State of the Vortex (New Year Edition!) (Patreon)

Hello, hello, hello!

So, just a few things to go over. Obviously, I posted this week's update yesterday, and it can be found here if you missed it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/obi-wan-dies-too-146894179

https://www.patreon.com/posts/147133419?pr=true Nascent King 3 is now available for all members as it will be the first public update for February.

Next week's update will be the next Not So Solo Leveling chapter. I'm also continuing to work on it and am almost done with chapter 9. Not entirely sure what I'll work on after that.

Now, I have been brainstorming some ideas, though I'm not promising I'll actually write it, lol. Even I know I have too many bloody stories lmao.

Basic premise for those interested: Ichigo Kurosaki wakes up in Elden Ring.

For slightly more detail:

Ichigo arrives. No, I’m not elaborating and he’s very confused.

Marika is in full “even dead gods can dream” mode. She may be physically stuck where she is, but she can still astral project her soul. Problem is, no one can fucking see her or interact with her. She spends her days in complete and utter desdom (despair/boredom) because she can’t die die and she can’t help any tarnished to their goal to either free her from her suffering or ???

And then she senses Ichigo arrive and goes “UwU what’s this?” To anyone else, Ichigo would be a Tarnished. To her, he very obviously is not Tarnished because he was straight up never touched by Grace. Period. She would know. She MADE the Tarnished. That makes him an oddity and an interesting curiosity. She watched as he wakes and grabs the random greatsword that he’s starting with, wondering what the fuck happened to him. Marika just sighs, knowing the ‘poor boy’ is in for a rude surprise. She wonders what will happen to him if he dies since he’s very obviously not of this world.

Ichigo steps out and has his freak out as he realizes that he’s definitely not in Kansas. He explores the Chapel of Anticipation’s area and Marika grimly waits for the ambush from the Grafted Scion. It happens… and then Marika watches in astonishment as this Graceless, Maidenless boy who looks like he’s never even had a beard to shave slays the Scion. Something she’s (almost?) never seen done. He made it look easy and seemed to grow stronger during the fight.

Ichigo gets to the cliff and canon ensues as it shatters as he’s trying to find a way down. Marika decides to stick with him and, to her astonishment, can feel something hungry within him. Knowing she can’t really touch him but curious about what she can sense, she gets closer. Too close, perhaps, because Ichigo’s soul latches onto her and pulls her astral form inside.

This way, she become a pseudo Zanpakutō and is almost reduced to godly tears when she realizes they can talk. She becomes his mentor, and Ichigo is able to manifest her in the real world, though he rarely does it around others for obvious reasons. She also becomes the lore lady, explaining various things.

Anyway, that's the basic premise lol. Got some other details but I'll leave those for the actual story if I write it lol.

That's enough yapping from me.

Happy New Year!