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kiyo-cant-write · 7 months ago

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hi hi! jade req again, kinda toxic this time

can we get jade with a reader who’s really easy to manipulate and they know it? idk if it makes sense but like jade realizing reader isn’t oblivious to his manipulation, just kinda self-destructive and hopelessly into him

jade thought he was being slick because reader wasn’t calling him out on anything, but he overhears their conversation and finds out that they’re fully aware jade is a ton of red flags but is still staying anyway, and his reaction to that

i really hope this makes sense! idk how to word it

jade w/ an easily manipulated reader ✧･ﾟ

Aw! Thank you for another request! I love Jade and Octavinelle so much! I hope that I did your idea justice. Please let me know if you'd like another request in the future! Onwards to the story! ^^

Summary: Jade Leech has been stringing [Name] along for fun and due to the instruction of Octavinelle's Housewarden. He thought he was doing well... but it seems [Name] may have had ulterior motives.

TW/CW: Toxicity but the standard Fish Mafia kind

Notes: established "relationship", they/them pronouns for the reader, the reader is Yuu/Ramshackle Prefect, the reader is described as human and younger than Jade/frosh, ADeuce if you squint, implied to be post-Azul OB

Guest Stars: Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, Grim, Azul Ashengrotto & Floyd Leech (referenced)

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Jade Leech

As much of a sadist as Jade can be, he's not exceptionally cruel outside of what he deems as the necessity for his purposes.

He is a bit smug when he thinks he has [Name] under control.

Jade is pretending to be "honor student Jade Leech."

He acts as their friend and support albeit for the Lounge.

He pretends to care, to do everything to help them.

He smiles at them, speaks politely, and even "affectionately."

They trust him and they tell him things they shouldn't.

He will use those bits of information when the time comes.

Every time they have an inkling of doubt, he squashes it.

His surprise is evident when Floyd points out that it might not be the case this time, but Floyd is Floyd and doesn't explain.

Wanting to make sense of this discovery, Jade observes [Name].

He watches to see if [Name] really has caught onto him.

Jade is intrigued and what he finds does not disappoint.

He is surprised to find that they caught on long ago.

But they stayed? Why?

Because they "love" him?

Why would they love the guy trying to string them along?

It didn't make sense to him. He felt a tug at his heartstrings.

Did he feel bad about this?

He didn't know what to do.

Jade starts to avoid [Name] after realizing their feelings.

He retracts further into his honor student persona.

[Name] will not win this fight. He will not be bested by a freshman.

The battle has just begun and Jade needs to bury this sinking feeling in his chest. What does it mean anyway?

Floyd serves as a live studio audience to Jade's struggles.

Jade is an observer. That had been his role for so long, that he wasn't sure when it began. Ever since he was young, he would watch and calculate while Floyd was the type to rush into things, be impulsive, and just a tad stupid at times, at least when they were young. Jade never intended to make his observations a skill, but sooner or later, everything becomes an asset.

That's what his father had always said.

His mother worried about the sadistic streak in her son, but she couldn't do anything to prevent its development. Jade was, after all, a member of the Leech family. He and Floyd would join the family business sooner or later unless they wholly refused its offer.

"[Full Name]," Jade mused to himself, "How interesting."

Azul had been the one to ask him to pay extra close attention to Ramshackle's Prefect in case they strayed too far from things, or got into any trouble. The magicless human that had saved others from themselves, they interested the owner of Mostro Lounge. Jade had simply agreed with Azul's request, observation was his skill, after all.

It had never been meant to evolve, and certainly not into this.

Jade watched as this person fell for his polite words hook, line, and sinker. It was almost too easy. They were shockingly trusting, telling him all sorts of things he could use to be downright evil if he wanted to be. It wasn't time for that, not yet, but one should always guard their secrets (perhaps not as much as Azul, but at least a bit).

He didn't need to do anything unless the moment called for it.

At the time, it had not been necessary.

That was weeks ago.

Azul hadn't given further instructions and, to be fair about it, Jade didn't want to earn that octomer's ire. Not today, anyway. He and Floyd were troublesome, yes, but not stupid.

So, as Azul had instructed, he was trailing the Prefect until told otherwise (or until it became boring, whichever arose first). Though their reactions had been predictable, he could argue that things were getting boring now.

Floyd would have given up ages ago, he was sure of it.

[Full Name] was currently spending their time with their classmates, Ace Trappola (easily swayed by competition and bets) and Deuce Spade (note: gullible as a child). Jade had kept an eye on the three of them (and Grim) because of their closeness. It was rather irritating how buddy-buddy they were. He had worked a bit to get [Name] alone those few times they had spoken privately.

Standing away from the trio, Jade listened in on their conversation.

"[Name], I don't think that this is good," Deuce told them, clearly worried for their friend's mental state, "You need to be more careful. Don't you remember what happened to me and Ace?"

"I fucking remember!" Ace chimed in, "It sucked. Don't trust fish."

"Nya! Fish are food, not friends," Grim told them, "Especially eels!"

"Ah... You guys..."

Jade almost wanted to chuckle at Grim's words of "wisdom" but he withheld it, knowing that he mustn't give away his position. Not yet.

"You shouldn't trust Leech-senpai," Deuce continued, "Do you not remember how he and his twin brother acted before?"

"THEY TRIED TO KILL US, [NICKNAME]!!" Ace interrupted Deuce, earning him a glare from the navy-haired boy, "Sorry, Deuce-chan."

"Don't call me that."

What Deuce was doing could only be described as glowering.

"Lighten up and help me convince [Nickname] not to get themselves murdered by a shady eel and a shadier octopus!" Ace told him, slapping Deuce on the shoulder, "Just because they're better doesn't mean they're changed fish! Fish are suspicious!"

"Ace, do you have some fish-related trauma outside of campus that I should know about?" Deuce asked him, "It's starting to seem—"

"FOCUS ON [NICKNAME], DEUCE."

Ace's reddened face was a sign that Deuce was on to something with that fishy nonsense. Jade Leech would remember that fact.

Fish trauma. Noted.

"....Okay," Deuce agreed, turning back to [Name], "Do you want to tell us what you've been doing with Leech-senpai? We're worried..."

Deuce trailed off for a moment before he added a Deuce-typical offer.

"I can fight him if you want me to. They're messing with my friend."

"N-no thanks, Deuce... I don't think I need that," [Name] said, laughing at the antics of her friends and roommate, "Honestly, I know he's not being honest with me... But I don't really... care?"

The words surprised Jade but he refused to give himself away. There was more information to be gathered, for his own needs and Azul's.

They don't mind my dishonesty? Heh...

"I have never been more concerned for you than I am right now," Ace said, tone lacking its usual goofy undertone, "Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad about anything? They would help..."

Ace wasn't sure what to do but this was a worry. So frantic to say his sentence Ace neglected to register his misnomer for Vice Housewarden Trey Clover and everyone's favorite senpai Cater Diamond. He could lay awake and think about that later.

Deuce clearly felt similarly as he reached out to put a hand on [Name]'s. He wasn't good at solving problems of the emotional variety but he could be a support. Or, he would try to be one.

"Even if we can't say anything helpful... We can be here to listen."

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine," [Name] tried to assure them (but it wasn't working), "I just... I like Jade-senpai... and if this is how... he will talk to me... then I am okay with it. I've just been going along with all... that."

Jade felt time stop for a millisecond as he processed the words. They had been "playing along"? They didn't fall for every trick? Perhaps this was more interesting than he had thought. Still. He didn't like being bested, perhaps he needed to up his game...

"[Name], that's not good... I don't think..." Deuce managed.

"I wish Mom and Dad were here..." Ace mumbled.

"[Name], don't leave me for a fish! It's not even tuna!"

Grim clung to his human with small paws, tail swishing.

Jade was baffled not by those that Azul had previously controlled but by [Name] themself. They were something odd amongst the students of Night Raven College. They didn't shy away from his... methods.

But they said they liked him. He wondered if that made him feel something. He wasn't one to like other people, stay around them long... especially these landfolk.

It was a foreign concept.

Oh dear. [Full Name], you've managed to intrigue me now.

To the concern of Deuce, Ace, and Grim, Jade Leech wouldn't be letting his human prey go any time soon. Not for Azul, or his brother... This was something he was pursuing now. For better or worse.

I hope they're prepared to best me once more.

What would they say if I said I "loved" them? ♪

Imagine the rest for yourself~

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Thank you for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated! Do NOT repost my writing/headcanons as your own >:c Check the top of my blog for the inbox status and read the rules before requesting. This is not a twst-only blog! ^^

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f1ghtsoftly · 2 years ago

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Upon reflection, it was so damaging in childhood to be expected to preform at the same level as everyone else while being abused. I had so many embarrassing conversations with adults in my life about why I did this, why I was messy, why I was late all the time, why I didn’t get work done. Telling the truth would mean a CPS call that would yield nothing but a brutal beating the next day. Sorry, I was shaking when I woke up and could barely get out of the house because there was screaming so loud it shook the walls to my bedroom. Sorry, my sister was locked outside like a dog last night, I had to wait late to sneak her out a snack. Sorry, I’m afraid to ask my parents because of how they will react.

I really can’t overstate how much I dislike stories about magical poor kids, disabled or otherwise marginalized kids somehow preforming exceptionally under very difficult circumstances, because even though sometimes that does happen, it is a vanishingly small amount of kids that can even make something of that talent or skill after they display it. It is simply too much to ask a human being to continue steady work while caring for addicts, while getting sexually abused, while repeatedly not being accommodated for disability, in the aftermath of severe bullying and assault.

It is so brutally, brutally unfair that our society sees working hard through abuse, homelessness, unaccommodated disability, illness and poverty as some kind of badge of honor and not what it really is, a blistering indictment of how our society expects someone living in a shelter to work just as hard as someone in a stable home and have the same resources and blames those who fail to meet expectations with less opportunity, lower wages and social scorn. I can’t express how inhumane it is.

I remember a friend of my sister’s who was r*ped by an older boy in my grade. She was taking some advanced classes and the school was “unable” to separate them and keep her in advanced classes. I remember how anyone expected her to learn in that class but she would also be blamed if she didn’t preform well. No college would get a note explaining a poor grade or a poor semester due to retraumatization from abuse. Her failure to work through humiliating and traumatizing circumstances would mean a loss of educational attainment and potentially a worse transcript.

A lot of words are thrown around about victim blaming and there are very real cases, like Amber Heard, where women are attacked for coming forward or defending themselves against abuse-but another pernicious form of victim blaming comes from expecting someone to trudge through the unthinkable and label them as sick, as failures, as mentally challenged or just not good enough when they inevitably fail.

#radblr #radical feminism #radical feminist #char on char

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leighsartworks216 · 1 year ago

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Migraine Pain

Astarion x gn!Tav/Reader

Wrote this for me bc I have a migraine rn and I want Astarion to act as my personal cold pack. Beginning of Astarion's dialogue taken from the vid Neil did of an Astarion wake up call lol

Not proofread bc brain hurts

Warnings: migraine descriptions, pain, light angst if you squint, swearing, OOC Shadowheart

Word Count: 1,839

Main Masterlist

First Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist - Second Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form

The two knocks at the door split your skull. Each one like an iron spike hammered into your temples. All you could do was hide deeper under the covers, hoping they would muffle the sound enough to stop hurting.

“Darling, get up,” Astarion called through the wood. Two more knocks accentuated his annoyance. He groaned when he didn’t hear any movement. “Get the fuck up!”

You wished you could tell him what was going on - really you did. But the slightest twitch from your tadpole was enough to have you wishing for death. Hells, you’d make a deal with Raphael with unbalanced terms just so it would go away! Instead, all you could do was wait it out. It would be a long wait indeed.

With another irritated sigh, you could hear the familiar scrape of his lockpicking tools working at the lock. Even the quiet metal-on-metal grated right against your eardrums. Fortunately, he was exceptionally skilled, because with a click the door was swinging open.

He rolled his eyes when he saw the lump of your body underneath the blankets. “My gods, you’re so lazy. Just like Gale.” His footsteps, even as an elven rogue, were too damn loud. You pressed your nose into the mattress, willing the thumping pulse in your head to stop. It thudded behind your eyes with each step.

In one swift motion, the blankets that provided the small mercy of darkness were whipped off of you. You curled as tightly into yourself as possible, covering your head with your arms to block out the sunlight streaming into your room. Astarion scoffed.

“Get out of bed and get up!” He gestured to the window. Even though you couldn’t see it, you could hear the rustling of his shirt. “It’s the morning. Listen, I might be a vampire that’s been away from the sun for 200 years, and I can actually now walk in it thanks to a tadpole that’s induced my mind,” he rambled, before huffing indignantly, “but even I don’t rest in!”

Now was the worst time for his dramatics. You usually adored how sassy and silly he could be, but now it just drove a stake through your brain. Even the Absolute couldn’t cause a pain this agonizing.

You whimpered, reaching out with one arm to swat him away. You missed. “Please, stop,” you whined. “Head hurts.”

He clicked his tongue. “Nothing the cleric can’t fix. C’mon, she can do whatever it is she does on our way out of here.”

You shook your head slowly, burying your face further and further into the bed. Gods, why did it have to hurt so fucking bad? Your chest tightened as the burn of tears stung at your eyes. Even crying hurt. Your body trembled and shook, your hands tangling into your hair to press at your affliction, as choked sobs suffocated you. Each gasp for air felt like a vice gripping your brain.

“Darling?” Astarion spoke, much softer. You couldn’t answer. He sighed softly, no longer annoyed. Well, a little annoyed. He dragged the blankets back up to your shoulders. “I’ll get Shadowheart.”

His footsteps were much lighter as he rushed out of your room. Was… this the work of the tadpoles? But wouldn’t they be affected, too? Ugh, why couldn’t anything be simple in this damn group of weirdos?

Shadowheart rushed in a moment later, remembering to keep her steps light halfway to you. She knelt down, frowning at the sight of the group’s leader so shaken. “Is it a migraine?” she whispered.

A sharp pain bolted through your temples as you nodded. You whimpered.

She sighed quietly. There was nothing her magic could do; migraines weren’t something she could just heal. “I’ll tell the others and whip up some tea, alright?”

She didn’t wait for your answer and set to work closing the curtains over the windows. Astarion frowned, missing the golden light already. “What’s wrong with them?”

Shadowheart put a finger over her lips with a glare. He scowled, but didn’t say anything. She only spoke when she was right next to him in the doorway. “They have a migraine. They’re extremely sensitive to light and sound right now.”

“Can’t you do something?” He glared impatiently at her, crossing his arms.

“There’s nothing for it. All we can do is wait. I suggest getting comfortable - we’re not leaving today.” She slipped past him, back down the stairs to the rest of your anxious companions.

He tapped his arm as he watched the lump under the blankets shift slowly as you finally uncovered your head. Baldur’s Gate was so close. Cazador was so close. They couldn’t deal with these delays when he was so damn close to being honestly, truly free.

He hadn’t moved from his post by the door when Shadowheart returned with a steaming cup of tea. She placed it carefully on your bedside table. “Drink this,” she whispered. “It should help with the pain.”

You nodded slightly, wiping at your face. She offered a little sympathetic smile. She gave Astarion a stern look as she passed. “Don’t try taking a nibble, vampire.”

He forced a sweet smile. “Offering yourself up instead?”

She scoffed, scrunching her nose up at the mere thought. “They need rest. And you leering over them isn’t going to help.” She left once more, with a last cursory glance over her shoulder to see if he’d leave.

Once she was out of sight, Astarion stepped into the room, softly closing the door behind him. His feet barely made a sound as he found his way back to your side. At least you weren’t curled up into a little ball anymore. Or crying. Small mercies, he supposed. He had no idea how to deal with someone being sick, let alone someone crying.

You looked at the cup on the table. Liquid salvation. The real trick was being able to drink it.

With a deep breath, you forced yourself to sit up, wincing and whimpering with every jerky motion. He was honestly shocked you didn’t jump when he grabbed your arm to help, but perhaps you really were that out of it. Or you knew he was there. Either way, you thank him in the smallest, most pathetic voice he’s ever heard.

Comfortably propped up on a stack of pillows against the headboard, you reached over to try grabbing the cup. He caught your hand just before you knocked the cup over.

“Careful, darling,” he chastised quietly. With a put-out sigh, he sat down at the edge of the bed and picked up the cup. He brought the rim to your lips. “Since you’re so incapable…”

You carefully took a sip. Your whole face relaxed at the warmth, and the soothing herbs mixed in. It wouldn’t be an immediate remedy, but it was a very pleasant one. After you eagerly drained half the cup, he set it back on the table. You sighed with relief, content in the knowledge even a single percentile of your pain could be eased away.

“You don’t have to stay,” you mumbled, watching him through squinted eyes. Even the dimness of the room was too bright for you.

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Least I could do after such a rude awakening.”

You chuckled, but the sound was cut short with a strong wince. You sat there for a moment, face pinched and brow tight as you waited for the sting to pass. Once it did, your face softened once more.

“How bad is it?”

“Like Dwarves are taking pickaxes to my temples in search of gold.” You took a breath. “And like an ogre is sitting on my head.”

He huffed a laugh. “Not much I can do to help with that, love.”

You hummed, shaking your head ever so slightly. You didn’t want to go jostling the miners when they were so damned hard at work.

With a small gesture toward the cup, Astarion helped you finish off the last half of the tea. A small dribble fell from the corner of your mouth down your chin. He caught it with his thumb quickly, the knuckles of his closed hand brushing your cheek. You leaned into the touch immediately, without even thinking about it. You sighed with relief.

“You’re cold.”

“Mm. Comes with being undead.” He set the cup aside, but allowed his hand to linger. In fact, he opened it up so he cupped your cheek with his palm. A sharp chill raced down your spine, but you didn’t pull away.

It was curious, how easily you placed yourself in his care. Watching as your eyes shut in easy tranquility as you indulged in the coolness of his hand, how relaxed you became - it surprised him. You always found new ways to amaze him.

Slowly, not wishing to jostle you, he moved to press his hand to your temple. If he thought you were relaxed before, this was utter bliss. “Gods, don’t stop,” you begged.

He glanced at the door, half expecting Shadowheart to burst in and yell at him for disturbing you. But nothing happened. Still, it would be better to avoid being told off. He pulled away, but kept a hand on your arm. “Lay down, dove.”

Whether out of desperation to have him acting as a cold compress once more or just to take the pressure off your brain, you complied in a heartbeat. Slowly, you shimmied back down into the covers, head situated on a pillow once more.

Astarion thought for a moment. Did he really want to keep sitting here, back tiring out, arms reaching for hours? You whined, placing a hand over his on your arm, asking without words for relief. He hushed you.

As quickly as he could without shaking the bed, he stood, rounded it, and slipped in under the covers beside you. You gravitated toward him immediately, even as you winced. Head on his chest, arms clinging to him like a babe holding onto its mother, you relaxed into the natural chill he offered. He rested a hand back on your cheek, but slid the other to the back of your neck. That was the sweet spot, it seemed; you practically melted in his arms.

It wasn’t long before you were fast asleep, lulled into peace with the aid of the tea. He stared at the dark curtains blocking out the sun. One more day couldn’t hurt, surely. Not that they really had a choice, but…

You stirred in your sleep, turning your head to press your nose further into the ruffles of his shirt. Like this - bags under your eyes, hair a mess, a bit pallid - he was sure. He would Ascend. You’d never have to suffer like this again. Neither of you would. He’d be the most powerful man in the lands, with you at his side. Never again would he have to live in fear, bound in chains to someone else.

He sighed and rested his cheek lightly on your head. Gods. Just a few days now.

---

Tag List:

@satelliteapotheosis @hypopxia @flsalazar @beverlybeav @angelofthorr @emiemiemiii @marina-and-the-memes @aurasyn @furblrwurblr @cappsikle @mjmygd @thegirlsadventuresinwonderland @kindadolly @bloopthebat @pandimoostuff @chesb0red @black-star1472 @sessils @puppyg1rl666 @maruichio @cyber-dump-171 @katharynmarie @twinkliker3000 @cherifrog @catching-fire-in-the-wind @phantoms-fandom-blog @thespectacularspaceace @lynnlovesthestars @sylverqueencosplay @tototini @ashrio20 @bambamwolf87 @astarion-imagine-archive @thistrashisreadytobash @rosxtinted @bongwaterflavoredgatorade @the-lake-is-calling @nyxmainex @squid-killer @godoffuckedupcats

#fanfic #fanfiction #astarion #astarion x tav #astarion x reader #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate astarion #baldur's gate tav #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate tav #bg3 astarion #bg3 tav #gn reader #x gn reader #gender neutral reader #x gender neutral reader #migraine

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imaginedanvrs · 1 year ago

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toxic!natasha my beloved

toxic!natasha who braids your hair to relax you both but if she's had a particularly shit day she'll pull unnecessarily hard at the sensitive parts of your head

toxic!natasha who's emotionally closed off but if you're ever in a bad mood she won't let it go until you tell her why

toxic!natasha who doesn't like pda unless someone's looking at you too much, then she's all over you

toxic!natasha who doesn't like you going out on your own and insists on driving you everywhere, even if she'll complain about it later

toxic!natasha who buys you the most beautiful jewellery you've ever seen and has the smallest tracking devices in that you don't know about

toxic!natasha who is exceptionally skilled at ignoring you when you've done something she doesn't like. you're lucky if she eventually tells you what it was

toxic!natasha who is rarely gentle with you during sex, and even if she is she's nothing short of condescending

toxic!natasha who leaves marks everywhere when she fucks you and makes sure that even if you can't always see them the next day, you'll feel them

toxic!natasha who has a raging superiority complex that you can't help but encourage in the bedroom when she's forcing you to tell her how no one could ever make you feel like she does

toxic!natasha who says there's no such thing as "too big" and that if you're really a good girl, you'll take whatever she gives you

toxic!natasha who manipulates you into anything all too easily but it's all for your own good

toxic!natasha who just wants to help you be the best version of yourself <3

#natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #dark!marvel #dark!natasha x reader #black widow #marvel #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff smut #nrhcs

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queereads-bracket · 6 months ago

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Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 3

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Locked Tomb series (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth, and others) by Tamsyn Muir

Endorsement from submitter #1: "An extremely fun, humorous romp! A heart-breaking, soul crushing catharsis inducing tragedy! A thoughtful piece on imperial structures and trauma. On queerness, Muir flawlessly and without announcement, cracks gender open like an egg and spills its disproven guts across the page. The Locked Tomb does it all also bones, bitch."

Endorsement from submitter #2: "Lesbian necromancers in space. So many fascinating, sort of fucked up sapphic relationships going on."

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier.

Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

Fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, humor, series, adult

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (The Space Between Worlds series)

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.

On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.

But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.

Science fiction, multiverse, politics, mystery, series, adult

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sleepingdeath-light · 4 months ago

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cassandra kiramman + segmented smut alphabet ; 18+

requested by ; disney anon

letter prompt ; o / oral

pairing ; cassandra kiramman x gender neutral reader insert

masterlist ; here

part of my valentine’s day event

minors and ageless blogs will be blocked

O — Oral

anything about oral

Cassandra loves giving and receiving oral equally and, as one would expect from a woman of house Kiramman, she has very particular preferences about how she goes about both.

When receiving oral she much prefers to be sat upright or leaning against the wall while you’re perched on your knees in front of her. Her hands are either placed firmly on the arms of the chair she’s on or resting at the back of your head/the nape of your neck, and she generally has enough control over herself throughout to be able to talk you through what you’re doing: encouraging you to go a bit harder and to be a bit messier, praising you when you do well, telling you what she likes, and correcting you when you make a mistake. Of course the closer she gets to orgasm, the breathier and huskier her voice is going to get and the more difficult it will be for her to huff out more than a single word at a time (good, there, yes, close, fuck, etc.) but she still manages to get her message across before her thighs are slamming closed around your head and she’s stuttering over your name as she cums all over your face — squirting, even, if you overstimulate her through a second and third orgasm immediately afterwards.

When giving oral she prefers to lay on her back with you straddling her face — but if you’re a bit too shy to sit on her face then she’ll settle for laying on her stomach with you sat up at the head of the bed. She’s very deliberate about everything she does, keeping her pace leisurely and slow while also expertly targeting each of your most sensitive spots with her fingers and tongue in a calculated rhythm that’s sure to have your chest heaving and your thighs trembling around her head before long. Cassandra is also big on eye contact when she goes down on you, especially if you’re the type to get flustered by it — she just loves watching you fall apart for her, that’s all.

Additionally, if you’re amab then you’ll find her to be exceptionally skilled at deepthroating and that she has a habit of playing with your prostate and balls intermittently when she goes down on you. And if you’re afab then she always tries her hardest to get you to squirt all over her face, potentially even multiple times in one go if she’s really caught up in the moment, and don’t even think about being embarrassed about it because she will be very explicit about just how much she loves it.

#sleepingdeath #disney anon #minors dni #minors will be blocked #ageless blogs dni #ageless blogs will be blocked #smut #smut hcs #gender neutral reader #arcane x reader #arcane smut #cassandra kiramman x reader #cassandra kiramman smut

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jazeswhbhaven · 1 month ago

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My Very Own Demon Maid? | Being Threatened by an Exceptionally Skilled Maid Prologue | React | Spoilers

By the way, PB released the promo for this card shortly after updating the game, and I will say I like the ultimate on the card as it appears to kill multiple enemies by hanging them. Also, the booty shaking in his adore mode has me wanting to edit it with various songs LMAO I posted the money shot here because we get a bit of ballsack/gooch action

Now I'm not gonna lie I was really wondering how Levi would react being a maid after the entire event and it seems to mirror how Luci was acting in his card on how he felt as a butler.

To keep it short, Levi pretty much wants to fulfil his maid role to the fullest because he enjoyed wearing the outfit so much and craved wanting to serve a 'master' that's worthy of his service.

That means kidnapping MC (lol what's his damn deal with that), threatening them to accept being his Master, and then we finally get to the good part of the prologue where MC gets the game and starts being mean to him like how he wants. So how did we get here?

The screenshots will tell all in so little words.

Yup, Levi is out here feelin' himself. Which I'll give it to him...he looks good! Also his titties look big here idk man lol

So he kept that thang on for a while. Also confirmation of my assumption that he bathes often lol

Okay man, keep telling yourself that what helps you sleep in your coffin at night

Bring God back, I wanna see Levi be his maid.

Astra would indeed say this. She has said this 💀

Nah, what?

Oh this is cute, almost distracted me from the fact that Levi thought he could speak to me that way

LMAO NAH WTF????

Baby what is you doin???????????? Apologizing?????????

He'd just have to kill me dawg, I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut

As if he wasn't the one who just fucked up our throat in the first place...

He should have done that first, then it would have been a party

A reference book???? What kind of..

💀 Deadass? LMAO Belphie.... B E L P H I E

BEFORE APRIL FOOLS EVEN HIT WHY DID HE GIFT HIM THIS?

Also....ayo Belphie share your stash of hentai with me too like damn whatcha got?

MC said they'd seen enough and I was like, yup you can pretty much tell where this is going from the few pages alone. What really gets me is that Levi truly thought this is what a maid was meant to do and I find it hilarious that in his big brain he thought this was the proper way to do it. Idk it's just really funny to me yet he probably wouldn't find my belittling of his common sense amusing

Not to be that person but he was kinda asking for it back politely 💀 but he also was being a dick earlier so idc lol

I'd throw scalding hot tea in your face for choking me, but yah

Seeing him fold like this does something to me to where I don't dislike him as much anymore. Like ah yes finally you're my bitch and you better start acting like it 😌😌

So that's the prologue and I'm like well I think I can put two and two together and figure out how Levi's card is gonna go. Clearly it's going to be MC humiliating the fuck out of him which I mean cool, that's his thing anyway as seen from his past cards (excluding Attacker and Bloodshed) but there doesn't seem to be much of a build up or anything like it was with Luci's Butler card.

This also has me wondering if the other King's cards are going to be in the same format at Levi's where they just sort of roleplay randomly. If so, I'd rather them just keep it at Lucifer and Levi for these cards and give the other Kings something else. I also figure that Belphie nor Asmo would get butler cards because Belphie doesn't do jack shit in the first place unless this is finally a card where he does play into the role, and with Asmo uh....it would probably just be mindless sex from start to finish.

ANYWAYS if I do happen to see the rest of Levi's card, I'll post about it ofc. But for now...this is it lol

See y'all next time :3

#whb #whb leviathan #whb spoilers #whb screencaps #whb event #whb game #new L card!#levi was really actin' up at first #mc pls

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defendingtheowlhouse · 3 months ago

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a criticism i have towards THO is that Amity could have been better. I think her backstory is not compelling and her relationship with her mother was less interesting than the one she has with her siblings (especialy since her mother is just Audrey Bourgeois from mlb but with magic). I think her being a bully makes her very dislikable considering the fact she didn't have to bully Willow and that her behaviout towards Luz is just bad and weird since she's the only one who's mean like that of we ignore Bosha and Skara (they didn't matter fr) and she realy doesn't get confronted about it. Her being good at everything makes her quite annoying too. She's able to fight Hunter who is a trained soldier or smth (not saying she can't be strong but that shows favouritism to me. Atleast the fight was entertaining) One thing that negates that a bit is her social ackwardness(i guess) when she misunderstands Luz at the lake wich shows relationships is the one thing she's not good at but actualy wants. But i still think she could have been better. I was just dispointed with her character when i first started the show. People promised me Catra done right and i got a school bully who goes soft because of "kawaii silly human"😭 also she was better with green hair.

I get this, I found her a little boring sometimes too, but our feelings towards characters do not determine their quality.

Now onto the actual arguments: "she didn't have to bully willow and that her behaviour to luz is just bad" no character has to do anything, if her arc didn't start out like this she'd be a different character with different themes.

"She doesn't get confronted about it" while she isn't confronted in a yelling angry way often, she is still confronted. In covention, she reveals her insecurities, helping us understand her motivations and reasoning, her veiws are then confronted by Luz, teaching amity others struggle in the same way she does, eventually accepting that she was wrong and undoing her mistake by undoing the everlasting oath and admitting that luz has the ability to succeed. In lost in language she confronts herself showing her reflectfullness, admitting she hasn't been the friendliest witch either and promising to work on herself and finally in understanding willow she is repeatedly told off by characters like eda and inner willow before (again) explaing her motivations and promising to do better, even then there are still consequences and she still has to work to fix her mistake inner willow calls her attempt "a start" showing us the consequences of her actions towards willow are still there, even after a sorry.

This is in my opinion is a strength, not a weakness, she reflects and chooses to get better, she isn't yelled at or handheld until she does what's right, furthermore it fits into the shows themes of restorative justice, reflecting and choosing to undo your mistakes. It's not focused on retribution or making anyone suffer for what they've done but instead to try and fix the mess made, apologising, undoing the oath, fixing willow's mindscape and making an effort to fix their relationship are all restorative justice.

She isn't "good at everything". in fact, she is the weakest out of her willow and gus. Willow and Gus are exceptionally skilled with multiple episodes focused on their talent while amity "fought her way to the top" she may have been top student but that's never shown as meaning anymore than pretty good for a secondary schooler. This is a show about taking down the government, and we are asked to suspend our disbelief. She needed to win for the plot, so she barely scraped a win. The protagonists needed titan blood, so they got some of the titan blood. In this show background, teenagers are taking down trained, powerful officials with ease.

Another thing mentioned is comparisons to other characters. If you go in thinking a character will be like another character and go a certain way, prepare to be disappointed by the odds of that not happening. For odalia being like that one other person is because she's rich, cruel, and not that deep. Odalia isn't praised for her depth. She isn't a particularly interesting villain because she is made to be a fun one which is subjective and therefore difficult to determine quality

Thank you for coming to me with this discussion, and thanks for your civility (especially after the incident) I hope you have a nice day!

#the owl house #the owl house critical critical #toh #toh critical critical #toh criticism #the owl house critical #the owl house criticism #amity blight #toh amity #the owl house amity #amity toh #amity the owl house

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welcome-to-green-hills · 4 months ago

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Can we get some headcanons of Amy moving in with the Wachowski’s? Amy getting her own bedroom, Maddie taking her shopping, and Amy being a daddy’s girl to Tom?

Hi Hon❤️✨

I’m more than happy to whip up some Amy Wachowski headcanons for you!

After the day’s been saved for total peril, it was a unanimous decision made by everyone to have Amy Rose become the fourth Wachowski sibling in the family. As soon as she agreed, Knuckles lifted her up ont his shoulders with Sonic and Tails chanting “WE HAVE A BABY SISTER!” to all of the townsfolk in Green Hills. Tom and Maddie were exceptionally happy since they felt that a sister would be a good balance with everyone.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are very protective of their lil’ sister. They don’t like anyone messing with her.

Amy Rose is very into woodland fairy cottage core and has her side of the bedroom decorated with fairy stuffs, mushrooms, and dragonflies.

Tom and Maddie have updated their data plan several times since Amy moved in due to the plethora of photos of their babies on their phones.

Maddie finds ways to bond with Amy Rose through baking, doing yoga, and taking weekly walks downtown to the farmers market. Tom tries his best to bond with Amy Rose through baking or boxing. She appreciates the effort very much.

Amy Rose likes to lightly tease Sonic for having his eye on a certain anti-hero that visits the Wachowski family. This usually involves Sonic stammering and having his face turn red whenever it’s mentioned. (I’d also like to add that she, too, gives Shadow the occasional Stink Eye if he tries anything funny with Sonic. Don’t worry, she’s just being a good sister).

Amy Rose and Sonic also bond through the act of exploring town and going sightseeing.

Knuckles and Amy Rose are the closest; they both like to show off their weapons. Knuckles shares his beautifully crafted long spears with Amy Rose as she shares her hammer for him to use. They’re both very skilled in combat.

“No weapons on the table” is a very common phrase said by Maddie at dinner.

Tails and Amy Rose bond through the task of documenting stories. Tails has some knowledge of who she is while he was zone hopping his way to earth. He’s aware of her being a skilled fighter and nearly accurate with divination. She does her best to help Tails create a portfolio of all of her travels and what her cards do in order for him to enjoy.

The red dress that Amy Rose wears is one gifted to her by Maddie. Maddie noticed the worn outfit that our friendly pink hedgehog was wearing under her cloak and gifted her the dress. The lil’ red dress that Maddie had was once that she used to wear all the time when she was a child. Which is great for Maddie; she is happy to give something that she loved for someone to enjoy.

The cloak that Amy Rose wears is enchanted! It can make her appear invisible, as well as levitate her above the ground to prevent her from falling high distances.

Much like Sonic, Amy Rose knows how to communicate with the earth animals. She can have full conversations with them and relay back to the family what they’ve told her.

Amy Rose is no stranger to skipping. If she’s in a bright mood, which is almost all the time, she skips everywhere with an upbeat tune that she hums.

More importantly, Amy Ross is happy to have a place that she can call her own. She’s very happy to be deemed as a Wachowski sister and loves her brothers very much!

#sonicmovie3spoilers #sonic movie 3 spoilers #sonicspoilers #sonic spoilers #mystery anon #off topic

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thefiery-phoenix · 1 year ago

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Hi I have been reading all your works and I'be got to say that its really good I mean like wow anyways I would like to request a platonic y'know fix with the oldies of lookism I mean Charles and tom Lee meeting up and Charles bragging about his child (the reader) there new awards , involvement in the business or you can do the geniuses instead of the reader being a genius she's named as the prodigy and is literally so smart like 400 IQ type shit and she literally saves the company's reputation, every genius admits shes smart and kinda like a learning genius where she doesnt have to copy it but masters whatever she wants to learn isnt a copy genius btw but can you like make the personality of the reader a bit like James like reserved nonchalant etc anyways thank you

Hello and thank you for liking my work, it really does mean a lot to have your support❤️

THE PRODIGY

"Long time no see Choi'' spoke a hulking and imposing man that stood tall and towered over the frame of the CEO of the HNH group as Charles glanced up from his newspaper to see none other than Tom Lee, the owner of the White Tiger Job Centre (Baekho HRM), known for being the best in the business to get rid of people in a sneaky and quick manner. "Oh please, you act like we haven't seen each other in years when we just met 2 months ago'' scoffed Charles slightly but a small amused smirk formed on his face. "You look happy...whose life did you screw over, you old crone?" chuckled Tom as he took out his grey bottle from his trench coat pocket and gulped a large sip of his alcohol from it. "Oh come now, you act like I'm a criminal or something...but I didn't screw anyone over yet...for now'' said Charles as he headed over to the table nearby and shuffled a few papers till a picture of you fell out from the stack of papers as Tom's interest piqued up and peered at your picture in an interested manner

"I didn't know you started hiring girls to do your dirty work Choi...props to you for following gender equality and such'' grinned Tom as he stared at the picture. "Ah, that's my newest recruit. One of the prized gems I've had the fortune of stumbling upon. Her name is Y/N L/N'' spoke Charles proudly as the lines around his eyes crinkled slightly out of pride for you. "This is the first time I've ever heard you praise someone other than those brats Gun and Goo...I wonder what makes this one here so special that has you singing her praises'' questioned Tom as he raised a brow in curiosity, awaiting for Charles' explanation. "In a way, she's kind of like James Lee...an exceptionally skilled and talented fighter, I daresay even stronger than Gun and Goo... she has training of the Indian martial arts called Kallaripayyatu along with Krav Maga which makes quite the deadly combination when used in combat. The advantage of her using her skills is that no one can predict what she might do next. She's even more unpredictable than Goo and James because if someone faces them a couple of times they'd be able to read their attack patterns with ease. But it's different for Y/N, you'll never know when she'll whip out a chain or a knife or just fight with her bare hands... that's what makes her quite the enigmatic fighter, she isn't afraid to fight dirty as well''

"She sounds like quite the catch then...'' muttered Tom as he continued to drink his drink and stared at your picture. "She's even won an award for her literary works as a writer, the Lindenberg award and is quite the over achiever if I must admit...a real prodigy of a girl. My daughter took an instant liking to her as do I. She simply cannot stop singing her praises'' replied Charles as Tom had an amused smirk on his face. "Neither can you and the amount of stalking you do makes me look sane'' answered Tom with a cackle. Charles smirked as he replied "That was mere research...her personality is a literal carbon copy of James, completely reserved and shy and nonchalant'' "Ah, so you're dealing with a touch me not of an introvert then eh, good luck getting that one to open up to you'' said Tom as he snickered and gulped down the last sip of his drink before he stuffed his bottle back into his pocket and glanced at Charles

"Doesn't matter though, I'll have to make her open up...what she's achieved to do for my company was more than what any of the Worker's affiliates could do, they're all mere useless inexperienced children in front of her...'' scoffed Charles as he hummed slightly and his gaze left your photo to focus on the view of the night city before him, several feet below him, taking pride in the fact that he'd gotten to a point where people had to look up to HIM. "You better be careful though...a little birdie told me that Steve Hong was looking forward to meeting with Y/N L/N'' said Tom with a slight grin as Charles' posture stiffened and his jaw clenched as he narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?" he asked in a soft voice, his tone laced with malice and hidden fury. 'That old bastard...if he ever thinks he can have Y/N and steal MY prodigy from me, he's got another thing coming...he can't have her..no...I'll make sure of it...' Charles thought to himself as Tom smirked, looking like he'd just read Charle's thoughts. "You look awfully nervous of losing your beloved little prodigy...wouldn't it be a shame if someone were to snatch her up like the little feather that she is for someone else to use?" asked Tom, his cheshire cat like grin evident on his face and his eyes glinted with malicious amusement, enjoying the sight of Charles Choi on the verge of losing his cool and his patience on the line

"Let me enlighten you with a little story...a while ago Eugene tried to recruit Y/N to join the Workers and he somehow thought he could keep it quiet from me but failed. Why else do you think I decided to meet with Jake Kim, the son of Gapryong Kim that night? We both know it wasn't out of sheer pity...Y/N is my ticket to destroy the crews and the Workers and expand my empire'' said Charles as he continued to stare at the city beneath him, just how he liked it, everyone underneath him, serving him. "I sometimes forget you're more unhinged and ruthless than me...I can't say if I'm shocked or proud'' spoke Tom as he trailed off and looked like he was pondering about something. "This is coming from someone who strips his clothes off and challenges his employees to a fight to the death. It's a miracle your so called employees lasted for so long'' replied Charles as he smirked at Tom. "Touche old Choi'' grinned Tom

"I'm planning to make sure she stays close to us...to me...at my residence. Of course, I shall fund for her schooling and such'' said Charles after a few moments of silence. "Doesn't she have parents?'' asked Tom with a quirked brow as his amused smirk grew even wider. It was such a sight to see someone like him be so obsessed about someone like you, and rightfully so, Tom could understand his friend's obsession with you. You were a natural gifted fighter, the sort of fighter people would literally KILL and spill blood to have on their side. "Do you think that concerns me? Her father is a software engineer and her mother is a stay at home housewife...hardly what I call a challenge. Her potential will be wasted if she continues to live with them. I've tried to convince them before to send her to me and they had the guts to refuse me even after offering them a fortune...I am Elite...if it means I have to get rid of her parents and have their blood spilled then so be it. It will also prove as a warning for anyone foolish enough to attempt to lure her to them. Besides, I've already spilled blood before, it's nothing new. What's a bit more going to do?'' answered Charles, his eyes glinting with malice as his smirk widened. Tom was now convinced you really were the prodigy he'd heard so much about from the people around who kept on yapping about you. He was just glad he managed to wring out the information from Charles which saved him tons of amount of research as he mentally decided to pay you a visit some day...even if it meant dealing with Choi's wrath which he could always deal with later. The main goal on Tom's mind now was how to get you on HIS side...

#yandere charles choi #platonic yandere charles choi x reader #platonic yandere charles choi scenarios #platonic yandere charles choi imagines #platonic yandere charles choi oneshots #platonic yandere charles choi headcanons #yandere charles choi scenarios #yandere charles choi headcanons #yandere lookism #yandere lookism characters #yandere lookism characters x reader #yandere lookism x reader #dark lookism characters x reader #dark lookism characters #dark lookism x reader #dark lookism #lookism headcanons #lookism x reader #lookism

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kings-highway · 25 days ago

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Your writing is so amazing..... do you have any tips on writing character arcs and plots?

Ooooooooooooohh okay okay what a fun question. It’s a little bit broad, so I’ll do my best not to blather on for too exceptionally long, but you know me. First, my usual disclaimer for all my writing advice - dismiss anything I say that makes the experience less enjoyable for you. If I say something that totally conflicts with the way you want to write a character arc or plot, and you really, really like what you had, then I am wrong. That is simply how art works. This, however, will be me providing some advice as it relates to how I myself construct these things and what I think makes the best story.

What comes to mind first as my biggest piece of advice for character arcs and overall plots is to THINK SMALL.

Seriously. Now, that does not mean “write small” or write small scale or little plots or anything like that. I mean, in your own mind when you talk about what your character arc is, or what the plot is, it should only be one line, or a few points. Ideally just a single concept.

Example: If someone were to ask you “what is your main character’s arc” you should not be responding with “Oh, she discovers that her mother was a magician and that she has secret magic, but in discovering that she gets swept up in a plot to steal all the magic in the world, so she travels to another kingdom to meet other people like her and has to hone her magic and then connect with an even older magic and bring it back to her home kingdom where she uses it to fight off a cruel dictator and liberate the magicians of the land and establish peace” <- that, my friend, is neither a character arc or a plot. That is a synopsis. This could be the entire plot of your story, your character arc is “oh, she learns to trust the judgement of her allies.”

And then you write the story. You can write this grand, sweeping story about this girl’s magic and her hero’s journey and her saving her land - take the time, take the agonizing time over multiple chapters to tug-o-war with this character’s ability to put control into someone else’s hand. For the first 20% of the story she gets in trouble and causes huge problems and gets kidnapped because she refuses to let anyone else plan or aid her, and this is why she has to flee, because her own arrogance causes her to misjudge a plan, and nobody is there to help her. For the next 20% she is fighting with her allies and really being forced to contend with her beliefs about other people, seeing how much skill they have that maybe she doesn’t, considering that they might actually be able to protect her, help her, maybe she doesn’t always need to be in control of everything. The next 20% of the story proves her wrong, she gets saved, she still fights, she still hates it, it makes her very being itch to put herself into someone else’s hands, but it works. On a small scale, in little ways. She trusts someone to make her dinner, and use that weird spice she doesn’t know, and it tastes delicious. She learns a new fighting technique, and unlocks something incredible important that will help her save the day. In the next 10% an ally betrays her, and she’s suddenly questioning all her learning and her own change of heart. She’s about to go into battle, and an ally has gotten killed because she trusted someone and was wrong about it. What if this whole plan falls apart because of that? The next 20% has her slip into her old habits, chase down the dictator on her own, return to her own kingdom and - get destroyed, collapse, the dictator is going to kill her because, yet again, her own folly has led her to ignore anyone else’s plans but her own. This is the final hour, the hardest moment for her. The last 10% has her rally, has her realize that it’s not, actually, her final hour - it would be her final hour if she was alone, but she’s not. There are people she trusts, people who are good, and maybe she doesn’t even kill the dictator. Maybe, since he’s so focused on her, she plays the puppet and distracts him, while someone else’s plan is executed perfectly, and she watches someone else kill, the man she swore vengeance on.

THAT is a character arc. It’s a character arc told entirely through the tiniest of concepts: Trust. And if you focus on that tiny, single concept, that one line of an arc, you can write an entire, incredibly interesting story with all of you fun magics and cool worldbuilding, but while it remains grounded in the character. And you’ll find that your character arcs and your plots are, of course, deeply intertwined - if you write this way, all your scenes become about building that character arc. Maybe you were going to have a big sweeping adventure but realize that entire excursion she was going to take to a third kingdom isn’t conducive to her character arc, so instead you rewrite it, and keep her at home and really focus in on that internal conflict. The story will be better for it, when you formulate your events for the needs of the character arc rather than what looks cool on paper. I mean, my initial pitch for this story idea is really boring and simple, isn’t it? That second one about the character arc is where ALL of the interesting dynamics kick in. You can try as hard as you want to say “no this story is really cool because she has to discover this intense magic and do all this training and come back and it’s a really great story about never giving up and not bowing down to dictators and it’s commentary on not letting-” irrelevant. It’s a story about admitting that you’re not the only person in the world. It’s a story about loving someone enough to let them save you. Don’t justify why your character arcs are cool, just write them.

But write them small. Someone should be able to get it in just a line.

“But Kings! What if my character arc ISN’T simple and I want it to be complex where they have to go back and forth-” that’s plot, my guy. That’s a synopsis. Boil it down. Boil it the fuck down. Not necessarily on the page, of course, write with your brilliant purple prose and complicated worldbuilding. But in your own mind, for your outlining. Keep it simple for the purposes of planning.

---

And of course, the same applies to plots: THINK SMALL. The above plot, that entire thing? The rambling synopsis? The plot is “a hero defeats a dictator.”

Of course there’s room for nuance and extrapolation, but really trying to cut any fat off the concept helps keep the story streamlined and focused. Yes, you can have asides to B-plots or cute fluff scenes or fun worldbuilding moments, but if you find yourself 15k in a side plot about animal husbandry in the fantasy world you invented, maybe remember that this isn’t a big, rambling story about the world and its citizens. It’s a story about a hero defeating a dictator. (Who learns to trust her friends along the way.)

Im not gonna use any original works as example bc there's be no way to see what im talking about but my longest fic to date is “This is Not the End,” which, of course, isn’t done, but to explain how big, sweeping stories can have really simple plots, the CORE idea, when I tell anyone about it, is “it’s about rebuilding society after an apocalypse has ended, with an emphasis on the preservation of knowledge.”

Everything else be damned. If they ask they can hear a bit about how I tell that story, but that’s the story. That’s the whole story. Everything else that happens in it is just… features of how I think that would go, features of interest that relate to that idea, that I think are interesting.

Paranormality was “the captain squad goes ghost hunting”

Time Enough was “time stops for one person without explanation”

Soulmake Adventures was “people join a singles club in a soulmate au”

DO NOT overcomplicate your plots!!! If your initial concept is overcomplicated, you’re going to get a messy, confusing, difficult story, your character arcs are going to be impossible to tell, and you’re probably not going to finish writing it. But if you can really pick just one simple thing that your story is about, and accept that it doesn’t have to have all that nuance crammed into it’s very core (the nuance can occur in other places, but not in its core) EVERYTHING ELSE about your story will fall into place, and people will be able to fucking taste the throughline that connects it all. Everything you write should serve that one little concept.

Anyway I hope this was at all helpful?? I know I am a bit of a yapper but I do like getting to talk about writing because it is my most favourite thing so thank you for the ask!!!

think small

#fanfiction writer #kings writing advice corner

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unionizedwizard · 8 months ago

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"for real i love that their relationship to water is a really well-defined part of each scion's characterization"

can you... can you pretty please explain?

gladly!!

first, thancred: water is pretty obviously a common motif in his character arc. he grew up as a street urchin in limsa, meaning that he pretty much grew around water and possibly (? is that canon from one of the short stories, or was this a headcanon? i can't say) had to learn how to hide underwater from his angered targets as a fledgling thief, hence his uncommon stamina. that's also where he tried to rob louisoix (at the harbor) when he arrived to limsa from sharlayan, and how louisoix subsequentially "adopted" him and gave him the surname of "waters", (as a reference to sharlayan's patron deity & beliefs, if i'm not mistaken). we also know thancred is a particularly good swimmer and can hold his breath underwater for up to 10 minutes (!), which is coherent with his characterization: highly adaptable and always ready for anything, an exceptionally versatile spy, can hold his own against the warrior of light and other similarly aetherically-skilled characters in his own way, not using magic but relying on his own (extensively trained) skills, which also is an integral part of his impostor syndrome. see: the quest in amh araeng where he technically saves the day by having nightvision eyedrops which allow us to find the missing gold coin, but for which he refuses to accept any praise because he's "just trying to come up with ways to compensate for his weaknesses with various gadgets and baubles"

urianger. we know urianger is afraid of water and could never learn how to swim - possibly, he never managed to overcome his fear and distrust of deep water; possibly, he tried but it went wrong and he never could develop the necessary motor skills; possibly, he always refused to even try, because learning to swim is a pretty revealing and vulnerable activity (<- as a fellow trans autistic nerd i understand the fear). which would also be coherent with his own personal arc wrt The Dysphoria Hoodie, but that's a detail. now, he knew that this was a weakness and a failing of his, and was afraid it would make him a burden to the scions, which is a major fear of his. so, he managed to find a way to compensate for this weakness of his by making use of his specific talent: namely, striking a bargain with the fuath (something even the pixies discouraged him from; he seems to be the only mortal who managed the feat!) for them to teach him how to walk on water. he doesn't want to be a burden and so does everything by himself, even if it endangers him more. just like thancred, he makes the most of his (perceived) shortcomings

y'shtola. well, pretty much everything we know about y'shtola is related to water: all we know about her childhood and the only vulnerable part of herself we were allowed to glimpse (much to her dismay) was her water familiar-summoning incantation. she still retains a special fondness for the nixies to this day (see how kindly she talks to the ones she summoned during the Thirteenth arc) even though she could easily have created another familiar design; she only changed the incantation to make it sound more badass and less childish. ....... not that we knew what the previous iteration was, of course. (sidenote: of course, the aetherial sea is not a literal sea, but the spell is called Flow, so...)

alphinaud: that alphinaud dislikes water is common knowledge at this point. he expresses great relief and gratitude when urianger declares his own shortcomings in that regard, procrastinates taking a shower (who among us hasn't been there, king), is generally afraid of water and, in alisaie's words, "somehow, the boy has never been really... buoyant". it's too physical, too involved, too vulnerable an activity for him, who always was the Strategy Genius, the Diplomacy Guy, and General Nerd. alisaie never misses any opportunity to tease him on the matter (see the amphibious talos fight with the twins in duty support). still, he's been practicing, and is now more than able to hold his own if needed... but he'd much rather take a boat. (🎶he's so brave. he's well-behaved. he is not afraid!🎶)

alisaie: one of the first things we learn about her, and that she uses to establish herself as The Cooler Twin, is that she loves swimming and loves water in general. i don't remember, once again, if it was canon or just a very compelling headcanon i made (?) but i'm pretty sure she learned how to swim in sharlayan despite the water being Extra Super Cold (? don't quote me on that) because she is nothing if not fueled by willpower and, possibly, spite and the desire to outshine her brother, for once. anyway, she's made extremely good use of the kojin blessing, and was the first one to go dive into the lake in il mheg to try and save the warrior of light after the fuath tried to abduct them. very clearly, being good at swimming and not in the least scared of water (or acting as such) was one of the defining traits of her own personality against alphinaud's, growing up - possibly one of the only domains where she outperformed him, so it's understandable that she put a great deal of effort into it and still considers it one of her best skills to this day. furthermore, swimming demands stamina, constant movement and drive, but also economy of movement and grace, which are the things she's most skilled at!

krile: ❓. We Simply Don't Know. same goes for tataru.

estinien: well he likes hot springs. uh i'm afraid this is all i have. sorry estinien i don't really care about you that much

g'raha: actually, i'm not sure we have any info about his relationship to water?? that's a good question anyway. DOES he like to swim??? CAN he??? a mystery.

i probably missed a few things but here we are :)

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ssivinee · 9 months ago

Text

❥ 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙴𝚖𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎

iland 2! Mai x 04! Trainee! F reader: Iland fans were currently waiting patiently for the sequel to the first. With the new faces involved, the fans love your interactions with the visual trainee.

Word Count: 4.2k

Author's Note: Ya'll this fic was killing me since i didn't entirely watch iland BUT TRUST AND BELIEVE I DID MY BEST. I'll be working on my next fic right after this tho🤓.

Clip #1 🎬

The large enclosure rotated for the next team to appear. Koko, Yuju, Yui, and Y/n grasp each other's hands tightly, and they cheer when they see the other trainees seated in front of them. Before exiting, the girls bow down slightly in confusion due to the new environment. Noticeably, the team seemed to be chic yet “cool” due to the outfits worn. Koko and Yuju wore leather jackets, Yui wore a black sweater, and you came out with a dark blue demin jacket over your outfit. “They’re total hot girls,” you hear one of the unfamiliar trainees say.

The four stepped down and took their seats as their profiles began appearing on screen. Y/n is the last profile to be shown, and many of the girls gasp when they see the facts and photos. “#All-rounder?” you hear from one of the trainees sitting below. You were ranked as one of the top trainees, and the room filled with many amusing sounds once the production showed many clips of you singing, rapping, and dancing exceptionally well.

“#Former HYBE trainee?!” the girl you recognized, Fuko, said in surprise. Despite not being a formerly known trainee like your friend Jeemin, who you knew was in the show, many of the girls under the company respected you due to your kindness. Although, that was usually never enough. With your talents, every trainee found you as a threat, which led to many fake friendships along your training journey. “#Dancing AI,” Koko, being a close friend of yours, giggled as she read it. “What does that mean?” Gyuri asks, looking at you with her big doe eyes.

“Y/n unnie can learn almost any dance within a few minutes!” Yui says, ecstatic about her teammate's skill. You nod, giggling at the younger girl's excitement. “I’ve been dancing since I was three, so it comes to me quickly.” The rest of the girls nod, and some clap slowly out of shock. “Sometimes it takes me four hours to get one dance right!” Nana, despite her shy demeanor, says in Japanese, and you chuckle.

As you were mentally preparing yourself for the show, it was time for the final team to arrive. Before you could even process anything, you see the enclosure turn open, finding four girls who ranked quite high… and are clearly going to be on the same team. You heard some girls calling them the Avengers, and you were aware that Jeemin wasn’t there yet, so you were ready to give her a happy welcome. However, that plan changed when you made eye contact with a girl whose feline-like eyes captured your attention.

If only you could show so much emotion right now, you probably would’ve fallen out of your chair at the sight of her beauty. She was absolutely gorgeous, and you almost couldn’t hold back the cheesy grin. Your eyes travel down to her name tag, reading ‘Mai’ in your head. Along with the other girls, you clapped for them but never kept your eyes off of her. Thankfully, the camera was focused on this last unit, or else you probably would’ve been flamed by everyone who was watching the show.

You shake your head slightly, trying to get your head back in the game without messing up your hair. Soon after NaSURI and the weird robotic lady voice welcomed you all and gave you the rundown of everything, performances were to begin shortly. All of the girls stood up at the sight of the countdown and shrieked in shock. We were asked to change and moved to another set.

Everyone sat down, anticipating and anxious with each performance that was called. The first was Unforgiven, performed by Minsol, Sarang, Jiwon, and Juwon. You weren’t one to react so much, so your eyes stayed focused as the girls showed their talents. When Sarang begins the song, your eyes widen slightly, and you are shocked by the younger girl's stability and presence on stage. It's a fierce song, and out of all the girls, you almost always nodded every time Sarang was center, somewhat giving your ‘approval’ as a long-time trainee.

When coming into iland, you had the mindset of being quite strict and stern with not only yourself but every other trainee. You were one of the oldest amongst the girls and had one of the longest training periods, so you thought it was only fair to think this way. After every performance, you felt that each performance had a ‘stand out girl’, and the rest didn’t seem to catch your interest in comparison to the rest of the teams. But your mindset of being a judge mentally came to a pause when it was your team's turn.

Knowing the stakes of getting into iland were very low almost lit a fire in your eyes. You, Koko, and Yui begin the performance by standing over Yuju, shaking your jeans as the music begins. After Koko’s intro, your deeper voice sang as you danced with much energy. The rest of the girls looked in awe as you and the girls performed such a heavy hip-hop dance. You and Koko shared the center during the chorus, and many of the girls watching were impressed with your facial expressions. Behind the scenes, Taeyong and Monika nod as they jot down their notes on you. “She’s very good at portraying the song through her facial expressions,” Lee Jung states, nodding as she points at the screen with her pen.

“It’s ironic, she’s a strong performer, but off stage, she looks like a puppy,” Monika says, making the other coaches giggle, and the production put a cute photo of you on screen. You guys were getting to the end of the song, going strong throughout the entire performance, even with the difficult choreography. As you guys hit the ending poses, you do your best to regulate your breathing as the camera pans to each of you. “How? Y/n unnie doesn’t even look tired?” Saebi says, looking at her teammates like she just saw a superhero flying in the sky.

Now, you believe your team did great. I mean, Monika and Lee Jung even gave you such high remarks. “Out of all the girls, you were one of the ones we had high expectations from, and you went above those expectations. We were impressed by your performance today,” Lee Jung finishes when the camera suddenly cuts to Monika’s face. “Your dance was strong, your voice was stable, and I definitely felt the charisma and stage presence. Just try to mellow down, depending on the rest of your team. Being too strong can sometimes make the team feel unbalanced in the fan's eyes,” you nod, understanding Monika’s warnings.

There were a few mishaps, but as you were the final girl to receive her iland votes, you were a bit anxious, especially with the unexpected vote for the rest of your team. Yuju held your hand, and you smiled through the anxiety that was literally about to consume you if they didn’t show your results fast enough. Thankfully, all the cards turned in one, showing the purple and pink design on all five, and you sigh in relief with hands over your chest. “I don’t think it was gonna be a secret for Y/n to make it in with 5 i-cards,” Jeemin says out loud, but almost saying it to herself, being so proud of her friend.

With everyone's focus on the current emotional team, no one notices Mai’s attention on your face. Through her team, she found out that many of the trainees found you extremely intimidating in spite of your sweet personality, yet all Mai could really focus on was how cute your face was with the bright smile after your success of getting into iland. Your cheeks puffed out, almost holding back the tears after the stress you felt for you and your teammates, and Mai cooed at the expression.

Once your team takes their seats, you take a deep breath for the sad and good results. You guys didn’t actually have time to think, as the Avengers team was quickly next. Now, after all the stress, you just wanted to enjoy the performance. Your eyes go the largest it's ever been through the show as you see the slices and red peeking out of the black stage set up. The outfits of the four girls gave the song choice away, but you were getting excited. Sure, you wanted to see Jeemin perform for the first time in person, but you also didn’t want to admit that you were about to be so focused on Mai.

As Jeemin starts off Drama, you smile widely, seeing your long-time friend start off VERY strongly. She then moves back smoothly, and Mai’s eyes truly captivated everyone and the camera. When hearing her tone going ‘ziggy ziggy zag, I’m new. Cause i go biggie biggie bad, it’s true~’ you were surprised at the nasally yet unique tone that definitely impacted the song. Mai’s facial expressions also added to her presence, which had your jaw hanging low. You weren't sure if Mai was just that good of a performer, but you weren't exactly someone who was easy to impress, yet here you were, staring at the girl with hearts in your eyes.

As the performance ended, you huffed out a loud breath and thought, ‘Well… this is just sooooo great for me.’

Clip #2 🎬

After spending time with many of the iland girls, you gained many friendships. You and Jeemin became closer as time went by, and you even found yourself getting closer to other trainees like Fuko, Sarang, Jiyoon, Sujung, and Juwon. The girls gave you a sense of comfort, but due to past friendships, you never wanted to keep them too close. Once you all got close, feeling hurt was inevitable, especially on a survival show.

In the upcoming weeks, it was finally time to prepare the signal song, Final Love Song, and Jungeun appointed you as the center of the stage after much consideration. The younger girl believed you and Juwon were the best candidates for the job, but in the end, Jungeun picked you.

Now, it felt as if every day, you were in that practice room dancing and singing every moment you could. You were aware that you had to take care of your body, but you wanted to guarantee your center position was safe. Every day was nine hours in the practice room, only taking five-minute breaks for water and a quick stretch.

You were, unconsciously, training much harder than usual. The title of center was something you believed you were capable of. Yet the judges had put an insane amount of pressure on you and another trainee. It seems as though the producers needed to keep the viewers entertained. So, behind the scenes, staff brainstormed new ideas, and they finally came up with something.

Now, all of a sudden, the new topic was ‘Y/n versus Saebi.’

The judges created this narrative on the show that the two of you are similar, have great centers, star quality, good expressions, good dancing, and are tall in height. Viewers even noticed the comparison was beginning to affect them. It was a mental warfare in your mind, and it was quickly physically draining you. At first, it was a friendly competition, a common thing amongst trainees, but it seemed like every comment the coaches said to the two of you was blatantly pitting the two of you against each other, and it seemed like Saebi was on the winning end of it.

It was now nearing the day of the performance, and you sat in the upper-performance room alone. The rest of the girls were loud and enjoying each other's company on the lower floors, dancing and singing with loud music on. Unbeknownst to you, the Japanese beauty was looking for you, and out of all the girls, you were the only one missing. The two of you may not have been as close as the others, but throughout every practice, it was like a silent trade of care. You would give Mai water and little smiles while Mai gave you vitamins, snacks, and comfort every time you were compared to Saebi.

She finds you in the far corner of the practice room, staring off into space, and she softly knocks to get your attention. Startled by the sound, you snap out of it to find Mai staring through the window, mouthing if it was okay to come in. You nod and try getting yourself together, comb your hair with your fingers, and rub your eyes lightly.

“Why are you all alone up here?” Mai asks, sitting next to you. You sat there, not knowing how to respond to the question. Yet it felt like Mai understood you even if you didn’t say anything. You guess it’s a blessing in disguise as she was the first to approach you this time.

“Why’d you leave them?” Mai chuckled briefly at your question as she shook her head, “No deflecting the question, Y/n. Why are you here alone?” You sighed, feeling tired all over again at the thought of the situation. “I needed to ‘think’ about everything because of the coaches this week,” you say with your face distraught, tucking your head into your knees. “About… you and Saebi?” You just stayed quiet, and the lack of response gave Mai the answer. “Y/n, they just wanna create drama and stress. You don’t actually believe you and Saebi are that similar… right?” She asks in a concerning tone, not a single hint of disdain.

“At first, I thought that was the case, but it feels like I'd just be compared to Saebi every single time for everything I’ve said or shown, no matter how good it is. Don’t get me wrong, Saebi is great, and it’s kind of a good thing that she’s now my ‘rival,’ but it’s just messing with my head. They make me feel like I’m chasing the wrong dream for myself,” you express, tearing up as Mai rests her arm around your shoulders.

Your brain wasn’t even processing that you and Mai were getting closer or rather that she was even holding you. You just needed someone to listen and stay. “Y/n…”

Mai began but paused, “hm?” You asked and looked up at her. “Every person here brings something special to the table,” you nod, and she continues, “You're special, one of the most talented people I know on this show. Just because the judges create this rivalry between you two doesn’t mean it's bad. Saebi is Saebi, you are you. No one can exactly compare to you.”

Your eyes tear up at the statement; for the first time since you got into iland, someone was able to calm you down and alleviate your nerves. You let out a shaky breath, wiping the tears away as you give her a small smile. “You didn’t answer my question, though,” you say as you straighten your posture. Mai looks over, eyes enticing you like always, “I couldn’t imagine having as much fun as them without you around.” Your heart was close to bursting out of your chest at the statement.

You already had many Mai + Y/n fans, but especially after this moment, you both just gained an entirely new fandom.

Clip #3 🎬

All the remaining girls were excited about the newest mission, the 1:1 position battle. You were currently in the room with Team B and decided your positions together. After several challenges and showing your strengths, you decided to go for the main vocal position. The girls agreed, and as excited as you were, it became another rivalry with the main dancers becoming the main vocalists this mission as Sujung became the main vocalist of Team A.

This mission didn’t put much stress on you, though. You were confident in your skills, and since the signal song test, there hasn’t been much stress put on you. As time passed after your interaction with Mai, the two of you seemingly got closer. Many fans noticed the several interactions and how close you’ve gotten to the point that your duo was trending on Twitter, and many edits began circulating tiktok.

When these videos started, it was due to the last episode when Mai got extremely happy with you staying in iland and gave you a small kiss on the cheek. You were seen blushing and smiling hard as you gave her a hug, and this clip went viral amongst the community.

Fans began calling you “star-crossed lovers” because it seemed as though the two of you were never on the same team on this mission. That didn’t seem to stop your bond, though. No matter what mission it was, no matter what team you both were on, the two of you would take breaks and visit each other when you could. Everyone loved it and didn’t know how much better it was going to get for them until today.

As confident as you were, the situation was riskier as you were sharing the main vocal position with Jiyoon. So not only was it a 1:1 battle, it was a 1:1:1:1 battle for you, Jiyoon, Sujung, and Gyuri. Leading up to the performances, the practices had been great for you. There were no mistakes, nothing stressful, and it was an exciting mission overall. Yet a strike of bad luck hit you like a truck. On performance day, you find yourself waking up feeling very sluggish and weak.

You were sick and had a fever.

Getting out of your room was a difficult task in itself. You practically dragged your body out to get ready with the makeup team. Sitting on the tall chairs, the artist applied makeup to your face as you drifted in and out of sleep, taking little cat naps.

Mai, who was sitting right next to you, takes a glimpse at you, brows furrowing a little at the look of your paler complexion. “Y/n? Are you feeling okay?” You truthfully shake your head, “I’ll push through it, though.” Mai winces, listening to the rough and groggy voice you let out. “But your throat sounds and looks painful for you to even talk,” she stares as you massage your throat a bit. “I’ll rest after the mission,” you nod at her, face painted with pain.

You changed into a light blue top, and rehearsal began. Your hoarse voice was too noticeable, and many girls told you to rest instead. Jiyoon was kind enough to give you candy that helps with sore throats, and Koko made a small cup of tea for you.

So when performance time came for team B, you could imagine how bad it went for you. Dancing caused slight dizziness now and then, which caused you to lose balance at times, and you were evidently in pain as you pushed through the performance. Mai watched with the rest of her team, her eyes looking very uneasy. The camera would cut to her, and every time it was right after showing you, her hands were clasped together tightly, almost wishing you were going to finish strong.

You couldn’t as the performance ended; you collapsed on one knee as the exhaustion weighed on you like a ton of bricks. Mai jolts up from her chair, wanting to run to you immediately, yet holding herself back. The result wasn’t shocking, but you lost hard in that mission and were sent to the grounder level.

The next time Mai sees you, you are slouched over, paler, and sweating as you walk in, and Mai does her best to not hug you. As much as she wanted to, you likely needed space and just someone to support your body. The camera followed the two of you as she took your arm and supported your weight, leading you to the bedroom area and settling you into bed. She let you rest while running around getting medicine, water, and some snacks as she had to go back to filming with the other girls.

“I’ll come back as fast as I can and help you settle into bed, Y/n; just change into your pajamas first,” Mai says out of breath as she lays your pajamas on the edge of your bed, nearing your arms. She gave you a quick hug and dashed out. You changed at such a slow pace and felt your body going sore as you finished and laid back down.

After eating the crackers Mai left, you took the medicine and were knocked out instantly. Your eyes flutter open as you feel a wet feeling on your forehead. You see a bare-faced Mai with a bowl of soup in her hands, stirring it as she blows the steam away. “Mai?”

Mai looks at you, a bit startled, but smiles at your cute-looking face. You were still in a daze from the medicine, so you didn’t really mind the cameras being still on… not that you were even aware at the time. “Are you feeling any better now, sweetie?”

Not feeling sure if you just felt even worse at the moment, but you feel your body heat up at the pet name. “Uhm, yeah yeah, I’m feeling a bit better,” You stutter out and Mai nods as she stirs the warm bowl, “good good.”

She begins feeding you spoonfuls of the delicious soup, “how was the mission,” you asked. Mai gives you a sweet yet regretful smile, “it went okay, I won the one v. one.”

You do your best to sit up and give her the widest smile you possibly could in your current state. “Mai, that’s great! You can be happy for yourself,” you tell her softly, grabbing her hand with a small smile. “Your win makes me happy enough,” you said with much more sincerity as you made eye contact with her. She smiles wider, “I am pretty happy about it,” you giggle at her happy face, and she continues feeding you as you keep looking at her beautiful face.

It was a week before the finale, and the girls decided to have a final get-together in one of the bedrooms. Some of the remaining girls huddled up on the three beds as they shared snacks and sipped one drink. The room was filled with sounds of laughter.

Mai, Jiyoon, Jeemin, Gyuri, and Yuju decided to heat up some warm snacks while the rest stayed back. You and Koko were giggling, and Jungeun gasped at the video on her phone. “Y/n unnie~,” she calls out and walks over to your bed. You and the other Japanese look at the younger girl, and she flips her phone to display it to the two of you. Once you see Mai’s face, you take a closer look and softly take her phone. Suddenly, you hear a squeal beside you, “Unnie~, an edit of you and Mai unnie?!” Koko asks, shaking you as she looks so giddy.

You just laughed and continued watching. It was a video comprised of all the hugs, small kisses, and sweet moments. Your face couldn’t hold back the blush when you saw the clips of the first episode, with you staring at Mai with lovey-dovey eyes. Koko and Jungeun slap your arm playfully, and the girls from the kitchen start pooling back into the room. Mai sees the interaction between the girls. “What’s going on?” Mai sets the food down on the side table and swiftly lays in your arms. You hold the phone down to her face and show the video.

Mai watches as IWALY plays as the songs edit, and she wiggles in your arms, hearing the addictive tune. Jeemin takes a peek at your phone and giggles, “Only if all your fans knew; they would probably be the happiest fanbase in the world. " You nod and laugh as Jiyoon looks at the three of you confused. “Knew what?” she asked, and Jeemin pointed at the two of you, “That the two of them have BEEN together all this time.”

Mai sits up a bit, staring up at you as she pouted. You gave a quick peck and squeezed her tighter, not being able to handle how cute she was. “Hold on, when did you guys even meet?” Gyuri asked, laying on the end of the bed. She kicked her feet like a child asking their parents about their first interaction.

“It was two years ago at a modeling gig here. We worked together for three days and started hanging out of work, and we found out we were both trainees. A year later, I asked her out, and here we are,” you summed it up as Mai squeezed your hand and kissed the back of it. “You can say the rest is history,” Mai giggles as you pat her head, and the girls tease their unnies for the rest of the night.

Note: Yall this fic was literally beating my ass... my BraIN AiNT FunCtiONiNg prOPerLy.

#❅ ssivinee's fic #izna mai #izna #izna mai x reader #izna mai x f! reader #mai x reader #iland2 #iland2 x reader

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hollowed-theory-hall · 11 months ago

Note

Just how powerful was Dumbledore, exactly? Was he so powerful that normal magical rules/laws don’t apply to him (at times), or was he powerful but not above anything; he was just a very skilled wizard?

Also, do you think Harry is as powerful as Dumbledore or could be if he practiced? And do you think Harry is above your average kind of wizard, as in, he might not be that powerful yet, but he definitely has done the impossible and broken some magical laws?

Btw, when I say magical laws, I mean the laws in which a spell (or something magical) should work and is designed to work. So with Harry, I’m asking if he excels at doing magic in a way that wasn’t supposed to happen and that should’ve probably been impossible to do. If any of that makes sense.

I think I mentioned Harry not always obeying the laws of magic here, here, and here. Basically, he is incredibly magically powerful by sheer raw magical talent. He can just, kinda bend spells to work to suit his needs (Levitation charm to ward off projectiles, a Stinging Hex to get out of Snape's Legilemancy attack, Shield Charm/Disarming Charm to though an opponent back, whatever he does against the Imperius Curse, etc). This is something I think is incredibly rare and saved for very few wizards and witches but not necessarily for the reasons you might think.

I mentioned here how I believe magic works. And in general, intention is more important than anything else, it means that a strong enough will and a clear enough intention in your mind is enough to bend the laws of magic. But all wizards are essentially being conditioned into not casting with just their intention because of how risky it is. If you don't use incantations, runes, or potions to dictate to your magic what to do, your magic is likely to be unpredictable. Just like we see with accidental underage magic.

So, while how much you can push magic and what you can accomplish like that is dictated by your power levels, anyone could theoretically bend spells to their whims. Assuming they are willing to be a little unpredictable and have a strong enough force of will.

And while I think Dumbledore is exceptionally talented and powerful I think, in his case, a lot of what makes him as formidable as he is comes down to skill and knowledge. Dumbledore is the brightest wizard of his age the same way Hermione is the brightest witch of her age.

Hermione is undoubtedly talented and gifted in magic, getting spells correctly first in the class more often than not. This she does along with very intensive study of basically any area of magic she can. But, unlike Harry, she can't disobey the laws of magic, not because she doesn't have the magical power, but because she doesn't have the will.

Hermione is rigid, controlled, and by-the-book in her magic, the thought of working magic differently from how the books say it works wouldn't even cross her mind. She just doesn't have that kind of intuitive magic the way Harry does, and she's aware of it:

“Harry — you’re a great wizard, you know.” “I’m not as good as you,” said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him. “Me!” said Hermione. “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and — oh Harry — be careful!”

(PS, 206-207)

Yes, she mentions friendship and bravery, but I think even this early on Hermione noticed Harry has an intuitive grasp on magic she doesn't. Even when he isn't aware of it.

Dumbledore, with all his silly antics later in life, I think is much more like Hermione in his approach to magic, at least he used to be. I believe most of his life Dumbledore approached magic in this more controlled and structured way. From what we hear from him, it appears he didn't have much faith in Divination (one of the least controlled, most freeform fields of magic) until he witnessed a prophecy firsthand, again, very much like Hermione:

“I did,” said Dumbledore. “On a cold, wet night sixteen years ago, in a room above the bar at the Hog’s Head Inn. I had gone there to see an applicant for the post of Divination teacher, though it was against my inclination to allow the subject of Divination to continue at all. The applicant, however, was the great-great-granddaughter of a very famous, very gifted Seer, and I thought it common politeness to meet her. I was disappointed. It seemed to me that she had not a trace of the gift herself. I told her, courteously I hope, that I did not think she would be suitable for the post. I turned to leave.”

(OotP, 840)

I think, after Trewlany's prophecy and especially after Lily's sacrificial magic he started rethinking of the nature of magic and how spells can be cast by just one's intention. I believe he researched the subject greatly in the years leading up to the books, and during them, but I don't think he ever shook his earlier approach fully. Especially when you consider what happened to Ariana. Ariana's magic was uncontrolled and based on intention alone that she couldn't grasp and Dumbledore saw this kind of magic destroy his family firsthand. I think Dumbledore would've been very wary of trying out such magic himself. The spells and magic we see Dumbledore cast and work with are based on study and knowledge even when he looks for traces of magic in the locket's cave, it doesn't feel like mere intuition to me, but like something he learned to do, something he put the effort into studying:

Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the cave, his wand held high as he turned slowly on the spot, examining the walls and ceiling. “Yes, this is the place,” said Dumbledore. “How can you tell?” Harry spoke in a whisper. “It has known magic,” said Dumbledore simply. Harry could not tell whether the shivers he was experiencing were due to his spine-deep coldness or to the same awareness of enchantments. He watched as Dumbledore continued to revolve on the spot, evidently concentrating on things Harry could not see.

(HBP, 557-558)

This above scene kinda illustrates the difference I'm talking about between Harry's intuitive approach and Dumbledore's learned skill. Dumbledore, who learned and studied how to sense traces of magic, lifts his wand, casting wandlessly to pick up the traces and learn more about them. Harry, on the other hand, feels a spine-deep cold that he associates with his awareness of magic. Because Harry describes magic feeling in various ways throughout the books, even magic just washing over him momentarily, so Harry just expects to feel enchantments this way. Unfortunately, we don't know if other wizards feel magic the way Harry does, but it shows the way he approaches magic, how he just expects to be able to sense enchantments Dumbledore needs to put active effort into locating because that's how he learned to do it.

Now, I think Dumbledore has a strong enough force of will (and he's definitely powerful enough) to cast magic with his intention alone, I just think he learned to be so incredibly well-controlled with his magic that it isn't really going to happen.

#harry potter #hp #hp meta #asks #holly parker #albus dumbledore #harry james potter #hermione granger #hp magical theory

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