#here's an example of my fic-finding abilities:
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salmonight · 1 year ago
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Touch my chicks and you are ROAST (literally 🔥)
Draco awakens his creature inheritance on his 14th birthday. It's a great news right?
For him and his housemates? Definitely. For anyone else? They find out pretty fast it is very much not.
As it turns out Draco is a very fierce and very temperamental flying chicken (Veela) who promptly adopted all the Slytherin lower years as his 'chicks'.
He would go into an absolute feral rage if ANY of them were hurt and deal with the preparators with no mercy or whatsoever. Let's also be said that Veelas are very, very vengeful creatures.
So as it should be other houses would learned very quickly that hurting one of the lower year Slytherins are a serious health hazzard (for them) and need to be avoided like the plague if they didn't want a pissed of pureblood or worse... a floff with anger issues and very sharp talons and instant combustion abilities out for their blood.
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gffa · 11 months ago
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JEDI ORDER CITATIONS IN STAR WARS CANON, PART V [A Meta/Reference Guide on AO3] Welcome to my Jedi Culture and Teachings in Canon series, where I collate various quotes from current canon to provide a worldbuilding and reference guide, whether for better fic writing, just general interest in getting to know the Star Wars lore better, or if you want to be able to pull out some quotes when you're fighting the internet on behalf of the fictional space wizards. ;) So, what's here? Basically anything I think would be of interest to people who want to know what the Jedi are like in the canon--any worldbuilding bits (what special abilities do the Jedi have? do the Jedi have art? do they have funeral rites? what do we know about Knighting ceremonies? what are the themes of the Force? are the Jedi telepaths or empaths and what scenes in canon support that? what do we know about Jedi schooling?), any quotes from Lucas himself, all arranged in categories to help you find what you're looking for. Feel free to take this guide or leave it, it's not about telling other people what to do, if you scroll on by, that's fine, I'm not your mom, do what you want. But if you want to know what the Jedi have to say about Force bonds or what kind of clothing they way or everything we know about the main ziggurat of the Jedi Temple, I got you covered, babe. This section is admittedly overly large, where previously I would get to about 25k words of citations and post the next part, feeling that was a manageable chunk for readers. But with The Acolyte coming out, I made a challenge to myself to get caught up on all of The High Republic before it aired and I drop citations in as I'm reading, so suddenly I found myself with nearly 50k of citations and I was feeling in the groove, I had all my references easily accessible, I was getting through my backlog, I had access to some of the roleplaying guides, I was seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and, wham, suddenly it's ~70k and here I am now. But that's 70k of examples of what the Jedi say and do, my best attempt to give context to show the consistent themes and parallels within the Jedi Order all across this continuity. How to use this guide? Well, you do you, for starters! But I hope you'll read the intros, as often some books need to be put in specific contexts, and if you have any suggestions for future categories or better organization, feel free to mention it! I do this for me, but I format it for sharing, so I'm game! Feel free to check out previous sections for more examples, and just scroll through to skim the bolded sections to try to find what you're looking for, since not everything always fits neatly into a single given category! (Or just ask me! I love being a nerd about Star Wars worldbuilding.) The guide is broken down into seven sections as before:
How the Force Works
Jedi Culture & Philosophy & Teachings
Jedi As a People
Psychic Space Wizards Doing Psychic Space Wizard Things
Jedi Temple (Living Quarters, Training Rooms, Meditation Gardens and Dining Halls !)
Jedi Outreach, Politics, and the Bigger Galaxy
Fantasy Flight Games Are Not Canon But Canon-Compliant Is Close Enough
Jedi, Buddhism, and Everything Else
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microsofttothemax · 1 year ago
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the resentment leo would have with splinter post-krang. i genuinely think they would take a bit for them to recover and be comfortable around each other
why do i think that? here’s some reasons. this is gonna be a HELLA long analysis so be prepared. sit down, grab some popcorn, and let’s dive in
in the movie, after raph was taken, leo goes on a whole rant about how he got the key, he gets the answers, and he will get raph back. yes this is irrational and brash, but not in leo’s eyes. in his eyes, this is a foolproof plan that will work
splinter attempts to intervene, and tell him like it is. “it’s not your plan, you need to work with your team.” however, it comes out as a sharp sting to leo’s previous attitude
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“My son, listen to your team. This is not about you.”
it’s meant to be sensible and wise, but to leo, it’s a jab at him. it’s a stab at his cockiness and self-centered attitude, and it reminds leo of why they’re even in this position in the first place. which he hates
most of all, it’s splinter saying it. it’s his father telling him that it’s not about him. because to leo, he’s always been last place to splinter’s affection, and it’s like splinter’s confirming it here
don’t believe me? here:
splinter talks to leo, and it seems that for a minute, he listens to his father’s words. that maybe he should really stop and listen. maybe he should stop and think of a plan, listen to his brothers’ input.
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but the second splinter says it’s not about him? leo shuts down. he pulls away from splinter, and refuses to listen to him. and while splinter may be right, it was something leo never wanted to hear
it’s obvious that he has a somewhat testy relationship with his father, and splinter is trying to make up for it by giving leadership advice. but to leo? this is the guy who made him leader to seemingly mess with him, never bothered to give him attention or praise on his accomplishments, and never truly knew leo beyond his “acting as the best to save face” charade
which brings me to another reason. no, i do not think splinter was ever abusive or purposely neglectful to leo, or any of the boys for that matter. but its clear theres a bit of a rift between him and leo. i think that he kind of resents leo a bit (without meaning to) because he sees himself in him. he sees the irrational movie star who never thought ahead, and made too many mistakes to count
an example would be when leo got punched by lou jitsu two times. none of his brothers got punched, why just him? and sure it could be a running gag, but i find it also to be intentional
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maybe deep down, splinter still resents leo for being so much like his irrational, unreasonable younger self. that every time he sees leo, he sees his stupid past self, and without meaning to, he at times hates leo because of it. and if he doesn’t hate him, he seems to resent him to some extent
splinter also has plainly stated that donnie was the funniest one to him, (s1ep 1, mystic mayhem) and outright laughed when leo asked if he was the favorite son (rottmnt wake-up alarms on youtube, timestamp 1:59) leo also staight-up said that he was splinter’s least favorite (s1ep 4b, down with the sickness)
so yeah, i can see the resentment leo may have for his father deep down. it could be pretty apparent post-krang, hidden behind his jokes and teases
now don’t get me wrong, they have their moments of bonding, and i do love to read little drabbles and fics where they hug and heal. however… realistically speaking, it would take a while for them to get to that stage of father-son bonding post-krang. with splinter naming him leader out of the blue, to the missing lou jitsu posters on the walls of leo’s room in the movie — and we’re definitely talking about that in a later post, trust — i would bet their relationship as father-son pre and post-movie would be extremely rocky.
another reasoning for this could be that splinter often underestimates and undermines leo’s abilities and accomplishments. far as i’ve seen, the most reaction splinter’s given to leo’s accomplishments is an eyebrow raise
for example, when outsmarting big mama, leo was genuinely proud of spending time w his dad and showing him his abilities. he genuinely thought they were working together. however, splinter didn’t say he was proud or anything, just complained he wished he’d brought donnie (s2ep 2, many unhappy returns)
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“I knew I should have brought Purple.”
ouch. that mustve hurt a bit
and yes, i will admit, leo was being a bit of a little shit in this scene, and yes, he could’ve told splinter of the plan before starting to yap and blab to big mama about the plan he cooked up. however, the response splinter gives is not much better. essentially, he’s saying, “i don’t like this kid or his plan, so therefore i think i should’ve brought one of my favored children to solve the problem better.”
and before you go and tell me donnie could’ve outsmarted big mama the way leo did, think for a moment. leo fully admitted to manipulating and lying in an episode before
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“I don’t lie, I just… change the truth.”
whereas donnie cannot tell a lie to save his life. i love him, but the guy is a shit liar. he has failed multiple times at it
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“We are just typical normal humans.. who got lost in the middle of our normal… everyday human lives— nailed it.”
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“Uh… nothing. Just having a typical, normal, mystic-free day.” “What? I said mystic-free.”
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“Why aren’t you guys more upset?”
“Oh. This… hurts me. Uh… I’m very sad…?”
raph & mikey aren’t much better. mikey straight-up started sweating when he had to lie to splinter about piebald, and raph has so many different stinks/scents to him that it’d be easy for others to tell he was lying
also, mikey has doctor delicate touch. who does not know what lying or “don’t be blunt” means
and donnie’s really only being extremely straightforward with what he thinks or about what’s going on around him. so it makes no sense as to why splinter would want to bring donnie along to outsmart big mama, unless he genuinely doesn’t enjoy leo’s presence, which seems to be the case
now all of this is evidence to point towards a very unsteady father-son relationship with these two. yes, splinter seems to be a very lenient father, and i genuinely think he wants to be a good dad. however, oftentimes that leads to miscommunication and misread moments, empty promises, and overall neglecting behavior on his part, all without meaning to
so while he does try harder to be there for his sons later in the show, it’s pretty obvious that one brother — who thrived off any attention possible — probably stopped caring about that validation after all that he went through. splinter gives, but leo doesn’t take. he doesn’t bother to, because he thinks it’s either a prank of some kind, or because he just genuinely doesn’t care for his father’s input anymore.
(this was based on that one post about splinter & leo by @midwesternvibes, i just figure i revisit that bc i’m thinkin about it again)
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ecstasturns · 22 days ago
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inspo writers if you’re experiencing writer’s block
we all get tired of writing and struggle to find inspiration. when Pinterest and tik tok stop working, where else do you go? well I have to say there’s nowhere better to get inspiration than from the talented, hard-working people on this very app. so here’s a carefully crafted list of writers I’ve found really helpful when it comes to upping my pen drive.
@mattluvr I’m a mattlluvr-luvr because every single piece of writing is amazing. I can never get bored on her account. polly, seriously let me give you head.
@waitforyrlove first of all, the AESTHETICS of this account. but no, the quality of the fanfics are undeniable. ik she’s currently on a hiatus but I had to mention it. go binge rn if you can’t write.
@sturnsrecord matilda is my favourite writer oat. also her theme rn is really great if you’re reading at night for some inspiration. istg sometimes i have dreams based off her writing.
@bernardsbendystraws i swear every time i need to get my motivation back i read through rose’s blurbs and fics. the genuine talent shines through on her page. there’s nothing she can’t write.
@ifwdominicfike please please please we need to make sure this queen never leaves. some nights I don’t think I would have survived if it weren’t for her works. avery is also just so sweet so leave her a nice message after binging.
@luvs4matt i actually have a dilf!matt blurb in the drafts based off her version of the au. cherry you are such an inspiration to me, and if anyone is reading this looking for daddy Matt motivation…
@delilahsturniolo bro. delilah is the fucking cutest. and I love her album marathon to pieces. also wanna say I love the theme. I have definitely scrolled through her account for inspiration.
@mattybsgroupie personally, I’d suck and fuck maria. anyway, yeah if you want some examples of well-structured smut that manages to be original and still interesting GO TO HER.
@55sturn star has the coolest aus. they are all structured so nicely and I’m star’s no.1 little sister. she’s also very open to giving advice so send her your questions.
@hysteria-things a sturniolo token writer. I’m literally haleigh and Chris’ love child. her masterlist is my home. and I’m willing to share so if you are bored or losing interest in wtv you’re writing, go read.
@darksturnz sol is so fucking cool, i mean just look at her account. she has the best takes and I am very fucking loyal to artist!chris. something in her writing is unique and it’s so easy to read while being entertaining.
@vanteguccir layout? check. skill? check. personality? check. lele checks all the boxes. her ability to write coherent storylines is something i look up to. if you want long, varied fics, her blog is the place you need to be.
@strnilolover has got to be the most supportive person ever. you can count on her to hype you up but also to write like Shakespeare with a keyboard and a viagra. do i need to say more?
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frownyalfred · 2 months ago
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FYI, it majorly ticks people off if you use the Hal Jordan/ Green Lantern tags when the post is actually about Batman/ Superbat/ the Batfam and Hal/ another Lantern is simply a side character/ plot device.
It's a numbers thing: the Batman tag has 1.8 Million followers vs Green Lantern with less than 6500. By tagging Hal literally every time he's mentioned, people are making it hard to actually find content about Hal in his own tag.
And no, you can't just block people either, because it's always a different person! It's not an issue with any single person. No one would bat an eye about 1 in 100 or even 1 in 50 batposts. But they make up a very significant chunk of the tagged content.
It's forcing people to play the world's most annoying game of whack-a-mole. (And I don't even want to play it, because I actually like Batman, especially your stuff. Just.. not when I'm searching for Hal content lmao.)
I obviously can't force you and other people to change the way you tag. But I can beg you to consider it. So here I am.
Thank you for listening.
Okay, I'm going to say this as gently as possible because I keep getting asks like these and I don't really think we're on the same page. There are a few points I want to get out of the way before I talk about tagging itself.
You are frustrated because there is a lack of Hal Jordan content
You are frustrated because there is a lack of high quality Hal Jordan content
You are frustrated because Hal Jordan content is not as popular as Batman content
Tag "etiquette" is a rapidly evolving and nebulous thing, and I don't think it's as straightforward as you and other tag purists make it out to be. There are some core components more people agree on - tagging hate in a different tag, for example - but beyond that?
You cannot control what other people tag, like you suggest. And I want to suggest to you, that asking people to not tag a character when they are making a post about them/involving them is a well-intentioned but impossible request.
Here's why: You mention that you don't enjoy finding posts where Hal Jordan is a "side character" or "plot device." The problem is, if Hal Jordan is mentioned by name in the post, that's a pretty straightforward tag for the average Tumblr user. "Oh, Hal has a line in this mini chat fic? I'll tag him." They're not thinking about catering to your experience, or your desire to see exclusive, high-quality Hal Jordan content. They're tagging the guy because he shows up in the post, full stop.
Another issue is the ability to filter in the opposite direction -- without tagging Hal Jordan in posts, you also remove the ability for other users to filter him out of posts, regardless of his role "size" in that post. If he's not tagged, he's harder to filter around. That's why we have tags - to find and to avoid content.
I got feedback while writing love comes quickly that I shouldn't have tagged Batlantern in my posts about their jealousy/love triangle because the Batlantern wasn't "endgame." The problem was, Batlantern literally happened in that fic. It happened in the posts. And so I tagged those posts with the ship, because guess what? The posts were about Batlantern. They weren't "endgame", but that's not how tagging works. It's how you want it to work, but that's not how most people think or have used tags.
I think the overall problem here is that you, and other fans (I've seen this same discourse about Duke and other characters who don't get enough "fandom time") use the Tumblr tag as a way to find and enjoy content about your favorite character. There's nothing wrong with that, but it involves a ton of sifting. And yes - even those in the Batfamily/Batman tags have to do this, too.
Where we differ in opinion, I suspect, is that I don't think sifting through your character tag is a great way to find high quality, character-focused posts. And I don't think we should expect it to be. The tag is an unedited, unfiltered swill of a variety of posts -- some with Hal Jordan as the focus, some with him as a secondary JL character, and some where he's mentioned in passing.
I see people get very defensive and "protective" of these character tags, and you correctly identify that that kind of protectiveness is fruitless. I posit that it is because you, not the random accounts tagging Hal Jordan on a JL post, are using the tag filter/search incorrectly. You have expectations for Tumblr that are neither realistic for the platform, nor how it has been historically used.
But listen -- the tag search is the place you start. You sift, you filter out posts, and eventually you find blogs that post high-quality content that focuses on your character exclusively. You follow those blogs, and eventually your dashboard is the stream of Hal Jordan-focused posts, both new and reblogged, that you want the character tag to be.
The problem is, as I suspect you've seen, there just aren't as many Hal Jordan or Duke-focused blogs putting out content at the rate of the Batman/Batfamily tags. And that's really disappointing, and I don't want to skip over that. It really sucks, and unfortunately sometimes our only option is to either 1) accept that 2) create our own content or 3) convince others to create content. But shaming people for using the tag "wrong" -- not what you're doing here, to clarify, but just what I've seen -- isn't the way to achieve #3 there at all. You just turn people off ever mentioning that character again.
You might think this is a harsh take, and you might think that I contribute to the issue you are experiencing. There is a way for people to use Tumblr and for you to enjoy your content. But it involves work on your end, and managing expectations. And of course, a general level of respect from people creating posts and tagging them. I hope you're not upset with this response, but I think it's the last I'll say on the subject.
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lizmidfordsblog · 2 months ago
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Who is Cale Henituse? And Who is Kim Rok Soo?
In a previous post, I mentioned how OG!Cale's The Birth of a Hero future was Kim Rok Soo's worst nightmare. Raon never lived. The Henituse County was razed to the ground. Eruhaben was likely killed off by the Dragon Half-Blood or the White Star.
How do we know that was his worst nightmare? Because Kim Rok Soo (KRS) has already lived through it with the cataclysm and everything that unfolded afterward. I'm currently writing a thesis on the fluidity of identity, and the sheer lack of staticness of KRS's entire life & his personhood is physically staggering.
Orphanhood, child abuse and alienation are all examples of instability we see reflected in real life. They don't necessarily have to connote instability, but in KRS's case, they did. Shifting from different homes, in the care of (or lack thereof) of different adults etc. These are age old tales, of children aging out of systems and working hard to get into college to support themselves. Here, KRS stands out as one example out of thousands.
But the author takes this to the next level; in the Cataclysm, that already fragile sense of identity is fully squashed.
During the Sloth Test, Kim Rok Soo defines his high school experience as uneventful and peaceful. He's finally out of his abusive situation and can reset, can lay down his roots. He begins to develop goals, fosters connections (however little they are) and has the drive to reach for those goals through working jobs. The moment he dares to dream of more, the Cataclysm takes place in what can arguably be a moment in Earth 2's history that revamped every single human being's identity.
Once, Lee Soo Hyuk (LSH) was a third rate actor playing extras. Now he's lowkey the hope of the diminishing Korean population. He's the only Ability User with two (recorded) abilities.
Once, Kim Rok Soo (KRS) was an orphan working in a restaurant earning money to attend college. He'd made something out of himself, no matter how little or fragile it was.
Now he's effectively nothing, as is enforced and told to him by literally everyone in this new society that prioritizes efficiency & usefulness over all else. He states it himself, considers it true himself: he was useless until he activated his own Abilities.
Then we have the dismantlement of the central shelters, then latter on a period of stability where he forges bonds with Choi Jung Soo (CJS) and Lee Soo Hyuk (LSH). He again, finds a place for himself in a broken world. And what happens? That, too, disappears.
Kim Rok Soo is someone used to change, placing and taking down different masks in order to survive. The irony of his existence is how he literally gets his soul swapped, another complete revamp of his identity. He's no longer Kim Rok Soo (not that he had much attachment to it, as KRS emphasizes throughout the novel) but rather he's Cale Henituse now. With all the connotations of the word.
I chose to write my fic specifically to interrogate this shift of identity. In TCF canon, we never really get to understanding the implications of OG!Cale's disappearance from the perspective of his loved ones. I adore KRS with all my heart, and cackle at all the 'trash' comedy going on. But I also think about the sheer tragedy of no one realizing OG!Cale was missing, or that KRS had replaced him. That's not on Choi Han, Raon or any of the family members KRS has gained post-transmigration.
It makes me think of just how alienated OG!Cale purposefully made himself that-- forget Deruth (who I can expect to be busy with work) but Ron, who was by his side every day did not realize. That's terrifying; it makes you wonder, what makes a person themselves? Their physical body, their soul, or their personality?
If KRS!Cale suddenly switched bodies back, would any of his family members realize?
(I know they would, cue our Dark Tiger quite literally recognizing KRS in the Sealed God Test, but think about it!!)
Jules works as a character because she's someone from OG!Cale's past, who knew him intimately (as close as a family member), and hence, at the realization that this is not him-- is understandably and rightfully equal parts pissed and scared. The funniest part is, this fic was never meant to be a romance, I was just toying with the idea of someone who actually knew OG!Cale before KRS took over, finding out about the soul swap. I'm really excited to see how the author tackles this with Ron & Beacrox in Part 2, who have long begun to suspect our beloved KRS!Cale.
Actually, this makes me think of Alberu, who's doing some identity swapping/obscuring of his own. I wrote a bit about it in to your eternity, but I might do a separate post just waxing poetry about the sheer beauty of him as a foil to our beloved Cale. And Choi Han. And OG!Cale. Ughhh!! Even Eruhaben, himself (as someone who has had a fixed identity/personhood across his thousand years) acts as a foil to Kim Rok Soo, who flips between identities like they're clothes. And who, ironically, has this change satirized via different characters always misunderstanding him (calling him a dragon, thinking he's a god etc.).
Any way, that is my daily dose of mental breakdowns courtesy of our favorite slacker. Sorry if I kept rambling obvious things, its just that every time I reread the novel, I'm just blown back by the characters. TCF, as it's core, isn't a plot-driven story but rather a character-driven on. It's heart is in it's found family and I think that's beautiful.
If you liked this post, or wanna geek over these characters more, shoot me a text! I'm always down!
Also, feel free to check out my fic! I currently have a chapter out talking about Beacrox & his displacement from his home/finding a new one with the Henituses.
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cecilysass · 4 months ago
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When I Think About You, I Touchstone Myself: Fic Recs for the Biogenesis/ Sixth Extinction/ Amor Fati trilogy
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I thought it was time to do some fic fixes for these important episodes for a few reasons.
First, Amor Fati is an episode I can’t ever stay away from; I both love it and have big issues with it. I love the tribute to Last Temptation of Christ, a film I admire, but I also find the identification of Mulder as a Christ figure to be problematic, or at least to raise questions the show doesn’t really address. I love the touchstone speech and the boy on the beach sequence; I find a lot of the real-life dialogue (e.g. between CSM and Diana) to be clunky.
And honestly, I find it kind of irritating that Diana's death happened off screen, too. Deep Throat, Spender, X, CSM, Well-Manicured Man, Blevins — their deaths were all dramatized onscreen, so it seems weird that Diana’s was not, doesn’t it? Anticlimactic and odd. To me, it's the straw that broke the camel's back for the Diana arc, really raising the question of whether she was ever really written intending to be an important character to the mytharc plot at all ... or whether she just really was a cardboard cutout character there to generate jealousy.
But I digress. What I mean to to say is: I always want to talk more about Amor Fati.
Second, I particularly enjoy me some psychic Mulder fic, and there are some great examples below. How well does he read minds? Does he read Scully’s? Her every thought? How long does it last? Readers want to know.
Finally, if you believe season 7 was the season of secret sex, or even if you just hold to season 7 as the “sometime consummated” season, these 3 eps have to be a crucial turning point. Some people maintain that Mulder got the affirmation to move ahead with MSR when he heard Scully's thoughts. Possibly. Either way, though, by the end, through the events of Amor Fati, they both validate the other’s point of view in a way we don't really see before. Plus, you know, maybe you heard? They’re one another’s touchstones. So this is a crucial MSR trilogy, too.
So I have a (NO DOUBT INCOMPETE) selection of fic recs below. I’m mixing up the fic recs for all three episodes, but I try to note if a fic is really more about one ep than another.
Fic Recs:
Before the White Noise - Nimz12peekaboo Scully goes to see Mulder inside his padded cell in Biogenesis. This is sweet and canon-attentive, if not quite compliant.
A Less Certain World - Sarah Segretti This is really only post-Biogenesis and goes AU after that; it’s the author’s AU Sixth Extinction, I suppose. Mulder is much more affected by the trauma to his brain and body than in the show, and Scully is scared for him. Amazing fic.
Temporary Shelter - Gwendolyn Also a Biogenesis post-ep, this fic imagines that Scully springs psychic Mulder from the hospital and then takes him back with her to the Ivory Coast. They stay in a cabin (with only one bed!) that was once occupied by another couple affected by the artifact. This is rich in plot (and in MSR.)
Stunned - Vickie Moseley This is, by description, what happens in the commercial breaks in Biogenesis. And let's just say that it’s kind of a lot. This fic focuses on Scully coming to calm Mulder down at the hospital, on their trust between one another. There is a little Diana wrap up, too.
All the Places - Ambress A lovely, lovely take on Mulder’s ability to read minds. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Out of Our Minds - Sarah Segretti and haphazard method This is specifically post-Biogenesis, written before season 7 began. It focuses on the rather realistic idea that Scully would be freaked the fuck out by Mulder being able to read her mind—like, existentially freaked out. Both characters’ POV here; both characters have your sympathy; angsty and extremely true to character.
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Disonance - suilven This piece is kind of a classic in my own little personal world. It just such a satisfying concept. It delightfully doesn’t take the canon implications of Mulder’s telepathy seriously, like, at all, which is why we love fanfic. Mulder, Scully, and Diana get stuck on an elevator just as Mulder’s starting to realize he can read minds. Delicious set-up.
the things they say in the dark - MonikaFileFan Missing scenes for Amor Fati, this piece helps us see the two moving closer and closer together while still having the invisible line between them. There is hurt/comfort here with Scully caring for Mulder, and a little light mind reading. So sweet and well done.
how to tell your lover you’ve seen all their secret gardens - 0666666 While Scully is taking care of Mulder after the events of Amor Fati, he tries to think of how to tell her he heard her thoughts. Very good.
Woven Deep by Maureen B. Ocks This is a really smart little Amor Fati post-ep with sharp dialogue / banter throughout. Mulder is in recovery, and they have a chance to talk about his experiences. It’s Mulder POV, but Scully is written very well here.
up and down the east coast by skuls When he’s still supposed to be recovering from Amor Fati events, Mulder asks Scully to go on a road trip to look for Sasquatch. She agrees. This one isn’t about psychic Mulder so much as the little guarded steps the two take towards acknowledging their feelings. Extremely sweet.
Synesthesia by haphazard method On a case shortly after the events of Amor Fati, Scully is still coming to terms with the role she plays in their partnership. An excellent conversation.
Petrichor by Aloysia Virgata. A lovely gem, a fandom classic. A one-chapter case file set directly after Amor Fati. Mulder and Scully’s relationship is offkilter and unsettled; Mulder is troubled by dreams with messages from a familiar ghost; the plot riffs on Anglo-Irish folklore. The spot-on banter and exquisite writing one expects from this author.
Eli Eli by Marguerite Mulder is recovering physically post-Amor Fati while Scully tries to cope with the crisis of faith her experiences in the Ivory Coast provoked in her. Skinner sends them to a beach house in Galveston to rest and heal.
Silence Waiting by JET Scully is struggling to cope with the implications of what she saw in Africa as Mulder heals and worries about her. This is intercut with the story of another telepath, Gretta, who grows up only reading the thoughts of one boy in her town, Frederick. This fic is lovely in every way and makes me weep.
The Boy on the Beach - me me (cecilysass) Yeah, I include my own fic. I just know it best, you know, lol? I include this one specifically for this theme because it was really written in part to engage with Amor Fati, specifically with the implications of Mulder’s Last Temptation of Christ-inspired dream sequence. But I'm the author, so you know, grain of salt.
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Let me know what I missed!
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mybutterflykindred · 4 months ago
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Hi!! I love your Kazekage Temari and Sunan Shikadai!! I know you said you are not thinking about making it a fic and I totally respect that, I just wanted to know if you have thought of other headcanons for this universe 💕 like for example if shikamaru and temari ever see each other and how do those moments go, shikadai's relationship with his mom and dad, or his dad's friends and family, in which sense shikadai thinks they still like each other (does shikamaru ever send temari gifts? Is it about the way they speak about each other?), if shinki exists or not.
Sorry if it's a very loaded question, I am just soo caught up with the lore ahah you can also don't answer if you aren't that invested in this alternative universe, i don't mind - i am just going to take this little space to say that I love your artstyle!!
Kisses!!
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Oh my gosh, ty for the lovely note! Not a loaded question at all-- I wanted to answer after I had somewhat finished the piece above. Here are some updates to the original headcanon with Shinki included: 
Following the events of Gaara Hiden, the Council are still disillusioned with Shikamaru and Temari being married, especially because Gaara and Kankuro do not have any kids or romantic prospects. 
Gaara takes in a young orphan boy named Shinki who demonstrates a great Iron Sand ability. The Council fears that Gaara is raising him to be the next heir, which is a problem because they don’t know who Shinki’s parents are.
Suna is very traditional and prefers that every leader have direct ancestry to the past Kazekages. 
The Council fears that Shinki is an omen to Suna’s future. 
(retcon) Shinki is a 2 years older than Shikadai, so he’s more adept at wielding chakra at this time.
The Council gives Gaara an ultimatum: (1) release Shinki from his care, get married, and produce a biological heir; or (2) step down from the Kazekage role. The Council gives Gaara three years to make a decision (I originally said five years, but I’m retconning it to three lol). Shikadai is 2 years old and Shinki is 4 years old at this time. 
Baki warns the siblings that the Council is planning a takeover, and to avoid this at all costs. 
Knowing Gaara will step down to protect Shinki, Temari returns to Sunagakure with Shikadai (5 years old) to prevent a takeover from the Council led by Ebizo and Tojuro. This appeases the Council and the public, because now they have a future biological heir living with them. 
Tired of the politics, Gaara eventually steps down. Temari assumes the Kazekage title with Kankuro as her second-in-command. 
Temari and Shikamaru divorce for the official record.
Shinki, Yodo, and Araya have their own team/clique. Shikadai joins them occasionally on missions, but he feels like an outsider. 
Do Temari and Shikamaru still like each other?
They do not talk at Kage Summits. It is a running joke that if they need to communicate on important matters, they will send notes through like twenty different people before it reaches the other. 
When they do talk about each other, they don’t say names. Instead, Shikamaru will say “How’s the tornado?” or “Did the cyclone die down, yet?” and Shikadai knows he is referring to his mother. Temari calls him “your idiot father.” 
On a few occasions, she’ll receive unmarked flowers, or a basket of chocolate and sweet chestnuts at her office. Shikadai suspects Shikamaru is sending her these items because few people know they are her favorite treats.
Shikamaru has an on-and-off again relationship with Shiho from the Cryptography unit. They go on a few dates but he’s not completely invested. 
People encourage Shira to ask out Temari; neither of them entertain this. 
On the surface, Shikadai pretends not to care. But the thought of his parents dating other people makes him viscerally sick.  
Shikadai’s relationship with Shikamaru (when he visits Konoha).
Thinks his dad is lazy, awkward and underwhelming.
Finds Shikamaru’s friends and neighbors annoying and overly-friendly, considering he didn’t grow up with them (e.g. Inojin, Chocho, Mirai, Boruto). 
He does like Yoshino as she coddles him in ways his mother doesn’t. Shikamaru complains that she is spoiling her grandson. 
Doesn’t know his father’s jutsus, but is very adept at planning strategies himself.
Is disappointed that Shikamaru allowed their family to be separated. Thinks his dad didn’t fight for them. But the truth is more complicated :(
They manage to bond over Shogi. But it always ends in a stalemate. 
This moment is captured in the illustration above, with Shikamaru apologizing for his mistakes as a father and husband.
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halfbaked00q · 4 months ago
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niches that I love and think could always do with more cakes in: James Bond × disability exploration.
like, the man has been through a LOT of shit and absolutely used his body hard. doesn't even have to be major major (although Vita Mortis, flotsam, jetsam you will always be famous to me). stuff like chronic pain, for example - he's got that fucked up shoulder after all [guess I went ahead and jumped the gun again]; traumatic brain injury [five years isn't so long]; some of the more, like, cognitive consequences of the ol' drill-in-brain [In good times and bad times -- love this one a LOT]; face blindness, even, like they teased in Spectre [somehow, I think there are actually more fics where *Q* has prosopagnosia than Bond lmao, despite Bond being the one to get ye old drill-to-brain supposedly to give him prosopagnosia. but we do have a tidbit of it in A Vein of Gold, and I always keep remembering Upon Remembering as a prosopagnosia fic but I guess it's not? But I feel like it's plausible for it to be- like, yes supposedly Blofeld tried to induce prosopagnosia w drill-in-brain but I still hold that brains don't just WORK like that, and also brains are amazing things with amazing abilities to adapt and compensate. maybe during the initial phases of injury and healing he does have issues with faces. but with recovery I do think it's plausible the brain could find ways to compensate and he'd regain the ability to recognize faces etc]
I also appreciate the fics that aren't specifically about this but do touch on JB × the constant struggle with bodily entropy [off the top of my head, The MI6 Tourist Guide to Vauxhall whomst I love muchly for many things but relevantly here has a part where Bond's shoulder gives him trouble and it leads to them going to a sauna lol; and of course the warmth of your doorways with its famous massage scene...]
not to say I don't enjoy the more acute/ contained injury or illness recovery fics, those are nice too. but like... the exploration of the chronic stuff is like, ooooough oh we are adding a layer of complexity to the soup now 👀
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lya-dustin · 1 year ago
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Queen of Light, King of Darkness
Aka the space!Nurbanu x Feyd Rautha fic
Cw: murder, allusions to sex, manipulation, mentions of cannibalism
Feyd Rautha x oc/reader
Taglist: @beebeechaos @avidreader73 @dunefandomhub
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Much like your mother before you, you did not lack boldness.
Your mother had captivated the Padishah Emperor even before his wife had died and cemented her place as favorite with the promise of a son ---and her wit and beauty heightened by her abilities, of course.
She would have succeeded if the Bene Gessrit had not meddled and made an example out of her. They claimed they had made her Shaddam Corrino’s concubine in the first place as a replacement for Anirul ---who was only of a middling rank as her daughters were--- and killed her so the emperor knew what would happen if he put a wrench into their centuries long breeding scheme.
Irulan was meant for Paul Atreidis and would birth the Messiah’s children who would inherit the throne, and you, Nurbanu, were meant for whoever the Sisterhood told your father to marry you off to.
But you have other plans.
You wanted the throne. You wanted revenge for your mother, and you knew there was only one way to acquire it.
Through him.
The Harkonnen heir who delights in cruelty and pain.
Feyd Rautha would be yours and the known universe as well.
You know you have caught his eye when he forgets who he is trying to impress and focuses on you and only you.
To the untrained eye, you wear gray and silver as you are hosted by the Baron in all his grotesque glory. You wore pink, an almost insulting color here where the black sun paints everything in stark shades of black and white.
They favored cool dark tones, black as the sun and white as marble are the most seen here. Some may be bold and wear blood red or a deep blue, but colors like those you wear are not welcome.
Not that they can say anything about it, you are the emperor’s daughter.
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You purposely avoid him during the festivities, hurting his ego because for the first time, a woman isn’t falling over herself for his attention.
It’s a good game, him as the predator and you as his prey.
But he has never met a woman quite like you, and his usual strategy doesn’t work. He can not make you jealous, he cannot impress you with his cruelty nor his position, nor can he manage to get you close enough to seduce you.
And yet, when he gives up, he finds you in his bed drinking his hard liquor and his concubines asleep on the floor. They have their own quarters as a proper harem would, but this is intentional. This was done to show your superiority over any woman he’s been with or ever could be.
“Was Lady Margot as good as the Box?” You ask mockingly. You are laid back on his pillows, as if you owned it as if he was the one who needed permission to even be there.
“Do you mock me?” He will find a better use for your mouth.
“Merely teasing you, you did have me here waiting all night. I was about to wake your harpies to make my night worthwhile.” You were Bene Gessrit just as Lady Margot Fenring was. He had rather enjoyed his night, but she had only awoken his appetites.
He knows nothing would feel as good as fucking a princess on his own birthday. To paint your pale skin with his seed as dark as your hair, to breed a son into you and claim the golden lion throne through you.
Vladimir is a fine name for an emperor. Vladimir Feyd, Padishah Emperor of the Universe.
“You haven’t even touched me, and already you named our firstborn.” You continue to tease him, light brown eyes dark with lust as you sense all the things he wants to do to you tonight.
There are so many ways he could take you, so many ways he could make you pay for your impertinence. He strips himself as he approaches you like a hunter with his quarry.
“Are you always this insolent, your highness?” Feyd climbs in slowly, like a great feline ready to pounce, but he never does. The Na-Baron only positions himself atop you ready to fuck you into submission.
Fenring had been the one in control. This time, it would be him who’s in control.
“Only when a man has my interest.” He can taste your arrogance in your lips and tongue. A heady feel like fucking under the influence of the spice, something he can bet you know about.
And if you don’t, he will gladly show you.
“A husband could fix that.” Who better than he to be that man. Your own name already matches his own.
Queen of Light. King of Darkness.
"Prince Consort Feyd Rautha has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Even the Bene Gessrit couldn’t have ever stopped this from happening, he thinks as he begins to unravel you underneath him.
It's no surprise to anyone that you return to your father as the Na-Baroness Nurbanu and pregnant with his only grandson to ensure neither he nor the Bene Gessrit get any ideas of separating the two of you.
“The Bene Gessrit expect you to die and leave the path clear for their creation. They always intended to have their messiah rule the universe through my boring elder sister.” You suggest as the two of you rid yourselves of his dear uncle and elder brother.
The black blood on your pale skin does things to him. He had expected you to be all talk and have him do all the work.
You had used your teachings to have both men kill each other and make him the undisputed Baron Harkonnen. Neither man could stop as your Voice commanded them to fight to the death, and Rabban took his own life once your manipulation of his body loosened.
He loved his uncle, even cared a little for his useless brother, but he loved power more. One day, he may even love you and you him.
“What does my baronness suggest I do?” He never had a morning like this and enjoyed the violent spectacle as you fed him with your loving hands. He wants to fuck you here, on the ruined dining room where his darling pets will feast on fine Harkonnen meat.
“Throw the fight, ally yourself with him, and let me give you your heart’s desire without even lifting a finger.” His radiant queen answers caressing his lips you do not seem to tire of.
And because you have not led him wrong, he does as she suggested and kills the Emperor instead.
Feyd Rautha welcomes a son, the future Emperor Feyd Murad, while the Atreidis line ends with the so-called Kwisatz Haderach.
Blond and dark eyed, and completely out of the Bene Gessrit’s control.
Part 2: the last wolf of Lankiveil
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cilil · 7 months ago
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Hi, do you have any advices for budding writers on AO3 or here?
Hey! :)
I've given this some thought and compiled what I hope might be some helpful pointers, but if there's anything else or anything specific you want to hear more about, feel free to ask again. Also I'm assuming this is about the amazing craft of fanfic and not, uh, building a platform or whatever (I wouldn't be very helpful with that, I'm a nobody x)).
Share what you feel comfortable sharing.
So since you're asking about budding writers on AO3 and Tumblr, I take it you're at a point where you feel comfortable sharing your writing online, which is amazing. Nevertheless, I feel the need to once again mention (just for anyone who may be in the same or a similar situation) that it's completely alright not to be comfortable with it (yet) or not to share everything you write. I share almost everything simply because I'm annoying and it makes me feel accomplished and since I've grown pretty comfortable with it, I might as well; but not everyone feels that way and feelings also change. It's completely alright to write just for yourself or a small circle of friends.
Don't worry too much about "being good".
I will be the first to admit that I deeply relate to struggling with perfectionism when it comes to writing (and other creative pursuits). However, as someone who's been reading fic for many years, tends to be into quite niche and obscure things sometimes and is rarely spoiled by big fandoms' abundance of food, I want all writers, especially new ones, to know that you don't have to write the most amazing, perfect, publishing-ready pieces. What matters is your passion and creativity, which will show in your writing regardless of skill level. Not to mention that fic is free and in fact a tool for many to experiment.
That's not to say you can't strive to improve or be good - by all means, I find it admirable if you want to hone your craft and make progress as you continue to write. Just don't let perfectionism ruin your fun and stifle your creativity.
How to get better without trying overly hard.
Aside from just writing, writing and writing (that is the most important part though), how do you improve without making it a point to do so? Well, if it works for you to read/watch guides or you enjoy specific writing exercises, that's great, but one thing that I find gets overlooked a lot in writing spaces is simply: Reading. Just reading for fun.
I find that I often discover little things in other people's writing that I really like and then I think to myself "wow, that's really neat how they did that, maybe I could take a page out of their book" (pun intended) and make it a point to pay attention to these things when I write. Essentially, it's like creating a nice patchwork blanket which is your style, made up of your own voice and preferences as a writer and cool stuff you picked up on the road.
Let me just name some examples, which, yes, are also an excuse to shamelessly blow some writer friends of mine a well-deserved kiss of appreciation. @sauron-kraut writes incredibly polished short stories with beautiful wording and atmosphere that have a lot of little hidden things to discover and dissect, and I want to steal her ability to set the stage and hide those easter eggs. @a-world-of-whimsy-5 is an absolute legend when it comes to writing medieval and medieval-adjacent stuff, and I learned so much from her fics. @i-did-not-mean-to has a way of writing with such esprit and wit that I always end up in a good mood after, a style of narrative voice I've adored for over a decade, and I've greatly improved my humorous writing in particular thanks to her. @crackinthecup has the marvelous ability to craft extremely emotionally evocative scenes, which have encouraged me to be more courageous and experimental in my sentence melody and structure. @tragedybunny has a way of writing that reminds me of coming home to a warm and comfy place, and I will find out how she did it and how I can do it as well.
So as you can see, it can be super helpful to compare notes with your fellow writers. Never be discouraged by someone else's ability; instead learn and expand your own.
Feedback, criticism and community.
Let me just get one thing out of the way: You don't have to take criticism from everyone. Or at all. As far as I understand, the fanfic community has come to to agree that we're doing this for fun and don't give criticism unprompted/when we aren't sure it's wanted or welcome. As a general rule: Take criticism from those you would also seek advice from. Ask for feedback if you feel comfortable, and if not, that's a valid boundary to have and I will gently smack anyone who presumes to pick apart writing that was made for fun and generously shared with the community for free.
The community aspect, however, should be taken into account on other fronts. While I won't tell anyone they have to interact and believe that, in an ideal world, everyone's writing would just speak for itself, it is helpful to engage with the community. Things you can do (both on Tumblr and AO3 if also applicable/possible) include: Respond to people interacting with your works, interacting with other people's works (for example while you're doing your reading sessions and looking at other writers' styles) and just overall being present, being talkative, going with the flow.
Again, this is not a must. But I will say that pretty much all of us want positive responses and interactions on their work and that just won't work if you expect everyone to show up for you all the time and never show up for anyone else. Engagement, passion and community are our "currency" in the absence of money and reciprocity is an important element of that. A lot of friction and complaints in the fanfic community regarding lack of interaction or entitlement are rooted in misunderstandings of this fundamental principle.
But don't take this in a cynical manner. Seek out what you enjoy, share the joy and passion and you'll make friends just accidentally - which is the part that I find makes fandom on AO3 and Tumblr so much fun! (I don't even want to be a "traditional" author anymore, I want this instead😁)
Find your groove and groove along.
Lastly, make sure your writing is fun for you or else it'll become a chore and eventually get ruined for you as a hobby. This is unfortunately a continuous task as your needs and interests shift - for example you might be in the mood to do an entire drabble challenge one month and during another month you feel so drained that you couldn't do another one. Or you might want to write something different for a change. Or whatever it may be.
Either way, one recent lesson I've learned is that I got too tied up in obligations and it left no space for spontaneous inspiration, so I never got to write what I wanted to write in the moment and it pushed me quite close to burnout. Do yourself a favor and always hold that space for yourself. In practice, this could for example mean that you do one event and on the side write this cool new idea you had, instead of doing three events - which is fun and games until it starts getting too much and you don't have time for your passion projects.
Finding your groove also includes the whole technical aspect, such as which writing programs you use, which device (or none at all), where you write, how to make yourself comfortable, how to get in the right headspace for things. I would also like to encourage all of you to be a bit crazy and whimsical about this: For example I've gone to the perfume store, picked out a scent for a specific character in a specific scene and sniffed it while writing the description several times now. Do what it takes. And say goodbye to your squeaky clean search history - you will research some weird stuff just to get that one line right.
So yeah, these are just my random thoughts on fic writing and what has been helpful in order for me to have lots of fun with this hobby. Happy writing!
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da-janela-lateral · 11 months ago
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very curious as to what you mean by esper survivorship bias! there’s a couple things i’ve noticed that could be related (like how other than the obviously powerful teru, mob, ritsu the only child espers we see are the awakening lab kids whose powers are so limited that if they’re the baseline most espers would probably never find out they have powers at all) (or how other than the main 4 esper teens and the awakening lab kids and sort of takenaka the only psychics we see are adults that are part of claw) (sorry. my adhdemons)
FINALLY MORE EXCUSES TO TALK ABOUT MY HYPHOTESIS.
I first adressed it in this post, little time after I read some fics focusing on Teruki's relationship to Claw and started wondering about some stuff. After reading (part) of the World Domination Arc in the manga, I got more questions, which I'll explain here:
The Esper Survivorship Bias Theory
Contrary to the norm in works focused on the paranormal, in Mob Psycho 100 society overall doesn't care about espers. This is of course related to the main theme of "nobody is special" and the story's tendency for desconstructing shonen tropes, but it also implies that while rare, espers aren't seen as a big thing. This can be seen in the following details:
While describing Mob's powers, Inukawa treats them as only something unusual.
The Kageyama family, their friends and their acquaintances find Mob's powers ordinary.
Espers are a known phenomena (for an example, Mr. Asagiri looks for dozen of psychics on the start of the Mogami Arc).
Even when people don't believe on psychic powers, they don't insist much on this view after tiny proof (that is, powers are somehow beliavable).
Espers existing at all doesn't change how society works.
For that to happen, there must be a condition: the occurrence of psychic powers is common enough so that people acknowledge them AND usually don't mind their existence. They are like a weird, yet mundane fact.
This may contradict the canon's premise that psychic powers are extremely uncommon, but in the Seasoning City region alone we see several characters with them. Toichiro affirmed Claw has about 700 members and that he had hired international mercenaries, which in turn may mean there is a significant esper population out there. So why are there so few espers in-verse, they take years to meet people like them?
Simple. They aren't as extremely rare as people think. This is survivorship bias.
Most espers on canon are adults over 20 years old, and even a great part of these are members of Claw. The only psychic children we see are the main cast, the Awakening Lab kids and Takenaka. What a interesting coincidence that Claw too is 20 years old...
It's not that young espers are ultra uncommon nowadays, it's that as soon as they're obvious, Claw takes them.
This is not limited to powerful people, as the organization went after the Awakening Lab kids even though Claw either knew they had insignificant powers, or had no information on the level of their abilities at all. Any esper youth that enters their radar is a valid target.
Besides that, it's essential to remember Teruki is an exception to the rule. He survived being hunted down by Claw since childhood, but he also lived in dire conditions and was obsessed with being stronger than the criminals who went after him. Despite their powers, most esper children are normal. They wouldn't have an idea Claw existed. They wouldn't be prepared for a kidnapping attempt. And considering espers tend to feel socially alienated, lonely children have bigger chances to trust the Claw officials if they presented themselves as "someone who understood them".
In other words: espers aren't as rare as people believe. It's that as soon as they show their powers, Claw takes action. This is why there are so few characters under 18 who have psychic powers.
Final comments
Of course, many of the arguments I have mentioned could mean other things. MP100 has a pretty soft worldbuilding after all because psychic powers aren't the main focus, but rather a pretext for developing each character's perspective and inner turmoil, as well as the story's themes. Lot's of things are also played for humor and don't have real relevance. Furthermore, one could mention how the audience's view over MP100's world is limited to Mob's very uncommon life, and how some elements we've seen aren't the standard.
I'm just thinking a lot about the Claw targets' families. What did they know about the kidnappings? What did they do about them? How did the authorities investigate these cases? Have they found any closure? Have they connected the dots about the nature of the disappearances?
And what about the targets in question? How did their recruitments work? What they thought about what happened to them? Did they miss their loved ones? How many of them went on and kidnapped more kids? How many of them survived? Did they get to reunite with the people they loved and have a chance on a normal life?
Some food for thought.
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deception-united · 10 months ago
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Hello! I really like your blog because it has helped me give more shape to my stories, however, it is too difficult for me to make fight scenes: from the movements to describing it so that readers know what action the character is doing.
So do you have any advice for this disgraced soul on how to write an action and/or fight scene?
Hi, thanks for asking! I do have a couple posts about fight scenes and how to make them realistic, but here are a few more tips you might find helpful.
Purpose:
Before you dive in, make sure the fight scene helps advance the plot or reveal information, instead of adding it in just for the sake of excitement or change of pace. Use it to showcase the strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and growth of the characters involved. Once you have this down, you can move on to actually plotting the scene itself.
Setting:
Before you start writing the scene, try to visualise where it's taking place and be clear about it. Oftentimes when I'm reading a novel or fic, one character will throw a punch and the other will trip over a wire I didn't know was there, cause I thought this was happening in a forest clearing. Walk through it in your mind—know the layout of wherever they're at, any objects they have near them (that could be used as weapons or to defend themselves. Remember that), and the positions of the characters themselves to avoid confusion for the reader and to make it all more immersive.
Characters:
Keep in mind the skills, weapons, motivations, and experience of each of the characters involved. This will make sure the scene is realistic and aligns with the rest of the story—a petite little girl taking down three large men single-handedly is impressive, okay, but it's probably not going to happen. Unless there's some reason behind it which is explained in the story, in which case I'm all for it. In any case, take their fighting abilities into account so it lines up with their established background and training, if they had any.
Describe actions:
When describing the characters' movements and actions, replace any terse verb with description. For example, in a fight between characters A and B, rather than "A punched B", dissect the action and describe it and its effect: "A's fist connected with B's jaw, sending them stumbling back." This can make the difference between a dry play-by-play and a fight scene that keeps readers engaged.
Describe sensations:
Incorporating sounds, sights, feelings, the thoughts racing through the character's brain, and other sensations like this can really serve to elevate the scene—describe the clash of steel on steel, the racing heart, muscles burning with fatigue, the sight of blood gushing, all of that. Limiting it to just who did what will make the scene fall flat.
Hope this helped! Happy writing ❤
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seriouslycalamitous · 3 months ago
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About CWTT and future stories
I'm so curious about Grian's powers in CWTT and more importantly, its limitations. You've mentioned in the fic that human is his most standard form is his human form, being transformed drains energy and something like a dragon takes a lot out of him, but what dictates those limitations? Is it the size of the creature? Do magic creatures take more energy than "normal ones"? What are the consequences to overusing his power?
You also mentioned that you're working on some new stories, other than CWTT. Could we get any teasers about what is to come in the future?
Exciting I get to talk about all this stuff!!
I’m going to start with teasers for the future, and then move into lore!
There’s a couple fics that are in my WIPs at the moment, and some of them have been stagnant for a little while. Currently, my plan is to pick back up on my Ranchers Deity AU so I can finally get these silly little guys out of my head, but I am so busy that I haven’t had time to just sit down and DO IT y’know?
As for my other possible future stories, here’s a list of my WIPs that are most likely to one day see the light of day:
These would’ve been the options:
- Ranchers Deity AU (MULTI-CHAPTER)
- Ethubs Deity AU (PROBABLY ONESHOT)
- Centaur AU (ONESHOT)
- Childhood Friends to Lovers AU (ONESHOT)
- Superhero Fake-Dating (MULTI-CHAPTER)
- Scar POV of BTDOM (MULTI-CHAPTER)
- Maybe Phasmophobia AU (ONESHOT)
- And then I’m also prone to writing anything Julie @muftiys asks me to write because I’m a pushover and her art is good. So there is a nonzero chance at any point that I will write for her aus or silly ideas they give me.
The list is also ever-changing and not particularly in order of the things i want to write most of all, so take it with a grain of salt!
Alright, on to lore!
So yes, Grian is a shapeshifter with a standard human form as his default. Not every shapeshifter is like this, there are all different kinds of default forms, but human is the most common.
Shapeshifters with human base forms usually can manage their powers better than others, since the amount of energy it takes for a shifter to transform is dependent on the difference in size compared to their base form. It’s easier to become smaller than it is to become large, but not by much. Humans are a solid middle-ground when it comes to size.
Shifting difficulty can also be affected by the magical anatomy of certain creatures, like, for example, dragons! A dragon is big, so that’s already a problem, but they also come pre-installed with an anatomical part of their bodies that can produce flames from their mouth, something very few other creatures have. Quite a large amount of reality magic mixed with shifting powers must go into making it possible for shifter to also possess this.
The most common side effects of shifting without the proper energy are immense strain, migraines, nausea, long-term residual fatigue, magic instability, and in terrible scenarios, a crack in one’s own ability to regain magic within themselves, or even death.
But, if a shifter finds themselves in a life-threatening situation, any of these options are better than the alternative.
Shapeshifters are wary creatures, known for their solitary nature - though no often of their own accord. There are very few of them in the world, and given their ability to transform into anything, hunters find them to be more valuable than anything else.
Oh, you were looking for the voice box of a siren? Well a shapeshifter in the form of a siren is practically indistinguishable! Oh, you thought this species was extinct but this shifter has the ability to change into it? Looks like someone could be making some crazy money today!
Hunters would first, of course, have to find a way to corner the shifter into situations where they feel they need to transform into the wanted creature, which isn’t always possible, but a good way to do that is to force them to shift to accommodate the size of their restraints. Similar to what happened to Grian when he was under threat of changing back while inside a bird cage, it easily drains them of all strength and ability to fight back.
Should a hunter continuously keep them in this state, and only offer relief if they turn into one specific form, then the shifter would likely give in - wanting for any way to make the pain stop.
A phrase passed down between generations of their species is “a shifter without their powers is practically already dead.” Drained and helpless is no better than death to them.
Hopefully that answered your question!! It’s early in the morning for me so i’m not sure if it’s coherent lol! Let me know if you have any other curiosities!
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ladykailitha · 1 month ago
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WIP Wednesday Game
It’s WIP Wednesday, time for a little accountability, sharing your work, and getting a kick in the pants.
Here’s how it works:
In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames or specific AUs your WIPs; not titles, filenames (eg werewolf AU, unnamed mafia omegaverse, or Steve's Rizz vs Eddie's Zero Filter.)
Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!
After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write at least 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.
That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request!
If you’re reading this, you’re invited!
If you see someone posting a WIP Wednesday Game snippet, send them an ask! Make them write.
My only problem is that I tend to file name what the title is so I can find it easier, so...here’s what they were called before I titled them.
“File” Names
Model Eddie
Murder Mystery
Kid Fic
Street Racer Steve
School Mascot Eddie
If you're at a loss at which ones to send me, I need more words in Street Racer and Mascot Eddie to fully catch up on my backlog.
Snippet
“Yeah?” Gigi said, jutting her chin. “How’s that?”
“You have a little brother, right?” Eddie asked Elinor, cocking his head to the side. “Marcus?”
Elinor frowned. “Yeah, what’s it to you?”
“This tall,” he continued, holding hand up to shoulder, “curly blond hair, braces?”
“Okay...” she said, her frown deepening. “What about him?”
“Him and Kyle have the same lunch period that I do,” Eddie said, his eyes glittering with barely contained malice. “Kyle tried to cut in front of Marcus, and when your bro wouldn’t let him, Kyle knocked his tray out of his hands and told him that he better smarten up because when you two start dating he will have the ability to make his life hell.”
Elinor shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that. He likes Marcus, he told me he thinks of Marcus like the little brother he never had.”
“You could ask Marcus,” Eddie finished with a shrug. “You don’t have to take my word for it.”
Elinor held her sides and looked down at her feet. “But why would he do that? I was going to say yes, why fuck it up by bullying Marcus?”
Gigi put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Because he knew he won you and didn’t have to play pretend anymore.”
“But he’s really good to me,” Elinor protested. “You guys are wrong!” She ran off, tears streaming down her face.
****
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It's that great and wonderful time of the week again! WIP Wednesday!
The game runs from 8am-11pm EST.
Send in as many asks as you want as often as you want.
Tag List:
@zerokrox-blog @forgottenkanji @w1ll0wtr33 @thesecondfate @dreamercec
@beelze-the-bubkiss @bookworm0690 @kultiras @niniel-karenine
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yennefer-of-vengerbergs · 7 months ago
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Masquerade
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Kinktober 2024 - (an extremely late) Day 16 - Formal Wear (from this prompt list)
Rating: E (18+)
Pairing: Astarion x Syanna (my Dark Urge OC)
Well...this was supposed to be a quick little one shot, but instead of that, it just went completely out of control, with me adding more and more to it, and expanding a bunch of stuff. And honestly? I want to expand it even more 🤭So this idea will most likely end up being reused and even more expanded in my fic series too😁(at a much later date, but still, at least I have this written down for when the time comes). It definitely wouldn't be the first one shot I want to rewrite/reuse to incorporate into it at some later point either 😁
Summary: Astarion and Syanna attend a masquerade as part of their search for a way for Astarion to walk in the sun once more. After their successful search, and an evening spent teasing one another, they indulge in each other.
Tags: sexually explicit content, inappropriate use of spider climb ability, clitoral stimulation, handjob, vaginal sex, PiV, multiple orgasms, vampire biting, vampire spawn Astarion, established relationship, post-canon, post-game
Word count: 5.3k
Dividers from here
Tag list: @iizven | @bg3-fanfic-reblogs
If you want to be added to my tag list, please let me know in a comment or message!
Read below or on AO3. Comments are appreciated so please feel free to leave them and let me know what you think 💖
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Life after defeating the Netherbrain had been intriguing for both Syanna and Astarion - after all, there were still plenty of adventures to be had, a world to travel, and their goal of finding a way for Astarion to walk in the sun once more had certainly taken them to interesting places. Unique even. 
Or, simply put, it had allowed them to experience things they hadn’t had the chance before, one such example from those years being the masquerade that they found themselves in need of attending. 
Thrown by some noble or other, a collector of occult and magical curiosities, whose name they hadn’t bothered remembering, it was a lead on information that they needed, as well as a welcome change of scenery. 
And, if they were to be honest, it was also the perfect excuse for them to simply…dress up. Have some fun while they were there. 
Pretend to be the noble Lord and Lady Ancunín for an evening. 
At the same time, it was something which was not a common occurrence for them, and as such, they made sure that everything would go smoothly, planning their moves - or rather,  Syanna was the one who actually planned what would need to happen, from gathering any and all information she could on the layout of the estate during the day, to where they would need to go in the manor to search for the scrolls and books they needed, along with how to not get caught during the entire ordeal.
Astarion was still very much, ‘not a details person’, as he had always put it, hence why he hadn’t been as involved in that particular stage of their preparations. Even so, it did not mean that he did nothing. On the contrary, he was very much responsible for acquiring their invitations, which, quite naturally, he had done by pickpocketing them from someone who had been legitimately invited, during a night market, which he and Syanna had also coincidentally gone to. 
Then, there was also the matter of their outfits, masks and jewelry, which only meant that he had targeted the best stores he could find, his lockpicking tools granting access long after their doors had closed for the day, Syanna there with him, invisibility spells at the ready in case something went awry, which would have led to them needing a quick getaway. 
And he had been particularly pleased with the outfits that he picked out - his consisting of a dark teal jacket with silver embroidery and varying accents in a lighter shade of the same color, while Syanna’s was a dark green dress with gold accents and accessories throughout. Then, he chose gold jewelry and hair accessories for her, a pair of intricate ear cuffs, made of white gold for himself, followed by a pair of matching black masks, with precious stones and peacock feathers, as well as black ones framing them. 
He was absolutely certain that they would both look simply exquisite in them.
To complete their image of nobility, they also practiced certain mannerisms and habits that would allow them to better fit in for the evening, as well as a few dances that Astarion had picked up in his past life - a skill that had been required of him whenever he had to entertain palace… guests. Because of that, he had never cared for the activity since, but seeing as Syanna had no way of knowing whether or not she even knew how to dance, Astarion had taken it upon himself to help her with it.
As it turned out, they needn’t have worried much about that. 
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“...now place your hand here and step…” Astarion paused, “Well, aren’t you full of surprises.” he noted.
Syanna looked at him, slightly confused.
“Why? Am I that bad at this?”
“Quite the contrary, my dear. I’m starting to think you’ve done this before.”
She scoffed. 
“Of course I did, because in between all the killing and plotting and the internal politics of leading a murder cult, there was plenty of time to dance around the temple of Bhaal.”
Astarion couldn’t help the giggle that left him.
“Oh yes, I can already picture it, you naked, covered in blood…”
“I thought this was about dancing.” she interjected.
Astarion gave her a pointed look for interrupting.
“…Dancing on an altar after a kill…” he sighed.
Syanna laughed, amused by how he seemed to be enjoying his little daydream.
Astarion cleared his throat.
“In any case, you’re no beginner. Rusty perhaps, quite rusty, if I’m being honest, but that’s nothing we can’t fix, especially with such a dedicated teacher as myself.”
A giggle left her as Astarion pulled her close. 
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Finally, there was the issue of having to access the restricted area of the manor, where guests would not be allowed entry during the party, which only meant that Astarion would have another opportunity to show off his skills with lockpicking and - more likely than not - disarming traps. And, of course, Syanna would be at his side once more, ready to cast any spell they would require at a moment’s notice. 
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With their plan in place, all that was left was to prepare for, and then attend the party.
And that had been a process all in itself. 
Using one of the many scrolls of Mirror Image that they kept a steady supply of, especially for him, Astarion carefully got dressed, paying particular attention to how everything fit and looked. 
Perfect as always, naturally.
And just as naturally, the mask complemented his outfit wonderfully, tying everything together. As for the finishing touch, he then added the pair of ear cuffs, which ran along the entirety of his ears, their design intricate, suiting him beautifully.
In Syanna’s case, watching her get ready had certainly been interesting, to say the least, from how she had summoned two mage hands, which were busy intricately braiding her hair - it still intrigued him, how she was always able to manipulate spells with such ease, and in ways that others versed in magic could not,  be it by extending their reach, casting them on multiple targets or by twinning them, suiting whatever need she had - to how she was carefully applying her makeup.
“Well, aren’t you a clever little multi-tasker?” he couldn’t help the little quip.
Syanna smiled, stopping briefly.
“Of course.” she turned to look at him, the mage hands following her movement, continuing their work. “You have to admit, it’s efficient.”
“Oh, certainly.” he agreed as he walked over to her. “And effective.”
“Hmm…” she looked up towards him, through her lashes, smiling softly, “Thank you.”
He leaned down to kiss her, distracting her just enough to cause her concentration to waver, both mage hands seeming to falter, as if they no longer knew how to go about braiding hair. Not enough to end the spell entirely, but it certainly made him want to tease her some more. 
Deepening the kiss, one hand brushing over her face before reaching her neck, his thumb gently rubbing the skin there, he was pleased to see how she melted into his touch, while her own arms went to wrap themselves around his neck. Pulling her up to her feet, Astarion drew her closer to him, his hands moving lower and lower over her body, enjoying everything about the moment they were sharing, from how velvety smooth the fabric of her dress felt under his palms, to how she sighed into the kiss, or how she pressed herself into him even more, wanting more of that closeness, and even the giggle that left her once his hands came to a stop on her ass, gently squeezing. 
“Really?” she couldn’t help grinning once she pulled away.
Astarion pressed another kiss to her lips.
“I don’t think you can blame me for that, love.” he gave her another squeeze, as if to prove his point, “You do look positively stunning in that dress, after all.”
“Why, thank you.” she was still smiling, “So do you. Very dashing, if I do say so myself.”
A chuckle left him.
“I should think so, seeing how easily distracted you were just now. Or did you not even notice your little mage hands disappearing?”
Astarion was smirking. 
Of course he was. 
And of course he was right - she hadn’t really paid any kind of attention to what was happening with her hair, or the mage hands, once he had approached and started kissing her. 
She laughed at the thought.
“Would you rather I was entirely focused on my hair instead of you?” 
Astarion’s reply was to pull her into another kiss, more passionate than before, his hands moving over her once more, taking full advantage of the deep slits her dress had. Reaching her thighs, he lifted her into his arms, her legs instinctively wrapping around him.
“Do perish that thought, darling.”
Syanna giggled, delighted by the moment’s playfulness in its entirety. 
“I think you’ll be fine. It wouldn’t be the first time you manage to distract me like this.” 
And it most definitely would not be the last, if she knew him at all.
“Then why don’t I distract you some more?” Astarion suggested, a sly look on his face as he walked them over to their shared bed, setting her down gently on its edge, so she was sitting, one of his legs settling between hers, running his hands over her arms. “I already have some ideas.”
She laughed again.
“We’ll be late.”
“Fashionably late, darling. It’s only fitting, if we want to blend in for the evening.”
“There’s fashionably late, and then there’s the hours we’d be late if we do this now.” She countered, although unable to contain the smile on her face as he caressed her. 
“Ah, and here I was, hoping I would get to tear that dress off you now.” He pretended to be wounded by the thought of not being able to do so.
“Then we’d never make it there. Besides, I actually like this dress.”
Astarion waved a hand at nothing in particular.
“I’d steal you a new one.”
“Ah, my hero.” she grinned. 
“Aren’t I just?”
It was such a familiar exchange between them, and she still loved it every time.
“Then maybe you can hold off on ripping this off until we get back? And then-” she leaned up, pulling him into a brief kiss, “-I can spoil you in whatever way you want.”
Astarion considered it for a moment, before looking at her with that look that could only mean he was up to no good.
“Or, we could sneak away during the party itself.” 
Syanna giggled.
“You’re incorrigible, you know that?”
”When it comes to you, darling? Always.”
She brushed her fingers over his cheek, her affection clear in the small gesture.
“I’m flattered, truly.” a sigh left her, even if she was still smiling, “But I really should finish up my hair, see how much of a mess it is and all that.” 
Ever the gentleman, Astarion helped her back to her feet, his hand still holding hers as he led her back to the small vanity she sat at before. He moved behind her, then noticing that there hadn’t been much damage done, besides a loose braid that had mostly come undone.
“Here, let me.” he said, taking the strands of hair in his hands, undoing them completely before starting over, with him taking his time, enjoying that small act of comfortable intimacy between them. 
After all, small things like that, those little moments of intimacy, so casual, yet significant, were still among his favorite things to do with her. 
Not long after, he had finished the braid, securing everything in place with the golden accessory she had passed him when asked, which he followed by holding a hand mirror behind her, so she could see the result. 
Smiling, she turned around to look up at him.
“It’s perfect, thank you.”
Once he handed Syanna her own mask to put on, they were ready.
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After their arrival, they bid their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to slip away and into the restricted wing of the manor. While waiting for said opportunity, they, quite naturally, had also decided to enjoy themselves as much as they could.
So, they danced, something which they never had the chance to do before, each step, each touch, each twirl, each glance in time with the music, each teasing remark and joke they made adding to their enjoyment of each other’s company and of the evening. 
What a difference the right dance partner, the right occasion made for him. With her, it was truly enjoyable.
They also sampled the most expensive wines, with Astarion mixing in some of Syanna’s blood to his when no one was nearby to see, to make it more palatable. In Syanna’s case, she also enjoyed the food, trying and tasting whatever caught her eye, both savory and sweet. 
And it had all been exquisite, with each drink and item of food a delicacy.
They also listened in to conversations for anything that sounded interesting, be it just gossip or a slip up or more about valuables. 
A passing mention of expensive jewels here, talk of rare and magical artifacts there, the absolute scandal that two women spoke of in hushed whispers…It was all intriguing, or at the very least, rather entertaining. 
All in all, it certainly had been a fun evening for them, a very welcome distraction from their usual ones consisting of long travels and searches, or of completing whatever contracts they would take on for money.
Then, it had finally been time to make their move, which they hoped would end in a resounding success. 
And following that, it would simply be a matter of making their way out, unseen and unnoticed. 
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“Be still, somebody’s coming.” Syanna whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Astarion stopped what he was doing as she then whispered the incantation for an invisibility spell, obscuring them both as a guard did his rounds, walking past them. 
Once the guard was far enough from them, Astarion resumed his lockpicking, dextrous hands making short work of the locked door in front of them, finally allowing them to quickly slip into the empty room, thankfully unnoticed, shutting the door behind them. Only then did Syanna drop the invisibility spell
Both looked around the large room, assessing it. Something between a library and a trophy room, there were plenty of shelves and display cases to go through. 
“Now, if I were something that had information about vampires walking in the sun, where would I be?” Astarion mused. 
“I’m hoping the answer is ‘in its own dedicated section’.” Syanna quipped. 
Astarion raised an eyebrow at that, to which she simply shrugged.
“What? It'd be better than having everything thrown in at random, wouldn’t it?”
He couldn’t help the smirk that made its way onto his face. 
“I can’t say you’re wrong, darling. Maybe even a few direction signs to point us the right way.”
“See? Now you understand my vision.” she laughed. “So, what do you want to take?” she motioned in the room’s general direction, “Bookcases and shelves? Or the display cases?” 
“Hm, the display cases. Can’t have you clumsily trying to pick the locks, now can we, darling?” he looked at her smugly, teasing her about the time he had attempted to teach her how to pick a lock. 
Besides, there was a greater chance of the display cases being trapped, and he certainly would have preferred to be the one dealing with that risk, not her.
“Then maybe you should consider doing a better job of teaching me how to do it.” It was Syanna’s turn to smirk.
“Excuse me?” Astarion pretended to be deeply offended by her statement, “I will have you know, I’m a very dedicated teacher.”
She raised an eyebrow at that.
“Oh yes, you whispering filth in my ear was a very interesting lesson in lockpicking.”
“It’s an experimental method, darling.”  he retorted. 
She giggled in response.
“Of course, what else could it possibly be?” 
“Precisely.” Astarion leaned in, whispering to her, a hand brushing over her cheek and down her jaw, towards her neck.
So smug. With good reason. But so smug.
She shifted slightly, moving so that she would be looking at him, staying just as close to him.
“Well, my oh so clumsy self will be searching the bookshelves.” she leaned in, as if for a kiss, but stopped, “I wouldn’t want to distract you in any way, after all.”
She turned away, making her way towards one of the bookcases. She heard Astarion chuckle behind her.
“Cheeky.”
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Syanna was certainly pleased with her search, having found the books she was looking for. Excited, she carried them back to where Astarion was. 
“Look what I found!” she grinned, lifting the tomes slightly, to show them off.
Astarion returned the smile, feeling the same excitement she did, or rather, even more so.
“Excellent, darling!” he continued to pick the lock of the last display case, “Give me just a moment and I’ll take those off your hands. They do look terribly heavy, after all.”
She laughed softly in reply, still giddy as she waited for him to finish. Moments later, the case was finally unlocked, with Astarion grabbing  what they needed from it.
“And…one more little souvenir...” he picked up the last of the scrolls from the case, adding everything into the bag of holding they had taken with them, before reaching for the books, “...now, let me take those as well…”
Once everything had been tucked away, the bag hidden in the pocket of his jacket, he pulled Syanna into a kiss, smiling and pouring all his affection into it as he drew her closer to himself, holding her there, leaving not even a semblance of distance between them. 
It was all so surreal to him, so thrilling, finally having promising information on being able to walk during the day once more. Even if he had learned to accept the shadows as a part of himself, it was still something that he missed and wanted to enjoy once more.
In their excitement, the kiss became more passionate, touches were suddenly filled with a need for even more closeness than before, with their hands roaming over each other, wherever they could reach, a need that was punctuated by how they gripped and squeezed and lingered. That, combined with the inherent risk of them being in a restricted area made everything all the more exhilarating, small groans of pleasure leaving them both as the kiss deepened. 
A sigh left Syanna as she pulled away, almost breathless. Astarion’s hands lingered on her as he went to kiss her neck instead.
“You know, darling, I think this counts as us sneaking away…” he trailed off.
She exhaled, an amused noise leaving her.
“That would be true, yes.”
Astarion hummed in further agreement as he moved, guiding her towards a wall until her back was against it, a small gasp leaving her as he pressed himself against her, one hand moving lower and lower until he could grip one of her legs, bringing it up and wrapping it around himself. 
“So…I was thinking we could take advantage of that…” he continued, leaning in closer, pausing when their lips were barely touching. 
Syanna nodded, her eyes half-lidded.
“We could.” she grew serious for a moment, “Is it-”
He kissed her again, smiling into it once more, before she could finish her question. He knew what it would be. And he loved her even more for it, something which always touched him, again and again, each time she would ask it.
It all made him positively giddy with excitement, which only made him want her more.
“Gods, yes.”
Syanna smiled as Astarion returned his attention to her neck, gently nibbling along it in between kisses. She, in turn, began to run a hand through his curls, gently letting her nails scratch along his scalp, enjoying the little hums of approval he let out at the sensation, all while her other hand came to a stop on his waist. A hum of her own left her lips as she felt Astarion lingering on a particular spot on her neck, especially paying attention to it as he kissed her there, his tongue teasing and licking, his fangs gently grazing, the question silent, before he uttered even a word. 
“May I, darling?”
She tilted her head to the side, fully exposing her neck to him.
“Always, yes…”
Placing another kiss on the same spot, he then bit her, his fangs piercing her skin, trying to be as gentle as he could, his free hand slowly caressing her, his touch soothing her. Even so, his bite still made her groan from the sensation, the pain mixing with the arousal that had started to slowly make its way through her. Her grip on him tightened as he drank from her, the leg he had wrapped around himself trying to draw him even closer, followed by her quickened breath, her racing heart, another gasp leaving her as she felt his own arousal growing, pressed against her as he was. 
Moments passed, and he pulled away from her neck, but not before applying slight pressure to the small wounds to stop the blood flow from them. 
Smiling, she looked at him through half lidded eyes before pulling him into a kiss,not caring and not bothered in the slightest by the taste of blood that still lingered on him. 
It all felt hazy, with nothing else mattering in that moment, only him and how he made her feel.
How tantalizingly close he was, pressing and grinding himself against her once he had hiked up the fabric of her dress, having moved it out of the way.
How he then went to run his fingers over one of her ears, making her shiver.
How, at some point she couldn’t quite pinpoint, his hand had left her thigh, instead slipping between her legs, lightly teasing her through the fabric of her lingerie, all while his other one made its way down from her ear to her throat, and lower still, until it reached her breast, palming and teasing and kneading it. 
How utterly breathless his kiss left her.
How their eyes didn’t leave each other, too caught up in one another as they were.
And, as was always the case, how she wanted nothing more than to reciprocate that, to spoil him in all the ways she knew he liked. So, she let her own hands roam over him, wherever she could reach, teasing touches lingering, insisting wherever he particularly enjoyed them. 
In turn, he was emboldened by it all, tugging at her underwear, moving it to the side before letting his fingers ghost over her. Teasing her for what seemed to be the longest moments, a soft moan left her when he eventually parted her folds, finally applying that exquisite pressure that he knew she enjoyed to her clit, followed by the way his fingers rubbed and then moved along her, making her moan yet again, something which was always most delectable to him. 
Wanting more of those noises from her, to see more of those reactions that always spurred him on, always adding to his own enjoyment, he began to tease her entrance. Humming in approval once he saw just how much of an effect he had on her already, he returned his full attention to her clit, rubbing circles on it as she moved her hips, chasing more of his touch. His mouth found hers once more, muffling the sounds of pleasure that left her as he continued to spoil her. 
And he so enjoyed spoiling her, lavishing her with his full attention whenever they made love…
So he did just that, his fingers continuing their ministrations, as he still kissed her, be it on her lips, along her jaw or even lower, on her neck until she was crying out for him, her climax having built and built until it finally washed over her, its intensity rippling through her as she held onto him, her grip on him tighter than before. 
Eventually, Syanna shifted slightly, letting her hands wander lower on him until they reached his trousers, where she began to tease and stroke him through the fabric, enjoying the way he groaned and pressed himself against her palm. Or the way he then moved towards her when she pulled her hand away, which only made her grin.
“Patience, love…” she teased, as she unbuttoned his trousers, lowering them alongside his underwear, finally freeing him. 
“You’re a-” another groan left him as she ran a finger along his length, with her then teasing his sensitive tip, “a cheeky little thing…”
“Only for you.” she smiled, kissing him as she carried on, spreading the precum that had already begun to gather before gently grasping him, her hand beginning to move along him. 
Slowly.
Deliberately. 
Intent on having him enjoy himself thoroughly. 
Listening to each moan and each sigh that left him as she continued her movements, pumping him in her hand, her thumb teasing his tip, her other hand on his chest. 
Astarion then took her by surprise - stilling her movements, he then gripped her, lifting her up, her arms and legs wrapping around him as he kissed her hungrily. 
He wanted so much more of her, to feel her warmth, her heat, everything that she was and that she would give. 
Pressing himself against her once again, he left no distance, no space whatsoever between them, wanting nothing more than that absolute closeness between them. 
And he kept moving in closer, kept pushing against her, until he was crawling up the wall and then onto the ceiling with her, something which made her let out a squeal, both surprised and delighted by the change, followed by the way she tightened her grip around him. 
“This is new.” she couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her face. 
“Well, I am a paragon of innovation, after all.” he smirked.
“Then-,” Syanna could only giggle, “-why don’t you show me what you had in mind?”
Astarion kissed her, his body keeping hers pinned against the ceiling, something which only made her moan softly as she felt him so close to her, his hips moving once more, grinding against her. 
Arousal gripping her once more, she moved one of her hands between them, reaching for his cock, taking and guiding him between her legs, to her entrance. Moans left them both as he pushed inside of her, so easily and so eagerly. 
Then, as he began to thrust into her, she found the sensation entirely different than usual, given their current position. While he was technically on top of her, it was also true that she was the one above him, which only made her want to meet his movements even more, eagerly matching his pace and rhythm each time, the intensity of it all enough to drive her mad. 
There were barely any coherent thoughts left in her, only the way that she focused on him, on each thrust and drag of him inside of her.
On how he too was starting to unravel, his movements becoming more erratic as he indulged in her more and more, his eyes not leaving her. 
How her body tensed, both from the sheer pleasure of it all, and from the strangeness of being on the ceiling, as if she was bracing for a fall at any moment. She knew that Astarion wouldn’t let that happen, that he would hold her there, safely and securely, she trusted him to do so, but the sensation remained all the same.
Then, there was the way in which the purr of his voice would bring him and only him back into focus once more.
“Eyes on me, love.”
She complied with his request, which only added to the overwhelming sensations and pleasure she was feeling. Seeing him that way, so genuinely enjoying himself, taking his own pleasure just as much as he was giving Syanna her own, hearing those amazing noises that he made in the moment - all the ways in which he would moan, or whimper, or groan - alongside the way he seemed to just want to bury himself in her until they became one…
It was electrifying, as if sparks would soon fly from the sheer fervor of it all. 
And he would not stop, making her moan so wantonly, louder with each thrust that reached that spot which always drove her mad, more and more, until finally, he brought her over the edge once more, with Astarion following soon after as his own release came over him and into her. 
Sparks were too insignificant a word to describe how they both felt.
Astarion couldn’t help the breath that he exhaled.
“Tell me something, darling…”
She looked at him curiously.
“...Why did it take us so long to try this?” he finished his question.
Syanna laughed.
“Well, you know they say, better late than never and all that.”
He hummed in approval, relaxing ever so slightly into her.
Then, he tensed up.
“Syanna, darling? You might want to hide us with one of your spells right about now.”
Nodding, she quickly cast an invisibility spell on the both of them just as the door opened.
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The guard from earlier entered the room, muttering something about useless coworkers.
Astarion couldn’t help but grin at the man’s tirade.
“First that useless bastard forgets to lock this door, then there’s the weird noises coming from exactly this room…I swear, if there’s another possessed artifact here, I’m quitting tomorrow…Unless someone snuck in, then I’m getting fired tomorrow. Either way, good riddance.”
He then continued walking the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary, all while still ranting,  before stopping abruptly.
“You know what? Fuck this. I’m quitting tonight. If someone did sneak in here, good for them. And if something got stolen? That stuck up bastard had it coming.”
His mind made up, the guard turned around, leaving the room. Once the door behind him had closed and been locked - no doubt the guard covering his tracks - Syanna dropped the invisibility spell. Both she and Astarion were grinning before they burst into laughter.
“Well, goes to show what being a bad employer gets you.”Astarion quipped. 
Syanna was still giggling. She then cleared her throat.
“Good for that guard though. Now, let’s go, before someone less disgruntled decides to do the rounds.”
Agreeing with her, Astarion began to move across the ceiling and down onto the wall, with Syanna holding on to him for dear life, now that she was no longer distracted by him. 
Once back on solid ground, they both made themselves as presentable as possible before looking for a way to leave the room. 
After all, it wouldn’t do at all, to cause any problems for their friend, the guard. 
“I think the windows here,” she pointed towards the opposite wall, “actually face the gardens. With any luck, they won’t be too crowded.” she then turned to look at Astarion, “So I’m thinking we just fly out of here, and avoid anyone out there that way.” 
Astarion nodded, agreeing with her as he took out the bag of holding, searching for a scroll of Grant flight to use on himself. 
She then opened the window.
“Let’s go then, darling.” he pressed a quick kiss to her lips,”I can’t wait to get back to our room now.”
She grinned.
“Is that so?”
“Well,there’s plenty to celebrate, wouldn’t you say so? And you did mention something about spoiling me in any way I would want once we got back, didn’t you, darling?” he purred.
Syanna couldn’t help but laugh, a low, throaty, delightful  sound, which he enjoyed greatly when it came from her. 
Incorrigible, indeed. 
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