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hufflepuffwithaslytherinkink · 10 months

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Transmogrification of a Not Yet Lord - Chapter 2 Snippet

Amelia’s quickly pulled from her thoughts by someone clearing their throat. She jumps at the unexpected sound turning to see the young man who was reading the magazine suddenly leaning against the doorframe of the room he was occupying, his eyes scrutinising her suspiciously.

“Can I help you?” He asks in a tone that says he really can’t be arsed helping her, so she better say no. Be that as it may, Amelia does need help and he seems to work here. Or he’s a resident and can point her in the direction of someone who can.

“Hello, yes, I’m Amelia Smith. There should have been a letter sent about me. My other orphanage was destroyed in the bombings. I’m meant to move in here.” She says as cheerfully as she can though she feels timid as the man looks down his nose at her.

She starts to fidget uncomfortably, the man not showing any sign he’d heard her never mind any intention to help her. She’s just about to ask if there’s someone she can talk to when he shuffles towards her his lips pursed.

“Well Miss Amelia Smith. I think I do know about you. Wait here and I’ll get Mrs Cole. She’s the matron.” He tells her before shuffling off.

Amelia sighs a breath of relief; she doesn’t know why but he put her on edge. Perhaps that was his intention, she thinks, he wanted to let her know where she stood and that, according to him, was beneath him.

Amelia takes the time to once again look around herself, to get acquainted with her new home. She doesn’t hold much hope for it. It’s as grey inside as it is outside, the faded wallpaper is falling down, there’s cracks in the ceilings and a smell of damp wafts through the room. Plus everything seems to echo around her, as though she’s stood inside a large, cold cave. A chill goes through her at the thought. She doesn’t like the way it makes her feel empty and cold, as though she’s alone in the world.

“Miss Smith?” A sharp voice calls out. Amelia spins around to see a woman who appears to be in her late 30s or early 40s, with dark greying hair pulled back into a severe bun and an overall strict appearance, march towards her.

“Yes.” Amelia mumbles nervously. This woman doesn’t seem like someone to trifle with.

“It’s yes matron.” She snaps at Amelia, her eyes narrowing into a glare that causes Amelia’s legs to tremble slightly. “Follow me. I’ll show you to your room.”

Amelia barely has time to process her words before hurrying after whom she assumes is Mrs Cole, considering the stern woman didn’t introduce herself. She’s already half way up the stairs before Amelia has even reached the bottom. Mrs Cole does not seem like a woman to cross.

They climb toward the second floor, Amelia glad she’s used to the stairs at Hogwarts considering Mrs Cole practically ran up both flights without checking Amelia was following, before heading to a small room with a single, uncomfortable looking bed in one corner and a basic wooden wardrobe in the other.

“This is yours. Keep your things in here, nowhere else. There are three uniforms assigned to you to wear, do not wreck them because you won’t get more. You may wear your own clothes on occasion, but we discourage it.” She says gruffly before turning and walking back out into the hallway. Amelia isn’t sure whether to stay put or follow her, she quickly decides to follow, it might be worse if Mrs Cole has to come back for her rather than just telling her to get lost.

“This is the bathroom. You will leave your wash things in your room, or the other children will use them.” She quickly leaves the bathroom starting back down the hall. Amelia doesn’t even get a chance to look at the bathroom properly. “Don’t worry boys are on the third floor, so there won’t be any chance of them coming into this bathroom. If they do you’ll tell me or one of the other staff members.”

Amelia nods. Although she hadn’t been worried, she assumed there was a lock. Is there not a lock?

“Mealtimes are 8 for breakfast, 12 for lunch and 5.30 for dinner. Do not be late, you won’t get food any other time. Do not waste any of your food, the rations we get are sparse and I won’t abide by fussers or those that don’t eat what they’re given.” She snaps. Normally that type of attitude would annoy Amelia, but she supposes it’s more than fair considering they don’t have food to waist whilst on rations. The realisation she’s currently residing in an orphanage in the middle of London during World War 2 sending a horrifying shudder down Amelia’s spine.

“You’ll go to your room at 9, lights out by 10 the latest. Sundays are wash days.” Wash days? I hope she doesn’t mean one shower a week, Amelia thinks in horror. “Chores are to be completed. We’ll tell you what you got to do each week, you get up and you do your job daily, no moaning. Is that understood?”

Amelia nods weakly. Mrs Cole glares at her, her nostrils flaring.

Amelia clears her throat before stammering out a nervous. “Y-yes Matron.”

Thankfully Mrs Cole seemed appeased by her respond and briskly walks away. Amelia following behind.

“What are you following me for girl? Go and get settled in your room. You can rest today but tomorrow you’ll start helping around here.” She orders before storming off.

Amelia sighs feeling unwelcome. Sadness grips her as she walks back to her small room, chewing the inside of her cheek. She’d left her sad life, the one where her friends and family suffered daily and so many of her loved one were hurt but is this any better? She’s alone, in the middle of a war with nothing but a dictator as a guardian.

Just as Amelia steps onto the staircase heading back towards her room, she almost collides into someone.

She looks up with wide eyes to a see a handsome young man, gorgeous actually, staring at her. His eyes are a beautiful deep blue, contrasting beautifully against his pale complexion and dark curly hair, his face chiselled and mesmerising. He’s very tall too, Amelia – who’s not exactly small – has to crane her neck to stare up at him, she sends him an apologetic smile a blush coating her cheeks at his appearance. She’s about to apologise when she sees his face contort into a snarl.

“Watch where you’re going.” He spits at her.

Amelia’s mouth drops open at his rude attitude. She stunned into silence at his rudeness, she almost falls as he shoves past her without even looking her way. What a rude prick, she thinks glaring at his back before continuing to her room.

She hopes she isn’t going to see more of that idiot. He might be beautiful but he’s not someone she wants to spend time around. She can’t abide but horrid people.

She manages to stumble back to her small room, she needs to wrap her head around everything that’s happening, of where she is and what’s going on.

#tom riddle fic #tom riddle fanfiction #tom riddle x original character #tom riddle #ao3fic #hufflepuff x slytherin #slytherin x hufflepuff #transmogrification of a not yet lord #transmogrification chapter 2 #time travel

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www-razaya4life · 2 months

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GLTAS’ Larger Role in COIE 3 continued:

At long last, Razer is the first one to speak, “A-Aya? Is it really you?” His voice choked up with melancholy.

The former android geese is at him unaware of who he is, but sensing some sort of connection between them.

Before Aya could say anything, Razer loses any form of restraint and embraces her in a tearful hug.

Tears stream down his face as the hug grows tighter.

“Oh Aya! I’m so glad I’ve found you!” He sobs, “I’m so sorry for what had happened before. I meant what said on Odym; you have more of a soul than I ever did.”

Aya, still confused, shrugs before reciprocating the hug.

After parting, the two gaze at each other before Aya speaks up, “While I do appreciate the hug, there is one thing that vexes me.”

“What might that be?” Razer asks.

“Who are you?” Though the question is innocent enough, its dual meaning pierces Razer’s heart worse than any knife ever could.

His face falls; the woman he spent 11 years searching for, didn’t even recognize him.

Now all the effort he spent on his quest was for nothing.

Though this brings him pain, he mentally refuses to let Aya see this.

They decide to walk around Satellite some more that is until another old friend arrives with some more recruits.

It’s revealed to be Kilowagg and he is ecstatic to see Razer. But when he sees who the dual Lantern is with, his jaw drops.

“Holy Gnartz! The kid actually found her.”

In classic Kilowagg fashion, he barrels straight towards them with a look of excitement etched on his face.

He bluntly shoves Razer aside and pulls Aya into one of his famous bear hugs.

“Kid! It’s so great to see again! I never thought Razer would be able to find you.”

Aya looks puzzled.

“So how’ve you been kid?” Kilowagg asked as he slapped her on the back.

“Everything has been functioning at optimal levels Green Lantern” Aya responds.

Kilowagg notices Aya’s behavior, “Uh kid…��don’t you recognize me?”

“Negative; my memory banks are still recovering from my recent transmogrification.” Aya replies

“W-What do you…?” “Kilowagg…a word?” Razer says through gritted teeth.

After being pulled off to the side, Kilowagg is informed about Aya’s current predicament.

“Oh kid; I’m so sorry.” “As am I old friend. As am I.” Razor size as he hangs his head in defeat.

End of chapter 2. Stay tuned for more coming soon.

#long live razaya #gltas #crisis on infinite earths #part 2 #the sun will shine on us again

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ofmdee · 2 months

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MAN i am so close to getting the next part of BU written, im like at the very end of the chapter but im having a hard time wrapping it up, i think because i Know that means then i have to do the pictures 😂

the chapter kinda started off as a freewriting thing, a pwp i wasn't planning on sharing, but then i realized it Could actually be a good filler chapter, and once that happened i was like oh i can't write anymore 😅

but i added a few plotty things, including a conversation i wanted ed and stede to have re: ed's transmogrification which i think is important, and ed giving stede a pearl he finds. he's bringing stede little trinkets like a kitty bringing gifts. mermaids are just big cats 2 me.

and then stede starts calling ed his pearl, etc etc

i WANT TO want to write, i want to keep creating this fic, i love it so much, it's my passion project etc, but i am just having such a hard time with it lately! i am rly trying to follow this advice and be gentle w myself and not push it, but it's hard! i worry that by the time i Really feel like doing it again, anyone who was interested will have moved on. i compare myself to other ppl too often, and i feel like holy shit ive been working on this for over 2 years, i should have SO MUCH more to show for the amount of time i put into it 💀

and then ofc i always doubt myself, like this isn't good, ppl are just reading it because they are my friends/feel sorry for me, the sims stuff is Cringe and im so amateur and embarrassing and everything i do sucks!!!

but also ive been rereading the fic during downtime at work, just to try and get a feel for it again, and im like oh, this is actually NOT awful? and it's making me like hmmmmm maybe i WILL get back into this....... i really do love it. i love reading it. and that's so important, i think. i like what i create, even tho i am also convinced no one else will. idk when my self confidence fuckin TANKED man but i think so little of myself and i hate that! i wanna think im the shit. or at least okay.

anyway idk what im even talking abt anymore, lmfao, just. fic stuff!!! being obsessive abt stuff. fandom stuff! i'm thinking abt taking an edible later and then trying to churn out the rest of the chapter so i at least have the framework to edit but idk, i rly AM also trying not to force it. i have ts4 open still from making my new icon/header and im like hmmm i could load my photoshoot save and start working on the pics.... but idk.

i HAVE gotten really into diamond painting over the past month or so, tho, and i think having another hobby, one that isn't tied to the internet in general, is rly helping me balance some things a bit more. here are a few pics of things ive made:

ive even ordered a custom ofmd kit, using one of ann's edits as the picture, im soooooo excited for it to arrive!!! ive been rly obsessive abt this since i started, but it's rly relaxing? it makes my mind go (white noise static sound) and rly helps me forget abt being anxious. but then i can also end up getting anxious about doing it Too Much, but that's a whole other can of worms re childhood trauma etc etc w/e

this turned into kinda a life update post lmfao, i just wanted to untangle some fic thoughts but it got away from me. oh well! idk thanks if u read this and thanks if u read my fic, i promise i haven't forgotten abt it 🧜‍♂️

#xoxod #dees diamond tag

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amuseoffyre · 11 months

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Just wanted to tell you while I’m watching season 2 I’m also in my head imagining what you might be thinking up with Bark and Bite and I can’t wait for when you do more with that one!! There’s SO MUCH TO WORK WITH already!! 😁😁😁

I can't lie I'm super excited :D I've written the first chapter already and have plans in place for it, but I'm holding off on doing too much more until we get to the end of the season because I feel like there's set-up we haven't noticed for stuff we haven't reached yet.

That said, I screeched when the trailer showed the trio with garlic and crosses and then Buttons got the book of transmogrification :D

#ofmd s2 #ofmd fic: bark and bite

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sunnydaleherald · 8 months

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The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, February 9

BUFFY: Oh, that would be tragic, taking the fun out of slaying, stabbing, beheading. FAITH: Oh, like you don't dig it. BUFFY: (shrugs) I don't. FAITH: You're a liar. I've *seen* you. Tell me staking a vamp doesn't get you a little bit juiced. Come on, say it. (She stops and folds her arms, waiting for Buffy's answer. Buffy can't help but smile, and looks down to hide it.) FAITH: (laughs) You can't fool me. The look in your eyes right after a kill? You just get hungry for more. Buffy: (shakes her head) You're way off base.

~~Bad Girls~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Philologist by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback (Buffy/Spike, T)

A New Leaf by Pinkperson (Angel, Lindsey, T)

Mom's Taste by Pinkperson (Buffy, Joyce, G)

Rupert and Ripper by JenLRossman (Giles/Reader, Giles/OFC, Not Rated)

Bury My Heart in the Valley of Your Affection by CoffeeHunt (Angel/Spike, Spike/various others, E)

Buffyverse Flashfiction by NotASlayer (Anya, Buffy, unrated)

Bite Mark by Maxineeden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion - Ch. 411 by madimpossibledreamer (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, T)

Xander the Teenage Witch: Something Wicked - Ch. 9 by v_o_x (Xander/Larry, T)

Aspect of Lust - Ch. 3 by Skylark62 (Buffy/Giles, E) COMPLETE!

Transmogrification - Ch. 3 by MamaBewear (Angel/Spike, T) COMPLETE!

Strings - Ch. 17 by aliceinwonderbra (Buffy/Faith, E) COMPLETE!

Back undead and little again - Ch. 4 by AnkiKind (Angel, Spike, Fred, M) COMPLETE!

Straight to the Heart - Ch. 4 by QuillBard (Buffy/Faith, M)

For The Dark - Ch. 6/7 by CharcoalTeeth (Buffy/Faith, E)

but this love is ours - Ch. 11/17 by ripslayer (Buffy/Faith, M)

Your deepest fears - Ch. 3 by JSBirsa (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Amara Time - Ch. 19 by Joan963z (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Goodbye to Everything That I Knew - Ch. 20 by fortes775 (Buffy/Spike, R)

When Ethan Rayne made Rambo - Ch. 8 by SplitEnz (Ethan, Xander, Rambo xover, FR15)

Your deepest fears - Ch. 3 by JSBirsa (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Icons: #4 by twirlingcons (Buffy, Anya, worksafe)

Banner: Sweet and Short - Ch. 5 [only BTVS chapter] by captainamergirl (Buffy, worksafe)

Artwork: Watercolour painting of Xander Harris, from the Buffy episode The Pack. by ghostrabbit87 (Xander, worksafe)

Artwork: Dawn! Where are you? [Scooby Doo xover] by RemrysIIV (Scoobies, Giles, Buffy, worksafe)

Lego: "... We survived." by buffy_the_lego_brick_layer (ensemble, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

BtVS rewatch S7 - Lies My Parents Told Me pt 1 - by debbicles

February 9, 1999 - Bad Girls aired... by on-this-day-btvs

PODDCAST: 1.6 The Pack by Once More: A Rewatch Podcast

[Fandom Discussions]

enemies is such a bonkers hour of television what am I even supposed to do with myself... by lightsaroundyourvanity

OK, some final belated thoughts on Season 3... [Faith's role and murders] by coraniaid

... man, even in season 5 Spike and Buffy is so problematic to me. by kat--writes

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | incorrect quotes by andremichaux

POLL: [best one episode to introduce someone to BTVS] by sulphur-and-honey

POLL: Vampire Media Guys Round 1: Edward Cullen or Spike by vampirewrestlinglover

Do you love Anya? updated by NoShip

[discussion of fandom's opinions of Xander] by jackBattlin

Who do you think was best for Willow and why? by RemrysIIV

Unpopular opinion (?): Angel was just fine [and not bad] on Buffy by sadhungryandvirgin

What are your favourite oneliners that you still use to this day? by RegisterAfraid

Wesley [kidnapping in ATS] by No-Dig-4658

What's Your Best BTVS or ATS Minor or One-Off Character(s)? by Big-Restaurant-2766

[About] Sunday in Season 4 (Freshman) by Dappich

Day 2: [9 square game] ... morally grey but is presented as a hero by OhWowMan22

POLL: Do you prefer Buffy as a big sister or an only child? by SafiraAshai

POLL: Who had the best looking apartment in Sunnydale? by jdpm1991

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Wolf Pack [SMG show] Canceled at Paramount+ by The Hollywood Reporter

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#angel the series #btvs #fan fiction #meta #fan art #ats #buffy the vampire slayer

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ao3feed-izuku-midoriya · 1 year

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Transmogrification

Transmogrification by Human1973

His mother asks: “Can you help him? Can you fix him?”

Doctor Tsubasa says: “I can—I will.”

And Izuku, dread crawling up his spine, asks, in a little quiet voice: “Can I still be a hero?”

Words: 3379, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Major Character Death

Categories: Gen

Characters: Midoriya Inko, Midoriya Izuku, Garaki Kyuudai | Ujiko Daruma, Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugou Mitsuki

Relationships: None, unless you count izuku/pain as one, No Romantic Relationship(s)

Additional Tags: Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Sort of..., Midoriya Izuku-centric, Hurt Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Inko's Bad Parenting, Midoriya Inko's A+ Parenting, Angst, Whump

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48952282

#AO3 Feed #FanFiction #AO3 Izuku #♢#Izuku Midoriya #Inko Midoriya #Garaki Kyuudai #W:D #A:Human #Quirk AU #Angst

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essektheylyss · 3 years

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heir to the devil's fortune - chapter 2

Chapters: 2/25

Word Count: 24,388

Rating: M

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: The Kryn Dynasty and the Cerberus Assembly both suspect there is information in the ruins of Aeor that could cause civil war among the dens. The Dynasty would like to make it disappear. The Assembly wants nothing more than to get their hands on it.

Vurmus Outpost researchers are slowly disappearing, and Essek Thelyss is not believed as dead as he would like.

He’s already sacrificed everything else—all that’s left to save his own skin is to shed it.

(Essek uses the Transmogrification spell to disappear, and finds a tentative home in hiding as the long lost son of the Ruby of the Sea.)

—

Chapter Summary: Essek begins to discover what being a Lavorre entails.

#cr fic #critical role #shadowgast #essek thelyss #look at me learning how to use chapter summaries lmao #listen. I considered it for luminous worlds. but there was no way to sum up some of those chapters.#I did do it and went !!! yay look at me! and then promptly remembered I have to do this for 23 more chapters #[hello darkness my old friend]#anyway no caleb this chapter. wonder who might change that.#yes that is a hint for next time don't @ me I love the drama #also honestly I mostly put the word count into my tumblr posts as a warning. just so everyone is aware lmao #or an enticement! idk! maybe you want to read fic for two hours! idk your life!

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fanfoolishness · 2 years

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under a new morning sun (4/?)

Turns out, being trapped in the Fade isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Rogue Min Hawke learned this at Adamant. Luckily for her, her lover Varric Tethras refused to believe that she was really gone.

Varric rescued Hawke from the Fade with the help of the Inquisition, but there were consequences. Spending time in the physical Fade has left them Fade-touched: Varric is now a dwarf who can dream, and Hawke has developed mage abilities. Together, they’ve returned to Kirkwall for a well-deserved rest.

Old estrangements, new powers, and ghosts from the past make for a homecoming that doesn’t exactly go as planned, even as the Inquisition’s mission marches on and Kirkwall struggles to rebuild. Hawke must find a way to master her newfound magic and strike a path forward with family, friends and Varric at her side.

Chapter 1: Rearranged | Chapter 2: Making the Rounds | Chapter 3: In the Evening Hour | Chapter 4: The Message | Chapter 5: this is fine

Chapter 4: The Message

Varric found the bed empty the next morning, sunlight streaming through the window to highlight the rumpled covers. He groaned. The bed was comfortable, but it still wasn’t familiar, and his muscles protested rolling over and getting out. They especially had a lot to say about the part where he had to hop down to the floor.

Yeah. He needed that stepstool.

He got dressed, running a hand through his hair, and yawned. Something nagged and pulled at him, as if he'd forgotten something big, but nothing came to mind.

He wandered down to the library where he found Hawke sitting at the writing desk. The shades of the window were drawn wide, and the east sun lit up Hawke and her stacks of books, giving her a golden halo around her bed-rumpled hair.

“Morning, Min.” He pulled up a chair beside her and she gave him a tired grin, then a sweet, quick kiss. “That’s quite the collection you’ve got there.”

“They’re not mine,” said Hawke. She flipped through a tome about transmogrification, then picked up another on dreamwalking. “I recognize a few of Anders’ books on the shelves, but I don’t know where the rest of these came from.”

Bethany leaned against the doorjamb, joining them from the hall. “They’re from the Circle,” she said. “After the explosion and the battle with the templars, most of the mages simply fled. I realized when I came back that a lot of the books wound up being sold in Darktown or by ‘collectors.’ If I see one, I buy it. I’ve been sharing them with the mage colony on the Wounded Coast.”

“Dad always wanted a library like this,” said Hawke, rubbing dust from her nose. “He’d have been delighted.”

Bethany smiled. “He always did have his nose in a book, didn’t he? He would have loved these. It was so hard in Lothering. Anything related to magic, he had to hide. Here --” She waved an arm. “Mad to think there aren’t templars running about looking for these things now.”

“The Inquisition’s changing things,” said Varric. “Doodles -- uh, Inquisitor Lavellan -- she’s a Dalish mage. The mages with the Inquisition are free to come or go as they want, and the only templars out there now are the ones who haven’t heard the news that there’s a new power in town. And word on the street is that when they do elect a new Divine, she might well keep it this way.”

He swallowed. Oh. There was that nagging feeling again.

I should get back. Work’s not done yet.

Bethany took a seat near her sister, showing her a page on beginning magic theory. Hawke leaned in, her brow furrowed, ice-blue eyes intent and focused. She was beautiful. And he thought, Just a little longer. Please.

***

Hawke groaned. “I just don’t understand how you’re supposed to feel something intangible. You’re telling me the Fade doesn’t just bother me at night now, but that I can reach into it when I’m awake? That's how the whole magic thing works?”

“Well, when you put it like that, it does sound rather counterintuitive,” Bethany conceded. She concentrated, and whorls of frost began to shimmer on her outstretched hand. “I’m not bringing the frost out of nothingness. I’m reaching for the Fade. Reshaping reality, for just a little while.” She shook her hand and the frost dissipated.

Hawke held out her own hand. “So you’re saying I just have to focus… and find that thing that doesn’t feel quite like me, and use that? Somehow?” She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth, and closed her eyes, wondering if that might help. Fewer distractions and all that. Her fingers twitched, and she imagined heat, remembering the way she’d nearly caught her bed on fire after Varric rescued her from the Fade. Find the fire. Make it real. See how it feels --

“Ack!” she sputtered, opening her eyes. Twitchy little flames danced over the back of her hand, leaping off in drips and drops onto the table below them. She waved her hand frantically, but the fire only coalesced into a warm glowing ball surrounding her hand.

“Sister!” Bethany grabbed her flaming hand between her own, ice blooming instantly around them. The fire extinguished and Bethany turned her attention to the table, snuffing the little flames that had been attempting to establish themselves in books.

Hawke sat down on her chair with a whump, her legs trembling. “I didn’t like that. Not at all, Bethany.”

Bethany shook her head. “Why do you think I always told you I hated magic? It’s wild. We do what we can to control it, and I know the Maker has His reasons, but I’ve never wanted it. I’m sorry you’re stuck with it now.” She sighed, brushing away flakes of ash from the table’s surface. “It doesn’t help that I’m not quite sure the best way to teach you. Dad had his Circle training to share with me, but I’m sure I missed things.”

Hawke stared at her hands. They looked perfectly normal -- warm brown skin, nails chewed, as usual, to nubbins, calluses where her dagger hilts rested in her palms. But a moment ago fire had flared from them.

Magic. She’d have been thrilled, if she were a starry-eyed twelve-year-old, to be like Dad and Bethany at last despite the danger. Gaining magic at thirty-five? It was an altogether different sort of feeling. She gazed at the fine network of wrinkles that she’d begun noticing more and more on the backs of her hands.

“I’m willing to try if you are,” she said carefully. “I’ve got to at least learn enough to be safe. But if you don’t like it -- the teaching -- I don’t want to make you. Merrill can help, when she's not working with the other elves. And maybe your contacts at the Wounded Coast would be willing. And --” She hesitated. “I could always go to Skyhold. The Inquisition’s mages…”

“No, sister, I want to help you. I’ve just never had a student before, that’s all.” She ran a hand through her chin-length hair. What once had been jet-black was now streaked with threads of gray. A Warden effect, maybe. “We’ll figure something out.” The smile Bethany wore was faint, but it seemed genuine.

Hawke opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Molossus barking, a booming rattle that made the bookshelves shake. “What the --”

“Must be someone at the door,” said Bethany. “He takes his guard duties very seriously.”

Hawke got to her feet to see what the dog was barking about. Her stomach tightened. Molossus had never used to bark like this for guests or visitors before she’d left Kirkwall, but she wondered if it was a sign of him getting older and warier.

The barking stopped as Hawke entered the sitting room, where she noticed Varric’s papers strewn all over the corner desk. The sight made her smile. It reminded her of Anders and his manifestos, back before everything had changed.

The front door slammed and Varric entered the sitting room, Molossus panting at his side and wagging his nubby tail. Varric carried a vellum scroll in his hands. Automatically, Hawke reached out a hand to take it.

“A message for me already?” she asked with a grin. “I suppose word’s gotten around quickly. What’s it this time, someone asking the Champion to achieve world peace? I'll get right on it, of course.”

Varric lifted his head, his face drawn. “I’m sorry, Sparrow. This one’s for me.” He tilted the scroll and she saw the mark of the Inquisition’s eye, stamped in red wax, staring back at her.

Hawke stiffened. “I thought -- I thought there might be more time.”

“You and me both.”

Varric cracked the seal. Molossus sniffed the scroll, then gave a dismissive, unimpressed woof and trundled back to his bed. Varric scanned the pages of vellum, then paused. A muscle in his cheek twitched.

“I have to go,” he said abruptly. His hand formed a fist, crumpling the pages he held. “This is -- I have to figure this out.”

“What’s wrong? Is it Corypheus?” Hawke asked urgently, laying a hand on his shoulder. She caught a glimpse of blocky dwarven script on one of the pages, which puzzled her. Why would the Inquisition contact him in a language he rarely wrote or used?

Varric slipped the crumpled pages into his pocket. “Not exactly the wannabe god in question, no, but it’s still bad. I need to take care of this.” He took her hands in his, and she could feel a tremor in his grip, even through his gloves.

“... I’m not sure when I’ll be back. All I know is, I have to see this through.”

Hawke bent to kiss him, his mouth firm and slick against hers. She let out a long, shivering breath. “I could still go with you. You know Corypheus is my mess to deal with, just as much as yours or anyone else’s.”

His grip on her hands tightened. “Please, Min,” he murmured. “I can’t tell you what to do. But losing you in the Fade --” His voice cracked. “I can’t handle that again.” He gazed up at her, his mouth drawn tense and thin, his eyes puffy.

There were a thousand things she could say. She could turn on the charm, flash one of those smiles that got him weak in the knees -- by his own admission -- and make her case. She could put her foot down and insist that he had no right to keep her from her duty. She could lean on the fact that they’d only just been reunited, and wouldn’t it be better to be in the fight together? She could joke about how sentimental he was being and to knock it off, she was going with him.

But she was so tired.

Tired of years of running. Tired of years of grief, of losing Mother and Carver and Dad, of losing Bethany to the Wardens and Anders to his convictions. Tired of the wounds she’d already taken, in Ostagar, in Kirkwall, in the Fade.

If she followed Varric to yet another fight… would there be anything left? Could she do that to him again?

To herself?

She wrapped him in a fierce embrace, squeezing him so tightly he grunted. She laughed through the urge to cry. “All right, you stubborn dwarf. Consider me in temporary retirement. At least for now.”

He laughed too, and she released her grip on him slightly, just enough that he could stretch up on tiptoe to graze a kiss across her chin. “Hey. I’m happy with that.” He gazed up at her, his eyes bright.

“Damn well you’d better be.”

“I love you, Sparrow.”

“Love you, Varric. More than you know.”

****

It didn’t take him long to pack. Then again, why would it? He’d been living out of a pack more or less for months now. Sure, Skyhold had room enough for a bed and a writing desk, and a fire in the Great Hall he’d claimed after no one else paid attention to it. But it wasn’t home. Wouldn’t ever be. He stared at his pack, laden with ink and vellum, sealing wax, three of his best fountain pens; artificer supplies, oil and bolts for Bianca, rain gear and a good water-skin. It was the pack of a nomad.

It’s temporary, he tried to tell himself. Just until the Inquisition could succeed, could figure out how to destroy Corypheus and keep the world from burning down or getting overrun by demons. He could put up with it for a little bit longer. Couldn’t he?

The letter burned in his pocket, a weight far heavier than anything in the pack.

He settled his crossbow and his pack on his back, cinching them tight and secure. There was a ship crossing the Waking Sea tonight. He ought to be back in Skyhold soon enough. And from there…. His gut twisted. He didn’t know where they would be going, but he knew it likely wouldn’t be good.

He headed down the stairs, where Hawke and Bethany were waiting.

“I’m sorry to see you go, Varric,” said Sunshine, frowning. “It’s been like old times, having you and Min back.”

"Well, at least we're not in bunkbeds, scrounging odd jobs just to get a bite to eat," said Hawke cheerfully. "I don't particularly miss those bits of the old times."

"Fair point," said Bethany. She tilted her head. “So what has the Inquisition got you doing now, Varric? Hopefully nothing as mad as entering the Fade again.”

He forced a chuckle. “Uh, that was probably a one-time thing,” he said. “We’ll likely face down some red templars and horrible demons no one's ever heard of before, you know, normal Inquisition weirdness. But I’ll keep you both posted.”

Bethany reached out, brushing a hand across his arm. “Let me know if you get further news of the Wardens,” she murmured, quietly so that Hawke wouldn’t hear. “I’ll return to them if they regain their sanity… but I think they’ll need some time to prove it first. You understand.”

Oh, he understood.

Bethany straightened up. “Good luck to you, Varric. Come back soon, won’t you?” She turned to her sister. “I suppose I’d better give the lovers a bit of privacy for a proper goodbye --”

“Oh stop it, you!” Hawke giggled. "Maker's breath, you're worse about this than when we were children and I liked the baker's boy in town."

“Well, the difference is I didn't know the baker's boy. But knowing Varric means I can make merciless fun of you both," said Bethany with a lighthearted laugh. "And I shall, as it's my sisterly duty. Never forget it." She retreated into the library, and Hawke and Varric were left alone. Near the hearth, Molossus slumbered, snoring loudly and contentedly.

Varric stared at Hawke, for once lost for words.

This was stupid. He was the writer here, and this was a goodbye they both had known and accepted was coming. Sure it was a temporary one -- Maker, it had better be -- but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t sting. He should have taken the time they had on the journey here to write something stirring and romantic, something to sweep her off her feet and get her through the coming separation.

Shit. This was why he’d told his publisher no more romances.

She closed the distance between them, laying a hand on his cheek, her thumb brushing back and forth. “I’ll miss you, you know.” Her eyes glittered. “Oh, Maker’s balls. I told myself I wouldn’t cry. Bollocks.”

He laughed despite himself, reaching up and laying his hand against hers. Her touch felt so good. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wanted some grand speech for this. I’d declare my love for you -- again, that is -- and you’d swoon so much you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself.”

“Oh, don’t think I don’t know what I could do with myself,” she purred, and he flushed scarlet. Well. That was an image that was going to get him through the next couple nights, that was for sure. She let out a gale of laughter, sniffing at the end. “Oh Varric. I don’t want you to go,” she said, voice softening. “But I understand you’ve got to see this through.”

He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. I’ve screwed up too much not to. Time to pay the piper. But the words were stuck in his throat. “I’ll write you as much as I can, Sparrow,” he murmured. “Even if it’s just bullshit and gossip. Every day, until the next time I can get back.”

“That’s the Varric I know and love,” Hawke said throatily. “My dear dwarf. I’ll be all right, you know. But you’d better come back to me in one piece. I insist upon it.”

Varric opened his eyes. Hawke’s smile tugged to one side, soft and sad and sweet. For a sudden moment he was seized by a memory of her in the Fade, lost and injured and starving, desperation writ in every line of her. She made it through, he told himself sternly. She’ll be fine. But me…

“I’ll be back. Safe and sound,” he said, and he hoped to the Maker and everything else that he wasn’t lying.

The letter in his pocket pressed heavily against him, its broken seal and folded edges still palpable through the weight of his duster. A letter forwarded unopened from Skyhold, a letter written in dwarven codes that even Leliana and her spies couldn’t break.

A letter from Bianca.

#dragon age: inquisition #hawke x varric #varric x hawke #hawkevarric #dragon age #min hawke #varric tethras #under a new morning sun #i have 7 chapters complete now; i've been trying to keep at least 3 chapters ahead before i post the next. we'll see how the next week goes

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utilitycaster · 3 years

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Speaking of Halas, it was briefly brought up in the most recent episode that he might've been digging around in the ruins of Aeor some time before he got stuck in the gem, and to me it seems pretty likely: the first thing they found of his other than the Happy Fun Ball itself was some winter weather gear stashed separately (I think) from the rest of the pocket-dimension-thing, which may not have been an intentional hint to Aeor but is interesting nonetheless; what do you think?

In episode 125 he said he hadn’t gone; granted he’s not exactly a trustworthy guy but I don’t see a good reason to lie about this and he did provide what information he knew. I do think there’s a chance he had considered it and may have been preparing, but I don’t think he necessarily went himself. It’s not totally clear how long after Aeor’s fall Halas lived, since he was living in the midst of the calamity, the timeline of which is vague.

I have two separate alternate possible answers:

1. The boring and practical one: he lived on a flying city that at least spent some time floating over what is modern-day Zemni Fields, ie, high altitude and in a cooler region of the world.

2. I think there’s sometimes a hesitancy to incorporate fourth-wall/meta information in theories, but in actual play I think the best theories often at least take it under consideration (and the worst often deliberately do not). We know that Matt did not initially intend the Folding Halls of Halas to stay with the party, but Twiggy gave it to them. We know Matt incorporated the permaheart into the build when the party was frustrated during the Angel of Irons arc and had indicated they were going to see Yussa, and additionally included the notes that became Widogast’s Transmogrification, but had Twiggy kept the ball, those would not be closed-off avenues - they would just be in different places. The fundamental secret of DM-ing is that the DM is frantically shifting the set pieces around from time to time based on what the players want or need while making it seem like consistent, real scenery, and Matt is very good at doing this in game but he’s pretty honest out-of-game that he does it.

So the cold-weather gear in episode 45 very well might have been meant, at the time, as a hint for when the Aeor shoe dropped that Halas could be a resource,. But in episode 45, I’m sure that while Matt had outlined the character of Essek Thelyss he couldn’t have predicted the Mighty Nein could reliably count on him, or the Dynasty at all, when they finally got to Aeor. He didn’t know how exactly the Aeor arc would happen nor precisely when. So any theories I have need to incorporate the simple fact that sometimes, Chekhov’s Gun shows up in episode 45 and actually doesn’t really mean anything, because the first act was assuming a very different second act and the use of the Chekhov’s Gun metaphor when discussing actual play is a very tricky thing. Which is to all say: the cold weather clothes were just a *Tim Curry voice* Red. Herring.

I already got pretty off topic above (something something Clue The Movie jokes something something “too late”) but I wanted to add one more thing which is that Halas interests me less as any sort of plot hook or resource, even though he could indeed become one if someone gets possessed, or if Yussa is rescued and decides to go 0 for 3 on resisting wizardly temptation, and more so as worldbuilding. I can only explain this by bringing up the Neal Stephenson book The Diamond Age, a post-cyberpunk classic I love very very much. It famously opens with a chapter describing an almost ridiculously stereotypical tough guy loner fringes of society archetypal character of the cyberpunk genre, follows him as one of a few early viewpoint characters, and then (minor spoilers, but not really) he gets killed within the first 50 pages. The point of that exercise is to indicate that this is post-cyberpunk instead and the story isn’t about him.

To me, Halas is in a way, playing a similar role. He’s a powerful mage involved in politics, some form of immoral or amoral, doing all kinds of necromancy and pursuing immortality...and he’s literally crystalized and stagnant. I mean, it’s not terribly subtle - the previous campaign ended with the defeat of Vecna, god of being a wizard who does immortality shenanigans.

I don’t, to be fair, know if this is deliberate, but we’re currently in a story where elements of the Age of Arcanum may come back depending on what goes down in Aeor (Devexian being merely one of many potential hooks/causes) and the impact it might have on the arcane is fascinating, and Halas helps set that stage.

#the only thing that will make me want C3 to not be in Issylra is if it's EVEN MORE FOCUSED ON WIZARD STUFF #critical role #long post #meta #known gem wizard hotsauce lutefisk #Anonymous

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knockabout-pigeon · 4 years

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More catboy jon! this is the first time the cat ears are acknowledged at all, enjoy

Summary: “A late night in the Archives, a well-disguised Leitner, and Jon is on a one-way trip to feline transmogrification. A well-meaning gesture, a poorly-positioned hat, and Martin is wrapped up in the whole mess, much to Jon's displeasure. Now Jon must 1) avoid further humiliation from his coworkers and 2) reverse his transformation before becoming a cat entirely--all while the web he's been wrapped in for decades begins to unravel. Really, it's all for the best.“

#tma #magnus archives #catboy jon #jonathan sims #jon sims #tma fic #tma fanfic #magnus archives fic #magnus archives fanfic

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allketakism · 4 years

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A Strange Transmogrification

Preface-An ecologist wakes up in the middle of a night one day after her expedition trip exhibiting strange behavior. Ignoring all these weird symptoms, she tries hard to live normally. Little does she know that her life's about to change. After a series of mind boggling incidents, she discovers that she has elevated her sapeins' species.

Chapter 1

It was almost past midnight and Kyra was woken up by a sudden cold feeling. She got goosebumps all over neck, her nose blocked and her eyes weary of tiredness and sleep. She felt her quilt was wet and realized there was ice all over the bed foot forming little puddles of water making her feet numb. Puzzled, she woke up and decided to deduce this out of ordinary situation. Something hurt, inside her and she struggled to move and sit up. Thirsty, she tried reaching for the water on her nightstand. Strangely, the water didn't help much with her thirst. This feeling was quite ominous. Suddenly, she remembered she had forgotten to finish a report which she was supposed to hand in the next morning at work. She quickly sprinted out of the bed and started typing out in her laptop. "Case Study: Ectotherms and their living habbits', read the title of the report. Being an ecologist has its own challenges. She had to volunteer for an animal observation sanctuary for four months in Tanzania. She was studying how amphibians who are cold blooded hunt and survive in the wild. She went on writing her findings, '...such nocturnal amphibians have their metabolism slowed down and have the ability to store energy without feeding for months! Their unusually sticky tongue helps them to prey. More often, they are reptilian'. However, this was interesting work to her. She liked studying other beings and relating their biotic and abiotic phenomena by drawing comparisons against humans. She believed there were far too many things that we still are unaware of. Finishing up the report, she decided to get some sleep before she showed up at work. Adjusting the thermostat to a bare minimum, she tried to lie down and fall asleep. But it was dawn already and she decided to just call it a night and prepped herself to freshen up. After a long shower, she felt better and forgot about her discomfort. She felt lighter and warmer and decided to have poached eggs for breakfast. They tasted a tad stale and she decided to skip it and take a cab to work. Double checking that she hadn't forgotten anything, especially the report, she grabbed the keys and left for work. The sun shone brightly over her head making her sweaty and agitated as she walked down the street. The humidity can be annoying. Finally, getting into the cab, she instructed the driver, "77th St". She wondered whether her boss will like her research and what her feedback would be. Last couple of days at work were rough. Especially when there wasn't any novel research that she had contributed for the past few expeditions. Crossing the two signals, she had reached the building and she waved off the driver with a tip.

Before she could punch in, she felt uneasy and dropped down, multiplicatively feeling unconscious while she saw the watchman summoning help as she collapsed.

Chapter 2

Kyra opened her eyes in an emergency room a few hours later. She could feel the prick in her veins while the nurse pierced a needle. She was feeling extremely pale and dreadful. Her saliva dried up, hunger satiated. The nurse still insisted on her eating some fruit and wore a faint smile handing her a file. Astonished, but not-so-thrilled, Kyra learnt that she was infact pregnant!

How was this even possible? She thought. She hadn't been with someone in a long while and her life kept her busy and locomoting to different places leaving her no time for social interactions. After a few minutes, they let her friend Maurice from work, in the room. Her friend informed Kyra how she had admited her and met with the doctor. Maurice told how the physician reckoned some abnormal symptoms and complications in her pregnancy. Her muscles had grown oddly meek and her blood tests revealed that her blood pH was too low with fluctuations in HPT secretion resulting in fatigue. She was discharged soon and her friend accompanied her home. The office had made arrangements for her working from home given her condition for a next few months. Kyra didn't have a family so Maurice was the only one tending to her.

As days passed, it became exponentially difficult for her to eat or work. She felt dismayed all the time and her sleep cycle reoriented drastically. She felt bitterly cold in the nights and blazingly warm during the day. Her health deteriorated radically and she noticed her eyelashes thinning and skin slowly wrinkling. Maurice now started staying with her friend to nurse her. The routine checkups didn't look much promising and there was a good chance that Kyra wouldn't survive during the delivery.

One night almost after a month, Kyra felt frosty and the quilt was again wet. Only this time, her water broke. But what was doomy, was that, her sheets had an absurd blob. She instantly had an instinct to put ice and keep this sticky looking globule cold. It was morning and Maurice came in the room for her wonted check-up routine on Kyra. Frightened, she discovered that Kyra was covered in blood at her bottom with a gummed egg covered in an ice bed just about to hatch! Petrified, she simply stood there helpless. The egg had hatched a scaly being! Demon! She gasped. She called the facilities to trap this reptilian creature as well as medical help. But Kyra couldn't survive.

After running some tests, they realized that Kyra had experienced genetic alternation due to exposure to exogenous nectar at her expedition in Tanzania. Her eukaryotic cells underwent division and her body hybridized exhibiting nocturnal features. Her skin became scaly and efflorescent. The reptile being was dead too, after a few weeks, but the serum was still preserved at the lab where Kyra worked.

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