Words & Worlds

Scribbler of fantasy and romance. If it isn't queer, I didn't write it. Buried under endless amounts of WIPs, plot bunnies dancing jigs on my grave. They/them.

[wardenred]

Flash Fic Masterpost

All the original flash fic and snippets ever posted on this blog,to be updated sporadically.

Post-Final Girls 'Verse

In a dystopian world of cyberpunk and superpowers, three women keep coming together and apart. Snippets in chronological order:

Back in High School (Flo and Mel snip at each other about Jules)

Back in High School-2 (Flo and Jules talk about robots and kindness)

As an Experiment (Jules gets Flo to try living together)

Like Gravity (a typical instance of Flo and Mel running into each other)

Kitchen Talk (Jules & Flo, ethical disagreements in some unidentified probably peaceful time)

Pillow Talk (another moral conundrum convo)

"But what does it do?" (Flo gets a regular piercing that isn't a cyberpunk device; Jules is suspicious)

Anniversary (Flo takes Jules out on anniversary date and possibly does some crime on the side)

To Make Amends (an AU version of Flo and Mel being led to reconnect and start working together, based on an early iteration of the outline)

Language of the Revolution (based on an actual scene from the draft)

"I thought you were dead" (an AU where Mel gets captured by the Big Damn Villain; in the actual draft, it's Flo who draws this short stick)

The Morning After (the immediate aftermath of book one)

A Hologram (Jules & Flo beyond the city limits)

Plastic and Chrome (Mel: meanwhile in X-City...)

Hypervigilance (Flo tries to be introspective about her feelings for Mel; takes part after Flo and Jules leave the city, technically, but is really an extended flashback)

Neon and Moonlight (Flo, Jules, a brief trip back to the civilization)

Letters (Jules starts writing to Mel)

Numbers and Pixels, Smoke and Mirrors (on the verge of a reunion in VR)

Extra: a trilogy of whumptember snippets set in the same universe, probably in a different city, with charaters I know little about other than that they want me to know more and write a book about them:

[1], [2], [3] (captivity, brainwashing)

Tales from the Witch House 'Verse

In a kitchen sink urban fantasy world, a bunch of young supernaturals are squatting in a derelict house under the protection of a mysterious witch who claims to have their best interests at heart.

Tim and Leo Angst

Tim and Leo Fluff

"I hate this song" (takes place soon after the one linked above)

Xan and Gella Fluff

Flame & Moth 'Verse

Based on a RP my friend and I have had going on for year. A potentially evil superhero agency, an amnesiac pyrokinetic searching for the truth of his past, a villain who keeps showing up to save him and make his life harder. You know, the fun stuff. Snippets in roughly chronological order:

Out of the Rubble (one of the many instances of the villain coming to the rescue; written for whumptember)

"Is that blood?" (sometimes, Flame can rescue himself! with a little help from his Agency partner Batshit)

Searching for memories in a house on fire (Flame, mortal peril, Moth shows up right on time; written for whumptember)

"There's nothing I can do" (Flame looses a trainee)

Oops, the Agency isn't happy (look, Flame's suffering again; written for whumptember)

Flame is getting rescued from the above predicament (or is he?)

"You said I'd be safe here" (right, apparently he did get rescued)

You Can Doom Everyone (maybe it's a nightmare sequence, maybe it's not)

Bonus: same universe, different hero and villain Bonus-2: not sure this takes place in the same universe... but hero and villain, too

More Than We'll Never Know 'Verse

Snippets related to an ongoing WIP set in a D&D-esque world of adventurers, living legends, and evil capitalism. Mostly focused on a single messy adventuring found family of six.

A version of Vezee and Dagatha's first meeting

A random corn maze adventure

Bariq Being Bariq

Ice by the Fire (Sufjen and Vel getting to know each other)

Trinket (Sufjen and Vel late-book fluff)

Tired of Fighting (Bariq being a shitty friend to Vel)

"Your Magic Is Awesome" (Rinouk being a good friend to Vel)

The perils of getting too close to the villain, might be where the plot is headed, might be an AU/theoretical snippet

Not Mad, Just Disappointed (Dagatha reconnects with her mentor, sort of)

"It's a trial, not a party" (fluffy Dagatha/Vezee sequel to the above)

Vezee and Dagatha's Happy Ending (possible version)

Unwanted Rescue (it is possible Bariq will continue being himself even after the end of the story... or maybe I'll figure out how to give him a better arc after all)

And maybe sometime after the ending Vel and Sufjen will adopt a baby dragon: [1] [2]

Champagne Problems 'Verse

Snippets related to an ongoing WIP set in a city full of corrupt nobles, eldritch cults, angsty magic Academy students, portals that might connect all that to our world, and lying liars who lie.

Secret Meeting (prior to the book's events Elair meets with his evil employer)

Not At All Serious (pre-book Elair, the perils of falling in love under a fake identity)

Rainy Day (pre-book Elair and Miq fluff)

Sweet Tooth (more pre-book Elair and Miq fluff)

Outdoor Event (even more pre-book Elair and Miq fluff)

Practice at the City Hall (pre-book Elair and Miq again, poor Miq is clearly planning the proposal at the end there...)

"I've Got You" (Elair and Miq fluff, just might be a rough draft for late in the book)

Cults and Blood Sacrifices (absolutely unrelated to the book's events, I don't know these characters; absolutely takes place in Mramorsten, though; written for whumptember)

Kingdom in Peril Plot Bunny Exploration

Just a bunch of characters and a slowly forming setting existing rent-free in my mind. No idea where I'm going with all of this, but the journey will involve court intrigue, royals behaving badly, randomly appearing gothic vibes, mysterious dark threats, and possibly soulmates.

Surprise Visitor on a Rainy Evening

No One's Happy about Going to the Royal Court

Oh, Look, the King Has a Brother (He's My Favorite)

Royal Siblings Flashback

Alita Alone in the Garden

Royal Chessboard

Random Randomness

Consider this a catch-all category that I may eventually reorganize by genre.

Dead Gurdian's Dolmen (fantasy, worldbuilding-focused)

The Frozen Giant (sci-fantasy, worldbuilding-focused)

Dragons are fairly splenetic creatures (cozy fantasy, predictably turned into a trilogy of novels with one drafted already :D)

Bucolic Living (cozy lovecraftian post-apocalypse)

Sapphic September: Portal Fantasy (YA, parallel worlds)

"Our job isn't to too god, it is to make right" (fantasy, gods and heroes that fight them, evil mentor, written for whumptember)

An unplanned sequel to the above (in which things get darker)

"Let me do this for you" (fantasy, some kind of secret agents, self-sacrifice, written for whumptember)

Sapphic September: 3 AM (some kind of post-break-up drama?)

"Don't come home" (dark fairytale with a soul-eating dragon)

Around the Oak (a weird sapphic time warp flash fic)

"This was always going to happen" (fantasy, character death, guard captain x spy)

"If that's what it takes" (fantasy, an adventurer attempts to rescue her brother from an evil wizard; written for whumptember)

Mother's Matchmaking (space opera/melodrama of manners, enemies-to-lovers, will be a book someday)

The summer weeks by the sea are long (a sapphic vacation with revelations)

Life on Mars (sometimes, people just keep coming back and you can never let them go)

Dystopia Tropes (random modern-day slice-of-life romance)

Waiting for a Call (angsty sapphic magical girls)

Always Sunny (a monster hunter comes back to her hometown to reconnect with her ex-girlfriend, definitely will be a book someday)

Home (mad science and eldritch tentacles, written for whumptember)

Gears (a steampunk tinkerer and a rogue, for Sapphic September)

The Better Bad Idea (something something sapphic Regency-inspired fantasy, for Sapphic September)

"There are no aliens on the abandoned atomic station" (something something scientist and journalist, for Sapphic September)

Fool's Gold (a dark fantasy snippet, friends to enemies)

When you're escaping confinement, why not take your captor with you, right (written for whumptember, hero and villain)

Dreamscape Navigation (pretty much a novelization of a stray magic system... or a flashficization, rather)

On the Porch (a half-baked tropey idea about sisters reconnecting because of a condition in their grandmother's will)

What You Swore to Destroy (angsty YA horror with a touch of eldritch past lives)

Lessons in Failure (not all heroes get good mentors)

Picking Cherries (something very random; kids and cherries sometimes make things better)

A Maybe, a What If, an Almost (stream of consciousness friends-to-enemies flash fic)

Won't Forget (tiny 100-words drabble about memory spells)

Also, a whumptember two-parter with potential for more parts about a sassy imprisoned prince:

[1] [2] (warnings: imprisonment, sensory deprivation, torture)

And another whumptember two-parter: in part one, someone just tries to survive in a city his twin has ruined; in part two, the twin is in an even worse pickle.

#iHunt Rpg Fanfic (based loosely on a campaign I was in, you don't need to know anything about the game, it's just a small wrong number flash fic)

My tag for all the flash fiction and snippets: #warden's random scribbles.

[tragicburnout]

men will chase you to the end of earth just to leave you there

[wardenred]

"Fear tends to limit flexibility of thinking, narrow the attention span, and lead to decision paralysis. I mostly know about it from books and strongly prefer to avoid such impairments."

[wardenred]

It's really very annoying when you have a burning need to read 25 fics AT MINIMUM about a specific pairing, but these characters only exist in your unfinished first draft (or worse, a plot bunny)

[mememuseumofhistory]

[odyver]

alright I've got to do some quick math to explain attitudes towards AI to my boss.

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

please rb for larger sample size!

Question 1/3

What is your age, and do you feel AI is a net positive or net negative in our lives today?

under 18, AI is a net positive

under 18, AI is a net negative

18-29, AI is a net positive

18-29, AI is a net negative

30-45, AI is a net positive

30-45, AI is a net negative

46-60, AI is a net positive

46-60, AI is a net negative

over 60, AI is a net postive

over 60, AI is a net negative

Voting ended onJun 11

[odyver]

Question 2/3

How often do you visit or interact with museums/archives (whether in person or online)?

Frequently (multiple times per month)

Often (multiple times per year)

Occasionally (a couple times per year)

Rarely (once every couple of years)

Never :(

Voting ended onJun 11

[odyver]

Question 3/3

If you saw a museum was using AI in exhibits, marketing, research, etc., would you be more or less inclined to visit that museum?

under 18, more inclined

under 18, less inclined

18-29, more inclined

18-29, less inclined

30-45, more inclined

30-45, less inclined

46-60, more inclined

46-60, less inclined

over 60, more inclined

over 60, less inclined

Voting ended onJun 11

Thank you for helping with this data collection. Please rb for as big a sample as possible!

🫶

[vidathari]

🌼 Lady of the Lake 🌼

Done for a gift exchange with my friends!

[aomitois]

rb and tag your favorite song that's not in english, japanese or korean

[gumy-shark]

characters who believe that they are inherently unlovable 🔥🔥🔥

[gumy-shark]

there’s no variation on this trope that isn’t absolutely peak. “im unlovable but i desire that connection so ill let myself be used instead”? peak. “im unlovable so ill drive everyone away” is automatically peak however you play it. “i am an unlovable thing so i will become a new person who isn’t”? peak beyond belief!!! i love characters 🥰

[wardenred]

"I am unlovable and will drive everyone away no matter how hard I try, so I'm absolutely done trying. I'm just gonna be my peak unhinged self. Wait, why aren't you running away? What do you mean we're having fun?"

"I am unlovable, so I will become radically self-sufficient and never need anyone and never experience a single feeling, ever." *proceeds to experience 5 different feelings on the same page, under the right circumstances*

"I am unlovable so I will assume the role of the caretaker and make sure those I take care of never feel unloved or unlovable ever."

💯 Really hard to go wrong with this one.

[yaoiblackmold]

Whenever people ask me "why don't you know xyz, it's so popular" well see it's because

[yaoiblackmold]

I literally live in south east asia

[hollowedskin]

Most countries cut the map like that because it's the easiest and most logical place to have a big vertical split! Everyone else agrees that the awkward and self centred way that Americans cut the map so that they sit in the middle is obnoxious as hell.

[wanderingthunderstorm]

#Does US have a different map???? via @eldritch-bisexual

Why yes. Yes we do:

^Those are generally what hangs on the wall in US classrooms.

[wardenred]

*blinks slowly* You live and you learn.

[thebarontheabyss]

This tale starts with your death.

Play WIP at: Itch.io | CoGDemos

CoG forum thread | Mood Playlist

(Current word count: 410k!)

You remember only the moth, carrying you through the cosmos.

And now you are dead. A newly formed spirit, carrying your grief into the unknown.

But the end has no end, and your story continues.

After a meeting with Death (they're really not used to talking to people, be gentle with them) and the Raven, a sardonic talking bird with secrets older than stars, you sign a contract: manage the bar on the Abyss for one year, in exchange for a single limitless wish from the gods themselves.

The Abyss is a nexus connecting every realm in existence. A haven where gods, devils, angels, and lost souls converge to drink and revel.

And you're not alone. You have your staff, and your patrons: a mortal witch, a sly devil, and Death, who keeps finding reasons to visit. Grief isn't the only thing that survives death. Love and friendship make the crossing too.

But something is hiding in the fine print. A voice in your dreams, a loneliness that has swallowed every proprietor who came before you.

How do you fight loneliness?

Manage your bar, unravel the cosmic mystery of the Abyss, go shopping in Hell, witness the universe's creation in a public bathroom, unlock the forbidden secrets of magic, and learn the truth about your real employers.

The Abyss beckons you.

✬ A narrative-driven interactive fiction experience, where every choice builds the story and the person you're becoming in death.

✬ Play as any gender, any sexuality. The afterlife doesn't card you at the door.

✬ Customize your death: did you go by fire, or illness? Did someone else make the choice, or did you? The circumstances of your death are yours to define.

✬ Pick your grief path: the way you felt in your final moments will shape the story, how certain characters respond to you, and how you see the world. Did you rage against the dying of the light, or welcome the reaper with a handshake? Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance: choose the lens of your afterlife.

✬ Customize your spirit-self: choose your appearance, pick from 36+ career backgrounds that unlock choices throughout the game, and your death scars — because you died, and you probably have the marks to prove it.

✬ Choose your pension: a single, limitless wish from the gods themselves. What do you want more than anything?

✬ Build your psyche: a 30-trait personality system quietly maps every decision into a portrait of the spirit you're becoming.

✬ Pick your Spirit Gift: a mythical artifact left by the bar as a welcome gift. Stop time, read the secret thoughts of gods, analyze any entity, hear the opinions of inanimate objects, wear anyone's face, or carry a sword forged to kill gods. Each gift opens unique scenes, solutions, and ways to experience the story.

✬ Be the proprietor of your own afterlife bar: name it, choose its theme, and run it your way.

✬ Romance and befriend a cast of mortals and immortals: the awkward Grim Reaper, a mortal witch and their familiar, a sly devil, a warlord who became your security guard, a spectral diva, and a formless shadow. Be poly, monogamous, asexual, purely physical — they'll respond in kind.

✬ Random patron encounters on your night shifts: who walks through the door changes every playthrough. 

✬ Explore the afterlife, travel to distant realms, and uncover the dark secrets hiding beneath your bar… and your contract.

M\F\NB (Poly or Monogamous paths) Death reveals a surprising warmth beneath their eternal duty.

Is there room for love within their everlasting embrace? Read more >>>

M\F (Poly or Monogamous paths) This devilish being, a powerful magnet of desire, seeks more than power in the bar’s shadows.

Who dares to pursue the heart behind the flame?

Read more >>>

M\F (Poly or Monogamous paths) The Witch, with their feline companion, seeks a lost soul, their magic stirring trouble and passion alike.

Can a mortal love thrive in the spirit realm?

Read more >>>

M (Monogamous path)

A mercenary turned security guard, Hastur carries an immortal burden, guilt born of past battles and sacrifices.

Will your love heal his wounds?

Read more >>>

NB (Monogamous path) The spectral diva enchants with their voice, their performance a dance of beauty tinged with the sorrow of eternal life.

Can your love find a new song for them?

Read more >>>

M\F\NB (Monogamous path) A shade keeps the bar’s order, and his silence holds the weight of cosmic secrets.

Will your heart fall for the being behind the shadow?

Read more >>>

With feathers dark and wit sharp, The Raven’s history is as rich as the bar itself. He offers piercing insight beneath a layer of humor.

Read more >>>

The stern soothsayer-turned-accountant Yaga guards the bar’s fortune while wrestling with her own spectral regrets and wisdom.

Read more >>>

Shelly, the bar’s assistant, brings life-affirming warmth but seeks a new family to fill the void of her lost one.

Read more >>>

Welcome to the cosmos: a weave of ever-changing realms. Each domain is a thread in the grand design.

Read more >>>

I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Big or small, everything matters: your input is invaluable. I'll be answering and taking each into consideration. You are very welcome to post your reviews here!

Here’s what I’m especially looking for:

Thoughts on the plot, characters, and overall narrative experience. What’s working, and what could use more polish?

Notes on any typos, grammar issues, or awkward phrasing that might distract from the story.

Any continuity errors you spot: It's a big project, so making sure the narrative makes sense in the long run is really important.

The game explores themes of Death in various forms, including suicide.

Alcohol indulgence and its various side effects (hangovers, vomiting, etc.)

Sexual themes (currently only non-explicit)

[partywithponies]

Strange racists and homophobes on the internet seem to have access to an alternate way cooler version of TV than me. "every white character on TV is in an interracial relationship" "every show has a gay couple in it" "main characters keep having to secretly be bisexual and nonbinary" "every show has gratuitous full frontal nudity" like damn promise?? What channel???

[cwritesfiction]

First drafting a novel is really just whispering "would he fucking say that?" over and over again for several thousand words

[goth-queen]

[wardenred]

I've just made myself unreasonably sad by cockblocking my characters for the sake of their own character development, this writing thing is so fun.

[kjscottwrites]

[descent-of-a-queen]

WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM, I JUST WANT THESE TWO TO BITE EACH OTHER 😭