#and perhaps lying to attend academic stuff

[diracpointless]

The "No more tomboys" panic-mongering kisses me off so much.

As someone who was (is?) and tomboy and was fully supported by my parents. Like fully. We're talking at 3 I say no more dresses, they say bet, trousers and shorts it is. At 6 I say short hair please, my mam takes me to the barbers, gets mad at the barber for refusing to cut girl hair (has cooties?) then takes me to her salon. I get lego and meccano instead of dolls cos I gravitate towards toys that do shit. Even the dolls I get are Action Men or the one Barbie with jointed limbs (Football Barbie). I wear swim shorts instead of a 1 piece (more practical for the toilet anyway). Adorable suit at my communion? You bet!

If i had been trans I know my parents would have been 100% supportive because they have always been 100% supportive of me in every way. My chosen gender expression was affirmed every single day at home and at school.

And that gender expression was...a girl. I'm not trans. I feel totally comfortable being a girl/woman - so long as I can do it on my terms. Which, thanks to my supportive parents, I pretty much always have done.

Cos here's the thing that transphobes and hand-wringers cannot get their heads around. In an open, supportive, affirming environment - you will not "Trans" anyone who is not trans.

One weird experience of transitioning is failing at ur assigned gender role the whole time and everyone constantly deriding you for it but then u come out and it's like we lost a beautiful gender conforming warrior today. Must grieve for my wonderful child who pissed me off by being ugly and weird since day 1

[allicekitty13]

Daughter Of The Moon- Part 1

Born to a legendary family of witch hunters, Alice Brandon must keep the witches mark behind her ear a closely guarded secret. Join our heroine as she navigates the tumultuous circumstances life had dealt and searches for a place to call home.

Read On Ao3

Read On FFN

Alice stood in front of the mirror as she did every morning, tying and retying her hair with fierce determination so that it sat and would stay in such a position that the spot behind her left ear remained covered. The small black crescent moon positioned in the space would quite literally be the death of her were it ever noticed. This emblem was not a tattoo or casual birthmark; it was a witches mark. Having been born into a family of witch hunters, a group whose sole purpose on earth was the extermination of all witches, that mark was a death sentence. 

So she would do this every morning, making sure she had covered it entirely before anyone could take notice. Frequently wondering with a sense of unease how long she would be able to keep up the act. She touched the mark lightly with her fingers in frustration; it had been so faint when it first appeared, forming shortly after her thirteenth birthday. Hardly noticeable at first but had rapidly grown darker over time, the lines showing bolder with each passing month. Alice knew eventually she would slip up, someone would take notice, and there would be no escape.

Finally confident in the day's hairstyle, loose pigtails pinned just right and sprayed down for maximum hold, she made her way downstairs to breakfast. She'd intended to grab something small and portable to eat on her way out the door on the walk to school. Avoiding her father at all times was a top priority; after all, Edgar Brandon was head of the hunters association. He didn't particularly care for her as it was; throwing that crescent moon into the mix was enough to keep her away at all cost. 

For as long as she could remember, Alice had been the black sheep of not just her family but the entire society of hunters she'd grown up with. Having always been a dismal student, failing her classes and rarely showing interest in the clear path set out for her. Alice's recent expressions of not wanting to become a hunter and her desire to drop out of the academy and attend a regular university hadn't helped. At twenty years old, she felt she should be able to make that decision; her family profoundly disagreed. 

That morning, she'd been stopped immediately at the foot of the stairs by her mother, a sympathetic expression adorned Lilian's face as she directed her eldest daughter to the study. 

An anxious feeling settled into the pit of her stomach as she begrudgingly entered the large, elaborately decorated room. Tall bookcases lined the walls decorated with record books of the hunter societies history as well as mementos commemorating the more successful takedowns of covens dating back to the witch trials that had formed their association. Alice loathed the room, partly because it was where her father could typically be found, partly because it was the location where Edgar held many meetings with high ranking hunters and higher-ups within the organization. But mostly because it was a blatant visual reminder of the consequences she would face should her secret be discovered, punishment for a crime she had no control over. 

An irritated Edgar sat in wait, a thick cream-colored piece of paper in his hands. Alice immediately knew what it was and precisely what was coming. It was her report card for the latest semester, a document she'd gone to extensive lengths to hide. Obviously, Alice was aware he would eventually discover she'd failed the majority of her classes, but she had wanted more time to form a plan. She'd conspired with one of her friends to convince Edgar it was in everyone's best interest to allow her to drop out. She crossed the room, stepping delicately on the ornate rug, and took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs positioned in front of her father's desk with a frustrated sigh. Resigning herself to the fact that they would be hashing out the dispute now. 

"Would you care to tell me," He dropped the paper onto the shiny wooden surface, sliding it across to face his daughter with a single finger. "Why one of my top prospects stopped by my office this morning with my daughter's report card?"

Alice knew her father quite well enough to be fully aware it was a rhetorical question, that offering up any response at that moment would bring more trouble than it was worth. So she remained silent as he glowered at her. 

"I would like to know why Riley felt it necessary to make the journey to see me personally with information I should have received from you. I would very much like to know why my daughter is FAILING half of her subjects." A red hue began to spread across his face; despite the calm tone he used, the fury lying beneath his words, causing her to tremble ever so slightly. 

"I'm not... good at this hunter stuff. I know we've discussed this before, but I really think it would be better if I dropped out of the academy..."

"No daughter of mine is disgracing the family name." Her father now shouted with rage as he cut off her sentence, dropping his faux patience as he always did when Alice brought up the prospect despite how much sense it made. She wasn't good at any of this, maybe because of the mark, perhaps because her heart wasn't truly in it. No matter the reason, Alice had never been as competent as her peers when it came to the actual hunting portion of her education. She aced any subjects regarding their history and the mandated general education classes. But when it came to combat or really anything specifically regarding the elimination of witches, she simply couldn't do it.

"You do realize," He was shouting now. "How many generations of hunters have been in this family. If you would put even the smallest bit of effort..." He trailed off, seething. "Go to class. Do better. Get out of my sight. That's an order." He waved her away, refusing to meet her eyes.

With an eye-roll she knew she would regret later, Alice rose from the chair and stormed out of the room, slamming the heavy door behind her. This was all so infuriating. It was clear, at least to her, that she simply wasn't meant to be a hunter. Even without the witches' mark so carefully hidden, her grades spoke for themselves. Sure, it would be a bit embarrassing for Edgar but letting her drop out was the best option. There were only three months until her final year of classes would end. It would be impossible at this point to pass her exam. Alice would never qualify as a hunter; it was an entirely lost cause. Besides, her sister Cynthia was acing all her classes a top prospect even at age thirteen; it wasn't as though the Brandon legacy wouldn't continue to live on.

As she meandered into the university, ignoring the grumbling of her stomach as she hadn't had time for breakfast with the lecture from her father, her eyes landed on her best friend and sort-of boyfriend, Riley Biers. The man had enough decency to at least look ashamed of his actions that morning as he caught Alice's fuming gaze. 

Alice had known Riley since infancy, his family being equally prominent within their society. Having grown up together, they'd formed a close bond. Their friendship had once been tied together with a strength that neither imagined could ever be broken. With a slight push from their fathers in their early teens, they'd begun dating off and on. Riley believed they were meant to be together forever, making the almost arranged marriage their fathers had plotted out a significant step in his life plan. 

What Riley didn't realize, despite her having dropped multiple hints, was that Alice's heart had never been in it. From their first kiss, she'd known he wasn't the one for her, that they were better off as friends. In her eyes, his insistence upon their having a romantic relationship, the frequent misguided attempts to help her in training, had frayed their bond until it was only hanging by a thread. His actions that morning had been the final straw, snapping any fondness she held for the man. A shared childhood wasn't enough anymore. She was done.

She tied to give him the cold shoulder as she stormed past, but he followed, mumbling half-hearted apologies that came off more as excuses. The inflection of his tone communicated with crisp clarity that the effort was to make himself feel better rather than genuine remorse. 

"What happened to helping me build a case?" She finally turned on him, reaching her locker, speaking in a furious whisper. "I thought you were going to help me convince my dad it would be better for me to drop out?"

"I thought maybe if he saw your grades, he'd help you get a tutor or something. Maybe even give you some one on one training. He is the best hunter in the area, if not the country."

"I'm just... not good at any of this." She gestured around to the school, indicating her training as she repeated the same words she'd spoken only twenty minutes ago in the meeting with Edgar. "I'm never going to pass the final exam, let alone the trials. The only subjects I'm passing are the academic ones. It's not happening for me."

"Well, I mean... you could try putting just a little bit more effort into the combat stuff."

"Just leave me alone, Riley." This was the second time she'd had the same conversation in the space of less than an hour. She felt hopeless, furious, increasingly terrified every second she spent around these people. Multiple negative emotions swirled through her; betrayal, however, topped the list.

"I mean it this time," She continued, prepared to burn a bridge; it was dawning on her that the only one she could count on was herself. "You don't want to help me; you do this all the time under the guise of making my life easier and helping me pass. The truth is you're looking out for yourself."

"Okay, look, you're upset, so you're saying things you don't mean. I'll talk to you after lunch when you've had time to calm down." Riley responded smoothly as he moved in to press a kiss to her cheek. 

Steaming with rage, she shoved him away with all of her limited strength. "No. I'm talking to you now, and you're going to listen. I am done with you. I am done with this facade of a relationship you keep trying to shove down my throat. I'm sick and tired of the gaslighting and manipulation. I want you to leave me alone! Permanently!" 

She slammed her locker behind her, ignoring the crowd of students and faculty that had amassed to view her outburst, and headed to one of her least favorite classes- field training. Luckily today was only a lecture rather than actually going down into one of the gyms to practice. At least for the next hour, she would be able to keep to herself.

Alice entered the large lecture room, ascending the wooden staircase to the top row of seating as she ignored the stares and poorly hidden whispers of her fellow classmates. She settled into one of the small wooden desks in the back row of the classroom, placing her backpack on the tiled floor under her feet. It wasn't her usual seat; on a typical day, she would have sat in the front with Riley and the other overachievers hoping to get a good position after graduation. But given her rather public outburst of dumping him for good, she thought better of her normal seat.

"Good morning class," Her professor, a slim woman with long wavy red hair, greeted as she entered the room shortly after Alice had taken her seat. Her steps made a loud clicking sound as the high heels of her boots hit the stone floor as she crossed the room to her desk.

"As you approach the end of your education and the realities of the duty you've been training for." She paused to stare her students down, driving home the seriousness of the subject. "We must enforce the dangers of the life you'll be swearing into." The professor opened one of the drawers in her desk, pulling out a stack of papers and a laptop, the latter of which was promptly connected to a little projector displaying a slideshow on the whiteboard. 

"This is one of the most important lectures I will be presenting this semester; take notes, and pay rapt attention. This information may just save your life one day." The professor began a speech about the most aggressive and evasive witches' ever encountered by the hunters association. Men and women who'd evaded capture, many who'd taken down multiple of their most skilled and valuable agents in the process. 

"Jasper Whitlock is a prime example of such an enemy." The professor clicked a button on the projector bringing up an image of an extremely attractive, blonde man with green eyes that bore into her soul. "This one took out five hunters, three of them students just like you. If he or any others on this list." The professor pulled out a stack of papers handing them to the first student in each line of desks. "Do not attack as you normally would. Return to base and report the incident immediately. These witches are considered lethal."

Alice knew the list well, the societies most wanted, one of the many unfortunate perks of being the daughter of the head of the association. She'd known the name Jasper Whitlock for years; while her father spat the name like venom, she'd always viewed him as an inspiration. Alice imagined he'd grown up with similar emotions and experiences to her own. She felt sympathy for the man; he'd been cornered in a classroom forced to fight for his life against his own peers. Her heart went out to him, as she knew very well; it was a scene she could very likely end up living out herself.

It was two years ago when a newly sworn-in agent showed up at the house, a short woman with long black hair and an eye-patch. Jasper had taken out five hunters, sure, but he'd injured many more. Maria was one of them; she'd been a close friend of the man and had insisted she be assigned to his top priority case, having lost an eye at his hands. Maria was brutal, lethal, and willing to go to any lengths to exact her revenge.

Alice shook the thoughts of Maria from her head; the woman was terrifying with her intense stare and methodical mind. Alice tried to hide a smile as she pretended to study the list while the professor continued to warn about the dangers of the most wanted list. She'd known the name and story well for years; it was nice to finally have a face to match. Zoning out, Alice wondered where the man was now, what he was doing with his hard-earned freedom. She was glad he was safe, hoping one day she'd have the same opportunity.

The remainder of her day progressed in an uncomfortable blur. Alice's earlier outburst had quickly made its way around the school, to the staff, and consequently up the chain to her father. Not only did she have to deal with quite a few student's refusal to interact with her, making many classes rather difficult. She'd ignored multiple phone calls from her father. Alice knew what he wanted; he would rehash their earlier interaction; tell her to make amends with Riley, and fall in line with his plan. 

When the clock hit five in the evening, signifying the end of the school day, she fled from the building in a rush to get home, stopping only at a small cafe to pick up something to eat. Dinner with the family wasn't something she was looking forward to. She could already imagine her father's lecture, the tired expression on her mother's face, the smug, snide comments from her sister. 

So when she arrived at the doorstep, grateful to be home finally, Alice trudged upstairs into her room, tossed her backpack into the corner, and threw herself onto the bed belly first. She was ready to sleep; a full day at the academy was grueling on the best days. Considering everything that Alice had dealt with today, she was just ready to be alone. Unfortunately, she had just made herself comfortable, laying her head against the pillow, eyes closed as she dreamed of a brighter future when she became acutely aware of a pair of eyes boring into the back of her head. So she begrudgingly rose to sit in a cross-legged position to face the intruder.

Cynthia leaned casually against the doorframe of Alice's bedroom, staring at her sister with crossed arms in clear annoyance. "You need to make up with Riley tomorrow."

"How did you even know about that Alice questioned with a sigh falling backward, unwilling to deal with this topic of conversation.

"Dad called this afternoon. He's not happy with what happened today, but he's giving you a chance to fix it. You and Riley have always been so close; I just don't understand how you could let something so small come between you. Besides, imagine how powerful we'll be when you get married. Your children will be gods among us." Her eyes lit up at the last point of the speech, clearly excited by the prospect of being an aunt to these hypothetical children.

Things had been tense between the sisters in recent years. Cynthia had always been their father's favorite. As the younger sibling began proving her skill while Alice continued to struggle, the rift between the eldest daughter and her father grew substantially. In consequence, the relationship with her sister began to suffer. As children, they'd been inseparably close; now they had become near strangers. Cynthia would parrot her father's views without question, no matter the damage it did to Alice.

"Maybe I care more about having friends who treat me with respect than marrying someone I can't trust or having gods for children." She commented, sitting back up facing her sibling once again, with eyes narrowed in challenge.

"Whatever, Alice, your funeral." With a flip of her wavy chestnut-colored hair, Cynthia left the room, finally allowing her sister to be alone.

Laying in bed still fully dressed, Alice waited until everyone in the house had gone to bed. Exasperated by the conversation and infuriated by the tumultuous day, she needed an escape. She craved alone time, the peace she found in the solace of nature. When the neighbor's lights had all gone out, and her own home had gone silent, she snuck out of bed, careful not to make a sound as she pried open her bedroom window. She grabbed onto the nearest tree branch, hoisting herself out of the room, climbed down, and made her way through the backyard into the woods.

[addienadelaide]

Roleplay plots

Muse A and Muse B are coworkers/classmates/ roommates. They see each other often and are friendly but not super close. Sounds mundane, right? However all is not as it seems. Muse A has been randomly gifted with unusual...abilities since birth. At a young age, they were recruited by a government agency to combat the dark forces lurking behind the surface of the city. Muse B, on the other hand, possesses an inherited talent- their family has been able to control (fill in the element) for generations. Unfortunately due to issues here and there, they currently run with the local crime syndicate, a powerful dark movement that had slowly but surely usurped all the others. Friendly by day, enemies by night, how will things turn out?

Marianoh's Culinary Institute is the most renowned school for culinary arts in the country. Any who truly wish to be a master chef would be foolish not to attend. Unless they don't have the means- the tuition is insanely high. Muse A is part of the lucky few of humble beginnings that has been selected to attend via scholarship. They couldn't be more excited. Muse B, on the other hand, comes from a family of celebrity chefs. Their spot at Marianoh's was confirmed before birth. Yet somehow, they don't share Muse A's joy. Far from it actually. What happens when the two are partnered up for the year?

Every night, Muse A looks forward to going to sleep. There they can escape from everything that hurts. However, something about the dreams is strange. They're a bit too vivid, too real. A scrape from tripping showed up in real life. A hair cut gotten from the friendly barber was actually done in the morning. Strange. Muse B works a night job for Corporeal Dream Corrections Society. Each officer there is assigned a vivid dreamer to protect, entering the dream world along with them. Stakes are high; death in the dream translates to death in real life.

Muse A has always been at the top of their class since early elementary and thrived on it. They come from a family of high achievers where failure is neither seen nor accepted. Proud and arrogant over their achievements, their grades make them, them. All that changed when Muse B showed up, smashing the entrance exams with marks unheard of. Of course Muse A wouldn't take that lying down, thus, the classic rivalry begins. What happens when the two find they have more in common than they thought? Life on Muse B's side is not all it seems as well.

They were the perfect couple; everything any pair would hope to be. Everyone thought they'd be married, be together forever. They thought they would too. But alas it was not to be. 5 years down the line, hurt, jaded, bitter, and completely cynical about love, Muse A decides to finally move out to the big city, taking an office job. But what do you know, the one who destroyed their heart, Muse B, happens to be in the cubicle next door. To say things get off to a rocky start is an understatement. To make matters worse, they're partnered on the next business proposal.

Muse A was on top of the world once. All the good stuff- academic whizz, popularity, star athlete, a modeling gig, you name it. Then, they began to see things that weren't there. A couple years of misery and occasional public meltdowns later, the star status was gone, fair weather friends along with it. Skip forward a year or so, they're the creepy loner in the back of the classroom. Not that they care anymore. They just want the spirits to go away. Muse B has always been the friendly/caring type. Everyone else's problems are their problems. A classmate of Muse A's for years, they couldn't help but notice the rondo to destruction. They take it on themselves to help, to save Muse A from whatever it is that's claiming them. But how can they do that when Muse A won't let them in? And how can you fight an invisible, but very real foe?

Muse A was born into a society where 'falling in love' is not a thing. Sure, it's written in about fairy tales and even history texts, but most Readers laugh it off as a silly, archaic concept. All couples are formed by reading Cerebral wavelengths, stats that are unique to every individual. Every person has a single match and are paired with that person permanently when they come of age. No trades, no take-backs. Muse B, though born into the regular world, doesn't believe in love either. Perhaps it was the plight of their parents, or that one nasty breakup. Perhaps it was the sight of all the couples around who'd be love-dovey one week, but strangers the next. Whatever it is, they don't buy it. That suits Muse A just fine- their Cerebral wavelengths not only don't match, they bang together in a cacaphony. Why is it then that these two begin experiencing an undeniable pull to each other?

One night, Muse A is taking their usual jog through the park when they trip right over Muse B tying their shoe. Cliche start is cliche, I know, but stay with me here. After some initial awkwardness, the two hit it off quite well. Flash forward a week or so and the pair are starting school in the same class, Muse A as one of the typical debutants, and Muse B a lucky upstart on a basketball scholarship. Muse B had high hopes for where things'll go...only to find out Muse A has a boyfriend, who happens to be Muse B's nemesis on the courts. Whoops. But something's really off with the couple. As in the boy is downright awful, and it isn't just the rivalry talking. Yet Muse A refuses to leave him...why is that?

They were the voice in their head. The imaginary friend. For as long as they can remember, Muse A and B have always been there for each other when the other needed it. But to everyone else, it's all in their heads. He was saved from that riptide by pure chance and luck, despite being unable to swim. They were coming for her, but she found that little nook to hide in all by herself. Flash forward to current day, the two are attending the same university. Muse A is an upstart, trying to make a name for himself academically and socially. Muse B is the opposite, the social anxiety fueled by a rocky past relegating them to basically a shut in. Their grades, on the other hand, are phenomenal despite barely ever attending classes. A convenience random convenience store run in. A forgotten wallet. The two meet in person for the very first time and then...?

This follows plot five vaguely, but with a twist on the setting. Please note the idea for this world is not mine, but I unfortunately don’t remember the title of the original story. If this sounds familiar to you, feel free to comment the details and I’ll credit the story! Anyhow, in a smaller country, tucked away from the rest of the world, people are born into a unique system. They are either Energy Givers or Energy Takers. Their ability activates from a young age and they are paired with the most compatible one of the opposite ability as soon as possible, usually early elementary school. Energy is transferred from the giver to the taker via a kiss on the lips and must be done at least once a day. While partners are not necessarily romantically involved, the two depend on each other immensely. Without receiving energy, the taker will quickly tire, weaken and collapse becoming comatose and at risk of death. If they do not give energy, the giver’s energy supply builds up making them suffer from nausea, lethargy, fevers, and other unpleasant symptoms that will gradually worsen to the point where their life is in danger. Should a pair of partners be separated either through death or other means, the lone individual must visit a donation center where they will be paired with a donor that somewhat matches until a more compatible, new permanent partner is finally found.Now for the main plot. Muse A and Muse B are a Giver-Taker pair that has been together since childhood. Their feelings grew from platonic to romantic and by high school, the two were a golden, seemingly unbreakable couple. Near the end their last year, all comes to a grinding halt when Muse B suddenly breaks up with Muse A and disappears. Five years down the line, Muse A is a jaded, lonely individual, known for constantly going from donor to donor. Deciding they need a change, they take a teaching job in a boarding school on the other side of the country. Yet when they walk into the faculty office on their first day, they find themselves placed in a desk right next to Muse A. Not only this, the two are in the same department. How will things proceed?