#Magic academies are the least interesting setting of the all time.

[8one6]

Dear kindle unlimited writers,

If you set your book in a magic academy I'm going to need to see an amazing fucking hook in the description or I'm skipping past it and not looking back.

[schoenpepper]

Isekai'd Chronicles 0

Intro: The prologue to your reincarnation adventures~

Warnings: otome games, bad writing, awful grammar, reader has a sister, proofread by quillbot, lots of mentions of death

A/N: The reader is kept as gender neutral as my brain could possibly allow. Also, I have different endings planned per route, and maybe (very small maybe because I'm not too comfortable with it) a couple of harem-ish routes. Anyways, enjoy.

Masterlist

You didn't like otome games, and certainly not harem ones. When your younger sister had begged, pleaded, and cried for you to join her in this weird, "innovative" two-player otome game, you had half a mind to just lock yourself in your room and ignore her. But you don't. Because some god probably has it out for you, divine intervention leads to your agreement, and the better half of Friday night and early Saturday morning is spent flirting with beautiful men on the 32-inch television screen in the living room. Summer vacation means neither of you get grounded for doing so, but there was certainly a healthy scolding waiting for you both come Saturday afternoon.

Fortunately for you unfortunately, the scolding never comes. As it is in every cheesy harem isekai manga, the next time you open your eyes, you're already in another world. Hooray! The same game that you and your sister spent hours on is now your reality. When you look into the mirror, you're even more surprised to find that staring back at you is a cute little bun with clear skin, gorgeous eyes, and beautifully silky hair. Aren't you happy you're super adorable now? Except, this is the face of the villain. That bratty, desperate, and pathetic duke's heir who was an obstacle in all 14 routes and the three different harem endings. It's okay. It's fine. If you never fall in love with the male leads, then you'll be safe!

Safe from falling to your death, getting poisoned, turned to sand, stabbed, drowned, sunk to the bottom of the ocean in a rickety little box, beaten to death, beheaded, hypnotized and made to kill yourself against your will, cursed to melt into toxic sludge, getting an arrow shot through your heart, burned alive, getting hanged in front of thousands of people, or being mauled to death by animals…

Make sure not to fall in love, okay?

The villain's endings—none of them end with you staying alive. So you steel yourself and look at the pudgy cutie pie in the mirror with renewed resolve. You'll live to the end! You'll study hard! You won't fall in love with any of the love interests! Ever! In any case, you are human, and most of the love interests are of other races from other lands, meaning you won't even be seeing their shadows for several years. Right now, you estimate that you should be about 3 or 4. The game starts when you and the main characters are 16 years old in the super-unexpected and never-been-done-before magic academy setting. You have at least a decade to shape yourself up and grind to an OP level; that way, if you still find yourself hunted by hot men, you can at least defend yourself. Hopefully. As a human duke's heir, however, there are two male leads you know from the start. They're also pudgy little cuties right now (all the love interests are at this point in time), but they're dangerous. Because you could fall in love, which is a big no-no. But since you were a teenager in your previous life, you wouldn't fall in love with 5-year-olds. Automatically, they're struck from your mind as "love interests." Still, you can't let the danger be on its own, so you decide to tell your parents that you no longer have any interest in your weekend tea parties at the palace (that the little villain had begged for). You can avoid them easily, and so you will. As a three-year-old, there's not much you can do for now, but one thing you can do is get a tutor to teach you the ins and outs of the universal language (convenient otome game logic). You busy yourself with studying the alphabetical and numerical systems and make a staunch decision to be a good duke's heir and, in time, a good duke ruling over the dukedom.

Fate decides to tear your plans apart little by little, pop the pieces into a blender and add some water to turn it into a paper-flavored smoothie.

[lilacs-stars]

a night to remember

this is part 2, recommended you read part 1 first! (to avoid confusion) pairing: james hook x fem!reader (requested) (note: reader is glinda the good witch's daughter) SUMMARY: one day, you find a mysterious note in your locker from a certain pirate. who knows where it'll end up taking you—and your interesting relationship with him. GENRE: very wholesome despite the intro (I swear), fluff, some teasing and banter, reader being oblivious, mutual pining, just relationship cuteness overall CW: not much, mentions getting tipsy (not from alcohol), one little dirty joke if you squint hard enough WC: 7.5k

A/N: the title was inspired by the song of the same name by beabadoobee and laufey (I recommend listening to it while reading, as it sets the mood nicely!) james hook is literally so gentleman coded you can’t convince me otherwise. also I randomly thought of male characters using "m'lady" and now I'm obsessed...this was made to be pure, feet-kicking and giggling inducing fluff, so enjoy! thanks again to the anon who requested this, hope you like it! please leave feedback and suggestions, hearing your thoughts makes me so happy! :))

You stare down at the drink in your hand, the realization of what it is slowly dawning upon you. 

Mouth agape in pure disbelief, you glance up at the man sitting in front of you. The devilish glint in his eyes, rivaled only by the shine of his metal hook, sends chills down your spine—making it terribly clear why he brought you. 

Oh god, you think. How in the world did I get here?

You make your way through the bustling halls of Merlin Academy, trying your best to not get jostled by the ruckus of the crowd. 

Honestly, who puts people’s classes on the sixth floor and their lockers on the first? you mentally grumble, finally reaching the dreaded staircase that you climb up and down dozens of times each day.

After descending the five flights of stairs, you’re completely out of breath by the time you reach your locker. You tap the lock with your pointer finger three times, a magical device inside reading your fingerprint. It clicks open, and your locker door swings out towards you.

Reaching to place your books inside and take out some new ones for the rest of the day's classes, you’re shocked by something that slips out as soon as the door opens. A white piece of paper sways back and forth as it falls to the floor, right next to your feet.

You bend down to pick it up. Upon closer inspection, you learn that it’s not a piece of paper; it’s a small packet, stapled in the corner. At the top, in neat, printed letters, are the words “ENCHANTMENT OF MAGICAL OBJECTS: UNIT 3 WRITTEN TEST.”

Below it, a line is provided for the student's name. Scribbled down in a fancy, yet somehow still messy and barely legible font, is the name “James Hook.”

He left me his test? you question. You don’t even bother wondering how he broke into your locker; after that little incident where he stole your ring, you have resigned yourself to not being surprised at his so-called “bad boy” antics. He is a villain, after all.

This test was one that your class had been preparing for quite some time. It mainly centered the theory of enchantments, with the most difficult one being the Aiming Spell. Thankfully, you had taught Hook most of the material during your study session last week, specifically focusing on helping him improve his Aiming Spell (although maybe he got a little too good, considering how he pulled off that ring trick).

Your confusion regarding the test placed in your locker lasts only a second longer, until you notice that in the top right corner, a big, circled "87%" is written in bright red pen.

The number stays for a brief moment, before the red ink rearranges itself on the page, morphing into a “B+”.

Wait…that’s really good. For him, at least, you think. Is this really all because of your one tutoring session? You have always thought that you’re pretty good at teaching other people, but you never considered yourself a miracle worker. He must think it is because of me, I guess. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left this in here.

Even though you know you’re probably not supposed to, your curiosity gets the better of you, and you flip back the front cover to check what he got wrong.

As soon as you lift the top page, another piece of paper falls out of the test. This time, it’s smaller, a faint beige color tinting the sheet.

You reach down once again to pick it up as you notice that this one is actually an envelope. Glancing at the back, which appears to be empty, you flip it over to the front side. It bears a wax seal embossed with an emblem of two crossed pirate swords.

Carefully peeling back the top of the envelope so as to not rip the delicate paper, you pull out the note inside. There isn’t much writing on the plain paper, but it’s in the same handwriting as before. Very intrigued at this unusual occurrence of events, you read the few lines of text keenly.

“Friday, 6 pm. The Rogers Place.

Make sure to wear your fanciest dress.

Meet me there. I’ll be waiting.”

...What? You’re too stunned to even think. What is this? There’s no way he’s actually asking you out…on a date.

This has to be a joke, right? A study session was one thing, but this, this, meetup, is something entirely different. He even asked to meet you outside of school. You've heard before of the restaurant he mentioned, although you've never actually gone there yourself. Based on what you've gathered, it's a popular, rather formal place run by Eudora Rogers and her young daughter, Tiana, in memory of her beloved husband. 

So why in the name of the heavens would James Hook ask you, someone who has no dating experience whatsoever, of all people, to go with him to dinner? “Wear your fanciest dress”? What is this guy thinking?

In utter disbelief, you flip over the note, checking the back to make sure you haven’t missed something. To your surprise, there is some writing scrawled on the back, which reads: “Your payment for helping me pass my test.”

Right…so…he’s asking you out on a—no, it’s not a date, you remind yourself, yet again. He’s simply doing a nice act to return the favor. This was probably the only thing that came to his mind. Silencing the little voice in your head that whispers, “Why would the first thing that came to his mind be asking you out to dinner?”, you stuff the envelope and note in your bookbag, holding on to the test to give back to him sometime.

As you walk down the hallway, rushing to get to your next class, you don’t see the figure lurking behind the corner at the other end of the corridor.

He smirks, knowing he has you right where he wants you.

This one? No, it’s too casual.

How about this one? No, it’s not fancy enough.

This? Too sparkly.

That? Not sparkly enough.

You sigh, flopping onto your bed amidst a pile of dresses. It’s a few hours after school let out, on the day you’ve been anticipating all week long. And, not surprisingly, you can’t decide what in the world to wear. After all, it’s not like you’ve been out on lots of not-dates to know what a typical outfit would be like.

You stare up at the ceiling, sighing again for what must be the hundredth time this night. At times like this, you seriously wish you had a roommate. You've always had your dorm all to yourself, and sure, it is really nice most of the time. You can relax and unwind in solitude, with no one distracting you or pestering you with trivial matters while you study. However, there are the rare few occasions where you long to have someone close, to help you out or give you advice.

After holding up quite a few more dresses in the mirror, you finally decide on the one with the fewest number of cons, from the mental list you made for each dress. Slipping it on—albeit with much difficulty, since who designed dresses to be so frilly to the point where you can't even find where to put your head?—you stare at your reflection, completely enamored by the person you see staring back at you. You’re not really used to wearing fancy things like this, which is probably the reason why you barely recognize yourself.

Twirling around, head over your shoulder as you keep your gaze locked on the mirror, you realize why people have always told you that you have a striking resemblance to your mother. Your outfit consists of a ballgown-style dress, which really is the only type you have in your closet. Even though it’s a bit uncomfortable, the fitted bodice making it rather hard to take a full breath and the off-the-shoulder neckline compelling you to constantly tug it up to prevent it from slipping, it still is absolutely gorgeous. The short sleeves complement the torso, and the full skirt, all puffed up with layers of tulle, swishes elegantly as you move around. The bodice is densely embellished with small rhinestones, mostly at the top, with the gems growing sparser farther down the dress. A few crystals are set into the skirt just below the waistline, creating a scattered, shimmering effect reminiscent of the stars in a night sky.

Even though you aren’t a fan of fancy dresses, you must admit, you absolutely adore this one.

Finishing off the look with some jewelry and accessories, you take one last look at yourself in the mirror. You've never been one to be arrogant, but it's still hard not to think that even though this is certainly not a date, maybe, just maybe, Hook might be a little more interested in you after tonight.

“Um…hi?” you say, timid voice rising into a question from your uncertainty.

After getting dressed, you made your way to the restaurant. Fighting the deep-rooted urge to get there early as possible, you took the long route, not wanting to be the first to arrive. I’ll make him wait for me this time, you decided with an evil little smirk, thinking back to the day of your study session and the long minutes you had agonizingly spent wondering if he was going to show up.

Now, you stand in front of the reception desk, peering up at a waiter ordering papers. Fiddling with the lace gloves covering your hands, you add, “I don’t know if my name is ion the reservation or anything…”

Honestly, you’re not quite sure what to do at this point. All Hook had instructed you was to show up at the restaurant at this time. Part of you had expected him to be waiting by the door, but now that you see he isn't, your nervousness rises.

“Are you Y/N?” the server questions, glancing down at something on the small podium-like stand.

“Uh, yes, I am,” you reply.

“A young man has made a reservation for the two of you. He’s already waiting for you out on the patio. If you’ll follow me,” the waiter informs you, grabbing a menu from his stack and leading you through the bustling restaurant.

You follow him, feeling incredibly bashful as you swerve around tables and people alike. You finally reach a large set of doors in one of the seating areas, which the waiter opens for you.

Stepping through the threshold, you sense the cool rush of the evening air welcome you out. The sky has already begun to dim, a few faint stars gleaming against the dark backdrop. Spread out in front of you is an array of tables, most of them small enough for only two people. The low lighting, coming solely from flickering candles and glowing lanterns strung throughout the area, paired with the singular rose set in a vase at the center each table and a faint, slow jazz song playing somewhere in the background, makes for the most romantic of settings you could have possibly imagined.

Your breath is completely taken away as the server leads you through the arrangements of seats. It’s sparsely crowded, with only a few couples seated here and there, each enjoying an amorous dinner.

The server stops at a circular, two-seated table close to the edge, overlooking a magnificent view of the city down below. A few feet in front ahead and sitting with his back towards you, the only object of your thoughts for these past few hours turns his head in your direction, probably upon hearing the clacking of your high-heeled shoes.

Although you’ve tried your best to convince yourself that this, in fact, is not a date, you simply can’t deny the way his entire expression light up at the mere sight of you. Hook stands up, unabashedly eyeing you up and down slowly, taking all of you in.

A small smile tugs at his lips as he takes your hand in his, once again bowing down to place a kiss on your ring—it appears that this has become a routine, which you can't exactly say you mind.

You don't miss how he pauses for just a moment, noticing the way your ring is still on your ring finger, unchanged from the place he left it. Holding your breath, your heart beats faster as you worry about what he thinks of it. To your relief, he doesn’t say anything, instead kissing the gemstone and straightening back up again, but not before ever so softly—yet still with obvious intentionality—brushing his lips against your finger, deliberately tracing your skin with an agonizingly slow pace as his warm breath sets your every nerve on fire.

“M’lady,” he breathes, standing to meet your gaze. His casual nonchalance is a stark difference from the way you struggle to regain your composure, hating how even the smallest of actions from him can elicit such a reaction from you.

As you study him, you notice that he had a significant wardrobe change too; instead of his usual pirate attire, he dons a dark maroon frock coat, embroidered with intricate swirls and designs. He definitely made an attempt at looking a bit more classy, with his hair neater than usual and the collar of his shirt tidily done. You could even swear that his hook looked more polished than usual, and that he carried the faint, odd trace of expensive cologne.

The server leaves the menu on your table and walks away with a polite nod of his head. Hook steps over to the chair opposite the one he had been sitting in, pulling it out for you in a manner that is far too gentlemanly for what you're used to seeing from him, gesturing at you to sit down with a wave of his shiny metal hook. 

Overwhelmingly flattered, you walk over, smoothing your skirt beneath you as you take your seat. Hook pushes your chair in, before going back to the other side of the table to take his own seat.

Not sure what else to do, you pick up your menu and glance over it. “Decide what you’re going to order yet?” Hook asks you.

“No, you?”

“They already took my order, but I told them to wait on preparing my food until you had ordered as well.”

They already took his order? How long has he been here? you wonder. You glance at your wristwatch, seeing that it’s only a few minutes past six o’clock. Deciding to shrug it off, you go back to looking at your menu, despite not being able to fight the voice in your head that whispers about how you should've gotten here earlier, that he had probably been waiting for you, all alone, for quite some time.

“It’s so hard to decide,” you say with a halfhearted laugh, trying to fill up the heavy silence. You peruse the menu more carefully this time, marveling at how many different dishes are listed. Finally, after reading through the entire thing a few more times, you settle on the one that sounds the best.

After only a few moments, the server comes back around and takes your order. “A fine choice, ma’am,” he comments as you tell him your choice of entrée. You notice that all of the waiters here wear fancy black suits and come with a pristine white cloth draped over their arm. Huh, how fancy, you think to yourself. I never knew this place was so formal.

“So, Hook,” you begin, “Why did you bring me here?”

“Didn’t you read my note? It’s a thank-you for helping me pass my test. The teacher was very impressed with my score, you know,” he responds indifferently.

You give him a small sigh, paired with a gentle smile—your attempt at hiding the twinge of disappointment dancing in your eyes. “I did, but you didn’t have to treat me to dinner. A simple note would have sufficed.”

Hook looks at you, dark brown eyes wide and holding your gaze with an intensity you’ve never known. “Sufficed? I don’t want to just suffice. I want to give you a memorable night. An unforgettable experience.” “I don’t think I could ever forget a charming pirate with a hook for a hand,” you laugh, teasing him lightly. Instead of laughing along with you, Hook stares at you for another moment, studying you with slightly scrunched brows and an indecipherable expression on his face. You grow uneasy at his burning look, shifting in your seat as you wonder why he’s watching you so intently.

However, the tense awkwardness in the air lasts for only a minute, before Hook breaks into one of his famous smirks as he replies, “Oh, charming, am I? I know you can’t stop thinking about me, love.”

“Th-that’s not what I meant!” you cry, leaning across the table to give him a small push. He breaks into a laugh, his lips curling up into yet another genuine smile as he leans back just out of your reach. His mirthful expression makes you realize that he had been simply joking, causing your face to burn up as your mind replays your rather dramatic reaction. Honestly, you can never really tell whether he’s being serious or just messing with you.

“Settle down, love. Wouldn’t want you ruining that pretty dress of yours,” he responds, twisting to the side again to prevent getting smacked by you.

You two continue making small talk, still partaking in your teasing, only slightly annoying banter. Before you know it, a waiter is walking towards your table with two platters, one in each hand.

The server sets down the plates on your table, the dishes both looking absolutely delectable. Along with the food, he places two matching beverages in front of you two.

You thank him, and he bows again before leaving. Turning back to Hook, you watch with a slight arch of your eyebrows as he raises his drink in the air.

“A toast,” he says. “To continuing our little dates.”

You roll your eyes, not bothering to correct him this time. Lifting your own glass, you add, “And to you continuing to get good grades.” He smiles at this, before lifting the drink to his lips. Perceptive as always, you notice how his eyes follow your hand as you bring the glass to your mouth.

A sudden, fleeting doubt crosses your mind at his suspicious behavior. Glancing down at the drink skeptically, you notice its unique bright red color. You lower +it slightly and sniff it, then bring it down from your face, fixing a glare at Hook. “You think I don’t know what this is?”

“Oh, I know you do. That’s what I was counting on, at least.”

You persist with your glare. You've spent many hours reading up on different potions and elixirs, so you're no stranger to the drink in your hand. It's a popular one known as the Lovers' Lascivious Lure, a beverage with a fruit punch-like taste, plus a little kick. The real reason for its fame, however, is the touch of love potion that gets mixed in. Not enough to truly make someone fall in love with you or intoxicate them, but rather something that is favored by couples looking to get a little tipsy in love on their night out.

You set the glass down on the table, not breaking your gaze away for a second as you continue to glower at the person sitting across you.

“It’s rude to not drink after a toast, darling,” Hook says, raising his eyebrows at you.

“I don’t care, I’m not drinking that,” you reply irritatedly. 

“Fine. Your loss, love.”

You watch in complete shock, eyes blown wide and mouth agape as Hook brings his drink up to his lips again, tipping back his head as he gulps the entire thing down in one go.

“I’d drink yours as well, darling, but I’d hate for you to be forced to walk me home, instead of the other way around,” Hook spouts with a bit too much added expression, slightly swaying as the effects of the potion kick in. 

You continue to stare at him, concern etched into your features, knowing full well that this drink is designed to be sipped slowly throughout a leisurely dinner, one with much idle conversation and flirtatious looks. Not to be downed all at once. You honestly don’t know what the side effects are to consuming a large amount very quickly, but you pray that the potion is weak enough so as to not cause actual harm—or any other effects—to him.

“So, love,” Hook drawls in a low tone, leaning in. “Anything you feel like telling me?”

“You’re the one who drank the liquid courage, not me,” you point out, fixing him with another look. “Honestly, I’m not sure how much longer you’re going to last like this.”

At your words, Hook’s dazed expression suddenly disappears, instead replaced by a very serious, stern face. “Oh, I assure you, love, I can last very long.”

You blink, a tad confused at why he said that with such a strong conviction. Brushing it off, you look down at your food again, your mouth already watering. “Come on, our food’s going to get cold, and it looks far too delicious to waste.”

Hook agrees, unrolling his utensils instead of shooting back a one-liner, much to your surprise. You’re even more taken aback at the way he drapes the white cloth, which previously held his cutlery, over his legs as he begins to eat, keeping up with his very proper etiquette. He does everything with utterly perfect decorum, from holding his fork and knife in the correct positions to cutting all his food into little pieces. You honestly don't know why this comes as such a shock to you; he has been employing rather polite manners all evening, after all. It appears, you realize, that you’ve always subconsciously believed the stereotypes that pirates are unruly creatures, which therefore must mean they eat messily.

Apparently, this pirate doesn’t.

You both make small talk as you enjoy your food, which is every bit as delicious and succulent as it looked. All the different components are cooked to a perfect degree; not raw or difficult to chew, but not burnt, either. Rich, deep, aromatic spices have always been the staple of this restaurant, and for good reason. You have no clue what flavorings they used, but whatever they are, they taste unlike anything you've ever eaten in your entire life, like an otherworldly meal sent from the heavens. To top it all off, the food also comes with piquant side dishes, followed by desserts that are absolutely decadent and make you melt with every bite you take.

After you both have had your share, Hook motions to the waiter for the check. You had slipped some extra cash into your handbag before coming, not sure what the expectation would be for who paid. As the waiter returns with the small black book in his hand, you turn to Hook.

“I can pay, if you want,” you offer. 

Hook quirks his brow as he gives you a look, before reaching into his coat pocket. “Come now, don’t be ridiculous, love. What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t pay for you? Especially considering that I was the one who asked you out.”

You blink hard, barely aware of your small nod towards him, your mind racing as the waiter gives Hook the check. You blankly watch him scribble a signature before handing it back, trying to process what he just said. “...asked you out…” Does that mean he actually considers this as a date? Especially since he offered to pay for you…Heavens, what is going on?

Your eyes trail the waiter as he leaves, just as Hook turns back to you. “All finished?”

“Yeah,” you confirm. “So…what now?” You aren't quite sure whether or not he's planning on walking you home like he mentioned earlier, but you do know that you're not ready to part quite so soon. Averting his gaze, you instead choose to look down at the candle flickering in the middle of your table. It is now very dark outside, to the point where the flame’s meager light shines with a bright luminosity. Entranced by the fire, you stare intently at its dancing movements, attention fully consumed by how the flame appears to be practically alive.

“Now,” Hook says with a glint in his eyes, causing your head to snap back up, “I have something to show you.”

“Something to show me?” you repeat. “Show me what?”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see once we get there, love.”

“Once we get there? Hook, where are we going?”

He gives a smug, knowing grin. “You’ll see. Just be patient, darling.” He notices the skeptical look you still have, so he adds, “Trusting me last time turned out good, right? So trust me one more time. I promise you’ll like your surprise.”

You consider his words, hating how he had a point. “Fine,” you huff. “Lead the way, I guess.”

You start to push your chair back to get up, but Hook chides, “Ah ah ah, no you don’t,” standing up himself before walking behind you. He grips the back of your chair and pulls it out for you, before offering his good hand to help you stand too.

Once again, you’re rather shocked at his well-mannered behaviors and courteous gestures. As you accept his outstretched arm, you wonder how in the world this is the same person who was, only a few days ago, leaning back in his chair with his feet up, flinging magical disks across the room.

Getting up, you hesitate for a moment, freezing in place now that you’re level with his eyes. You haven’t been this close to him since that pivotal day during your study session, and your breath gets taken away once again by the proximity.

His angular features and sharp jawline catch your attention, causing your legs to stagger as your gaze wanders down to his soft, plush lips, which definitely stand out amidst the rest of his chiseled face. You had never noticed how his eyeliner also traces his bottom lash line, making his eyes pop whenever he widens them, or how part of his hair swoops to the side and slightly covers his forehead. It dawns on you that you’ve always overlooked the two small silver earrings that dangle from his ears, or the chain around his neck with a cross on it, usually hidden by the collar of his shirt.

Not aware of how you’re just standing there paralyzed, you commit to memory the small details about him you’ve never really seen before. Even though the inside of your head is alive and bustling with a plethora of thoughts, outside, you two stand in terribly awkward silence.

Hook clears his throat, snapping you back to reality. “Come along, darling. We wouldn’t want to be interrupted by curfew again.”

Tightening his grip on your hand, which still holds yours, he leads you through the entrance you had used not so long ago while bidding farewell to the waiter. You continue up the hill to the woods behind the restaurant, Hook refusing to give even a single hint as to what big surprise awaits you.

The trail through the trees starts off easy enough, although still rather difficult for you to traverse in your tight dress and voluminous skirt. If I had known I’d be taking a hike, I’d have worn something more suitable, and much more comfortable, you think, but ultimately decide to keep your mouth shut. After all, Hook had been spoiling you all evening. The least you could do was not nag him about every last thing.

The farther you go, the thicker the branches that block your path and scratch at your arms with their sharp claws get, and the denser the underbrush that tries to trap your feet and swallow you whole grows. After a quarter hour of consistent walking, the trail all but disappears, until only a small path carved by the footsteps of a few brave souls remains. You have to hold up the edge of your full-length skirt the whole way to ensure it doesn’t get all dirty and muddy; by the time you’re nearly done, your arms ache just as much, if not more, than your legs.

You and Hook travel mostly in silence, the sounds of your heavy panting and the crunches of leaves and branches underfoot filling up the empty air. You trail behind him, sometimes struggling to keep up, although he does happen to notice this and slows down his pace after the first few minutes.

Occasionally, Hook gives a short, crisp, “Watch out for the rock there, love,” or “The branches here are really low, I’ll hold them up for you.” You always respond with a clipped “Yeah,” or “Okay, thanks,” trying to mask just how out of breath you've gotten from the difficult climb. Early on in the beginning of the hike, you had to let go of his hand, favoring holding up your skirt instead. Still, in areas where the ground is rough or rocky, or the footing becomes difficult or rather steep, Hook always turns around and offers his hand to you and helps pull you up, or reaches out his hook from overhead for you to grab on to.

The noises of the night accompany you the entire time: the soft chirps of crickets, a few croaks from a frog somewhere out of sight, a creature or other scampering through the bushes, a rare call from an owl, and the whispering of the leaves above as a cool breeze passes through them. After a few more minutes of walking through a maze of nature with trees so thick—their only rival being the velvety blackness of the night—the pace of the trek finally slows down. You've long tired of always having to hold one arm ahead to ensure that you don’t get smacked in the face by an unsuspecting branch, so you're overwhelmingly relieved when Hook finally says, “We’re almost there.” “Finally,” you mumble between breaths. “I think my limbs are just about to fall off.” You can’t really tell in the pitch-black darkness, but you could have sworn that Hook gave a small smile at your words.

Once you reach a thick tangle of branches and vines that completely block your path, you both come to a stop. You watch as he pulls them back and to the side, even slicing through some with his hook. He beckons you forward with a courteous, “Ladies first,” a grin dancing on his features.

You walk through the clearing and onto a wide ledge overlooking the entire city. The view knocks the breath out of your lungs, despite your body already screaming at you for more oxygen. All thoughts of your strenuous hike vanish from your head, except for one that reminds you the arduous journey was absolutely and totally worth it.

From all the way up here, you can see the entire land. The shimmering lights of the large cityscape below you steal your heart, while the small village houses and mountains beyond them, creating the faintest of outlines against the horizon, capture your soul. This vantage point allows you to see everything; every bustling street filled with people rushing to get home after a long week, or frolicking around on a night out. Every house, every drawn-back curtain, but a mere speck in the constellation of human activity, a testament to the splendor of life. Twinkling lights sprawled below you paint a shimmering mosaic, reflecting the celestial canvas of stars hanging above you.

You stare in pure awe, almost forgetting about Hook as he approaches you from behind. “Enjoying the view, love?” he whispers softly, his voice closer to you than you expected.

You startle, turning backwards with a sharp inhale. “Oh…yeah, it’s just…breathtaking.” Unable to think of the right words to describe it, you decide to settle for an almost shameful understatement of the view's beauty.

You’re not quite sure if you imagined it, too caught up in your head, but you hear something that almost sounds like a soft, “Just like you.”

“Huh?” you ask, turning back around to face him. 

“I said, I told you you’d like it,” Hook repeats, although you still hold your suspicions. “All you had to do was trust me.”

“And how can I be sure you aren’t planning to push me off the edge?” you question, teasing him.

“Well, you can’t,” he replies, walking over to the ledge. “But if I do, I’ll let you drag me down with you. If we go down, then we go down together.”

You giggle, choosing to take his words at face value only and not read into them too much. After all, your heart can only take so much in one night.

Hook crouches down, using his good hand to support him as he sits down in front of you, keeping one foot hugged to his chest as he dangles the other off the side of the cliff.

He glances over his shoulder at you, patting the space besides him. Cautiously, you walk over to the ledge, joining him on the ground. 

You both sit there for a moment in silence, looking over the magnificent scene. You can tell that Hook finds comfort in the lack of conversation, but it feels too heavy for you, and so you decide to finally break it with the question that’s been on your mind this whole night.

“Hook?” you ask gently.

“Hmm?”

“Why did you bring me here?”

He turns his head slightly to glance at you. “I thought you’d like the view,” he replies, looking at you with a confused expression.

You take a quick breath, preparing yourself for the difficult words you’re planning to speak next. “No, I mean, why did you really bring me here tonight?” He opens his mouth to respond, but you cut him off, adding, “And don’t lie to me.”

His mouth closes shut again and he hesitates for a moment, contemplating his next sentence carefully, before responding, “I’ve already told you.”

“What, that you wanted to thank me for helping you get a B-plus on your test? Yeah, that excuse won’t work on me anymore.”

“No, not that.” He turns his head back and runs his good hand through his hair, making his neatly combed style look a bit more windswept than before. “I wanted to ask you out on a date.”

“…What?”

“I already told you that it was a date, love. You just chose not to believe me.”

It’s your turn to whip your head to the side this time, now facing directly towards Hook, who’s still looking straight ahead at the scenery.

“I-I didn’t…truly…I thought you were just joking when you said that.”

He glances at you again, a roguish grin forming on his lips. “Oh, darling, I don’t joke about much. Especially not with you.”

Again, you choose not to read too deeply into his words, trying to break your awful habit of overthinking. Instead, you press on, wanting to gain as much information as you can from him. If nothing else, at least a few answers might help put your mind at a little more ease. “Why’d you want to ask me out? I’m not exactly…”

Your voice fades away as your brain catches up with your far-too-fast mouth, realizing that saying “I’m not exactly the most desirable person to date” may not do you any favors.

Hook turns to look at you with an expectant gaze, and you know that you can’t sweep your little slip-up under the carpet that easily. Gods, he’s observant. “…the most popular person at our school,” you finish.

“Hmm, true,” Hook concurs, tilting his head with a tone as if he’s never considered that point before. You were half-expecting him to disagree, more out of courtesy than honesty, so you’re a bit taken aback when he agrees with you.

“But I don’t care about popularity.” Ah, so there’s that socially obligatory politeness. You don't really believe his words at first, yet the way he says it so sincerely, so genuinely, makes you wonder if he truly is being honest.

“So why’d you want to take me out on a date?”

“Because, love, you’re different from what I’m used to,” he replies. “You’re kind, soft, pure. You intrigued me.”

You recoil at his words, a deep, writhing anger rising out of you. “What, you only went out with me because I’m so pure and innocent? So you could corrupt me?” you spit, having heard this little skit far too many times before.

“No, not like that. Not at all.” Hook twists his body to face you more, and although you’re still mad at him, you can’t deny the hurt and pain that swirls in his voice and eyes at your accusations. “You’re…you’re always trying to help others. You always speak softly, always smile. You’re untainted by the evils I've witnessed. You’re like an angel sent down from the heavens. You’re not like me, love."

Hook continues, “And I don’t want to change that. I don’t want to corrupt or hurt you. I want to preserve that. Every time I’m with you, you make me want to keep you safe from the troubles of the world, the cruel things I’ve seen.

"You make me want to be around you. I can't explain how, or why, but your presence alone compels me to change my ways. To be kinder, gentler, softer. For you. It's as if you're contagious, and well, I think you've infected me, love. Whenever I see you, or even think of you, everything feels just a little bit better. The weight on my shoulders feels a bit lighter, and nothing seems as bad as it used to, as it was when I was on my own.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is...you've made me feel things that I haven't felt in a long, long time. Things that I thought my blackened heart couldn't even experience anymore. You make me feel like there's still goodness in the world...like there's still hope. Like I still have hope." You blink slowly, your mind and heart spinning alike as everything around you, as time itself, seems to slow down. You're unable to process all his words, unable to even begin to consider the implications of what this all means. “So, what you’re saying is…you only like me because I’m good?” you ask, touched by his sentiment, yet a little sad at the underlying meaning. Does this mean that if you want to stay with Hook, to maybe even be something in the future, you can't have any darkness to your soul? That you'll have to continue to be as righteous and morally correct as ever?

He gives a small chuckle. “Of course not, darling. I love when I make you snap, when you get angry at me. I love when the fierce part of you comes out. Just like it did now.” He reaches out his good hand to tuck a loose strand of your hair behind your ear, brushing against your cheek as he keeps it there, not pulling back quite yet.

You can see the hesitance swirling in his eyes, the uncertainty in the way his hand lingers by your face. By some sudden stroke of courage, the origins of which are a complete mystery to you—maybe he had the love potion added to your food too?—you shift your whole body towards Hook, keeping your legs tucked together and off to one side. 

“Kiss me,” you breathe.

“I'm sorry, love, wh-what?”

It feels strange to take command for once, but it sure is nice. “You heard me. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

His lingering hand cups your cheek as you both lean in, meeting each other in the middle. Hook’s lips are as soft and plump as you imagined, almost like brushing your mouth against the petals of a rose. Placing one of your hands on the ground beside you, you put your weight on it as you move even closer.

You’ve read of intense kisses, filled with passion and fueled by lust. But this isn't like that. It is slow, sweet, intoxicating you with only the purest of adorations. Your lips hover over his as you tilt your head to the side to prolong the embrace, getting swept up in the moment whilst being completely and blissfully unaware of anything and everything besides how his lips feel against yours, how his hook traces your body as he devours you like a starved man given his last meal. How he breathes you in like you're the very air that fills his lungs, like your sheer essence is the only oxygen he needs. You bring your hand up to his shoulder, leaning further into him as he moves his good hand back and tangles it in your hair.

It ends rather quickly, the entire kiss lasting but a moment, yet still filling you with the sweetest pleasure. In that moment, you realize why people spend their whole lives searching for love; it’s one of the most endearing, profound forms of joy that one can feel, and you're certain that you just felt it.

You pull away, noticing how his gaze lingers on your lips, before looking back up at you. He gives you a captivating, yet genuine smile, one that makes your heart to ache at how perfect he is, yet simultaneously yearning for his touch, his lips, him being wrapped up in another embrace with you and never breaking away. The newfound euphoria coursing through your veins and making your mind fuzzy causes you to return his smile with a wide, love-drunk grin of your own, a deep, wholehearted devotion emanating through your gaze as you study his features.

“Can I tell you a secret?” you whisper, staring into his eyes—eyes that reflect your own.

“Always, love.”

“You were my first kiss,” you confess.

Hook brings his hand back up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing along your cheekbone. His grin grows, an endless affection swirling in his dark eyes as he replies, “I guess this really is a night to remember.”

You give a small laugh, lowering your forehead to lean it against his shoulder, seeking comfort in his hold. “You did want to give me an unforgettable night, after all.”

“Can I tell you a secret, too?”

You raise your head again to peer up at him with wide eyes, curious as to what he has to admit.

“That day, in class,” he confides, “I was enchanting those disks and sending them across the room so you’d come and talk to me. I saw how you went over to help that other kid who was struggling. So, I figured that if I struggled too, you'd come over and I could get a conversation with you.”

You raise your eyebrows. “So you could cast the spell right?”

“Oh, no, not even close, love. That was all your work. Although I might have put in a bit more effort just to impress you,” he adds with a small smirk.

You move one of your hands closer to him, placing it on top of his and intertwining your fingers together. “Well, I suppose it worked.”

You lean back into him, kissing him blissfully yet again under the watchful smile of the moon glowing high in the sky, the stars glimmering and winking down at your young love. As you embrace, the city below bustles with the joys and despairs of human life unbeknownst to you, each person a thread in the tapestry of the world. Every soul but a speck of stardust in a cosmic dance.

And perhaps that is the greatest folly of human life. All the weight of one’s burdens, all the battles fought, all the hearts and souls that love and cry, together composing of but a fleeting second amidst the vastness of forever. And yet, each person gets lost in the preeminence of their own narrative, joyfully unaware of every grain of sand that disappears into the abyss as we shuffle closer to the edge of this mortal coil. But oftentimes, one’s deepest flaw is their greatest feat, as no imperfection comes without its own merit.

So maybe that very feature is, instead, the greatest feat of humanity. To love like you’ll live forever, and to weep like there’s no tomorrow. Maybe our ignorance gives us strength, the strength to keep going every day, pretending as if we somehow have an authority and power over the galactic strings of thread that weave together the fate of our universe.

The city below you, the world outside of the little bubble the two of you have created, moves on, unknown and unknowing of you both. But in this moment, nothing else matters. Nothing besides the love and affection you and him have grown to share.

end x

<- back to part 1

taglist: @4ng3l-ch1ld @astrynyx @0strawberrysorbet0 @ljaylmaoo @maggiecc @elltheawkward @eretsupremacy89 @dreamerofasgard @mabs04

just leave a comment if you want to be added to the taglist!

a/n: I just had to end this with some philosophical musings haha (hey google, how do you write beginnings and endings?) anyways hope you liked this, I love making fluff like this :D I love seeing everyone's comments and reactions, all feedback is highly appreciated! until next time :))

do not plagiarize, translate, remake, or copy my works, including my writing and images, in any way.

[galedekarios]

gale, waterdeep & coinage

just musings on gale's means as well as waterdeep lore bc i love waterdeep:

Gale: Believe it or not, but I witnessed a similar standoff back at the Yawning Portal. Of course, an establishment like that invites all sorts of outlandish entertainments. Player: What's the Yawning Portal Gale: An inn in Waterdeep. Never a dull moment there. Adventurers come from all over Faerûn to try their luck down the well: Leads into the Undermountain, you see - full of death, danger, and vast amounts of treasure. Hard to resist. Player: What was the standoff about? Gale: Oh, a drow, a dragonborn, and a cleric of Cyric walk into a bar. Your standard fare. Maybe someone was cheating at cards, maybe it was some weird lovers' quarrel. In any case, out came the crossbow, and a hush fell over the entire room.devnote Player: What happened next? Gale: I stood up and yelled: 'Shadowdark ale for everyone!' The crowd cheered, the tension drained into five dozen tankards, and soon all was well again. Gale: In a place like the Yawning Portal, the most powerful magic is calling for a round of drinks. Gale: Mind you, all I did was call for ale, but you went and stood in front of that crossbow. I'd drink to that.

i will definitely take a look at the yawning portal itself at a later date (as well as other points of interest within the city) bc it's very interesting as a focal point in waterdhavian history and society.

while we can only speculate about what gale's background in terms of means, wealth and standing looked like since things like tutors and even maids were not uncommon in waterdhavian society, it is interesting to note that he - whatever his personal means at the time this event took place - felt the need to defuse the brewing fight with 'five dozen tankards'.

we do actually know how much one such tankard costs at the yawning portal:

[source]

17cp x 60 = 1020cp

this was interesting to me in terms of this meant in actual terms of coinage and wealth and money spent.

here's an overview of waterdeep's various coins:

source: volo's waterdeep enchiridion

gale spent over a 1000 nibs/copper pieces that evening (or more than one sun/platinum coin) to de-escalate a potentially lethal fight.

to put that into perspective, i'm adding this reference of prices here:

source: volo's waterdeep enchiridion

gale also attended blackstaff academy, with elminster as his mentor. the academy had costs attached with it:

Acceptance to the Academy was predicated on either demonstrating extraordinary magical aptitude (those who could not cast arcane spells were very rarely admitted) or having a particularly compelling personal history. Joining the Academy was free, however monthly dues were required to continue attendance. These fees started at 10 gp per month and increased as a student gained seniority and required more advanced tutelage. In addition, it was a requirement that any new spell that was discovered or researched by an apprentice had to be added to Blackstaff Tower's library. [source]

ten gold pieces per month as fees, although with gale being elminster's mentee, he may have chosen to assist gale and morena partially or fully with any costs that blackstaff academy may have charged.

it does sound, however his childhood may have looked like with a presumably absent father and a mother with her hands full with a young genius, able to conjure rabbits as a babe, summoning a tressym, a magma mephit who set a room on fire, as well as casting a level 3 spell (fireball) at age 8 or younger, that gale at least during the height of his career as a wizard, lived comfortably.

ending this with more food for thought and a banter between gale and karlach:

Gale: They say wealth offers a form of magic. Alas, it's one I've rarely dabbled in. Karlach: Nor I. Never had more than a few coppers in the city, and any soul coins in Avernus went straight to Zariel. Gale: Make no mistake. Souls are sold for coins up here as well. All too cheaply, in most cases.

[leiflitter]

So, Mystra-

The more I think about her, the more I want to egg all of her statues, because I am honestly convinced that she's likely way more embroiled in Gale's fall from favour than she seems- and that she likely never cared for him in any meaningful sense.

This is gonna be long, gang.

Also I am 1000% up for screaming about Gale/forming an anti-Mystra union so y'know let's be pals

My thoughts are thus:

She has likely always known about his potential and capability of power. He was a child prodigy, after all- and she's a GODDESS. From the first time he truly used the weave, he was on her radar.

This also makes Gale's relationship with Elminster seem too convenient. As much potential as Gale demonstrates, it's also important to remember that Elminster is Mystra's chosen- and Mystra's chosen are often tasked with upholding and protecting balance in the weave. There are countless wizards that Elminster could mentor- so why Gale specifically?

The same is true of Gale's magical education. I've seen plenty of speculation about his possible potential as a sorcerer, and there's a lot of questions around the circumstances of him entering the Blackstaff Academy- as well as a confirmation of his power when he, a little baby trainee wizard, uses The Actual Blackstaff to cast a spell.

As an aside, Gale's little story about his misadventure with The Blackstaff is especially scary when taking into account that the staff is very devious, and it's primary purpose is to protect Waterdeep- although this is again speculation, I don't think the portal to limbo was just the spell going very, very wonky. I think the Staff, sensing Gale's ability and (through the very clear context clues of him using the fucking staff that you normally would need to attune to and that belongs to the top fancy wizard in waterdeep) his ambition, decided that he was clearly a potential threat that might be better off being quietly removed via Death Slaad.

We also know of at least one story of a young, powerful wizard who, y'know, led to the death of Mystryl and the loss of all magic- in part because he lacked the discipline that he should have learned at Wizard School.

So Gale comes along. Karsus 2.0- he's back, he's human and- most importantly- he's lonely.

How better to neutralise him as a threat than to make him loyal to her? Why would she cast aside a possible asset when she could use him?

The main problem with her plan is Gale himself. She can get him into wizard school. She can get Elminster to mentor him. She can make sure that Gale gets the best magical education, so hopefully he will be content and settle for being an archmage.

She can't, however, account for Gale's brain. Let's be honest, Gale is neurodivergent as fuck, and magic is his number one special interest. He was never going to be content to enjoy magic a "normal" amount, so no matter how many hours he may spend being taught about how great Mystra is and how the limits she sets are to be respected... he won't stop learning, growing more powerful, becoming more and more of a threat to her.

So how does she cement his loyalty? By getting personal. This is why him being isolated is important- it gives her an advantage. She can be number one without any effort. If he has an actual bond to her, not just the concept of her, then he won't be dangerous. Except, again, she's assuming that he'll be like so many other mortals and be so awed by her presence that he'll finally be satisfied. But he isn't.

Why the fuck would a goddess take someone so clearly, deeply intense about magic into her personal realm? Why would she show him all the power he would never be able to access?

Because, to her, he's just a mortal. There has to be a point in which he'll either be sated or he'll realise his limits and give up, because he's just an extremely powerful ant in comparison to her. Mystra has never considered getting to know Gale. If she had, she'd have realised that doing the grand tour of All The Magic You Can't Ever Do was a huge mistake. That making herself the focal point of his entire existence was an absolutely dogshit move.

Gale throws himself so hard into Being Mystra's Best Boy because he has nothing outside of magic other than his mother. He summoned his best friend, and he admits that he has colleagues and acquaintances, but nothing much else. He and Elminster clearly care for each other, but it's clear that Mystra's placed barriers between them- and even if they were able to be best buds and make friendship bracelets, together, they're at vastly different stages of life.

It's also likely that Mystra's interest in him led to his isolation. He has been marked as Special- the old gifted child problem where him being So Smart So Magic meant he bypassed the social side of things.

So of course he wants to prove himself, to impress her- his entire metric for his self-worth is Being A Wizard. He says he's bumped uglies with mortals before- but he doesn't mention anyone specifically. And, let's be frank, the man has a case of foot-in-mouth syndrome- if he had any meaningful romantic experience before Mystra, you know he'd have brought it up at least once. "Ah, autumncrocus- back in my apprentice days I picked a bunch for the object of my youthful affections. Unfortunately I hadn't realised they were allergic- but they certainly appreciated the gesture, if you catch my implication... Once they stopped sneezing, of course."

She becomes his whole world. He wants so desperately to be on her level, to be what he thinks she deserves- and yes, it was incredibly stupid of him. However, what the fuck was Mystra doing?

Throughout BG3, high approval Gale is actually incredibly receptive if you tell him not to persue power. Yes, his earlier mistakes may play into this, but I find it hard to believe that he'd be any less receptive to Mystra.

To quote- "I pouted. I pleaded. I swore my ambition was only to serve her better. But she only smiled and told me to be contented."

So, then, why did Mystra not actually engage with Gale on this?

Because she never cared about him.

She tried all the options she thought would work on a mortal, and when they were done she didn't consider trying anything else. She never knew him well enough to understand his motivations- he should have been satisfied with Magic Sex because surely any mortal would be. She couldn't even consider that his love wasn't just him liking the company and getting laid, that he'd still want to prove himself to her. To be worthy of the Mystra she'd let him believe in.

And when he fucked up- if she had helped him, even in a tiny way, then she'd have achieved her goal. Imagine if he'd come to her, agonised by the dark magic within him, and she'd been merciful. The way you would be, if you loved someone. If she had actually known Gale? She'd have done it.

But Mystra doesn't see it as an act of love gone wrong. To Mystra, it's proof that she can't control him, that his potential isn't worth whatever effort she'd need to put in.

She abandons him to die- expects him to go on a pilgramage into the wilderness and just go boom.

When he doesn't? She decides that, fine, she'll deal with it- by sending Elminster to tell Gale the good news! She'll "forgive" him if he detonates himself, honest! He trusts Elminster, Elminster's a father figure to him, he'll do what Elminster tells him. Except that's another example of her not understanding Gale in the slightest. Instead of hope, she's rubbing salt in his wounds- she's flexing her power and showing Gale that his bond with Elminster was always conditional on Mystra's approval, and that Elminster's loyalty lies with her.

No wonder Elminster sent a construct- it's the closest thing he can do that isn't abject refusal.

I am gonna stop rambling now but in conclusion:

Mystra, you absolutely suck. Get wrecked. I hope Bhaal shits in your pocket dimension.

[aurorawest]

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi - 5/5 stars

This book managed to rip my heart out at least 3 times. I loved it. Medieval enemies-to-lovers slow burn; very romantic. Kinda read like fanfiction at times but in a good way. 10/10 would read a follow-up love story about Arundel and Captain Wekena. If you like Captive Prince, give this one a try.

Reforged by Seth Haddon - 4/5 stars

Pretty good bodyguard romantasy. Ironically CS Pacat blurbed this one (another am-I-in-the-matrix moment). The world was interesting and I enjoyed the politics, though they're definitely not as complicated as other SFF politics I've gone feral over (see: Captive Prince, Winter's Orbit, A Memory Called Empire). I ordered the sequel after I finished this.

The Doctor's Date by Heidi Cullinan - 4/5 stars

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske - 5/5 stars

Where do I start? I love, love, LOVE A Marvellous Light. It's one of my favorite books ever. None of the rest of the books in the trilogy could live up to it, really, because it's so good. You'll notice I rated this one 5 stars though, because quite honestly I fell prey to a bit of The Academy Paying The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Its Due syndrome. I did love this book and thought it was better than A Restless Truth (which I still loved!) but part of that is, quite frankly, just due to the fact that I prefer m/m romance to f/f romance.

Anyway. This was such a good finale to the trilogy. I loved that the romance was a giant middle finger to purity cultists. I loved that one of the mains was Italian. I loved finally getting the story of what happened to the Alston twins. One thing I thought was really cool was how, viewed from the outside, you totally get why Edwin is such a loner. I really admire from a writing perspective how Marske pulled that off.

I feel like there's a lot to be said about what Marske was trying to SAY with this book, but I definitely need to reread it first before I can articulate any of it. The purity culture stuff is obvious, but the magic system too. I feel like Jack when he's almost able to connect everything in his mind into a bigger idea, but he can't quite get there.

I've got a special edition from Illumicrate coming, so I'll be rereading it when I have that.

Oh also, this book was the embodiment of all that one tumblr post -

The Guncle by Steven Rowley - 5/5 stars

I saw this in bookstores for years before I finally gave in and bought it. The blurb makes it sound insufferable and twee. Ignore the blurb. This was such a good book about grief and learning how to live again after terrible loss.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber - 4/5 stars

At last I can stop getting the Lauv song stuck in my head whenever I set eyes on this book (it's stuck in my head as I type this). Pretty standard-issue YA, but it was cute and had a good message.

The Stagsblood King by Gideon E Wood - 4/5 stars

Another book about moving on from grief! This is the second book in a trilogy. When I was trying to determine if I wanted to read on beyond book 1, I scoured the internet for information about what happens in books 2 and 3. Eventually I decided, hell, I enjoyed book 1 well enough, even if what I want to happen in the rest of the trilogy doesn't happen, they're worth reading. SO, to that end, I will tell anyone looking for info that Tel gets romantically involved with a new man in this one, which, eh. I still want him to somehow end up with Vared. It was still quite good though.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune - DNF at pg 82

So funnily, we were at the bookstore the day I was about to start reading this, and my wife pointed out Ravensong (also by Klune) to me and said, "Do you have this one?" I made a face and said, "That's an older one of his books and I'm wary of his early work after that horrible Verania series. I don't think I've ever read an author as hit or miss as TJ Klune."

I wrote the above when I was 60 pages in and now I have officially DNFed this. Listen. You know how in Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi was clearly given free rein to do whatever he wanted, so all of his worst impulses made it to the final cut unchecked? Yeah. That's what this book is like.

Here's my Storygraph review: I see Klune is officially Too Big To Edit now. This book has exactly the same problem that his awful Verania series had—a joke that's funny at first but quickly grows tiresome when it's repeated five times per page. The emphasis on Victor's asexuality was also weird and read like Klune was just super proud of himself for writing an ace character.

Lion's Legacy by LC Rosen - 4.25/5 stars

Queer, YA Indiana Jones, but less #problematic. This book had some eerie similarities to my own archaeology adventure novel(s), which made me wonder half-seriously if I somehow know Lev Rosen? Anyway, I feared this would be very heavy-handed and not nuanced on archaeology's ethical dilemmas, since it's YA and also the current culture is to view said dilemmas as completely black and white with no nuance, but I was pleasantly surprised. It manages to examine that, queerness, and daddy issues, plus has time to be a genuinely fun and exciting adventure story. Highly recommend.

Too White to be Coloured, Too Coloured to be Black by Ismail Lagardien - 4/5 stars

I picked up this memoir in a bookstore at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg as research for Six Places to Fall in Love, since Percy is coloured. A pretty brutal read, but good, and definitely good research. The author was a photographer and journalist through the most violent years of apartheid.

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - 5/5 stars

Two nonfiction books in a row?? This is the second book by Erik Larson I've read, the first being the excellent The Devil in the White City. I'm not, in general, all that interested in WWII when it comes to military history, but this book is about the day to day lives of Churchill and the people surrounding him (with brief stops to visit FDR and high-ranking Nazis sprinkled throughout). This is a very, very good book, and I recommend reading it if only as a reminder of the resilience and bravery of ordinary people under terrifying circumstances.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - 5/5 stars

Holy shit. Holy shit is this book good. Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in.

I need everyone to read this book. Now. Yesterday. Get to it.

[oodlyenough]

6-2 magical turnabout

I gotta admit I was deeply skeptical of this one, because it felt weird to jump back to Apollo and Athena and Japanifornia after the tutorial, and I'd heard about the uh questionable way Phoenix and Trucy's relationship is handled, and the Gramarye retcon stuff was a mess ...

but I actually really liked it! At least as much as Turnabout Academy, where I think they are similarly "so dumb it loops back around to being fun" (not a bad place to be for an AA filler case). What gives this one the edge is that SOJ has actual gameplay again. Thank fucking god. I can click things! I can investigate! There are minigames! I have to solve puzzles myself instead of waiting for NPC Athena to do it for me! These are the most basic elements of an AA game and somehow Dual Destinies had none of them, making SOJ feel like a revelation. So I think that makes this my fave case since AA4? Wow

Anyway let's get into it

I like the idea of defendant Trucy. Trucy was so ignored in AA5, and even in AA4 where she was a major player we rarely dealt with how she honestly feels about things. So it was nice to explore that a little more. Being a defendant is a rite of passage for an Ace Attorney character. She's all grown up now.

A magic show as the scene of a murder is a really fun idea also. It just gives great excuses for the shenanigans that take place in any murder case, and the solution feels less contrived bc it is with a perpetrator and a set design where those things are expected and facilitated naturally without a shit ton of contrivances and coincidences.

Apollo and Athena, for all my complaints about how they cannibalize each other's screentime just by simultaneously existing, are a fun team. And this time we actually got a lot of interactive banter because we actually got to CLICK STUFF wow so great much gameplay.

I do really enjoy Athena. I wish this franchise would get out of the habit of creating these interesting but half-baked characters just to park them immediately in the next instalment to create more interesting but half-baked characters. I have the rest of SOJ to go but I don't imagine Athena will have much of a role to play in it, just like how Apollo got shafted in DD to make way for Athena, and Trucy fared even worse. The main cast is so bloated the games can't balance everyone.

I am THRILLED Ema is back. Some of her new sprites are sf cute too. Overall, I have to compliment SOJ's sprites, which are very detailed and have lots of different animations. Many characters have new/more expressive ones, and they look way better than DD's 3D models.

The Gramarye lore is a hot mess. I do not believe the new writer remembered that Trucy is a Gramarye on her MOM'S side, since apparently the "Gramarye creed" was "passed down from my father, from his father", making it... the Enigmar creed. I also, generally, could probably have done without some of the way the Gramaryes were discussed here. They were pretty obviously a toxic shitshow nightmare in AA4, and Phoenix explicitly wants to protect Trucy from the truth of that. Here, we introduce the Jonkler out of nowhere, and have him cursing Magnifi and taking his revenge on ... the toddler... and it's all just a little bit weird. The poster of him being CANCELLED is the funniest thing I've ever seen though so I can forgive a lot of it just for that.

Also where is my man Valant. Why the hell would Trucy invite the Onceler to her show and not him lmao. Justice for Valant!!

I've also never wished Apollo knew his heritage more than in that last bit where Tony Stark was raving about how he defeated the "last" Gramarye lmao.

Nahyuta is ... fine so far. Honestly I know he's so unpopular in fandom but he's kind of fine so far? Not an immediate fave, but not even in my bottom two. The bit where he talks about studying Japanifornian culture made me think of the Dalek that "knows everything" because it downloaded the internet in 2013.

I've been semi-spoiled for Apollo and Nahyuta having a history together, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised that the game is not concealing this, but teasing it right from the off. I liked that in Apollovision his dialogue box is labelled "Nahyuta" even though everyone in-dialogue is calling him by his surname. I suspect this might be more a game dev limitation (character limit?) than anything else, but even if that's the case, it's a happy coincidence. The real test will be if they manage to stop Nahyuta and Apollo from feeling like a redux of Edgeworth and Phoenix, or Athena and Blackquill. Much of my issue with the end of DD was that it felt like we were just revisiting the trilogy's greatest hits without the same depth. But... whatever. I'm intrigued enough, at this point.

The biggest problem with this case, the elephant in the room, is Phoenix, who is inexplicably not there for his daughter's debut, did not even send flowers (apparently), and does not even talk to her on the phone in the last scene. This is exceedingly stupid and reeks of a total narrative oversight because they're not even trying to make some kind of point about Nick being a bad father. It's just a total lack of thought or effort. But ... anyway I have a whole other post written up about how Trucy and Phoenix's relationship is written in all the games, so, more on that another day, I guess. TL;DR Canon is a liar sometimes.

The "Gramarye[Enigmar] Family Motto" stuff, which is already so similar to the Mia Fey wisdom, could've just been collapsed into one thing: Trucy as a performer adapting that lawyer motto to her own life would be a nice way to show how Trucy is influenced by Phoenix, as well as Apollo and Athena. But uh, well, the game doesn't seem to care much about Trucy and Phoenix, so. I also find the "smile though your heart is breaking" mantra, including the JUDGE telling Trucy to look happy lmao??!?!, is like, kind of weird tonally, to the degree where I wonder if there's a culture gap happening. But I don't know enough about Japan to say.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this case. SOJ is off to an OK start with me so far, at least in comparison to DD.

[dailycharacteroption]

Magic Academy Student (Starfinder Archetype)

(art by Cementiet on DeviantArt)

We’ve moved on from the Magaambya for now, but we’re not quite done with magical schools yet, for now we’re taking a look into the far future of Starfinder.

Though Starfinder is a science fantasy setting, there are still four spellcasting classes, and many more classes and archetypes that are at least magic adjacent (Not to mention the remnants of older casting traditions presumably best represented by converting Pathfinder casters to Starfinder), which in turn demands the need for magical schools to teach a handy percentage of them. After all, not everyone is self-taught or learning via correspondence course.

Some schools may specialize in a certain discipline or be broader in scope, but all have their share of eager young students. Heck, some may even be practical courses teaching courses for certain vocations, such as magical soldier, first, leaving theory for later, while others are more esoteric and seek to inspire students to seek answers to the great mysteries.

Today’s archetype represents someone who is currently attending, or perhaps recently attended, such a school, and offers benefits based on the lifestyle and mindset of such a student. Some may wish to retrain out of it in the future, but others may continue to enjoy the multidiscipline magic and skills that it offers.

This archetype is perfect for any sort of game that focuses on such a magical academy, but remember it can be also used by spellcasters learning remotely, or those that joined the party as part of research for their thesis.

So without further ado, let’s look at what makes these students so special.

Naturally, only spellcasters can take this archetype, since the abilities therein are tied to spellcasting as a whole.

Anyone who’s attended higher education is no doubt familiar with the idea of cramming for exams, and these mages can put that skill to use by studying hard on a single spell to temporarily add it to their arsenal.

Academia also exposes them to many different disciplines, allowing them to add a single spell to their arsenal from another spellcasting class, which they can change as they grow in skill and knowledge, though obviously as someone outside the discipline, they can never learn a spell on equal power with their own focus.

As students of magic, these mages also spend time researching the minutae of specific spells as part of their various thesis, making that spell a bit more potent and hard to resist, though again, as they grow in power they usually move on to other spells, specializing in them instead.

As we can see, Magic Academy Students bring themes of youthful vigor to a character, as well as a dash of versatility thanks to their ability to learn a useful spell in an emergency and take a single spell from outside their discipline. (It is very easy to forget to take language-based spells when traversing the galaxy). What’s more, buffing their favorite spell and gaining an extra casting of it each day can be very useful indeed for some characters, and every spellcasting class can benefit from it in some way.

While magic schools have been handled in all sorts of media, not all of it good, a school in a science fantasy setting likely feels a bit different compared to the medieval fantasy or even a modern fantasy setting, making it ripe for interesting plot points to bring up with your character. Just try to avoid some of the grosser tropes of college fiction. Just because your character was somewhat inspired by American Pie or Van Wilder doesn’t give you carte blanche to make the rest of the group uncomfortable.

What started out as a way to spy on their rivals has grown far beyond the control of espionage as the Intergalactic Mage Games have grown beyond the initial proposal by the embri school of Arcana Dominatus. However, many embri political figures have been lobbying to shut the games down for fear of “cultural pollution” from other species and ways of life, especially now that the games now occur in neutral territory instead of on AD grounds.

Perpetual nervous and fearful of the outside world, the dromada Peega is struggling to work up the courage to leave the school she has been studying with for field research for her thesis. So, eventually, she put her precognitive powers to work and saw glimpses of the crew that would keep her safe on this journey, which leads her to the party.

Receiving the blessing from her queen, the young formian alate who has come to be known as Chirpsong has decided to attend a magical academy to further her understanding of her own burgeoning psychic magic in hopes of becoming a truly mighty queen someday. However, fearing that outside forces may see the future queen as a tempting prize, the queen quietly offers some of her classmates payment in exchange for watching over her.

[ruinandrue]

Inkwarren Devlog #1: Magick, Incantations, and Creativity

What's the appeal of magic in a fantasy setting? Is it that magic broadens the possibilities of storytelling by removing the limitations of our world? Do the limits on magic provide an interesting question of what is now possible, if the answer isn't anything? Is it just cool? Well, yeah. All of these! At least I think.

Hi all, Matt here, and I'm back to talk about Inkwarren, and how magick works in my game: what it is in the fiction, what it is in the mechanics, and how magick changes when you try to fit it into tactical combat.

Magic in the Woodland

Magick in Inkwarren is strange, dangerous, and poorly understood. It doesn't inhabit the same realm as other heroic fantasy games-- there are no wizard academies or +1 swords being sold in cities. Magick isn't taboo (your Witch isn't going to be run out of town), but it isn't normal or safe. Magick also requires incantations, which is what 'spells' are in Inkwarren-- echoing words of power that shift reality to your will.

It's best to think of magick like you would a tide. There is push, and there is pull. When you speak an incantation, you are using words of power to harness magick and change reality to your will- but magick always wants something in return. Magick requires sacrifice.

Now, sacrifice isn't always as dramatic as it sounds. Magick-users in the Woodland learn to sacrifice things to magick reflexively when they speak an incantation, because if they don't, the magick bites back and feeds on them instead. A lower strength incantation, like one that senses heartbeats, protects your skin from injury, or hides you from sight for a short while only require something small: a minute of your time, an unimportant memory, a bit of your blood, and similar offerings are very common across the incantations you'll see in the book. Bigger things require bigger sacrifices: if you want to implant a new memory you have to give one of your own of equal or greater importance, if you want to bring back a life you must give yours in return, and the enemies of the woodlanders might perform rituals that take many lives in order for them to take many lives in the same fashion.

So, magick takes time. Unless you've got an incantation down pat (more on that later), you likely can't cast it quickly and without fuss. You have to think about it, because if you rush blindly into an incantation, it could have permanent and devastating effects on your woodlander.

The Six Arcana

Despite magick being poorly understood, there are commonly known to be six important power sources for magick to draw from: these are called Arcana. The Arcana are as follows:

Blood magick manipulates the life force and bodies of living creatures, allowing the user to speak to animals, control plants, and shift their shape.

Bone magick enhances a user's physique and battle capabilities; conjuring protective shields, forming weapons out of force, and protecting the skin with sigils of occult magick.

Chaos magick (which differs from the real world tradition of chaos magic) focuses on energy and natural forces of the world-- turning fire into lightning, water into stone, and using these forms of energy and matter to accomplish a woodlander's goals.

Night magick focuses on shadows, silence, and the mind. Incantations that call upon night magick use shadows as a weapon, invade the mind to read thoughts and push a target's will in a certain direction, and steal voices and ideas from others.

Silver magick focuses on the boundaries between realities, allowing woodlanders to move between locations without travelling, divine the future, and call things from other states of existence.

Spirit magick focuses on the soul, emotion, and the spirits of the dead. Spirit incantations can be used to heal spiritual wounds, communicate with spirits of the dead and of the past, and to sense emotional impressions on beings and objects.

Great! We get how magick works (sort of, but that's the point)

Magick in Gameplay

There is a juxtaposition in how exactly magic should function in tactical fantasy games. Tactical combat requires tactics, which implies some level of thought and choice-- but if magick can do anything, what tactic is there in that? What ends up happening is magic is made into abilities-- you can cast fireball and entangle, but if you want to use fire to heat up a doorknob or use vines to create a bridge, you're out of luck. This makes sense- we want gameplay to flow well between states, and having the tactical, ability-like implementation of magic extend to all aspects of gameplay is good and fine.

But it doesn't have to.

Improvising Magick

Several traditions in Inkwarren are capable of improvising magickal effects: these being the folklorist, goetia, rook, warrior-poet, and witch (roughly half of the total 12 traditions). These traditions will also have special flourishes (narrative abilities) representing rote incantations they know by heart and don't have to improvise, but they may wish to improvise at other times. Before we get into how improvising magick works, let's recap our points from above:

Magick requires sacrifice.

Magick takes time and concentration.

Magick is dangerous.

When you wish to improvise an incantation, you will draw a pentacle, and go through each point to choose five different descriptors:

Your Intent. What you want to happen when you create the effect- unlock the door, hide my footsteps, change my face.

Strength. The Strength of the incantation directly correlates with Effect used for challenge rolls: limited, normal, great, and legendary effect. During the Origin phase of play, your woodlander will be more inexperienced with more powerful magick, and will incur more sacrifices and consequences for incantations that aren't limited strength. That isn't to say they can't attempt-- it'll just be much more dangerous for them.

Sacrifice. What you will give. The higher the Strength, the more you sacrifice. Time, blood, memory, sanity-- whatever you want.

Major Arcana. The primary Arcana you draw from when using the effect. Unlocking a door sounds like chaos, as you pull on the metal to change and unlock, and changing your face might be night, as you shift your features to look like someone else.

Minor Arcana. The secondary Arcana you draw from, which can be the same as your Major Arcana. Unlocking the door might be chaos/night as you tug on shadows to bend the door to your will, and changing your face might be night/blood.

After you decide these five descriptors, you will attempt a challenge roll to create your effects, rolling your dice directly onto your pentacle. Prevailing causes your incantation to go off as intended, but Persevering or Faltering could cause things to go slightly different than what you planned or not right at all. Voila! You have improvised a spell!

Magick in Battle

Magick in Battle is a lot simpler because, well, I didn't reinvent the wheel a whole bunch here! Magick exploits are exploits just like any other, with Root, Bloom, and Duo effects that can the woodlander can use at will. In the fiction, woodlanders can call upon this magick so easily because they are rote incantations, similar to magical flourishes-- in the heat of Battle, a woodlander doesn't have time to improvise, pick sacrifices, and focus their intent. They just rely on what they know! They sacrifice small bits of energy, prepared components, and other minor things they are assumed to have prepared because they're the heroes, and they know what they're doing.

TL;DR in battle, you may not have time to improvise magick and get creative, but outside of battle, you have time to get weird and wacky with the incantations you speak-- if you can pay the cost.

If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading! I'll be posting on this blog semi-regularly as I develop this game, and I appreciate your interest and support!

[ask-missparker]

Out of commission… // Marvel Blurb AU

The blinding effect of the lights felt draining. The color almost washed her out completely, as she turned her attention to the small plate placed on each corner of her forehead. Along with a small amount of fluid coming into her veins.

She blinked her eyes wide open to see the figure in the distance who eventually approached the lights.

Slyvie.

Her long blonde hair flows past her as her green skin tight skirt grows with every inch of her body moving forward to face the slightly weaker agent. She felt an evil little smirk on her face.

Death level kinda smirk. Nothing about this makes sense anymore.

“Speak or I will—”

“You’ll what?”

With a flick of her wrist, she took away Mia’s ability to speak her mind as she opened her mouth but no words were uttered in the air.

“Much better, don’t you think? Aw you look so cute trying to break free from your own thoughts. Almost makes me feel bad for what I’m about to do to you.” She said with a smirk playing with the magic in her hand, “I need you here for my plan to work. But don’t worry, you won’t be alone forever. Just until you can see your precious little work fall under your own hands.”

‘But-? No-no, you won’t get away with any of this. SHIELD will..” She mouthed.

“Oh SHIELD is too busy with missions and other training protocols to worry about a little girl like you. I don’t know what it is that makes you think you’re going to get anywhere when you’re stuck here. SHIELD doesn’t seem to care about you or any of your friends. Or that’s at least what I have seen of course.”

‘You’re wrong! The sooner you keep me here they will come to find me.’

“Look Agent Parker, I don’t know much about you but I will soon. And for starters, from what I gather your faith in people is a strong one, even for a newcomer like yourself, it’s very cute honestly because your faith pushed the young avengers to join in their previous home. Which I destroyed gracefully, you remember don’t you?”

Amelia’s mind was a little fuzzy since she awakened from her slumber but she remembered the explosion of the building she fought so hard to build and forge a better life for the heroes. Hell, she signed them up for SHIELD Academy classes to help their education level improve over time. Then it was designed to be destroyed under her nose by Slyvie.

She wanted to see the heroes fall apart and make them weak from the inside. Taking away their home, wondering if that would break them. But they were quickly brought to Stark Tower—Avengers Tower, where they had a chance of a better future. Then afterwards, she was sent to see The Sandbox’s ruins and collect any remaining possessions from the building.

That’s when she ended up here.

It was like the tall blonde saw the look in her eyes and grinned, nodding. Giving that little push, grounding her head just enough to keep her there and let her be crushed.

“You seem a bit distressed by all the information, love. But you will be fine. The heroes right now are all caught up in a world chasing time of bonding over their shared interests and being together, that they completely forgot about you. Hell, they heard about SHIELD’s true intentions towards certain individuals and their actions around them.” She explained with a straight smile, “Besides I taught them myself, so I know they aren’t that huge of a burden for you or anyone, due to their true nature being broken little souls.”

‘They are not!’ She replied with no words uttered in the air.

“Ahh that’s right, no one can hear your mousy little voice. Especially with that plate connected to your forehead, so your quiet as a bird on an early morning sunrise. It’s beautiful isn’t it? I know you’re feeling upset and hurt, hoping they will come for you. But they won’t.”

Just as Mia was mouthing off another set of words that came out as pushed air. A voice that sounded all too familiar came into the light, a tone of which she recalled to be her own. She looked over her shoulder to see a black bodysuit with a small set of black thin boots to match, a set of white rings on her fingers and a wristband with the SHIELD logo on it.

She gulped having not seen the face yet. But she had her own suspicions onto who it can be.

Her eye-line raise to face the upper half only to be meet with brown-greenish eyes, long brown hair that was curled at the end, a edging nose and plumped lips that were colored a light pinkish shade. The biggest giveaway, being the cheekbones.

That was face reveal to be her own.

She was staring at all seemed to be a copy of her own face—hell, that’s her whole damn body and voice!

Her guesses were a shapeshifter of some kind, something she read in Rochelle’s file, as her redhead friend had the ability to of turning blue and changing into anyone physically from their surroundings.

The copy looked at her for a split second then turned around and faced Slyvie with a small smile.

“She’s pretty. Real good looking at copying the original design of the owner.” Slyvie said turning to Mia with a nod, “Meet your replacement for when I’m not around to spy on them, she will. Agent Parker 2.0. Or as I like to call her Elia for short.”

‘She’s a shapeshifter! She can only act and sound like me if she wanted to…they will tell the difference between us.’ She explained pointing at the copyright holder of herself.

“Oooh you are a very smart one. Kree come in many forms, shapeshifting just enough require the memories of the person as well. You might notice small gestures here and there that might not match with your usual mood but it won’t be anything grand.”

‘I..um..’

‘Now she’s lost for words. You see Agent Parker, your little protective idea of this world, isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. It’s okay, you’re young and haven’t grown yet to get there. But you will. For now, your little heroes are gonna be safe until another threat happens that can either make or break them. Soon they will be so tight knit together that will be hard to break them, but like everything, challenges will come to test those waters.”

Slyvie explained her decision on an attack that she wants to create for the heroes, to avenge the person she care for, to see if they are a part of a team or just playing dress up. So a breaking fight on New York and an attack against the streets was perfect enough to do the trick.

And a kidnapping of the women who help put them together was just the icing on the cake for this. With Mia gone, she wasn’t there to represent and report back to SHIELD or the young heroes if everything was going smoothing.

And with Elia there was the replacement, pretending to be a version of the original, no one would bat an eye.

————-

That’s what I got! What do we think of this short blurb?

Tags: @missstrawbs2001 @purpleprincessonfyre @meiramel  @gcthvile @rickb-chaos @gaminggirlsstuff @wizzzardofoz @cherrysft @thechoooooosenone @luna-d-marsh @rooster-84 and etc

[bunni-v1]

Bunni’s TWST OC!

🍓Hello! I decided to just bite the bullet and post my beloved OC as well as some info on her. Hope you all can enjoy it! I’m putting it under the cut because it’s LONG, and I don’t want anyone who doesn’t want to see it to have to see it. @acornwinter @the-nightingales-song

TW: Mentions of abuse and past trauma (I am so cruel to my OCs)

Intro: Her name is Mitsumi Kozima, she’s from Kyoto, Japan (you know, like on our planet from our world). She’s lived alone since being separated from her aunt at sixteen. She attends a prestigious art academy on a full ride music scholarship, and made a pretty decent but boring life for herself. Thats how she wanted everything to be, at least. When she suddenly gets run over by a horse drawn carriage (IN THE MIDDLE OF KYOTO???) while saving a helpless little kitten, her life gets way more interesting!

Here are References of her (they’re all old, sorry):

Background: She has no memories before showing up at her “aunts” doorstep at the age of eight. She had nothing but the clothes on her back and the heart-shaped locket with a picture of her father in it, and a little note for the woman who would take her in. It’s like she popped into existence all at once. Her “aunt” initially took her in out of the “goodness of her heart”, but Mitsumi quickly learned it was for appearances. Her “cousin” Hirohito had been suffering multiple types of abuse at his aunts hands for years, and did his best to shield her from his mothers wrath, but could only do so much. Mitsumi learned to blend in, not rock the boat, and most importantly do as she was told. She didn’t have many friends, as she had “imaginary friends” at an age where that thing was unacceptable. Despite all this, she remained as cheery as she could be, holding out hope that her real parents were out there somewhere. Hope that they would find her one day. She did not find real freedom until the day her aunt died during a “horrific break in.”

She separated from her cousin shortly after, using the money she was given after her aunt died to move to Kyoto and make a life for herself there. She found freedom in music, and thus dedicated all her time to learning music. She proceeded to learn six other languages, and knows how to play numerous amounts of instruments. Her school calls her a prodigy, she simply believes she’s hard working.

Personality: She’s a bright, quick witted young woman. She’s academically average, except for the subjects she is particularly interested in — such as history and music. Her professors describe her as hungry for knowledge in most cases. Always doing her best to see the best in others, she is easily taken advantage of, but there’s not a single person she doesn’t believe she could befriend. Still, she has a deep sadness in her that she rarely lets show. She craves adventure and adrenaline, but would rather keep to herself if it means she doesn’t have to be hurt by others. She can adjust her outgoingness to whoever she is around, making her easy to get along with — if not a little difficult to wrap your head around. She’s a friend of extroverts and a lover of introverts.

How she is at NRC: Being thrown into a magical world as a magic less human isn’t all that exciting for normal people. However, for Mitsumi who is quite the opportunist, she is thrilled to be here. Magic is something that only exists in fantasy anime where she’s from, but she just saw a fire breathing cat nearly set a magical talking mirror on fire! If that isn’t cool, she doesn’t know what is. Though, she isn’t used to not excelling in her classes, she’s more forgiving since she missed out on more than just a few years of education here. Being transported here woke her inner sense of adventure, and she can’t help but get herself involved in trouble. Can you blame her, everything here is just so darn exciting! She could even see if there’s a way magic can help her find her parents. The heart locket seems to have a reaction to nearby magic use, nearly burning her skin during overblots, so it seems like she has a lead!

Her most important relationships:

-Ace, Deuce, and Grim are her absolute best friends here! They’re like real siblings that she never got to have, and they take care of her better than her aunt ever did. She really would trust these three (tentatively) with her life. (This applies to all the first years, these three are just the most important by name)

-Vil is the closest thing to a positive motherly figure she’s ever had. While he was scary and mean at first, after he warmed up to her, he’s rather caring and sweet. She particularly likes when he invites her over for “tea” (aka. Sleepovers) with him and rook. He does her hair for her, and sometimes will even take her shopping for new clothes. He is the first person she would go to if anyone upset her, honestly.

-If Vil is her mother, Rook is her quirky step-father. Despite the scars she has (from her aunt and the overblots), he constantly reminds her that she is a beauty and should feel as such. He enjoys her time likely more than Vil does, and is a constant positive person in her life.

-Azul is her dearly beloved, deep rooted crush (that no one in her life sees the appeal of). She always found him quite pretty, but seeing his more vulnerable sides made her heart ache for him. She works in the lounge, which means she gets to see him rather frequently. She’s spent many closing shifts chatting with him for hours on end until Jade or Floyd reminds the two of them that it’s getting rather late, and they both have classes early in the morning. He’d never reciprocate her feelings though (so she thinks), so she’s happy keeping things like this. She has no idea how much she drives him crazy.

Mitsumi twst Lore: This shit is nuts and it’s probably not gonna make sense, but I don’t care. I am cringe but I am FREE!!

Okay so, I alluded to the fact that she belongs in twisted wonderland no so subtly more than once, so let’s get into that.

Mitsumi’s father was a human mage named Wen. He was an extremely talented magician who was capable of mastering some of the most difficult spells known to human and fae alike, but preferred to spend his time studying and writing. He was appointed as the queen’s own scholar, and had a board of men and women who worked beneath him to study whatever he liked. He was born during the era of the great war, but unlike his fellow scholars and royals of the castle, he was not afraid of them. No, Wen was fascinated by them. Their culture, biology, magical systems, and anything he could get his hands on. Frequently he ventured outside of his territories bounds to try and find traces of them, but was rarely successful. That was until the fateful day he met his future wife, Hikari.

Hikari — better known as Princess Hikari Draconia of the Valley of Thorns. Much like Wen, she was particularly curious about humans, and would rather study them than practice and master such simple and easy magic (for her). She had a rocky relationship with her mother and sister, and therefore she has a rocky relationship with the court — aside from her lady in waiting, Jingyi Cheng. She had wanted some space from her mothers oppressive eye, when she ran into this young human in the very woods she sought solace in.

The two spoke, and found their similarities to be evidence that human and Fae can live in harmony. That this war was selfish and senseless. So, they met nearly every week since that day. A week turned into a few days, and a few days turned into every day. The two, unwittingly, had fallen in love with each other. However, the war had begun to escalate, casualties rising on both sides and neither ruler seemed to want to listen to reason. Despite this, their love flourished, and they made the decision to have a child. Maybe that would bring the two sides together. It would give the young prince a companion, after all.

This only seemed to make things worse, however, and both sides saw their baby as a monstrosity. There was a price on the young child’s head in both kingdoms. For a number of years then lived in hiding, far away from any people that could possibly hurt them or their child, however their luck would run out. They would be found by Fae soldiers, and to save their child’s life they gave a grave sacrifice.

Hikari — whose own unique magic she was forbidden from using due to its unstable nature — put her child into a deep sleep, only to be woken in a few thousand years, when things had settled. Wen gave the child an enchanted locket to help guide her back to them when she found her way back into their world. Finally, the child’s magic was sealed away within the same locket. Only small bursts of magic would happen when encountering other magic or magical beings in the world. Their child was safe, for now, but the two were captured and cursed. Hikari was locked away in a mirror, memories wiped. Only a draconian could free her from her eternal prison. Wen was cursed with immortality, forced to wonder the world in an aimless search for his lost family — memories of them haunting him for as long as he lived.

Their child was no better, as her luck seemed to be awful… that was, until she arrived back to twisted wonderland.

🍓Aaaaand that’s it! That’s a lot that I crammed into one post, sorry :/ It’s a bit rambly, but if I went into it like I wanted to this post would be endless. If you need clarification, just tell me!

[lonelylonelyghost]

OK, why the hell was I not aware of Doom Patrol until like literally 2 days ago??

I'm on episode 7 now and it's so good???

The general premise is quite familiar to any lover of superhero stuff. Basically due to some circumstances several people somehow attain unusual powers and are gathered in the huge-ass house (the energy bills must be insane) by a mysterious Chief. And then weird shit starts happening.

I think in regards to general set-up it's a bit similar to Umbrella Academy, but in smaller details and characterizations it's a completely different thing.

The characters? - They are actually good people. Flawed, yeah, definitely, some of them did pretty messed up stuff in the past, but they're constantly trying to do better, be better. Deeply human, despite their supernatural abilities. I know that complete irredeemable assholes are quite popular with the public nowadays, but for me personally I like characters that have kindness in them, someone I could actually root for, and with at least some semblance of a moral compass.

The dynamic? Great! Everyone there is with their distinct quirks and loads of trauma, somehow culminating into a messed up but highly entertaining to watch found family. Also, at least for now - no romance within the group! Yey! Praise the gods, honestly, because you've no idea how annoyed I would be otherwise (a lot of media is ruined forever by adding a completely unnecessary romance subplots imo. Hollywood can't grasp the concept of love like 99% of the time). But with the way it's going and what kind of dynamic people there have with each other, any romance between them seems highly unlikely.

Humor? Oh yes! I'm too lazy to look for specific quotes, but because the characters are so different from each other, from their personalities and experiences to time periods, their interactions and reactions to the same events are hilarious.

The meta from The Narrator aka Mr Nobody is also top tear. I quite like meta things in media in general, and it's not easy to do it well, but here it's executed just right. The interesting thing about this running commentary on the events happening is that despite the seemingly omniscient perspective it's clear that The Narrator is biased and you can't really take his every word and opinion as absolute reality.

Also, one thing that I personally appreciate - even though there is a fair amount of graphic violence and gore, it's actually manageable and not crossing the "violence just for the shock value" line. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy some on-screen dismemberment every once in a while, but not when it starts to get gross. No way near the level of the Boys (please don't kill me, I like their memes).

Overall, this particular mix of scifi and magic, tragedy, comedy, heartfelt moments and good plot managed to resonate with my brain's wavelength. So here we go. Enjoy

My favorite flavor of absolute bonkers happening all the time

[moongurl95]

Chapter 8.5 – In the Shadow of the Aftermath

Dear Anne –

Hogwarts isn´t the same without you, but it seems you’ve summoned in some favors by ensuring my ego remains bruised with defeat during a rather lively mock duel in Hecat’s class the first day. If you must know to whom do you owe the pleasure, then it would interest you to find out that we’ve welcomed a new classmate in our year— and no, she’s not a transferee from another wizarding academy— She actually just started with her magical education as she only just grew into her Magic this late, have you heard about an instant like that, Anne?

Even so, Beatrice (our new classmate’s name) seems to be quite the enigma. I daresay I wish to unravel more about her. If this is your way of sending a new perspective in my midst, then I shall endeavor to make the best out of this term— even though, well, I heard Sharp is still as foul. But, you know what I mean.

I’ve also enclosed your requested sweets from Honeydukes here. I hope you’re doing better.

Sebastian

He watched their shared owl, Pudge, fly off from the Owlery— the screech owl might take a day or two before coming back with a reply from his twin, but he garnered it had moreso to do with the tiny thing preferring to be spoiled with snacks in the company of his sister than being cooped up in a place where he rarely sent or received any letters.

Imagine his surprise this morning when Sebastian was discreetly pulled aside after breakfast by their Head of House, as Professor Ronen proudly granted him a fair number of House points for his endeavors at Hogsmeade yesterday, as well as jovially telling him he was excused for today’s classes.

After heeding his Charms Professor’s advice to get himself properly checked by Nurse Blainey, he used the better half of his time to sit back down in his room to properly compose a letter to his sister. But with that done, Sebastian found himself with more time in his hands and couldn’t help but let his mind wander to his charge— Had she also been excused for today’s classes as well? Where could she be in the castle during this time of day, perchance?— A quick look at his pocket watch gave Sebastian a plausible insight on where Beatrice just might be at this time. Maybe they’d finally get around to spending Study period together after a round at Crossed Wands.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : –. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧

“But sir, how dangerous could the library be? Perhaps we’re only after a book.”

“Perhaps we are only after a book. But we should be prepared for anything.”

Beatrice wasn’t privy to the details on how exactly she was found the night her magic violently burst forth, all she was made aware of the morning she’d gained consciousness in a quaint London flat along Charing Cross was that she was now a witch, set to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in two months’ time under the safety of her now-mentor’s tutelage and that the life she once knew, now barely existed.

Obliviated— was what she heard casted on those few who managed to survive the destruction she’d left behind in that awful cave off the coasts of Seaford— And for all Beatrice knew, the convent of St. Margarets crossed her off as a runaway from the sisterhood. It may have taken a week before she came around to warming up with her new guardian, but Beatrice would still often wonder…

Professor Weasley insists that they will need an escort and a mentor to help them acclimatize before term begins. I have assigned the task to you. Please see Professor Weasley for details.

Surely it would have taken at least a day or two for the Ministry to have Traced the source of her magical outburst yet Beatrice was sure, despite her slowly losing consciousness amidst the smoke from the blazing inferno that night, that it was Professor Fig himself who had come for her and not just any other Auror. So why did the letter she had read in his classroom seem to have been addressed to him after the fact? Maybe she was reading too much into it—

“Ready to get thrashed?”

She had to focus on her Crossed Wands duel at the moment.

“Is everything all right, Beatrice?” The question made her give a quick nod of assurance back to Natty, who had graciously accepted being her duelling partner for this round— going against three opponents by herself still seemed a bit overwhelming after all and honestly, when was Constance going to tell her she was also part of Crossed Wands?

“I just had to do something exciting if Quidditch wouldn’t be having matches this year,” Constance supplied as if reading her mind while deflecting Beatrice’s basic cast on her, “I’d be bored out of my mind in the Gobstones Club!”

“I’m guessing this being “exclusive and unsanctioned” was enough to tickle your curiosity?” Beatrice asked with a grin, alternating her offense on a Slytherin girl who quickly accepted defeat without a fuss.

“I’d agree with its exclusivity, wouldn’t have been gotten in if not for Astoria’s recommendation— practically encouraged us to branch out to other clubs now that Quidditch practice is mostly off the schedule. Though I’d doubt this club is as unsanctioned as it’s said to be—” Constance huffed out a breath, pausing just enough to see Beatrice finish off the younger Gryffindor who had just bested Onai, “—doubt Hecat didn’t get a whiff of this.”

“Best not make her question the sanctity of our duels here then?” Beatrice faced her roommate then, they were the only ones left standing, making Constance grin at her eagerly, “Even better if we make a good show out of it!” She said before casting a yellowish streak towards Beatrice’s way—

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : –. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧

Sebastian hadn’t expected the ruckus that welcomed him at the Clock Tower, seeing Hector Jenkins frustratingly have a go at their club’s training dummy, “She could’ve gone a bit easier on me!” The young Gryffindor had almost whined as Lucan immediately stepped in, albeit cautiously.

“What did I miss?” Sebastian couldn’t help but voice aloud.

“Quite a bit. Beatrice actually asked after you, Sallow.” It was Natsai Onai who had spoken up as she was passing by, a blonde Ravenclaw by her side who jokingly quipped, “Had me best thinking perhaps I should just stick to potions.” Sebastian only then recognized her as the girl who sat beside Beatrice during the Start-of-Term Feast, “Heard she had to turn in some extra assignments for Professor Hecat though, you might find her near there if you’re looking for her?”

She’d phrased it more as a question, but Sebastian was sooner thanking her as he made his way out of the South Wing and towards the D.A.D.A. Tower. He’d just rounded the corner near the bottom of the stairs by the D.A.D.A. Classroom when, yet another Ravenclaw had unceremoniously bumped into him— Sebastian was starting to reflect on the irony that kept him from crossing paths with the one girl he was more keen on seeing today.

“Hey, watch it! I just got my prized collection back thanks to the new student!” The younger girl had fretted, not bothering to look up at him as she carefully counted the Gobstones she had in her hands. Wait, wasn’t she that obnoxious 1st year Anne had mischievously gotten hooked on the infernal game during the earlier months of the previous term?

“Noke, right? Zenobia Noke?” Sebastian watched as the smaller girl visibly tensed as she now looked up at him, first in trepidation before a look of recognition made her relax, “You’re Anne’s twin brother, right? Thought you looked familiar. How is she? I don’t think I’ve seen her around much…” Ah, of course news of his sister’s predicament would be talked about lightly amongst the younger students, for fear that their parents would keep them from returning to school if a goblin curse was ever made known…

“She’s… not well at the moment, but she’ll get better and be back at Hogwarts soon.” Sebastian had lost track how many times he’d said those lines to people who asked about his sister, he kept it from sounding more like a means of convincing himself than any…

“I do hope so, Imelda’s turned out to be one of the worst losers, she’s there along Astoria and Everett in my books— terrible they are for hiding my Gobstones in high places all over the school. It’s a good thing Beatrice was kind enough to help me get them back, she even promised to play a round with me in our Common room if I ever catch her there lounging about.”

Sebastian couldn’t help the twitch in his mouth as he tried to hide a smile at Zenobia’s giddy mention of Beatrice— he supposed she was the congenial type— but speaking of, “Beatrice didn’t happen to mention where she’d be at the moment, would she?” He asked, trying to sound nonchalant while surreptitiously eyeing the door above the stairs, as if Beatrice might instantly come out of their D.A.D.A. classroom.

“She did mention heading to the Astronomy Tower, I think? Even asked me something about… what was it… flying keys? I don’t think I’ve ever even seen keys flying about here in our school though.”

Sebastian hadn’t as well, but he can’t completely deny he hadn’t heard about it— those Daedalian Keys. It was something he’d heard Anne gush about after hearing it from a Gryffindor named Nellie Oggspire, someone he associated with the Osprey bird, what with the Lion cub’s affinity to carelessly find herself in high up places outside the towers. Though he never did get around to asking Anne if she’d ever started her own search for the flying keys before the incident at Feldcroft happened over the past holidays… he ought to the next time he came to visit, just to give her a boost of encouragement to get back to Hogwarts.

With that in mind, he’d left Zenobia to her Gobstones and kept aware of his surroundings, especially as he was just about to pass by the Tower’s student lounge area when he’d heard a voice grumble— “Shame, if I hadn’t needed the extra Galleons from losing that bet with Leander, I would have swapped it with the authentic historian’s uniform that Beatrice had found instead…”

That was enough to stop Sebastian in his tracks as his eyes roamed for the source of the usually grating voice, zeroing in on Arthur Plummly, “I heard you mention Beatrice, was she here just now?” Sebastian went straight to the point as he neared the Hufflepuff to ask.

“Oh hey Sebastian, Beatrice was here a few moments ago.” Plummly had jovially supplied, to which had Sebastian feeling a twitch on his brow though as he never remembered being on a first name basis with the Badger, “In fact I heard she’d be looking for you in the D.A.D.A. Tower. You hadn’t crossed paths with her on the way up here?”

Sebastian kept the sigh of frustration from escaping his lips, instead gritting out an excuse before he backtracked his steps down and subconsciously let his feet take him towards the jolly tune being played by the charmed musical quartet back in the D.A.D.A. Tower, crossing his arms as he stood in front of the Burning Witch portrait but not actually looking at it as he was now completely lost in thought. He pondered if maybe staying put in one place would prove more effective in crossing paths with Beatrice—

“Sebastian. There you are.”

“There you are.” Sebastian tried not to sound too excited at now finally having come across the girl he’d been looking for the better part of the morning, granted she had been the one to have found him first, “You promised me an explanation for what happened in the Three Broomsticks. Not many students have Victor Rookwood’s attention. What was that all about?” It was one of the many worries he’d come to realize after waking up with a clearer head from a good night’s rest.

“I’ve never even met him. Perhaps he mistook me for another student.”

“If you say so.” Beatrice’s reply almost made him bristle, as if he’d sooner believe the notorious gang leader had just thought to single her out amidst the crowded pub right after she’d demonstrated a curious form of Magic— “I won’t press you now, but you will have to tell me what’s going on at some point. You might need me.” Or he, her, if she ever decided to share whatever secrets she had with him… “So, why were you looking for me?”

“I need to find something for Professor Fig, but it’s in the Restricted Section of the Library.”

“He can’t get it himself?” Sebastian huffed, already having an inkling where this conversation was going.

“He was called away by Black at the last moment. I suppose I could wait to get a note from him, but—”

“You want to show some initiative.” At this point, Sebastian was starting to see an opportunity that may help in winning Beatrice over—

“Precisely. You mentioned being ‘clever enough not to get caught’ in the Restricted Section?” She’d looked so hopeful that it made him quick to answer, “And I am. Meet me outside the Library tonight. And tell no one.”

Despite his confidence in his reply, he noticed how Beatrice still somewhat looked anxious, her head slightly tilted as her eyes quickly roamed to check their surroundings for anyone who may be within earshot of whatever they were planning for tonight, before she tentatively asked, “What’s the worst that could happen if we’re caught in the Restricted Section? Not expulsion, I hope.”

Sebastian had to chuckle at that as he would have been expelled long before she’d have ever been sorted in Hogwarts if that was the case. “Just detention, no doubt. But a word of caution or two will help— for one, avoid Peeves the poltergeist. Aside from wanton destruction of property, he loves nothing more than telling on the likes of us.”

“And the librarian? How concerned should we be of Madam Scribner being there later tonight?”

“She’ll be sure gone by the time we sneak in, and it’s best next to tell you that the Madam doesn’t take kindly to clandestine activities taking place amongst her precious books, so do all that you can to avoid her. She and I have had our entanglements, but I can hold my own against her. You may not be so lucky.”

“Thank you, Sebastian. I’ll meet you later.”

“And with that settled, aren’t you forgetting to make time for something else other than the reasons I’ve heard about you walking almost everywhere about the castle?” Sebastian crossed his arms, peering at Beatrice’s confused expression before realization seemed to dawn on her.

“Oh! Of course, I brought these Charms related textbooks I borrowed from the Library, since you hadn’t exactly mentioned the title you needed for reference—”

“Merlin! How many books did you check out??” Sebastian was flabbergasted as Beatrice pulled out at least four books from the enchanted pockets of her robe.

“Just enough to help me catch up, I hope. As much as Professor Fig’s extensive library also helped, I wished we had more standard textbooks to assist us in which Spells are more conducive to teach based on a student's year level.” Beatrice sighed in exasperation.

“Well, there’s no fun in that at all, is there? Might end up limiting a student’s capability in learning more advanced Spells when he can handle it.” Sebastian countered as he helped take the heavy lot off Beatrice’s hands, one of which was thankfully the book he had been looking for, “Although I’d have to agree that the textbooks they’ve safely assigned us to read are too old-fashioned for my choice of reference material.”

“I’m starting to believe that’s the reason you’ve become quite clever in sneaking into unsanctioned places, perhaps?” He spied her cheekily smile at him as he led them down the D.A.D.A. Tower’s stairs.

“Quite. Which makes me believe why we should stir clear of the Library for our Study session today.” A smile of his own played on the corner of his lips as he was just about to lead the way out towards the Transfiguration Courtyard.

“Oh? Not even at the students’ lounge area by the Astronomy Tower then?” Beatrice gave him an inquisitive look, to which he was about to answer when—

“Beatrice! Uhm, I wonder if you might be able to help me with a small, er… project?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but groan out in frustration then, but Beatrice had already turned towards the voice from the side of the stairwell, “Duncan? You wanted to speak with me?”

“Errmm… Yes, well…” He watched the bespectacled boy hesitate as he warily eyed Sebastian who decided to stand by the stairs’ base, still within hearing distance, making sure a frown marred his usual nonchalant features as he waited for Beatrice.

“I— I’ve heard all about you confronting Trolls yesterday!” The boy had managed to squeak out as he tried to focus on his Housemate now in front of him, “Even aside from the dragon attack, it all seems to be amazing luck how you found yourself relatively unscathed from both!”

“I suppose it must seem that way. I’m not sure it’s justified though, it’s all just a… matter of circumstance, shall I say?” Beatrice’s tendency to brush things off had Sebastian scoffing to himself— the girl had to have acknowledged she had an uncanny ability at this point.

“I’m going to presume your reputation is in fact warranted— in which case you are precisely the person I need.” Sebastian now tensed as he leaned in on what Hobhouse had to say next that urgently required Beatrice’s presence, “You see, we were learning the repel Boggarts in Professor Hecat’s class and, well… mine unfortunately took the shape of a— a Puffskein.”

Was that right? Sebastian snorted most improperly as he held back a laugh, to which he met Beatrice’s disapproving glace before she’d turned her attention back on her Housemate, “They’re adorable! Why would you be afraid of a Puffskein?”

“They seem adorable until one sticks its tongue up your nose. Regardless of how reasonable I believe my fear of Puffskeins to be. I’m beginning to get a reputation of a coward. Some have even taken to calling me ‘Puffskein Dunkein’.”

Now Sebastian let out a good chuckle upon hearing the nickname, blatantly grinning Beatrice’s way as he observed her try to hide her own amusement behind her hand with a well-placed cough, “I’m sorry. Words can be cruel no matter how clever they may sound.”

“Everett thinks it is clever, blast him.” The poor boy almost looked faint as he was now red in the face—

from anger or embarrassment— Sebastian wasn’t sure, but he kept a close eye in case ‘Dunkein’ was anywhere close to pulling his wand out on Beatrice for laughing at him, “Poppy offered to help me in overcoming my fear, but I’m too afraid to take her up on it.”

“Anyway, to make matters worse, I stupidly blurted out that I must be braver than people think since I have been in the Hidden Herbology Corridor.”

This made Sebastian raise a brow as he never heard of such a place in the castle, Beatrice also repeated the name of the place in question towards her Housemate, “Yes. Rumour has it that the Herbology professor before Professor Garlick kept dangerous plants there.” Dunkein had looked so smug upon divulging this tiny bit of information that Sebastian felt a tick of annoyance when the bespectacled boy had the gall to give him a look as if he one-upped him on some regard.

“It’s supposedly overrun now that no one dares to enter it anymore. I was hoping you could go there and bring back evidence that I could use to show that… well, I’d gone in…? Say, a bit of an exceptionally dangerous plant of some kind?”

“What sort of plants should I expect in the Hidden Herbology Corridor?” Beatrice’s line of questioning now had Sebastian on high alert.

“I haven’t a clue. But have you seen the kinds of plants Professor Garlick grows?” Sebastian hazarded a guess she hadn’t, not personally anyway. This could prove dangerous for Beatrice, and he wasn’t comfortable at the thought that she’d be risking herself for something as petty as this boy’s ‘courage’.

“If the previous professor was anything like her, I’d imagine they’re not exactly harmless.” Then why are you sending her there in the first place?! It took all of Sebastian’s will not to Depulso Dunkein into the wall behind where he stood just to knock some sense into the boy.

“Very well. If I’m in the area, perhaps I shall take a look.” Not good. That most definitely didn’t sound like a blatant refusal from Beatrice at all, and it made Sebastian feel the dread slowly settle in the pit of his stomach.

“Grand. I’d very much appreciate it. Come find me if you get proof. I shall be forever in your debt.”

When Beatrice had parted ways with her Housemate and was now walking beside Sebastian as they passed through the Transfiguration Courtyard and entered Central Hall, that’s when he knew he had to make a decision, “We should find some of that evidence now.” He finally said.

“What?” Beatrice stopped in her tracks, clearly caught off guard by the boy’s exclamation as they stopped by the Hall’s Fountain with Sebastian now looking at her.

“At the Hidden Herbology Corridor, we should go and find it now.” He’d repeated in saying.

“But— I thought we had a Study session going on?”

“Which I’m sure you won’t have your full attention on, seeing as you’d be otherwise preoccupied.” He’d cast her a knowing look, seeing an adorable dusting of pink shade Beatrice’s cheeks as she tried to reason, “Well, I won’t exactly know where to start—” She stopped short as Sebastian’s gaze pointedly focused on one of the enchanted pockets of her robe, making her realize to pull out her Field Guide.

“Well?” He’d asked, observing the look of amazement that crossed Beatrice’s face at perhaps seeing the very location indicated on the map she held, all she had to do was make that ‘golden guiding thread’ pop out again, “Care to lead the way?” Sebastian now asked with a grin on his face.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : –. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧

“Anything ‘hidden’ must sound intriguing, shouldn’t it? Have you been here before, Sebastian?”

“Never even heard of it, until now that is.” He warily glanced at the dried foliage supposedly blocking the entryway, part of him was glad it looked untouched for a long time, meaning Anne hadn’t caught wind of this place. To think Ominis now thought of him to have taken the mantle for recklessness since his twin was off recuperating, maybe the young Gaunt did have the right to worry for the remaining Sallow he had for company in this school.

“Hmm… These dry vines are one spark away from becoming kindling.” Beatrice had hummed out in observation, but before Sebastian could contribute much help in clearing the obstacle away, the girl was quick to cast an Incendio. Sebastian made a mental note never to get in Beatrice’s way.

“I see you’ve learned the Fire-making Charm now; I garner the Ministry had given you some exceptions in casting magic outside school before the term began?” Sebastian asked as he made for the wooden door first, warily pushing it open as it creaked on its hinges ominously, revealing a crumbling set of stone stairs leading down further into darkness.

“They only had me honing the most basic of spells and charms, nothing particularly offensive. I’ve only just learned Incendio from Professor Hecat during a private study session today actually.” Beatrice didn’t so much as hesitate when she took the first step down before Sebastian could even caution her, “I’m not keeping you from anything, am I? We might still be able to catch the lunch hour after this, but you might have classes.” She’d asked as she waited for Sebastian to follow her.

As if additional assignments and now private study sessions with their Professors weren’t enough, Sebastian guiltily thought he was actually the one keeping Beatrice from enjoying having time for herself, wasn’t he? “Turns out my little act of ‘heroism’ yesterday didn’t go unwarranted, and I’ve been given time off from any studies today. I was hoping it was the same for your case?”

“As I’ve a lot to catch on, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Hence why Professor Fig advised me to seek out Professor Hecat this morning. And you shouldn’t consider yesterday as a small feat, I wouldn’t have gotten out of there unscathed without you.” Sebastian felt his ears heat up at her words, thankful for the dimness that surrounded them. Before he could relish in Beatrice’s sweet smile however, the scant sunlight coming through the still open doorway was swiftly taken out as the door slammed shut with a heavy thump, drowning the both of them in the musty damp scent that encapsulated the place.

“Well, nowhere to go but further down into these depths, I suppose.” Beatrice’s humorous tone was the only thing keeping Sebastian from stubbornly wanting to lead the way. He just had to remain vigilant for the girl’s sake then, holding a hand out over her head as they crouched pass a fallen beam in the corridor.

“Oof!” Sebastian steadied himself as he almost bumped into Beatrice the further they went in, thinking of teasing her if she’d changed her mind in continuing their little excursion, it was only then did he notice her tense posture as she held her arm up sideways to keep him from taking a step further.

“Devil’s Snare. Thrives in darkness but sulks in the sun.” Beatrice mumbled almost to herself as Sebastian observed that the only thing keeping the deadly vines from crawling towards them was the little bit of sunlight spilling through the collapsed overhead they’d just passed. This really was starting to look more like an errand than anything else…

“Lumos!” Beatrice had casted, already a step ahead of Sebastian before he could even huff out and make her see reason, making his main objective now was to ensure they both got out of here relatively unharmed as he also casted the Wand-Lighting Charm and followed her further into the eerie corridor— the sounds of the vines slithering away from their light almost looking like snakes in the shadows.

It wasn’t until Sebastian had just hoisted himself over a fallen wooden beam after his companion did he notice her quickly turn right and head up a set of stairs— “Beatrice!”

“I’ll be quick! Surely these stairs must lead somewhere…” Her muffled voice echoed back to him, but just as he was about to crouch past the beam almost blocking the stairs’ entryway, Sebastian heard a series of ‘Incendio’ being casted, making him look up just moments before he could stop Beatrice from jumping over the crumbled landing.

“Good, gods!” Sebastian exclaimed, feeling as if his heart jumped into his throat as he continued to watch Beatrice lean over something.

“I saw this… chest glowing, amidst the dark…” He’d heard her say.

“Surely whatever you’d find there wouldn’t be anything use—” His words were interrupted as he’d heard her gasp, “What is it?? Did something dangerous come out from that chest???” Sebastian felt his worry grow the longer they spent in this hidden corridor.

“I might be able to use this… It looks like it’s been enchanted not to gather dust or some sort…” Beatrice held something up from where she stood, inching closer to the crumbled landing.

“Beatrice, don’t move!” Sebastian caught her full attention then, a quizzical look on her face as she held onto whatever it was she found in that chest, “Let me levitate you down from there, alright?” Despite her look of uncertainty, the moment she nodded her consent, Sebastian made quick work to cast a combination of the Levitation and Summoning Charm smoothly. Her outstretched hands grasped onto his shoulders once she got closer, which had Sebastian steadying her until she found her footing, making him suddenly aware of her sweet scent as they stood alone in the musty corridor.

“Well, that’s one way to use those set of spells outside of Crossed Wands then.” Beatrice said in amusement, the glow from her Lumos highlighting her smile, “Speaking of sets, look at these clothes that I just found!”

Sebastian had been quite engrossed with having Beatrice this close to him that when she’d mentioned the set of clothes she had over her arm, he was loath to admit that he missed her warmth the second she stepped away from him, “That does look quite the ensemble.” He’d cleared his throat in nonchalant observation, not wanting to admit that the way he’d gripped his wand wasn’t because of how he’d just held Beatrice by her waist.

“It does look a bit fancy, but I won’t complain about a spare change of clothes outside of our school uniform after, well… not having most them arrive…” She’d trailed off, folding the aristocratic pieces of fabric into her robe before they continued further into the corridor. Of course, Sebastian empathized with how Beatrice survived a dragon attack, he just had to keep his mind from wandering anywhere else as the faint scent of berries that surrounded her seemed to have ingrained itself into his senses.

And just as they’d reached the end of the corridor leading to the only entryway on their left, Beatrice then stopped and stared at a seemingly blocked cavern straight ahead. Oh no, she isn’t thinking of—

“Incendio!” Beatrice had blasted at the blocks of wood and debris strong enough to ignite a forgotten torch, burning away tendrils of the deadly vine that surrounded where it hang by a post. “Seems the Devil’s Snare is protecting another chest of some kind…” Sebastian had yet to follow where Beatrice laid her sights on as his eyes remained rooted on the water between them and her coveted prize— more specifically, the writhing dark mass beneath that made the otherwise demonic plant, look absolutely diabolical underwater.

“Now, hang on for just a moment—” He started as Beatrice neared towards the water’s edge, “I was hoping Accio might help?”

“It won’t work. That chest looks heavy to force towards you, and with whatever Summoning spell you used in Hogsmeade, I doubt you’d want to risk anything of value that might be inside there.” Sebastian countered, not wanting to focus too much on how Beatrice bit on her lip in thought as he then proceeded to hand her his school robe, coat and vest.

“What in heaven’s— Sebastian—!” It was too dim to tell if Beatrice was blushing as he’d folded the cuffs of his shirt sleeves over his forearms, before he casted at the remaining unlit torches he’d spotted on the surrounding posts overlooking the water, “I’ll get it for you.”

Opting to keep his shoes on against whatever other things he might step on beneath the surface, it was too late for Sebastian to remember to brace himself against the cold of the water that reached up unto his shoulders. Despite that, he gritted his now slightly chattering teeth and trudged on, arm held up above his head as his wand illuminated the short stretch across.

The ice cold air that welcomed him once he surfaced was far worst though, forcing a cough out of him as he quickly made sure to clean out the chest’s contents— not bothering to assess it long enough— before he was back to treading across the water, comforted by the sight of Beatrice anxiously looking towards him whilst she had her arm stretched out over the water’s edge, the light from her wand almost like a beacon that guided his way back.

Before Sebastian had a chance to worry about looking like a soaked Crup puppy in front of Beatrice, the moment he finally surfaced, he was immediately met by a strong gust of warm air. Thankfully, it seems Beatrice was already familiar with the Hot Air Charm that made him quickly dry off before she’d hurriedly handed him his pieces of uniform, “Honestly Sebastian, that was reckless of you.” She’d grumbled, surprising him as she quickly righted his tie and assisted in buttoning up his vest the moment he put in on.

“Speak for yourself.” He couldn’t help but cheekily retort back, his smile freezing on his face as her intense green gaze looked up at him in clear defiance, “Did you at least find something you can use?”

“I— I went in and got it for you, you should wear it, here.” Sebastian almost stuttered as he proceeded to hand her the piece of fabric he’d found in the chest. With Beatrice’s gaze now pulled from him, he tried to calm himself by focusing on righting his sleeves and pulling his coat on— thinking that maybe prolonged exposure in her presence was starting to befuddle his mind.

“It’s a fine jumper, Sebastian. I think this would look great on you!” She’d exclaimed, holding it out close to him with both arms.

“Just because it’s mainly in my House colors and looks absolutely Scottish?” He shot her a teasing glance as he combed through his hair, trying to put a bit of semblance back to it.

“Well, you might need it for your next trip to Hogsmeade?” She was right though; Sebastian wasn’t quite fond of the mostly threadbare clothing his uncle would just usually hand him. “An otherwise uneventful trip to Hogsmeade, I hope?” He caved, gently taking the piece of clothing from her hands as he tucked it under his arm.

“I do suppose I owe you a Butterbeer for the trouble I caused you the first time we were there.” The sweet smile she flashed his way sent his heart racing for reasons other than the fact that they now ventured through a corridor infested with the Devil’s Snare— their footfalls creaking on the wooden floorboards as even the vines that hang from the ceiling slithered away from their wands’ light— before Sebastian caught sight of what they had been looking for from the start.

“I imagine a piece of that enormous Venomous Tentacula would be enough for Duncan to prove his bravery.” Before Sebastian could voice out his own opinion about her Housemate though, Beatrice then asked, “It’s the stationary type of the plant, isn’t it?” They quietly stopped by the poisonous plant, making sure to keep away from its two gaping huge mouths.

“Doesn’t make it any less dangerous.” Sebastian replied in a hush, rapidly thinking of ways to distract it for them to get closer when— “What are the chances they’d go for Lacewing Flies?” Beatrice had asked, already procuring a bottle from her robes.

“I read these plants mostly prefer Chizpurfles, but those are worth a try— better flies than our fingers in their mouths. Or worse.”

They watched in bated breath as the faint glow from the insects flew closer towards the Venomous Tentacula, and as soon as each mouth clamped shut around a cluster, Beatrice had quickly but quietly plucked away a huge leaf near its trunk, wisely backing away with her gaze still trained on the plant in case it would retaliate.

“I suppose now would be a best time than any to find our way out of here?” Sebastian felt the tension he’d been holding slowly subside as his shoulders relaxed.

“I couldn’t agree more, but not before getting at least a couple Galleons richer.” He’d followed her gaze then to the two slightly shining stacks of coins left on the table behind them, “You don’t suppose anyone would still come looking for them, would you?” Her gaze seemed to glimmer with mischief back at him, a corner of his lip twitching into a smile as he pocketed his share of Galleons— no matter how dusty, currency was still currency.

“I think it’s safe to suppose not, and I garner that ladder there might just lead us back to the school’s Greenhouses.” Sebastian nodded towards a darkened alcove filled with hanging pots, the tip of his wand’s light barely showing a silhouette of its rails leading up, “Go on, ladies first.” He couldn’t help urging Beatrice to a safer setting, still wary of the enormous poisonous plant that lay before them, though the next hurdle he had to face was focusing to keep his head down and away from Beatrice’s skirt as she started to climb up the aforementioned ladder.

“Would you happen to be free this weekend?” He honestly hadn’t known what had made him blurt out that question all of a sudden, as he waited by the ladder’s base.

“It depends really, if I’m not given any additional private lessons or assignments even during the weekend.” Sebastian heard her grunt a moment, pushing at the opening above the ladder, before a flood of sunlight had him squinting, “Why do you ask?” She asked a moment later as only her head peaked over from above, waiting for him to follow.

“I— It’s nothing, really…” He second-guessed himself in asking her, making his way up the ladder before he was greeted by her expectant smile once he had climbed out, “I… was actually wondering what you’d say to another trip to Hogsmeade this weekend?” He finally chose to ask.

“Not letting our extra Galleons line our pockets for much longer, are we?” She grinned back at him as he closed the trapdoor beneath them, anxiously waiting for her reply, “No matter the case, I’d surely make time for it, don’t worry.”

“It’s a date then! Like uhm, a study date— You know, where you can ask me any questions you may have about catching up…” Sebastian forced himself to stop then, before he could further turn into a blubbering mess.

“I’d love that, actually. Thank you, Sebastian, you’ve been helping me a lot.” Beatrice had smiled at him sweetly, and there it was again, his feeling his heart skip a beat at seeing the faint blush that dusted her cheeks. “Now how about getting this leaf to Duncan first before a quick lunch at the Great Hall and everything else?”

Sebastian wasn’t quite sure then if he’d have just nodded in complete agreement to anything Beatrice had to say at the moment, though he was all too aware of the grin that split his face as he followed after her, as he looked forward to the weekend.

next chapter ⤜⤏

[quietlyblooms]

plots please for my whole cast 🤧🫣 if u want!!

plots please | @hehosts

for your academy verse, i think it might be neat to sort of mash up chiyo's modern fantasy verses; originally, she's a witch who is killed and is then brought back as a vampire via her cousin naoki, but if it's something goro is capable of/would do, maybe he brings her back? and then she begins working at the academy as a teacher as one of the conditions of the deal he made with naoki. she's well-versed in spellcasting and has the ability of foresight, and even though she's only recently become aware of the latter, i could see that being a gift that man might be interested in! and yeah, goro's the one who'd be heavily involved at the beginning, but that opens the door to mess with ji-hun and deng, too hehe

you've mentioned that hina wouldn't be able to just allow another woman to get close or romantically involved with ren without butting in bc he's essentially all she has left in terms of family, and i'd loved to explore that tbh! the fact that ren's at the point where he's laid all his cards on the table for chiyo -- that says something, and i'd imagine it's only a matter of time before hina hears about her. chiyo isn't the type to be easily pushed around nor is she necessarily the jealous type, but it'd be really interesting to see how the two react to each other with their differing situations and relationships with ren.

as a small aside because i might forget by the end, i do think it'd be so cute to have chiyo meet kyosuke and ren's mom, too :' )) she's such a family gal that i know her heart would be so warm being around all of them, and i’d love to see how ren feels about it.

i honestly think it'd be interesting if chiyo's met both ji-hun and deng prior to ever meeting that man. running into ji-hun when he's checking in with ren, however brief, and it just keeps happening somehow; deng just appearing by happenstance bc he has business with someone else, but oh? this is that lady the rabbit's fond of! and as the desire to help ren grows, those two pop up more frequently just as chiyo begins to notice that red door, too, and whether it's all mere coincidence or not, it's kinda like she's being tugged in goro's direction. corralled, even. i guess this isn't as much a plot as just an extra detail to play with? so...

let's see chiyo complain to ji-hun about deng and ask how she can get him to leave her alone. she's genuinely kinda scared of him after their little chase; it doesn't matter if she just needs to play with him to avoid danger. she feels like she might actually be at risk.

let's see deng perhaps come to her aid, acting as protector rather than predator bc some dummy tried to attack chiyo on one of her many late night strolls. it'd be an interesting situation and complicated bc on one hand, she's always unsettled by his presence, but on the other hand, she should feel grateful. and you know deng is gonna manage to be at least a lil unhinged about the whole thing asdfg

and finally!! i've got my hands open for ren's au's -- you mentioned his incubus verse the other day, and why not throw chiyo's modern fantasy verse into the mix and indulge in supernatural shenanigans <3 i don't know if this would be the sort of situation in which she could summon him? whether on purpose or mistake asdf but there's that or the shop she runs at night that ren could wander into for a lil magical assistance. and since chiyo has a kny verse in which she's a kakushi, there's ample opportunity to explore their dynamic in that setting. let her tend to his wounds pls <3

[isfjmel-phleg]

Okay. So. I was looking back at some of your Blackberry Bushes asks, and you mentioned that gender-flipping a character would be one of the worst things an adaptation could do. Which naturally made me wonder about gender-flipping your characters. So even if this is anathema, I have to ask: how would your stories be different if your mains were the opposite gender? Or if that's too much, whose story would be most different if they were the opposite gender, and whose story would be least affected?

Gender-flipping just to gender-flip or for the sake of a ship or to make some kind of Statement is what I take issue with, but going into this with an awareness of how much is going to change...that's an interesting question! Let's look at this for each of my main seven, assuming for purposes of argument that everyone else in this continuity remains the same unless stated otherwise.

Raphael (Rachel) would be in a different position as a male because of family expectations. There are two options here: either he gets sent to the naval academy with his elder brother or he stays with his mother and sisters in their father's absence as a sort of substitute "man of the family." If the first, then he is much less likely to find the door behind the blackberry bushes and make a friend on the other side, and the story is now about how a timid nervous wreck tries to survive the naval academy (which probably isn't really what he wants to do with his life). If the second, then he's still under a lot of pressure, but of a different kind. In a house full of female relatives and a dying grandfather, he would be expected to take on an almost adult protector role, which he really isn't prepared for at only fourteen. His father sends him severe, shaming letters if he doesn't magically know how to man up enough at all times, and his mother and grandmother normalize this because "fathers are hard on their sons." So basically he would be up against the more extreme turn-of-the-century concepts of masculinity, which is a great burden for someone who tends to naturally be a gentle-spirited worrywart. Thus, his secret friend on the other side of the bushes, who is accepting and encouraging and exposes him to a construct of family life without constant scolding and silencing, is going to be a welcome escape. Similar to Rachel's story, but with gender roles more at the forefront.

Riquet (Rietta), as a male heir to his father's throne, has a much more stable position with less expectation of his needing constant guidance and hand-holding as a monarch. His impending marriage is less of an issue, because his (great) aunts and uncles have fewer candidates among their children who could marry him. (Rietta is surrounded by male first and second cousins who have been suggested as possible matches for her, and yes, ew, but that was common for royalty, and I can assure you she won't end up with any of them.) However, there is much more concern for his education while living in isolation with his mother. Tietra is viewed as an inadequate guardian for a boy who needs to grow up to be Manly™. Of course, Riquet is still a boisterous little firecracker who runs wild on the castle grounds and tries to attack council members who are rude to his mother, but that's not what Normorot and the rest have in mind. Normorot tries to put his son (yes, Coleinette, who still exists in this AU, has at least one brother) in a position of closeness and trust to the young king, but Riquet isn't having that and wants his good friend Raphael the deeply unsuitable half-Coregean Dissidant instead, and conflict ensues. There's still talk of marrying off Riquet to the King of Corege's young daughter eventually, which changes when he meets Andras's daughter instead, etc. etc. It's not an excessively different set-up, but the flavor would definitely change.

Delclia (Delclis) was more easily discredited from her claim to the throne after her father's death, on the grounds that she is female and therefore potential trouble like Antavia. So she's much less of a threat to Talfrin's power than if she had been male, and she's allowed to stay nearer her mother. She and Bethira have a reasonably good, if not overly close relationship, but she and Talfrin don't connect much at all. She develops a passionate interest in botany and wants to study it at Claverworth, which admits women although they are ineligible for full degrees. Talfrin, however, wants to marry her off to the son of a friend of his, six years her junior. Delclia has no particular interest in marrying Morstyn Hollock, and Bethira really, really doesn't like this idea either. The problem disappears after Talfrin is forced to abdicate and Delclia inherits the throne, to great controversy. She has the disaster of her cousin Antavia constantly looming over her, trapping her in this role that she is unprepared for. The government doesn't take her very seriously, as both a minor and a female. Any toll this takes on her mental health is regarded as hysteria or the like. The question of a suitable marriage for her becomes Extremely Crucial. The basic plot doesn't change much, but her role in the family does.

Elystanna (Elystan) is a huge disappointment. After vehemently discrediting Delclia as heir to the throne, Talfrin expects to have a male heir of his own. But his and Bethira's only surviving child is a sickly girl. She is still expected to inherit the throne (if she makes it), but Talfrin is resentful of her for not being what he wanted. He makes an effort to raise her as he would have a son, but Bethira is able to exercise more influence in Elystanna's upbringing than she would be able to with a son. Consequently, Elystanna grows up closer to her mother than her father, whom she admires but can never quite please. Bethira is aware of how her husband treats their daughter and tries to be extra lenient with her to make up for it, which has a negative effect on Elystanna's character. She's self-centered and entitled but also deeply hurt and rejected, and if given the chance, she'll do just about anything to prove to her father that she is a worthy heir after all. Even treason. Which goes about as well as you would expect, and she gets sent to the girls' school that her mother attended, where further shenanigans ensue. Again, the plot doesn't change a lot, but a female Elystan would have a very different role in the family.

Amaro (Amarantha) is the son of Elystanna's nurse. Since Elystanna has a more stable relationship with her actual mother, she is much less insecurely attached to Edmara, who has a better (but not perfect) balance between work and life now. Amaro does have some buried resentment of Elystanna, but it's not overwhelming. He is about to attend whatever the male equivalent of Queen Edella's is, when his scholarship is revoked and he's temporarily brought to the palace while his mother figures out what to do with him. This puts him in the path of Elystanna. Their interactions are tense but don't get out of hand; Amaro is too preoccupied with the next steps in his art education. And then he and Elystanna end up in a castle with Ayra and Ateva, and he's the only boy and somehow expected to be Responsible, and...well, I think the events in general will play out very differently without the intense jealousy as a factor, which doesn't make for as interesting a story. There needs to be some other tension between Amaro and Elystanna, but I don't know what that would be.

Tametta (Tamett) is the second of five daughters of a Noriberrian family related to a Duke. She leads a completely normal, drama-free life at home with her family, because there is no reason for her to take a position as companion to the King of Lienne's third daughter. Maybe the two of them have an occasional arranged play date whenever Tametta's uncle wants to get in good with the King, but there's no full-time arrangement. Which is fantastic for Tametta, but not a particularly interesting story.

Josepha (pronounced yo-ZAY-fa - Josiah) is the last of a series of disappointments for her father. He had hoped that she would be the male heir that he needed, after two previous daughters. But being Nyella's child was in Josepha's favor, and she initially grew up as the beloved baby of the family, with her eldest sister Ayra filling the role as Heiress Presumptive. But then Mikaiah was born, at the expense of his mother's life, and he became Odren's new favorite on whom he loads all his expectations. Mikaiah is too similar to his flighty, adventurous mother to adequately be the heir his father wants, but Odren is forgiving and Mikaiah can get away with a lot even with all the pressure. (He does have a companion, but I don't know this boy's identity.) Meanwhile, responsible, dutiful Josepha is trying to get her father's attention by being everything that he wants Mikaiah to be. But she's a girl, so she's really only useful as a bargaining chip for marriage. To prepare her for this, she is sent to a girls' school in Corege and ends up rooming with Elystanna. They do not get along. Josepha's not quite as loathsome as she would have been if she had grown up as the Favored Heir, but she's got a major chip on her shoulder and more of a temper than she'll admit. Besides the change for Tamett, which completely negates that plotline, and for Amarantha, which changes motivations, I think this one is the greatest change. So much of who Josiah is is bound up in his position, which he could never have in his society if he were a girl. It changes almost everything about relationships in that entire family. Josepha would be more likely to have a bond with Ayra and Ateva, and she would still resent Mikaiah but for different reasons.

[kyndaris]

Toymaker

I am very proud to say I've finished writing ANOTHER novel length story! Hip hip hooray!

Will it ever get published by an actual publisher and be available for purchase? Goodness knows! I don't have the courage to get rejected a hundred times. And from what I've been hearing about the scandals in the book community, maybe it's all for the best.

I mean, it sounds like a full-time job to fake several social media accounts and drag other struggling artists down. But hey, might be more fun than working a 9-5 job and doing some writing on the side, whilst juggling all my other hobbies like video games and keeping up with pop culture shows.

Anyways, here's a snippet of the prologue for my new story: Toymaker. Please note, it's a sequel to Wild Child. If you want to read the stories in full, please visit my fictionpress: scattered.wind or my Wattpad: kyndaris.

Prologue

Two days had passed and still there was no sign of the mysterious woman, or her companion, that had thrust the babe in his arms. Had they been hurt? Possibly killed? It was impossible to say. Lacet dared not ponder the third possibility. For someone who grown up as he had, it was unthinkable. What kind of monsters would abandon their only child?

Yet, each time he had tried to return to Wyndhaven to seek additional information about Merrine, the bedraggled woman with a desperate look in h er eyes, a strange compulsion had settled upon him and Lacet had found himself marching back out past the gates of the capital. No matter how hard he tried, he could not enter the capital for long.

If it was a spell, he did not know it. At the Academy, there had been talk amongst scholarly circles of a new untapped field of magic. One that had been centred on the mind and the electrical impulses which powered all living things. It had been an elective. And like so many subjects at the Academy, it had not interested him much, focused as he was solely on passing the mandatory courses he already. What spare time he had, Lacet had poured into reading up on what few scholarly papers there were on golems and tinkering with his own clockwork projects.

Lacet raised the mug of the inn’s cheapest ale to his lips and took a sip, his mind turned once again to the child he had been unceremoniously saddled with. What was he to do with her?

Given his funds, he would not be able to stay in this inn near Wyndhaven for much longer. The pittance he had received upon graduating from the Academy would not last him long with another mouth to feed. And he needed every coin he could get if he hoped to become the foremost scholar on golemetry. Opening up an apothecary shop was just the beginning.

And yet, he could not simply abandon the girl either. Lacet knew what it was like to have no-one to care for him. Fortune had smiled upon both him and Marus when the matron had decided to take them both in. Maybe he could bring the child back to the orphanage before setting off. At the very least, she would have a safe haven from the harsh realities of the street.

It wouldn’t be the best life, but it was better than nothing. And if he found some success, he could funnel some money back to her and the orphanage.

Draining the rest of his ale, he stood from the table. He could not keep dithering like this.

It was time to make a decision. One way or the other.

The longer he tarried, the more his plans for the future crumbled into dust. And that was not something he could afford. Not when so many things hung in the balance.

Still, there was a possibility even now Merrine was looking for her child. Not for the first time, Lacet wondered if he ought to have set up watch at one of the other gates coming in and out of the city.

At the time, discretion had seemed the better part of valour. Whoever the robed figure had been, they had promised trouble. Not even a ball of boiling plasma had done much against them. The magic unravelling and dealing little more than a glancing blow.

The Eastern Gate, therefore, had been perfect for his needs. It was understated with little foot traffic except for the occasional large caravans that left through it, headed towards the duchy of Everrun and to the other outlying territories of the Kingdom.

Lacet thanked the innkeeper before headed towards the stairs. The stairs were rickety as he climbed up towards the room he had hired. When he approached his door, he kept his step light. Pushing open the door, he was met by a sleeping babe. She was still satiated by the feeding an hour or so ago, a smile on her lips. Swaddled in blankets, all he could see of her was a strand of pure white hair as she slept in a small cot next to his bed.

She looked so small; vulnerable almost. Why would Merrine simply hand her away. What kind of danger was this little infant in?

It boggled Lacet’s mind.

Keeping watch on their perch beside the cot, was Minerva, – his owl familiar. Minerva hopped towards him and hooted a greeting.

“How has she been?” Lacet asked the great horned owl.

The bevy of images flashing through his mind told Lacet all was well. He leaned over to scritch the top of Minerva’s head, unable to hide the smile stealing across his face. Minerva had been a faithful companion ever since he had sat in the small glade of trees on the Academy grounds as part of the summoning ritual which had been part of his course to become a qualified mage.

It was too bad he had nothing to give her as a treat. He needed every spare coin.

As if sensing his presence, the babe stirred. Her face screwed up in distaste and then she let out an awful cry.

The moment ruined, Lacet rushed to her side and picked her up. Seeing him, her entire expression transformed. Delighted at seeing her caretaker, she gurgled out a string of incoherent words that meant absolutely nothing to him.

When he stared at her blankly, Idana reached up to tug at his hair. He held her away, frowning. Damn it. He’d referred to her once again by name in his head.

That was a boundary he could not keep crossing. One of these days, Merrine would be back to reclaim her child and it was easier, for all involved, if Lacet kept this baby girl at a distance.

But he could not help it as his thoughts circled back to her name. Idana was the name embroidered on one of the blankets in gold stitching. It was an odd name. Derived from the old tongue. From his studies, Lacet knew it meant she who rises. Although, there were some scholars that contested the translation.

It was best suited for warrior queens of old. Not bestowed upon green-eyed she-devils. “You knew I’d come back, cheeky little thing,” said Lacet.

The baby babbled at him again.

In his heart of hearts, Lacet knew it would be no simple matter of leaving her behind if Merrine or the man who had been with her did not show. The child needed him. And until he could reunite both mother and daughter, he would have to remain at The Docile Dragon until he received word of what had happened to the couple that had knocked on his dormitory door seeking aid.

Even if it meant he would run out of coin.

Unless of course he took Idana with him. But that was out of the question when everything was still in limbo. What if Merrine were to show up the day after he had left? No. He could never do that to someone who clearly loved their child as much as the woman seemed to…

So, why did she see fit to leave Idana with him?

There were too many questions running through his mind and too few answers.

With a sigh, Lacet set Idana back down in her cot. He would wait until the end of the week. In that time, perhaps he would try once more to see if he couldn’t find out what was going on in the capital. He might not be able to enter Wyndhaven as yet, but he could certainly pay a messenger or two to help him make a few discreet enquiries. Minerva, too, could serve as an extra pair of eyes.

Concentrating, he cast a small illusion spell to keep the baby entertained. “Looks like we’ll be staying a bit longer,” he told Minerva once Idana had settled and was staring at the pretty picture he had conjured with fascination. “At least it gives me time to work on that enlargement spell for the suitcase. Thank goodness I hadn’t figured it out before else I don’t think you would have been able to lug it with you when you swooped in to find me last night, eh?”

Minerva aggressively nipped at his fingers in reply.

~

Even after a week, there had still been no word. No-one had heard of Merrine or a woman matching her description. Nor had there been anyone who had seen anything at the Academy dormitories. It was as if the entire confrontation with the robed individual had simply been a figment of his imagination. What frustrated Lacet more than anything else was the fact he could not verify anything he had been told. The compulsion spell still bound him to the outskirts of the capital, unable to enter.

Sat at a table in one of the far booths, Lacet ran his hands through his hair as he took stock of his current situation. He had exhausted all avenues he had to search for Idana’s mother and all he had to show for his efforts was a nearly empty coin purse. There was barely enough money for him to stay another two nights.

Time had finally run out.

Though Lacet was loathe to leave now, he had no other options available.

His one regret was Idana. It seemed a terrible shame to leave her but taking her with him would, no doubt, have its own share of problems. Better the innkeeper and his family take her in until such a time her mother was able to come looking for her.

The instant they had seen her green eyes, flecked with gold, blinking up at them after her nap, they had fallen in love with the girl.

They were good people. Honest. Hardworking.

Lacet knew Idana would be well looked after in their care.

It had been a hard decision, but he knew better than anyone what a child needed to grow up in a world as harsh as theirs. And, if he were lucky, he could send some money their way. It wouldn’t be much. After all, there were the kids at the orphanage to think about as well as well as his dream.

As more people entered the establishment, hunting for a drink or a warm meal to end a long day of work, Lacet rose from his seat. He had an early morning and there were still quite a few things he needed to pack into his newly enlarged suitcase. Thank Amoleth the last of his belongings had been delivered to The Docile Dragon just this morning at no expense. He would not have known what to do without his tools or the toy models he had been working on.

Just as he reached the stairs, Lacet looked towards the bar, hoping to catch the attention of the innkeeper and signal the fact he was retiring for the day. Occupied with a guest, he gave Lacet a distracted nod. Turning his attention back to the stairs, Lacet saw a flash of white from the corner of his eye.

Instinct, more than anything else, was what saved his life as a ball of plasma slammed into the hasty protective shield he wrapped around himself. It shuddered under the impact but held. Barely.

Lacet scanned the crowd of new arrivals, hoping to spot the mage that had tried to attack him.

There!

Fast approaching the stairs was a robed individual. The woman’s face was set with a grim determination as she pushed her way to the front.

Their eyes met.

In that instant, Lacet knew it was not him she was after but the babe placed in his charge. Idana was in danger.

He sprinted up the stairs, three at a time. Another ball of plasma careened into his shield, fizzling out as it skimmed over the top and slammed into the wall next to the stairs.

Krags and damnation!

Lacet risked a glance over his shoulder. Could he fire his own spell back at the woman?

At the foot of the stairs, the woman reached into her robes. Before she could withdraw her weapon, someone tackled her to the floor. Lacet whispered a prayer to the Mother of All and continued climbing up to his rooms. He couldn’t afford to hurt anyone or damage the inn. It didn’t matter his foe had almost no compunction about casualties. No-one would be harmed under his watch.

And his best bet in doing that was to grab Idana, take his suitcase and get away from The Docile Dragon as quickly as possible. Thankfully he had already paid for the night.

Lacet burst through the door to his rooms and took in the still sleeping child and alarmed horned owl perched atop the cot and looking down at her charge. At any other time, it would have been a normal everyday scene. But now, with danger fast approaching, Lacet could see how he had been lured into a false sense of security. “We have to go,” he said to the familiar as he scooped Idana into one arm and picked up his suitcase in the other.

Going back down the stairs was out of the question. Luckily enough, the rooms he had been furnished with had a tiny balcony. With a small spurt of magic, he opened the rusted doors and stepped through. The rickety wooden structure buckled under his weight. No matter. It wasn’t as if he was going to stay there long. Minerva fluttered over to land on his shoulder.

“Better hold on tight,” said Lacet as he leapt up onto the railing and stepped off into mid-air.

To anyone on the streets and looking up, it would have seemed as if time stopped. Lacet hung in the air, as if he were waiting for gravity to pull him down to the earth. And then he took another step and something bore him aloft.

It was a simple spell. One Lacet had learned the moment he had stepped into the hallowed halls of the Academy.

He raced down the platforms of hardened air he had created. By the time he had reached the ground, he was breathing hard, a stitch forming in his side. Idana, cradled in his arms, blinked up at him with her green eyes. She had woken and was seemingly delighted at the sudden turn of events as she let out a gurgle of pleasure.

Lacet risked another look over his shoulder. The Docile Dragon stood behind him, unchanged.

To the casual observer, nothing would be out of the ordinary except for the fact a man had descended down into the back streets as easily as if he had taken a long flight of stairs when there was naught but empty space.

Sudden movement drew Lacet’s gaze and he looked up at his rooms. A woman stood leaning over the railings to the balcony. The hood she had worn earlier had fallen back, revealing hair as black as sin. She held something in both hands.

Too late, Lacet realised what it was and began to run. A thunderous explosion sounded behind him a second later and he felt something skim his cheek, narrowly missing Idana.

Lacet cursed under his breath. The latest revolvers were something magic had not yet encountered. The balls of metal they spewed travelled at such a speed they could not be so easily repelled or stopped by a shield.

Out on the street, he was a sitting duck!

With Minerva following close behind him, he swerved into a side alley. Another bullet ricocheted against the cobblestones behind him just as he ducked behind cover.

With a wall between him and the shooter, Lacet used the opportunity to catch his breath and take stock of his situation.

Though they were not in the bustling roads of the capital, The Docile Dragon was still situated in a messy urban sprawl just outside the East Gate. It would be easy to lose their pursuer in the warren of back alleys and side streets – but that was based on the premise the woman was acting alone. Somehow Lacet doubted that.

If she was part of a team then he and Idana were still in danger.

There was no telling which direction the enemy would come from next. He needed to leave Wyndhaven behind and either head inland or find himself a boat willing to take on board two passengers for a small fee.

But which choice was best?

If Lacet had his way, he would have created a table to weigh the benefits and the drawbacks to each decision. Unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time to think or weigh up arguments for and against each proposed option.

A decision needed to be made. And fast.

As the chatter of gunfire stopped, Lacet risked taking a peek again at the back of The Docile Dragon. The woman was gone.

Where the Hells was she? Fruitlessly, he scanned the streets for any sign of the sharpshooter but to no avail.

Panic threatened to seize him but lacet pushed it down. He could not afford to waste any more time. Bad people were after them. Lacet knew he needed to keep moving if he hoped to be a step ahead and keep Idana safe.

He dashed down the alleyway. When he reached a junction, he turned left before ducking into another side alley on his right. Minerva, flying up ahead, had informed him turning right would only lead to a dead-end. Through their bond, the great horned owl served as his eyes to navigate the maze he now found himself in.

He took the next right and continued straight ahead when he reached a crossroads. As he turned left at the second fork, Lacet came to a screeching halt. Standing at the far end was a hooded figure, robed all in white. Just like the woman who had attacked him before.

Lacet slowly backed away, mindful of the babe in the arms. Maybe if he tried going right instead…

As he turned, another figure dressed in thick black robes stepped into view, trapping him and Idana in this narrow street. None looked like the woman who had tried to shoot at him from the balcony of The Docile Dragon. That meant they were a party of at least three.

Krags. What now?

Up above, Minerva circled overhead.

In these narrow streets, she was at a disadvantage. But perhaps she could dive at the one in white? Lacet could follow it up with a concussive blast and knock them down. Then the way would be open for him to run. Elsewise, he could try to muscle his way past the figure robed in black. But that would mean heading back to The Docile Dragon and he still didn’t know where the first attacker was.

No. He’d go for the one in front of him.

Decision made, he set down his suitcase and focused on drawing in magic.

In his arms, Idana let out a gurgle and tried to reach for him with outstretched hands. “Not now,” he muttered to the girl, shifting his hold on her. Idana, however, was not so easily dissuaded. She wriggled around and Lacet almost thought his heart had stopped when she nearly dropped to the ground.

“Give us the girl,” said the figure in white, taking a step forward. The voice sounded deep; masculine. It carried a hint of an accent. One Lacet could not quite pinpoint, though he knew the man before him was not a native of the Kingdom.

“And why should I? What do you want with her?”

“That is not your concern. Hand her over and you will be unharmed. I give you my word.”

Lacet barely contained the snort. “You think I’d readily believe that? One of your own just shot at me mere moments ago. You know what I think? I think you’ll try to silence me as soon as I hand Idana over. No. She stays with me.”

The man tsked under his breath, one hand reaching underneath his robe. “Then you leave us with no choice.”

Before the man could unsheathe the weapon he had kept hidden, Minerva dived down from above. Her talons raked across his face. Snarling, he tried to bat her away to no avail, revealing the dagger he had kept concealed. Taking the opportunity presented to him, Lacet unleashed the spell he had been holding. In his arms, Idana let out a coo of disappointment as the magic was unleashed.

The concussive force blasted into the hooded man, bowling him over.

In an instant, Minerva was away, flapping her wings furiously.

Not daring to look back at the figure in black behind him, Lacet picked up his belongings and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Idana bounced in his arms, giggling in delight.

Behind him, there was a shout of alarm. Lacet ignored it. Just as he did the burning in his legs and the terrible pressure on his lungs. He needed to get away.

Just as Lacet reached the corner, something slammed into his back and he went sprawling into the dirt. Dazed, Lacet found his suitcase crushed beneath him. By Amoleth’s blessing, Idana remained unharmed. She sat a few centimetres away from him, prattling excitedly as she playfully struck the ground around her.

Dear Amoleth, the babe before him thought it was all a game!

Lacet scrambled to his feet., only one thought in mind.

Pain seared along his left leg just as he bent down to scoop Idana into his arms. He stumbled, leaning against the wall of a warehouse to steady himself. Sensing something was amiss, Idana began to crawl towards him. She let out a questioning coo, her brow furrowed.

Glancing behind him, Lacet spied the figure in black fast approaching. He rose once again on unsteady feet to face their assailant, a spell on his lips.

Right before he could finish the incantation, he was blasted back by a searing fireball that nearly scorched away his eyebrows.

Whoever these people were, they were not simple assassins. Just like the woman earlier, they were also skilled mages. Against such raw power, Lacet was helpless.

With a heavy thud, Lacet landed on his back. The air rushed from his lungs as the wind was knocked out of him. He tried to take in a breath but the effort burned. It was as if the air around him was still aflame and he was inhaling it with each intake of air.

Was this what dying felt like?

Seconds passed as he fought past the pain and tried to gather his wits. Stunned as he was by the blow, though, he could only watch as the figure in black reached Idana.

Before the man could pick her up, Minerva came swooping down from above. Yet even the owl was no match against a mage with such strength. She was slammed against the wall by the wave of a concussive force and held there for several moments before the mage let the spell go.

Minerva flopped onto the ground; still and unmoving. Lacet felt a spike of fear lance through his heart.

It was then that a piercing wail erupted. Idana, fat teardrops trailing down her cheeks, tried to reach for the bird. She was still too young to understand the severity of the situation but she did know her friend was hurt. It twisted something in Lacet’s chest as he bore witness to the scene.

There was his familiar. And there was his charge.

Krags, but he needed to do something!

Through sheer force of will, Lacet managed roll onto his stomach. He had but one shot. And by Amoleth, he would die before Idana was taken.

The figure grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. She struggled in their grip, trying to twist herself free as she once more reached for the fallen Minerva. Her faithful friend and babysitter over the last week.

“What do you want with her?” Lacet screamed at the person. “She’s just a babe. No danger to anyone! I beg of you, show us mercy. Please!”

A spell cut across Lacet’s face; razor sharp. It left a thin line of blood in its wake, atop the bridge of his nose. Lacet resisted the urge to hiss in pain as he pulled himself closer. He would be strong in this final stand. There was, after all, still one spell he had up his sleeve.

Idana continued to squirm in the grip of the figure wreathed in black. Her cries were filled with an earnest desperation. One that pulled at Lacet’s heartstrings as she called out to the defeated familiar.

If only he could get to her…

The figure backhanded Idana to shut her up. In that moment of contact, time stopped. Idana’s eyes flashed a brilliant gold and between one blink to the next, she landed on the ground with a gentle as a tidal wave of magic washed outwards. The assailant let out a silent scream before crumbling into dust amidst scorching blue flames.

As did the man in white who had risen to his feet and had been limping towards them.

What in Amoleth’s name…?

~

Battered and bruised, Lacet had returned to The Docile Dragon late in the evening with Idana and Minerva in tow. It might not have been the smartest decision but he needed to make sure the innkeeper and his family were safe. And to tell them he had changed his mind regarding the care of the white-haired girl that was, even now, trying to tug at his hair as she happily babbled nonsensically.

It was clear if she stayed in Wyndhaven, she would be under the constant threat of being taken or worse, killed. The people that had attacked them were powerful mages. And there were few people whocould stand against them. Even if Idana could somehow reawaken the strange power of hers residing within.

Beyond those key factors, Lacet could not live with the knowledge he had condemned good people to die.

It was better Idana stay with him for the time being.

At the very least, he could train her and channel her gift towards something good. Besides, how hard could it be to raise a child and mentor them in the art of magic?