#and then complicating the plot with law's curse

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

📊 How to Use Tropes Without Turning Your Story into a YA Checklist

You can tell when a book was written by vibes and TVTropes alone.

It’s got: ☑️ the reluctant chosen one ☑️ the love triangle ☑️ the mysterious brooding boy™ ☑️ the sassy best friend ☑️ the dead parents ☑️ the villain with daddy issues ☑️ the scene where someone says “you don’t know what I’m capable of” and walks away dramatically

And like… that’s fine.

Tropes are tools. But here’s the thing: they are starting points, not story goals.

If your plot reads like it was drafted by a checklist in a Pinterest caption, it might be time to recalibrate. Here's how to actually use tropes without turning your book into a YA Mad Libs generator:

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🧩 Tropes Are Patterns--Not Presets

A trope is a pattern, not a requirement. It’s not a law. It’s not a plug-and-play feature. And it’s definitely not your plot.

The “enemies-to-lovers” arc? That’s a container. What you put inside it, that’s where the originality lives.

The goal isn’t to avoid tropes. It’s to do something interesting with them.

→ Why are they enemies? → What does the “love” cost them? → What happens if they fail to become lovers?

Tropes don’t carry the story. The conflict does.

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⚔️ Complicate the Familiar

Here’s a trick: if a trope feels too easy, break it in half.

Examples: → “Reluctant chosen one” → okay, but what if they wanted it, and then hated it once they got it? → “The mentor dies” → cool, but what if the mentor fakes their death to manipulate the protagonist? → “Sassy best friend” → no. Make them real. Give them pain. Give them depth. No more walking punchlines.

Tropes are scaffolding, not shortcuts. Add weight. Add doubt. Add betrayal.

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🕳️ Interrogate Why You’re Using It

Ask yourself: → Do I love this trope or do I feel like I have to include it? → Am I doing this because I’ve seen it done… or because it serves my story? → Is this trope the only interesting thing about this scene?

If your answer is “because that’s what YA stories do,” delete it. Go deeper.

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💔 Tropes Aren’t Substitutes for Character Arcs

You can’t use “grumpy x sunshine” and call it development. Tropes are flavors, not meals.

Give us: → Choices with consequences. → Conflicting values. → Character growth that costs something.

Otherwise? Your grumpy guy is just a Pinterest moodboard with a pulse.

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🧨 Use Reader Expectations Against Them

You want to use a trope and not make it predictable? Weaponize it.

Example: → Start with a love triangle. Let the MC fall hard. Then have both love interests realize they’re in love with each other. → Use the “chosen one” trope… but make it about dismantling that myth entirely. → Introduce the “villain redemption arc” and let them choose to stay bad because it makes more sense for them.

Set up the pattern. Then snap it in half. That’s how you surprise a jaded reader.

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Final thoughts from your local trope goblin:

→ Tropes aren’t the problem. It’s treating them like a checklist instead of a narrative engine. → A good trope doesn’t make your story good. How you twist it does. → If a story reads like it was built from Tumblr quotes and nothing else—it’s gonna flop.

So go ahead. Use the trope. Then ruin it. Make it weird. Make it hurt. Make it yours.

—rin t. // story mechanic. trope thief. YA bingo card burner. // thewriteadviceforwriters

Sometimes the problem isn’t your plot. It’s your first 5 pages. Fix it here → 🖤 Free eBook: 5 Opening Pages Mistakes to Stop Making:

🕯️ download the pack & write something cursed:

[anythinggoesbutme]

We Should Start A Support Group

Libby Hawthorne (née Grambs) x Avery Grambs x Maxine Liu

Warnings: family drama, mentions of relationship struggles, light humor, and emotional moments.

Synopsis: Two sisters—and their honorary sister Max—start a secret support group to navigate the chaos of their complicated lives, relationships, and the madness that comes with dating/married to a Hawthorne.

Word Count: 1,541

The Rules, As Written and Enforced by Libby Hawthorne (née Grambs):

Rule #1: No mocking each other’s trauma.

Rule #2: No talking about your Hawthorne brother’s jawline for more than sixty consecutive seconds.

Rule #3: This is a safe space to complain, cry, and casually plot.

Rule #4: If one of us brings baked goods, the others are morally obligated to compliment them, even if they’re from a box.

Rule #5: The phrase “you knew what you were getting into” is banned. Forever.

Rule #6: Everything said during Support Group stays in Support Group.

Rule #7: If one of us texts “Emergency Group Time,” the others drop what they’re doing and come running.

Libby Hawthorne tapped her nails against the kitchen counter, eyeing the last tray of cookies sliding out of the oven. The smell of warm chocolate chips filled the apartment, wrapping around her like a soft blanket on a chilly night. She knew this was just the beginning of what she hoped would be a regular thing—a little sanctuary for the three of them, the Grambs sisters, plus Max, who’d unofficially earned the honorary sister badge months ago.

She carried the tray carefully to the living room table and set it down, then pulled out a fresh sheet of paper where she’d printed the “Rules of the Support Group.” She glanced at them one last time, feeling the familiar flutter of nerves mixed with hope.

The doorbell rang exactly at 7 PM. Punctual, as always. Libby smiled and opened the door to Avery first.

Avery breezed in, kicking off her shoes, eyes already scanning the room. “You baked?” she asked with mock surprise, dropping her bag by the door.

“Of course,” Libby said, as if it was obvious. “Rule #4. You know the sacred laws.”

Avery grinned and took a cookie without waiting for permission. “Nice. These better be worth it, or I’m making you do the dishes forever.”

Libby laughed. “Deal. But seriously, I’m counting on these to get us through the night.”

Before Libby could say anything else, the doorbell rang again. This time, it was Max—officially Maxine Liu, but no one used her full name except in official documents, and sometimes when she was in trouble.

Max bounded inside, bright-eyed and a little breathless, like she’d sprinted from her apartment. Her black hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and she was already eyeing the cookies like they might be a reward for surviving her latest ‘Xander disaster.’

“Oh, wow. Cookies. Libby, you’re a saint. Or maybe a wizard.” She plopped down on the couch, legs tucked under her, and picked up a cookie, biting into it with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Wizardry is all about the butter-to-flour ratio,” Libby said seriously.

Max snorted. “That’s the kind of nonsense I live for.”

Avery slid onto the couch next to Max, nudging her. “So, Max, spill. How’s the whole ‘dating Xander’ circus going? Still surviving the madness?”

Max made a face like she was about to swear but quickly turned it into a giggle. “Oh, fudge nuggets, it’s been an adventure. Like, he’s great and all, but sometimes he’s such a goofball. Yesterday, he tried to impress me by making scrambled eggs, and somehow, he burned water. I don’t even—”

“Burned water?” Avery gasped, half laughing.

“Yeah. I don’t know if that’s a talent or a curse,” Max said, shaking her head.

Libby smiled fondly at the banter. It was exactly what she needed. Something normal, something silly, something that reminded them all that despite the Hawthorne chaos, they could find pockets of light.

She cleared her throat and laid the printed rules on the table. “Okay, before this turns into a comedy show, we have to lay down some ground rules.”

Max perked up. “Ooh, rules. Like a game! Except probably less fun.”

Libby raised an eyebrow. “You’re required to respect the rules, Max.”

Max gave a dramatic salute. “Aye aye, Captain Libby.”

“Good.” Libby pointed to the first rule. “Rule #1: No mocking each other’s trauma. We’ve all got it—some more obvious, some hidden. This is not the place to one-up or make light of it.”

Avery nodded. “Agreed. I’m the queen of sarcastic coping, but this is sacred.”

“Rule #2,” Libby continued, “No talking about your Hawthorne brother’s jawline for more than sixty seconds. We all know it’s ridiculous how good-looking they are. Let’s limit the drooling, please.”

Max snorted. “I swear, sometimes I think I’m dating the entire Hawthorne genetics program.”

“Rule #3: This is a safe space to complain, cry, and casually plot. If you have grievances, bring them here. And if you have revenge fantasies, share those too.”

Avery gave a sideways smile. “Finally, somewhere I can vent about Jameson without him finding out.”

“Rule #4: If one of us brings baked goods, the others have to compliment them, even if they’re store-bought or from a box. This is non-negotiable.” Libby tapped the cookies.

“Yeah, these are amazing, by the way,” Max said, shoving another in her mouth. “Not even boxed. You’re a baking goddess, Libby.”

“I’m glad you approve,” Libby said, trying to hide her blush.

“Rule #5: The phrase ‘you knew what you were getting into’ is banned. Forever. We say it, we owe the others a favor.”

Max raised her hand. “I’m going to owe you all so many favors.”

Avery laughed. “Same. I think I’ve accidentally said that a few times.”

Libby rolled her eyes playfully. “Rule #6: Everything said during Support Group stays in Support Group. Confidentiality is key.”

Max made jazz hands. “My lips are sealed tighter than a Hawthorne vault.”

“Rule #7 is the most important,” Libby said. “If one of us texts ‘Emergency Group Time,’ the others drop whatever they’re doing and come running. No questions asked.”

Avery grinned. “We’re basically Hawthorne paramedics now.”

Max laughed. “I’m in. Can’t wait to use that.”

The three of them settled back, plates in hand, the cookies working their magic. For a moment, the world outside—the tangled mess of Hawthorne lives—felt a little softer, a little more manageable.

Max nudged Libby. “You’re going to regret making these, you know. You’ve set the bar way too high.”

Libby shrugged. “Worth it if it means we keep doing this.”

Avery raised her cookie in a mock toast. “To Support Group. May it be weird, wild, and exactly what we need.”

“Deal,” Max said, biting into her cookie with a grin. “Now, who wants to go first? I promise I have some ridiculous stories.”

Libby exchanged looks with Avery, the weight of the night ahead balancing out with the comfort of their new ritual.

Because sometimes, even in the middle of Hawthorne madness, you need a little support—and maybe a cookie or two.

The room settled into a comfortable quiet, the kind that comes from too much sugar and the feeling that, for once, no one was pretending. Max broke the silence with a dramatic sigh, waving her hand like she was about to tell a grand tale.

“Okay, so here’s my latest escapade with Xander,” she started, eyes sparkling with mischief. “We decided to have a nice, quiet dinner at his place, right? Thought it’d be simple. Wrong. Halfway through cooking, he somehow manages to turn the kitchen into a war zone. Flour everywhere, a pot boiling over, and then—get this—he drops the pan handle, and it nearly smacks me in the face.”

Avery snorted. “Classic Xander.”

Libby laughed, shaking her head. “Sounds like my kind of date.”

Max grinned but then her smile faded just a little. “Yeah, it was funny, but also… exhausting. Sometimes I feel like I’m the adult in this weird little circus.”

Avery’s expression softened. “I get that. Jameson can be a mess, but somehow, the chaos feels like home.”

Libby nodded slowly. “And Nash? Well, he’s the reason my kitchen looks like a battlefield half the time.”

Max looked at the two of them, the three Hawthorne sisters who had been through so much. “Maybe that’s why we need this. Not just the baked goods and the rules, but this���us. Together.”

Avery reached out and squeezed Max’s hand. “Yeah. Support Group, right? We should start it, keep it going.”

Libby smiled, a warmth blooming in her chest. “We should. No matter what, we’re stuck with each other.”

They all laughed softly, the weight of unspoken worries temporarily lifted, replaced by the quiet promise of sisterhood.

The clock ticked past nine, and the cookies were nearly gone. Max stretched and yawned. “I should probably head home before Xander burns down the apartment.”

Avery stood up, gathering her things. “Same here. Jameson’s probably wondering if I’m still alive.”

Libby rose last, smoothing her shirt. “Thanks for coming, you two. This is exactly what I needed.”

Max grinned, flashing her trademark playful smirk. “Don’t get too used to this. But yeah, I’m glad we did it.”

As the door closed behind them, Libby sat back down, the quiet of her apartment settling in. She looked at the empty plate and the crumpled rules on the table, already thinking about what tomorrow might bring.

Because with Hawthornes there was never really a “finished” story. Just chapters, cliffhangers, and the next crazy twist waiting just around the corner.

[ganseysglasses]

In honor of the X-Men resurrurgance here is a comprehensive list of raven cycle characters favorite mutants and why:

Gansey’s favorite is Angel and I feel very strongly about this for a few reasons. The first being the fact that they both have ridiculously long names (Richard Campbell Gansey III, Warren Worthington III). I feel like Gansey could appreciate that shared struggle. Angel has also died and been resurrected before but came back different™️, just like Gansey did twice. They’re both very dynamic characters that like to hide their true nature/true feelings and Gansey would really love to read about Warren. Gansey would also just think the wings are cool.

Blues favorite is obviously Rogue. Aside from the obvious of neither of them really being able to kiss their love interests, Rogue is just super cool and I feel like Blue would love her. She’s got funky hair, a cool accent, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind and Blue can get behind all of that. I feel like it would also be super reassuring for Blue to see a character with a similar “curse” as hers find a happy ending and still get to live a life full of love and adventure and travel and have fun.

Ronans favorite in my opinion is Jubilee. This was really hard to decide but I have evidence and this feels like the right choice. Obviously Ronan would think that the fireworks and explosions and her powers are super cool. I also feel like she would remind Ronan of Matthew. Jubilee comes from a complicated family that reports her for being a mutant in what they think is the best move for her, and then they’re later killed leaving her officially an orphan. The Lynch brothers were removed from their home and their mother in what their father deemed the best option as per his will, and then they’re also basically orphaned. I think Ronan could really resonate and appreciate all the joy she brings despite all that.

Choosing Adam’s favorite mutant has been insanely hard. I’m still not 100% confident in this at all. I think Adam’s favorite would be Magneto though. Both of them were dealt horrible cards in life and have done what they needed to protect themselves. Adam is no stranger to struggling with power dynamics because of his financial problems and how people view him for that. It somewhat reminds me of Magnetos fight for mutant freedom and how far he’s willing to go to achieve it. I think Adam would appreciate Magneto’s dedication to a cause willingness to bend laws and morals to do so. And once again, just the fact that he has super cool abilities. Using metal like that would be so useful at his job. This one was so hard.

Noah’s favorite is 100% without a doubt Iceman, Bobby Drake. Not only would Noah appreciate the fact that both of them could make jokes about why their hands are always cold, but he would also relate to his role in the plot of every x-men comic/movie/show. Bobby is typically boiled down to a comic relief character and any development that he undergoes or issue he struggles with goes unnoticed in some way by those around him. He does have good friends though, and a support system that he values more than anything when he needs them, which I believe Noah would love.

Final note: Gansey and Blue are sooooo Scott and Jean. Henry is Logan. I don’t take questions about this.

[the-24-7-lawlu-library]

Poll Vote Fluff

Sorry everyone for being late. Was fighting a mean headache. I hope you all had a great weekend and wish you a wonderful week <3

A Legend about True Love by Katia_Anyway (G)

The Prince of the Kingdom, Luffy, has spent his whole life locked up in the Castle, his Grandfather the King insisting that the world outside was too dangerous. But the Prince is curious and adventurous, he wants to go explore, even if that means having to sneak out alone. But once outside, he gets lost, and needs the help of a very beautiful Witch named Trafalgar Law.

No Stranger to Crazy by Purplehairedwonder (G)

The Straw Hats arrive on an island to discover not only that the Hearts are already there, but there is also a winter festival happening. Law doesn’t have the best memories with winter islands or festivals, so Luffy is determined to make some good ones with him.

You can calm me down by Sakuya_Serenity_Kira (G)

After Luffy has beaten Kaido devastatingly, his fighting spirit is unbroken. He wants, he needs more. In this intoxication, he loses control of his new abilities. Can someone stop him? But who? And how? After all, Luffy is now. . . a god.

A Sinner's Pledge by bimarian (T)

This one little incident this morning just reminded him of the promise that he wanted to make and of the letter that he said he would have to eventually write. The Surgeon takes a moment to glance between his sleeping fiancé and the papers on his lap before he finally writes a greeting on the scented paper. ‘Hey, Ace-ya.’  In which Luffy wakes up from a nightmare—and Law finally writes a letter to make one little promise to Ace.

Midnight by Chenziee (T)

Luffy really wanted to celebrate the end of the year with his friends and family but with his arm injured, strict orders of no partying, and his roommate on his heels, it got really damn hard to sneak out.

Are You Bananas by Plume8now (G)

Usopp gives Luffy an idea, and now, Luffy can't get it off his mind. Of course, he won't wait until tomorrow to do it. And nothing can stop Monkey D. Luffy.

The Mysterious Case of the Hiccups. by ClementineJuicebox, SailorHeichou (G)

-hic- The first hiccup that started it all.

Show me what love is all about by aloas (T)

If Law didn’t know how useless Luffy is when it comes to making plans, he would be complimenting Luffy’s mastermind for always knowing just the right way or the right time to catch Law unguarded. But Law knows that is not the case. So, he curses at the universe. Or fate. Or whatever deity out there that is constantly plotting for Luffy to find Law. (Or the one where Law learns a thing or two about love.)

Answer the Question by Heart_Core (T)

Law’s birthday celebration hadn’t gone the way Luffy expected too, but he was grateful nonetheless.

Our Hearts, Made Whole in Each Other by Purplehairedwonder (G)

Luffy cupped Law’s cheek with his hand, softly grazing his thumb over a yellowing bruise. “Torao is so pretty,” he said quietly, a note of awe in his voice. Law flushed. “Torao’s heart is beating so fast.” “Yeah,” Law agreed, swallowing. “It is.” Luffy’s, despite a few flutters, was beating steadily in Law’s chest. Law, on the other hand, felt pinned to the spot, one hand holding Kikoku and the other in Luffy’s grip. “You should stay.” Law blinked. “What?” “You should stay,” Luffy repeated. “On the Sunny. With me." Written for 10 Days of LawLu 2023 Day 10: Confessions.

Always See the Daylight by Purplehairedwonder (G)

“Why did you want to see my room?” Law asked, both curious and a bit apprehensive at what the response might be. “Because it’s yours!” Luffy said immediately, sitting up quickly. Luffy looked as though the answer had been obvious. For Law, however, that explained exactly nothing. “What—” Luffy looked around, his expression softening in a way that made Law fidgety. “It’s very Torao,” he decided. Written for LawLu Week 2022. Day 5 Prompt: Captain's quarters

Coming Home (To Breathe Again, To Start Again) by Purplehairedwonder (G)

Law had a… complicated relationship with the concept of home. But here on the beach of Wano with Luffy looking at him with such fondness that Law wanted to squirm, he thought that maybe home could be another person.

-Mod Raiya

[dailydemonspotlight]

I found out that you came back, so I wanted to request an interesting demon Yatsufusa, who I believe is a demon in literature than myth.

Yatsufusa - Day 109 (Request)

Race: Holy

Arcana: Hanged Man

Alignment: Light-Law

September 12th, 2024

The epic novel 'Nansō Satomi Hakkenden' is one of, if not the longest pieces of literature ever written in Japanese. Spanning 98 chapters and 106 booklets, the saga is an intense and winding read going over 8 separate people and how their stories each intersect, discovering their true origins and uniting together in Nansō. Among the many characters spanning the work's thousands of pages, however, one in particular caught the eye of ATLUS, it seems; a major character in the first act of the story, and one who is intrinsically connected to each of the 8 main characters- Yatsufusa.

The overall plot of Nansō Satomi Hakkenden is far too complicated to get into in this series, and I don't have the next few years to kill reading it, but it doesn't really matter for our purposes. Unfortunately, it's very hard for me to get a concrete English translation of the work, as I'm a broke high schooler who wretches at the prospect of spending over 10 dollars on something, so most of my knowledge and research about Yatsufusa is based primarily on summaries and analyses about the work. What we're focused on is the first act of the story, though, in which Yatsufusa makes his appearance, being the hound of Lord Yoshizane, and one to whom he offers his daughter's hand in marriage (seemingly in jest) if the dog could slay his enemy, Lord Anzai.

Surprisingly, the dog returns with the head of Anzai, and the lord begrudgingly offers his daughter's hand in marriage, to which the dog and her elope to a small cave. Naturally, neither of them really want to actually be married to each other- the dog likely did it just out of loyalty, and the young princess, named Fuse, doesn't want to be married to, y'know, a dog, but a curse sets in from years prior- a curse given to the Satomi lineage, the one that Fuse was part of, that the once noble and loyal heritage would become as depraved as dogs. However, Yatsufusa had formed quite the moral compass, and while the curse had set in and... well, they bore children (though seemingly not physically? It was just an aspect of the curse, so thank god no bestiality is involved. Still weird, though), said children were not born naturally and were instead given life as listless spirits, each of them seeming to represent different virtues of Confucianism belief.

The children were then set to possess separate beads, each of which being inscribed with said virtues, which are actually the eight beads surrounding Yatsufusa in his SMT design. Unfortunately, later down the line, the two were killed by one Daisuke, another major character in the story to my knowledge, who intended to shoot down Yatsufusa to free Fuse, though ended up killing them both. After the dog's death, the eight beads inscribed with each of the children's souls are scattered throughout Japan, and the story begins for real. Yeah, this was a prologue. You see what I mean by winding, right? I'll cut this short here so this doesn't become a straight up retelling of a summary, but despite being a somewhat minor character, this dog plays a major role in one of the most formative works in Japanese history.

In terms of design, in SMT, Yatsufusa is a rather simple case- a lot of the pieces of his design, such as the bell and the inscribed kanji on his head, each seem to be connected to separate aspects of the story, which I find to be a really nice touch. Of course, the primary focus outside of the dog itself, the beads, are each inscribed with the virtues in the design, though there's not much else to talk about. Still, it is a pretty damn good design, and one layered with symbolism. A really nice showing for this strange being originating from literature above all else.

[timeskip]

HxH 406 thoughts yippeeeeee

I saw some people point out that Nobunaga lost his sword recently to the Heli-ly, but in recent chapters was shown still with it... So he has a power (?) to MAKE NEW SWORDS? But he can't just do it immediately. It doesn't sound like it's conjured (also he's an enhancer iirc so he WOULDN'T have good affinity for conjuration anyways) so I have... zero guesses as to how he made his sword. It's nice to finally have a hint at his abilities though since we know very little about him :)?

I already saw this in the raws but GOD. IT'S SO AWESOME. Look at the STAIRS, look at how they climb into the distance.

I know we already knew she died but :( I liked her :( Bonolenov why did you have to do that :((

I do really like the Zakuro and Hinrigh conversation, trying to figure out what happened to her though. They're smart! They knew Lynch!!! They also know nen, and I love seeing characters try to puzzle out what nen ability could work--was it a disguise, or manipulation, etc etc and what did "Hisoka" want from doing this to Lynch. And now they're fully prepared to kill Bonolenov, and by extension, the Phantom Troupe... Yet another layer to the complicated mafia war

AND THEN WE GET TO CHROLLO'S SECTION. SO EXCITING.

There's so many answers here about Chrollo's goals on the Black Whale. We see exactly why he's here, what he wants to steal, where it is, how it affects his ability... He's planned it out so much. He even knows that Hisoka is on tier 1 and he could run into him...

And he's also planning to DIE if he has to. We know that the other Spiders want to kill Hisoka first in order to stop this, but Chrollo has already decided to go all in on not mattering as a person. He created the Spider, he will protect the Spider. He needs to kill Hisoka before they kill the rest of his friends, and his own life doesn't matter to him (same as we saw in Yorknew)!!! BUT I think the mention of him having "two conflicting emotions" is interesting because I think it might indicate that part of him also wants to stop this too. I doubt those emotions would be like... "rage and grief" which DO work together for this revenge plot. I think that he's going all in on the revenge against Hisoka to avoid thinking about this other conflicting emotion.

Going forward, Chrollo is going to fuck with the succession war. It sounds like he doesn't know about Kurapika's presence which coulddd cause some issues. I have a feeling they're going to run into each other one way or another.

Succession war-wise, upcoming plotlines and theories:

Kurapika's next nen class should have happened before the funeral procession, and during it, Sarahell (Camilla's have-not soldier) was supposed to attempt to curse Woble

The funeral procession is going to be an opportunity for Halkenburg-as-Balsamilco to use his ability, maybe? We don't know what his plan is in the 10 hours he has in Balsamilco's body, but either way it's going to bring Halkenburg back to tier 1, where he'll presumably have contact with Benjamin. If the theory that Halkenburg intends to put himself/one of his followers in Benjamin's body is correct, this could cause a major shift.

Melody, Kacho, and Kaiser haven't done their Prince Luzurus assassination yet, but that's supposed to happen. Killing him would also destabilize the mafia conflict even further and possible usher in martial law if Benjamin is able to.

Chrollo is going to try to break into the succession war and steal *the very things creating it.* This will likely destabilize things, or maybe give an opportunity for the princes to no longer need to be part of it? No idea.

Chrollo is also looking for a nen ability, and his stolen power lets him set conditions for an ability he wants to find. I didn't believe the theories from last chapter that Chrollo might end up wanting to steal one of Kurapika's abilities, but if Chrollo doesn't know about Kurapika and is only looking for a specific kind of ability... that seems like a perfect opportunity for Chrollo to get close to him, for better or for worse, attempting to steal judgement chain. I cannot imagine how difficult this would make things for Kurapika. Alternatively, he could go after a prince, or Kurapika's allies... There's a lot of options on tier 1, which is why this is scary

There's other plotlines going on, but these are immediate ones, and ones I have thoughts on right now.

Also, for the place the treasures are: I'd be SHOCKED if at least one of them wasn't HERE:

It also seems clearer now that these coffins (?) are powering at least one of the treasures. Maybe the sword given to the winner of the succession war? Either way, it seems like the divine mummy is the one that needs to be destroyed in order for Kurapika's plan to save Woble to succeed, so either way Chrollo and Kurapika are aiming for the same thing now.

[queen-of-wisdom]

Care to share more about your milo murohys law/pjo crossover idea? Because thats genius

It's a idea I have for some time but I don't really know the plot I just have some pieces in mind, so I'll share them now!

- Background story on how Murphy's Law came to existing: There once was a mortal man in Ancient Greek who 'played with luck' (eg was very good at gambling & went on adventures). Tyche hated him because she always felt tricked by him so she cursed him with the following: "Neither you nor any of your sons shall ever get luck. You will be cursed, the stars shall never align for you, when you scream for help it shall never be heard. I curse you and all of your sons, so that the worst scenario shall always happen."

- It's like Greek canon that curses can never be undone so it's the typical family curse.

- Every Murphy knows of it. Some just call it a family legend, some genuinely believe it, like Milo.

- The reason Milo is more affected than seemingly most of his family is because of his backpag. You know this unwritten rule, that a prophecies tend to hit you worse when you try to avoid them? It's exactly that. Because he tries to avoid the consequences of his curse with his backpag, the curse throws him under the bus while being on fire (Sometimes metaphorical but sometimes also litteraly) (he, of course, doesn't now that it's because of his backpag. He thinks that he just needs a more positive mindset and prayers to Tyche. He doesn't know, that she's grown fairly found of him. So even though she can't revoke his curse she makes sure that he gets relatively unharmed).

- Melissa is Annabeth's cousin. Obviously. (I mean come on, her last name is literally Chase, you saw that coming)

- Zack's and Grover's case is a bit more complicated but I also have a solution for that one: I always found it odd that Grover has a last name when the other magical creatures don't seem to have one (eg Juniper & Coadge Hedge). So I think that Zack's like great-great-great grandparents adopted Grover's grandpa, so he wanted to appreciate that and tool their names.

- Okay, now to the plot:

-Milo feels overwhelmed because he slowly realizes that he can't handle his curse anymore, so he decides to go to camp

- Melissa and Zack, of course go with him. They're best friends after all

- So picture Annabeth reuniting with another lost cousin (the campers think she makes it up by now)

- Grover immediately recognizes Zack because that's also like his cousin! His so excited, he never met the mortal part of his family and Zack is just confused because nobody told him that one of his ancestors adopted a dam satyr.

- Milo goes to Rachel to get a prophecy and she just screams. They find out later that Murphy's are generally banned from oracles because they kept going insane seeing the future of a Murphy.

- So Milo just asks his goddess for a quest or anything to prove himself worthy of a bit of luck or at least a but less unluck.

- Tyche, warming her cold godly heart, gives him a relatively easy and simple quest because she already knows that he probably won't something to dangerous.

- Milo, Melissa and Zack go to quest where everything, of course, goes wrong

- Tyche, screaming into a cushion, sends Percy, Annabeth and Grover to save them

- With teamwork and family love, Milo somehow ends the quest

- Tyche meets Milo. She is surprised.

"Are you not angry?", Tyche asks. "That I cursed your family, that I cursed you without any logic and empathy?"

Milo smiles. "Well, we wouldn't be the Murphys without Murphy's Law, wouldn't we?"

- Tyche asks him if he wants to be his champion, wich would pretty much outpower Murphy's Law, granting a normal life. He declines, of course, wich leads to even more favoring.

[thenalexica]

Supernatural romance plot structures

Fated mates discover bond Hidden powers awakening Supernatural witness protection Cursed to love/hate each other Soul mark reveals destined pair Arranged marriage between species Forbidden inter-species romance Magical dating agency matchmaking Destined enemies to lovers Immortal guardian assignment Shared prophetic dreams/visions Accidental magical bond Past lives reuniting Supernatural marriage law Memory spell complications

[livdboba]

Ripples of blood

The murders of San Kiara remains to be one of Hydaria’s unsolved problems. No law enforcers seem competent enough to solve. Month to month, the number of people who wind up dead increases, from ladies to lords, women to men. The murders does not discriminate anybody safe for children who fortunately were not targeted.

You on the other hand, could not care less about the murders. Your father disowned you. Your mother still missing. Your body as busy as an hectic street trying to survive. And yet, you find yourself in that very cursed city. Where everything begins and ends.

Are you ready, to uncover the true face of the culprit?

Features

1. Discover the true murderer behind the San Kiara murders

2. Alter the course of history

3. Bring to light the truth of your kidnapping

4. Find love amongst the RO’s

5, Rescue your mother from her predicament

6. Make peace with your father or punish him

7. Navigate through the subplots and political complications revolving the factions in this game

8. Carve your personality and skill set

Plot

You play as a disowned noble, who ends up investigating the murders of San Kiara, which may very well be the place where your mother was last sighted before her disappearance. Explore the mystery and uncover the murderer, all with the power of your wit.

Trigger warning

A scene involving human trafficking

RO selection

As of now there are 6 definite RO, and one RO I’m still considering whether to make into an npc or not.

The definite ROS are the following:

Osric Ashbrook [M]

Golden retriever. Gentle. Nice RO.

You meet Osric on the night you are kidnapped, and ever since, Osric has been a brother figure to you. He is one of the few people you can trust with your life, honest, gentle, yet without his own complications. But above all, he is sincere.

Louisa Grimaldi [F]

Black cat. Manipulative. Red flag.

Louisa is your childhood friend, however, the divide between your social status, with hers one tier higher causes a strain in between your relationship. It does not help that her family is deeply involved in the dark den (like black market). For guy pc, Louisa never considers marrying you, instead pursuing Hamlin, yet she cannot hide her attraction towards you (depends on choices), even going as far as consenting to her suitor's assassination (depends on choice). Beware romancing her, as she would not hesitate to cut you off for benefits.

Hamlin Davenport [M]

Tsundere. Difficult. Red flag.

Interestingly enough, Hamlin is the suitor Louisa considers marrying. You can meet Hamlin in multiple instances, changing the dynamics between you two. He is the duke of Osborne, the best way to describe his love language is empty, or at best fickle (depends on choices).

Anika [F]

Golden retriever. Warm. High morality.

Anika is a member of the rebellion, you can meet her in multiple instances and change the dynamics between the two of her. Her personality best resembles Osric, with the difference that her morality is more black and white than Osric's. She is one of the more dynamic characters in this wip.

Enforcer Morcant [M]

Stern, callous. Detached friendliness. Highly ordered.

An enforcer that came to investigate the disappearance of your mother, and her recorded visit to the rumored city of San Kiara where multiple murders are happening. He appears amiable and courteous on the surface, but your interactions with him tells you, his core is not at all that gentle.

Eira [F]

Corrupt, frank, red flag.

Lover of money and anything precious. She was the one who trafficked you after your father threw you away.

Sanchia F

Coy, gentle, manipulative, fickle

A girl you rescued on the road from a group of vile men, she tags along on your journey, as she does not possess a temporary home or job having been abandoned by her family. Much like how your father abandoned you.

**XXX [M]**

</details>

Length of demo

Currently it's about (15%, Chapter 3 under construction), 75 k Words (without code) done, and I plan on updating every two weeks.

Update 2.1

Started working on next chapter, on route where you enter the scene with Osric and without Anika. Triggered by meeting Anika in dark den and going behind the cave with Osric in bandit escape.

Speak about anything! Whether you like the game, if the pacing is off or not, about RO. Which RO should have more screen time. Criticism is welcomed too! I just want to know if interest in this game is still alive or not.

[originmade]

MAVIS VERMILLION - PORTRAYAL MASTER POST

Tags: Headcanons. Asks. Interactions.

This post is to cover all major canon divergences as well as any important details that are worth sharing about my portrayal of Mavis. All of these points remain no matter the verse unless stated otherwise or plotted with specific partners. As someone who has hyper analyzed Fairy Tail Zero for years, Mavis is the character that genuinely frustrates me the most with their mishandling. Please Note: Mavis' Portrayal is very heavily tied to my Zera & Zeref Portrayals.

1 ) I am of the belief that Mavis was much older during the events of Fairy Tail Zero, because you cannot except me to believe that anyone in their right mind would join a guild being run by a 13 year old. Mavis was 15 when the other founders arrived on Tenro, and by the time Blue Skull had fallen, the guild hall was built and all the paper work was finalized, Mavis was 17 when Fairy Tail was officially founded and dubbed it's First Master. At the time of Makarov's birth, Mavis was 26, meaning she had only held the title of first master for nine years ( ten technically if you count the year she had run away before her "death" ). She was 27 at the time of her death.

2 ) Mavis is a very cold, tactical and manipulative person. Most people disregard this aspect of her due to only seeing her child like wonder and excitement for knowledge, and while all of these aspects of her personality are very much genuine, the amount she exaggerates these qualities is all done on purpose for people to underestimate her. Her title of Fairy Tactician isn't just because of the war. Mavis is cunning and isn't one to show her entire hand, and tends to leave most conversations gaining more information than she gave. You never will know what truly is on Mavis' mind unless she wants you to know.

3 ) I cant believe this is an actual point I have to make. MAVIS IS NOT AUGUST'S MOTHER AND NEVER HAD CHILDREN. The entire implication of august existing is genuinely disgusting and something I have hated since the moment it was even hinted at. Like jesus fucking christ NO??? The time period between Mavis' 'death' and Cana breaking the Lacrima, there was no way in hell that mavis had a child. Seriously. What. The. Actual. Fuck. Also in general, Mavis would never have been acknowledged as the guild's mother. She is not a motherly presence and honestly would be an awful mother if she did have kids.

4 ) Considering she spent a large majority of her life alone with only one other person, Mavis is not the most sociable of people, and tends to keep a lot of things close to her chest. The only people who know of Zera are the other founders ( and much later down the line Team Shadow Gear ) and she wants to keep thing that way. As much as she loves the guild she has created, she doesn't believe they are entitled to the secrets of her heart and mind, and tends not to share things unless absolutely necessary.

5 ) Mavis never loved Zeref, at least, not romantically. Mavis' relationship with Zeref is... complicated, but romantic love has never been in the picture for her. Respect, admiration, sympathy, all of those are feelings she had toward him and his plight, especially after he told her the origin of his curse. She could relate, the desire to bring back the diseased a strong one. But love? Love was never an emotion that crossed her mind and was why she had died. Her bringing about Zeref's death was never due to romantic love, but due to her desire for that companionship, that comradery of being with the only person in the whole world who would know the pain she was going through, and that was the emotion strong enough to finally kill them both.

6 ) While never spoken aloud, Mavis resents Precht for the creation of Fairy Heart and everything it had caused. She never wanted to be saved. She never wanted the immortality that came with casting the incomplete version of law. She resented being alive and all she wanted was to die. The fact that Precht had gone out of his way to try and revive her, leading to his own madness and decent into darkness. The fact that her corpse was now being held as a sacred object and something to be protected, it genuinely disgusted her, and was something she wished again and again never came into existence. I don't agree with the motion that Mavis called the Lumine Historie 'Fairy Tail's Light' because she out of everyone should know that it's nothing but darkness and was only going to cause more harm than good.

7 ) While most of her stint as guild master was plagued by the trade war, Mavis was a very direct and respectable master. She was a big advocate of flying under the radar and not stirring the pot more than necessary. Fairy Tail was created so she and the other founders would have somewhere to call home, and was fine keeping the guild small and quaint, with an open door policy for those who needed a home, needed a family, especially after she had lost the only remaining family she believed she had just a few years prior to the guild's founding.

More shall be added / this post shall be updated when deemed necessary

[fancoloredglasses]

Smile Time (Sesame Street meets modern horror)

[All images are owned by 20th Century Fox Disney and Mutant Enemy Productions. Please don't sue, bite, or stake me]

(This episode was written and directed by Ben Edlund, the mind behind The Tick)

You wouldn’t think a show with horror (and adult) themes would get a toy line, but this show managed not one, but THREE dolls based on the secondary plot complication of the episode (and a fourth, just because). What complication is that? Let’s dive into the episode and find out! If you would like to watch the episode, it’s available on Hulu or behind your favorite paywall.

PREVIOUSLY ON…

Wolfram & Hart (a multinational law office run by demons) has given Angel Investigations control over their Los Angeles branch (in hopes of corrupting the team) and Angel accepts (in hopes of destroying the organization from within). Neither side is doing well at it.

Two refugees from Sunnydale have joined the cast: Harmony, Cordelia’s old Mean Girls BBF (who is now a vampire), is Angel’s personal assistant, while Spike is back from his death scene in the series finale of Buffy as pissed off at the world (but trying to save it) as ever.

One of the people Angel has managed to help is Nina, who has contracted lycanthropy and seeks refuge from Angel (in the form of a cage so she doesn’t hurt anyone) every full moon.

One of Fred’s lab-mates, Knox, has been making romantic advances despite Fred having feelings for Wesley (who is clueless about the latter fact).

Gunn had a legal library implanted into his brain by the Senior Partners of Wolfram & Hart.

Lorne is in his element as Head of Entertainment Legal

I believe that catches us up, so on with the show!

The cold open has a mom taking care of her sick kid…

(Thanks to kanemichaelg)

Cue the opening credits!

We come back to Knox and Fred discussing an epidemic of children being found like Tommy (7 reported cases thus far)

Then Fred finds a Valentine’s Day card from Knox in the files and gently shuts him down.

Then Nina shows up for her monthly appointment in Chez Cage. She awkwardly tries flirting with Angel before being escorted to her accommodations.

Then Gunn checks in with Harmony about a case he was working on.

This confuses and upsets Gunn, since his encyclopedic knowledge of law shouldn’t have failed him like that.

Angel discusses this Nina-shaped wrinkle with Wesley (since his curse would be lifted if he achieves True Happiness, as sleeping with Buffy proved (as well as being dosed with a euphoria-inducing drug earlier in his own series. Fortunately, he was back to his old soul-filled self once the drug wore off))

Wesley points out that not all relationships achieve “true happiness”.

Leave it to an ex-Watcher to put things into perspective. (Wesley may have been a twit and an asshat in Buffy, but he certainly came into his own after coming to LA)

Then Fred comes in with the results of her research on the kids. Angel reads the reports, and notes that all of the kids collapsed in the same half-hour time period in front of their TVs. He immediately takes the files and retreats to his office, leaving Wesley and Fred to awkwardly make small talk.

Wesley completely misses the cue and calls for a driver to take Fred home.

In Angel’s office, Angel has to get Lorne to stop talking about Nina long enough to get back to the case. Finally, Lorne has an epiphany about why that particular time period…

The next evening, Angel skulks around the studio where Smile Time is produced. He sees a custodian approach, but he doesn’t acknowledge Angel…

…at all. Angel then sneaks into an office/storeroom used to house props and sets for Smile Time, then pokes around until he sees…

OK, that’s weird. Angel approaches the man when the egg above him starts to…

…smile? Then Angel is hit with a blast of energy that throws him into a pile of boxes. Fortunately it takes more than that to keep a…

…puppet???? down? Cue commercial!

(As a side note, I love that puppet-Angel is as pouty-faced as the regular type)

As we return to the show, Angel has somehow makes it back to Wolfram & Hart undetected and calls for Fred, Wesley, and Gunn.

Then Angel realized Smile Time is on and rushes to watch. Fred has the lab boys record and completely scan the show, while Angel wants to mobilize the Black Ops teams (because of course Wolfram & Hart have Black Ops teams) Angel may have some anger-control issues in his Muppetized state.

After talking Angel down, Lorne reveals that the showrunner for Smile Time is a man named Gregor Framkin, so Angel sics Lorne and Gunn on him (wait, why Lorne? He can’t exactly be seen in Human Company!) while putting Fred and Wesley on figuring out how Framkin affected the kids…and him. And as for what’s happened to him…

Yeah, in an office run by the enemy? That’s definitely gonna stay under wraps.

Then Nina comes in unannounced, so Angel dives behind his desk and pretty much throws her out from there.

But the intrusions don’t stop there.

(Thanks to TheLocalPlayer)

(Yes, even in puppet form, Angel can kick Spike’s ass)

Meanwhile, Gunn and Lorne have gone to Framkin’s office to attempt to shut whatever he’s up to down.

…but Gunn has forgotten the legalese version of “shut this shit down before we do it for you!” and leaves in embarrassment, but not before letting slip about Angel’s current state (did you forget what “classified” means too?)

No sooner do Gunn and Lorne leave does the camera do a slow pan around Framkin to reveal…

…Framkin’s the puppet and the on-screen cast of Smile Time is pulling the strings! The lead puppet (Polo) gets on the phone and calls the rest of the cast in for a meeting.

Once assembles, Polo announces it's time step up their plan to steal the kids’ life force, so instead on one at a time…

The cast intends to sell the kids’ life force (“100% pure innocence” Obviously they haven’t met the kids I went to school with) to the denizens in Hell and retire in style.

That night in Nina’s iron-clad luxury suite, Angel comes down to talk and smooth things over with her.

…sort of.

Nina starts feeling sorry for herself, so Angel steps in and comes clean. He then says he might be willing to let his guard down for her.

Maybe he should’ve let it down in the morning!

Fortunately, Angel’s made of felt, so…

…nothing a needle and thread can’t fix.

Meanwhile, Gunn has gone to the Mad Scientist who gave him his Instant Law Degree. The (for lack of a better term) doctor says it’s degrading, but he can’t do anything about it because it’s likely the Senior Partners decided it would amuse them. Gunn is desperate and pretty much begs.

The Doctor mentions he has a certain artifact tied up in customs. In exchange for rebooting Gunn’s knowledge…

[SPOILER ALERT: The artifact is the one that contains Illyria, so Gunn’s about to doom Fred!

…not that he would know that, and the Doc ain’t telling!]

Meanwhile, the research into the show goes on. Then Knox comes in and awkwardly tries making small talk (and insulting Wesley) before Fred sends him home. The pair talk a bit about Fred’s love life and Fred’s just about to confess her love for Wesley when he sees…

Polo pressing against the screen when the volume is muted.

Fred and Wesley go to Angel with their findings, and after analyzing the signal strength…

Wesley proposes that the egg is holding the kids’ life force, so destroying it should wake them (and restore Angel to his normal mopey self)

Then the new-and-improved Gunn comes in to drop some legalese.

Gunn tells them that the puppets are the key to everything.

The next morning, Polo puts his plan into action.

Polo gets the kids to touch their TV and begins draining them until…

Gunn manages to decapitate one of the puppets as Polo sends another to guard the egg.

Speaking of the egg, Wesley and Fred have found it and begin the ritual to destroy it. However, a puppet tackles him. Wes tells Fred to continue the spell while he deals with his dance partner.

Meanwhile, Gunn is having his own issues with another puppet.

And as for Angel…

(Thanks to John Thunder)

Wes and Gunn take care of their puppets as Fred finishes the incantation, destroying the egg.

The next morning, Nina wakes up…

…covered in puppet guts. She’s horrified as to what she thinks happened when Angel comes in, much to Nina’s relief!

Angel reports that he’ll be back to himself in a few days as he lets her out.

…and is ready to give a relationship a shot.

Well, that’s one awkward relationship down, let’s check in with the other!

Fred finally corners Wesley and bares herself (so to speak) to him. When Wesley gets a gobsmacked look on his face…

…she throws caution to the wind!

Fortunately, Wesley can take a hint when it smacks him in the face (so to speak) and reciprocates as the show ends.

Now, I mentioned a toy line. I’m pretty sure you can guess that the toys are (HINT: It’s not Polo and the Smile Time cast) Unfortunately, the only way to find them these days is on e-bay.

(Thanks to WorthPoint)

Hell, they even made one for Spike! (and he didn’t even need to be zapped by a demonic egg!)

[quoteablebooks]

Genre: Fiction, Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Content Warning: Sexual content, Cursing, Fatphobia, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Vomit

Summary: The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla and Frank are still patrolling the dangerous land of Tanria, the former prison of the Old Gods.

Twyla might look like a small town mom who brings cheesy potatoes to funerals and whips up a batch of cookies for the school bake sale, but her rewarding career in law enforcement has been a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank's job a lot safer ... and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals covered in liquid glitter--and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon--they are more than happy to be back on the beat.

Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as the danger closes in and Twyla and Frank's investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along...

*Opinions*

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was a rather weird reading experience for me, as I had gone in expecting a cozy fantasy and cried through the last third. That being said, I enjoyed it and the world that was created, so I was excited to jump into The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. This is apparently inspired by When Harry Met Sally, and I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I have never seen that movie, so I went into this story blind. While there were parts that annoyed me, there is a general warmth to the books in this series that I enjoy. As I am getting older, I also appreciate stories with older female main characters, especially romance novels.  

The story follows Tanrian Marshals Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis, best friends and partners. Now that their job is a lot less dangerous and stressful, both Marshals are feeling a bit bored in their day-to-day lives. However, when another Marshal dies unexpectedly, Twyla and Frank find that their quiet existence is about to get a lot more exciting than they could have ever hoped. Soon, Twyla and Frank are joined by young Marshal Penrose Duckers and dragonologist Dr. Quill Vanderlinden to figure out what happened to the dead Marshal and if the long-extinct dragons have returned to Taria. However, as the Doctor’s attraction to Twyla becomes more evident, the friendship between Twyla and Frank becomes strained, and it is unclear if it will survive this investigation and all the strong emotions it stirred up. 

Now, if you are going into this story expecting the same amount of plot as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, you will be slightly disappointed. A lot of this novel takes place in Twyla’s head and is far more centered on relationships between numerous people than the events that were happening. A good amount of the plot of this novel was waiting around for experts and reports or other events that happen on a certain day. I don’t usually mind a slow-paced novel, but the numerous miscommunications and Twyla being so down on herself constantly became annoying to me after a while. I liked the way that the religion of this world was expanded, but again I think it took up way too much of the page space in this story. The big climax at the end of the novel really didn’t feel earned, but I like how it played out. The dragons were an absolute delight and I loved every time that they were present. 

Twyla was a very relatable character, but I felt as if we spent way too much time in her head and her insecurities. In any romance, I suspend the disbelief that a character cannot realize that the main male lead is in love with them and Bannen does give a reason why Frank hasn’t made a move until the events of the novel. Focusing on how middle-aged women are invisible and how mothers are rarely appreciated for what they contribute to the family was refreshing and relatable. When she was talking about not thinking she deserved things so she never asked for them hit a little too close to home. However, Twyla on multiple occasions was so insecure about her body, even though two separate men wanted to be with her, became aggravating after a while. I liked Twyla a lot, I just wished she had liked herself more in this novel. 

I don’t think we focused on the relationship between Twyla and Frank as much as we should have because the Doctor was the love interest for so much of the novel. It was clear that he was not the end game from the way that Twyla thought about him, but it is only in the last third of the novel that we see the real chemistry between Twyla and Frank. I like what we did get, but it just didn’t seem like it was enough. I really appreciated the sex scene, not only because toys were used, but because it wasn’t the most perfect sex that they ever had. Multiple times Frank has to stop because he is close and I love that bit of relatablility in a novel. The multiple miscommunications between the two of them made me very frustrated with this novel and pulled down the rating by at least a star. At any point, if either of them had been honest, the novel would have been so much shorter. I give some leeway in this genre, but it was completely infuriating in this story. I liked the happily ever after in this story and enjoyed my time with Twyla and Frank, I just wish we had them together for longer. 

Overall, it was a good addition to the world, but didn’t grip me the same way The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy did. I enjoyed my time, but I don’t see myself revisiting this romance unless I end up buying the whole series when it comes out. That being said, I am VERY interested in the next novel that focuses on Rosie because she seems like a fun character. This is a 3.5 rounded down to a 3-star read. 

[teenageread]

Review: Casters and Crowns

Initial Thoughts:

Elizabeth Lowham makes you fall in love with the characters and the kingdom, and for the first time in a long time I was sad to be finished with such a beautiful novel. What captured me is the true depth of our characters, and their slow-burn romance that makes you swoon every time they talk to each other with such kindness and gentleness. Plus, with a ticking time bomb of a plot, it gives you a very real timeline and a sense of urgency that makes the novel fly through your hands. I loved how Lowham wrote Aria to be kind, in a world where her father wants her to be strong and unforgiven. Their relationship really kept me in the story, as Lowham had Aria grow up from a devoted daughter to seeing her father’s flaws both from a father and as a ruler. On the other side we had Baron and his love for his siblings and his father. You hate Lowham for killing his father prior to the story, but love seeing Baron in the fatherly role he took on for his brothers.  Seeing how Aria grew up in a household of cold love, vs. Baron’s warmth really gave you a good contrast for the story. Along with a plot that keeps you reading late into the night, Lowham perfectly nailed everything needed for a good story, and thus this is one that I highly recommend. 

Characters:

Aria de Loegrin (what a name!) is the princess and next in line to rule after her father. This means she must be perfect, as her father taught her a ruler never makes a mistake. Thus, Aria keeps track of all the mistakes she made. When she was younger it was a physical tick mark in her notebook, but as Aria got older she made mental note of the mistakes she makes like: speaking out of turn, being wishy-washy with her decisions, showing mercy, and so forth. Aria's strive for perfection makes you sympathize with her character, as a daughter who was never shown the right levels of love. Aria herself was kind, gentle, and you knew it from the first page that she is the type of queen her kingdom needed, despite her father constantly berating her. The plot of the story came from the fact that Aria was trying to save lives and prevent a war, and the romance came because she was someone for who he truly was. Aria also showed a complicated relationship with her father and mother, but a loving relationship towards her sister(s) (you’ll know what I mean when you read the book), showing the love and kindness she has. These characters, all dynamic in their own way,really added to the story and made the court life of this novel come alive. This novel features a dual point of view, as not only did you hear Aria's thoughts, but Baraon’s too, as our two develop their slow burn of a romance, one you wished would have just hurried up. Baron is a book boyfriend's dream with his kindness and gentleness towards Aria, his brothers, and those he meets. He also is brave, smart, and has his own sense of rights, despite being a law abiding citizen whose laws are made to harm him. Every interaction between Aria and Baron is to die for, both in their letters and in person. It gives proper romance vibes with how formal they have to be with each other (a princess and a commoner), but the intimacy in how they interact makes you know that they are meant to be, if only Lowham would speed things up. 

Plot and Writing:

In their world there are non-Casters and Casters, which are those blessed with magical abilities that people fear and hate. Where Aria’s father, the king, fears casters, Aria sees them as the people they are, where her father does not and that causes tension in their relationship. Aria, trying to stop the war that Window Morton wants to start, all because the king killed her son for something he did not do. Window Morton is a caster, and when Aria was warned not to go near her, she went to negotiate peace and was cursed. Widow Morton will destroy the King’s line as he did hers, through cursing his dependents with no sleep during the day, and insomnia at night, until they are driving into madness. This curse starts with Aria. Failing her duties due to tiredness, Aira befriends Baron, who also happens to be a caster, and where their friendship is true, she also needs his help breaking the curse. With catching and fun writing, Lowe really makes this novel fly through your hands. Plus a timeline! With a 100 day curse, this novel really has a sense of urgency to it that makes it a thriller along with being a romantasy. This novel displays fairytale-like tropes while giving us a unique fantasy storyline with a romance to die for. Baron and Aria are truly perfect for eachother, and I honestly wish this novel had a sequel just because I want to see their romance play out more.  

Conclusion: 

I have found no flaw within this story, and I will not go looking. Elizabeth Lowham should make TicTok hall of fame for this fantasy romance with a well written plot, true characters, and a storyline worth remembering. Let the algorithm make this novel famous, as it will definitely be one of my most loved stories of the year.

[wizardingworldlibrary]

AO3 (2) Masterlist

Links Last Checked: May 8th, 2025

part one, part three

A Dish Best Served Cold - Peanutbuttertoast Hermione/Draco

Summary: Upon her return to Hogwarts for her Eighth Year, Hermione finds herself unwillingly partnered with Draco Malfoy as Co-Heads. Their last night at school and a fateful one-night stand leaves long-lasting repercussions neither one could fathom, but the Ministry’s new Marriage Law sets the stage for Hermione’s revenge. Will she be successful, or will she succumb to her own plot?

All Bets Are Off (ao3) - PrettiestStar17 Hermione/Fred M, 104k

Summary: Hermione has harbored a crush on Fred Weasley for years. But that’s all it is! A silly, little crush that’s lingered from her Hogwarts’ years. That’s all it is…until one of her best friends, Ginny Weasley, is thrown into a life changing predicament. As she rallies with the rest of the family to help Ginny, Hermione regularly finds herself in Fred’s charming company. Perhaps her crush isn’t so simple after all? But does Fred feel the same? Even if he does, can he put aside past hurt and open himself up to Hermione? Will their meddling friends help, or hurt, their chances?

All Our Secrets Laid Bare - firethesound Draco/Harry E, 149k

Summary: Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

As Far as Possible - Mademoiselle_A Draco/Harry E, 142k

Summary: “Draco Malfoy is cursed.” That's what all the English wizards whisper to one another when they learn that Malfoy's fourth girlfriend has once again lost her life under strange circumstances. However, the truth is far more complicated than that...

Boy, Look at You, Looking at Me - LittleSixx Dean/Blaise T, 13k

Summary: Dean Thomas trips over a rack of broomsticks and lands a date with Blaise Zabini.

Bring Him to His Knees - Musyc Hermione/Draco E, 246k

Summary: Draco is on the case of a murderer, but to investigate, he needs a fake relationship - and a kink club play partner. When Hermione volunteers to take the role, both do their best to maintain the lie without letting each other know the truth: neither of them are acting.

Doing it for the Order - Desert_Sea Hermione/Snape E, 76k

Summary: The Order asks Hermione Granger to lay down for Severus Snape.

Down the Rabbit Hole - sweeteangel1 Hermione/Draco E, 31k

Summary: Sweet Merlin, what had she been thinking? It had sounded good in theory… a few anonymous shags, something to take the edge off of a dry spell that was lasting longer than she was comfortable admitting. It had seemed sexy, and had come with a level of confidentiality she could never hope to find in the wizarding world.

But now, ankles in the air, naked from the waist down, and dry as the Sahara, she was reconsidering her decision.

Female Transfiguration 101 - Lamp23 Hermione/Ginny E, 31k

Summary: Hermione has found a new book in the library that seems to have some very interesting spells, what happens when she and Ginny test their effects together.

For the Love of Cheesecake - cheesyficwriter Hermione/Ron T, 3k

Summary: “He didn’t know it at the time, but that smile would send his stomach spiraling for many years to come.”

Moments through Ron and Hermione’s relationship told through cheesecake. Muggle AU one-shot.

Hogsmeade - Brief_and_Dreamy Scorpius/Albus M, 10k

Summary: On the first of every month, Scorpius asks Rose out. It’s been a tradition since their fourth year and Rose always says no. Albus thinks it’s hilarious. When Rose finally says yes in their sixth year, however, it stops being funny.

Holidate - danpuff Draco/Ron, Pansy/Ginny T, 11k

Summary: Draco and Ginny aren’t ready to come out, so they decide to “date” for the holiday.

Kiss - xErised Draco/Harry T, 10k

Summary: For the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, it’s not Ron that Harry rescues from the Great Lake, but Draco Malfoy. Hogwarts-era.

Little Talks - Femme (femmequixotic), noeon (noe) Draco/Harry E, 11k

Summary: Draco's been shagging the Head Auror for months now, and he's sure it's just a fling. Until Harry asks him to a Quidditch match, that is, and things go horribly wrong.

Matched - Uhhjazzy Hermione/Draco

Summary: Draco Malfoy hops on a dating app for the very first time. he has no idea how to use this. No idea it existed. Theo, Pansy, and Blaise convince him that he needs to start dating and a possible shag while he’s at it. he doesn’t listen. Draco ends up matching with Hermione Granger as his first match.

My Enemy's Enemy - EmilyAlice Draco/Ron, Hermione/George M, 11k

Summary: Furious at Harry for putting his name in the Goblet of Fire, Ron makes an unlikely friend in Draco Malfoy. But will their friendly encounters turn into something neither of them could have imagined?

Ron, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - melanie_bxx Ron/Blaise, Draco/Harry, Neville/Theodore, Luna/Ginny, Hermione/Pansy E, 18k

Summary: Ron had no idea how he ended up in the lap of Blaise Zabini, a charming former Slytherin, and he certainly didn’t picture himself on his bed, being snogged the hell out of him. But life was full of surprises like that.

Sex, Lies, and Veritaserum - lettered Draco/Harry E, 17k

Summary: This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.

The Ball - torestoreamends Scorpius/Albus G, 7k

Summary: A ball is being held at Hogwarts to celebrate the end of fifth and seventh year exams. Scorpius has agreed to go with Rose, and Albus shouldn’t be as upset about that as he is. Dancing, fancy robes, obliviousness, and a small sprinkling of brotherly advice ensue.

The Darklist - dysonrules Draco/Harry M, 87k

Summary: When Draco Malfoy, wanted criminal, strolled into the Ministry to give himself up, he seemed destined for Azkaban until he offered to hand over information to avert an upcoming crime. Of course, he refused to divulge that knowledge to anyone but Harry Potter.

The One Where Everybody Finds Out - starkidpatronus Seamus/Dean, Harry/Ginny, Hermione/Ron, Dean/Ginny T, 7k

Summary: Dean and Seamus are dating. Nobody knows. Until, they do.

[zydrateacademy]

Sorry I guess?

This will probably be my only post about it, and I may or may not even bother recording the game for youtube. Listen, some day I’m going to be trans/non-binary. Came out to my brother and mother a few years back, with her passing my brother is the only one that knows I’m going a bit NB later. I know all the shit JKR has said, done, and contributed to. And I might be the only T/NB on the internet who’s saying: I’m probably going to buy Hogwarts Legacy. Saw a post on reddit at one point that no amount of justification can amount for money money in her pockets to put towards shitty associations. I don’t disagree, but despite all the buzz against them, Salvation Army is still ringing their bells outside all my stores.

I still have a few justifications that I just want to get off my chest and leave it at that. First, I stopped pirating games since the beginning of my first job back in like, 2014. I was actually playing a pirated Borderlands 2 when I got the call that K-mart wanted me to come in. Bought the game with my first paycheck. There’s also the fact that our household got a -few- emails from specific companies (EA being one of them when my brother and I pirated Spore) so I’d rather just avoid all that.

Piracy is also a bit complicated now. I’m in a subreddit dedicated to it and I couldn’t find any beginners guide. Over the years I’ve also come to rely and appreciate Steam’s automatic patching of various games that I play. I essentially don’t want to have to do a complete reinstall every time they patch out a bug. Saw a post referring to some program that allows you to isolate patch fixes without doing this, but again this is a bit over my head. Legacy will also be running Denuvo(sp?) or something which will apparently make the game much harder to crack. I know this reads like “oh no poor baby would rather fund anti-trans movements than reinstall a game once a month oh noooo!” Listen. Money is already spent. Funds are already there. Laws are already being passed. This arguement reminds me of my time working in grocery about people not wanting to buy specific products. My guy, the product is already on the shelf. The store has already paid for it, the money is already with the company. It’s marked up in-store so they can just get their own money back plus the profit, but not purchasing that cereal will not stop the money from already being there. I googled it. JK Rowling is apparently worth around 820 million dollars. And that information is a year old. The money is already there. I also read a post, some tweet-shot of someone saying “I don’t do politics” and the response was “Well, politics are gonna do you.” I mean fair, but I’m a part time produce stocker. I am not in a position to make a sign and march down to protest and boycott shitty practices. I am constantly seeing posts all over the internet calling for a boycott of this game but man, the game looks like something I’ve actively wanted out of the franchise for a long time. There was a series of games that you basically just play as Harry Potter throughout the same plots as the books, just game-ified. I wanted something more like what Legacy delivers, a sort of open-world class-taking sandbox. And they’re giving us the killing curse. Cool! Also you can be trans in the game. That’s pretty rad. I just want to enjoy things, man. I’ll bury my head in the sand while I play the game so I don’t bother anyone with it.

[lediz-watches]

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

To quote or paraphrase Andy Farrant (I watched the stream a few days ago, the wording's not in my head) "It was better than it had any right to be."

This was such a fun movie, though. It was silly popcorn fun with legitimate heart, which is exactly what action adventure movies should be.

I loved the overarching narrative and the way it showed a legitimate found family long before it verbally addressed it. I loved the relationship between Holga, Edgin, and Kira, and that beautiful repeated phrase "I'm gonna bring back your mom".

As someone who loves the idea of DnD but has never had much success with it (I think it's very telling that my favourite DnD stream is Oxventure and I couldn't sit through more than ten episodes of Critical Role), it was so curious how they played this. They didn't (although they very easily could have) show you the rolls, but you could definitely feel them sometimes. I'm not just talking about the Nat20s and NatOnes, but like Simon's player in general is a very good player with such cursed dice. He failed so many saves and had to adjust around them.

I actually wonder how someone who has never played the game would react to some of them, actually. Like, there's a point where Simon gets his foot caught in some cobblestones. To a DnD player, what happened is that it's clearly a failed stealth check followed by several failed saves from everyone to free him. But I wonder if to a non-player whether that seemed like a bit of an arbitrary complication to the story for DRAMA.

But there are, I should point out, very few points where I actually noticed those points that would likely end up as a divide. Mostly, I think, the movie was incredibly accessible.

Like, even painfully DnD tropes. Everyone points out that Xenk is either a DMPC or a player who barely ever gets to play and so is always overpowered so they can be a fun addition. But the actual painfully DnD trope about him is that he's just SO Lawful Good. So lawful that he can only walk in straight lines. But rather than it being specifically a DnD joke, he's a parody of The Perfect Hero. Everyone knows that trope. Everyone can follow that trope.

So the only problem I have with it from an adaption perspective is how twisted and messy the story felt. As a DnD player, it was fine - the players were scrambling to find solutions to a problem and were going on multiple quests to figure out what they would do. But I can definitely see how an outsider might find it all... incohesive.

They're gathering party members > oh, that wasn't good enough.

They're going to search for a helmet > oh, that isn't available.

They're going in search of a hero > oh, he's going to give them a different quest for the helmet.

They've got the helmet but more importantly they have this hero > oh, he's leaving, okay.

They've got the helmet > oh, that won't work.

They're doing a heist > oh, that's not going to work either...

Like, I get it. I FELT it. But I can also see how an outsider might react to it in the same way I originally felt watching The Dark Knight. After a point, plot twists get tedious. And some of these plot threads could have been entire stories on their own rather than quick asides. Everything was a little too shallow in order to fit a lot of story into a twisted adventure.

But that said, I enjoyed it. And I loved the complications in this a lot more than I do in heist movies where it all turns out that it actually went exactly as the grandmaster thief intended all along.

And more than anything, I loved the main arc. I am always a sucker for Found Family, but this was beautiful.

From the very start, the film goes out of its way to SHOW us that Holga and Kira are an unconventional but very real mother and daughter. Holga has a closer relationship with Kira than Edgin does. BUT the story is told from Edgin's perspective, so it repeatedly TELLS us that Holga is Edgin's partner, Kira is Edgin's daughter, and the quest is to bring back Edgin's dead wife so she can be a mother to Kira.

I love that dichotomy SO MUCH. I adore it when stories not only use show and tell cohesively, but make the difference between them a POINT. It was amazing, and something that I think couldn't have been done nearly as well in a written medium, I'm so in awe of how effortless it felt.

That one line was... mmph! Nice job, Mr Pine, nice job making that line hit your character so hard.

AND while I probably can't get into it without going on a whole essay about western ethics re: resurrection, there was something I really appreciated about how the film didn't linger over Edgin's wish and decisions about his wife. This was a DnD campaign. Resurrection is expensive and a pain, but it's a thing that happens, the only issue is Faerun lore about other planes, let's move on.

Last thing I'll talk about is the characters themselves. This was such good casting, and I love the characters and how they're embodied.

I love Holga's unapologetic dumb muscle and how much heart she had. (Side note, Bradley Cooper's cameo was wonderful and heartwrenching and that whole mini-arc is going to quietly stay in my heart for a long while)(Side-side note, I love Bradley Cooper so much more as a supporting character actor than a lead. He's SO GOOD at what he does but lead characters make his arcs overwrought)

I love Simon and Doric's blunt, awkward style and how you can tell they'll work well together but would be hopeless without Edgin's charm and energy to guide them.

I love Edgin, and I LOVE Edgin played by Chris Pine, who balances that charm and quiet desperation and arrogance into one perfect BARD. He was SUCH a BARD, even though he was missing the magic and lore (yeah... Simon fails saves, Edgin fails knowledge checks all. the. time. His dice hate the lore and it's absolutely a running joke at the table). His personality was just embodied Harper bard and it was perfect.

I love Hugh Grant's villain era because I actually find it a very natural evolution of his typecasting. But more than anything, I love that Forge isn't and never was actually evil. He's Neutral. He's selfish and willing to do either good or bad to achieve his goals. He didn't really want his friends to die, and you know, the overall outcome of the scheme was regrettable, but he would get away with money, love, and his life, so... -shrug- And Hugh Grant plays that so well. He's so dry and deadpan and you're never sure whether he's making fun of you or not, and it just works. So it's Nice. I like it. Nice.

But yeah! I could ramble about the things I loved for days, and there are certainly things I would have preferred, but this was actually a really good, really fun movie using DnD rules and tropes.

Good game, Paramount. Well done.