[FF] Grail Works, Ltd.: Fate/Anarchy (Type-Moon/Scion crossover)

[RanmaBushiko]

Yeah, that's roughly what I figured after a bit of reading. I suppose it feels a bit weird because most of the Neptunia concepts aren't really in the story before this point, and I'm not familiar with them. It is a very good conceptual integration.

I really should have looked up Arfoire as well. I was assuming he was teaching/guiding in a more indirect way... actually off-planet to Wolf Home or similar, if those were sufficiently-interstellar distances makes sense, especially if he can't Rainbow Bridge himself around.


I think both did a pretty good job, Interlude 3 was really focused, the repetition of themes was quite potent. This is a bit more open-ended, which is exactly what a legacy needs to be.


It's a pretty minor difference overall, just couldn't avoid noticing it when reading. I'm going to attribute that to the epilogues wrapping (almost) everything up neatly, and that final chapter really nailing the ending

Yeah. Hinting at it with floating islands was a nice bit. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer to write the interlude stuff than I thought it would.

Arfoire is a play on the R4 stuff people used to pirate video games. Video game puns ahoy, am I right? But in the setting, she's pretty much "That returning evil overlord that keeps getting her ass kicked by the main protagonists... sooner or later". Him simply leaving for the duration of the war, and planning on helping his descendants rebuild, give them old data and inventions, etc.? Makes a lot of sense.

And canon for the original game had Neptune finding and unsealing Histoire from something like a millennia of being stuck somewhere. Likely in stasis for most of it, but not all of it.

Glad you enjoyed it all, too. Sorry about it taking so long, tidyness, etc. And I'm glad you enjoyed the ending, as well. Now to wait a couple days, work on finishing off that next damned character sheet for Erik, then start posting the sequel and it's side stories... (Edit: At least on my end. Erik's story isn't done yet, after all... still not sure where Kieran's going with Godafrid, but it should be interesting.)

[Kieran]

Trifas, Romania
July 6, 2004








They had failed.

Fragmented and weakened it might be, constrained by the rules of the World as it was (if not as much as might be hoped, since Ymir was at least conceptually Gaia’s equal), it was still a Titan: a primordial being which had formed the universe as mortals knew it. Entire pantheons had been needed to subdue one in the past; or, depending on the perspective used, all pantheons, as every Titan possessed avatars unique to each mythos. A single god, however paranoid, and a handful of Heroic Spirits—even including a noted god-slayer like Scathach—were simply nowhere near sufficient to the task.

Even his own attempt, utilising Sapphire’s capabilities to call forth his own potential self from over a millennium hence, had failed. The Exalted, as a whole, might have designed to do exactly this, but again, he was a single Lunar. The Primordial War had required armies; nearly a thousand Celestial Exalts, and ten times that many Terrestrials. They had killed several Primordials, true, and were ultimately human, however raised above their origins—which made the feat more impressive—but no single example of the type, however experienced and powerful, could ever match the entirety of the Exalted in might and capability.

The attempt, however valiant, was doomed—and so were they . . .

“Enact the backup plan,” Frid croaked out

Sapphire’s being disengaged from his own in a prismatic burst of light, setting the fine, powdery fragments of the sword he’d used to catalyse his ultimate attack alight, leaving it glittering like fairy dust. It was taking the last of his strength to focus, to give the order, but he had to . . .

“Understood, Mister Frid,” the Kaleidostick replied, “I will go to Lady Olga Marie n—”

The sudden impact of his body on an equally sudden nearby surface sent the world away for a while—or maybe it was the exhaustion . . .








Space Battleship Wolfen
Command Deck









“Husband,” Tamamo—or rather, the primary instance of her—murmured. “Our mutual friend has called for his final option to be enacted. Shall I issue the appropriate orders?”

Erik resisted the urge to smirk. Weakened they might be by the rules surrounding this new world (though right now, he’d trade even more strength if it meant that bastard Titan lost a bigger chunk), neither of them had stopped being what they were. And while he came from human stock, Tamamo had been a centuries-old kitsune, with all the tricks associated with her race—such as the ability to create illusions (like, for instance, what certain ninja series referred to as “shadow clones”) and disguise herself . . .

Erik had known the secretive pain-in-the-ass would have a trick up his sleeve for when things got desperate; he always either did or seemed able to improvise one if he somehow didn’t—like pulling a fucking GODZILLA out of his ass, for example. But being the literal God of Paranoia, for once Erik had been determined to learn them all ahead of time, and not be caught off-guard. That he’d been surprised by the Godzilla impression, therefore, rankled—he could just picture Hel laughing at him for it (the bitch) . . . But that wasn’t germane, right now.

This plan had been a surprise, regardless—he could almost see it working, though, for a number of reasons. He was equally unwilling to trust it, for almost as many reasons . . . But he’d set aside contingencies in case it had needed to be invoked, just in case. If nothing else, it didn’t hurt to have the option; and while this not-quite-mortal wasn’t Krampus, he didn’t strike Erik as stupid. Hell, given the number of times he’d caught Erik off-guard, he outright wasn’t—and he wouldn’t invoke a plan this crazy unless he thought there was no other choice.

Erik just had to hope that the guy was similar enough to Krampus to share one trait in particular—that the fucking crazy plans and hunches worked, more often than not.

“. . . Do it,” he decided aloud. “Pull everybody back—we play defence from here.”

Mordred wouldn’t like it, and he didn’t, either, but that didn’t really matter. From this point, their goal wasn’t to beat the enemy: it was to buy time, while protecting the one element of their force that could beat the enemy long enough for the strategy to work.

He really hoped it did . . .









Mash watched carefully as the Kaleidostick focussed on her Master.

She trusted Sapphire—more than Ruby, at least. Miyu-san had had far fewer complaints about her Mystic Code than Illyasviel did. Still, she didn’t like the situation; at her current age, the Director was far too vulnerable, and because of the energy and focus requirements, the Servant couldn’t deploy her Noble Phantasm. All of that made humanity’s premiere Shielder very nervous, and she couldn’t help but worry . . .

And the literally apocalyptic battle going on outside didn’t help any, either.

As another explosion rocked their ship, she reached out to catch “Miss Marie,” who let out a shriek as she pitched to one side—only to be cut off in mid-cry as she landed in Mash’s arms.

“You’re safe, Direc—Master,” Mash corrected herself.

It still felt strange to refer to the Director’s child-self that way. Still, she’d been raised to respect the proper protocol, and as she was a Servant now, as herself, there was no other way to refer to her—but in her heart, Mash Kyrielight knew that she would only ever have one Master . . .

(And at the thought, she blushed, thinking that she owed a certain Mysterious Heroine an apology, now that she understood . . .)

“O . . . OK,” Olga Marie mumbled, drawing the Shielder’s focus back to the present moment. “Sapphire, are we ready?”

“I have tuned to the appropriate frequencies and begun opening up the necessary bandwidth channels, Mistress,” the Kaleidostick replied. “I require only your command.”

“ . . . Then,” she hesitated, drawing in a breath before shouting, “Do it! In the name and honour of the Animusphere, DO IT!”

“Drawing prana,” Sapphire acknowledged, causing both Mystic Code and girl to glow, “Commencing operation . . .”

The tiny magus gritted her teeth, and Mash held her as she began to feel the girl’s circuits burn with effort.

All she could do was hold her Master through the effort, the pain, lending her what strength and endurance her contract allowed, even as she murmured, “Just a little longer—hold on just a little longer . . .”

Please—this has to work . . .!









The world was a featureless blend of black, gray and white—ice and snow so thick they blocked out all light, as all the terrible hunger of winter ravaged the land. As an ironically-named poet had once said regarding the end of the world, “But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate/To know that for destruction ice is also great/And would suffice.”

And so it was here. This was the concept of the ice age, materialised and given will and purpose—and worst of all, a terrible intelligence with which to carry it out.

Ymir knew that it was not so strong as it had once been, but also that the balance of power was steadily tipping in its favour. It knew also that its foes were weakening as it resisted blow after blow—it needed only to wait, and patience was very much a virtue of winter. Snowflake after snowflake would fall, steadily, silently—until the sheer collected mass of them released an avalanche.

The avalanche was coming—it needed only to wait . . .

And then, through the blizzard, came light.

Not directed at it, but above, cutting through the clouds faintly, at first, but in ever-increasing intensity, like the rising sun—then forking across it, in multiple waving patterns, like the aurora borealis . . .

But as appropriate as such a phenomenon might be, and as admittedly-colourful as the display was, the Northern Lights these were not—they burned through the clouds, revealing open sky—

Open, but not clear.

The vessels came first—shining ships of gold, silver, alien metals and wood. The arrival of others was heralded with beams of light, or voids in reality, afoot or mounted upon horseback—or dragons, or far stranger things. From those carriers came those armed with sword and bow, spear and staff, claws, cannons, and all other manner of weapons of that could possibly be imagined. Heroes, villains, gods, monsters, and all possibilities in-between, they came—all in answer to a single call, united by one purpose.

United by one being.








“Rayshift successful,” Da Vinci reported. “Energy readings are—off the scale, honestly. Far more than this general era should have, and that thing”—the Caster highlighted the nascent Titan—“is at least on Tiamat’s level.”

“And the signal?”

Da Vinci flashed a smile. “Not concerned about the potential planet-killer? You’re getting jaded, Fujim—”

The look she got stopped the Caster cold, and she sighed. “. . . Yes, it’s the Director—her local analogue, but it’s her. Mash, too.” The Renaissance genius pursed her lips. “It still could be a trap—there’s no explanation for how they even knew that they could call for help . . .”

“That doesn’t matter,” was the firm answer. “They did.”

“. . . Not so jaded, I see,” Da Vinci said with a sly smile. “Very well, Master—your orders?”

“Assassins, Casters and Riders, prioritise evacuating everybody else to a safe distance—everybody else, hit the big thing until it stops moving.”

“Simple and to the point,” the Caster said dryly. “You heard, everyone—Chaldea Security Force, move out!”










Writer's Notes: The music cue should give you an idea of where I got the inspiration for this . . . But it seemed even more of a deus ex machina than Erik or the actual ending. Would've been cool to see, though.

[Arbitrarity]

I really didn't imagine that as the nuclear option, but I should have. I was about half-way through expecting a meteor strike or other orbital weapon, since you were giving Sapphire to Olga, and Erik... certainly has some experience with orbital weapons.

I recall Chaos Theory doing something fairly similar, albeit less explicitly. It's a fun concept, but I have to agree it's intrinsically a deus ex machina. I remember the possibility being floated at some point, and I can see the justification for why the Works wouldn't use that earlier, but you're still basically invalidating the state/capabilities of everyone else in the story.

The fun side of summoning Chaldea would definitely definitely the battle descriptions, you have a ton of options to work with, but given the battle-fatigue at that point, it probably wouldn't be possible to really do it justice.

[Kieran]

I really didn't imagine that as the nuclear option, but I should have. I was about half-way through expecting a meteor strike or other orbital weapon, since you were giving Sapphire to Olga, and Erik... certainly has some experience with orbital weapons.

To be fair, Chiron's Noble Phantasm is a meteor strike, and even it wouldn't be enough . . . But yeah - the idea that, by homing in on Mash's "home timeline" (since she actually became a Servant), they could send an SOS to Chaldea, struck me as the "absolute overkill" option.

The fact that they have actually defeated beings on Ymir's level would make it make sense in-story, though; it's part of their "legend" to overcome threats of that nature, and so on a conceptual level (whether by TYPE-MOON rules or Scion's), they could win. As such, summoning them as a last resort would be reasonable, narratively - just equally ridiculously, narratively.

I recall Chaos Theory doing something fairly similar, albeit less explicitly.

. . . I will have to look into that, it seems.

It's a fun concept, but I have to agree it's intrinsically a deus ex machina. I remember the possibility being floated at some point, and I can see the justification for why the Works wouldn't use that earlier, but you're still basically invalidating the state/capabilities of everyone else in the story.

Which is the major reason it wasn't done - the focus was already far enough off the Works, and the Factions. Why bother with any of them, if Chaldea was just going to swoop in and fix things . . .?

And again, Erik is enough of a deus ex machina unto himself - as was Astraea, admittedly (literally, in fact), but I tried to make it make sense within the context of the plot.

The fun side of summoning Chaldea would definitely definitely the battle descriptions, you have a ton of options to work with, but given the battle-fatigue at that point, it probably wouldn't be possible to really do it justice.

Also part of the problem at that point, yes.




. . . So, with this complete, of my previously-listed "options," that leaves the Tsukihime remake one and the Sweet Valley High one left to write, I suppose. Also the "sentai idea" I've recently come up with, and the release of Elden Ring has sparked at least one more . . .

After those, though, I really will have to decide on what, if anything, I'm doing next - and as always, a stating of reader preferences would be deeply appreciated.

[Arbitrarity]

To be fair, Chiron's Noble Phantasm is a meteor strike, and even it wouldn't be enough . . . But yeah - the idea that, by homing in on Mash's "home timeline" (since she actually became a Servant), they could send an SOS to Chaldea, struck me as the "absolute overkill" option.

The fact that they have actually defeated beings on Ymir's level would make it make sense in-story, though; it's part of their "legend" to overcome threats of that nature, and so on a conceptual level (whether by TYPE-MOON rules or Scion's), they could win. As such, summoning them as a last resort would be reasonable, narratively - just equally ridiculously, narratively.

I did enjoy how in the Case Files event, they specified Ritsuka apparently has a conceptual advantage against Demon God Pillars. It definitely makes sense, just... whew.

. . . I will have to look into that, it seems.

Unfortunately, there was no good way to write spoiler tags around that, since just naming a particular fic is, on its own, a spoiler, given the context. Do note you'll have to finish the story at FFN: there are about 20 chapters that aren't in the BL thread (the thread here goes to Chapter 24 in FFN). Since it sounds like you haven't seen them before, enjoy.

. . . So, with this complete, of my previously-listed "options," that leaves the Tsukihime remake one and the Sweet Valley High one left to write, I suppose. Also the "sentai idea" I've recently come up with, and the release of Elden Ring has sparked at least one more . . .

After those, though, I really will have to decide on what, if anything, I'm doing next - and as always, a stating of reader preferences would be deeply appreciated.

I already feel like I have outsized influence by commenting so frequently, so take anything I say with an extremely large grain of "trust your own judgement over mine". Are you thinking about comitting one of your snippet ideas to a full story here?

[Kieran]

I did enjoy how in the Case Files event, they specified Ritsuka apparently has a conceptual advantage against Demon God Pillars. It definitely makes sense, just... whew.

I'd forgotten about that - but still, it would apply here, as well. Fun to contemplate, isn't it?

Unfortunately, there was no good way to write spoiler tags around that, since just naming a particular fic is, on its own, a spoiler, given the context. Do note you'll have to finish the story at FFN: there are about 20 chapters that aren't in the BL thread (the thread here goes to Chapter 24 in FFN). Since it sounds like you haven't seen them before, enjoy.

Thank you, regardless.

I already feel like I have outsized influence by commenting so frequently, so take anything I say with an extremely large grain of "trust your own judgement over mine".

I believe that the best fan fiction is the stuff you wish had happened, or would happen - and that's what I at least try to aim for (with, admittedly, mixed results). While I am resolute in regards to telling the story I want to tell, I also want to make it a story that people want to read - I'm well aware that people who aren't interested, or invested, won't bother with my work, so I want to make it something we both, writer and reader, enjoy. But to do that, I need to know what people want . . .


(And really, while I know more people have looked at it, you're basically one of two who's commented on this work thus far, and throughout; your influence isn't so much outsized as well-earned.)

Are you thinking about comitting one of your snippet ideas to a full story here?

Several, which is part of the problem; I need to find a way to focus my muse. Knowing which idea, if any, are preferred would help enormously with that - which is part of why I keep asking.

[Arbitrarity]

Several, which is part of the problem; I need to find a way to focus my muse. Knowing which idea, if any, are preferred would help enormously with that - which is part of why I keep asking.

Then this is going to be interesting. I'm going to have to read a bit to get a comprehensive list of options again. I'm going to mostly consider your recently-presented premises (skipping 2020 and early 2021), as well as discarding the Halloween-specific concepts (Dead by Daylight, Sixty Four Shades of Vermillion, etc). I actually looked over everything since 2020, so if you want opinions about the Higurashi crossover concept, Shuffle!, or Konosuba, I can give those, though most have either thematic or setting state differences. Order somewhat-temporal.

1. Insecurity: Not sure if I should classify this under Halloween-specific concepts, so I'm not looking at this too closely. I'm not the biggest FNAF fan generally, but that's a large part disinterest. I haven't seen anything that makes me explicitly dislike it, but haven't tried to get into it. I don't exactly know what to expect from this.
2. Pretty Little Liners: Dovetails beautifully with some of the personal themes about "saving people", and fairly fleshed out. I'm not entirely sold on it as a full story, but that's part "I haven't examined the alternatives yet", and part gut feeling. Some factors that might contribute to that feeling:
   
   • Most Liars presently aren't terribly sympathetic. Testing Godafrid's resolve is lovely thematically, but could feel bleak in the long run. Servant choice might mitigate this.
   • I have some contempt for the sort of drama I expect from a setting focused on teenage girls. I liked Mean Girls, for example, but it's also petty. This may not be substantiated by the actual plot, since I haven't watched the show, it's a snap judgement from very little data.
   • You've mentioned needing to hit the important notes of the first couple episodes, and I'm not sure if that would lead to feeling like things are "on rails" in an unfun way longer-term.
   
   
3. Sweet Valley High: Grouping this with Pretty Little Liars, since they're implicitly a bit similar. I'm not sure what sort of hook would necessitate Godafrid being dropped here to help, because the setting seems low-stakes? Might need to flesh out the setting hook before I can say much more about this, though I'll carry over my note about teenage drama.
4. Type/Redline: Stylish. Those snippets have panache. If you want to introduce Nobu as a recurring character, this seems like the most obvious way to do it. You've mentioned the forced first-person feeling a bit restrictive. Given how polished these felt, I wonder if they took more time/effort to write, compared to other snippets? Also, it may take some work to follow-up on character themes here, though the central "Can I save people without outside intervention" certainly could work.
5. She-Ra: Now that I have a better picture of exactly how much you've disrupted the setting, this seems more interesting. Scale problems imply an opportunity for people to go all-out at a less-crazy level than in Anarchy, and it seems to follow up on character themes quite directly. I'm not sure I share your passion for the setting, but the world-building is interesting in your hands, and writer passion matters.
6. Tsukihime remake: Same notes as previously, this is a really ambitious concept. Risky, and seems to imply a lot of work. This really depends on the specifics, since I'm not really sure how Godafrid integrates himself into the character dynamics of Tsukihime, I haven't READ Tsuki:Re, etc. Similar to other snippets where Godafrid has incomplete or partial recall of the setting, his imperfect knowledge here promises to be entertaining (but also potentially disastrous? The number of Bad Ends gives me some amount of apprehension for his odds, mistakes feel very final in Tsukihime)

We're treating the Servantverse events like a Noodle Incident for now, so that's not an avenue for direct continuation... I'm also not really clear if Godafrid has Aestus Estus with him. It seems like a significant-enough artifact that losing it feels mildly unsatisfying, but I can also understand not wanting to deal with that entire thing.

[Kieran]

Then this is going to be interesting. I'm going to have to read a bit to get a comprehensive list of options again. I'm going to mostly consider your recently-presented premises (skipping 2020 and early 2021), as well as discarding the Halloween-specific concepts (Dead by Daylight, Sixty Four Shades of Vermillion, etc). I actually looked over everything since 2020, so if you want opinions about the Higurashi crossover concept, Shuffle!, or Konosuba, I can give those, though most have either thematic or setting state differences.

I essentially want your opinion on any idea of mine that interests you - any of them that you'd like to see as a full story. If there are ones you think could be done well and are willing to give a look at, that's fine; but ideally, I'm speaking of one that you really want to see done. The same applies to versions of Godafrid; does the Sin-Eater seem more appealing than the Exalt - or some other incarnation entirely? Each has their good and bad points, and there's one or two more you may see in future snippets (as noted, I have a few ideas left still, before I have to decide) - as well as settings and potential partners - so I'm open to persuasion.

Order somewhat-temporal.

That's fair.

[*]Insecurity: Not sure if I should classify this under Halloween-specific concepts, so I'm not looking at this too closely. I'm not the biggest FNAF fan generally, but that's a large part disinterest. I haven't seen anything that makes me explicitly dislike it, but haven't tried to get into it. I don't exactly know what to expect from this.

That's fair - I watch the games more than play them, but I find the concepts interesting, and they'd actually mesh fairly well with either TYPE-MOON or the World of Darkness, which is why it came up. Having Frid needing to dodge murderous animatronics is also amusing, of course (particularly since in this one, he really doesn't know what's going on).

As to the story itself . . . It's a little thin, I admit, but if I do it right, I may be able to derail the plot of Security Breach entirely - which would dovetail into the Works' overall mission, at least. And there definitely is someone who needs saving here.

[*]Pretty Little Liners: Dovetails beautifully with some of the personal themes about "saving people", and fairly fleshed out. I'm not entirely sold on it as a full story, but that's part "I haven't examined the alternatives yet", and part gut feeling. Some factors that might contribute to that feeling:
[*]Most Liars presently aren't terribly sympathetic. Testing Godafrid's resolve is lovely thematically, but could feel bleak in the long run. Servant choice might mitigate this.

Truthfully, I've been thinking Mata Hari or Charlotte Corday; but I suspect their skills would make it too easy, and anybody else who comes to mind (Gareth, for example) is stupidly overpowered for the job . . .

[*]I have some contempt for the sort of drama I expect from a setting focused on teenage girls. I liked Mean Girls, for example, but it's also petty. This may not be substantiated by the actual plot, since I haven't watched the show, it's a snap judgement from very little data.

Which is fair - and part of why it might be fun for me, because it is ridiculous, and would drive Frid nuts.

[*]You've mentioned needing to hit the important notes of the first couple episodes, and I'm not sure if that would lead to feeling like things are "on rails" in an unfun way longer-term.

This is true - but to some extent, I had to do that with Trinity, as well. It's just more noticeable here because I have to presume the audience isn't familiar with the series; Harry Potter was a lot more accessible, after all.

[*]Sweet Valley High: Grouping this with Pretty Little Liars, since they're implicitly a bit similar. I'm not sure what sort of hook would necessitate Godafrid being dropped here to help, because the setting seems low-stakes? Might need to flesh out the setting hook before I can say much more about this, though I'll carry over my note about teenage drama.

Perfectly fair, and it's been a sore point for my imagination, too - though I do have a couple of concepts . . .

[*]Type/Redline: Stylish. Those snippets have panache. If you want to introduce Nobu as a recurring character, this seems like the most obvious way to do it. You've mentioned the forced first-person feeling a bit restrictive. Given how polished these felt, I wonder if they took more time/effort to write, compared to other snippets? Also, it may take some work to follow-up on character themes here, though the central "Can I save people without outside intervention" certainly could work.

Sounds like we have a favourite (and favourite partner choice, too) . . .?

[*]She-Ra: Now that I have a better picture of exactly how much you've disrupted the setting, this seems more interesting. Scale problems imply an opportunity for people to go all-out at a less-crazy level than in Anarchy, and it seems to follow up on character themes quite directly.

Which is part of why it's appealing to me - I can bring in the Works as a whole, more or less, and let them play (poor phrasing, I know, but half the reason Fate gets made into anime is to watch Servants go crazy, and this would allow the same), without it seeming either overkill, or totally pointless (because the Horde, while a threat, can't steamroll everything, or they already would have).

It's an even match (kind of), which makes it worthwhile to explore.

I'm not sure I share your passion for the setting, but the world-building is interesting in your hands, and writer passion matters.

Yes it does, thank you for acknowledging that.

[*]Tsukihime remake: Same notes as previously, this is a really ambitious concept. Risky, and seems to imply a lot of work. This really depends on the specifics, since I'm not really sure how Godafrid integrates himself into the character dynamics of Tsukihime, I haven't READ Tsuki:Re, etc. Similar to other snippets where Godafrid has incomplete or partial recall of the setting, his imperfect knowledge here promises to be entertaining (but also potentially disastrous? The number of Bad Ends gives me some amount of apprehension for his odds, mistakes feel very final in Tsukihime)

*Nods* I have to explore it in detail, myself - but you're not wrong . . .

We're treating the Servantverse events like a Noodle Incident for now, so that's not an avenue for direct continuation...

No - in point of fact, this would probably occur before that, to set up a few things in XX's future history.

I'm also not really clear if Godafrid has Aestus Estus with him. It seems like a significant-enough artifact that losing it feels mildly unsatisfying, but I can also understand not wanting to deal with that entire thing.

It was pretty much destroyed in catalysing the God-Beast Transformation. He has the fragments of it (which may manifest as Servant Coins? They would seem to fit the description), but they're literal slivers. much like the piece of Castle Csejte. And there's every possibility the whip is in the same state, after what it was used to do - after all, neither was an actual Relic, just supernaturally-made.

Whatever happens next, there's a good chance Godafrid will be starting from zero . . . (And no, that series is not on my potentials list - Isekai Quartet is as close as I'm willing to get.)

[Arbitrarity]

I essentially want your opinion on any idea of mine that interests you - any of them that you'd like to see as a full story. If there are ones you think could be done well and are willing to give a look at, that's fine; but ideally, I'm speaking of one that you really want to see done.

I'm not good at picking between options when I'm aware I can't know relevant factors, and especially if I'm not responsible for them, but I've probably disclaimed this hard enough that it's annoying by now.

As a list of numeric preference-strengths from 1-10, "please no" to "absolutely, top choice", I'd say...
Sweet Valley High: 4-5
Insecurity: 4.5-5.5
Pretty Little Liners: 6
She-Ra: 6.5
Redline: 7
Tsukihime Remake: 6-8? Big uncertainty here

Ordinally ordering preferences is somewhat misleading, so I'm making up some numbers that feel correct to try and express the magnitudes. I think Score Voting is a system that exists.

The same applies to versions of Godafrid; does the Sin-Eater seem more appealing than the Exalt - or some other incarnation entirely? Each has their good and bad points, and there's one or two more you may see in future snippets (as noted, I have a few ideas left still, before I have to decide) - as well as settings and potential partners - so I'm open to persuasion.

I spent long enough revising yesterday that I didn't really dig into the power source differences, especially for the snippets where it was ambiguous.

I think I mildly prefer Sin-Eater over Exalt, but it depends strongly on the setting, and I'm biased by the powerset-setting pairings I've already seen. I should also note that I haven't dug far into exactly what powers a Sin-Eater has, compared to a Lunar. I know what Lunars can do, but I don't know what Sin-Eaters can, beyond a few things that have been explained.

I'm going to continue to be very little help in the shipping department.

As to the story itself . . . It's a little thin, I admit, but if I do it right, I may be able to derail the plot of Security Breach entirely - which would dovetail into the Works' overall mission, at least. And there definitely is someone who needs saving here.

Sounds reasonable. On a related note, I haven't really factored "expected story length" into considerations. I'm usually assuming you're committing to a story for a long time, but if something shorter and self-contained works, that might be important to you.

This is true - but to some extent, I had to do that with Trinity, as well. It's just more noticeable here because I have to presume the audience isn't familiar with the series; Harry Potter was a lot more accessible, after all.

Definitely a big part of it. Trinity actively lampshaded that requirement in a fun way, you can't really do the same thing for a less well-known series.

Sounds like we have a favourite (and favourite partner choice, too) . . .?

To clarify, yes but with reservations, and not necessarily.

I really love the prose and atmosphere of those snippets, but that's not necessarily the most important consideration for choosing a story to promote. I'm highlighting that's a big strength the Redline​ snippets have compared to other options, and it jumps out at me.

On partner choice, I'm referring back to discussion after the last Konosuba snippet in late 2020, and I'm not personally very opinionated either way. It was definitely surprising at the time, and I assumed you were following up on that in a different form with Redline.

No - in point of fact, this would probably occur before that, to set up a few things in XX's future history.

I figured that was still the case, meta-temporally, since Zelretch has pointed out he still needs to set that up.

It was pretty much destroyed in catalysing the God-Beast Transformation.

Ah, I missed that. It's reasonably explicit in that chapter, just didn't think much of it vanishing at the time. I was distracted by the general Kaleidostick hacks.

[Xamusel]

Personally, Kieran, I'd like you to continue the Shuffle! line of thought for a full story. I want to see that be a nice way of giving him a love life.

[Kieran]

I'm not good at picking between options when I'm aware I can't know relevant factors, and especially if I'm not responsible for them, but I've probably disclaimed this hard enough that it's annoying by now.

Clarifying your opinions is never annoying, and in fact preferred.

As a list of numeric preference-strengths from 1-10, "please no" to "absolutely, top choice", I'd say...
Sweet Valley High: 4-5
Insecurity: 4.5-5.5
Pretty Little Liners: 6
She-Ra: 6.5
Redline: 7
Tsukihime Remake: 6-8? Big uncertainty here

All right - good to know, and perhaps I can dig up a setting you'll be more enthusiastic about . . .

Ordinally ordering preferences is somewhat misleading, so I'm making up some numbers that feel correct to try and express the magnitudes. I think Score Voting is a system that exists.

Whatever you feel works best is sufficient.

I spent long enough revising yesterday that I didn't really dig into the power source differences, especially for the snippets where it was ambiguous.

I think I mildly prefer Sin-Eater over Exalt, but it depends strongly on the setting, and I'm biased by the powerset-setting pairings I've already seen. I should also note that I haven't dug far into exactly what powers a Sin-Eater has, compared to a Lunar. I know what Lunars can do, but I don't know what Sin-Eaters can, beyond a few things that have been explained.

OK. This page actually has a fairly complete accounting of Sin-Eaters and at least some of their tricks. I'll be using the First Edition rules. And I can, without my usual "future edition instability" rules, because the two editions are technically two different settings.

I'm going to continue to be very little help in the shipping department.

That's fair.

Sounds reasonable. On a related note, I haven't really factored "expected story length" into considerations. I'm usually assuming you're committing to a story for a long time, but if something shorter and self-contained works, that might be important to you.

A good point.

Definitely a big part of it. Trinity actively lampshaded that requirement in a fun way, you can't really do the same thing for a less well-known series.

No - and at the moment, I'm not really ticked off at another series enough to want to do that again . . . Well, not quite. The notion has been circling my brain that I based our Scion campaign in a version of Gotham City, with Kate Kane (Batwoman) as one of their mortal associates/employers; given the recent Batwoman show, the temptation to screw with things is there . . . But it's probably a passing fancy. Even then, I'd be torn between following the show, or looking at the Scion setting in Second Edition rules, because I'm not sure which would irk Frid more . . .

. . . Failing that (if I wanted to simply be frustrating, for example), I've seen a lot of potential material in the new Elden Ring game.

To clarify, yes but with reservations, and not necessarily.

I really love the prose and atmosphere of those snippets, but that's not necessarily the most important consideration for choosing a story to promote. I'm highlighting that's a big strength the Redline​ snippets have compared to other options, and it jumps out at me.

All right, that's fair.

On partner choice, I'm referring back to discussion after the last Konosuba snippet in late 2020, and I'm not personally very opinionated either way. It was definitely surprising at the time, and I assumed you were following up on that in a different form with Redline.

To do that, unfortunately, I'd have to kill off Okita and have Nobu contract to him, somehow; not impossible, granted, but there isn't really a harmless way to accomplish that - it would necessarily involve betrayal, angst, and probable bloodshed. It's a pity, because Nobu is an interesting matchup for him, but . . . *Shrugs*

I figured that was still the case, meta-temporally, since Zelretch has pointed out he still needs to set that up.

Which leaves me some wiggle room, at least . . .

Ah, I missed that. It's reasonably explicit in that chapter, just didn't think much of it vanishing at the time. I was distracted by the general Kaleidostick hacks.

Entirely fair. If it makes you feel better, RB missed it, too.

Personally, Kieran, I'd like you to continue the Shuffle! line of thought for a full story. I want to see that be a nice way of giving him a love life.

*Blinks* . . . Honestly not what I would've expected you to pick, but good to know, thank you.

[Xamusel]

What were you expecting me to choose?

[Arbitrarity]

Personally, Kieran, I'd like you to continue the Shuffle! line of thought for a full story. I want to see that be a nice way of giving him a love life.

Interesting. I do think there was a ton of love put into those snippets, and the initial situation seems adaptable (Godafrid is initially cut off from the Works after returning from elsewhere). Nice to see you!

All right - good to know, and perhaps I can dig up a setting you'll be more enthusiastic about . . .

You may be misinterpreting how I mean those. I double and triple-guess myself so hard that I rarely commit to the extremes on this sort of scale, and it's also relative. To get a 9 (or even an 8.5), I'd have to think something was objectively exceptional relative to all the other options, and I would need to be very certain of that. The snippet to thread transition has a great deal of uncertainty, and there are things I like in many of those snippets.

You might scale this for my bias towards neutrality by doubling the difference from 5. Yes, this results in estimating a Tsukihime remake concept between 7-11 on a 10 point scale, I'll own that.

Obvious disclaimer, numbers also don't translate into a subjective assessment of quality (particularly not the kind you normally think of on a 1-10 scale), and please don't try to interpret them as such.

OK. This page actually has a fairly complete accounting of Sin-Eaters and at least some of their tricks. I'll be using the First Edition rules. And I can, without my usual "future edition instability" rules, because the two editions are technically two different settings.

I do love the metaphysical baggage, having opinionated mechanics and flavor is one of the strong points of WW systems.

[Kieran]

What were you expecting me to choose?

Truthfully, my money would've been on the KonoSuba stuff - but then, until I went back and looked, I'd forgotten how much you seemed to enjoy this one.

Interesting. I do think there was a ton of love put into those snippets, and the initial situation seems adaptable (Godafrid is initially cut off from the Works after returning from elsewhere).

Yeah - a few details will probably change, but it's definitely workable.

Nice to see you!

Indeed.

You may be misinterpreting how I mean those. I double and triple-guess myself so hard that I rarely commit to the extremes on this sort of scale, and it's also relative. To get a 9 (or even an 8.5), I'd have to think something was objectively exceptional relative to all the other options, and I would need to be very certain of that. The snippet to thread transition has a great deal of uncertainty, and there are things I like in many of those snippets.

Fair enough - though it won't stop me from aiming for "objectively exceptional," either.

You might scale this for my bias towards neutrality by doubling the difference from 5. Yes, this results in estimating a Tsukihime remake concept between 7-11 on a 10 point scale, I'll own that.

More than fair enough.

Obvious disclaimer, numbers also don't translate into a subjective assessment of quality (particularly not the kind you normally think of on a 1-10 scale), and please don't try to interpret them as such.

OK.

I do love the metaphysical baggage, having opinionated mechanics and flavor is one of the strong points of WW systems.

Yes it is - it's why I keep going back to them.