#Not dramatic confrontations of characters in a plot or... something. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mysticmetalmerchants · 1 year

Text

!!!~Fic Recs~!!! (Pt. II)

Here is a follow-up to my last post of Fic Recs (in which I listed my favorite completed multi-chapter ROTTMNT fics).

In this post I'll be recommending ongoing multi-chapter fics. In no particular order, here they are:

There Must Be Something in the Water by Filsamek

-This fic has been such a delight to read. The premise is interesting and even chilling, and the ways in which the turtles have to puzzle out how to solve the problem at hand has been exciting to follow along with. Very interested to see how the conflict will be resolved and what further Mystic concepts the author will introduce!

Blood, Water, and Thicker Things by JumpingInMuddyPuddles

-While this fic has but 4 chapters thus far, I am absolutely psyched for future updates! This is, in a way, a "sick fic" but combined with Leo pushing his needs aside and facing imminent danger while suffering AND featuring a Leo-Donnie team-up mystery with action and high-stakes...! In the words of Donnie in Lair Games: Nom nom. Nomnomnom.

The Old College Try by theashemarie @theashemarie

-There is just something about this fic that grips me in such a way that it almost hurts to discuss. Leo's characterization feels very accurate and very real, and somehow the ways in which he struggles with his identity in general as well as his identity surrounding intelligence/academia really hit me in the heart. I don't know if it's because I already relate to Leo so much, or if its because of my own (academic) experience of feeling like no one will take me seriously and having that odd and alienating (ADHD-related no doubt) infantalization grate on me, but... the ways in which Leo has to confront his relationship with his place on the team, the character he plays, his true interests and passions, and his relationship with his brother who has claimed the title of "the intelligent one" is hard-hitting. Add to that the struggles of humanity/fitting in with society, of the seemingly inherent selfishness of valuing your own pursuits despite risks or pitfalls therein... the tension is amazing. Oh, did I mention-- this is about Leo and Donnie going to university lmao. But its actually also about so much more, as you can see... Overall: this author is a master of character depiction and I cannot wait to see how the rest of the story unfolds...! Donnie in this fic is also so wonderfully rendered. Best of all are Leo and Donnie's interactions in such a foreign setting, and them having to (re-)learn to navigate one another's feelings this new environment brings out. Ah! Good, good stuff. And if that does not convince you, there's also action, a prominent villain, impossible choices....!

All the Ashes in My Wake by paperxcrowns @crows-murder

-Ooh, I can just tell this one is setting up to be some serious Leo angsting. The premise works so well, and I'm eagerly awaiting for that moment when Leo can no longer keep hiding things from his brothers and the dam breaks. The suspense of wondering how that's going to happen is so, so good. Also, insane dramatic irony that is causing sooo much angst. Leo's brothers hurting him/unknowingly forcing him to do things because of a curse... Dramatic! Irony! Delicious.

Last Grain of Sand in the Hourglass by TjLockticon @last-hourglass

-This fic is a sort of alternate take on the ending of the movie, wherein Leo stays trapped in the prison dimension, but not because Mikey's portal failed– rather, because it brought Future Leo back to the past instead. The ensuing chaos and angst is really well-done, and my favorite parts were actually how each brother came to terms with the situation and how to react around this version of their brother, all while their 'true' brother is still trapped and suffering. The chapters with Present Leo in the prison dimension are a really unique take on his experience there. Another thing I found very intriguing is how Leo's Mystic powers and his swords are included in the plot. I'm looking forward to seeing what further angst lays ahead and how the author chooses to resolve the complexities of feeling introduced with the bros getting attached to Future Leo and also Casey's suffering at the idea that this situation cannot endure, and he will lose his sensei all over again. Wild!!

Alpha Stage by snailsnaps @snailsnaps

-Oh I have so much to say about this fic. The premise is so heart-wrenching and interesting, and scratches that itch (in a way) of having had the planned turtle tots episode canceled. And yet, Donnie is still totally himself, mentally, despite being tot-sized. What is a total delight is the art in this fic. Each illustration is so charming and impeccable and adds to much to the story. I keep coming back to it, and I'm excited to see where the author takes the narrative!

The Same Little Faces by awkwardusagi

-This fic also scratches the itch of the canceled turtle tot episode, but the focus on this one is particularly on Leo being turned back into a tot! I love this take because the author explores the dynamic between Mikey getting to be a big bro for the first time, Donnie and Raph witnessing this, and Splinter giving all of them tips and tricks he knows about how to wrangle hyperactive turtle mutant babies. It also has the interesting and really innovative idea that tot Leo retains the memories and experiences of teenage Leo in his subconscious, and this plays a significant role in the plot. I won't say much more, but the cast of characters and how they slot into the big kerfuffle at hand is also so fun! Particularly my favorite Hippo and Worm duo... and Señor Hueso! The relationships explored are so captivating and heart-wrenching in their tenderness. Leo's insecurities manifested in the form of a turtle tot who cannot hide away their pain from their family... ahhh! It's overall super fun and super sweet and I felt so gripped by the narrative. I'm really interested to see how the author will resolve the conflict!

I May Be Invisible, but I Still Look Good by Dandy @dandylovesturtles

-Ohhhh my gosh, where to even begin with this fic... It follows Leo's (mis)adventures dealing with a Mystic curse that renders him invisible, intangible, and inaudible. I feel like I can't say much about the plot because I don't want to spoil the experience of reading it– each installment of puzzle-solving regarding Leo's curse is so unique and intense and gratifying to experience, so I won't go into too much detail. Leo's characterization is so wonderful and feels so real. His thoughts and reactions and struggles and how he chooses to endure them and cope with them is just... so Leo. Which means that there is a lot of silent suffering, of course! We love to see it. (I'll also briefly note that this extends to all the brothers! I just mention Leo particularly because we are in his head.) The author's ability to depict Leo's panic attacks and dissociation is my favorite I've encountered. It's also, of course, entirely heartbreaking to read. The enemies and the Mystic curse are incredibly engaging as well; they feel very much like classic fantasy adventure obstacles/antagonists that I used to read as a child, which is such a fun thing in the setting of Rise, and fits in very well. It's so believable within the universe. I'm super excited to see how the breaking of the curse will play out! I've probably re-read the fic in its entirety 2-3 times now, and each time it was equally as engrossing. Not only that– the author is such a master that I've noticed foreshadowing interlaced throughout, and that has been such a delight! This fic inspires me, and invigorates me, and leaves me wanting to read basically anything else from the author. I cannot recommend it enough!

Mutant Ninja Midlife Crisis by a_platypus

-This fic includes Future Leo being transplanted into the past, but his meeting with the turtles and April and Casey as well as the circumstances surrounding his presence are not so innocent. The tension and dramatic irony created by this set-up are gripping and exciting. And kinda makes me wanna smack a Leo (or two). The dialogue and relationships are so well-written, and the pacing is really nice. Everything feels very in-character and believable and intense. Also, just an aside, but the interactions between Present Leo and Future Leo feel so believable, and the way they change how they relate to one another over time feels very organic and natural. It's handled and presented very well, and is one of the central reasons I'm excited to see how the plot progresses moving forward.

The Aftermath by Starrcrossrose

-This fic is set post-movie, and focuses on the healing process Leo (and the others) have to undergo, and all the complicated emotions involved. There's particular emphasis on the relationship between Leo and Donnie. The author does an amazing job showing the reader what is going through both their heads and how they're struggling under the burden of Leo's decision to sacrifice himself, as well as the circumstances surrounding this (namely, Leo's mental health). It's heart-wrenching to see them both struggle under this burden and knowledge, and even more so to witness how it drives a wedge between them. Another aspect of this fic that I love is the angst surrounding the idea that Leo is doing all he can to cope and to heal, but his family is so worried and so anxious for him that they push him to recover more quickly, and this actually ends up complicating things and even making things harder for Leo. The frustration is real! The depiction of a well-meaning family making a suffering family member feel even more isolated, ironically, feels very realistic and therefore all the more maddening and heartbreaking. The recent chapters made me have to go and like. Lie down. It's that intense. And that good.

As before, I did my best to figure out which authors have accounts on here and tag them, but if I've missed you/you know the author's @, please let me know and I'll update the post!

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2018 #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt fics #rottmnt fic recs #fic recs #tmnt fics #tmnt fic recs

207 notes · View notes

pinkeoni · 10 months

Text

Writing Byler into the Narrative: Chekhov's Lie

Am I making a post about a topic that has already been talked into the ground and needs no further explanation? Yes! Because it's my blog and I get to talk about whatever I want.

So when discussing whatever the biggest "byler proof" is, the easiest and best answer is simply "the narrative." But what exactly does that mean?

Well aside from the characterization and themes tending to point in that direction, there's also a major literary rule at play— Chekhov's Gun

So this is Anton Chekhov.

Famous Russian playwright. Prolific short story author. Very important to the dramatic and literary world.

Chekhov sees one of his colleagues plays and writes him a letter that says "Hey, if you're gonna go through the effort putting a gun on stage, just make sure it goes off, okay? Otherwise, don't put it there." or something to the effect of that.

"Chekhov’s gun is a dramatic principle that suggests that details within a story or play will contribute to the overall narrative. This encourages writers to not make false promises in their narrative by including extemporaneous details that will not ultimately pay off by the last act, chapter, or conclusion. Chekhov’s gun has become a highly influential theory of effective writing that mandates noticeable details are integrated into the plot trajectory, character development, and mood of the work."

Here's a simple example of Chekhov's gun used in the show:

Chekhov's Purple Palm Tree Delight

While burying Hero Agent Man in the desert, Argyle get's stressed out and Jonathan tells him in supposedly a throwaway line to smoke some Purple Palm Tree Delight to help him feel better.

And then later in the Piggyback when they need to distract the Argyle clone in the Surfer Boy Pizza, BAM. Jonathan pulls out a fresh Purple Palm Tree Delight.

What serves as a small detail in one episode, serves a larger purpose in a future episode. It's a very simple yet effective plant and payoff. The gun has been Chekhov'd.

What happens if the gun does not Chekhov?

For this I'll use an example from a different show, here's a scene from Euphoria season 2. (spoilers, btw)

At the start of the scene, the character Nate loads a gun from inside of his car as he is going to confront his dad. We have seen this gun before. Oh my god, is Nate going to kill is dad? The audience may wonder.

Nate then puts the loaded gun into his right pocket as he enters the building where his dad is staying.

Later in the scene, we see Nate reach into his right pocket and pull out the gun he just loaded.

We then see Nate put the gun away into his left pocket, reach back into his right pocket, and pull out— a flash drive?

Granted this flash drive does have pre-established importance, but why the fuck did Nate have that gun with him, if he wasn't going to use it? The most basic rule of a Chekhov's Gun?

I know that it was likely there just to build suspense for the audience, but considering that Nate's gun has already been established (and used) earlier in the season, the show didn't need to build-up the importance of the gun earlier in the scene if it wasn't going to payoff. If we saw Nate putting his hand into his pocket in a threatening way, there might be enough there for the audience to suspect he has his gun in there before doing the twist with the flash drive. It would have given the same effect of suspension and subversion of expectations without it feeling like a shitty non-payoff.

I can only speak for myself, but when this happened I was just baffled and annoyed. What was the point of all that? When a Chekhov's Gun doesn't go off, it feels super unsatisfying.

Another good example of a gun that never Chekhov'd is the Jules-cheating storyline that became inconsequential, was not the reason Jules and Rue even broke up, was seemingly forgotten and forgiven by the end, and did nothing but give fans a reason to hate Jules.

And Now: The Van Scene

We've all seen it and we all know it. Will gives Mike the painting we saw earlier in the season, the one that's supposed to be for someone that he likes, which was a Chekhov's Gun in itself. We saw the painting earlier in the season and now it's being revealed. The gun is Chekhoving.

Really the painting itself has already payed off, but what this scene does is establish a new Chekhov's Gun that has yet to go off, and that's the lie that Will told Mike— that the painting was from El, not him.

Even if this wasn't the "friends don't lie" show, I mean, a lie in a tv show that goes undiscovered and has no major consequences? I mean come on. It's almost too obvious.

Did this gun already Chekhov?

Technically there is still somewhat of a payoff to this lie being told, even if the reveal that it was a lie hasn't happened yet. We see the consequences of Will's lie in this scene here:

Ah yes, the monologue. You know the one, where Will is over Mike's shoulder the whole time, the one spawned by Will remarking "your the heart" which is a reference to the van scene we all just witnessed in which Will pours his heart out to Mike under the guise of it actually being El's feelings? Yeah that monologue.

Contrary to popular belief I am of the opinion that Mike's monologue is NOT the reason El lost to Vecna, however Mike finally confessing immediately followed by El losing does not make it look any better for them. I don't think that the lie had world ending consequences, but it definitely had emotional ones.

The reveal of the lie can lead to one of two things happening (not all once)

Mike finds out that Will lied to him about El commissioning the painting. Mike and El stay together despite it all, Will accepts that Mike doesn't love him back.

Mike finds out that Will lied about El commissioning the painting. El and Mike do not stay together because the feelings of love are not genuine. Mike and Will, despite Will's expectations, end up together since that what Mike's feelings of love are in response too.

The biggest difference between the first scenario and the second scenario is that the first one is already happening right now.

Mike and El are still together by the end of the season, and Will already thinks that he doesn't have a chance with Mike.

Why cock the gun if setting it off is just going to keep things the way they were?

Of course this Chekhov's gun isn't the only "proof" working in byler's favor, and I wouldn't have suggested the second scenario if the show didn't also give Mike an arc where he couldn't say I love you to his girlfriend, make him act weird around Will, actively push themes of non-conformity, among other things.

Combined with everything else, I do still consider Chekhov's Gun to be the biggest proof of byler. Not following through with one of the most popular rules of dramatic writing just to hold together a weak relationship? OK

tl;dr: Byler canon because a Russian playwright said so

#havent really had an analysis in a while so here is a post about a thing everyone already knows about #but god dammit if i dont love narrative conventions and applying them to my hyperfixation #my analysis #stranger things #byler #tw guns

101 notes · View notes

bumofthewild · 1 month

Note

what are your shadowbringers thoughts so far 🥳

too many.........! i mean it like a lot. more than i get to in this post. also i did the final trial of post-shb ytd actually so spoilers for both shb and post-shb (up 2 the end of that fight)

i think it was different from what i was expecting from the pre-shb parts... like i really enjoyed what immediately happens after the yotsuyu trial where alphinaud plans to go to garlemald and gets stranded in the burn (one of the coolest locations in the game) and the really dire feeling from your friends falling unconscious around you and a voice calling to you in this urgent but poetic way; i was really into the feeling of this unknown threat closing in all around wol. when finally alisaie falls (i liked the development she was getting and how blunt she is abt caring abt her loved ones) and wol gets transported to the first i was like whooooaaaa but then i actually think the story kind of lost me for a bit bc it loses that pre-shb momentum setting up the first as a location. not to say the opening parts of shb aren't well-written or interesting bc they def are but i found myself kind of wanting to go back to that intense direness (rather than the resigned-to-danger feeling of life in the first after the flood) and also i had this idea of shb being this visually darker expansion probably bc of the title and the garlemald cutscenes so its funny its the exact opposite. i rmb i also thought the shadowbringers would be the ascians but they really made you think that on purpose smh bc the shadowbringers are actually.....you....! (i think)

still i really like the idea of overwhelming light and how it just leads to stasis of all things. shb has some truly weird ideas but in a really fun way like the idea that the echo is something that can be evoked within sundered beings by having them experience a starshower like how the fuck do you come up with that. just some truly esoteric things like elemental imbalances and the shattering of the source into thirteen shards and all that like im genuinely a big fan of the ffxiv world lore. it was cool how all this stuff was set up pretty well too with the warriors of darkness from post-hvw like i really liked how they put those guys back into the story. and i always enjoy when the driving force in a story is like a hunt for mini-bosses (the light wardens). i think what was kind of making my interest fray at times though was again just establishing a new setting which i was less interested in than the overwhelming light plot stuff. particularly eulmore, probs bc i went there first fresh after all the urgent things were winding down but also bc it's so detailed a location it feels almost separate from the game to me so i felt a bit distracted. i really wasn't expecting that initial confrontation with vauthry to extend into him and his army becoming such a large part of the story, but i did like it regardless, like that cut-scene with kai-shirr where you save him from vauthry was so dramatic its even giving me chills remembering it. the fatphobia regarding vauthry's character was weird but im just. like ok. well i just had to say it

i really like the new locations too like il mheg definitely was made for me to spend hrs in there wishing it was real but everywhere too was really fresh and unique. i like mord souq a lot and i liked seeing the beast tribes be incorporated into the societies as opposed to whatever eorzea is always doing wrong. i also liked the attention put into things like developing relationships w ppl from the diff areas like helping with the trolley and the talos at twine--i always like stories where places are revitalised. like smaller-scale hopes being restored amongst the larger actions like bringing back the night and showing how these small things can be equally as important. i liked the effort that went into establishing the unique lifestyles of denizens of the first also. and seriously everything aboug il mheg plus urianger hanging out with fairies is one of those things that feels directly plucked from the self-indulgent recesses of my brain. i was actually sad when you lifted the mist bc the place felt a lot more enclosed (i like enclosed things i love an enclosed atmosphere which is why i wanted shb to feel less like it was opening up a story) and dreamy but oh well i can always just ng+ the game and never find urianger's house and frolick in misty il mheg forever

going back to how each area is really fun i also really like that idk thing stories do where you encounter a diff person at every diff location. like that all your friends were at different places on the map idk how to explain but i thought that was a fun way to have wol explore novrandt that makes sense. and how these new places recontextualise the scions who have been with you since arr was interesting like seeing them in a new light. i do feel like the game doesn't develop urianger and y'shtola as much emotionally compared to the others (THANCRED IS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS GAME?) bc idk they're smart or smth so they're usually playing Mr. Exposition roles but i was grateful that at least you finally FINALLY spend a lot of time together as a party and build your relationship. probs one of the things i enjoyed most about shb. like you obvs don't see them in hvw bc they're all missing--just generally urianger isn't hidden away in some library thancred isn't skulking around some imperial stronghold somewhere y'shtola isn't being placed in a coma for the millionth time and the twins aren't otherwise engaged with logistics/combat. like everyone was finally together and striving towards the same things together. i could finally feel the bond between the scions rather than be told they're close thru sparse interactions they have with wol individually.

i also really like what they did with ardbert, the moments w him all felt so poignant. i used to find him silly in post-hvw calling himself the warrior of darkness and smirking at me all the time until the moment he goes back to the first w urianger's help..then i was like my bad i wasnt aware of your struggles.... i like how they complicated his char a lot and his narrations were so fun. his char is a good example i think of how shb did a good job of being both heartbreaking and pretty dark without being hamfisted or unnecessarily cynical

i feel like im going to have to spend so much time processing shb bc i blasted thru it but also bc i was so distracted by the crystal exarch like the moment i saw him i was like is this not just g'raha bc of the male miqote mouth (and that he has you go to the crystal tower but mostly the mouth) and this like proceeded to distract me to an insane degree up until the very second his hood flew back at the climax of the game and revealed it was actually him. i was even telling my sister like i hope he doesn't reveal his face himself i hope some stray wind or w/e blows the hood down...so i won that interaction. idk how i managed to avoid spoiling that considering i used to see fanart of him often bc he's so popular but i am not ungrateful bc even if its obviously him that would have sucked bc needing to know it was him like being right was possessing me

uhh what else............ regretfully emet-selch is now one of my fav characters. in the whole game. which is crazy to me.... i used to see his name around as well but what i rmb specifically is this one time i saw like a tweet complaining abt ff fans who are really into the imperialist ideals mention him and i was like eww guess im never gonna like this emet-selch guy if i play hahahaha. and i had this weirdass vision of him in my head as this brooding black robe-wearing guy w mid length grey hair or smth (just the impression i got from his name idefk) bc i had no clue what he looked like. and then solus shows up for the first time and i was like wow this guy is really interesting like whenever he shows up the plot really starts gripping me bc i just find the shit to do with the ascians soooooo super interesting. like the fact that they're very openly present but such a large threat. it's interesting to me that as enemies they make themselves so known to the main cast and could be anywhere at any time--i find that sort of impasse really fun. like a tense atmosphere nobody on either side breaks until the final moment bc they're not sure what the retaliation will be. also when emet-selch admitted that as ascians they'd all been tempered by zodiark like HUHHHH THATS SO INTERESTING

i think definitely the part after mt.gulg trial was where i was really understanding why i see a lot of ppl say that shb is the best expac bc how much the plot ramps up the stakes all of a sudden compared to the level of danger you get used to is crazy. and it really gives you things to think about beyond wuhhh good and evil bc like after you incoporate all that light into you, you're the threat now...? like what do you do? when you open the windows and the light has come back to the world after you gave everyone this hope the night sky could come back... that level of fucking up really surprised me. and the whole time emet-selch is shadowing you really only feels at most like a vaguely concealed threat and i feel like i don't usually get caught like that but i was genuinely shocked he was such a serious threat all of a sudden. like i genuinely forgot even though all of his interactions felt like being on the edge of a deal w the devil. and it was well done too i like when everyone is honest abt their intentions more or less the whole time but theres still a lot of intrigue -> danger

i usually roll my eyes at ig simplistic overtures about sympathizing with or even at least understanding your enemy but i have to say i really was unfortunately taken in by the fact that emet-selch was very genuine about his interest in the main party, and it was even better to me bc of how precarious their interactions were. i just love weird and hard-to-put-into-words relationships between ppl who know of each other but are essentially strangers. and compared to the other ascians you've met so far how he makes his appeals more human/emotional rather than with the stiff otherworldly-being logic of his comrades i find interesting, and again it doesn't come off as simplistic or try to provide any thoughtless concrete answers to me bc although the main party at least feels enough towards him to feel pity/considerate/betrayed, which i like bc that's just what ppl do, they just can't accept him (obviously) and they remain at that standstill. like they understand each other but they will never agree. not getting into how he invites wol who is turning into a monster personally to his underwater lair bc i want to seem normal secret recesses of my mind i just always like characters that seem cool or capable or operate in a way that seems very (almost "nobly") focused but its actually something of a farce, and they're really being spurred on by some intensely personal emotion. like shinobu from kny or sekigahara from 13 sentinels who are some off my fav characters. i did feel like the way he was rejecting the party at the end (before you fight him) was kind of excessive, like they were playing up his villainy a bit so it would make more sense you have to kill him or smth, but in my mind it's like of course you have to kill him no matter what. and i don't mean all of this in some woobifying way where i feel bad for him like nooo poor emet more like i just like when someone is really driven by emotions idk lemme try to find the words. the way the grief like bleeds out of him... like he creates a giant city of memories that he wants someone to understand so bad. i like that kind of mishandled pain...like an inability to contain something.

but as much as what the ascians strive towards/how they go about it/most things to do with them fascinate me i do have an iffy feeling about smth very specific that i think really solidified itself with amaurot. i find the conflict that is the sundering really interesting but how it's conceptualized is really................hm....the ascians having a normative standard of what it means to be a "proper" or fully-fledged or whole being = being worthy of life, so that killing the "malformed" beings that are the non-ascians doesn't count as killing.... that they have this idea of a "true" type of person. does that not seem like couched in really blatant ableist (and other things but im just a fool on tumblr) thought about what it means to be considered a person. i was just fascinated bc they're the villains so I GUESS it's meant to be "wrong" the way they think, but theyre still also sympathetic chars (and imperialists) so ok. this is also the acting logic of eorzea disposing of the ixal and the kobolds and the sahagin etc etc like killing beastmen is like swatting flies. the beast racism. like you know the amount of stock ppl put into worthless concepts like "reason" as if its some immutable law and not socially constructed and thats whats good and virtuous and deserving of life. it was just interesting? (HAHAHAHAUUUGHH) to see that represented in this hyper-rational and streamlined city/society of the ascians. the hard edges and the carefully tended charmless cement rows of tree plots and organized lines for licenses and taking pleasure in an organised and rational debate with my fellow ascians at the debate hall. like the perfect and complete world the ascians are killing themselves to bring back is bureaucracy???????? i actually was so stunned i wanted to laugh. idk it just makes so much sense to me that the way square enix apparently pictures some lost utopia "lesser" beings cant achieve would be in this sort of fake-conflictless way. it feels otherworldly of course in comparison to the rest of the worlds and i enjoyed that section of the game a lot but. like good lord

i had like no thoughts about g'raha until post-shb for some reason maybe bc idk what i could say the game hasn't already abt his personality but i'm like fascinated with how taken he is with wol bc i almost don't get it. i actually kind of mostly enjoy it in a really one-sided way where he is enamoured with wol as a fantasy figure out of his reach and it just stays that way forever. he interests me bc it feels like he's not really alive....and i said in my post about stormblood that i really like characters who feel like they can't see a life for themselves in the future beyond some goalpost they strive towards..but g'raha feels a bit different, he doesn't feel dead inside or empty he just feels like. he's not alive like he's not living. idk like he's not a human person but a symbol (the crystal exarch). ig it's his solitary focus on salvation bc even though he bakes lyna a cake for her bday and it turns out badly i like struggle to imagine him doing anything mundane or anything that isn't crystally or exarchy. i have to rotate him more idk. how he's also self-serving despite thinking so lowly of himself is interesting to me too. and i like how all of this is symbolised by how he'll have to reconcile this current version of himself with his past self, that is reimagine himself as a living flesh and blood person, in order to get out of the crystal vessel (symbolism?) hes currently inside of. whether he does idk yet im still playing post-shb so plz dont say.

i think im running out of space rip my thoughts on elidibus and the final hades fight (they should have just made it emet-selch, hades carries too many preconceptions so it felt random to me but maybe im just greedy and i've spared too much thoughts abt this guy already)

oh shit i also wanted to talk about how the more i learn about the ascians the more i'm convinced the imperialism in this game is just a waste of space and time and effort in this game but well. huge tangent. i genuinely just pretend its not there

last thoughts i'm convinced the finality of so many of the events is like.... was this supposed to be the final part of the ffxiv story..... the cinematic fight with hades/ how you beat him using the power of friendship/the heroes gauntlet duty where everyone you've helped in the first comes to your aid/fight against the original warrior of light....? etc. like it definitely all feels so final. why are there expansions after this......................like why bother.......shb did it all

#asks #anonymous #ffxiv spoilers #shadowbringers spoilers #post-shadowbringers spoilers #if anyone is wondering? heavensward is still my favourite expansion #spoilers

22 notes · View notes

nevermindigotthis · 1 month

Text

I think there should be a Dishonored TV show.

Imagine this: The Series follows several POV characters: Corvo (duh, probably in a low chaos run with some deaths), Emily (duh, little girl and the horrible no good very bad day, we see how she deals with the conspiracy and it can give some background on the villains), Daud (big regrets, has his whole Delilah story which, for TV reasons, happens at the same time as Corvo's revenge plot so the series can cut between them), and lastly Billie (lovestory with Delilah, betrayal of Daud, mercy in the end)

There can be amazing parallels between Corvo's low chaos revenge and Daud's quest for redemption, with a tense confrontation in Episode 8/9. Delilah as this secret foil that Corvo doesn't even know about, for dramatic purposes Daud has to defeat her in the last episode, so there can be a moment where the audience doesn't quite know if the Emily Corvo just rescued is still Emily. (For dramatic purposes this also needs to be the high chaos ending where Emily almost falls to her death, even though we're in mostly low chaos)

The Series (rough draft):

Episode 1: Corvo returns from his trip. Jess is murdered, Emily abducted. Title Screen. 6 months later. Corvo is being tortured in Coldridge. Daud is depressed and guiltridden. Billie is unimpressed. Episode ends with Corvo breaking out of Coldridge.

Episode 2: Corvo meets the Loyalists. Daud meets the Outsider who gives him the name "Delilah". Also he turns down contracts. Billie expresses her disapproval (again) and leaves the hideout to cool off. Emily is being held captive by the Pendletons who are being creepy and she tries to find a way out. Corvo gains the Mark of the Outsider and the Heart.

Episode 3: Corvo goes after Campbell, rescuing Martin along the way. Daud starts investigating (slaughterhouse). Billie is angry and leaves the hideout, meeting up with a lover who is afterwards revealed to be Delilah (her first appearance). Emily almost gets away from her captors, but is caught at the last second.

Episode 4: Corvo goes to the Golden Cat to rescue Emily. Daud investigates the Timshs. Billie scemes with Delilah to overthrow Daud. Episode ends with Corvo reuniting with Emily.

Episode 5: The Whaler hideout is overrun by Overseers. Billie reveals her betrayal, fights Daud and escapes. Corvo has a nice bonding moment with Emily. Corvo kidnaps Sokolov. Emily talks with the loyalists and gets the vibes that something is not right here.

Episode 6: The Boyle's party. Corvo identifies the right Boyle Lady and deals with her. Billie returns to Delilah who comforts her about having failed to kill Daud. Daud recovers from her betrayal. Emily has nightmares about Corvo dying.

Episode 7: Corvo goes to dispatch Burrows. Emily listens in on the Loyalists and their plans. Daud goes looking for a boat, and then for Lizzy Stride. Delilah reveals the beginning of her painting to Billie. Corvo returns to the Hounds Pit Pub and Emily tries to warn him, but is held back and locked in her room. Corvo is poisoned, Episode ends on him passing out.

Episode 8: Samuel drops Corvo in the Flooded District. Daud returns and finds Corvo. Emily is angry and ready to throw hands with the "loyalists", gets threatened. Bille and Delilah prepare for the ritual, Delilah tells Billie that afterwards she can go and kill Daud for real this time. Corvo wakes up and confronts Daud. They duel, Daud loses, asks for his life, Corvo doesn't say anything, but doesn't kill him. Corvo returns to the Pub.

Episode 9: Emily feels all alone in a cruel world, believing Corvo to be dead. Corvo and Daud both prepare for their final missions in a cool montage. Corvo infiltrates the Fort/Lighthouse and deals with Pendleton and Martin. Daud arrives at Brigmore manor, infiltrates it and finds the entrance to the void. Corvo goes on to search for Emily, her room is empty. Daud talks to the Outsider and confronts Billie and Delilah. Corvo finds Emily and Havelock. Daud fights Billie while Delilah (almost) completes her ritual. Corvo shoots Havelock and catches Emily. Daud injures Billie and goes to stop Delilah, bright flash of light. Emily looks up at Corvo with a strange smile. Delilah has vanished. Daud asks Billie if she's done it. Billie is angry as Delilah is gone, but has a heart to heart with Daud where they leave on relatively okay terms. Daud breathes a sigh of relief. Emily smiles and hugs Corvo, it's clear that she's still herself. Epilogue narration that everything turned out fine. End credit scene of Delilah very angry, but also very alive, in the Void.

Why 9 episodes, you ask? Well because I was trying for 10 but my planning which I came up with just now only wanted 9. 8 or 10 would make more sense from a TV standpoint though. I just think this would be such a cool series...

#dishonored #dishonored TV series #dishonored tv concept #i would watch the shit out of this #not art #writing #i guess #corvo attano #emily kaldwin #daud #billie lurk #delilah copperspoon #brigmore witches #hear me out on this

25 notes · View notes

poorlittleyaoyao · 5 months

Note

is jgy different in the books than in the untamed? sorry if u haven’t read them im kind of just assuming u have even tho i haven’t lol but i was wondering if his characterization has any major differences like how wwx in novel vs untamed they sort of sanitize him and take away any culpability and honestly some of his edge. just curious if there’s any major differences in his characterization between the two

I'm not the best person to answer because I've only read the first two volumes of MDZS. Short answer: Yes, he is different, and in fact gets the reverse of WWX's treatment: Drama JGY is more overtly villainous than Novel JGY. However, IMO it's a little more complicated than that!

(Novel enjoyers, please chime in if I'm forgetting or misrepresenting anything.)

A lot of JGY fans greatly prefer the novel and feel that The Untamed did him dirty, because a lot of the show's plot changes that make WWX look better make JGY look worse. Jin Zixuan's death is the most glaring one: in the novel, WWX really does lose control of WN because he overestimates his abilities, and it's a tragic accident. JGY and SMS's implied involvement in the Massacre at Nightless City also doesn't happen in the novel; that, too, was a devastated WWX wreaking havoc and/or losing control. The novel also establishes that JGY is subject to abuse within Jinlintai, so there's an element of duress that one can read into his actions under JGS. Novel NMJ behaves more aggressively towards JGY than he does in the show, so his murder doesn't have the same tinge of malice. (The novel timeline also has JGY and LXC meeting before JGY and NMJ, all during Sunshot, so there's that.) Additionally, the novel tells us that JGY is genuinely a very good leader once he's Chief Cultivator and has implemented policies that have improved the lives of regular people and contributed to political stability. We're also told more about his childhood and his love for his mother, and we learn that his relationship with QS is a tragic love story (he doesn't know they're related until after she's pregnant) rather than something he went through with anyway. So in the novel, he's got a lot of positive things going for him that censorship didn't allow to carry over into the show for fear of having too much moral ambiguity.

HOWEVER!!!

The thing about the novel (and why I don't vibe with it as much) is that it's very much WWX's story, whereas The Untamed spends wayyyyy more time with its supporting cast. You might've noticed that I said the word "told" a lot in the above paragraph, because... well, that's what happens. We're told things about JGY, but we don't see him as much, especially since the novel is focused on the post-timeskip era with the stuff in the past coming through non-linear flashbacks. You don't get to see Meng Yao being Just A Little Guy very much before he becomes the Kitten Thinks About Nothing But Murder All Day meme. Now, you also don't hear dramatic music telegraphing HEY!!! HEY!! VILLAINY IS AFOOT!! HEY!!! every time JGY does literally anything, but you do have everything filtered through WWX's unreliable narrator monologue, and he is out there saying some truly wild shit. (You also get less Xiyao. Like, it's there if you want it to be, but The Untamed really went all-in on that.)

For me, the show works better, because I am a sucker for corruption arcs where you see glimpses of the character before they start the atrocities. Seeing him be Just A Little Guy making the saddest meow meow faces when people were mean to him kept me from totally losing sympathy for/interest in him once things start getting squicky, because I had evidence that he wasn't always like that. Meanwhile, JGY's first big scene in the novel is the confrontation with QS (which already makes my skin crawl and is somehow WORSE in novel form), and I was just like "wow, this guy sucks" even though I knew the story and all the extenuating circumstances already. For others, the novel works better, because "first impressions and society's opinion are unreliable" is a major theme, so the reverse reveal combined with the fact that he demonstrably tries to improve people's lives as a leader is less expected and more satisfying.

So yeah! JGY is different, but the ways in which he is different are due to storytelling methods as well as to plot changes!

41 notes · View notes

burningvelvet · 8 months

Text

More Jane Eyre analysis, this time concerning the Varens family backstory and my theories and opinions on the characters of Adèle and Rochester, as well as their depictions in the 1996 and 2006 adaptations--

In a post I made, I mentioned that Céline Varens (mother of Adèle Varens) was dead, and someone (@thoumpingground, thank you!) replied with how they thought Céline had just ran away with a musician and never actually been pronounced dead. This led me to wonder, because a lot of the criticism and essays I've read repeat the idea that Adèle is an orphan and/or that her mother died, and I myself could have sworn her mother died of consumption or typhus. But no! I went on the Internet Archive and re-read passages about Rochester and the Varens, did a deep reading, and came to other conclusions which totally changed my understanding of these characters. Below I try to untangle and assess this apparently common confusion.

Here are the details I've gathered: 1) Adèle tells Jane only that her mother died, 2) Rochester tells Jane only that Adèle's mother abandoned her. I originally believed that she died after the abandonment, but it seems more likely that 3) Rochester must have told Adèle that her mother died because it was easier than explaining the abandonment. 4) Neither Rochester nor Jane believe that Adèle is his biological child, and no biological father ever claimed her, making Adèle paternally as well as maternally abandoned. 5) After Rochester tells her the story of Adèle, Jane calls Adèle an orphan like herself, not because she believes Adèle's parents are dead, but because she's likening abandonment to orphaning.

I believe that Rochester's probable lie to Adèle is fully in line with his character because the entire plot of the novel largely hinges on his repetitive deceptiveness. His love for toying with the truth, combined with his flair for the dramatic and his passionate feelings of betrayal at the hands of Céline, render it easy to believe that he would've seen Céline's abandonment and infidelity as her being metaphorically "dead" to him. As Rochester often conflates feelings and facts, and continuously blurs the lines between fiction and reality (every other line he's mentioning elves and mermaids), he wouldn't have seen him calling Céline dead as being a complete lie, and this is what makes it more believable to me.

Rochester usually believes his own lies to some extent or is able to justify them. His talent at deception a major attribute (and flaw) of his, as well as something we readers are constantly left to debate the morality of; this is made more complex by most of his lies being understandable or sympathizable, even if sometimes ridiculous. This is what makes him an appealing character.

He imitates a fortune teller on the basis of fortune telling being inherently deceptive anyway (as Jane states). He dons this disguise to break-up with Blanche while uncovering her true motives and protecting her feelings in the process, as well as to try to covertly assess the truth of Jane's feelings and to reveal his own.

He claims to be a bachelor and tries to get remarried because he felt like Bertha had already been metaphorically and spiritually divorced from him a long time ago, if not in actuality. He deceptively hides in Céline's room in order to ascertain what he already knows to be the truth and to convenienly confront her. Céline's larger deception allows him to feel that his own one is justifiable. He also deceives Jane when they first meet by failing to inform her of his identity, but he doesn't assume a false identity, either, complicating this lie as well.

He leads everyone (but most importantly, Jane) to believe he's planning to marry Blanche even after we can tell that he's really planning to marry Jane. This again is a sort of half-lie in his eyes, because he truly did plan on getting remarried to someone.

I also have a theory that Rochester really did plan on marrying Blanche before deciding to propose to Jane, considering that: 1) we're told by Mrs. Fairfax that Rochester and Blanche had flirted before Jane was in the picture; 2) Rochester says that Blanche resembles Bertha, who he said he married because he was attracted to her; 3) it wouldn't make sense that Rochester would go through so much trouble to lead Blanche on solely to make Jane jealous, especially not when we know he had set his sights on Blanche before he knew Jane and prizes constancy in affection above all else; 4) Blanche's character specifically matches that of all his other past lovers (in short, more beautiful on the outside than the inside) which supports the idea that his attraction to her and intention to marry her was actually genuine at first.

In short, all Rochester's lies are omissions or half-truths, always justifiable in his eyes because they're performed to protect himself, or others, or as a method of assessing the truth. He follows an odd set of rules regarding deception, and this is in line with the strong fae/folklore/trickster themes of the novel which many academics have noted. I don't believe he ever deceives carelessly, on a whim, or in order to be purely cruel.

Adèle informs Jane that her mother has gone to heaven, so evidently she has been told so by someone. I also believe his probable lie to Adèle is important because it is more proof that he truly does care about her beneath his reluctance to love her due to her similarity to her mother.

I can imagine Rochester sitting her on his knee and explaining this to her much like he later explains to her in the carrage of his and Jane's elvish, honey-"moon" adventure tale. Despite openly criticizing her and her mother, Rochester still doesn't want Adèle to have abandonment issues, to feel lonely, or to break her heart by ruining the good memories of her mother which she so clearly covets, as seen by her proud presentations of the song, poetry, and dance she says her mother taught her.

I don't know why adaptations haven't banked on these points, since Rochester's relationship with Adèle is one of his most redeeming qualities, even despite his occasional coldness to her. The 1996 version is great because out of all the adaptations I've seen or read about (not all of them because there are a million), it has the most emphasis on Adèle and her relationships.

1996 also keeps the line about her mother going to the Holy Virgin, and we get the impression that she was raised by her mother, whereas in the 2006 BBC adaptation for example, we're shown that Adèle was left to Rochester in her crib, yet Rochester still says Adèle inherited her mother's bad "French" attributes, which from his perspective must be genetic.

All the Rochester's question Adèle's nature v nurture attributes to some extent, but choosing to give Adèle no memories of her mother as the 2006 does kind of changes the Adèle/Céline discourse to being more genetic in basis. In other words, the 2006 focus is more on questioning nature rather than nurture, whereas other versions focus on both, or focus on nurture.

All the Rochester's speculations on Adèle's genetics keeps in line with 19-century anti-French British sentiment, and the increasing Victorian "nature vs nurture" discourse. For 2006 Rochester specifically, this all fits with his interest in biology & nature -- his specimen collection, him helping with Adèle's lessons, his scientist friend, the twin/twin flame theories; all 2006 inventions which clearly have a lot of historical and textual basis. However, in all the versions, it seems Adèle's vanity and "French defects" (as Jane dubs them in the book) whether genetically or socially imbued, exist to emphasize how nurture is just as important as nature.

Bertha Mason and John Reed exist as examples of ill nature overpowering weak nurturing, whereas Jane Eyre and Adèle Varens are examples of undecided nature strengthening in resolve after an upgrade of nurturing. For Jane this was through Bessie, Miss Temple, Helen Burns, and Mrs. Fairfax. For Adèle it was Mrs. Fairfax, Jane, and then Jane sending her to a good school which she says at the end of the book was responsible for turning Adèle into a great person.

But there is also an emphasis on the willpower of Jane and Adèle, as there is for Edward Rochester, who we learn from his account probably had poor nurturing, as he says his father and brother tricked him into marrying Bertha. As an aside: the 1996 version really emphasizes the implication that Rochester's dad and brother sucked, which I agree with, but I think it's also part of the problem of this film making Rochester a little too sympathetic (lol).

It makes sense that in the book Adèle had apparently been old enough to actually remember being socialized by her mother and therefore had been more capable of absorbing her mother's character. Perhaps 2006's approach is more intelligent, as it leaves the theory of nature v nurture more up for debate just like Adèle's parentage is (though Jane and Rochester are decided against his paternity, we have no way of ascertaining it).

I wish we had been able to see or hear more about Céline interacting with Adèle, as it would have explained how Adèle came to love the performing arts and to worship fashionable ladies. In the book, this is essentially her clinging to memories of her mother, which are later replaced by Jane's influence.

Adèle's status as an orphan (if not a literal one, a metaphorical one) is worthy of analysis because it also links her to the (literally) orphaned Jane and Rochester. Their mutual orphanage leads them to bond and form into a found family. Jane blatantly declares this kindredness to Rochester as highlighted above, and I believe Rochester must also feel this connection as shown by his devotion to Adèle, as he explains he took her on because she had no one else in the world (except Sophie maybe, but she couldn't support Adèle alone).

#my analysis #jane eyre #adele varens #charlotte brontë #the bronte sisters #celine varens #mr rochester #literature #english literature #analysis #literary analysis #blanche ingram #opinions #theories

63 notes · View notes

mytalemyworld · 3 months

Text

Oh God the episode was all over the place. And I remember once again why I couldn't love the show as a whole. Yabani is suffering from a chronic disease. They write an excellent conflict, then it turns out that it is actually not that important. This rant is not about Asi and Alaz btw. It's more about familial love. Asi and Alaz, they're still my babies, but I am really tired of not seeing any other good plots. And don't get me even started on the weak crime & cop plot line. The amount of second-hand embarrassment I feel about that...

"You are not dead."

Yaman and Alaz just hugged and thanks to the actor playing Alaz I could feel something. The script was lacking and if this was how you solved your conflict, just joking and hugging, then don't ever write something so dramatic again. They did not even confront each other. Like, this built up went in vain, can you believe it?

They shouldn't have left Soysalan house for the next three months after this.

And this.

They are THAT COUPLE who gives you everything you could ask for.

Hands down he is the most interesting character and has the best character development arc in the show. I used to roll my eyes every time he appeared but now he is my favorite. I think he is also the writers' favorite because he was great in this episode.

His grief was consistent and visible. He was disgusted at the idea that one could sacrifice a child's life. He was too desparate that he threatened his childhood friend with a knife. He was crazy enough to get himself caught. He was so sad to hear Asi hated him and helplessly begged her not to. He was worried to death that Asi couldn't make it but tried so hard not to show his fear. He heard for the first time in his life that someone he loved loved him back finally. (YEAH WE GOT "I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU TOO", DON'T TOUCH ME I AM STILL NOT OKAY) He looked like a child when he saw his brother was alive.

I mean, he might be a mess but somehow checks all the boxes, do you understand me?

#yabani #asi x alaz #alaz x yaman

35 notes · View notes

uroboros-if · 9 months

Note

seeing your rant about how difficult it is to be somewhat rude without ruining your relationships in ifs WAS SO RELATABLE! It doesn’t feel real to be always good or nice to characters to be liked

I’m not saying you should be able beat them up and still romance without consequences but romance/relationships aren’t always perfect and peaceful!!! Disagreements/arguments should be something that can happen without it being at the cost of the relationship itself ugh because that’s normal come on >:| as an angst enjoyer, its so hard to have fun without the character being like “you dont agree with me? perish then”

so I’m even more excited for the game now that I saw your take on it because LETS GO!!!!!! <3

You succinctly explained what I struggled to! 😭

I will confess it's half self-indulgent, because I really enjoy relationships where the two must confront their conflicting ideals! I understand most seek other like-minded people, but what of characters who like to be challenged? Characters who can't help but be attached to someone they shouldn't be?

Even setting that aside, you are completely correct! As long as that topic isn't sensitive to someone and neither party is inflexible, people won't automatically like you less.

So not only does such an approval system lose out on angst potential, sometimes it's also unrealistic. There is truth in it as our opinions of others do adjust based on their actions, and those things add up! However, it's a problem when it's applied to even arbitrary choices, or it unnecessarily severely impacts your approval.

Under the read more is my "theory" on why some ROs in IFs are defined by a dynamic trope (rivals to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, etc)!! 💕

It is difficult, if not impossible for a numerical approval system to qualitatively judge your relationship dynamics; it can only judge based on the weight of each choice. It can't, for example, see you've transitioned from being rude, to softening up to the character after realizing they're not so bad. The game only sees the sum of all your negative and positive points.

Without a way to label your actions by anything but a number, a system that purely relies on numerics is incapable of interpreting the dynamics of your relationship, and therefore customizing future interactions with the RO.

Of course, I think most IFs don't purely rely on numbers. Some do a hybrid in which important decisions are tracked qualitatively and lesser ones are tracked numerically. However, even then, some romance is limited by a baseline approval you must achieve in a certain timeframe, and that leads to pressure to meet that mystery number.

Furthermore, these qualitative "important decisions" often have more to do with the plot than how it defines your relationship specifically -- things like "did you kill their father?" rather than "What were their first impressions of the MC?"

So I believe that without a way to interpret the MC's actions meaningfully, there's only one way to play a romance route. There's only one dynamic with that character, one way the relationship can really be. You can be different genders, have your relationship contextualized differently as the story changes from your actions, but rarely does it dramatically differ solely on personality. Rarely does it examine how your relationship varies from the different ways you interact with that character.

I think it's fine that some characters are like that! In fact, it's realistic that some dynamics don't suit certain characters. For example, it's not possible to have rivals to lovers with Salvatore, because they have no reason to see you as a rival, even if you hate them or try to compete with them.

However, taking Sal as an example, your relationship can vary widely by your attitude towards them. It can be a case of friends who lost touch and regret having lost touch; it can be one-sided, as Sal may view MC as a friend, but the MC is bitterly jealous of them. Perhaps MC doesn't think much of them at all.

That's the kind of meaningful interpretation of relationships I aim for--different dynamics rather than boxing in Sal as the typical childhood friends to lovers. There is no one way to play their romance; it should change as the MC is different.

I see how it's not for everyone, and I acknowledge that it is a Herculean task that may, in time, reveal the full extent of its complexity. But I strive for it because such a complicated relationship is central to the conflict of Uroboros. There is nothing more important an undertaking than character relationships in the IF.

Extremely long theory and rambling, but I am so happy someone shares my thoughts, at least as far as disagreements with the ROs!! ❤️❤️ Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share even more of my opinion, Anon! I'm thrilled you are so excited for the story!

#uroboros-if #uroboros #asks #anon #i adore these asks 🥺💕#meta #interactive fiction

84 notes · View notes

fandomsimagined · 4 months

Text

hoax (Nikolai Lantsov x Reader) - Prologue

Title: hoax - prologue

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x Reader

Warnings: Language, death, violence

Word Count: 1.4k

Summary: When Sturmhond stumbles across a Kerch pirate ship transporting stolen Ravkan goods, he takes it upon himself to confront the captain only to bind himself faced with a potential ally or yet another adversary.

Author’s Note: Hi! it’s me again coming to you with yet another Shadow and Bone fic. This is one I’ve had in my brain for quite some time and it will follow the canon storyline (not completely of course but for the most part). Nikolai is one of my favorite character of all time so I really really hope that I did him justice with this. I hope you enjoy! If you have any requests, please feel free to send them in! I write for all of the grishaverse characters pretty much. Sorry for such a long authors note. I hope you enjoy!

Nikolai smiled and nodded with apparent approval. His years of diplomatic training were finally paying off, his years of pretending to listen in on meetings with foreign ambassadors when he was younger had prepared him for these types of situations. Though, he imagined his parents meant for it to be utilized in a more civilized setting. The issue came in with the fact that Nikolai was many things: he was an excellent shot, dashingly handsome even as a ruddy pirate, and perhaps a tad bit egotistical at times, in an endearing way, of course; but he wasn’t stupid. It was quite obvious to the privateer that the fellow captain was lying. He didn’t even need Tolya or Tamar to confirm.

The Kerch captain seemed to be blind to Nikolai’s insincerity, because he kept rambling.He had to admit, he was good. If it was anyone other than Nikolai, they might have fallen for the falsehoods that were spewing out of his mouth, but Nikolai knew better. The goods on his ship were Ravkan, stolen from a Ravkan trade ship on its way to Novyi Zem. Nikolai had been trying to entertain the conversation long enough to find out if the captain (whose name still hadn’t been divulged, and he didn’t care enough to ask) was working with a larger coalition plotting against the Lantsov throne. The more he spoke, the less likely Nikolai found that scenario. This captain was working only for himself, which was wonderful news. He’d like to set sail as quickly as possible. The dark grey clouds looming overhead indicated that they would be in for quite the trip back to Os Kervo.

Tamar was standing to his side, fingers tight around the handles of her beloved axes. He was right. He was lying. Her demeanor told him everything he already knew. That the captain was lying and that he was going to try and ambush them to escape. Tolya had a grip on his blade as well. Neither one of them needed the weapons–they could simply rip the air from someone's lungs with just a few movements of their hands–but they always did have a flair for the dramatic. Something that he most definitely had no experience with.

“There’s no need to be hostile.” The captain held up his hands in a mock surrender, a chuckle escaping from his throat. “We’re just having a casual conversation.”

Nikolai gripped his pistol in the holster on his side. He was slightly offended that the captain actually thought that he didn’t know what was going on–despite that it was what he’d intended. He’d hoped that his reputation had preceded him enough that the captain would’ve tried a little bit harder. This was amateur work, and since Nikolai had gathered that this particular captain was well-experienced in the art of stolen goods, it was because he thought that it would fool Nikolai–Sturmhond.

The captain’s eyes flickered to the crow’s nest where Nikolai could just barely make out two figures. At least one was a heartrender, he presumed. They were stationed there to snuff the life out of him if things went awry. He figured that the one closest to him was a decoy, that way they wouldn’t know which one the true heartrender was and that they would assume incorrectly. That’s what he would do. They just didn’t realize that Nikolai had two heartrenders of his own.

Nikolai shifted his weight, maintaining his aura of confidence–though it wasn’t hard. He was quite certain that even though this crew was experienced, that he could take all of them on his own if necessary, but he had Tolya and Tamar with him.

“Really? Seems your men didn’t get the message. I don’t usually keep heartrenders on hand for a conversation.” Nikolai gestured to the crow’s nest. “You know, communication between a captain and his crew is key in running a successful business venture. I might suggest trying some trust exercises to really make sure that you’re on the same page.”

He couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t enjoy the panic that flickered over the captain’s face. “They’re only there as a precaution. I’m sure you understand the need for such matters as a captain yourself.”

“Of course, though I do wonder why such precautions would be necessary if you just intended to have a casual conversation, as you put it.” Nikolai wondered aloud, though he didn’t really wonder. He knew. He was going to try and take over his ship too. Over his dead body. “See, what I think is that you wanted to get caught by the dashingly handsome Sturmhond. The only thing that leaves me quite puzzled is why. Do you plan to kill me? Take my ship? Tell all of your pirate buddies that you fought Sturmhond and won?” Nikolai clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Many men have tried to do the same, and yet none have succeeded. Why do you think that is?”

“Probably because you talked them to death,” the captain scoffed, sweat forming at his brow. Another lesson in diplomatic training. How to talk for long periods of time making people believe that it’s about something important, but really nothing of any value was said. It was strange. There didn’t seem to be much difference between pirates and political figures, but that rabbit hole was for another time.

“Good guess, but no.” Nikolai shook his head. “It’s because I don’t let my crew do my dirty work for me.” He lowered his voice. “If you want that ship, you’re going to have to kill me for it, and I assure you I won’t make it easy.”

“I’ve killed much stronger men for less,” he sneered.

Nikolai couldn’t hold in the bout of laughter that erupted. While he was aware that there were much stronger men than him out there, he just couldn’t imagine that he’d killed them considering he wasn’t smart enough to notice what Nikolai was really playing at. “I’m sure. And were those much stronger men the ones that you smuggled these goods from?”

“I’m not wasting any more time with this.” The captain raised his hand slightly–a signal to his grisha to stop his heart right then and there. Nikolai waited patiently, but as he already suspected, nothing happened. While Nikolai was busy monologuing, Tolya had discreetly dropped their pulses. His grisha were taking a nice long nap, which meant that they could go ahead and wrap this up in a nice little bow. Surely, he wasn’t dumb enough to actually try and fight him on his own.

Tamar couldn’t suppress a smirk from playing on her lips, and Nikolai had to admit, he was having a hard time doing so as well.

“You don’t make your crew do your dirty work, eh?” The captain raised his eyebrows.

“They just made it a fair fight. I told you, if you want my ship, you’ll have to kill me for it. What I meant was that you would have to kill me for it, so if you’d like to try, go ahead, or you can hand over the goods you stole and we’ll call it a day; though I’d like to get this over with quick. There’s somewhere I need to be, so make up your mind quickly.”

“Why you little–” The captain’s sentence was cut short. He clutched his chest and fell to the deck, blood trickling from his lips. Nikolai frowned. Tolya and Tamar were right beside him and they hadn’t moved, awaiting his orders.

“Did you?” Tamar looked at Tolya who shook his head.

“No, but it was a heartrender.”

Nikolai glanced around the ship once more, trying to find a sign of another ship or crew. The Kerch’s grisha were down and they were the only others on the boat. Was it someone on the Kerch’s crew? Why would they want him dead?

“There’s no one else around.” Tamar stated, though her grip hadn’t loosened on her weapons.

“We have to assume the worst,” Nikolai warned. “If there is another heartrender on the ship, then I’m sure they aren’t happy with us, so stay sharp.”

“There’s no need. My qualms aren’t with you.” A girl stepped into view from the captain’s quarters. He hadn’t even realized the door was open. She looked to be around his age–seventeen or eighteen.

She stepped over the dead captain, standing in front of them, clearly not afraid. Nikolai grabbed his pistol, Tamar and Tolya wielding their respective weapons as well. It was no use. Had she wanted him dead, she wouldn’t have come out. She could have easily had the three of them down in seconds. No this was a personal vendetta against the captain.

“Why?” Tamar asked.

“So that I can get off of this stupid fucking boat.”

#Spotify #grishaverse #fanfiction #imagine #nikolai lantsov #nikolai lanstov x reader #nikolai lantsov imagine #shadow and bone #shadow and bone imagine

35 notes · View notes

walker-extended-universe · 1 month

Text

4x07 Review

The writer's threw us a bone and gave us a somewhat lighter episode this week, probably to make up for the angst coming at us in "Witt's End". That's not to say "Hold Me Now" is without its share of strife- the Walker family continues to deliver on the dramatics (and I wouldn't have them any other way).

Today, I'm going to shake things up a bit and focus more on specific characters rather than specific plots. That's just the way it's lining up in my head with how condensed the plotlines were this episode.

Let's start off with the shortest character line this episode: Abby and Bonham's Great Retirement Debate.

This one starts with Bonham complimenting Liam's PT. During this conversation, Bonham finds out that Ben and Abby are officially going into business together with their wedding planning at the ranch, something that catches Bonham by surprise. Abby can do as she pleases, but this is his ranch too and, as her husband, he should know more about what she's up to.

Later, after his and Stella's quick self defense lesson, he confronts Abby on her making that choice without him. After all, this is not his idea of what their retirement looks like. Abby rebuffs him and makes an odd comment about supporting her son's dreams and they get into a staring contest, leaving Stella in a very awkward situation.

I'm not gonna lie, this is one of my least favorite stories they've given us this season. I understand they need to give these characters something to do but this whole thing feels trite compared to what's going on in the rest of the show and it doesn't seem to fit their relationship much, especially with all the development they had. At least the other characters are having interesting reactions to it.

Moving on, let's look at what Stella was up to this episode.

We see that Stella finally recieved footage of the break-in at her dorm but there's not much to go on and campus police don't seem interested in doing anything (related too hard to that one). She's also getting more desperate texts from Witt about the necklace. When August once again points out that they should probably loop Cordell in, she again rejects it. At this point, they're in too deep and telling him would only land them in more trouble.

August makes another good point in telling her they need to play a little offense. Until they get the necklace, she's in danger. If she won't get protection from their dad, she needs to learn how to take better care of herself. This prompts her to go back home. While she was looking for Cordell, she finds Bonham and he's more than happy to give her some self-defense lessons. Let's hope that's enough.

Next, let's talk August.

This one starts off in the morning, with Cordell and August talking in the kitchen. August offers to do a make-up family dinner when Geri gets back from her trip and Cordell accepts, acknowledging that he may have been wrong about why he and Stella went AWOL. However, August is still stuck with a 5pm curfew.

This is also the day of his bootcamp graduation, which is the entire crew finishing an obstacle course. Everyone who finishes the course in under 8 minutes will be a step ahead at the military training. Durin ghte early practice run we see August is at the head of the pack and one student is struggling more than the others. Trey reminds them that it's never too late to help otu a struggling trooper as they all need to be able to rely on each other before they break to run it again.

We pick up here when it's time for the actual run. August runs the course very well, so well that he's on track to break a record. But, just as he's about to finish, we see him look behind to see the student who was struggling from earlier. After a moment of hesitation, he runs back to give the student advice and encourage him through the rest of the course. Both of them still finish on time and Trey looks on with pride.

Side note: Trey has officially made it up to August for lying to him about still being a guidance counselor way back at the end of season 2.

While everyone is celebrating, we see a brief flash of disappointment on August's face when he processes that Cordell wasn't there to witness it. He puts a smile back on when Trey comes over to congratulate him and ask if he's ready for bootcamp. For the first time, we see August hesitate a bit about his military career as he says he's not sure and that he has a lot of options. Whether this indecision is related to Cordell's absence is unclear but it's nice to see him considering other options for his life.

Up next (for better or for worse) is Cassie and her work/life dilemna.

We start with Cassie arriving at work- and Luna arriving right behind her. We also get her calling him by his first name, David. As they head to the conference room to get back to the case, we get a conversation about their potential relationship- or rather why Cassie doesn't really want to explore one publicly. Not only is she up for lieutenant, but after everything with Kevin she doesn't want to rush into another workplace relationship. Luna respects that but we still get some playful banter.

Side note: I'm glad to hear there are candidates from outside the office; I feel like that makes this all more suspenseful than if it was just Trey and Cassie.

Cordell immediately gets them all focused on the job, starting with running down the suspect lists to make sure they have up-to-date information. While this doesn't seem to lead them much of anywhere at first, Cordell points them at a potential lead which- unfortunately- doesn't lead much of anywhere. Cassie and Luna are both disappointed, but understanding. It wasn't that likely that a grainy security camera that caught a partial on a guy's face would grant them a concrete lead right away. However, they both notice that Cordell is taking this whole case very hard and won't listen to anyone who tells him to take it easy.

This only adds to how overwhelmed Cassie feels by the case. The Jackal is not going to be an easy killer to catch and now she's seen it wreack havoc on both rangers and civilians. She asks Luna for advice on how he keeps it all from getting to him and he has an idea: karaoke.

While Cassie is apprehensive of this idea at first, she's more than happy to try it out. And we the audience are treated to both of them singing in between them getting closer to each other. While it does seem like their relationship is moving a bit fast, I can't blame Cassie one bit for wanting to jump on that.

Side note: I refuse to believe anyone would cheat on Luna.

The next day, Cassie and Luna are more than willing to leave the office after James dismisses them from a good day's work. However, Cordell's reluctance to move on gives them pause. They listen to Cordell's questionable theory on the zookeeper and, when Cassie realizes he's not going going to let it go, she offers to go with him and Luna is right behind her.

The zoo search is short but intense and, surprisingly, they do find something. Whether this is related to the Jackal or not is still up in the air but it's enough to call in the cavalry and check it out. While this is all going on, James takes the time to let Cassie know he approves of her and Luna, even though it's none of his business. This gives Cassie the confidence she needs to hold Luna's hand at the crime scene, which is a very sweet moment.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Let's talk about Cordell.

As we all predicted would happen the moment he picked up that notebook, Cordell is completely throwing himself into this case. It's clear he's taking his responsibility as leader seriously in James' stead and he's not going to let his old partner down again. He's not going to stop until this lunatic is off the streets, regardless of the consequences.

At least, that's the intensity he gives off at work while he struggles to make connections between their potential leads and what little they know about the Jackal. I noticed he relied heavily on James' personal notes during this episode, which I think speaks a lot to the trust between them. Even though Cordell knew this case made James a bit crazy, he's still trusting his old partner's judgement here.

While he's leading the game at work, he's letting things slide at home, missing out on family dinner in favor of eating cereal and reading James' notebook again. When Abby tries to confront him on this, he assures her that everything is fine. He just has work to do. She accepts that answer, but I doubt that will last very long.

After the disenheartening failure of their first lead, Cordell seems more determined than ever to find some kind of connection between the Jackal and their suspect list, diving down to a former zookeeper that doesn't really have any of the hallmarks they're looking for. He's so determined to find that connection that he's willing to risk missing August's bootcamp graduation to check out the old zoo, which just happens to be near the Jackal's first kill. Despite the stretch of the lead and the fact that this could wait a day, he insists on going right away and lets Cassie and Luna tag along.

Side note: I have to wonder if he really thought he could search a whole zoo and make it back in time for August.

As they search the zoo, Cordell finds footprints in the mud and soon finds a strange figure to hunt down. He gets close, but doesn't get their man, getting a concussion and a good look at his shoes instead. While it's more than they had before, he's not satisfied. He wants to catch the Jackal above all else, even at risk to his own life.

Later, he comes home with his work duffle to find Liam sitting at his dining table. And he's got a lot to say, starting with berating Cordell for missing August's event. This leads into him pointing out how he's been ignoring Stella's needs after the break in. He then goes as far as to compare this current case to the Rodeo Kings mission- Cordell leaving his kids behind for work and leaving Liam to pick up the pieces.

Cordell brushes him off, insisting that he- and his kids- are fine and Liam can back very far off. Liam leaves the house in a huff, leaving Cordell to go back to his Jackal Investigation Porch, where he drops the duffle bag. He puts on gloves and we see that the bag is full of evidence, including some rope. We then get a very odd sequence where Cordell wraps the wrist around his own wrist and gets flashes of images of similar rope going over a victim's wrists. Which leaves us with the very big question of: What the fuck?

And that wraps up this week's episode. As usual, I'm left with far more questions than answers. Why does this retirement plot with Abby and Bonham need to be dragged out so long? Why did they tease us with Liam being an addict and just drop it? Will August ever convince Stella to own up to everything? Why is Luna so perfect and does that mean he's the Jackal?

Hopefully we'll start getting more answers next week. See y'all then!

#walker #walker spoilers #walker review #s04e07 #hold me now

16 notes · View notes

a-student-out-of-time · 9 months

Note

Teach me your massive writing nerd ways, senpai!! 😫

(For real though, hope you get better soon ^^)

//Thank you ^^

//I'm not really an expert in this department, but here's Sixteen Steps on how I oversee the Fangan writing process:

Decide on your story's theme first and foremost. What's the major conflict? What ideas are being put forward and challenged? How will your Killing Game's story, character and environment reflect these? Are you sticking with the classics (Hope vs. Despair, Truth vs. Lies), something similar but new (Trust vs. Doubt, Growth vs. Stagnation, Redemption vs. Corruption) or are you going with something completely different? All of these can and should play a role on the nature of the Killing Game itself.

When you've decided on what kind of story you want to tell, work on the characters. Your characters shouldn't just be there to die and crack jokes, they should be an active part of the story and their arcs should ideally reflect the conflicts and themes. You also are not bound by the archetypes used in canon and can vary it up however you want.

Character arcs: Have them. Even with characters whose fates are sealed and they aren't going to die, there's no reason not to allow them some degree of growth and change in the time that they do have. Their arcs can even naturally conclude with their deaths in trials or the like, which can vary from them choosing to save someone else to one final act of spite against the rest of the group.

You are not bound by the almighty outline. You're also going to need at least a general idea of where you want your story to go, but it's okay to provide yourself with a degree of flexibility. Who's going to survive? Who isn't? Why? What are the motives? Are they doing anything besides just faffing around waiting for the next murder? Maybe your ideas will change, just make sure you can smoothly integrate those new ideas without upsetting the flow and clues you've established.

Small moments are more important than big ones. Moments of characterization in the plot, like vulnerability, small confrontations, even casually-provided pieces of dialogue can do more for your characters than just having them die horribly/dramatically or them revealing something major in or after the trial. FTEs should be supplemental, not the place you dump all their best/worst character qualities.

Characters should communicate. You shouldn't define characters purely by their relationship to the protagonist or to one other character. See how many dynamics and interactions you can come up with, and how you might be able to include those into the story. Diversifying interactions opens up a lot of potential new dynamics and story opportunities.

It's okay to be a LITTLE self-indulgent. I say this because I got flak for saying writers shouldn't let their self-indulgence overwhelming their fangans. I will clarify that it's okay if you want to include something just because you want to include it, as I have in my own writing, but if you want a murder method/execution/confrontation/what have you in the story, please at least integrate it in a way that makes sense. If you don't, it's going to feel jarring at best and actively harmful and disruptive to the story at worst.

Your setting should feel like a part of the story. The place where your cast is trapped shouldn't feel like a featureless prison with setups for murders, it should have an active role in the situation and clue us into the story. Is it run-down and grungy? Unnaturally clean for an inhabited space? Is it dark? Is it colorful and lively? What's keeping them from leaving? What do they find as they explore?

Avoid stereotypes about mental health. If you're going to use DID, Schizophrenia, Autism, OCD, depression, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, any personality disorder, etc., PLEASE do your research before you even think about writing a character with any of these. Mental health being equated with violence is grossly exaggerated; people with these conditions are more likely to be victims of violence, not the perpetrators. Please don't make a character built out of negative stereotypes just for the sake of drama or making the story "interesting." A good character is vastly more interesting than another Genocider Syo knockoff.

Idiot Plots are Unacceptable. There's a fine line between a character making a bad decision because of pride, fear, miscalculation, or any sort of understandable flaw, and them making one because the story needs them to in order for a murder to happen. Your characters can make all the right decisions that they reasonably could, and still ultimately fail. That often makes the antagonists seem much smarter and more threatening.

Do not overly focus on the rival. If you've ever heard someone say that villains are more interesting than heroes, that person is probably just bad at writing heroes. Your protagonist does not have to be boring and your rival doesn't have to, and preferably shouldn't, be the most important and well-written character in the story. A good rival challenges the protagonist and serves as their foil in some way, but that also means the protagonist can challenge them in other ways; e.g. Byakuya has no chance of solving Trial 4 because he couldn't even conceive of a situation where someone would sacrifice themselves for another.

Suffering does not equate to sympathy. Yes, a killing game would be a miserable experience, but just making the characters miserable and putting them through the wringer constantly, with no chance for them to breathe or get any kind of victory often feels more exhausting than sympathetic or interesting. This extends beyond fangans and into writing in general; if you've established that a character is never going to succeed at anything they do, people are going to emotionally check out of the story because there's no reason to get invested that something might go wrong.

The mastermind should reflect one side of the conflict. For the driving theme, whichever side the protagonist is on, the mastermind should represent the opposite. For extra thematic flair, maybe have their backgrounds parallel each other in some manner and see how their lives too very different paths as a result. If they don't, they're going to feel very disconnected from the story and like they had no reason to do this at all.

Ask yourself what kind of mastermind works best for your story. Do you want someone loud and bombastic? Quiet and scheming? Angry and bitter? A deluded paragon who thinks they're doing good with their killing game? Someone not even human? When you have it in mind, work backwards and ask how this person would then decide to become the mastermind of this killing game in the first place.

If you're stuck, try reverse-engineering. A lot of us have the outcome of a story in mind first but aren't sure how we get there, especially with murders in these games. I find the best way is to work backwards, starting with the outcome (basically the Closing Argument) and scattering all the pieces of the murder scene around to where it becomes a mystery. Motivations, of course, should be the first thing on your mind and why they targeted a particular character.

EXECUTIONS ARE NOT A STORY. This is probably the biggest hurtle I see with a lot of aspiring fangan writers, where they focus very much on the deaths and executions over everything else. Your fangan can't just be a paper-thin plot designed to get us from one execution to the other, it needs an actual story and characters to keep us engaged. Furthermore, your executions shouldn't just be spectacle, they should have a purpose in the narrative and provide character insights in and of themselves, whether it's ironic punishments or some final revelation about the character.

//And there you go, some tips for writing a fangan. Hope these help! ^^

#mod talks #a student out of time #writing advice #fanganronpa #fanganronpa writing advice #fangan writing advice

29 notes · View notes

gurugirl · 2 years

Text

Tales From the Modern Incubus Part 10

Summary: You meet your real mother by accident and that has you going back to Harry earlier than you planned because you need information. But what's happening behind the scenes has Harry very concerned. There's more going on here than meets the eye.

A/n: Four new characters this chapter!! We meet Y/n's real mother and father as well as two more powerful beings who are in cahoots with them. Remember, when you see their names introduced the first time it will link to my TFMI Characters List so you can see their face claim and read a little about their angel/demon type. There's a lot going on in this one so pay close attention. Remember, this is demon/incubus!Harry so there may be some triggering topics. Please read all warnings in the TFMI masterlist before continuing. 6.8k words

Warning: Some angst, smut if you squint (barely so no * for this part), references to demons and angels, and God, etc.

Chapter 9

Chapter 10*

Asmodeus wasn’t concerned about you. In fact, he hadn’t checked in on you in some years. He didn’t need to. Hannah kept tabs on you and she would occasionally send updates to him. But you were falling in line just as they’d planned, the perfect creation, their daughter. You were a decent young woman who’d not yet given yourself over to a suitor. The plan was risky, not foolproof, but intentional and carefully designed. To let The Almighty in on their pact would be detrimental to the ultimate long-game plan.

See, The Almighty never worried himself much with the goings-on of his flock. Hannah was a subservient and obedient, if not extremely powerful Archangel. He trusted her completely. He also just really didn’t care too much when it came down to it. He was busy securing his own comforts and interests and things were in balance so his own power and realm were safe and not in danger of being overthrown. And so while he was quite out-of-touch and indifferent about what happened with his angels and demons, there were some that were plotting. Hannah intended to stay on his good side. The closer to the enemy you are, the less you’ll be suspected. And it worked so far. For 23 years your father, Asmodeus and mother, Hannah were able to keep this secret from everyone. Except Michael and Lilith. The Archangel Michael of heaven, and Lilith, the supreme empress of Hell. They had bore a son who was also walking the earth, adopted by human parents. Michael and Lilith were of the highest order of archangel and demon, which was why they insisted on their child being the male. He would be the most powerful celestial hybrid and would also have a great working knowledge of humankind by the time he was meant to meet you and get you pregnant, eventually bringing into existence a being so powerful that not even The Almighty could conquer.

Lilith was the one who noticed it first. How your powers were already coming about before you were meant to realize them. You were playing with them. You were stopping time, changing weather patterns, and were able to see into the minds and hearts of just about anyone you would encounter. She found that you were developing too quickly and this could endanger their precise and specific plans of overthrowing the kingdoms.

Lilith was a bit of a Nosy-Nancy in general, so it wasn’t a surprise when Asmodeus was confronted by Lilith about his daughter and that she knew about this before he even did.

“Something is happening with Y/n and you should find out why her powers are already becoming apparent. Someone has been messing with our plan. Someone has found out about her and they are getting in too close, I fear.”

Asmodeus rolled his eyes at Lilith. Nosy yes, but she was also very dramatic, “Are you sure, Lil? I don’t know how it would be possible. But I’ll reach out to Hannah to find out. Hannah keeps up with her regularly.”

“You men are so fucking lazy. You can’t go do it yourself? Not that I don’t trust our sweet archangel to give us the truth about what’s happening but if you want something done right you have to do it yourself, Mo.” She pointed. And he hated that nick name. Mo. But he was doomed to hear it for all eternity. The name Asmodeus was a mouthful and even though he was a prince of hell, Lilith was still the supreme empress, his superior and she could get away with it he supposed.

“I’ll take care of it.” He spoke as he turned to call Hannah. No way in hell he was making an appearance on Earth right now. He was tired and doubted that Lilith had it right. Plus, Hannah enjoyed checking in on you. She was a powerful warrior but she was very nurturing and you were the apple of her eye.

“Hello, Mo.” Hannah’s voice spoke into the receiver. She’d been in the middle of something when she saw the call from Mo. She hadn’t heard from him in a long time. Not of his own volition. Normally, she reached out to him with updates about you. He never cared all that much.

“Good evening, Hannah. Lilith told me that she feels Y/n is coming into her power already and if that’s true, it means someone is meddling. Can you look into it and report back?”

Hannah paused. Really? She’d seen you just two weeks prior and nothing seemed amiss. You had some natural abilities that went beyond what most humans could be gifted but it was never a concern. If you were somehow now displaying something more then yes, it would need to be checked on, but Hannah doubted Lilith was correct. Lilith could be dramatic after all.

“I doubt it. I saw her not two weeks ago and she was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I should go and check. And if I find something, anything at all, Mo, I’ll need you to be with me. Do you understand? If our girl is coming into her power prematurely then we need to work together to fix this before anyone else catches wind. Do you hear me?” She knew Asmodeus took a back seat to the care for their only offspring. He and Hannah had only come together for this one purpose. They weren’t lovers, nor were they really friends. Their coupling was one of strategy and nothing more.

“I hear you, Hannah.” He did not intend to meet her if it wasn’t totally necessary.

The conference was awful. You hated every fucking second of it. Amanda was a bitch, Miguel wouldn’t smile at you, and Sarah didn’t go. Everyone else had a stick up their ass and you wondered why you were ever friends with Amanda in the first place. Every time you saw her she was with Miguel and every time you tried speaking to her she brushed you off and gave you some excuse as to why she couldn’t.

So when your mom, Gwyn, cornered you the evening following your outburst at Harry you knew what was coming. You hadn’t been to any of the activities or gatherings. You couldn’t. You could practically feel Harry and his pain and the way his heart ached when you yelled at him. He was more sensitive than you’d imagined and you were now only at this conference for appearances at this point.

Nothing meant the same as it once did. You had a sudden understanding of what you were and it was a difficult thing to lay out in front of you and make sense of in one go. You had to think and you needed to not be around Harry to do that. He was intoxicating and distracting and an ass.

“Y/n. Have you been okay, hon? Haven’t seen you all day. I haven’t seen Harry either, come to think of it.” She was truly concerned. She didn’t know this Harry guy, and he seemed nice enough, but that meant nothing to her. You were her baby and she wanted to protect you, especially when Harry was new and you’d broken up with Miguel and jumped into this thing with Harry. Your mom could recognize how much more attractive Harry was than Miguel, so she didn’t take it for more than just you realizing you could do better (looks-wise) than Miguel (sorry Miguel). She understood the appeal.

“I’m okay. I have a weird headache and, well, I got into an argument with Harry because he had something he needed to do and it made me mad so he’s not here, but I don’t know. Just not feeling my best.” You lied. You no longer cared that you were lying all the time now. Especially because you’d been lied to your entire life. The woman standing before you wasn’t your real mother and it baffled your mind as to why they hadn’t told you this. Plenty of kids were adopted and it was healthy to be honest and upfront about that kind of thing. It would have explained so much in your life growing up. But instead of confronting her about it, you’d just lie and appease until you could figure out what you’d really want to say to your parents when the time came.

Your mom seemed to buy your excuse and told you to take some Aleve and get some rest. She sweetly told you Harry would come around. You internally scoffed.

You walked the grounds to blow off some steam. Still, you were angry and felt out of sorts. You understood Harry, after some time and thinking on it, that his disposition of an incubus came with its own problems and limits (you did do some googling as well because all this knowledge wasn’t just inherent, though bits and pieces were). He was weak. He needed sex. But you didn’t like that he latched onto you and how his intentions with you were not from a good place. They were from a place of duty. Well, they were at first. And he was your first kiss! And he ate you out when you thought you were in a dream! Those were the thoughts that filled your mind. He lied to you and even if he had a good reason to lie – it was to his benefit. Not yours. You didn’t like it. You wanted him to suffer. At least for a while.

You determined that you’d go to him and put him out of his misery (in one way or another) on the fifth day. Checking your phone, you had text after text and call after call from him. It made you smile. He felt bad and you knew he’d work hard to make you forgive him, to make it up to you, to prove himself. But that meant you’d need to allow him to. And you felt somehow, protective over Harry now. It was a strange feeling. Before you’d felt so protected by him but then everything came crashing down and you saw how fragile he truly was. You were not fragile. You could feel your strength boiling out from underneath your limbs and you just didn’t know what to do with it all. You needed guidance and a teacher.

But he’d be made to wait and suffer for five full days. You knew he wouldn’t die in five days. Could feel it. He might think he was dying, and he’d grow weaker, but you would rescue him at the end. Unless he decided to have sex with someone else in the interim. And then he could just burn if that were the case.

Harry would disagree. He was dying. His need for fornication was subdued by your help but his heart was destroyed. He’d never felt a connection and a pull so strong for anyone and now that he knew why it only made it worse. His urge for you grew stronger and he hated that you’d seen him so vulnerable. He didn’t know what to expect from you at the end of these five days. Would you give yourself to him? He would wait for you no matter what. He’d rather vanish from existence than see your rage ever again. He didn’t want to do anything to betray you. Not again. But he had his doubts that you even felt the same way about him now that you’d seen him so weak.

He was in a rather pathetic state. He couldn’t deny that his attraction to you only grew stronger now that he knew who you were. The daughter of Asmodeus and Hannah. There had to be more to this. He didn’t know of course, but the joining on a Prince of Hell and an Archangel? What was the meaning here? Did Satan and Lucifer know? Did the empress Lilith know? The Almighty? Asmodeus was one of the most powerful demons in hell. He could potentially pull off this stunt without them knowing. But he felt there was something more going on. He wanted to seek out Danny, but that meant going into hell, and possibly having Danny tempt him with your form again. He wouldn’t put it past him. If Danny switched his form into yours and begged Harry to fuck him… he squeezed his eyes closed. He couldn’t. He’d need to be patient, but something was bubbling under the surface. Something was being plotted and five days away from you was going to be the death of him.

Sam had called him and offered to come over but Harry had to turn him down. Harry was not in the best state of mind. He was subdued but not dulled completely. So he resorted to masturbation instead. He stroked his cock until he came all over himself the night you sent him away and he fell asleep with his own spunk covering his chest, like a loser. He didn’t even bother getting up to clean himself he was so distraught.

Then when he woke in a cold sweat he masturbated again, squishing his balls and moaning your name, wishing you were with him. Hoping you could hear him. Praying to your name and begging you to come to him early. Your name was the only one he’d pray to. Was he really willing to put himself in harms way for you? Because that would happen. He would likely not fare well once your parents knew what was going on and if he kept it up and continued to pursue you, they’d surely find out and turn him to dust.

Now, as the evening falls and he’s sprawled on his couch watching a movie and pumping his cock with his head thrown back, he’s doing it again. Praying to you and staving off his cravings as well as he can. He feels like a smoker that’s gone a while without a cigarette and so he’s doing okay because the hardest part is over with but he still has that undercurrent craving, the one that never dies. The one that only perks up and spikes at your senses when you smell someone else light one up or get stressed. So you take a nicotine gum to soothe and it works, but it’s not the real thing. It never will be. His masturbation is like nicotine gum. It works but he needs it frequently. Whatever you did to him to help his ache was a life saver. He feels better but it’s certainly not sustainable. Hopefully by day five you’ll be willing to wrap your bare thighs around his hips and fuck him out of his despair.

Hannah watched you walking around at Holy Falls. She knew this place. You came here with your “parents” every year. She surveyed the area and there were no other beings to be seen. Not at first. She needed to be sure you weren’t being watched, that would be a dead giveaway. She noted your distress and how you were sad and angry. More than ever maybe. She didn’t want to get too close if you were indeed coming into your own. It would be possible for you to sense her. She used her own abilities to block her presence, but it didn’t work with very powerful beings, which you were intended to become.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Not yet, Hannah thought to herself. Though it was concerning the mental state you seemed to be in. Something had disturbed you. Something had you troubled.

Hannah went through the grounds, leaving you for a bit. She wanted to catch anyone or anything that was following you, if there was anything following you. Shadowing you. Hunting you. It was the firs order of things, to secure the surrounds.

When she came upon Tamie in the periphery, Tamie hadn’t expected Hannah’s presence and she startled with a yelp and attempted her escape.

Hannah laughed and froze Tamie and then circled her frame a few times.

“A watcher. Sam’s lackey. What have you found out about my daughter.” Hannah spoke calmly and softly.

Tamie was unable to move a muscle, except her mouth and tongue to speak.

“Fuck!” Tamie spoke out. Her eyes were stuck half open and she couldn’t turn her head to see who had caught her, but she knew it was Hannah. This was not supposed to happen. Tamie knew this was risky, especially now that you were presenting your powers, someone in heaven or hell would be tipped off sooner or later.

“Mmm… that wasn’t an answer. Tamie, is it? Yes, Tamie.” Hannah settled in front of Tamie so they could be face on and Hannah could look at Tamie directly. “Now, tell me. What have you found out about my daughter?”

Tamie tried to blink but of course, it didn’t work. Her eyes were quickly drying out and burned. She breathed out a quivering breath, “Not much. Um… we just knew she had some sort of power and we wanted to follow up on it, make sure she wasn’t missing from the system, you know… because all demons or angels should be accounted for.”

Hannah hummed and tilted her head, “Right. Of course. And how were aware that she had some sort of power. Who told you?”

Here is where it got tricky. Tamie didn’t want to out anyone and outing an incubus meant certain death for them. Incubus had very few tasks to undergo on earth. One was to have sex with mortals and another was to get a being pregnant to carry on the lineage every one hundred years. Either could get him killed or sent to purgatory and never be heard from again. If they knew an incubus had found her they’d know of his intentions. It was unlikely he’d be let off the hook even if he hadn’t technically defiled her.

“I don’t know. I only am tasked with watching her and reporting back to Sam. We are trying to determine what she is.” Tamie tried to close her eyes again and she felt herself wince when she realized Hannah could probably hear each and every one of her thoughts.

“You’re not telling me everything. Who is in love with Y/n? Someone wants her. Tell me their name.” Hannah was nearly nose to nose with Tamie now. Tamie was good. She wasn’t revealing much in her mind, she was a good watcher. Well trained.

Tamie could feel her heart pumping furiously and she willed her brain to think about anything else, she’d been trained for this. She thought about the reading of The Book of Lucifer. She quietly recited versus and even though her eyes were forced open and to look directly at Hannah, she went through verse after verse in her head, “Why should I not hate mine enemies―if I "love" them does that not place me at their mercy?”

Hannah scoffed and stood up straight. She was done waiting for answers from this watcher. She raised her arms to start a small gale which would force honesty and break Tamie’s will, when suddenly you were there watching the spectacle.

“What? Tamie? And who are you?” You neared the two women with curiosity. You recognized Tamie, who you were not happy to see. The woman had sex with your boyfriend. The other woman was different. A very different creature. Somehow very familiar.

She put her arms down and looked at you with shock on her face but then smiled and reached a hand toward you, “I’m Hannah. Tamie and I were just doing some, uh… business. You know her?”

“Yes. We’ve met once. What is happening here? Tamie why are you here?” You could see that Tamie seemed to be frozen or standing extremely still. You could almost hear Tamie’s thoughts. She was speaking in her mind and reciting something you didn’t quite understand. But a flicker of a thought cascaded to you, very brief, it could have been nothing, but it was there. Say nothing, before she went back to reciting whatever it was. You were confused. Say nothing?

Hanna was now standing in front of you and looking at you with a small smile. She gently put her hand onto yours and it nearly had you jolted backward. It was too much. The small gesture had you jerking your hand back and stepping away from her. It felt like electricity bolted through your veins and it wasn’t pleasant.

“Who are you?” You didn’t want her to touch you again and you tried listening to her like you had with Harry and just now with Tamie. You hadn’t quite gotten it down yet, how to accurately read and hear thoughts. Especially when there was more than one person at a time.

“I’m just a friend of Tamie’s. Only here to make sure she’s okay.” Hannah hadn’t expected you to find them. She shielded her presence and Tamie’s the moment she froze Tamie. You were certainly more powerful than you already should be. This was an issue. Anther issue was that she was having a difficult time knowing with you. She couldn’t quite filter out the things in your mind to form any conclusive answer or real thought. Tamie had to struggle to keep her thoughts active and jumbled but you didn’t even have to try. It was like you had a lock in your brain that was solid and wouldn’t allow for anyone to intrude. Not even your own mother. You were quite powerful, after all. She knew this going into the deal that you could possibly possess more powers than even she could. But already? They hadn’t even had a chance to teach you and train you. She needed to get Asmodeus up here and fast before you completely blocked them both, of your presence and your mind. They needed to be able to redirect you to follow their intended path. If they couldn’t track you easily this would be worse than she thought.

“Tamie and I were just leaving. We’ll be out of your hair.” Hannah watched you and clearly you weren’t buying any of her bullshit. Normally Hannah could easily convince someone about anything. But you weren’t buying any of it.

And you were frustrated by what was happening. You felt out of your element and now all of this? Why was Tamie here of all places? Why was Tamie reciting weird quotes in her mind and who was Hannah? She was someone important and she had something to do with the state of Tamie.

You knew things were happening in you. You believed Harry when he told you about your real mother and father, and strangely, it wasn’t a surprise to you when he told you. But you still needed answers. About whom you were, about what you could do. About what was the fuck was going on.

“No. Tell me who you are, Hannah. Why are you here and why have you frozen Tamie like this? Tamie is terrified. What have you done?”

Hannah was done talking. It was no use. She could not yet reveal to you her identity. She needed Asmodeus. She shook her head and blew a kiss to you and when she spread her arms you saw a great white shadow behind her and then in a blink of an eye, Tamie and Hannah were gone.

You could no longer wait for answers. As much as you wanted to make Harry wait five days to see you, he was someone you trusted (even if you were angry with him), and he was weak enough that he couldn’t block or jumble his thoughts from you anymore. He’d answer all your questions and maybe give you some clarity.

Hannah didn’t leave Earth’s realm. She needed to stay close and she kept Tamie to pull answers from her. Tamie would tire eventually and give in, telling them what they needed to know. In the meantime, she phoned Asmodeus.

“Hannah. What have you found?” Asmodeus was concerned. He wasn’t so worried that he felt he should join her but the more he thought about what Lilith had told him the more anxious he got in waiting for Hannah’s update.

“It’s bad, Mo. She’s very powerful right now. I have the watcher who had eyes on her and I’m going to get information about what they know. But she saw me. She spoke to me, Y/n did. And get this, her thoughts weren’t revealed to me and she was able to easily find me even though I’d hidden my presence. We need to act fast. If she can so easily block her thoughts then she can block her entire being. We will have to do stake outs which will be such a fucking waste of our time. She’s at this conference right now, at Holy Falls. I told you about it in the past. She goes every year. I need you.”

Asmodeus cringed. Rising to Earth’s realm was always such a cumbersome ordeal for him. But it sounded bad.

“Why aren’t you able to get information from the watcher right now? Maybe we’re jumping ahead of ourselves here, Hannah.”

“Fuck! Why are you so lazy? And I didn’t get the information from the watcher yet because Y/n stopped it when she found me. I was just about to. But I wanted to call you first so you could be on your way. Immediately. You need to be here. Waiting even one more day will put us behind. We have to redirect her and fast. She’s blocking me already, Mo. Which means she’s blocking you.”

Asmodeus shook his head and sighed, “Fine. I’ll be there with you as soon as physically possible.”

He finished his whiskey first. He would allow himself another thirty minutes.

You drove to Harry’s. You figured you could probably do something where you just appear to him, but you weren’t exactly sure of the logistics of that. Plus a drive would help you calm down a little, some music, the city lights at night, the freeway…

You parked along the circle driveway behind Harry’s SUV and looked around you. Now you felt you were always being watched. You knocked at Harry’s door.

Harry had been dozing off on his couch to a terrible movie on that he couldn’t pay attention to. When he heard the knock his gut bubbled with nerves. Who could be at his door at this hour?

He slowly made his way to the door and tried to ready his appearance. He looked like shit. He hadn’t cleaned himself, he smelled, his hair was every which way… but then it was you. It was your sent and he scurried faster to the large wooden door and unlatched the bolts and quickly pulled it open. You’d answered his prayers!

“Y/n! You’re here! Fuck! I missed you!” He tried to hug you but you titled your head back and pushed at his chest and then walked around him to get inside.

“Close your door. I think I’m being watched.” You said and you could smell Harry. You still really loved his scent but he needed to bathe quite badly. You scrunched your nose and looked around the living room.

Harry followed after you quickly, “What do you mean you’re being watched?” He knew there was a watcher on you at all times but it was possible you’d figured that out with your highly aware state now.

“I saw Tamie, but she was another woman. The woman had frozen Tamie in place. Her name was Hannah.” You looked at Harry and his eyes widened. He quickly covered your mouth but you pulled away. His hands were dirty too.

“Don’t say that name again! That is the name of your mother. You will summon her if you say her name. Can you block your presence or at least your thoughts? Do you know how to do this? Probably not… it’s all too soon. Fuck! I need to call on Aim. I’m gonna get killed. Fuck, fuck fuck!” Harry was keyed up and frantic.

“Stop!! Will you? Jesus! Just wait… Han… she is my mother? Her? She’s … I look nothing like her! What do you mean block my presence? Why?”

You and Harry sat down. There was a lot to cover. First and foremost he needed you to attempt a blocking spell so you couldn’t be found. He walked you through the steps and you followed easily with him. He couldn’t do it himself, but he knew it could be done and he knew you could do it.

Once that was out of the way he felt his breathing calm, “Okay. That bought us a little time. You have somehow alerted someone of your powers. I don’t know the details but I do know that things could be dangerous. Your mother and father are very powerful and their joining is a concern. It could point to a large issue in heaven or hell. Or both… we don’t know and it isn’t something I’m privy to. But we can’t be too careful.”

You nod and take it in. You have so many questions and you don’t know where to start.

“You said she has Tamie? Fuck!” Harry put his head into his hands and pulled at his roots with his fingers. With his head titled down he could smell himself. It wasn’t good. Neither the circumstance, nor his odor.

“Yes. Tamie was chanting some quotes or something I couldn’t understand exactly. And then Ha… my mother suddenly vanished with her. So, you think she’s trying to get information from Tamie, then?” You could tell that was what Harry was already thinking.

Harry nodded, his hands still in his hair, his face aimed at his lap, “This isn’t good. Mostly because we don’t know what their intentions are.” Then he looked up at you, “Were you able to listen to your mother’s thoughts?”

You shook you head. Harry’s light speckled, forest eyes on yours had you softening toward him almost immediately, despite his need for a shower. He was still the most beautiful creature you’d ever seen. Even in his current state. You could almost hear his words out loud, he was thinking the same thing you were. He found you captivating just as you found him, and he was feeling better already now that you were here.

You smiled at him, “I feel better too. I’m still pissed, though. You’re not off the hook. I only came to you early because I needed answers and I trust you.”

Harry smiled back at you, “You trust me? Still?” Harry was elated. You didn’t hate him. You were just mad. He could get past mad. As long as you still wanted to be around him, that could be overcome.

You sighed and nodded, “Sure. Since you can’t lie to me anymore I know you’re always telling me the truth.” You smirked at him, “Now, give me as much information as you can. Anything important for me to know. Starting with Tamie. Why was she there?”

Harry laid out as much as could for you. There was so much. You both decided it was best to keep together. Mostly so you could continue gaining knowledge from Harry and so you could keep him safe. You could stay hidden for now but it was only a matter of time before Tamie caved and you’d both need to find a different place to hide out, at least until you could figure out what was going on with your real parents and why they were kidnapping a watcher to get information.

“You need to wash, though, Harry. I’m not staying here if you don’t clean up.” You teased. Yes, you needed him to clean up but you wouldn’t leave to go anywhere else. Going back to Holy Falls was too risky. Your parents might send someone to find you. Your house was risky for the same reason. Harry’s house would become risky if Tamie spilled the beans.

Harry showered and put on clean clothes and then offered to make you food when he heard your stomach growl. You hadn’t eaten all day because you’d been so distraught with everything. But now that you were with Harry again you felt comforted and more at ease.

Harry continued telling you things when he’d remember something else he felt you should know. As he was explaining to you about your father’s physical appearance he was boiling noodles and you could feel his excitement. He was excited you were here and for more reasons than one. You laughed to yourself. The man was always horny. He tried explaining to you about his needs and he even apologized to you again about his misconduct and how he’d technically cheated on you but should be forgiven on default because of the way his kind is made. He gave you puppy dog eyes and you rolled yours.

You did like how he moved around his kitchen, tall and dreamy, and his voice was warming and attractive. Every time he’d look at you from over his shoulder or he’d smirk at you with those stupid pink lips you couldn’t help but slowly let the feelings of your own anger dissolve under foot. He was a charmer alright. Naturally charming and handsome.

You sat side by side as you both ate your noodles when you asked about Sam, “So, you like men as well?” You raised your brows and took a bite.

Harry shrugged and nodded, “Sure. I like any humanoid type of creature really. Not picky. Well, okay… I am picky. Before you I chose very specifically and men or women, or anything in between that tickled my fancy. There have been times when I’ve been more desperate than others, but yeah… sure. I like men. Sam was more for convenience because I was feeling quite ill, dangerously so,” there it was, the dramatic filings of Harry exposed once again, you rolled your eyes as he continued, “but he is attractive, so… well, I just needed it. Wouldn’t have ever gone there with him if I’d had you. Not that I wanted to pressure you.”

You both listened when you took turns speaking. It was nice to have his attention and see him again, even though you’d technically only gone 24 hours without seeing him, it felt longer. So much had happened.

After Harry cleaned up the kitchen, he came behind you as you sat at the island and caged you in with a palm flat on the marble on either side of you. He spoke into your ear, whispering, “I only want you. I’ll do anything to have you forgive me. I’m yours. If you still want me.”

You closed your eyes when his warm breath spilt down your neck and lingered in your hair. He still gave you goosebumps. The way he spoke in a soft cadence into your neck had you pulling your head to the side involuntarily to allow him space.

When you lifted a hand from your lap onto the marble in front of you Harry’s pinky reached out to touch yours gently, but it was like his skin on yours had plugged you into a monitor where you could visualize his dirty thoughts. The images in his head. The things he wanted to do. But it was filled with sweetness too, it wasn’t just dirty. He was aroused and he was hoping, but he wasn’t stupid to think you’d give in.

You swallowed the lump in your throat at the images he had in his head and breathed out through your nose. You wanted to stay angry and teach him a real lesson. But what lesson would that be? Even with your own powers and morals and reasoning he was clouding your senses and you felt weak for him. To have just a taste, something to have of him. You’d only just started to get used to anything sexually, and you enjoyed the things he showed you and how he made you feel. You liked it all. You liked Harry.

You leaned back into the inside curve of his shoulders and turned your head toward him as he took this as an invitation and his lips found the skin on your neck. It was your undoing. His lips at your neck and the way he crowded you and how he smelled on you…

Your mouth began to water when you visualized him naked again. His sizeable dick and the way his pec muscles were so nice to hold onto when you’d slide yourself over him. Maybe you’d do more. Maybe you could see what it would be like to have sex. If it was with anyone it would be nice for it to be Harry. He could do it right, you knew he would. He’d make you feel good. And the things in his mind told you what you really needed to know, how much he adored you. How deeply he felt for you.

He moved the hair away from the back of your neck as he continued trailing his wet lips over your skin. His breathing was hard and you could feel puffs of breath falling from his nose as he worked his warm lips over your sensitive flesh. He inhaled deeply to soak in your essence. There was nothing like your scent. He wanted to bathe in you, swim in you, taste you so badly he was dizzy.

You shuddered a breath and you realized how aroused you were, how easily he worked you up. And you shouldn’t be. Should you? But it was too late, because you were feeling the warmth caress down your back and around to your tummy and then your insides. The slow heating of your body increased little by little until you were turned on enough that you’d leaked into your panties. You let out the smallest and softest moan and Harry nudged into you closer, his arms sliding down yours and his hands moved over yours. He didn’t want to do too much. He’d let you make the next move but his low simmer was about to become a full on boil with the way you moaned. He was hard in his pants, god you made him so hard.

You had had enough of this. You wanted more. You sat up and turned yourself toward the tall demon and kissed his mouth. It was like a small explosion at first touch, and the fallout was everything that happened after. Harry nearly fell into you and groaned as you grasped onto his collar, pulling him down to you. The stool under you wobbled as he clung to your waste. You both moved together, you sliding off the stool with a stumble and Harry holding on to you for dear life.

When you stood steady on your feet you grasped his shoulders awkwardly as he continued pressing his mouth onto yours in desperation. He didn’t want to slack up the hold he had on you, but instead covered you with his body as he curled around you. Your lips continued moving together as if you hadn’t just kissed him the day before. It felt like magic, his lips on yours and your tongue licking over his.

Without even realizing it, you two were slowly moving toward the stairs which would take you up to his bedroom. Your hands were still clutching onto his shirt at his shoulders, his arms were draped around your waste, keeping you tight to his body, your mouths never parting. The ascent up the stairs was clumsy, unwieldy, and slightly dangerous (if you’d been mortal). And it took a lot longer to make it to his second floor with the way your bodies were fused together, not to mention the minute long break three quarters of the way up when you had Harry pushed into his railing and he brought his hands down to your bottom and pressed you into his bulky center. You gasped and he bucked into you and that created a bit more hustle from you to get to the top.

When you finally crossed the threshold of his large bedroom the air changed. You both suddenly stopped and looked at one another with heaving chests and wet lips. Harry’s hands moved to your hips slowly as he softly squeezed. In his eyes and in his heart, you heard the words he wanted to speak, to ask; I want you. Can I have you? Do you want me? I’m yours.

Part 11*

Thank you for reading! I’d appreciate any support you can give! Whether a comment, reblog, or buying me a coffee- it’s all appreciated.

Check out my masterlist if you enjoyed this 💞

Tags: @victoria-styles @michellekstyles @ssaama @angelqueen99 @sombrioinvernoemveneza @golden-hoax @reveriehs @a-strange-familiar @yousunshineyoutempter @the-gardener-31 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @swiftmendeshoran @luvonstyles @dancinsunflowerkiwi @immadeoutofspace @scorpiongirl1 @harrysbigspoon @matildasatellite @fuckoffstyles777777777 @sadeslovechild @daphnesutton @duh-dobrik @closureesny @luvonstyles @harrysswhore

#harry styles smut #demon!harry #incubusrry #incubus!harry #dark!harry #virgin!reader #harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles writing #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles fic

320 notes · View notes