#learn future and options trading

[cfacoaching]

CFA Coaching in Indore | Maheshwari Institute of Careers & Research

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[my-equity-guru]

Future and Options Trading

Are you looking to learn future and options trading ? If yes, join My Equity Guru we provide range of stock market courses including future and options, here you can learn about market movements, manage risk, rollover techniques and trading psychology etc. Join today!

[digibrandyj]

Future and Option Tips: A Comprehensive Guide to Stock Future Tips

Investing in the stock market can be both exciting and daunting. Among the various tools available to traders, futures and options trading have gained significant popularity for their potential returns and flexibility. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into future and option tips, focusing on stock future tips and exploring the world of options trading. We'll also touch upon essential strategies, advisories, and resources to help you become more confident in navigating this landscape.

Introduction to Futures and Options Trading

Future and option tips are financial derivatives that allow traders to speculate on the price movements of stocks, commodities, or indices without actually owning the underlying asset. These instruments are highly leveraged, meaning small price changes can result in significant profits or losses.

Options, in particular, give you the right but not the obligation to buy (call) or sell (put) an asset at a specific price within a set time frame. On the other hand, future and option tips contracts obligate you to buy or sell the asset at a future date.

Both future and option tips offer opportunities for both beginners and seasoned traders, but they also carry a level of risk that requires careful strategy and planning.

What Is Option Trading?

Option trading involves buying or selling options contracts to profit from price movements in stocks, indices, or other assets. When trading options, you can:

Buy a Call Option: This gives you the right to buy an asset at a set price within a specified time.

Buy a Put Option: This gives you the right to sell an asset at a set price within a specified time.

In India, Nifty Option tips and Bank Nifty option tips are particularly popular as they focus on the two most traded indices on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Stock Future Tips: Key Insights

Stock future tips revolve around trading futures contracts on individual stocks or indices. Unlike options, futures obligate you to buy or sell the underlying asset at a specified date in the future. Stock future trading requires a strong understanding of market trends and economic indicators.

Some important future and option tips include:

Monitor market trends and sentiment.

Set stop-loss limits to manage risks.

Follow expert advice from SEBI-registered research analysts and investment advisors.

Understanding Index Option Tips

Index options allow traders to speculate on the direction of an index like the Nifty 50 or Bank Nifty. These options are useful for hedging risks or taking advantage of market movements without focusing on individual stocks. Index option tips are particularly valuable because they provide insights into the broader market trend.

Bank Nifty Option Tips: A Popular Choice

Bank Nifty options are derived from the Bank Nifty Index, which consists of the most liquid and large banking stocks. Bank Nifty option tips offer traders a chance to capitalize on the volatility and movement of banking stocks. It's crucial to follow reliable sources like a SEBI registered trading advisor for these tips to minimize risks.

Nifty Option Tips for Maximizing Returns

The Nifty 50 is a benchmark Indian stock market index that represents the performance of 50 large companies. Nifty options tips focus on predicting the movement of this index and are ideal for those who want exposure to India's broader economy. Using option strategies like covered calls or protective puts can help limit risk while optimizing returns.

Top 5 Advisories in India for Futures and Options

Navigating futures and options trading on your own can be challenging. The top 5 advisories in India for futures and options trading provide valuable guidance:

Equitymaster – Offers in-depth research and tips.

Motilal Oswal – A prominent brokerage with reliable tips and market analysis.

HDFC Securities – Known for its research reports and advisory services.

Kotak Securities – Provides a mix of fundamental and technical analysis.

Angel One – Offers personalized options and futures tips.

Make sure your advisor is a SEBI registered advisor to ensure their credibility and adherence to regulatory standards.

How to Learn Option Trading: A Step-by-Step Approach

Learning option trading involves understanding the fundamentals, practicing with paper trades, and gradually implementing strategies with real capital. Here's a simple approach:

Study the basics of options, including calls and puts.

Understand option trading strategies like straddles and strangles.

Follow option trading tips free from reputable sources like educational blogs or webinars.

Start small and learn from your mistakes.

Option Trading Tips for Beginners

For beginners, option trading can seem overwhelming. However, by following a few key option trading tips, you can increase your chances of success:

Start with simple strategies like buying calls or puts.

Avoid high-risk strategies like naked options (uncovered calls/puts).

Stick to liquid options like Nifty options or Bank Nifty options.

Exploring Option Trading Strategies

An effective option trading strategy can make the difference between success and failure. Some popular option strategies include:

Best Option Strategy for Consistent Returns

The best option strategy depends on your risk appetite and market conditions. For consistent returns, strategies like covered calls or iron condors are highly recommended. These allow you to profit in stable market conditions by collecting premiums from sold options while limiting risk.

Zero Loss Option Strategy: Myth or Reality?

The concept of a zero loss option strategy is often touted by some advisors, but the truth is there is no guaranteed way to eliminate losses in options trading. However, combining certain strategies like hedging or protective puts can significantly reduce risk, though it won't completely eliminate it.

HNI Trading Tips: High-Net-Worth Investors' Secrets

High-net-worth individuals (HNIs) often use advanced strategies in futures and options trading. HNI trading tips focus on strategies like long-term protective puts and short strangles. These investors usually work with SEBI registered investment advisors for personalized advice and portfolio management.

BTST Tips for Today: Buy Today, Sell Tomorrow

BTST tips for today are popular for traders looking to capitalize on short-term price movements. The BTST (Buy Today, Sell Tomorrow) strategy allows traders to buy stocks or options and sell them the next day, potentially capturing overnight gains.

SEBI Registered Investment Advisors: Why They Matter

A SEBI registered advisor ensures that the tips and strategies you receive are regulated and ethical. When dealing with futures and options, it's essential to consult a SEBI registration advisory company to avoid falling prey to scams or misinformation.

Conclusion

Futures and options trading offer substantial opportunities for those willing to learn and take calculated risks. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced trader, following solid future and option tips can help you succeed. Remember, the key to success in this dynamic market lies in education, strategic planning, and consulting reliable sources like SEBI registered advisors.

Read More : Nifty Option Tips: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Options Trading

[sharemarketinsider]

Swing and Positional Trade Ideas

Here is a list of stocks, we can consider for swing and promotional trade. (Buy-side) These stocks are showing good potential for an upside move.

1. RAMCOCEM CMP- 835

2. PAGEIND CMP- 42230

3. MANAPPURAM CMP- 217

4. JKCEMENT CMP- 4409

5. INDUSTOWER CMP- 436

6. INDIGO CMP- 4487

7. INDHOTEL CMP- 645

8. HEROMOTOCO CMP- 5345

9. GRASIM CMP- 2757

10. DABUR CMP- 645

11. BHARTIARTL CMP- 1487

12. ABBOTINDIA CMP- 29201

Analyse as per your knowledge then only take a trade.

[shaunamilfman]

you would find your way in

pairing: Lucy MacLean x Reader summary: The blight hit vault 32 hard, which is why it was such a big deal when a trade offer from vault 33 for new seeds was received. A sacrifice, on your part, was all that was needed to assure the prosperity of your home. You would leave everything you've ever known to marry the overseers daughter, Lucy MacLean, but maybe it wouldn't be as much of a sacrifice as you'd originally believed.  note: pretend they can have a test tube baby for the sake of the fic ♥️

You watch as the door separating the only home you’ve ever known, vault 32, slowly opens to reveal vault 33. You’re nearly sick with nerves, much as you’ve been the last few days. Nearly being the key word. You think she’s mostly excited about the feast after your marriage, not that you blame her much. You’d think the same way if you weren’t the one paying the price for it.

There’s not nearly enough food in the vault after the blight to be able to waste it on something as pointless as a wedding, after all. You can’t help but laugh at the figure next to you bouncing excitedly on her heels. She looks up at you at the sound, rolling her eyes as she realizes you're laughing at her.

“Shut up,” your sister mutters, feigning a glare as she looks back at the doors. “It’s awfully exciting, isn’t it?”

You hope your sister enjoys herself. She is, after all, the only reason you agreed to go through with this sham wedding in the first place. Even as anxious as you were at the uncertain future lying ahead of you, you were content in the knowledge that at least she’d be taken care of once you were gone.

Seeds and machinery parts, as you’ve reminded yourself over and over again since the deal was struck.

You knew arranged marriages were common enough even in your own vault, but you’d always held out hope that you’d be one of the lucky few that got to marry for love. You supposed you were marrying for love in a roundabout way, just not the way you pictured. Still, there were very few things you wouldn’t do for your sister’s health.

A bitter feeling comes over you, but you try to shake it off. It's not their fault we almost starved: the vault's stayed separate for a reason, after all. Only ever for one of the rare trades between us were the doors ever opened, and it made you a little bitter knowing that Lucy's lack of marriage options was deemed important enough, when your people nearly starving to death was apparently deemed an acceptable loss.

You watch the inhabitants of vault 33 curiously, slowly taking in the sight of what’s probably the only people you’ll see for the rest of your life. As much as you’ll miss your family and everyone back home, at least you’d get to hear new stories for a while. Living in such cramped quarters as you do, you tend to learn everything interesting there is about a person entirely too quickly.

At least that was something to look forward to for a time.

You weren’t told what Lucy looked like, but you think you’d be able to pick her out of a crowd even without the wedding dress she was wearing. She was breathtaking, as much as it annoyed you to admit. You suppose you could have gotten paired with a worse partner, all things considered. At least she was nice to look at, even as you hoped she’d make a better conversation partner than she looked like she’d make.

She was practically glowing with excitement, nervously shifting on her feet in a way that you found endearing despite yourself. You took a moment to take her in, wishing you felt as self righteously angry as you did just ten minutes ago.

Lucy smiles as they go through the introduction before interrupting, "So, which one of you is to be my wife?" 

There's a moment of silence before there's some muffled snickering from both sides. You could tell it had taken everything she had in her to hold off as long as she did, a fact that shouldn’t have made you grin as widely as you did. You wipe the grin off your face as you slowly step forward. Lucy gasps, a faint blush covering her face as she takes you in.

"I suppose that would be me," you say softly, stepping forward past your other vault mates to meet her. Your hand twitches as you start to hold your hand out for her to shake it before thinking better of it. 

Is that the kind of reaction you should have to meeting your wife for the first time? You weren’t quite sure. It was sort of like a business deal, so you decided it probably would have been appropriate, anyway. Before you have the chance to rectify your mistake, Lucy’s already grabbing at your arm, leading you further into the vault while talking incessantly.

Oh, great. She’s a talker.

You nod along to her explanations, hoping to seem nice even if your gaze held disdain hidden beneath a polite smile. You try to give her an appropriate amount of attention while scanning your new surroundings as surreptitiously as you could manage. You've always been the curious type, and it has gotten you into trouble more times than you could count. 

It wouldn't do to be accused of casing the place before your vault’s future could be secured. Besides, this was your home now. First impressions are hard, or so you’ve heard. It’s not like you’ve ever had the chance to make one, but that’s what your books always said. Luckily for you, this is the last time you'll ever have to do it, once more for your forever home.

“It's a really nice place,” Lucy says suddenly, startling you from your reverie. She gives you a knowing look as she gives the open room a quick once over before meeting your eyes again. 

You're pleasantly surprised that she's figured your game out so quickly. You incline your head in acknowledgement, choosing not to comment on the skip in her step as she notices your approval. 

“Maybe I could give you the grand tour after everything,” she offers. 

You give her a wry smile, appreciating the sentiment even if you find her reasoning a little dumb. Your vaults were built to be exact copies of each other, after all. There's very little difference between them beyond surface level decorations, you're quite sure. Still, it was an olive branch you were willing to accept.

"That'd be nice," you say simply, offering her your hand as you let her lead you up to the altar.

You take your place across from her, listening idly as her father drones on. Duty to humanity this, returning to the surface that. You're oddly comforted by the familiarity of the refrain: at least some things would never change. Did the overseers learn their speeches from the same book? Someone ought to write them a new one. 

You focus your attention on Lucy, really taking in the sight of her, as she's only all too happy to return it. You can't help but stand a little straighter under her attention, a surge of pride rushing through you at the pleased look on Lucy's face as her eyes roam your body. 

Your smile fades slightly at the sight of her in her wedding dress, a silent reminder of everything you're giving up to come here. You were never all that excited about having to wear the community wedding dress for your own ceremony, but at least it would have been something you shared with your mother.

Instead, you were left only in your jumpsuit, and even that you'd have to return by the end of the night. It was the issue with marrying outside of your vault, after all. Nothing was allowed to leave it, not even the clothes on your back. 

Resources were tight enough in normal times, but with everything going on… Well, you made do with what you were given. 

You shake off your feeling of melancholy, returning Lucy's smile with a smaller, more forced one of your own. The least you could do is give your wife your full attention on her wedding day. 

Lucy's hands are warm as she reaches for yours, entwining your fingers together as she speaks her vows. You repeat the lines you've long since memorized, giving them special care as you speak them, if only for Lucy's sake. 

Lucy's eyes sparkle with happiness, looking as if it was everything she could do not to jump up and down in excitement. It was flattering, a lot more than you cared to admit. It's been quite a while since someone looked that excited to see you. 

Her smile is wide enough that you start to wonder if it hurts, but if it bothers her, it doesn't slow her down for a second as she moves forward to kiss you. You can feel her smile against your lips, never dimming for a second as she seals the deal. 

Your eyes are wide as she pulls away, a little lost as your thoughts jumbled together. Her lips were soft, at least. And she smells nice. You were embarrassed to find that the kiss had left you a little dumb, but you figured Lucy would have that effect on anyone. 

You can feel the thrum of her heartbeat where she's pressed up against you, her face resting in the crook of your neck as she throws her arms around you in a tight hug. Her cheeks are flushed with excitement, warm against your skin as she bounces on the tips of her toes.

She pulls away after a moment, still holding your hands together as she leads you down from the altar. You're happy to follow her lead, drunk on a feeling of levity you'd become unfamiliar with lately. 

There’s a small part of you, larger than you’re willing to admit, that wants to pull her into another kiss, but you restrain yourself. Out of everything you’d worried about, the thought of seeming too forward on your wedding day was not one of them.

“You’re really good at that,” she confesses in a whisper, verging on shy as she rests her head on your shoulder. 

You laugh quietly, nudging her head with your own. “Glad to be of service, wife.”

“Makes me wonder if you’re good at… other things.”

You exhale roughly, stunned, almost as if the breath was stolen from you. Lucy looks proud of herself, a smug smile that you can’t bring yourself to wipe away from her face. You clear your throat as you look away, your face flushed as you spin her under your arm. She giggles, swaying in time with the music as you come back together.

“You’re cute when you're flustered.”

“Yes, well…” You trail off. “You’re awfully pleased with yourself, aren’t you?”

Lucy shrugs, guilty as charged.

You try to think of something, anything, to say, but you keep coming up blank. This was exactly what you expected, and nothing like you expected at the same time. The decor, the people, the atmosphere were just what you imagined. But you don’t think anyone could have predicted Lucy MacLean. 

You’re almost relieved when her father comes over to take the next dance, handing her off with a small wave as you head over to the table. By the time you’re nearing the table, you could already hear your sister talking a mile a minute, eagerly taking in the sights of everything vault 33 had to offer. The blonde sitting next to her, who you think might be Lucy’s friend, shoots you a wide-eyed look as you collapse in your seat.

You leave her to her fate of entertaining your sister with a dry laugh, leaning down to inspect the scuff marks on your shoes. Lucy had many talents, it seems, except maybe dancing. You’re quick to turn your attention to the plate in front of you, no longer needing to worry about the state of shoes that will soon be taken from you.

With that happy thought in mind, you finally dig in, watching Lucy and her father dance out of the corner of your eye. You're surprised about how quickly she returns to join you, an eager look on her face the second she realizes she has your attention.

She seems to talk at you more than to you as she tells you about her life, but it doesn’t bother you much. You’re very content to listen to her ramble on, interjecting with relevant commentary whenever the time calls for it.

“History, huh?” You prompt. 

Lucy nods, resting her chin on her hands as she talks. “Yeah,” she says. “I just think there's a lot of things about the future you can learn from the past.”

“Like how to end civilization?” You joke, wincing as you realize what just left your mouth. 

Lucy frowns for a moment, taking in your expression before shrugging.

“That's not quite what I was going for,” she admits. “More like how to avoid making the same mistakes, you know? That sort of the thing.”

“Second time’s the charm, I suppose.”

Lucy snorts, covering her mouth sheepishly as she looks away. “Take it history was never your strong suit, then?”

Without waiting for a response, she leans closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And here was me, thinking you were the serious type.”

You gasp, leaning away from her with barely hidden amusement as you hold your hand up to your heart. “You wound me.”

“I think you'll live,” she comments wryly. “You wouldn't make me a widow before our wedding ends, would you?” Lucy pouts, making a show of sticking her lip out as she catches your eyes flicking toward the movement. 

“I think I can understand the draw of it. History, I mean. How often do you get to start again?” You muse, your voice soft and contemplative. You were drawing uncomfortable similarities to your own situation. 

“Besides,” you continue, quick to add some levity. “It's a lot more fun than fixing pipes.”

“Exactly!” Lucy exclaims, her eyes lighting up at your interest in the subject. “I mean, think about it–” 

“And your fertility tests?” A voice interjects suddenly.

You glance away, not hiding your shock as you meet her father’s eyes. “My…”

“Your fertility tests,” he repeats, a hint of irritation hidden behind his somewhat charming smile. His eyes flit between the two of you, betraying his intentions. He didn’t seem to like how much you were holding Lucy’s attention, it seemed. Curious.

“Daddy,” she says softly, her voice strained with embarrassment. A frown tugs at her lips, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. 

“What? It was, after all, the whole point of your marriage.”

Lucy winces, giving you an apologetic smile. Were you supposed to be offended at the lack of romance? It seemed par to the course, at this point. It was relaxing to have things back on track, just as you’d expected it to be.

You turn to face him, briefly mentioning the results of your tests with enough details to assuage him. He nods along as you speak, his expression neutral and unreadable. You’re sure he’s already seen everything he’d wanted to know, but you got the odd sense that he was reminding you of it. No, you think after a moment, watching Lucy’s face. 

He was reminding her.

You reach over to squeeze her hand reassuringly, surprising yourself as much as her. She lags behind for a second as she registers the gesture before returning it with a quirk of her lips. She leans closer toward you, a gleam in her eyes as she reaches over and stabs a fork full of food from your plate. She brings it to her lips with a mischievous smile, unaware of the way your body tenses in reaction before forcing yourself to calm down.

You catch your mother’s eye further down the table, watching the scene carefully before looking away. 

Meeting Lucy’s eyes again, you raise an eyebrow, stealing food back from her plate before she could stop you. She pouts, glancing down at her plate before nudging your leg with her foot under the table.

“We’re married now,” she complains. “Half of that is mine.”

“That means half of yours is mine too,” you point out. 

Lucy hums dismissively. “Technicality.”

“Is that right?” 

Lucy's about to answer as you feel a hand rest on your shoulder. Glancing up you see the Overseer standing behind you with a sad smile on his face. 

Was it time to return your meager belongings already? 

He nods at your questioning look, glancing over at Overseer MacLean, who stands up and walks away with the obvious intention of you following him.

“I'll do it,” Lucy says suddenly, grabbing you by the arm as she pulls you off in his direction. He waves Lucy on with a fond look, leaving you to her as he rejoins the table. 

You glance briefly at your surroundings as you trudge through the halls, each step feeling heavier than the last. The finality of the moment was really settling on you as you came to a stop in front of your new home.

“I thought it would be better if it was me,” Lucy says softly, a hesitant smile on her face. 

Stepping inside the room, you send her a confused look over your shoulder. “Why?”

“Why not? We're partners now.”

You stare down at the new outfit waiting for you on the desk, slowly running your fingers over the lettering. 33. Almost completely identical to the outfit you've worn every day of your life, but just different enough to give you pause. It was too late to back out now. 

“It's not like I know you either,” you say finally. 

Her face falls, but she tries not to show it, fiddling anxiously with her hands as she steps in behind you. You pause, your zipper coming to a halt as you purposely clear your throat. 

Lucy huffs. “Seriously?” She doesn't seem all that upset about it, more offended than anything. 

You give her an expectant look. She dutifully turns around, not without a murmured complaint. “You know we're married now?”

“You just want to see me naked,” you accuse idly, switching your clothes out as efficiently as you can manage. 

Lucy doesn't bother to deny it, making an affirmative noise that draws a chuckle out of you. God, you hated that she was growing on you. You wanted so badly to hate her, but she just made it so hard. 

“It's a time-honored tradition,” she insists playfully. 

“In the community wedding dress?” You question. 

“It's for the benefit of humanity that we reproduce as quickly as possible,” she states, almost robotically. You roll your eyes: you've read the same manuals, after all. 

“Though,” she continues thoughtfully. “I suppose it's not technically a requirement for us, specifically.”

“Huh…” You trail off hesitantly as a thought strikes you, not sure if you should be the one to say it. 

“What?”

“How long after your parents got married were you born?”

“About nine months,” she says hesitantly. The confused quirk of her head kills you inside, but you can't resist the urge to continue. 

“Wouldn't that mean you were probably conceived in that wedding dress, too?”

She takes a second to do the math as it suddenly dawns on her. Lucy pales, her hands gripping the fabric of the dress before her horrified eyes meet yours. “Why would you say that?” She whispers. 

You break into peels of laughter at the comment, and every time you manage to catch your breath, you catch sight of Lucy's still horrified face and start laughing again. Finally, Lucy cracks a grin, her eyes fixed on the mirthful look on your face. 

“You're prettier when you laugh. Did you know that?”

You almost choke as you process it, your laughter cut off by a sudden cough as you look down at the floor. As you sit down and start pulling your new shoes on, you can hear Lucy let out a laugh of her own, the sound marking her exit as it echoes down the hallway. 

… 

The room is nearly empty by the time you make your way back in. A few members of vault 33 are still mulling about but otherwise the room is eerily quiet. Overseer Jackson makes his way over to you, clasping a hand onto your shoulder as you hand over your suit. His hand lingers just long enough to be awkward before he pulls away, sniffling as surreptitiously as he can manage as he rubs at his eyes.

He’s teary-eyed as he stares down at you, his uncomfortably kind smile tinged with more sadness than you think he has a right to. You’re not sure you’ve ever had a conversation with him long enough to warrant this kind of reaction, but your vault mates have always had a tendency to overreact. There probably wasn’t much else to do after the monotony of daily life got to you, you figured.

Still, you weren’t keen to comfort a man you barely knew. Catching your mother’s eye you wave, pretending she was trying to get your attention as you excuse yourself from the conversation and leave him clutching on to your things. You’re not surprised when you catch sight of your sister’s grinning ear to ear as Lucy engages her in conversation, clearly over the moon to have her attention.

Yeah, you could relate to that.

You speak quietly to your parents as you make your goodbyes, choosing not to acknowledge the teary-eyed looks lest you start crying too. You’d made your peace with the idea of leaving everything behind a few days ago, but it seems like it was really starting to set in for them that they’d never see you again. For your sister too, it seems, as you suddenly feel her wrap her arms around your waist.

It takes an impressively long time to peel her off of you, and it’s only made possible with the help of Lucy’s gentle coaxing. You watch with nothing short of awe as Lucy manages to talk her down from her tears like it was nothing, her voice soft and soothing as she manages to effectively distract her long enough for you to escape her grasp.

Realizing she’s been played, your sister shoots Lucy a betrayed look, but she gets over it quickly enough as Lucy shoots her a playful smile. She kneels down to speak with her, whispering in her ear as she squeezes her shoulder.

You stand with Lucy as your parents cross through the gateway, watching as they try to comfort your sister in quiet, somber tones. 

“She really adores you, huh?” Lucy says softly, her hand tentatively reaching to rub at your back. The gate slowly starts to close, and your family slowly disappears from view with it.

“Do you like kids?” You ask, hoping for a distraction. “You seem to have a real knack for them.”

Lucy's quiet for a moment before nodding. “I like to teach, and kids always have such an interesting way of looking at things.”

She smiles, reaching over to hold your hand as she traces your fingers with hers. “We'll be starting our own family soon,” she muses. 

“Are you excited?”

“... Of course. It's our duty, after all.” You think it must be the most unenthusiastic thing you've heard her say all night. 

You pause, looking at her in a new light. She was doing her duty to ensure the future of humanity, after all, and you could respect that. You wondered how much of it was due to her moral compass and how much was just to live up to expectations, but you didn’t mind much.  It’s not like you didn’t have your own ulterior motives for agreeing to be wed, after all.

What a pair you made.

…

You stare at the door long after it's been closed for good, even after Overseer MacLean squeezed your shoulder was a surprising gentleness as he quietly left the room. He probably knew what it was like to leave his home behind. He was from vault 31, after all. 

Finally, you manage to turn your attention away from the door, turning around to see Lucy leaning silently against the doorway. You almost smile at the sight of her, your mood lightened as you realized she's been here waiting for you.

She's quick to grab your hand as you offer it to her, escorting you back through the vault towards your new home. Lucy's quiet as she leaves you to your thoughts, unsure of how to even begin to comfort you. 

Lucy's visibly startled as you squeeze her hand to get her attention, but she quickly recovers as you say, “So about that time-honored tradition…?”

Her face lights up, tightening her grip on your hand as she almost sprints down the hall towards your new bedroom. 

[justdiptych]

The original Fallout had one group of raiders. That was the name the game map gave to them - 'Raiders' - but they were in fact known as the Khans. They were a relatively minor faction, being tied to quests in the first town the player is likely to visit, but we learn a lot about them in their brief appearance.

Many of the Khans are given names and dialogue, and will tell the player about their history - including how they came from the same place as the people of Shady Sands, Vault 15, and feel entitled to share in the town's wealth. Some see their raiding life as a way to claim control of the post-war world - ruling through strength and fear, believing that old ideas of morality died with the rest of the world. Others treat it as just another job - they support their group by trading, maintaining equipment, preparing food, and other everyday tasks.

In short, the Khans are a fully-realised community, as much a part of the story as any other. We learn that their brutal leader, Garl Death-Hand, took command after killing his abusive father. The player can kill him, or negotiate with him, or impress him with acts of cruelty, or even challenge his nihilistic views by convincing him that they're his father, back from the dead. Killing Garl and destroying his compound is treated as the best choice for the region as a whole, and is confirmed to have happened in the next game in the series, but it's certainly not the only option.

Fallout 2 has two groups of raiders. One - again marked 'Raiders' on the map - turn out not to be raiders at all, in that they're not attacking towns to steal their wealth. Instead, they're a mercenary company, hired by a disreputable businessman from one town (New Reno) on behalf of another town (Shady Sands again, now the capital of the New California Republic) to harass a third town (Vault City) to convince them that they need outside help in maintaining their defences. It's part of the game's major subplot about the three societies competing for control of northern California and western Nevada.

The other group are the New Khans, founded by Garl's son Darion after the original Khans' defeat. These Khans aren't nearly so fearsome as their predecessors - they mostly operate in secret, hiding behind a group of squatters who have moved into the ruins of Vault 15 and pretending to help them restore it for use. Darion is wracked with resentment over what happened to his father's crew and guilt for having survived, and his gang ultimately present little real threat to the outside world.

What I'm getting at here is that, in the world of Fallout as it existed in those early games, 'raiders' were not a major factor. There was one group who conducted raids as part of their regular economic activity, but only against particular communities - Shady Sands saw them as raiders, but to the Hub, they were just traders. Raiders only existed in a particular context - they had particular interests, beliefs and opportunities that would not always be possible or applicable.

Most of the games' conflict came not from the existence of raiders but from bilateral political and economic competition between groups with overlapping but not identical interests, which was reflected in their respective ideologies. We see this in Killian and Gizmo fighting to control the future of Junktown, and in the Master's attempt to reshape the world with the Unity while the different groups of New California try to retain their independence.

We particularly see it in Fallout 2, with its three-way battle for economic domination between the constitutional democracy of the New California Republic, the mafia-ruled narco-state of New Reno, and the elitist technocratic slave state of Vault City. Which of these groups continue to rule and expand, and which crumble, is what ultimately shapes the region's future - with control of Redding and its gold supply as the linchpin.

While the Enclave are the story's primary antagonists, they're chiefly characterised by their refusal to engage with this new socio-economic order - they believe that all outside authorities are illegitimate, and all outsiders non-human, and their only plan is to release a bioweapon into the atmosphere and kill literally everyone on Earth but themselves. The Enclave's defeat is necessary for New California's survival, but, otherwise, they change very little about how people live their lives. They're like Darion's New Khans on a larger scale - relics of a fallen order, robbed of their purpose, hiding in an old bunker and driven by nothing but resentment of having been left behind.

I might, in future, talk about the contrasting depiction of raiders in Fallouts 3, 4 and 76, and about New Vegas's use of raider and bandit groups like the Khans, the Legion, the Fiends and the White Legs. For now, I think I've made my point - that raiders are not a fact of life but a product of a particular place and time, and much less relevant to the universe of Fallout than other forms of competition and violence.

[cfacoaching]

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[yoonia]

the bedroom hymns ● chapter xiv

⟶ Chapter summary | To answer your curiosity, Yoongi presents you with a challenging offer. Is your desire to learn about this new realm and his secrets strong enough for you to risk revealing your own secrets? Or will you remain loyal to the promise you made to your father to protect the family’s secret? 

⟶ Title | The Bedroom Hymns: a Bluebeard’s twist ⟶ Pairings | Min Yoongi x female reader  ⟶ Genre | Fairy Prince!Yoongi, Crown Princess!reader, Fantasy AU, Fairy Tale retelling ⟶ Word count | 6,785 words ⟶ Ratings | PG-13, +18 / M for Mature for future chapters; include classism, black magic, alcohol consumption ⟶ Story Masterlist: The Bedroom Hymns | ⤎ previous chapter | next chapter ⇢ ⟶ Main Masterlist | Mailbox | Taglist | Feedback | Music Playlist | Ko-fi ⟶ Author’s note | Here’s the second part of what was meant to be a part of the previous chapter. I hope this answers a lot of questions. Have fun reading!

chapter xiv. red strings-2

You fall silent as you feel a slight drop in your stomach. 

You should have expected that he would demand a fair trade right away. If only you have had enough time to figure out what to say, to plan just how much you are able to share about yourself without having to lie to his face should he chooses to answer your questions with honest truth. 

Taking a slow drink from your glass, you take your time to contemplate your options. “Maybe—” you slowly begin, “I can tell you a little bit about myself for a fair exchange.” 

Yoongi squints his eyes. There seems to be a hint of suspicions in the way he is looking at you. At first, he says nothing. Not a single response to your offer. Perhaps he can already tell that you wouldn’t be able to give him everything that he might be demanding from you. 

It makes you feel discouraged when you think that he may change his mind and you won’t be getting some answers. But Yoongi surprises you when he suddenly shrugs and smiles. 

“Very well, then. I guess that’s fair,” he says, though you cannot really make out the tone of his voice, or if he’s still going to be truthful when he hums, “Where do I start?”

Yoongi says this while slowly rubbing his chin. “Well, I suppose that you know who I am by now,” he finally begins, his eyes showing a playful glint which only helps lessen your worries and doubts. 

“Do I?” you question him in return, mirroring the playful tone of his voice. “We’ve only met once before this, putting aside the other times when you shadowed my movements. I know your name, and I know that you are a part of one of the most notorious brotherhood of mercenaries known within the continent. But I had assumed that your men have only been roaming the human realm. But here you are now.” 

Yoongi’s lips rise slowly to a crooked grin. “That is quite an interesting part to note, isn’t it?,“ leaning forward once again, he places his crossed arms on the table to get closer to you. “And I’m not talking about us meeting in different realms, but the fact that I never specifically told you to which brotherhood I am belonged to, when I could’ve been a part of any mercenary group that is currently active among the people,” he calmly drawls, while your eyes grow wide, realising your blunder. “And yet, you were able to recognise the insignia that belongs to our brotherhood and figured out that I am a part of it.” 

Silently laughing at yourself, you realise that he is right. 

Yoongi had never once mentioned the name of the mercenary army group that he is a part of, and yet, he has never once tried to deny it whenever you brought it up. Both in the market town and here, you have yet to see Yoongi wearing the insignia that belongs to the brotherhood. 

But there is no denying that everything about him had made it easy for you to link him to the mercenary group which is known to be moving among the commoners, both within the territories of your father’s empire, and also in various neighbouring territories.

Not to mention, each time you lay your eyes on Yoongi, you would be reminded of the nameless mercenary who had caught your presence that night in The Rare Roots; his demeanour, the way he carries himself, his speech, and the most defining characteristic that you have felt from him so far, his aura. 

“I’ve told you that I’m no damsel,” is what you tell him in return, hinting at his connection to the aforementioned mercenary group. “In almost every place that I’ve traveled to, I’ve either met some of your men, your brothers in arms, or seen traces and trails left behind by your brotherhood.” 

In this case, you are not entirely lying to him. This is something that you have caught on during your excursions as of late. Aside from learning more about your father’s activities in the various places that you have visited so far, you have also been following the trails left behind by the mercenary army by using everything that you have learned from Advisor Kim and the Royal guards’ reports. 

You recall seeing the insignia in various places in the midst of your excursions, either worn by a passing member of the mercenary army or plastered on the walls, pillars, and any other places visible for the commoners to see; a public declaration to show that the brotherhood are on the people’s side and not the royals’. 

“You have made quite a name among the people, no matter which kingdom or empire you have come across,” you add while tipping your chin at the engraved insignia, “I never expected that I’d be seeing that crest here too, in a completely different realm.”

You lean forward on the table, mirroring his gesture as you murmur softly to him, “It wasn’t hard to put two and two together after what we talked about the last time we met, but you were the one who gave it away when you denied none of the things I said about you being a part of that movement.” 

A surprised look flickers through his gaze. “You are a smart one, little dove,” he says, completely amused. “As I’ve said before. I shouldn’t have underestimated you.” 

You lean back in your seat, feeling victorious. “No, you shouldn’t have.” 

He mirrors your movement as he settles back in his chair, except that he follows it by lifting his shimmering tankard, taking a swift drink before he speaks again. Once the drink is lowered, a determined look fills his eyes, as if talking about this would require him to take off the mask that he normally wears when he is with you. 

You can tell the difference when he looks at you straight in the eyes, his chin lifted, and there is a different flair coming from him. A new sense of authority that would have been intimidating should a commoner stand right before him. 

Not you, however, when you have grown used to facing something similar, a presence that feels more intense, whenever you have to come face to face with your father. 

“You’re right. I am a part of the brotherhood. I can’t tell you more other than the fact that I work alongside my brothers to serve the people who are willing to hire our service and pay for our hard work with gold. Be it a local merchant, a commoner, or a nobble, we serve them with everything that we have for an exchange of a good pay,” he says, sounding proud, subtly hinting that he may have quite an important role in his brotherhood of mercenaries that he is keeping from you, “as for crossing the borders between the realms—” 

He tugs at the bamboo hat that he has been wearing and starts taking it off. “Not every men who had joined the brotherhood would be capable of moving from one realm to another so easily,” he explains as he tosses his hat away. For some reason, the gesture draws your attention, and you find yourself getting completely fixated on it that you can’t take your eyes away from him. 

“Only a handful of us had come from the magic realms, most of us coming from various territories within the Land of Far Far Away, while the other members who had later joined us once we started the movement are regular humans, mostly commoners from the human realm who we encountered in our journey and volunteered to join our purpose.” 

You can almost picture the mercenary army growing steadily in size with the passing time, reaching all the common people directly than the royal aids of your father’s empire ever could. “And that purpose would be gaining gold coins from whoever is willing to pay for your service?”  

But is that all there is to it? 

You cannot help but wonder, unable to truly believe that it could all be that simple, when almost every men working under your father’s ruling has believed otherwise. The memory of your past conversation with one of your father’s Royal Advisors return to you. About the mercenary army that was suspected to be a part of the rebellion movement which has been silently rising among the people of Nythelean Empire. 

“That is correct,” he says, “well, that’s mostly the reason why we do this for a living. But there are also others who have their own purposes in joining our movement.” 

You tilt your head, finding this suspicious. Your shoulders grow tense, your spine feels cold. “What kind of—purposes?” you ask him, while your mind begins running wildly. 

Does he really have nothing to do with the rebellion? Or is his brotherhood truly the rebel army as suspected by the Royal Guards?  

While you are looking at him with suspicions, Yoongi carries with him an easy air, as if he has nothing dark or sinister to hide. He keeps the same light attitude when he answers, “Protection. The ability to protect their family, their hometown, their livelihood, to be able to defend against any crime and any physical threats—the kinds of harm that would always get overlooked because they were hurting the commoners and not the nobles with storages of gold coins—or any possible threats that may harm them and their family directly.” 

A smile lifts on your lips as relief slowly washes over you. “So you’re vigilantes, doing all the work that the royal army working under the ruling of the kings and emperors couldn’t, is that what you’re saying?” 

Yoongi barks out a laugh. “You can put it that way,” he says. “It’s more like a security work for the people. But we also provide a chance for the common people to rise and lend their strength.”

He takes another drink and continues, “Out there, in the small towns and settlements that are far out of reach from the empires and their law, there are commoners who had trained for their lives to serve as knights, only to fail from claiming their places in the knighthood because they had no noble blood or any high standing in the society. That’s where we come in, as we welcome them under our wings and give them a place to serve, to use their skills and put their training to good use.”

Good use. Those words sound like music to your ears. The kind of music that eases your worries. There is a hint of suspicions still lingering in your mind, yet you find yourself believing his words. 

It’s almost as if you can feel it; the truth that his words carry with them, the genuine pride coming out through his voice when he speaks about the brotherhood that has been seen as the villains by the royals. 

“And not all of them are capable of using magic or casting spells?” you choose to ask rather than sharing your doubts about the brotherhood. “Or whatever it is that you use to move between realms?”

Yoongi shakes his head. “Regular humans don’t know anything about magic. Even the ones who are able to cast powerful spells will not be able to travel across the realms so easily. Only the gifted ones can do it.”

“Like you do.” 

He gives you a smile. “Like me.” 

Once again, you tilt your head while you try to process all of this. “And all of the traveling has to do with your work in the mercenary? But why do you must venture through the human realm, when you could’ve had more chances here?” You take a quick glance around, once again being drawn to the vast farmland which spreads right before your eyes. “What kind of work are you doing here now?” 

Yoongi licks his lips. The gesture steals your attention from his words, drawing a hint of warmth out of your skin. It is another new sensation that you have never felt before. But then again, never once had you ever felt so drawn to someone like this, not as much as how he has you drawn to him like a moth drawn to a flame. 

“Why the human realm?” he repeats your question with a hum as he looks out towards the view. The faraway look in his eyes tells you that there is a story in there, before he simply answers, “It’s hard to explain, really.” 

The corners of his eyes crease a little when he smiles. “I can’t say that it had all been a deliberate choice to raise an army of mercenaries out there in the human realm. I think you would be able to understand this, but it all started a long time ago, when I first came into the human realm in search of an adventure. We call it as ’soul-searching’, a personal mission that I had taken to venture far, far away from home to find my purpose in life.” 

You return his smile just then, because you can understand him well enough, as you have been doing just the same thing. Going out to new places, stepping into foreign lands, all because your soul craved for a new adventure, to write a new story, and to be able to see the world. 

“I never planned to stay long in the human realm, but then as more and more friends, other men and old colleagues left the magic realm to join me, we formed ourselves a small alliance to be able to have more means and reasons to remain in the human realm for a bit longer, while also find ways to give back to the people and the community that had welcomed us with open arms, despite never knowing who we were or where we came from. And then, one thing lead to another—” 

“And your small group or adventurers become a rogue army working alongside the humans.” 

“Once again, you are correct,” he answers with a proud smile. “As to why I am here, it’s the same reason why I’ve been to the places where you encountered me before. I’m doing the same kind of work that I did in Narlès, and similar to most of the work I’ve done back in Smotia”—one corner of his lips lifts to a grin—”like that day when I followed your trails at the royal winery.” 

His gaze softens as you roll your eyes. 

“We usually do the same details of work whenever we are hired by people in the human realm. But when it requires me to travel across the borders and return to this realm, the work varies,” he adds, this time with a hint of fierceness in his voice. Proud and bitterness mixing together. “And these jobs come with bigger risks. Hence the disguises and the hidden armoires. But I do earn bigger pay when I succeed.” 

This has you raising your eyebrows. Curiosity comes through you as you take a closer look at his attire. 

Dressed as a local commoner, he looks quite unassuming that he would be able to roam around without raising suspicions. Unlike back in Narlès when he had at least shown his weapons under and over his unmarked cloak and dark-coloured outfit, this time, you are sure that he has numerous weapons hidden under his simple clothes. 

The same way you are hiding your golden dagger under your skirt, hidden from view but easy for you to reach whenever necessary. 

“You’ve been to Smotia. This place might look similar, but it is still entirely different. Not only with the magic that exists here, but also with the people that resides in this place and their way of living,” he explains, his words mirroring every single thought you had about this place since you had first gotten here. 

“There is a secret about this place that requires us to keep a close eye on the territory. A dark secret,” he says with a secretive smile. “But I’m sure that you’re used to something like this.” 

You realise what he is hinting at. Once again, the past conversation you had with the farmers follows you. You bristle as you recall the warning that was given to you and how it had reminded you of home. Your old home, and the dark rumours that everyone whispered all the way into the palace’s walls.

“These stories have been passed around from one generation to another, and I’m sure most people who live in this place and have learned about the tales for a long time won’t even know whether or not these stories are real, or if they are nothing more but an urban legend told by the elders to keep everyone here safe and keep things in order.” 

“Like the rumours that the people have been spreading in Smotia.” 

Yoongi gives you a solemn nod. “Smotia isn’t the only place that holds a dark secret. This place, and many other places—kingdoms, empires, even the small, lawless towns and rogue settlements—all have their secrets. It doesn’t matter whether we are in the human realm, or right here, within the magic realm of Far Far Away. People loves to tell stories, dramatising any event that happened sometime in the past to make use of them to keep the younger ones in line.” 

You are not entirely surprised to hear this. Old tales live among the people who still speak of them. They are the reason why local traditions and customs exist in the first place. But it is interesting to know that even in different realms, such thing still exists. 

Yoongi continues to speak. “For those of us with magic skills or have enough mana to endure the magic present in places such as Grimm, we would travel to and fro and pay regular visits to such places. Not only for the purpose of running our mission or for hired jobs, but also in between our duties, just so we can be here to observe, to protect, and even to hunt—”

“Hunt…what?” 

A pinch folds itself inside your chest. A myriad of scenarios start their callous plays inside your head; your father’s assassination attempt, the unmarked mercenary soldiers that followed you through the depths of the Elcester Forest, the attempts to infiltrate The Citadel. 

“Anything that may cause any disturbances happening within the Land of Far Far Away. The small and invisible threats that always start from the most inconspicuous places. Being vigilant and moving under our own rule allow us to get closer to the sources before they rise rapidly to become a bigger threat to the entire realm,” Yoongi answers after a beat of silence and a whole round of wild imagination running through your head. 

He gives an easy rise of his shoulders as it’s not a big deal. “Of course, we are only a small army roaming through a vast magical realm, where each territory, every strong empire within the realm have their own rules. Some kingdoms even cast their strong spells around their territories that won’t allow us to walk past their borders as easily as we would’ve liked. But we do what we can, keeping watch for the people that may be overlooked should any harm ever comes.” 

Spells to keep people out of a territory? 

Of course, you wonder to yourself as you start recalling everything that you have learned so far about the safety measures that an empire must abide to in order to keep its palaces, territories, and the people within safe. 

You are also reminded of the action that your father had taken after the latest breach which happened at the main palace, and how the royal guards at the Stargrave Castle have been keeping the same tight security to make sure that the empire’s territory is secured from any possible threat while in the King’s absence. 

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise to think that there would be kingdoms that would use magic and spells for protection. Knowing what you know now, you begin to wonder if your father had also done the same to increase the security at the empire’s territories. Surely, there had to be a reason why he had forbidden you from stepping out of the palace through the front gate. 

Leaving you only relying on the magic portals to be able to step foot out of the palace whenever you need a chance to escape. 

It should be a powerful spell then, you wonder to yourself as you imagine having a force of magic protecting the empire, making you wonder just how powerful the King’s magic truly is, or if he ever had help from the strongest mages in the empire. 

Silently, you remind yourself to question about this to Lord Gordan the next time you sit with him to learn about royal defence or when you are sitting with Lady Laurel for your next magic lessons.  

When he notices that you have no more questions to ask of him, Yoongi crosses his arms over his chest and turns the focus of the conversation on you. “Now, it’s your turn to tell me more about you, little dove,” he calmly says, keeping his eyes on you when he points out, “You’re no mere traveller.” 

His words sound more like a statement instead of a question, and it shouldn’t surprise you that Yoongi would begin his digging into your secret by pointing out something that may have been quite obvious. 

Keeping your voice steady, as your father’s voice once again echoes through your head to remind you about keeping your family’s secret, you give him a smile and stiffly nod. “No, I’m not.”

“And you can travel across the realms.” 

Your heartbeat picks up. “Not that I’ve done this for a long time, nor am I an expert like yourself. And I’m not doing this for a noble purpose like you do,” you find yourself admitting to him, before deciding that perhaps you can share with him at least a part of your truth without revealing who you truly are. 

“You have probably figured out by now where I initially came from,” you begin, and when Yoongi says nothing to respond to this, you simply continue, “The human realm has been the only home that I’ve known for as long as I can remember, even if I never got to truly see any other places in the human realm itself aside from the place where I lived.” 

Yoongi immediately frowns at this. You can tell that he is surprised to hear this, and you can already guess that he probably wouldn’t like to hear what you are about to share with him next. 

“I…was sheltered almost my entire life, kept from the world, hidden in the shadows”—being kept as a secret while you were caged within the palace’s walls—”so I would take every chance I could get, sometimes steal it, just to be able to see the world outside that I was never allowed to see. Before, all I could do was to slip out of my window to travel across the town, then the city, and then I’d venture into the secluded places where people wouldn’t be able to recognise me. A chance to escape and experience freedom.” 

The more you reveal this part of yourself, Yoongi’s gaze seems to grow darker. It feels unsettling, yet comforting at the same time. Because it almost seems like he is enraged at your situation. That he is becoming angry—for you. 

When had anyone ever felt this kind of concern for you? 

You try to remember, before realising soon enough that not even your governess, Nanny Abigail, the closest person to you since your days back at The Citadel, had ever voiced her concern about you being sheltered and hidden from public view. If any, she seems to have always encouraged and supported the King with his decisions, while often convincing you that it would have been better to remain within the palace’s walls for your own safety. 

Thinking about this makes you feel upset and bitter, so you quickly push these thoughts away, rather than allowing it to pester your thoughts when you should be enjoying this wonderful moment that you have with Yoongi. 

“I might not like you in the sense of crossing the realms, because I have no control of it,” you allow a little more truth to come out. “As a matter of fact, I surprised myself when I arrived here. Never had I expected that I would find my way to a town where magic exists, when I had only been seeing these places through the books that I’ve been reading.” 

As you laugh softly to your confession, Yoongi’s frown slowly fades as he curiously says. “You are not familiar with the magic realm.” 

You shake your head. “No, I am not. Not yet, at least. Everything is new to me. I’m still learning,” you admit to him with a bashful smile. “I spend my time learning about magic and this realm through the books, never knowing that I might be able to get the chance to visit these places and learn about them directly.” 

Yoongi’s expression seems to grow softer after hearing your words. “Is that the reason behind all these questions? All the curiosity that you always have with you?” he asks you, “All because you’ve never had the chance to see the world with your own two eyes, much less this realm we are in?” 

Slowly, you nod your head. “I have so many questions but not many that could answer them,” you answer him with a deep exhale of breath, recalling the hours you spent digging into the books in the library only to never feel satisfied enough with what you have found. 

Yoongi’s lips twitch to a grin. “And you expected me to answer them for you.” 

“Maybe not all of them, but you are the one available right now for me to speak to,” you admit to him with a soft giggle, making him smile, as if the sound of your laughter pleases him. “And, now that I’ve shared all of this with you, as of now, you have become one of the limited people who knows about my secret.” 

“I’m going to guess that there’s not a lot of people,” he says with a gentle voice, to which you answer with a nod while you solemnly keep the real answers in your head—

The truth is, you are the only one who actually knows about my secrets. The only one who knows that I’ve been traveling to different places. The only one who knows that I exist while the world revolves in blissful ignorance. 

In your silence, Yoongi takes this moment to take a good look at your face while you are lost in deep thoughts. He seems to have found something in you when he murmurs to you softly, “You can sense my magic.” 

His words catch you off-guard, but you try your best to control your emotions. “It’s not like I’ve learned how to use magic, or to even have it inside me at all,” you slowly admit to him while recalling your father’s words about magic, how it resides within you, passed down from his bloodline.

But you have never truly felt it, and your father never had the chance to show it to you or to teach you more about it before he had to leave the palace for his royal duty. 

“But, I’ve learned how to sense them ever since I first arrived in this realm,” you continue, while Yoongi seems intrigued to hear this. 

For some reason, you feel no guilt about sharing this with him. You just don’t feel like it would be particularly necessary to hide this, as this is a new ability that you have been honing through your afternoon lessons with Lady laurel and Lord Gordan, after all. 

In fact, seeing his reaction, you suddenly start feeling hopeful that perhaps he can help you understand about this new ability that you have been gifted with yet still cannot understand, much less to wield it at your own will. 

The ability to detect other mana or aura from your surroundings—be it on the places where you are at or within the people you are with. 

This was said to be the first step of practising your own magic and sharpening your mana while you wait for your father to guide you through the rest. Of course, you haven’t started learning more than the basics, nothing but the theories and the principles behind it, yet you have secretly learned enough on your own to identify the magic that is present around you. And you have learned enough to recognise the energy that you can feel coming out of Yoongi.

And what you can sense from him has only been making you feel more curious about him. The strong pull that keeps drawing you to him. The essence of his magic—

Right at the same time, the same curiosity flickers through Yoongi’s gaze. “What do you sense from me when that happens?” 

His question—and the way he says it—sounds surprisingly reassuring, and it prompts you into answering him truthfully. 

“Serene. Otherworldly,” you start describing what you feel, recalling the tingling sensations that you felt upon sensing his magic, when you first realised that they were coming from him. “It feels comforting and intimidating at the same time. And quite—captivating, as if there is a strong pull coming from your magic that keeps drawing me in.” 

Familiar. 

Because it feels eerily similar to the magic that you have grown used to. Similar to the magic that you have been feeling coming from your father’s portals. The strong pull that you feel from Yoongi reminds you too much of the strong charm that sends you across various realms that you find in the magic doors, which often feels like invisible dust brushing at your skin that would sometimes linger with you long after you have stepped across the portal. 

The first time you felt it while you were with him back at Narlès, you had chalked it up as having the portal’s magic lingering in your skin because of how different the weather was compared to home. Now, however, the moment you are back in Yoongi’s presence and feeling the same sensation all over again, you finally realise that it hadn’t been the case at all.  

With tilted head, you take a good look at Yoongi, wondering why it is possible for him to have the kind of magic that seems to resemble your father’s. Through your lectures, you have learned that the type of magic that a person obtains may differ depending on the source of its powers, and would often differ according to where the person resides in or which empire they are from.

Just like the people within the sun empire that were said to be blessed by the sun itself, and the empires that were said to have claimed the blessings of the Moon and the Gods that are believed to reside in the sea. 

Would it be possible that your father’s magic may have come from the same source as Yoongi’s? 

Before you can figure out how to bring this up, Yoongi continues to speak, focusing on your magic as if he knows that you haven’t learned much about how special your ability truly is. 

“For anyone who acquires the gift of magic or born with mana within them, they will be able to feel or sense it when magic exists around us. At least, most of us do,” he explains, smiling, while your mind flies back to the old farmer who may have felt your mana when you first met him. Then Yoongi surprises you when he adds, “But it takes a different kind of gift and talent to be able to recognise or identify someone else’s magic by sense alone.” 

“And that’s something that you are incapable of.” 

But I might. 

Yoongi nods his head. “That must’ve been the reason why you were able to notice my presence while I was following you. It was my magic that you sensed when you couldn’t see me.” 

You tilt your head, realising that he might have been right. And he may not have noticed that he had just solved one of the biggest mysteries that have been plaguing your thoughts as of late, when you could never explain to yourself the reason why you had always been able to sense Yoongi’s presence even before you could see him there. 

“But I can tell you this—” he continues, “I can feel the mana within you. For me, it feels like an unrefined diamond, glowing inside you. Except that there is something that is shielding it, protecting it like a veil.”

A shield? It isn’t much of a surprise to hear that you have an unrefined mana, as you are still lacking in training. But to know that there is something protecting it is another matter. “But—how?” 

Yoongi presses his lips together as if he is feeling unsure with his answer. “I wish I know,” he says with a regretful smile. “If I have to make a comparison, try to picture a door. A door that has been kept closed and locked so tightly that it would take an effort to open it. Right behind that closed door is your mana. That is how shielded your energy is.” 

“So—you’re saying that if I want to be able to find my magic and use it, I have to open that door?” you question him, suddenly feeling light-headed and confused. Yet every word he is giving you makes sense. 

Is that the reason why your tutors have refrained from teaching you magic, and had always insisted that you should wait for the return of the King?

“I supposed you can say that,” Yoongi says with a nod. “But that’s not all. I can tell that you also have magic all over you. Although it feels more like a protection spell that is meant for you, not for the mana you have inside you.” 

Hearing this only leaves you feeling more confused. Until you finally remember the reactions you saw earlier from the farmers working on the field when they saw you walking away, as if they had just realised that you were there. 

Thinking about this, you raise your eyebrows. “The kind of protection spell that may hide me even in plain sight?” 

He stifles a smile as he says, “Something like that.” He also seems—proud, to see that you are able to figure it out before he can explain further.  

“Yet you can’t recognise its form or where it came from,” you guess again, while Yoongi’s expression shifts when he stiffly nods.  

“No, I’m afraid I can’t. The only thing that I can tell you is that it seems to have been placed on you instead of it developing naturally, because it feels entirely different compared to the mana flow I’m feeling from you. I can feel these two separate energies flowing both from within and around you as I’m sitting here with you.” 

Sinking back in your seat, you say nothing to this, and choose to hide your expression as you take a hefty drink from your glass. For a while now, you have suspected that something like this may exist. That you may have some kind of magic surrounding you at times. It would only make a whole lot of sense of everything that you have been questioning and wondering about.

The fact that you have been able to escape the palace during the night without people noticing you, but only while you were right outside of the palace’s walls. Common people who would walk by without seeing you when you passed them in the streets, or the royal guards who would fail to notice you slipping through their tight patrol. 

As if you were never there. 

Instinctively, your hand finds your necklace that is hidden under your cloak, and you anxiously begin toying the gem with your fingers the way you always do when you are lost in deep thoughts and in need to focus. 

You start thinking about all those nights you spent roaming the dark streets in Smotia and the afternoons you spent wandering away from the palace, recalling all the significant moments and events, to try and put all the pieces together. You have never have believed that you were a master of disguise, so skilful in hiding your identity that you managed to remain unnoticed during your trips to the outside world. 

Unlike Yoongi, perhaps, who seems to be quite an expert if putting up disguises. He would no doubt be able to blend in with the locals with his disguises, avoiding unwanted attention that may put a risk to his duties.  

Thinking about this now, the odd expression worn by the mercenary soldier that you met at The Rare Roots begins to make more sense. When he looked at you as if you had magically appeared right in front of him and he was completely caught off-guard that he had let his mask slip. And for some reason, you can almost see that same expression coming out of Yoongi as he is silently watching you—the cold, amused look coming out of his eyes, as if he is trying to solve a puzzle, or a mystery, and he would be able to find the answer by simply looking at your face. 

More questions come to mind, and they slip out of you in soft whispers while you are trying to solve this mystery. “How is that possible?” you first ask yourself, before your gaze lands back on Yoongi who hasn’t said a word, giving you the chance to ruminate on this new revelation about yourself. 

“If I am protected with a spell, like you said, how did you manage to notice me?” You just cannot help but wonder out loud. 

Both in Narlès and here in Grimm, Yoongi has always been the one to find you first. Compared to how you would have had to approach someone and talk to them first to get them to notice you—just like the farmers you met earlier and the people you talked to on your previous excursions. 

Just as you are waiting for him to respond, you catch Yoongi’s eyes as they move. A barely visible flicker that is so subtle that you would miss it if only you blink. And you are partially sure that his gaze has landed right at your necklace, at the fingers that are brushing against the golden embellishments securing the ruby pendant that seems to be reflecting the sunlight as you twirl it in your touch. 

All of a sudden, a blurry image from your almost-forgotten dream comes back to you. 

Yoongi’s eyes remind you of the pair of dark eyes drifting down to your collarbone, eyeing on the necklace that you were wearing even in your dreams. The deep voice that almost felt like a whisper, a murmur, when the man in your dream spoke of as if he had just gotten an answer to the riddle that he was so desperate to solve, “The necklace. Of course. I should’ve known.”

Carefully, you lower your hand, opting to take Yoongi’s attention away from the necklace. His curious gaze is starting to make you feel uncomfortable, too vulnerable, that even the necklace is starting to feel hot under his dark, perusing eyes. 

“I might have a theory,” Yoongi begins as his eyes find yours again. This time, the look that he is giving you seems a bit more cautious. As if he is treading carefully through this, and you understand why when he says, “But I might have to show it to you to prove it, since it would mean using my magic to understand, and I can do that if you would allow me to.”  

As he stops talking, you can almost hear the unspoken words that he is keeping to himself as he regards you with a smile. A silent promise that also becomes a challenge that he offers you in exchange of any secret that you may choose to share with him—

This secret I can reveal to you, as long as you are willing to reveal yours. 

— © 2024 Yoonia, all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any kind is not allowed. unsolicited translations are not allowed.

[smartbulls]

What are Options?

Options are financial derivatives that provide the holder with the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset (such as stocks, commodities, currencies, or indices) at a predetermined price, known as the strike price, within a specified period. The buyer of an option pays a premium to the seller for this right.

There are two types of options:

1. Call Option: A call option gives the holder the right to buy the underlying asset at the strike price within the specified period. Call options are typically used when investors anticipate the price of the underlying asset to rise.

2. Put Option: A put option gives the holder the right to sell the underlying asset at the strike price within the specified period. Put options are generally used when the holder expects the price of the underlying asset to fall.

Features of Options Trading

1. Flexibility: Options provide traders with a high degree of flexibility in structuring trades and managing risk. Traders can choose from a variety of options strategies, including buying calls or puts, selling covered calls or puts, constructing spreads, straddles, and strangles, among others. This flexibility allows traders to tailor their positions to specific market conditions, outlooks, and risk tolerance.

2. Leaverage: Options offer leverage, allowing traders to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital compared to trading the underlying asset directly. This leverage amplifies potential returns but also increases the risk of losses. Options provide traders with the opportunity to achieve significant profits relative to the amount invested, but it's important to manage leverage carefully to avoid excessive risk-taking.

3. Defined Risk: Unlike futures or Forex trading, where losses can exceed the initial investment, options trading offers defined risk. The maximum potential loss for an options trade is limited to the premium paid or received, depending on whether the trader is buying or selling options. This defined risk makes options trading appealing for risk-averse traders who want to know their maximum potential loss upfront.

4. Hedging: Options can be used as effective hedging tools to protect against adverse price movements in the underlying asset. By buying or selling options contracts, traders can hedge existing positions in stocks, commodities, or other assets, reducing the impact of market volatility and downside risk. Options provide traders with the flexibility to tailor hedging strategies to their specific risk exposure and investment objectives.

5. Profit Potential in Any Market Condition: Options offer opportunities for profit in various market conditions, including bullish, bearish, or sideways markets. Depending on their outlook, traders can implement different options strategies to capitalize on anticipated price movements or volatility changes. For example, buying call options allows traders to profit from upward price movements, while buying put options enables them to profit from downward price movements.

6. Liquidity: Options markets are generally highly liquid, with active trading in a wide range of options contracts on various underlying assets. High liquidity ensures tight bid-ask spreads and efficient order execution, allowing traders to enter and exit positions with minimal slippage. Liquidity is particularly important for options traders, as it ensures that they can easily enter and exit positions at fair market prices.

7. Diverse Range of Underlying Assets: Options are available on a diverse range of underlying assets, including stocks, stock indices, commodities, currencies, and interest rates. This wide selection of underlying assets provides options traders with ample opportunities to diversify their portfolios and trade different markets according to their preferences and expertise.

8. Limited Capital Requirement: Options trading typically requires lower capital compared to trading the underlying asset directly. Instead of purchasing or short-selling the underlying asset, options traders only need to pay the premium to initiate a position. This lower capital requirement enables traders with limited funds to access the options market and participate in trading opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.

9. Versatile Strategies Options trading offers a wide range of trading strategies that cater to different market outlooks, risk profiles, and trading objectives. Traders can deploy directional strategies, such as buying calls or puts, to speculate on price movements, or implement non-directional strategies, such as iron condors or butterflies, to profit from range-bound markets or low volatility environments. The versatility of options strategies allows traders to adapt to changing market conditions and deploy strategies that align with their trading goals.

Advantages of Options Trading

1. Limited Risk: One of the key advantages of option trading is the ability to define and limit risk. Unlike trading stocks or futures, where losses can be unlimited if the market moves against you, options allow traders to know their maximum potential loss upfront. The premium paid to purchase an option contract is the most you can lose, providing a level of downside protection.

2. High Potential Returns: While the risk is limited, options also offer the potential for significant returns. Options provide leverage, allowing traders to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital compared to trading the underlying asset directly. As a result, successful options trades can generate substantial profits relative to the initial investment.

3. Versatility: Options provide traders with a wide range of strategies to profit from various market conditions. Whether the market is trending up, down, or sideways, there are options strategies available to capitalize on different scenarios. Options can be used for speculation, hedging, income generation, or risk management, making them versatile instruments for portfolio management.

4. Flexibility: Options offer flexibility in terms of investment horizon and risk tolerance. Unlike stocks, which require a significant upfront investment and may tie up capital for extended periods, options contracts have expiration dates, allowing traders to choose short-term or long-term positions based on their investment objectives. Additionally, options can be traded on a variety of underlying assets, including stocks, indices, commodities, and currencies, providing ample opportunities for diversification.

5. Opportunities in Volatile Markets: Options thrive in volatile markets, where price fluctuations create trading opportunities. Volatility is a key determinant of options prices, and higher volatility generally leads to higher option premiums. Traders can benefit from increased volatility by employing strategies such as straddles, strangles, or iron condors to profit from anticipated price movements or capitalize on volatility expansion.

6. Risk Management: Options can be used as effective risk management tools to protect against adverse price movements in the underlying asset. Strategies like buying protective puts or selling covered calls can help hedge against downside risk or generate income to offset losses. Options also allow traders to implement stop-loss orders or adjust positions dynamically to manage risk effectively.

7. Liquidity: Options markets are highly liquid, with active trading in a wide range of contracts across different strike prices and expiration dates. High liquidity ensures tight bid-ask spreads and efficient order execution, enabling traders to enter and exit positions with minimal slippage and transaction costs.

8. Income Generation: Options trading can provide a steady stream of income through strategies like selling covered calls or cash-secured puts. These strategies allow traders to collect premiums upfront in exchange for assuming certain obligations, such as selling the underlying asset at a predetermined price. Income-generating strategies can supplement investment returns and enhance portfolio yields.

Disadvantages of Options Trading

1. Limited Time Horizon: Options contracts have expiration dates, limiting the time available for the underlying asset to move in a favorable direction. Unlike stocks, which can be held indefinitely, options positions must be managed within a specified timeframe. Failure to exit or adjust positions before expiration can result in the loss of the entire premium paid for the option.

2. Time Decay: Options contracts lose value over time due to a phenomenon known as time decay or theta decay. As expiration approaches, the value of an option diminishes, especially for out-of-the-money options, regardless of the direction of the underlying asset's price movement. Time decay accelerates as expiration nears, eroding the option's value and reducing profitability, particularly for buyers of options.

3. Complexity: Options trading involves complex strategies and concepts that can be challenging for novice traders to grasp. Understanding options terminology, pricing models, and various trading strategies requires a significant amount of education and experience. Novice traders may struggle to navigate the complexities of options trading, leading to costly mistakes and losses.

4. Leverage and Magnified Losses: While options provide leverage, amplifying potential returns, they also magnify losses. Options traders can control a large position with a relatively small amount of capital, but this leverage can work against them if the trade moves unfavorably. A small adverse price movement in the underlying asset can result in significant losses for option buyers, especially when trading highly leveraged strategies.

5. Unlimited Risk for Sellers: Option sellers, also known as writers, face unlimited downside risk. While option buyers' losses are limited to the premium paid, sellers' losses can be substantial if the market moves significantly against their positions. Selling naked options, without proper risk management or hedging strategies, exposes sellers to potentially catastrophic losses beyond their initial investment.

6. Market Volatility: Options are sensitive to changes in market volatility, which can affect their prices and behavior. Increased volatility can inflate option premiums, making options more expensive to buy. Conversely, declining volatility can reduce option premiums, impacting profitability for option buyers and sellers. Managing volatility risk is essential for options traders, as unexpected volatility spikes can lead to unpredictable outcomes.

7. Execution Risks: Options trading involves execution risks, including slippage and liquidity issues. Illiquid options contracts may have wider bid-ask spreads and limited trading volume, making it difficult to enter and exit positions at desired prices. Slippage, the difference between expected and actual execution prices, can erode profits and increase trading costs, particularly during fast-moving markets or low-volume periods.

8. Commissions and Fees: Options trading often incurs commissions and fees, including brokerage commissions, exchange fees, and regulatory fees. These costs can eat into profits, especially for frequent traders or those trading large volumes. It's essential to consider transaction costs when evaluating the profitability of options trades and incorporate them into overall trading strategies.

9. Emotional Challenges: Options trading can be emotionally taxing, especially during periods of market uncertainty or volatility. Fear, greed, and overconfidence can cloud judgment and lead to impulsive decision-making. Managing emotions and adhering to disciplined trading plans are critical for success in options trading, but it requires discipline, patience, and psychological resilience.

Precautions for Options Trading

1. Education: Gain a comprehensive understanding of options trading before venturing into the market. Familiarize yourself with basic concepts, strategies, and risk management techniques.

2. Risk Management: Implement robust risk management strategies, such as setting stop-loss orders and position sizing, to protect your capital and minimize potential losses.

3. Practice: Before trading options with real money, consider practicing on a virtual trading platform like SmartBulls. Virtual trading allows you to test strategies and hone your skills without risking actual capital.

4. Diversification: Avoid overexposure to a single asset or strategy. Diversifying your options portfolio can help mitigate risks and enhance overall returns.

In conclusion, options trading offers a plethora of opportunities for investors to profit from market movements and hedge against risks. However, it requires careful planning, diligent research, and prudent risk management to succeed in this complex and dynamic market. By understanding the nuances of options trading and taking appropriate precautions, investors can navigate the market with confidence and potentially achieve their financial goals. Practice on virtual trading app SmartBulls can help traders hone their skills and gain confidence before entering the market with real money.

[gerec]

Is there any fanfic where Nina survives? Or any dadneto AU where she is there as one of Magneto's children?

Here are some canon fics where Nina survives:

Snapshots by SlightWeasel

Everybody survives the woods confrontation. Past, present, and future ficlets about Erik and his family.

Changes by SlightWeasel

After the woods confrontation, Nina's parents take her to Charles' school.

There's a bit of an adjustment period.

Mansion by the Lake by flightinflame

When Nina manifests her abilities, Erik takes her and her mother to the one place he knows they will be safe. He finds himself once more thrown together with the man that he loves, and who he believed was forever lost to him.

For Charles, Erik's arrival brings challenges but also hope. And he could never turn away a child in need of help.

Morning by Yalu

AU: Nina lived. Magda didn't.

Four Funerals & A Wedding by midrashic

Four people who mourned Erik Lehnsherr, and one who didn't.

And here are some Dadneto aus that include Nina:

Talk, Baby, Talk by lyonet

“Enough,” Erik said furiously. “It’s over. Let it die.”

“Be fair, sugar,” Emma said. “We made good music. It was your choice to wear magenta armour and a cape.”

Good Together by friendlytikek (series)

In the seven months Charles has been dating Erik, he can’t recall a time when Lorna has been sick enough for Erik to use sad face emojis and to refuse to allow the babysitter to look after her. Like a good boyfriend, he decides to go over and help out.

Videos on the Internet by WaxRhapsodic (series)

“Papa! Charles makes videos on the internet!” Nina chimed excitedly.

Charles blushed a furious red at her innocent words as he tried to stammer out an explanation in the face of Erik’s newly intense, calculated perusal that took him in from head to toe.

He gave a nervous laugh, “I’ve never heard it put quite that way, Nina.”

A Matter of Convenience by flightinflame (series)

All Erik cares about is keeping Nina safe. It isn't always easy, not when his past stalks him and there are few options available to a single mutant omega, but he's determined to protect her at any cost.

Charles loves his sons, biological and fostered, more than anything. They are flourishing in his care, but the state doesn't think a single alpha can handle children.

A chance meeting gives both of them a solution to their problems. Marry, and no one will try and split up their families. Only what starts off as a simple contract soon becomes far more complicated.

MagicalMatchMaking by sebastian2017

Erik, frazzled single father on a trip to Disney World, meets Charles, equally frazzled single father.

Break the Mold by Baamon5evr

Charles always worried about Erik where their daughter, Nina, was concerned. It wasn’t the idea of fatherhood and Erik Lehnsherr that he thought could be a volatile mix, it was the idea of Erik and humans that got him worried. The moment each of their children was born, Charles knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lorna and David would be mutants and Nina would not.

To Love and Be Loved by librata

Erik wakes up on a Sunday morning to an empty bed and a house full of chaos.

Through the Barricades by starandrea (series)

Erik and Charles learned to live without each other once. It's harder the second time--so before they even discuss it, they've decided not to try. (Erik accidentally moves into the mansion without anyone but Charles noticing for days. He may be the first to return, but he won't be the last.)

home as a borderless metaphor by specficslut (homosociality)

Erik has been traded to a foreign king for a chest of gold and a hundred bushels of grain. In Westchester, he must learn to start a new life... and navigate the roles that have been thrust upon him, whether concubine or courtesan, consort or slave.

[inbabylontheywept]

The Price

Mithrain’s hands were thick boned and knotted with scars. Unfit tools for anything delicate. Yet they were all he had, so he traded patience for true dexterity. Where humans had skill and elves had grace, dwarves had time.

His fingers carefully tugged the knotted fabrics apart. Blanket by blanket, twist by twist, the bundle came undone until, at last, an infant lay on the war table.

It was human. Unmistakably so – round ears peeked through a halo of blonde hair. It reached forward with tiny hands and wrapped all ten of its fingers around the dwarves' thumb. Both its index fingers still lingered a full inch from meeting. Mithrain looked down at it with true warmth. Then he looked back up at the elves and gave a command.

“Kill it.”

No one at the table moved. The circle of elves looked from the child, to him, then back. To their credit, the tension was more borne of  confusion than moral wavering. They knew they would not do it. They did not know why they were being asked.

Solathan the Elder spoke first.

“No,” he replied.

Mithrain nodded. The refusal was not merely hoped for, it had been expected.

“This is why you will not win.”

The table sat in contemplative silence. Solathan, bravest amongst the elves, most forward, most dwarf, spoke again.

“Because we will not murder infants?”

“Because this infant is the son of Agamedes. He is the last king of the Hinterlands. Humans grow old quickly – in twenty five years he will be a man, and he will start a war just like the one you are fighting today. A war suspiciously similar to the one you fought twenty-five years ago.”

The words were calm, but he watched the generals hands closely. Even a twitch towards a belt knife would be enough to betray temptation. Yet, each hand remained perfectly still.

There was a short pulse of shame in him. Envy. When he’d had this conversation with his own war council all those centuries ago, there had been several who’d considered it. Who had considered the price of such self-degredation.

“You will not win. You could. But you see the cost now, and you know it is too high. You want to honor your treaties, your duties, your integrity, but you know the word for that which lacks soul but keeps contracts. You’ve fought them with me, in the deepest, darkest depths of the stone.” 

Solathan had gone white. He knew. He’d been so focused on winning this war that he’d failed to look ahead to the next. And the next. And the next. The cycle stood out to him, infinite and spiraling. He froze at the thought of walking down into that abyss.

“I could raise it. Him. I could try and break the cycle. I-“

“He will learn from another human. Another infant that grows to manhood. He will learn, and he will burn your house and throne. Do you think I am so wise, as to see the future without having lived the past? Whatever cleverness you will suggest, I have tried. I fought ten generations of warriors on the same field before I realized I had three options. To burn my soul, to trap myself in endless war, or to lose. So I lost.”

His voice cracked on the last three words. The infant had begun to fuss over the cold, and he went to work swaddling it again. He’d made his point - now it was time to take the princling home. But as his hands made their slow work, he gave his final warning. 

“You did not know when you started this. And you would not have listened if I had told you. But you know now. And if I meet you in those darkest depths, I will know what sent you there. The only pity you will find from me after that is a second death."

He finished his work in silence, leaving as he came. The quiet lasted long after. 

[catt-nuevenor]

Changes to the Main Character - Myrk Mire

Brace yourselves kids, this is going to be a fair amount to go through. While I don't think I'm giving away any big story spoilers, do treat reading more with some caution if you want to experience the story completely blind. And do also bear in mind that none of these changes are implemented yet and won't be for some time. If you like the story as is, by all means go and enjoy it. I'll be uploading a new demo, not replacing the old one, when it's ready.

All that out the way, let's talk choice fiction MC's and their difficulties in fixed narrative cannon.

Let's get this out the way first and foremost. You will still be able to customise your Main Character and their offspring in all the ways you can currently. I'm not removing any of that choice from you. You'll also be able to pick who your Main Character becomes attached to. However, this is where things will need to change a bit.

Previously our romantic options were all single and ready to mingle and remained so until the player directed their Main Character into a relationship with them. Open season, so to speak. What will now (future demo) take place is the Main Character will begin early to favour one of the eight relationship (romantic or platonic) options, and as said relationship grows, the remaining seven will begin their own journeys with other characters.

Which other characters? Well, here's where the real fun begins.

---

Old narrative:

A lone wanderer, with their offspring/dependent, stumbles into Aldmirham in pursuit of work and lodging for the winter.

New narrative:

A small group of wanderers, with their offspring/dependents, stumble into Aldmirham in pursuit of work and lodging for the winter.

---

Our RO's aren't the only ones gaining 'siblings'.

There'll be five adult characters trundling their way into Aldmirham in the hafest of 822 DT, and the beginning of the story will take place at the very start of winter, through to blostma (spring).

The Main Character will be one of these five adults, and their dependent will be one of the three children with them.

Some of you may have noticed a slight mathematical flaw in this. I have eight relationship options and five new folks. Well, you don't need to form romantic relationships to live a happy and fulfilling life, and neither do the RO's.

Let's get a run-down on our travelling group, shall we?

Ænidym Bécencnol (NB) - An old friend of Marrin/Marryn/Marren and Sumara (previously Zephora), they joined shortly after the events that led to the MC first travelling with the group (what ever those events may be), in the town of Þeófcrecca on the western shore of Crawshire. They're a carpenter by trade, apprenticing with a shipwright in the town. They're supportive, grounded, and often the voice of reason when their companions need a reminder of common sense.

Ehwan Bécencnol (M) - Ænidym's young cousin, orphaned after his mother drowned in an accident out at sea while fishing. He's quiet, distrustful of strangers, and has a deep and abiding fear of deep water. He's a year or so older than the MC's child and is obsessively protective of them.

Azgoá Ménastaþs (F) - Orignally from the realm of Þinda, she took apprenticeship with the iron smiths of Crawburh before meeting up with the others, and deciding to travel east with them, hoping to learn from the smithing guilds in the rest of the realm. Others often think she has a funny accent, and she delights in teaching the children foul comebacks in her native tongue.

Ielfetu Wischam (M) - A basket weaver by trade, Ielfetu joined the group with his daughter, Basjá, after Basjá's mother became violent towards them both. He's good at what he does, but struggles to see that, relying on his new friends and confidants to pick him up and set him on his feet. Originally from the smaller, tamer marshes of Wýscanwisc, he's comfortable in the Mire, and hopes the group will stay after the winter is through.

Basjá Wischam (F) - Ielfetu's daughter, she's the youngest of the group's children, though only by a few months. Tall for her age, and bold, she's often chosen as the leader among the children, though her overconfidence often leads them all into trouble. She's anxious about her father, often feeling like she has to protect him from those who might bully him or push him around, this well-meaning support rarely ends well.

Aranor Halshlinc (M) - The newest member of the group, he first joined them when he was still legally a child, seeking to escape a bad situation he'd found himself in, with muddy legal ramifications. He's spent every day since this incident trying to make it up to them, taking on far more dog's body work than he should, often exhausting himself. He has a good heart, but a limited appreciation for long term consequences, and his past is never far behind him.

Main Character (?) -

Main Character's Child (?) -

Now, I'm not telling you who ends up connecting with who, that'd be spoilers.

So this is our crew of travelling misfits, here's to the shenanigans when they meet our resident band of misfits in Aldmirham! The town won't know what's hit it.

Why do this? Well, it means when the story of Myrk Mire touches the fixed narrative story, I have more points to weave connections with, more people to mention or name-drop, and tbh more people to hide the MC behind without having to strongly define who they are. I'm not going to be able to keep the MC ambiguous forever, but I hope I can create a strong enough sense of community within the story that readers still feeling comfortable when the MC of Myrk Mire does make their eventual appearance because the family around them remains the same.

Anywho, let me know what you think about our new travelling companions, and feel free to ask questions about them. Spoiler limiting, I'll answer as best I can.

[0nyxvesper]

OBEY ME REDESIGN/AU? KINDA?Just read pls😭

Art -> Part 1 -SATAN- (art at the end)

Hey! My name's Onyx and I'm a artist, which gives me incredible powers of creation that I use to make or redesign silly characters instead of focusing on my already existing art projects or simply my overall future : what a life.

So as the title says, I'm redesigning some of the om! characters as well as changing up the world they live in. As for the first redesign I chose (very self indulged choice ) to start with Satan :)

This isn't really an AU but just me ''fixing'' (changing) things that I (emphasis on the I, this is MY opinion, you don't have to agree with me) dislike about the game's world and/or characters. I also added things that were, yes, absolutely unnecessary, but so fucking cool 😎

Btw english isn't my first language so if something doesn't make sense just pretend it does, thanks :)

START OF MY RAMBLING

So, in my vision of obey me, all demons have access to magic (curses, hexes, potions...) but some demons also have a connection with one to two elemental powers (water, fire, wind...)

The ''regular'' magic as well as basic knowledge of the devildom fonctionnement and history is taught to young demons (just born/reborn demons and fallen angels *wink wonk) at RAD (which explain why the heck some litteral ADULTS that could easily have a balanced working life are still in an HIGH SCHOOL environment.) (I know that adults can go to school, no problem with that lmao, but lucifer or satan in the og! game for example have nothing to learn there anymore and could be having a ''regular'' active life like-)

But yes, the academy's objective isn't really to ''tame'' demons, because they can't change their very nature and the idea that a demon (Diavolo) is working on turning other demons into more ''human'' beings seems really fucking off to me

And the human exchange program was supposed to be more of a ''exchange of culture'' kind of things where humans would learn about demon's ways and vice versa, it wasn't as diplomatic as it was in the game. See it as these ''special week'' thingy in school we're you'd learn about other cultures and try different country's dishes everyday. Exept it's for a full year. And in hell.

ALRIGHT THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ YOU'RE SO SWEET ILYSM :))))

here's the part that you probably wanted the most : THE DRAWINGS x) (hope it not too pixelated 🗿)

ABOUT THIS REDESIGN

Soooo my Satan is connected to earth and shadows and is an expert in curses and potions as well as devildom's history which is one of his favorite subjects along with the optional Art and litterature classes. (there's multiple optional classes that are supposed to help students that can't keep up or have bad grades to balance their grades by just showing up and listening, for exemple, mammon sometimes goes to the optional business and trading classes. )

In the og! game, satan is supposed to be lucifer's opposite, but I felt like it was mostly showed with his design and wanted to make it go a little further by making them dress in a more androgynous way and changing a bit his personality, making him a bit more carefree. (he's still super self conscious about his dangerous changes of temper which makes him a very closed and silent person, he's also still introverted, but when I say carefree I mean that he often skips classes to go check on cats or go read, and that they don't feel obligated to fulfill a role of exemple as a head student or avatar of wrath like lucifer does) I honestly just wanted the opposition between these two to be more marked but not necessarily have this ''competition'' between them because it felt very childish.

As for the elephant in the room, yes, he has hooves, no, there's no other reason than the fact that he doesn't have an animal theme like all of the others have. Yes, I only chose it because I find it cute. No, you may not pet them. Oh and as for the ''but why do they show up, aren't they supposed to have a human form'' I just decided that being gifted at everything is unrealistic, so I officially declare that Satan SUCKS AHH at maintaining his human form. He's not helped by the fact that he's constantly concentrating on staying calm and having a neutral facade and would saturate if they also had to concentrate on his physical form. But yeah he's still bad at it.

Alrighty thats it for today :)

Much love !

[salvadorbonaparte]

I know I am already boring everyone to death with this but the thought that a phd is actually not unrealistic???!!

As a kid I wanted to be a scientist and/or author for the longest time, I wanted to go to a university and become a doctor (I'm pretty sure I read something about Oxford as a child and it stuck) but when my life became more difficult this all suddenly seemed like a childish fantasy.

I joined tumblr in 2013, ten year ago, during the darkest year of my life. In my archive (old blog, not this one) I found zero note text posts I shouted into the void about my future looking bleak. One talked about how I like languages but could never become a translator because my English isn't good enough. My grades tanked that year and I was close to repeating a year. Still, I graduated from high school in 2017 with not good but decent grades. At some point during high school I made this blog to motivate me to study and to exchange ideas with other people. I obviously didn't get into Oxford but I got into a decent university abroad.

During the last year of my Linguistics and Hispanic Studies undergrad I realised how much I love translation and how much I always loved translation. My undergrad dissertation had been difficult and I doubted my ability to go to grad school but I knew I'd need to get a degree or diploma in translation to be taken seriously and I lacked the theoretical and practical experience. My grades were good but not great but I somehow managed to get into a pretty good university.

I didn't really allow myself to think about a phd until very recently, apart from some jokes online. A phd was for people with good grades, academic parents and money. My grandparents spent the last year of my undergrad telling me to not waste my time "dreaming" about a job in the language industry and learn a proper trade instead (they changed their minds now thankfully).

My grades are pretty good this year, I'm getting a lot of firsts for the first time in my life. My supervisors are interested in my thesis topic. When I kvetched online about the idea of a phd but lack of money my supervisor enthusiastically invited me to her office hours and gave me funding tips and supported my idea of a phd. My other supervisor asked me if I considered turning my thesis into a phd thesis. She also enthusiastically encouraged the idea and gave me funding tips.

I have started my phd application the other day and I'm only missing my proposal now. I talked to my family about it and they're supportive. This is no longer a distant daydream of a little nerdy kid. This is a realistic option for my future. And in the meantime my blog turned from the lonely ramblings of a depressed middle school student to the less lonely ramblings of a prospective phd student.