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Online Tutoring: Share Your Knowledge and Get Paid in 2025
Meta Description:
Discover how to start online tutoring in 2025 and earn income by sharing your knowledge. Learn how to teach from home, find online tutoring jobs, and thrive in virtual education.
Introduction: The Rise of Online Tutoring in 2025
In today’s digital-first world, online tutoring has emerged as one of the most flexible and rewarding ways to earn income from the comfort of your home. As more students seek personalized learning support, professionals, teachers, and subject matter experts are finding new opportunities to teach from home��and generate reliable income through virtual education platforms.
Whether you're passionate about math, fluent in multiple languages, or experienced in business or science, there’s a student somewhere online who needs your help—and is willing to pay for it.
Why Online Tutoring is a Smart Career Move
The appeal of online tutoring is its flexibility and growing demand. It enables you to work on your schedule, from anywhere in the world, while making a meaningful impact on someone’s education. In addition, the growing acceptance of virtual education means online learning is no longer a backup plan—it’s now a preferred choice for many families and institutions.
Some of the most in-demand subjects include English as a second language (ESL), math, science, writing, and test prep. However, tutors are also thriving in niche subjects like coding, music theory, and business finance.
How to Start Teaching from Home
Starting a tutoring career online is simpler than ever. Most tutors follow these steps to begin:
1. Choose Your Subject or Specialty
Focus on an area where you have experience, education, or confidence. This could be academic (e.g., algebra, biology), skills-based (e.g., Excel, graphic design), or language-based (e.g., English, Spanish).
2. Select a Platform or Go Independent
You can join a tutoring platform or market your services independently. Platforms handle logistics like payments and bookings, while independent tutors often use social media, personal websites, or local advertising to reach clients.
3. Set Up Your Virtual Classroom
All you need is a computer with a webcam, a stable internet connection, and a quiet, well-lit space. Tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or online whiteboards can help you deliver engaging lessons.
4. Build a Professional Profile
When applying to platforms or promoting yourself, include a professional photo, a clear description of your skills, and testimonials or success stories if you have them.
5. Offer a Trial Lesson
Providing a free or discounted first session is a great way to build trust, attract students, and get positive reviews that can drive more bookings.
Benefits of Online Tutoring Jobs
There are many reasons people are drawn to online tutoring jobs:
Freedom and flexibility to work around your schedule
No commute or office politics—just you and your student
Scalability—you can increase your rate as you gain experience or take on more students
Global reach, allowing you to connect with students from around the world
Professional satisfaction by making a difference in someone’s learning journey
Tips for Succeeding as an Online Tutor
Communicate clearly and set expectations with students and parents
Use engaging materials like slides, videos, and quizzes
Be patient and adaptable—every student learns differently
Ask for feedback and reviews to improve and grow your reputation
Continue learning to stay updated on teaching tools, methods, and technologies
The Future of Virtual Education
As we move deeper into the digital age, virtual education will continue to expand. Schools, colleges, and businesses are investing in e-learning, and the demand for quality online instruction will keep rising. This creates an incredible opportunity for tutors who are willing to evolve, adapt, and invest in their skills.
Conclusion: Share What You Know and Get Paid
Online tutoring in 2025 isn’t just a side hustle—it’s a legitimate and fulfilling career option. If you have knowledge to share, you can teach from home, help others succeed, and earn an income doing something you love. With so many platforms, tools, and eager students available, there's never been a better time to start tutoring online.
Turn your expertise into income—and your passion into purpose—by becoming an online tutor today.
Keywords Used: online tutoring jobs, teach from home, virtual education
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Imagine sheep (idk lol) y/n dragon meeting longan I bet longan would be wondering "how come the dragon kind has been reduced into this... so cute and floofy?!!"
I do a whole bunch of rambling in the tags for this one ^^u But! Dragon y/n would ask them so many questions about the time when dragons were common!
#I home you don't mind I combined these three#because I dont know that much about the other dragons ^^u#I've been debating getting cr to learn the story or just watch it and i haven't chosen yet so I uhhhh have been putting off drawing the#other dragons. sorry ^^u#also ananas is kinda overwhelming to draw. hes got alot going on but I'll figure it out! ^^#eventually#Anyway! about dragon y/n and longan dragon! i think they would have a mkre mentorship type relationship!#dragon y/n is verry much not young but has been around cookies for their whole life. they were raised by a family line of shepherds that has#long since died out but the bell on their neck is from them!#so they dont really know alot of “dragon” things.#i think Longan would feel like its necessary to teach them how to be a dragon and not behave like a cookie so much#yaknow because of their whole “bringing back the age of dragons” thing#although this is only from my limited knowledge on Longan sooo feel free to correct me or give your thoughts!#dreamydraws#cookie run kingdom x reader#cookie run x reader#also i dont think they would mind dragon y/n being fluffy but they wouldn't like how much of a pacifist y/n is
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weekends at bobby's
#when john got busy with a hunt and disappeared for a week or two he would leave sam and dean with bobby#sam would nod and dean would feign irritation at being left behind#but they couldnt deny the thrill of an empty salvage yard and that big old house with a room saved special just for them#theyd shove the beds together and dean would tell ghost stories hed memorized from johns journal the few times he snuck it out of his bag#bobby would teach them some things here and there#would let sam have at any book he wanted and let dean rummage through his old tools out back to his hearts content#he would put them to work around the property but the fall weather felt good and bobby never gave them anything crazy to do#just simple chores he couldnt do himself all that easy#and they loved it#they loved going to bobbys because it felt like a home they never quite got to know#but theyd never tell john that#samdean#deansam#wincest#weirdcest#weecest#gencest#sam x dean#dean x sam#web weave#web weaving
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simultaneously wanting to cry out "HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE ME HERE" and "NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN"
aka what happens if you combine prime!sonic (sweetest boy) and fof!tails (most traumatized boy)
bonus: HE DOESN'T KNOW
#sonic the hedgehog#miles tails prower#starved eggman#sonic prime#unbreakable bond#if they look weird: i am teaching myself to draw sonic characters. i cant. im learning. pwease be kind. peace signs#i dont really play f/n/f and am nt particularly into sonic/exe#i mean i have an appreciation for it as a sonic fan when i was a kid. but there werent really different 'versions' of sonic/exe#people remade it and there were spinoffs (like sallyexe) but im unfamiliar with the new sonic/exe lore lolsies#but i saw starved eggman and i was kinda entranced... esp with the tails from this universe.#couldnt handle it for too long. need my boy to have his brother around. take a hug kid#also would be very funny for modern sonic to DECIMATEEEE starved eggman.#'you really do smell like rotten eggs in this world huh🤣egghead' 'sonic thats because he is filled with the flesh of our comrades.' 'What.'#real talk i dont think prime sonic becausehes sooo sensitive esp compared to other sonics could handle the starved universe.#he needs tails in this world as much as tails needs him.#but hed have to go home eventually right...? i dont want to think abt that#im super into sonic lately... the first thin i draw is this huh#my nyart
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Prompt 81
Danny blinked at the small children Ellie was holding the hand of, looking quite proud of herself. The small children- between ten and twelve so somewhere similar to Ellie’s age- who both practically stank of magic and Gods.
He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose even as Dan cackled while opening the door more to let them inside. “Alright, what’s your name, kids?”
“B-billy…um, Billy Batson...” “‘m Percy! Percy Jackson.”
“Nice to meet you two- any idea where in your family you have a god or two, because one of you definitely smells like Zeus and I’m pretty sure Poseidon and I am not dealing with either of my half-brothers.”
#prompts#dcxdp#dpxpj#percy jackson#percy jackon and the olympians#billy batson#Danny was adopted by Clockwork who is the origin behind Kronos#Oh they're both orphans? No one to take care of them?#Goddamnit Clockwork you made sure Ellie found them didn't you#Liminals are hidden from monsters thanks to feeling like them & the dead#CW: If they won't take care of their kids then I'll give the lil demigods to my favorite son :)#The JL finding out Billy is a child: You need a guardian- how could we let this happen#Billy: Actually my older sister has looked 12 for the last 100 years and my younger brother looks 20 so that's very human-ist of you#Percy peering out at some camp people who are trying to see if he's home: MA There's some weird ass cats outside!#Percy: Am I allowed to throw the pool at them 'cause they aren't taking no for an answer#Danny teaching the kids how to use powers: Alright and now we're going to your other dad and moms to learn magic#Danny: And how to shoot a gun in Val's case because I will forget gun safety#Everlasting Quartet#Phantastic Four#“Hey Marvel how do you know that info about Dr Fate he looks so pissed??”#“Oh one of my parents know him and they don't get along so now we always take the chance to call him a lil Bitch but politely”#Percy: Billy if you can summon lightning and I can control water can we combine them#Billy: One way to find out- hey Daaaaan#Camp people trying to find Percy: Wtf wtf wtf#The pantheon: WHAT DO YOU MEAN KRONOS HAD ANOTHER CHILD?! WHERE?! HOW!?#Clockwork: Look at my Favorite Child who doesn't Fuck with the Timeline or are Raging Hypocrites & takes care of his kids#Clockwork curled up with Danny & new grandchildren in his chest like a mother crocodile: Everything is as it should be :)#Marvel: Look at my lil brother isn't he adorable he's a year younger than me but takes more after our other mom#Percy: Hi Mr Aquaman I can control water & talk to fish and was wondering if you have any tips#“Marvel we're going to die-” “No we're not lemme call my big brother- if he can destroy the timeline he can fix it” “If he What”
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@mymusehowls I actually drew Nie Mingjue braiding Meng Yao's hair a couple months ago, so I decided to switch it up and let Meng Yao braid Nie Mingjue's this time!
Dealing with all that hair must take forever, so they may as well go over morning reports while fussing around with it u.u
#mdzs#nieyao#nie mingjue#jin guangyao#meng yao#nmj#jgy#i have so many feelings about the nie braids#i love shit like that#such a visual and codified way of showing belonging? the fact that you'd actually have to teach a SKILL to form that level of belonging?#like SOMEONE had to teach meng yao how to braid his hair that way. someone had to say 'you're one of us and you get to show the world that'#what point did he receive that permission/instruction?#and then it would have become a ROUTINE#a routine which he KEPT UP#even as jin guangyao. even as a spy.#and like? what was that meant to say?#what did it say to himself? what did it say to anyone who saw it? was anyone else allowed to see it?#all this coming from jgy who is never less than six schemes deep at any given time?#(and i don't care if this is show exclusive canon and really only '''''canon''''''' at that i am obsessed with it it's mine now)#this rat who is constantly trying to claw out some sort of safe home for himself - what does it MEAN TO HIM I WANT TO KNOW#I WANT TO DISSECT HIM#anyway#nie hair braids#i really really really love them#though on the flip side i hate drawing them with a burning passion and jgy should always have his dumb little hat on to spare me from it
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Previous // Next
Byrd: Dad? Oscar: Morning, bud.. miserable day, huh? I’m not looking forward to packing up in the rain. Oscar: Did you sleep okay? Byrd: Erm… Oscar: GO GET YOUR HEARING AIDS! [Byrd fidgeted guilty, implying that he’d lost yet another pair] Byrd: [sobs] Why do I have to be deaf without them, papa-.. s’not fair. [Oscar held Byrd tightly, stroking his back until his sobs subsided somewhat] Oscar: LET’S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO… [Oscar plonked Byrd outside as he rummaged through his bags, eventually producing a backup pair of hearing aids] Oscar: Better? [Byrd nodded gratefully, burying his snotty nose in his father’s hair as he threw his arms around him] Oscar: Maybe you ought to think twice about learning SSL. Byrd: What’s the point? No one else knows it. Oscar: Robin does, and we all know bits n’ pieces, don’t we? [Byrd grumbled disinterestedly] Oscar: I think it’s long overdue, pal-.. what if we all learn it together? Properly this time. Byrd: I guess… Oscar: All I heard was yes. Byrd: Are you deaf too? Oscar: [snorts] C’mon, we’ll probably find the other pairs as we clear up. Wren: Daaaaad, it’s raining! Oscar: The faster we get goin’, the faster we’ll be in the car-.. I bet Wren can pack up faster than you. Byrd: [gasps] NO WAY! [rain pattering]
#ts4#sims 4#simblr#ts4 story#sims story#forever in between#fib#oscar finch#wren finch#byrd finch#poor byrd 😭#they've tried to teach him simlish sign language aka SSL so many times but he's so disinterested in learning it#a) he doesn't pick stuff up very easily and b) he rlly doesn't see the point if hardly anyone else is gonna know it ;-;#raise awareness byrd!!#i think part of the health mod that gives byrd his deaf trait has SSL in it.. like they can learn it from the tv?#i think that's how robin learned#i might make some poses for it at some point too#i think it'd be cute if oscar did a lil bake sale for a deaf charity or smth u kno#like.. they've been soft with him so far#but i think byrd's old enough to be reasoned with/coerced into getting involved with the deaf community a lil more now#🤗#neway.. autumn's fast approaching and it's time to go home bwuh 😔#we'll get to see lou again tho!#new school year too let's gooooooo
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this part of VAL's monologue about how she was created keeps coming back to me, because while it isn't the only time that we see her being capable of empathy or sympathy, and of recognising other people as victims of the same cruelty and violence that she herself was (as we hear when she talks about the civilians killed at dutler's weald), it is the one time that she doesn't try to separate herself from them entirely, as though that will protect her from being made the same - helpless, and suffering at the whims of others. perhaps because she sees the person she was before she was hallowed as a separate entity already - the one who made the decision that damned them both - but perhaps also because they are her, or what she could have been, and she them. i can't help but wonder how many nights she spent telling herself that the doors to the cells in that substation would miraculously unlock, and they would all walk free. that the cellmate whose screams kept her awake would take to the latest hallowing brands, or at least stop being in so much pain. that her mother would come back, and her hands would be soft. that someone would apologise for what they were doing to her. to all of them. i wonder how many lies she whispered into the dark before she stopped believing them. perhaps it was when she realised that hers was the only voice left calling out into the silence.
#🐉#as usual im probably reading way too much into things just because i have favourite character disease#but i have to ask myself why she would be considered 'controllable' in any capacity#unless they managed to break her somehow. and how better to do that than teach her that the only way#she would ever walk out of that cell would be if she became what they made her.#not to mention what it would do to you psychologically to become a saint after having your every prayer ignored for days without end#to be met with silence from every god and then become a home for one anyway#the silt verses#VAL thesiltverses
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You know, I was thinking about an idea I had then realized just how angsty it would be on one side and how much fluff it would be on the other and I'm curious about other people's ideas too ngl
So like, I was toying around with the idea of Shanon coming back to Gardenview and snatching up the loser lesbians and bringing them home with her to save from... Whatever happened. Shanon has no idea, she was never allowed to know, so she just has two VERY traumatized toons now. She'll know how to keep Shelly entertained and happy, she was ALWAYS with Shelly, but I highly doubt she'd know how to keep Vee in check at all.
Vee would probably quickly spiral into a mental crisis about it too, as now everything has been destroyed in her eyes. Nobody remembers her gameshows because they ended years ago, nobody remembers her because Gardenview closed years ago, nobody's interested in learning about her as she's outdated technology to them now. She'd be alone, only able to quiz Shelly now, but she's heard all her questions and knows all the answers by now. She'd probably start self isolating because she just doesn't know what to do with herself, lashing out at Shanon because she genuinely doesn't understand why people aren't fans of her anymore and wants to blame someone except herself. She would be such a wreck and probably have major beef with any new technology Shanon brings home because it replaced her in her mind. Vee is now just... Vee. She's not a celebrity any more, she's not loved by anyone except the toon handler who took her in and her now popular dinosaur girlfriend, and she would not have a clue what to do about it.
Shelly would most likely have the opposite problem, she looks like a living toon just wandering around like she's a common sight to see - of course people would notice! Kids would ask her about fossils and she'd happily tell them all about what she is and their minds would be blown by how much she knows, she'd probably be asked to play by kids who think she looks really neat and be dragged to the sandbox to 'fossil hunt' whenever Shanon takes them to the park. Shanon very much would hide plastic fossils in there too just to see Shelly smile, like she used to before her museum shut down. She'd be such an interesting sight to see that she'd get stared at, often asked what she actually is, and probably would be the talk of the town for a while. Eventually everyone would know that Shelly is just there to have fun, don't bother her too much, but at first everyone would be so shocked by a living breathing toon they'd swarm the poor thing! I'm sure Shelly would be just a little irritated by the constant unwarranted attention and stares, but so happy she's no longer forgotten.
Their roles would reverse is what I'm getting at here. It gives so much Vee angst to work with and Shelly comfort... I am brainrotting over this idea if that's not obvious
#kai rambles#quite a lot#bonus points if Vee starts like self sabotaging on accident because she's trying too hard to get comfort#like scratching paint off her body because she used to love when Shelly would give her scritches but does it too hard on accident#or pulling her antennae too hard that they break off and Shanon comes home from work to see her leaking ichor everywhere#I might seriously make this an au I just have so many ideas of the kinds of shenanigans that would happen-#with Shanon snatching up her goblins and trying to teach them how to exist outside of Gardenview without them both exploding or something#god the thought of Shelly being the one trying to include Vee in everything just hit me#Shelly would absolutely try to make people pay attention to Vee again and drag her into fossil hunting with her but Vee would always find a#reason not to do it; like lying about how sand would scratch up her monitor horribly or saying that a kid has water on them when they don't#but in reality Vee just doesn't believe she's worth it anymore and thinks everyone just tolerates her for Shelly's sake#and Shelly is slowly coming to terms with the fact that her robot gf has severe depression and can't do much to help#ghghghgh more angst#kais original post#shellevision#so many thoughts#so little time to write#I'll probably add more later I'm so brainrotting over this so much#Caretaker Shanon au#THE POST THE AU WAS MADE IN LES GO HAH#FINALLY FOUND IT AGAIN#gonna try to tag the rest of em now blegh
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there's this guy at my parents church that can play like thirteen different instruments because his job has him travel a lot and when he goes to new places he finds new instruments and buys them and gets locals to teach him how to play and honestly thats so Wylan Van Eck of him
#every time he comes home from a trip he has a new instrument and jesper just sighs and goes to make space in the music room#he of course teaches marya how to play them all#and puts on a lil show for jesper#the maids have to come ask him how to clean it so they dont ruin it#wylan van eck#wylan hendriks#six of crows#crooked kingdom#shadow and bone tv#six of crows headcanons
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While finishing up a jar of my neighbors honey baking it into bread another one of my neighbors stopped by to gift me a jar of homemade jam ❤️
#of course I was still in my pajamas and in a flour covered apron#I’m on winter break from teaching so I’m trying to have a few intentionally slow and gentle days at home#I love living in a rural area with a connection to my neighbors#the honey was a gift after I brought their dog home a couple times (cute little guy that runs miles from home on his teeny little legs)#and the jam is from the neighbors whose cats I’ve taken care of for weeks at a time during some last minute family emergencies#very much embracing the gift economy and reciprocity in this little community here#fitting after reading The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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boys home remus not knowing english in first year>>>>
#marauders fandom#dead gay wizards from the 70s#the marauders#Getting better through the years#professor mcgonagall teaching him after classes#This plus being dyslexic😬#His mummies#wiseflower#wolfstar#sirius being into it#remus lupin#welsh remus lupin#boys home remus#Little British orphan remus#Well not british#He would have to use a translation spell
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you just think you're fucking smarter than everybody huh?
i'm not going to deny that I think i'm an intelligent man, because i've earned the right to call myself such.
If that makes you this frustrated you could always go learn something.
#mfs when the guy who had only basic education until he ran away from home at 14 and started teaching himself#is proud of the fact he self-taught himself to such an incredible degree that he can hold sophisticated conversations about most parts#of the world#and in a decent amount of languages#Like I'm sorry but frankly if you'd done half of what i'd done to resist systems designed to keep you uneducated#you wouldn't shut up about it.
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movie sonadow would be so l umity-coded…and i say this bc their dynamic is similar to the games but with a different and tender perspective: they both empathize deeply with each other now, and this shadow is not as reticent or closed off bc of that. that being said: movie!sonic would ABSOLUTELY 'YOU'RE the sweet potato!' the hell out of shadow
#i say l umity bc they're my fave yardstick for romantic relationship progression#between two characters who're barely just starting to know themselves let alone their feelings#and bc they're cute. and i have been thinking abt (made sleepless over‚ really) sonic being SO ecstatic to find shadow alive#i just see movie!sonic being more physically affectionate n movie!shadow (w the both of them having already seen each other at their worst)#feeling less of a need to put up a front. not much to hide from the guy you pleaded with to kill you on the moon yk?#speeds over‚ loops his arms and spins him 'round#he would be SO excited to show shadow fun earth stuff#and on a deeper level‚ i think a liiiiiittle bit of it'd be projection#he knows their situations aren't the same. but yet again‚ here's another hedgehog in a strange new world#and he wants to give him everything he wished he'd had when he arrived#so he shows him crappy reality tv and new kinds of foods and other kinds of constellations‚#the proper way to give a fist bump (bc shadow was going to genuinely punch him and he had to explain)‚ and books from the library#they get more movies. sonic teaches him how to play mario kart. he knux and tails induct him into their baseball games#and sonic is delighted to find they have the same problem of hitting the ball Way Too Hard#he answers every question shadow has to the best of his ability#and like. the Main Thought that's been plaguing me is that one day he gets shadow a picture frame#and - idk how sonic got it‚ just roll with it - sonic reveals the picture of shadow and maria#and explains that tom had that section of his old cave‚ the one w the picture of longclaw excavated and preserved#and he doesn't know how tom did it‚ but now she's in his new home too. he doesn't have to leave her behind just bc he found somewhere new#basically trying to show him that it's okay to grieve and to KEEP grieving. that just bc you've been understood‚ that love goes away.#but yeah. they drive me nuts#sonadow#sonic movie 3 spoilers#sth
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When we find out that the elves were spirits there's a whole debate about whether or not we should tell people. Why don't we do that when we find out that some of the core beliefs of Andrastianism are a lie?
#I would be telling everybody.#veilguard spoilers#what's the downside?#Oh no; the Chantry; who has been abusing its power for centuries; might lose some of its power?#People might start to question things and stop blindly believe in the Chantry's way of viewing and teaching things?#Gasp! The horror!#Like I know why we told no one about the elves. Those were some very good points and I agree with keeping that one quiet#But why can't I tell people and the Chantry that the Chant of Light is wrong actually#Also it could have brought up interesting discussions about what's more important: faith or truth?#Because faith has a place in people's lives and in society. Is that worth preserving even if it's proven false?#How do you reconcile that? What do you do with all that misplaced faith now?#It would've been a neat topic to get into.#I know had some really good points to say about this topic when I was walking home from work last night but I don't remember them#Maybe I should start recording myself ranting about stuff while I walk so i can go back and pick out the good parts
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On being Kalina, Sylvaire, and the restoration of a homeland
Sometimes you're a goddess's familiar. And then your goddess dies and becomes a nightmare king, and you're left as a disembodied plague for 850 years while your homeland crumbles into dust and brambles and all the original people who remember Sylvaire as it was age and die, exiled from their homeland where they were immortal, leaving their children and grandchildren to carry the faint memories of the beforetimes.
And then sometimes you decide to solve that problem by kidnapping your old partner's kid and throwing him onto the streets to struggle and survive and then swoop in and teach him how to be your hands in the mortal world (shoutout to Midnight Oil and @thecryptidzenith).
In some worlds, you get defeated and the Nightmare King restored to their original form. And in some worlds... you win. Your boy is a prince and your ancient kingdom is restored and you have a body back and your old partner and his wife to torment and your home to explore.
So why aren't you happy?
your mom is back from the dead. mom? why isn't she talking to you?
The Call
Kalina stood in the deepest part of the castle, alone. The room here was in even more disarray than the rest of the building: the glazed floor tiles bubbling up with tree roots and crazed webs of cracks spread across the stone walls. The roots raced along from the walls to the floor to the centre of the room, then up into a twisting embrace sheltering a polished chunk of obsidian that pulsed with a quiet, steady magic.
She had long since lost track of where the hell she was, having followed too many staircases and passages. She had climbed down enough stairs that she should be deep underground, she had thought, but sunlight streamed in hazy rays through grimy windows.
It had taken weeks of exploration to track down the small chamber Kalina barely remembered from when she was a kitten, padding after Cassandra with a soft ribbon curled around her neck. The corridors had twisted and warped every time she left and returned, leaving her to begin her search again and again as she prowled decaying scent memories from her old life until she was ready to nearly scream in frustration.
Finally she had given in and wheedled a packet of provisions off their new cook — thank the gods for Leska. If she'd had to put up with another night of spaghetti and jarred sauce served to her by a girl who looked on the verge of emotional collapse, Kalina didn't think she could be held responsible for her actions — and set off to search for three days straight.
Not like she had much else to do. Riz was doing the hard work around here, nearly buried in it. It was good for him. Kept him busy so he didn’t have time to dwell on the past and all its fuck ups, and it wouldn't do for her boy to get soft and reliant in having her around all the time.
Plus entertaining herself catching up with her old friends only took up so much time. Sleeping did too. Gods above, it took up so much time. And eating and cleaning herself and that stupid heat that swept over her body and made it impossible to think straight—
Down below in the depths, the weight of centuries pressed down on her, deep in the crumbled heart of what should have been her home. It wasn't what she had had. This wasn't what she had lost.
The stone hummed. She didn't need to consult Riz about this— or anything.The kingdom was as ready as it would ever be. Word had already started to trickle out and more and more people were showing up, bright-eyed and hopeful and painfully naive, at every border town.
Time to speed things up. Kalina was done being patient.
Neatly slicing through the pad of her paw with a single sharp claw, she let the blood fall.
She placed one paw on the bramble-encased obsidian and let the feeling flow through her, pouring every drop of homesickness and loss and grief and hiraeth into the stone. She let the longing for what had been and what could be again build until her bones were shaking with it.
The energy surged, blazing brighter and brighter until Kalina had to throw up a paw to shield her eyes. It splintered into a hundred thousand strands, quivering with eagerness for the command.
And the call went out.
~~~
Sandra Lynn staggered, nearly losing her grip on her mug. It was like a hook sunk deep into her insides, slipping past her ribs to anchor into her soul like a fish caught on a line.
She could hear bells tolling, a chime that smelled like pine and sap and wet earth and the sea salt spray of the ocean. A voice rattled her mind, wordless and beyond language, comprehension beamed directly into her skull.
come home. come back. bring your families, return to your roots. Sylvaire will welcome you with open arms.
The pattern on her mug danced, leaching off the porcelain and crawling under her skin. It swirled and writhed and then bloomed into vines, the patterns winding their way from her fingertips up her arms. The movement was hypnotic and Sandra Lynn watched, entranced.
A tangle of memories knotted in her chest. The scent of baked apples, dusted with spices that couldn’t be found in Solace, bedtime stories about the treants who walked the forests of Sylvaire, wistful tales of the Before Times spoken with the bittersweetness of loss. Drawn-out screaming fights between her parents, the Sylvan spoken too fast and agitated for her to even begin to parse, no matter how much she strained.
A pounding drumbeat sang in her ears.
home, home, home. come home. build it higher, build it stronger, build it better, build it. come home and live forever. come home and be free.
Some distant part of her knew that this wasn't real, that it was a vision. But it felt realer than anything she had ever lived. Trees sprung up around her, towering high and dripping with vines and moss. Her kitchen was bursting, roots tearing through the linoleum, petrichor in the air. Motes of light danced in the air, dappled greengold like sunlight filtered through the forest canopy.
It felt like all she had to do was close her eyes and leap.
And then it was over, snapped back into her body like nothing had ever happened, like she wasn't standing in her ordinary kitchen with a gaping hole in her chest. Sandra Lynn touched her cheeks and her fingertips came away wet with tears.
~~~
The light swirled, humming with potential. It danced across the nine winds and tugged on the shirtsleeves of her lost children, peering into their hearts and souls.
~~~
Alone in a dimly-lit apartment building, a balding man set down his cup of lemon yogurt and let his breath catch in his chest for a second.
~~~
A young girl firing arrow after arrow after arrow into a paper target, her face set into a scowl. Her hands stuttered as she reached for the next arrow in her quiver. The burning pulse of ruby red crystal shards embedded in her skin cooled for just a moment, the angry red buried in soft moss.
There must have been a door or a window cracked, further down the hallway. The scent of the sea was rolling in, the smell of the fresh air and salt almost burning her nose. She grabbed another arrow, landing it dead center in the target.
~~~
A woman paused, her hands midway through kneading dough as the sudden ache and loss flared in her heart, teasing her with promise.
No thank you, she told it politely. She anchored herself more deeply into the simplicity of the holly tree. Maybe one day. When Danielle was grown, maybe she’d take Winona by the hand and let the green of her ancestors’ homeland fill that little ache in her chest that had been there ever since she had asked her grandmother where she was from…
~~~
Alone in the moss-splotched room, Kalina waited in silence for a long, long time, but nothing happened. Blood dripped quietly onto the tiled floor, drying brown against the tree roots. The loudest thing was the ringing in her ears.
Closing her eyes, she reached out for her— to the Nightmare King.
Nothing. Like always.
Suddenly furious, Kalina kicked a rock, letting her blood pound hot in her muscles and chase away the cold queasiness. Ears flat, she stalked out of the room as the door slammed behind her satisfyingly. Where was the kid? Wasn't it supposed to be cleaning up the rooms around here?
#sometimes you think too much about Sylvaire#sometimes a story is you & your two friends and the massive 160k word document you wrote together spanning 35 years of sprawling story#Sylvaire might be cleared of brambles and vines but that doesn't make it home. Not after 850 years.#Ivy grew up having baked apples with cloves sometimes and never knew that it didn't taste like it did in her grandparents' home#but cloves are the best approximation her father could manage when his parents' homeland is buried in centuries of brambles#Sandra Lynn grew up with just traces of the culture passed down from grandparents uprooted in the calamity#She didn't teach Fig Sylvan and doesn't celebrate the old holidays#But Sylvaire doesn't forget her children#fantasy high#dimension 20 fanfiction#dimension 20#properties of midnight oil#creative writing
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