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tinytinyblogs · 3 months

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Gonna show them you're mine

Seonghwa is tired of keeping you and his relationship a secret; he's ready to take action.

(non-idol au, include one curse word) 2,4k words

💬@s1riushwa Thanks for this request! I hope you like the story I wrote for you. If you have more requests, feel free to let me know—I'm here to help!

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He's really liked by a lot of people because he represents everything many wish to be. With his good looks, kindness, and caring nature, he seems like the perfect person. When he walks into a room, a bunch of people gather to look at him and appreciate how amazing he is. He has lots of different friends, and it seems like his life is really cool. It's like he's walking on a special path with flowers, a path that others can only dream of. When he's around, people can't help but think he's extraordinary, making him stand out as a really special person. Park Seonghwa is known all over the university, and even students from other schools know him. He's the main person everyone pays attention to, catching the eye of the whole university community. In simple terms, he's not just popular for his looks but also for being an outstanding person at the university. His popularity goes beyond just his own school; it reaches and connects with students from other schools too.

It's not only in his immediate academic surroundings that he gets attention. Instead, his influence and importance go beyond that, making him a central figure in the larger student community. You find yourself to be entirely different and the opposite of him, Park Seonghwa – a regular student leading a simple life that's quite different from his impressive and glamorous existence. Your group of friends is small, and your quiet and understated personality often means some students don't notice you, as you tend to keep to yourself. In every way, you give off an ordinary vibe. Both you and Seonghwa share the same university space, but it's like comparing day and night because even though you're aware of his presence, your lives are quite different. Every so often, you watch him from a distance, observing how people are drawn to him, creating a scene that feels like an unreachable experience in your own quieter world.

Your day usually involves basic activities like coming to the university, attending classes, exchanging greetings with a few familiar faces, and then heading home after it's all done. However, in this routine, there's a noticeable lack of the attention and recognition that seems to naturally come Seonghwa's way every day. Unlike him, your presence doesn't attract the same level of notice or interest from those around you. The difference is clear as you navigate through the academic world – Seonghwa effortlessly grabs attention, while you go about your routine with a feeling of being somewhat unnoticed, blending into the background. Life is like a complex picture, and surprises often hide in the corners, away from the eyes of the world. What no one really knows is that, in the busy university life, there's a secret relationship between you and Seonghwa.

Away from public view, you both share private moments as a couple, and Seonghwa proves to be the most wonderful boyfriend you've ever had. The choice to keep your relationship a secret comes from an agreement between you and Seonghwa. Mainly, it's a way to protect you from any potential negativity or unwanted attention that often comes with being connected to someone like Seonghwa. Knowing that some people can get possessive and intense about him, Seonghwa wants to keep you away from any hate or criticism that might come your way. Additionally, both of you understand the importance of keeping the real and personal aspects of your connection safe and intact. By keeping your relationship a secret, you create a special place where the true nature of your connection remains protected from outside influences.

This decision is intentional, aiming for your relationship to develop naturally, shielded from the sometimes harsh judgment of the public eye. So, you and Seonghwa continue to navigate the complexities of your romance in the comforting privacy, appreciating the authentic bond you share away from the prying eyes of the world. But one thing you may overlook is that even though you're not in the spotlight, it doesn't mean others aren't aware of your presence. Just as Seonghwa was captivated by you and charmed by your personality, there are undoubtedly others who have also taken notice. In the intricate dance of human connections, the mysterious and undiscovered often attract people, drawing them towards you, even if the details of your romantic involvement with Seonghwa remain hidden. In the middle of the busy crowd surrounding Seonghwa, there was a moment that made this clear.

He watched as a stranger approached and started chatting with you as if it was a regular conversation. From an outsider's view, it looked normal – just people talking casually. But little did this person know, your heart belonged to Seonghwa, and the conversation only covered what was necessary. The hidden aspects of your relationship added complexity to these seemingly ordinary interactions that unfolded in the colorful tapestry of your shared university experience. As time passed, Seonghwa began to notice a repeated pattern. There was someone who consistently lingered around you, having long conversations and giving subtle glances that, though not obvious, didn't escape Seonghwa's keen awareness. Having experienced those meaningful glances before, Seonghwa understood their importance. As this situation unfolded, a feeling of discomfort started to settle within him.

Even with many people around in different social settings, Seonghwa's focus stayed firmly on you. Seeing you exchange smiles with this persistent person stirred up a mix of emotions in him — a complicated blend of sadness and frustration. The conflict deepened for Seonghwa, who values openness and honesty. He found himself torn between wanting to express his feelings and recognizing the complexity of the situation. The contrast between the lively social scene and the quiet ache in his heart became more noticeable, creating a sense of discord that tested Seonghwa's emotional strength. However, Seonghwa now faces a dilemma. His frustration is not directed at you; instead, he's upset with himself. To your eyes, the other guy seems friendly, but Seonghwa knows the hidden motives behind the guy's seemingly pleasant behavior.

At a certain point, Seonghwa felt a strong urge to step in, to confidently approach you and pull you away from the constant presence of that persistent person. However, a strong restraint held him back — a clear awareness of the potential consequences if the public found out about the secret nature of your relationship. The internal struggle grew into a growing concern, becoming a heavy burden on Seonghwa's heart. The stark difference between the private haven of your affectionate moments behind the scenes of university life and the external appearance of two seemingly unrelated strangers on campus became an increasingly pressing issue. While the idea of maintaining this double life seemed okay at first, Seonghwa started to doubt how sustainable it was. The gap between the close connection you had in private and the apparent distance in public became more noticeable.

This led Seonghwa to realize that what initially seemed fine was now causing discomfort. The delicate balance he had tried to keep was starting to fall apart, making him face the complexities of a relationship that thrives in secrecy but desires acknowledgment in the open. As Seonghwa's jealousy became more apparent, you couldn't help but notice a change in his gaze. Even in busy crowds, his eyes seemed to tell a tale of longing and possessiveness, expressing the unspoken emotions swirling within him. At times, he would purposely take you to quiet places during breaks, a subtle but intentional effort to enjoy moments of focused attention that he felt were being given to the other person. Despite the obvious signs of jealousy, his responses to your questions remained guarded, with seemingly casual phrases like "I'm fine" or "Just wanted to be with you" whenever you asked about his feelings.

The contrast between Seonghwa's quiet expressions of longing and his outward assurances that everything was okay created a complex interplay of emotions. His desire for the attention you gave to the other person became a strong motivation behind these private moments, sharply contrasting with the calm responses he gave when questioned. The dynamic between the unspoken wish for a special connection and the act of appearing casual added a complex layer to the evolving story of your relationship, leaving both of you navigating the fragile terrain of emotions and unspoken feelings. All Seonghwa wants is to have your complete attention, just for himself. As Seonghwa, your dedicated partner, got more and more wrapped up in a mix of emotions, he found himself daydreaming about being openly recognized. He felt a twinge of jealousy watching other couples freely showing their love in public, holding hands as if the world revolved around their shared moments.

The longing to break free from the secrecy started growing within him, pushing him to express the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind. One evening, in the cozy setting of your home after a day at the university, Seonghwa cautiously brought up the topic. With his hand gently on your cheek, he pondered out loud, "What if we let people know that we're dating?" The question hung in the air, carrying the weight of his unspoken desires. Your response served as a gentle reminder of the agreement you both made to keep your relationship private, framing the conversation within the context of the deliberate choice you had made together. The contrast between Seonghwa's longing for public recognition and the commitment to maintaining secrecy added a poignant color to the delicate dynamics of your shared connection. The tipping point for Seonghwa came on a particular day when he noticed the other guy crossing certain boundaries.

The situation became more intense as Seonghwa saw lingering gazes filled with affection directed at you, even when your attention was elsewhere. The moment became especially difficult for him as he witnessed the guy's enamored smile in response to the sweet gestures or actions you took. In Seonghwa's heart, those gestures were supposed to be exclusively reserved for him, and the realization that someone else was intruding on what he considered his own territory proved too much for him to bear. The turning point, however, happened when the guy went so far as to use his hand to gently move strands of your hair away from your face. This seemingly innocent action, with an underlying tone of familiarity and intimacy, stirred up a storm within Seonghwa. The surge of possessiveness and jealousy that had been building up underneath erupted, and Seonghwa found himself unable to hold back the swirl of emotions any longer.

This explosive reaction was a clear expression of the emotional turmoil that had been brewing. Seonghwa struggled with the unsettling idea that someone else was intruding into the space of affection and connection that he believed should belong exclusively to him. In a moment of intense emotion, Seonghwa forcefully moved through the crowd, creating a path that brought him closer to you. Without a second thought, he grabbed your hand, urging you to follow him as he quickly guided you towards the privacy of the school rooftop. He was determined to distance both of you from the presence of that other guy who had been encroaching on what Seonghwa considered his own territory. In the heat of the moment, there was a strong intensity as Seonghwa pulled you along, gently but firmly pressing you against a wall along the way. Seeing your worried expression, you sought answers from Seonghwa, asking, "Hwa, what's wrong?" A heavy silence hung in the air as Seonghwa, still catching his breath, wrestled with the powerful emotions that had driven him into this sudden escape.

The presence of the other guy had stirred up a storm within him, leaving him momentarily unable to speak. "They're going to see us," you pointed out, trying to make sense of the situation. However, Seonghwa, with a determined shake of his head, dismissed any concerns about potential onlookers. "I don't care," he asserted, his voice carrying a newfound determination. "I no longer care whether they know or not." Placing a hand gently on your chin and drawing you even closer, he expressed his unfiltered feelings, "I want them to know that you are mine." The weight of his words, filled with possessiveness and a desire for public recognition, hung in the air, marking a significant moment in your relationship as Seonghwa unabashedly took control of the narrative of your shared connection. A significant realization dawned on Seonghwa as he looked into your eyes, reflecting on the depth of his emotions.

A feeling of regret swept over him, tied to the choice to keep your relationship a secret. In the earnestness of your gaze, he found himself revisiting the beginning of his affection for you, realizing that, right from the start, he should have proudly declared your connection to the world, without caring about others' opinions or attention. "I should announce to the whole world that you are mine," Seonghwa admitted with a hint of remorse, recognizing the weight of the emotions he had concealed. The intensity of your stare served as a poignant reminder of the missed chances to openly celebrate your love. In response, he declared, "No, I won't let anyone else love what's mine. I won't let anyone else entertain the idea that they have a chance." The firmness in his tone reflected a newfound determination to claim his stake and protect the sanctity of your connection.

Seonghwa, unwavering in his dedication, declared that regardless of others' approval or the acceptance of the other guy, you were undeniably his beloved. This statement served as a strong assertion of ownership and a commitment to no longer hide the love that rightfully belonged to him. Disregarding societal judgments, Seonghwa boldly stated, "I don't care about what other people think! Tomorrow, I'll proudly hold your hand all the way to university." The passion in his words was sealed with a heartfelt kiss, a tangible symbol of his resolve to cast aside the secrecy that had concealed your relationship. As the rooftop door opened, revealing both of you, Seonghwa met the other guy's gaze without hesitation. Instead of avoiding it, Seonghwa embraced the revelation, wanting the guy to understand the depth of your connection.

In that moment, Seonghwa's casual attitude carried a clear message: your love was no longer a secret to be kept. With the truth out in the open, Seonghwa's lack of concern about the possibility of news spreading about your relationship became apparent. In his eyes, others' opinions didn't matter much. The most important thing was that you belonged to him, and as long as that remained true, everything else could fall into place however it might. The recognition of your love, free from external judgments, marked a significant change in your relationship dynamics. Seonghwa embraced an unwavering determination to openly claim you, unaffected by the opinions of the world around you. Because, once again, whether they like it or not, you are his, no matter what.

©Tinytinyblogs

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girlactionfigure · 6 months

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WITH EYES FULL HORROR Thoughts on the Hamas massacre of Jews

I deliberated on whether to write this. It seems obvious to me that in times of war we should abstain from things that can demoralise and immobilise. But on reflection I don’t think it does that. As our greatest warrior was also our greatest poet, King David, I think we are a people uniquely constituted to be tough and soulful at the same time. We’ve seen a lot of horrific footage from the massacre perpetuated by Hamas. It is not weakness to have tears - it is holy. God forbid we should become unfeeling, numb bastards that engage in the kind of butchery these Islamic fundamentalists celebrate. They will think it’s a victory that they have caused us pain. They will whoop and halloo and bear their teeth in wicked, wolfish grins to see us suffer and think we are weak. Oh, how pitiful is their blindness to the depths of experience life has to offer. They will never understand we are the people who turn every curse into a blessing and that there is no horror we can’t walk through in utter confidence a better time will come.

So I am going to write this.

At the same time, if we each process an ounce of trauma here and there, we’ll be able to get on with the task in hand - defeating our enemies - whilst keeping our heads in a relatively good enough shape to get the job done.

So I tried to avoid seeing grisly footage from the massacre. I wouldn’t open any videos. I’d squint my eyes and scroll past photos. I thought to myself that I know something horrific has happened - seeing specific imagery is not going to enhance my intellectual or emotional insight. I’d obviously get glimpses of nightmarish forms. Barbecued people. Deformed anatomy of twisted girls. But I wouldn’t focus. They were blurred glimpses of horror I kept in a fog so that I could try to shield myself from trauma. But of course it seeps in. And you inevitably see more than you intended. And you inevitably watch more than you should. In the end I saw the dead bodies. And I saw some of the horrors real people endured.

My grandma died earlier this week and her funeral is tomorrow. I haven’t really been able to connect with my sadness over that because of everything that has happened - the crisis that has demanded action and the saturation of hellish crimes that have accompanied it. I’m just low level pissed off and can’t be bothered with anyone. I just took a shower and started crying as images I’ve seen this week emerged in the mist of my mind. But it wasn’t the imagery of dead bodies. It wasn’t the imagery of corpses. It was the imagery that has really haunted me. More than dead bodies, what has really haunted me were the images of living people experiencing fear. People whose souls were still in their body and who wanted to live. It was their faces. And above all their eyes. There’s one video of teenagers at a music concert huddled in a bunker with shot children groaning on the floor. A young man films with his phone. Why? Instinct? Believing he was going to die and that people must know? To try and make a nightmare less real by watching it through a screen? And then we see his face. I’ve never seen such eyes. I have never seen such eyes. No creature should know such fear. Another video sees a hostage tied up on the floor gazing at his tormentors. And his eyes. The widest eyes that could swallow the stars.

These are eyes I never want to see again. I never want to see those eyes. But they’re inside my head looking at me tonight. I don’t know how to pray, to wish, to magic away their fear. I can’t abide their fear. I can’t abide their fear. For the love of God, fill those eyes with everything they’ve ever dreamed of and everything their family have ever dreamed of for them and turn that fear into a speck so small it is blown away on the wind beyond the ocean and never found again.

I can’t imagine what those eyes were seeing. But in those eyes I could see the swirling fear of every sin that has been committed since Cain killed Abel. These were eyes gazing at every horror that’s taken place under the sun.

My eyes are dripping as I write this. No amount of tears will cleanse away what we have seen.

Oh God, what they did to them. What they did to them.

There has never been a more necessary mission for the Jewish people than to destroy Hamas - and anyone who seeks to hurt us - so that no eyes will ever hold such fear again.

LEE KERN

#Israel #Hamas Terror #Lee Kern

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endlessly-cursed · 8 months

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A Living Legacy, Chapter Two: The Beginning of All

A/N: After a few months of not updating, I have finally completed the second chapter! With this chapter, I officially say goodbye to August and my summer. Enjoy!!

Summary: Henriette learns of a new world ... and a few things about herself

OCs featured: Changeling Betwixt @hphmmatthewluther

Warnings: There is a scene where a poor girl is burned at the stake and mature themes are explored, reader's discretion is advised

Word Count: 1.8k

Tagging: @hphmmatthewluther @camillejeaneshphm @gaygryffindorgal @that-scouse-wizard

I shook my head. Could it be possible? “Me?!” I cried “A—A witch?!”

Helga nodded, a wide smile on her face “Why, yes!”

This was surreal, I thought. I must be dreaming, right? I told myself. But I was not dreaming “You do not remember anything, do you?” Helga inquired.

I searched in my head any plausible explanation, and while drinking more water, a sudden image came into my mind.

I was back in that alley, and the best men were surrounding me. I closed my eyes and screamed. They all fell backwards. Everything shook. And then someone took me. Could I truly could’ve done something so incredible without barely even trying?

“But,” I rebutted “magic’s not real. It is a tale to scare misbehaving children.”

Helga smiled bemused while she shook that stick again “Then what is this, my lady?” Sparks of pure golden flew and I gasped. I shook my head. Was she playing tricks with me? Was this a prank by my betrothed? “Magic is real, my love. You may not see it, but it is there. Among us. In your blood. You may be lost now, but once you get the hang of it, trust me, no one will do that again.”

“I—I cannot be a witch. I shall be burnt alive!” I cried.

“Not if you’re smart about it.” Helga said, with that amiable smile that must win many, many hearts.

1897

“Wait,” Primrose blurted, notebook in hand “I thought the witch-hunts started in Salem in the 17th century.”

Henriette chuckled “Those are the most famous, yes. But there have always been witch hunts. It definitely increased over those times. Some were not recorded, but there were. I, Helga, Rowena, and their female allies were always at risk, because witchcraft in women was viewed as a threat.”

“Because witchcraft means freedom, independence, knowledge, and the men do not want that in us.”

Henriette smiled “What a delightfully insightful young girl. You shall go far in life, my dear.”

“And did you ever? Almost got burned at the stake, I mean.”

The blonde woman shook her head “No. But I got to witness them. Such ghastly thing. I am glad that your people are beyond that and just spurn them socially.”

“When did you witness such a thing?” Primrose asked.

“That same day. My first day in an unseen England.”

Helga and I walked through the murky and sandy streets, not yet paved, observing everything. Some people talked and traded goods and food, and others duelled with said sticks, which Helga told me were wands.

“If magic is real,” I hesitated “does Merlin, Arthur, Camelot and those fantastic tales exist?”

“They did. It has been a century since the happenings, but we have him very present in our lives. Many try to match him, but it is quite impossible, you see. Not even I compared with my dearest friends can stand a chance together against him. Consider him our Charlemagne.”

“Papa told me we descend from him and one of his mistresses.”

Helga smiled “Lucky girl. You must be veneered back home.”

I bit my lip “Many of my kind descend from him. He had quite the impact in our livelihood.”

It was true. Many could trace their lineage back to Charlemagne or Roman emperors, it was almost a question of blood supremacy and who got the better lineage. My family was only a minor Saxon noble family who got lucky after a mistress of Charlemagne, after having her firstborn son with him, married with his permission and settled in east Wessex. Many others descended from the Romans and even the very first kings of our country. Compared to them, we were just average nobility.

“Oh, Lord,” Helga breathed as I, too, heard the cries for help. From a woman, as many others cheered.

“We ought to go. Now!” Helga whispered, but I was not sure.

“We must aid her! Do I smell smoke?” I followed the scent, until it took me to a crowd of people. Many roared as a woman walked on her chemise, crying that she was not guilty and the horror on my heart when I saw that she was younger than I.

“Burn the witch!” One man cried.

“Kill that bitch!” Another cried.

“We don’t want abominations in our land!” One woman with a child cried as well.

My blood ran cold as I realised, they were burning her under the accusations of witchcraft.

“Please!” The girl cried “I am innocent! I am but a poor healer! Mama! Papa!”

I looked in her directions as their parents cried, helplessness in their eyes as a bishop blessed her before he lit the bonfire. I couldn’t help but look in pure horror. I was paralysed. All I could see and hear were that poor girl’s screams, piercing through my ears and heart, wrenching it in a thousand pieces.

Before I could do anything, a soft but firm hand took me out of there and into a small pub—it was Helga, saving me from the terrors yet again. She had a knowing and sad face in her eyes “Now you see why you must be careful, dear. Especially being a woman of range. They will eat you alive, no hesitation.”

I nodded. I knew what she meant, deep down. Wiping my tears, I sighed and Helga asked for some water, and I nearly swallowed whole the pint. Not my most ladylike moment, if you ask me.

After that, Helga and I decided to talk more about what we’d do.

“But, wait,” Primrose asked, seeming confused “what did you exactly knew? That they’d burn you as a witch?”

The portrait sighed “So much more, my love. You see, wizards like Merlin are revered and worshipped by muggles and wizards alike, but when it comes to Hecate, Morgana, Nimue and many other famous witches and even women accused of witches, the situation changes. They are evil, petty, ugly, and a menace to mankind. Magic is always seen as this enormous responsibility, burden and responsibility. And men can’t conceive a woman being able to harness such power within them. To them, we are still unreasonable, meek and with a childish mindset, unable to undertake such responsibility. To them, we are not worthy of it. And thus, punish us by injuring our pride and personalities, twisting the story to give future generations of women the same message.”

“Know your place.” Primrose ended. A shadow had crossed the young woman, now fully aware of what Henriette was saying “I can’t tell how many times I’ve been told that I ought to marry a man of rank for me to be taken seriously as a future heiress. It is the only way to be heard: to have a man backing you, or to give up such privileges in order to not insult his ego, regardless of our pride and rights. We may have advanced, but,”

“The customs and those in power have not.” Henriette chuckled bitterly “This is the problem with the wizarding community. We never learn the lesson. We never advance. No matter what hero comes to save us and open our eyes, they will be immediately shut down and forced to take your position in this unmoving and unfair society. The history book on our shelves keeps repeating itself, no matter what we try to do. If those capable of changing the ways don’t enhance their campaign, then we will never advance nor learn the lesson, no matter how many of us we bury.”

“When did you find out all of this?”

Henriette lighted up again “Pretty quickly.”

“How so?”

She smiled “…Someone from the outside helped me see their way.”

Helga and I walked away from the commotion, hidden in our cloaks and looking like lost tourists from the highlands. By then, the House of Alpin reigned in rather turbulent times. As many knows, my eldest daughter Denegifu would marry on that country, but that is a tale for another time.

After making sure we’d lost them, I realised we had exited the capital and would be walking towards a cove. Not used to walking much, and still with my wedding shoes, I panted heavily, my feet hurting.

“Do not fret, sweetling, we shall soon arrive to somewhere comfortable.”

I nodded. I had no option but to trust that she wasn’t exaggerating to comfort me. After reaching its darkest part, she waited a bit, and finally, a strange voice called out “Why, Lady Hufflepuff, how kind of you to honour me with your venerable presence,” the tone had some irony to it.

She curtsied respectfully, and I did the same easily, thanks to the hours of training with Mama.

“Your Highness. I am aware that you are busy, but we must make use of your Portkey.”

Finally, the hooded figure stepped into the light, and I couldn’t help but gasp and back away: it had black eyes and their hair was white, as well as their skin, and had an amused look “What mess have you dragged yourself with your kindness, Helga?”

“My new apprentice, Lady Henriette of Wessex.”

I quickly curtsied again “Forgive me if we have disturbed your peace, Your Highness. We shall be on our way soon.”

Their eyes loomed over me, as if they were analysing me, then looked at Helga “Another Muggle, I take?”

“Excuse me?” I blurted out before I could process it.

“It is a term to reference those who had grown up outside the magical world.” Helga quickly explained.

“Besides,” Betwixt added “I am not the one to insult beautiful ladies I’ve just met. If so, I should be offended.” He was surely teasing me.

“Forgive me for my ignorance.”

They waved a hand “It’s alright, love. You couldn’t have known. By your looks, it’s been less than three days in this world. But something tells me that you shall learn.”

“I shall make Lady Hufflepuff proud.”

The Portkey opened and Helga gave the creature a bag of silver coins “I shall not forget this favour, Your Highness.”

We both passed through the Portkey and, when the journey was over, we found ourselves in a tower. If I looked hard enough, I could see other three towers a few days away. Helga turned around and smiled “Welcome to my home! And your home until your parents finds you, which should take a while.”

It was a tower of gold and orange, in which many animals and many other servants and magicians practising. It was full of life, of laughter and joy. But for a moment, my gut told me that it was too good to be true, and keep my guard for a little longer.

Tragically, I was right, for I’d find out that a war was brewing.

#hp founders era #hogwarts founders era #hogwarts founders #oc: henriette of wessex #helga hufflepuff #betwixt the changeling #a living dynasty #mywriting*

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scarletwritesshit · 1 year

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Kaveh x Reader ✦ Oh my God! Roommates! ✦ II: Harra

Kaveh's piercing gaze was awfully intimidating. You've shared a bed with this man once before, but actually confronting him face to face invoked a lump of anxiety in the back of your throat. He was awaiting your response, but the shock from his seemingly unwelcomed appearance held you back. Kaveh seemed to have greater concerns elsewhere, in the form of Alhaitham’s attitude and his architectural designs, to have ulterior motives, but you couldn’t help but be wary of his intentions.

You hated to admit it, but when he wasn't being obnoxious about Alhaitham, he was actually quite pleasant to look at. It was easy to get lost in his ruby red eyes that were gazing upon you with the hunger of curiosity. There was no holding back communication any longer as his head tilted gently in your direction, perhaps out of craving for knowledge or impatience for you to speak.

You starved him no more of the intel he desired, and gave him a brief summary of your history and personal details. As proven with Alhaitham's earlier attempt, he was unphased by your prestigious accomplishments, though he was attentive as you elaborated on the extent of your studies. It was almost nerve wracking simply describing yourself with him fixated on you in such a manner. One could hope that none of your anxiety managed to show through.

"So," Kaveh finally said, "Alhaitham wasn’t hyping you up for nothing, huh?"

"I...haven't been studying here as long as the other accomplished scholars, though. I don't even know why Alhaitham picked me of all people when there's students with more credibility than me in every area."

Kaveh began prying at his breakfast.

"That man is rather picky with who he approaches in this manner. He must've seen something unique in you that goes beyond the criticism of peers or marks on a paper."

"I'm nowhere near close to mastering all required languages yet, and there are people who are-"

Kaveh put his finger on your lips, shushing you before you could continue your thought. He then shook his head in disagreement, as if he knew exactly what you were going to say.

"I don't know what he's planning for you, but whatever it is you lack, he's got the inside information to help you slide by. Even if he does piss me off, he has a great deal of knowledge about the Akademiya, and I admittedly respect that."

Your eyes widened in disbelief at Kaveh’s nice comment about Alhaitham.

"Besides, I'd hate for you to be kicked out so soon. You intrigue me," he said, gently taking his finger off of your lips.

"...Intrigue you?"

Kaveh nodded his head. "Most scholars from the Akademiya have their heads absorbed in the latest copy of that one hot textbook written by some big name four-eyes and live their lives around it."

"So I've noticed."

"You, however, are probably the first person in a long while that hasn't turned their nose up at the first mentioning of artistic freedom. That kind of behavior is quite rare amongst Sumeru scholars these days. It’s made me want more insight into you as a person."

The way he was speaking about you made you suspect that perhaps his interests weren't completely academic. Still, you only just met the man. His tone has proven to be...interesting at times. The idea of him simply being "just like this" wasn't entirely farfetched.

But, why did he seem so interested in a subpar Sumeru researcher?

You thought about pressuring him more into the topic, but the same reasoning would likely be given. Rather than attempt this, you continued eating your breakfast. Kaveh did the same as you watched with a desire to probe him with a few questions about himself.

For now, he was simply an architect that you would have to accept being close to.

A little too close.

The two of you finished out the rest of your meals in awkward silence. Alhaitham was probably going to be looking for you any moment now, so it was best not to waste any more time trying to read Kaveh and his words. Promptly, you stood up from your chair and slid it back in. As you reached for the dishes, Kaveh got your attention and stopped you in your tracks.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked.

"Alhaitham would be displeased if I showed up late on my first day."

"Ha, true. Leave those dishes on the table. I'll take care of them myself."

"It's proper courtesy of me to-"

Kaveh held up his hand and shook his head. "You're an honored guest. It's only right that I treat you like one."

"Oh, well...I appreciate it," you said with a shy smile.

You left the dishes on the table and began walking to the desk Alhaitham had prepared for you.

Lazy roommate?

That seems to be Alhaitham's biased point of view.

…No, Kaveh was simply doing it to make himself look better in front of me.

Shake off these thoughts.

Focus.

Alhaitham's teaching begins today.

He was waiting for you, patiently but eagerly. Before you could sit down, Alhaitham stopped you with a question.

"Did you make sure to thoroughly clean your dishes?" he asked.

"Kaveh got them for me."

He was taken aback by this, shocked that Kaveh could do anything useful around the place.

"Well, that's certainly unusual for him."

Was he truly that bad to the point that Alhaitham was genuinely shocked at any form of respectable behavior?

"Is it really? He doesn't seem all that bad, at least to me."

Alhaitham closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He shook his head, defeated.

"Our paths in life have diverged greatly. The view of our worlds are completely different. The clash between the set-in stone rules of research and freedom of the human mind only further the tensions between us."

"And so, it is only natural for you to not get along?"

"Precisely. I will never understand the workings of his mind, and he will never comprehend mine. It's better to accept our differences and remain separate rather than force oil and water to mix."

"But you two seem to pick a fight with each other every possible moment."

"It is inevitable when living under the same roof. There's no dispute dating back ages ago as to why we're constantly at each other. It is a simple matter of..."

"Your personalities just don't match?"

"Precisely. And it's not worth attempting to change, which is why you should instead focus on your studies and not our personal relationships."

"You're right. I apologizing for diverting the subject."

"Curiosity cannot be helped."

Alhaitham pulled out the chair and gestured for you to sit down. You were presented with an abundance of books, each main topic being complete whiplash from the others. The workload appeared much worse than the average study at the Akademiya, but regardless, you had to press on. He went through a brief overview of every subject that he planned to cover, from the latest technology to the earliest philosophical studies as well as no shortage of foreign languages. Some books were even written in the languages of the pile of linguistics textbooks.

At the top of a pile, you noticed a book written in the kanji of Inazuma. Alhaitham was quick to emphasize that he expects you to not only learn the language, but to study new information from these texts as well.

It was a lot to take in this soon. Overwhelming, perhaps, yet you couldn't allow yourself to fall apart this easily. Kaveh also was also counting on you to stay, so you had to push yourself for the sake of impressing two people.

Or...impressing one person and showing the other that you're not as useless. Which one was which, that was a bit hard to tell.

With this much introductory information being dumped on you, the day went by surprisingly fast.

It felt like short moments between the time you were furiously filling up a notebook and the time Alhaitham excused you for short breaks. At least it wasn't a nonstop 10-hour study session, but you were still pushed to exhaustion.

After Alhaitham had freed you from his grasp, you almost neglected to eat dinner. To avoid a scolding, you sat down and ate, with him once again leaving you and Kaveh alone. Minimal words were exchanged, as you were lost in the cloud of information occupying every crevice of your brain. Kaveh tried to strike up conversation with you, but your deadpan answers eventually caused him to silence for the duration of the meal.

Once you had finished your meal, Kaveh again offered to grab the dishes for you. You were in no mood to question his kind actions, since simple thinking felt like an impossible task with your brain being fried and preoccupied. Rather than try and find mental peace elsewhere in the house, you opted to call it an early night.

You flopped down with such immense force that you felt yourself rebound ever so slightly on Kaveh's bed. It was nice to lean back and collapse on something soft; one could only take so many hours leaned against a hard wooden chair. It felt like you could pass out like this, but you had to change into your sleepwear, as well as give Kaveh at least a little bit of wiggle room.

After changing your clothes, you laid down on your side of the bed, this time not cowering near the edge like last night. You pulled up the blankets and rested your head against the pillow, not fully intending on going to sleep quite yet. You were still drowsy enough to drift off to sleep at any moment, though. Before you could have a chance to peacefully shut your eyes, Kaveh came into his room to check on you, seeing how fast you took off after dinner. He sat down on the edge opposite to your side of the bed and turned his body to face you. You moved your head up slightly to look at him, smiling, but clearly concerned as to why he’s also here so early.

“Alhaitham was a bit rough on you, huh?” he said.

“It’s just a lot for my first day of instruction. I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t let it get to you. Alhaitham’s routine is vigorous, but you’ll get used to it. Besides, if he knows better, he’ll adapt his teaching style to help you excel.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

He turned away and let out a small chuckle. “I’ll make sure of it. Just hold your end of the deal.”

You didn’t feel like arguing with Kaveh over how he would assure your stay, so you accepted his words and relaxed your head. You turned over to look at him get up from the bed and sit at his desk.

“…Aren’t you going to go to sleep?” you asked.

“Nah. I’m staying up again to work on my project.”

“Oh…well, do be sure to rest easy tonight. You make me worry sometimes.”

You rolled your head over, facing away from the obnoxious desk light. It sounded like he let out a small chuckle at the sign of your concern, and was perhaps smiling at your kindness, but you couldn’t tell as you closed your eyes and fell asleep in an instant.

#genshin impact #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact kaveh #fluff #fanfiction #fanfic #kaveh x reader

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insabecs · 11 months

Text

purple

Hi! So my brain did it again. this thing had a mind of it’s own and I felt these two deserved a proper send off. if I decide to keep on writing for this darling blue boy I’ll probably will have to imagine someone new for him. i’m sure that will come to me at some point. @scalyfreaks THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for letting me borrow your darling girl and I hope you feel I was kind to her and did her justice. I would not have started writing if it was not for her and for our conversations :’) These two found their soft epilogue after all.

The storm has passed now but it has left a wreckage in its wake. The flat is silent, they even managed to scare Sunfyre away. He knows she should have left but hasn’t.

It’s getting dark and the days are getting chillier and by now he knows she’ll be cold.

She should’ve left but hasn’t.

His hands are shaking as he brings yet another cigarette to his lips, the forth in a row. -“maybe not the best idea after all” .

Everything he’s had to let go has claw marks on it. And he’s afraid he might be maiming her beyond repair.

By now Aegon knows he loves Amara. He’s a self aware bastard. You don’t nearly succeed in killing yourself twice by being so far gone, you are choking in your own vomit without gaining some proper insight. He knows he loves her like he wants to curl up inside her and go to sleep to never wake again. Like he wants to open up her rib cage, plant flowers there and watch them grow.

You see, that scares him. It scares him that he wants her wrapped around himself all the time. That sometimes he feels her even when she’s not there. It scares him that this young thing has made herself so tentatively comfortable in his life. It scares him the most that he doesn’t care that she has.

The flat is silent, it’s staring to get dark. The yellow glow of the street lights filters through the large windows yet only shadows reach him. As if even the street lamps are appalled by his behaviour. He knows that if he steps into his porch now, she’ll be bathed in all that same golden light that even inanimate objects know he’s undeserving of.

He’s tired and the darkness inside him is starting to creep in. The beast inside him is clawing the the weak corners of the cage he has built for it.

Part of him wants to go back to quiet days with no one around, he wants the peace of bringing a random stranger home and having to qualms in letting them go before the dawn.

In his younger days Aegon consumed everything in extremes. Alcohol, drugs, people. Now that he’s older and has lived through the consequences of his unquenchable hunger he’s always afraid of having too much. Wanting too much.

His beast is not happy with that. And it’s getting louder inside his chest. All bare teeth, sharp claws and thirst. Predator. It wants to take over and bring Amara to the sacrificial alter. He’s just not sure if it wants to rip her tender heart out and swallow it whole or to worship at her feet.

He saves that though for his therapist on Wednesday.

Aegon tips his head back against the sofa, stares into the nothingness of his crown moulded ceilings and wonders about what other horrors have these silent ceilings witnessed, and if his are the worst. Cigarette smoke twirls around him, the same way Amara does, when she wants to look older than her years, and tries to behave as she imagines older women do when they want seduce jaded men.

It is heartbreaking and amusing at the same time- that she does not yet understand how he’s always reaching for her or why she finds her skin painted with more bite marks and small bruises each passing day. The purple suits her.

His beast growls inside his chest.

He closes his eyes, crows feet painting is face with lines that men much older have yet to earn and smiles into the darkness. He eventually gives in and gets up, grabbing his old cardigan from the coatrack in the hallway and steps out of the flat.

She should’ve left but hasn’t.

The evening sky is purple and his street is quiet. The tourists that normally crowd the streets around the park chased away by the quiet arrogance of London evenings. The silent interludes of the birth and death of days belong only to the ones the city recognises as her own.

He finds Amara sitting on the steps. As he suspected, the traitorous light bathing her golden. Her lavender silk shirt has slipped off her shoulder and he has to fight the primal urge to sink his teeth into that spot.

His bare feet touch the cold stone floor.

Aegon gently drops the oversized cardigan over her shoulders, her bird boned fingers come up to pull it around herself as if she wants to melt into something that belongs to him. He sits behind her on the steps, legs and knees caging her in.

Amara does not look at him. She’s staring into the distance as if he’s not there. And for a moment he wonders if that’s what living in a grey world would feel like. He fits himself to her back, arms coming to wrap around her tightly.

He playfully nips at her earlobe. Gently now, for this is not the time for roughness.

She shivers, his two day stubble tickling her, and tucks her face onto his neck to hide her ear from his grasp.

So he nips at her nose instead. A playful growl erupts from his chest. Steady now. She giggles and growls back. We’re getting somewhere then. She sighs, the kind of sight of relief that goes all the way down to your atoms and finally melts into him.

She should have left but didn’t.

“Amara”- he runs the tip of his nose agains the bridge of hers.

“Aegon” - she kisses his right eye, his long lashes tickling her lips.

“I’m sorry”- one of his hands comes up to grip her jaw- gentle still. He knows later, she’ll take on his violence, match him bite for bite, scratch for scratch. But it’s not the time for that yet.

“I am too”- she whispers, mouth breathing into his, lips touching but not quite kissing.

He slowly traces the shape of her lips with the tip of his tongue before dropping a gentle kiss to her bottom lip. As he pulls away, she chases his mouth. It seems to be their unyielding fate, to always keep chasing each other. He’s tired of walking away from her, he realises.

He kisses her temple and lets his lips rest there, breathing in deeply with arms still tight around her. The beast inside him purrs in contentment as it wraps itself around her too. Where a moment ago it was all sharp teeth and bristled fur, it’s now docile as a newborn kitten. Aegon gives in.

“Come back home to me mermaid?”- he whispers into her skin. Amara does not say anything, but nods. Eyes closed. Her face hidden away below the strong curve of his jaw and she leans in to imprint a kiss there, impossibly close.

He wonders if she can hear his beast purr too.

#Aegon II Targaryen #aegon targaryen fic #aegon targaryen drabble #modern!aegon targaryen #aegon x amara #house of the dragon

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the-pale-goddess · 10 months

Note

I'm new to the fandom and have been enjoying your work. I wanted to know what is your hc for Ethan and his mother? Did he forgive her or cut her off for good? If you have any fics on it, can you let me know? Thank you. 🙂

Omg, hi! It’s so wonderful to see a new member joining our little OH circus! Welcome to the fandom, dear, hope you’ll like it here ❤️ I’m beyond honored that you’re enjoying my fictional corner, especially since I’m not too active anymore. Thank you for giving my writing a chance and sending this amazing ask 🥰

I don’t think that I have ever discussed Louise and her role in my canonverse before 👀 So I don’t have any fics to share, sorry! It could be due to the fact that the HC changed a few times along the way 😅

Before I settled on the canon endgame for E&T, I had a couple of different ideas that were messier (just like life itself) and less conventional. But I decided to go for the scenario that comforted me the most: our past and the mistakes of our parents don’t define us and even the most damaged individuals are capable of breaking the pattern. I picked this direction because I wanted to give Ethan and Tiffany the kind of love and warmth they didn’t have growing up. I’m embracing hope through Ted Lasso’s idea of rom-communism ksbskbsk However, it’s important to acknowledge that healing takes different forms and there are many ways to approach it!

Now, let me elaborate on my take on Ethan and Louise…Or do not let me, I can never shut up lol

Ethan was very conflicted. On the one hand, he despised her and what she did to him and Alan, he didn’t see the point of their reconciliation. He didn’t want to reopen old wounds and was afraid that his father might get hurt again. That he might get hurt again, inevitably dragging Tiffany down and breaking her heart. On the other, though Louise was a complete stranger to him, she was still his mother, someone he used to care about more than anything in the world, and deep inside his long-drawn-out rage and pain there was some basic human compassion. Eventually, he realized that her decision to leave was actually the best gift she could offer given her issues, the necessary evil so to speak.

As a doctor, he obviously recognizes addiction as a chronic condition that needs to be managed and resolved through a highly personalized medical treatment. He was willing to ensure her medical assistance, but would it be possible with zero involvement? Was he ready to open the door and accept her apology?

Ethan relied on Tiffany’s generous support and advice. Her insight was particularly important to him—her mother-daughter relationship has always been a sort of psychological Cold War, so she could certainly relate to the complexity of the situation. She encouraged him to embrace the emotions swirling inside and focus on what’s best for him. Even if Louise didn’t deserve forgiveness, it was essential to his own healing: he could finally truly move on and allow himself to be free of the burden he carried for years. She reminded him that he deserves a peace of mind and no one will find it for him—he’s not a helpless child anymore and he’s in charge of his own life. With Tiffany’s limitless patience and love guiding him through the mess in his head, Ethan gathered his strength and faced the emotional challenge.

After serious consideration, Ethan chose to forgive his mother. Even though he had every reason to cut her off for good, every right to be selfish and unforgiving, he picked the more difficult road of sympathy, proving that he’s actually nothing like Louise—they may share a few personality traits, but he’s so much more than a bitter conclusion to a broken past.

But of course, just like he said in the playthrough, it didn’t mean that things were suddenly okay between them—quite the contrary. I don’t think that they would ever come close to forming any kind of deeper bond. Still, they keep in touch and check on each other every few weeks. As long as Louise sticks to her recovery journey, Ethan makes an effort and allows her to be a part of his life to a small extent he’s comfortable with. Not for long though: I imagine that she’s going to die rather young, soon after E&T’s middle child Letty is born.

#Q #ethan ramsey #louise ramsey #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #i didn't proofread this

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legendofzoodles · 2 years

Text

A couple nights ago to help me get to sleep I told myself the story of the pied piper in my head. But I kept adding little details to it and ended up staying up longer to write it down. I wanted to tell this story here but not have to insert LU into it, so instead Time is just gonna tell it to the chain and by extension you the reader.

Trigger warning: domestic violence is mentioned briefly below the cut, read at your own discretion

~~~

The Piper of Krysa Hamlet

The fire crackled softly, flakes of amber and crimson danced around the carefully placed logs, rising slowly together into the night sky. Time watched the embers intently from his spot in the middle of the semi circle of somewhat sleepy heroes, eyes slowly rising to see the lonely field that stretched out beyond their camp at the edge of a vast forest. He was calm and more than ready to call it a night.

...but couldn’t until the others decided to settle down. He tried to chune out the youngest hero nested snugly at his left side, who was talking loudly to Wars as he sat at the far end polishing his armour. Sitting beside Wind and sharing with him the sail cloth was Sky, who was being shown designs for wooden sword hilts by Four. They flicking through scores of paper leaving a mess that was dangerously close to the fire. On Time’s right hand side was Legend, Wild and Hyrule who were playing some sort of card game.

They were a little restless. Almost a week had gone by without anything happening outside of hiking and stopping for breaks. The lack of action had been appreciated after the first day or so, as after they’d gained their ninth addition to the group over a fortnight ago they were constantly dealing with monsters and deadly situations. Yet as the calm carried on the heroes found themselves growing anxious for something to happen. A village of some kind would be nice, even a monster camp to get rid of or an ambush from the Shadow’s army was becoming sort after.

The only one not making a fuss was the large grey wolf stationed at the other end next to Hyrule, he was lying down with his head casually turned towards the edge of the forest.

Time leaned back into the fallen log he and a few of the others were resting against. “Let’s cut the chatter now and settle down.”

“With all due respect old man, what’s the point?” the Captain responded, examining the shine on his shoulder guard. “Outside of walk through that field, we don’t have a plan.”

“A good night’s sleep is important regardless,” Time said with a sigh. “If you don’t like tomorrow’s agenda then use your time on first night watch to make a better plan.”

Warriors caught Time’s glare and after a couple seconds nodded before going back to inspecting his armour. “If you’re gonna make us go to sleep this early, then tell us a story as compensation for ruining our fun.”

The old man pulled a face and sat up to look at Warriors properly. “The Captain wants a bedtime story?”

“You can call it that if you want,” Warriors responded with a smirk. “It’s just that even though I’ve been travelling with you for almost a month now, I know next to nothing about you. I’m sure the others are interested too.”

A murmur of agreement swept across the group as the younger members looked at Time expectantly, the man in turn raising an eyebrow at their curiosity.

“Sparkles over there is right,” Legend said, earning a scowl from Warriors. “It would be nice to get a little insight into your adventures.”

“That so?” Time said, stretching back.

“Yeah!” Wind lightly tapped Time’s arm. “How about your first dungeon? You must have done lots of those. Or what about telling us about your toughest battle? Or the time you pulled the Master Sword-?”

“Alright, let me think a sec,” the old man interrupted, tapping the sailor’s forehead with the back of his hand. The resulting contact made a funny sound that earned a chuckle from the group. “For now, I’ll tell you a ‘true’ story I was told when I was travelling outside the kingdom.”

“What were you doing?” asked Hyrule as he snuggled under his blanket.

“That’s not important,” Time dismissed. “Now is everyone going to quieten down for the story?”

“How old were you at the time?” asked Wild, but he immediately regretted asking when Time didn’t respond and grows uneasy when the silence continues. Worried that speaking of age might have been an insult to the veteran, he was about to apologise when the silence was broken.

Time said with calm ease, “Anyone who interrupts will be sleeping alone over there in the field. Understand? Good...

There’s an isolated settlement far beyond the borders of Hyrule- and also here- called Krysa Hamlet. I wouldn’t be too surprised if it doesn’t exist in the future eras or even now because when I visited years ago it was a miserable place. All decrepit and practically falling into ruin, there were rows of abandoned houses and unkempt gardens with overgrown ivy winding up broken swing sets and treehouses. Very unsettling.

Upon arriving at there one evening, I got a pretty unwelcome reception. There weren’t many people about the small village square, but I received dirty looks from half of them and flat cursed at by the other half. To be honest I considered moving right through and spending the night in the wild- but I didn’t have any food left and didn’t feel like foraging. So I went to the local inn, booked a room, dropped off my stuff and headed down to the pub for bite to eat.

The people there were still unfriendly, and despite my attempts to introduce myself, none of them were interested in talking to me. They got especially angry and even threatened to get violent when I talked of music, even though none of them knew what an ocarina was. Just when I had resigned myself to eating alone a really old man with a battered walking stick came hobbling over to my table.

He asked the usual questions: what my name was, where I came from, where I was going and stuff like that. It was basic manners, but after getting the cold shoulder from literally the entire village, I eagerly answered his questions, though he said hardly anything about himself.

I asked him why every person here seemed to hate me and he told me that they haven’t had an outsider come here in over a century and are just afraid. This intrigued me so I asked him to explain further and he told me this story:

Over 100 years ago Krysa was a large town, and while it was very much isolated being far removed from Hyrule, it was prosperous and thriving. Very much a merchant town, with thriving businesses and wealthy citizens.

However, suddenly over the course of just 2 days the town was suddenly besieged by a plague of rats. Thousands and thousands of them crawled out of the sewer system and went out into the streets and buildings through toilets, chimneys and cracks in the wall.

They were not only a nuisance, stealing food, spreading illness and leaving droppings everywhere but they were also dangerous.

A stand out tragedy among the many horror stories about the beasts told the story of a young family. The husband was an alcoholic who abused his wife. One night during a particularly violent drunk episode, he exited the house and left his incapacitated wife and vulnerable baby with the rats. The next day the half eaten corpses of both the young woman and the child were discovered. That was enough for the local council and mayor to finally start looking outside the town for help.

They had been taking action against the rats, every meeting held was centered around how to get rid of the rats, although nothing they came up with worked. Therefore, in response to that horrific incident and the new surge of public outrage they printed as many flyers as they could afford and sent them far out into the lands beyond. Each read: “1,000 crowns to the person or people who rid our town of the rat plague [...]”

The town’s leaders didn’t have much hope that help would come, and what little hope they had faded as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. That was until one hot summer’s evening, when a stranger wandered into town.

What an odd fellow he was! Unusually tall and thin, with narrow pointed shoes that padded delicately along the cobblestone, a hat that covered his eyes and an ornate music pipe dangling from his neck.

He drifted through the streets, seemingly oblivious to the many rats that scampered around him as well as the stares and whispered of the townsfolk. Without needing directions he headed straight for the town hall and entered the mayor’s office, interrupting yet another pointless meeting.

“How dare you burst in here unannounced!” the mayor cried, but his anger subsided when the stranger held up the flyer.

Everyone in the room gave the man a strange look, including the mayor, who stood up from his place at the head of the table to get a better look at him. They waited for the man to speak, but he said nothing, so the mayor cleared his throat and asked, “I see no specialist equipment and you appear to have come alone. How do you plan to get rid of the vermin?”

At this, the stranger lifted his head to meet the mayor’s eyes with his black beady unblinking ones. An unnaturally wide smile spread across his chalk-white face as he slowly lifted a long finger and tapped on the instrument that hung around his neck.

“I see, very well,” said the mayor unnerved. Shaking his head he waved the man out, deciding to accept his help. If he didn’t deliver, the council wouldn’t pay him. “We’ll pay you once the job is done.”

That night the townsfolk heard a melodic flute, beautiful sounds that were foreign yet entrancing. Maybe the music was laced with a charm or spell because from the houses, out of the sewers and through the streets came rats of Krysa. The people watched from their windows in awe as the rodents obediently followed the mysterious piper in an orderly line through the town, up the hills and presumably to the Morava river where they all drowned.

The day after was filled with celebration, men tossed around great mugs of beer and women danced in the street, food was proudly displayed out in the streets now that there was no fear of it being stolen by vermin. Inside the mayor’s office the councilmen cheered, happy to be free of the burden that had haunted them for the longest time.

However, when the piper stepped in to collect his reward the sobering reality dawned on them. Had the stranger truly gotten rid of every single rat? And only after a night’s work! It didn’t add up, and the council weren’t convinced that that the plague had truly been eradicated.

“Come now friend, forget the 1,000 crowns,” the mayor said, “Take 50.”

They men expected the piper to quietly take the money and leave, imagine their surprise when the stranger opened his mouth and spoke. “I will be paid. You may keep your precious gold, but I will be paid.”

His words were sharp and cold, leaving quite the impression on the greedy councilmen. Over the next few days they kept a look out for the piper, anxious that he would break into the bank and steal the town’s money. However, as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months without any sort of appearance, they soon forgot about him.

Before long was the sound of the piper heard again in the town. Now, on a cold winter night, out of houses and through the streets, came the children of Krysa. The people watched in horror as their children danced and clapped along to the hypnotic tune of the flute, obediently following the stranger through the town and up the hills.

One boy, being lame, couldn’t keep up with the others and stopped following along once he was too far back to hear the music. He stood freezing in his grubby night clothes watching his peers disappear over the horizon, in the direction of river Morava. Once they were all out of sight he hobbled back home in the empty darkness. The only one to return.

In the days after, men organised search parties and women wailed in the streets, business came to a standstill as the people obsessed over finding the lost generation. Inside the mayor’s office the councilmen were fixated on work, churning out flyer after flyer and sending them far out into the lands beyond. Each read: “A fortune to you piper, if only you return to us our children.”

There was no immediate reply, and as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years the people gave up hope. The piper never returned, and they never saw their children again.

It wasn’t until the old man had finished his story did I realise that the entire room had gone silent. He stood up and said, “This young man is not to be feared,” before painstakingly making his way out of the door. However, it didn’t do anything to change the people’s opinion of me, they only glanced briefly in my direction before going back to conversing in their groups. Everything about that place was so strange.

I...hm...don’t think I’ll ever go back there again.”

A small puff of wind escaped Time as he finished the story, coming back from the memories he hadn’t really thought about in years. It was a few moment before he remembered that he’d been talking to the rest of group and looked around to gauge their reactions. The faces of his young comrades ranged from disturbed in Legend’s case to downright terror in Wind’s case.

Satisfied with this, Time reached over the log for his blanket and got himself comfortable, moving to the right a little in case Wind wanted space. “Goodnight all.”

There was a brief pause as the group all hesitantly turned to look at each other. After a few moments, Sky ventured in a voice barely above a whisper, “Was that really a true story?”

“There’s no way to know,” Legend whispered back. “That old guy was probably senile. And anyway that was over 100 years ago, the piper’s long dead by now.”

“What if he isn’t human?” Wind mumbled, retreating into the folds of the sail cloth.

“Like a ghost or something?” Wild asked, scanning the forest edge.

“Even if he exists and is still around, this old man said we’re far away from this Krysa place. Not that we have anything to worry about, well...sailor better watch out,” Legend smirked. “You too smithy.”

Four peaked out from his blanket and grumbled, “I’m not a kid.”

“Right I forgot, you’re so small it’s easy to-” Legend froze mid-sentence and snapped his head in the direction of the forest. “What was that?”

“What was what?!” hissed Sky, suddenly alert. He felt a sharp tug on his right and saw that Wind was bundling himself up in the rest of the sail cloth.

Wild wasted no time in hopping over the log and going for his bow and arrow. “Yeah I heard it too.”

Legend, Hyrule, Four and Sky quickly followed after grabbing their swords, with Warriors rising slowly from his place, blade drawn. The six heroes cautiously moved closer to the forest edge listening intently for anything suspicious. A distinct twig snapping sound sent them all into stiff fighting stances.

Despite smothering himself in soft fabric Wind heard the noise and immediately joined the action. Heart racing he gathered the sail cloth around his head, vaulted over the log and seized the phantom sword. “Let’s go you flute playing fucker!” he yelled into the darkness, brandishing his sword while simultaneously covering his ears.

Up until now Time hadn’t been paying much attention to them, thinking that one or two were playing a prank to scare the others. But Wind’s brazen outcry forced him to open his eyes and address the situation. He stood up and turned behind to see the group pointing their weapons at Twilight, who’d just emerged from the forest behind them. He had his hands raised in an unthreatening manner, like he was about to calm a group of frightened animals.

“Hey...it’s just me,” he said quietly, making his way out of the undergrowth. “Sorry I didn’t say anything while approaching, I assumed you guys were asleep.”

Surprised that Wolfie had been able to leave without anyone noticing, Time glanced over to where he had been resting and turned back only to see the group arguing amongst themselves. He crossed his arms and watched them bicker, deciding not to tell them any more stories for the foreseeable future.

~~~

Thanks for reading!

Masterlist

9th place in the LU character design ranking

Character analysis posts:

Hero of the Sky, Hero of Time, Hero of Twilight, Hero of the Wild, Hero of Warriors

Parkour team - LU drabble

How each member of the chain laughs - LU headcanon

Story notes:

The name of the hamlet is literally just the Czech word for ‘rat’. I wanted to use the German word since the Pied Piper story is set in Hamlin a German town, but ‘ratte’ sounded too on the nose. Also I wanted the hamlet to have a different currency from Hyrule since it’s so removed from that kingdom.

I hope my version of the Pied Piper story was scary/creepy enough to warrant the chain being all jumpy and going ape shit at the slightest forest noise. Yes, even Legend was scared.

Speaking of the Pied Piper, I wanted to hint at the idea that there wasn’t really a person there, just an empty vessel for the entity in the flute to control (btw the ‘smile’ was the entity trying to human in a friendly way. It failed miserably, but hey it tried). Like how Majora puppeteered Skull kid. It’s why the story both fascinates and scares Time, it pokes at some buried childhood trauma for him.

This is set in Time’s era, maybe a couple weeks or so before he takes them to his home. Also, goes without saying but the wolfie thing is hush hush in this short story.

Decide for yourself who the newest member I alluded to is, didn’t specify cuz it wasn’t too important.

Spoiler(?): The old guy who told Time the story was the surviving boy from the night the children went missing- if you believe that it actually happened.

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transmutationisms · 1 year

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interestiiing. i hope i’m not bothering you btw, i’m just trying to make sense of it in my head and i value your insights on the show, i just think they’re really good. so it’s like, kendall sees waystar as the end goal kind of because it was promised to him initially and taking over would kind of mean that he has logan’s approval? but since the promise was broken in season 1 kendall eventually realised that in order to take over he has to “be a killer”, meaning he has to loganify himself in a way, he has to “kill” logan because that is exactly what logan would do in his position. and basically by “killing” logan he will gain his respect and he will take over. but it’s messy because he actually attempts it with the vote of no confidence but logan still sees him as weak and unfit to run the company and logan still wants to stay on so that flops. then he tries again at the end of season 2 and we have that smile of kiiind of approval from logan but also, he still wants to stay on and it’s war basically. and like, is it at that point that kendall decides he has to be better than logan? it seems like he might have been stewing on that idea for a while (either since he killed that waiter or maybe since childhood…) but his attempts to “be better” than logan seem performative? especially because his motives are actually selfish i think. so is it just… he made logan the centre of his life and he can either get logan’s approval OR prove himself to be “a better person” than logan because that’s the only way he can kind of set himself free? if that makes sense? like he would exceed logan’s judgement if he did that? idk. so he basically has a standard for who he has to be that was set by logan and he tried and failed to be that so he decided “ok so i have to be a better person, a good guy, and that’s something he isn’t and he doesn’t understand and if i was seen as a good guy by the world that might have the same value to me as getting approval from this one man, my father”. but it’s like he’s trying not to be like logan but actually is in some ways and whether his mission is to be like logan or to not be like logan, he is still making logan the centre of his life and he doesn’t actually have values of his own because he is constantly referencing logan? so he kind of loves him because he is his father but more importantly logan was his centre and his point of reference his entire life and it’s distabilizing to have that taken from him (by logan dying) because that’s the way he has lived his entire life? i mean, he kind of kept seeking out ways to “fuck” logan in the first two episodes of this season which shows he wasn’t actually ready to let go and, like, do his own thing… it’s like he lost his point of reference when logan died and like. he spent his entire life seeing himself through logan’s eyes? maybe he’s not ready to have to see himself through the eyes of the world? or of anyone that isn’t logan? am i making sense?

yeah lol, i think logan being kendall's only frame of reference is the crucial point here. you can see him flip-flopping between trying to dominate logan and trying to get away from logan, eg in prague or in the dinner scene in chiantishire. but what unifies his motives the whole time is that he sees his dad as evil and has no actual moral compass beyond that. logan's moral claim has basically always been "might makes right," ie, it doesn't matter if he's 'good' or 'bad' because he's powerful. kendall can never actually refute that because he has no definition of good or bad himself; his entire worldview is refracted through his desire to gain logan's approval and self-actualise by becoming ceo.

so it's like he has this constant cycle in his head: become dad by taking over -> get denied that opportunity because dad thinks i'm pathetic -> loganify, ie become dominant and powerful, ie do whatever ruthless thing dad would do in my position -> fail at that because i'm servile and emotionally incontinent -> land back at dad's feet because he's made himself my only security net -> i must become dad and take over this time or else i will kms for real -> wash rinse repeat

#tbh as much as i think tmb is kind of shitty ken writing it does sort of work to show how the parts of this cycle overlap lol #like they're not mutually exclusive or internally contradictory For Kendall #also dw ur not annoying me. im marinating in exam dread and thinking about kendall roy to distract myself.#a sandpit for emergent behaviour

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hiruzensux · 1 year

Text

FELLOW ENMA-FUCKERS!!!!! I REQUIRE YOUR AID IN A MATTER MOST GRAVE:

where does and doesn't he have fur??

(nothing explicit, just putting it under a readmore bc long)

somehow, despite the Hiruzen x Enma porn drawings* that have been floating around half-formed inside my skull for years now, it is only NOW that i realize: i have no idea what Enma looks like underneath that iconic fit

so analyzing the images:

on his head we see both furred (hair + beard + sideburns -zones) and seemingly non-furred (middle part of face) areas

(tail is furry, obviously)

his hands + feet are mostly non-furred, but there is fur on at least the back of his wrists + ankles visible below the edge of his sleeves(/l...leg sleeves? is that what they're called?? sleeves, but for legs instead of arms)

regarding his neck, without going through the episodes he's in, the only shot i've been able to find with the right angle seems to be this MTG/YGO-style card of him:

(the origins of which i do not know. fanmade? official merch? is the image a still from the anime, or was it originally drawn for this card? and by whom? i haven't bothered to try to find out, will update if i do. but anyway)

it looks like there isn't any fur on his neck (except maybe down the back underneath where his long hair hangs down and obscures the area)

we also do not see any chest fur extending up past his neckline

...and beyond this, we know nothing.

i'm already exercising some creative license in how tall to make him (i've got a working number BUT i'm not saying yet in case i decide it's completely wrong whilst trying to actually draw him lol), since a) manga evidence is limited + anime evidence inconsistent, and b) i habitually will just directly contradict canon if i have an idea i'm attached to anyway... so i've got no issue on principle with just filling in the blanks according to my whim...

but i'm kind of just not getting any clear impression of what to picture re: fur pattern

considering looking at photos of actual monkeys to see if i that gives me any ideas... but in that case, what kind of monkey??

it's also complicated bc in a lot of shots he looks to me more anthropomorphic than the avg monkey? (but this is harder to tell w/ primates than w/ other creatures anyway...) (and not to mention the limited pool of Enma reference imgs AGAIN, but damn... a tiny handful of manga panels, and then his brief anime appearance was in the middle of the arc that brought us some of THE most iconic moments in wonky-lookin Naruto animation. if that fight in the anime was my sole reference for Hiruzen and Orochimaru, i wouldn't be very sure how anthropomorphic they were supposed to look either lmao)

anyway.

do YOU have opinions about Enma's fur distribution?

thoughts on which monkey species he's based on?

got a monkey fursona?

any and all insights welcome 💖

(*update: i actually drew one if you want to see the the hilarious fur-placement i went with (just warning for. yknow. porn lmao.))

#monkey king enma #PANTLEGS.#that's probably a better term than 'leg sleeves'#fuck i forgot abt image credits #these were both yoinked straight from google images #should i add links to from whence i yoinked em?#(#i think 'from whence' is maybe redundant actually? like 'whence' already includes the 'from' or smth?#nnnn idk actually nvm don't listen to me #i got overconfident. tried to flex my Word Smarts.#i guess solving the leg sleeves mystery must've gone to my head #)#but yeah. i feel like i should have an image of where the fur is and isn't but im kind of stumped honestly #the voice of my self doubt: ''if you were a REAL furry you would KNOW the answer''#maybe one day i'll actually make a proper fursona #i tried one time. he was going to be a bat.#but then i realized i'd probably have to decide between him having wings or having hands. unless i did both. but that wouldnt be realistic.#if he's a bat then he's gotta have wings right? but will he be ok wothout hands? i could see that beinf really inconvenient.#but also: could he wear shirts? would they have to be those open-side bro tanks? bc i had strong feelings abt thos back then (high school)#and which way would his feet point??#and at that point i got too overwhelmed.#i've had lots of ideas since #but i haven't managed to develop any further than that #a lot of those didn't have fur though. so more accurately i'd be a scaly (or some things i dont know how to name. osteoderm-y? denticle-y?)#...#yeah these tags derailed harder than usual this time #anyway. for anyone still here. i eagerly await your thoughts re: the distribution of Enma's fur

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caixxa · 1 year

Note

🤩 , 💖 , 🥳, 😍, and 💪 please :]] love you!

🤩 What's your favorite fic you posted this year?

Summer Kisses!

💖 Was there a comment or another piece of feedback that made you feel all the warm and fuzzies?

I answered twice that all comments because they just matter so much. But I feel like I should mention at least some of the moments of feedback that made me feel a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude beyond the initial rush of warm fuzzies

Ibarbourou @la-cruz-del-sur reading through money shot and writing long, insightful reviews chapter by chapter. In addition, continuing to do so with Summer Kisses, and always being there to have in-depth conversations about writing, sex, life, fandom, porn, politics, rpf ethics... what's remarkable is that she doesn't even watch hockey, she's a phenomenal Argentine football rpf writer who concentrates on South American football culture(s). Going out of her way to analyze my stuff is a huge token of friendship.

@unmetroeduntappo has read all my new works for years and has so many times been the first to comment. A regular sight in my inbox to ask about fic, this kind of loyal continuous support is more than anyone can deserve. I can't even question her taste in case i wanted to fall down a spiral of self-doubt. Being a Kalle Rovanperä fan is a sign of impeccable taste. (Also, go read J! (jump (caution!) for a warm fuzzy mix of rally and my hockey otp)

You 👉👆👈 giving so much love to my burky/evil!bedsy nastiness on windsor knot and linking it on your phenomenally hot crack your knuckles in my mouth! Thank you for the traffic 🥰

🥳 What writing accomplishment made you most proud?

That @aleksrothis liked ingénue! It's so nice to manage to write a gift that pleases the recipient.

😍 What's one of your favorite lines or exchanges you wrote this year?

I liked the amount of ensemble feels and plot that I wrote as a lead-up to the kinky winner's room dubcon in Ruby Room (dirty floors and sticky tables), mostly as dialogue. This one is with Justin Williams.

Justin Williams looks fondly over the table, watching Sebastian digging into his food like he had been starving for days.

“Gotta say, I miss the playoffs,” Justin says.

Sebastian glances up from his plate and shoots him a feisty eyeful, tilting one corner of his lips to a lopsided smirk.

“Do you mean that you want me to say that I miss you in the playoffs? Well, I do. I miss you in the playoffs.”

“The A on your sweater looked very fine.”

“Are you trying to get me to say that the C on yours always looked even better?”

Justin chuckles.

“Man you’re snarky today, Sebastian. Is something wrong?”

💪What ship gave you the most brainrot this year?

Define brainrot?? If writing a lot of fic for a ship gives you brainrot it would be pekka/juuse BUT they've written themselves pretty neatly and left my head clean without extending their rent-free stay.

Maybe it's the ships that I turn around and around in my head as vibes and disjointed images, ideas and fractions of scenes, watching them from every angle but never trying to pin them down as words? Talk about sepe and his Daddy Dom candidates. Rod. (Aight I've written them a lot but there could have been more). Jordo. Nnhhhgh Brent Burns 🔥 And any +combination of those. I keep hurting myself and yes, rotting my brain. (Want examples? I've got examples just ask)

Thank you for the ask and the opportunity to end up degrading everyone's dash when I end up rambling filth. I love you 😘

#fic #hockey rpf #ask game #2022 wrapped #long post

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ashesandhackles · 2 years

Note

iirc there was a post by you that said Hatori is a character to expand on Shigure's character. wdym exactly?

That was me being a bit petty, because of a few posts I saw that said "Shigure stans, if you like hot men, Hatori is right there." etc etc.

But regardless, I actually do have legit issues around his writing in the story, without the reactionary pettiness. I think i am going to rephrase the rant I had about this on reddit, lol.

From a writing standpoint, after his backstory that builds Akito as an antagonist, he is just there to clean up after Akito's messes and then to add more layers to Shigure. (Watch his scenes and see which character do you get more insight into, lol. Spoiler alert: it's not him.)

Kureno gets an explicit arc that really addresses his destructive altruism (How the story frames things matters a lot in how I feel about characters). Hatori doesn't even get that - instead Yuki apologises to him for resenting him for "following Akito's orders". Yuki gifts Hatori freedom from his guilt - thankfully, Hatori is aware enough as a character to realise that Yuki really didn't have to do it and that he is indeed very kind.

Basically, my problem here is narrative framing, and not necessarily the character itself. The story cannot commit to framing his inaction and irresponsibility critically, beyond "my hands are dirty too" with image of him touching the eye Akito wounded to indicate guilt and shame.

There are couple of places I really wanted an insight into Hatori's struggles for being complicit in an abusive system, or more of his internal life that is not related to his romantic life.

The places I have questions on and story gives very less indication of is:

1. Yuki stopped talking for some time. Haru intervenes when Yuki stops talking and begs Shigure to get him out of there. Hatori is Yuki's doctor. Where was he and what was he doing? What are his feelings about this?

We get Hatori and Shigure discussing Yuki in S1ep12 - but that scene is to set up differences between Akito and Tohru. The underlying message of that scene was Akito traumatised Yuki, and Tohru is helping him heal ("Akito doesn't understand.."). Nothing on Hatori's feelings here, zilch subtext.

2. Rin keeps running away from the hospital and there was a time where she completely disappeared, because she was locked in Cat cage. Kagura asks Hatori and Shigure about it, Hatori says something to the effect of him not knowing anything. We get Kureno's feelings about Akito locking Rin up ("no matter who you are, you can't do things like this"), we know Kureno gets chewed out by head maid for freeing her. We know through Kureno that Hatori drove her to hospital. Again, what was he thinking? What did he face? Because the next scenes we get of Hatori is him chastising Shigure for not being kind to Akito. Where is the connector between those two scenes, where are dialogues that indicates how he feels about things that have happened? Or did he take all this as just another day in the estate even as Kureno didn't? Basically I feel gaps in an otherwise potentially rich and complex character.

I know exactly what Kureno and Shigure are feeling because they get loaded dialogues and images that indicates their feelings. All of these scenes I mentioned here of Hatori are expansion of the Sohma cult, and other characters. Hatori becomes a device to establish those, and not someone with internal thoughts and motivations on his own (seriously, go check his scenes about the nature of abuse in estate: him narrating Kisa being beaten up is exposition. )

The frustrating thing is that there is material right there to develop, but it is just so half heartedly done - and because it is so half heartedly done, it barely comes up in any character analysis of him.

There is so much material in terms of his complicated dynamic with Akito. He loves her (not romantically), and one of the reasons he "refuses to blame Akito" is not just the compulsion of the curse. It's also who he is, and his own emotional history with her. The panel of Hatori picking up a crying Akito is so striking!

We get the first indication of Akito's danger as an antagonist with Hatori's backstory, and we get first indication of a new facet of Akito, with that specific image and Kureno's narration about how he can't abandon Akito. The story shifts perspective and gear with Hatori and Akito - and besides few pointed asides with Shigure about Akito's status ("God can have favourites among us" "Why don't you try to be kinder?") - we dont get more about this. We do get indication of how feels frozen etc, and how he can't cry (and therefore Mayuko cries) - it's good material to be worked with but the framing/treatment of this kind of monstrous passivity (even though it's enabled by his depression) is so meh.

Kureno gets an arc, Shigure is framed as antagonist, Ayame also gets an arc - all adults are complicit in abuse. No one is clean or morally in the right- what story does about it, and how it is told matters.

#anon #asks #why am i getting all asks that bring out my critical side #fruits basket is formative media for me and I keep going back to it #but yeah #i have criticisms to make #fruits basket

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berenwrites · 10 months

Text

Beyond the Battle - Chapter 17 - Stranger Things - Steddie

Beyond the Battle: Action & Consequence

Click here for All Posted Chapters

Summary: Steve hits things with a bat or gets hit depending on who you ask. He definitely does not have anything to do with the psychic stuff. That is El’s domain. However, as Vecna is defeated, the rules change.

Pairing: steddie (Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson)

Other Relationships: Steve & Robin, Steve & Dustin, Eddie & Dustin

Rating: Teen

A/N: Multi-chapter story, updated regularly. Honestly not sure how many chapters it will have yet because it's still a bit hand wavy in the middle, but definitely more than 12. Thank you to my beta for find my mistakes and to all those who read/like/reblog.💖 Follow #st:beyond-the-battle for updates.

Also on AO3

Chapter 17. From Outside

Waking up to a banging on the front door was not how Steve expected his morning to go. Sunlight was flooding through the window where the blinds and curtains were open, and Eddie was curled up beside and half over him. All in all, it made him smile. Then the banging came again and distracted him.

“What the hell?” Eddie asked, peering at him in a barely awake manner.

He looked positively adorable with his curls in a wild mess.

“I think we slept in,” Steve said, glancing at the clock on the side and seeing it read 9:53.

He was a little amazed. That he had managed to sleep again after the nightmare was not as unusual as it once had been, but that he had slept so long and so peacefully was. The banging returned.

“I better go and answer that,” he said, reluctantly separating from Eddie.

Eddie whined and buried his face in the pillow Steve had just vacated, which was all kinds of cute. Shaking his head at how far gone he clearly was, Steve headed downstairs, running his fingers through his hair. He opened the door to find Robin on his doorstep.

“About time,” she said, waltzing straight past him.

“You have a key,” Steve pointed out, yawning, and rubbing one eye.

“Didn’t want to walk in on anything,” Robin replied.

“All you’d have seen was some first-rate cuddling,” he said.

“Oh my,” Robin said, looking at him with one of her analytical expressions that slowly broke into a smile, “you’ve got it bad. You should see the dopy smile on your face.”

“Thank you so much for your insightful analysis, Doctor Robin,” he responded in his best bitchy tone, not that he could really deny it.

His best friend snorted a laugh at him.

“Awww, Stevie is in wuv,” she said.

He could feel the blush spreading up his face as he totally failed to reply to that.

“Oh my god, you are,” Robin said, dropping the teasing tone.

“I… um… I don’t know,” he stuttered.

He’d only been in love once and he’d fallen hard and fast. It had ripped his heart out when Nancy had told him it was all bullshit, not that he really blamed her. Being older and wiser he could see it from her point of view as well. Not that it changed how he had felt, however. He’d only had Eddie back a couple of days, only really known him for a week before that. He was almost sure he was still in the falling stage, but now Robin had said it, he couldn’t ignore it was happening.

“Deep breath, Dingus,” Robin said, placing a hand on his arm.

“He played and sang Bridge Over Troubled Water for me last night after I had a nightmare,” he confessed as the warmth of the memory curled through his chest.

“Eddie knows Bridge Over Troubled Water?” Robin asked, eyebrows raising.

“Hidden depths,” he said, “but not really the point. I had a nightmare, a bad one, he played me music, we fell asleep and didn’t wake up until you banged on the door.”

“Yeah, I see what you mean,” Robin replied, because she knew him almost as well as he knew himself. “Still happy for you, Steve,” she said, giving him a big smile, “but if you need to freak out, you always know where to find me.”

“Thanks,” he said.

He had a lot to think about it seemed.

“So that means you haven’t had breakfast yet then?” Robin asked and broke him out of his reverie.

“It’s always food with you,” he complained.

“Like you don’t love feeding people,” she said. “Chop, chop, go rouse that metalhead boyfriend of yours, I fancy French Toast this morning.”

“Do you not have food at your house?” he griped, even as he headed towards the stairs.

“You expect me to make my own breakfast when I have you, my devoted, platonic soulmate to do it for me?” she made a dismissive noise. “Are you kidding?”

“Oh, of course,” he replied as he began to climb, “how could I have been so dumb?”

“I don’t know, how could you?” came the immediate response. “Be quick or I may have to root around in your cupboards for snacks.”

“Robin, do not touch my cupboards … Robin,” but it was too late, she was already disappearing into the kitchen.

He resigned himself to coming back down to chaos, since Robin was clearly in one of those moods. However, he couldn’t really focus on that because he had bed-head Eddie to look forward to back in his room. Robin could wait for a little, while he enjoyed waking up his boyfriend properly. They hadn’t actually discussed what they were officially, but he was pretty sure the whole midnight music and cuddling all night thing gave him the right to at least think it.

~*~

The walkie crackled into life while Steve was loading the dishwasher. Eddie had offered, but the dishwasher had a few quirks, it probably needed replacing, so Steve had politely declined to do it himself.

“Code M, repeat Code M, over,” came through loud and clear in Lucas’ voice.

“What’s code M?” Eddie asked.

“Max,” Robin said, standing up and walking over to where the device was on the side.

“Ears on, over,” Dustin’s voice responded almost instantly.

“Ears on here,” Will said with others in the background. and Mike replied shortly as well.

“Ears on at Steve’s,” Robin added.

“Guys,” Lucas told them excitedly, “I just spoke to Max’s mom, they’re transferring Max back to Hawkins General today. Over.”

“That’s awesome,” came from Dustin, because of course Dustin was first. “Does that mean we’ll finally be able to visit her? Over.”

“Yeah,” Lucas replied. “I asked and her mom said she’d like that. It sucks they wouldn’t let us before. Over”

“Yeah,” Mike added.

The hospital Max had been evacuated to had been overcrowded thanks to the emergency so only immediate family members had been allowed to visit patients. It had caused quite a ruckus among the party when they had not been permitted to go straight away. Only Hopper putting his foot down firmly had stopped a minor invasion anyway.

“Look, I have to run, Mom has me cleaning the garage. Max’s mom said they probably won’t be here until late afternoon. We should talk later. Over,” Lucas said.

“El says we’ll come rescue you later. Over.” Will promised with a laugh.

“Thanks, Guys. Over and out,” Lucas said.

There followed a few moments of everyone else signing off. Steve finished the dishwasher and closed it, before glancing over at Eddie who looked back in a way that had him believing Eddie knew exactly what he was thinking about.

“Okay, what’s that look for?” Robin asked, fixing Steve with one of her penetrating stares.

“I can help Max,” he said, going with the simple truth.

“Steve, while I appreciate you are willing to risk yourself for others, you don’t know that,” Robin said.

“No, I do,” he told her. “I can help her.”

“How are you so sure?” his best friend asked.

He shared another glance with Eddie.

“Because I did it for Hopper,” he confessed.

“You what? When?” she demanded.

“Last night,” Eddie provided for him, “after everyone else left. Seems they conspired when none of us were looking.”

“I didn’t quite finish, but he’s mostly fixed,” Steve said. “It was different than what I did for you and Dustin, and Eddie, but I think that had more to do with the Void … um … anyway, I can do it.”

“You convinced Hopper to let you by bringing up Max, didn’t you?” Robin said, giving him an exasperated look.

She knew him far too well. Maybe they really did share a brain sometimes.

“Yes,” he replied, wincing a little at the way she glared at him.

Eddie laughed, because apparently his pain was funny.

“You are unbelievable,” she scolded him, shaking her head. “You couldn’t even give yourself a few days to rest and recuperate?”

“I don’t think it quite works that way,” he said.

“Then explain it to me,” Robin said, “because I’m really beginning to worry, okay?”

He walked over and sat in the chair next to her.

“Sorry,” he told her, doing his best to organise his thoughts because he did want those he cared about to understand. “When I healed Hopper, it needed more than me just speeding up his body’s normal healing, because some of it was damage that had already healed wrong. I had to think about it differently and I kind of saw what I was doing.”

“You visualised it?” Robin asked.

He nodded.

“There’s like a pool of energy in me,” he continued. “It’s bright, metallic, and it didn’t get smaller when I used it, it got duller. With Hop I could feel when it was time to stop, so I did. But as soon as I, well, refuelled I supposed…”

“I made a stack of grilled cheese,” Eddie offered.

“It got brighter again. I was still tired, but I could have gone straight back in if I needed to,” he explained.

“You were tired because you’d been concentrating hard for over two hours,” Eddie said.

Steve shrugged, that seemed about right.

“So, you’re saying as long as you eat, this reservoir inside of you keeps getting recharged, and you just have to deal with the stress you’ve put yourself through physically by focussing so hard, not how much energy you used for the actual healing?” Robin summarised.

“Yes, I think so,” he replied. “Healing Hopper was harder because it was mostly active, I had to make it happen like chasing down another player and stealing the ball. Healing you and Dustin was easy because I didn’t have to push it as much, like going through the motions on a learned play. And Eddie, well…”

“Involved Upside Down shit, so all bets are off,” Eddie finished for him.

“Okay, sports metaphors aside, I think I get it,” Robin said. “But what about pushing too hard? It happened to El, couldn’t it happen to you?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “It’s not the same as making things move, that feel harsher, wrong, at least to me, but I do still get the nosebleeds.”

Robin pursed her lips.

“I think I would know though,” he added before she could say anything. “If I was crossing that line, I think I’d know.”

“I wish that was comforting,” Robin said, shaking her head, “but I’ve seen you step right across lines just like that more than once.”

“I try not to,” was the best he could do as an apology.

“Ugh!” Robin threw her hands into the air.

“And there’s also the question of how are you going to heal Max without the government finding out?” Eddie added. “I assume you don’t want them to know yet.”

Steve sagged, he hadn’t thought of that. He knew sooner or later they were going to have to come clean about him and Will with Owens at the very least, but he’d much rather it was later given that there were factions in the government that had tried very hard to kill El.

“Well, that’s easy,” Robin said, much to his surprise.

“It is?” he asked.

“Yes,” she told him, “we just pretend it is El doing it.”

“I thought you were against this?” Eddie pointed out.

“I am against Steve hurting himself,” Robin replied, “not against the idea in principle. Max is one of ours, if we can help, we should, I just want to make sure Dingus here, doesn’t go running in exploding his brain.”

“Did you watch Scanners again?” Steve asked at her choice of phrase.

“No, I’m still scarred from the first time,” she said and gave him the how-dare-you look.

“I liked that movie,” Eddie said.

“You would,” was Robin’s cutting reply. “Does anyone else know about you healing Hopper?”

He shook his head.

“Well, I expect Joyce does by now,” Eddie commented.

“He wasn’t going to tell her yet,” Steve countered.

“Yeah, but you saw the scar on his neck, right?” Eddie said. “The one that looks like it might have been from a knife or a claw?”

Steve shook his head, he hadn’t noticed that one.

“It looks a lot like ours now,” Eddie revealed. “And Joyce is not a stupid woman, so she’s going to put two and two together, especially if he’s hiding more under his clothes.”

The mental image that conjured in Steve’s head made him wrinkle his nose.

“You just thought of Joyce and Hopper getting naked too, didn’t you?” Robin said very unhelpfully.

“Yep,” he replied, “and it’s like admitting my parents have sex.”

“With you on that one,” Robin agreed, which Eddie found hilarious if his grin was anything to go by. “Moving swiftly on.”

“Sounds like we need another planning meeting,” Eddie said. “That’s if Joyce and Hopper aren’t busy getting their grove on.”

“I hate you,” Robin yelled and put her fingers in her ears, la-ing loudly.

Eddie all but fell off his chair, cackling.

End of Chapter 17

Chapter 18

#stranger things fanfiction #steddie #steve harrington/eddie munson #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #eddie lives #stranger things #st:beyond-the-battle #fanfic #post season 4 #vampire eddie #hurt/comfort #vampire eddie munson #steve harrington has powers #steddie fanfic #steddie fic

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ragesin · 8 months

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[largely from here] ❝ —it's not some huge secret, or anything; like, I'm not ashamed of being what i am... it’s just not something i usually talk about, because it’s not something most people can understand. ❞ she muses, while using a tiny flourish of magic to sweep ingredients back onto their shelves, (repairing a few along the way which had been damaged in the scuffle), ❝ You get that, right?... and anyways: i don’t really need to be understood. i just want to be accepted. ❞

► MISC MEMES

Emerald eyes peered over the bridge of folded arms, cursory glances thrown to surroundings as it's steadily rearranged back in order and ingredients were neatly packed away. The knight hadn't cleanly escaped the smattering of chaos sprung onto the store either. A generous dusting of sugar powdered much of blond locks, white blending in with the fabric of his long coat. The perpetrators of said scuffle he came across had already been shown the exit. The solid kicks in the ass graciously handed out by his boot spoke clearly: good riddance.

Though, they must have said something to the owner. Enough for it to stick, and enough for it to prompt this airing of thoughts after Meliodas' innocuous observation — ❛ seems like you got a lot going on, lady ❜. Or maybe the demon had that kind of face, the type that's disarmingly open ( quite contrary to reality ) where people felt the need to freely pour their heart out to him with relative ease. A part of him within heaved a mirthless / amused scoff at that last one, dismissing the stray musing out of hand.

Relaxed position shifted, chin now resting atop his forearms. A puff of air sent a dusty cloud of particles into the air. Soon, his sight wandered again, drawn to the owner herself.

Layers sat underneath the statements, applicable to people like him ( with a thing to bury, so that no eyes may rest upon it beyond the passing of a inattentive gaze ) but he held an idle stance, unsure if he wanted to even step forward and try navigating the complexities sitting between the lines waiting to trip up careless passersby. Something like apprehension invaded the tongue, bitter and bitingly sharp in contrast to the scent of scattered confectioneries that might otherwise make his mouth water.

❝ ...Well now, that's part of what living's about, is it not ? Looking out for the few people that will accept you, no questions asked. ❞ Experience coloured response, affable words twisted into something stuck between wry and cheer. ❝ Though that is like finding a gold needle in a haystack. You'd have your work cut out for you. ❞

Assumedly, the desire of said acceptance involved her heritage. If the locales' mix of rumours and testimonies sworn up and down the river about the fairy running the residential bakery weren't somehow sufficient, keen senses determined inhumane nature the moment he stepped near the establishment's threshold. ( word of mouth like that probably did wonders for business. it got him out here, didn't it ? ) Naturally, the obvious shimmer of luminescent wings appeared to be lacking, likely underneath the veil of magic. However, fae always carried a floral scent. It served as one of the indicators of fairies, a subtle tell typically less thoroughly hidden.

While traces of empathy stirred within, ultimately none of this had anything to do with him. After all, what he was in the kingdom's eyes was a criminal shackled to the guilt of past crimes, and he's content with leaving it at that. The only personal insight he's willing to offer would have to stem from that surface image alone, whether she was aware of it or not.

He allowed his head to fall slightly to the right with an airy laugh, adding on a cheeky afterthought: ❝ Well, not everyone can have their cake and eat it too. But hey. I bet your baking skills go a long way for that goal already. Tons of people would hate to admit it, but they can be won over through their stomachs. Be the best and they won't have any leg to stand on. ❞

@mielmoto

#mielmoto #⁺✧⠀⠀`⠀reply⠀﹕⠀❪ wrath claws at your chest. ❫#⁺✧⠀⠀`⠀verse⠀﹕⠀❪ holy sword brandished. ❫#⁺✧⠀⠀`⠀ic⠀﹕⠀❪ and yet、you kept going. ❫#( so i combed through your blog for nnt info/verse but came up with nothing #so i hope you don't mind me making up some stuff here for her #i just assumed she had some traits of nnt fairies #hope this is alright )

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2n2n · 2 years

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Top 5 / 10 favourite characters in JSHK and why.

I'll just do however many until it no longer feels like I can refer to a character as a "fav" in some manner. It's not going to be any surprises, though! My favs are the ones I talk about the most!

Amane!!! IN THE #1 SPOT!

Of course, he's the most fascinating, captivating, exciting, worrisome! Of course I can see why Tsukasa would want to die for him! To give Amane a chance at happiness-- wouldn't you give up everything, for that? I adore all of him…. including his possessiveness, his hypocrisy, how rude and egotistical he can be. When Amane shows you his vulnerability, it's all the sweeter, guarded behind all of his defensive behaviors and masks. His attention feels kind and generous…. like he's bequeathing it to you. I love that Amane's affection tends to be condescendingly delivered, to those he loves most… his nature to give a head pet and cheek squish…. he makes you feel small, but cared for.

I find it charming that Amane is a sort of poindexter nerd, yet also exceptionally crass in a downright fratboy-like manner. So unique, LOL, who ever sees a boy like this? He can ramble on about the stars, he can speak cryptically and poetically, and he can harass with sexually inappropriate comments. He keeps you on your damn toes. He's almost too complex. One second you're pitying him immensely, and the next, he's so unnecessarily shitty.

On top of it all, he endured miserable chronic illness as a toddler…. while also having a loving twin who would go with him anywhere, and do anything he wanted whenever he wanted. His backstory makes me go "ok…. so that's why Amane is 'like that', is it?" Suffering guy who was hand-fed fresh-picked berries at his bedside by his sibling. No wonder he's the tyrant boy-king.

Tsukasa

It feels odd but necessary to place Tsukasa here….. he is infinitely complicated, yet incredibly simple. A boy born with a divine purpose: to love Yugi Amane. It feels as if Tsukasa lives for nothing else. Amane had dreams, aspirations, careers in mind, and…. what did Tsukasa want? To make Amane happy. Why was he seemingly born with no sense of value for his own life? The concept of a dumb and loving child suchas Tsukasa becoming merged(?) with some sortof God(like?) entity, is incredibly captivating. All of this power and capability, in someone with such a playful and curious spirit, and such a profound love for one person. The way he is, combined with the divine and holy imagery and atmosphere, ahhh, it's just so, so unique and interesting.

Nene

Despite loving Amane & Tsukasa, I would never replace Nene as our protagonist… her perspective is so vital, and I love her taste. It's been so fun to watch a girl become more and more agreeable to maltreatment and poor behavior…. watching Amane's charm worm its way through her, all the way 'til she wants to die for him. Nene-chan has a duality-- a charming simplicity, a bit of a dumb and clumsy girl…. and a bizarre taste, a poetic and macabre angle. Nene-chan likes to write poems of her feelings, she loves Enka music about cursing your lover to death, she chooses to adorn herself in devil horns and skulls, even her child self is pictured with some scary ghoul plush…. but it isn't as if Nene-chan is as direct as "a goth girl", or like, a Wednesday Adams. She's not morose. Somehow she's still perky, bubbly, feminine…. like Amane, she's composed of disparate elements…. she likes horror stories a lot, but she also plays stupid little Otome games where a guy kabedon's her. In some ways, Nene-chan is "basic", but in others, she's always had a strange taste, which justifies her intrigue in Hanako-kun. Because she's a bit vapid, it's exciting to watch her gain more insight and wonder…. in her heart, she's very compassionate by nature, more than anyone else in this cast.

Hakubo

There couldn't be a better representative for the struggle of kaii throughout time and history. Hakubo is beyond incredible…. he feels well-honed to deconstruct to the reader what it can mean, to be a kaii. I love that Minamoto Yorimitsu points out that Hakubo isn't truly emotionless, he's just very dense…. so cute. A creature never taught to have his own will or desire, never encouraged to be a person or find meaning or purpose. Hakubo can't see into his own heart…. he doesn't know he has one. He thinks of himself as 'other' from humans, incapable of anything sublime or beautiful. So incredibly tragic. Beyond that he's also so funny, his playfulness with Sumire, is so cute, I can understand why she's beyond charmed. I adore his "nah, I was lyin. Ya told me to lie."…. I love the Hakubo gently offering flowers to Aoi on the boat, and apologizing for withering them clumsily…. he comes across as both naturally elegant, with his controlled expression and finery, and oafish/clueless. Poor thing…… I'm sure I'll always think of Hakubo.

Sumire

I feel like Sumire has taught me so much, about what a living human girl can think and feel, in this manga…. I love her duality, of being a wiley little sminch, but very self-pitying (rightfully so), odd and insincere, up to her current self after all these years, which is (mostly) placid and resigned. Sumire's response to her situation is so captivating… there are many ways one could choose to write a doomed girl, many ways which could make her feel more like a 'damsel', but Sumire's mindset feels so authentic to a girl who knew her fate from the very beginning. Capricious and fun-loving, indulgent, seeming blithe to her fate, while only daydreaming of the misery her death may inflict upon others…. to the core, I understand how a human like Sumire could truly fall in love with an Oni. I feel like Sumire's traits will echo forward and backward through this story always! She makes me think about Tsukasa…. and unusual responses to unfortunate circumstances. She keeps my mind open.

Aoi

While Aoi is very interesting, she winds up relatively low on the list, because she's sadly only become so captivating recently, and her story is less grandoise and long-spanning than Sumire/Hakubo (where I feel like I've watched an entire lifetime of Sumire/Hakubo)….. but, she really is incredible for understanding the breadth of the human psyche. A living human character that operates on a similar emotional wavelength to Hanako… that's so incredible. Aoi doesn't only have the emotional reservedness, the inclination to isolation and the refusal to be vulnerable, but even the snobbish 'looks down on others' aspect Hanako has, as well. I like that there is a demeaning part of her, seeing herself separate from humanity. It's not as simple as her being self-conscious because she's unkind…. but even finding herself annoyed by people's social efforts. Such a cool and rare trait for a girl, especially one that is in no way a villain. It's so lucky someone is determined to get to Aoi, and stay with her….

Akane

I think the most interesting thing about Akane for me is his taste in girls. Seeing the reality of Aoi's facade… and finding literally nobody, nobody at all, so interesting, for his entire life…. pretty crazy. As interesting as people like Amane and Aoi are, it's amazing this world also understands, there are people who adore individuals just like this. The mystique of their guarded behavior is alluring.

Akane ranks relatively low as a result though, I think his love's very interesting, but he is a normal boy in his daily life, just a contributor to society. I think Nene-chan being a social reject with only 1 friend is a more interesting angle. I enjoy that Hanako/Nene both feel like such underdogs. Akane is vice president of the student counsil, he's diligent and beloved… that's a little more 'boring' for me. But I'm grateful he loves Aoi.

Sakura

She would be higher, if only we knew more about her. As she is, she's very charming to me. Sakura's patience feels divine. She's placid, gentle, understanding…. she feels like she's experienced so many things. Her placidity reminds me of the long-suffering Sumire… so that makes me so curious about her. I trust Sakura's perspective on others…. I don't think she lets emotions cloud her judgement. I'd place her on the exact opposite end of the spectrum to the reactive Kou, who holds such a strict moral code that he's easily outraged, or sees behavior without caring about the cause or rationale (bad things are simply bad, to Kou). I feel as if Sakura could understand anything, or anyone. She doesn't like to cause suffering, but, I think she knows too well that the world is composed of suffering…. cycles and rules that repeat and repeat. Systems that have no pleasant solution. Sakura's defeatism reminds me of Hanako's, too, but she's even older than him, and we just don't know what a girl endured in the 1900s, to die so young, and be bound to the school. I'm curious, but it's hard to call her a favorite until we know more! I'm always excited when she's around. It's funny her one weakness makes her violent. Natsuhiko's incredibly kind and understanding, too…. beyond rationality, he's so. He's a good match for her. It's too cute we often pair a "difficult/strict/stubborn" person (Hanako, Aoi, Sakura) with a person utterly charmed by them, and maybe a bit oafish in a way (Nene/Tsukasa, Akane, Natsuhiko)….

#avvy's JSHK

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ravenking1771 · 1 year

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Nona the Ninth is Frustrating Boring and a waste of your time

Before I begin my Rant, Spoilers for The Locked Tomb

I have read Gideon the Ninth

Gideon was an amazing fun read with a protagonist who was dynamic action packed and emotionally cathartic.

I have read Harrow the Ninth

The book and plot was an igneous puzzle with a great payoff for some of the mysteries of this book and last and set up incredible possibilities for the third book

Nona the Ninth is frustrating and boring,

This issue is that this book is boring and frustrating because we follow a boring frustrating character who has no internal development. The plot is disconnected from the previous book to such an absurd degree that I who just finished reading Harrow the Ninth the night before had to reread the ending to make sure I hadn’t missed something. Nona is amnesiac with no history or personality and only a few strange gifts. The first half of the book involves interesting characters waiting around on Nona to fucking remember anything or do anything interesting. I never want to reread this book again because it is some much saccharine filler with only a couple of interest morsels for me.

The dominant mechanic is for reader to follow a mentally damaged Nona around who anytime she starts to hear or participate in something interesting is yanked off to go to school with Muir’s attempt at writing adolescents (not teenagers but kids who haven’t even reached puberty). There is so much potential going! An interstellar rebellion against an immortal god-emperor! Revolutionary infighting! An approaching elder god monster thing! Which we only see through the eyes of disinterested uncomprehending and passive child. Yes Nona is a child, she is written like a child and had all of the experience of a child. There is absolutely no emotional connection to Nona only the most basic superficial and above all obvious emotional manipulation ever practiced. Ever heard of save the cat (or dog in this case) that’s all over the first half of the book. The manipulative aspect is so bad I felt my eyes rolling out of my head and is basic and formulaic that it boring. Of course she loves animals and is kind and loving; god forbid she a personality beyond a bowl of white sugar. Gideon was raging fire straining against the hell she was born into. Harrow was a self-destructive genius coming to terms with the abuse she suffered and the abuse she inflicted. Nona is sweet, loving and kind to animals and

I have some simple rules with writing if the reader is bored you the author have failed. If the reader is frustrated you the author have failed. This book inspired boredom and frustration. I read it quickly not because I like Nona but rather to finally figure out what the fuck was going with everyone. Rather than enjoying the writing and events and the plot I started treating it like a wiki or a reference book; skipping until I reached the stuff that was important.

This unfortunately brings me back memories to another book. I had to slog through the boredom and frustration that was “A Feast for Crows” 750 pages of GRRM bad idea. It is possible to be great writer and make really bad decisions. GRRM’s writing? Excellent! His characters? Great! His Plot? A mistake, anauthor getting lost in his theme and neglecting to progress his narrative and wasting the audience’s time.

Now I am not calling George or Tamsyn a bad writer, but they both made a boneheaded series of decisions. Muir decides to radically change the entire style and characters for each book. Actually when put like that Muir is crossing over M. Knight Shyamalan territory, using the change in main characters as a trope crutch the same way he used twists. She managed to pull this off in book two because we had grown to know and care for Harrow in Book 1 and thus when got to book two with an incredible examination of a brilliant yet fractured mind you got novelty but also a sense of progression and insight into the event staking place in the story. But Nona never appeared in book 2 save as a nearly mute apparition. Thus in my case my frustration began to show through when I didn’t connect with that puddle of sugar water and I became bored with her class room antics and her little clique of rote friends. I was sold with Gideon the Ninth and I raged when Gideon sacrificed herself to save Harrow and I was excited when Gideon reappeared at the end of book 2 and then nothing. Forgive me for thinking the main protagonists of books one and two would make a significant appearance. I loved Gideon and Harrow I endured the naivety and passivity of Nona. Gideon and Harrow had relatable experiences and emotions, Nona had a nonsensical and alien and utterly relatable existence created through magic and plot contrivance.

I had to endure years of reading bullshit form supposedly smart people telling me that A Feast for Crows and a Dance with Dragons was anything other the author dropping the ball. His editor should have slapped twice in the face and told him to finish the goddamn story rather than dick around with the dozen or so secondary characters he shoves into every book. I have heard your excuses “But it’s supposed to be frustrating and boring” “It’s an intermission” you know what in movies we don’t see the heroes going to the bathroom waiting in line or walking down a hall because it is boring, someone once told me books are real life but without the boring bits. George and Muir created books with all of the boring bits and interesting shit cut out. Muir created an amazing openly book and a great follow-up but she has zero consistency and an inability to concentrate on the characters themes and storytelling that people to pick her books in the first place. She wants to write something else, something different? Fine start a new series or write some short stories they can even be in universe but she needs to stop yanking the audience around and actually be consistent for five minutes. I was promised lesbian duelist and necromancers and I aim to collect. If she has no intention then announce that she ain’t finishing the series and allow us to write our own fan endings.

Oh for those wondering why I think Muir screwed the fuck up with her saccharine plot it was because in the space of thirty minutes I cam up with a better4 central plot. Simple give us Harrow and Gideon trading bodies like Camilla and Palamedes and then you can slip Nona-Alecto-Gaia-whatthefuck-whoever in as a mysterious third personality/soul. Now you have characters we give a fuck about and the new kid that rather than causing the reader to overdose on artificial sweetener is diluted with Gideon’s bravado and Harrows brooding.

#the locked tomb #gideon the ninth #harrow the 9th #harrow the ninth #tamsyn muir #gideon nav #harrowhark the ninth #harrowhark nonagesimus #nona #spoilsohgodthespoilers #antinona #tlt #sharemypain #gtn #htn #ntn

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