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neneru-nowhere · 2 years

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The Eighty-Eight Sins of Neneru (CH3)

The little camp came to life well before sundown. As the sky above the jagged peaks turned from blue to rose gold the camp’s sole mortal occupant busied herself. Her clothes lay across flat rocks beside the fire, drying. Meat sizzled and popped, its spit turned by a diminutive automaton in the shape of a stuffed rabbit. A young Lalafelin woman sat on a larger stone wearing nothing but her shift, with a notebook spread over her knees. By the light of the fire and the dying day she took her notes, modifying sketches and diagrams and appending a running dialogue with her past self across the pages of the book.

She ignored the scrapes, cuts, and bruises that marred her dusky skin but for the occasional pause to roll a sore shoulder. All her concentration lay on cataloging the day’s events and their results.

Neneru Neru took her apprenticeship very seriously. The self-styled Wizard Prince, F’reya Fahl, tasked her apprentice to find a pond in a particular spot in Gyr Abania. There, her job was to engineer some way to reach the bottom and retrieve a stone–this was her proof of a job well done.

“You will be learning the way of water.” “So I should be studying water magic, then?” Neneru asked, already taking notes.

“I didn’t say that.”

The Lalafell’s quill ceased. “So…”

“Dealer’s choice. I don’t care how you do it as long as you get to the bottom and retrieve a rock. Magic is all creativity. Invent a distinctly Neneru way of finishing the task.”

A week on, the seemingly simple job was feeling less and less simple. Water was not her strong suit. On day one she’d tried creating a bubble of air around her head and swimming to the bottom. Several times her concentration evaporated while fighting her way down and the bubble collapsed. Once she almost made it to the bottom only to discover she’d breathed all the usable oxygen from the bubble and was about to drown in stale air.

Day two to three she spent trying increasingly complex spells to free the pond. “That way,” she explained to the mindless rag-rabbit, “I can just carve my way to the bottom and get what I need. She managed to freeze the entire surface of the pond but once–and then only to a depth of three ilm. The water cracked and broke when she was ten fulm from shore and dropped her into roiling, frigid waters.

Days five and six were spent in a fury, conjuring as much and as hot a fire as she could. “That way,” she once again explained to the rag-rabbit, “I can just evaporate the pond and walk down to retrieve my prize!”

That plan worked until the process tipped the balance of the local elementals. All of the sudden she was ambushed. Sprites of water and earth, crazed bears and coyotes, and towering seedkin shaped like hulking Roegadyn. That was a few hours ago, and now she sat, body sore and tender, writing down her thoughts.

Not for the first time, she took a break to examine some of her nastier gashes. One across her upper thigh still throbbed red from the cauterizing heat she’d applied to herself. All of her mistress’ teachings were based on observing the world around her–how things moved, how the aether flowed through them. The trick, of course, was trying to study the flow of something you couldn’t actually see. Without tools, aether flow would forever be beyond her sight. Still, the method paid dividends. With enough study and inspiration, she’d learned to conjure air.

When last back in the company of her Company-mates she watched a healer, Bode, working his magic. Now, as she’d tried several times already, she tried to mimic his gestures and the je nais se quoi of his foreign magical practice. In the back of her mind–the place she associated with magical spells forming–she felt something begin. But it ceased as soon as it started. The spell popped before she could even see the glow of green healing light.

Bitterness overwhelmed her in a wave. She kicked a rock into the fire, suppressing a snarl.

In the beginning, magic had come to her so easily. Back then she’d wondered if she was a prodigy. Now, glumly, she was forced to admit that she was lucky enough to stumble into the area of magic where her talents and temperament already lay.

—

Sometimes when she remembered the incident, it was her father railing against the bartender at the Amaljina hangout. Sometimes it was her. Papa was quickly growing hysterical. Didiru was missing–had been missing for days now.

“The brothers hired her,” the Bartender said.

Papa went still and white.

Shifting between the two, Neneru took stock of the room. The outburst had cut through the air of revelry. Now miners and hired goons waited, listening. Nearby a man in the robes of a Thaumaturge waited with his apprentice. They’d been waiting in line behind her to speak with the manager of the establishment.

“What does that mean?” Neneru asked. “Who are the brothers?”

Her father took a step forward, speaking under his breath. “Our condition for her working here was that she was off limits to the twins.”

The bartender’s face looked almost pitying. “You know I have no power to ensure that. Besides, she agreed of her own free will. It’s not like I sold her to them.”

“What does that mean, papa?” she asked again.

Someone at a nearby table broke the tavern’s silence. “It means she’s gonna be givin’ private dances for the sons of Amajina and Sons.”

A wave of tense, nervous chuckles floated through the crowd of miners. Not everyone seemed to appreciate the joke. Some of the older men, those who worked with her father she was sure, frowned.

Her father clambered atop a stool to look the bartender in the eyes. “Where did they take her, damn you?”

The pity slowly transformed into emotionless stone. “I can’t tell that. They don’t pay me to talk.” The bartender turned, ignoring him in favor of the tall, robed Hyur.

Papa slammed his fists on the bar. “I’m not done with you!”

“But I’m done with you.” The bartender gestured. At once, men in the uniform of the Stone Torches–Amajina’s private mercenary force–grabbed him by the shoulders.

The room spun around her. Neneru perceived the faces of Mage and his apprentice, worried and pitying, the hard glares of the mercs, the leers of the other miners excited to see some violence. Dizziness swelled as the moment threatened to overwhelm her. A hand touched her shoulder.

It was the mage’s apprentice. A young Hyuran man with dark hair, perhaps only a few years older than her. He shook his head quietly. She realized with a start that she’d been reaching for one of the guards weapons.

Just as he started to pull her back, a snap broke the tense air. Her father screamed. A guard had a truncheon in hand. Papa lay on the floor, arm bent at a wrong angle. Nausea and hot fury boiled in her stomach. She reached again for the weapon of the guard with his back to her.

When the apprentice again yanked her back she threw a fist into his gut. He wheezed, bending over double. Somewhere in the crowd someone laughed. Someone else yelled ‘Look out!’

She ripped the carved-horn wand from the apprentice’s belt and spun on the guards.

The two not brutalizing her father turned, noticing her now. A grizzled looking lalafell and a clean faced Roegadyn bore down on her, weapons in hand.

The wand felt hot to the touch. Didiru’s voice came to her, an imagined shout for help. The nausea and the hate turned into fire in her veins.

And then the world started to burn.

—

Neneru sorted through her bag, searching for her sewing kit. Her robes were wrecked and would take serious work to repair. Near the bottom she found the cowl. Black, humble cotton, simple in design. Moving automatically, she pulled it out of the bag, rubbing the rough cloth with a thumb. The cowl she’d worn the night she assaulted that Brass Blade.

“You can call me a Friend of Tartarus.”

She blanched at the memory. “Too dramatic.”

She dropped the cowl and scooped up her notebook, once more jotting down ideas.

The Friends of Red Jenny

“Pretty sure that one’s taken.” She tapped her chin. “What if I used folklore?”

Cait Sith

Neneru shook her head. “That doesn’t feel right.”

She scribbled down more ideas, scratching out each one. None had the feel she needed. Finally, she sighed and put the book away. Now night had come fully to the valley, though the sky above still showed the last dregs of daylight. A burning smell tickled her nose.

“Oh no, dinner!”

The rag-rabbit still stood at its station, turning the meat. But the haunch no longer crackled and dripped grease. Blackened, dry, it hung like a charcoal log from the spit. Neneru groaned, resigning herself to a hungry night or an unappetizing dinner.

When the stars began to peek out from the veil of the sky she was half-way through her blackened dinner and a new plan. The scribbled notes in her notebook furiously enough to hardly notice how long she had to chew each bite just to swallow it. By morning she’d have a token to show her mistress.

—

Papa’s hand pressed to the back of her head, pushing Neneru back down to the ground prostrate. He, likewise, pressed his forehead to the ground.

“Merciful sir, we are not worthy of the help you gave us,” he intoned before hissing to her, “Apologize!”

The Thaumaturge watched, arms crossed and an amused smile on his face. “Please, no apologies necessary. If truth be told, I was also inquiring after your daughter.”

Neneru forced herself to sit up, pushing away her father’s hand.

“Didiru? Why?”

“I came to meet her during my dealings with the mining consortium. I recognized at once a spark of talent in her. And I know she was keen to join our ranks. My apprentice here can attest. Julian?”

The boy shifted sullenly, rubbing a hand over his stomach where she’d struck him. His wand was now secured back at his side, arm clutched close as if Neneru might steal it again.

“Tis true,” he nodded. “They struck a deal with Master Stringfellow over a meal. While we were there, he took notice of the Lalafell dancer. I suppose she was your sister. Violet hair?”

Papa sat up, hope lighting his face. “Yes, that’s her. Have you seen her? Do you know where she is?”

Neneru noticed the tightness in his voice. First there was the fear of his missing daughter. Now he was down a daughter and lost his job with Amaljina and Sons. The latter because of her. She tried to tell herself it would have happened anyway in the course of his agitating to find Didiru, but that didn’t balm the sting of guilt.

She watched the Thaumaturge and his apprentice closely. Both wore the dark robes of those associated with the guild. She knew the Thaumaturges mostly because of the ossuary and their role in Ul’Dahn religion. They were the de facto priests of the two-faced god Nald’Thal and handle all funerary rights in the city.

Unless you didn’t have the money of course.

Just one more way that the city punished poverty. No access to goods in life, no access to a good after-life. She ground her teeth, but held her tongue. Master Stringfellow seemed decent enough. He’d saved her from her own actions and rescued the bar and the Stone Torch guards in the process.

The conjured fire hadn’t been big, but it still caught the turban on the nearest of the mercenary guards. The tavern panicked as soon as the guard started screaming. Men and women stampeded for the exits. She was nearly trampled in the process, but a strong hand snatched her up–it was the Thaumaturge.

Thinking quickly, the mage called up a bone-cracking cold, extinguishing the fire immediately. In the aftermath, he paid off the bartender and took Neneru and escorted Neneru and her father away from the Amaljina owned tavern.

“You’re a lucky man, master Lolorota.” He gestured to Neneru with an open palm. “Not one, but two daughters displaying innate talent for working with Aether. I would like to propose a deal.”

Papa finally allowed himself to sit up, eyes narrowed. Over the course of their time in Ul’Dah’s refugee camps he’d come to share her own distrust of the rich. “That would depend on the deal master Stringfellow. I am now unemployed and need both my children to help make ends meet.”

The Thaumaturge thumbed his chin thoughtfully, quietly mulling the situation over. After a moment he said “I cannot abide the thought that something happened to your daughter when I should have been keeping an eye on her. I was in talks to buy out her contract with Amaljina when she disappeared. I will assist with the search. In the meantime, I will sponsor young Neneru for entrance into the Ossuary and the Guild as a novice.”

His apprentice Julian winced.

Papa bowed his head. “I appreciate the offer and the help with searching for Didiru, obviously. But I will need Nene’s help just the same.”

“--And I’ll provide an apartment inside the city walls, with a stipend for you and your wife.”

Her father froze with shock.

“Talent should be nurtured,” Stringfellow said. His face softened as he regarded the two of them. “Regardless of what class the talent is born from.”

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afflatushesperia · 2 years

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“Nymeia lilies are... traditional, correct?”

idk what me and @void-sky did to have such friend-compatible WoLs, but grief buddies.... i think about them a lot.

#Hesperia Eriria #Emrys Bloodborne #Sweet Gpose #the tl;dr is hespie's reason for adventuring is grief #emrys is the WoL of the 13th and lost his boyfriend #and once he warms up to her they really hit it off #he's still not very nice at times and hespie is never terribly confident for long #but they find comfort in each other bizarrely enough #because she has the kindness and emotional room to let him breathe and get old wounds settled #and he has a firm support that recognizes her accomplishments when she can't #not to mention the foil checklist of light v. dark and porbl v. yellow color motifs and being a whm main and a rpr main and so much more #like idk ulla popped off making emrys #and I've got a few fics I'll probably put up here too #mmmmm i should make a tag for them..

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astrology-bf · 1 month

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Answered these for myself since it's maintenance! 😌

1. Ifan Kaleid. He generally doesn't use his surname for a variety of reasons, one of which being he picked it during an embarrassing point in his youth. (He and Y'shtola both had chuuni phases)

2. He's (probably) a Midlander Hyur of (probably) Ul'dahn ancestry, and he calls himself a Magician in the archaic sense of "practitioner of magic" given he dips into most magical jobs for skills. BLM and WHM are probably his main jobs, if I had to narrow it down.

3. Probably the brand he received from Ifrit: it's a scar on his lower left side which looks like the flesh is fractured and glued together with fire crystal. He usually conceals it with magic, but it causes chronic pain from aether buildup.

4. I use a floating timeline and visualize him in terms of comparison to other characters rather than a strict number: he's slightly older than Lyse, but younger than Y'shtola. I've said 25 in a fic but who knows lol

5. He's kind, cunning, helpful, and romantic, but also pretty mischievous, sharp-tongued, and has a bit of a bad temper. His "Fray" manifests as Ambition rather than Esteem, if that helps frame his more negative qualities.

6. He tends to prefer clothes which don't inhibit his movement, as his fighting style is quite mobile and he spends a lot of time on birdback. Sun-bleached linen is his signature fabric, stemming from a headcanon about Ul'dahn religion - specifically to do with Thaliak.

7. He was raised in the orphanage at Gydeo Abbey, a religious community dedicated to Azeyma. The clerics there were responsible and loving caretakers, but Ifan still feels certain absences which he's buried very deeply.

8. His personal goal is something he describes in terms of "drinking from the Ewer"; his metaphor for understanding the true nature of aether, if Thaliak's vessel is the source of all magic and wisdom.

9. Adventuring! He decided he wasn't cut out for formal study and picked up adventuring at his first mentor's suggestion to fund a path of self-research. He still considers adventuring to be a job one does for a living, however, where magic is his calling.

10. Lentil curry with rice. Sister Brazen Briar, one of the caretakers at the orphanage, used to make it for feast days and her recipe is still the one he defaults to himself. Eating Roegadyn-strength curry as a kid has given him a pretty strong stomach as an adult, lol

11. Not being able to use magic. It used to be rejection, but after the body swap incident in Garlemald and his recovery after Ultima Thule, he's afraid of losing his magic again.

12. Besides magic, he enjoys literary pursuits; reading, writing, calligraphy. He also loves metalworking, particularly goldsmithing, and has recently started delving into glasswork.

13. He generally prefers DPS, but is an equally as competent healer. He *can* tank if pressed (think Knight-Enchanter from Dragon Age), but his fighting style isn't suited to taking direct hits; he's fundamentally a caster, not a martialist.

14. He has an excellent (most would say uncanny) instinct for working out the nature and function of a spell. His most distinct talent is housekeeping magic; the very first spell he learned was a dusting charm, and he's well practiced with domestic spells (he's lazy)

15. He was probably born in Ul'dah, as Gydeo Abbey's orphanage is known as a place where illegitimate kids of the city's upper crust get sent. That said, he could be from anywhere.

16. He doesn't know his birth parents. His caretakers at the orphanage were Sister Brazen Briar and her wife Sister U'zafye, and his mentor was Brother Dedelai Totolai, the Abbey's librarian.

17+18. As mentioned, he doesn't know his blood family. It might come up in future, but as it stands Ifan's heritage and legacy are spiritual rather than familial.

19. He's a romantic who likes falling in love early and often, both platonically and otherwise. People often joke that he should have picked Menphina as his patron.

20. Very avid fan of sex with even casual friends and a bit of a freak-a-leak, but his biggest turn on is really just enthusiasm.

21. Ul'dahn from balls to bones, but ironically suffers from mild dyscalculia; so he can smell a bad deal from a mile away, but can't count for shit. (Tataru does his taxes)

22. He's actually quite religious and spends a lot of time thinking about theology. If you asked him if he believes the Twelve exist, however, he'd tell you that they're a necessary fiction. Thaliak is very much a figure of aspiration and comfort for him, in that regard.

23. He generally prefers being friends with people, but oh boy can he hold a grudge if you rub him the wrong way: just ask Gaius.

24. His job trainers! Even if he's graduated or surpassed them in some areas, people like Lalai, Raya-O-Senna, and Surito Carito remain his role models. Beyond that, there are two women against whom he measures himself: Shatotto, and Venat.

25. Probably moments where people like G'raha, Ga Bu, Halric, and Setoto recover from conditions people deemed uncurable. He's a healer at heart.

26. His ambition. It leads him to some very dark and lonely places, even if the will to conquer is both necessary in magic and in life.

27. His philosophy centers around the importance of being human and not losing or disfiguring the essence of what makes one so. His motto is "Life is filled with joys pleasing to the eyes of heaven, and knowledge without action is empty."

28. He's firmly egalitarian. Ifan counts Kazagg Chah as one of his mentors in the Black, and he's also a sworn ally of the Brotherhood of Ash.

29. He carries many. If he could change one small thing for someone else's sake, however, Ifan would be brave enough to tell the man atop the Vault how he really felt before the end.

30. Ifan's instinct is to conceal things which bother him lest he burden others, but he's gotten much better at it over time. One thing he will never willingly share with another soul is exactly what happened between himself and Elidibus under the Tempest.

#ffxiv #ffxiv oc #warrior of light #ifan kaleid #feel free to ask further questions or for more info if it strikes your fancy #shadowbringers spoilers #endwalker spoilers

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schmem14 · 1 year

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20 questions for fic writers!

Thanks for the tag @maesterchill! Read their answers HERE.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

My stats tell me that I've written 50, but 5 are multi-chapter collections, so... a lot. Yeah.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

733,820. If you asked me three years ago if I could ever write that much I would've laughed in your face. Isn't growth amazing?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter (though I do read some Good Omens, Carry on Simon and Bagginshield stuff)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

UGH. I don't want to be honest here, since 2 of the five are Dramione fics I've now listed as ANON because of harassment reasons. I'll give you the NEXT five instead ;) 1. 93 Diagon Alley (Harry x George) They were roommates 2. HP Cocktober 2022 Collection (Multiple) Prompt fest 3. Solace (Harry x George) Unhealthy coping mechanisms (sex) 4. When Malfoy Met Granger... (Draco x Hermione) WHMS remake 5. Mistletoe, or Die F***ing (Harry x Fred x George) Self-explan.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes. I try to, because the BEST part of sharing is connecting with people who enjoy what I've done. Community, ya know?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Mastermind (Draco x Hermione, Draco x Harry, Draco x Ron, Ron x Harry) The worst UHEA I've ever inflicted on y'all is this Dronarry fest 2023 story. Dark stalker Draco goes off the rails in the end. It's a masterpiece, I'm so proud of it.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

From Sunset to Star Rise (Harry x Ron) Cozy fall vibes, falling in love, little to no angst (Ron has a tiny bit of anxiety, that's all)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yes. Mainly the bigger ship ones (Dramione, looking at you) If you're wondering WHY I write rare pairs a lot, it's because rare pair fandom is a safe space with AWESOME people. We may be few in number, but WE GO HARD and LOVE HARDER.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

ALL KINDS (though I'm not great a fluffy smut). Check out my HP Kinktober Collection 2023 posting daily RIGHT NOW. It's very kinky and dark.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

The closest I've come to crossover is more like "inspired by a vibe." I wrote a Community (TV Series) inspired paintball fic here: All's Fair in Love & War & Paintball (multiple ships)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, BUT I've had people post me on Goodreads. Read my thoughts on why this is bad fandom etiquette HERE

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've had many requests, but no one has followed through yet.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No! But I'm interested in this concept, especially if the co-author is someone I vibe with.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

STAWP. It's too hard a question! Lately, I'm obsessed with Dronarry, and any combination of those three. I also think I'm more in love with stories than ships. If it's an amazing story I end it with "OMG this is the BEST EVER" and I say it about a lot of ships.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'm writing a multichap Drarry fic where Draco is a wandmaker, and it's falling in love fluff. I'm terrified to write them because I feel like I'll get torn to shreds because the Drarry fandom is too amazing for the likes of little old me. I'll just read Drarry and call it good, and MAYBE I'll get the courage to finish someday.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Ideas. I'm chockful of ideas. Also, I read a ton, so I think the more you read, the better you write.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fluff. I HATE writing fluff. Why is it so hard?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't typically do it because I'm monolingual and don't want to fuck it up. I don't mind when others do it

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

How to Care for Your Monster Book: A Guide by Rubeus Hagrid (Hagrid x Monster Book of Monsters) Y'aaaaaallll... I have no regrets about this fic. It's the only fic I've ever written that is perfect, I'll never top it, it's just so funny and weird (like me).

Tagging: @the-francakes @mugsdontlie @swoontodeath @vukovich @mintawasalreadytaken @peachpety @nv-md @lumosatnight and anyone else who wants to

#tag game #20 questions

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stalwart-spirit · 4 months

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reconcile - for the single-word fic prompt!

500 years later and I found time and an idea for this one!

Polycrystals in The Aetherfont are actually legit Elementals akin to the ones found in the Shroud and Eureka, so I took that and ran with it! This time, I write about my shy Sharlayan bunny, just before he became a WHM!

Not proofread, its once again 3am. u_u

Normally, it would take a great deal of work and persuasion to even get access to the Isle of Haam, but the young viera found himself in a great opportunity for study due to the efforts of his father; a respected Studuim professor and established Archon.

Thus they both find themselves wandering through the deeper regions of the isle, traversing a particularly new route into the Aetherfont itself perceived to be free of any lurking dangers, trailing just behind a small troupe of fellow researchers who busied themselves with setting up various tools and devices.

"Careful now, son."

The older viera, dark hair streaked with silver, helps the younger down a rocky slope with one hand, holding the bespectacled boy's pack in the other.

"Right, I'll be ahead with the research group." Renauld smiles warmly as he watches the other dust off his robes before handing back the admittedly dense pack, undoubtedly filled with as many books and notes the scrawny lad could carry. "Don't wander too far, you hear me?"

Bjarni shoulders the pack, taking the staff strapped onto its side, looking to his father and nodding repeatedly. "I-I know to stay in e-earshot and eyeshot, don't worry!"

It's with a pat on the shoulder that Renauld turns to join the others, leaving the young kit to his own curious wanderings.

He's been excited for days since getting the news of this trip, barely sleeping a wink from both the trepidation and thrill of such an opportunity. To think, first hand experience here of all places, perfect for his thesis! Sure, the excavation itself is fascinating, but what he really is interested in is the natural environment itself. What wonderful fauna and flora flourish here in such a densely aetherical environment?

Finding a small nook to settle in, Bjarni slips off his pack and pulls out a parchment and quill, squatting down before a patch of glowing moss in order to take detailed notes.

"A sign of h-high moisture, bioluminescence most likely caused by the brightness of t-the environment caused by the dense aether... Excess energy not used coming out as fluorescence-"

There's a sudden pickle up his spine, hairs standing up on the back of his neck. Something watching and the feeling of pressure in his ears. The boy's sensitivity to high concentrations of aether is enough already due to the current environment, but this is... Different.

Standing suddenly he swings his staff as he turns, the crystal atop the verdant cane almost making contact with-

"Polycrystal-" A small gasp as he breaks his train of thought. "Elemental??"

The winged creature seemingly takes offence at the stick pointing its way, giving it a shove strong enough for it to tilt back and hit the young viera in the face.

"Ow-" Glasses knocked askew, and he quickly adjusts them back in place. "I'm sorry, you s-startled me, is all! I only heard of the Elementals in the Twelveswood. Suppose the researchers who found this place only caught a quick glance a-and assumed you were part of the crystalline structures-"

His explanation doesn't seem to dampen down the Elemental's sour mood as it lets out a series of disgruntled chimes which cause the viera's long ears to pivot and tilt in... Recognition?

"Tre-trespassing? Oh! The others! I suppose suddenly having your home broken into and trodden on is a l-little alarming, to say in the least. I promise we don't mean any ill will! It's all in order to research aether, you see, we want to learn m-more so we came here to do that."

Awkwardly he fiddles with his staff, rolling it between his palms.

"It's everything, really. To find a big reserve of a thing that's basically in all of us means we ca-can potentially learn countless things about how we and the world works. How beings like you are!"

Now it seemed like the Elemental had calmed, Bjarni's words doing something to alleviate whatever aggressions it held towards himself and the research group ahead.

To reconcile with a peeved Elemental? Well, it wasn't exactly in his plans for the day.

"I know there are more of you here, l-lots more I imagine! So if you please, little polycrystal, let your friends know we're okay and we'll be on o-our best behaviour. If not, well, my dad will take care of anyone who does anything out of order!" His chest puffs in pride, certain of this fact. "I promise not to tell anyone of you ei-either! Won't even write of you in my notes!"

Hovering, the creature ponders, then circles the viera, making more of a musical chime, seemingly satisfied.

As quickly as it made itself known, the Elemental vanishes in a shower of glowing lights, leaving Bjarni to stand there suddenly realising how peculiar this interaction was.

"... Did I just make a friend??"

#he actually has a stutter speech impediment!#bjarni is an innocent lil guy trying his best and i love him #ffxiv #ff14 #final fantasy 14 #final fantasy xiv #wol: bjarni

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disgruntledkittenface · 3 months

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Hi hello good morning! It occurred to me that when I saw your WIP Titles Challenge post after people had already sent asks about all the titles you included and thought it was therefore too late for me to that I was being a ding dong! I had just been thinking the asks would basically only be "ooh what's this WIP about!" but that wasn't a rule, Gillian!! So, ok, I have a few questions about your WHMS fic if you're still up for answering and one or both strike your fancy. 1) What's been the most satisfying idea or aspect (planning or writing) to figure out? and/or 2) Do you have a favorite couple of those Harry interviews and if so is there anything about them or their story you'd be willing to share?

hiii Gellz thank you so much <3

What's been the most satisfying idea or aspect (planning or writing) to figure out?

I feel like this kind of question is a writer's dream, but it felt kind of high level and I was stumped for a minute, ngl. Which is weird because planning and working on this has been very satisfying! Anyway, my brain working slowly aside, I do have an answer for you.

So in When Harry Met Sally, the movie reference is Casablanca. With the fic I wanted to write, that simply was not going to work. The whole argument about Ilsa getting on the plane and being low maintenance etc etc just wasn't right for these queer women. When I was trying to think of something to sub in, I watched Desert Hearts for the first time and it is an EXPERIENCE let me tell you. 10/10 recommend. AND it works perfectly for me in place of Casablanca.

Do you have a favorite couple of those Harry interviews and if so is there anything about them or their story you'd be willing to share?

I honestly love all my interview couple OCs so much! The one that stands out in my mind reading this ask is a couple from Long Island who feel like they were connected by an invisible string until they met. This couple hews closely to one in the movie, but in playing with their story, I decided to make them both Pisces after watching Fletcher on Exes and O's and they meet in an elevator on Dinah Shore weekend instead of wherever they do in the movie. I got to include something brief but really meaningful regarding grief in their story, so I'm not surprised they're close to my heart.

#(i think i've told you all of this before? maggie for the whoops)#uhoh but yeah alright #whms lesbian au

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fragilecapric0rnn · 1 year

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Anyway, It's About Old Friends || steddie future fic

(the When Harry Met Sally Steddie fic)

In 1987, Steve Harrington ends up going on a cross-country trek with Eddie Munson and it ends as well as one might think.

Read Here

It's finally here, the fic I've been wanting to write since August, the fic that has been haunting my brain, my blog, and my dreams since August! The first chapter is finally here!!!!

Huge huge HUGE shout out to my own squad of cheerleaders, my big boys, my wonderfully talented friends @gothbat99 @figthefruitfaeth @judasofsuburbia @fastcardotmp3 and everyone else that has listened and participated in a spiel or two about this fic 💖

Another huge shout out to @cheatghost and @kkpwnall for beta reading and seeing the vision and handling this fic I love so dearly with a lot of TLC and for helping me brainstorm my way out of a few ruts 💓

Love you lots my dear friends💗✨💗✨

#my fic #steddie #steddie fic #steve x eddie #steddie au #steveddie #whms au #aiaof #stranger things fic #after months and months - it's finally here #going to go hide and cut my wifi for a bit

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loopnoid · 7 months

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i occasionally see ur art around this app and always love it! to find out you also wrote one of my favorite fics of all time (when harry met sally lovers unite) was astonishing. love ur art style AND ur writing style, it’s so cool to know someone is great at two impressive skills. i hope you remain creative and continue to make what makes you happy!

😭 you're too sweet!!! it makes me so happy that people like the whms fic so much when there are so many insanely great fics out there for this fandom. thank you for your kind words<33

#txt #speaking of insanely great mash fanfiction: i have something to post

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i-write-shakespeare-not-disney · 2 years

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Princes and Pickpockets update

Chapter 4- Wish Upon a Star

Chapter 1- Once Upon a Time

Chapter 3- Prince Charming

Rodydeku Playlist Here <3

Summary: Rody Soul had long since stopped believing in fairytales. The real world has left him to make a dishonest living just to keep a roof over his siblings' heads. Until a strange guy with an even stranger dream and moral code pops into his life to chase him through the streets, insistent on a fantasy world of magic and princes. Apparently from a completely different land with entirely different rules, Midoriya Izuku seeks refuge with Rody and his siblings where he begins to learn that right and wrong might not necessarily be as black and white as he thought. He agrees to help Rody with his siblings while they help him find a way home to his friends and fiance. Meanwhile, in another world, a prince and a dragon rider are desperately searching for Midoriya who disappeared without a trace until it lands them in a strange land full of strange people and no place to start their search.

#rodydeku #bnha #mha #whm #rody soul #midoriya izuku #deku #rody x deku #fanfic #rodydeku fic #enchanted au #princes and pickpockets

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t4tstarvingdog · 11 months

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hehe >:)))))))

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs. (tagged by @heartshapedvows hiiii <3)

time loop buddie

ROCK TUMBLER BUCK FIC (i don't have a deathwish)

feed a starving dog slowly

destiel prayer fic (if god is love)

maybe i'll lose you better this time

you are the freedom i fight (FREEDOM 2)

THE BUDDIE COWBOY

BUDDIE SHANNON AU from my dream

*cas sitting criss cross applesauce voice* i know

whms au !

release my dissonant tones

+ bonus wip that aren;'t in docs:

~dog eats dog au (qpr jonmelaisy) ~the gender fuckery something or other

not tagging that many people. because i did NOT realise i had that many wips <3

@arthursdent @honkytonkdyke @frogstiel @pinknatural @heller-castiel

#tag game #OHHHHH BUT THIS MEANS MORE ASKS ABOUT MY STORIES YIPPEEEE

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neneru-nowhere · 2 years

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The First Lesson Part 2

Dear Journal,

In my first weeks as an initiate of the Order of Nald’thal, I actually got to listen to lectures by Cocobuki. His introduction to thaumaturgy bore many of the lessons that drive my practice today. First and foremost was the connection to elements by deep contemplation. We were to understand the nature of the elements we were harnessing and how they aligned with us.

Later when Master Orrison took over my little hatch of classmates, he focused on directing us to tap into that inside us which most closely matched the elements we were harnessing. I mastered my first fire spells quickly, with Master Orrison encouraging me to stoke my anger. Being perpetually sullen didn’t make me especially popular, and I remember spending a lot of time volunteering for the duty of overseeing the newly laid dead on their first nights in the crypts. This allowed me more time with Master Cocobuki’s introspective practices.

Long nights in the dark, my only company the fresh dead didn’t do much for my social skills, but it helped me better grasp the nature of umbral ice and how it related to astrally connected elements like fire. Though it always bothered me that no reading, no contemplation helped me make the connection to other elements beyond these two and levin.

Tonight, I sat out under the wide-open sky of the Sea of Clouds and watched the cloudkin revel. And for the first time I think I understand. A thought’s come to me, somewhere between Master Cocobuki’s meditation on the elements and Master Orrison’s philosophy of embracing thyself. The reason I’ve been drawn to wind this whole time is an innate likeness. I see myself here, just as I saw myself in the fire.

Stillness is anathema to wind. It builds no home but takes home wherever it goes. The movement of the wind sprites I’ve studied for so long was not random, but neither was it fixed. The sprites had their will and their drive, and that drive pushed them to continually move and continually change as they needed.

These islands, their people, are in constant flux. Maps fail here because the land masses shift. Winds drive them away from destructive collision, but they are in a state of eternal drift and change. As are their creatures. The various flying creatures make homes only seasonally, moving from landmass to landmass with the changing of the stars. Those that walk and crawl travel in vast herds across the wind-stroked grassy plains of the largest landmasses. Nothing here is constant.

I am not who I was three months ago when I left Gridania. I am not who I was six months ago when I left my brothers and Master Waldeve. I am change, continually. And change is what I desire in the world. I think I can finally feel the astral nature of wind pulling at me. It’s almost as if it sits at my fingertips just waiting for me to reach out and stroke its feathers.

I feel light-headed with the impact of what I’m sensing out here. I never want to return to the surface.

But wind never stays in one place.

-- Neneru

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andypantsx3 · 2 years

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Do you have any tips for someone who wants to write Shouto? There’s so much to his character, I’d want to do him justice!

Ahhhh hello my angel!! I'm happy you'd trust me to answer this lol, since I think I'm still kind of figuring that out myself.

I think it mostly depends on what you want to achieve with him, plot-wise, or which aspects of his canon characterization matter to you the most. You'll want to play up some things vs others depending on your personal preferences. But I can tell you what I focus on when I'm writing, and maybe that will help!!

Technique-wise, I use a very standard bit of description to move Shouto around on the page.

For me, writing Shouto is mostly about super tiny hints of emotion. In canon he's got that deadpan expression when he's saying like the most insane stuff, and--except for in the heat of battle/at majorly emotional plot points (you know the ones)--he doesn't show all too much outwardly. So I'll often write just a hint of what he's feeling on his face. You're probably sick of all the "tiny smiles pulling at the corner of his mouth" and the "smallest hint of a furrow at his brow" at this point lol, but that's how I do it--I choose a microexpression and let it deliver the vaguest hint of what he's feeling.

Plot-wise, I try to have the storyline tie into the aspects of his personality I want to play up the most.

Personally, one of my favorite things about Shouto is what a brat we've seen him be--like in the WHM prequel + all the times he's ghosted or shaded his dad. So I like to make him a little bit of a shit in my own fics too. I usually show that via him doggedly insisting on the things he wants--like a date with Reader, and using underhanded methods to get it if he has to--or getting slightly jealous when he absolutely does not need to.

The other aspect of his canon personality that I love is how genuinely kind he is. His whole character arc really shows how he actively thinks of and prioritizes others--whether that's giving Midoriya a little bit of his soba when Midoriya's upset, or giving his father the chance to redeem himself when he owes him absolutely nothing like that. So I also try to lean into that in my fics, having him take care of the people around him (usually Reader) by feeding them, actively listening to them, etc.

Dialogue is probably where I deviate the most from canon Shouto. In the manga, he's shown to be a little bit rude, often not using the appropriate honorifics, speaking very directly--so you might want to keep his language a little bit more abrupt. I do tend to give him shorter lines for this reason.

For some other reason, though, I have it in my head that he's old-fashioned, having grown up moneyed in an established hero family--Camie Utsushimi called him "hero royalty" basically. So I give him more formal dialogue, usually, with very few contractions--I'll make him say, "I would like," instead of "I'd like," and kind of old-fashioned phrasings like "are you well?" instead of "are you okay?" or "did you not?" instead of "didn't you?"

Uhhh and that's it, I think. Like I said, it's really just using your plot to underscore the personality traits you want to play up, and applying some different techniques like the micro-expressions/shorter lines to cement it!! I hope this was at least a little bit helpful!!

I'm mostly still figuring out what works for me though, so if other Shouto writers have tips, I'd love to hear them!!

#ask andie

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