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allaganexarch · 6 months

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WIP Whenever! ♥

Absolutely blest by the tag from @myreia !!

As some of you may have noticed i have been in the TRENCHES with schoolwork the last few weeks LOL so all I have that is not just barely-coherent 4 am hallucinations is this jkdsfkjnfk. I've been holed up in my room being insane + I'm very eager to share so it's a longish snippet, hopefully tumblr dot website does not DESTROY the formatting.

I was thinking aaahhhh i can't tag ppl again I JUST tagged them in a thing but even if that were a thing it is not true I have been eaten by school for so long LOL @thepapernautilus @yourlocaldisneyvillain @delirious-comfort @eemamminy-art and anyone else who would like to pls feel free to tag me!

Wheel of Time, Liandrin x Reader 🤪🥰

The first time you meet Liandrin Sedai, it is not in your proudest moment.

You are a lady of perfectly average talents. And although you work hard and perform your weaves well, yours is not the sort of power that gets noticed. One must be noticed in order to be offered the trial of the Arches. And so it is that each of your classmates, each of your friends, each of your enemies, becomes Accepted one by one, and leaves you behind.

You have been a novice for nine years when your best and last friend goes through the Arches. And Light help you, you cry. You go out into the abandoned courtyard, you shamble down onto a stone bench, and you cry.

This is how Liandrin Sedai finds you.

“Oh,” says an unfamiliar voice, high and clear, surely put off by your discomposure.

You wipe furiously at your face, but you hadn’t expected to be interrupted. You cannot stop crying.

You feel her approach. “Oh, there now—“ she says awkwardly. You think you feel her hand hovering just shy of your shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” you sniffle. “I’m sorry, I’m just—“ but you have no words for what you are. You are a lady of perfectly average talents. You are a Novice. You are all alone.

In your periphery, you see the red skirts of the Aes Sedai trying to comfort you. This is, to your mind, even worse. At last you get the attention of one of the Red Ajah, and it is for this!

“There now, little sister,” says the Aes Sedai, and she sounds more confident now, as though she has steeled herself against your onslaught. “What’s all this? Surely nothing we can’t fix, yes?”

This is, somehow, the worst thing she could have said. You cover your face with both hands in a poor attempt to stifle a sob. “No!” you wail miserably. “No, it can’t be fixed! I try so hard, but it doesn’t matter! The problem is me! I’m—“

You are a lady of perfectly average talents. A Novice. Alone. Abandoned.

“I’m weak!” you cry, your hands falling uselessly into your lap. “I’m weak, and I always will be!”

Once more you scrub your white sleeve across your face, but the tears won’t stop flowing. The mysterious Aes Sedai sits at your side. “Weak?” she wonders after a long silence. “Weak in the One Power, you mean?”

“Mhm,” you sniffle horribly. “Everyone’s gone through the Arches without me.”

“Ah.” She draws out the syllable, low and rich, knowing. “I see. And you’ve been a Novice for how long?”

“A little over nine years,” you say. Somehow, recounting this information calms you, rather than making you more upset. At last you manage to dry your eyes enough to see.

“And you work hard, yes? You’re sure it’s not your form that’s lacking?” She asks the question without accusation.

You look up, meaning to nod your affirmation, but you are wholly unprepared for the sight. The Aes Sedai sitting next to you has an unearthly beauty about her, something indescribable that you don’t see every day. It’s not any one feature—her honey-blonde hair, her doll’s lips, her prominent cheekbones, or her wild, piercing eyes—but rather something more than the sum of her parts. Awe and apprehension course through you in equal measure, and you almost forget to respond at all.

“It’s true,” says the mystery woman, “this Tower often values raw power over actual skill. And I expect it’s also true that you’ve reached the limits of your raw power for the time being. And so I suggest—“ Without warning, she reaches up and wipes the tears from your cheeks. “—you stop wasting your energy on the things you cannot change.”

You are too stunned to speak. She inclines her head, as though studying something, but there is something off about the gesture. “After all,” she says. “There are so very many things that you can change.”

There is something unsettling about her, a distinctive undercurrent of unrest you don’t see in most Aes Sedai. You are reminded of a cat poised to spring upon an unsuspecting mouse.

“You know your weaves well?” she asks you. “If I were to test you, I would not find myself disappointed?”

“Yes,” you nod, perhaps a little frantically. “I mean—I know them well.”

The mystery woman nods, as though to say, exactly as I thought. She stands and brushes her hands over her bright red skirt. “Take a few days to collect yourself, little sister. Come and find me when you’re ready to make a change.”

You stammer. “Oh, but I—“

“Liandrin Sedai,” she clarifies. Then, just shy of turning to leave, she amends, “Oh, and keep this between us, hm?”

You nod, dumbfounded. And then she is gone.

You take Liandrin Sedai’s advice, and you spend the next few days in deep contemplation. You know you have not overstated your familiarity with the weaves, but you worry she will still be disappointed. In your heart, you yearn to move forward, but you worry that you are being prideful, that being a Novice still has something to teach you, and that you are ignoring it. You write to your mother, a letter that reveals little but says much, if one reads between the lines. You are profoundly lonely, deeply self-conscious, and yet you know you cannot possibly refuse Liandrin Sedai’s invitation.

Liandrin does test you, hard. In a way it feels good to finally show the full breadth of your dedicated practice. But you are unused to such rapt attention. Yours is not the kind of power that draws a teacher’s eye. You weave what you can with practiced precision, but what you can weave is not impressive, and it takes hard work every single time.

But Liandrin watches you anyway, her gaze piercing, her stance not a little unsettling as she prowls about the small room like a hunting animal. She doesn’t say much, just tells you what to weave and then watches, again and again and again, until you’re sure you just simply don’t know anything else you could possibly show her.

“Good,” she says, with a curt nod.

You drop your weave and stagger a little, out of breath and reaching for something to lean on. Your hand finds the hard stone wall behind you, and you take in a gasping breath. You’ve worked yourself to exhaustion before, but never quite like this.

“I think I see what you mean,” says Liandrin contemplatively. “You perform the weaves well, but it’s not the kind of thing that catches the eye. Pity, really. Raw power is all fine and well, but it’s nothing next to perseverance. One would think the Teacher of Novices at least could appreciate that.”

Your vision refocuses, but your mind is slow. You’re still stuck on ‘you perform the weaves well.’ You smile foolishly.

Liandrin regards you with an unreadable emotion. She squints as though studying you, but again there is something off about it, just like before. Half-consciously, you think that she is only affecting the mannerism of studying you, pretending to contemplate something even though she’s already made up her mind.

“No matter,” she says at last. “Run along and rest up.”

You hold a moment, baffled, waiting for something else that will explain what she is thinking.

She raises her eyebrows. “Go.”

You do not need to be told again.

#exciting tag for writing things #wheel of time fanfic #liandrin x reader #liandrin #wheel of time #sorry for preparing to become the x reader tag menace this is my villain arc sdkjfnjfkf #i have like a whole plan for the fic it is not sane #i am also picking and choosing my liandrin lore bc she deserves to be a misandrist in peace #i was gonna say ty for coming to my ted talk but this is decidedly not my ted talk #you will KNOW when it's my ted talk

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estimericweek · 11 months

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Estimeric Week will be August 9 — August 15 again this year!

These prompts are intended only as a guideline, you can create anything you'd like.

Please use the tags "estimeric week 2023" and/or "estimeric week" when posting works during the event!

Further info under the cut!

These rules are elaborated on further in our carrd.

For eastern fans, reverse is OK. Either Aymeric x Estinien or Estinien x Aymeric is accepted.

The purpose of this event is to create works focused on the relationship between Estinien and Aymeric, so please keep mentions of other ships in the background.

For the most part, any content is allowed provided there are adequate content warnings used, save for the following: bestiality, incest, or sexual content featuring characters under the age of 18.

If you have questions, our DMs are open! Most importantly, have fun! We look forward to seeing everyone's creative works!

Links and contact:

Discord server

AO3 Collection

Carrd

Twitter

Moderated by @eemamminy-art

#estimeric #estimeric week #estimeric week 2023

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littlelordalphinaud · 6 months

Note

Zenos: @Ryne You’ll stay by my side until I tell you so.

Protective prompts

Tagging @eemamminy-art because I know he loves these two as much as I do!

Upon finding out, via a visit from the man that had stolen his body for a while, that Solus was dead, Zenos felt panic for the first time since he'd been a small child. That panic only rose when he asked about Minfilia to find out that Elidibus knew naught of her.

For once, it seemed that an Ascian was willing to be helpful, as Elidibus brought Zenos to the false Amaurot. Retracing the journey he'd taken, and ignoring the way he missed Minfilia's hand in his as he walked, Zenos found the house Solus had used to store Minfilia. The door wouldn't open, so Zenos used the butt of a sword to smash the window.

"Minfilia!?" Zenos' voice echoed through the cavernous home, matched by the thudding sound of his boots as he raced through the building towards her bedroom. The panic was back as he didn't get a response. "Minfilia!?"

Pulling open the door to her room, Zenos scanned it, feeling his heart thud at the lack of Minfilia.

"Minfilia?" Zenos did his best to focus his thoughts. To see past the way his system felt prepared for a fight at the fact that he couldn't see his younger sister. To remember anything Solus may have revealed about his plans.

A little movement caught his eye, as the door to the wardrobe moved an inch, creating a crack. With one hand on his sword, in case it was the worst case scenario, Zenos crossed the room and pulled open the wooden door.

"There you are," Zenos breathed a sigh of relief, dropping to his knees and pulling Minfilia to him. She collapsed against him in a hug, her tiny body shaking. Zenos felt his panic fading at the fact she was alive and unharmed, although she was clearly terrified.

"Daddy told me to wait in there until he came back... Is he with you?" Zenos considered how best to tell her. How to explain that Solus was dead and wouldn't be returning to her. As far as he knew, she'd never left the recreation of Amaurot. She'd barely left the house. Would she even understand?

Standing, and ignoring that despite their size difference, Minfilia was too big to perch on his arm as she'd once done, Zenos hummed lowly.

"He is not," Zenos rubbed a hand over her back, "you are coming with me. We'll be returning to my home, and you'll stay by my side until I say otherwise."

"Why?" Despite the question, Minfilia continued to cling to him. Zenos moved through the room, gathering things he thought might be important. He passed her the well worn stuffed dog from the bed, glad to see that she still clung to it as she had while far smaller.

"Solus won't be coming back, Minfilia. And I cannot leave you here alone, so-"

"No!" For the first time ever, Minfilia tried to push herself out of his hold. Zenos tightened his grip instinctively, which only made her wriggle more, her trying fists banging ineffectually against his armour. "He said he'd come back, and Daddy always keeps his promises! You're lying!"

"I assure you, I am not," Zenos tightened his grip again. He wasn't about to risk her fleeing from him, even as she kicked and hit and tried to pull away. Breathing deep, Zenos set aside his plans of packing and instead sat on the chair they often shared when he read her stories.

"Minfilia," Keeping his voice firm, Zenos held her still upon his lap, "I need to tell you something. It will not be easy for you to hear, but it is important." She'd stopped fighting, but was refusing to look at him. He decided that was good enough.

"Solus had a plan, to make the world like it is here, where you grew up. Other people didn't like that, so they fought him," he knew she understood fighting, "he got so hurt that he -" Zenos fumbled. No one had ever been delicate with him, and he couldn't think of how to explain this to her with the same delicacy Solus had insisted he use. That he wanted to use to keep her as sweet as she was.

"Can we fix him? I've been practicing healing magic!" Zenos cursed internally, considering how to rephrase.

"No. There's a type of hurt that can't be fixed, and when you get that kind of hurt, you can't come home either. Do you understand?" Zenos looked Minfilia over. She had her stuffed dog tight to her chest and was worrying one of its ears between her fingers. He was struck with the memory of their very first meeting, when she'd only just had her second nameday and she hid behind that dog as if it were a real war beast that may protect her from him.

"Are you sure?" Minfilia finally asked, her bottom lip wobbling violently. "Are you sure I can't fix him with healing magic?" Again, Zenos was struck with the urge to perform violence to try and bring her back to her usual cheery self.

"I'm sure. I've seen those kind of injuries a lot, there's nothing to be done for them. That is why I came to fetch you. To bring you to my home, so I can look after you." He hoped that the promise of time with him would cheer her.

He hated that it didn't.

Tears fell, and Minfilia threw herself against his armour, sobbing with such strength that it shook her entire body.

Not knowing what to do, Zenos did what he'd read in her stories. He wrapped his arms around her and began to rock in the chair with her.

#Ryne #ryne ffxiv #ffxiv ryne #zenos yae galvus #Elidibus #npc; i am myself (ryne)#npc; my one friend. my enemy. (zenos yae galvus)

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eemamminy-art · 3 months

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Oh you like sefikura?? That's so cool!! Sorry to bother you, but I'm super curious: have you ever drawn lesbian sefikura art? I think they would look amazing in your style <3

Yes I have!! I drew a few pieces with them when FF7R came out!

This is all I have that's on tumblr, the other couple of things I drew of them were ns/fw so they're somewhere on twitter but idk if they can be found since it was years ago now 😭

Definitely wouldn't mind drawing them again sometime 👀 I feel like my art and style has grown since 2020, I know I could do them better justice now

#replies #anonymous #sefikura #ff7 #ffvii

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ladyramora · 3 months

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Author Interview

Tagged by @eemamminy-art

Putting a read more because this baby is looong....

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 72! It would be more if I posted all of my Tumblr snippets separately lol

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

467,534 words.

A decent bit, I think. Though I started writing again in 2015, so maybe it's not much? It's not everything I've written on Tumblr, either.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

I used to write for FF11 & Inu Yasha, plus Inu Yasha & Yuyu Hakusho crossover fic. I never deleted my fanfic dot net account, but it is all super old now. Nobody go looking for it! I may one day rewrite some of those old fic, but confronting my teenage writing skills is a bit much for me right now lmao.

My Ao3 is all FFXIV at this point, but that is subject to change! I have a c0mmission from Divinity: Original Sin 2 I'm currently working on! (Ifan. He's such an interesting, handsome guy. I'm having fun writing him~ ❤️)

I am interested in writing for other fandoms! For instance, Nu Carnival that is currently one of my favorite games, and possibly BG3? But I only know of it, haven't played it, I'll have to do research to write for it.

I just need to work through my current queue first!

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

I'm gonna go by actual chaptered fic, not just my collections of Tumblr snippets.

• Drowning in Blue:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4679429/chapters/10680896

Kudo count: 460 ❤️

Haurchefant/Warrior of Light (reader insert).

Summary: The Warrior of Light is granted a wish from Hydaelyn after being gravely wounded in the fight with the Ascians.

I have a lot of love for this one, however I would like to go back & edit it to make it more friendly to nonbinary & they/them readers. I do enjoy the writing style I have in this one. I do remember writing chapter after chapter of this one, day after day. A lot of passion there.

• In plain sight:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4333374/chapters/9826917

Kudo count: 385 ❤️

Yet another Haurchefant/Warrior of Light (reader insert).

Summary: The Warrior of Light has fled from Ul'dah to take refuge in Camp Dragonhead after being accused of treason. Though dark times have forced them there, it is in Camp Dragonhead that potentially disastrous shenanigans ensue. Much Fluff with attempts at humor. Haurchefant x WoL. Tataru and Alphinaud friendships.

This one! The fic where I created Ger! Another one I would like to edit to make more friendly to non-binary & they/them readers. I'd also like to update Ger's characterization, because she's an entirely different character now! But I really enjoyed writing this fic. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed exploring Haurchefant's character & building up the relationship between him and WoL. I had a sequel planned & everything. I'd still like to write that sequel eventually. I have a draft on my computer for it lol.

•Switching Roles:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9899933

Kudo count: 266 ❤️

Summary: Estinien lies in wait for Aymeric. This is also porn. Can be stand alone, but more like a sequel to Sweet like birch syrup.

Estinien and Aymeric were my first foray into writing smut, not just fading to black or ending at the buildup & making people ask in my comments "that's it? where's the rest of it?"

Oh, how far we have come since then! I used to say I was strictly a fluff/romance writer with occasional angst. Now look at me. 95% pure, explicit smut!

•Peculiarity:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36427720/chapters/90829135

Kudo count: 244 ❤️

Hermes/Warrior of Light (reader insert?) from Hermes POV.

I won't post the summary because it's kinda sorta Endwalker Spoilers! Sorry!

I will say that this fic is my current baby. I love Hermes sooo much. I relate to him a lot. It makes me very sad that so many people in fandom seem to hate him. My poor, misguided little meow meow.

Yet another character I ship with Ram, in theory, but as of yet not in written practice. Just vibes, just brainwyrms doing loops in the old noggin.

•The Cats Meow:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4508475/chapters/10253364

Kudo count: 243 ❤️

Haurchefant/Miqo'te WoL (reader insert)

Summary: Haurchefant notices the cat-like qualities in the Miqo'te!WoL. Attempts at humor and fluff.

Ok, this one is just silly fluff. Much romance. Very cute. Meow. This was around the time I was still playing my miqo'te, before I left her standing by Haurchefant's desk before level 57.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Eyes Ever Heavensward

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054034

Kudo count: 33 ❤️

Haurchefant/Warrior of Light (reader insert)

Summary:

The one where Haurchefant is a member of the Heavensward, and WoL is storming The Vault. Angst. Feels. Unhappy Ending.

Ok, I probably have a few angsty ones but this one made me cry while I was writing it. I think it's just angstier because of what WoL is forced, with no other choice, to do in the fic.

:( ͡° ᴥ ͡°)

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I have so many that end on positive/happy endings. I can't really say what is the happiest. Maybe fix-it fics?

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not so much on fic. I have gotten some mean/malicious anons on Tumblr, but not since my fanfiction dot net days have I gotten "flames" or somebody sending me a link to my fic being posted on "gaff" (god awful fanfiction). That was really mean lmao.

I just end up deleting hateful comments, anons, etc. Who wants to waste time on that?

Attacking or harassing real people over fiction is utterly ridiculous and I will never condone that.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Hello, so much smut!

I can write super explicit stuff that is really raunchy, or more flowery/romantic types. Fun, silly, sweet. Darker themes. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to writing smut.

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

I have. Probably RP? The other crossovers I've done are nowhere near as crazy as things can get in RP.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of??

It's harder to pinpoint with writing, I think. People can have similar ideas, plots, or just enjoy similar tropes.

Unless someone is copying your work word for word, lifting scenes, or using it for A/I... (A/I images & text are theft. We want A/I to help people, not to replace human creativity with regurgitated trash that has no human soul.)

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

I think I had someone ask at one point but it was some time ago. I don't even remember what fic it was.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

Does RP count?

Brainstorming, bouncing ideas off one another. Or even just doing prompts & requests... I think that counts as creating together, if not actually "co-writing".

14. what's your all-time favourite ship?

I have so many!!!

For FFXIV in particular, it's probably still tied between Haurchefant/WoL and Zenos/WoL at the top. Ships with Ysayle or Foulques!! Ships with NPCs that are job class or side characters.

I am really fond of Emet/WoL, too. Tbh, any Scion ship or Ascian ship.

I love them all...

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Don't call me out like this 😔

I want to finish so many...

Ones that I feel I have to edit to add to them, maybe? I just don't have the free time to do so right now.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Hmm. Research and dedication to accurate characterization??

Dialogue, I think, because I enjoy it very much, but that could also be marked in weaknesses because I struggle with certain characters. (Smart characters. Characters like Urianger who have a particular way of speaking, etc, etc.)

Setting the scene. Word counts go crazy with that.

Descriptive writing and character introspection. I can dive deep into that.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Definitely perfectionism. I'm never satisfied. I want every fic I write to be a home cooked meal. Michelin star.

Also run on sentences and my love affair with commas, em dashes, and semicolons.

Keeping the tenses consistent.

World building.

Overworking. (Set word count? What's that? What if 3k fic became a 6k fic became a 9k fic. Oops.)

Having time/energy to write. That's a big one. 🥲

I'm a caretaker for my disabled sister, the designated chef of my household, and just constantly busy every day. I try to squeeze in writing where I can, but some days I'm just so tired and drained that I have basically nothing to spare for my creative pursuits. It's a definite struggle to work through that.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I like to read it! It's especially fun if it's a fantasy language like vulcan or elvish.

Unfortunately, I only speak English, and even writing in my first language can be difficult. I don't know any other languages well enough to even attempt writing in them.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Inu Yasha, DBZ, FF11. All when I was a teenager.

Then I didn't write again for years and years. Started up again with FFXIV.

20. favourite fic you've written?

I have so many I love, I can't pick one favorite... I'll just list a few of my favorites right now!

XIVSapphicWeek Snippets

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45529894/chapters/114564367

Ram x Ysayle & RamLynn

(Lynn belongs to my RP partner, @/lynnslight )

I had an AyaGer one planned but I didn't end up writing more before the week ended. I'm still gonna use the prompts & add to it, eventually ❤️

....

•Peculiarity

(Yes, again. I'm posting it twice)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36427720/chapters/90829135

Hermes x WoL

Summary is !Endwalker Spoilers!

This is my current baby, I have the next chapter stewing. The start of the smut always has to be good, you know? The flavor has to be just right~

•A (Primal is a) Wish Your Heart Makes

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29186616

Angst. Gerchefant? Primal Haurchefant. I have a WIP of the next chapter & it is angst and smut.

(You know what's funny? I've written/posted more Ger smut than Ram smut lmao! Sorry Ram. I love putting Ger in situations 😌❤️)

.....

Favorite series?

Amnesia Zenos, Villain Haurchefant, any Ascian fic (particularly fond of Attracting Ascians, I need to write more for that one.)

Amnesia Zenos

•Dancing In The Dark

Zenos x reader Insert WoL

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16868251/chapters/39610297

Summary: If Zenos had lost his memory, and WoL was the one to find him.

• Dancing In The Dark - With Two

Zenos x reader Insert WoL

Summary: One with Amnesia, the other without? Two Zenos? You can barely handle one.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16868563/chapters/39611086

Villain!Haurchefant

•Villains and Heroes

Summary: “Shh, it’s alright,” the villain said. “You’re doing beautifully and I’m so proud of you. But that’s enough now. It was cruel of them to make you fight me - you could never have won. It’s not your fault.” Villain!Haurchefant

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16868086/chapters/39609883

•Attracting Ascians

Ascians x reader insert WoL

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29053515/chapters/71312748

Summary: The Warrior of Light attracts Ascians like moths to light. Or the one where WoL Kisses Ascians instead of Killing them. (ARR. Early? Maybe. IDK, who cares about Canon, this is Fanfiction.)

....

Special mention to my WiP fics I haven't posted yet except for some snippets like that Ram x Zenos smut, the dark themed/dubcon Fandaniel fics that I'm excited about.

Also the Nu Carnival & Obey Me! fic I started that I want to eventually sit down and properly write...

(I know. Fic that isn't FFXIV? Gasp.)

And of course, the comms!!

I really try to write every comm I get like I'm cooking a homemade meal for someone.

I made it for you. Take a fucking bite bro, I love you man. (Gender neutral uses of 'bro' & 'man', ofc. It's like saying 'dude' to me lol)

https://youtu.be/tkUSCNr0aDE?si=uDbsApgeOLU_SvMx

....

Anyway, thanks for tagging me ❤️

If any of my followers would like to do this, I'm tagging you! 💕

#long post #author interview #thanks for the tag #ram rambles

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4th-make-quail · 4 months

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Asks for a Fic Writer!

Tagged by @eemamminy-art and @nateharmonica thank you!!

1. how many works do you have on AO3? 138! Which is weird cos it feels like only 2 minutes ago I was excited about hitting 100 lol

2. what's your total AO3 word count? 401,149 total

3. what fandoms do you write for? My top 5 written for fandoms are FFXIV (27), Resident Evil (26), FFXII (15), inFamous (13) and FFXV (13)! But I have a load of others as well - atm it's Baldur's Gate 3, alternated with my perennial beloved FFXII

4. what are your top five fics by kudos? Point of No Return - Resident Evil, Chris/Wesker, time travel fix-it fic Aphrodisiac - Overwatch, Reaper/Soldier 76, collaring and gloves kink Like a Drug - Resident Evil, Chris/Wesker, STARS era drug bust Filters - FFXV, Prompto/Ignis, 5 things fic about Prompto's photo taking Between Death and Ascension - Magnus Archives, Jon/Gerry, post season 3 fix it that got immediately jossed upon s4 releasing lol. Honestly I'm amazed this one is here, considering Jon/Gerry is a bit of a rarepair. Or at least, it was back then!! I have no idea of the current state of TMA fandom (and don't wanna know, ugh lmao)

5. do you respond to comments? Always as a rule, but usually quite a long time after I get them lksgfg

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Has to be From the Flames of the Fire, I Feel You, part 4 of my Sartauvoir/Basch series, because it's the fic where Basch dies at the end, and it finishes off with a notice from Noah about the death and funeral arrangements. I cried on my lunch break at work writing this fucker lmao

8. do you get hate on fics? I've not had anything since my ffn days, where I got a very mean comment about OOC. I mean, it was true, but MAN.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? It's very rare that I don't write smut! I think the yuletide fic I wrote was the first time in years lol. Either way, I like to write kinky porn with feelings and character study shit

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written? Not any more, but the craziest crossover with the most specific-ass audience was a British Comedy RPF crossed with FFX, where David Mitchell is a summoner and Charlie Brooker and Robert Webb are his guardians. It's called Spira Infinita, and I never did end up finishing it lmao. Oops. Either way, I had a blast writing it and I still think it was fucking good, all 9 kudos of it!! God... this just made me remember I also wrote a brooker/mitchell crossover with mgs. I was on some shit back then I tell you what

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of! I'm not big enough for that, I think

12. have you ever had a fic translated? I thiiiink someone once asked me, but I forgot which fic it was tbh!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes!! I co-wrote one of my fave Ashe/Basch/Vossler fics with my friend when we got assigned each other for an ff_land exchange - Five Moments of Desire. It was really fun, we had a great time!

14. what's your all-time favourite ship? GOD this is hard!!! I think Nero/Credo tbh, I never get tired of thinking about them, even as sadly underrated as they are. Also Sartauvoir/Basch is highly up there, I've never been seized with such an insane streak of inspiration for a ship. They got me in their clutches and no mistake!!

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I don't actually have much in the way of wips, but I do have 5k of a Sart/Basch AU where Sart channels his fenex summoning to bring Basch back to life, but it stalled a little due to a combo of scheduling for other things, other ships taking over my brain for a bit, and honestly the general lack of fandom for them? I have a few close friends I met because of the ship, but getting such low response to things is really demoralising and makes it hard to continue. I DO want to finish it for sure, but atm I am too gripped by other ships so idk if it'll happen.

16. what are your writing strengths? I think dialogue for sure, and characterisation.

17. what are your writing weaknesses? Fight scenes x_x Which is annoying, because I love them and have a lot of sparring/fighting related kinks!!! I persevere, but I hate every moment of writing them lol

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Uhh nothing I've ever done! I think it'd be fine if you're fluent in that language OR if you have a trusted friend who is, who can give you actual sense-making sentences, but otherwise, do not!

19. first fandom you wrote for? Baby's first fandom was handwritten Redwall/Discworld crossover in reporter's notebooks as a very young child, but my first fandom-fandom was ffvii, where I wrote a frankly terrible Reno/Vincent fic! And idek why cos I don't ship it at all? I think I just had a boner for both of them and wanted to get it out. It is still on ffn alas, but eugh.

20. favourite fic you've written? Honestly I think it's my SartBasch series, Body Politics. It caters directly to my own id, and I think it's really good! I actually planned it out as a cohesive series AND actually finished writing it! Proud of myself lol. And I just.... *clenches fist* love those old men.....

----- tagging people, if u wanna do this, then consider urself tagged!!

#quailfic #ask quail #thank u for the tags!!

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randomsquirrel · 4 months

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Asks for a Fic Writer! 🔆

Well! I've been tagged by the very nifty @eemamminy-art, so how can I refuse? Thanks, mate! <3

1. how many works do you have on AO3? Only 41. It feels like more, but that's because I've got a couple of works that are obscenely long. Like, two series that are (so far) over half a million words, each

2. what's your total AO3 word count? ...1,524,864. That...is intimidating o_O

3. what fandoms do you write for? At the moment, just Stardew Valley and Final Fantasy XIV. I'd like to write for a couple more fandoms (like Baldur's Gate 3, as I am having a blast), but I just don't have the time as it is to work on the current series I have going D:

4. what are your top five fics by kudos? I don't have a lot of kudos on my fics because most of my works are long series with lots of chapters, so while they get quite a few hits and many return readers, only one kudos per visitor @_@ Friends With Benefics (FFXIV, NSFW), a spicy Thancred/Urianger one-shot that I really wanna revisit and turn into a mini-series :3c Sunshine on a Cloudy Day (SDV, SFW), a soft Sam/Sebastian work, one of my first ones, dealing with depression, and how it's hard to get people around you to understand that. Fortunately, Sam does :) Tales of Loss and Fire and...Love (FFXIV, SFW), a fluffy piece, just Thancred and Estinien being bros, having some drinks and bonding, before the Scions leave for Sharlayan. They have a lot in common, like shared trauma that they can finally talk about :( Formality and Debauchery (FFXIV, NSFW), the second of my Estimeric Week works, the prompt was "gala," so I decided that Aymeric had to figure out a way to get Estinien to join him at a high-society event, and did so creatively ;) Rose & Sunflower: The NSFW Chapters (SDV, NSFW), as my first Stardew fic series (Rose & Sunflower 1: The Music Within) was initially being posted to the SDV forums, before being cross-posted to AO3 several months later, I decided that any spicy scenes would have to have their own work so that I could keep posting on the forums. Thus, the NSFW Chapters are all of the naughty parts that couldn't make it into the "main" story. ...And gave me the chance to try a few "what if" ideas, too, that aren't "canon" to the rest of the story but are a lot of fun >:3c 5. do you respond to comments? Absolutely! Comments make my entire hecking day, and I love being able to interact with my readers, I'm just all, THANK YOU FOR EATING MY FOOD, I HOPE IT WAS DELICIOUS <3

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? An End to Hope (FFXIV, SFW), just for the challenge, for the second Estimeric Week event, I decided to see if I could actually do a "bad ending" fic. So this is what might have happened if Aymeric had been possessed by Nidhogg's eyes instead of Estinien >:D 7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I want to say the first book in my Rose & Sunflower series, since I was so chuffed to have completed a project I wasn't sure I could follow through on. But I had been going through a bad patch for a while when writing book 3 (A Different Perspective), and almost didn't finish it, as I lost the drive and physical ability to write for over half a year. So it was both a happy ending for both the characters and myself to see the entire trilogy completed ;_;

8. do you get hate on fics? Thankfully, no. So far I have been so fortunate to only have had positive and constructive feedback, and I treasure every person who has left those remarks :D

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? Of my 41 works, *checks and does math*, 16 or 17 are smut/nsfw in some fashion, and is a lower number than I'd have expected. But again, I am prone to lengthy works, so while the number of dirty fics is relatively low, the lewd content per word is very high. All of it is m/m (so far), mostly 'cause the characters I'm working with just work that way. It's also diverse; some of it is normal pr0n, often there's poly/multiple partners, a bit of BDSM, and a few light kinks here and there. Heck, I forgot all I've done, 'cause now and then I go and backread things to check something and go "wait, I don't remember writing that! ...Hot" XD

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written? I enjoy writing crossovers, but don't do them that often. The best/craziest one is Ishguardians- The Factions of Coerthas, which, yeah, isn't so much a "crossover" as it is "Ghost in the Shell meets FFXIV," but it's more than just a futuristic AU. It was basically one lengthy excuse to flex with several of my personal knowledge sets, and was a heck of a challenge to get so many "moving parts" working smoothly, and I'm quite proud of it \o/

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? Not yet, to my knowledge, and I'm hoping it stays that way. Hooray, I'm too unimportant! :P

12. have you ever had a fic translated? I haven't had that, either. While my work is interesting, there's just not been enough interest in getting it translated/localized

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? Yet again, nope. I've got a few RPs with a couple of people, but as far as fics go, I've always been working on my own

14. what's your all-time favourite ship? OOF, that's a hard one. I've got a lot that make my brain go brrrr, but... Funny as it is, Elliott (SDV) and my OC (Lysander). I played Elliott's romance route the first time I played SDV because he looked like a sweetie (and an aspiring writer? Heck yes!), and was floored at how closely our respective stories/motivations/desires paralleled. I'd been wanting to pursue a writing career for ages as well, but never had the courage, so after completing his story and seeing him find success with his novel after we helped him get there, I smashed down my fear and gave writing fic a go, at the same time fully developing and fleshing out an OC I'd had a hard time properly giving life. And the success with that series gave me the confidence and experience to keep doing more fics, and eventually my own original works. I just got a second original short story accepted for publication last year, so yeah, those two will forever be precious to me <3

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Probably "Rose and Sunflower 4." I've got a few ideas (technically, I have ideas for both a fourth AND a fifth book), but with work and life just being loopy, and lacking proper meds for ADHD and other things, I just don't have the spell slots at the moment. I'm also neck-deep in my FFXIV OC's lore, doing a crazy long series that follows his own version of the story, and that's taking up pretty much all of my writing time not devoted to specific projects for exchanges or events or the like :-\

16. what are your writing strengths? Action sequences, and character-driven dialogue. Again, "Ishguardians" was the opportunity to write an action film, more or less, and I have a surprising knack for not only snappy one-liners and comebacks, but also some deeply raw and heartfelt moments. I've got range :D

17. what are your writing weaknesses? I am shit at creating conflict. It's why I've not been able to get a writing career completely off the ground. I'm an engineer, a gamer, and a soldier; I solve problems on purpose! So deliberately creating situations that drive the plot and characters that doesn't feel contrived or "but this shouldn't actually be a problem/a thing" is genuinely difficult for me

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Done right, it can add to the work. I've done it myself, as while my OCs aren't necessarily multilingual, they have picked up a few phrases and the like, so now and then that gets used to convey something specific in a scene. My personal rule is that if I haven't taken at least Level 1 in a language myself, I don't use it. Because while I can use Google Translate or the like to get my result, I still want to check it myself to make sure it's got the right context/grammar/whatever, which can sometimes be lost with automatic translation. ...But, since I've done level 1 with about six or seven languages so far, I've got a decent range to work with ;P

19. first fandom you wrote for? Stardew Valley. I had tried to write for something else in the past, like, in the 90s, but I don't remember what it was, and I crumpled it all up/deleted it before I could post it anywhere, so it's all been (thankfully) memory holed and lost to time. SDV was my first true foray into fics and creative writing. Well, creative writing that I actually enjoyed >_>

20. favourite fic you've written? Again, oof, that's tough. It's a tie between R&S1 and "A Song of Memories," as both are my OC's stories in SDV and FFXIV respectively, but R&S was where I finally took the terrifying plunge into fics, and therefore started my career as an author. Conversely, ASoM is a goddamn epic, and all of my strengths as a writer, storyteller, and worldbuilder are on full display. The R&S series still holds up, and you can definitely see what the characters would "evolve" into in ASoM, as well as looking back and seeing just how much of R&S influenced them :)

Okay! Time to tag some d00ds so they can have their turn! @yaminohere, @burgiethewriter, @nateharmonica, and @nanasamantha, feel free to have at it! I had wanted to tag a few more people, but apparently I don't follow that many writers after all, and several of them haven't updated their blogs in a few years o_O

#writer asks #writing stuff #my post #writing #fanfiction #fanfic #writing memes

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driftward · 1 month

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A Y'shtola for every season, by the wonderful @eemamminy-art! Than you again!

#final fantasy xiv #y'shtola rhul #comm art #cw: nudity

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sigmundite · 5 months

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Y'all. I have many ships but one OTP: Guy/Asch from Tales of the Abyss. And for many, many years on this blog my banner has been a random screenshot from the Tales of the Abyss anime (which is on Youtube btw) where they were both in the shot. Yay. (It's a rarepair from an old fandom, I am used to subsisting on crumbs)

NO LONGER!

I've been wanting to update my banner for a long time but wanted something I could properly attribute to an artist, so I commissioned my dear friend @eemamminy-art for art of them that was mine my own my precious

LOOK AT IT. IT'S WONDERFUL! BEHOLD and continue to behold because this will probably be my tumblr banner until the site crumbles to dust, whenever that may be

Today though, I AM FILLED WITH POWER

#sigmundite says #one otp to rule them all #now if i could just write fic for them it'd be great #but this? this owns

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beraxiv · 9 months

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Bold what happens ♥ Italic what sometimes happens

DEFENSIVENESS.

arms crossed on chest / crossing legs / fist-like gestures / pointing index finger / karate chops / stiffening of shoulders / tense posture / curling of lip / baring of teeth / tail lashing / pinned ears / intense look

REFLECTIVE.

hand to face gestures / head tilted / stroking chin / peering over glasses / taking glasses off to clean them / putting earpiece of glasses in mouth / pipe smoker gestures / putting hand to the bridge of the nose / pursed lips / knitted brows / lip chewing / hand on chin

SUSPICION.

arms crossed / sideways glance / touching or rubbing nose / rubbing eyes / hands resting on weapon / brows rising or knitting together / lips pressing into a thin line / strict unwavering eye contact / wrinkling of nose / eyes narrowing

OPENNESS + COOPERATION.

open hands / upper body in sprinters position / sitting on edge of a chair / hand to face gestures / unbuttoned coat / tilted head / slouched shoulders / relaxed posture / feet pointed outward / palms flat and facing outward

CONFIDENCE.

hands behind back / hands on lapels of coat / steeped hands / smirking / baring teeth in a grin / rolling shoulders / tipping head back but maintaining eye contact / chest puffed up / shoulders back / arms folded just above navel

INSECURITY + ANXIETY.

chewing pen or pencil / rubbing thumb over opposite thumb / biting fingernails / hands in pockets / elbow bent / closed gestures / clearing throat / “ whew ” sound / picking or pinching flesh / fidgeting in chair / hand covering mouth whilst speaking / poor eye contact / tugging pants of clothes / jingling money in pockets / tugging at ear / perspiring hands / playing with hair / swaying / playing with pointer or marker / smacking lips / sighing / rocking on balls of feet / flexing fingers sporadically / chewing on lip / pacing

FRUSTRATION.

short breaths / “ tsk ” sounds / tightly clenched hands / fist-like gestures / pointing index finger / running fingers through hair / rubbing back of neck / snarling / revealing teeth / grimacing / sharp eyed glowers with brows drawn together / shoulders back, head up / clenching of jaw / grinding of teeth / nostrils flaring / heavy exhales / tail lashing / pinned ears

I was tagged by @eemamminy-art a while back and wanted to do it for Bera! Body language varies person to person, and even the same actions can mean different things to different people so this was interesting to do! I do think Bera is much more expressive with positive emotions, and when things get more serious he actually hides his reactions fairly well, or forces more 'positive' traits to mask his feelings.

Honestly, before this the only thing I had set for Bera was the one animation of Gumshoe in Ace Attorney when he scratches the back of his head.

Not gonna tag anyone myself, but it's a fun thing to think about how your WoL/OC might act in certain situations in general!

#bera blogging #berabryn #i don't think i have a tag for like... character lore stuff yet #bera talk

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allaganexarch · 2 months

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wip whenever ♥

Thank you so much to @myreia for the tag!

It is once again time to bother you with original thing! Up til now I've been posting pretty much sequential pieces but I'm skipping ahead a lil bit this time bc I'm way too excited about the Lore TM.

part 1 || part 2 || part 3

It's been awhile since I bothered ppl so let's see I shall tag @eemamminy-art @delirious-comfort @quinnthebard @thepapernautilus @yourlocaldisneyvillain and anyone else who feels like sharing a wip!

===

At first glance, the town of Nodig does not appear so very different from Godsplace. It has the same small, crowded feeling and a similar sort of age-old architecture. But as they make their way into the little town, Tamsin quickly decides that two places could not be more different. There are streetlamps and shops, all of them well-lit and welcoming, and the streets are bustling with people even at this late hour. The people are happy, smiling and laughing and greeting one another as they pass, not huddled together with eyes downcast, afraid to be seen or heard.

The tavern, too, bears almost no resemblance to the one Tamsin knows. That place is well-known as the dominion of lechers and drunkards, not a place anyone who cares a whit for his reputation would like to be seen. This tavern is clean and well-tended, and there are a mix of men and women, most sat at tables and ensconced in their own private conversations. They barely take any notice when Althea and Tamsin enter. Nodig is used to travelers from all over the world.

The only person who takes any note of their arrival is the man standing behind the bar. He is grey-haired and nondescript, and he greets Althea with a curt nod of his head.

“I’ve brought an unexpected guest,” says Althea. “I hope it won’t be any trouble.”

“Of course not, Miss,” says the man with another nod. Then he disappears into the back room.

As the bartender leaves, a man sat at the far end of the bar turns on his stool to take a look at them. He speaks up in a clear, piercing voice.

“Unexpected guest?” he wonders. “Not a soon-to-be initiate?”

Although he is sitting down, he appears to be a slight man, and his sweater hangs loosely upon his shoulders. He has dark hair cut in a simple, clean style and wears thick, dark-rimmed glasses. He doesn’t look particularly young or old, but he lacks Althea’s gravitas.

Althea, for her part, seems markedly unimpressed. “Tamsin,” she says, her gaze fixed upon the wall somewhere behind the bar, “this is Vivius Moonbright.”

Tamsin looks from Althea back to the man, matching the name to the face.

“A pleasure, I’m sure,” says Vivius, extending his hand in greeting.

Tamsin takes his hand. “Moonbright?” she repeats curiously. “Forgive me, but I’ve never heard a name like that.”

Vivius laughs good-naturedly. “Yes, it does sound rather frivolous around these parts,” he says. “And in most parts of the world, if I’m being honest. But in my homeland of Almyst such names are quite common, I assure you. Moonbright, Silvermist, Windsong, and so forth.”

Tamsin smiles. “They sound like names out of a heroic tale. What is it like there, in Almyst? Do you miss it?”

Vivius hums. His thoughtfulness strikes Tamsin as markedly different from Althea’s. It is bright and animated, like the overture to an old, favorite song. “It is beautiful there,” he begins. He gestures that Tamsin should sit, and retakes his own barstool next to her. “And the people are largely…how shall I say this? Good-hearted, to be certain, but decidedly serious. The nation has a difficult past, and its people reflect that, in some ways.” With a wink, he adds, “And let me tell you, they would not take kindly to any comments on their peculiar naming conventions.”

“Oh,” Tamsin flusters. “Forgive me, I meant no offense.”

“None taken, I assure you,” says Vivius, waving a hand dismissively. “And you, Tamsin? Where did our Keeper Althea find you?”

Tamsin glances nervously over her shoulder toward Althea, hoping for some guidance, but Althea is still pointedly ignoring them both. After all she has been through in recent memory, Tamsin is not inclined to trust in someone Althea doesn’t seem to like very much, even if he seems perfectly friendly. But Althea does not acknowledge her, and so Tamsin is forced to make up her own mind. She reasons that whence she hails is no great secret.

“Godsplace,” says Tamsin at last. “Have you heard of it?”

“Heard of it, yes,” says Vivius. Even when he speaks severely, there is a certain lightness to his voice. “Not for the best reasons, though. I’m sure it possesses many charms that go unreported.”

“Maybe,” says Tamsin charitably, but she labors to think of any at the moment.

“Not too sad to be taking your leave, I see?” Vivius observes.

“No,” Tamsin agrees with a self-effacing smile. But it feels wrong to speak ill of her homeland without some further explanation, and so she amends, “There’s…not really much left for me in Godsplace.”

“Ah,” says Vivius knowingly. “And so very much to be found for you at the Academy.”

Again Tamsin glances uncomfortably in Althea’s direction. “You know much about it?” she presses hesitantly. “The Academy?”

Perhaps it is her imagination, but Tamsin is sure she hears Althea let out a quiet, derisive scoff.

“Actually,” says Vivius, with the air of barely-contained excitement, “I am nearly as new to the Academy as you.”

Tamsin whirls around to face him fully. “I beg your pardon?”

Vivius ducks his head and shrugs sheepishly, the kind of affected modesty borne of one who is in truth quite proud of his achievements. But before he can say anything else, Althea cuts in coldly. “Don’t bother demonstrating. She can’t see.”

Both Vivius and Tamsin look up, surprised by her sudden interjection. Althea is still looking away from them.

Tamsin’s mind is slow to catch up. New to the Academy, demonstrating, can’t see— “You have the Gift?” she turns back to Vivius.

Her tone is perhaps more openly incredulous than she had intended, but the idea is something of an absurdity. She’s never heard of a man with magic. Why, the people of Godsplace would be in an uproar. She tries to imagine one of those gruesome scenes in the Town Square with the roles reversed, nonmagical women in official uniform dragging unwitting young men up onto the stage to put them to the flame. It would never happen.

Again Vivius shrugs good-naturedly. Tamsin begins to feel acutely embarrassed by her inexperience. “I’m sorry,” she says quickly. “I don’t mean to be rude, really, it’s just that…” It’s just that where Tamsin comes from, women are put to the flame for witchcraft, a fate even the most dreadful man, someone a thousand times worse than Teddy Page, need never fear.

“It’s all right, Tamsin, I’m quite accustomed to the shock,” says Vivius, holding up his hands in a show of surrender. “Men who possess the Gift are exceedingly rare, but we do exist. As I would gladly demonstrate, but the Keeper informs me such a show would be lost on you for the moment.”

“Yes, what a shame,” says Althea icily. “One wonders why you ever left the Academy at all, Vivius, if you’re so fond of impressing wide-eyed idiots with parlor tricks.”

Tamsin winces at Althea’s cruelty, but Vivius seems remarkably unfazed. “Don’t mind the Keeper,” he says to Tamsin. “She’ll be a different person once she gets her meal.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” says Althea.

As if on cue, the bartender emerges from the back room balancing three large plates on his arm, all filled to overflowing with foods that are unrecognizable to Tamsin. She’s been so preoccupied, she barely even noticed her own hunger, but now her mouth waters, and her stomach aches.

The food is rich and heavy, not at all what Tamsin is used to. She cannot identify a single thing on her plate—even the type of grain is unknown to her. The meat is cooked in a way Tamsin could never have imagined—it seems to her to be covered in some sort of bread crumbs and cooked in a heavy oil. When she wonders aloud at this ingenuity, she draws both Vivius and the bartender into conversation with her, and they happily explain the origin and preparation of each of the unfamiliar foods, and many others besides.

Althea continues to ignore them. She eats her food at the other end of the bar in self-contained silence.

In spite of Althea’s coldness, Tamsin finds herself warming to Vivius. He is friendly and forthcoming, and he doesn’t answer her questions with long, weighty pauses or meandering riddles that aren’t really answers at all.

“Keeper Althea mentioned that there aren’t very many new students at the moment,” Tamsin prompts him, attempting to sound casual. To her left, she would swear she can almost feel Althea bristling, but Althea doesn’t say anything.

“Yes, well, it’s to be expected,” says Vivius.

“Why is that?”

“Well, because of the prophecy,” says Vivius, as though this should be obvious. He takes a bite, evidently unaware that this warrants any further explanation.

“Prophecy?” Tamsin echoes.

Vivius looks up mid-bite, his eyes rendered somewhat comically wide by the thick lenses of his glasses. He finishes his food and sputters, “Oh, goodness, forgive me, I really thought even the nonmagical knew about that.”

“Not me,” says Tamsin simply.

“Oh, well, uh—“ Vivius glances somewhat nervously toward Althea. “I don’t know if I’m the best person to explain it.”

When Althea remains steadfastly silent, Vivius amends, “But I’ll do my best.”

He puts down his fork and steeples his fingers while he thinks. “So, how to put this? I think I ought to start by saying that the average person cannot actually confirm whether the prophecy really exists.”

“It does,” says Althea quietly.

“Right,” Vivius falters, “as I’ve said, the average person. It’s important because interpretations vary widely the world over. And of course, like all prophecies, the actual contents are extremely vague and open to interpretation.”

“What are the actual contents?” Tamsin asks.

Again Vivius glances hopefully toward Althea, but she keeps her counsel.

“The story goes,” Vivius continues cautiously, “that a child born at the crossroads of time will set the darkness free of its shackles.”

A moment’s silence follows. “That’s it?” asks Tamsin.

Vivius nods. “That’s it.”

In spite of her stony silence, Tamsin glances back toward Althea. “But that’s hardly anything! That doesn’t answer my question at all!”

Vivius chuckles. “Yes, it is infuriating, isn’t it?”

“Why does that amount to no new students at the Academy?” Tamsin presses, not a little exasperated.

“Well, let’s break it down, shall we?” says Vivius, in the manner of a kindly schoolteacher. “What do you suppose qualifies as a ‘crossroads of time?’”

Tamsin balks at him for a long moment before she even deigns to consider what he has said. Nameless nobodies do not get much education in Godsplace, and it has been a long while since she was a student of anything.

“All right,” she sighs at last. “I don’t know. The start of a new year? The changing of an Era?”

Vivius nods. “Excellent guesses. Also the most common interpretation. Most people believe that this fabled child was born at the changing of the Era, perhaps even at the very turning of the year, right as the clock struck midnight. If so, how old would that child be now?”

“Sixteen,” Tamsin answers easily. The child would have been born in the same year as she. “But then how—“

“And what sort of person do you imagine could manage a feat like breaking the darkness free from its shackles? Someone ordinary?”

Tamsin falters. “Well, no, I suppose not.”

“Almost certainly one of the Gifted, yes?” Vivius nods.

“Sure,” says Tamsin. “But what does that even mean? Setting the darkness free and all that?”

“Now that explanation I shall leave to your teachers at the Academy,” Vivius laughs. “Suffice to say, there is darkness in this world, in a very literal sense. It is a kind of magic not so very different from your own Gift. Very powerful. But dangerous. Unpredictable. It is said that once the darkness finds you, you can never truly be free of it, even if you manage to resist its whispers all the days of your life.”

Tamsin shivers involuntarily.

“No one knows exactly what it means, setting the darkness free of its shackles. How could we? Scholars may theorize, but they are going off of next to nothing, little more than stories almost as old as time itself. But a world plunged into darkness does not sound very appealing on its face, now, does it?”

“Well, no,” says Tamsin uncertainly.

“As I’ve said, interpretations abound the world over, most of them probably wildly inaccurate. But nearly everyone agrees on one thing: the prophecy cannot come to pass. It would destroy the world as we know it.”

Such heady concepts are, for the moment, wholly beyond Tamsin’s comprehension. She is more focused on one simple matter. “You still haven’t answered my question,” she points out.

Vivius laughs, abashed. “No, I suppose I haven’t. There may be many reasons that so few young ladies of your age have made their way to the Academy. Many have likely been hunted down and killed, as, I’m given to understand, is the practice in Godsplace. Many, I expect, are in hiding, hesitant to submit themselves to the Academy’s scrutiny.”

Tamsin considers this, her mind reeling. “Because, what? What would happen? To this…person the prophecy speaks of?”

“Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it?” says Vivius with a shrug. “How can they know? Public opinion on the matter is not generous, to say the least.”

“Should I be worried, then?” Tamsin wonders. The idea had not occurred to her.

“Well, I don’t know,” says Vivius. “You were born at the changing of the Era, but when?”

Tamsin shrugs. “Sometime in the summer. I’m not sure exactly.”

Vivius nods, as if that is the end of it. “Well, then, it’s unlikely you’ll run into any problems at all. The prophecy is open to interpretation, of course, but these things tend toward the dramatic. To that end, perhaps we’ll start seeing more new students sooner than later, now that the timing is off.”

They fall into silence after that, Tamsin consumed by her thoughts, and the others concerned with their food. When they have all cleaned their plates, the bartender comes to collect them, and he tells Althea that he has prepared another room for Tamsin.

‘Wonderful,” says Althea, offering the bartender a smile and a nod as she accepts her keys. “Thank you.” For the first time since they arrived, she looks at Tamsin. “I’ll be turning in now. Shall I show you to your room?”

“All right,” says Tamsin, trying very hard not to scramble to her feet. “Good night, Vivius,” she says. “Will I see you again soon?”

“It’s been a pleasure, Tamsin,” says Vivius with a wave. “I’ll be heading out before dawn, but come and find me when you make your way to the Academy, won’t you?”

Tamsin nods, and she feels distinctly relieved to have at least one friend to look forward to at the mysterious Academy. She turns around to find that Althea has just barely waited for her, and quickly scrambles to follow Althea through a small doorway and up a narrow staircase. Outside, the moon is uncommonly bright, and it casts strange shadows through the open window. The stairs shift and creak ominously beneath her feet, and the banister feels ready to work itself loose.

When they reach the second floor, Tamsin dares to speak up. “May I ask you something?”

“You may,” says Althea.

“You don’t seem to like Vivius much,” says Tamsin.

Althea glances over her shoulder. “Is that a question?”

Tamsin averts her gaze, embarrassed. “Well, am I wrong?” she wonders self-consciously. “Why don’t you like him?”

Perhaps Tamsin could have anticipated the way Althea weighs her question with a heavy sigh. She stops in front of a door in the middle of the hallway and produces a key. She ushers Tamsin inside and closes the door behind them before she even begins to answer.

“It’s not exactly that I don’t like Vivius,” says Althea at last. “But have you ever in your life heard of a man with the Gift? Even in stories?”

“Well, no,” Tamsin admits. “It is strange to think of, but…”

“Strange, yes. Almost unheard of,” says Althea. “The thing that troubles me is that no one seems to know how it happens. I mentioned to you earlier that the Gift is hereditary? Not so with men, at least as far as anyone can tell. Which is not very far at all, since there are maybe a handful total, in all of history.”

“Even still,” says Tamsin hesitantly, “you make it sound like it’s his fault.”

“As I’ve said, I’ve nothing against Vivius specifically,” says Althea curtly. “But I do not trust his magic, nor do I support allowing a man into the Academy, no matter his talents. He could just as easily go across the water, where he would be welcomed.”

Tamsin considers this. “Do…others feel as you do?” she wonders. “Other Keepers, I mean?”

To her surprise, Althea chuckles. “You think my views are unusual?”

Tamsin averts her gaze. “Well, I wouldn’t know.”

“But you disagree.”

“Well.” Tamsin doesn’t know enough to agree or disagree. She likes Vivius, but she trusts Althea. She fiddles with the strap of her traveling bag.

“Opinions on the matter are mixed at the Academy,” Althea elaborates at last, with surprising good humor. “Which, as it happens, is another reason for my objection. Vivius’s mere presence at the Academy is the subject of endless debate, all of it a colossal waste of time. There are far more important matters.”

“Like the prophecy?” Tamsin wonders, before she has fully decided to speak.

Althea sighs. Again, she looks a little amused. “It’s not as though I’m keeping things from you on purpose, Tamsin,” she says. “There’s a lot to take in. And frankly, the prophecy is not the sort of thing a new initiate should be most worried about.”

Still, Tamsin cannot help but ask, “You said earlier that…that you know it’s real. You know it exists.”

“Yes, well,” Althea averts her gaze. “I am among the lucky few.” The light from the full moon catches in her eyes, and Tamsin is reminded of the way they glowed when she used her Gift.

Tamsin considers this. “Is that why you came to Godsplace?” she wonders.

Althea quirks a brow at her. “After a fashion,” she says.

“Is that why the burnings happen?” Tamsin presses. “Because of the prophecy?”

“Not exactly,” says Althea. “Godsplace has a long history of archaic practices. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the reason you’ve noticed them happening more frequently.”

“Then…” Again Tamsin fidgets uncomfortably with the strap of her bag. “Then there are people in Godsplace who know about it?” Could Bryce have known? Would he keep something like that from her?

“Perhaps. But this is all pure speculation, you understand. I came to Godsplace because I heard about the burnings and I had a feeling I should go and try to intervene. As it turned out, my feeling was about you.”

“Me?” Tamsin echoes, stunned.

“Well, yes,” says Althea, as though it were obvious. “Following my intuition led me right to you in your hour of need, after all. And I’d have allowed you to stay and say a proper farewell if I felt we had the time.”

“But…” Tamsin stammers. “But I thought you said you came to Godsplace because of the prophecy.”

“I did,” says Althea. “I’ve been traveling trying to find anyone who fits the description.”

“But I don’t fit the description,” says Tamsin.

Althea hums. “No, not exactly. Nevertheless, you are a Gifted who would likely have been put to the flame without my intervention. An equally worthy cause, I should think.”

Tamsin shivers. “But then…why are you looking for the prophecy?” she wonders. “What will you do?”

Althea considers this. “It’s more about what I will not do, if I’m being honest. Many would see the prophesied child dead, as if something so banal would put an end to all the world’s problems. If I can find her, I would spare her from that fate, and see that she is properly trained.”

“Why?” Tamsin asks. “Would it be better? Would that avert the prophecy?”

“I cannot know for certain,” says Althea. “In many ways I am as much in the dark as anyone else. But is it not better to try to avert such a prophecy with the power of reason? With information and preparation? Rather than expecting brute force to unmake the delicate weave of fate?”

Tamsin doesn’t know what to say to that.

“I would not see what is sure to be a talented young lady put to the flame before she can even realize her potential,” says Althea with a small smile. “And I mean that as much for you as I do for the prophesied child, whoever she may be. What happens after that is another matter, best left for when the time comes.”

Tamsin nods slowly. Perhaps Althea is right, after all, and she has asked for more knowledge than she is ready to handle. It is a lot to take in.

Althea pats her shoulder. “Get some rest, Tamsin.“

It is perhaps a mercy that Tamsin is so unfathomably tired. Her head is spinning, and on any other night, the brightness of the moon might have kept her awake thinking until her time for sleep had passed. But almost as soon as she lays down, she feels herself drifting off. In her dreams, she is being led into the Town Square all tied up with heavy rope, but she is not afraid. She knows the flame cannot touch her anymore.

#exciting tag for writing things #personal #now that i've kind of got the school trash fire under control im hoping i can devote some time to this again soon #i got a LOT done via nano even tho my life fell apart toward the end LOL #so school things notwithstanding hoping I can do the mini-nano thing that's soon to move my draft along a lil more #i'd like to be able to share it somewhere in an organized format while im working on it but *waves vaguely at everything*#so we are left with these extremely easy to navigate tumblr dot website posts

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