#only maths is making sense (its basic)

[rbtlvr]

making my tags from the last post their own post, actually, because i went and did RESEARCH for this. SO BASICALLY

according to the wiki loop CANNOT crit in phase one

i dont know if their attack buff actually does anything (id have to fight them to check) since their attacks are based on percentage of your hp. BUT even if it did, they can only buff once per loop in phase one, meaning they can only do one buffed big attack per loop

regular attack does 10% hp (15% with attack buff), big attack does 17% hp (~25% with attack buff)

big attack is every third turn

guarding halves damage, halving the regular attack to 5% and the big attack to 8.5%

you heal 6% every turn with memory of a journey

those three turns where their attack is buffed aside, you can just stand there and guard and only lose a grand total of 0.5% of your hp for every three turns

this also does not take into account attack speed this is just assuming they both attack at the exact same rate. attack speed is gonna vary by level but i opened my act 6 save to check and my sif is level 76 and has 186 attack speed. they also have the scissors equipped which lower attack speed and i. cant unequip them. so. theres that too

so if youre fast enough (high level enough and dont have the scissors equipped like me. oops) you can straight up outheal all of loops attacks given enough turns + just standing there and guarding

loop does not want to hurt siffrin. thank you for coming to my ted talk

[curiosity-killed]

@ god why does my brain specifically and exclusively hate economics

[moshieee]

so when IS your birthday? :0

I know right??? math is such a fun subject!!!

Open the tags if you dare

[walking-loather]

I was today years old when i learned i might be dyslexic. I thought i couldnt be bc letters didnt swim on the page and i am capable of reading a book.

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for belconna behind the cut; “Damian gets a Pocket”. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

The rest of the school day passes uneventfully. Damian takes a math test and completes a science lab and turns in an English paper and draws several studies in art class and still does not encounter Beloved’s point of origin, and remains unsurprised. He did not expect to, after all. 

Beloved’s point of origin needs Robin; not Damian Wayne. 

And certainly not Damian al-Ghul. 

Beloved remains concealed for the duration of the day, and after classes conclude, Pennyworth picks Damian–picks them up, Damian supposes. Though it is not an occurrence that he will have cause to become used to, so it hardly matters. 

Or rather, it is–unnecessary, again. 

Obviously. 

Damian submits a request for a detour in their standard route. Pennyworth acquiesces. Damian continues to not understand the unneeded additional steps in a process that could be accomplished with a single order, but Father’s household is hardly as efficient as Damian had once assumed it must be. Unfortunately, a lack of efficiency does not change the standards of behavior currently in place, nor the manners considered appropriate, and so Damian currently must be “polite” by Father’s standards by wasting both his and Pennyworth’s time and energy. 

Damian does not comprehend how wasting finite resources and creating unneeded distractions can be considered polite by any standards whatsoever, but Father has proven to be uninterested in outside opinions of his household’s behaviors. When Damian has previously made requests of various household members to be presented with the logic behind Father’s standards and the application thereof, he has typically been addressed as if he is being deliberately difficult or purposefully misunderstanding, and the requested explanation is is either not provided or is delivered in unclear terms that do not, in fact, present any form of explanation. 

Damian has since moved on to independent research, given the subpar quality of available intel. His research has yet to yield any reasonable explanation of Father’s “polite” inefficiency either, but it is less irritating a process and he is confident in his ability to eventually deduce one. 

Though that is also a waste of time and energy, if again an unfortunately unavoidable one. 

The detour is to a small mid-end shop, its wares largely generic and inexpensive but generally acceptable. It specializes in Pocket-appropriate goods and services. Pockets of course have no true material “needs”, in the sense that they do not require food or water or environmentally-suitable clothing or protection; do not even require medical care or armor. They cannot starve or dehydrate or be injured, even by other Pockets. 

Yet Beloved showed up looking bruised and hungry all the same, and even if he had not . . . 

Damian would best arrange for his comfort either way, though he is certain Father will not approve of the indulgence. The . . . distraction. 

It is only temporary, so it will not matter, Damian tells himself. 

It will not. 

He uses the personal discretionary funds that Father refers to as his “allowance” to purchase a basic supply set of the sort that is traditionally exchanged between newly-recognized soulmates in several cultures, though most certainly not in the League. The practice is old-fashioned in America, but logical in Damian’s eyes as a provided demonstration of shared investment in the developed bond, and proof of both capability and willingness to provide. Typically Pockets manifest after the relevant soulmates have known each other for some time, so it is a natural enough method to display such investment and ability, in his opinion. 

Using his personal discretionary funds for this effort will, Damian presumes, at least make Father less disapproving of the indulgence. Father has attempted to encourage him to purchase other indulgent things with it, after all. Damian has not yet deduced which specific indulgences Father will consider to be acceptable, but the fact that he is making an effort to purchase something that qualifies as one may make Father less disapproving of just which one it is. 

That is not likely, but at least referring to Father’s previous statements is a reasoning that Damian can present if questioned. 

He cannot imagine Beloved’s point of origin being in a situation where he could perform the traditional exchange of supply sets, but it remains . . . unnecessary. Damian’s “allowance” is more than sufficient to provide for Beloved. 

He momentarily considered the appropriateness of purchasing a matched pair of supply sets, but . . . 

It is unnecessary. Whatever Pocket manifested from . . . him would have no need of nor desire for such supplies, and therefore Beloved’s point of origin need not supply them. Such a set would only prove an inconvenience to one clearly in a compromised position in life and likely unstable housing, either way. There is no purpose in Damian burdening his soulmate with such inconveniences. 

The Pocket will not last either way, and so it would be–disingenuous, Damian thinks, to present Beloved’s point of origin with such an item. 

Or more accurately it would be . . . unfair, perhaps, when their Pockets will only be temporary. Likely a civilian would have expectations upon manifesting a Pocket; expectations that Damian could not fulfill for them. Expectations that they would likely be–disappointed, to not see met. So it would be disrespectful to waste their time in such a fashion as pretending otherwise. 

Father can insist that he waste Pennyworth’s time, if that is his preference, but Beloved’s point of origin is . . . not of concern to Father. Beloved will only be a temporary presence, so nothing about his presence need be any concern of Father’s. 

Damian will handle the situation in the way that he is required to–Robin will handle the situation in the way that he is required to–and that is all. 

Beloved remains concealed for the duration of Damian’s time in the shop as well. He did not hide from Pennyworth or Drake in the manor, nor hide from Pennyworth in the towncar, but the school and shop both he kept himself hidden for. Damian observes and notes the information–recalls that he revealed Beloved to Drake deliberately after hiding him himself, and that Drake has Pockets of his own–but is less certain of why Pennyworth was an exception. 

. . . it may have been the drop scones, Damian reflects resignedly, and finds it outright depressing that Beloved came out for drop scones, of all things.

[thydungeongal]

Many D&D 5e DMs ignore the game's own suggested structure of having multiple encounters per adventuring day, and while they aren't entirely wrong to do so (the suggested number of encounters per adventuring day doesn't quite line up with the actual math of the game nor does it produce enjoyable gameplay for those who don't enjoy D&D's combat, i.e. the part that D&D is the most about so you know what are we even doing here). Instead they focus their attention on trying to run only a single, narratively satisfying combat encounter. Which often works against itself because you will find yourself hard-pressed to get a dramatic combat out of a single battle in D&D 5e when player characters will be going into battle at full resources.

Because in most cases D&D's resource management is really at its best when it's not about managing resources within a single encounter but over multiple encounters. If you can expect only one encounter per adventuring day "should the wizard cast fireball now or save it for later" really isn't a relevant question in most encounters. In most cases the answer is "cast it now because the more enemies are dead by the end of this round the fewer attacks the party will have to potentially suffer next round."

And it often ends up eliminating all tension as well. If characters can count on having all their resources available for their one combat encounter of the day then they can pretty much rest assured that they will have enough healing and damage at their disposal to eliminate the enemy. The GM can hope to alleviate this by adding enemies that can take out party members quickly, but it is a risky proposition in many ways: the dice can swing one way and eliminate a player character before the group has a chance to react at all, which isn't exactly a failure on the party's part, it's just dumb luck (now, dumb luck is sometimes a valid way to introduce tension, but in the context of an encounter that is supposed to feel dramatic a character being taken out during the first turn before there is any input on the player's part can feel anticlimactic). Characters have very limited resources available to them to actually actively mitigate damage. Most of the time if a character loses initiative they are at the mercy of the enemy, being entirely reliant on the enemy rolling low on their attack/them rolling high on their saving throw. Some characters have reactive defenses available to them, but that's the thing: only some of them.

On the other hand things swinging the other way and an enemy having a single bad round during which they fail to deal meaningful damage to the party can conversely begin a death spiral for the enemy, where characters will be able to reserve resources that would normally be spent fighting back against enemy assaults on simply focusing on damage.

Of course this hasn't always been the case in D&D: the conventional wisdom in older editions was that player characters would have to delve into dungeons on limited resources and conserve those resources throughout the adventuring day. And this basically is how 5e is supposed to be run: but for a variety of reasons it also runs against the idea of combat being dramatic. If most combats during an adventuring day are just obstacles to be overcome, it eventually does make combat feel routine. Which, you know, somewhat also undermines the idea that combat is supposed to be dramatic.

But also, on a per encounter level, there was a brief moment in a bygone age known as "fourth edition" when player characters regardless of class had meaningful decisions to make within an encounter: compared to 5th edition, daily abilities were at a premium, which makes sense, because in 5th edition the assumption is that characters will have more daily resources they must juggle throughout a long adventuring day. 4e does also assume multiple encounters between long rests, but its adventuring days are noticeably shorter. Furthermore, healing is a finite resource in 4e on both a day-by-day and an encounter level. Characters can take a second wind action once per combat to spend a healing surge to recover some hit points, after which they are reliant the party's leaders (whose standard healing abilities are limited to two uses per combat. Scary!). And while 4e combats could also get swingy, the numbers were usually set up in such a way that a single swingy round would usually not take a player character from 100 to 0 percent. Like in 5e, most characters lacked reactive defenses, but they usually still had time to act before they were dropped.

But even 4e didn't fix one issue of D&D combat: that it often lacks permanent consequence beyond just "your character is dead." This is of course not an issue for the type of play that D&D natively supports and there are exceptions to this rule in the form of some creatures that can inflict other consequences on characters, but due to the abstract nature of D&D's combat the outcomes of combat are usually "my character fell to 0 hit points and died" or "my character dropped the enemy to 0 hit points and they died."

Speaking of those alternate consequences, an encounter with a basilisk that turns a party member into stone isn't necessarily fun as a dramatic combat encounter because it simply takes out one party member from the action, meaning they don't get to enjoy the afterglow of having defeated the enemy. Or if they do it's because a party member could cast a spell that undoes the petrification which is like. Oh, the character was only dead temporarily. You know what genre of play temporary death as a minor setback works really well in? Dungeon crawling. It also ties nearly into the logistical side of the game.

Anyway, point being, there are multiple contradictory design issues inherent to the very idea of combat and how it should be handled in tabletop RPGs and not a single correct answer. But D&D does not natively support a model of a single dramatic encounter per day, because that runs against the game of resource management and attrition inherent to it. D&D's combat can often lack tension on a per-encounter basis, but that tension arises are the very latest once characters need to start conserving their resources.

Or idk.

[toffee-and-tandoori]

it's been nearly 24 hours since esteban released his statement and i still can't get over how masterfully crafted it was, how carefully and intentionally it was phrased. i've seen a number of people pick up on a lot of the subtle jabs esteban carefully laced into his statement but as someone who's been following this from the jump, it is honestly amazing how many zingers there are. in case anyone hasn't been following the whole saga and therefore may not have caught on to everything, i'll try my best to dissect the statement (also selfishly i want to have this preserved on my blog).

the pride of having been the driver who brought the team’s best results since its return to the sport

i first saw this on reddit but since alpine/renault returned to the sport in 2020, esteban was the teammate who scored the highest result for the team every year. from 2020 onwards, alpine/renault's highest results of the season are as follows:

2020 - esteban finishing 2nd at sakhir

2021 - esteban finishing 1st in hungary

2022 - esteban finishing 4th at suzuka

2023 - esteban finishing 3rd in monaco (tied with pierre finishing 3rd in zandvoort)

2024 - esteban finishing 2nd in brazil (obligatory disclaimer that there's one race to go)

climbing the top two steps of the podium in bahrain, hungary, and brazil

esteban intentionally leaves out his podium in monaco here as it allows him to point out that since alpine/renault's return to the sport in 2020, esteban is actually the only driver to have scored 1st or 2nd place for the team.

daniel's two podiums in 2020, fernando's podium in 2021, and pierre's podiums in 2023 and 2024 were all 3rd places. and nico...yeah...

it has not been an easy year on track for the team and the second part of the season has been especially difficult. for various reasons.

compared to the first half of the season, alpine actually made improvements to the car as evidenced by pierre AND esteban both making it into q2 more consistently as well as the excellent performances by both in brazil and by pierre in qatar. not to mention that alpine's first point of the season was esteban's p10 in miami, the SIXTH race of the season.

yet esteban is still saying the second part of the season was ESPECIALLY difficult. for various reasons. (notice how that's a separate phrase).

i believe these "various reasons" are alluding to how the qualifying head-to-head has flipped DRASTICALLY since esteban officially signed with haas...which coincides perfectly with briatore officially signing on as an advisor. canal+ has implied on their broadcasting that esteban's side believes there is an issue with the car hampering his performance but he has been prohibited to talk about it publicly. another time esteban reported an issue with the car was back in 2021 when he stated there was an issue with his chassis. at the time alpine altered the chassis with esteban's feedback in mind...hungary 2021 closely followed.

i want to say here that i do think that pierre and esteban are so evenly matched it's ridiculous but i will note that i think pierre has the SLIGHT advantage when it comes to qualifying pace while esteban has the SLIGHT advantage when it comes to overtake racecraft (though both are still very talented at both). so i do expect pierre to be faster in qualifying. and since esteban is leaving the team while pierre is staying it does make logical sense to develop the car more to pierre's liking. however, the gap between esteban and pierre in qualifying has NEVER been as large as it is now.

i do not regret a single thing knowing i gave it 100% every single session. like i always have.

according to some comments on reddit, flavio has alleged there were concerns that esteban's "lack of performance" may have been on purpose to help haas secure 6th in the constructor's. apparently flavio does not know basic math considering without esteban's 2nd place in brazil, alpine wouldn't even be close to fighting for 6th in the constructor's...

also if you know ANYTHING about esteban it's that he would never purposefully compromise his own performance. his statement here is making that explicitly clear.

as you know, the plan was always to race one last time this weekend and personally say goodbye to you all next week. i was looking forward to both of those things. this is not how i wanted things to end.

the most damning parts of esteban's statement. here he is directly contradicting the initial reports stating that this was a pre-planned "mutual decision" between esteban and the team (with some people somehow trying to even claim that esteban came up with this solution...). the initial plan was for esteban to race in abu dhabi, visit the factory to say goodbye to everyone at viry and enstone, and then participate in the post-season test with haas. a plan that was apparently settled weeks before the last-minute switch esteban was informed about HOURS before the qatar gp.

i would like to first and foremost thank the mechanics and engineers across all functions at the track, enstone, and viry-châtillon who have raced alongside me these last five seasons. we have shared so much together, and i am proud to call many of you my friends. hundreds of hard-working men and women at enstone and viry i would also like to wish nothing but great things to my friend jack

i saw someone on reddit point out that esteban "thanked the people he worked with, not the people he worked for" and i can't think of a better way to phrase it than that. esteban will always have love for alpine/renault because the people he worked alongside. but rightfully so, none of the love extends to alpine's higher management.

[woodle-isbae]

dom tutor armin x reader PLEASE

Feeding yall b4 I dissappear again

Its really hard to understand math , why exactly are there so many formulas and even more numbers . You couldn't even focus during tutoring , not because he was boring but because of the way he spoke , the little crack his voice has when he calls for your attention. And the way he looks. Your Tutor was some Nerd you begged to help you in the library , and how could he say no to the way your doe eyes looked up at him and the little pout? he'd be the dumbest man alive to reject that offer.

''C'mon y/n. You need to focus , we have a test coming up.''

He sighed , setting down his pen and rubbing the bridge of his nose , he was tired having stayed later than usual. He wanted to help you as best as he could and decided if he stayed a bit longer he could help you study even more.

''It just doesn't make sense Minie.''

The nickname you gave him lingered on your tongue , eyebrows knit together while you pouted , getting frustrated from not being able to understand. He gave you an almost sorry look , knowing that you were almost ready to cry from the confusion.

''okay...look , why don't you get us something to drink , a water or a coffee..?''

You nodded and left your room , wanting to do anything that wasn't Math , you contemplated what to get and what he would prefer. opting out for a coffee , even if it would take some time to make you still did it, needing the boost of energy.

after what felt like forever you got the two warm drinks in hand and waltzed back into your room , The blond sitting on your bed while he scrolled on his phone , lifting his head up and thanking you for the drink. You guys took a small break , discussing about things besides why you guys are here , swinging side so side in your chair until Armin said it was time to begin again.

''I...wanna try to teach you differently''

he patted the space next to him on the bed , grabbing the textbook while you sat down. He told you to read outloud the formulas and definitions , doing as told until your words got caught in your throat , his lips grazing over your next and hand pressed on your thigh .

''Continue.''

You stuttered at some words , his lips leaving soft kisses of your shoulder and neck , his hand trailing more and more up your thigh until his thumb grazed your clothed cunt.

''Armin , wait-''

''shh..Your doing good.''

You couldn't even tell what you were saying anymore , the task that had you occupied long gone from your mind , only focusing on the way his fingers dipped into your panties and played with your clit.

''Open your legs more for me.''

And that you did , the book you held tossed somewhere onto your bed , hands gripping onto his blond locs. His other hand occupied , cupping your breast and pinching at your nipple.

He stopped what he was doing , tugging at your shirt for you to take it off along with your skirt , you swiftly removed the articles of clothing and sat infront of him with your legs slightly parted.

"Relax f'me..yeah.?"

You nodded , pupils blown out while you watched him move closer to you , placing a soft kiss on your nipple while his fingers continued their frantic movements

"Y'know Y/n...I couldn't resist saying no that day...the way you looked up at me , I could've bust one out right then and there."

He breathed out into your neck , sucking soft marks as he sped up his pace. His movements making a sudden halt , he shifted down lower and lower until face to face with your core.

"Thank you for serving me."

He said before diving in face first , mouth working on your clit while his fingers pumped into you. The overwhelming sensation catching you off guard.

Your legs locked around his head , hips jerking into and away from his face , a flash of white taking over your sight as your senses basically went numb.

"That's it...breath in 'n out for me."

He placed soft kisses on your clit and up your thighs , making his way up your torso until his head rested on your chest.

"Do you think that was enough studying for today?"

You smirked , hands planted on each side of his face.

"I mean..I do have a Biology test soon aswell.."

"Say less"

[transformation4life]

Magazine in The Attic

"Ugh... Can't believe I have to clean this STUPID attic." You groan as you enter the aforementioned room.

Many boxes littered the attic of your childhood home. Your parents recently decided to move out so it was time for cleanup. You look around, hoping for something to catch your eye among the sea of similarly colored boxes. Luckily one box's lid was missing letting you peer inside from afar. You walk over to take a look.

You peer inside, finding a stack of magazines with various covers. You grab the one on the top of the stack. It was a magazine for... men? The date on the top left states it's from the late 70's.

After some quick mental math, that was 50 years ago. These magazines are old! This intrigued you so you started flipping through the pages. Each page featured a multitude of different things. Workout tips, interviews and full page photos of bodybuilders from the time. As you kept flipping, you didn't even realize that you were completely aroused by each photo culminating into a tent in your pants. You bit your lip. "Fuck..." You made it to the last page in a horny filled stupor. Staring at what you consider the peak of masculinity. The next phrase you speak a result of that pent up horniness.

"I wish I could have lived as a Bodybuilder back then..." You mutter and just then the magazine suddenly got really hot and you dropped it in a panic.

"What the-" You snap back to the reality of being in your parents attic. You look at the magazine that stung you in confusion. That confusion went further when the magazine started glowing.

This definitely wasn't normal, but you couldn't muster up any words. You look down at the glowing magazine, a part of you wants to pick it up again, but this was all so strange that you just left it there.

The paranormal activity continued as what looks like to be a small gust of wind emanating from the pages. The gusts got stronger and larger until what was basically a tornado coming from the book. The tornado was expanding from the book to the entire attic as whole. You watched in awe as the swirling winds surrounded you., getting faster and faster, more dangerous. Boxes started being lifted into the air, one with the winds. You looked around, seeing the magazine once more. You surmise closing it would stop all this so you made the journey to it's location, but the winds make it difficult. You're almost there when the winds get too strong and you're barely able to stand. You reach for the magazine before the winds get too strong and everything goes white.

----------------------------

You wake up an unknown amount of time later, clenching your head in anguish to find that the tornado is gone, but... more than that is gone. The many boxes that were collecting dust in the attic were gone sans one or two, but the amount was significantly reduced. Did The magazine do this? You wonder, searching for its location. It was there where you last saw it, the glow gone however.

"Something isn't right here..." You say as you get up from the ground. Your best course of action is to call your parents and tell them what happened to the boxes.

You look through your pockets only to find that your phone isn't there. Panic settles in as you furiously search all your pockets, but no phone was ever obtained.

"Shit, what am I supposed to do now? Look for a pay phone? In this decade? Ha!" Well nothing better to do up here, you conclude so it's time to go.

As you head for the trapdoor leading to the floor below, you look at the magazine and think back to how much you enjoyed it. "I'm sure my parents won't mind if I snag this..." You walk back and grab the magazine, tucking it into your arms.

You return to the trap door and open it, noticing that it's not as old feeling as it was before. You just chalk it off to groggyness as you let the ladder down. What you saw next was less explainable however.

Your parents home looked like it went under a 70's makeover overnight. Any sense of modernity (what little of it) was gone and replaced with 70's style everything.

"T-This.... can't be real" But you pinch yourself and you didn't wake up.

You start running into the other rooms, hoping that it was just the hallway only to find more 70's looking furniture. Your parents room sporting just a single person bed rather than the two you remember. You go to your old bedroom to find it completely empty. The bathroom was similarly 70's and the first floor was even worse with a 70's kitchen and dining room. Not a single modern item was in site. There even was a telephone on the kitchen counter.

"N-No... this is all just some wacky illusion right? Right?" You run outside to find something that shocked you to your core.

Your hometown neighborhood was completely 70'ed. The houses looked the same but the exterior dressing was definitely different. You see people passing by who look straight out of 70's sitcoms. You look to where you parked your car only to find it a much much older model. That's what broke you. "Did I travel back in fucking time?!?!" The signs all pointed to yes, the very catalyst resting between your torso and arm you realize after you remember what happened before you passed out.

You head back inside, opting to head to your parents former? future? bedroom and sit on the bed putting the magazine on it as well.

You think about how you've been zapped 50 years into the past with no way back. Unlike the movies, you doubt there's some zany inventor who can make you a time machine back to the present. You try to not let it get to you though.

"Maybe I'll wake up the next thing and it'll be alll fine" you halfheartedly believe.

You decide to focus on other things, like the bedroom you're currently in. It's very different compared to your parents. You notice some things at first glance. A desk with multiple drawers. A closet, a mirror and a shelf with trophies of some kind. You decide to investigate the desk first, hoping no one minded looking through their stuff for the time being.

Inside the first drawer you find... detailed notes of dietary routines and workouts, as well as a day to day planner. Flipping through the planner entails various planned dates including "Competitions", "meetings" and workouts. You were amazed by everything you found. The guy who lived before your parents must have been pretty on top of things. The second drawer held a diary, but you decided not look through that incase it was super personal. You have some limits after all.

Next up on your list was the closet, opening it to find a lot of clothes seemingly met for workouts. Tank tops, stringers, shorts, anything a gymgoer would need. The size of them look a bit big for you so you don't choose to try them on. Maybe later, a thought rings in your mind. Everything else in the closet from your searching was standard fare like socks and underwear.

With that out of the way you stare at what you purposefully left for last. The shelf of trophies that stood out very much to you. You walk over to it and take a deep breath. When you opened your eyes you took a good look at the designs of the trophies. Nothing stood out too much so you'd have to take a closer look to get what they're for. So without much left to do, you grab one of the biggest trophies on the shelf and read the engraving.

Charles Leonard Mr. Olympia 1977

The words "Mr. Olympia" made everything click as you realize who this house belongs to. A bodybuilder! "Oh my god, I'm in a bodybuilder's HOUSE!" You shout in excitement. You've always admired bodybuilders as a kid so fate putting you into the house of one was extra exciting! You look at the other trophies and other similar bodybuilding achievements were engraved. Mr. Leonard really knows what he's doing. After looking at all the trophies you put the one you picked up back on the shelf. Your excitement couldn't be contained however as you thought back to that diary you skipped before. Surely... Mr. Leonard wouldn't mind a little peak, right? He could be home any minute so he rushed over to the desk and opened it to a random page on the desk's top area and began reading.

XX/XX/197X

Ab day was killer. I could really feel the ridges on my skin settling. I gave them a good rub and it felt so good!

You imagine a thought up version of Charles rubbing his abs and you feel aroused by it. The room also started getting warmer for some reason. Sweat dripping down your face. At the same time you could feel your stomach churning. You clench it in pain, feeling like it was experiencing years of pains all at once. After some time, the pain subsided, but curiosity got the best of you and you wondered what happened down there and lift your shirt to revealing rippling six pack abs. For a second you're shocked to find out that you have a six pack before that feeling goes away as you remember always having six pack abs as long as you can remember. You give them a good rub, more arousal forming in your system as you flip to the next entry.

XX/XX/197X

Chest day was a success. I can feel my pecs pumped up to the max! I even bounced them a little in excitement.

This was more fuel to the fire. Your imagination runs wild as you imagine a man bouncing his pecs in pure bliss at the gym. As this was happening, a heat was emanating from your chest. It felt like your pectorals were getting bigger. A noticeable ridge was now showing on your t-shirt. When the heat died down you looked at your chest, smiling. Ah, your meat mounds, gotta love 'em. You bounce them in solidarity with the diary entry. Time to keep going!

XX/XX/197X

Arm day was brutal, but I pulled through. Whenever I feel down, I give 'em a good flex!

This entry was just as exciting as the last two. A big strong bodybuilder flexing their two big arms. Then you hear a loud *RIP* coming from your shirt sleeves. Oh yeah, your large bulging biceps don't do well with small shirts. Makes you wonder why you were wearing one... Oh well, next entry.

XX/XX/197X

Worked on my legs and glutes today. They're bulking pretty nicely, especially my ass. Big and firm...

Ass... Suddenly an urge overcame you. You moved one of your hands to your ass. The image of a man with a large ass entered your mind. Meanwhile you could feel the hand on your ass being pushed by something. You look to your side to see two ripe and big buttocks attached to your frame. You also notice how tight your pants are. Definitely a sign of your hard work on your thunder thighs and legs. A loud moan escapes your lips as you think about how much you worked on that ass to what it is today, giving them a firm squeeze. You flip to the next entry before you cum.

XX/XX/197X

Back day had me pumped up! They're wider than before, just like my trapezii!

There was another *RIP* noise after you read the entry. It was your shirt being ripped due to your large back.

"Man, I really gotta know why I wore this small shirt..." You grab the shirt with your large mitts for hands and forcefully rip it off you revealing the top half of your bodybuilder frame. You flex your biceps almost instantly. The tent in your pants ready to burst. You had to stop. Just a few more entries and you're done you say.

XX/XX/197X

I went to get a haircut today, and it looks amazing. Not to mention the barber complimented my mustache. I'm glad other people appreciate my pride and joy.

A tickling sensation is felt above your upper lip. You reach for that area with one of your hands, feeling the texture of facial hair all across. Your beloved stache is where it should be, caressing it for a few more seconds. For whatever reason you then moved your head through your hair. You remember just recently getting it styled to be modern and trendy. Your barber happily remarked that "The 70's brought a new revolution to hairstyles like that one, sir!" You question why that person said 70's for "modern" but maybe he was just nostalgic.

After that entry you decide to speed flip through some more. One mentioned how big Charles' dick which was. something you could happily relate to. Another mentioned the impressive body hair hanging out on his forearms. Another relatable characteristic. It was so wonderful to find such a like-minded individual like you so far in the past. You would love to meet this Charles in person if you could. Speaking of Charles, he might be home soon, you were perusing for quite a long time now. You flip to one last page.

XX/XX/197X

A friend decided to take a photo of me during one of my workouts. I think it looked pretty good so I decided to keep it!

Below the blurb is a printed photo of said photo. Charles in the middle of a leg workout. You realize this is the first time you've seen Charles and wow he looks so amazing! And familiar...

You think back to the magazine that assumedly brought you here. Wasn't a man very similar to you Charles on the cover? Your parents never mentioned a bodybuilder living here in the past and surely they would have mentioned due to your outward love of bodybuilders, especially as one such as built as yourself. Thinking about it... did your parents ever live here? You think to the familiar halls of your home, only to find that you don't see them there. Only you just moving in a week prior. Another memory of them happily still living in your actual childhood home in California. How could you have misremembered so incorrectly? You think to yourself.

You go back to the magazine. You time traveled here right? But memories of getting this magazine right off the shelf because of being such a huge fan of Charles Leonard. You had to grab the magazine of someone who looked so much like you. Time travel? That only happens in fiction! You're a proud man living in the 70's. The 2020's were so far away how could you have ever thought of living in that time.

You look up from the diary, and scanned the once unfamiliar room. Your room. You notice a full size mirror you feel like wasn't there before, but you remember putting it there yourself to do pose checks. You walk over to it. Man you look good. Everything was big in all the right places. But then you think to your resemblance to Charles.

"We really look like twins, don't we?" You say, suddenly aware of your voice sounding just like Charles as well.

You notice your 10 inch dick still forming that tent in your tight pants. You watch your face mimic your actions in the mirror. Blinking, furrowing your brows, flexing. It reminds you of how Charles looked in the magazine photos. Your eyes peer over to the trophy case and then back to the mirror.

"If I live here then why is Charles trophies in my room..." You live alone so it's definitely not being roommates. Besides there was only one bed.

You think to Charles achievements engraved on the trophies, but you remember also earning those achievements. Every single one. Even winning Mr. Olympia 1977. Too many coincidences are piling up. The same achievements, the same appearance, the diary detailing similar memories to your own.

The magazine flashes in your mind one more time, but this time you finally realize that... YOU posed for this magazine not Charles. It hits you like a brick. You're not like Charles Leonard... "I am Charles Leonard!" You shout at the mirror finally releasing all the pent up cum from your dick, causing your underwear and pants to tear apart.

Post-nut clarity hits you hard as you question what the hell you were doing for the past hour.

"And what are these ripped clothes doing here on the floor? And why am I naked?" You decide to ignore the clothes and grab some athletic shorts as well as a pair of briefs from your closet and quickly put them on to cover your privates. You walk back to the mirror.

"Much better."

"Now, let's get rid of those... where did they go?" You swear you saw ripped clothes on the floor. You know you're not wearing your glasses right now but they were definitely there before. "*Sigh* I won't get in a tizzy over it." You rub the area between your brows.

You set your sights on the clock on your nightstand. 4:30 PM.

"I could go to the gym later..." But before you finish that though, a loud ring was heard from the other room.

You run over to your rotary phone in the kitchen and pick up the dial. "Hello, Charles Leonard speaking?" You ask with charisma.

"Hey Charles! It's me, Mike. Do you remember that photoshoot I was talking to you about?" "Yup, they said they'd paid top dollar to have me on the front cover of their magazine."

"Well I know you just moved, but they got a studio near where you lived, and they'd be psyched if you came over today!" "Oh really? What's the address?" You grab a nearby notepad just for times like this. "So you're down to going? Awesome! The address is..." Mike enthusiastically recounts the address to you as you write it down with ease. You make a mental map of where it should be and say goodbye to Mike.

You turn back to your room and grab some items such as your wallet, car keys, as well as a shirt. Unfortunately your bulging muscles will have to be contained for decency. You put on the shirt, your frame seeping through the tight clothing. You smile at the mirror. This is the life!

You waste no time after that, heading to your brand new car and starting the engine. The car's whirls honestly boned you up, but you had a photo shoot to get to. You grab a map from the backseat of your car, making sure you're heading the right direction and start driving.

----------------------------

A week, you're at the gym holding a preview copy of the magazine you posed for. Turns out they wanted something more out there and you happily obliged, being able to show what's in the trunk.

But enough of that, it was time to work out! You grab your water bottle and head to the machines. First up on your list was barbell curls. You grab a barbell and braced yourself for the lifts. After some time you began.

Each lift was exhilarating. You always, always loved that pump you get from workouts. After enough reps. You put the barbell down. It's time for the next exercise. You find a nice lady willing to spot you for this one as you grab a set of dumbbells and laid down on the weight bench. It was time for Another set of reps and you started lifting the dumbbells.

After you finish your reps, the rest of your workout was a breeze. Lift after lift, push after push, pull after pull, it was all so fulfilling. Once you finished, you were drenched in sweat. Time to hit the showers and go home! You're already excited for your workout session tomorrow, but it's time to rest.

Life continued in a routinely fashion for you as Charles Leonard. Wake up, Workout, pose, and repeat. It felt good living in the 70's, living in the now. You don't know what the future holds, but your body will be ready for it.

[yourislandgirl]

*:ꔫ:*ₓₒ IRRESISTIBLE ˚ ༘♡ੈ✩ || 심재윤 x fem!reader || drabble

— KISS ME, DON’T SAY NO series

summary: distracted by the charm of your darling boyfriend, you find yourself unable to resist his need for attention, but in all seriousness, who’d be able to resist jake?

genres: fluff, romance, non-idol!jake x non-idol!reader, est. relationship, ft. mentions of huh yunjin and layla

warnings: attempts at humour, swearing/cursing, pet names, slightly suggestive bcs jake’s a simp and doesn’t bother hiding it, mentioned the book ‘to all the boys i’ve loved before’ . ya know, in case you don’t like that book ..

w.c: 1.5k

[archive]

“Stop.”

His giggles were glittery. Just hearing them would set off a flutter in your chest. “What? I’m just appreciating nature and its beauty.” You could practically hear the smile from his voice.

It took a lot of strength to not look up, to keep your gaze firmly situation on the letters that ran along the page in front of you. Your fingers tightened around the soft copy covers of the novel in your hands, thumb rubbing against the paper as you tried to read the next sentence.

It was an impossible task, you quickly realised, your senses distracted by the ticklish sensation of grass against your ankles. The culprit, however, wasn’t the innocent grass field of the park, but actually your attention whore of a boyfriend, laying on his stomach by your feet, drawing little invisible doodles on your bare calf with the tip of the grass blade.

more under cut !!

You knew what he was doing, the unsubtly in the teasing glances that he’d sneak your way, observing your reaction, seeing how long it would take for you to break. It was one of his more annoying qualities that you couldn’t help but find endearing… eventually.

At that moment though, you resolved to simply tap your finger against the corner of the book, your eyes unfocused, not a single word on the page registering as you pursed your lips, squashing whatever tiny smile wanted to make itself known. You were gonna last this time.

See, previous times it had happened — and yes, it happened a lot — Jake would usually win. Whether it was his inconspicuous back hugs which eventually had him pulling you away from whatever you were doing previously, or the more blatantly obvious way he’d smile, quirk his head to the side, and pull you along with him.

Jake was simply irresistible. And he knew it, which is always a problem.

That afternoon, however, you‘d decided the best way to defeat him, is to divert him, distract him, and so you set your plan into motion;

“Jakey, what does this word mean?”

“Hm?”

Immediately the grass blade was abandoned, the pursuit to tease was thrown aside and your puppy dog of a boyfriend had pulled himself up and shuffled closer, leaning his back against the large tree trunk, just like you.

He pouted his lips, following your finger as you pointed out the word. “Iota? I thought you were reading a romance book…”

You scoffed, “I am.” Slipping your bookmark into the spine you closed the book to show him the cover. ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ was printed in pretty ribbon-like loops of text, glossy and black against the light baby pink background.

Jake smirked, opening the book once more to read out the sentence before he started explaining the origins of ‘iota’ (ancient greek text), and the significance of that letter (it’s the smallest in the alphabet), and how it applies in a modern context (“Basically, babe, it means you couldn’t give less of a fuck”).

You bit your lip, suppressing your laughter as you carefully pulled out your bookmark and continued reading. Your head rested against Jake‘s shoulder, his voice slowly helping you relax as he continued to explain random yet somewhat applicable definitions to the word ‘iota’.

You couldn’t really understand, mostly because you were only paying like 40% of your attention on what he was saying. Zoning in and out every now and then, catching a few anecdotes about his senior year maths class and imaginary numbers, whatever those mean.

Just as you reached the next chapter, you felt Jake tap your forehead. “Are you sleeping?”

“What? No!” You shuffled back a bit, looking at him incredulously.

Jake’s eyes darted down to the novel in your hands, noticing the next chapters number on the page. “You’re reading? I thought you were listening to me,” he whined, an embarrassed little smile on his lips.

You shut the book in an instant, completely forgetting about your bookmark. “I am!” You insisted, choosing to summaries his explanation as proof. “You said it was ancient greek alphabet, the smallest of them all, means I couldn’t give less of a flying fu—”

“Fine, what was the last thing I said?”

You stilled, “Uh…” Mind going blank, you figured a blind shot in the dark wouldn’t hurt, safest option, honestly. “…That I’m the love of your life?”

Jake‘s expression fell flat. “No, I didn’t—”

“I’m not the love of your life?!”

“That’s not what I— …Well played.” Quirking his lip a little, Jake sighed, holding out his fist as a peace offering.

“Thank you.” Smirking, you fist bumped him, before looking back down to open your book. But you paused, eyes glancing back to your unused bookmark. You flicked your head towards Jake, “I don’t—”

“Chapter twenty,” he said smoothly, before turning around and using your fumbling to rest his head on your lap.

“Enjoy the flattering angle,” you mutter, dryly.

Jake stayed silent, his gaze fixated on you, on the way your hair fell in front of your eyes and you constantly brushed it away and yet refused to pin it back. Or the way you very, very softly mouthed the words you were reading, ever so faintly, it’s barely a whisper. Or how you’d smile at the stories events before quickly controlling your expression so you don’t look like a fool, grinning at a book.

Jake sighed, brushing his hair back. “I guess the story’s interesting?”

You hummed. “Somewhat.”

“Somewhat?” He sat up. “Then pay attention to me.”

You leaned forward and kissed his cheek, before settling back against the tree. “I would, baby, but I need to beat Yunjin at this month’s goodreads challenge. And I would have beaten her last week but—”

“But I dragged you to the couch for movie night—”

“Which I loved. Among other things that night.” You suppressed your smile.

Nudging your knee with his, Jake let out a breathy chuckle. “Shh, there’s kids running around”

You shook your head, amused. “What I’m saying is, I love spending time with you. So much so that I want you around even if I’m just doing something by myself. But you make it so damn hard for me to concentrate.”

Your eyes had completely left the page yet again, finding your focus purely captured by the comfort that Jake gave you whenever he was present, the kind of relaxation where you simply get to exist, side by side, and that’s enough. It truly was his fault that you were this distracted.

Though, he obviously didn’t think so.

“That’s on you,” his eyes shone with that cheeky charm that he seemed to never run out of. His fingers rested on your knee, tapping away as he spoke. “I can’t exactly just stay put like some loser when I have the most irresistible person for a girlfriend.”

You scoffed, “I thought you were the irresistible one.”

Your mind replayed memories of past instances where Jake would send you a smug grin, throwing his arms wide open, surmising that he was simply irresistible and you should just give in (translation: he just wants hugs).

Jake shrugged. “Well, I am. But it’s not like I’ve got monopoly over it.”

“Mhm.”

He watched as you, yet again, tried to concentrate on the novel at hand, to get some progress in your reading. But your competitiveness was faltering and he could see it.

On the one hand, he wanted you to win, for your own happiness.

On the other hand… “C’mere.”

“Hm?”

Jake leaned closer, cupping your jaw as he went in to kiss you. You knew there was no hope of finishing another chapter anymore. Let alone the book. Jake had this way of capturing your entire soul, of holding it in his warm hands, keeping it safe. The same way it felt to have his hands holding your face, his thumb softly rubbing your cheek, his tiny giggles unable to be contained between your kisses.

“You’re a jerk,” you whisper, smiling so wide that the implication of such a sentence made no sense in comparison.

“Right,” Jake leaned forward and gave you a quick peck. “But you know, if you’d really wanted to read today, you wouldn’t have brought me along.”

You nudged your forehead against his. “Fair point.”

The novel slid from hands, flat on your lap as you moved your fingers along nape of his neck. You’d just started pulling him closer by his chain necklace when—

“Hey mister!”

Jake flinched and looked to the side at the tiny irritated mass in light up sketchers standing a meter away.

“Your dog has my ball!”

“Oh shit…” You shifted back as you watched your boyfriend scramble to get up, cursing his clicking joints as he ran. “Layla!!”

“Guess you win this month, Yunjinnie.” Hurriedly putting the book back in your bag, you got up and ran after Jake.

a.n: third instalment of the kiss me, don’t say no series !! even if it’s officially feb 9th i’m holding off until i get up again in the actual morning to publish jungwon’s — skipping sunsun for now! sorry :( i just really wanna get jungwon’s out on his birthday !!!! anyway, i hope you liked this one <3

taglist: @oceanstide — @sheepsgf — @itsrinsdrs — @enjakey

2025 © yourislandgirl

[riverstyx333]

Soulmate au where it’s not the first words your soulmate says to you, but the words most important/impactful to you that appear on your wrist.

This doesn’t always mean something nice or love confessing, it can also be the cruelest thing they ever say. It’s also completely in the eye of the beholder, the most important thing your soulmate might say to you might be their first words, or maybe it’s them remembering your favorite color.

I like this because i feel like it leaves room for the relationship to develop before they actually realize that they’re the one.

But then take this with Klance

One day Lance gets hit from a blast by the core reactor and suddenly Keith’s telling him that they’re soulmates. That they had some “bonding moment” that Lance /doesn’t even remember/ in which Lance had happened to say Keith’s words. Words that god knows Lance would NEVER say to Keith. “We make a good team” what a load of bullshit. Keith must be messing with him.

And Keith let’s it go eventually, because anyone in space could say that to him when you’re fighting on such a big team. So Lance and Keith go back to normal, if not fighting even more, with Lance trying to compensate for the fluke of the “bonding moment”.

Then, Lance starts to think, as he and Keith get closer, that maybe Keith wouldn’t be so wrong for him, that maybe it wasn’t such a fluke. But something’s not adding up.

Lance had always been teased for his words. How could something so mean be the most important thing they ever say to you? Basically calling you dumb, even if maybe they’re just poking fun at you.

“Maybe your soulmate saying that is what gets you to finally realize that you really are stupid,” the kids at his school would always tease.

Lance didn’t want to think that his soulmate thought he was stupid, one of his biggest insecurities, so he ignored them. All his life he believed that there must be some explanation he was missing, until now.

If Keith was his soulmate then it would add up. Keith was always calling Lance stupid.

“The amount of information inside your brain could be stored in a paper airplane,” he had once mocked.

But then again, it doesn’t quite add up. If Keith was always saying things like that, then what made this one more impactful? What makes this one important?

He concludes that it must not be Keith and leaves it alone after that.

But another wrench gets thrown in when Shiro comes back. It throws everything off kilter and Lance feels like he’s knocking into walls he didn’t know existed.

6 paladins. 5 lions. And he’s the weakest link.

It runs through his head like a mantra. He should talk to someone about it. Hunk, or Shiro, or even Allura. But something draws him to Keith’s room late at night instead.

“I’ve been thinking,” he starts, wringing his hands and looking at the floor to avoid eye contact, “that there’s six lions and only five paladins.”

He explains how when everything sorts itself out, when all the math adds up, he’s going to be the odd one out. The weakest link, his brain helpfully supplies.

He lays his broken mess out in front of Keith and watches as he doesn’t falter in picking it all up and putting the pieces back together.

Security falls over Lance and makes him feel so much better. Maybe it had been the right choice to talk to Keith. He’s really grown into the position of team leader.

Keith sends him out, but not before quickly tacking on, “And Lance? Leave the math to Pidge.” Before the door shut behind him.

Lance’s eyes widened and the realization hit him like a truck. Is his room that night, he didn’t sleep at all. He stared at the ceiling and contemplated everything his groggy brain could get its hands on.

It didn’t quite make sense to him why that was the most impactful thing Keith ever said to him. Because, of course it mattered and of course it helped him feel better, but there were so many more important things that could be said or even had been said. It still didn’t add up. But maybe Keith was right, and math just wasn’t his thing.

He found out that he wasn’t half bad at math the next morning, when Keith was gone.

He ran off to join the Blade of Mamora. He’d left Lance behind. And Lance just knew, that it was all his fault.

If he hadn’t gone whining to Keith about the lions, he wouldn’t have put that stupid idea into his head. And now they wouldn’t see each other for the next who-knew how long.

So, finally, all the math added up, and Lance was all alone.

[haowrld]

MATH CLASS AND FEELINGS — CHWE HANSOL

SYNOPSIS : you fall for vernon. it was simple but it hit so hard

NOTES : chwe vernon x gn!reader, ft.boo seungkwan, fluff, highschool!au, non-idollau, unrequited love, lowercase intended, overthinker reader vs chill vernon

WORD COUNT : 2.4k words

WARNINGS : attempts at killing someone(?), jealously and awkwardness from reader (its kind of embarrassing), reader panicking, seungkwan is supportive but a bit of a menace, MATH TALK AHHHH

A/N : may or may not be inspired by a crush i went through (still am) last school year lol so PRETTY SELF INDULGENT

MASTERLIST

now playing : accidentally in love by counting crows

“now, if anyone remembers that a plus b is equal c. it’s quite simple as that. we’re going to use the formula…”

you stare at the clock that is above the whiteboard, it is only a few more minutes before lunch finally comes. unfortunately, you had a few more minutes with math class. it was an alright class, the teacher was pretty funny at some point, but every single material that your teacher was trying to teach was almost sleep-inducing.

quietly working on the question on the board, you glance at vernon, a person that you had become friends with because of seungkwan, who was friends with everyone. vernon was an interesting one, you liked him because of his somewhat odd personality and your cheesy little banter that you had with him.

he was also classmates with you in two classes. right now, his desk was only a few spaces away from you, a utility cart with a projector was separating you two—when both of you had nothing to do, you and vernon would share glances with each other.

maybe you two were watching a movie for class, or a teacher takes too long to finish class since they keep on continuing to tell their whole life story. you and vernon would get some sort of entertainment with each other’s reaction.

it was nothing out of the ordinary to you. but seungkwan thinks it’s something more and you don’t even realize it. you remember seungkwan telling you that your conversations with vernon weren’t exactly like how you talked with your other friends. he basically called you and vernon, ‘a couple that he usually sees in the hallways teasing with one another’.

it didn’t make sense, but it was a joke of course.

vernon looks up and then down at his paper, trying to copy the formula. you notice how he was fiddling with the black beaded bracelet on his left wrist and how his eyes are very laser-focused on the board.

“okay, check in with whoever is next to you, if you got the answer correctly,” the teacher said. shuffling papers and quiet talks can be heard throughout the classroom.

you had no one to check it with since your deskmate, seungkwan, had called in sick today. you don’t mind though since you know you probably got the formula correctly. but it was kind of boring, having no one to talk to. seungkwan was kind of the only person you were close to in that math class.

so you look at vernon, you thought that maybe a conversation could work even when you two are so far away. vernon was listening to the teacher’s life story whilst he talked to his other seatmates, laughing with, it sort of looked like a fun conversation to you, with all the laughter and such that the teacher had to quiet it down.

it makes you kind of jealous of vernon, the way he could easily talk to anyone around his vicinity whenever the chance appeared.

vernon turns to look at you, he was chewing on mint gum. looking at his whole appearance, you notice everything about him. you notice his short, but fluffy dark brown hair that falls softly on his face. you notice how he doesn’t have any piercings on his ear. then you remember listening to his conversations with seungkwan about how he doesn’t like getting his ears getting pricked.

vernon looks back at the people with a grin when someone makes a joke, you listen to the way he talks (it was pretty low voice), and the way he laughs, which is something that you wouldn’t know how to describe.

it takes you a while to realize how long you have been looking at vernon. but he doesn’t mind at all. vernon shuffles through his backpack, pulling out the packet of mint gum that he was using, mouthing out the word, “gum?” smiling as he asked.

…

the bell rings, and everyone runs through the door as quickly as they could, including vernon, who gives you the rest of the gum packet before leaving.

it was simple yet, it hit you.

“oh no...” you like vernon.

🗯️﹕──﹕🧮﹕──﹕🗯️

“i was gone for like two days,” seungkwan says, “and that’s when you started liking vernon!?”

“shush shush!” you try to shush seungkwan up by covering his mouth, “he literally has the same classes as us. why are you yelling it?”

seungkwan grabs your wrist, forcing you to shove your hand down from his mouth, “i know, but he’s still not here yet,” he grins, “so you can talk about your fleeting feelings about him all you want.”

you look away from seungkwan, making him frown, “come on don’t be like that…” he pulls out his phone, showing you a picture of vernon from his gallery, “does this make you feel better?” he looks at you with his big round eyes that looked like a deer.

“no,” you reply sharply.

seungkwan sighs in disappointment, “i guess i’ll have to send more than one,” seungkwan then uses his phone to text something before setting it down.

you hear your phone vibrate. grabbing it you notice that seungkwan had sent you a message.

seungkwan : stop ignoring me

seungkwan : this is all ive got!!

seungkwan : [10 photos]

seungkwan : buy me lunch <33

the photos were of vernon, on different occasions where seungkwan took photos of him. one of them was when they were eating lunch together, and another one was when he was with him during drama class. all of them were amusing photos of vernon being silly. you found it cute. but then you read the rest of seungkwan’s message.

you turn to look at seungkwan, “i’m not buying you lunch,” which makes him grin.

“but you liked the photos right? i bet you did—” you don’t let seungkwan respond, you grab his phone. which makes him yell out, “what are you doing?!”

you hear the door opening but you don’t care. until you did, when you notice your peripheral vision, a person standing still, “hi, what’s happening with you two..?” you hear the familiar voice of vernon. you turn to find him looking at you, confusion yet amusement formed on his face when he notices your predicament, it looked like you were trying to kill seungkwan by the neck.

“vernon! hi uh—” you quickly let go of seungkwan, he gives you a face that could betray you later, you were shaking your head at seungkwan to not start something that he would regret before looking back at vernon who was already taking a seat, “you did not just see that.”

“yeah, sure i didn’t..” vernon smiles, taking a seat, “but what did i miss exactly?”

“oh, just talking about math…” seungkwan immediately led the conversation as you simply just listened to whatever he and vernon were talking about.

it had only been a few weeks since you started to like vernon, and you’ve been nothing but a quiet mess on the inside whenever you are with him.

“speaking of finals, we have the math finals a bit earlier right?” vernon says, “we could totally study together. it’s probably easier, from what the teacher said.”

“that’s probably a cool idea, we’d have to plan where to study,” you reply, “coffee shops tend to be too crowded..”

“how about my house?” vernon replies, before typing something on his phone, “you’re not that far from me seungkwan, right?”

“mhm, it’s just yn who’s going to drive there,” seungkwan says which makes you sigh. he then types something on his phone which makes your phone vibrate, it is a message from him, even when his desk was right next to yours.

seungkwan : this could be your chance to be closer!

seungkwan : heck, i could drive you there

seungkwan : and then boom! romance 🌹

you : it’s just a study session nothings gonna happen???

seungkwan : you never know, maybe it leads to a kiss 😉

you use your foot to tap on seungkwan’s ankle, at least hard enough to make him up let out a light “ahck!”

“hey, vernon…” you and seungkwan quickly look up, stopping at what you are doing to see who is talking, and find one of your classmates, taking out a piece paper before handing it to vernon.

“hi,” vernon says, “and what is this..?”

“i don’t know man, it's yours apparently,” your classmate replies before going to their seat.

vernon opens the paper, it had black sharpie ink written, “this looks interesting, look at this,”

the paper had such poor handwriting that it looked bad on purpose; it had to be some sort of a love confession because of the heart written next to vernon’s name.

“ohh, guess someone likes you,” you feel seungkwan suddenly nudge you.

“that’s silly,” vernon says, “i doubt it’s even real.” he immediately crumples the paper before shooting it in a nearby trash bin.

you look down, vernon was back to fiddling with his black-beaded bracelet. should you tell him that there is someone who actually likes him?

🗯️﹕──﹕🧮﹕──﹕🗯️

it was only a few days before your math final. and your head is going haywire. not because you're basically at vernon’s home, but because seungkwan left you alone with him.

seungkwan dropped you off, not before giving you some sort of life advice, his hands were squishing your face “if you tell him right then and there, then you’re gonna regret it for your whole life!”

“i know just please don’t squish my face—”

“good!” seungkwan lets go of your face, “now go get him!

“aren’t you coming with me?” you ask him nervously.

“who said i was?”

now you’re awkwardly sitting at the edge of vernon bed while he was somewhere outside his bedroom—he mentioned he was going to change into something comfortable. you twist and close the cap of the water bottle that he had given you.

“this is just a study session,” you tell yourself, taking a sip of the water bottle.

vernon enters the room, setting down piles of papers. you notice that he’s not wearing his usual clothes that he puts on at school but rather something more comfortable,

“i like your shirt,” you mention the graphic t-shirt that he was currently wearing.

“oh thanks, i like your outfit too,” vernon replies, sitting next to you before laying in bed.

“do you think we could pass this?” vernon asks, “without seungkwan, we could probably do well, but i’m not really sure.”

you turn to look at vernon, you notice how he looked like a dead person, with the way his arms are neatly folded to his chest, “i think we’ll do our best,” you say.

“yeah you’re right,” he gets off the bed before sitting on an empty chair, he gestures to you to take the other chair, which you do so.

“alright algebra..” vernon makes a noise like he is cracking his knuckles, you let out a quiet chuckle when he does it, “let’s see what you’ve got..”

doing math formulas without your notes was pretty difficult—you wouldn’t exactly call yourself a person who’s good at math, but vernon however, was easily getting the material, muttering to himself as he wrote the answers.

you stare at your paper, then at his, your head hurts at this point, “i don’t get it..”

“oh, it’s cool,” he says, “it’s basically…” vernon begins to explain carefully, his pencil traces over the simple mistake you had when you worked on it, “and then you have to find the square root of 20, but you have to do it on the inside, like this…” vernon leans closer just to write on your paper. easily solving the question.

“do you get it?” he asks you while he twists a piece of his hair, you feel your face flush when you look into his eyes, he had long eyelashes that fluttered when he blinked, and light brown eyes that looked at your own eyes.

you were not focused at all.

“if you don’t get it, i could totally write out a new problem for you—”

“can i tell you something?” you suddenly say. vernon looks at you confused before nodding. now you’re immediately regretting interrupting him, but then you remember seungkwan’s nagging voice in the back of your head, so you try to stay confident.

“tell me what?” vernon is now all eyes on you, a little curious as to what you are going to say.

“it’s stupid but..” you turn the chair to look at him directly, “i have been meaning to tell you thing for a while but i didn’t know how to tell you, it’s a lot for me and i know it’s going to be a lot for you since of course we have a literal math final coming up and,” you take a deep breath before continuing, “i just didn’t want to ruin our friendship but i think i am ready to tell you even if it becomes awkward—”

“whoa whoa, calm down yn,” he places his hands on your shoulders, “what’s wrong?”

you panic, you didn’t want to stop with what you were doing, but you didn’t want it to become a whole essay that you wouldn’t get to the point. so you take a the pack of sticky notes, writing something down before handing it to vernon. it was the only way to get to the somehow.

vernon takes the sticky note from you, staring at the writing. it takes him a while to say anything, “is this about me?” he simply asks.

you nod not looking at him directly, massaging your knuckles, something that keeps you calm in this embarrassing thing that you had just done to yourself. you’re probably going to vent to seungkwan on the way back home.

vernon takes out black pen. with a smile on his face, he begins writing something back on the sticky note. your brain is setting on fire, you were nervous that this might ruin your friendship with vernon or even make things awkward.

but now that it’s happening, you quickly close your eyes telling yourself that it’s gonna be the end of the world, it’s gonna be the end of the—

“yn,” vernon says before letting out a slight laugh, “open your palm” you feel a hand taking your stiff, nervous hands, “and also open your eyes, i promise it’s nothing scary,”

you carefully relax your hands, letting vernon return the sticky note of doom. when you slowly open your eyes, all that is written on the sticky note is a smiley face and the word ‘same’.

you look at vernon, who was smiling, “w-what…” you were baffled.

“now can we finish the math problem now, or are you still shocked..?”

you cover your mouth, still trying to process on what he just wrote, “uhm..” you reply, “let’s continue..??”

“good,” vernon says, typing something on his phone, “cause i’ve got a movie to show you later for our date.”

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©️HAOWRLD

[faeriichaii]

Hi! I am hoping you still do requests, if not feel free to ignore this (please tell me if you can’t do it by messaging me so I know) Its a platonic fic idea, mostly fluff but with an overwhelming amount of angst, it’s a father Thorin (The Hobbit) with a daughter reader (if it’s not an issue and for less confusion I would like the reader to be a “Dwelf” half Dwarf half Elf)

Basically Thorin’s story (and pov) of raising his daughter as a single father. Seeing the reader grow from an infant into a child, and from a child to a young teen, and from a teen to a strong woman. Teaching her all she needs to know and being there for her during her happy moments and her sad moments.

He takes her to adventure with him to reclaim Erebor, seeing her fight with the skills he taught her, and of course to his absolute dismay watching her fall in love with Legolas and (With Thorin trying his best to stop it) him falling for her as soon as they meet in Mirkwood’s dungeons. As the adventure continues Thorin starts realizing the the chances of the reader having an immortal elf life style while he stays mortal. During his moments with Dragon Sickness he becomes possessive of the reader bc she is his greatest treasure. And during his final moments he isn’t sad at all because his daughter is right there with him, and all he can think of is all of the memories they shared from her infant days to now. And now is looking forward to seeing how her future will play out once he’s gone.

Sorry it’s long. It’s sad but I have so much love for Thorin because he reminds me so much of my father and seeing him get killed made me cry so hard bc my father also died not to long ago.

Fading Light ~ Thorin x Daughter!Reader

A/N: Omg I am SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!!! A lot happened in my life and I have been working on and off on the fanfic but IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!! I really hope you like it <3 I also struggled so hard with certain scenes so yeah hahaha... Anyway, enjoy it!! Also I did like math to make the years and timeline make sense yk?? So yeah I put 110% effort into it!! And also 35 years for her is like 12/13?? I think?? Maybe a bit younger but I just thought I'd mention it in case there are questions hihihi

⇢ ˗ˏˋ Warnings: Angst, a bit fluff, dad and daughter, bit Legolas x Reader ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋ Words: 10.4k (my longest so far omfg) ࿐ྂ ⇢ ˗ˏˋ Request: yes thank you <3 ࿐ྂ

Summary: Thorin and you, his daughter on your journey to Erebor. And also the journey of him as a single father watching his princess grow up.

~300 Years prior~ Soft laughter bounced across the walls of his bedroom, as Thorin, son of Thráin and grandson of Thrór, looked down. In his arm he held an abundance of different furs and fabrics. Hidden within them lay a small infant. Her eyes shone like the very diamonds within the halls as she saw her father standing over her. Looking out for her. Tiny hands wriggled free from the warm depth of the blankets and tried to grab for his hair, however, Thorin instead let her hold on to his finger. She giggled as she pulled his hand further towards her. A smile graced his lips, as he cradled his daughter gently. “Aren’t you the most precious gem in all of Erebor?” His question was answered by a yawn from his daughter. Laying her down in her small wooden cradle, he stayed at her side for a few more minutes. “You are the only light in my life (Y/N).”

~285 Years prior~ “Daddy, look what I found!” Thorins eyes moved from the scroll on the table towards his daughter. Her long hair was braided into two pigtails, showcasing her pointy elvish ears. Hanging between her small fingers was a beautiful pearl necklace. “Where did you find this (Y/N)? I thought you were playing with Kili, Fili and your dolls?” His eyebrow raised in question, as the small girl suddenly hid the necklace from his sight. Her eyes were downcast, only showcasing her painfully obvious guilty expression even more. “Did they take you to the treasure room again?” A soft yes fell from her lips.

“Please don’t be angry daddy…” Thorin stood up from his chair and approached his daughter. Kneeling down, he put both his hands on her small shoulders. “I could never be angry with you princess. But next time you explore around the castle with your cousins, make sure to let me know, ok?” Her face lit up at the realisation that she in fact did not get herself or Kili and Fili into trouble. “I will daddy! I saw a biiiiiig crown for you.” And with those parting words his daughter ran towards the door, threw it open and squeezed past her cousins to find the crown she saw earlier.

“Soooo I guess we are off the hook as well?” Fili asks carefully. “Don’t let this happen again. At least let me know before you drag her into your crazy ideas.” “We just thought she might want to see a little bit more of her dwarvish side you know?” Kili joined his brothers side, playing with a coin he probably got from the treasure room. “After all she is only half-“ “Don’t say another word.” Thorins voice was laced with anger and hurt. “She is a dwarf and ONLY a dwarf. Nothing more and nothing less. And currently she is roaming the castle ALONE while you were in charge of taking care of her.“ „You are right uncle. Next time we will take her around to explore the castle, we will let you know in advance.“ Fili gave his brother a shove into the direction of the open doors before deciding to search for their little cousin.

~280 Years prior~ Thorin watched his daughter from a short distance, discussing some matters about mining with his father and grandfather. Thrór looked at the little girl and shook his head. „I still can‘t believe that you let this happen Thorin.“ The mentioned dwarf raised an eyebrow at the king. „What exactly do you mean by that?“ „Well, you let yourself get charmed by an elf and not only that but you let her leave you alone with a child. This child is not even completely a dwarf. Where is her beard? Instead she has pointy ears… She has too much from her mother.“ Thorins expression darkened at the hurtful words of his grandfather. „She is no elf. She might not look like a dwarf and might not be able to grow a beard like we do, however she will be raised as one of us and she is still my daughter. And she is still your great-granddaughter.“ Suddenly a scream disturbed their banter and as Thorin looked back at his daughter, he saw her trying to sit up.

Rushing towards her, he slowly helped her up and gave her a quick lookover. „Are you okay princess?“ She sniffled, wiped the dirt from her hands, as well as from her knees and looked at her father. „Daddy! Something bad happened! This frog ate the butterfly!“ A sigh of relief left his lips at the harmless declaration. „Please don‘t scare daddy like this ever again, okay sweetheart? I thought something bad happened to you.“ „I‘m sorry…“ After her apology she rushed over to her grandfather. „Grandfather, look! I picked you a flower!.“ Thráin smiled at the child in front of him, before taking the small flower from her hands. „It looks very beautiful. Thank you so much (Y/N).“ She smiled brightly at him, before holding another flower toward her great-grandfather. „I also got you one.“ He stared at the plant for a few seconds, before taking it from her without saying a word. She tilted her head to the side in confusion, after getting brushed off so carelessly. „So, Thorin. How are things going with the trading contract?“ 

~265 Years prior~ „You have to raise your elbow a bit higher to properly shoot an arrow (Y/N).“ Kili said, as he helped her adjust her posture. An annoyed sigh escaped her lips. „Can‘t we take like a short break?“ „If you can shoot something else than the ground around us, than sure.“ Taking an arrow from the quiver, which is slung across her back, she began to align it with her bow. Pulling the string all the way back, she gave Kili a quick glance before letting go and watching it fly through the air. The arrow didn’t hit the target, but instead hit the tree behind it.

„That was good! See for your first lesson in archery you are doing just fine!“ „You really think so?“ She excitedly asked her cousin, while slinging the bow across her back. „Definitely. Thorin will be so proud to hear that you won‘t just fight with swords and daggers, but also with arrows and bows.“ „About that… Could you maybe keep it a secret? He barely allowed me to hold a sword so if he finds out I am now also trying to get into archery…“ Her gaze was pleading, as she begged Kili to keep this between them. „I don‘t understand why he is so careful? I learned how to wield a sword when I was 10! And you are already 35 so why waste more time?“

His words echoed through her head. Why would her father be so against her being able to fight? Isn‘t it normal for a dwarf to be learning weaponry so early on in their life? „Hey Kili, do you think it is because I am different?“ The question made him stumble. „What? Never! He always made sure that you would not think that way. You are a dwarf.“ „Only half a dwarf though. I am also partly elf, don‘t forget that.“ This was also the reason why she was already a bit taller than most of her family members. Even though she was only 35 years old. Barely a teenager.

A smile graced her lips, as she leaned towards Kili. „You know, I found a book in the library about elvish customs. That‘s why I also tried a new hairstyle today.“ She spun around, to showcase him the flowers in her elvish braided hair. „They do braiding a little differently, than we do. They also don‘t use the beads we use, which honestly is really a big loss.“ „Never would I have thought that you would start looking into your elvish side.“ He laughed while giving her a gentle shove with his shoulder. „Of course! I mean I had to find out why I am the only one in the whole castle who won‘t grow a beard?“

„So how did shooting arrows go?“ Thorins voice made the two turn around in an instant. „Fili was quite surprised, knowing that I didn‘t know about your plans.“ She knew she should have told him. In the beginning the whole learning archery thing was just a joke between the three of you. Until she read the elvish book and saw a handsome elf man hold up an arrow with pride. Maybe, thought it would help her enjoy her elvish side a little bit more. „I am sorry father. I just thought I would try it out you know? All the other kids are already swinging axes around and braiding beards.“ She pouted at her father, as he took the bow and arrows from her. „You will learn how to properly fight soon enough, but you are still young. Go play with your toys while I discuss something with Kili, won‘t you.“ „Father, toys are for little kids and I am not a little kid anymore!“ „And you are still not an adult now, are you?“ Grumbling softly under her breath, she stormed off towards the castle.

~250 Years Prior~ „Do you really think it is a good idea (Y/N)?“ „Of course it is Kunri, don‘t worry too much. You just need to keep quiet, or else my father will find us.“ Her hand was wrapped around his wrist, pulling him along towards one of the towers. Their plan was to look up at the stars that were scattered across the sky. And maybe, just maybe kiss. It was the perfect idea and the perfect plan. Kunri was also the perfect dwarf in her mind. He was super sweet and kind. And his beard was always so well kept and braided. He also once complimented her hair, even though it wasn‘t braided in the typical dwarvish style. „We are almost there Kunri, I promise you, you will like the view.“ „But what if we get caught?“ The worry in his voice made her stop in her tracks and turn around. Facing him, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. „Nothing will happen and nobody will find us. The two of us will just watch some stars from the tower that‘s it.“ She gently smiled at him, before turning back around and continue on her way up the stairs. Kunri let out a sigh before following after her.

At the top of the stairs, she helped her companion up before watching his face glow up in delight. „Wow the stars are even brighter from up here!“ His hands were holding onto the stone railing while his gaze was focused on the shining lights above. „I always come up here if I need a moment from all the hectic princess lifestyle.“ She said, making herself comfortable beside the dwarf. Her heart began to hammer, as their arms grazed against each others for a split second. „Kunri I-„ „Do you think Touk would like it here?“ He accidentally cut her off. „What?“ She stammered, doubting herself and the words she just heard from her crush. „Ahh I just thought that… you know… I would like to present Touk a bead and I thought this place might be perfect you know?“ Her mouth formed a silent ‘o‘ at the statement. She didn‘t knew that he liked Touk. She always expected him to like her back. Why else would he spend so much time with her? Why else would he be willing to touch her hair? „I never knew you like Touk in that kind of way.“ She whispered, trying to mask the pain in her voice the best she could.

„I never told you? I‘m sorry, I thought I mentioned it a few times. Well, him and I, we just started thinking that we might be each others Ones you know?“ Biting down on her lip, she nodded at Kunris words. „Of course. I bet he would love it up here.“ She quickly wiped away the tear that fell from her eyes and stood up. „Well, I think we probably should be going now.“ „But we just arrived here?“ „Yes, but my father, you know he actually really loves this place and I don‘t think you want to be caught by him while the two of us are up here, in a romantic setting, alone.“ The desperation in her voice to leave this godforsaken tower made Kunri immediately take the first few steps down into the castle. Nobody talked and the only sound echoing off of the tight staircase were their feet hitting step after step. As soon as the both of them arrived at the bottom, she waved him goodbye and made her way back to her chambers. Her heart hammered in her chest, as the feeling of rejection rushed through her body. Tears began streaming down her face even before she arrived at her door. Throwing herself onto the bed, she let her emotions flow. Her heart began to ache at the lack of reciprocation for her feelings. Why couldn‘t she be his One? Why was it Touk? They didn‘t even look that cute together.

A knock was heard on the door. „Please leave, I am not in the mood right now.“ She said inbetween sobs. The door opened nonetheless. She turned around, so the intruder would only see her back and not her tear stained face. „Princess, what happened? Are you in pain?“ Thorins voice rang in her ears. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. „Father I am sorry but please just leave me alone.“ He took a step towards the bed. „You know I could help you with anything that is on your mind.“ „I don‘t need any advice or any help right now. I just want to be left alone.“ She pulled her blanket over her head to drown out his presence, as well as her thoughts. „Let me know if you need anything. Or when you are ready to talk about it.“ With those parting words and a heavy heart, he left his daughters room.

~200 Years Prior~ Sweat dripped down her forehead, as she wielded the sword against her opponent. Fili had an easy smile on his face as he beckoned her forward with his fingers. “Come on, is this all you got? I thought we trained you better.” An angry huff left her lips. Her stance shifted; her grip tightened around the sword as she rushed towards her cousin. The sound of metal hitting metal mixed with their grunts. Her hair flying from side to side while focussing on her target. His sword was aiming for her right side. Sidestepping him, she quickly dove for his neck. But before her sword could graze him, he kicked her in the shins. Taking a few steps back, she looked at him angrily. “That was so foul of you.” “Do you think the enemy would care?” Fili smirked down at her. A growl left her lips, before she advanced once more toward him. It didn’t take much for him to dodge her attacks. Suddenly her sword flew from her hands and landed a few meters away in the grass. “What are you going to do now (Y/N)? Surrender?” His mocking voice set her ablaze.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down and focused once more on her sparring partner. She hated it when either him or Kili won against her. They would nonstop tease her about it and she wouldn’t even hear the end of it. She rushed towards him for the third time, fists ready to strike. Seeing her, he readied his sword to take her down. Suddenly she shifted to the right, unsheathed a dagger from within her sleeve and struck him across the cheek. Surprise was evident on Filis face as his cousin quickly moved behind him. Her hand stealthily grabbing his wrist and twisting it so he would let go of the sword. Kicking him behind the knees, he buckled forward, arms behind his back and dagger at his neck. “And that is how you actually win a battle.” She whispered in his ears.

Clapping could be heard, behind them. “I really hope you never turn on your father.” She let go of Fili, before turning around and greeting Thorin. “I told you, I would best them both at some point.” A smile was on her lips, as she stood beside her father, watching her cousin stand up from the ground. “But will you best me?” Her head quickly pivoted to the dwarf beside her. He unsheathed his sword and took a few steps back from his daughter. “Show me what you have learned.” A smirk formed on her lips, before she walked over to where her sword lay in the grass. Spinning it around a few times she got into her fighting stance. They circled each other for a few seconds, before Thorin advanced towards her quickly. She barely got enough time to dodge the sword splitting her half. The strength of his blow shoved her back a few steps. Her surprised gaze lingered on her father. He barely gave her a second to calm down after the attack before diving right towards her once more. This time he aimed for her side. Dodging it she spun around, so she was behind him. Her sword was up, ready to take him down. Suddenly she felt a punch in her gut. Stumbling to the ground, she held her stomach. The tip of the sword was at her throat.

“Are you alright?” He asked her, making sure he didn’t hit her too hard. Holding out his hand, he helped his daughter up. “I didn’t expect you to be so…” “Brutal? Lethal? Violent?” Fili said, while standing behind his uncle. “Yeah…” “The enemy doesn’t care if you are a woman or my daughter.” She let her fathers’ words sink in. “From now on, you won’t just train with Kili and Fili but with me as well.” A soft hum of approval passed her lips. Wiping off the dirt from her pants and readjusting her stance, as well as the grip on her weapon, she readied herself for another round of sparring with her father.

~171 Years Prior~ Smoke was filling her lungs, as she run alongside her father. The dragon Smaug was infiltrating the castle and they were trying to fight back as much as possible. “Find as many as you can and evacuate them!” “But what about you?” Rubble fell around them as the ground beneath them shook. “I will find Thrór and take care of the situation inside the throne room.” Thorin said, unsheathing his sword and pushing through the dwarves who are frantically running around. The thought of following her father came to mind, but she quickly chose against it. Her job was to evacuate as many people as she possibly could. So she rushed into the opposite direction of her father. “You have to leave as fast as you can! Leave while you can! Run towards safety!” She screamed while passing through various hallways. “Leave Erebor! Leave! Run towards safety!”

 Sweat was dripping down her forehead, as she turned corner after corner, ushering out as many dwarves as she could. „(Y/N)! Have you checked the dining hall?“ Dwalin had his axe in his hand, ready to take out the beast if it passed him. „Not yet, but I was on my way there.“ „I will go into the direction of the courtyard. I‘ll keep them safe out there.“ She nodded at his words and took off into the mentioned direction. Throwing open the massive wooden doors, she immediately began to usher all of the stumbling dwarves outside. „Leave through the main gate immediately! If you can, travel into the direction of the Caves of Aglarond!“ Most of them listened to her words. Checking the room once more, she picked up an injured dwarf. „It will be faster this way.“ She muttered, as she carried the woman in her arms. Finally outside, she took a deep breath of fresh air before searching for her father and grandfathers. Spotting them in the distance, she began to approach them. Thorin immediately rushed to her and took her in his arms. „Are you alright? Did you get hurt?“ He held her at arms length and scanned her body for any wounds. „Father, don‘t worry I am fine.“ A gentle smile graced her lips for a split second, before disappearing once more as realisation dawned upon her. Her home was destroyed. The dragon infiltrated the castle and made it its own. „What are we supposed to do now?“ „We will travel towards Rohan and seek shelter.“ Casting Erebor one last look, they began their travels towards Rohan. Towards the Caves of Aglarond. Far away from home.

~1 Year Prior~ „Who is this last person that is going to join us on our way to Erebor?“ She asked her father, who was walking alongside her. „I don‘t know. Gandalf told me he knew just the right person for the job.“ A hum left her lips at his answer. Over 100 years have passed since Erebor got violently invaded by the dragon Smaug. And so many things have changed. Thorin and his daughter have been traveling far and wide passing through various towns and villages. Finding work was hard. People barely accepted Thorin among them but his daughter? They wouldn‘t even look at her. Until she could prove that she was just as good (and often even better) than most of their employees. Especially, when it came to forging weapons. Her keen eye for detail made each and every single piece a one of a kind, which were then sold at a insanely high price. 

A small village was forming on the horizon. „Do you think we will make it before the others eat our portion of the dinner?“ She jokingly asked Thorin, shoving him with her elbow. „I doubt it, if Dwalin and Bombur arrive before us.“ A soft laugh escaped her lips. Never would she have thought that the day would come where all of them would go on an adventure to return to Erebor. To reclaim Erebor as their mountain. As their home. It made her heart fill with warmth. „I can‘t wait to see them all again. Especially Kili and Fili! Do you remember, when we stole great grandpapas crown? You even watched the three of us retreat with our treasure!“ „How could I forget? After your little thievery, he yelled around the whole throne room and even accused me of stealing it.“ „Did you ever tell him that it was us?“ She asked him curiously. „Not you. Just Kili and Fili.“ A gasp fell from her lips at his words. „So that is why they were so mean to me during practice!“ 

The sun was already down, when they arrived in the small village. Only the lights of the lamps alongside the path illuminated Bag End. It was a strange new place. Most of the town was covered by various different hills that were various different sizes. From small ones, to big ones. However, all of them had round doors and matching round windows, to indicate that these were no normal dirt hills. These were someone’s homes. Stopping in front of a door, Thorin knocked on the wood. Rustling and grumbling, as well as cheering and singing could be heard from inside. „Sounds like everyone else is already inside.“ Thorin mumbled from beside her. She leaned down towards the window and tried to peep inside, however she couldn‘t make out much. Suddenly the door flung open and inside stood a angry looking hobbit. A sigh left his lips, before he took a step to the side. „Welcome, please come inside. Your companions are already waiting.“ Smiling down at him, she followed inside after her father.

Most weapons, bags and coats were flung carelessly onto the ground. Placing her bow and quiver beside the pile of swords, she hung her coat onto the coatrack, before turning towards the host. „Thank you so much for hosting our departure dinner Mr….“ „Baggins, Bilbo Baggins. Here at your service.“ She smiled brightly at him. „Thank you Mr. Baggins.“ Her posture was a bit crouched, due to the fact that the chandelier almost hit her in the face. The sound of laughter grew louder the closer they got towards the dining area. „Ahh (Y/N)! And of course the king himself, Thorin Oakenshield.“ Gandalf greeted them both, ducking under the chandelier in order to get closer to Thorin. Scooting past the wizard, she sat down beside Fili. „Finally you arrived! Now we can begin with the proper festivities.“ He said, shovelling some food onto his plate. The warmth of the wonderful company filled her heart with glee and excitement. She knew that the journey just began, but deep down she also knew that no matter what happens, they will get back to Erebor and they will slay the dragon. 

~10 Months Prior~ „I do not wish to be in the presence of these elves.“ Thorin grumbled, trying to decline Gandalfs idea. „You are in dire need of a proper shelter and you know that Rivendell is close by. Also Elrond might help us get some insight about-„ „I do not wish to seek his help.“ She knew why her father was so incredibly opposed to visit Rivendell. Even though Lord Elrond never did anything to awaken Thorins wrath. At least not personally. She has noticed king Thranduil at the edge of the forest herself. Seen how he majestically sat atop of his elk. And declined to help them fight against Smaug. Her heart ached that night. Having lost not only her home but also one of Erebors strongest alliances.

„Father, Lord Elrond wasn‘t the one to ignore our call for help. So please, give him a chance. He might now how we could open the hidden door.“ Her pleading softened his tough facade. A sigh escaped his lips, as he looked forward. „We will only stay one night. None more.“ „Wonderful! Than let‘s change course towards Rivendell.“ Gandalf gave her a nod as a sign of thanks, before departing from the two of them. „I did not knew that you saw the king that day as well.“ Thorins brows were furrowed as the memory of this dreadful time resurfaced. „I spotted them when they turned around to leave us behind.“ Her hand landed on his shoulder, a gentle reminder that both of them survived the attack. „But this does not mean that I have a grudge against them.“ 

A gentle smile formed on his lips. „You will be a wonderful queen one day.“

She looked down at him, flabbergasted at his words. Never had she thought that at some point she will become a queen. Neither did she ever think about the fact that there might be a time when she will rule the kingdom. „A queen?“ „Of course. You are my daughter after all and you will inherit everything.“ Silence fell between them, as she thought about her fathers words. „What is it like to be a king? Is it hard?“ „I sadly did not get the chance to properly rule over Erebor yet, but this power comes with a great deal of responsibility. You need to make sure your kingdom works. This means that the people, who live inside your kingdom have little to complain about the way you rule over them. You need to take care of them. Think about what is best for everyone, not just one singular person.“ She nodded at his words, making sure to note everything mentally down. Just in case she really does become a queen.

„There are rulers, who have a heart made out of ice and are soulless. Creatures, who do not care about their lands. About their kingdom. All they want is the power that royalty gets them. But there are also kings and queens who rule with the warmth of their heart. That put their people first and themselves last. You yourself need to decide what type of queen you will be.“ „Father, will you be there for me and teach me when the time comes?“ Thorin stopped in his tracks at his daughters question. Taking her hands in his he looked up at her. Her pointed ears and her slightly taller frame are the only things that distinguish her from being a full dwarf. That and the lack of a beard. But suddenly a dreadful thought slithered into his head. Would he really be able to teach her? Will he be able to stay by her side until then? He is after all a mortal and will die at some point in his life, but his daughter?

A small smile graced his lips, as he gave her hands a gentle squeeze. „Of course I will. You will be the best queen Erebor will ever see.“ She gave him a hug at his reassuring words, before they continued on on their way to Rivendell.

Hours passed and they finally arrived at their destination for the night. Taking everything in, she gasped at the marvellous beauty that was Rivendell. The trees were beautiful. The architecture was breathtaking. And the people? Beautiful. Never had she seen such beautiful clothes and dainty jewellery. She loved the gems and jewels that lay deep in the treasure cove of Erebor, but these? They were breathtaking. „Please, welcome to Rivendell. You shall be escorted to your rooms. Clean yourselves and as soon as you will be ready dinner will be served.“ The words of Lord Elrond brought her back into reality. An elf stood in front of her. A woman who’s beauty rivalled with the flowers in the lushes garden. She was taller than her and her ears pointier. A real elf, not just an half elf like herself. Following the woman down a corridor, they stopped at a wooden door. „The bath is ready for you princess and a gown was prepared for you as a welcome present. If you need anything else, please call for my aid.“ And with those parting words the maid left her alone in front of the door. Turning the knob, she stepped through the wooden door. A gasp left her lips at the room. Windows that went from the floor to the top of the ceiling let in the warm sunlight and gave the room a golden glow. The bed looked like it was stolen from the sky above. Like the softest cloud she had ever laid her eyes upon. And the dress on top of it. A long dark green gown with beautiful golden vines sown into it. Oh she could not wait to get ready. 

Setting her weapons, as well as her cape down into a corner of the room, she immediately headed for the bathroom. She was craving a warm bath, having already forgotten what warm water even felt like on her body. During her travels with her father they mostly had to house at inns and various different locations that did not offer the luxury of warm water. Throwing her clothes off, she let her foot sink into the water. The warmth immediately engulfed her and a satisfied hiss left her lips. Her aching muscles finally got time to relax. She did not ever want to step out of there. Closing her eyes, she let her body sink even further into the liquid. Is this what the heavens feel like? Is this eternal happiness? After enough time passed she had to abandon the waters and step into the dress. The fabric of the gown was soft to the touch and she let out a gentle giggle as she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a real fairytale princess. Leaving the room, she headed for the dinner hall.

Thorin could not believe his eyes as he saw his daughter enter the room. She fully looked like her mother in this moment. Like a real elf. Like she belonged here. „You look beautiful my little princess.“ He said, a smile on his lips. „Thank you father.“ Bowing her head, she stood beside him, looking over Rivendell. „So you are princess (Y/N). Welcome to Rivendell.“ „Thank you Lord Elrond. I have read quite a few books about it but no words do this beautiful lands justice.“ A smile formed on the elf’s lips at her phrase. „It indeed is breathtaking isn‘t it? I remember when your mother first stepped into the castle. She was astonished as you were.“ She blinked at his words. „You have met my mother?“ „Of course. But this is not the time to be discussing these things I assume?“ Elronds gaze moved from her to Thorin, his glare cutting through the topic. „Maybe another time.“ Her voice so quite, it was almost inaudible. This was the first time she was inside of Rivendell and the first time she met Lord Elrond. And he knew her mother? Her mother was often a topic that was avoided by her father. He didn‘t despise talking about her. Quite the opposite. He loved her so incredibly much that it pained him to the core to talk about her. Because talking about her reminded him of her not being around. Not having witnessed his daughter grow up. So she always tried her best to bring up her mother as little as possible. To not hurt her grieving father even more. Sometimes during really tough times, she considered that he might be happier if her mother would still be around instead of her. But these thoughts were quickly diminished when he would knock on her door, a fresh batch of cookies in his hand and a beaming smile on his face.

„I will leave you to your important meeting now.“ She said, bowing slightly to Lord Elrond, before joining the others on the long dinner table. Their faces were filled with disappointment and disgust as they inspected the lettuce on their plates. One would think that there was no food on their plates but disgusting cockroaches spiked on some picks. Sitting beside Balin, she looked down onto her plate. „Why this sour reaction? This food doesn‘t look that bad.“ „Well it is- Wow.“ Balin stopped in the middle of his sentence as he gave her a once over. „You are the spitting image of your mother.“ A blush formed on her cheeks at the heartfelt compliment. She saw some beautiful paintings of her mother and she always wished to be just like her. „Thank you.“ Eating her dinner, she listened to the soft violins that played soft background music. „You look more like an elf now. It‘s almost like your dwarf packed its bags and left.“ Kili suddenly said from opposite of her. „Hahaha I can barely contain my laughter.“ She sarcastically answered. „You would wish I would pack my things and leave you behind, but who else would kick your butt during sparring sessions?“ „Hey! Just because you beat me last time, doesn‘t mean that you will beat me all the time.“ A laugh escaped her lips at her cousins defiance. 

Sadly the dinner passed all too quickly and soon enough she found herself inside her room once more. Her nightgown, a white long dress, gently swayed around her legs, as she gazed at the stars high above. The night was tranquil and it felt like an eternity that she felt this peaceful. It was almost as if everything was alright. As if she wasn‘t on a journey to find an enormous beast and get back the lonely mountain. Is this what it will be like after she returns home?

~5 Months Prior~ „He said we only need to follow the path so this is what we will be doing.“ Thorins voice echoed in her head, as she gazed at her companions that completely abandoned the aforementioned path. „This is not right, come back!“ Following them deeper into the forest, a shiver went down her spine. The light didn‘t properly reach this part and it was quite eerie. Except for the dwarves who kept on talking and babbling some nonsense. This was madness. They have to return to the… path? She turned around. Only tall trees and bushes were in her line of sight. Turning back around she saw that one dwarf was missing. Who was missing? Why was he missing? What even was she doing here? A scream from her right brought her back into reality. Immediately she unsheathed her sword and ripped Bilbo from the claws of the enormous spider. 

„What is going on? Why is my mind so hazy?“ The panic in her voice unsettled Bilbo. „I don‘t know, but what I do know is that there are more spiders coming.“ Getting surrounded by these beasts was not what Gandalf had in mind as he sent the company through the forest. Neither did she expect to find herself fighting against an eight legged monster. The metal of her sword clashed against the fangs that were ready to strike her down. Diving down she slashed through two of its legs, before piercing its body in the middle with her sword. Her mind was foggy, which made her stumble in her steps. The others were trying to hold back the spiders but it was no use. Suddenly arrows flew through the sky, hitting beast after beast. Not being able to comprehend what was happening she stood there, sword by her side. Elves had arrived to slay the spiders. Her eyes caught onto a blonde haired elf and she watched, as he slowly descended towards her. „What are you doing here?“ The stranger asked her. Her mouth opened and closed. No answer was able to pass her lips, as she took him in. His eyes were analysing her, as well as the dwarves behind her. His beautiful ocean blue eyes. And his beautiful blonde hair. It was partially braided, showcasing his pointed ears. His beautiful pink lushes pink lips. They seemed to move but no words would register in her mind. Did she become deaf after leaving the path? His hands grabbed her shoulders, turned her around and bound her wrists together. 

The moment her mind finally cleared up she found herself inside the Mirkwood palace. Bound by her wrists and all of them in a row. In front of King Thranduil. „I did not expect to see you wandering around my forest Thorin Oakenshield.“ He said, his voice laced with slight mockery. „Let us leave. Now.“ Thranduil raised an eyebrow at his request. „You trespass through my lands and do as you please. Why would I just let you leave now? You actually had luck that my son was on patrol. Else you would have gone mad and lost yourself to the forest.“ His head was held high as he let his gaze wander over each and everyone. „You even brought your daughter on your journey. That is quite a surprise. Considering you held her hostage most of her life in the mountain.“ „Don‘t you dare say another word about her.“ Her father shook in his shackles. The anger that was radiating off of him could heat up the entire castle. Thranduil made a move with his hands, almost as if he would dismiss the lot of them. „Please, enjoy your stay in the dungeon.“ Guards were escorting them, her being the last in the line. „Except for her. She shall stay in the castle a little while longer.“ At this Thorin began to thrash around. „Don‘t you dare-„ His voice was cut off as the door to the dungeons shut.

Her eyes widened as she realised that she was standing in the throne room of the Mirkwood castle. All alone. Tied up. „Tell me dear, what were you doing here.“ Staring at the king on his throne she swallowed hard and shook her head. „I shall not talk about it.“ Her gaze wandered over to his son, who was standing beside the throne. The beautiful man who is the whole reason she ended up here. „It is not every day that people wander through my woods. And even less that they wander off of the path. So I think you should definitely tell me.“ He suddenly stood up and walked towards her. His face only a few inches from his own. „Why did you decide to walk through Mirkwood and what is the goal of your journey?“ Suddenly the memories of the time as tragedy hit Erebor and Thranduil refused help resurfaced. „You did not help in our dire need of help. Why is that?“ A smirk formed on his lips at her question. „You dwarves got what you sowed. You were greedy and only the greediest get a visit from a dragon. And Smaug is one of the dragons for the most greedy souls.“ Her eyebrows furrowed at his words. „We just kept what was ours safe.“ „No you did not!“ His booming voice made her flinch. „You kept the thing I hold dear far far beneath your precious mountain and this is the price you had to pay. Not just for the diamonds but for the gold and silver that you hoard. One could have even easily mistaken you lot for dragons it it wasn‘t for your short statue and your beard.“ He took a quick look at her. „Except for you as a halfling. Neither fully dwarf, nor fully elf.“ She bit her lips at his words. The people in Erebor accepted her, adored her even. But even them would sometimes approach her with caution. Considering she was only half a dwarf. Different from them.

“Father, I think this is enough.” Thranduil stared at her for a few seconds longer, before retreating to his throne. “Legolas, please escort her back to her father.” Nodding at the request, the prince approached her. Grabbing her gently by her shoulders, he guided her towards the staircase that led to the imprisoned dwarves. “I apologize for my fathers words.” Legolas suddenly whispered, still leading her down the stone steps. “It is alright. Nothing I haven’t heard before.” She shrugged her shoulders. The words might not hurt as badly as the countless times before, but they still leave an unpleasant aftertaste. “Might I ask, how exactly did you end up in the middle of the forest?” “We never intended to leave the path, but one thing led to the other and now we seem to be stuck in your castle.” A hum left Legolas lips at her explanation. “You know, if you think about escaping then I would recommend doing so tonight. There are some festivities and preparations are currently taking place. Which means that most guards are not around in the dungeons. Or at least a lot less than normally.” She turned her head around to look at the man behind her, his words confusing her. “Why would you tell me this?” Suddenly her wrists were freed from the cold metal that bound them together. Turning around, she gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t think it is fair for you and your company to be held hostage.” Legolas smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling like diamonds. “Thank you so much.” She said, giving him a smile of her own before continuing on her way to the dungeons.

As the both of them arrived downstairs, Thorin immediately walked up to the bars. His eyes filled with anger at the close proximity of Legolas to his daughter. And the thought about what the king might have done to her. Opening the cell beside his, she was gently guided inside, the door falling shut behind her. The click of the key shutting her inside bounced off of the walls. Her hands grabbed the bars tightly. Legolas leaned towards her, his own hands just mere centimetres above her own. “Make sure to check your pockets at some point.” A soft nod from her indicated him that she understood the hint he gave her. “You have no need to get so cozy with my daughter now.” Thorin grumbled, having watched them the entire time. Lifting his hands up in surrender, the prince took a few steps away from the cell. “Of course. Enjoy your stay in Mirkwood.” And with these parting words he went back towards the throne room.

Time flew by as they were walking through the dark corridors, finding a way to get out of the castle unnoticed. Bilbo, for some unknown reason, did not get snatched by the guards and found himself standing in front of the locked-up cells. Without a key. Luckily Legolas seemed to want to help and slipped some copies of the keys into her pockets, which she of course quickly handed the hobbit.

“I was able to roam around a bit and found a wine cellar. I think the best option would be to get into the barrel and let them fall through the opening into the river below.” Nodding at the plan he just explained, each of the dwarves got comfortable inside one of the barrels. However, it was quickly noticed, that there weren’t enough barrels for everyone. “I can find another way out of the castle.” She quickly said, taking a step back from the company. “No. You should get inside. I will just follow you in some other way.” Thorin tried to argue but she just shook her head at his stubbornness. “No, they will catch you and you will be stuck here for eternity. We can’t risk that. I at least can blend into here. I am after all half-elf as well.” He thought about her argument for a few more seconds. Just as he was about to say something else, they heard footsteps approach. Shoving them into barrels and putting lids on top of them, she pulled the lever and watched each of them fall into the river below. The sound of people rushing towards the wine cellar made her duck behind a wall. Two guards walked through the door, arguing that they shouldn’t have left their spots. Their backs were turned towards her. Grabbing two glass bottles, she silently crouched towards them and hit each of them in the head. Both fell down with a loud thud. Quickly binding them she stripped one of them out of his uniform and put it on herself. It was a tad bit to big but it should still work. She should still pass as one of the Mirkwood guards.

Outside the cellars doors, there were guards rushing outside. One of them stopped in his tracks and gave her a once over. “What are you still doing here? The prisoners escaped! Go up there and make sure they don’t leave Mirkwood!” Nodding quickly at the order, she followed them outside. There she saw Legolas, trying to shoot down some Orks that for some reason seem to have found her and the company once more. Running after them she made sure to shoot arrows at anyone who seemed to attack the dwarfs. She heard Fili scream something at Kili, as the latter seemed to try and open the water flow, so they wouldn’t be stuck in Mirkwood anymore. That’s when an arrow landed in his thigh. “Kili!” She tried to run towards him, tried to help him. A Ork tried to approach him, but he was quickly taken care off by an arrow that flew from her bow. Reaching his side, she wrapped an arm around his back and half dragged and half carried him back to the barrel before it was swept away by the stream. Settling inside the small wooden compartment, her cousin let out a hiss of pain. “Are you alright?” Worry laced her words. She didn’t have a chance to examine the wound. “I will survive, don’t worry about it.” His voice wavered, as his mind still was focused on the gaping hole in his leg. Her arms tightened around him, making sure he won’t stumble out of the barrel. “Yes, we will take care of it, as soon as we arrive on land.” And with that they all let the river take them to their next destination.

~3 Months Prior~ He wouldn’t let her go. He constantly was by her side, making sure she was always around and in his reach 24/7. Making sure she is safe. And it drained her. She loved her father but ever since Kili almost died due to the poison in his system and the reconquest of Erebor he has been acting… differently. He was almost obsessed with her. “Father, I know you only mean well, but you have to let me go.” His eyes moved from the Arkenstone in his hand to his daughter. “Nonsense. There is no need for you to leave.” “But father, the people-“ “I don’t care about the people! Your safety is my priority and you shall not leave the castles grounds!” Anger bubbled up inside of her. “But what about Balin? What about Dwalin? What about all the other dwarves? War is about to happen outside and you are cooped up inside of this room, constantly staring at this stupid stone!”

“This is not a stupid stone!” His booming voice echoed through the halls. “This gem is the Arkenstone.“

Her eyes widened at his strange behaviour. She knew he was sick. She knew it was the stones fault that he behaved like an absolute lunatic. It happened to her great grandfather before. „Father, this is not like you at all!“ Thorins eyes narrowed on her, the gem set aside on the throne, as he walked up to her. „You will not leave this castle. Matter of fact, you will not even leave my side. You are my daughter and I will ensure your safety.“ He was quite shorter than her, however he was still intimidating. Especially under the influence of the dragon sickness. In the corner of her eye she noticed some movement. „I wish I could stay with you. I wish I could ease your mind, but this is not how we can save Erebor. I am sorry.“ She quickly ran away from the dwarf, far away from the throne and the king. Towards the door. Towards freedom. But she didn‘t make it far. Because Thorin snatched her wrist and snaked his arms around her body. Suffocating her in a hug. Keeping her close to him. Encasing her in his loving embrace. „You are my daughter (Y/N). Nothing will steal you away from me.“ What he did not see though, was her mouthing to Bilbo to grab the stone and make his quick escape, hoping this would turn her father back to the man he was before.

~2 Weeks Prior~ „I wish that we wouldn‘t have to go into battle.“ She said, looking up into the cloudy sky. The weather had been gloomy since days, almost as if even nature knew what was about to go down. „I agree. But sadly, it is not our choice to make.“ Legolas joined her side, leaning his arms on the castles stone walls that kept them safe. At least for now. „As if the dragon wasn‘t enough already, we have to fight against an army of orcs. It is so silly.“ She let out a pitiful laugh at the dire situation. The kingdom, just saved from the claws of a monster, faces another evil incoming. „Erebor will be saved. This battle will be won and the kingdom will be brought back to its former glory.“ The elf prince beside her smiled down at her, carefully grabbing her hand and letting his thumb reassuringly caress her skin. Heat bloomed on her cheeks at his gentle touch. „I appreciate your help Legolas. Yours and of course the help of your father.“ Her fingers tightened around his hand, squeezing it.

She was scared. War is just a few days away and who knows how long it will go on for? She just got back her home and her father finally found himself once more. No longer ill with the dragon sickness and now they all have to fight once more. For Erebor. When will it ever be enough? She let out a shaky breath. „What if we lose? What if Azog wins? What if we all will fall and-„ Her words were cut off. Her words were cut off due to a pair of lips on hers. A gentle kiss silenced her. A gentle kiss from Legolas silenced her. She barely registered what happened and he already pulled away. Her heart raced and her eyes took him in. His cheeks were tinted red and his eyes glistened with unsaid feelings. „We will not loose this war. We will not loose each other and we will win back your home.“ His reassuring words filled her with hope. "And afterward I will properly court you. In the dwarvish ways and in the elvish ways. In both ways." A gasp left her lips, as she registered what he just said. A bright smile graced her lips. "You might have to face another battle then. A battle even worse than the one that is about to hit Erebor. The battle with my father." Taking her hand, he brought it up to his lips and layed a gentle kiss on it. "I will make sure to ease the battle and get his blessing. For I will not let him stop my love for you." Her heart filled with warmth. Never did anybody ever say such things to her. Such lovely things. Such poetic lines. Her fingers traced gentle lines over his face, before pulling him down for another loving kiss.

Unbeknownst to her, Thorin watched the whole interaction through the window of his study. Anger bubbled inside the king, as his glare was set on the blonde-haired prince. But he also felt a pang in his chest. An ache in his heart. Legolas was an elf and so was his daughter. Even though she was only partly an elf, she still was one. The only thing that could kill her were wounds inflicted upon her. But not her age. She would live a long life, which he could not. His life was numbered. He was a mortal, like the men walking the earth or the hobbit who was their little thief. Meanwhile her lifespan was infinitely. „You might kill the prince with your eyes soon, Thorin Oakenshield.“ Gandalfs words cut through the dwarfs thoughts. „What is bothering you? Is it the love they have for each other? Or is it something else?” The wizard took a puff of his pipe. „It is neither of those and nothing of your concern.“ „Oh it might not be, but it could ease your mind to share your troubles with a friend.“„I am just worried. Worried like a father normally worries.“ Another puff of smoke left Gandalfs lips, as he thought about Thorins muttered words. „I think you do not need to worry. She is a capable young woman. She can handle herself perfectly fine.“ „I know. That is what I am worried about.“ The wizard let out a knowing chuckle. „Every daughter needs her father. No matter how old they are.“ A smile graced Thorins lips at the reassuring words. „I hope so.“

~10 Minutes Prior~ Blood. So much blood. And screams. But her mind was blank. She just saw both her cousins stabbed to death. Both their eyes wide open as their souls began to leave their bodies. Both their blood on her hands. But she had no time to mourn them. Even if it cut deep into her heart and sliced her apart. A cold reminder of the war surrounding her. She has to go help her father. Help him defeat Azog and finally end this nightmare. Her body felt numb, as she passed several orcs, slicing them down. Ending them. Killing them like they were killing her family. Her legs carried her further and further, her speed never faltering. Arrows flying from her bow into the orcs heads on the way. Finally she spotted her father at the top. He was wielding his sword against Azog in a heated battle. She had to help him. Stepping on the ice she stumbled a bit. How was Thorin managing to fight on it? Finding her balance, she watched Azog throw around his metallic chained up rock to smash Thorin into pieces but he always dodged his attacks. However, the ice underneath suffered tragically and began to break apart. This made her wobble and step back onto the grass.  The dwarf king and the orc stared at each other, clashing their weapons around until the sound of eagles echoed through the vast space. The sound of them approaching and flying above them distracted Azog long enough for Thorin to take his chances and throw the orcs own weapon into his hands. Stepping off of the small ice he watched, as his enemy fell into the cold water below.

The silence was deafening. Was it over? Was he finally defeated? She couldn’t believe it. Dropping her wooden bow on the ground she stared at her father, who was still miles away from her. Still on top of the frozen water. He smiled at her and she carefully began to take a step into his direction. But Thorin suddenly held out his hand, gesturing for her to stop in her tracks. His eyes were focused on the frozen ground underneath him. He began to follow whatever he saw, leaving his daughter behind. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and watched the king walk around. Suddenly a scream ripped from his throat. She stumbled backwards at the shocking sound. Her heart began to race as Azog resurfaced and the battle continued. „Father!“ She screamed, her shaking hands fumbling for her arrows and picking up her weapon from the ground. The frozen ground was shredded into tiny bits, making it impossible for her to join Thorins side and help him in close combat. So she had to aim for the enemy with her bow. Lodging one of the arrows, she let it fire and whirl through the wind. But she missed. Her arrows falling left and right into the water. The only sound that was heard were their grunts as Thorin lay underneath the orc, fighting for his life. He couldn‘t die like that. He couldn‘t die at all! She tried to grab another arrow, but there were none left.

Taking out her sword, she jumped onto one of the few ice pieces and began to slowly approach them. Her feet slipped countless times and her legs stung due to the cold water, but she still stumbled towards them. She had to help her father out. He needed her. Suddenly her father groaned and her eyes widened, as she saw that he stabbed Azog. They switched places and the orc lay lifeless underneath him. She stopped in her tracks, clinging onto the ice. It finally was over. The war was over. That was until her father fell to the ground. Her heart stopped and she immediately ran towards him. „Father!“ Her screams traveled across the empty field. Her arms and legs flailed as she jumped her way towards him. Her knees hit the ground beside him. Blood was pooling out of his wound and she immediately cradled his head in her lap. More blood oozed out of his lips, as he tried to utter some words. „Don’t talk! You will lose more blood.“ Tears began to stream down her face, as she watched him struggle more. He reached a shaking hand out toward her cheek. She leaned into his cold touch. „You will be a wonderful queen and… a wonderful ruler…“ He coughed. Hiccups fell from her own as she watched his life disappear from his eyes. „You can‘t die. We still have so much to do, you can‘t leave me yet. Please.“ Her voice cracked as she held her father closer. Her hands were pressing down on his wound. „I need a healer. You need a healer. I will press on your wound. Stay with me dad, please. I need you, please!“ Another cough from him cut her off. „I will always be by your side (Y/N).“ More tears fell from her eyes. He smiled up at her. „You are my… most important treasure.“

His hand slowly dropped from her face and his eyes began to close. „No. No!“ Her heart stopped. She tightly cradled him to her chest as more tears fell. As raw screams rippled from her throat. Even when Bilbo approached her, she didn‘t stop. She wailed like a baby while holding him, hoping he would open his eyes once more. Hoping he would hold her once more or give her a kiss on the head. „Please wake up.“ She whispered, her forehead touching his. But he never listened. She didn‘t even notice Legolas. Or how he gently lifted her from the ground. Or how they got back into the castle. The only thing she could remember was her father on the ice and how his blood soaked the water.

~5 Years After~ „You know, your father was worried about you.“ Gandalfs words made her turn around, surprise and confusion written over her face. „What do you mean?“ „He once saw you engaging with the prince. Well, who now is the king of Erebor.“ She smiled at the thought of her father. He always used to throw glares at the elf when he sat too close to her during the dinner. „He was worried that you might not find a place on Middle Earth.“ She frowned at his words. She didn‘t know that Thorin was worried about her. About her not being able to fit in. „But he also told me how proud he was of you.“ „How so?“ „He saw how you stood up against the dwarves and elf that belittled you. That told you that you belonged nowhere.“ The wizards words resurfaced the pain and bullying she had to endure. Not being a dwarf and neither being an elf was tough on her and most people did not take kindly upon her. But that never stopped her from stepping up for herself. From showing them that she deserves to be there, as much as they deserve to roam the world. „He told me that you will be a wonderful queen once you wear the crown. And it seems, that he was right.“ A bright smile graced her face at the compliment. „Thank you Gandalf.“ She turned towards the window and looked up into the night sky. „And thank you father. Thank you for believing in me.“

[ironunderstands]

Topaz appreciation post because she’s been rotating around my brain like a rotisserie chicken and I need y’all to get her like I do 

Genuinely, I believe her to be the most underrated limited 5 star in the game everything wise, because she is so damn interesting and nobody talks about it ever and it drives me nuts.

So, I’m going to make you understand why exactly I love her and what makes her so amazing in the first place.

Her lore 

Topaz’s lore is rather simple, at least compared to other characters in the game, but simple ≠ bad and her story serves her perfectly.

Long before Topaz was Topaz, she was a girl named Jelena, living in a desolate planet at the edge of the galaxy. The economy of this planet was based around mining and industry, which resulted in her home becoming more and more polluted as time went on. The wildlife almost completely disappeared, people had to wear masks to breathe, and it seemed like her planet was reaching a hopeless, dismal end.

Until the IPC came. They promised to fix everything, and heal her planet of its environment problems, in exchange for every person on the planet signing a contract of indentured servitude to the IPC. Seeing no other way out, Topaz’s home accepted, forever tying her and the rest of the planet to the IPC.

Topaz is was (and still is) incredibly talented and competent, excelling in science, economics, finances, math, etc. Her exceptional talents caused her mentor  and parental figure Dvorski, who works in the Strategic Investment Department to recommend her to Jade, one of his superiors. Presumably, this is how she started her climb up the corporate latter, eventually becoming the Topaz we know and love today. 

Throughout this, she maintained her friendly and headstrong attitude, and never abandoned her love for animals or the people in her life like Dvorski, a trait which will be important for later. 

So, I’ve established the basics, so what makes this interesting?

Topaz’s trauma and how it affects her character 

I feel like a lot of people ignore just how much trauma she really has, and how it affects the way she behaves in the present.

For starters, her love of animals. Sure, Numby is adorable and in general this is a rather fun trait for a character to have, it’s not something you would consider to be a sign of something darker. 

However, remember that Topaz’s planet almost lost all of the life on it, and she witnessed firsthand almost every creature she knew and loved either go extinct or become severely endangered. 

So, when you view her love for animals through this lense, it’s easy to see that she’s so attached to animals because Topaz almost lost them forever, and this trait manifests in a lot of the behavior she exhibits.

According to Topaz herself, her efficiency goes up 27% when Numby is with her, and it seems to be blatantly obvious that being around animals give her at the very least a peace of mind/sense of comfort. I mean in game she is Topaz and Numby for a reason, and her relationship with them is a core part of the way she behaves. When Topaz can’t ground herself, she has Numby to help her with that, which hurts even more considering she is likely going on these missions alone 90% of the time, meaning her literal only friend is a pet/animal. 

Considering Topaz’s biological parents never get mentioned, it’s not hard to assume she is orphaned or at the very least estranged from them, likely due to the disaster on her planet, leaving her only loved ones to be her pets and Dvorski. Losing one half of the only support system she has would be devastating for Topaz, which is likely why she brings Numby everywhere (also considering I don’t think she has mentioned him in the present, her pets might literally be the only things she has left). 

In her own home, Topaz collects a myriad of species from across the galaxy, as if to preserve them so at least even if they disappear on their home planets like hers did, they won’t go extinct entirely. 

Personally, I think her fixation around them cooperating and coexisting also reflects on how she feels about other people. If animals from completely different planets can get along, so can people. If she can convince creatures lacking in intellect work together, then she can do the same for ones that possess it, as ultimately Topaz is a massive people person, and believes what she’s doing is best for the galaxy. 

It’s almost like an experiment, with every little change to their ecosystems, every new organism added, every new abiotic feature taken or removed, Topaz can simulate what that might be like in reality. In a way she wants to take care of humans  like she does her pets, however instead of doing it through her own means, she uses the IPC and her power as a Stoneheart as a vector for that.

But why is she so confident? What makes Topaz wholeheartedly believe that what she’s doing really is the best for the galaxy, even if we know it isn’t perfect, even if only ~80% of the planets she works on are “saved”?

Well, like always, it’s her trauma again.

Imagine you’re living on a planet slowly dying due to its people’s greed and ignorance, in which everything you know and love is falling apart, and absolutely nothing can be done about it. But you don’t need to imagine this, I mean this is a situation we are all going through, as it’s already what’s happening to our planet right now, so perhaps instead picture what it might be like to live here in a few decades if nothing changes. How miserable that would be, how upset you would be at those in power, how disappointed you would be in humanity for doing Nothing when we had so much time and already knew the consequences almost a century in advance (seriously we have known about climate change since like the 50s). 

So you give up hope and accept your fate, accept that everything is going down in flames and the humanity, the planet you know and love is going to be snuffed out forever.

Only to get saved when an outside influence comes to your assistance. Sure, they make everyone sign a contract binding their lives to them, but you wouldn’t have a life to give had they not helped. Besides, you owe it to every other thing that shares your planet with you, every plant, every animal, every organism has been utterly wiped out by human greed, so it’s only fair to pay them back, right? 

I mean it’s your whole world at stake, so how could you say no? How could you deem their terms unreasonable if clearly your own people didn’t deserve the responsibility they had over their own lives? If their situations could only be fixed by giving it to others who could guide them? By giving it to the IPC? The Preservation ?

This is the mindset Topaz grew up on and has known for her entire life. She has seen humanity utterly fail itself and is unwilling to allow that fate to befall others. She doesn’t trust other people to make the right decisions, she doesn’t think they know what’s best for them, because the people she was closest to, her very own people couldn’t do that, so how could she ever expect strangers to do the same? 

How could she ever give the leaders of these planets the benefit of the doubt, knowing that doing that for her own almost caused it to be wiped out completely? How could she see them as anything more than the selfish bastards who ruined everything? How could her heart not ache thinking there were people on the planets she helps who would be doomed to experience the fate that almost fell upon her had Topaz not stepped in. 

How could Topaz feel guilty over the planets that don’t succeed? The ones she can’t save? As after all, she thinks they were lost from the get go? Does it eat her up at night knowing she failed them? That she couldn’t prevent the folly of humanity this time, so the next planet she must work harder, be more stubborn, push back even more, so nobody ever experiences what she did instead?

I mean being an indentured servant hasn’t been that bad for her, she’s succeeded in every endeavor she’s set her mind to after all. Sure, she’s entirely alone, and sure, if the IPC no longer deems her or her people useful, they could cast them aside once again. 

But Topaz is smart, she climbed to the top of the latter, she’s been praised to hell and back, she’s known far and wide through the department for her efficiency and drive, surely she hasn’t done anything wrong?

Sure she’s heard whispers, rumors and projects of other departments, of the deep dark secrets of the company she owes her life too. Inwardly she wonders how those who follow the Preservation would even be willing to commit such atrocities, inwardly she hopes they are just rumors. The IPC saved her planet, so how could they destroy others? 

The Preservation’s power will protect all, will save them from their miserable existences. Nothing else matters in the process, no dissenter understands this as like Topaz does. She will save them, she will protect them, even if it means she is detested by everyone she encounters, it must be done. All for the Amber Lord.

I find it very compelling how despite the fact that Topaz has become a Stoneheart, she is still dressed in the fashion of an average IPC worker. As if she is an equal part of the puzzle as them. Equally useful, equally disposable, equally biased, equally ignorant, and equally foolish. 

I mean, how could she be anyway else?

Her future

Belabog was just as important for Topaz’s development as she was to it.

She was wrong. 

As stubborn as Topaz is, she is not arrogant, and when Bronya proved to her that the people of Belabog can and would fight for their future, Topaz did everything in her power to help them.

As that’s what she really cares about, people. 

I think Topaz the determination she has in Bronya and it shook her to her core. 

Because so far, the only way Topaz has seen real progress is from the hands of the IPC.

But Bronya doesn’t give into them, and she puts everything she has into saving her people. Moreover, Jarilo-VI follows the Preservation as well, but they don’t agree with the IPC’s method of it. 

Is the IPC wrong?

That is the question Topaz is faced with, what is the thing she has to grapple with once she leaves the planet. When they demote her for not getting the debt back immediately, does Topaz wonder why they were so concerned about that in the first place? Shouldn’t they be happy that a world blessed by their very own deity managed to pick itself up without their help? Isn’t that the point?

Does she think back to her previous projects, the planets she saved and the planets she failed, and wonder how it would have worked out without the IPCs involvement? 

Did Aventurine teasing her about “failing” the Jarilo-VI project confuse her, because they were still saved like Topaz wanted them to be in the first place? How could they ever be considered a failure?

She believes debts and payback are what holds planets together, but it only ever seemed to cause Belabog to fall apart.

This is the first time Topaz really is forced to reevaluate her priorities, to question if her methods are justifiable, if she’s really doing the right thing.

Belabog didn’t break her, it didn’t topple her worldview and turn everything on its head, but it did plant some seeds of doubt in her brain, seeds of doubt that will grow into a new mindset. 

HOYOVERSE IF YOU ARE LISTENING HOYOVERSE, GIVE HER THE MENTAL BREAKDOWN + PRIORITY REEVALUATION ARC SHE DESERVES!!! DO THAT AND MY LIFE IS YOURS PLEASE.

Like you don’t get it you don’t get it what do you mean they set all this up and they might not go anywhere with it. Please hoyo please please please let her break away from the IPC’s condition and warped perspective, please let her truly follow the Preservation, please make her turn away from them, please make her an emanator of Preservation after she does this. Topaz stoneheart form, Topaz emanator form. Please please please let her save the crew let her save her subordinates let her save the people she failed previously let her save Aventurine and Ratio let her save Numby let her save herself.

Her instability 

I have already somewhat touched on this in point #3, but Topaz just cannot exist in the state she is now permanently.

Like a radioactive element she’s going to slowly decay over time until she ends up in a more stable form, and who that will hurt in the process, and how long that will take, we will have to see.

Hypocrisy is not something that can exist for long within characters, as due to its inherent contradictions, it messes with the way they are characterized until they are eventually forced to either eliminate it themselves or have the story do it for them.

Topaz is a hypocrite, desiring to do good and help people, but she ends up hurting them in the process. 

However, she has only just begun to realize this, and as more and more of the IPC’s atrocities get revealed, it gets harder and harder for both the audience and her herself to justify her behavior as we witness the extent of their crimes.

So how has she remained this stable for so long?

Well, the IPC has done everything in their power to keep her that way. From a young age she was involved with them, as they not only saved her planet, but her only known parental figure worked in the Strategic Investment Department. Soon, he recommended her to Jade due to Topaz’s exceptional talent, and presumably the other Stoneheart quickly picked her up and took her under her wing, causing Jelena to rise fast within the ranks and become one herself.

The IPC has been Topaz’s only frame of reference for how things should be done, her only perspective on write and wrong for so long. The only hints she gets of other points of view are that of the people who destroyed her planet, her own people. Unintentional or not, Topaz has been made to feel her whole life like the IPC are heroes and the common people are foolish and greedy and evil, and only now has that worldview started to crumble piece by piece.

Sure, we have always known how terrible the IPC was, a perception that has only gotten more and more true over time. However, Topaz is not the audience, and in universe the IPC presents themselves in a very positive light.

Think of the Myriad Celestia trailer and how it portrays the IPC; that’s quite literally how they want to be viewed in game, how they market themselves to other people. If Topaz has only ever known them to be that great, shining, progressive company who vows to follow the Preservation and improve the universe, how could even begin to criticize them? After all, she had never known any other perspective. Even when she did fail in the past, Topaz viewed it as a strike on her own record and an unfortunate situation in general, not as a demonstration of the IPC’s misdeeds. 

The IPC is good, the IPC saves people, the IPC follows the Preservation, Topaz is a good person, Topaz does good things, Topaz helps people, Topaz saves people, there is nothing wrong, there won’t ever be anything wrong.

Until Belabog

They don’t want to cooperate with the IPC. To roll over and let themselves be gutted for all they are worth. 

Well that’s fine, that’s happened before, at least that’s how Topaz justifies it to herself. She thinks of their massive debt, it must be paid after all, otherwise how could the galaxy remain stable?

But the weapons the IPC gave Jarilo-VI were never used in its defense. The thing they owe the IPC for never ended up being valuable. Belabog stood on its own, without the help of IPC in its defense.

They saved themselves.

As if it couldn’t get worse, they did it with the power of the Preservation.

And it didn’t come from the IPC, it came from them.

The Interastral Peace Corporation, who claim to be followers of the Preservation, standing against people who really do have their blessing and being proved wrong.

Do you know how that would feel to Topaz.

She’s wrong, and she’s proven wrong by the very deity she claims to follow, she believes she follows.

So Topaz makes her choice.

Stick with the IPC’s plan, or stand with the people of Belabog 

And she stands with them.

Topaz’s character never changes. I hate when people act like she switched up on them and changed her whole worldview, but in reality that was the most in character thing Topaz has ever done in her entire life.

Because she cares about people, so when the opportunity presents itself, she will always stand with them. 

This is the first time Topaz goes against the IPC’s wishes, and it won’t be the last.

She made her choice, she demonstrated who and what she truly cares about, and that will only drive a wedge between her and the IPC further and further until she snaps.

I find it funny how Topaz is a fire type character, when the song core to Belabog’s themes is “Wildfire” 

However, maybe it isn’t just about them. I think it’s about the Preservation, about what the game in general is trying to tell its players.

How fighting for your right to exist will hurt, but it is not impossible, and that pain will be the only way to enact change.

Well, Topaz,

you made your choice

go fight against your fate 

Thank you so much for reading! I really enjoyed making this and I hope you at least understand why I think Topaz is such a compelling character. I need an arc centered on her in the future and if I don’t get one then trust me things will be dealt with. She will get her just desserts.

[psychhound]

deep dive into spiritkeep lineages

okay howdy howdy :) so we have our winners from this poll about which spiritkeep lineages to talk about more!!

as a brief reminder, spiritkeep is a therapeutic ttrpg designed to help players heal from trauma. the lineages represent the different types of people you can be in the game

of all the current lineages in the game (animalfolk, aquafolk, dreamfolk, plainfolk, naturefolk, sunfolk, wisps, and those from mixed lineage) the two that won the poll were dreamfolk and wisps!! animalfolk was in second place for a while :) which makes sense considering the website we're on (affectionate)

lineages don't include mechanical changes to your character (i didnt want to emulate the phrenology some big systems do) but do include the magical origins of the lineage, some minor magical powers you may have, and how your magic reacts when youre upset

so ... lets take a little peak at some of the lineages!!

dreamfolk

the ancestors of dreamfolk had their spirits bound through magic to the world of dreams. dreamfolk may have the ability to control their dreams (dreaming lucid style), glean important knowledge from their dreams, or even on occasion see the dreams of others!! basically the dreamfolk is an excuse to have some fun (harrowing) dream sequences in the game :P

when a dreamfolk is struggling, they might slip away from reality, emotionally or even literally

do you tend to prefer your dreams over reality? do you use your imagination to cope, or does it distract you from what’s important?

a dreamfolk wayfarer by @astrophysician

wispfolk

wispfolk are descended from ancestors who were particularly lost, lonely, and disconnected from the world and turned into "wisps". wisps work a little differently than most other lineages. they dont actually form a stable generational line. rather, wisps are born randomly in a family, sometimes skipping several generations

wisps can see in the dark. they can also often control things that are ethereal: shadow, smoke, fog. however, its a constant struggle not to be swallowed up by these things, whatever that means to the player

how did your parents react when their child was born a wisp? do you work hard to connect with others, or embrace detachment?

(wisps made in collaboration with @punkbarbarian)

a sunfolk knight and naturefolk/wisp shepherd by @paladinbaby

mixed lineage

i wanted to talk about this one especially, as mixed lineages are important to me as someone who's biracial myself

in spiritkeep, there is always the option for a pc to come from multiple lineages. maybe their parents were from two different lineages, or maybe one or both of their parents were also mixed. a mixed pc might present more like one of their lineages in appearance or customs, or may blend them together. the cultural expectations, social challenges, and personal difficulties of these characters depend on the community they live in

are your multiple lineages viewed differently in your community? is your mixed lineage something you wear with pride or shame?

next time ...

the only thing left to get into from the original poll is to explain stats, abilities, and the rolling mechanic!! super excited to get into this, personally :) been chewin on all the math for months

if you want to support spiritkeep, you can help me fund promo materials as well as help me become a certified therapeutic gm!!!

till next time!!

[poeticpomegranate]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ How to study: A note-taking and analytical reading guide ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

To preface,

One of the most important things to understand when it comes to learning, is the two styles of memory rehearsal.

Style 1: Elaborative Rehearsal

The act of understanding a concept so deeply it connects to your worldview, past experiences, and this piece of knowledge becomes yours.

Style 2: Maintained Rehearsal

Reviewing a piece of information to memorize a fact, but not the concept and the roots of the context.

+ It is important to think for yourself; form your own connections and learn because you want to learn, not just in hopes of getting good marks. Knowledge is beautiful and powerful, and should be utilized in the appropriate way.

Part 1: Reading non-fiction/informative based texts

Technique 1: "The Walden Method"

Step 1: Inspectional reading

Quickly (!!) read the entire chapter

Know exactly what happened

Know exactly what stood out to you

Know what to look for

+ Highlight things that stand out to you (in any way) and/or take small notes in the margins ("interesting!" "what" "love!")

(This forms the backbone of your understanding for this topic)

Step 2: Analytical reading

Gather a general understanding of the material

Create a concise map of your thoughts, and small details of the text

+ Intricate connections begin to take place because pieces of information now make sense with the general backbone you formed in the inspectional reading.

Step 3: Take notes in a flow-like fashion

Write down the backbone ideas/concepts

(What year did the French Revolution take place? What were its important influences? Who were important figures during this time?)

Elaborate on these backbone ideas/concepts to give you a visual representation of the connections you made with your backbone, and to see what still needs to be understood.

Part 2: Taking notes of non-fiction/informative based texts

Technique 2: "The Cal Newport Method" - (for non-technical subjects)

Base your notes around these three points in this order to make your notes as clear and concise as possible:

Q-question

E-evidence

A-answer

+ When/if you are in a lecture, scribble down everything your instructor says of importance, and then revise your notes immediately after.

+ You must group your evidence and conclusion pieces carefully, being sure to link the proper piece of evidence to the correct conclusion.

(EX:

Question: What are Emily's favorite colors?

Evidence #1: Her mother says she likes pink.

Evidence #2: Her father says she likes pink, and yellow.

Evidence #3: Her brother says she likes blue, but only when its December.

Conclusion: Emily's general favorite colors are pink and yellow, as well as blue only when it is December.

^^ It is important to include the bit about it being her favorite color only in December because it would be incorrect to say it is one of her general favorite colors.)

Technique 3: "The Cal Newport Method" - (for technical subjects)

Base your notes around these three points in this order to make your notes as clear and concise as possible:

P-problem

Q-question

A-answer

Step 1: Understand the large, basic concepts first

+ Do not drive head first into math problems or questions concerning the nervous system if you do not understand the large, basic concepts first.

Step 2: Note-taking

Write down practice problems/diagrams/equations, etc.

Write each step to solving/understanding this problem/diagram/equation, etc.

Annotate each step, explaining why this is so

For equations, write down a practice problem for each possible alternative outcome that can happen

(EX:

1. How to solve an algebraic equation.

2. How to solve an algebraic equation with a square root.

3. How to solve an algebraic equation with square roots, etc.

Technique 4: The Feynman Method

You do not fully understand a subject until you can explain it to a child, and reword it yourself without notes

Part 3: Studying non-fiction/informative based texts

Testing yourself with flashcards and quizzes

Forces you to actively retrieve knowledge, which updates, and reinforces memory

Allows you to actively gage what you already know

Making mistakes actually improves knowledge and memory

2. Use flashcards

When using flashcards, it is best to mix the deck with multiple subjects, interweaving the concepts you focus on in a single session, is more effective than practicing a single skill one at a time.

This further strengthens memory because it forces the brain to temporarily forget, then retrieve information.

You may also find connections across the topics, making it more significant to your brain.

3. Rest, review, rest, review

Spacing reviews across multiple days allows for rest, and retention between sessions.

+ Cramming is not effective because while you could remember information from the night previously, it will not stay ingrained in your long term memory, or even just as likely in your memory the next morning...

Part 3: On essay writing

The more complicated your essay is, the dumber it sounds.

When writing a research paper, refine the scope of your research and don't be afraid to narrow it.

When writing a research paper, create a pile of at least 20 academic papers on the same subject.

+ Sift through these papers with your scope in mind

+ This is the breeding ground for new ideas

Give yourself time to process information right after reading.

View the writing process as an exploration

This is a collection of information collected from these sources:

R. C. Walden - Youtube

Cal Newport - How to become a straight-A student: The unconventional strategies real college students use to score high while studying less

TED-Ed