon art!

[bardic-tales]

From Canvas to Crime Scenes: Shifting Perspectives

Every villain has a genesis, but the path to creating mine wasn't a straight line. Once upon a time, my world was measured in layout grids and color theory during a stint in Graphic Design. But the human mind pulled harder than the canvas, leading me to shift gears toward psychology and a brief foray into criminal justice. I had my sights set on becoming a forensic psychologist, as I was fascinated by the why behind the darkest corners of human behavior.

Life ultimately took me in a different direction, but those years spent studying minds, motives, and the anatomy of a crime didn't go to waste. Instead, they became the bedrock of my fiction.

When it comes to building a truly compelling antagonist, Thomas Harris’s Hannibal Lecter novels remain a masterclass. What makes Lecter terrifying isn't standard, mindless villainy. It’s his profound intelligence, his absolute control, and his terrifyingly refined nature. He is a predator who appreciates fine art, exquisite music, and complex philosophy.

That specific contrast—extreme capability and sharp intellect paired with a total departure from conventional morality—deeply informs how I approach antagonists. It taught me that the most memorable villains aren't cold, distant caricatures.

For me, memorable villains are present, deeply observant, and possess an intimate understanding of the people around them.

This exact cocktail of psychological profiling and literary inspiration heavily shaped the Dissidia iteration of my character, Bianca. In a setting defined by cosmic conflict, clash of wills, and fractured realities, she doesn't just rely on raw power.

Drawing from that Hannibal-esque blueprint, this version of Bianca operates with a calculated, psychological precision. She understands the fractures in others because she understands the architecture of the mind itself. Her malice isn't loud or chaotic. It is tailored, elegant, and acutely aware of exactly which emotional or psychological threads to pull. The thrill in writing her in Dissidia comes from that delicate dance, making an antagonist who is brilliant, formidable, and utterly captivating in her intensity.

For a long time, these character studies and intricate worlds lived quietly in the margins of my life, a product of years spent observing the human condition from both academic and fictional lenses. But everything clicked into place the day a professor (FBI agent with the Behavior unit) read my work on Albert Fish for an assignment, looked at me, and said: “Your writing is one of the best things I read. You should be an author.”

Hearing those words wasn't just a compliment. It was a validation of the journey. Every major change finally found a unified home. I didn't end up profiling minds in a clinical setting, but through storytelling, I get to build them from scratch, giving life to villains who are as hauntingly complex as the ones that first inspired me, like Hannibal Lecter.

[kosmogrl]

[bardic-tales]

Just woke up. Waiting for pain killers to kick in so I can write. You know those ads about 'you are not you without a snickers' or something? I am not me without writing.

Hunting and pecking with my right hand and I have my left arm tucked against my side like little T-rex arms.

[syntheticdesign02]

Hope you feel better friend 🫂🫂

Thanks for being there for me as always 🖤

[bardic-tales]

Of course. That's what's friends are for. 💙

Feeling a little better. Turned the AC off, since I think that was causing the flare-up. I'm like a fussy fish now. Can't be too hot or cold. The pain killers are kicking in, so less of an ache. Still babying it right now but not as much. I can type with two hands now. Yay.

[shadowsageingempress]

Hopefully the AC will help. And yay for being able to use both hands! Hope the painkillers are fully activated soon, then you will be at maximum physical power!/lh

[bardic-tales]

Nothing will be able to stop me then!

[bardic-tales]

Just woke up. Waiting for pain killers to kick in so I can write. You know those ads about 'you are not you without a snickers' or something? I am not me without writing.

Hunting and pecking with my right hand and I have my left arm tucked against my side like little T-rex arms.

[syntheticdesign02]

Hope you feel better friend 🫂🫂

Thanks for being there for me as always 🖤

[bardic-tales]

Of course. That's what's friends are for. 💙

Feeling a little better. Turned the AC off, since I think that was causing the flare-up. I'm like a fussy fish now. Can't be too hot or cold. The pain killers are kicking in, so less of an ache. Still babying it right now but not as much. I can type with two hands now. Yay.

[dailyflicks]

Jennifer's Body (2009) dir. Karyn Kusama

[bardic-tales]

Just woke up. Waiting for pain killers to kick in so I can write. You know those ads about 'you are not you without a snickers' or something? I am not me without writing.

Hunting and pecking with my right hand and I have my left arm tucked against my side like little T-rex arms.

[vamplire]

tshirt that says “i survived a vampire situationship” but you’re a vampire now so did you really you did but did u